charisbarak

Make the most of every opportunity. Sometimes we don't see the opportunity, or we are to busy to stop & take time with those persons. This is the hardest part for me. All the knowledge is wonderful & a big help, but our attitudes and how we come across can close up an open person. I pray that His love will overflow in & through me to others.....

He wants prayer for open doors & a clear message. Open doors are prepared for in prayer & the Holy Spirit works to provide a way to touch certain people's hearts. Sure, he has done it many times, but each time is different--a different person & different needs. He needs the Holy Spirit's leading there too. It is a battle we are in & only the Holy Spirit and our prayers break through. That's why this verse is especially important for us to pray for our missionaries on the field!!

persistence, alertness, thankfulness Put into practice these would build a stronger prayer life. Some problems these would correct would be praying more in his will, rather than my own will. We don't need to struggle with prayer--we need to struggle IN prayer!! It's hard work!!

God wants them to be fair. People would be treated fairly, provided for and cared about as individuals.

An employee must be honest in all phases of his job. We obey & do what we are expected unless it is against God's Word. We then can choose to get another job. The Lord is in control & has put leaders into place. We honor him when we honor those above us. We wouldn't hear those people who say "it isn't MY job" or those who do as little as possible to get along. Much would be accomplished. The possibilities are endless!

Obedience prepares the child to obey those in authority. There will always be those in authority! Obeying God is the very most important form of obedience for our whole life! Fathers can keep from discouraging their children by applying discipline rather than punishment. They need to LOVE their children through the discipline.

Aside from unselfish love for each other, these are basics. These are the fruit of unselfish love for each other. I think wives have trouble with submission because it is demanded for by the husbands. I guess not seeing unselfish love for the wife, submission is difficult. Unselfish love by the husband is hard because it seems to go against his pride & manliness--so he thinks. Harshness by the husband can be a result of how he is treated by his wife, or a wife who will not be walked on by her husband or a fear of losing control. Both inner & outer reasons.

Christian virtues are important to Christ because they reflect Him. They're important to the church because it allows the church to work together smoothly and to grow. They're important to non-Christians because they can become the magnet with which God can draw them to Himself. They're important in our homes for the same reason as for the church--so we can work together smoothly and grow and help others to grow too.

Sins of the tongue are easy to fall into. Much of what we say is not thought about first. Like children, we pick up on language that we hear all the time. They damage us because they stain us--it's a sin. It damages others by what we say or who we say it to. Words can, like a sword, stab others in their hearts and they are not easy to erase. It takes work to free us of the sins of the tongue--and the work of the Holy Spirit who we allow to work in our lives. Just a thought: If we have right thinking--as in the previous question, then we are less likely to commit sins of the tongue. The tongue can be a reflection of our hearts.....

Sexual desires are so strong especially for men because of the **** of their eyes. Add that to our degraded society--they are bombarded with sex daily from tv, shows, internet, and, of course, society as a whole. We need to keep sex in the Biblical context. See sexual sins as sins against God and our bodies and not changed to keep up with society.

We can get bogged down in our feelings and be buffeted by the many trials that come our way. If we keep looking at these we can get sort of depressed and that affects our relationship with God and our relationships with people. I like Phil. 4:8 & 9--this is how we should be thinking. No, relationships should be first and right-thinking is key. We become unuseful to others & to ourselves when we do not control what we think & what we meditate on.

Asceticism & legalism walk hand in hand with religion--a do it yourself churchianity. It's all dependent on what you do, how you feel. Our human nature really takes over. A relationship with God is very different. We can praise Him and come to Him like coming to a Father. We realize that we cannot do anything apart from Him. He, alone can change our hearts. Worshipping anything or anyone other than God is useless. The alternative is worshipping God with our whole lives. Look to God for answers. Above all, keep your connection with our Head, Jesus Christ. Allow Him to grow you!!

Forgiveness makes the payment Jesus made for us for our not being able to keep the law--knowing we would fail. Jesus paid our debt to the law by dying--as we should have. This symbolizes the defeat of sin & death. He conquered, and so do we!! Spiritual forces did not have the power. They were "disarmed" by Jesus' death on the cross. I like the disarming part--in these war times, some of the scariest jobs our military have to do is disarming bombs. Jesus paid a huge price--himself--for our sins--resulting in forgiveness & everlasting life with Him!

That God has come to us in the flesh--a body like ours containing all of His glory. When we are in Christ, we have been filled with His Spirit & power. God is working in & through us for His glory. We have corruptible bodies filled with an incorruptible Spirit. We can't see it. We are too hard on ourselves, desiring perfection. All we can see is how we have failed God each day--thinking it's what we do that makes the difference. We can rest in Him & just "be."

A belief system built on anything else than Christ is a failure--sure to bring failure & hopelessness. Like others, I was raised without much real Christianity--very liberal beliefs--even questioning what was in the Bible. I felt that emptiness & hollowness & asked God to show me. And through a series of events--always drawing me closer to Him--I found a Bible believing church--one where the Holy Spirit was active!! Praise Him!

Those treasures exist in Christ. As we grow deeper in our knowlege of Him, He reveals them to us--His wisdom--His knowlege--such jewels!! You have to work hard to excavate them--Dig into His Word, fall at His feet, and pray. He really wants to give us His wisdom--just ask. James 1:5.

The purpose of Paul's labors is to proclaim Jesus, admonishing & teach everyone that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. It is the perfection that can come only from God--Christ's work on the cross. Paul is teaching & admonishing them--helping them to grow & mature. He is struggling in preparation to teach & lead, being patient & faithful, and actually fighting the spiritual fight in prayer for these people. It is a struggle for the learner and the teacher. Both need to be praying. He is doing all this in the energy the Spirit provides.

The mystery is that the Gentiles would be chosen too--not just Israel. and that God, the Holy Spirit would come to live in us. The Holy Spirit's work in us was pretty much hidden until Jesus' resurrection. Glory as seen as a reflection of Jesus--the fruit of the Spirit at work in us. Hope of glory is that He will completeHis work in us and we will see Him one day.

Jesus suffered as he made the sacrifice for us. We share in his inheritances and one of those is suffering. If Jesus had to suffer, so do we. This helps the church become stronger. It inspires others and helps them to endure whatever they're going through. It unifies the church as well.

We cannot lose hope. We need to grow in our faith. We have sharing & serving to do for God. If we are moved in our faith--we open ourselves up to false teachings. If we totally fall away, it might be we weren't really a Christian to begin with. IF we continue in our faith--established/firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel--eternal life with Jesus!!

Jesus paid the price for our sin--past, present & future. He doesn't see what Jesus paid for already. We're not perfect, but He is!

Jesus became a sacrifice for our sins. His shed blood was the sacrifice called for to forgive us our sins. It was the only way to satisfy a holy God. The purpose is to save us out of God's love for us so we would be without blemish & holy in God's sight!!

Reconciled is to bring hostility to friendship--a completion of sorts. Before we were reconciled to God, we were hostile, alienated, enemies.

We know that Jesus is the head of the entire church--our authority. He is head of local and the universal church. We are serving God in Jesus, so that needs to be first & foremost in our thoughts & actions. The church is supposed to be a living witness of Jesus in the community & world. I think in most churches it is a struggle to let Christ be the head--not all for "self." Not easy--but necessary!!

Jesus created them all. We need not fear--greater is He that is in us than he who is against us! Be in prayer continually praising God & asking Him for His leading!