Rosemary NoVA

I have certainly tripped up in this area and had to repent from the sin of critcizing my brothers & sisters. God is faithful, sovereign and in the words of one of my favorite hymns He chastens and hastens His will to make known... the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing. Sing praises to His name, He forgets not his own." -- Hymn "We Gather Together" One area that the Holy Spirit chastened me is listening to another criticize without reproving him/her. In other words, My people-pleasing nature was so strong I didn't feel comfortable "offending" someone who was behaving offensively and destructively in their critical speaking... Over the last decade, the Lord has really worked on my being a GOD PLEASER, not a people-pleaser. I have learned to speak the truth in love. The scripture I lean to is: Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 Althought this scripture context is for sharing the good news of salvation with non-believers, I find so often called to live it out with BELIEVERS (gasp!!) I have learned to accept that my words, no matter how gently spoken, may offend the offensive person. One of the wonderful things about being a God Pleaser is that "complainers" and "critics" don't usually approach me more than one time. (By speaking up, I'm refusing to participate in their sin...) One of the yucky things that happened to me is that one of my "complainer/critics" was also my former boss's boss's boss. She grew weary of my honesty with her and her inability to sway me to keep me from having contact with others in the Body of Christ who had "offended" her. Eventually, rather than allowing God to transform her into Christlike-ness, she excercised her earthly authority over me. Now THAT was painful and had financial consequences for my family. Yet God is faithful even when we in the Body of Christ are not faithful with one another. How faithful is God? He won't let me sit back and cry out for judgement on her. Instead, He prompts me to pray for her healing that she would not continue to abuse her authority over others. He calls me to forgive and pray blessings for her. He tells me how He wants to bless this person who really hurt me. And most of all, by His Grace, I have not become 'her victim" because He continually woos and sways me to FORGIVE and to LOVE ANYWAY. It aint' easy. But it's the best thing that could ever happen to me (not being a victim, but being victorious in adversity.) Praise you , Dear Jesus! You are FAITHFUL AND TRUE!!

When I read this passage, I hear Jesus speaking with such encouragement as He trains my mind to think his way about God's provision; my eyes for "present" focus; and my soul to rest in the peace of trusting God. I can hear the play on words in verse 34 and the see the lift of his brow, the sparkle in his eyes and tilt of his head as he surveys the gathering seeking those who were amused, puzzled or concentrating so hard that his/her eyesight became blurry.

In short: Adultery is giving away what was promised to another. **** is apprehending what belongs to another.

My worship would be vain repititions trapped by the sin of the offense. If I am aware that I have offended someone, and dismiss it as inconsequential, I have not understood my Lord's instruction to love one another. To quote Francis Frangipane, "Pride is the armor of hell". And an indifference to my brother's pain definitely smacks of pridefulness. Humility is the antidote. I can't control how the person receives my apology, but I can control how I approach him to seek his forgiveness. I have experienced situations that were potentionally volatile and I knew "we" couldn't bring it to a healthy resolution but would be wholly dependent on God. I believe I heard the Lord call us out from a beloved church. I presented my discernment to my husband. He confirmed it. We loved our church family but the time had come to leave. I knew this action of leaving could easily be perceived as an "offense" against the church by some of the leadership. (Based upon struggles others had when they left the congregation). And so I prayed and prayed for Godly timing and expression and for the church leadership's protection from the deceits of the enemy. I prayed there would be no rending or tearing in the relationships. God is good and faithful. He guided our words and actions and he guarded our hearts. We still managed to hit some rough patches but that was due to all those pesky flesh-natures still in play. The enemy was persistent and even five months after the separation, the enemy was still at work trying to drum up hurt between some of the church leadership and this family. So, is this a situation that can be resolved? I believe so with prayer and petition and forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. I know I must be resolved to seek Christ's heart for the situation. His Holy Spirit has brought me up short several times for entertaining resentment for the "skirmish" we endured because we tried to separate. I am now often called to pray blessings for this church leadership. (I probably pray more for the leadership now than I ever did as a member of the congregation.... go figure. Praise God!) The reconciliation will come when the Holy Spirit is "allowed" to bring healing and our being called away is viewed through the light of God's truth rather than the darkness of that leader's personal woundings. And so can this ever be resolved? With God's help, YES! AMEN!

Can you see any tendencies in the church today to effectively "abolish" the Old Testament from our Christian faith? Reflecting on this question, I can't think of examples from the congregations in which I have been active. Two congregations followed a liturgy which included weekly readings from the old & new testaments and the teaching from the pulpit included both old and new testament scriptures. The sunday school curriculum followed a cycle of study where both Old and New Testament books were taught. In another congregation, the teaching is chapter-by-chapter through each book in the Bible with age-appropriate Sunday School lessons on the same track. What does a "Christian" legalism look like in a church? attitudes rooted in man's natural inclination rather than Godly understanding. "Ranking" of members based upon "natural" observations & prejudices (i.e. The false presumption that a woman who makes her living as a maid should serve as a custodian at the church rather than a healing prayer minister or teacher. Or a woman who serves as a VP at her company should naturally be an elder, not "just" a Sunday School teacher.). Churches that produce servants-of-man rather than disciples of Christ. What does it look like in a church where there are no moral standards and no obedience expected of Christians? Like a social gathering where folks who like to be around others come and are gratified to be noticed and lauded for good works. Where self is confirmed and affirmed and the rewards of earth are sought and the rewards of heaven are unrealized.

I admit I didn't see any warning at all in the "Light of the World" analogy. Salt that has lost its saltiness is cast down. Just so, I began to think about what would be the use of a city set upon a hill that is not shining forth light... it is even more vulnerable in its apparent lifelessness because although it is occupying desirable high ground, it's not making USE of it and its occupants attacked and cast out. Darkness is Satan's dominion. Jesus is the Light of the world. As a Christian, I am a "Child of the Light". To hide my LIGHT under a bowl is doing the enemy's work. It's forgetting WHOSE I am. It's not knowing who I am in Christ Jesus.

One symptom of a Christian who has lost his "saltiness" is that this person would not stand out in a secular crowd. There would be no distinction in attitude, word, or deed. I don't know that the believer can actually detect it in himself. I believe it takes God to reveal this. I believe the Holy Spirit will convict the believer once the believer humbles himself and asks Jesus to be Lord of his life. For example, praying the scriptures: "Search me Oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me to life everlasting." (Psalm 139)

Thanks for sharing. Your specific example of "Christian-as-salt" is inspiring and has helped me to sit back and ponder God's gracious application of salt in my life in the form of those he sent to me. Praising God from whom all blessings flow.... Rosemary NoVA

Salt-as-preservative: We are called to intercede with prayer and fasting. Salt-as-seasoning: We are called to: Preach the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ Teach one another (Speak the truth into a situation) Heal the sick Set the captives free

When I think on a 'pure heart' I am reminded of offering the heart as Jesus' throne. Also, the scripture/song, "Create in me a pure heart O God / Let me be like you in all your ways" & Psalm 24 "Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in the holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart" and one more comes to mind, "Search me o God, and know my heart..." These "heart" scriptures reveal how to grow in intimacy with God. I believe the condition of a "chronic sinner" is one of a precious child who has not yet learned to submit to God. She has not yet learned to trust God more than she trusts her own determinations and whims in that area. Jesus has been asked to save, but has yet to be given Lordship in the area of the chronic sin. I believe obtaining a pure or clean heart is the work of the Holy Spirit in a submitted life. A pure & clean heart is the result of a prayer life where the sheep is: quiet before the Master and receives His rest ("Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" Mark 6:30); feeding on the Word of God, seeking & receiving the Shepherd's healing touch & participating in the life of the Body of Christ as he/she is equiped by the Holy Spirit.

When a person is feeling satisfied & satiated in life, he or she may not realize or even be concerned that God desires his or her fellowship. Wealth, popularity and other abundances can mask a person's innate need for a relationship with God. But Jesus died for all while we were yet sinners. Often a crisis will spark the realization of spiritual poverty. Another catalyst to a Godly spiritual awakening is being served by someone from whom God's love is flowing. It is compelling to seek God when his servants are observed serving quietly with GODLY love, joy peace, patience kindness goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and temperance. And, Jesus promises that for whoever knocks, the door will be open to him. Whoever seeks, he will find... Regarding mourning -- the Ezek 9 scripture seems to be the mourning of the intercessor crying out for MERCY. The Isaiah passage speaks to the rescue of the persecuted. Evil will be judged and the oppressed will then be freed from captivity.

Both speak to transformations that will happen when we submit to God through Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit will transform us into Christ's image. The beattitudes in Matthew are expressed as a characteristic, then what will happen when that characteristic is given over to God. The fruit of the Spirit are those Christ-like characterstics which change us from the inside out when we "die to ourselves" and our way of doing things and let the Holy Spirit lead us.

Hello. My name is Rosemary and I live in Northern Virginia in the United States. This is my fourth online Bible study. I hope to grow in my love and knowledge of and service to the Lord. Blessings for my fellow travelers.

I think by referencing the rulers, Luke is speaking both to current and future generations who would read this account. The current generation would know first-hand the government and event (census) that Luke references. Future generations would find references to the ruler and census in the written records of the government and historians.

Hi I'm Rosemary and I live in Northern Virginia. This is the third Bible Study I've attended and I'm grateful for this opportunity. I was baptized as a youth but I believe Christ has been the Lord of my life for about 17 years. My family and I recently set out from the church we attended for about 5 years. We are visiting many local churches here in Northern VA and it is quite an experience. We hope to hear the Lord instruct us to join a congregation soon. In the meantime, we're enjoying different worship styles and 'character' of local congregations. Thankfully, we're hearing the Gospel solidly preached in several of these local congregations. Although scary at first, this is a true blessing. I am eager to settle down and start serving in the next body of Christ to which this family is called.