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Book Title: Eyes of Elisha
by Brandilyn Collins
Reading Guide Questions
The following list of questions is designed to enhance a group or individual's
thinking about or discussing some of the issues we hope you will consider after reading this book. This is designed as a starting point only and is not meant to limit the discussion.
Chelsea Adams:
- Chelsea wouldn't have chosen to have the vision about
a horrible murder, yet God sent it to her. As a result, she has
to decide what to do. Why
does God place us in situations that we may find uncomfortable
or even dangerous and fearful? Read James 1:2-4; I Peter 1:6-7; Psalm
66:10;
II Corinthians 4:17. How are we to discover what God wants us to
do in such situations? Read James 1:5; Psalm 25:12; Proverbs 9:10;
Job 23:10-12.
- When Chelsea's husband tells her not to go to church, she listens-not
because she thinks he's right, but because she doesn't think fighting
with him over Christianity will help lead him to the Lord. Do you
think she was right to do as he asked? Has the Lord ever placed you
in a
situation in which you needed to be meek in order for God's work
to be done? Read
Psalms 37:11; Matthew 5:5, 18:4, 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45; 15:5.
- The
minute Chelsea became a suspect in the murder, she lost her focus
on God. In her fear, she decided to tell the police about Gavil Harrison,
even though God had warned her through her Christian mentor, Gladys,
not to do so. How easy is it for you to fall victim to your human
fears?
What promises has God given us to help us keep our eyes on Him
when circumstances turn frightening? Read Psalms 46:1-3; 54:4; 55:22;
56:3-4,
11; Jeremiah
17:7-8; II Corinthians 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7.
- When Chelsea took her
eyes off Christ and focused instead of her circumstances, she jumped
ahead of God's divine leading. Even though she turned to God
for forgiveness, she and others had to pay the consequences of
her wrong choice. Did Chelsea thwart God's will for justice regarding
the
murder?
Does God allow people to thwart His ultimate will for a situation?
Read Job 42:2; Proverbs 16:4; Isaiah 25:1; 37:26; Daniel 4:35. Why
do you
think God allowed Chelsea to make her wrong choice? Read Isaiah
48:8-11. What does God promise to do for us when we turn to Him after
our mistakes?
Leviticus 26:44-45; Proverbs 3:11-12; Jeremiah 30:11; Philippians
1:6.
Sergeant
Dan Reiger:
- Reiger had a difficult time witnessing at work.
How much should we allow our faith to be seen and heard in our
work places and/or among
secular friends? Is this a matter of personal choice, or has God
called us to certain behavior? Read Luke 12:8; Psalms 40:9-10; Mark
8:38;
16:15; Romans 1:16.
- Reiger is wary at first of Chelsea's vision, knowing that
Christians are not to become involved in gaining any kind of supernatural
knowledge
unless it is truly from God. What has God commanded us about pursuing
supernatural knowledge from diviners, mediums, etc? Read Leviticus
19:31 and 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:9-15. Why is God so adamant that we
do not pursue
supernatural knowledge in these ways? Read Isaiah 8:19.
Marian Baker/Paul
Adams:
- Marian and Paul are both non-Christians. Paul,
although married to Chelsea and witness to God's work in her life,
refuses to turn to Christ.
Yet Marian jumps at the chance almost as soon as she hears about
God's gift of salvation. Why do they react so differently? What do
their
reactions show us about the different ways in which God works in
peoples' lives?
Read Psalms 81:11-13; Luke 13:34; Jeremiah 22:21; Daniel 4:24-25,
34, 37 (God's humbling of King Nebuchadnezzar).
- Is there a Marian in your
circle of friends or family? Is there a Paul? Should we witness
to such different people in entirely different
ways? Read I Corinthians 9:20-22; 10:32-33.
Overall:
- Eyes of Elisha tells the story of a woman and her unusual
gift of visions. The Bible talks of many spiritual gifts, many
of which are not
so dramatic. Do you know what yours are? What are we supposed to
do with our spiritual gifts? Read I Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:6-8;
Ephesians
4:11; I Peter 4:10.
- What does the Bible teach us about how God can
speak to us through visions? Read Genesis 15:1; Joel 2:28; Acts
10:1-5, 10:9-16, 28; 16:9-10;
II Corinthians 12:1-4; Does God sometimes hold back from sending
us His word through such supernatural means? Why? Read I Samuel 3:1;
Amos
8:11-12.
- Eyes of Elisha depicts our God as in control, even when we make
horrible mistakes. When was a time in your life when you or someone
close
to you made a choice for wrong that resulted in disastrous consequences,
but
God brought you through to victory? How have you USED the lessons
you
learned from that difficult process? Read Genesis 45:5-8 and 50:19-20
(Joseph's selling into slavery turned to victory); Romans 8:28 (God's
ultimate promise for us).
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