Study Guide forLand of RevelationA Reconciling Presence in Israel By Roy H. Kreider This Study Guide is also available for download as a Word document or in PDF Acrobat format. |
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Chapters 36 - 40 |
Chapter 36, THE PRIME MOVER
- In what ways is this Isaiah 9:6 text a revelation of the exalted nature of the Messiah? How was this governing rule being exercised over the peoples? How was the revelation of the sovereign power of God evident among his people in Old Testament times? How was the rule of God experienced since New Testament times?
- How does the Lord move through intercessory prayer that is Spirit-led to intervene and change prevailing conditions in our world today? What amazing illustration transpired in the summer of 1977, of prayer prayed beyond realms of human arrangement that resulted in a surprising initiative inaugurating historic change? When do events that transpire on the human level transcend the coincidental and confirm a miracle answer to prayer with supernatural intervention and the inauguration of change?
- What was specifically prayed, and how did the answer reveal “exceeding abundantly above all” that was asked or imagined? What were the remarkable “firsts” for which this initiative of President Sadat must be credited? Can the universal rule of God be discerned in the initiative of a Muslim President? Is the Lord discerned to be over-ruling only when what happens is going the way I feel it should go?
- How did President Sadat in his address to the Israel Knesset in Jerusalem move to the high ground transcending the divisive issues in religion and politics that ignited hope in Israel , and among many in the region? Since this initiative was launched from within the region, by an Arab leader of vision and statesmanship, moving with diplomacy and great wisdom toward leaders as well as the entire nation of Israel , what does this reveal as to the way peace can and must be pursued toward resolution?
- Why was the momentum toward peace in this courageous initiative begun by President Sadat not continued? What was the Palestinian complaint regarding these negotiations?
- What surprising discoveries were made while visiting Cyprus , meeting with Christian youth from Egypt and Lebanon ? What hopeful prospects did their openness and outlook hold?
Chapter 37, FAITH UNDER FIRE
- What revelation is in the name given to Ishmael that has inspired the prayers of those ministering amid Arab peoples? What specifically was Abraham asking of God? How is Jesus the ultimate answer to Abraham’s prayer request? How does this become the vision and motive for missions to the Arab peoples?
- What common origin do both the Arab and Jewish people share? What happened to the descendants of the earliest Church which was Jewish, but was excommunicated from the synagogues? How does this lead some in the region to regard many of the Palestinian people, and the Jewish inhabitants of Israel as “blood brothers”?
- What happened when Muhammad, in his spiritual search for help went firstly to the Jewish rabbis? Why did they deliberately garble their teaching of Old Testament revelation, so that Muhammad obtained a distorted perception? Why were the Nestorian Christian monks unable to guide him into the pathway to salvation through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord? What has been the consequence of these failures?
- Why does the Christian minority throughout the Middle East have little or no motivation to witness or even to dialogue with members of other faiths? Where are those churches that are clarifying and refining the Christian approach in witness to Muslims? What has awakened renewed commitment and dedication to prayer and outreach among these churches?
- What was the testimony and faith story told by the Muslim bedouin which led to his passing through an ordeal of fire? What did he discover through this ordeal regarding the spiritual origins of his tribal community that comprised an invocation of blessing of which he was the inheritor? How did this discovery motivate him in prayer and witness to others within the larger tribal family?
- In what ways did witness reach the heart of another young Muslim, directing his spiritual quest for truth? What was the marked contrast he was noticing that prompted his questions and search for satisfying answers? What was his word of wisdom and counsel to us?
- What were the life-impacting discoveries the Muslim tour-guide was finding as he related to groups of evangelical Christians he was privileged to guide through the Holy Land ? What was he especially listening for, and what was he too beginning to experience? What does this reveal as the most effectual way in witness to Muslims?
- What was it that attracted and impacted the young Muslim laborer living and working at Immanuel House? What extraordinary revelation room one night? What was the message he received from the special visitation of the Lord? What was the important principle learned from this experience?
Chapter 38, THE POWER OF SPIRIT-INSPIRED WORDS
- What is the power-filled promise revealed in this awe-inspiring vision given to Ezekiel of the valley of dry bones? What was it that caused miracles to happen, releasing the power of God into these lifeless bones, clothing them with flesh and infusing them with resurrection life?
- What was the primary lesson learned from this passage for our ministry in Israel ? How could we experience more of the resurrection life of Jesus in our life and ministry? Why must the cross, both the message of the cross and our experience of it remain central in our faith focus? Where does experience of resurrection life begin? How is our experience of the resurrection life of Jesus a New Testament realization of the Old Testament faith experience “all our fresh springs are in Thee”? Psalm 87:7
- For the young lady who came to our home, having been led to the Lord in the past, how was it that the love of God had not reached into her pained soul? How was Jesus enabled to enter her pain-filled memories? What transpired while seeing Jesus there with her in the memory experience? How did she experience the resurrection life of the Son of God permeating her mind and heart and soul?
- How did the Lord transform her impoverished spirit? What spiritual gifts did she receive for effectual ministry?
- Why is it that those who know they are paupers in great need, and openly confess their spiritual impoverishment as they come to Jesus by faith, receive transforming life-change? How is it that they are able to recognize and eagerly grasp the treasures of the kingdom of heaven, laying hold with tenacity, and are readily discipled into it?
- Why is it that those with great natural talent and gifting are the more difficult to win, and are often poor examples as disciples? Enamored by their own gifting, why is it they are slow in advancing in their life with God?
- Since the revelation of the cross is both a mystery and major stumbling-block to the Jews, why must it remain central to our message?
- Since the revelation of the cross is a rational contradiction to the Muslim, why is it nevertheless essential to our witness and message?
Chapter 39, GETTING READY FOR THINGS TO GET WORSE
- What is the secret for a successful running of the marathon marked out for us? Where is the faith to be found that fuels stamina and imparts strength to endure hardships and difficulties?
- What had we learned thus far regarding the importance of asking for the Lord to confirm that returning to Israel was his continuing will for us? Why was the vision that Florence received a reaffirmation and reassuring word for us? What is the kind of leader whose leadership brings honor and praise to the Lord in times of peril and crisis?
- What was the meaning for the persistent sense of impending peril followed by the vision of the larger-than-life rhinoceros on the rampage, attacking and demolishing?
- What detrimental and destructive occult power was discovered to be associated with the shamanistic fetish from West Africa ? Commissioned as representatives of “the kingdom of light,” why was this object that had been dedicated to “the kingdom of darkness” immediately activated, and with destructive power, when brought into our home? How was this hostile spiritualistic force removed?
- What was the alarming information brought by David Yeager that alerted the UCCI executive to a perilous crisis developing? What was the accusation, totally without foundation, being made against the churches in Israel ? If the published pretext was not even true, what was the actual intent that motivated a small religious minority in Knesset, determined to have these bills passed into laws? If these bills were to become laws, what of the limited freedoms the churches had would be jeopardized?
- What was the Liaison Committee appointed to do? Why did the Attorney General request that we prepare a Memorandum for submission to be officially studied? Why did the Liaison Committee recommend to the UCCI executive the dispatching of a delegation to Europe and the United Kingdom ? What was the result of this mission? Why was the American Ambassador to Israel consulted? What was the significance of the invitation to Professor Hugh Kerrigan of Edinburg to come to Israel ? How did the letter to be sent to the Prime Minister become a jointly signed document with signatures of Christian leadership all across the broadest denominational spectrum?
- What was the spiritual power encounter experienced in the prayer meeting on Mount Carmel ? What changes transpired in Jerusalem ? What series of doors were opened in Knesset and government? What was the importance of the statement read into the Knesset Record by the Minister of Justice? What surprising invitation was extended by the Attorney General to the UCCI for assistance that had positive implications for affecting change at the national level? What insights were gleaned as to the way troubling issues and serious concerns could be addressed in the future? What was the role of prayer in enabling the interventions of the Lord to be revealed?
Chapter 40, CRY THE BELOVED VINEYARD
- What important discoveries emerge in the explanation by Jesus of Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard? What does Jesus declare to be the consequences of rejecting the Son who is the true heir of the vineyard? To whom does Jesus say the kingdom has been given? On what basis is that gift of the kingdom received? What is the evidence of true inheritors of the kingdom?
- What is the Ephesians concept of “the one new man”? How was this reality made possible? How could this revelation be made visible reality amid a people still clinging to former conceptions and historic faith perspectives? If the primary purpose of the mission of Jesus was reconciliation, then what ought our primary mission be that would make that reconciliation real in this un-reconciled part of the world? What did it mean that our life in relationships had to transcend the ordinary? How did this begin to shape our identity, involvement, and manner of mission?
- Why did we feel it more important to resist the easier route of creating denominational centers, choosing rather the more costly co-laboring together as ecumenical teams committed to model the reconciling revelation of “the one new man”? How was the Lord confirming his blessing upon this method of modeling, mentoring, and maturing in mission and witness together?
- What does the phrasing of Paul in Colossians 4:5 signify, “Let your witness be with all winsomeness to those who are without”? How can our words be seasoned with grace? How can our life together have a winsome quality that reveals Jesus? How was this helped to happen in Tel Aviv, through our home and the mid-week gathering, and their relating to our neighbors, and the growing network of house-fellowships?
- What was discovered in the way the Lord formed the team of ministering persons serving in both the Jewish and the Arabic context?