JanMary

Q3. (1:20-21) How can fear keep us from being a bold witness? When fear controls us, the Holy Spirit can't! Fear can shut Him up, unless we give Him permission to override the fear, so that we can share Christ freely as He leads. Why does fear of people bind our tongues? We can become so paralyzed with what people think, or wanting to please people and to be liked and accepted, that these desires overcome the desire to share Christ with others. How does "losing our life" for Christ's sake actually give us an abundant life? When we've lost our life for Christ, we no longer live, but He lives in us...then we are free from the fears and constraints which may have previously kept us bound and silent. Now we are free to live life as He planned for us. What fear is keeping you from clear witness? Before deliverance, I was bound with the spirit of fear, and panic attacks, which are gone now, thank God for setting me free. But even then the gift of evangelism prevailed and I didn't fear sharing my faith as He led me to do....the fears kept me from enjoying life and preoccupied with the fears, so my life was like living in jail.

Q2. (1:18b-19) Why is our ability to rejoice so dependent upon our faith that God is in control, working even in the midst of difficulty? When I fall into the old rut from an abusive childhood, I feel fearful or angry in the face of difficulty. It's when I get a grip and remember that I'm His child, and that He's in control, that I can relax and rejoice, knowing there will be a good outcome. What must you believe in order to be able to rejoice in the midst of problems? I must believe that He is omnipresent and involved in my life, that He has a good plan for me (Jer 29:11), and that He will work all things together for my good and His glory, that I might be conformed into the image of Christ. (Rom.8:28,29) I must believe that any trial or difficulty passes through His will before it reaches me, so I can rejoice knowing it will be used to refine my character, bring Him glory, grow me in the knowledge of Him and His love, and strengthen my faith. C.S. Lewis said "Pain is God's megaphone", which tells me that trials are His voice to me and to listen up, and they are His voice through me, to speak into others lives of His love, power and mercy. What is your basis for believing that? I believe the Bible is the Word of God...Jesus is the Word, and He cannot lie, so I can trust Him to do what He says in His Word. I also believe it because I've experienced His salvation, work, intervention, deliverance, help, love, care, provision, healing, in a lifetime of walking with Him.

Q1. (1:12-14) From the standpoint of witness to others, you are much more credible when you are undergoing personal struggles, stress, and problems. Why is this so? It's in the crucible that others recognize the faith, from the fake. It would be easier to complain about our plight for sympathy's sake, than to proclaim Christ in the midst of our trial, or as in the parable of the sower, to leave when the "heat" comes. There is power in proclaiming Christ, in the midst of pain and suffering, rather than like Job's wife urged, to curse God and die! Paul said "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain". Why was Paul's witness so powerful? He was in chains simply because he was a believer and proclaimer of Christ, and the Jewish zealots (of which he was once) wanted to persecute him and have him put to death. Instead, he not only didn't complain, but saw his imprisonment as an opportunity to preach and to prove that Jesus sustains us, no matter what situation we're in. He rejoiced at the privilege of sharing His Lord with his guards, believing that though he would rather go to be with the Lord, he was eager to stay and to strengthen the other believers.He refused to compromise the gospel. A lesser man may have done so and repudiated it so he could be set free. What personal struggle are you going through that could enhance your testimony if you handled it right? The loss of business, cars, & home, due to the recession of 1990, and from which we still struggle financially. We have no insurance, no savings, and just enough to live on. We haven't been to a dentist in years, and our teeth are fine. We haven't seen a doctor in years, but we are healthy. We have promises God gave years ago upon which we are standing in faith, and waiting patiently for the provision to come in His timing. Every day we have just enough. We serve in a wonderful church, and I doubt that people who don't know our circumstances, would ever guess how little we have to live on...because the Lord has caused our clothing to not wear out, our old car is a classic and is kept clean and is one of those that seems ageless. We live in an apartment, but so do many people, though we once had a beautiful home. We are content (most of the time!), but when cabin fever sets in, He provides an evening out or a drive someplace which refreshes us. We praise our Lord and thank Him for the opportunites He gives us to share how He continues to sustain us. When my husband went blind and needed eye surgery, we got a phone call from another state from someone who saw an 800 number on t.v. for people who "fell through the cracks" and needed surgery. When I called the 800 number it was for a Doctor not 50 miles away, who did the surgery for free! I cold go on and on. Each difficulty or need has been met with His wonderful, sometimes miraculous intervention and sustaining power.

Q4. (1:9-11) Why does Paul ask God to give the Philippian Christians discernment? Paul wanted them to learn and sense what is vital and of the hightest priority, over those "good" things which can consume a life, and have little eternal value. What will be the result of discernment in their lives? He longed for them to recognize the highest and best, and to distinguish the moral differences, that they might remain untainted and pure and unerring and blameless, not stumbling nor causing others to stumble in their faith. He longed for them to be completed in Christ, as stated in v.6, and they they abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness and right standing which comes through Jesus, and to His honor and praise...that His glory be both manifested and recognized. How does selfishness cloud discernment? Selfishness in always inward looking, always about "me". This closes the eyes and mind to what is good for others, since selfishness isn't concerned with others and their needs. How is the good the enemy of the best in our lives? I think it was Dwight Eisenhower who said, "Your crisis does not make it my emergency", or something like that. The "good" can be like that....absorbing all of our time and energy and resources, much like a crisis does, and the "best" goes neglected, seen as a lower priority...always on the back burner, uncompleted.

Q3. (1:6) What does Paul expect God to do for the Philippian believers? He expects God to bring them to maturity and to fully complete the work He began in them. Why does he expect God to do this? God is faithful to fulfill His Word and Work. What is the basis of Paul's confidence? The written Word of God...His promises, and God's work in his own life. He was speaking to them what God had spoken to him, and relying on God's faithfulness. On what basis can we expect God to do this for us? The same Word to them is also for us. God is no respecter of persons...what He promises to one, is for all who receive His Word, and apply themselves to it. In the Amplified version it says: He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

Q2. (1:6) When we become financial "partners" with a Christian missionary, minister, ministry, or church, what do we receive out of the partnership? We share in the eternal rewards of that misinstry in Heaven. What other kinds of support might we offer beyond financial? Prayer, sharing, encouragement, fellowship.

Q1. (1:1) What is the basic idea of "slave"? One who is committed for life to compulsory service to his master. What is the root idea of "saint"? Not perfection, but rather consecration and dedication to God, our title upon receiving salvation when we receive His imparted holiness. In what way are these words saying the same thing about a Christian's relationship to God? Both words imply that once saved, we belong to God for life, and through faith, serve Him as His sainted children. I love that in scripture when a slave was set free to leave, some chose to remain with their master... the sign for this was to put the ear lobe to the wooden door frame (the cross) and the ear was pierced with an awl (as our Savior was pierced for us when nailed to the cross) The individual went from being a slave to a bond servant through love for his/her master. (Note: to answer this question correctly you'll need to refer to the notes on the precise word meanings.)

Q7. (Luke 23:46) What does Jesus mean when he says, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit"? Jesus was still actively in control as Victor rather than victim. His work was complete. In full faith and confidence He was saying, I'm going to die now and I place my Spirit in Your hands Father, knowing that I will be resurrected on the third day. Why does this saying comfort us so much? He is our model and our forerunner...as we get ready to leave this life, we can have the same confidence that we are in His hands even in death. He has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us. And as we live, we can now commit our spirit into His hands, or another way of saying that, is that we have the choice of surrendering out spirit, as well as our body and soul to Him, allowing Him to live through us and shapes us into His own image. (Rom 8:28,29). Living in that way makes dying, just a transition from here to there.

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus "finished"? He finished everything He came to do.....He fulfilled every prophecy about Himself, lived a sinless, perfect life, preached the message of Salvation, then entrusted it to His 12 Disciples so that through them His message could be carried to the world, then suffered and died on the Cross as the substitute Lamb for my sins which He carried on His body to the grave. As His blood dripped onto the ground He removed the curse placed there in Genesis. He carried the wrath of God that I deserved for sin, on His body when His Father turned His back for a time. When He finished the work, the curtain in the temple, which was as thick as a man's hand, was torn from top to bottom, showing that the way is now open for me to come directly into God's Presence. He secured eternal life/ forgiveness of sin for "whosoever will come" to Him in faith. His broken, scourged body carried my sickness and grief (Isaiah 53) so that I may be healed by His stripes! I may be comforted in grief and trouble. What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word: "It is finished"? His finished work empowers me to complete whatever His destiny is for me to accomplish, as I rely on His wisdom, guidance, and power. I don't have to fret and strain....He will live through me and complete the works He designed before I was born, for me to accomplish, as I surrender and yield to Him. It also says to me that there is purpose in my life..."IT" applies to me and is my reason for being born. I will continue to live until "IT" is finished, then I will die....but only the body. Paul said for the believer "To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ"....He went down into hell so that I don't have to. He finished that too. And while I am still alive, He took away Satan's power, so that I no longer have to live enslaved by him...He provided freedom from every kind of bondage.

Q5. (John 19:28) What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? I see my Savior at work on the cross, fulfilling every iota of prophecy so there could never be any doubt as to whether or not He is Messiah. His death was heinously painful and agonizing, and yet He did not hang there passively waiting to die and get it over with....He was conscientiously fulfilling the scripture that He knew so well, even to the very end. I learn of His humanity...his flesh was just like ours. He got hungry, tired, thirsty, felt pain as well as human emotions, yet without sin. He was thirsty but became the River of Living Water for me, so that my spiritual thirst is quenched as we are now in relationship! What does this tell us about Jesus? It tells me that besides being human, He is God. Asking to have His thirst slaked was not only to fulfill prophecy, it was to enable Him to give the shout of victory "It is finished", in a loud cry, rather than in the whimper of a helpless victim. What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? Jesus was in control, even on the cross. He demonstrated that "He laid down His life"....no one took it from Him. He showed that He gave His life as the final sacrificial lamb of God, dying at the moment the shofar was sounding from the temple as the high Priest slit the throat of the lamb, no longer needed, there, and as the curtain was torn from top to bottom demonstrating that the way was now opened for me to come into the presence of God in prayer...without the aid of a priest. It tells me that He was thinking of me when He took His last breath, and that for "the joy set before Him", you and I would spend eternity with Him.

Q4. (Mark 15:34) What does Jesus' Fourth Word from the cross teach us about faith? It tells us that though He was in agony and the throes of death, He still trusted His Father, and was crying out to Him for help, even as He fulfilled scripture by speaking the words ascribed to Him in Psalm22. His Father's back was turned away from Him because of the sins of the world carried on His body, and yet even in separation from His Father, He knew He was there. This was the first and only time Jesus called His Father, God. Until that point He always called Him Father....He did this so that we can call our God, Father, now that we are engrafted into His family, as believers. About commitment? He had been fully committed to going through the crucifixion since the beginning, before Adam and Eve sinned, since He knew they would fall, and stayed there on the cross. He could have called forth legions of Angels to deliver Him, if He'd decided to abort the cross. About love? His love is shown in every aspect of His life, death and resurrection. It was all lived, and gone through because of His love for you and me. Jesus endured abandonment and separation from His Father, so that you and I will never experience being forsaken by Him...even for a moment. Whenever I read or recall His Words "I will never, never, never leave you nor forsake, no not ever" (amp.), I think of what that cost my Savior to be able to make that promise to me. What effect should this understanding have on our lives? It should transform our understanding of how precious we are as individuals to Him. It should increase our devotion and obedience to Him. His love should be returned to Him every day of our lives and with every free, cleansed breath that we breath!

Q3. (John 19:26-27) Why does Jesus make St. John responsible for his mother Mary? John was the disciple who was closest to Jesus..."the beloved". John was there, devoted and grieving, as was Mary, unlike his other disciples who had fled in unbelief. His brothers were absent and may not have come to belief in Him yet. John lived to be an old man...I wonder if that entered in, since He told Peter how he would die, He must have known there would be other early deaths for some of His disciples, including His brothers. Just as our Father provided the believing thief on the cross as a comfort for Jesus in His last hours, He provided mutual loving support for these two believing disciples...John and His Mother. Perhaps it was to lessen another upheaval in her life in the future. Pastor Wilson mentions the complicated family issues. I would think that with John, and her sister, John's Mother, would be the best and safest and most comfortable place for Mary to be. Sadly, in my own life, it has not been family who stepped up in our time of need...it was other believers in Christ. What does this tell us about Jesus? Jesus was true to His Divine nature to the very end...though suffering a horrid and painful death, He was concerned with His Mother's welfare, and for John, to whom Mary would also be a comfort. He was leaving this life in a few hours, yet He concerned Himself with the welfare of those He loved and for whom He felt responsible. How should we apply this in our own lives? The Golden Rule covers this...Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Also, we are to love and respect our parents. Paul said in 1 Corin. that we are not to hide ourselves from the needs of our own flesh and blood. Many parents need physical or financial help in their later years, or both, and if the children are able, scripture tells us to provide care for them. In Jesus' day, widows were to be cared for by their eldest son...Jesus' role, but He would be gone, so John as His cousin, friend, and intimate disciple was chosen for this honor. Today if family neglects elders, the church is commissioned to help them.

Q2. (Luke 23:39-43) Why is the thief's faith so astounding in this situation? Jesus' own disciples had fled in despair and unbelief, even though He had told them that He would be crucified and would rise to life on the 3rd day after His death. This man was not a disciple, let alone a follower, though he may have heard Jesus teach at some point. He was a criminal, rather than a religious man, yet he recognized Jesus as Messiah as he was dying, and chose to repent and request mercy. Amazing! What did the thief receive that day He accompanied Jesus to Heaven and eternal life shortly after his request for mercy. What an honor for him to enter into Parardise, cleansed of his sin, escorted by His Savior! What do you think this meant to Jesus? I loved this question! I had never thought of what this meant to Jesus, but isn't that just like our Father, to provide a believing companion to die with Him...an encouragement and comfort to Jesus, especially since He was dying alone. His Father's back was turned away, because a Holy God could not look upon the sins of the world which Jesus carried on His body. A huge love gift from His Father.

Q1. (Luke 23:34) Who was most responsible for killing Jesus? When I learned that if I'd been the only person on earth, Jesus would still have come and died for me, I discovered that I put Him on the cross. My sins were nailed with Him there on Calvary. The Bible lists the groups involved, and all are guilty. I tend to think of those living at the time who "should have known better" were the religious leaders who knew scripture, knew prophecy, etc., but they are all individuals, and He died for each of them too. Adam and Eve started us down the fallen path, but had I been in Eve's place, I'm certain I'd have done just as she did...so once again, I am responsible for killing Jesus. What responsibility do you and I bear in this? I bear full responsibility for acknowledging my sin, and for turning to Jesus for forgiveness for my sins. In what sense was Jesus praying for us? He looked into the future and saw you and I in our fallen condition and included us in His prayer and His provision through His shed blood to cleanse us from our sins and hopeless condition, into Eternal life. His death and resurrection were not an afterthought....when Adam and Eve were still chewing the forbidden fruit, Jesus was preparing to come to earth to save us.

Q4. (2 Timothy 4:21a) Why is it important to Paul for Timothy to come before winter? If he delayed, Paul might not live through the cold winter and weather would force Timothy to postpone the journey until Spring. Paul needed his cloak and parchments, but it seems that Paul needed the warmth, love and connection with his dear son in the faith, and I think, the reassurance of speaking to Timothy perhaps one last time, face to face, as his time on earth was at the end....to die knowing that Timothy was sound in faith and doctrine and would stand fast at his post, to say goodbye, and to impart personal words to Timothy alone, rather than in a parchment to the Church. Perhaps this is why he asked him to bring John Mark as well. What happens if Timothy delays? Since nearly everyone had deserted Paul, he had no provision against the cold. Paul wanted to gather and distribute his parchments while he was alive...tying up loose ends. He might have died alone without the comfort of a loving farewell to his "son", as well as to John Mark who had deserted him early on, but was now a trusted friend and co-laborer in the Gospel. Do you think Timothy dropped everything and came to Paul's side? I do. I don't think wild horses could have stopped him from allowing Paul this one last pleasure on earth, and the knowledge that he is the one Paul is depending on and wanting to feast his dying eyes upon. I think Timothy would want to hear Paul's last words and his voice once more. Would you, if you were Timothy? I would! I would have wanted that same touch and reassurance that Paul continually gave Timothy in order to stand firm, and I would have wanted to try to fulfill Paul's dying "wish"...(I love that he didn't command him to come. Paul allowed freedom in his disciples, as Jesus does, rather than trying to dominate and control them as a cult figure might do.) It would be as if a beloved parent was in a hospital bed knowing their time was short and asking me to try to get there before it's too late to say goodbye and knowing there may be something critically important they want to say before dying.....

Q3. (2 Timothy 4:9-12) Why is it so difficult when trusted friends desert us? We were created for relationship...to know and to be known. We rely on companionship, fellowship, love, time spent together, support, fun, laughter, counsel, connection,and much more from friends. Trusted friends are few and far between in my experience, and I cherish those above the shallow acquaintances, of which there are many. A true and trusted friend "deserting" us leaves a huge hole in our lives. It means grieving, and loss, and I'm assuming this means leaving on good terms but we are feeling deserted. If it's a cruel emotional abandonment, that's another whole issue...betrayal, and all sorts of negative emotions and difficulties. Why is it so difficult when they move away or die? We no longer have access to the life which has meant so much to us.Their move creates a void. We may feel lonely or rejected. If they've moved, they begin a new life elsewhere which doesn't include us in the way we were before. If they die, it's a permanent separation while we're left here on earth. There may be regrets we are no longer able to rectify, or goodbyes to be said, love left unexpressed, etc. If they die and are unsaved, that means a permanent separation forever and deep grief and sadness over that aspect as well. Is it better to trust no one? I don't think it is...that would be one lonely desolate life! We are meant for connection, though we can't trust everyone who comes into our lives. But it's a precious gift to be given when we are trusted and our friend is trustworthy. Who remains with Paul besides Luke? (Hint: see verse 17a). I love this question! I had to read it twice to see that it was the Lord Himself who stood by Paul and strengthened him to continue ministry to the Gentiles, unto the end. "He is the friend Who sticks closer to us than a brother", after everyone else might desert us and leave....He never will, we're promised. So comforting!

Q2. (2 Timothy 4:8) What does the "crown of righteousness" represent? I believe it represents a reward which will be given at the Bema seat of Christ for believers when our works are examined or judged...either the wood, hay and stubble of our self effort, which go up in smoke when tested, or eternal rewards which remain such as the Crown of righteousness, which represents a well run race and a course finished in the power of and submission to the Holy Spirit. To whom is it given? To those who have longed for Christ's second coming and for persevering to the end in loving relationship and faithful service to Him. (Rev.3:11 says to "hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.) On what basis is it awarded? It is awarded for those works we allowed the Holy Spirit to work in and through us which bring Him glory, and proportionate to our faithfulness.(Rev.2:10 says in the face of severe trials and testing...."Be loyally faithful unto death even if you must die for it, and I will give you the crown of life.")

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? It means that to the best of my ability to follow (in spite of some detours), I've persevered with Him and by His grace will continue on to the completion of fulfilling His destiny for me. I've followed the course laid out for me in advance, and can say "I may be beat up and battered, but I've kept running with Him as He has supplied the strength, the motivation, and the faith...and now the crown of life awaits, stored up for me in Heaven. What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? "We are God's handiwork, born again that we may do those good works which God predestined and planned beforehand for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live." Eph.2:10 In order to finish the race/course He has designed for me, I must yield to His Lordship and the leading of the Holy Spirit to seek His Will for me each day, to surrender to His plan and purposes, rather than what I might want to do or what others want me to do. I must stay in the Word where His will is revealed, and in prayer, both seeking and listening for His direction, and to boldly obey, whether or not it leads to persecution, hardship or even death. Part of my race has been to learn to praise and worship in the midst of pain, loss and humiliation. What does it mean to "keep the faith"? For me it means that I've kept clinging to Him no matter what has been thrown at me. When His promises have been delayed for years at a time, (when I thought they would be fulfilled immediately), He has kept me in a place of faith and trust, through His encouragement and His faithfulness, so that I can say I have kept the faith. When I've wanted to give up, He has held onto me. When I've been confused or disappointed, He has comforted until clarity came. So when I might say, "I have kept the faith", and I think Paul would agree, the Lord receives the glory for anything of value my life has produced. My contribution has been to surrender to Him and to allow Him to work through my life....He is the Hand, while I am just the glove.

Q4. (2 Timothy 4:5) Why does Paul command Timothy to "discharge all the duties of your ministry"? If Timothy was flagging in fatigue or distraction from attacks, Paul was exhorting him to Stand, and to stay focused on his calling to shepherd his flock, to keep his eyes on the goal rather than trying to put out the inevitable "fires" around him. Shepherd's guard and tend the sheep, head on, they don't run. What is the work of an evangelist that Timothy is to do? Paul is restating what he said earlier: Preach the Word! It awakens the unsaved and disciples and teaches the believer in righteous living. What does the command in verse 5 mean to you personally? There was a time when my family came under such attack that it was as if an angry hornets nest had been unleashed. We were too new to understand spiritual warfare, and we were knocked around badly. I was so busy girding up for the next blow that I was in a defense mode, rather than on the offense...seldom shared my faith, just tried to survive the next blow. (Lost our business, home, car, were falsely accused at 2 churches, with no apology or restoration when the truth was known, our two kids cars caught on fire and burned a month apart, then the car which replaced our daughters, was stolen and never found. Short of living in our car, strangers took us in, and while there my husband went blind from cataracts, and now with no insurance...on and on it went.....my book is about how the Lord was faithful in all of our circumstances and has provided for us everything we have needed.) ...So verse 5 says to me from what I've experienced: Cling to the Rock, hide in His shelter, and at the same time, continue to allow Him to work in and through me and the ministry gifts He's given to me. It's in the trials of life that people are watching to see how we handle things...to see if we REALLY walk our talk, REALLy trust Him.

Q3. (2 Timothy 4:1-2) Why do you think Paul has to resort to the command in verses 1-2? Paul had addressed Timothy's spirit of timidity and fear earlier. Now there was conflict and tension in the church from the false teachers, and Paul was admonishing Timothy to stand firm and remember that the main thing is to preach and teach the Word of God faithfully, no matter what is going on. Why does he have to talk about being ready when it's inconvenient and when it is convenient? Because it's the most important thing..the Word awakens the unsaved and disciples the believer. There will always be attempts by Satan through infiltrators to stop the preaching of the Word and to try to distort it's truth. What problem is Paul trying to overcome here? It sounds as if Paul thought Timothy was flagging and becoming wishy-washy and discouraged from the attacks within the church as well as from without. He was exhorting a wavering pastor to STAND! I believe Paul knew his own time was short and that it was imperative for a firm foundation of scripture to be laid before the "wolves" got in to try to tear down Timothy's work, that of other Pastors, as well as his own. How do these verses speak to you in particular? These speak to me of urgency...I sense the same urgency Paul spoke of, as I see prophecy being fulfilled nearly every day and sense that we are in the last days. I see people all around me who are lost and not even seeking truth...YET....but I believe as more pressure comes, they will. My desire is to always be ready to share Christ. A Pastor taught us how to share our testimony in 2 or 3 min. so it can be given quickly, such as on an elevator ride, if the occassion arises. ( A brief summary of my condition before I met the Lord, how I received Him {which gives the plan of salvation, including scripture} and how He has changed my life.) I've discovered that it's also an effective way to share when cult members knock on my door. I sat at a conference by a woman who had come out of a cult and received Christ, because she said over the course of time, a number of Christians shared their testimony with her when she knocked on their doors. She said "cult members don't have a testimony....only a driving need to try to do enough to hopefully EARN salvation. In time, she realized she was lost and would never gain salvation in this cult, and from the testimonies and scripture shared (never argued), she received Christ. The Lord then instructed her to go to each door of those who had not slammed the door in her face, and to thank them for taking the time to share with her. It works!

Q2. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) In what ways does Scripture equip a Christian for ministry? Scripture studied, learned and applied personally in ones life, may lead to completion and proficiency, thoroughly equipping and fitting one for every aspect of ministry. In what different ways can the Scriptures function, according to verse 16? Scripture is profitable for instruction, reproof, conviction of sin, correction of error, and discipline in obedience, and for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action). {Amp. version.}

Q1. (2 Timothy 3:16) What does inspiration of Scripture mean? The men who penned Holy Scripture, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and wrote as He awakened, enlightened, and gave revelation of His Word to and in them, writing according to His leading and guidance.. What does the term "God-breathed" tell us about the source and authority of Scripture? I have always loved that phrase...it brings to mind the picture of God breathing His breath and life into Adam, as portrayed on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. God Himself is the source, and is why Scripture interprets Scripture, without contradiction though there were dozens of authors or "scribes"...That's the other thing I think of....a scribe writes not his own words, but preserves faithfully and exactly the words given to him to for future reading. God's Breath means the Word is alive, and is able to quicken the dead spirits of mankind into life eternal, and to teach, train, correct, and inspire believers in His ways. Why is the doctrine of inspiration of Scripture important? The fact that it is God's Word, gives it the authority and inerrancy to be believed and to know with assurance that the Lord Himself is speaking through it when it is read. From God's Lips to my eyes or ears!

Q4. (2 Timothy 3:10-12) How does a failure to accept the inevitability of persecution hinder our witness? If we fear persecution or even rejection, we will stay silent to avoid discomfort. Just what does it mean to "take up his cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and to "carry his cross" (Luke 14:27)? I love this definition: It's where my will "crosses" His will. I saw a drawing of this and His will is the vertical "pillar", and mine is the "cross" bar. To carry His cross means my will is in complete subjection to His. When I went under the water at my baptism, I was identifying with Jesus in His death. Now I no longer live, but Jesus in me. My will or the old JanMary is dead, and to pick up the cross means I allow and follow His will daily. Is Jesus talking about persecution -- or something else? I think it's both surrender and persecution, because following Him in obedience will eventually lead to persecution.

Q3. (2 Timothy 3:5) Why is it so easy to become a hypocrite? Jeremiah said "The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick. Who can know, perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind." Jer. 17:9. I believe psychologists today call it "Denial" or a "Disconnect"...believing one thing while acting or speaking another.....or "believing our own press release"...it follows self righteousness which leads to looking down and judging others based on how we believe we're doing or how we want others to perceive we're living. How can we prevent our faith from degenerating into "a form of religion" without the power? For me it involves staying in a vital relationship with the Lord, confessing sin, studying the Word, prayer, asking Him to search my heart and expose and root out any darkness...and to create a clean heart. It involves being filled with the Holy Spirit, and obedience as well. A blase, "I can do it myself" attitude leads to "religion", as do legalism and license. I guess I can sum it up by "staying on the narrow path closely following His leading and footsteps."

Q2. (2 Timothy 2:24-25) In your own words, explain the various characteristics that enable a Christian teacher to correct opponents. How does the lack of any of these hinder the task? Most important I think, is being filled with the Holy Spirit, and with humility. Able to rightly divide and handle the Word of God with a pure heart. Not contentious or quarrelsome, but gentle. Bold rather than timid. Courteous, patient and forebearing....having a peace loving, shepherd's heart for the sheep. (One that understands that the Holy Spirit is the Teacher, and guide to all Truth, and he/she is just the messenger, and that it's not his/her job to hammer the Word into anyone.) To be lacking in these qualities, can lead to pride, arguments, wounded sheep. Since the goal is to awaken the unsaved and to disciple the believer, the lack of these qualities could prevent the hearers from coming to the knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ.