Dennis B

Q2. (John 5:19, 30) Why do you think Jesus said, "By Myself I can do nothing"? (vs. 30). Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 5:18 "I tell the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." How do you justify this statement with Jesus' divine nature as the Son of God? Jesus came to preach and to heal and that says he had to do this in his humanness and that had he performed miracles in his divinity then he could not teach the disciples who needed to understand that Jesus sought his Father to see and hear what to do and that in this way they too must do the same. In what ways can we use Jesus' example as a pattern for our own life and ministry? To attempt to move without discerning what the Father is saying through the Holy Spirit can lead to a belief that they have the capacity to know what to do without looking for help from the proper source. How do you think Jesus would "see" and "hear" the Father? I believe firstly he would have to have no distractions so that He was free to come into such an intimate place that He could see His Father and hear from the Holy Spirit what to do, perhaps that day, the next or in the future.

What pattern do you see emerging in Jesus' prayer life? 1. Before anything else he did He needed to start the day with His Father to know what His Father was doing and what His Father required of Him that day. Why do you think he spends Quiet Time with the Father before the day begins? Because in this way he hears clearly because it is a quiet time without a day's distractions. How does this prepare him for his ministry? Asking God and hearing from His Father gives Jesus an assurance He will walk in an anointing and power to do what is required. How did the disciple desire for Jesus differ from what Jesus felt impelled to do? (Mark 1:37-38) Why? Jesus felt His overarching mission for His Father was to preach and not just in one place. The disciples felt he was a healer and a prophet and that these "acts" or "signs" were more of what they wanted to see. They could not understand at that time Jesus' bidding was in obedience to His Father's wishes. Do you have a Quiet Time? Not as much as I would like or should have. I will remedy this because of past experiences in my life where extensive quiet times led to some amazing Godly experiences. What could you do to improve the quality of your time with God each day? Re-read the scripture cards I wrote out by hand and which I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to be the cards out of so many that I should make my daily readings. Talk with God because I believe prayer is talking to the Father. Remind myself of the miracles He has performed in my life and thank Him daily.