Lillie Ammann

Solomon wants to have a specific reason to act against his enemies rather than just start executing people as soon as he sits on the throne. For example, he executed Shimei because he violated the agreement for him to stay in Jerusalem. Therefore, Solomon was punishing him for something he just did rather than what he did to David. I believe God was pleased with that because Solomon was considering each person's actions that he observed rather than hearsay, although David was telling the truth. It would be very hard to balance protection of the state, justice, and mercy. The protection of the state involves many people in the government and the safety of every person in the kingdom. The ruler can be just -- ensuring that wrongs are paid for in some way -- but merciful, by not giving harsher punishment than necessary, but the state must be protected. It would be merciful to let a repentant murderer walk free, but it would not be just, because it would devalue the life of the victim. And it would be dangerous to the state until the murderer proves that he has reformed.

We are innately sinful and selfish. We want what we want when we want it, so that means it's tempting to use any means we think will work, including lying, to accomplish the ends we desire. I don't see any connection between obedience and prosperity. We will not automatically become prosperous if we follow God's commands.

In a Christian nation, that should apply. But loving enemies doesn't mean there are no consequences for their wrongs. God forgives our sins if we repent, but that doesn't take away the consequences. If someone commits murder, the murderer can be loved and his sin forgiven. But that doesn't bring back the dead person, and it doesn't mean that he should not receive appropriate punishment. However, it should be geared to rehabilitation, not retribution. Unfortunately, nations are no longer Christian, so it's not likely God's commands will apply.

Solomon is mentioned by name as to be the one to build the temple. God has Nathan the prophet use Bathsheba to bring to David's attention that Adonijah was claiming the throne. Nathan was God's prophet, and he had delivered God's word to David, so he would do what he could to make sure it was carried out.

David would have a descendant on the throne forever. Solomon would be the one to build the temple.

The study has been very helpful to me. I've spent more time in the Word and learned about two books of the Bible I'd never studied before. The audio recap reinforced the written lessons. I was moved to tears at hearing again how much the Lord loves ME! I've signed up for the study on Abraham.

I've actually heard pastors and church leaders - false teachers indeed! - say that a loving God would never send anyone to hell! That's a total distortion of the Gospel. God loves us so much He sent His Son to die for our sins. But we can't continue to live in flagrant immorality without repentance and expect to escape judgment. Those who preach that God is love and would never allow one of His children to perish are teaching a message so out of balance it will lead to destruction. They've got part of the message - that God is love - but they've missed the part that Peter is talking about here - the judgment and destruction of those who live immoral lives without repentance. All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God, but those who love the Lord, with the help of the Holy Spirit, serve the Lord and not sin. They don't live immoral lives and call them good; they don't commit immoral acts and call them normal. Christians have to understand that there is judgment. Christ died for our sins, but we can't continue to commit grave sins without repentance or we will perish. God gives His people chance after chance after chance, but He will come again when mankind least expects it, and there will be a Judgment Day.

Many churches have already fallen prey to false teachers, who teach a message of "inclusiveness" and "tolerance," etc. One group even uses the name "Integrity" to forward the homosexual agenda and says the proscription in the Bible against homosexuality applies only to homosexual activity by heterosexual people, not to people who are born homosexual! Clergy and laity who disagree often face insults and worse. But we have to serve God - not political correctness, not government, not anyone or anything but the Lord. Recently a single female member of our church came to me in my capacity as editor of our parish newsletter and asked me to put an announcement in the member news section that she and her boyfriend had bought a home together. I asked when they were getting married, and she said they weren't because she had a bad marriage experience and was afraid to marry again. I told her I could not publish an announcement that a member of our congregation was living in such a relationship because it was inconsistent with our beliefs and with the Bible. She then proceeded to tell me that our priest had already been counseling them and had advised them that they would not be allowed to receive Communion until they repented and either married or quit living in sin. Our priest is a very gentle, loving pastor, and I know he would have done this with great love and compassion, but he not only preaches against sin from the pulpit, he also confronts individuals when necessary. They chose to continue living together and quit coming to our church. He did not tell them not to come to church - and no one else in the parish knew he confronted them unless the couple told others because the priest kept everything confidential. The only reason I knew about it was because the woman told me when I explained why I couldn't publish an announcement of them moving in together. The fact that she expected me to publish that in a parish newsletter shocked me, but it is an example of how rampant sexual sin is in our society and so taken for granted that this person considered it as commonplace and newsworthy as a member taking a trip or recovering from an illness or having a grandchild!

We must contend for the faith because it is the faith once delivered, and our salvation and the salvation of all the body of Christ depends on it. Unfortunately, in some cases contending for the faith may require leaving a church that has been overtaken by false teachers. Perhaps clergy and laity didn't contend strongly enough for the faith in the past few decades and congregations, or sadly entire denominations, have allowed false teachers to take over the positions of leadership. When bishops pronounce that "we wrote the Bible and we can change it," that contradicts the fact that all Scripture is God-breathed and the faith was once delivered to the saints. How could the leadership of any of the denominations be taken over by clergy who don't believe in the basic teachings of the Bible? I think it came about because Christians like me weren't even aware of what was happening - our pastors and priests were orthodox and we didn't notice what was happening beyond our own congregations and parishes until the false teachers had so much power we didn't know how to deal with them. I wonder if we could have prevented the tragedy of what's happening in much of the body of Christ today if we had been more aware and stood up for the truth. I've left a "welcoming and affirming" denomination for a church that is basically what my old denomination was 40 years ago - one that believes in the unchanging Word of God. I love my present church, but it breaks my heart that the Body of Christ is broken apart by false teachers. I don't know if we can do anything but pray about the schisms that have already occurred, but we must speak out in love when we encounter false teachers to keep the poison from spreading any further.

It would be easy for me to drift in my faith without both regular public worship and disciplined personal devotions. And I want to develop a deeper relationship with God - not drift away from Him. I follow the lectionary in the Anglican Prayer Book, which includes a Psalm and Old Testament and New Testament readings for both Morning and Evening Prayer each day. However, I only do one set of readings each day - at night - and alternate the readings annually (the Morning Prayer readings one year and the Evening Prayer readings the next). Along with the readings, I read one of the Prayer Book services. Rarely I read the entire Evening Prayer service; sometimes I use an abbreviated online version; and often I use the brief Family Prayer. This service is so short that I can't use the excuse that I don't have time for it. But if I miss a day or two, I read the Scriptures I missed; if I miss a week or more, I just start back with the current day's readings. I attend Bible studies at my church several times a year as well as an annual spiritual retreat.

Self-control in regard to food is the hardest! Perseverance is the easiest. I'm working on goodness, knowledge, and self-control in other areas. But my greatest weakness is controlling my eating habits.

Hello, I'm Lillie from San Antonio, Texas. I'm looking forward to this study because I've never studied the Bible via the Internet before, and I've never studied 2 Peter or Jude before. So not only will I be digging into a part of the Bible that I've usually just read through without really studying, but I'll be experiencing a new way of studying the Word. I've taken an Internet marketing class from Pastor Ralph when he was wearing his "Dr. Wilson - Internet guru" hat, so I know he's a great teacher.