Craig

In practical terms, the meaning of "eating the Bread of Life" is believing in Jesus Christ, the one who God the Father sent. Nibbing is not fully committing yourself to Jesus Christ. Actually making a meal is fully engaging my life (total being), in Jesus Christ and His teaching.

In practical terms, the meaning of "eating the Bread of Life" is believing in Jesus Christ, the one who God the Father sent. Nibbing is not fully committing yourself to Jesus Christ. Actually making a meal is fully engaging my life (total being), in Jesus Christ and His teaching.

Paul said that we are all one in Christ and I believe that. The single loaf on the altar applies to individual Christians as well as to denominations. We try to justify that another demonination that we do not agree with is some how less Christian than we are and that justifies our disassociation with them and bad mouthing them. This is totally wrong. We are all one in Christ.

The divisions in Corinth are the same divisions in many of the churches in my community. I am fortunate in that I am the Pastor of a new church plant and I don't have the divisions or problems right now discussed in this lesson. However, I have been a member of churches with these problems i.e., gossip, slander, prejudice, bigotry, split leadership, etc. I believe that bickering congregations cannot participate in the Lord's Supper without sin.

Both passages of scripture are emphazing forgiveness and reconcilation between brothers leading to wholeness and oneness in Christ before making offerings to God. We must do the same thing before participating in the Lord's Supper. One of God's desires for the saints is true unity (John 17). We can not have a solid relationship with God while having division and hatefulness between the brethren.

The cup of blessing teaches us that as we celebrate the Lord's Supper we are worshipping, thanksgiving and blessing God for what He did for us through Jesus Christ. The cup of blessing was to bless God.

I think the promises of God making me strong, firm and steadfast are the most meaningful promises to me at this point in my life. As a Pastor, I need strength, firmness and steadfastness in meeting the challenges that he has placed in my life in shepherding a flock, raising a family, continuing my education, being a role model and in carrying out the many ministries my church is involved in. I'm praising God all the way.

Peter encourages us to resist satan, to keep our faith and be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ. Paul tells the Ephesians to: - Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. God's power is invincible. - Stand your ground ... stand firm. As Christians we should withstand the assaults of satan and all evil. - We can stand our ground with truth; righteousness, readiness; faith; salvation and the word of God. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3: "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (NIV) Peter and Paul are providing similar instructions, however, Paul provides more detailed instructions on how to withstand the satanic assaults upon us.

It is important to be aware of satan's existence because He is dangerous. The devil like a wild animal is seeking to devour people. This teaching is important so that we do not underestimate our enemy.

We should cast our fears or anxiety to God. Peter teaches us to cast fears or anxieties to God because He cares for us. The matter in how I should do it is to just do it. I permit my God to be my God. I have cares, worries, doubts, fears, etc., but I turn them over to my God and I let Him handle them. I practice this. I have found that by allowing God to be my God, I my almost zero stress in life no matter what the situation. David writes in Ps. 5:1-3: "Give ear to my my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (NIV) Like David, I have an expectation that God will answer my prayers and deliver on His promises. I permit God to my God and I have grown close to Him as a result.

The most appropriate act of humility for all leadership is to be a servant like Jesus Christ. You discern a person's humility by watching him/her over a period of time and by asking them what is their view on humility and servanthood. In addition, you can ask others what they think of that person's humility and servanthood. If a future leader is not observed and interviewed concerning his/her practice and views regarding humility and servanthood, you have no clue what kind of a leader you are getting.

If members of any given congregration got involved in the life of and work of the church, most often you would not have elders or the pastor lording it over the church. Often, the elders, pastor and/or small group within the church are doing the work and assuming control and power as a result. Wide-spread apathy often drops power into the laps of whose who really weren't looking for it, but they have it and eventually use it and grow acustom to it. Which causes a problem. Additionally, a congregation can limit leadership in their By-laws. Pray for church leadership and get involved, that takes care of most contol issues.

The harm in twisting a person's arm in getting him/her to serve is that you have to twist their arm. If I love Jesus Christ and the brethren, I want to serve them both. My arm doesn't have to be twisted. I am looking for service opportunities to utilize the gifts and talents that God has given me. The damage it does to the church is that you have leadership that doesn't really want the role and often times performs their jobs without care, concern, quality, love, etc. Others pick up on this very easily and is a bad witness. It produces a very poor leader most times.

The elder, pastor or overseer willingly watches over the spiritual and physical well-being of the congregation. What stands out to me, as a Pastor, is that this is a big responsibility not to be taken lightly and is very demanding.

In this passage, the writer of Hebrews is asking God to equip the saints with everything good for doing His will and may that work be pleasing to Him. What pleases God is delighting in Him; loving Him; praising Him and serving others with love, compassion, mercy in the name of Jesus Christ.

We as Christians should be offering to God sacrifices of love, praise and good deeds in the name of Jesus Christ, so that we might bring the glory of God to the world. God is delighted by these sacrfices.

The significance of this verse for the original readers has the same significance for me and that is: I can exam the lives of the saints that have gone on before me and those saints contemporary to me for inspiration and encouragement in my own faith walk. Jesus is the Alepha and Omega, the Begining and the End -- He is the same yesterday, today and forever!!!!! Jesus is my rock today and forever more. His promises are the same yesterday, today and forever!! I love Jesus and He has my alliegance and love.

I can recogize greed within myself when I desire material excess in my self that I don't need. A desire that would exclude or put to the back seat giving to the Church and others or blessing others with my material resources. The antidote for greed in my life is remembering what Jesus taught and staying on track with that. The earmark of a greed-free ife is that I am content with what God is blessing me with and having an open hand in giving to the Church and others as a way of blessing others. The basis of my security is not financial resources, but my God. It should be remembered that financial resources however great can go only so far. God will never abandoned us. God is my God and I permit Him to be so.

Brotherly love includes compassion, mercy and attentative ministry. Hospitality to strangers and ministering to prisoners is an expression of brotherly of love in action -- a true act of caring and concern for the welfare and well-being of others. My strength in brotherly love is reflected in jail ministry; nursing home ministry; family home ministries; community kids ministries and a general seeking to minister to others as God leads. As a Pastor I actively seek out people to minister to. I'm weak in brotherly love in regards to those Christians who won't permit "God to be their God", and know better, while facing economic, relationship, health, etc. issues. People who will cry and wine, but will not make active moves to change the direction of their lives.

A willingness to die for Jesus Christ is a complete surrender and commitment to Him. Being afraid lacks complete surrender and trust in our Lord. If God is my God and He is the God of this universe, I have nothing to be afraid of. All for Him.

If we are never persecuted, on some level, we are not living out our Christianity. Actively ministering for Jesus Christ in word and deed in the community will bring a negative respond (at whatever level), from those who don't value the gospel, Jesus' teachings, and ministry beyond the walls of any given church. An observation that I have made in the community I live is that some of the worse persecution of Christians comes from other so called Christians who do not want to actively serve the Lord.

I think persecution, on whatever level, as a follower of Jesus Christ comes with the terrority in this world.

The danger of avoiding persecution and suffering for Christ is that we would stop serving Him. Yes, I have been distracted by persecution from what God had me doing and I have observed this in other Christians as well. By the the grace of God, today I will not permit persecution or the threat of persecution to stop me from proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

A fear of God is healthy when it is based on awe, respect and love. A fear of God is unhealthy when a person is always looking over his/her shoulder in fear of God's punishment. Always viewing God as someone to be afraid of. No love is involved in this kind of view of God. Fear, as in respect and awe, of God and what He is and Has done for me inspires me to love Him. I am not in fear of God's punishment. I know He loves me and I am well and secure in His love for me.

The writer of Hebrews is not teaching salvation by holiness. However, if I love God, I want to please Him; I want have a relationship with Him and I want to reflect His holiness in my life. I must desire and strive to practive holiness in my daily life and be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The question is, if I live in habitual sin am I really saved. Do I really have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is actively working in my life and my life is changing according to that inter-work. If I have no actual relationship with Jesus Christ, there is no Holy Spirit in my life and their is no change in my life going on. Even though I might claim a knowledge of Jesus Christ, I am still a natural man.