by Rick Marin | Nov 1, 2023 | 2023 4th Quarter
What did Jonah learn?
(Jonah 1-4; Isaiah 6:1-8; Nahum 3:1-4) Blog Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2023
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God calls believers in Jesus, even though they are not perfect, to bring others into fellowship with God. The good news of what Jesus did to save us is their message. By leaving their comfort zone and submitting to God’s call they entertain strangers and intercede for the lost. God works with them to fill his church with disciples who continually desire to learn more about God.
Jonah’s Call
1. What did God ask Jonah to do? God asked Jonah to go cry against Nineveh (Jonah 1:2).
2. Why did God ask Jonah to cry against Nineveh? Because the wickedness of Nineveh came up before God (Jonah 1:2; Rev. 18:5).
3. What kind of wickedness was Nineveh known for? Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was known for its violence, cruelty, dishonesty, robbery, whoredoms, & witchcraft (Nahum 3:1-4).
4. How does the meaning of Jonah’s name reveal his personality type? Jonah means “dove” revealing his mild, gentle nature (Jonah 1:1; Gen. 8:11; Song. 2:14; Isa. 38:14; Hosea 7:11).
5. What can we learn about Jonah’s father from the meaning of his name? Amittai means “my faithfulness” telling us that Jonah’s father must have been a man of faith (Jonah 1:1).
6. What must Jonah have thought when God called him to cry against wicked Nineveh? Jonah must have thought of the difficulties & impossibility that Nineveh would respond & that God had called the wrong man for that job description & that God could find a more appropriate person if he went far away (Jonah 1:1-3)
7. After Nineveh repented what did Jonah tell God was his reason for not accepting the call to Nineveh? Jonah said that it was his knowledge of God’s graciousness, mercy, & kindness that made him flee to Tarshish (Jonah 4:2).
Jonah’s Response
8. When God called him to go to Nineveh, did Jonah make excuses like Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah? No, Jonah just ran the other direction (Jonah 1:3; Ex. 3:10-12; 4:10-16; Jud. 6:1-16; Jer. 1:4-10).
9. How did God demonstrate that Jonah was the right man for the mission to Nineveh? God sent a great wind & a great fish to get Jonah back on track for his mission to Nineveh (Jonah 1:4-17).
10. How did Jonah consider that God had treated him while in the belly of the great fish? When cast out of God’s sight, Jonah told God that he had been merciful to him by preserving him for his mission (Jonah 2:6-9).
11. When Jonah proclaimed God’s message to Nineveh how did the people respond? All the people of Nineveh believed God, repented, fasted, & turned from their evil ways (Jonah 3:4-9; Matt. 12:41).
12. Why was Jonah’s mission to Nineveh such a success? The success of Jonah’s mission was because God’s man proclaimed God’s message at God’s time in God’s mission field (Jonah 3:1-4)
13. Why was Jonah unhappy at the repentance of the Ninevites? Jonah was worried that he might be considered a false prophet & he lacked love for their souls (Jonah 4:1-3).
What Jonah Learned
14. What did Jonah not think of when questioning the wisdom of God in calling him to go to Nineveh? Jonah forgot that God was all powerful & all wise & that he knew what he was doing (2 Kings 4:18-37).
15. What truth about God did Jonah realize when he was in the belly of the great fish? Jonah realized that it is God alone that saves people — that no human effort brings us eternal life — that he was just called to be an instrument in God’s hands (Jonah 3:20-21).
16. What was God trying to teach Jonah with the gourd vine? God wanted Jonah to adopt God’s attitude toward the lost: to desire their salvation (Heb. 11:35).
17. What should we learn from the fact that Jonah was the most successful missionary of all time. We should learn that God makes no mistakes even when he calls imperfect people to do his work (Luke 7:11-17).
18. What did imperfect Isaiah realize when God looked for workers? Isaiah learned that God calls all his children to work for him & that if you hear God’s call you must willingly respond (Matt. 10:28; Mark 5:38-39).
by Rick Marin | Oct 25, 2023 | 2023 4th Quarter
What did Abraham learn?
(Genesis 12:1-9; 18:1-33; 19:1-29; Romans 8:26, 34; Hebrews 7:25; James 5:16) Blog Oct. 22-28, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God who created us desires fellowship with us. Even after our fall into sin, God came looking for us. God also has called us, even though we are sinners, to leave our comfort zones and call others to enter into God’s fellowship.
Through Submission
1. How did Abraham respond to God’s call to leave his comfortable home in Chaldea and move to an unknown country? Abraham obeyed God, not knowing where he was going (Gen. 11:31; 12:1-4; Heb. 11:8).
2. What did God promise to make Abraham? God promised to make Abraham a great blessing to the whole earth (Gen. 12:2-3).
3. How was Abraham to be a great blessing to all the earth? By teaching God’s truth to others, by helping others, & by being the father of God’s chosen people through whom the Savior would come Abraham became a great blessing (Gen. 12:2-3; Rom. 4:13-16).
4. As he journeyed towards Canaan in what missionary activity was Abraham involved? Abraham was adding believers to his household as he journeyed towards Canaan (Gen. 12:5).
5. What practice of Abraham gave evidence to all around him that he worshipped God? Wherever Abraham lived he built an altar to worship the true God (Gen. 12:6-9).
6. What practice of Abraham gave evidence that this earth was not his home? Throughout his life Abraham dwelt in tents & did not build a great city to live in (Gen. 12:6-9; Heb. 11:9-10, 13-16).
7. What inspired Abraham to continually submit to God’s will? It was by faith in God’s promises & goodness as well as the hope of future glory that inspired Abraham to submit to God’s will (Heb. 11:8, 13-16).
Through Hospitality
8. When Abraham defeated the kings that attacked Sodom how did he demonstrate his care and generosity to the king of Sodom? Abraham refused to take any of the spoils of the battle but rather returned them to the Sodomites (Gen. 14:21-24).
9. How did Abraham confess God to the king of Sodom? Abraham told the king that he had sworn to “the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth” not to take a thing from the Sodomites (Gen. 14:22-23).
10. Who walked past Abraham’s tent one hot Palestinian day? God & two angels walked near Abraham’s tent (Gen. 18:1-2).
11. What did Abraham do when he saw the three heavenly visitors standing on the road? Abraham ran out to meet them & invited them to rest under his tree while he got something for them to eat (Gen. 18:2-8).
12. What did Abraham learn as a result of his hospitality? By entertaining God, Abraham learned the time when God would provide the promised son & God’s intent to destroy Sodom (Gen. 18:10-20).
13. When the two angels arrived in Sodom, who showed them hospitality? Lot met the two angels at the gate & invited them to his home (Gen. 19:1-3).
14. When surrounded by the men of the city how did Lot show his love for them while abhorring their sin? Lot went out of his house & spoke to the men of the city, calling them “brethren” & reproving their wickedness (Gen. 19:6-9).
Through Intercession
15. When Abraham heard God’s plan to destroy Sodom how did he show his love for the wicked inhabitants there? Abraham interceded with God for the salvation of the city (Gen. 18:23-25).
16. What characterized Abraham’s intercession for Sodom? Abraham continued interceding with God for the city until he was sure it would be saved (Gen. 18:23-29; Luke 18:1-8).
17. What might we learn from Lot and Abraham’s love for the people of Sodom? By their example of hospitality & intercession we can see our need to love sinners while hating their sins. And we can understand the place of hospitality & intercession in winning others to Christ (Matt. 22:39; 1 Tim. 2:1; Heb. 13:2; Jam. 5:16).
18. What divine examples of intercession are given in the Bible? Jesus intercedes for saints & sinners; & the Holy Spirit intercedes for believers (Isa. 53:12; Mat. 10:32-33; John 17:9-26; Rom. 8:26-27, 34; Heb. 7:25).
by Rick Marin | Oct 18, 2023 | 2023 4th Quarter
Does God call defective persons?
(Genesis 12:1-13; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8) Blog Oct 15-21, 2023
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit) desires fellowship with humanity whom they created. When Adam broke God’s covenant of life, God came looking for him and offering forgiveness based on the death of a divine Substitute. This same God (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit) has commissioned his people to bring others into that divine fellowship by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to the whole world.
Comfort Zones
1. After the worldwide flood what did people do to avoid God’s command to scatter over the earth? After the flood under the direction of Nimrod, people congregated in the plains of Shinar to build a city & tower to protect them from future intervention by God (Gen. 9:1; 11:1-4).
2. How was Nimrod’s solidarity plan interrupted by God? God wanted people to scatter over the earth & replenish it, so he confounded the people’s language at Babel, making them leave off their tower building & scattering them (Gen. 11:5-9).
3. How does the Babel experience apply to us today? Just as God desired people not to huddle in one secure place at Babel, so today he does not want his people to huddle in one secure place avoiding contact with the rest of the world (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Rev. 14:6).
4. Name some Old Testament characters whom God called to leave their comfort zones? Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Ezra, Esther, Daniel, Jonah, & all the prophets were called by God to leave their comfort zones (Gen. 12:1; Ex. 3:9-10; Jud. 6:14-15; Ezra 7:1-6; Est. 2:8; Dan. 1:3-6; Jon. 1:1-2).
5. Name some New Testament characters whom God called to leave their comfort zones? Peter, Matthew, the early church, Phillip, Paul & all the apostles were called by God to leave their comfort zones (Matt. 9:9; Mark 1:15-18; Acts 8:1-2; 9:3-6; 10:19-20).
Faulty Messengers
6. How did Abram react when God called him to leave his comfort zone in Ur of the Chaldees? Abram by faith obeyed God’s command, leaving his comfortable home & family in Ur (Gen. 12:1-5; Heb. 11:8).
7. Having been called by God to be a missionary, did Abram go on from faith to faith, nothing wavering? No, Abraham’s faith faltered more than once during his life as a missionary (Gen. 12:11-13; 16:1-4; 20:2).
8. Was Moses perfect when God called him to leave his peaceful life as a shepherd and go on God’s errand? No, Moses was not yet made perfect when God called him (Num. 20:11-12; Heb. 11:39-40).
9. How did Jonah demonstrate the sinfulness of his nature when God called him to go and preach to Nineveh? Jonah ran from the presence of God when he was called to be a missionary (Jon. 1:3; Rom. 3:23).
10. What can we expect when God calls us to serve him outside of our comfort zone? When God calls us to serve him we will not yet be perfect & we are likely to resist his call (Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:10-12).
Where to Begin
11. What outline for mission territory did Jesus give to his disciples? Jesus instructed his disciples to begin in Jerusalem & Judea before going to Samaria & then to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).
12. How do Jesus’ instructions in Acts 1:8 apply to us today? We should begin our mission outreach in our home & neighborhood & then extend to nearby communities and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8; Eccl. 9:10).
13. What are we likely to encounter when we go beyond our community? Beyond our community we are likely to encounter different cultures, languages, & foods (Gen. 11:9; Est. 1:22; Dan. 1:4-8).
14. How can a person know that God is calling them to be a foreign missionary? The word of the Lord called Jonah. For Paul’s first missionary journey the Holy Spirit told the church leaders to choose Paul & Barnabas to go. Later Paul was hindered by providence & then received a vision to go to Europe (Jon. 1:1; Acts 13:2; 16:6-10).
15. What did Jesus tell the disciples to wait for before going on mission? Jesus told his disciples that they would need the Holy Spirit before going on mission (Acts 1:8).
16. How many Christians does God call to be missionaries? Every Christian is called to be a missionary (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15).
by Rick Marin | Oct 11, 2023 | 2023 4th Quarter
In whose name do we offer salvation?
(John 20:21-22; Matthew 28:19-20; Revelation 14:6-7) Blog Oct. 8-14, 2023
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: Humanity was created for fellowship with Deity. God desired an eternal relationship with humanity based on his covenant of love. Before the creation of this earth God had a restoration plan in place should humanity break its relationship with God. When Adam broke God’s covenant of life, God came looking for him and offering forgiveness based on the death of a divine Substitute, for it is his continual desire to be God with us.
Its Origin
1. Who was involved in the creation of this earth and humankind? God, the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit worked together in the creation of this earth & humankind (Gen. 1:1-3; 2:26-27).
2. How does the creation of humankind reflect the interpersonal relationship of the Deity? Humankind was created male, female, & offspring, reflecting the interpersonal relationship of the Deity who worked together in creation (Gen. 2:26-28; John 1:1-3).
3. When humankind fell, which member of the Godhead reached out for their restitution? All three members of the Godhead working in harmony, reached out to restore humankind. While the roles of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit are distinct, their purpose & goal is the same. The Spirit convicted the guilty pair of sin, the Father, in love, gave his only begotten Son, & Jesus pledged himself as a sacrifice for sin (John 3:16; 16:8; Heb. 9:26).
4. Seeing that the Father sent him to be the Savior of the world, who did Jesus send to proclaim salvation? Jesus sent his disciples to proclaim salvation to the world (John 20:21-22; 1 John 4:14).
5. According to John 20:21-22 who is involved in sending us to proclaim salvation? The Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit are each involved in our commission to proclaim salvation (John 20:21-22).
Its Purpose
6. When Matthew records Jesus’ commission to his disciples, in whose name are they to offer salvation? Salvation is only offered in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost for they are one God working in harmony for the restitution of humankind (Matt. 28:19).
7. What are we to do in fulfilling our mission to humanity? Our commission is to teach all nations & to baptize them into the family of God (Matt. 28:19).
8. What are we to teach all nations as we fulfill our divine commission? We are to teach all nations the whole counsel of God: all that Jesus has commanded us (Matt. 28:20; Acts 20:27).
9. What do we call those who are taught? Those who are taught we call students or disciples (Mark 9:31; Luke 11:1; Acts 11:26).
10. What, then is the goal of our mission? Our goal is to make disciples, bringing them into the fellowship of the church by baptism (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).
11. What characteristics of a true disciple did Jesus give? Jesus said that true disciples continue in his word, have love one for another, & bear much fruit (John 8:31; 13:35; 15:8).
Its Message
12. What two core beliefs are essential to all disciples? The Law & the Gospel are the two essential core beliefs for all disciples of Christ (Isa. 8:16, 20; Rev. 12:17; 14:12).
13. What must a person believe before they can become a disciple? A person must believe that they are undeserving of life & that the gospel of Jesus is their only hope (Luke 18:13-14; John 1:12; Acts 16:30).
14. What is the gospel? The Gospel is the story of Christ’s incarnation, life, death, resurrection, & ascension (Acts 20:24; Rom. 1:16-17; 1 Cor. 1:17; 15:1-8; 2 Tim. 2:8).
15. How does belief in what Jesus did on earth make one a disciple and child of God? What Jesus did on earth was done as Surety & Substitute for sinners & when we present that to God as our own, we are counted righteous & our sins are forgiven & we desire to learn more & more about him (Rom. 5:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17, 21).
16. What place is given to the gospel at the end of earth’s history? Revelation says that at the time of God’s final judgment the everlasting gospel is to be preached for it is our only hope to pass the judgment (1 Pet. 4:1-6; Rev. 14:6-7).
17. How extensively are God’s people to proclaim the gospel in the last days? Our mission is to the whole world: every nation, kindred, tongue & people (Matt. 24:14; 28:19; Acts 1:8; Rev. 14:6).18. How aggressive should God’s people be in sharing the Gospel? If Paul is a good example then we are to be quite aggressive in pursuing our mission (1 Cor. 9:22-24; Col. 1:23).
by Rick Marin | Oct 4, 2023 | 2023 4th Quarter
On what basis did God have fellowship with Adam and Eve?
(Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6-15; John 1:1-4; 14-16; 1 Peter 1:18-20) Blog Oct 1-Oct 7, 2023
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
INTRODUCTION: The mission of the church is the subject we hope to tackle this quarter.
Pre-creation plan
1. When did God devise the plan of salvation? Before this earth was made God designed a plan of salvation should humanity fall from righteousness (Zech. 6:12-13; 1 Pet. 1:18-20).
2. What was God’s pre-creation plan for the salvation of humanity? The Father & the Son covenanted together that the Son would be surety for humanity & should humanity fall, the Son would give his life as a ransom to buy back the fallen race (Hos. 13:14; Matt. 20:28; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 7:22).
3. For what purpose did God create humanity? God created humanity to show forth his glory, to make known to the created universe the loving character of God (Isa. 43:7; Eph. 3:8-11; Rev. 4:11).
4. When God created Adam and Eve, what defects did they have? Adam & Eve were perfect in the day they were created. They were fully formed & totally righteous within, having no desire for evil (Gen. 1:27, 31; Eccl. 7:29).
5. Did God and the holy angels communicate with Adam and Eve in Eden? Yes, every day God visited them & angels were their constant companions (Gen. 3:8; John 1:1-4, 9; 2 Cor. 4:6).
6. On what basis did God have fellowship with Adam and Eve? Lasting fellowship with God is always based on a covenant. God’s covenant with Adam is recorded in Genesis 2 (Gen. 2:16-17; Hos. 6:7; Amos 3:3).
7. What happened that interrupted God’s plan for humanity? Eve was deceived by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit & gave the same to Adam & he did eat, thus placing them & all their descendants under the covenant curse (Gen. 3:6; Rom. 5:12, 16; 1 Tim. 2:14).
Edenic Search
8. When Adam broke God’s covenant, placing humanity under condemnation to eternal death, what did God do? God came to the garden looking for the fallen pair & confronted them with their sin (Gen. 3:7-14).
9. What hope of life instead of death did God offer Adam and Eve? God offered the guilty pair the promise of a human Redeemer who would through death defeat Satan & open the door to eternal life (Gen. 3:15; Heb. 2:14-15).
10. How would the curses pronounced upon Adam and Eve help fulfill God’s plan for humanity? The curses would continually warn us of the results of sin. They would help us learn that only though diligent human effort & the resistance of nature could fruit be borne. A life of toil & care would inhibit selfishness (making one hate sin), encourage seeking divine assistance, & make us long for the pain-free life of the redeemed (Gen. 3:16-19; Prov. 22:15; John 15:5; 2 Cor.7:1).
11. How did animal sacrifices form a place in God’s plan for humanity? Animal sacrifices taught the guilty pair that life could come only through death & that a Substitute must provide a covering for them before God (Gen. 3:21; John 1:29; Heb. 9:22).
12. What did humanity not lose as a result of the fall? While we did not lose freedom of choice, our unredeemed natures now choose only evil (Gen. 8:21; Deut. 30:19-20; Josh. 24:15; Eph. 2:2-3).
God’s Nature
13. What becomes obvious about God when we observe the way he prepared for and dealt with the fall of humanity? In his preparation for & in his dealing with sin God demonstrated a supreme love for & desire for fellowship with humanity (John 3:16; 17:24).
14. What could God have done rather than come looking for Adam and Eve? God could have destroyed Adam & Eve & started over with a new human couple (Gen. 2:16-17; Rom. 6:23).
15. On what basis could God forgive and provide a covering for the guilty pair? Only on the basis of the previous covenant promise of being surety for the race (made by the Son to the Father) could God forgive & justify the guilty pair (Heb. 9:22; 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8).
16. What promises did Jesus make to his disciples that assure us of future success in our mission? Jesus assured his disciples that all power in heaven & earth was given to him & that he would be with them to the end of the world & was preparing a place for them in his Father’s house (Matt. 28:18-20; John 14:1-3).
17. What striking example of God’s desire to be with and restore his human children is given in the Old Testament? When Israel left Egypt God told Moses to build a sanctuary so he could dwell among his people. In it the entire plan of salvation was depicted symbolically (Ex. 25:8; Heb. 8:1-5).
18. In the New Testament what miraculous event overwhelmingly reveals God’s desire to be with and restore his human children? The incarnation of the Son of God was a picture of God with us & the means of our restoration (John 1:14-16; Heb. 1:3; 2:14).
