bergerjones

We must each one, as part of the Body of Christ, think positively about each of the other members, loving each one and showing that love in every way. We must pray for each other, includig ourselves, tht we might cease personal criticism and "accentuate the positive." We must stop our criticism of each other, the pointing out of weakness and what we judge to be failure. it is not up to us to judge each other. We must love and support each other in thought, word and deed. Then we can bring others into the Body of Christ Only in this way can we truly be members of Christ's Church. If each one of us who took this course begins the process of love, others around us will respond to that love. Christ's Church will grow and God's Kingdom will begin to grow here on earth as God intended. He wants His people to know Him and love Him and His creation, all people. We are to pass forward His love. Christ's Church has lasted this long. With renewal of purpose - of love -through praise, prayer, study of God's Word, action on our part - we will, with His Grace, be able to strengthen His Church and do His will. We will be ready when He comes again, to go with Him and live with God the Father forever in love. We can do all things through Christ who stengthens us. Nothing is impossible for a child of God.

We should love the Christ's Church because it is our own body. We will nurture all members as we would ourselves wish to be nurtured. We must be the best disciples for Christ we can be in order that all will believe. We are not to judge those around us and when we find ourselves doing so, we must pray for ourselves for forgiveness and act in positive ways, not condemning others. We are to be living examples of God's love. Love never fails. It is more effective than many words of rebuke or chastisement advice. We will lay down our lives for each other as Christ did for us. We will help those who need us. We will love and nurture all those around us, ministering to each other as we can. We will work to keep a positive attitude, one filled with love, Christ's lovel We need to repent of despising the church - both the church at large and our own individual church. If we cannot forgive our fellow Christians and love them as they are there is no hope. How can we even think of loving and forgiving others? We MUST love our church and work to bring it back to life in Jesus Christ.

The Word of God in the Old Testament gives us guidelines for behavior - what to do and what not to do. It shows what will happen when we disobey God. In the New Testament we are washed in the blood of the Lamb. We are cleansed from our sins by the crucifiction. Christ bore our sins that we might be worthy to come before God's presence. If we are in the Body of Christ we will want to read and understand God's word as found in the Bible. We need to read and study God's Word and be led by the Holy Spirit to understand and obey. The Body of Christ needs cleansing not only of sins committed but of things omitted - tasks that need to be done in order for Christ's kingdom to come on earth. Our churches, here today, need to renew the vision of an alive and active Body of Christ. We need to be working to bring about Christ's Kingdom, practicing love among each other and out in our communities, to everyone - treating our neighbor as ourselves. We are to live lives of LOVE, as God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! If we use the Word as the guide for purification, stressing the crucifiction and resurrection, as the way, the truth and the light - the path for living forever with God, we won't need to preach hellfire and damnation. The emphasis is on Christ and His gift to us of salvation. All we have to do is believe and we will be with God eternally. Christ paid the price, washing away our sins with His blood and washing us with water in Baptism that we might be able to present ourselves as a radiant, alive Church, Holy and blameless, cleansed of the world and it's sin.

Paul is talking about both. If Christ's Church is made radiant by the sacrifice of Himself and the washing with water - baptism, now, that same church and all the members of the body of Christ are holy and blameless. We are ready for when Christ comes again to gather His body of people to go and live forever with the Heavenly Father. To me it's obvious - if we accept the gift of Christ's sacrifice of himself to wash away each and every sin by His blood, we are saved now and forever. If we do His will, which we will know through praise, prayer, being kept in the loop by the Holy Spirit, we will remain faithful. We will, through God's Grace, be ready when Christ comes again. We must be of one spirit, serving the Lord, through prayer and supplication, working to bring His kingdom on earth!

I'm Jeanne Jones from Greenville, IL. I'm a PK, a retired teacher and a child of God. I would like to help all Christians become one as in the body of Christ, cutting all barriers of denominational differences and learning to accept one another as sisters and brothers in Christ who sacrificed Himself for all of us. It matters not how we are baptised or how we praise Him, or our literal ideas of Heaven. As Christians we all love the same Lord, His only son Jesus and need the Holy Spirit to help us through this life. WE can do all things through Christ who strengthens each of us. I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your resonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. I have been lifted up in studying this course. I hope to take another in the fall. Time is always a problem. But God is in control. Thank you for this opportunity.

The Church is holy because it is set apart for God. No matter what the members do or don't do, the Church of Christ is holy, set apart for Him, for God's purposes. The Church is holy because it is made up of people who present themselves to Christ and accept His gift of grace and sacrifice for our wrong doings as well as our lack of action. He took upon himself each of our sins and cleansed us for all time. He died that we might have everlasting life with God the Father. Christ was already holy - set apart for God. The Church is holy because it is set apart for God through Christ. We are holy because we are set apart for God to do His will. If we are fulfilling our role we will be nurturing each other, NOT being legalistic or judgemental. Sadly we are all human and fall short of the glory of God so we need Christ to wash away our sin and make us worthy to even contemplate life forever with God!

To submit something is to offer it, freely. We offer our gifts to the church, the body of Christ - each according to his talents. The church offers iself - all members of the body of Christ - to spread the light of the world to all peoples - to all the earth. Petty differences would work their way out because all would truly be working for the good of mankind, fulfilling the will of the Lord. He is in control. All we have to do is pray and listen. I must offer myself - all my abilities - freely given to the Lord and the work of the church - teaching, singing, praying, calling on shut-ins, working in the kitchen, and offering service to those who need help - praising our Lord. If everyone did these things, we would have a church that was awesome, all members of the body of Christ, working for the kingdom of the Lord, being made able to serve by the supreme sacrifice of the blood of Jesus, to make us worthy to serve. The poor would be taken care of- not just by hand outs but given job opportunities. The sick and discouraged would be lifted up. There would be no monetary problems because all would share and work for the common good. Eeveryone would be nurtured according his/her need. We would celebrate Chrst's kingdom on earth, now. Christ is the Head of the Church - the foundation or cornerstone. We submit or offer ourselves to Him. We would be offering our service to the world that all may see and believe.

Christ submited Himself - gave up His earthly life to be crucified on the cross - He took each and all of our sins upon Himself - that we might have eternal life with God the Father. He boare our sins and sacrificed Himself for us. He submitted His life for me. He offered Himself for me - willingly, as a sacrifice to wipe away my sins. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him- Jesus - might have eternal life. It was both - in that God, Himself, is perfect - omnipotent - awesome. Anyone who comes into His presence must be perfect -be cleansed of all sin - in order to even come before is presece. So - both......except that God is above all and in all and through all. Altruistic and self-serving are human traits and often thought of as negative. So with this in mind - neither. God is not human and He is an awesome God - in complete control of everything - in His own time!

:>) see Q 5 The purpose of constructing a healthy local congregation is so that everyone goes out into the community in love - living and acting in love to all around them, helping their neighbors, forgiving each other, showing God's love to all, teaching salvation, praying together, and discussing the Good News together - all the parts of the body working together in harmony to bring bout God's kingdom on earth.

If the saints are equipped for the work of the ministry, the body is alive and well, growing in grace and being active in doing Chirst's work. A pastor is only one man and cannot do it all! A paid chaplain may preach a good sermon but there is no interaction within the body of Christ. Therefore the parts cannot function properly. The people come for a good sermon, then they can go home and get ready for the week. They have done their good Christian duty. Eqipping means reading, studying God's Word, praying, discussing and interpreting the Word and praising the Lord - active participation and interaction within the flock. The purpose of constructing a healthy flock is so that everyone goes out into the community, living and acting in love to all those around them, helping their neighbors, forgiving each other, showing God's love to all, teaching salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pastors serve in the ministry of the church - preaching, teaching, and pastoring. They preach about the Word, teach the meaning and interpret the scriptures. They should pastor or "shepherd" their flock by counseling, calling - not just on the sick - and should nurture their church members. Sadly, today, many ministers neglect the pastoring, leaving it up to their elders and deacons. When a member is in trouble and hurting, they need and want their pastor. Elders and deacons may also do pastoring, but the clergy should, too. Members like to have their pastor pray with them in times of need. We have several good teachers in our church. They are highly respected and are called upon for help in understanding God's work. The congregation should be aided in knowing their Bible and be aware of the help it can give in daily living. Teachers can help with this. They often lead in prayer and can enable others to be able to pray. We have several people with good pastoring skills who do most of the calling to the sick, to those who are having problems, to those who just need an ear in their distress. Our body of Christ depends on these people for their nurturing - for helping each member be a strong part of the body of Christ. Small group leaders and Sunday school teachers keep the body alive and well. They help keep people aware of Christ, studying the Word, praying, praising the Lord and growing in love. Churches with active small groups keep the body in tune and maturing in the faith.

An evangelist preaches the Word of God. He/she is a Bible Scholar who tries to help his fellow Christians understand the scriptures. He/she is in tune with God and is charged with explaining or interpreting the Bible and the Good News of Salvation as well as living it by example. A local church evangelist will be helping fellow Chirstians understand God's Word. He/she will help people within the local church live God's love, nurturing each other and everyone within the community. "God is love!" If you love Him you will be showing His love to all. The body of Christ is built through ministering to each other. New Christians are nurtured by older ones who will, in turn, be reinspired by the zeal of new Christians. All will be loving their neighbors as themselves. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

I think apostles today are people who have special gifts of spreading the Good News of Salvation to groups and/or people who haven't "seen the light" or experienced God's power and love. After Christ ascenced into Heaven, the apostles had to spread the Good Nows of Christ and His supreme gft of dying on the cross and rising from death into Heaven as the sole Savior and supreme Lord. He carried our sins that we might be acceptable to God. This news and other words from God had been foretold by the prophets and were being fulfilled. The apostles were to spread the news so that all might hear and be saved from eternal damnation and separation from God. Jews and gentiles alike were eligible. Prophets today are people, divinely inspired of God to recieve and communicate divine revolations - messages from God. I agree that preaching is not prophecy. It's more like apostleship - the spreading of the Good News of the Gospel. Prophets fortell something. Hey hear a message from God ad pass on the message. Apostles spread the word about Jesus Christ and his supreme gift to us of eternal life, something we cannot earn but was given freely to those who believe in Him.

I think apostles today are people who have special gifts of telling God's Word to groups and/or people who haven't "seen" the Light- or who aren't familiar with the love of Christ and His power. As of old apostles have the job of spreading the Good News of Jesus to all the world. Paul tells us that Grace is given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gifts...We all have gifts and grace is granted accordingly. The Holy Spirit reveals or brings these gifts to us. We are all members of Christ's body. Each of us is a separate part having its own place, its own function as part of the whole body. All of our gifts are necessary for the salvation of God's people, His Kingdom on earth.....that all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ might be saved. We are appointed for this task and we are all needed - ALL our gifts are needed. No one can do the job of another. WE can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

In Ephesians 4:7 we read that Grace is given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift to us.....we all have some of His gifts and the grace that goes with them. The Holy Spirit works through us by means of our gifts. We are all members of Christ's body - each of us is a separate part having its own place, its own function as given to us from God the Fathert. All of our gifts are necessary for the salvation of God's people, to enable God's kingdom on earth, that all who believe might be saved and have eternal life with the Father. We are appointd for this task and we are all needed - all our gifts are needed. One one else can do our job, our part of God's will. None of us are expendable.