Craig

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? Much of the time righteous behavior conflicts with worldly behavior. You see that conflict in reading the Beatitudes and placing each of them along side worldly approaches to life. No comparision. I think when Jesus speaks of thirsting and hungering for righteous, He is talking about the strong desire of a Christian to have a changed heart. A Godly heart that reflects the values of our Creator. We are thirsting and hungering for spiritual growth and for a changed worldview. We want an appetite for God that is stronger than any other appetites in our life. We desire to walk and live as Jesus does. We desire to be true to our God in any situation. We hunger and thirst to be overcomers of this world. We have a sense of urgency in being Christlike.

Q3. (Matthew 5:5) How does this sort of gentleness contrast with the world's ideal? How is humility important to Christlikeness? The meekness Jesus is talking about in the Beatitudes includes humility, patience, and mildness toward those around us. Especially towards those who oppose us. Meekness also has an element of tender-heartedness to do. As a Pastor, I cannot be effective without being tender-hearted. I need a thick hide too.:-) The world's view is that the individual should look out for the individual and take care of number one first. A common slogan today is "No Fear." I'm it, I fear nothing. Meekness as Jesus teaches is weakness. To love my neighbor as myself is weakness. To show compassion to others is stupid and weak. Showing kindess is unreasonable and asking too much. Look out for number one and the hell with everyone else. Boy, does the world have it wrong! Humility enables us to put aside our egos. It permits God the space in our lives to work with us. To make us Christlike. God cannot work with us and develop us if we are not humble and set aside our egos. Humility implies that we don't know everything and that God has something to often us. Again, God cannot work with us if we don't permit Him to.

Q3. (Matthew 5:5) How does this sort of gentleness contrast with the world's ideal? How is humility important to Christlikeness? The meekness Jesus is talking about in the Beatitudes includes humility, patience, and mildness toward those around us. Especially towards those who oppose us. Meekness also has an element of tender-heartedness to do. As a Pastor, I cannot be effective without being tender-hearted. I need a thick hide too.:-) The world's view is that the individual should look out for the individual and take care of number one first. A common slogan today is "No Fear." I'm it, I fear nothing. Meekness as Jesus teaches is weakness. To love my neighbor as myself is weakness. To show compassion to others is stupid and weak. Showing kindess is unreasonable and asking too much. Look out for number one and the hell with everyone else. Boy, does the world have it wrong! Humility enables us to put aside our egos. It permits God the space in our lives to work with us. To make us Christlike. God cannot work with us and develop us if we are not humble and set aside our egos. Humility implies that we don't know everything and that God has something to often us. Again, God cannot work with us if we don't permit Him to.

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.) I have to be aware of my spiritual condition in order to permit God to work with me. When I become aware of my spiritual poverty, there is a sense of urgency within my being to repent and confess my sins to God and give Him my life. Then God can begin to make me a whole and complete person in fellowship and cooperation with Him. As long as I am not aware of my spiritual poverty, then I am not aware of my need for God and spiritual development. Therefore, I'm lost. A Christian mourns not only for their spiritual condition, but for the lost; injustices in the world; and the spiritual condition of the world and the consequences of that condition. Not only do they mourn over these things, they do something about it. Mourning results in action. Christians mourn and lament over the detestable things done in the world around them. Mourning is a reflection of a Christian's compassion, empathy, and sensitivity of the spiritual condition and its consequences to people in the world around them. Additionally, it reflects a sensitivity to, and understanding of the Holiness and Righteousness of God. The Christian should reflect the values of the Most High God, Creator of Heaven and earth.

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)? The word "Beatitude" comes from the Latin root beatus, "happy," from the past participle of Latin beare, "to bless." So the word "The Beatitudes" means "The Blessings." He made each Beatitude a paradox because He is standing conventional religious behavior and wisdom of the world on its head. In studying the Beatitudes, their paradoxial nature requires thought, reflection and prayer. Thus, insight, inspiration, and Christ-like, Godly lives bearing the fruits of the spirit. The fruit of the Spirit spring forth from applying the Beatitudes in our lives and thoughts directing our behavior. Changing our hearts, the very center of our being and soul.

Q4. Meditate on the titles "King of Glory" (Psalm 24:7-10) and "Father of glory" (Ephesians 1:17). What do they tell us about God? How should they affect our attitudes as we worship God? According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, how does God's glory come to fill our lives? These passages of Scripture tell us that God is the Glorious Most High God and Creator of the heavens and earth. The Creator of the universe. God is glorious beyond our imaginations and ability to know. Paul writes that we, believers/saints, reflect the glory of God. That in fact, as we submit ourselves to Him and allow Him to work in our lives, we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is instrumental in this process. In other words, as the Holy Spirit operates in our lives, we are becoming more like the Lord. God's glory fills our lives through the Holy Spirit.

Q3. Meditate on the phrase "High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy...." (Isaiah 57:15, RSV). What do you learn about God from this phrase? How should this affect your outlook on life, your way of conducting yourself? God is High and above space and time. He is eternal and Holy. High and above human behavior, thought, and motivation. I should emulate my God and seek to abide with Him and all my ways and words should reflect where He is at.

Q2. Meditate on the title "Most High." What does it mean to you? How do you or will you incorporate it in your worship? The title "Most High" means to me that Yaweh is the Most High -- Creator of Heaven and Earth. There are no other Gods beside him. There no other gods that are not man-made; Satan devised. Worship is all about acknowedging the Most High God for who He is. That is how I woship Him.

Q1. (Genesis 14:19, 20, 22) What did Abraham and Melchizedek seem to believe in common about God Most High? Both men seemed to believe that God was the Most High God and was Creator of heaven and earth.

Q4. (12:9) What was the significance of Abraham "calling on the name of Yahweh"? What does it mean for you to "call on the name of the Lord"? The significance of Abraham calling on the name of the Lord implies a personal relationship with the Lord. Abraham is journeying at the direction of the Lord and he is intimately looking to Him for everything including championship. Abraham expects a response from God -- an intimate relationship with God. Like Abraham, in serving the Lord and trying to realize His will and direction in my life, I must call upon Him for everything. I must have an intimate relationship with Him. Serving God obediently is centered in the relationship with Him. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is all about a relationship with Him and those around us. To be a complete, whole, effective, loving human-being is about relationships - with God and those around us.

Q3. (12:1 with Hebrews 11:8-10) Why does it take special faith to begin to do something in obedience to God before we see how it will turn out? Have you had any of these "opportunities"? Are you in the midst of this adventure now? That's just it, we don't know it will turn out and that bothers us. This limitation even prevents many from serving God effectively or at, thus denying God the access to do extraordinary through them. I am in the midst of one these adventures now. I am the Pastor of a new church start and am actively participating with Christian Leaders in uniting Christians of all denominations and races in Live Oak, Florida to change the town and county for Jesus Christ in both word and deed.

Q2. (12:2-3) In what ways was Abraham blessed. How have all the peoples of the earth been blessed? In what way does Abraham continue bless people through your life? Abraham was blessed with wealth and an heir in Isaac. Through Ishmael he was the father of the Arab peoples. He had six children with Keturah. Abraham's name has become famous. The three monotheistic religions look to him as a major figure: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Abraham has been an inspiration to millions of people. Abraham, through his own life and through his descendent Jesus the Messiah has conveyed the wonderous blessing of salvation to all the peoples of the earth.

Q1. (11:32) Have you ever begun something in response to God's urging and then stopped? Did God want you to stop? Is it time now to renew your obedience and begin again? (Don't take this question lightly. Sometimes circumstances prevent us from doing what we once felt God wanted us to do. However, he is able to redirect you into his will for you now. Seek him diligently to learn his will.) In my early years as a Christian I stopped doing things that God had lead me to do. He did not want me to stop. I stopped serving my God because I was disattrated by worldly things. I was very selfish and short-sighted. I was very spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually immature. At this point in my life, I have attained a level of spiritual maturity, grace and understanding and I have given myself in obedience and service to the Lord without reservation or wavering. I am sold out to my Lord and Savior and passionately want to be in His service. My appetite for God and the things of God is rapidly out-pacing my appetite for other things. Praise God. He is a meriful and gracious God.

Q6. (Judges 7:13-14) What does the rolling barley loaf mean in the Midianite's dream? Why does the Lord show Gideon this dream? The small rolling barley loaf (representing the small Israelite Army), rolled into the big Midianite tent (representing the big Midianite Army), destroying it. The dream represented Gideon's Army of 300 defeating the Midianite Army and the other eastern armies in its allliance. The Lord reveals this dream to Gideon to encourage him. The Midianites were already defeated.

Q5. (Judges 7:5-6) What significance, if any, do you see in selecting the "lappers" from the "kneelers"? I see no overwhelming significance at all. You can spiritualize this selection or form your own subjective opinion.

Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? We demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them is because we lack faith and an understanding of God. The spiritual danger here is that our faith never grows, we never act, and other lives are affected by our lack of action. Cutting to the chase, believers must be in their Bibles daily, be in prayer daily and worshipping God daily. We must become sensitive to God's guidance, direction, and conviction in our lives. We must exercise our faith, we have thousands of years of precedence set in the Scripture to ground our faith in.

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this? God felt Gideon's army was too large because He wanted all to know that it was He who defeated the Midianites and not the army of Gideon. God wanted to draw Israel to Him. Shinking Gideon's army to a tiny band and then defeating the Midianites would be viewed as a miracle. A miracle that only Yaweh could do, thus resulting in the restoration of Israel' faith and allegiance. Again God's graciousness and love is reflected in the work He was doing through Gideon. The pressure Gideon felt, was much like the pressure that Mary and Joseph felt in obeying God, was that nobodying else know what he was doing and why. They might think Gideon was incompenent or crazy. However, Gideon trusted God as his God and obeyed Him -- like Mary and Joseph.

Q2. (Judges 6:36-39) Why does Gideon put out a fleece before the Lord -- twice? Is this a sign of unbelief or of belief? This is a "testing" of God? How does it differ from the sinful testings of God the scripture warns against? When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? What is the danger of demanding a sign? Gideon puts a fleece out before the Lord twice in order to confirm what God has called him to do. Gideon had no doubt or unbelief, he wanted to make sure that the direction God was giving him was correct. Gideon is testing God in a way that anchors his faith. His request is in order to establish his faith, whereas sinful testing of God is to get God to do miracles to meet selfish needs. Humility asking God to confirm his direction in order to get it right is not wrong or a bad thing. Demanding God give a sign is a whole other matter. We demand nothing of God. Biblically, God has punished those who arrogantly demand God show them signs.

Q9. (3:21) How can God receive more glory in your local congregation? How can you help this happen? Increased submission to God's will and praise to Him will lead to giving God more glory and as a Pastor and leader, I must lead by example.

Q8. (3:20) How should verse 3:20 of the doxology energize your prayers? What happens when we limit God by our own ability to comprehend? How can we get past this failing? God can do wonderous and awesome things in our lives if we permit Him. Things that go way beyond our imaginations. Our prayers should be energized by this fact and our expectations should be that God is going to do great things with us. We should expect it. We have a role and part of building the Kingdom of God on this planet. When we limit God by our inability to comprehend, we lose out and slow our spiritual growth. We stiffle experiencing the fullness of God and progress toward spiritual maturity. We must permit God to be our God in every way. We can get pass this failing by abandoning ourselves to God. By letting go of our hangups and submitting our will to the will of God and go for it.

Q7. (3:19) Have you ever prayed for a fellow believer that he or she might be "filled with all the fullness of God"? What would you be praying for with that kind of prayer? How does this prayer relate to Ephesians 5:27 and Colossians 1:28? As a believer, Pastor, jail minister, Christian community activist, father, husband, and friend -- I am praying this prayer all the time for the people in my life. That they would all be filled with all the fullness of God and that they would be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This prayer and Ephesians 5:27 and Colossians 1:28 all relate to Christains attaining perfection or Christian maturity. This should be the prayer believers pray for each other. This is the end game.

Q6. (3:17-19) Why does Paul pray that the believers grasp the fullest extent of Christ's love for them? How does comprehending this love change a person's spiritual life? Is there any end to Christ's love for a person? What better prayer can there be for fellow Christians than that they might grasp the fullest extent of Christ's love for them? When a person truly experiences the the love of Jesus Christ, it will change his/her heart for eternity. Thus changing our worldview, how we approach the world and life, and our actions. There is no end to Christ's love for any person.

Q5 (3:16-17) Why does Paul pray for strengthening of the inner man? How would we pray this prayer today? Why does he pray that Christ dwell in the believers' hearts? Isn't this already an established fact? It is out of the inner man that anything flows. What we say and do are reflections of the inner man and what the inner man truly believes. We should pray that God would continue to change our hearts into the heart of Jesus Christ and to strengthen us in the Word of God, and fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we would overcome this world -- living our the Word of God. Paul prays that Christ will dwell in the hearts of believers because that is the center and soul of our being. That is where what we really believe dwells. Again, it is out of the heart that a man or woman acts and lives out their believes. Jesus only dwells in the hearts of those who truly believe and permit Jesus to lead, guide, and direct them. To call the shots per say. Each of us must respond to Jesus in reality and action, not just in word. Many say that they have Jesus in their hearts, when they only have Him in their mind. They believe, but they haven't given Him their life. There is a big difference.

Q4. (1:18) Why is a revelation of "his incomparably great power for us who believe" essential to a vital faith? How do you develop this faith in yourself? How do you pray for it for others? Experiencing the power and revelation of God personally impacts our lives immeasurably. Experiencing God is essential to a vital faith because it feeds the faith. I develop this faith in my life by accepting the assignments God gives me. I trust God to be my God and I step out in faith and He continues to reveal His power in my life. God convicts me of something, anything, and I step out in obedience because I know by past first-hand experience with God, that He will be there for me in carrying out His will and purpose for my life. This is how how faith is developed -- by consistently applying the Word of God to my life. I model, teach and pray that others will apply God's Word to their lives. That they will step out in a faith based upon the Living Word of God.

Q3. (1:18) What is the result in prayer and faith if believers think that God is poverty-stricken? How does knowledge of a "glorious inheritance" motivate our lives? Our prayers? How can you pray for others to glimpse this inheritance? Why pray to a poverty-stricken God. Where is the hope in that? What would be the point? The hope of a glorious inheritance motivates us to want to qualifty for the inheritance and to express our love, in the way we live, to the author of the inheritance. Our pray life should reflect both today and tomorrow as we are moving along in our journey on this planet, in this life. We should pray that others in our lives would gain an appetite for a relationship with God above all else and for the glorious inheritance that God offers those that love and obey Him. For those that have a relationship with Him. God provides the glimpse to those that love Him.