Judge Me, O Lord

Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Psalm 7:1-8 KJV

1 [[Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.]] O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending [it] in pieces, while [there is] none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it]; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded. 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity [that is] in me.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did King David ask the Lord to do for him and why? Why did the kexpect the Lord to help him? (v.1-2)
2) What did David want the Lord to do to him and under what conditions? (v.3-5)
3) What did the king implore the Lord to do for him according to his righteousness? Why? (v.6-8 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you ever acted wickedly toward another brother, or sister in the Lord, without cause? If so, what was the result?

LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord expects His people to live peacefully with all people and blesses those who do.

The Wolf and Lamb Live Together

Friday, September 19, 2014
Isaiah 11:1-12 

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

OBSERVATION QUESTION
1) Who, or what, is the Branch that Isaiah is referring to in this passage? (v.1)
2) What will this Branch be like? (v.2-5)
3) How will the Lord's creation respond when the kingdom is established? (v.6-8)
4) Why will these things happen? (v.9)
5) Who shall be recovered from the lands of their enemies? (v.11)
6) Who will be gathered from the "four corners of the earth"? (v.12)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Are you doing anything, at the present time, to prepare for the day when our Lord's kingdom is established on the earth? If so, please describe something that you are doing now to prepare the way for the Lord.
8) What has the Lord assigned you to do to bring peace on earth where you live?
9) Who in your life needs to know about our Lord's return?

PRINCIPLES
10) The Lord has assigned His people to rule on earth as the time of His return draws near.
11) Jesus has ordained that we be His ambassadors on earth until He returns.
12) Ambassadors are representatives of the place of their citizenship. 
13) Our citizenship is in heaven.

A Harvest of Righteousness

Friday, August 22, 2014
James 3:13-18

13 Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish. 
16 For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work. 
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How does an individual demonstrate their wisdom and knowledge? (v.13)
2) Where does bitterness, envy and strife come from? (v.14-15)
3) What happens when these attitudes of heart are present? (v.16)
4) What are the characteristics of divine wisdom? (v.17)
5) What is planted by peacemakers? (v.18)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever sought the Lord's wisdom concerning a difficult situation? Please desribe what happened.
7) Have you ever been bitter, unforgiving, or envious toward another brother or sister in Christ? If so, what happened as a result of your attitude of heart?
8) Have you ever sought the Lord's forgiveness for harboring negative feelings toward a brother or sister in the Lord? If so, please describe what happened in your relationship with the individual(s).

PRINCIPLES
9) God is not the author of confusion. Confusion is a warning that the spirit of meekness is not present in a situation.
10) Divine wisdom is not present when the flesh is given free reign over our circumstances.
11) Those who are led by the Spirit of peace possess the wisdom of God.