Sunday, July 12, 2015
Micah 3:5-12 NIV
5 This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim 'peace' if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them. 6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. 7 The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God." 8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. 9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; 10 who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. 11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD's support and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us." 12 Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did the Lord have to say about the false prophets? (v.5)
2) What did the Lord say would befall the false prophets, seers, and diviners? (v.6-7)
3) What did the Prophet Micah proclaim about himself (his character)? (v.8)
4) What did Micah proclaim about the wicked leaders (including prophets) of the people of God? (v.9-11)
5) What would happen to the people of God because of their wicked leaders? (v.12)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever encountered, or heard of, a leaders in your church who was more concerned about him/herself than the people of God?
LIFE LESSONS
7) There are leaders among the flock of God who are false because they are more concerned about personal gain than they are about the people of God.
8)Those who listen to (follow) leaders, motived by self serving gain, may be as deceived as they are unless their trust is in God and in His word alone.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Ezekiel 13:15-20 NIV
15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD." ' 17 "Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19 You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. 20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After chiding His people for not building a wall of defense around their nation, what did the Lord declare that he would do to the wall and the false prophets? Why? (v.15-16)
2) What did the Lord tell the Prophet Ezekiel to do and to say to His people? Why? (v.17-20)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
3) Have you ever heard a servant of the Lord (a prophet) declare judgment against a nation and another proclaim something different? If so, how did you respond to each prophecies?
LIFE LESSONS
4) The Lord expects His people to believe His true prophets. True prophets do not sell, or compromise, their prophetic gift to gain man's approval.
5) Only those who know the ways of the Lord, as revealed through the Bible and His Spirit, will discern which prophecies are true and which are false.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Matthew 24:3-14 KJV
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After predicting the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, what did Jesus do and how did the disciples respond? (v.3)
2) What did our Lord tell them would be the signs of the end of the age? (v.4-12)
3) Who will be saved from all that will transpire on this earth at the end of the age? (v.13)
4) What else must happen before the end of time? (v.14)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) How are you preparing to endure the hardships that our Lord foretold, and that will come to pass on this earth?
6) With whom have (or will) you share(d) the gospel of the kingdom of our Lord?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord will not return until the gospel is preached throughout the entire world.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Deuteronomy 13:1-8 KJV
1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. 6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which [is] as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 [Namely], of the gods of the people which [are] round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth; 8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How are believers to treat a prophet, teacher, or other spiritual leader, that encourages us to follow false doctrines (teachings)? Why? (v.1-5)
2) How are we to treat the counsel/teachings of friends, spiritual and/or natural family members that is contrary to God's word? (v.6-8)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
3) Have you ever encountered a false prophet, false teacher, or false counselor? If so, how did you know they were false?
4) If you answered affirmatively to the above question, what was your response to those who led you away from the teachings found in God's Word.
LIFE LESSONS
5) A false doctrine is any teaching that encourages believers to turn away from following Christ to follow false teachings.
6) Do not listen to any teachings that lead you away from following the Lord's commands.
7) False teachings are not only to be ignored, but put away from our midst.
