hanks

3. Does acting out of compassion mean responding to a whim? Why or why not? From personal experience I’ve found it not advisable in certain circumstances to suddenly offer help without fully having understood the situation. Some people are very complex and don’t always know themselves what to ask for, or what their need is. I’m talking about a normal situation one would encounter in our local church, not a life-or-death situation. In my country we often have youngster begging at the robots. It would be doing them a great disservice to give them money. They want money to buy drugs, and I think the better option would be to buy them a burger. So, here being compassionate and giving them money is counterproductive and causes them more harm; they need to get to a rehab centre.

2. How do you explain Him raising the widow's son at Nain while passing many graveyards His route? In the same way, we have all sinned and deserve eternal punishment from God. But, God in His love for us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8). Absolutely amazing. We put our faith in Jesus and trust Him as our Saviour, and all our sins are forgiven – past, present, and future sins! Finally, when we are glorified, that will be a day of great victory because on that day the last enemy, death, will be destroyed. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers that true hope and real power to this hurting world. The widow had not asked Jesus to raise her only son, our Lord did this miracle out of compassion for her (7:13). A widow and her only son had died, was completely destitute in those days, her future would have been extremely bleak. Whenever the Lord Jesus confronts human sorrow and need, He feels compassion. We are not alone! Jesus understands and cares! It was all of grace. The gospel is all of grace, not at all of works. Just as Christ spoke personally to this dead young man, so He speaks personally to the hearts of spiritually dead sinners today. As witnesses, we need to direct people into the Word of God.

1. Did Jesus heal all the sick people He saw? Did Jesus raise all the dead people He encountered? When we sin, we become liable to the wrath of God and to eternal punishment: "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). His justice would require that we are eternally separated from Him, and that we spend eternity in hell. Fortunately, He is a God of love, and we read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life". So, once we put our faith in Jesus alone and turn from our sin, we become new creatures with a new heart and a new life. Our sins are forgiven and we have fellowship with Jesus Christ. But, physical sickness came as the result of sin entering the world and it will eventually lead to death (Rom 6:23). However, when Jesus saved us, He did not just save our spirits(souls); He saved us as whole persons, and this includes the salvation of our bodies. This will occur when Christ returns, raises our bodies from the dead, re-unites our soul with our body, and we receive our perfect resurrection body like His own. Jesus came to earth to save sinners and give them eternal life, and while here on earth, He demonstrated His authority over life and death, His compassion, and His Kingdom to come. But, for Him to hear our prayers for healing, we must put our faith in Him. However, He does and can heal unbelievers. God uses sickness to bring about His sovereign purpose, to glorify Himself, and to exalt His Holy Name. At times He miraculously heals sickness, and at other times He uses sickness as a method of discipline or as a judgment against sin.

3. How is the power Jesus can delegate to you limited by the size of your faith. To have any faith at all we must believe that God exists. We receive this faith as a free gift from God by our repentance and our trust in Jesus Christ. Initially this faith might be so small but as we grow spiritually it becomes larger and larger. So, this smallest bit of true faith from God, perhaps the size of a mustard seed, can grow to immense proportions in the lives of believers and spreading out to influence all they come into contact with. Christian history is full of superhuman achievements performed by those whose faith was, at one time, only the size of a mustard seed. Nothing is impossible for those who put their trust in Jesus (Mat 17:20). Once Jesus Christ makes His home and establishes His throne in our hearts, His power isn’t limited to the things we can ask for or imagine. He works in us to give a continuing growth and transformation, to give us and all His church a glory that will never fade or end. I feel that as our faith increases, so does the power Jesus will delegate to us increase. God’s plans aren’t restricted by our half-hearted prayers and limited imagination. His plans are infinitely greater than we can ever know. God is at work in our lives with the same power with which He raised Jesus from death. It moves mountains, heals the sick, and is the means of entrance into the kingdom.

2. What portion of Jesus' mission do you believe He has delegated to you? As you get deeper and deeper into the 80’s, more and more people think you have passed your sell-by-date. In the past I had been actively involved in all the churches I attended. But now I prefer to take a backseat and concentrate on studying the Word, telling others about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, and interceding on behalf of others. It has never been about me; it’s about bringing glory to my heavenly Father, and I feel I must serve Him and do what He tells me to do. To serve Him in the ways now available to me.

1. In your own words, state the insight that the centurion had of Jesus' power. How did this insight differ from that of Jesus' disciples at the time? The centurion, was a Gentile with a pagan background, and most probably heard about Jesus’ miraculous healing power from his soldiers or from the Jewish elders he had befriended. He understood that the authority and power, to do these miracles, must have come from God, and that this power now resides in Jesus. Having this insight into Jesus’ power, how far His authority extends, and how it operates, showed a remarkable deep faith on the part of this centurion, a faith not seen among the Jewish people - no wonder Jesus was amazed. Being a military man, he realized that both he and Jesus had the right to exercise their authority - all they had to do was say the word and things happened. Just as he did not need to be present to have his orders carried out, so Jesus didn’t need to be present to heal. That is why he could tell Jesus just to just say the word, and his servant would be healed. The centurion believed in Jesus as God’s Messiah, and felt himself not worthy that Jesus should enter his house, or even to meet Him in person. By now the disciples had spent about a year with our Lord and still hadn’t worked out the extent of Jesus’ power. However, they did come to greater insight as their faith grew and as they spent more time with Jesus.

4. How can you tell if you are a true follower of Jesus? Is being "born again" a good indicator? What does "born again" mean if it doesn't affect a person's lifestyle? Genuine saving faith always results in a life of progressive godliness. Over the years, through the hard work of the Holy Spirit, and the mercy and grace of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I’ve noticed a change in my life. In my new life I have noticed a growing hunger for God’s Word, for practical righteousness, for obedience, for separation from the world, for the love of my fellow believers, and a new hatred of sin. All only made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. I believe we should do spiritual check-ups every now and then (2 Cor 13:5), to determine if there a growing awareness of Christ’s presence and power in our lives, and are we becoming more and more like Him. If we're not actively seeking to grow closer to God, we are drawing farther away from Him. Being “born again” is not only a good indicator, it is the way we become a Christian and are admitted into the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself said, “no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). Physical birth is not enough. There must also be a spiritual birth if one is to enter the kingdom of God. This spiritual birth is produced by the Holy Spirit of God when a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. We become a new creation – old things are passed away; behold all things are become new (2 Cor 5:17). Not our old nature altered, reformed, or re-invigorated, but a new birth from above. We are made partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). We have passed out of death into life (John 5:24). Our lifestyle changes radically and we find the Holy Spirit empowers us with His own goodness.

3. What areas of your life where you AREN'T following closely has the Holy Spirit been convicting you about? Jesus is our Lord, our Master, and it means He has complete authority over our lives, that we belong to Him, and that we are obligated to do whatever He says. We cannot merely acknowledge His lordship and don’t do what He says. If we really love Him we will want to obey Him in all things. True love and faith involve obedience - “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus also said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:37-39). We must serve the Lord in humility and not out of duty, but because we love Him (John 14:23). There are two areas in my life where I feel I’m not doing enough out of obedience to Jesus. We are commanded to go and make disciples. It is not an option but a command to all who call Jesus "Lord." We are not all evangelists in the formal sense, but we have all received gifts that we can use to help fulfil the great commission. I haven’t been passionate enough about telling others about Christ. Here there is much more that I can do – even starting with my neighbours. Then there is the command to give to the poor and store up treasures in heaven (Luke 12:33). There is so much poverty and hardships in my country at the moment. A very high unemployment level. Here I’ve been guilty of not giving generously, being more concerned with my having enough to meet my own needs, instead of trusting my Lord.

2. How does what you say when you're angry indicate what is in your heart? Anger is an emotion that can bring out the worst in us, always threatening to leap out of control, often leading to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, and spiritual damage. We often says things we don’t mean when we are angry, but Jesus reminds us that what we say actually reveals what is in our heart. A person’s heart acts as a reservoir, or inner storehouse, and a heart filled with goodness will be evidenced by words of grace and righteousness, while a wicked heart expresses itself in blasphemy, bitterness, and abuse. The good man from his good inner storehouse brings out what is good, and the evil man from his evil treasure brings out what is evil. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says that people can be judged by what they say and do because these things reveal what is really inside the person: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Listening to what comes out of a person’s mouth is a good indication of what is on the inside of a person. If a person is angry, rude, lewd, or immoral on a regular basis, we can be assured that this is what they are like on the inside. In the same way, if a person is consistently kind, encouraging, and polite, then we can be sure that is what they are like on the inside. A person might be able to hide their true character, but eventually what is inside will come out - the mouth speaks out of the abundance - the overflow - of the heart.

1. Con men continue to trick people and take advantage of them. How can you tell them, according to Jesus' teaching? We judge a tree by the kind and quality of the fruit it bears. Jesus teaches us that in the same way we can judge a person by the kind and quality of the fruit they bear – by their fruits we shall know them. This will tell us what they are on the inside, and this is more important than anything they will ever say. For what a person is in their inner being comes to expression outwardly, especially in words and deeds. We can be sure, the con men may be able for a little while to deceive people, and to hide their real face behind a mask of seemingly pious words and deeds, but this cannot last. “Nothing is more difficult than to counterfeit virtue” (Calvin). The fruit will ultimately show their true character. These con men will water down the truth and only say what you like/want to hear. They claim to speak for God, and therefore, should be tested by the Word of God, for if they do not speak according to the Word, it is because there is no light in them (Isa 8:20). Some of the untruths we will hear are: sin is a sickness – get rid of your guilt-complex; the God of love will not punish anyone eternally; we are not responsible for our own so-called sins – the blame rests on parents/society; Satan is a myth; heaven and hell are myths; things have changed what was considered sin is not that at all – extramarital sex and many other evils; and on and on. We should be on our guard against those who distort the Word of God for their own selfish purpose. Though their speech may be ever so smooth and oily, they constitute a real peril against which believers must arm themselves (Eph 6:10-20). They prey upon the immature, the unstable, and the gullible giving the appearance of being true believers, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matt 7:15). Their licentious lives and destructive teachings betray them. Their greed shows no limits!

4. What is Jesus' point about the parable of the speck and the plank? Jesus was speaking primarily to the disciples He was training to be leaders. Rather than judging others (6:36-38), they must judge themselves or they will be like the blind leading the blind. Resulting in their followers being just like them (6:39-40). It’s a warning to be careful to follow spiritual leaders who confront their own sins and to avoid leaders who are self-righteous. If we follow our Lord Jesus we will over time become more and more like Him. Therefore, we must take the log out of our own eye before we try to help others with the speck in our eye (6:41-42). As we examine ourselves, we should look at our fruit (6:43-45). If our words are judgmental, bitter, and evil, it indicates that our hearts are evil, but if they are merciful, forgiving, and generous, it indicates that God has truly done a work of grace in our hearts. We are all prone to exaggerate the fault of others and to minimize or even ignore our own glaring faults. We’re quick to blame others, but we’re slow to blame ourselves. We will only begin to grow spiritually and love the other person as we should, when we begin to confront our own sins with God’s Word. We might be thinking we are a pretty loving person until we read Luke 6:27-38 or 1 Corinthians 13. His Word is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, exposing us before God’s holy standards (Heb 4:12-13).

3. How does Jesus' teaching encourage His disciples to be generous? God challenges us to be generous because He wants us to receive the blessing that comes from it. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you … For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). God is seeking people who will reflect His character and model His generosity. In our generosity, we are not to expect repayment in kind. Our reward will come from the Lord, in His way and in His time. We are to show generosity even to our enemies: “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great …” (Luke 6:29, 34–35). God is generous, and He expects us to follow His example. God’s generosity is evidenced all around us. God created this planet that is especially suited to sustain us and provide for our needs and pleasures. Above all, God demonstrated His generosity when He offered His Son as a sacrifice to atone for our sin. In the face of such generosity, we can only say, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). The gift of Jesus to sinful mankind was the ultimate act of generosity. As we have been forgiven, we are to forgive (Ephesians 4:32). And as we see God being generous, we are to be generous. Generosity can be manifested in many ways. We can give of our time, our material resources, our hospitality, and our friendship.

2. What do giving and forgiving have in common? In general, if we are a merciful person, not condemning others for their faults, others will be gracious toward us - if you are quick to forgive, others will be likely to forgive us. In the same way, if we are generous in our giving, others will be generous toward us. Love manifests itself in giving (John 3:16), and those who give generously are rewarded generously. On the other hand, if we condemn people, if we refuse to forgive, if we are stingy/miserly, it will come back to us. In the same way if we judge harshly, and do not forgive, we will receive back harsh criticism. It is a fixed principle in life that we reap what we sow, and that the same measure we use to others is measured back to us. A forgiving spirit demonstrates that a person has received God's forgiveness. If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others generously, graciously, and compassionately, these qualities will come back to us in full measure. We are to love others, not judge them. To forgive others means to be generous toward them. If we truly are in Christ through faith in His shed blood, there is no eternal condemnation (Rom. 8:1), but, a judgmental person who refuses to forgive others is self-righteous and proud. The Bible says that God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1 Pet 5:5). We put ourselves in opposition to God if we condemn and refuse to forgive those who have wronged us.

1. Jesus says, "Don't judge." But we have to make judgments every day in order to survive. What kind of judging does Jesus forbid in this passage? When Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged,” He was telling us we must not judge people’s motives for we cannot read their heart and cannot know why they act the way they do. In the same way, we have no right to judge fellow believers, whether or not they are good followers of Christ – only He has that right to judge. When it comes to judging the way others serve the Lord, we tend to exalt the spectacular and sensational but overlook and/or criticize the ordinary day to day tasks (1 Cor 4:5). Here again it is best left to the Lord who will judge what was done and why it was done. We are all prone to excuse our own faults and magnify the faults of others. The Bible states that God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8); if we want to live in obedience to Him we must go God’s way, which is usually counter to the ways of the natural man. Jesus also said, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Man’s way is to go easy on himself and to judge others more harshly. God’s way is to be merciful toward others, forgive them, and rather judge our own sins. Since it goes against the flesh, it is something we must constantly work at if we want to please God and experience His blessing. I think back on how I was hopelessly alienated from God, guilty of violating His holy law. I could do nothing in myself to be reconciled with God. No amount of good works would qualify me for heaven, because they could never cancel out my sins. I was dead in my sins, living according to the desires of the flesh, ignorant of God and His holy ways. Then, God because of His great mercy, grace, and love, forgave me my sins – all past, present, and future sins! When you have personally tasted God’s great mercy in Christ, it is very difficult not to forgive others. Also, in general, we must not be hypercritical since a fault-finding spirit violates the law of love. There are certain areas, however, in which Christians must judge. We are to judge between good and evil. Sin must be judged in the home and in the congregation. When Jesus commands us not to judge others, He does not mean that we should not evaluate others’ actions, beliefs, or teachings, which is often carried to ridiculous extremes in our tolerant culture.

4. What is the difference in effect of stating the Golden Rule as a negative ("Don't do to others, as ..."), as did Rabbi Hillel, rather than a positive ("Do to others, as ..."), as did Jesus? Rabbi Hillel’s states the Golden Rule in a negative manner while that of our Lord Jesus is positive statement. In Luke 6:31 Jesus says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you”. This clearly states that we are to treat others just as we want to be treated. It is stated in a positive way – do to others … The golden rule is to treat others with the same kindness and consideration as it would like to receive. Rabbi Hillel says, “Don’t do to others as you don’t want done to you”. Which is stated in a negative way – don’t do to others … There’s a universal principle in life here. Whatever you do to people, they will do back to you. So, if you don’t want to get back what you have done, don’t do it. This is human nature and how the world works. The world of sinners treats people the way they are treated, giving them back what they received: vengeance, retaliation, hostility, vindictiveness. Sinful man thinks only of himself and is concerned about his self-protection, and self-love, and he does not want to harm somebody because they might harm him back. This is clearly not a Golden Rule, but more about self-protection. Christian love is the positive rule that says, “You may be harming me, but I’m not going to give you back what you’re giving me. I’m going to love you in the way that I would like you to love me.” This is something unique.

3. Why is loving your enemy so much like divine love? What is the implication of this for our salvation? For our lifestyle? Loving your enemy is a supernatural love, and only those who are born again can know it or display it. It is utterly impossible for anyone who does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. Anyone can love their friends, but it takes divine love to love one's enemies. It means to do good to those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, to pray for those who are nasty to you, and ever and always to turn the other cheek. These are the actions we take toward our enemies that demonstrate that we belong to God. Loving your enemy is clear evidence of your salvation – being a characteristic of a true believer. Luke 6:35 says that if you love your enemies, you will be sons of the Most High. Such behaviour is distinctly Christian, and it is the way true believers manifest themselves to the world as children of God. Of course, this is not the way we become children of the Most High; that can only happen through repentance and receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (John 1:12). Loving your enemy results in our lifestyle displaying Christlike qualities. There will be an unselfish concern for the welfare of others, and a desire to be helpful even at great personal sacrifice. As well as a sympathetic, affectionate, and compassionate interest in others, and a willingness to bear their burden. Also, a readiness to pardon offenses, to overlook personal wrongs against oneself, and to have no desire for retaliation. This of course, does not come naturally to us.

2. Do you see "turning the other cheek" and giving your enemy your tunic as literal, figurative, hyperbole, or what? What is the point Jesus is making here? I see this as hyperbole. Jesus’ words here are not to be taken literally in the light of the key verse in Luke 6:27, “Love your enemies”. Jesus is condemning actions that can result from the spirit of an unloving, unforgiving, and unrelenting nature - an attitude of hatred, hostility, bitterness, and the yearning for revenge. Once this is understood it becomes clear that “turning the other cheek” means to show in attitude, word, and deed that one is filled with the spirit of love. Jesus is not talking about pacifism, but that believers need not defend their personal rights or avenge their honour. The point He is making is that, on a personal level, we must not retaliate when we are humiliated, when we have been despised and scorned and rejected. We are not to get angry but are to turn the other cheek, and continue loving. Wars can still be waged and criminals must be stopped and prosecuted.

1. Why is the real test of agape love being able to love your enemies? If we fail this test, do we really have agape love? Agape love is completely foreign to unbelievers who only know retaliation, to fight back. When they meet somebody, who repays every wrong with kindness, they are completely confused and don’t know how to handle it. But in believers, the evidence of agape love is confirmation of our salvation, since only a regenerated believer can love their enemies. It’s easy to love those that love us, but Jesus is talking about those that don’t love us and may even hate us. Or, how do we respond to those close to us and hurt/hate us. The test is to do good to those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, and to pray for those who are nasty to you. For a start, the way that we are able to love the unloving is not because we hope they will change. No, but because God, in Jesus Christ, through the Gospel, has already given us a gift of grace that we did not deserve. This is enough to fill our soul with joy and gratitude so that we are able to love the unloving. But agape love is a sacrificial love, an act of the will, that puts the welfare of others, in this case our enemies, above our own. As we read in 1 Cor 13:4-6 this agape love is patient, is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Clearly, this type of love is impossible in our own strength. It goes against our nature and we need the help of the Holy Spirit to set aside our own desires. Yes, if as true believers we fail the test, we still have this God given gift of His love in us, and as we grow spiritually we become more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ, and the more we will show this love to others.

4. Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives? Our need to please people stems from our own fears and insecurities - the fear of rejection and the fear of people not liking us. So, we have this constant battle with the need for approval, which leads us to the idea that we can get people to love us more, by doing good deeds. To combat this fear, we must come to the understanding that not everyone will love us, and we can’t please everyone, but the One who matters will never stop loving us. God’s love towards us is always the same, and at the cross Jesus demonstrated how much He loved us, by paying the ultimate price with His life. His love for us is made complete in Christ, so there’s no need to fear rejection. Pleasing people can be a trap for us in that we might not want to offend people and therefore we try to avoid confrontation at all costs. People-pleasing focuses more on others’ approval than on God’s, with the result that we put peace ahead of truth. But as Christians we sometimes have to correct our fellow believers in love, which may require some stern words. As Christians we must honour God’s truth at all costs. In John 12:42-43 we read that even in Jesus’ time some people believed His message but refused to follow Him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. We should be much more concerned about God's eternal acceptance than about the temporary approval of people – which is at best fickle and short-lived. It is in the very nature of the gospel to offend the ungodly. Those who receive their approvals from the world, are fellow-travellers with the false teachers that are so prominent today. They tickle the people's ears, telling them what they wanted to hear, being more interested in the favour of men than in the praise of God, and of course in their pockets. When we desire to obey God, the desire to please others fades, and pleasing God becomes more important (2 Corinthians 5:9). The good that comes about by trying to please people is the love we show for them - and this is good, but pleasing God is a higher calling and much more fulfilling. Remembering that God loved us first, actually while we were still sinners, He died for us (Rom 5:8). As His children we are to imitate God in everything we do. Our imitation of God's love is seen in our love for others, and this love for others within the fellowship of believers is an imitation of Christ, and by it the world recognizes us as His: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). It is necessary to get this balance between Christian love and pleasing people in our lives. Our first priority is to glorify God, only then can we think about the welfare of other believers. “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). He becomes our focus and our goal is no longer pleasing ourselves or others but pleasing Him (Col 1:10). When we develop an intimate relationship with Him through saving faith in Jesus, He becomes our focus. We switch allegiance from self-worshiping to God-worshiping. Our goal is no longer pleasing ourselves but pleasing Him (Colossians 1:10).

3. What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life? There is nothing wrong in being materially rich, many are mentioned in the Bible who were wealthy. We need only think of Abraham and Job who were extremely wealthy. There is also nothing wrong in desiring to be rich, as long as it does not interfere with our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The problem arises when our wealth interferes with our need for salvation. Woe to those who think that by their own acts of righteousness they have enough spiritual riches to buy their salvation, and that they can earn their way into the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself said that "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13). Money can easily take God's place in our life, and before we know it, it has become our master. I know this because I have been there and have experienced it personally - thankfully Jesus helped me realize my error. Wealth also feeds our pride. We take all the credit for being successful never thinking of thanking Jesus for making it possible – forgetting that He is sovereign in all matters. We will find it to be a hard and deceptive master. Some of the symptoms that are worrying are: do we find that we frequently think and worry about money; do we find ourselves not content with what we have – we want more and more; are we spending a great deal of time caring for our possessions; is it hard for us to give money away? Wealth can also be deceptive, promising power and control, yet it cannot provide health, happiness, or eternal life. As far as I’m concerned; I’m a pensioner and I have learned my lesson about the love of money, and have found to put all my trust in my heavenly Father. Knowing that He will provide!

2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice: (1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification. (2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience. (3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. (4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did? My choice is option 3: Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. Present blessing and experience: Jesus said that yours is the Kingdom of God, meaning we get the Kingdom now!. We become heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, possessors of everything the Kingdom has to offer. Included is forgiveness, grace, mercy, joy, hope, peace, love, and righteousness. We in humility realize that we have nothing to commend ourselves to God; we reach out a hand like a beggar, for the gift of grace, and we receive the Kingdom right here, right now, and all the blessings of salvation. Delayed gratification: In the future we will enjoy all of the riches of the eternal Kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth (Isa 65:17; Rev 21:1). This reminds me of 1 Cor 2:9 which states that we cannot image all that God has in store for us, both in this life and for eternity.

1. What does Jesus mean by His use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does He intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? Jesus is speaking about literal spiritual poverty. He is not speaking about those in this world who are poor because of circumstances beyond their control. The people that are blessed are those who understand their spiritual poverty, their desperate situation as sinners, the bankrupt condition of their soul, and that salvation is not by works, good deeds, righteous acts, rituals, or sacrifices. The blessed are not the ones who think that their own personal righteousness is sufficient to gain them salvation. It is the ones who are reduced to begging, the ones who has nothing to offer God – nothing, absolutely nothing! This is the exact opposite of the Jews of that day, who saw themselves as the spiritually elite, and their self-righteousness being enough to earn salvation. Our spiritual bankruptcy has become our riches because we have stepped into the Kingdom knowing what is ours in Christ – salvation from sin, escape from judgment, eternal joy and heavenly glory.

5. What would happen in your own local church if people began to get physically healed on a regular basis? Who would it upset? What would result? How could we get our faith ready for such a happy event? Recently we had a self-proclaimed prophet who claimed to do miracle healing, in our country. He was so popular and to accommodate the crowds, they had to use a stadium that was used in the Football World Cup 2010, South Africa – with a capacity of over 94000! I don’t know about any healings. He was however arrested for money laundering and managed to escape to Malawi, his home country. This gives me an idea of the response we would have. Our small local church would never be able to cope with the masses of people that would be attending. The result would be chaos. But of course, with Jesus anything is possible!

4. Why do we tend to assume that miracles won't happen today? I have read about and seen on TV, these fraudsters. This makes me suspicious of anyone claiming to do miracle healing. To me it is a big scam – robbing people that are in desperate situations. Of course, there are healings today, but these are done on a personal level by our Lord Jesus in answer to prayer.

3. Why do you think most of the apostles were martyred? Can you think of any Christians in the twentieth century who were martyred? (Incidentally, they say that there were more Christian martyrs in the twentieth century than in all the other centuries combined.) When is martyrdom glorious? When is it inglorious? They were martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ and the message they taught exposed the sinfulness of the world. Martyrdom is glorious when done for the glory of God. Once it is done in seeking one’s own glory it becomes inglorious.