Jesus is the Answer

What is the significance of the seven day march . We understand that in scripture the number 7 is perfection , completeness and wholeness . The Ark represented the presence of God . The important thing is OBEDIENCE to God's Command and instruction . As far as what mechanism God used . Why would God need to use any mechanism . Did He use any mechanism when He created the heavens and the earth ? Did He use any mechanism when He stopped the waters of the Jordan for Israel to pass over ? There is no hint in the Bible that God used some mechanism . His very WORD is enough . It was a supernatural miracle . We do not need to have to explain the mighty acts of God by any human experience or understanding . GOD IS GOD . Isaiah 40 21 Do you not know?Have you not heard?Has it not been told you from the beginning?Have you not understood since the earth was founded?22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,and its people are like grasshoppers.He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,and spreads them out like a tent to live in.23 He brings princes to naughtand reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.24 No sooner are they planted,no sooner are they sown,no sooner do they take root in the ground,than he blows on them and they wither,and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me?Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:Who created all these?He who brings out the starry host one by oneand calls forth each of them by name.Because of his great power and mighty strength,not one of them is missing.

1.To meditate on God's word is like a cow chewing its cud . meditate on God' word is to Study , Understand , memorize, apply . 2. Eastern meditation is emptying your mind of all thoughts and creating a oneness with nothing and chanting ohmmm. Christian meditation is emptying your mind of all thoughts and filling it with the word of God and study , understand , memorize it and apply it . 3. " Study to show yourself approved unto God . A workman that needeth not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth. " 2 Timothy 2:15 . "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction in righteousness . That the man of God may be perfect , thoroughly furnished unto all good works ." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 " Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee, ". Psalm 119:19 We pray and ask God for godly wisdom , knowledge and understanding of his word and as we meditate and study the word of God , the Holy Spirit helps us to replace negative ungodly thoughts with the word of God.

Israel had just come out of 40 years wandering in the wilderness and 400 years of slavery in Egypt before that . They had absolutely no experience in battle , no combat training . They had been totally dependent upon God to this point ,and had seen God's provision in the wilderness , his miracles and power in delivering them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea , so to know that God would be with them gave them confidence and assurance that He would give them the land just as He promised . Faith in God and His promises is not a Leap in the dark or wishful thinking , I hope it works out . I hope God comes through . It is not just jumping up in the air and hope that you land on your feet . God leads us step by step . We read of God's faithfulness in the wilderness for example , how he led His people and protected them and provided for them . Our faith in God grows also through experience as He brings circumstances into our lives to test and strengthen our Faith so that we believe more and more in Him . James 1:2-4 (NASB) 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various [a]trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [b]endurance. 4 And let[c]endurance have its perfect [d]result, so that you may be [e]perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NASB) 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various [a]trials, 7 so that the[b]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which [c]is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; If God is with us ( and as believers in Jesus as Lord and Saviour , He abides in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit) , then as long as we are following and obeying Him we have no limitations .

Faith is having complete trust and confidence in the character of God , in His word and His promises . Only when we take action upon His word and promises can we see results .Be doers of the word and not hearers only . God is Faithful to keep His promises only when we are Obedient to do what He says . If he says go then we must go , if He says wait then we must wait , pray then we pray , etc. Living a godly life is a condition to receiving God's promises . SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD . God has promised to transform my life into the image of Christ daily spiritual growth . The Holy Spirit produces the fruit , I must put it into practice everyday . Pressing on and pressing in when I fall . Not giving up .

PRAISE THE LORD EVERYONE. My name is Gary from Windsor , Ontario , Canada which is right on the border with the U.S. right across the river from Detroit ,Michigan. This is my second course but first time on the forum. Looking forward to encouraging and building one another up in the Faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Being children of God is a unique priviledge whereby we have access to all the benefits, blessings , promises and provission of God by faith in Jesus Christ through the New Birth , by being Born of God , Born Again. We are all the Creation of God but only children of God by the New Birth . According to Scripture we enter the Kingdom of God (the family of God) by being Born Again . John 3:3-5 . Also John 1:11-13 (AMP.) "" He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own—His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him. But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God! Born Again!] "" The Holy Spirit draws us To Jesus and Comes into our lives when we are Born Again and testifies or agrees with our spirit that we are now the Children of God. The New Birth brings us into a father-child relationship with our heavenly Father . we were seperated from God because of sin but through the New Birth we begin a New Life as Children of God . Our desires and attitudes are towards pleasing our heavenly Father . we go from being Spiritually bankrupt to having all spiritual blessings in heavenly places , from spiritual death (eternal seperation from God) to eternal Life . PRAISE THE LORD . THANK YOU JESUS

To abide in Christ is to remain in Him and recieve spiritual nourishement from Him so that we can mature and be fuit bearers. To rely upon , trust in and Obey Him. Just as the branch can not bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine , neither can we bear fruit except we abide in Christ . John 15:4-5 .The first fruit of the Spirit being Love. As followers of Christ we are to imitate Him and Love others by following His example .Ephesians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us .. The Scripture says that Jesus went about doing good .-Acts 10:38. Love is not a high 5 , slap on the back , hope everything is ok and be on your way . LOVE is ACTION. We show the LOVE of GOD by DOING . Feeding the hungry , clothing the naked . 1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Jesus said if you LOVE ME , obey my commandments .The greatest commandment being LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Matthew 22:36-40

To abide in Christ is to remain in Him and recieve spiritual nourishement from Him so that we can mature and fuit bearers. To rely upon , trust in and Obey Him. Just as the branch can not bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine , neither can we bear fruit except we abide in Christ . John 15:4-5 .The first fruit of the Spirit being Love. As followers of Christ we are to imitate Him and Love others by following His example .Ephesians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us .. The Scripture says that Jesus went about doing good .-Acts 10:38. Love is not a high 5 , slap on the back , hope everything is ok and be on your way . LOVE is ACTION. We show the LOVE of GOD by DOING . Feeding the hungry , clothing the naked . 1 John 3:17 Jesus said if you LOVE ME , obey my commandments .The greatest commandment being LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Matthew 22:36-40

When we talk about legalism , then I believe we are talking about all of the Laws of , purification , cleansing , sacrifices, etc. The scripture teaches that Jesus fulfilled all of these laws. When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees , "" What is the greatest commandment , Jesus replied , "" Matthew 22:37-40 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” If we Love God and Love our neighbors , then we will not steal from our neighbor , we will not covet our neighbors possessions , we will not lie to our neighbors or bear false witness. We will not break any of the commandments of God . Who is our neighbor ? The Bible teaches us that anyone who is in need is our neighbor . This type of Love is action, it is a giving Love . John 3:16 "" For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE his one and only son , Jesus ...."" It is called AGAPE LOVE . This type of Love is a selfless Love , where we put others ahead of ourselves .The Bible teaches that we are not to think of ourselves more highly of ourselves than we aught to but to esteem others better than ourselves . We are to have the mind of Christ who came to serve and to GIVE Himself .... Jesus said , "I have come to serve not to be served ." -Matthew 20:28 Jesus said ," If you Love me , Obey my commandments."" Which commandments ??? The Greastest commandments. 1 Corinthians 3:13 "" So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."" We cannot manufacture this type of AGAPE LOVE . It can only come from a surrendered heart , through dying to self and giving our lives completely and totally to God by recieving the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2: 4 But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved ([a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). 6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us [b]joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 7 He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved ([c]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [it is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] 10 For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), [d]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]

The book of 1 John is written to Christians .We all sin even as Christians, but if we are willfully living in a state of sin or walking in darkness , then we are out of fellowship with God . There is the act of committing a sin and there is the state of living in sin or living any old way we feel like outside of the will of God ( living your own way is called rebellion). Living a lifestyle of sin will bring consequences . If we are out of fellowship with God we miss out on his blessings and benefits . Many do not understand the Grace of God , thinking that God will just look the other way because God is Love(This is how we decieve ourselves by thinking this way but Jesus said ""If you love me ,OBEY my commandments .-John 14:15) . Wrong. We will be disciplined and or punished . If we learn from our discipline , then we can grow and mature in Christ .If we continue to live our own way and not God's way then we will pay the consequences. If we as Christians commit sin ,then we must ask forgiveness and repent . When we confess our sin and ask forgiveness and repent then God will forgive and cleanse and restore us to fellowship with him . You can not live with one foot in darkness and one foot in the light . 2 Corinthians 6:14 asks "" What fellowship can light have with darkness? '' ABSOLUTELY NONE

Hello to All My Christian Brothers and Sisters . Great question posted today . Why do christians tend to have a surface relationship with each other rather than a deep meanigful intimate relationship which is what God wants for us . I read several responses which I think all have good reasons . Certainly , the fear of rejection , our perception of what a Christian should be is a big issue . Selfishness is another . There are so many differrent reasons that it I think even the reasons are as indiviual as each one of us . Another big issue I think is the time that we spend with one another . In our society today there are so many things that require our time that we do not spend the time to really develop the kind of relationship with God and each other that God wants. The Christian life is a 24/7 LIFESTYLE that we develop through daily commitment to putting God's will as the number one priority in everything we say think and do. AGAPE LOVE . "" By this shall all men know that you are my disciples . if you have LOVE one for another .""-John 13:35

Hello to All My Christian Brothers and Sisters . Great question posted today . Why do christians tend to have a surface relationship with each other rather than a deep meanigful intimate relationship which is what God wants for us . I read several responses which I think all have good reasons . Certainly , the fear of rejection , our perception of what a Christian should be is a big issue . Selfishness is another . There are so many differrent reasons that it I think even the reasons are as indiviual as each one of us . Another big issue I think is the time that we spend with one another . In our society today there are so many things that require our time that we do not spend the time to really develop the kind of relationship with God and each other that God wants. The Christian life is a 24/7 LIFESTYLE that we develop through daily commitment to putting God's will as the number one priority in everything we say think and do.