your questions god s Answers a product of

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1 your questions god s Answers 1 a product of

2 Meet with God is brought to you by... Powered by 4 is Back to the Bible s Web-based tool designed to help you engage in God s Word at least 4 times a week. You can divide this Meet with God study in a way that helps you meet this goal. Here are some daily suggestions: Read the passage and devotional. Answer one Consider It question each day. Read the passage and Apply It section. Write your plan to apply God s Word in the note space. Complete the Express It section. See how well you retain God s Word by answering the Remember It questions. Reflect on and journal about a verse or two. Use the Seek It section for additional days in God s Word. Sign up for Powered by 4 online at Meet with God, an official publication of Back to the Bible Copyright 2009 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Staff: Editorial Assistance: Allen Bean, Ben Zuehlke, Emily Wurl, Kathy Thorne, Leisa Larson Design: Brandy Griffin Produced with the assistance of The Livingstone Corporation ( Project staff: Neil Wilson Cover and Interior Photos: Meet with God is produced 12 times per year and sent with no obligation. back to the bible P.O. Box Lincoln, NE From the Author Most of us live with more questions than answers! How many times each day do you ask yourself, I wonder why that happened? Sometimes we know the answers, but often we don t. Sometimes temporary answers come, but some unanswered questions we live with all our lives. The Bible gives us straight answers to life s crucial questions, as well as answers to many of its most perplexing questions. One of the primary reasons so many people (even Christians) live confused lives is because they haven t taken the time to take their questions to the Bible and look for answers there. We take our questions to the world, and we get wrong answers or no answers at all. All the while, God has provided for us an abundance of answers in His Word; and He assures us that even on those occasions when we can t know the answers, we still have Him. This month, we will follow Jesus footsteps in the Gospel of John and look at some of the questions He asked and the questions that others asked Him. I think we will find these questions familiar they are just like the ones we ask. And we need God s answers. Enjoy your time in God s Word this month. 2 3

3 How Can Five Plus Two Equal q Five Thousand? This week, acknowledge the God of miracles in your life. Readit John 6:1 14 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat? (John 6:5). Jesus asked Philip a hard question. Faced with an obviously hungry crowd, He asked about feeding them. Philip didn t have a clue! All he could see was a huge problem and meager resources. Philip s first thought must have been, Forget that there s no place nearby where we could buy food, Lord. Even if we had a supermarket here, we don t have the money to meet this need! Jesus asked where but Philip got stuck on how. Since we know how the story ends, we find it easier to point out Philip s lack of faith than to ask ourselves what we would do in a similar situation. But the truth is that every day we face situations like Jesus and Philip faced. We are surrounded with needs that are greater than our apparent resources. How often do we respond to overwhelming challenges exactly the same way Philip responded: I don t even have the means, much less a source, to meet this need, Lord. Andrew s approach wasn t much better: There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many? He passed by the where and how and ended up with not much. The boy s lunch was the right answer, but Andrew was stuck on the inadequacy of the supply. Andrew s answer was basically, These barley loaves and fish are what we need, Lord, but we don t have nearly enough! How often do we get stuck on the insignificance of our resources rather than turning to the God who can supply all our needs? Fortunately for Philip and Andrew (and us), Jesus was more interested in meeting the needs of the multitude than in pointing out His disciples failures of faith. The lesson we take from this event has to do with responding to life by faith and not just reason. When reason prevails, faith is superfluous. When faith prevails, reason follows. Two questions for you: When faced with an apparently impossible situation, is your first response faith, or is it a vain effort to figure out a solution to the problem? Do you keep faith as the back-up plan when all else fails, or do you make it a habit to start with reliance on God? The question: Can God meet your every need? The answer: Trust Him and watch. 4 5

4 considerit What did Jesus question do for Philip and Andrew? As you read John 6:1 14, reflect on the following questions: When it comes to God s supply, is there a difference between starting with nothing or starting with as little as five loaves and two fish? How could Philip have responded? How do you respond to the impossible situations in your life? Applyit Identify three situations in your life right now that fit the impossible category: It appears you can do little or nothing that will make a difference. Perhaps you ve already done all you can and discovered it wasn t enough. Focus on one of these matters and then place that situation in God s hands. Commit it to Him in prayer. Tell Him you are willing to act under His direction, and you know that He is the God of the impossible. Demonstrate your faith that, if it is His will, nothing is impossible for Him (Jer. 32:27). Expressit Make sure you have taken some time to think through the Apply It section above. Devote an extended time of prayer to turning your impossible situation over to God. Decide that you are going to give Him time and space to do what He knows is best in the situation. Be willing to accept His will for your circumstances, whether it s what you desire or not. 6 7

5 Why Does the World Hate Jesus? J rememberit 1. Jesus and His disciples were standing near what body of water? 2. Which Jewish feast was at hand? 3. Whose brother mentions the boy with the loaves and fish? 4. What did Jesus do immediately before passing out the food? 5. After witnessing this miracle, the people were sure Jesus was whom? seekit Go deeper into your study of this week s lesson. Impossible Situations: Exodus 14: Chronicles 20:1 29 Daniel 3:1 30 Answers: 1. Sea of Galilee/Tiberias (John 6:1); 2. Passover (John 6:4); 3. Simon Peter s (John 6:8); 4. He gave thanks (John 6:11); 5. The Prophet (John 6:14) Readit John 7:1 9 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil (John 7:7). This week, make a passage of Scripture yours. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. If you have siblings, you have stories. Brothers and sisters certainly create history with each other. Siblings turn out to be each others strongest supporters or greatest doubters. Until after His Resurrection, Jesus brothers apparently couldn t bring themselves to believe they were related to the Son of God. Later, of course, Jesus brothers, James and Jude, became leaders in the church of Jerusalem and each contributed a book of the New Testament. But this lesson s passage gives us a glimpse of the earlier unbelief Jesus met in His neighborhood. Two groups of haters are mentioned in this passage: soft haters and hard haters. Those who wanted to kill Jesus made up the hard haters group; those who wanted to taunt Jesus (His brothers) expressed a soft hatred toward Him. The hard haters were waiting and planning to kill Him. 8 9

6 considerit How do Jesus brothers statements reveal their lack of belief in Him? As you read John 7:1 9 reflect on the following questions: What could Jesus have meant by your time is always here (v. 6)? To whom does Jesus say, The world cannot hate you? Why? What does Jesus mean when He says My time has not yet come (see also John 2:4; 7:30; 12:23)? Jesus explained that hatred for Him can always be traced back to the effect His presence has on the world. Jesus, the interesting teacher, might be tolerated. But Jesus, the Son of God who came to die in place of sinners, provokes hatred among those who will not agree they are sinners. Until they are ready to admit they need a Savior, they naturally hate the One who is their Savior. Jesus knew what awaited Him in the world, but He came anyway. Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem (John 7:1), but He traveled there anyway (John 7:10). It wasn t His time to die yet. But that time was coming as surely as the sunrise. Jesus later told His disciples, If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you (John 15:18). True followers of Jesus can expect to be hated by the world because our lives and our message reflect Jesus life and message. This doesn t mean we should seek to be obnoxious in the world; it means we should seek to be faithful to Christ even though we realize not everyone will accept Him or us. The question: Will the world hate me if I m a Christian? The answer: Only if you live like one. Applyit Hatred is a strong word. Does the world really hate Jesus? The truth is, yes, it does. That hatred is often expressed in acceptable ways like faint praise or tolerance. People are willing to admit Jesus had an impact on history, but ultimately they see Him as no different than several other world-class religious teachers. But a half-truth is still a lie. Jesus was an interesting, challenging and unforgettable teacher. But if we offer admiration to Jesus instead of worship and obedience, the results are the same as hatred. Expressit Spend some time talking with Jesus about what it means to you to face rejection for His sake. Often, we don t talk to others about Jesus because we fear rejection and ridicule. But part of loving Jesus means being willing to take that risk. Your fears are certainly a good subject for prayer! 10 11

7 Apply it Most of the physical landmarks that we deal with are part of a long-standing but not eternal creation. But the truth of God s Word stands for time and eternity. The directions God provides (even the painful ones) give us a dependable route and effective rules for living. If we ve got God s eternal landmarks in mind, we ll adopt a pilgrim mindset, never thinking of this world as our permanent home. We will make it a habit to check God s landmark presence every day for correction and encouragement. And we will live by those instructions we find chiseled in the landmark of God s Word. Express it Proverbs is filled with short landmark statements that provide us with food for thought and reflection each day. Choose one of the proverbs from today s reading, and express it in a prayer. Ask God to keep bringing His words of direction to mind throughout the days of your journey ahead. rememberit 1. What region was Jesus traveling in? 2. What feast was occurring at this time? 3. What region do Jesus brothers urge Him to go to? 4. How does Jesus describe the works of the world? 5. Why does Jesus say He will not go to Judea? seekit Go deeper into your study of this week s lesson. Hatred of Jesus: John 19:1 42 Hatred of Believers: Acts 5:17 42 Answers: 1. Galilee (John 7:1); 2. Feast of Booths (John 7:2); 3. Judea (John 7:3); 4. As evil (John 7:7); 5. His time has not yet come (John 7:8) 12 13

8 Why y Don t People Just J Believe? This week, look for examples of the works of God displayed in someone s life. Readit John 9:1 12 And his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? (John 9:2). Don t plant squash and expect to enjoy sweet corn, and We reap what we sow, are reliable proverbs. But while this wisdom sounds like the last word, it isn t. Observed laws that operate in the world are rarely as exact as they appear. When people try to apply the scientific law of cause and effect to human interaction they find that the principle works quite often but not always. Every human action appears to cause some reaction. Choices have consequences. Bad things happen as a result of people doing bad things. Good things happen because people do good things. So, it made sense to the disciples, when they saw the man born blind, to ask Jesus, Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? A popular talk-show subject in Jesus day would have been, Can someone sin in the womb and suffer the consequences, or are birth defects always an indication of sin on the part of parents? It makes sense to wonder who sinned when we see suffering. We see something wrong and want to find out who s responsible. But before we start blaming the victim, let s look at Jesus answer to the question: It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him (John 9:3). Sin is the ultimate explanation for why bad things happen in the world; but, fortunately, as the old hymn states, God s grace is greater than all our sins. Sin and all its byproducts entered the world because of disobedience to God, but figuring out who is to blame in specific situations isn t the most important question to answer. The crucial question when facing unfairness, injustice and evil is, How can God work even in this situation? This entire chapter is an extended testimony about the way God transforms someone s life. This man came to see, not only physically but also spiritually. Meanwhile, people with perfectly good eyesight stubbornly refused to see what Jesus did because that would mean they would have to consider what else Jesus said and did. Their willful blindness expressed itself in unbelief. But the blind man s longing to see in every way allowed him eventually to see Jesus as Lord. The question: Why would God allow anyone to suffer misfortune? The answer: So God can turn their misfortune into His perfection

9 considerit Describe what the blind man heard during the first seven verses of this chapter. What do you imagine he was thinking/feeling? As you read John 9:1 12, reflect on the following questions: How does Genesis 2:7 perhaps help explain why Jesus used mud on the man s eyes? Why didn t some of the neighbors believe the blind man could now see? Why didn t the formerly blind man know where/ who Jesus was? Applyit Take a few minutes and read this entire chapter. Note how the man gradually sees Jesus more clearly even though surrounded by people determined to question the miracle of sight. This man s simple stubborn faith was rewarded with more and more understanding. In what ways can you say with this man, One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see (v. 25)? Expressit A heart-felt prayer that comes to us from this chapter involves expressing to God the thought, Open my eyes, Lord, that I may see what You want me to see. There are many ways to fall into willful blindness, and to continually seek help from the One who is the Light of the world is the only sure way to maintain our ability to see in every way

10 If I Die, Is That the End? rememberit 1. Whose sin led to the man s blindness? 2. What time is coming when no one can work? 3. Jesus describes Himself as the what of the world? 4. What pool does Jesus send the blind man to? 5. How did the man earn his living before being healed by Jesus? seekit Go deeper into your study of this week s lesson. Lives Transformed: Mark 2:1 17 Acts 9:1 31 Answers: 1. No one s (John 9:3); 2. Night (John 9:4); 3. Light (John 9:5); 4. Siloam (John 9:7); 5. Begging (John 9:8) Readit John 11:17 27 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25 26). This week, live like someone who already has eternal life. Death provokes questions. Death can also obliterate the walls of denial and procrastination that we construct to avoid answering ultimate questions. Death is a huge wrecking ball that shatters our illusions of immortality in this world. Whether we want to or not, death forces us to ask, Is this all there is? Martha wasn t ready to lose her brother, Lazarus. She believed in eternal life, but she didn t see a direct connection between this life and eternal life. She knew Jesus had the power to give people physical life and eternal life, but she was keeping the two experiences separate. Jesus wanted her (and us) to keep them together. For followers of Jesus, this life is a short prologue to a never-ending story. Death is the page turned from that prologue into the story itself. Part of our wonder in heaven will be understanding this part of life like we can never understand it now. And sooner or later, we all move from the prologue to the story itself

11 considerit What do the first two verses tell us about the status of Lazarus family? As you read John 11:17 27, reflect on the What else do we know about Martha (see Luke 10:38 42) that makes it logical she would rush out to meet Jesus along the way? Put Jesus and Martha s conversation into your own words. What were they saying to each other? following questions: How does v. 27 match what you believe about Jesus? Martha asked Jesus for more time with Lazarus this side of eternity (see v. 21). But her brother had already died. And it isn t hard to imagine that part of the reason Jesus wept before He raised Lazarus (see v. 35) was because He would be turning the page back for Lazarus and bringing him back into this world. When it comes to eternal life, the world would rather live in proud uncertainty than humble confidence. Followers of Jesus, who know where the story is going for them, are often derided for their certainty of eternal life. Because non-believing people assume that those of us who express confidence about eternal life are claiming some kind of moral perfection they don t have, they mock our hope. But they need to be reminded that our confidence never rests on any spiritual or moral achievement of our own but fully on Christ. He truly is our resurrection and life. Without Him, we can t expect anything but a terrible eternity apart from God; with Him, we know we have an eternity spent in blessed fellowship with God! The question: Can we know for sure there is life beyond the grave? The answer: Jesus said, Because I live, you also will live. Applyit Sooner or later, we will all stand before Jesus, and He will ask us, Do you believe this? Our answer can t be casual or thoughtless. Our answer has to be backed up by our living. If we say one thing and live another, then our lives will speak more clearly than our words. That s why one of the best ways to answer Jesus question is to say and mean, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief (see Mark 9:24). Expressit Martha may have had concerns, doubts and questions, but she took them to the right place Jesus. Going to Him is the best thing we can do, even if we don t know exactly what question to ask or exactly what we need. He not only has answers and can meet our needs, He already knows our questions! Start a prayer today with, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief, and discover where that takes you

12 rememberit 1. How long had Lazarus been in the tomb when Jesus arrived? 2. How far is Bethany from Jerusalem? 3. Which of the two sisters remained at the house? 4. Jesus identified Himself as the what and the life. 5. In verse 27, Martha identified Jesus as both the Christ and what? seekit Go deeper into your study of this week s lesson. Life after Death: 1 Corinthians 15:12 58 Revelation 21:1 22:7 Answers: 1. Four days (John 11:17); 2. Two miles (John 11:18); 3. Mary (John 11:20); 4. Resurrection (John 11:25); 5. The Son of God (John 11:27) 22 23

13 John: Face-to-Face with Jesus Is Jesus really God? For centuries people have asked that question, and the answer in the Book of John is a resounding, Yes! The Jesus you have heard about will meet you in these pages. And whatever you ve heard, He will be greater, better and more challenging than you expect. This study of the Book of John will help you meet Jesus face-toface and get to know His heart. Each of the study s lessons includes a Scripture passage, a devotional, thought-provoking questions and a challenge to go deeper. $8.00 * $8.80 * (U.S.) (Canada) softcover 157 pages # *Plus Shipping & Handling Product cost and availability subject to change. FOR order and shipping information, see inserted envelope. With a broadcast and Internet reach to millions, Back to the Bible teaches the Word and touches the world. Powered by 4 is Back to the Bible s new Web-based, life-changing Bible engagement plan. Sign up at FOR questions, CONTACT: Back to the Bible P.O. Box 82808, Lincoln, NE back to the bible - Canada P.O. Box 700 Chatham, ON N7M 5K