Old Jerry

What does Jesus' ministry of laying on of hands for healing teach us about him? A. I think that the laying on of hands showed that Jesus wanted to make it personal so He laid his hands on these people. How did Jesus treat the sick people he encountered that afternoon and evening in Capernaum? What kind of example does that set for us to follow? A. Jesus treated the sick people by having compassion on them and healed them and laid his hands on them. Which was the more important motivator for Jesus: compassion or duty? Did they ever conflict? A. Jesus had compassion because He loves us and the people that He was dealing with at that time, but it was also his duty so I think that is what made is exciting for Him. Why is it so hard to maintain a Quiet Time? What have you found that enables you to set aside this time? Any tips to share with the rest of us? A. I have learned that we always make time for the most important things in our lives. Since being with God was most important to me I have made it a rule to get up early enough to make my quit time. I get up before the kids do making it easier to carry out my quit time.

What is the relationship between Jesus' commission in Luke 4:18-19 and his ministry acts in Capernaum? A. He is fulfilling him commission that is in Luke 4:18-19 by proclaiming the good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, He is setting the oppressed free by removing the demons. Jesus' words were spoken with conviction and authority, compared to the scribes who often spoke in the synagogue. What was the source of Jesus' conviction and authority? His divinity? Or something else? Should we expect conviction and authority to attend our own teaching? Why or why not? A. The source of Jesus’ convictions and authority came from the Father. We should expect the save conviction and authority to attend our own teaching because the Father is still with us and we still has His word which is in the Bible. Why do you think the demon oppressed man interrupted Jesus? A. The demon oppressed man interrupted Jesus because he thought that he might be able to interrupt Jesus’ train of thought and throw Him off. He didn’t want the truth to come out. Why isn't recovery from demonic deception always instantaneous? What is the process of deliverance that a person must go through to come to full freedom? A. Sometimes the demonic deception isn’t always instantaneous because it is ingrained in the person deep. The person come to the calling of Jesus to become fully free. 7. What will happen in your life if you toy with or nurture the temptations you have to sin? What happens when sin and Satan get a foothold in your life? A. If you toy with or nurture the temptation you have to sin you become a slave to them. It becomes almost impossible to brake that sin.

How can it be that Jesus can go from declaring his commission from God on high one moment, to being subjected to an attempted assassination the next? Have you ever experienced highs and lows this extreme? A. I have never experienced highs and lows as extreme as these but I can understand why Jesus went through it. He was talking to a bunch of Jews who didn’t want to change the way that they believed and they were willing to kill anybody that wanted them to change. Why do you think Jesus "rubbed it in" with two stories of God blessing Gentiles while Jews were still in need? Is he egging on the residents of Nazareth? Jesus wanted them to know that God is everywhere. He can do anything that He wants to and that meant to take care of the people that He made. Even thou the Jews were extra special to him, they needed to know that He cared about everybody. Why couldn't they kill Jesus at Nazareth? Why did Jesus willingly allow himself to be captured in the Garden of Gethsemane? A. They couldn’t kill Jesus at Nazareth because it wasn’t his time and God was watching after him. Jesus was willing to be captured in the Garden of Gethsemane because it was his time and He had fulfilled the reason that He came to the earth. How did Jesus show courage in the face of rejection? What lessons can you learn from his example? A. Jesus just walked away and we can walk away when we face rejection.

Is it reasonable to expect that the power of the Spirit will be as great in a Christian today as it was in Jesus? A. Yes it reasonable to expect that the power of the Spirit will be as great in a Christian today as it was in Jesus. We have the same Spirit and there are more of now then there was in Jesus’ time therefore we can spread out and tell more people about the Spirit then Jesus could. Here is a premise: "If we are followers of Jesus, then Jesus' commission is our commission, too. We must both embrace his mission and adopt it for ourselves." It could be argued that one person's mission need not be another's. Do you think this is a valid premise? Why or why not? A. I do believe that person’s mission need not be another’s. We have all been given a Spiritual gift and they are not all the same. So my mission might be to be a missionary and somebody else’s is to preach the word of God. Why can being around the very poor make us feel uncomfortable? Can we with integrity declare good news to the poor without seeking to alleviate their poverty? Can the two be separated? Should they be? Did Jesus give alms to the poor, do you0 think? A. I can’t remember the bible saying that Jesus gave alms to the poor, but He was with them all the time. I might feel uncomfortable being around them because I can’t help them with mammon but I can still teach them about the Holy Spirit. Who around you is a prisoner? How can you declare freedom to them with sensitivity? A. I can declare freedom to the prisoner by having a conversation with them and slipping in something to do with God and the Spirit. How should you heal the brokenhearted in your world? A. One way that you can heal the brokenhearted in my world is to sit with them and listen to the situation that they are in. You don’t necessary have to have a cure for their problem but just listening to them may help them come to their own conclusion. Who are the oppressed in your particular community? How can you assist them and help them find justice? A. Probably the oppressed in my community are the Mexicans. I don’t know how to find justice for them except to be with them when they seem to help.

Is temptation only merely inevitable, or is it necessary to our growth as disciples? A Temptation is inevitable because it helps in our growth as a disciple. What is the essence of the first temptation, to turn stones into bread? Which temptations we face are similar? A The temptation of turning the stones into bread is similar to our instant gratification. What is the essence of the second temptation, to attain power and splendor? What similar temptations do we face today? A The temptation to attain power and splendor is similar to our temptation of trying to obtain gross amounts of money and to control others. What is the essence of the third temptation, to throw oneself down from the temple? How do we face this temptation today? A The temptation to throw oneself down from the temple is similar to our temptation to try of walk over others when we are trying to impress others with our skills. Did Jesus have any special powers at his disposal to resist temptation that Christians today don't have? A No, Jesus didn’t have special power at his disposal then we Christians have today. He had the Holy Spirit and we also have the Holy Spirit to help us. What lessons about how to resist temptation does Jesus teach us disciples in this passage? A The lessons that Jesus taught about resisting temptation is to learn the scriptures and to obey the commandments. That way we can also quote scripture when temptation comes upon us.

What do you think Jesus was saying to the Father as he was praying after his baptism? (verse 21) I think that Jesus was just thanking him for the events of the day. Why would Jesus be baptized along with all the sin-laden people at the river that day? Wasn't he in danger of mis-communicating to them who he was? I think that Jesus was baptized along with all the sin-laden people because he wanted to show then that he was with them. Why do you think God staged the dove to descend in a visible way? (verse 22) God staged the dove to descend in a visible way to let the people that He was his beloved son. What was the significance of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus at this time in his life The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at this time because it was the beginning of his ministry. How did Jesus interpret the Voice that sounded from heaven? Jesus interpreted the Voice that sounded from heaven as a complement from God and that He was pleased in the Father eyes. Did Jesus become the Messiah at this point? Or become divine? Or how do you understand this decisive event? I think that Jesus did become the Messiah at this point because right after that we went into the wilderness to be tested.

Isn't John the Baptist's humble statement, "the thongs of whose sandals I am unworthy to untie," a bit overstated? Are we unworthy to serve Christ? If so, why? If not, why not? A. I don’t think that John’s statement “the thongs of whose sandals I am unworthy to untie” is overstated. We are not unworthy to serve Christ because He died on the cross to wash away our sins. Therefore we are righteous because of what He has done. What does John's comparison of water baptism to Spirit baptism tell us about what Spirit baptism means? A. John’s comparison of the water baptism to Sprit baptism tells us that we are to be washed and cleansed in the Sprit. What does it mean to be "Spirit-filled"? How would our lives be different if we were truly filled and flooded with the Holy Spirit? A. If we are “Spirit-filled” then we would want to do what Jesus has directed us to do. We would always looking to Jesus for our everyday living. We may be afraid of "fire-of-judgment" kind of language, but what should our response be to warnings of terrible judgment? A. We are afraid of the “fire-of-judgment” kind of language but that should bring us to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. How good a change-motivator is the warning of future judgment? What other motivators might people respond to in addition to this? Or better than this? The change-motivator of the future judgment should want to make want to be with Jesus and to understand what Jesus is about.

Why do you think John the Baptist calls people a brood of vipers, a den of snakes? A. I think that John the Baptist called the people a brood of vipers because they were trying to teach poison scripture to those that didn’t know any better. They were trying to change their lot in life. How did the Jews' religious pride in Abraham keep them from taking John's call for repentance seriously? How could religious pride have that same effect on us? A. The religious pride in Abraham kept them from taking John’s call for repentance seriously because they thought that they knew everything and could interpret scripture accurately only because they were in the blood line of Abraham. In what way does sharing clothing and food with the poor constitute meaningful repentance? What ways do you find to do this in your everyday life? A. I think that sharing clothing and food with the poor shows that not only have we repented but that we are letting actions also show the repentance. Tax collectors were tempted to collect more than was due them. How does this same temptation show up in your line of work or education or home? A. This type of thing is true when we try to con somebody out of something that we want and are not willing to work for it. How will we know when we have repented? What are the fruits of genuine repentance? A. I think that the repentance shows up when we are satisfied with our station on life. We will be thinking of other more then we think of ourselves. How does discontent with our lot in life cause us to sin? What would constitute repentance in this circumstance? A. If we are discount with our lot in life we will try to do anything possible to chance our lot in life. That would be like the brood of vipers that is in our passage today.

Why do you think God chose someone like John to be Jesus' forerunner? A. God chose John to be Jesus’ forerunner because he hadn’t been corrupted by the present culture. He was able to see what needed to be done and was willing to do it. How can we be sure that all our personal differences are part of God's plan and purpose? Can't some be patterns of sinful reactions to past events? (Let's resist the temptation to get too deep into the mystery of predestination. Grin.) A. Our personal differences are part of his plan because it uses it for the good of the congregation. It is spiritual gifts that God has given us. Some of our sinful reaction to our past events is what has shaped us. John was raised in the desert. What kinds of circumstances has God used as a training ground for your preparation? A. God gave me a caring mother where she helped with the Berlin air lift, would help the destitute, and care for elderly people. How dependent are you upon what others think and say about you? How can you change this without becoming callous? A. This is an interesting question. Sometimes I do care about what they think because I keep this in mind what I dress in the morning and other time I don’t care what they think about my actions. What would you say to a person suffering from chronic guilt over past sins? How can guilt be healthy? How can guilt be unhealthy? A. All I can say is that God has forgiven them and they need to forgive themselves. Guilt can be healthy when it changes your actions and it can be unhealthy when they are thinking about it all the time. Why is humbling (such as repentance and baptism in John's day) necessary to form disciples of Jesus? A. If you don’t humble yourself you will not be able to follow Jesus. You will not be willing to do what He asks of you. What kind of cutting, filling, straightening, and smoothing work has God been doing in your life? What does he still need to do? Why is this necessary preparation for disciples? A. God has been cutting, filling, straightening and smoothing my life ever since I was about 35 years old. I have quite cursing, telling dirty jokes and the like. He has pointed out some my errors. He is still doing that today because sometimes pride tries to take control of me.

The meaning of bless or praise to the Lord is to thank him for everything that he has done for us. I do take time daily to bless Him and Praise Him. It means everything to me to receive a blessing from the One who made heaven and earth.

I like the picture of the anointing oil running down on the beard and onto the collar. Unity is hard to achieve on our world because there are people that have big egos. They don’t want unity then their jobs would be done away with. In the church unity isn’t achieved because of the ego of the person that want to split it up. When that happens they can become the pastor where if they stayed in the church that wouldn’t happen. The chief obstacle to love in my life is my ego.

The Davidic Covenant states that David and his linage will always be the king and long as they follow God’s laws and decrees. This promise was fulfilled in Solomon’s time because Solomon was the son of David. It was fulfilled in Jesus because Jesus as a decedent of David. Jesus and will be when he returns to king forever.

I think that demanding answers from God that leads to stress is us telling God what we want and what we think we need. God is going to give us an answer but it may not be what we want and that is even more stressful. There are plenty of unexplained evens in my life that has made me angry but I have learned to accept them by knowing when I get to heaven if it is still important I can ask God about it. To hope in the Lord is to be willing to know that the Lord will take care of the essential things in life and knowing that things are going to be much better in the next life.

We know that God forgives us and it makes us so that we don’t have to walk on pins and needles to get through this life. We still have to be careful of what we do, but we know that if we offend God He will forgive us. Knowing that God forgives us makes it easier to forgive others. I do expect everything that the Bible tells us will happen does happen.

When we are in an affliction and we finally get out of it we don’t always think that it was God that has done that for us. So yes, I have been in an affliction and God has always brought me out of it even though I thought that I did it on my own. For the bitterness that comes from oppression I have always tried to look at the humors side of it and tried to joke about it. I think I have always been able to forgive it just takes some time. In some cases taking time means it could be a year of two.

The meaning of “fear the Lord” is to respect Him and to follow Him and to what we know that the Lord wants us to do. God has blessed me in my life more than I can write down. I like the song of Count your Blessings One by One but there isn’t enough room to spell out all blessings He has poured out on me. He allows remaining struggles to help build and to toughen us up. Faith doesn’t mean that we will have prosperity because I know a lot of poor people that has the faith that sustains them. Prosperity is knowing that you are doing what God wants you to be doing.

If we work without trust we are doing it to advance our own lives. But if we work with trust then we are doing for the Lord. Trust without work is an illusion because then we think that God will provide everything that we need and we don’t need to work for it and that will make us lazy. We can achieve the kind of balance that affords us good rest by working when required and resting after we have performed that work. Especially taking at least one day off a week so we can get that rest. Children is a “heritage” because they will more than likely get what you leave behind. They are a “reward” because they can then carry on the work of their choice.

God doesn’t always do the stupendous miracles all the time because then it wouldn’t be a miracle, it would be everyday living. If He did stupendous miracles all the time then we wouldn’t appreciate him. Look at the earth that we live in that was a stupendous miracle but we don’t appreciate it any more. Patient obedience is needed so that we can mature. If we got everything that we ask for immediately that we wouldn’t appreciate it and all we would do is ask for more. We can always shout for joy because we know that in good time it will come.

The psalm teaches us that we can be secure in the Lord because He is always with us. There are a lot of examples of unrighteous rulers. The worst on I can think of is Hitler. Hitler’s Germany was a horrid place to be in and he made is miserable for everybody that he could. When the government of my heart is allows unrighteous I do unspeakable things. I am not happy nor content.

I think that the circumstance that I have seen God deliver me from danger was while I was in Algeria. We worked at an oil refinery but lived in a compound and the Lord watched over to keep us safe. I don’t have any explanation for God’s love for me. He loves us all but we have to believe in Him.

The psalm teaches that our master will right our wrongs. If we have contempt for others we need to pray about it so we can get our heads screwed on right. I think that the Spanish people in our community bear the brunt of prejudice but as a rule I don’t see that happening. The way we can go out of our way is to make friends with them and pal around with them.

I think that the reason that the people have deserted the house of God in our day is because they are too busy and they don’t have God as there number one priority. They also think that they can master anything on their own and don’t need help of others. We can ask God to protect our churches. Not only can we “seek the good” of God house but we can support it with our spiritual gifts and with our offerings.

God is helping me all the time. I can go to Him when I am having a bad day and I can go to Him when I am having a great day. Therefore He is my Keeper because He is ways with me. Nobody can take Him away. I have done some pretty stupid thing in my life but it seem like God is there when I need Him. He is with me when I can’t find my keys and He is with me when I travel. He is my shade by putting on my heart not do some things I shouldn’t be doing.

I think that the way that stress pulls me away from God is that I am always thinking about it and not thinking of God. When I sit down for my meditation I think of my stress and turn it over to him. I may not stop thinking about it but I do have God helping me resolve it. For some reason I usually do turn it fully to God otherwise it wouldn’t be on my mind. I am asking Him to help me resolve stress.

I think that the significance of me “see his face” is that I am as close to the Lord that I can get. He has always look out for me and at last I get to see who has been protecting me. This means that we will be with Him at all times and we will not want to sin because there will be no more sin. I can begin to “sit at his feet” by doing my daily bible study and taking to Him in the good time and in the bad.