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Does He really mean this? I have to go with my core belief that the Holy Scriptures are inerrant and complete. I don’t think an expository or exegesis is needed to fully comprehend seven words You cannot serve both God and money." Jesus is saying it cannot be done! I always enjoy when science proves the Bible. Please read the following: “Professor Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned volunteers’ heads while they performed different tasks and found that when there is a group of visual stimulants in front of you, only one can receive focus. This is particularly true when we try to perform similar tasks at the same time - such as writing an email and talking on the phone - as they compete to use the same part of the brain. As a result, your brain simply slows down. Even just thinking about multi-tasking can cause this log-jam, as Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at the University of London, reported a few years ago. This is why Professor Miller, for one, is highly wary of the multitasking lifestyle. ‘People can’t do it and when they say they can, they’re deluding themselves,’ he says. ‘The brain is very good at deluding itself.’” So we see, as always, Jesus’ teachings are inerrant and infallible even by today’s knowledge and iconic thinkers. Is this hyperbole? Figurative? Literal? I would say “literal” because it is a direct statement not involving an exaggeration (Hyperbole) or representing a figure or resemblance (figurative). It is literal, a word for word actuality. Can wealthy people serve God in actual fact? Only God can know a person’s heart and motivations. However, Job, Abraham, Isaac, David, Joseph, and Solomon we are told were wealthy AND faithful during antiquity. Looking at today’s philanthropic lists, some of the richest people in the world are donating https://www.looktothestars.org/news/14430-the-worlds-most-generous-donators to worthy causes such as children, education, health, homelessness, family/parent support, etc.

What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? I believe they point out that God is the ultimate Father, He will only give us what is best for us. His omniscience enables Him to know unequivocally the absolute most propitious answer to our request, and He will give it with judicious timing. What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? We can trust God to give us an answer that is relevant and personalized for us by our Creator Himself… our Father who art in heaven. We can be assured that God will work it out for good, it is His nature. How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Cynicism is defined as people who think others are generally selfish, dishonest, and not trustworthy. Therefore I guess they would be suspicious of God’s very nature of love, grace, and compassion. Faith would be a concept that would be beyond their comprehension. Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? To me, the greatest example of praying with faith, in all of Scripture, is in the Garden of Gethsemane when our Lord says: “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt”. (Mark 14:36). That’s faith, knowing fully what was ahead for Him yet glorifying God by submitting to His purpose. This is an excellent example for us to follow, we are to make our desires known to God and remember that above all His Will be done. Then bringing Him the glory for His answer.

Jesus says that one's inner self will eventually become apparent (Matthew 12:34). What kinds of "fruit" might be clues to a false prophet? I would think the greatest test of a false prophet is his/her teaching. Does it line up with the consistent teaching of the Word of God? If not, it is false. This means we must know our Bibles ourselves. The best defense against a counterfeit is to know the original. Study and learn the Word of God so thoroughly that you would be able to recognize the false teachers. All messages of hope of deliverance apart from faith in Christ are all false gospels of a false salvation declared by false prophets.

Jesus says that one's inner self will eventually become apparent (Matthew 12:34). What kinds of "fruit" might be clues to a false prophet? I would think the greatest test of a false prophet is his/her teaching. Does it line up with the consistent teaching of the Word of God? If not, it is false. This means we must know our Bibles ourselves. The best defense against a counterfeit is to know the original. Study and learn the Word of God so thoroughly that you would be able to recognize the false teachers. All messages of hope of deliverance apart from faith in Christ are all false gospels of a false salvation declared by false prophets.

If Jesus' teaching about the narrow gate and the narrow road to life is to be believed, what change would this make in how you conduct your life? I DO believe in the narrow gate, I constantly examine myself, my motives, my actions and behavior; I do not want to be beguiled or deceived on to the wide road by letting our eroding morals, and secular complacency influence my sensibility. I continually remind myself that satan can be subtle in his attacks and I try to remain alert and focused on my Saviour Jesus Christ. What difference would it make to how you witness to your neighbors? Since it is their very existence for all eternity I try not to shy away from presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If they do not hear it they cannot make an informed judgement about its validity. I feel it is our responsibility as believers to present the Gospel to others so they can understand the lifesaving work and good news of Jesus Christ regardless of how it’s received and we are viewed. How might it affect your acceptance of Universalism? John 14:6 is my answer to universalism; “Jesus saith unto him, I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. In Acts 4:8-12 Peter tells the rulers, elders and people of Israel “that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth … is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Which lesson is taught in both the Parables of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-10) and the Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-6)? To not give up, persistence can convey a sense of urgency/importance of the matter at hand. When people see your unrelenting, incessant determination they realize that action/answers on their part is the only resolution that will be accepted. How do these relate to the commands in Matthew 7:7-8? “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Asking, seeking, and knocking seem like a normal progression in getting a goal accomplished. The following of these actions in a continuous, persistent manner will eventually yield results.

What do the words "ask," "seek," and "knock" have in common? They all involve/contain a petition and a promise, and in each case we can expect an answer. Also in each case we must exert effort, continued effort if applicable. What distinguishes them from each other? In asking, seeking, and knocking three different senses being considered here. Asking is verbal; Christians are to use their mouths and petition God for their needs and desires. And believers are to seek with their minds—this is more than asking; it is a setting of priorities and a focusing of the heart. To knock involves physical movement, one in which the Christian takes action. Does one word convey more intensity than another? For me it’s asking. We cannot expect to get an answer if we don’t ask. It is us communicating (praying, talking to) our Father, building an intimate, personal relationship with Him. It makes me feel cared for, loved, and secure being able to speak to Him about my life. What is the significance of the present, continuous, imperative tense of these verbs? It stresses continued, persistent action. "Keep on asking, and it will be given you; Keep on seeking, and you will find; Keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you."

What does being steadfast and immovable have to do with the hope of the resurrection? (1 Corinthians 15:58) In our secular world the eroding morals, values, and political correctness that permeates society we must remain steadfast and immovable in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan is the subtle great deceiver, apathy is one of his most useful tools. We as Christians must not let ourselves be lulled to sleep, we need to focus on the second coming, be strong in our faith, and let others know there is a new world coming. Why is our labor not in vain in the Lord? I can think of no better way to express my answer than the lyrics mentioned in our text, “Because He Lives” written by Bill and Gloria Gaither, when they were going through a rather traumatic time in their lives: “God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future; And life is worth the living, just because He Lives!”

What assurance do you have that you will be physically resurrected rather than experience disembodied immortality ? Paul tells us that we will be changed — metamorphosized (1 Cor. 15:51). The body will then be imperishable, immortal, glorious, powerful and spiritual (vs. 42-44, 53). But yet it will be a body, and it will have some continuity with the old body. What does it mean that Jesus is the "firstfruits" (1 Corinthians 15:20) and "firstborn" (Revelation 1:5) from the dead? When Jesus Christ was resurrected, He became the “first fruits” of all who would be raised Colossians 1:18). The Israelites could not fully harvest their crops until they brought a representative sampling (first fruits) to the priests as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 23:10). This is what Paul is saying in verses 20-22; Christ’s own resurrection was the “first fruits” of the resurrection “harvest” of the believing dead. The “first fruits” language Paul uses indicates something to follow, and that something would be His followers – the rest of the “crops.” This is how Christ’s resurrection guarantees ours.

How does Christ's death and resurrection provide an analogy for baptism according to Romans 6:3-5 and Colossians 2:12? Baptism is your personal identification and testimony with the greatest act of human history—the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As you stand in the water waiting to be baptized and are lowered, you symbolize Jesus willingly dying on the cross. As you are immersed into the water, you symbolize Jesus buried in the tomb. As you are raised from the water, you symbolize Jesus rising from the dead and you walk in newness of life. According to Ephesians 2:4-6, while being "raised with Christ" is still spiritual, not physical, in what way does this union impart real spiritual power? I believe God made us alive together with Christ the moment we made Jesus our personal Saviour, therefore we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit who seals us. Ephesians 1:13-14a: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance …”

In what way does Christ's resurrection somehow validate that we are saved and forgiven by God? It confirms and verifies that God accepted and approved Jesus’ atoning, sacrificial, voluntary death on the cross to cover our sins. Luke 23:46 - And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” Jesus was determined that His final words be heard. Jesus trusts His eternal destiny to our Father's hands. He knows that there is life with the Father beyond death. We too have this same assurance because of our faith and trust in Jesus our Saviour. If we didn't believe Christ had been actually raised from the dead, how might we have doubts about our salvation? The resurrection is the reality of all that Christianity stands for and embraces. It is the focal point of all Christian teaching; the justification, adoption, sanctification and glorification, as applied to believers, are derived from the significance of the resurrection. John MacArthur states, “If the resurrection of Jesus were just another historical miracle, then Christianity is but a dead religion! In the resurrection God breaks into history; eternity breaks into time; God re-creates humanity; God establishes the social order He intended.”

What kind of credibility would Jesus' ministry have had if he were not raised from the dead, especially when he predicted it ahead of time? He and His disciples/followers would have had zero credibility. 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.” The resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Our faith would be useless and we are not forgiven or saved; satan wins- everyone who has died believing in Christ would be in hell. There would be no such thing as having a personal, intimate love relationship with Creator God. Our personal devotions would be imaginary and useless. We would be a slave to whatever our sinful nature desires. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul gives six disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: 1. preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14); 2. faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14); 3. all the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15); 4. no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17); 5. all former believers would have perished (v.18); and 6. Christians would be the most pitiable people on the earth (v. 19). In what way is the resurrection God's seal of approval on him? The Resurrection proved that Christ was divine by fulfilling the prophecies of His death and by His return from the grave. His authority and power was confirmed to break the bonds of sin and to assure forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept His gift of salvation. The Resurrection revealed Christ's power over death and satan.

Which of the various proofs for the resurrection seems the most compelling to you? Why? The empty tomb! The Jewish leaders themselves did not deny the empty tomb (they couldn’t). They paid the guards to say the disciples stole the body (Matt. 28:11-15), in an attempt to cover up Jesus’ irrefutable Resurrection. The inclusion of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus as the ones who buried Christ is confirmed and verified in the Holy Scriptures. Both were members of the Jewish Sanhedrin, a sort of Jewish Supreme Court, and Nicodemus was a member of the Pharisees. People of this ruling class were distinguished, preeminent citizens! Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus defied the Sanhedrin and Pharisees by treating Jesus' body with dignity and assuring that He received a proper burial. Joseph boldly asked Pontius Pilate for custody of Jesus' body. Not only did this devout Jew risk ritual uncleanness by entering the quarters of a pagan, but with Nicodemus, another Sanhedrin member, they further contaminated themselves under Mosaic Law, by touching a corpse. No doubt this was political suicide and quite possibly a career ending move by both men. This devotion and loyalty speaks volumes of their commitment to Jesus Christ and authenticates Jesus’ death and burial. If you had a friend who wasn't sure about the resurrection, could you explain why you're sure that Jesus was raised from the dead? I believe I could, by explaining the empty tomb, the undisturbed burial cloths, and the multiple sightings of the risen Jesus by 500+ people; then there is His witnessed ascension back to His place with the Father. The evidence is overwhelming!

How does the disciples' psychological state after the crucifixion provide excellent support for belief in the resurrection? Even though the disciples knew Jesus raised people from the dead (widow's son at Nain; Jairus' daughter; Lazarus) Jesus was alive then, now, He was dead – how could He raise Himself. They were confounded and overwhelmed. They were distraught with grief, their hopes and dreams shattered. They were desperately in fear for their very lives. They had to be experiencing a whole myriad of emotions. Yet after Jesus appeared to them, THEY BELIEVED! They knew it was Christ Jesus, those emotions turned into gladness, joy, and confidence. Only the LORD can evoke such a change.

Q2. On the theft theory, what motive might the disciples have to take Jesus' body? What motive might the Romans have? The Jews? Joseph of Arimathea? I, by far, am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I see no motivating factor for any of these groups to steal/remove the Body of Jesus. The disciples and probably Joseph of Arimathea were paralyzed with fear and grief. They feared a similar fate to that of Jesus by the Scribes and Pharisees because they were known as followers of Jesus. And they were distraught with sorrow and anguish at the heinous murder of Jesus because they did not grasp the meaning of His words and were too embarrassed to ask. The Jewish leaders certainly would not have stolen the body without later unveiling it to suppress/silence Christian preaching, but no such claim was ever made.