Highohfaith

Q4. (Matthew 5:6) How can an intense desire for righteousness put you at odds with the world? What sort of righteousness is Jesus talking about, do you think? What promise are we given in this Beatitude? How can an intense desire for righteousness put you at odds with the world? Humankind, the world, is an ugly sinful place, we are all sinner, ALL among men are sinner in God's eyes. There is no measurement of sin, all sin looks the same to God, UGLY. Tattered rags! None is made more righteous through anything he can do here on earth. If one tries to 'appear' righteous among man, he is often looked upon as putting himself above or beyond others. Worldly righteousness puts us at odds before the world because there is no such thing. It doesn't exist. Righteousness can only be found through the grace of God and the forgiveness of sin through our Lord Jesus Christ. What sort of righteousness is Jesus talking about, do you think? Paul talk about the only true righteousness that exist. The righteousness found through grace, forgiveness of sin. The faith and righteousness found only through Christ who takes our sins as His own ,and takes them to the grave, thus reconciling us to our Father,. bringing us forth into His Kingdom . What promise are we given in this Beatitude? The promise is that those of us who seek and THIRST for righteousness will be filled to the brim with the promise of The Kingdom itself, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us and working in us to the day of completed work when our Lord comes again in all His glory..Then and only then righteousness found only through Christ will be completed in us. supporting verse for meditation: *John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” *Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” *Ecclesiastes 7:20, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. *Romans 5:19, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be MADE RIGHTEOUS.

Q3. (Galatians 5:4) Exactly what does Paul mean by "fall from grace" here? What has occurred that has caused this fall? How can present-day Christian legalism cause such a "fall from grace"? Exactly what does Paul mean by "fall from grace" here? Referring to falling from grace here,Paul is explaining to the Galatians that to go back to following the Mosaic law they are leaving their high position in the Kingdom of Heaven, their heritage, which was given to them by THE GRACE of God through His only begotten Son, who has set them free! Not by their own powers or the power of the law, were they made free to enjoy this inheritance - but by sovereign power of God and by their FAITH in that SOVEREIGN POWER!!! To fall into the lowest,desolate,place(under the law)would bound them up in slavery once again. They have already accepted that the only way to gain salvation is through Christ, if they leave or abandon this ideal, their faith in Christ alone, as savior, they are falling from the Grace of God. What has occurred that has caused this fall? They are falling under the false teaching from certain high Jewish-Christian 'officials' whom are calling them to be circumcised. How can present-day Christian legalism cause such a "fall from grace"? Religion ( legalism) is man reaching up to God. Christianity is God reaching down to man. Religion is based on works; Christianity is based on grace and faith. From then till now man has endeavored to achieve the approval of God through self-generated and self-righteous works and actions, all of which are as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). If we are 'buying' into religion on any other basis other than FAITH in Christ, that our salvation is given by grace, not by works of the religious law, we are under the 'spell' of legalism.

Q4. (Matthew 5:6) How can an intense desire for righteousness put you at odds with the world? What sort of righteousness is Jesus talking about, do you think? What promise are we given in this Beatitude? Righteousness seems to be a lost character trait of the world.Righteousness is spiritual, the world does not operate in a spiritual realm.The world prioritizes on doing many things that would be considered contrary to righteouness. Those who strive for righteousness may seem to others to be striving to be of better character then they. Or they may be looked upon a striving for an ideal which cannot be achieved. Jesus is talking about spiritual righteousness, Knowing God, being indwelt with the Holy Spirit, striving to emulate the goodness, the love, the obedience found in Jesus Christ. Through doing the will of the Father and NOT seeking or relying our own will for salvation.Only then will we be given the promise of righteousness. The promise is we will be made righteous through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.

Q2. (Galatians 4:19-20) How is Paul’s grief over his spiritual children like that of a parent seeing children stray? What does it look like when Christ is formed in a person? What is the process involved in this spiritual formation? As their spiritual father, the one who brought them in to the Kingdom and God, Paul's feels the same love as God, his Father feels towards him. He emanates its by trying to get them going in the right direction. He tells them, as any parent would who had their child's best interest in mind, to pay attention to the company they're are keeping. To what they're listening to,or following after, because there are many bad people who will try to influence them in all the wrong ways.To gain their trust for their own means.To many wolfs in sheep's clothing. Many whose ideals may seem harmless enough, but are very deadly to spiritual growth. What is the process involved in this spiritual formation? To sum it up in one word: GROWTH ! Continued daily growth through the Word of God. READ YOUR BIBLE. God gave us an instruction manual, He didn't just throw us down here on earth and say "fend for yourselves" He gave us a manual on how to survive and thrive,The Bible, but what good is it if we do not READ it? Matthew 4:2-4 (NIV)After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" When Christ is formed in a person, that person begins life as a new creation in Christ. His life takes a different direction.He seeks unification with God,through His Holy Spirit and seeks to emulate the character traits of the sacrificial Lamb ,Jesus. He seeks to glorify, to walk the path to righteousness, through obedience, redemption, and faith.The embryo is a starting point, but they must learn to survive and grow outside of the womb. Growth is key to Christ being formed in a person. If an embryo is formed, then dies in it's mothers womb, Its development ceases. For the development of a Christian, formation is seed, the starting point, one must experience, seek growth, faith, everyday till the fullness of Christ is revealed. Just as a plant seeks water and nutrients to grow from seed to mature plant, we must do so, or face sure spiritual death. Supporting scriptures: 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NIV) 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Ephesians 4:14-15 (NIV) 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 1 Timothy 4:7 (NET) 4:7 But reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself for godliness.

Q3. (Matthew 5:5) How does this sort of gentleness contrast with the world's ideal? How is humility important to Christlikeness? http://www.joyfulhea...p?showtopic=731 The world is 'hell bent' on success , and power at any cost. Some societies are more materialistic than others, but one common 'earthly' personality trait among all humans is the need to feel powerful,whether it be through affluence, or by oppression of others, the need to have their OWN will is strong. The need for this type of power is what has caused wars and conflicts since the beginning of time. Power, affluence, and pride are not signs of meekness.Christ was meek, yet He was very POWERFUL, so powerful that His message has changed the hearts and lives of thousands of generations.,so powerful that His message has changed the WORLD and continues to reach, and save others everyday. But His power was Spiritual power. His richness did not come from the riches of this world, nor did His power come from anything of this world. It was the power of faith, the power of the Creator of all things, the POWER and RICHNESS of God in all His Glory and Fullness! Worldly power is a diversion from the truth found in Jesus Christ, Being considerate, gentle, and humbled are qualities which Jesus himself possessed. He cared about people and it showed in the way He treated them. In order to reflect His LOVE we must do the same thing.

Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) As Christians in order to repent of our sins we must be terribly aware of what our sin cost our Savior and how they have led to our spiritual destruction and separation form God. For many of us this realization comes when our lives have hit 'rock bottom', and we understand that we MUST give up our own will. We must feel utterly humiliated, and humbled,and realize that there is a higher power, Jesus Christ, who must take control of our lives.We must give all our will over to Him to relieve our spiritual poverty, our 'loneliness ' our isolation from God. To be sanctified in Christ we must realize the price paid for our sin. And the grace given to save us from damnation! And be willing to repent from our old life of sin and begin anew in Christ. For myself, I mourn because I sin. Sin is a state of human nature and not a Godly quality., As a Christian, one seeks perfection through Jesus Christ. I know this struggle with sin is a daily struggle. I long to be perfected in Christ Jesus. I mourn because the road to repentance is hard, and I want to be able to make my Lord happy. I mourn because sometime I feel as though I won't be able to do this, and I will disappoint our Lord. I feel at times I still carry scars of past sins (which I know are forgiven-and I am a new person in Christ). That sometimes I put up walls which block the works of the Holy Spirit perfecting, because of this quilt. I still revert back to the 'bondage' of my own guilt and self shame at times. So, I equate quilt and self shame with mourning.I want to be able to stand before the Lord on Judgement day and hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". My ultimate cry of mourning is for the COST of my sins. For the terrible price,for the terrible, horrific, suffering of our Lord, on my account. The price Jesus paid for my transgressions is what saddens me the most. Because of His grace, His faithfulness,He took away my sins and made atonement for them, I want to be a good and righteous person, to Please the Lord and to thank Him for His most ultimate sacrifice. I mourn for all the injustices of the world, for all the lost and unsaved, the oppressed, the unwanted, the tortured, and lonely. For the Lost souls of depravity and those who hunger and thirst yet never find righteousness. I mourn for those whose lives have never been touched by love,forgiveness and grace. I long to gather them together into the "flock" under the graceful care of our Lord. .

Q1. (Galatians 4:10-11) Is celebrating different special worship days essentially wrong? Why did Paul grieve over the Galatians’ observances? What significance did these have in terms of their movement towards Judaism? How can we be blessed by observing special days in our era? How can observance of special days become legalistic for Christian believers? No ,celebrating special worship days is not wrong as long as it is done with the heart. And not done to gain favor with God, e.g going to church on Sunday simply to gain favor in God's eyes or out of obligation.It must be done because you want to spend time with Jesus and the members of our Christian family. Paul was grieving over this because he knew by celebrating certain ritual days set forth by Jewish law ( legalism) they were reverting back to their old pagan ways. Placing them once again under the curse of the law and not the the favor of grace, forgiveness and salvation, given through the blood of Christ. Only by observing special days with fullness of heart for Jesus is it okay.. If we do observe, again, out of obligation to what is expected or out of a religious "law" or human commitment for the wrong reason ( to gain favor with God) it can be a curse. Observing certain religious days or festivals must always be done out of Love for Our Lord Jesus Christ and not obligation.

Q1. (Matthew 5:3-11) Each Beatitude consists of two parts. What are these parts? Why do you think Jesus made each Beatitude a paradox? What is the relationship of the Beatitudes to the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? In ancient times wisdom was sometimes translated by means of riddles, parables, or paradoxes. It was a means of communication well know in ancient days. Speaking in this manner not only served as customary means of speaking but also served in a way which those listening to Jesus would understand. Jesus was teaching a message which was 'revolutionary' for it's time, it was very important that it be given in a way in which the multitudes listening could understand. Especially the Pharisees who thought they were above the 'common' man because of their legalistic ways. It was meant to shock( a paradox is an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion) some in the crowd who undoubtedly thought Jesus' message to be quite revolutionary. I think Jesus spoke in this paradoxical way to contrast the qualities of good and evil to His listeners. To "grab" the attention of the crowds, and especially the Pharisees..It was imperative that He spoke in terms in which they could relate. God used a Blessing ( a gift from Him to His creation) in the beginning of time when He first blessed the animals and then man, sending them forth and saying: "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it..." (Genesis 1:28). The first part of the beatitude was the blessing, the reward, received. The second part of beatitude is given to those whom would receive the blessing, those in need would receive God's blessing, Those to whom The Great Physician was sent to heal, those whom the Great Teacher was sent to teach, the lost whom the Great Shepard was sent to find! ! The blessing was given to those in need of spiritual truth and healing. The connection between the beatitudes and the fruits of the Spirit is that each one of Jesus blessings are for those who are seeking "fruits' ( wisdom, faith- in need of HELP, LOST)they are not for those who are already spiritually mature, they are for the ones who are in need of receiving spiritual blessings. Those who are pure in heart will see God - and have goodness. ( a gift from the Holy Spirit) Those who are peacemakers will be called sons of God - and have peace. Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness have - self-control. Those who are persecuted for the sake of Christ have - joy. All the blessing given by Jesus in the Beatitudes can be and will be received through His Holy Spirit, if one seeks to know Him. In the fulness of Christ we will be blessed with the gift of the Spirit. Run the good race and stay firm in your faith and you will be blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.( which are many, not only the ones written about by Paul in Galatians 5.) The Spirit has many gifts to offer.

Q3. (Galatians 4:3-5) In what sense were both the Gentiles and the Jews enslaved? What does “redeem” mean in verse 5? What are the implications of adoption regarding a person’s legal and spiritual rights? Prior to Christ coming, both Gentile and Jews were under bondage.Jews were under the bondage of the law, and Gentiles were under the bondage of their pagan rituals.They both needed freedom from their slavery. Redeem means to purchase, buy back, but in this sense it means to liberate us from bondage. As adopted children of God we receive full son ship. We are full heirs to the Kingdom of God. All that God possesses becomes ours.

God had tried since the beginning of time to make His people righteous, but they continually rebelled against Him. They continually disappointed Him. He destroyed the world once with the great flood in which He saved Noah, his family and a pair of all the species of animals on earth. As soon as Noah came off the ark, he brought sin back into the world. By getting drunk and exposing himself naked to his daughters while sleeping thus inviting sin back into the world again. The one man God had considered righteous among all of mankind had sinned against God. This broke God's heart. God promised ( made a covenant, sealed with a rainbow) that He would never again destroy the world by flood. God tried in many ways to make His people obey. He wanted them to be joyful and obedient, faithful and loving to each other but this was against the nature of mankind, since Adam invited sin into the world.God invented the law as a tutor, guidance, a way to teach man in His ways, but that too, they distorted. God had a plan for a very long time to save His people once and for all, because He loved His people.He was our creator. He did not want to see us perish in the fires of hell from our sinful nature. The coming of the savior was prophesied many times in the Old Testament. God's plan was made evident. It was also made evident that the savior would come in all His fullness at God's chosen discretion. All the 'conditions' as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets had to be in 'place' for the birth of Jesus. God's time is not our time. God would send a savior. His seed to atone for the sins of all of mankind. He would provide a way for redemption, through His beloved son. He was waiting for just the right time to send the Messiah. At the time of the coming of the Messiah there were many factors present: The time was right religiously, The Old Testament canon had be completed. The religious "climate" was right. The people were eagerly awaiting the Messiah. Culturally is was the right time..cultures were 'blending' and Greek was being spoke throughout the world. Commercially-roads and other means of transportation was making traveling from one place to another ( to spread the word ) much easier. Politically,there was much more of a peaceful Roman army in existence.

(Luke 23:46) What does Jesus mean when he says, �Father, into your hands I commit my spirit�? Why does this saying comfort us so much? Jesus is letting go of the life He lived here on earth. The commitment He had for His Father on earth is now committed to His Father in His heavenly realm. Jesus knows He is only relinquishing His physical being and that His spirit will live for eternity. As Christians, committed to Christ, we know this also. It is comforting to KNOW without a doubt that God's plans for us don't end here, but are carried over to His Heavenly Kingdom. Death is not final. It is the new beginning of life in God's Heavenly Kingdom..as we leave this earthly place ,we are going home to be with our Father! How awesome is that? Thank you God for your precious Son! Through Him we are joined with You forever!

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus �finished�? What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word: �It is finished�? Jesus had finished His mission here on earth which was to spread the word of the Kingdom of His Father and to be a Sacrificial Lamb for the sins of all mankind. No matter what God commanded of Him He did it, no matter what the cost to Him, even to the point of torture, He obeyed His Father. He finished the work He was sent to do, until full completion! Jesus was no quitter! His cry of "It is finished" was a loud , triumphant cry, not the cry of a defeated man nailed to a cross! We too, must continue on, with our commitment to God. God never promised it would be an easy, carefree life. No, not at all, but His promise is that whatever we endure we are to look to Him for comfort And He will give us strength. He will always make provisions for us if we seek Him earnestly. We too, must follow God's plan. No matter how difficult or how discouraged we are, our faith should always lead us towards God, away from Him. He is our Faithful Father, our Redeemer, our Protector in times of trouble as well in times of goodness.We must run the good race, face all the obstacles and never ,ever falter in our faith, for Our Father will deliver us! We must live a life of FULL devotion to our Father. Our lives here on earth should not be without purpose.

Q5. (John 19:28) What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? What does this tell us about Jesus? What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? We learn Jesus was sent to earth in a fully physical sense. He was not 'just' spirit, He was sent to us by God in human form. Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. His humanity is essential to His work as our atoning sacrifice, High Priest, Mediator and King. His physical thirst was what any of us would feel in such a situation, but aside from being thirsty in a physical sense. He was also thirsty in a spiritual sense. This being the first time He had ever been seperated from His Father. His cry "I thirst" was meant both literally( in a physical sense) and figuratively (in a spiritual sense). *1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. *2 John 1:7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Jesus was fully human, as humans thirst, He also was thirsty. What does this tell us about Jesus? That He was a WILLING participant in fulfilling the scripture and committed by faith to His father will. for it had be written: "He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12) Surely Jesus knew of what was expected of Him from the beginning. He is fully aware of His Fathers will . He is fully aware of prophecy concerning His gruesome death upon a cross. He was not ignorant of scripture, nor prophecy, He clearly understood the will of His father. And as a dutiful, faithful, loving Son wanted to please His Father. What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? The suffering felt by Jesus (being of both human and Spirit) on the cross in unfathomable to us. We can't even imagine the kind of pain He is going through. Most of us, as humans, cry out at the least bit of suffering. The worst suffering and pain in our lives cannot remotely compare to the suffering Jesus felt on the cross. Not only did He suffer pain in human form, but He suffered immense pain as a result of being separated (spiritually) from His Father because of our iniquities. Jesus' experience on the cross is worst than any of us could even begin to imagine or understand. May it always be a reminder of the cost of our transgressions.Of the Grace which was paid to set us free.

Q1. (Galatians 4:26-29) Do you think Jewish Christians regarded Gentile Christians as second-class citizens? What is the basis of our unity in Christ? In what way does this unity pull down barriers? Do any groups continue to be regarded as second-class citizens in our congregations? What should we do about this? Yes, I believe Jewish Christians held themselves above the Gentiles. Jew's were since the beginning of time God's chosen people. This must of rendered them feeling as though there were God's elite. It is my believe even as Christian Jews who were baptized in Christ they still felt that they were more important than Gentiles, ( after all it was the Jewish Christian 'leaders' who were pushing circumcision) this was part of their culture. It had been ingrained in them from birth. It is hard to cross or merge the barriers of such different cultures. John 7-50-52 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” The basis of our unity in Christ is that we are all equal in God's eyes. All who have been baptized, died and arose with Christ are children, heirs, the sons and daughters of God. God does not look at His children in terms of man or woman, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor. His children are all equal and He loves us all the same. Just as we as parents love our children equally. God loves us equally. As Christian's there should be no barriers, as we are all united, brothers and sisters through Christ living in us. We are family. In modern day congregations we are often separated by religion. Not faith but religion. I belong to a non-denominational church where all cultures, races and religions merge. In our congregation are Indians, Hispanics, Catholics, Methodist, Baptist, Jews, everyone is accepted. I think some congregations also discriminate against material status, 'catering' more to those who have greater wealth than others. Treating the less fortunate as if they were of lesser importance.. I believe this is all part of church politics. Church-has become to much about 'big business'. What we can do, is to continue to preach God's unending love for His Children to others. accepting all as brothers and sisters ,regardless of culture, race,creed or sex. Treat our Christin brothers and sisters as family, because they ARE FAMILY! Individually,I don't know much about, nor would I want to be involved in the 'politics' of church and if it comes to that, I will remove myself from that situation and find a new congregation. Probably not what God would expect of me. But I personally prefer not to deal with church politics. I think more and more churches are losing perspective about what is important. And that is teaching God's word. Some congregations today remind me of the money changers which Jesus threw out of the temple. Some churches have a 'cafe' , and book stores, and other businesses within the church. Now while I believe in tithing, I do not believe churches should be run as businesses. I realize they need money to pay bills, but to aspire to be a mega church just for the sake of prestige,is wrong. To lose site of the churches responsibility to God and His people is irresponsible.. John 2: 13-22 13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Continue to pray that we are all unified in Christ.

Q4. What does Jesus' Fourth Word from the cross teach us about faith? About commitment? About love? What effect should this understanding have on our lives? God is a faithful God. When Jesus took the sins of the world upon His shoulders to be taken to the grave with Him, He drank the "cup" of sin. - Jesus became sin.. God even though He loved His Son dearly, He knew that Jesus would have to atone for our sins (which were now His sins) by being separated from His beloved Father as it is stated in: Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Micah 3:4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done. God shows us here not only His immense love,and faithfulness for His only Son, but His immense love for us as well. Being crucified for our sins, He is also being separated from the Father(whom He has never been separated from since birth) BECAUSE of our sinfulness which He bore, the stripes of sins which were ours, not His, He must endure this painful separation. Not only is it painful for Jesus, the Son, but equally as painful for God, the Father.. Such LOVE for us cannot be denied! What effect should this understanding have on our lives? This should have a profound effect on our lives. Knowing that for just a short time God separated from His beloved Son to atone for our sins shows His immense love for all of mankind. A separation of this magnitude can only be accomplished through a Faithful, Graceful, Loving, God. These last words, this separation, from God the Father, and The Son,(The brokenness of the Trinity) should give us an even higher awareness of what our sins cost.

Jesus trusted John and loved John with all his heart . John was faithful, dutiful, and committed to Jesus. He knew John would be the best one to take care of Mary, not only in a physical sense but in spiritual sense. Probably more so in a spiritual sense, because John was a poor man with very little means of financial support, yet his love and devotion for Jesus was supreme. Mary was widowed and in biblical times it was customary for the eldest son to make provisions for the Mother. Since Jesus wouldn't be there, he choose John. John was the only disciple present, consoling the 3 woman at the foot of the cross that day, what does that tell us about John's devotion?. The others had kept their distance for fear of persecution. How can we apply this lesson to our own lives? We must be responsible for loving our family members. Always honor and love our parents, no matter what our differences , LOVE your parents Always. We know that as Christians we must always put Christ first in our life. That does not mean that we forsake family? NO!! Jesus exemplifies love. It means we must have family and the love of Jesus in the proper priority. Jesus must always come first, that does not relive us of family responsibility..

The Law was given by God to an angel through a mediator.(Moses) In Old Testament the law did not save nor justify. The only way to justification was through faith, just as in the New Testament. King David was saved after he had broken the law ( yet God redeemed him),it wasn't until he realized that he also broke the Fathers heart, he had not only sinned against God's law ,he sinned against GOD. It was through his faith God justified him..The law was meant to expose human's sinful nature. It was given as a sort of 'check list' to identify good from evil. It was given as a temporary solution to a permanent problem, SIN! The law was given to provide awareness of our transgressions.. In no way did it justify sin or exonerate the sinner from his sins. Christ is the only redeemer. The sovereign deliver! The New Testament makes it very clear that as believers in Christ we are no longer under the Mosaic law. Does that mean that we can be sinful in nature, NO, we will be guided by the Holy Spirit into the righteousness of God through grace and faith.. The blood of Jesus Christ makes this possible. After we have been delivered from the law, through Jesus Christ, to place ourselves once again under the law is a sin. It is "Falling from Grace". It is abandoning God's promise to Abraham that a seed would be sent to save all of mankind once and for all..The seed of course is Jesus Christ..

Q2. (Luke 23:39-43) Why is the thief�s faith so astounding in this situation? What did the thief receive that day? What do you think this meant to Jesus? 3 men dying on a cross. Two for their transgressions and one to save all of mankind. Two thieves, one mocking, the other believing and confessing his sins to his savoir in the mist of death. This was not by pure chance or circumstance. This scene is set by God. Although the thief is a bad man, who has sinned against mankind ( probably sinned his whole life long). At the very end of his life, after all his sins,he 'confesses' !! In the midst of the horrible carnage of death upon a cross, he seeks Jesus. He isn't angry or confrontational like the other criminal who mocked Jesus along with the crowd of people who mocked him at the cross. NO! He is seeking the Lord in all His power and Glory!! He saw through the condemnations of others, through the blood and the suffering, and only saw alongside him, a great man of POWER and GLORY! He was seeking redemption from the one person he knew could provide it ! Through blood, pain, horrific suffering this man was seeking salvation through faith. Death has united these three men. God saved two. His Son was destined to die, and be saved from His birth, He was sent by God for this very purpose. Jesus knew He would be reconciled with the Father. The other man believed (FAITH) that the Father would save him also. This was of great joy to Jesus Christ in the hour of His death, His Father had provided great comfort through the man hanging next to him. This was no accident. One man completely and utterly rebukes the Lord. The other, even through all the suffering admitts (confesses) he is justly accused. We can always confess our sins, it is never to late to say."I have sinned, Father forgive me" !! Jesus in his darkest hour comforted and consoled this dying man, and He assures him that he will come to Paradise on this very day with Him. What's utterly amazing,this dying man see Jesus, in HIS MOST VULNERABLE hour as His KING! This man, an accused, self-admitted criminal, hung, and yet saved in the hour of his death, how awesome is that?? It was not by chance or accident that these three men were placed on a cross to die, at the same time. God wanted one to repent and be saved and in doing this God was also giving His Son great joy amidst the hour of his horrendous sorrow. Jesus was often sorrowed by peoples disbelief and their failure to love God. His great mission here on earth was to bring salvation to those whom did not believe. God the Father assured His son Jesus (in the very hour of His death ) that all of his suffering, and shame had not been in vain. What a great gift the Father gave the son through this mans faith! The scene greatly contrast three lives. One lived in full devotion to God, one lived with faith and yet whom had sinned and made mistakes,confesses and is saved. And the other ?.... A completely lost soul. This scene is so significant, it completely and utterly exemplify the meaning of deep faith and it's ability to save!

Q1. (Luke 23:34) Who was most responsible for killing Jesus? What responsibility do you and I bear in this? In what sense was Jesus praying for us? For the actual physical killing of Christ, his crucifixion.Pilate was most responsible, as he turned Jesus over to the centurions ( who were following orders from the chief priest and scribes) knowing fully what they were going to do. And he said " I wash my hands of this mans blood". The reason Christ was sent by The Father, lived and died in human form, was was for us ( He knew his Fathers will from the beginning) Yes, we are responsible for Christ death on the cross. Christ died to forgive us for our debts (our sins). When Adam disobeyed God, he brought sin into the world for all of mankind. That includes us - we are all sinners, born to sin through the sins of Adam. In obedience ( which speaks of itself, of Jesus immense LOVE for His Father) and at the WILL of His Father, Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world. He took them to the grave with him. He was giving us a way to be redeemed, to be reconciled to The Father through His blood. The veil was torn, and the curtain that kept us from the Father is removed, we now have a way to be reconciled to The Father through faith in Jesus Christ!

My original post is below. Somehow I posted twice.

By following law (in this case, Jewish law and tradition, particularly that of circumcision) you are negating Jesus' death on the cross.! By the death of Christ who came and died a horrible death, taking with him, to the grave, our sins, we are saved, not by Law. Jesus came to free us from the law, We are set free only through the blood of Jesus! If you believe the law as a way to salvation, you are cursed not sanctified. Only FAITH can redeem us! On the basis of God's promise,which He made to Abraham, that by faith we will receive the Spirit (Christ). God's promise secured the gentiles a way to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus..The promise of God's salvation is offered to all who accept His son. Luke 11:19 (NIV) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. All these blessings our heavenly Father( promised to us through Abraham) is more ready to bestow on every one that asks for them.

Abraham was justified by FAITH, He believed in the Lord with all his heart. He was credited a as being righteous by God. He did not "do anything to be credited as righteous by God the "law' was not in effect at this time and he did not 'do' anything to make himself righteous. The Lord JUSTIFIED him.God loved Abraham, and knew that Abraham's loved was strong and faithful! God often spoke to Abraham but Abraham never saw God, yet his faith was so strong that God made him the father of all nations, and promised Abraham, all nations would be BLESSED by God through Abraham because of Abraham's strong faith!

Q1. (Galatians 3:2-5) What argument for salvation by faith does Paul give from the presence of the Spirit? What does this tell us about the spiritual environment of the Galatian churches? How can we regain this dynamic environment in our own congregations? Paul gives 5 augments for salvation by faith. 1. Argument for receiving the faith - They have already received the faith, witnessed miracles, how could they go backward? Paul argues, how could they first accept Jesus as their savior through their strong 'faith' and then be so easily swayed? He is saying to them how STRONG is your faith? Suggesting, not so strong, but weak indeed!! 2. Prophecy- It was promised by God to Abraham that justification would come to everyone through the Seed. Only those who are in FAITH would receive the promise , the Seed, and become part of God's Kingdom. Adopted as sons and daughter of the Father, brothers and sisters of the Seed (Jesus). There is nothing in GOD'S PROMISE about the law. 3. You are "cursed' by the law, because by believing you can be saved by the law is abandoning the promise of salvation through FAITH( Jesus). 4. God's promise never changes!!!! The LAW cannot not change God's promise! * "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered" (Genesis 13:16 NIV) * He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."( Genesis 15:5 NIV) * I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,(Genesis 22:17 NIV) 5. Augment for the purpose of the law.The law was given as a sort of guardian, until the time the Seed was to arrive.It was given to keep mans sinful nature in tact, but had been distorted throughout the years by Jewish leader who were expounding on the law. It was given by an angel through a mediator. It was a temporary means to keep man's sinful nature in check,it was not God's promise fulfilled. The spiritual environment of the Galatians churches were in turmoil, torn between the promise of God and the Mosaic law and now the Jewish-Christian 'law" , law (which had been elaborated on, changed and born in sin since it was brought into existence) The Galatian church was out of touch with the Holy Spirit. They were easily led astray by teaching not consistent with God's Holy Spirit. They were turning away from God in an attempt to keep the "law' . If they did this, they would then render Christ' crucifixion exempt. Paul couldn't let this happen!! In my opinion the presence of the Holy Spirit existing in the Christian church of today has lost significance.The meaning of trinity of has been compromised .GOD THE FATHER,GOD THE SON,GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. There is not enough emphasis put on the HOLY SPIRIT in the churches of today. It wasn't until I became personally touched by the Holy Spirit that I began to learn and study the significance of The Holy Spirit . God provided me ,through revelation, a profound knowledge of the Holy spirit and how he works ( and resides) in me and others. It was not by any teaching or instruction I had received in the church. We, as a world, need to believe that modern day miracles do happen. Miracle are not something which only happened during apostolic time. They are occurrences which happen daily. The Holy Spirit literally refers to the breath of God- God is the Holy Spirit. We need to keep the breath of God circulating among our congregations of today. Jesus lives, His Holy Spirit, and His miracles are as much alive today as they were then and will be for all of time.God's promise is infinite. Church can regain a dynamic environment by seeking to adhere strictly to scripture ans stop putting their own "spin' on all that is taught to us through scripture. They can stop trying to be 'hip' 'mega' churches and teach the word of GOD is a way consistent with scripture.

Q5. (Galatians 2:20) In what sense have we been “crucified with Christ”? What does that mean? In what sense do “I no longer live”? Whose life now motivates us? How does this verse relate to Paul’s closing comments about the “new creation” (Galatians 6:15)? What does Galatians 2:20 teach about Christ’s attitude toward us? When Christ was sent by God to live and walk in human form He was sent for one reason, that reason was to be our savior, by grace. God's only son was his gift to all of mankind. Christ dying on the cross sealed a new covenant between God and his people.The new covenant released all of humankind from the bondage of the law.The terms God set forth in his new covenant and sealed with the blood of Christ and sent by grace are simply,: Believe what he says about Jesus Christ, turn from your life of self-reliance and put your confidence totally in Christ to wash you clean of sin, clothe yourself with righteousness. We are adopted by God, we become heirs, part of His family, the household, the Kingdom of God. . When Jesus died on the cross He took all the sins of mankind with Him. As new Christians we are baptized and accept Jesus as our savior (for me it was by means of full water immersion baptism, for others it is different) But the meaning must always be the same. As people we have come to the conclusion that we want to know Christ, we seek revelation, we seek redemption and sanctification. When I was baptized I died at the bottom of the lake .I was not "re' born when I came up from the water. I was BORN for the very first time as a new creation in Christ, at the bottom of the brook I experienced spiritual death, death along with the death of Christ on the cross and all my sins,forgiven as Christ and I took our last breath together. When I immersed from the water I felt the Holy Spirit ( the breath of God breathing new life into me through His Holy Spirit). It was the most amazing thing that ever happen to me.I literally felt the Spirit enter me. I was a baby in the arms of Christ. God breathed life into me and set forth a new creation. My life began on that day. I started off a baby, new from the womb, grow daily and continue to grow always in my relationship to Christ. My former life dead for all of time. Forgiven by grace. A new beginning .I am set free by the blood of Christ! When Christ died on the cross He took with Him all the sins of mankind. He provided a way out for man of sinful life and a way to receive eternal life through his death. All we have to do is accept him and receive His love. That's it. We do not have to live by 'law'. That does not mean we are exempt from the law of the land. That means we are not required to live by any religious law. What is required by us as the heirs to the Kingdom of God is that we give love,Love one another, forgive others, confess our sins, repent, and ask for redemption,seek purification. Through Gods Holy Spirit we are sanctified and redeemed. We do not have to adhere to customs such as circumcision or food laws or any religious laws to be adopted into God's Kingdom. What is important to God is that we love him and we love one another, that we forgive as his son forgave on the cross. That we seek redemption and ask for forgiveness of our sins, these are all matter of our heart. God wants our hearts, he doesn't care about our customs and rituals.

If circumcision or any part of the Mosaic law is deemed necessary for salvation it makes null the covenant God made with His people when He sent His only son to be crucified for our sins. Believing the law or works are the way to salvation renders Jesus' death to be in vein. The promise is, ALL are forgiven who come to God through the Son. All, means every person in every corner of the earth is saved by grace, there is nothing they can add to the 'contract' between God and His heirs ,the contract ( the promise, the new covenant) has been sealed and signed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30 NLT). It is finished means a completed work. There is nothing a man can do for his own salvation. The sufficiency of Jesus' death as redemption was extremely important because in Paul's day and centuries before Christ birth the Mosaic law was sort of a "guardian" to Gods chosen people. Christ was not yet sent by God to save His children. After Christ (AD) many held onto the old Jewish law, it was cultural, it was ingrained in them as part of their life. Jewish law was racked with many customs which were taught to all Jews from birth. It was difficult for them to believe God sent them a savior and that the law (which had been practiced for centuries and set forth to them through Moses directly through God)it was then legalized and many strict customs added to the law by Jewish leaders. It was hard to accept it was now "VOID" . They had invested so much, centuries of abiding by the Mosaic law. They believed the "law" is what justified them. The old covenant was NOW VOID. A new covenant made by God and sealed by the blood of Christ now saved them. Nothing else they could do could change that. This was difficult for most Jews to believe. Luther himself never felt justified. He felt the weight of his sins and sincerely wished to find a way to be cleansed. He put himself through every rigor and test, including frequent fasting, long prayer vigils, and self-flagellation. Yet he never felt HOLY. He never felt justified.The Church assured him he was a good Christian but when he looked inside his heart he saw nothing worthy of God's mercy. Then one day while studying scripture, a verse jumped off the page of the Bible Luther was reading in his study, and a revelation from God came with it,. it was a verse he had read over and over again but never really grasped it's true meaning. This time was different. excerpt from http://www.boisestat...rs/luther.shtml Luther himself tells us about the dramatic turning-point in his life. He was sitting alone in his study at Wittenberg, thinking as he did so often of God's terrible justice. His Bible lay open before him and his eyes fell on a passage from the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. Verse 17 says, in part, that "the just shall live by his faith." He must have read this passage many times before, but at this moment a light kindled in Luther. As he read the passage, he saw that all of his fasting and penance counted for nothing, and that the only thing that would save him was simple faith. The roots and birth of the Protestant Reformation was born at that moment and Luther finally realized there was nothing he could DO to be saved, He knew he was saved by grace and grace alone. He finally understood God's love ! God's message is timeless.We are saved by grace, by the new covenant, sealed with the blood of his only Son. His love and revelation is just as important now as it was in Paul's day. The doctrine that salvation is gained through good works is null and void.Jesus Lives ( he died to us, and he rose to us)! We are saved by His sacrifice, His grace alone. Many Churches are racked with religious custom's, prayer repetitions, and worship of saints and idols.The idea that strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit should not exist in the Church of today. There is no place for it, then or now. The main focus of any church should always be on Christ ,His salvation,and His love, and teaching must be based solely on scripture.. http://www.boisestat...rs/luther.shtml