Discipleship Evangelism Lesson - 7 of 48

LESSON 7 COMMITMENT
By Don Krow

Luke 14:25-26 – And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said
unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
“And there went great multitudes with Jesus, and He turned, and said unto them” (Luke
14:25).

At this time in Jesus’ ministry, there were multitudes of people who followed Jesus. The
English language doesn’t bring this out, but in the Greek language, this is an imperfect tense.
This means that at this time, the great multitudes began to repeatedly and continuously follow
Jesus.
Perhaps it was because of His miracles or because He fed them, we don’t know the exact
reason, but great multitudes were following Him. It was at this time that Jesus turned and
deliberately said something which appears to have caused many people to turn and follow Him
no more.
{Basically He drew a line in the sands of time!  Either you are with me or against me!} 

“If any man come to Me [that means wants to go with me, wants to accompany me,
wants to follow me, this is the requirement], and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke
14:26, brackets mine).

 As I looked at that scripture, I thought, Lord, you can’t mean that.
 What does that word “hate” mean?
It probably means to love less or something like that. As I began to study, however, I discovered that the word literally means “hate.”

Jesus used the strongest possible word to emphasize a point. He said unless you hate
your father, your mother, your sister, your brother, even your own life, you can’t be His disciple.
I want to ask you something: What is the closest relationship you will ever have on this earth?

 It’s your mother and father or your spouse and children. What happens if your wife turns against
you and divorces you, or your mother and father die?
 Who will stick with you then?
 It will be your brothers and your sisters. Jesus said, unless you hate them, you can’t be His disciple. What is He saying?

Jesus is talking about the closest relationships we will ever have. He is asking for a
commitment from you, a commitment in which He is preeminent. 
He wants to be number one in your life. He is going to compare His relationship with you to the closest relationships you have on earth. 
“Hate” is a metaphor, a word of comparison, and Jesus is saying, “My relationship
with you is so important that I want it to be above all earthly things.” 
There is one person you love more than your wife, your children, your mother, your father, or your sisters and brothers.

COMMITMENT

Do you know who that is?
It’s not God . . . it’s you. You love yourself more than you love your closest relationships.
Why do marriages break up?
 Why do people divorce?
Because they love themselves more than they love their spouse. “You’re not doing it like I want you to, so I’m getting rid of you.”

Jesus said there is one relationship I want to be number one above—it’s your own selfish
life. This is true discipleship. He is not talking about a no-cost discipleship. He’s asking us to
follow Him.
 He’s asking to be number one in our lives.
 COMMITMENT

1. Read Luke 9:57-62. What does this passage teach
about the level of commitment toward following Christ?

 LUKE 9:57-62 – And it came to pass, that, as they went in
the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow
thee whithersoever thou go.
[58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds
of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to
lay his head. [59] And he said unto another, Follow me. But
he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [60]
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go
thou and preach the kingdom of God. [61] And another also
said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them
farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said
unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.


2. Read Luke 8:13-14. Why do some people seem to fall
away, or turn away, from the Christian faith?


LUKE 8:13-14 – They on the rock are they, which, when
they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no
root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall
away. [14] And that which fell among thorns are they,
which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit
to perfection.

3. Read Ezekiel 16:8. God uses the illustration of
marriage to describe a relationship with His people.
Whose possession does one become in this relationship?

 EZEKIEL 16:8 – Now when I passed by thee, and looked
upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I
spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I
sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee,
saith the Lord GOD, and thou became mine.

4. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19. Who do you belong to?

5. Read 1 Corinthians 6:20. Who does your body and
your spirit belong to?


1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 – What?
 know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
 [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
6. Read James 4:4. Can you commit spiritual adultery
against God?

JAMES 4:4 –  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not
that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
7. What would constitute spiritual adultery in God’s
eyes? See Romans 1:25.

ROMANS 1:25 – Who changed the truth of God into
a lie, and worshiped and  served the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

8. Read John 2:23-25.
 What can we learn about commitment and faith from these verses?

 JOHN 2:23-25 – Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day,
many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
[24] But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
 [25] And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
 
9. Read Luke 14:28-30.
Have you counted the cost to
follow Jesus?
 Do you want to follow Him?

LUKE 14:28-30 – For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down
first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
[29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation,
and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
[30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

 Review: COMMITMENT

1. Read Luke 9:57-62. What does this passage teach about the level of commitment toward
following Christ?
Absolute surrender
 
2. Read Luke 8:13-14. Why do some people seem to fall away, or turn away, from the
Christian faith?
They have never put down a root system in the Word of God. The cares, riches, and
pleasures of this life take them away
 
3. Read Ezekiel 16:8. God uses the illustration of marriage to describe a relationship with
His people. Whose possession does one become in this relationship?
God’s

4. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19. Who do you belong to?
God

5. Read 1 Corinthians 6:20. Who does your body and your spirit belong to?
God

6. Read James 4:4. Can you commit spiritual adultery against God?
Yes

7. What would constitute spiritual adultery in God’s eyes?
A heart that is turned away from Him to idols (things that you have made more
important that God)
See Romans 1:25.

8. Read John 2:23-25. What can we learn about commitment and faith from these verses?
That Jesus wants all of our hearts (a total commitment)
 
9. Read Luke 14:28-30. Have you counted the cost to follow Jesus?
Do you want to follow Him?


Copyright © 2012, Andrew Wommack

Permission is granted to duplicate or reproduce for discipleship purposes on the
condition that it is distributed free of charge.

Love and Grace

LOVE & GRACE

 

Jamie and I are so thankful our path has crossed with yours. In fact, we believe it was a divine appointment. Over forty years ago, an encounter with God changed our lives forever, and we believe He’ll do the same for you. We consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to share the truth of His life-changing power and grace with you.

God called us to teach the truth of the Gospel to the body of Christ with special emphasis on God’s unconditional love and the balance between grace and faith. We are doing our best to fulfill that call by teaching at seminars, in churches, on radio and television, by training others at Charis Bible College, and by developing ministry materials designed to help you in your relationship with the Lord.

If you need prayer, would like to order materials, or have any questions, please call our Helpline. We are open seventeen and a half hours each weekday, and staffed with mature, loving people who want to help.

We welcome you to this ministry and pray that this is just the beginning of a relationship that will help you know and understand our loving heavenly Father in a deeper way.
God Bless You,
Andrew & Jamie Wommack

SIGNS OF THE COMING CHRIST

PROPHECY UPDATE

WATCHING FOR THE SIGNS OF THE COMING CHRIST

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Muslim Invasion Of Europe, Things To Come: Behavioral Conditioning, Cashless Society

Muslim Invasion of Europe

 

Journalists in Western Europe continue to depict them as "refugees" fleeing war in Syria. The description is false. According to statistics released by the European Union, only twenty-five percent of them come from Syria; the true number is probably lower. The Syrian government sells passports and birth certificates at affordable prices. The vast majority of migrants come from other countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Nigeria.

Many do not seem to have left in a hurry. Many bring new high-end smartphones and large sums of cash, ten or twenty thousand euros, sometimes more. Many have no passports, no ID, and refuse to give fingerprints.

Whenever people flee to survive, the men come with whole families: women, children, elders. Here, instead, more than 75% of those who arrive are men under 50; few are women, children or elders.

As Christians are now the main targets of Islamists (the Jews fled or were forced out decades ago), the people escaping the war in Syria should be largely composed of Christians. But Christians are a small minority among those who arrive, and they often hide that they are Christians.

Those who enter Europe are almost all Muslims, and behave as some Muslims often do in the Muslim world: they harass Christians and attack women. In reception centers, harassing Christians and attacking women are workaday incidents. European women and girls who live near reception centers are advised to take care and cover up. Rapes, assaults, stabbings and other crimes are on the rise.

European people still have the right to vote, but are deprived of most of their power: all important political decisions in Europe are made behind closed doors, by technocrats and professional politicians, in Brussels or Strasbourg.

Cultural identities in Europe have been eroded to such a point that saying that Europe is based on Judeo-Christian values has become controversial.

Any criticism of Islam in Europe is treated as a form of racism, and "Islamophobia" is considered a crime or a sign of mental illness.

Islam has not melted into a smooth multiculturalism; it is creating increasingly distressing problems that are almost never brought to light.

Muslim criminality across Europe is high. Consequently, the percentage of Muslims in prisons in Europe is high. In France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, the prison population is 70% Muslim. Many European prisons have become recruitment centers for future jihadis.

Welfare states have created a government-dependent class in Europe of many people who live permanently on social benefits. These people are often Muslim. Much of the time, they are not assimilated – and often show signs of not wanting to assimilate. Many reside in virtually autonomous, so-called no-go zones (e.g. France, the UK, and Germany).

Illegal Muslim migrants are likely to join the Muslims already living in Europe; and they will remain Muslim. They will live on social benefits until the bankruptcy of welfare states. They will reside in the "no-go zones," and the "no-go zones" will continue to grow. Their occupants come from countries where Christians and women are mistreated; in Europe, they are already mistreating Christians and women.

They come from countries where Western civilization is despised and where hatred of Jews is inescapable -- and this remains so among Muslims already living in Europe. For more than two decades, almost all assaults against Jews in Europe were committed by Muslims.

 

****************************************************************************

 

 

• Because Islam is the heart of the culture of people formerly colonized, Europeans rejected criticism of Islam, saying it would blend smoothly into a multicultural Europe. They did not demand the assimilation of the Muslims who came to live in Europe. Much of the time, Muslims are not assimilated -- and often show signs of not wanting to assimilate.
• Any criticism of Islam in Europe is treated as a form of racism, and "Islamophobia" is considered a crime or a sign of mental illness.
• European people still have the right to vote, but are deprived of most of their power: all important political decisions in Europe are made behind closed doors by technocrats and professional politicians in Brussels or Strasbourg.
• Europe has renounced force, so to many, it appears weak, vulnerable and easily able to be overpowered.
• The sudden arrival of hundreds of thousands more Muslims most likely prompts Europeans to think that the nightmare will get worse; they see, powerlessly, that their leaders speak and act as if they have no awareness of what is happening.
• Central European leaders and people, who have already lived under authoritarian rule, seem to be thinking that entering the European Union was a huge mistake. They came to what was then called the "free world." They do not seem willing to be subjected again to coercive decisions made by outsiders.
• Illegal Muslim migrants will live on social benefits until the bankruptcy of welfare states.
• In all 28 countries of the European Union, birth rates are low and the population is aging. People under thirty account for only 16% of the population, or 80 million people. In the 22 Arab countries, plus Turkey and Iran, people under thirty account for 70% of the population, or 350 million people.

Discipleship Evangelism Lesson - 6 of 48

LESSON 6  REPENTANCE

By Don Krow

Some people have a misunderstanding of what repentance is.
 Repentance is not perfection but a change in direction. We’re going to talk about the parable of the prodigal son, or the lost son. Jesus is telling a story that perfectly illustrates what it means for an individual to repent.
In Luke 15:11-12 Jesus said, “And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided unto them his living.”

The younger son wanted his inheritance before his father died, which is quite unusual,
but his father granted the request and gave his sons their inheritance.
Verse 13 says, “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.” The younger son took all of his wealth, his part of the inheritance, went into a distant country, and wasted it in riotous living. One translation says, “partying and spending the money on prostitutes.”

Verses 14-15 reads,
ha “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land
[The land became destitute and people were starving]; and he began to be in want. And he went
and joined himself to a citizen of tt country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine”
(brackets mine). He got a job working for a man in that country and was sent to feed the pigs.
Verse 16 says, “And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks of that the swine did eat:
and no man gave unto him.” He was so hungry, at the point of starvation, and he said “Just give
me the pig’s food—anything,” but no one gave him anything. He had squandered all of his
inheritance. 
 Verse 17 continues, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants
of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” One translation says,
“when he came to his senses.” In other words, his father’s servants had more than enough food,
and he was dying from hunger.

He made a decision—he repented. 
Repentance is a change of mind, a change of heart which causes a person to turn around and move in a new direction. 

In verses 18-19, he said, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.” “Just make me a slave, father. I’ve sinned against you, squandered your living, and sinned against God. Just make me a slave."
 Then he rose and went to his father. Repentance is more than just a change of attitude, a change of mind, and a change of heart; it leads a person to act on what they believe, to turn around (or return) and go in a new direction.
We’ve all turned away from God, our Father, and from heaven, our home. The Bible says in Isaiah 53:6 that “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way,” but God in His mercy took our sins and laid them on Jesus.

The story continues in verses 20-24.
 “And he arose, and came to his father.”

One night I was telling this story to a man who had never heard it before, and he just knew that when the son returned, his father would say, “Son, look what you’ve done. You’ve wasted all my wealth,
all I accumulated in my life.

Be one of my slaves.” Most earthly fathers would probably be very angry and have an attitude like that, but notice the attitude of this father:
“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion [love came out of his heart for his son], and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my
son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry” (brackets
mine). 
They began to have a party.

I once told this to a man who said, “I see what Jesus is saying. If I’ll just turn to the
heavenly Father for mercy and say ‘Father, I’ve sinned against you, and I’m not worthy to be
your son,’ He’ll accept me.”

Our heavenly Father will have compassion, and He won’t make you
a slave. He’ll restore you to full son ship with Him. God is waiting. Have you turned away?

Why  don’t you turn to God, your Father, and to heaven, your home, today?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 QUESTIONS

1. Define repentance.

2. Read Luke 13:1-5. What must one do in order not to perish?


LUKE 13:1-5 –
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans,
whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. [2] And
Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these
Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they
suffered such things?
[3] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
[4] Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and
slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that
dwelt in Jerusalem?
[5] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish.

3. Read 2 Peter 3:9. What is God’s desire for all people?


2 PETER 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,
as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.


5. Read Luke 16:30. What must these brothers do in order to avoid this place of torment (hell)?


LUKE 16:19-31 – There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen,
and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which
was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the
rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
 [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, [24] And he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger
in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
[25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. [26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
 [27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house. [28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
 [29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. [31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.



6. Read Acts 26:18. Although it doesn’t specifically say,
this verse is talking about repentance. What will
happen to those who repent?

ACTS 26:18 – To open their eyes, and to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among
them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.


7. Read Acts 26:20. In the last part of this verse, three
things are stated that the Gentiles should do. What are
these three things?

ACTS 26:20 –
But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and  do works meet for repentance.


8. Read Matthew 7:21-23. What did Jesus say these
people practiced instead of the will of God?


MATTHEW 7:21-23 –
 [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
 but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
 and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
 [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

9. What does this show you about the importance of
true repentance versus lip service toward God?



10. Read Isaiah 55:7. What must the wicked do?


ISAIAH 55:7 – Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 11. What two things must the unrighteous do?

12. What will God do for the person who does those
things stated above?

13. Read Luke 15:7. What is heaven’s reaction to one
sinner who repents?

LUKE 15:7 – I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over
ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.


14. Read Acts 3:19. If you repent and are converted, what
will happen to your sins?

ACTS 3:19 – Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.


 REPENTANCE

1. Define repentance.
A. It is an “about face” to a new commitment
B. It is a change of mind
C. A change of heart that results in one turning to God, from one’s old ways to God’s ways
D. A change of direction, not perfection
E. To make a decision that changes the total direction of one’s life
F. Turning from old ways and totally committing to God and His ways
G. Turning to a Person, to God through Jesus Christ

2. Read Luke 13:1-5. What must one do in order not to perish?
Repent

3. Read 2 Peter 3:9. What is God’s desire for all people?
That all come to repentance

4. Read Luke 16:19-31. In Luke 16:28, why did the rich man want someone to come back
from the dead and speak to his brothers?
So that they could avoid coming to this place of torment

5. Read Luke 16:30. What must these brothers do in order to avoid this place of torment (hell)?
They must repent

6. Read Acts 26:18. Although it doesn’t specifically say, this verse is talking about
repentance. What will happen to those who repent?
A. Eyes will be opened
B. Turn from darkness to light
C. Turn from power of Satan to God
D. Receive forgiveness of sins
E. Receive inheritance

7. Read Acts 26:20. In the last part of this verse, three things are stated that the Gentiles
should do. What are these three things?
A. Repent
B. Turn to God
C. Prove their repentance by their deeds

8. Read Matthew 7:21-23. What did Jesus say these people practiced instead of the will
of God?
Iniquity or lawlessness

9. What does this show you about the importance of true repentance versus lip service
toward God?
Salvation is from the heart, not lip service

ANSWER KEY
LESSON 6 REPENTANCE
10. Read Isaiah 55:7. What must the wicked do?
Forsake their way

11. What two things must the unrighteous do?
Forsake their thoughts and return to the Lord

12. What will God do for the person who does those things stated above?
Have mercy and pardon abundantly

13. Read Luke 15:7. What is heaven’s reaction to one sinner who repents?
There is rejoicing in heaven

14. Read Acts 3:19. If you repent and are converted, what will happen to your sins?
My sins will be blotted out


Copyright © 2012, Andrew Wommack
Permission is granted to duplicate or reproduce for discipleship purposes on the
condition that it is distributed free of charge.

Ishmael - 1

In some Christian biblical interpretations, Ishmael is used to symbolize the older—now rejected—Judaic tradition; Isaac symbolizes the new tradition of Christianity.

According to the Genesis account, Hagar ran away from the house of Abram, (as he was not yet renamed, Abraham). Sarai's (also not yet given her new name, Sarah, by God) harsh treatment of Hagar, after being treated with contempt by her, caused her to flee. She then was visited by an Angel of the Lord at the well of Beer-lahai-roi, which means, "well of the Living One who sees me" (Gen 16:14). He instructed her to return to Abraham's house and give birth to her son, who she was to call Ishmael ("God hears")(Gen 16:11-12). So she returned and gave Abraham a son in his 86th year (Gen 16:15-16).

In the book of Galatians (4:21–31), Paul uses the incident to symbolize the relationship between Judaism, the older but now rejected tradition, and Christianity. In Galatians 4:28–31, Hagar is associated with the Sinai covenant, while Sarah is associated with the covenant of grace into which her son Isaac enters.


In Genesis 16, the birth of Ishmael was planned by the Patriarch Abraham's first wife, who at that time was known as Sarai. She and her husband Abram (Abraham) sought a way to have children in order to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant that was established in Genesis 15. Since Sarai was 75 years old and had yet to bear Abraham a child, her idea was to offer her Egyptian handmaiden Hagar to Abraham, so that they could have a child by her. So Sarai, Abraham's wife, took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife in order to conceive a child when he was in his late 85th year of age. Customs of that time dictated that, although Hagar was the birth mother, any child conceived would belong to Sarai and Abram (Sarah and Abraham⁾ 

Genesis 16:7-16 describes the naming of Ishmael, and God's promise to Hagar concerning Ishmael and his descendants. This occurred at the well of Beer-lahai-roi, located in the desert region between Abraham’s settlement and Shur. Hagar fled here after Sarai dealt harshly with her for showing contempt for her mistress following her having become pregnant. Here, Hagar encountered an angel of God who instructed her to return and be submissive to Sarai so that she could have her child there.

The blessing that this child's father was promised was that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. However, the promise would be to a son of Sarai; yet God would make of this child a great nation, who would be named Ishmael, because he was of the seed of Abraham. However God also said regarding Ishmael specifically that he will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. When Ishmael was born, Abraham was 86 years old.


When he was 13 years old, Ishmael was circumcised at the same time as all other males in Abraham's house becoming a part of the covenant in a mass circumcision.


According to the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 17:10-14) God commanded the Biblical patriarch Abraham to be circumcised, an act to be followed by his descendants:

10 This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.

 His father Abram, given the new name "Abraham," was also at this time, at the age of 99, initiated into the covenant by having himself and the males of his entire household circumcised. (Genesis 17)

At the time of the covenant, God informed Abraham that his wife Sarah would give birth to a son, which he was instructed to name Isaac. God told Abraham that He would establish his covenant through Isaac, and when Abraham inquired as to Ishmael's role, God answers that Ishmael has been blessed and that He "will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." (Genesis 17)

A year later, Ishmael's half-brother Isaac was born to Abraham by his first wife Sarah when she was 90 years old (Genesis 17:17), after she had ceased showing any signs of fertility.(Genesis 18:11)
On the day of feasting during which Abraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac, Ishmael was "mocking" or "playing with" Isaac (the Hebrew word is ambiguous) and Sarah asked Abraham to expel Ishmael and his mother, saying: "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."
 This proposition was grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son and the bondwoman, Hagar. Abraham only agreed when God told him that "for in Isaac your seed shall be called", and that He would "make a nation of the son of the bondwoman" Ishmael, since he was a descendant of Abraham.
(Genesis 21:11–13)

Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert, by Grigory Ugryumov (c. 1785)

At the age of 14, Ishmael was freed along with his mother. The Lord’s covenant made clear Ishmael was not to inherit Abraham’s house and that Isaac would be the seed of the covenant: "Take your son, your only son, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah." (Genesis 22:2-8) Abraham gave Ishmael and his mother a supply of bread and water and sent them away.

Hagar entered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba where the two soon ran out of water and Hagar, not wanting to witness the death of her son, set the boy some distance away from herself, and wept.
"And God heard the voice of the lad" and sent his angel to tell Hagar, "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." And God "opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water", from which she drew to save Ishmael's life and her own. "And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." (Genesis 21:14–21)


In Judaism, Ishmael has generally been viewed as wicked, though repentant (whereas Christianity omits any reference to repentance, which is sourced in the Talmudic explanation of the Hebrew Bible). Judaism maintains that Isaac rather than Ishmael was the true heir of Abraham.

In some Rabbinic traditions Ishmael is said to have had two wives; one of them named Aisha. This name corresponds to the Muslim tradition for the name of Muhammad's wife. This is understood as a metaphoric representation of the Muslim world (first Arabs and then Turks) with Ishmael.

The name of an important 2nd century CE sage—Ishmael ben Elisha, known as "Rabbi Ishmael" (רבי ישמעאל), one of the Tannaim—indicates that the Biblical Ishmael enjoyed a positive image among Jews of the time.^{[citation needed]}

Rabbinical commentators in the Midrash Genesis Rabbah also say that Ishmael's mother Hagar was the Pharaoh's daughter, thereby making Ishmael the grandson of the Pharaoh.
This could be why Genesis 17:20 refers to Ishmael as the father of 12 mighty princes. According to Genesis 21:21, Hagar married Ishmael to an Egyptian woman, and if Rabbinical commentators are correct about Hagar being the daughter of the Pharaoh, his marriage to a woman selected by the Pharaoh's daughter could explain how and why his sons became princes.

However, according to other Jewish commentators, Ishmael's mother Hagar is identified with Keturah, the woman Abraham married after the death of Sarah, stating that Abraham sought her out after Sarah's death. It is suggested that Keturah was Hagar's personal name, and that "Hagar" was a descriptive label meaning "stranger".
 This interpretation is discussed in the Midrash and is supported by Rashi, Gur Aryeh, Keli Yakar, and Obadiah of Bertinoro. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzhaki) argues that "Keturah" was a name given to Hagar because her deeds were as beautiful as incense (hence: ketores), and/or that she remained chaste from the time she was separated from Abraham—keturah [ קְטוּרָה Q'turah ] derives from the Aramaic word for restrained.

It is also said that Sarah was motivated by Ishmael's sexually frivolous ways because of the reference to his "making merry" (Gen. 21:9), a translation of the Hebrew word "Mitzachek". This was developed into a reference to idolatry, sexual immorality or even murder; some rabbinic sources claim that Sarah worried that Ishmael would negatively influence Isaac, or that he would demand Isaac's inheritance on the grounds of being the firstborn.
Regarding the word "Mitzachek" (again in Gen. 21:9) The Jewish Study Bible by Oxford University Press says this word in this particular context is associated with; "Playing is another pun on Isaac's name (cf. 17.17; 18.12; 19.14; 26.8). Ishmael was 'Isaacing', or 'taking Isaac's place'."

 Also others take a more positive view, emphasizing Hagar's piety, noting that she was "the one who had sat by the well and besought him who is the life of the worlds, saying 'look upon my misery'".

After roaming the wilderness for some time, Ishmael and his mother settled in the Desert of Paran, where he became an expert in archery. Eventually, his mother found him a wife from the land of Egypt. They had twelve sons who each became tribal chiefs throughout the regions from Havilah to Shur (from Assyria to the border of Egypt). His sons were:

1. Nebaioth (נבית) Nabit (means First-born or First Fruit in Arabic نبيت or نبيط pronounced Nabeet)
2. Kedar (קדר), (in Arabic قيدر pronounced Qaidar) father of the Qedarites, a northern Arab tribe that controlled the area between the Persian Gulf and the Sinai Peninsula. According to tradition, he is the ancestor of the Quraysh tribe, and thus of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.
3. Adbeel (אדבאל), established a tribe in northwest Arabia.
4. Mibsam (מבשם) (means Smiley in Arabic مبسم pronounced Mubsem)
5. Mishma (משמע) (means Obeyed in Arabic مسموع pronounced Masmou')
6. Dumah (דומה) (means Sand-Hill in Arabic دومه Doomah)
7. Massa (משא) (means Night Fall in Arabic مساء pronounced Masa') father of a nomadic tribe that inhabited the Arabian desert toward Babylonia.
8. Hadad (חדד) (means The Rolling-Stone one of the many names of Lion in Arabic حيدر pronounced Haidar)
9. Tema (תימא) (means "The Good News" or "The Right Hand Man" in Arabic تيمن pronounced Tayman)
10. Jetur (יטור) (means Revolt or "Rebel" in Arabic يثور pronounced Yathur)
11. Naphish (נפיש) (means Genuine or Precious in Arabic نفيس pronounced Nafees)
12. Kedemah (קדמה) (means The Front Man or "Scout" in Arabic قدامه pronounced Qudamah)

Ishmael also had one known daughter, Mahalath or Basemath, the third wife of Esau.
Ishmael also appeared with Isaac at the burial of Abraham. Ishmael died at the age of 137.

Discipleship Evangelism Lesson - 5 of 48

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LESSON 5

THE NATURE OF GOD

By Andrew Wommack

To have a positive relationship with the Lord, we must know His nature and His real
character. Is He angry because of our sin, or is He a merciful God who wants to give us His life
and blessing, independent of our performance?

 The Scriptures actually give us two different views of God, not that He has ever changed or done anything differently. There was a period of time that in the terminology used in the Bible, God “held men’s sins against them.”
This can be compared to raising children. When they’re very young, it isn’t possible to
reason with them, to tell them why they should act properly or why they shouldn’t be selfish and
take toys away from their brothers or sisters. They have to be told the rules and, if they break them,
be disciplined.
The rules have to be enforced even though they don’t know about God and the
devil, or that they’re giving place to the devil when they are selfish. They may not understand the
concepts, but they can understand that if they repeat the action, they will be punished.
In a sense, that’s what the Lord did in the Old Testament. Before people were born
again, they didn’t have the spiritual perception we have under the New Covenant, so He had to
give laws and enforce them with punishment, sometimes even death, to deter them from sin.

Because Satan was destroying people through sin, there had to be restraints placed on sin, and
they had to be enforced. Although this left the false impression that God didn’t really love us
because of our sin, that is not what the Word of God teaches. Romans 5:13 says, “Until the law
sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed where there is no law.” “Until the law” means until
the days of Moses when God gave the Ten Commandments and other ceremonial laws that
applied to the Jewish nation. Up until that time, sin was in the world but wasn’t imputed.
The word “impute” is a bookkeeping term; e.g., you go to the store to buy something and say, “Put it
on my tab.” When it is put on your tab, it is recorded and charged against your account, and the
purchase is imputed to you. If they failed to impute it, that means it wasn’t recorded and held
against you.
This verse is saying that until the time the Ten Commandments came, sin was not being
held against people. That’s an amazing statement. Look at Genesis 3 and 4. Most people have
the concept that when Adam and Eve sinned against God, because He was holy and man was
now sinful, He could have nothing to do with sinful mankind. They think God drove man out
of the Garden to remove him from His presence because a Holy God couldn’t have anything to
do with unholy man. They further think that until you clean up your act through right actions,

God once again cannot have any relationship with you. That is contrary to the message Jesus
 brought. Romans 5:8 says God commended His love toward you, and while you were yet a
sinner, Christ died for you; so the New Testament teaches that God extended His love to you
while you were living in sin, not after you have cleaned up your act. One of the great truths
of the Gospel that will change your life is to understand that God loves you just like you are.

He loves you so much that if you receive His love, you won’t want to stay as you are. You will
change, but you’ll change as a byproduct of God’s love not in order to get His love.

In Genesis 4 you can see that God was still fellow shipping with man, still talking with
Adam and Eve even after they sinned. He talked with Cain and Abel, and when they came to
offer sacrifices to Him, He spoke to them in an audible voice. By their reaction, we can see
that they were accustomed to hearing His voice, and it didn’t scare them. When Cain killed
his brother Abel and became the first murderer on the earth, God’s audible voice came from
heaven: “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain lied to God, seemingly without compunction.

That can happen only if a person is so used to hearing the voice of God that they take it for granted
and have no fear of it. All this says is that God was still fellow shipping with mankind and had
not broken fellowship, as is commonly believed. He was not imputing man’s sins to him. Does
that mean that He condoned their sins or that they were not wrong?
No, that’s the reason He eventually gave the Law. God had to give the Law to bring man back to a proper standard.

God had to show man that he needs a Savior and that he has to humble himself and receive
forgiveness as a gift. Sadly, religion has manipulated and controlled these things to teach that
the Law was given so you can keep it and thereby earn God’s forgiveness and acceptance. No!
The purpose of Old Testament Law was to magnify your sin to such a degree that you would
despair of ever saving yourself and say, “God, if this is your standard of holiness, I can’t do it.
Forgive me, have mercy on me.” The overall nature of God has always been love.



1. Read Romans 5:13. What does the word “impute” mean?

ROMANS 5:13 – For until the law sin was in the world:
but sin is not imputed when there is no law.


2. Read Romans 7:7. What was the purpose of the Law?

ROMANS 7:7 – What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for
I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt
not covet.

3. Read Galatians 3:24. According to this verse, what was
the purpose of the Law?

GALATIANS 3:24 – Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith.


4. Read John 8:1-11.  How did Jesus deal with the woman caught in adultery?


JOHN 8:1-11–
[1] Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
 [2] And early in the morning he came again into the temple,
and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
[3] And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in
adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
 [4] They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
[5] Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
[6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.
But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard
them not.
 [7] So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto
them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
[8] And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
[9] And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went
out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last:
and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
 [10] When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto
her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
[11] She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn
thee: go, and sin no more.


5. Did Jesus’ words and actions reflect the true nature of
God? See John 3:34.

JOHN 3:34 – For he whom God hath sent speaketh the
words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.


6. Read 1 John 4:8. According to this verse, what is the
true nature of God?
 
1 JOHN 4:8 – He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God
is love.


7. Read Romans 5:6. God’s love was directed toward us
when we were what?

ROMANS 5:6 – For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly.


8. Read Romans 5:8. God loved us while we were what?

ROMANS 5:8 – But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9. Read Romans 5:10. God loved us while we were what?
 
ROMANS 5:10 – For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

10. If you asked Jesus Christ to forgive you and be your
Savior and Lord, trusting Jesus’ sacrifice as payment
for your sin, would God show you His true nature of
mercy and grace?


 THE NATURE OF GOD

1. Read Romans 5:13. What does the word “impute” mean?
To charge to one’s account

2. Read Romans 7:7. What was the purpose of the Law?
To make sin known

3. Read Galatians 3:24. According to this verse, what was the purpose of the Law?
To show mankind their need of the Savior, Jesus Christ

4. Read John 8:1-11. How did Jesus deal with the woman caught in adultery?
In mercy and grace

5. Did Jesus’ words and actions reflect the true nature of God? See John 3:34.
Yes

6. Read 1 John 4:8. According to this verse, what is the true nature of God?
Love

7. Read Romans 5:6. God’s love was directed toward us when we were what?
Without strength; i.e., helpless and ungodly

8. Read Romans 5:8. God loved us while we were what?
Sinners

9. Read Romans 5:10. God loved us while we were what?
Enemies

10. If you asked Jesus Christ to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord, trusting Jesus’
sacrifice as payment for your sin, would God show you His true nature of mercy and grace?
Yes    Amen!


Copyright © 2012, Andrew Wommack
Permission is granted to duplicate or reproduce for discipleship purposes on the
condition that it is distributed free of charge.

Lisa Paxton's Testimony

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Lisa Paxton’s Testimony @ awmi.net

At our Helpline, prayer ministers often pray with callers for healing. As a result, we receive good reports of God’s faithfulness. We want to build your faith by sharing testimonies of God’s healing power.

In January, a woman called to request prayer for her son who had been shot in the head. She later called back to report that her son is back home and doing great with no side effects.
 Recently, a man called to praise God for his healing. He had previously prayed with a Helpline minister about a tumor. The tumor immediately began shrinking and was almost gone after two weeks.

A woman called to agree in prayer for a baby born with viral pneumonia. The baby was on 100 percent oxygen and was not eating. She reported back that the baby was healed, eating on his own, and going home soon. The doctors and nurses all said it was a miracle.

One caller reported, “A prayer minister prayed with me in February for healing of two herniated disks. The prayer minister told me how to pray and believe. Two nights ago at church, I received my healing. I am completely healed. I took off running at church with no pain, and I couldn’t do that before.

***  One of the most miraculous testimonies ever heard at AWM is the story of Lisa Paxton, the wife of Cecil Paxton, former director of our Helpline prayer center. Lisa was born with cerebral palsy. She was affected in her legs and in her eyes. She had double vision and couldn’t focus with one eye. She could not walk until she was about nine years old, when she began walking with the aid of braces and crutches. She also struggled with dyslexia, a learning disability.

At 16, she was living with her family on a farm near Duluth, Minnesota. Her older sister came to visit and gave her a word from God. She told Lisa, “Before I leave, you will receive Jesus as your Savior, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and God will begin to heal your body.”
 
 Lisa had some church background from Lutheran and Catholic churches, but she didn’t understand what her sister was talking about. She began to read a tract her sister gave her about heaven and hell; and she began to question God.

One day, she left the farmhouse and went up a hill behind a barn to be alone with her questions. She began to cry out to God saying, “If You are real, You have to show me.” She knew she was making a decision to turn away from God if He didn’t show Himself to her.

 God gave her an answer immediately. As she walked across a field, she was hit by the power of God. She went flying through the air and landed on her back and was pinned to the ground. Not sure of what was happening, she cried out to God, begging Him not to kill her. When she got up, she began to cry from deep inside, and the peace of God flooded her. She knew she was forgiven. As she opened her mouth to thank God, she began to speak in tongues.

After her dramatic salvation experience, God began a tremendous work in Lisa’s life.
 She graduated from high school, which was not expected because of her learning disabilities.
 She then went to college to study communications. One day she passed out during a class and woke up in an ambulance. She was having severe muscle spasms, which is a symptom of cerebral palsy. She was hospitalized and put in traction to keep her body stable.

 There was extensive damage to the vertebrae and any movement could cause paralysis. Her brother began to call her daily, telling her that Jesus would heal her and she wouldn’t need surgery on her back. He had a dream one day and a vision from God telling him that Lisa would go to Christ for the Nations Institute for one year, and then God would send her to a foreign country to give her testimony. Lisa didn’t understand because she was on her back and unable to move. Lisa eventually reached a point where she knew that she didn’t want to be in this condition any longer. She told God that she would rather die than live like this.

At a family dinner after her brother’s wedding, Lisa was sitting propped in a corner of the room. A couple came into the room, walked over to Lisa, and the man said, “So you’re the one who ruined my vacation.” The couple had been on a vacation in Canada, and God told them to go to Kansas and pray for Lisa. Although they didn’t know her, the man saw her face in a vision. God had given the man specific instructions to fly to Wichita.

There a man with a similar vision met him and drove him to the wedding dinner, where he found Lisa. He said that God sent him to lay hands on Lisa because God wanted to heal her. As he stood behind Lisa to pray, she began to feel heat, like hot oil, that started at her head and went throughout her body. Then the man grabbed her hand and said, “Rise up in the name of Jesus.”

 When he said those words, Lisa was immediately in a standing position, and she began to take small steps. The pain was gone and she was walking. Her mother fainted when she looked up and saw Lisa walking.

Lisa’s healing is still in progress today. While working as a prayer minister, her left eye was healed. She now sees clearly and sees colors where she couldn’t before.

Lisa’s complete testimony is now available in booklet and audio form.

Lisa PaxtonTestimony

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The True Nature Of God

By Andrew Wammack

Recently the Lord woke me up at 3:30 a.m. with the words, “I have raised you up to change people’s opinion of Me. That will change their lives, and then they will change the world.” Wow! That pretty much sums it up.

If people realized how good God actually is, they would love Him and live for Him. That in turn would solve all the problems of the world. But God has been so slandered that most people don’t know Him as the good God He really is.

Why is that?
One of the biggest problems is religion’s misuse of the Law. This has done tremendous damage to God’s image. The Law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). The Law wasn’t inaccurate but incomplete. And if it is not properly applied, it gives a wrong representation of God.

Jesus was the perfect representation of God (Heb. 1:3).
 He said if we have seen Him, then we have seen the Father (John 14:9).
He did exactly what He saw His Father do (John 5:19). Jesus showed us that God is love (1 John 4:8). Yet He was constantly accused of breaking the Law.
Of course, Jesus didn’t break the Law.
 He’s the only One who ever truly kept the Law.
But the mercy and grace Jesus extended toward people was radically different from the “eye for eye” and “tooth for tooth” of the Old Testament Law.

Jesus forgave a woman whom the Law condemned to death (John 8:1-11).
Jesus ate and fellow shipped with publicans and sinners, which the legalistic Jews of His day wouldn’t do (Matt. 9:11).
 Jesus touched the untouchable (Matt. 8:3) and loved the unlovable (Luke 8:2).
He showed us grace and mercy, which the Old Testament Law didn’t do.

A wrong understanding of the purpose of the Old Testament Law leads to a misunderstanding of the nature of God. Most people believe God gave the Law to show us what we needed to do to obtain relationship with Him.
 But the Law was never intended to bring us into relationship with our heavenly Father. It was intended to show us our sin and our need for God.
 It was given to show us how unholy we were so we would despair of trying to earn salvation and just receive it as a gift by faith. It was to turn us from self-righteousness to a faith-righteousness that could only come through a Savior (Rom. 10:3-4).

Consider some of the things the Scripture says about the Law:
• The Law strengthened sin (1 Cor. 15:56).
• The Law was a ministry of death and condemnation (2 Cor. 3:7 and 9).
• The Law gave guilt and knowledge of sin, not salvation (Rom. 3:19-20).
• The Law made sin come alive, and killed us (Rom. 7:9).
• The Law magnified sin and produced hopelessness (Rom. 7:13-25).

Why would God give us something with all these negative effects?
 It was because we were already beaten by sin and didn’t know it.
 Before we could be motivated to receive God’s gift of salvation by grace through faith in a Savior, we needed to be convinced that we couldn’t save ourselves.
So, the Lord revealed His standard of holiness (the Law), which was infinitely higher than any of us could ever attain. We had to come to the end of ourselves before we could begin to find God. The Law was perfectly suited to do that.
It shut us up to faith so the only way we could look was up  (Gal. 3:23).

When the Law is used for that purpose, then it is good (1 Tim. 1:8).

But when people are taught that God’s blessings are dependent upon our performance, that kills faith in what Jesus did for us.
Religion has taught that we have to fulfill the demands of the Law in order for God to love us or use us. That’s totally wrong!

For 2,000 years, after Adam’s fall, God dealt with mankind through mercy and grace, which wasn’t evident when the Law came. For instance, God protected the first murderer (Gen. 4:15) instead of killing him as the Law later prescribed (Lev. 24:17).
Abraham married his half-sister, which the Law said was punishable by death (Lev. 18:9).
 Jacob married two women who were sisters, which the Law condemned to death (Lev. 18:18).
 Yet Abraham and Jacob became two great patriarchs of the Old Testament because God wasn’t imputing man’s sins unto him at that time (Rom. 5:13).
But when the Law came, God’s wrath was released against sin (Rom. 4:15),
and we got caught in the middle. God smote people with leprosy (Num. 12:10 and 2 Chr. 26:19 20) and all manner of plagues  (Deut. 28:15-68) because of sin.

Yet this wasn’t God’s original reaction to sin, as can be seen by the fact that it was 2,000 years after Adam’s sin when He gave the Law and released His wrath. He wasn’t imputing man’s sin unto him until the Law was given.

However, the Law made sin come alive, and it killed us (Rom. 7:9).
 The Law released God’s wrath (Rom. 4:15).
This served two main purposes.

 First, God’s display of His wrath against sin forever changed the way man thought of sin. Now he had graphic evidence of how much God hated sin, so this served as a deterrent to sin.

Second, and more importantly, the Law gave such a perfect standard of performance that those who understood it clearly saw that they could never be good enough to receive anything from God.

 It took away any deception that God owed us anything, and it made us throw ourselves on God for mercy. That’s BIG, and that’s what the Law was intended to do.

A proper use of the Law drives us to God for mercy and not away from God in guilt and condemnation.

 Once we come to Jesus and receive salvation as a gift (Rom. 6:23),
we are no longer under the Law but under grace (Rom. 6:14).

God always wanted to relate to us by grace, but He couldn’t just look the other way and ignore sin. The sin debt had to be paid. That’s why Jesus came. He suffered all of God’s wrath against all the sin of all of mankind (John 12:32). Those who receive God’s grace by accepting salvation as a gift by faith in Jesus don’t have anymore wrath against them. The Lord will never be angry with us or rebuke us (Is. 54:9). Hallelujah!

Our sin debt has been paid. Not only that, but we have become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). This is the great exchange. He not only took away our sin but gave us His righteousness. We are now as clean and holy in our spirits as Jesus is (1 John 4:17).
That’s powerful. If people could understand what I’ve shared in this letter, it would change everything.

That’s why I produced the teaching entitled The True Nature of God. This teaching harmonizes the wrath and punishment of the Old Testament Law with the grace and mercy of the New Testament. You can’t have a good relationship with someone you don’t really know.
 This teaching reveals our loving heavenly Father in a way that enables you to receive His love as never before. I encourage you to get my book, CDs, or DVDs on this topic.

I wish you could see what the Lord is doing at Charis Bible College.
 People are coming alive as they learn the truths I’ve shared in this letter. They truly are getting their opinions of God changed, and this message is changing them. I hear it every day. And I fully expect them to go and change the world. Thank You, Jesus!

Thank you, to all of you who are helping us develop a world-class Bible college where thousands of world-changers are being raised up to carry this good-news Gospel to the ends of the earth. The Gospel is the power of God, and we are seeing it set people free.
Thanks for all you do to make this possible.
We couldn’t do it without you.

If you haven’t yet joined with us, please consider doing so. There are many things that vie for our money, but changing people’s lives who, in turn, will change the world has to be a priority. Please consider being a part of this life-changing ministry.

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Discipleship Evangelism Lesson - 4 of 48

The most important thing to remember in any relationship is how do you interface with this person?  

 For many it is just a one way street of getting personal gain and using others...   If this is your Modus Operandi then you have failed in your relationship!   
Modus operandi (plural modi operandi) is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "method of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations. In English, it is often shortened to M.O.

The real key question is how do you relate to the Lord Almighty God your Eternal Heavenly Father?


   Until you come to love and trust the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and and strength - you will fail to find the real purpose of your earthly existence!

****************************************************************************** LEVEL 1 LESSON 4 RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD By Andrew Wommack One of the most important things about relationship is to come to understand the person with whom you’re going to have relationship, and that also applies specifically to God.  You need to understand the basic nature and character of God in order to have a healthy relationship with Him.      Misunderstanding His character and nature is one of the reasons many people don’t have a positive relationship with Him. This is exactly what happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent. They entered into temptation, ultimately disobeyed God, and plunged the whole human race into sin. Their lack of understanding God’s nature was actually a part of the temptation. The story in Genesis 3:1-5 is familiar to most people: “Now the serpent was most {subtle} cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods [God], knowing good and evil” (brackets mine). There is a subtle statement by Satan here that God is really not a good God… that He was trying to withhold something from Adam and Eve…that He didn’t want them to reach their full potential…that He didn’t want them to be like Himself…and that the reason He made the rule about not eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was to hinder or hurt them.  In a sense, Satan came against the very nature and character of God when he maligned Him by saying God did not want the best for them. The same thing is exactly what’s happening to people today. Satan tells them, “If you follow God and don’t experiment with all these things that are contrary to His Word, you’ll never experience true happiness. Life will be boring…dead.” The sad fact is that people experience after the fact that the drugs, alcohol, sex, rebellion, indulgence of self, success in jobs, and all the other things they tried didn’t satisfy them. By the time they realize it, they’ve already destroyed their lives, their families, and their health. The truth is that God is a good God, and His will for us is only good. But Satan uses the same temptations on us today that came against Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, basically implying that God is not a good God.  Those who have only a little understanding of the Bible could get that impression because there are instances in the Word where He treated people in harsh, cruel ways. In Numbers 15:32-36, a man picked up sticks on the Sabbath Day and was stoned to death for failing to observe the Sabbath. That sounds harsh, but there was a purpose behind such punishments, though it’s not obvious to most people in a casual reading of Scripture.  Careful study reveals that Old Testament Law was given to make the sin that we’ve committed become exceedingly sinful, as Paul says in Romans 7:13. The purpose was that people didn’t realize how deadly their transgressions were and that they were an offense against God. They made the mistake of comparing among themselves and measuring their actions by what other people were doing. If someone committed a sin and wasn’t struck dead, they thought sin must not be so bad, and they lowered their standards. They had lost the true perspective on what right and wrong was.  God had to bring mankind back to a plumb line, a proper standard of what right living was, so they would reject the devil and his temptations and recognize what the end result of wrong choices would be. Then when He did that, He had to enforce the Law He gave. God did not give the Old Testament commandments for the purpose of saying, “Until you do all these things, I can’t accept you or love you.” That is not His nature or character. Rather, He gave them to make our sense of right and wrong more acute and to bring us back to the fact that we need a Savior. The problem has been that people thought God was demanding perfection before He could love them, which led to the attitude many have that His love for them is directly proportional to their performance. They feel that until they try to do everything exactly right, they will not be accepted by God, and that is not the message of the Bible. God’s heart is to reconcile mankind to Himself not to judge them…not to impute their sins…not to hold their sins against them. That’s the heart of God for people in the Bible and also His heart for you today.  You need to understand His real heart, that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). He seeks to take away your sins and anything that would separate you from Him. He’s already done it through Jesus, and He’s offering you relationship today, not based on your performance but on your faith and acceptance of Jesus bearing your sins. You can have relationship with God today regardless of the failures in your life. All He asks is that you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Read Genesis 3:1. What question did Satan ask Eve? GENESIS 3:1 – Now the serpent was more sutil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2. Read Genesis 2:17 and 3:3. What word or words did Eve add to what God actually said to Adam? GENESIS 2:17 – But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. GENESIS 3:3 – But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 3. Read Genesis 3:6. Once Satan was able to instill doubt into Eve’s mind regarding the Word of God, what did she do in this verse? GENESIS 3:6 – And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 4. Read Genesis 3:9-10. After Adam and Eve sinned, did God still communicate and pursue a relationship with them? GENESIS 3:9-10 – And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? [10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 5. Read Genesis 3:22-24. Why did God drive Adam and Eve from the Garden? GENESIS 3:22-24 – And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: [23] Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. [24] So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim s, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 6. Can you see that this was an act of mercy by God rather than a punishment? 7. Read Romans 5:17. How do we attain God’s abundance of grace and gift of righteousness? A. Buy it B. Earn it C. Receive it   ROMANS 5:17 – For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. 8. Read Romans 6:23. What do we really deserve if we sin? ROMANS 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 9. By grace, what does God give us instead? 10. Read Romans 10:3. If we try to establish our own righteousness before God, what do we fail to do? ROMANS 10:3 – For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 11. Read 1 John 1:9 and Romans 4:3. What does God promise to do with ALL our sins and iniquities against Him if we would only believe?  1 JOHN 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   ROMANS 4:3 – For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 12. What does this tell you about the character of God? ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Read Genesis 3:1. What question did Satan ask Eve? “Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden?” 2. Read Genesis 2:17 and Genesis 3:3. What word or words did Eve add to what God actually said to Adam? That they shouldn’t touch it 3. Read Genesis 3:6. Once Satan was able to instill doubt into Eve’s mind regarding the Word of God, what did she do in this verse? Took and ate of the Tree 4. Read Genesis 3:9-10. After Adam and Eve sinned, did God still communicate and pursue a relationship with them? Yes 5. Read Genesis 3:22-24. Why did God drive Adam and Eve from the Garden? So they wouldn’t eat from the tree of life and live forever in a sinful state 6. Can you see that this was an act of mercy by God rather than a punishment? Yes 7. Read Romans 5:17. How do we attain God’s abundance of grace and gift of righteousness? C. Receive it 8. Read Romans 6:23. What do we really deserve if we sin? Death 9. By grace, what does God give us instead? Eternal life in Jesus 10. Read Romans 10:3. If we try to establish our own righteousness before God, what do we fail to do? Submit to Jesus as our righteousness 11. Read 1 John 1:9 and Romans 4:3. What does God promise to do with ALL our sins and iniquities against Him if we would only believe? Remove them, forget them, and forgive them 12. What does this tell you about the character of God? That He is merciful and loving Amen! Copyright © 2012, Andrew Wommack Permission is granted to duplicate or reproduce for discipleship purposes on the condition that it is distributed free of charge.