Jen

Why was John the Baptist being hassled by religious leaders? And what were they afraid of? It seems that people in their perceived or actual positions of power become or already were very small people as they think of their "importance". They do not credit to God their position, nor do they ask God for wisdom from Him and they become distrustful or fearful of even the smallest person who is different from them who might pose a possible threat to them. They use ridicule, harassment , minimizing and other methods to harass and terrorize those people. The leaders in those days were for the most part arrogant, lovers of selves, proud, boastful and wanted all eyes on them. They were the head honchos and didn't like any competition. How did John understand his own mission? He understood that he was sent before One greater than he to prepare the way for that One. How much conflict could be expected from John's mission? I think often we are caught by surprise by the amount of conflict we experience over some small thing. In this case since the positions of power were threatened (when aren't they) there would be a great amount of conflict both in terms I expressed above and also the clouds that can form in our own minds from the constant bombardment from the spiritual forces of darkness. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 We need to pray for each other!

1 Corinthians 15:22 says As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive. Sin came through a man and if the blood of bulls and goats could not permanently satisfy Holy God it had to be a sinless man. Since there is no sinless man, God Himself came to earth in the form of God the Son who in obedience to the Father became the sacrifice needed to pay for my sins, your sins, the sins of the whole world. If He were pretending (why would He) it would have made the whole birth, death and resurrection meaningless, worth nothing, invalid, pointless. We would still be in our sins. I experienced God's grace when He drew me to Himself so I could live with Him forever. I continue to experience His grace everyday as He walks with me through this life. Before I knew Christ who is the truth I was a liar. Now I know the truth. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 We need to pray for each other!

Forgot the other two parts. Those who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior are adopted into God's family for all eternity. Those who reject Christ are doomed to a Christless eternity. God Bless Jen Numbers 6:24-26

I liken receiving as to inviting someone into my home and in this case inviting Jesus to live in my heart because I accept as true what He has said. God bless Jen Numbers 6:24-26

John was sent to be a witness to the light which is Jesus Christ. As a believer in Jesus as Lord and Savior I too am called to testify there is one way and one way only to God and that is through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. The Bible says we will suffer persecution (we do not know what form that persecution will take). We are not to flinch and we are to count it all joy. We cannot do it in our own strength we need the Holy Spirit in us to give us the strength and courage. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Yes Jesus is fully God, one with the Father. "Matthew Henry says that Word is two-fold:Word conceived and Word Uttered. There is the word conceived, that is thought, which is the first and only immediate product and conception of the soul. There is the word uttered that this is speech. Christ is fitly called the Word." Jesus has existed in the beginning with God, He was sent to reveal God to us (I don't believe we will ever know all there is to know about God), to fulfill Old Testament prophecy about Him to give His life for our sins to draw us to God, to reveal God's glory. God Bless Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q6. (Isaiah 66:22-24). Why do you think eternal punishment is mentioned at the end of such a glorious prophecy as Isaiah? Why is the enduring, eternal kingdom mentioned? Who will be included in this kingdom? Who will be excluded from it? As a reminder of God's judgement We shall all be in eternity, either in glory or in anguish both physically and mentally. Would that all would listen and believe in the Lord Jesus. Included will be all who love the Lord Jesus Excluded will be all who reject the Lord Jesus God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q5. (Isaiah 66:1-4) If God prescribed temple worship in the Pentateuch, why does he seem to prohibit it in 66:3? What is missing from their worship? Have you ever had this element missing from your worship? What kind of heart is God looking for (66:2)? They go through the motions but love for God and devotion to God are not there. Their hearts are not right with God but filled with wickedness. God is not looking for proud, self righteous, haughty people but people who are contrite, humble and who fear the Lord (have reverence). God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q4. (Isaiah 65:17-25) Why do you think the final state is referred to as the new heavens and the new earth? What is new about them? Which verse talks about the end of pain and sorrow? Which verse mentions instant communication? Which verse illustrates the peace of this Kingdom? The old heaven and earth will pass away and just as it was in the beginning there will be a perfect heaven and earth and once again God will dwell with His people. End of pain and sorrow: 19 instant communication: 24 I think what we have now is relatively fast but the new instant communication will make this look like dial up in the boonies. (very slow) Peace in the kingdom:25 God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q3. (Isaiah 63:7-64:12) What is the basis of Israel’s expectation of salvation according to this prophecy? What does 64:5-7 teach us about the quality of our righteousness? How are we to see our relationship to God according to 63:16 and 64:8-9? What does this passage teach about grace? God's faithfulness in the past when they remember Him and repent and confess He is faithful to forgive. "Lack of repentance is in itself a sign of divine anger". There are a lot of unrepentent people today. That is a dreadful statement for them. Our righteousness (of which we have none) is like a filthy rag. Our relationship to God is that of a child to his Father. He is our Father. He is the giver of life. Grace is a free gift from God our Father to those who fear Him and turn from their wicked ways. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q2. (Isaiah 62) The Jewish people have been humbled, scorned, and persecuted through the ages. According this passage, what will be their final state? Will Christians be included in these blessings? (Hint: Romans 11:11-24). If God has purposed to restore his people, why is intercessory prayer called for in 62:6-7? Where in the New Testament are we told to pray for what God has purposed? (Hint: the Lord's Prayer). Their final state will be glorious. She will be vindicated before the nations of the world, she will be seen as righteous before all the nations of the world, as a trophy of God's grace, she will be a priestly nation before all the nations of the world, she will be known as God's delight before all the nations of the world, God will rejoice in her before all the nations of the world. For those who hate Israel, guess what! God loves the nation of Israel and He will do what He has promised. Praise the Lord! Yes Christians will be included in these blessings! I enjoyed Squirts analogy to lightening. Very nice! If we love God we will want to intercede for Israel. When we intercede we bring Him glory. We are a unified people under the headship of the Lord Jesus. We are the church. We are redeemed by grace and we show our undivided devotion to our God and His will being done on earth. Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (Isaiah 61:1-3) Are words like "captive" and "prisoner" used literally or figuratively? How did Jesus intend them to be understood when he read them and spoke of their fulfillment? How are you personally doing in adopting Jesus' agenda here? How is your congregation doing? In one sense literally as it refers to the captives of Israel and in another sense well I see it as literally also as it points to deliverance from the bondage of sin. We were literally captives to sin and prisoners of the dark kingdom of Satan and his hordes until Christ redeemed us and set us free. I would have to say I believe Jesus meant us to take them literally. I endeavor to bring comfort to the broken hearted and to comfort those who mourn. I want to live Colossians 1:10-12. There is a lot of work to be done in me but I am striving for that goal if that applies and I sort of think it does. I have such a miserable sinus problem again that I find it hard to concentrate. I find it hard to be grateful for these and I find it harder to be patient, loving, kind. My husband sleeps early so I have this time to spend with the Lord to refresh myself in Him. God Bless Jen Romans 15:13

Q7. (Isaiah 59:1-2) How do disobedience and lack of repentance prevent our prayers from being answered? According to verse 2, who is causing the separation from God? How can it be corrected? If we have disobedience or lack of repentance then our heart is not right. We will not be sincere in our prayers, nor will we ask for what is in God's will and He will not hear us. We are causing the separation from God with our sin and unrepentance. We must confess and repent. And God who is faithful will hear our prayers and forgive and cleanse. 1 John 1:9. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

(Isaiah 58:13-14) In these verses what positive actions align themselves with a true keeping the Sabbath? What negative actions should be avoided in a true keeping of the Sabbath? Positive actions Seek to do what is pleasing to God, call it a delight, do not pursue your own agenda but rather what honors God. Negative actions Pursuing your own desires (unless that desire is to honor the Lord on His day), looking upon the Sabbath as a burden, a hindrance to accomplishing "all that I want". If our heart is not right it will be a burden and if our heart is right it will be a delight. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q5. (Isaiah 58:9b-10a) In what ways are people injured by backbiting, judgmental attitudes, and harsh criticism? How are they injured by false accusations and slander? How can we change our church cultures to banish this kind of behavior? What would it require of us to really "spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry"? What would this look like for an individual? For a congregation? How do you put into words the hurt these things can do to a person? They totally tear down a person, ripping apart their self esteem and their sense of well being. Rejection hurts terribly. For those of us in Christ Jesus while it can still hurt we can remember who we are in Christ. Those who don't have Christ in this unloving cruel world will look for someone or something to build him or her up. We in the church can be so smug, so pleased with our loving God and His love for us that we don't look on others as we should or we downplay our abilities "I am not good at that". Its the effort, a kind hand on the shoulder that can make all the difference. My daughter was feeling put down because she put herself through school and partly supported her family by being a waitress and I reminded her that her smile and kind words might be the only ones some of those people saw that week. She might make all the difference in someones life for ever just by how she treated them with dignity and kindness. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q4. (Isaiah 58:6-7) What kinds of injustice does Isaiah condemn in these verses? What excuses do we use to rationalize not being generous to the poor -- in our communities or in our families? In what ways is "tough love" important to help people? In what ways could it hurt them? Oh dear! What does James say? Faith without works is dead. If we are content because all is well with us and ignore our hurting neighbor we are hypocrites. Generosity comes in different forms. Some have money, some skills, some time, some kind words. Use what you have and can. Some people need tough love, some just need love. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q3. (Isaiah 57:15) What things do we learn about God in this verse? What is the great paradox here? Why does God care so much about the downtrodden and the contrite? Do you and your congregation care for the downtrodden and contrite with the same intensity? Wow! What a mighty God we serve. He who is high and exalted lives in the heart of the contrite and downtrodden. Why does God care so much about downtrodden and contrite? Because of who He is. He who came to live among us in a most humble manner to show us that it is not about what we have but who we are and to show us who He is and what He loves. Same intensity? No however many people here do care about those who are hurting. As one person put it if something happens to one of us it happens to all of us. Of course there again seems to be that natural propensity to not include "foreigners". God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q2. (Isaiah 56:2) Why does keeping a sacred day of rest honor God? Christians practice this different ways: (1) Sabbath worship and rest, (2) Sunday worship and rest, (3) Sunday worship, no rest, or (4) no worship, no rest. Which of the various options might best honor God? Which of these might dishonor God? Which of these keep the spirit of one "who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it"? It shows our love for Him and our obedience that springs from our love for Him. Sunday worship and rest might best honor God however I have found from my own experience that life doesn't always cooperate. I have been a caregiver for a few years now and although it is not as demanding as it was I learned that taking care of someone on the Sabath does not dishonor Him but more turning it into a legalistic thing might. For me desire to honor Lord's Day was intense and I felt it was becoming legalistic. As far as desecrating it I think we mostly know what pleases God and what doesn't and if there is a fine line there do your best to rest in peace. Sometimes I believe He looks at our attitude more than our fine line actions. It is easier if the husband and wife are together on this. No pat answers for me. God looks at our heart. Maybe we should examine our heart also. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (Isaiah 56:3-8) What is the significance of God's welcome of believing and ethical foreigners and eunuchs to full status in his temple? What are the implications of that for the church? Who does your congregation tend to exclude from its fellowship -- if not explicitly, then by emphasis and focus? What could you do about this? The significance is immense. It shows God's heart of love for all people regardless of race or ethnicity. It is all about our belief and faith in Him. The world judges by the outside, God looks at the heart. I went to one church overseas that had people from every tongue, tribe and nation just about. It was wonderful, all of us worshipping the Lord together. Everyone had something to offer and all were loved. The congregation here excludes anyone not from their town or nearby. It is like a closed click. It is uncomfortable if you are not on the inside and that includes me. I am not from here. There are some who make an effort however I have never seen anything like this here. And it is by emphasis and focus. What can I do? Pray and let God work. He is doing a work. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"? She was blessed, she was a virgin and she was Mary. She was the mother of God through the virgin birth of Christ Jesus who is Himself God. Maybe for fear we will be mistaken for worshipping her. She was the vessel God choose to bring the Messiah into the world who is to be worshipped and adored. God bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q4. (Luke 1:38) What is the essence of Mary's positive response to the angel? What can we learn from her response for our own lives? In what sense was Mary's response an "informed consent"? When we respond to God, what do we consent to? The essence of Mary's positive response to the angel was that she was willing and to do the Lord's will, knowing the cost because she loved the Lord. When we are willing to do what God asks we give God a chance to work a miracle, or save a soul. Mary knew the cost and consented willingly. We obey Him and leave the consequence up to HIm. He will supply our needs. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q5. (Isaiah 53) Which single New Testament passage best sums up for you the lessons of Isaiah 53? Why did you chose this passage? (Select from Matthew 26:38-42; Luke 22:37; John 1:29; Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21; 1 Peter 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:18; Philippians 2:5-11 -- or any other passage you can think of.) This is a hard choice as they all have some aspect to emphasize as this is so deep and so full. If I had to pick one I would pick Matthew 26:38-42. To me this speaks volumns of the agony Christ knew He would willingly suffer and already was suffering in the anticipation of what was coming. The awful price He paid for a sinner such as me. I am so sorry Lord for my sin and I thank you for paying that price for me. I also like John 1:29 in that it just says Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. It shows the side that shows it is all on Jesus and not on us. He paid the price, we reap the benefits. How unworthy of this strange kind of love I feel. And how unable to express. Just bow my head and weep. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

(Isaiah 53) In addition to our sins, the Servant also bears the punishment deserved by sinners. In what sense, if any, did Jesus bear the punishment due you when he died on the cross? The Servant Jesus Christ came to bear my sins and the sins of the world. My suffering could never satisfy a just God because I am a sinner saved only through the grace of God. So Jesus took my sins (see my name? I do) and all sinners and He who was sinless suffered an agonizing death on the cross so that I would not suffer eternal banishment from Him and everlasting life, and that I would not suffer an eternity so horrible no words can describe. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Isaiah 53) Isaiah 53 teaches what theologians call "the substitutionary atonement." In what sense does the Servant act as a substitute to bear our sins? Put it in your own words. To be the substitutionary atonement for the sin of the human race required a pure, spotless, sinless substitute. Only God is pure, spotless, sinless so He came for the purpose of being the substitutionary atonement through the person of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God. God Bless Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (Isaiah 53) From how large a group of people does God remove sins in Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12? In what sense is this a universal sacrifice of salvation? In what sense is Jesus' sacrifice wasted on some people? Many nations Anyone who will may receive this gift. Cannot be bought , cannot be earned, it is a gift of God Those who dismiss it or reject it will not receive salvation since it comes through no other. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13