Craig

Hebrews 12:5-7 states that the Lord disciplines those He loves and punishes everyone He accepts as a son. Punishment is not necessarily a bad thing. Punishment as a form of disciple helps develop character, endurance, behavior modification, etc. Nothing gets our attention like a little discipline and we need it to stay on track in our Christian walk. Most people, as well as Christians, don't practice much disciple in their lives. Discipline brings out the best in us. God, like any parent who loves their children, will discipline us and teach us discipline to bring the best out of us. God disciplines us to develop us into Christ-like people and to bring the best out of us because He loves us. In the process He is developing us for the assignments He has for us to do in building His kingdom in the now and in the future.

At this point in my life, I consider all events, whether good, bad or ugly, as training events the Lord is putting me through. As a result, I take all situations in stride. I permit my God to be My god and grow from each event without anxiety or worry because I know God is in control. The result of discipline is Christian growth and closeness to God.

Self promotion does not glorify God. It reveals a lack of spiritual maturity and lack of understanding regarding Christian humility and service. All for Jesus Christ should be the Christian's motto. God has given me the gifts of administration; teaching (all ages) and preaching. He has given me tenacity and determination in completing the assignments He has given me. He has blessed me in many other areas also. I use the talents and gifts God has given me to in being a Pastor (Grace Community Church of Live Oak, FL); to be a jail Pastor/teacher; to work with children with Christian Missions in Action in providing a free summer day camp and feeding program to the community; nursing home ministry; bread ministry/food pantry (working Love, INC.) and whatever the Lord brings my way.

Most people are focused on doing anything thing they want in a free society. Whether moral or not and most avoid the idea of judgment or accountability. In fact they get hostile over it, including some Christians. They are blind and prefer to be that way. I know Christians that deny that there is a judgment seat of Christ. Even though it is Biblically clear. Many believers do not want to be held accountable, they just want a blanket forgiveness and love with no accountability of their faith. Accountability should inspire us to strive to be dynamic followers of Jesus Christ in word and deed. We should live with the reality that we are going to give account of our faith and strive for moral excellence in our Christian walk.

I think non-Christians want Christians to join them in sin to conform with modern conventional attitudes and mores. Christians who practice their faith bother or even bring conviction to non-believers. By joining in a non-Christian behavior, the believer can confirm the behavior of the pagan. We are tempted to join in sinful behavior for many reasons, i.e. conformity; fitting in; we like doing whatever the temptation is; to feel comfortable; so people will like me, so on and so on. We can resist temptation by associating with our fellow saints and being in constant fellowship with our Lord ( through the Word and prayer), and by being actively involved with Christian service.

Jesus went to the cross to die as a sacrifice for our sins and to set us free from sin -- to do away with sin in our lives. Jesus has nothing to do with sin after His cruxification and our attitude should be same. Have nothing to do with sin.

Like warfare, spiritual warfare takes energy, emotion, constant focus, making the right decisions, trusting in God, etc. Its a battle and can wear on us. Jesus said the prize, the reward of Heaven is being an overcomer. That is why we continue to resist. Yes.

The great cloud of witnesses mentioned in 12:1 are those saints gone on before us. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to run the race marked out for us. To faithfully live out our faith until we depart this world. Jesus modeled the type of faith the Christian should live. Jesus lived out His faith by obeying His Father even when it meant going to the cross and suffering pain and death for our sins. As as result of obediance God raised Him from the dead where He now sits on the right hand seat of the Throne of God. Jesus went the distance and if we travel with Him, we also will go the distance.

Faith was the powerful motivating factor behind the actions taken by the people mentioned in these verses. This faith was based on a knowledge that God would take care of them. At the Red Sea crossing, the Israelites believed that God would part the waters and deliver them and the Egyptians did not have a clue. All that is important about Rabah is that she was faithful to the God of Israel.

Faith was the powerful motivating factor behind the actions taken by the people mentioned in these verses. This faith was based on a knowledge that God would take of them. At the Red Sea crossing, the Israelites believed that God would part the waters and delivered them and the Egyptians did not have a clue. All that is important about Rabah is that she was faithful to the God of Israel.

Moses persevered because he saw the invisible God. He had such a strong faith due to his relationship with God that he knew the suffering was temporary and trusted that God was in control. Moses could see the spiritual realities between the events in the material world. God is developing this kind of faith within me even as I am answering this question.

As a Christian my citizenship is in Heaven, that is where I am heading. For a season I am living on this planet, in this world. I am in this world until my departure date. Meanwhile, I live according to Heavenly, Godly values taught in God's Holy Scripture, in this world. I live in this world, but my values, alliegiance and heart are Heavenly.

Abraham pioneered the way of faith. I look to Abraham as an example of how it is done and how God responded to Abraham's obediance. Abraham is a model of faithfulness for all of us. The final city we shall see is the New Jersusalem and the final country of which we are citizens is the Heavenly Kingdom of God.

Abraham's faith was based on a certainity that God made real what He promised. Abraham's personal relationship with, and knowlege of God was the basis of his faith in God. Abraham had confidence in God based on that relationship. Abraham responded to God's calling in his life. He had a real and dynamic relationship with God. His faith was grounded in the reality of God's power because he had experienced it. If I have no relationshop with God or a faith grounded in that relationship, then I really have no faith in God at all. Abraham acted on a faith that was based on a personal knowledge, trust and certainity that God would deliver on the promises made to him.

The content of Judeo-Christian type of faith is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the only unique Son of the Living God, which sets it apart from any other religion. Additionally, our faith is based on a relationship with a God who values the individual and has a purpose for each of us. A purpose that can be lived out in cooperation with the Living God, Creator of this universe if we seek Him out. Noah acted on God's words, in faith, with the expectation that God would carry out what He said He was going to do. Noah trusted that God meant what He said, whether he could totally wrap his mind around it or not. This is the basis of my faith. Faith grows from the Word brought to us from Jesus Christ.

As Hebrews 11:1 teaches, "... faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Faith defined in this verse is the basis for my seeking God and any reward He gives me as a result of that search. It is being sure that God will deliver on His promises that cause me to seek Him and obey His leadership and guidance in my life. Faith must have an object, and the proper object of genuine faith is God. The degree of my certainity regarding rewards conferred upon me by God drives my pursuit of experiencing God. My faith is based on God's Holy Scripture and like Abraham and Noah, I believe what God says and follow-up on it trusting my God to act on His promises as He as always acted on His promises -- as recorded in His Word and by the testimony of others. If I don't believe God will reward as He says, I will not seek Him out with any urgency, therefore nothing will happen in my relationship with God. However, if I believe God's promises, I will seek Him with expectation and urgency.

My faith in God's Word causes me to be sure of what I hope for and certian of what I do not see. My worldview and faith is based on God's Word as recorded in the Holy Bible. I trust, hope and am certian that the Holy Bible is truth and what has unfolded and will unfold, as recorded in the Bible, has and will happen. My faith moves me to respond to God's Word and live it out as a WAY of life.

The Words of the Institution say to me that God through Jesus' shed blood has forgiven me of my sin. It is important for us to repent of known sin before taking the Lord's Supper because this is in rememberance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for giveness of our sin. It is appropriate for us to ask forgiveness of sin prior to this memorial supper.

Jesus pointed His disciples to the phrasing in Isaiah 53 because He was pointing to Himself in that passage of scripture. This chapter identifies the Messiah and Jesus was that Messiah.

The violent nature of His death is what He did for the atonement of human sin -- not to be forgotten. The disciples did not have a total handle on what Jesus was telling them that night, at that time when Jesus instituted His memorial supper. After Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day, the Lord's Memorial Supper meant everything to them.

Old Testament sacrifices provided a means for people to ask God for forgiveness and atonement for their sins. That God would provide a way and means do that shows God's great grace and mercy for His people.

Jesus laying down His life for me encourages me to give Him my life and not to hold back. Jesus' obediance has caused within me a desire to be obediant and to give my life in service wherever that may lead and to whoever end. My love for Jesus Christ compels me to serve Him and others as He did. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for me tells me that I have great value to God the Father.

Jesus gave himself in sacrifice for me as an offering and sacrifice for the atonement of my sin. As a result, He has rescued me from this world, restored fellowship between me and God the Father. He has changed my heart from a selfish heart into one that is pure and wants to do what is good in His name.

Christianity insists on a physical birth, physical suffering and a resurrection of the physical body to emphasize that what Jesus Christ did in His minisry, trial, punishment, death upon the cross, and resurrection were real and not symbolic. If Jesus did not enter fully into the human condition, He would not be the perfect sacrifice or the perfect High Priest. He would not be able to identify with us. Therefore some of His and the Apostles claims and promises would be void.

Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself upon the cross in the physical body, not spiritual, like any sacrifice made at the temple for the atonement of human sin. The pain and grief was physical as well as spiritual. The important point is that the Messiah, as prophesied, bore our sins and the punishment due us in His human body.