ENGLISH BIBLE STUDIES 4

                         GOD AND HIS ACTS

TOPIC:                    I Will Heal Their Land: Introducing The Series.

TEXT:                      II Chron. 7:11-22.

AIM:
To help us gain insight into and appreciate the content and benefits of this study series.

INTRODUCTION:
God has both His usual ‘acts’ (see John 6:28-29) and strange or unusual ‘acts’ (see Isaiah 28:21). While the former deal with His saving people, showing them mercy and offering them forgiveness, the latter deal withHis judgmentthat is often aimed at bringing people into repentance and healing. The theme this year is God’s promise to heal;and this poses somequestions: who or what caused the ‘wound,’and what is the nature of the wound? These studies shall deal with these and more questions.
The meaning of healing adopted in these studies is, “to make someone or something healthy or well again; to cause an undesirable conditionto be overcome; to make sound or whole again; to restore to original purity or integrity,” Merriam-Webster dictionary. Study One as an overview of the series therefore, looks atthe sub-themes briefly.

STUDY GUIDE
1. a) Explain the promises God made to Solomon (and as applied to us) in II Chron.7:12-14.
b) Discuss the possible origins or foundations of these promises (applicable to us?).

2. a) From II Chron. 7:11-22, highlight and discuss the following
i.) Some situations that calls for the healing of a land. 
ii.) The causes of such situations. 
iii.) The pre-requisites for the healing of the land. 
iii.) The divine means of healing. 
b)         What do we learn from (a) i-iv above about?
i.) God and His acts (grace, mercy, terror etc);
ii) the benefits of healing for a land;
iii) the need to preserve the healing of a land.
c)     How do (b) i-iii inspire us to uphold Nigeria?

3. What is healing? Discuss the different type:physical, social, economic, spiritual etc. (You may draw materials for your answers from the Introductions to the studies under sub-theme 6 and any others, if need be).

CONCLUSION: In life, there is the principle of cause and effect. Similarly, God has demonstrated severity in punishing sin through the ages. But He has also made available the way to avoid His cane of discipline. He has not changed. May these studies help us to better appreciate Him, His nature, His likes and dislikes, conditions or situations that provoke His wrath!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: When we choose to love, obey and serve God, we will escape His wrath with attendant consequences.
MEMORY VERSE: II Chron. 7:14.