Pursue Justice and Only Justice

Friday, August 21, 2015
Deuteronomy 16:16-20 KJV 

16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed: 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you. 18 Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. 19 Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.


OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) During his review of the rules for the Passover, what did Moses remind the men of God to do each year, where were they to do this, what feasts were they to do it on, and how were they to appear before the Lord? (v.16-17)
2) Who were the people of God to appoint to rule over each tribe and what were they to refrain from doing? (v.18-19)
3) What were the people of God to follow? Why? (v.20)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Why is fellowship among the men of your local church important?
5) Has the way of truth and justice ever been compromised during a fellowship gathering that you have attended? If so, what was done about it?

LIFE LESSONS
6) The Lord encourages fellowship between His people to keep us encouraged, strengthened and united.
7) Disagreements during times of fellowship are inevitable, but are to be handled justly and impartially to prevent a perversion of truth against the innocent.
8) Our Lord Jesus is the only righteous judge of all matters involving His children because He alone knows the thoughts and intents of every human heart.

Here is Your God!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Isaiah 40:1-10 KJV 

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh [is] grass, and all the goodliness thereof [is] as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people [is] grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift [it] up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong [hand], and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What is the Lord's command concerning the exiled people of God? Why? (v.1-2)
2) What is the "voice in the wilderness" to declare and how is that declaration to be done? (v.3-4)
3) What is to be revealed after this season of preparation for the people of God? Why? (v.5)
4) What else is the voice to declare? Why? (v.6-8)
5) What are the faithful remnant (Zion; Jerusalem) to do and say to the cities of Judah? (v.9)
6) What else is to be said about God? (v.10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Have you ever rebelled (disobeyed) the Lord? If so, briefly describe how the Lord restored you into right relationship with Himself and other believers?

LIFE LESSONS
8) The judgments of the Lord against His rebellious people are always tempered by His mercy and comfort.
9) The heart of the formerly rebellious believer is to be prepared for restoration of fellowship with the Lord and His people.
10) The Lord never gives up on His people.

All Who Believed Were Together

Saturday, November 22, 2014
Act 2:37-47 KJV 

37 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) The Apostle Peter had just delivered his first sermon after being filled with the Holy Spirit. How did those who heard it feel and respond? (v.37)
2) What was Peter's answer to the crowd? (v.38-39)
3) What else did Peter tell the crowd (v.40)
4) What did those who received Peter's word do in response? (v.41-47)


APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Have you ever preached a sermon or witnessed to a non-believer? If so, what was the response following one such instance.
6) Have you been water and/or fire baptized since you first believed?
7) How have you continued to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ since your conversion?


LIFE LESSONS
8) The message of the Gospel is foolishness to the world, but it has the power to save the heart that wants peace with God.
9) We are saved after we change our hearts about sin (repent), confess our sins to God, and receive forgiveness for our sins.
10) Baptism through immersion in water symbolizes our death to sin, burial and resurrection to new life in Christ.
11) When believers are initally filled with the Holy Spirit of God, they are empowered, by the Spirit,  to become Christ's witnesses.
12) Worship, communion and fellowship with other believers unifies and further empowers Christ's body.

Confession and Forgiveness

Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:5-10 KJV

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.


OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How does the Apostle John describe God? (v.5)
2) What does the Apostle say about anyone who says they have fellowship with God and yet walk in darkness? (v.6)
3) What happens if we walk in the light? (v.7)
4) What does John say about those who claim to have no sin? (v.8)
5) What happens if we confess our sins? (v.9)
6) What does John say about those who say they have not sinned? (v.10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) What do you think “light” and “darkness” represent? Why?
8) Have you ever sinned, after confessing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
9) What do you do when you commit sins against our Lord Jesus?

PRINCIPLES

10) Being a Christian doesn't make one perfect, but it does make us forgiven!

11) The only perfect Person is JESUS!

12) Confession is necessary for forgiveness and spiritual cleansing!