LENTEN STUDY at Saint Paul United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States with Senior Pastor Eugenio Demonstenes Raphael

LENTEN STUDY at Saint Paul United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States with Senior Pastor Eugenio Demonstenes Raphael

Bible Study Prayer by Claralice Wolf:

Good Shepherd,

We are a small flock of Your disciples meeting here in this little room. We come with our fears and worries. We come with a hunger to know the truth.

Be in this place with us. Help us to hear Your voice still ringing down thorugh the centuries. Help us to discern what You still have to say to us today.

O Shepherd and Lamb, come. Amen.

Wednesday, March 24th

Genesis 15:1 Some time later the word of Adonai came to Avram in a vision: “Don’t be afraid, Avram. I am your protector; your reward will be very great.” 2 Avram replied, “Adonai, God, what good will your gifts be to me if I continue childless; and Eli‘ezer from Dammesek inherits my possessions? 17 After the sun had set and there was thick darkness, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared, which passed between these animal parts. 18 That day Adonai made a covenant with Avram: “I have given this land to your descendants — from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River —

Philippians 3:17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and pay attention to those who live according to the pattern we have set for you. 18 For many — I have told you about them often before, and even now I say it with tears — live as enemies of the Messiah’s execution-stake. 19 They are headed for destruction! Their god is the belly; they are proud of what they ought to be ashamed of, since they are concerned about the things of the world. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 21 He will change the bodies we have in this humble state and make them like his glorious body, using the power which enables him to bring everything under his control. 4:1 So, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, my dear friends, keep standing firm in union with the Lord.

Luke 13:31 Just at that moment, some P’rushim came up and said to Yeshua, “Get out and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you!” 32 He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Pay attention: today and tomorrow I am driving out demons and healing people, and on the third day I reach my goal.’ 33 Nevertheless, I must keep travelling today, tomorrow and the next day; because it is unthinkable that a prophet should die anywhere but in Yerushalayim. 34 “Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! 35 Look! God is abandoning your house to you! I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!’”[Luke 13:35 Psalm 118:26]

Questions:

1. What is the Theme?
2. Describe the basic message.
3. What did you learn from this passage?
4. What troubled you the most about this passage?
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life?
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.

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Answers:

1. What is the Theme? Genesis 15:1-2,17-18--The theme is God is the protector and rewarder for those who are faithful. Philippians 3:17-4:1--The Theme is to stand firm in your faith. Luke 13:31-35--The Theme is keep o despite resistance.
2. Describe the basic message. Genesis 15:1-2,17-18--The Basic messages is that God will provide an inheritance through His church and His ministry as well as family for His Call to be fulfilled now and forever. Philippians 3:17-4:1--The basic message is that he is happy and love you for remaining in Jesus and not become enemies of Jesus' cross. Luke 13:31-35--The basic message is that despite threats and misunderstandings the purpose of God should continue until it is finished.
3. What did you learn from this passage? Genesis 15:1-2,17-18--God takes care of His faithful person and sees His inheritance becomes reality. Philippians 3:17-4:1--I learned that we are to imitate saints in the church as they imitate Jesus. Luke 13:31-35--I learned that even when religious leaders question Jesus, He continued on with God's path for Him.
4. What troubled you the most about this passage? Seeing God's faith yet doubts arise. Genesis 15:1-2,17-18--Philippians 3:17-4:1--Is Paul referring to people who have once believed and turned away from God or to those who have never beleived or both? Luke 13:31-35--The blindness of the religious leaders to see who Jesus really is.
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you? Genesis 15:1-2,17-18--Verse 1 Some time later the word of Adonai came to Avram in a vision: “Don’t be afraid, Avram. I am your protector; your reward will be very great.” Philippians 3:17-4:1--Verse 4:1 So, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, my dear friends, keep standing firm in union with the Lord. Luke 13:31-35--Verses 34 “Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! 35 Look! God is abandoning your house to you! I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!’”
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life? Genesis 15:1-2,17-18-4:1--The realization that no matter what circumstances, God is still leading me for His glory to be seen. Philippians 3:17--The prayers of mine to keep on keeping on in the faith Jesus has given to me and still giving. Luke 13:31-35--The strength from God to continue His mission He has called me to do for His Kingdom and Church.
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words. Genesis 15:1-2,17-18--As God came to Abram to tell him that He is his protector and rewarder, God comes to be and tells me the same while promising land and an child, He comes promises His vision from His call upon my life will be fulfilled forever ad ever in His church on earth as it is in Heaven. Philippians 3:17-4:1--I am proud and pleased that you have continued tin the faith that Jesus has given you. I pray that you will imitate me as I imitate Jesus. I weep for the people who have become enemies of the cross of Jesus because they have chosen to seek the world's glory and not God's glory. I pray that you will continue in the faith of Jesus and show His love to each other and all people you come in tact with that those who have turned their backs of Jesus' cross will return weeping in repentance of their sins against God and you. Luke 13:31-35--I see just as Jesus was not swayed by the religious leaders criticism and enemies attempting to kill Him, I must continue on even though some Methodist and Nazarene Leaders of misunderstood my motives and call for the full and active participation and inclusion of people who are differently abled as lay or clergy people. I weep and pray: Oh Nazarenes and Methodists! Oh Nazarenes and Methodists! I wish that you would see that the growth of God's Kingdom in His church is treating and accepting people who are differently abled in the community of faith ministering with and to all other people in showing God's Love to all His creation. I can see this happening in Heaven and I pray for this to happen on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen and Amen!

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Wednesday, March 2nd

Isaiah 55: Buy Without Money 1-5 “Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything’s free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love. I set him up as a witness to the nations, made him a prince and leader of the nations, And now I’m doing it to you: You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of, and nations who’ve never heard of you will come running to you Because of me, your God, because The Holy of Israel has honored you.” 6-7 Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. 8-11 “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Remember our history, friends, and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and taken miraculously through the Sea. They went through the waters, in a baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation life. They all ate and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God’s fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ. But just experiencing God’s wonder and grace didn’t seem to mean much—most of them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased. 6-10 The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—“First the people partied, then they threw a dance.” We must not be sexually promiscuous—they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them. 11-12 These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. 13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
Luke 13: Unless You Turn to God 1-5 About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. Jesus responded, “Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die. And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die.” 6-7 Then he told them a story: “A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’ 8-9 “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’

Questions:

1. What is the Theme?
2. Describe the basic message.
3. What did you learn from this passage?
4. What troubled you the most about this passage?
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life?
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.

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Questions:

1. What is the Theme? Isaiah 55:1-9; God's Invitation to all people.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Warning from our ancestors' sinful behavior.

   Luke 13:1-9; All sin is sin.
2. Describe the basic message. Isaiah 5:1-9; God is calling all people to come and eat the food from Him that does cost any money.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; The remembering of the people before us who wanted their own way instead of God;s way and God punished them severly even to death for some.

   Luke 13:1-9; The answer Jesus gave to the religious leaders and the parable of the fig tree is that we all need to repent and bear fruit as a result of our repentance.
3. What did you learn from this passage? Isaiah 5:1-9; God's invitation is always available to everyone to come to Him.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; We are not to repeat the same sins our ancestors did as God was leading them for His glory to be see.

   Luke 13:1-9; All of us need to repent from our sins and to live lives of repentance with evidence of God's mercy and love towards all His creation.
4. What troubled you the most about this passage? Isaiah 5:1-9; How people do not answer to His invitation and come and eat freely.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Our ancestors had a short memory of God's blessings while even today we have this same short memory.

   Luke 13:1-9; The religious in Jesus day and many people in our day do not realize that they are not beyond repentance.
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you? Isaiah 55:1-9, 1-2 Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

   Luke 13:1-9; “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life? Isaiah 5:1-9; To always answer God's Call and be fed to be available for His Purpose.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; we are to pray to be able to continue in the faith God has given us to be in full obedience to His way and call.

   Luke 13:1-9;
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words. Isaiah 55:1-9; God is calling all people to come to Him and eat the food He gives that does not coat anything. He ask us to just respond and come and be delivered from our sins. He even ask the people doing evil to stop and come to Him and eat. We are called to be His witnesses of His full provisions for us and His power to live our lives in His way, not ours.
   

   1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Will we remember the way our ancestors were led astray even as they were being transformed in their lives from slavery to freedom. We remember the Israelites who were impatient on the length of time Moses was with God and they desired to serve their own homemade god. We remember how our ancestors were looking for a person to lead their nation to supremacy over other people who were not like them. We even remember how we were captured and killed because people called us savages and do not deserve to live. We even remember how our ancestors fought alongside people for their freedom, but took on orders to kill the people who lived in this land before we were even brought to this land as slaves. May we understand all of these sins that we do not repeat them so there are no people who are not equal to all other people and that in our temptations to sin we realize that there is a way to escapte from turning the temptation into sin. Praise to God for doing this for us in our everyday lives.

   Luke 13:1-9; Have you ever heard somebody saying that they are so glad that God's grace has come them from doing what they are doing or I am so glad that God has blessed me with children who are not disabled for they must surely have unconfessed sin in their lives or their family heritage. There is a story about a church that was being threatened to be closed by the church leaders when they gathered for a meeting concerning the future of this congregation in this town. One of the church leaders stopped at a restaurant to have a meal before attending the meeting to lead the congregation in their future. As he was sitting in the restaurant listening to the conversation of the employees and the other customers. In their conversations, there was a tone that this town needs some kind of revival to bring the people into unity of purpose for the next generation of the town because there appears to be a division between the haves and have nots, the way some children learn differently than other children, the spoken language in the home is not English, and the different faiths in the town are criticizing each other. From this evening meal, the church leader was praying and decided to go ot the church meeting with a different attitude. The leader went with the attitude of Jesus and began to ask the church members if they are listening to, really listening to their neighbors. In the meeting, they realize that the congregation was contributing to the continued disunity in the town rather than finding common ground to address the differences. The questions came to mind were how they could address the nutrition and food issues, the language barriers, the faith differences, the learning differences of the children, and economic and social differences. They began to come up with solutions that they could try to bring unity to the town which could or could not help the church, but it all came down to showing God's mercy and love to all the people as God has showed them. In this story, there was a turn around in their congregation because the townspeople saw the church as a caring and loving people, not a people who were exclusive. How can we go and do likewise.

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Wednesday, March 9th

Joshua 5:9 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. 10 The people of Isra’el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. 11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day. 12 The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the man ended. From then on the people of Isra’el no longer had man; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Kena‘an.

2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint. Even if we once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! 18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God! 21 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”

Luke 15:1 The tax-collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Yeshua, 2 and the P’rushim and Torah-teachers kept grumbling. “This fellow,” they said, “welcomes sinners — he even eats with them!” 3 So he told them this parable: 11 Again Yeshua said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch. 15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any. 17 “At last he came to his senses and said, ‘Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and started back to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son — ’ 22 but his father said to his slaves, ‘Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating. 25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ 27 The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father has slaughtered the calf that was fattened up, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go inside. “So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 ‘Look,’ the son answered, ‘I have worked for you all these years, and I have never disobeyed your orders. But you have never even given me a young goat, so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 Yet this son of yours comes, who squandered your property with prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!’ 31 ‘Son, you are always with me,’ said the father, ‘and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life — he was lost but has been found.’”

Questions:

1. What is the Theme?
2. Describe the basic message.
3. What did you learn from this passage?
4. What troubled you the most about this passage?
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life?
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.

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Answers:

1. What is the Theme? Joshua 5:9-12 The theme is that God's completes His promise.
   

   2 Corinthians 5:16-21 The theme is seeing others the way God sees them.

   Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The Theme is Love and Grace.
2. Describe the basic message.Joshua 5:9-12 The Basic Message is that when God brings the permanent, the temporary is stopped.
   

   2 Corinthians 5:16-21 The Basic Message is that we are new people when we come into a relationship with Jesus the Christ.

   Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The Basic message is no matter how far a person goes away from the church, the person may come to their senses and return to the church and discover when they do the church will celebrate your return to them and God's grace and mercy.
3. What did you learn from this passage?Joshua 5:9-12 God always fulfills His promise no matter how difficult it may appear.
   

   2 Corinthians 5:16-21 God never throws people away, He only remakes them into new creations.

   Luke 15:1-3,11-32 God waits patiently in hope for His children to return to Him and His Loving ways.
4. What troubled you the most about this passage?Joshua 5:9-12 The lack of patiently waiting for the Israelites and us.
   

   2 Corinthians 5:16-21 The misunderstandings that too many people have about being a ne creation in Jesus.

   Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The fact that too often followers of Jesus act like the elder children when a prodigal child returns to the fold instead of acting like the father and His love, grace, and mercy.
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?Joshua 5:9-12 Verse 11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day.
   

   2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Verse 21 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”

   Luke 15:1-3,11-32 Verse 32 We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life — he was lost but has been found.’”
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life? Joshua 5:9-12 Remembering God always fulfills His promises no matter how long it takes. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 God is calling us to see the world with His eyes of inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness. Luke 15:1-3,11-32 No matter how far a person goes from God, when they return we are to celebrate His return because they should do this for us if we stray from God.
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.Joshua 5:9-12 Just as God led the Israelites through Joshua into the land of milk and honey where they were no longer given manna to eat, God leads us into His fulfilled promise for us. The Israelites celebrated the Passover meal just before eating the food from the land to remember God's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, we celebrate the same Passover Meal in an abbreviated form in remember the shed blood and broken body of Jesus to deliver us from our Sin Bondage. Lord, we celebrate this as often as we come together to remember the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptian bondage, the deliverance of us from our bondage of sin to a new freedom, the deliverance from choosing not to continue in sin in this life by God's Grace, and the promise that Jesus is coming again in the fulfillment of His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
   

   2 Corinthians 5:16-21 No longer do we look at others as we used to in our unconverted state. We used to look at God and His son in a way that we refused to embrace Him, but no more. We have been transformed into a new person that we see others as God sees them in a manner of His loving creation that was made good and is good. We are able to see life in a way that is caring and loving seeking only the best for others and ourselves. We realize that others will see our lives in a loving and peaceful manner showing mercy and not hatred and judgmental.

   Luke 15:1-3,11-32 There were religious leaders who noticed some women who were spending more time serving the homeless and the hungry as well as the prostitutes rather than spending their days in Bible Studies at church and serving the leaders in the church. There was a wise pastor who said to the other leaders let me tell you a story. There was once a woman who was a righteous, holy, and wealthy woman with a successful business. She had two daughters who were going to inherit the wealth and business when she died. The younger daughter got tired of living under the wings of her mother and one day went to her mother to ask for her inheritance today which the woman did. The daughter no sooner was able to turn her inheritance into cash that she packed up her car and left for another city. While she was in the other city, she did not work, but spent her time partying with friends and acquaintances enjoying life as she thought it should be lived. After a time of spending her money on partying, the money ran out and she found herself without any friends and living on the street seeking shelter where she could and eating from soup kitchens. As she began to think of her mother and her business, she realized that all her mother's employees were well paid and lived lives with all their needs being met. She decided to start walking and getting rides to where her mother lived. She was thinking and rehearsing what she was going to say to her mother about sinning against God and her. As she was walking down the road close to home, her mother was looking out the window as she always did hoping her younger daughter would return home she spotted her daughter walking down the road. The mother jumped in her car and drove towards her daughter and stopped where her daughter was and opened the door and let her in the car. The youngest daughter began what she rehearsed, but the mother was busy on the telephone calling the best caterer in town to arrange for a party at her house. The mother drove home and took her daughter to her bedroom and got her cleaned up and dressed in the finest clothes with diamond necklace and brcelent. She then took her daughter downstairs to the large dining room where the table was set with the best foods and the daughters friends from church and school were there. Someone told that oldest daughter who was still at the business office working at her daily assignments in running the business. The eldest daughter quickly finished her work and went to her mother's house to see her mother. She refused to go into the room where the party was going on, but went into her mother's den and began some work she needed to finish up. The mother came into the den and saw her eldest daughter and spoke to her to come in and enjoy the party for her younger sister. The elder daughter refused saying that I stayed home and worked for you raising your grandchildren while working my assignments at the office and you never gave a lavish party like this all these years even though you did celebrate my birthday. Meanwhile, your younger daughter took her inheritance and went off to a far city and wasted the money on drinking, drugging, prostituting herself, and losing all the money than lived on the streets as a homeless beggar. The Mother said to her elder daughter that your sister was dead and now she is arrive and returned home meanwhile everything I have will be inherited by you and your family when I die so come and party with us.

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Wednesday, March 16th

Isaiah 43:16 Here is what Adonai says, who made a way in the sea, a path through the raging waves; 17 who led out chariot and horse, the army in its strength — they lay down, never to rise again, snuffed out and quenched like a wick: 18 “Stop dwelling on past events and brooding over times gone by; 19 I am doing something new; it’s springing up — can’t you see it? I am making a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I put water in the desert, rivers in the wasteland, for my chosen people to drink, 21 the people I formed for myself, so that they would proclaim my praise.

Philippians 3:4 even though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human qualifications, I have better grounds:

John 12:1 Six days before Pesach, Yeshua came to Beit-Anyah, where El‘azar lived, the man Yeshua had raised from the dead; 2 so they gave a dinner there in his honor. Marta served the meal, and El‘azar was among those at the table with him. 3 Miryam took a whole pint of pure oil of spikenard, which is very expensive, poured it on Yeshua’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of the talmidim, Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who was about to betray him, said, 5 “This perfume is worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this not out of concern for the poor, but because he was a thief — he was in charge of the common purse and used to steal from it. 7 Yeshua said, “Leave her alone! She kept this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Questions:

1. What is the Theme?
2. Describe the basic message.
3. What did you learn from this passage?
4. What troubled you the most about this passage?
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life?
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.

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Answers:

1. What is the Theme? Isaiah 43:16-21 The Theme is God is doing a new thing.
   

   Philippians 3:4 The Theme is bragging rights.

   John 12:1-8 The Basic Theme is honoring.
2. Describe the basic message. Isaiah 43:16-21 The Basic Message is that we are not to dwell on the spiritual successes of the past, but look around and see what God is doing in His world and church today, now.
   

   Philippians 3:4 The basic message is that we have no right to brag in our accomplishments because they are all because of God's Grace working in and through us.

   John 12:1-8 The Basic Message is that there are times in our lives whether family or church when we honor certain people for their contributions to the family or church.
3. What did you learn from this passage? Isaiah 43:16-21 I learned that God is always doing something to awaken each new generation to His love, mercy and grace.
   

   Philippians 3:4 I learned that I should never brag of the good things in my life as though I did it in my own strength because it was God doing it all.

   John 12:1-8 It is all right to honor other people for their contributions in their lives and the life of the church.
4. What troubled you the most about this passage? Isaiah 43:16-21 I was troubled by what I see in too many churches today desiring for the old ways to be revived in bringing the church to its glory again.
   

   Philippians 3:4 Too often, even in our churches today people desire to brag of their successes as a lay person or clergy because of their churches actions in the community today.

   John 12:1-8 The way we dishonor people as Judas appeared to dishonor Jesus.
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you? Isaiah 43:16-21 Verse 19 I am doing something new;
   it’s springing up — can’t you see it? I am making a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.
   

   Philippians 3:4 Verse 4 even though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human qualifications, I have better grounds:

   John 12:1-8 Verse 8 You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life? Isaiah 43:16-21 In my prayer life, I ask God to open my eyes and mind to see what His doing in the world to today that I may become involved with.
   

   Philippians 3:4 This passage reminds me to give God all the glory in what He has and is doing in and through me.

   John 12:1-8 This passage helps me to pray to honor others for what they have accomplished to show God's provision in their lives for God's glory being seen.
7. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.Isaiah 43:16-21 God is speaking to His church today that appears to be dying, but is not to look around and see where I am working to build my kingdom. I am reaching people with my love that you do not want to acknowledge. I am bringing people of other cultures into your communities that they may begin to see how much you love me by serving them and assisting them in rebuilding their lives where in there old communities they were living in poverty and under threat of violence. I am bringing people into your community who have different sexual orientations, but is waking up to the fact that they need to be in a lifelong commitment with another person as a lifelong partner in a marriage relationship rather than go from partner to partner. They are seeing that I love them and desire to worship and serve me and others alongside you, but you do not see that am working among them. Then, there are the people who were born with a disability or gained their disability through a disease or accident or a violent act or even with their aging process. These people are my children as you are desiring to worship and serve me and others in my church. Come and see my actions today that I am calling you to join in because I am a loving and inclusive church.
   

   Philippians 3:4 If there are people in the church who can brag about their heritage in the church and what they have accomplished, I have more bragging rights due to my heritage in Nazarene and Methodist churches as well as my family heritage in the family's ancestors.

   John 12:1-8 One day there was a church that celebrated the life of a couple for their many years as a married couple in serving the church in various roles. It appeared that the church went all out in honoring them and people were praising them for how they had been witnesses to them to continue in the faith. There was a person in the church who bestowed up this couple and expensive trip as a renewed honeymoon because the person discovered that they never had a honeymoon celebration. There was another person in the church who verbally reprimanded this person because the money could have gone to the ministry of the church towards the food pantry or the children's ministry or youth ministry or even in ways to help the poor and homeless. The pastor spoke up and said that you will always have the marginalized with you and you will be able t do great things for them, but today is the day to honor this couple for the longevity of their marriage and the giving of themselves to the church and other people and besides they will not always be with you when they pass from this earthly life to their Heavenly reward.

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Wednesday, March 23rd

Isaiah 50:4-9

Hebrews 12:1-3

John 13:21-32

Questions:

1. What is the Theme?
2. Describe the basic message.
3. What did you learn from this passage?
4. What troubled you the most about this passage?
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life?
7. What is God asking?
8. What is God promising?
9. What is God revealing?
10. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.

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Isaiah 50:4 Adonai Elohim has given me the ability to speak as a man well taught, so that I, with my words, know how to sustain the weary. Each morning he awakens my ear to hear like those who are taught. 5 Adonai Elohim has opened my ear, and I neither rebelled nor turned away. 6 I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. 7 For Adonai Elohim will help. This is why no insult can wound me. This is why I have set my face like flint, knowing I will not be put to shame. 8 My vindicator is close by; let whoever dares to accuse me appear with me in court! Let whoever has a case against me step forward! 9 Look, if Adonai Elohim helps me, who will dare to condemn me? Here, they are all falling apart like old, moth-eaten clothes.

Hebrews 12:1 So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us, 2 looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting,[Hebrews 12:2 Habakkuk 2:4] Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.[Hebrews 12:2 Psalm 110:1] 3 Yes, think about him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you won’t grow tired or become despondent.
John 13:21 After saying this, Yeshua, in deep anguish of spirit, declared, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that one of you will betray me.” 22 The talmidim stared at one another, totally mystified — whom could he mean? 23 One of his talmidim, the one Yeshua particularly loved, was reclining close beside him. 24 So Shim‘on Kefa motioned to him and said, “Ask which one he’s talking about.” 25 Leaning against Yeshua’s chest, he asked Yeshua, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Yeshua answered, “It’s the one to whom I give this piece of matzah after I dip it in the dish.” So he dipped the piece of matzah and gave it to Y’hudah Ben-Shim‘on from K’riot. 27 As soon as Y’hudah took the piece of matzah, the Adversary went into him. “What you are doing, do quickly!” Yeshua said to him. 28 But no one at the table understood why he had said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Y’hudah was in charge of the common purse, Yeshua was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or telling him to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as he had taken the piece of matzah, Y’hudah went out, and it was night. 31 After Y’hudah had left, Yeshua said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If the Son has glorified God, God will himself glorify the Son, and will do so without delay.

Answers:

1. What is the Theme? Isaiah 50:4-9--God Deliverance
   

   Hebrews 12:1-3--Remembering the people who have gone before us.

   John 13:21-32--Jesus knows all just as God Knows all.
2. Describe the basic message. Isaiah 50:4-9--God is going to pull His people out of the circumstances for those who repent.
   

   Hebrews 12:1-3--The basic message is to realize the people who have followed God and the Messiah are witnessing to us to be faithful in His ways and will.

   John 13:21-32--The Basic message is that God was sharing of the person who will betray Him that He will be glorified by His Father.
3. What did you learn from this passage? Isaiah 50:4-9--I learned again that God is faithful to be with His people.
   

   Hebrews 12:1-3--I learned that I am not alone.

   John 13:21-32--The idea that God knows the hearts of people more than people do.
4. What troubled you the most about this passage? Isaiah 50:4-9--How some people cannot see their need to repent.
   

   Hebrews 12:1-3--How Christians think they are alone in their life journeys.

   John 13:21-32--The slowness of the disciples with what Jesus was teaching them.
5. Which verse or verses really spoke to you?Isaiah 50:4-9--Verse Adonai Elohim has given me
   the ability to speak as a man well taught, so that I, with my words, know how to sustain the weary.

   Hebrews 12:1-3--Verse 1 So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,

   John 13:21-32--Verses 31 After Y’hudah had left, Yeshua said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If the Son has glorified God, God will himself glorify the Son, and will do so without delay.
6. In how does this passage help your prayer life? Isaiah 50:4-9--God listens and lead His people as they repent of their sins and follow His ways.
   

   Hebrews 12:1-3--The realization that I have people before me to support and intercede for my life's journey to be faithful to His ways and will for me.

   John 13:21-32--These passages call me to pray my heart is as right with God as my behavior shows.
7. What is God asking? Isaiah 50:4-9--comfort the people and their families who are disabled.
   Hebrews 12:1-3--To remember the Christians who have gone before us and what Jesus has done and doing for us.
   John 13:21-32--for us to listen to Him as He tells us the way to go for His will to be accomplished in and through us.
8. What is God promising? Isaiah 50:4-9--His redemption and restoration.
   Hebrews 12:1-3--His power to live holy lives.
   John 13:21-32--He will always be with us.
9. What is God revealing? Isaiah 50:4-9--His love and mercy for all people.
   Hebrews 12:1-3--who He is in our lives.
   John 13:21-32--His knowledge of us and all people.
10. Re-write the Psalm in your own words.Isaiah 50:4-9--God knew me from the point of my conception. He knew what my struggles would be, but He faithfully called me to Himself and to be used by Him to reach the people being left out by the people in the church. He called me to awaken in His Redeemed people to see all people as God sees them with love and mercy. He knows the heart of His church, but too often they strive to be accepted y society rather than by Him. He is calling His church to return to the first love they started with that all other people will know the people are God's by our love ad mercy to all people.
    

    Hebrews 12:1-3--As sit here, I am reminded of the people who have gone before me to blaze a trail of holiness of Life. They were able to live their holy lives because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God's son, to redeem us by His blood and broken body to give us the purpose of our lives to reveal God's Holy Love and Mercy to other people. He calls us His people that we are not alone, but have many people supporting us to stay faithful to God's will and way for each of us.

    John 13:21-32--I remember this last Passover feast well especially after Jesus just completed washing our feet and giving us the wine and bread saying that this is His Body and blood and we are to remember Him every time we celebrate this part of the Passover feast. What surprised me what happened next when He stated that one of us was going to betray Him. We looked at each other wondering who was going to do this, then Peter motioned to John to ask Jesus who it is who is going to betray Him. Jesus responded with the statement that the one who I give the bread to to eat after I dip it into the sauce. It turned out to be Judas Iscariot who is the keeper of our money. Jesus says to Judas to go and do quickly what he has proposed. Judas got up and left and we only thought that he was going to buy the provisions for the time of Passover as he has done in the past. Then after Judas left, Jesus said that now the Father or God will be able to glory Him. We did not understand what He was talking about until later on that evening or morning and after his resurrection after His death on the cross. Wow! Jesus is like God who knows every thing about us from the heart outward.

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