Isaiah 45-50

I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.

-- Isaiah 45:5-7

• God is the one and only creator. He will be there to guide us. He has made everything so that we may discover, find and know him.
• Again, compares us as the clay and God as the potter. (V9)
• A general chapter on God being righteous and will save Israel.

"Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory." (46:12-13)

• Prophecy that no one will escape God's wrath and Judgment? (47:1-3)
• Knowledge will not get you saved. (v10)
• Foretells that those that have magical powers will end up being powerless (v11-15)

• God's assurance that he has not forgotten us. (49:15) A mother who gives birth to a child would not forget to nurture, but even if they ever happen to, God wouldn't forget us in any event!
• We are engraved into the palm of God's hands. (v16)

Job 17-18

• Job is still so confident that he has done no wrong although his case is very weak (17:3) Is this arrogant, or is he so perfect he is confident about his own faith? I mean for us we would naturally think whether we did something rather than blaming others as we are not perfect.

• Frustrations of Job's friends not understanding and them not understanding Job (18:3)

Psalms 24-26

• Acknowledges God is the creator (24:1-2)
• Askes who can be with the Lord? (v3) Those who are clean, righteous, and have heart after God (v4-6)

• Place his trust in God (25:2)
• Humbler himself for God to show him directions (v4-5, 9)
• Askes for forgiveness (v11)

• David has so confident in his own faith he believes he has asked the Lord to test him out (26:1-3)

Genesis 32-35

• Jacob is afraid about returning to Esau, probably because what he had done to Esau in the past (32:8)
• He immediately prays to God about his worries (v9-11), but remembers God's promises that his generations beyond are countless (v12). Jacob, like up are also weak. If we fully trust God will deliver, will we fear?
• Who is this man? (v24) Why can he bless? (v26) and ask him to change his name to Israel?(v28)

• Israel bows in front of Esau 7 times (33:3) because of the bad things he has done to Esau in the past.
• Esau shows qualities of forgiveness, and love. (v4) Two brothers who now share a lord-servant relationship?

• Is this revenge approved by God? It is just to kill all males? (34:25)

• Why rename twice? (35:9-10)

Week 9

Mon 23 Jun 2008	Genesis 32-35
Tue 24 Jun 2008	Judges 17-21
Wed 25 Jun 2008	Psalms 24-26
Thu 26 Jun 2008	Job 17-18
Fri 27 Jun 2008	Isaiah 45-50
Sat 28 Jun 2008	Matthew 23-25
Sun 29 Jun 2008	1Corinthians 1-2

Week 8

In Matthew 20 it talks about the parable of workers in the Vineyard.
This story tells its not about how long you have been a Christian that judges the right to go into heaven and be rewarded.
It could be someone who becomes a Christian 40 years later than you and be accepted into heaven.
It is up to God to judge who deserve to go to heaven and who don’t!

In Matthew 22 another parable about the Kingdom of heaven, it tells “For many are invited, but few are chosen”. V14
This remind me a friend of mine who believes Jesus has died on the cross but she never wanted to attend church or read the bible or bear any fruits for Christ.
My other friend said, “well, I can see that she believes in God and I don’t see why she doesn’t get to go to heaven.”

And if we read what Matthew 21: 43 saids “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”

What do you think your answer will be if that friend of mine comes to you to ask if she could get into heaven but she is lazy to go to church and not interested in reading the bible?
And of course….God is a righteous, He judges us on different circumstances too. For example a terminally ill person who becomes a Christian the night before he died could get to go to heaven (provide he truly believes!) and that goes back to Matthew 20 the parables of workers in the Vineyard.

Romans 15-16

• As children of Christ, Paul tells us we are strong (15:1), and our purpose is not there to please our own desires.
  
• We are to lead a good example and to bring the weak to become strong too (v2)
• Christ is our perfect example (v3)
• God's words bring hope (v4)
  
• This hope is opened for both Jews and Gentiles (v8-9)
• We are challenged and reminded by Paul that Gospel sharing is not just stagnating at places where the gospel has been heard. We must reach out to the places where the gospel has not been heard (v19-21)

• Greet fellow brothers and sisters. Don't neglect them! Paul used 16 verses to acknowledge their hard work! (16:1-16)
• Be strong and know when people are teaching contrary to the true doctrine (v17) and be wise to what is good and evil! (v19)