hanks

Q4. (13:1-18, optional) The two beasts belong to the period of the ascendancy of the Antichrist at the very end of the Last Days. Together with 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, summarize what have you learned about the Antichrist and the False Prophet. My understanding of these verses is that in the very last days there will be the first beast (Antichrist, the man of lawlessness) actually being worshipped as God. Also being worshipped will be the dragon (Satan). Both will rule over the world and will make war with believers and unfortunately many will be overcome. Most however, will rather die than submit. The second beast (false prophet) is another prominent figure who works in close cooperation with the first beast. He will impersonate the Lamb of God and even perform many miracles, deceiving many to worship him. The penalty for refusing to worship is death. All means will be used to force believers to forsake Christ

Q3. Revelation 12:11 could be considered a theme verse for the book. What does it mean? Who is overcome? In what sense do we have victory if we die in the process? What does the "blood of the Lamb" have to do with this? How does loving our lives prevent spiritual victory today? (See Luke 14:25-27; Matthew 10:37-39.) This verse is about all believers past, present, and future who have victory. We claim victory with Christ on the basis of His shed blood that has redeemed us from sin. Those in heaven are also free from Satan

Q2. (12:1-17) The vision of the woman and the dragon are heavily symbolic, but comprehensible when you take care to understand. In your own words, what does this vision tell us about the cosmic battle in Jesus' day and in our own? What comfort should we disciples draw from this passage? We see the church (the woman) in a massive battle against Satan (red dragon). I wonder if this could be a reference to the beginning of human history when God spoke to both the women and the serpent in Gen 3:14-16? There is a spiritual warfare on the go, the same that we all have faced since Adam and Eve fell into sin. It is Satan who controls the world for now. The women bears a child (Christ) who will eventually rule over all, and for eternity. We even have, after Jesus birth, a description of warfare in heaven, where Satan is

Q1. (11:3-12 ) Interpreters disagree upon the identity of the Two Witnesses, but they are certainly strong and brave. What positive characteristics do you see in their actions that we should emulate in our day? What is their reward? Yes, strong and brave, but at the same time they are filled with the Spirit, and bear testimony to the truth. They also have supernatural powers. Their reward will be that they are raised from the dead and taken to heaven.

Q4. (4:10-11) If people are always promoting themselves and pointing to how God is using them, what does that say about them? Their sense of self-worth? Their maturity? Their realism? Their humility? What spiritual gifts has God given you, and how are you using them to his glory? By promoting themselves, they perhaps, do not realize that the gift/s they have did not originate by their own effort, but was given to them by our Lord. We have to give God all the glory and recognition, acknowledging that it is God who empowers us. All the glory belongs to God. We should never become proud no matter how highly gifted we are. We have to remember that the gift did not originate with our effort. In fact everything, that means everything, we have comes from Him. I like to think I have the gift of discernment, hospitality and to serve Him. I definitely have not got the gift of teaching. I am actively involved in my church serving Him in various capacities; all background activities. I do this to serve Him and am grateful for the opportunities given to me by our Lord. Amen.

Q3. (4:5-7) Why don't non-Christians like the idea of giving an account of their actions? Why don't we Christians like it? What should the realization that we must give an account of our actions inspire in us? With what attitude should we live as a result? Non-Christians do not want to be disciplined by a judgmental God, they are self-centred and want their so called freedom to do what they like. We as Christians do not mind for we know we have received forgiveness for our sins. I would think the thought of standing before God and giving an account of our actions must be a most daunting prospect. The realization of this should change our whole attitude to sin. It should help us try to live a sinless life, dedicated to our Lord and Saviour.

Q4. (Colossians 1:23) If our salvation depends upon the grace of God, not us, why is it necessary for us to "continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved"? What happens if we don't? What is the nature of the security we have in Jesus according to this text (and this text only*)? *Please don't use proof texts from other verses in the New Testament, but interpret Colossians 1:23 in its appropriate context. If we have been truly saved, our lives will show it, and we will want to continue in the faith. Perseverance proves that our faith is genuine. We persevere knowing our reward will be in heaven. We must be careful when our hearts grow cold, and we lose interest in the Bible. For our hope is in the gospel. Everything that God does for us comes either directly or indirectly from the Bible. There is no substitute for the Bible in our personal growth.

Q2. (Colossians 1:20-22) By what means did Jesus accomplish this reconciliation? What does "the blood of his cross" have to do with it? What is the purpose of this reconciliation? (verse 22) To whom are we "presented?" (verse 22) Jesus accomplished this through His real human body dying on the cross. Jesus shed His blood on the Cross and died for us. Only a man, in this case a perfect Man, could shed blood that satisfied our Heavenly Father and could tear the barrier, allowing us believers to be reconciled to God. He made "peace through the blood of His cross." The purpose is to bring man into communion with God. God in His grace and mercy decided to reconcile us as believers to Him. We know sinful man is hostile to God. By nature we are separated from God, and also by our deeds we are alienated from God. We are

Q2. (4:3-4) Why do non-Christians try to get you to sin with them. Why are we tempted to do so? How can we resist this temptation? They feel a sense of guilt, and also that we, as religious fanatics, are judging them. Once we join them, we become part of them and are no longer a threat. It is when we abandon God, that our moral standards drop, and we are tempted to join them. It is then that we start engaging in all sorts of sinful pleasures. We, as Christians, are new creatures and our old sins should be abandoned. Our remaining years should be spent focused on our Lord and Saviour. This way the Holy Spirit will help us in our fight against temptation. God Bless.

Q1. (4:1-2) When the scripture says "arm yourselves with the same attitude" as Christ had, how should this attitude help keep you from sin? What attitude are we talking about? The same way Jesus had nothing more to do with sin, after He had died on the cross, is the way we are to turn our backs on sin; having nothing more to do with it. It is this attitude that will keep us away from sin. Of course we will sin, but we will be immediately aware of it and ask for forgiveness. Since being indwelt by the Spirit, we live by the power of the Spirit. The thought of Jesus dying for my sins, hurts me terribly, and I have tried to live a life that is dead to sin. This is the attitude we are talking about. It is now not all about me but rather all about Jesus.

Q2. (Colossians 1:20-22) By what means did Jesus accomplish this reconciliation? What does "the blood of his cross" have to do with it? What is the purpose of this reconciliation? (verse 22) To whom are we "presented?" (verse 22) Jesus accomplished this through His real human body dying on the cross. Jesus shed His blood on the Cross and died for us. Only a man, in this case a perfect Man, could shed blood that satisfied our Heavenly Father and could tear the barrier, allowing us believers to be reconciled to God. He made "peace through the blood of His cross." The purpose is to bring man into communion with God. God in His grace and mercy decided to reconcile us as believers to Him. We know sinful man is hostile to God. By nature we are separated from God, and also by our deeds we are alienated from God. We are

Q1. (Colossians 1:20-22). What does "reconcile" mean? What was our state before reconciliation? (verse 21) Reconcile is to restore a right relationship. When sin entered the world, we became separated from God. To overcome our separation, we needed someone to provide reconciliation and thereby bring us back into fellowship with God. Jesus, by dying on the cross, took the punishment for our sin and reconciled us to God.

Q4. (3:20-21) Various Christian traditions have different practices of baptism - the mode (sprinkling, pouring, immersion) and the age (infant vs. an age when a person can profess his or her own faith). Let's not argue about that in this forum. Let me ask you the crucial question for you - Have you pledged your faith in Jesus Christ and promised to serve him as his disciple? How does this pledge relate to your own baptism? (Remember, no criticism of another's understanding of baptism in the forum. No fighting. No setting people straight - seriously!) My salvation is a gracious gift from God. God chose me out of His love for me, Jesus died to pay the penalty for my sin. I am so grateful and rejoicing in my salvation, full of praise for my Heavenly Father. Yes I have pledged my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and promised to serve him as His disciple. I trust Him fully and have surrendered my life to Him. I acknowledge that there is nothing I have done or can do to earn my salvation. It is a gift of God which I gratefully accept. Thank you Lord!

Q4. (Colossians 1:18) How should the assertion that Jesus is the "head of the body, the church" affect the way we conceive of the church? Is he talking about the universal church or a local congregation, or both? If we believe that Jesus is the head of the church, how should that affect the way we conduct our life and ministry as the church? In what ways does the visible church represent the "head"? How well do we as the body follow his leadership? All true believers are members of the church, and Jesus Christ is the Head. He is the source, origin, leader and ruler of the church; both the universal church and our local congregation. Knowing this should make us want to serve Him in all our activities, and at the same time we should be looking up to Him for leadership and guidance. No leader on earth is the head of any church. Each and every church has its origin in Him; only He is the founder of the church. We do not always follow His leadership. We are inclined to think it is OUR church, consequently ignoring Him and going our own way. This is when these churches become ineffective. We must be looking up to Jesus

Q3. (3:18a) Meditate for a few minutes on this verse: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Now personalize it to imagine (1) your sins, (2) your unrighteousness, and (3) your reconciliation with God. Each of these ideas is awesome! Which of these three aspects of the verse has God impressed most strongly on you today? Select one of the three and share it. When I ponder on all the evil actions, the improper thoughts, the wrong motives I

Q3. (Colossians 1:16) "Thrones," "powers," "rulers," "principalities," "authorities," etc. probably refer to both earthly as well as angelic and demonic dominions. What does this passage teach about the relation of these powers to Jesus? How should this affect our fear of them? How should it affect our prayers? We read here about Christ

Q2. (Colossians 1:15b-17) What does "firstborn of all creation/every creature" mean? Is Jesus a created being? If not, what does "firstborn" mean here? What do verses 16-17 teach about Jesus' pre-existence? What does verse 16b teach about the purpose of creation? According to verse 17, what is Jesus' past role in creation? What is his present role in creation? The word

Q1. (Colossians 1:15a, 19) The great understanding of Judaism was that God is spirit, not physical. That he is invisible. Any idol that tries to depict him is blasphemous. So what is the significance of the statement that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God"? According to verse 19, to what degree does this image accurately represent God? Is Jesus actually God in the flesh, or only a manifestation of God, a kind of holograph? Being

Q2. (3:15-16) Why is it so hard for us to be a witness when we're persecuted? Why is it easy in tough places to be the wrong kind of witness? Which one of Peter's four instructions do you find most needed in your particular situation? We are to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and King and by focusing on Jesus our fears diminish. It is only by trusting Jesus fully we discover that others may hurt us but no way can they harm us. I find that, in the past, when I

Q1. (3:8-9) Which of the qualities Peter mentions in 3:8-9 are most evident in your congregation? Which are most needed? What can you and your friends do to change the relational climate at your Church so it is more Christ-like? Most of the qualities mentioned are found, in varying degrees, in my congregation. There is harmony, and compassion for each other. Most people are humble and I

Q5. (Revelation 10:1-9) What is bitter about what you've read in Revelation 6 through 10? What is sweet? Why do we tend to reject what is hard for us to understand? It is bitter to read about the multitude who will reject the Lord. It is bitter to read about the divine judgment to be brought on these unbelievers. It is bitter to read of the impending eternal doom of all these who reject the Saviour. It is sweet to read of the triumph of God over Satan. It is sweet to read of the time when the wrongs of earth will all be made right. It is sweet to read about the grace of God and its many precious promises that belong to believers. It is sweet to know where we will be spending eternity. Perhaps it is not so hard to understand, but rather that we do not want to understand, as it exposes all our sins. God Bless.

Q4. (Revelation 7:9-18). From this passage what do we learn about the kind of people who make up the "great multitude" before the throne? Let's not debate whether they are the 144,000 or not. But what is their origin? What does their spirit within them cause them to do? What does the first verse of the song "Amazing Grace" have to do with 7:14? The

Q3. (Revelation 7:1-4) There's disagreement about exactly who the 144,000 represent. Let's not debate that, but look deeper. From 7:1-4 what do we learn about God? Read Ezekiel 9, then answer: What is this seal supposed to do for the 144,000? (Please wait to consider 14:1-5 until we get there, okay?) We learn that God is a loving God. Instead of His justified wrath we see His loving concern. Instead of destruction we see His protection. Our God is a patient God. The seal marks them as the ones that have been redeemed. They will not fall under the judgment that is reserved for the rest of the world. It is a seal of God

Q2. (Revelation 6:9-11) What do we learn about the Church from what is revealed in the Fifth Seal? Where are these "souls" at the time of this scene? What does their proximity to the altar signify? Why were they killed? Why do they ask for vengeance? Is that a Christian prayer? What does the white robe represent? What do we learn from their instruction to "wait a little longer"? The church is to continue its faithful witness. We see the patience of God at work, the very same patience that was necessary for my salvation. These souls are in heaven. The proximity of the altar signifies our closeness to our Lord. They were killed because of their faith and for not renouncing our Lord Jesus. They ask for vengeance for they would like to see justice done. Yes, I believe it is a Christian prayer. God

Q1. (Revelation 6) Who initiates this great storm of destruction represented by the Seven Seals? Against whom is it directed? Is it just? This is initiated by God. We see 4 horsemen bringing war and famine and disease and depression and death. They are involved in a great spiritual battle against the evil forces of the prince of darkness. Yes, it is just, and the good news is that Jesus is winning!