Thursday, June 4, 2015
Amos 3:9-15 KJV
9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. 10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. 11 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary [there shall be] even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. 12 Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus [in] a couch. 13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, 14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. 15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What is to be published (announced, proclaimed) among, and beheld by the enemies of the people of God? Why? (v.9-10)
2) What will befall the nation belonging to the people of God? (v.11)
3) What illustration did the Lord use to describe the impending captivity of His people? (v.12)
4) What else was to be heard and announced concerning the Lord's punishment of His people for their transgressions against Him? (v.13-15)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) In what ways have you transgressed against the Lord, recently and what will you do to restore right relationship with Him?
6) In what ways has this nation trangressed against the Lord and what must we do to avoid the Lord's judgment against us?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord God always warns His people before allowing calamity to befall us for our sins against Him.
8) The Lord God expects His people to confess and repent of our sins, and/or the sins of our nation, before punishing us for our transgressions.
Amos 3:1-8 KJV
Thursday, June 3, 2015
1 Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? 5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin [is] for him? shall [one] take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? 6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]? 7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who had the Lord spoken against and why? (v.1-2)
2) What nine (9) questions does the Lord ask those who hear Him? (v.3-6,8)
3) Who does the Lord reveal His secrets to? (v.7)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What calamites or evils, if any, are impacting your life?
LIFE LESSONS
5) No calamity or evil can befall a people unless the Lord God reveals it to His servants (the prophets).
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Amos 2:9-16 KJV
9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, and he [was] strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. 10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. [Is it] not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. 12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. 13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed [that is] full of sheaves. 14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: 15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and [he that is] swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. 16 And [he that is] courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After declaring judgment on the nation of Israel for their transgressions, what did the Lord remind the people of Israel of concerning the Amorites? (v.9-10)
2) What had the Lord done for Israel and how did His people respond? (v.11-12)
3) What general declaration did the Lord make concerning His judgement of Israel? (v.13)
4) What seven (7) declarations of judgment did the Lord declare for the nation of Israel? (v.14-16)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) How has the Lord blessed you throughout your walk of faith?
6) How do you typically respond to the Lord's blessings?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord delights to bless His people, but chastens and withholds those blessings from the disobedient and ungrateful.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Psalm 75:1-10 KJV
1 [[To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm [or] Song of Asaph.]] Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, [unto thee] do we give thanks: for [that] thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak [not with] a stiff neck. 6 For promotion [cometh] neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God [is] the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD [there is] a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring [them] out, [and] drink [them]. 9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; [but] the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who was the psalmist giving thanks to and why? (v.1)
2) What does the Lord declare concerning the congregation (His people)? (v.2)
3) When the earth and its inhabitants are dissolved (consumed), what does the Lord do? (v.3)
4) What does the Lord say to the foolish and to the wicked? Why? (v.4-7)
5) What is in the Lord's hand and what does He do with it in judgment? (v.8a-b)
6) What will become of the dregs? (v.8c)
7) What will the psalmist do? (v.9)
8) What final declaration does the Lord make concerning the "horns of the wicked'? What does He proclaim about the "horns of the righteous"?
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
9) Are your deeds typically done in wickedness or in righteousness?
LIFE LESSONS
10) The Lord will only exalt the upright in heart, but He will judge the wicked.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 KJV
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What seven (7) spiritual gifts are meaningless if one does not have charity (love)? (v.1-3)
2) What eight (8) things does charity (love) do? (v.4-7)
3) what spiritual gifts are temporal? Why? 8b-12
4) What three (3) manifestations of the Holy spirit are eternal and which of the three is the greatest? (v.8a,13)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) What are your spiritual gifts?
6) What spiritual fruit is manifested through your life?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord blesses His children with spiritual gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit to glorify Him on this earth.
8) Only Love is eternal!
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What were the reasons that the Apostle Paul prayed for those believers who would read this epistle? (v.14-19)
2) What is our Lord Jesus able to do? (v.20)
3) What was the apostle's benediction for this passage of Scripture? (v.21)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Are you filled with the fullness of Christ and do you have any idea how much the Lord loves you?
LIFE LESSONS
5) To share the love of Christ with others, we must be filled with His love for us.
Friday, May 29, 2015
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 KJV
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified, even as [it is] with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all [men] have not faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did the Apostle Paul ask the readers to do and why? (v.1-2)
2) What did Paul write about the Lord and what He will do for His people? (v.3)
3) What was the apostle confident of concerning his readers' obedience to the apostles commands and the Lord's direction in their lives? (v.4-5)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Are you obedient to the direction of your spiritual leader(s) and to the direction of the Lord within your heart?
LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord directs the hearts of His people to love what He loves and to wait patiently on the coming of the Lord.
