JoanG

Scripture seems very clear that any sexual activities outside the marriage of a man and woman is a sin. A person must repent of these sins and ask God for help not to commit them again. It might mean that we have to ask for help when the temptation becomes too much for us. We will need to proactively change our activities and interactions with people so that we do not fall into this sin again.

By taking each other to court, we are not showing others the love of God. We are actually turning our backs on the word of God and the teachings of Christ. We are turning to pagan ways. We should take our brothers to church. We should have either the spiritual leader (pastor) settle the problem or maybe a group of elders. We can have trained people in mediation to here these cases. They would be able to use the words of the bible and the love and justice of God to solve the problems.

A broken heart and spirit happens when a person has hit rock bottom. The person has nothing left inside of them. They are completely empty. The person has basically sacrificed who they are and possibly what they believe. A person in this condition is unable to count on themselves anymore. They need a much higher power to get over this. They need help from God and the Holy Spirit. Nobody wants to be that broken. So many people will have inner blockages in their character that will stop them from going down further. However, there are those people that really need more help.

I feel that with the help of God we can obtain a pure heart. God will have to wash it clean with his grace, love and light. We must pray fervently for this to occur. We must start to change our life to be as pure as possible. We need to love God and our fellow man without any reservations. We must live as holy as possible to have a pure heart. We must avoid all temptations.

No David does not minimize his sins. In fact, he takes full responsibility of all of his actions. He realizes that he is a sinful human and he is really sorry to God for hurting him. To ask for forgiveness the person must acknowledge the exact sin for God to forgive him. A person must realize what was done to be able to keep from doing it again. This is the only way that it can be effective.

We need to have faith that our pardon has really taken place. We are not always able to feel the relief that one gets when they are forgiven. Sometimes, there is a great weight that is lifted off our hearts when God hears our prayers and really forgives us. Our faith must be based on the fellowship that we have with God and Jesus. We need to know the words of God in the scriptures to be sure that we are forgiven. A person must really know that they are connected to God in a very positive way. They need to know that they are children of God. They need to know that Jesus is there to pass their prayers on to the Father and to intercede for us.

We should sing with heart felt joy. There should be praise of God and thanks giving for all the good things that are given to us on a daily basis. Songs can fill us with love and joy for our God. They can highlight the great things that God does for us on a daily basis. Singing opens up my heart and soul. I am filled with true joy and wonderment. I feel that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are within me at those moments.

Drugs and alcohol are used to dull the senses of man when used in excess. They help to alleviate stress. It helps people to chill out and act in ways they normally would not. They might become more friendlier. It can also cause some people to do strange things. And there are those people that act very violently. It is easier to get high from drugs and alcohol than a high from the Spirit. Some people are unable to get a natural high. They feel that their lives are too bland. They do not want to look within. Those of us that have inner peace find it very easy not to turn to drugs and alcohol. We are able to live on the natural joy of being in tuned to the Spirit that God has given us. We can actually live for God and with God's graces in our lives.

Paul wants us to live a full and joyful life. We never know when we will be called to live with Christ in heaven. Most of us are to materialistic to really appreciate the small things in life. We worry too much about the things that we should faithfully give to God. I feel that we need to slow down. We need to take the time to really live life. We need to enjoy the simple things on a daily basis. We need to show God that we are grateful for all that he does for us on a daily basis.

I feel that sexual sin is more dangerous because it is a sin that can cause pain to many people because of one single act. It takes two people to commit these sins. The other partner in unfaithful spouses is hurt. The children can be hurt because of the problems within the family. And there can also be two families that are hurt in all of this. I feel that sexuality and spirituality can go hand in hand in the proper relationship. A husband and wife can grow in spirituality when they have a healthy sex life. This is the ultimate form of love that can spread to all their activities in and outside of the marriage. They will have a more positive and loving way to deal with others.

I would stress that Christ died for our sins. His blood washed our sins away as long as we believe in him and in God the Father. We must change our lives to become like Christ to keep the gift. We must learn to live in love and to accept the paths that God puts us on. We need to give up the worldly views and materialistic views. With no assurance of salvation, people are more likely to become depressed or see a hopelessness around them. They feel that they are worthless of God's graces. When a person has a false assurance of salvation, they feel they can do what they want. They are not concerned of their actions or words. They continue to live very materialistic ways. They feel that they are better than other people.

People feel that any prophecy is a sign of evil. They feel that only witches and devil worshippers deal with any type of prophecy. They also feel that the person is crazy if they talk about the future. Paul teaches that we should listen to people but hold what they say up to the gospel and scriptures. If it passes a test, hold it as true. But always listen with thought and discernment.

A person can have a thought that will bring an image of God to mind. They can then say a few words to God at that time. They can give thanks for rain. They can be joyful for a friend. Their whole day can be a conversation to God. They do not need to pray canned prayers all day long. No matter what is going on in our lives, we need to be thankful to God for all of it. God is not out to hurt us, he just wants us to grow up with healthy values and sometimes these are brought on by the hardest lessons that we have to face.

People, who constantly seek revenge, are those that are angry. They have no self-respect. They lower their standards to those or below those that had hurt them. They hurt their own hearts and souls with this sense of revenge. They might even become paranoid waiting for the next person to hurt them. When they do not forgive, they cause pain onto themselves. They cause their hearts to turn cold. When there is an unloving, superior attitude in a congregation, many will leave the church and go to another church or they will turn from God believing that all Christians are like these few. People will think that this is how all Christians are and start to blame it on a hateful God that brought these people together. I feel that there will need to be a shake up within the congregation. People of strong moral and Christian beliefs will have to take over. There will need to be much praying. There will need to be much teaching and preaching. People will need to confess their sins.

I feel that when people disrespect their leaders, they are causing tension and hard feelings within the congregation. They are causing people to take sides with them or against them. They cause people to begin to question their effectiveness as leaders. This is especially true with elders that are in conflict with the pastor. I believe that this kind of problem goes deeper that just removing the leader. You are actually dealing with evil and worldly ways. There are egos and power plays that are affecting how the whole congregation relates to each other. I do not feel that there is a positive prayer life within these walls that house this congregation.

I believe that God wanted Isaiah to preach the truth to the people. However, God knew that the words were going to be lost to them at that time, but that in the future the words were going to point to Jesus. Jesus would fulfill the prophecies of this ancient time. The mission is not impossible. He is following God's plans and God knows the outcome. Because people do not want to believe the truth. Evil has set into their hearts and have become worldly. Materialistic in nature. Matthew 13:1-23 is the parable of the man who sows seeds. Some fall on rocky soil, some fell on the path which is hard, some fell among the thorns, and finally some fell on good soil and produced much food for harvest. A person never knows what type of people they are talking to. They never know how much people will hear or understand or even follow. But there is always hope that the words will be told to good people that will take them to heart and actually live by them.

Isaiah feels small and sinful. He feels that his life is over. That there is nothing left for him except to die. The angel followed God's instruction and purified Isaiah and his sins were forgiven. God then asked who is willing to do his work for him on earth. Isaiah immediately volunteered to be God's spokesperson. I feel that I am very open now to do what God needs me to do. I am very willing to accept his call.

I believe that God wanted to show Isaiah that there was a world above the earth. There was a reason for the people to believe and live a good life in the faith of the Father. It shows that God is holy and is great. He is to be praised and honored at all time. The chant signifies that God is above all. God is supreme goodness and love.

The vintner took all precautions to have the best possible crop from his vines. He prepared the land and bought the best vines to start with. The crop came in and all the grapes were bad. The vintner said that he was going to let the animals destroy his hand work and he will let it go to waste. If the people of Israel do not turn from their evil ways, God will allow their enemies to come in and destroy them. He will allow them to be taken prisoner and slaves.

I believe that this is a prediction for world peace. I believe that Gentiles are being welcomed into the fold of God. People are going to thirst for truth of the word and hunger for peace. There will be no need to prepare for war anymore. Spirituality will be the normal for all people.

The people of Judah do not know their God anymore. They have become rebellious. They have turned their back on the heart of the laws. They are allowing evil to run wild through their souls. When Christians today go through identity confusion, their lives become confuse. They feel a restlessness within their hearts and souls. They lose themselves in the concepts of worldly views. In versus 15-17, I feel that God is accusing his people of being selfish and unjust. They appear to be turning their backs on those in need. In versus 18-20, the people are rebellious toward God. They are causing God extreme grief. They have sinned greatly. God tells them that they need to turn away from sin or they were going to be devoured by the sword. Their enemies will continue to cause them grief.

Jesus knew the hearts of the 12. He hand picked them because he knew that they were going to understand and believe. However, the disciples were people that followed Jesus on their own. They were not hand picked. They were brought to Jesus for many reasons but they were fully committed to follow his teachings. They were possibly looking for the miracle magic show. But when the show turned to lessons where faith was needed, they walked away. They were turned off at that point. A true disciple is a person that holds the teachings of Jesus as the truth and they live by the truth of those words.

I feel that the eating of the Bread of Life is actually learning, studying and living the words given to us in the bible. Eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking his blood is the act of Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. They are both meant to help us grow and live lives according to the spiritual nature of man versus the material or earthly nature of man. I feel that Jesus was trying to make a statement that would stick with people throughout all of history.

To me, eating the "Bread of Life" is partaking in a spiritually uplifting church service and receiving communion with fellow believers to help feed my soul for the upcoming week. It helps me to center my life around the teaching of the gospel. I feel that the whole concept of the bread of life is what you do with it on a daily basis. If you are a weekend Christian, you are only nibbling on the bread. You have not learned to fully take and eat. You limit the effects of the bread on your daily life. However, if you are able to move forward and live a spirit filled life, you are really eating the bread.

I feel that a lot of people who call themselves Christians are those people who come through the church because of generations. Their parents and grandparents came through the church so they are there also. They feel that since they are church raised, they are safe. However, they do not hold God or Jesus in their hearts. They do not really believe what they hear or live by the words of God or Jesus in their every day lives. They there are those people that are drawn to God and Jesus in their hearts before they really know how to accept him. They go against the norm of their family to follow God in their hearts and souls. They have a burning and a yearning for the teachings of the bible. This might be predestination, but I feel that it is their true calling of their own hearts. There is a free choice and free will to look for God to fill their lives. I personally have had a restlessness inside of me. There was a very strong pull for me to return to the church to calm my insides. I have gotten involved with many activities that bring me back to the word of God and Christ.