Jen

Q2. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) Since Satan has blinded people’s eyes to the truth, is there any hope for them? What strategies must we use to overcome spiritual blindness? How many people are likely to find Christ without intercessory prayer? As long as they have breath of life in them there is hope. We use prayer and letting God use us as He desires to win them to Christ. Their unbelief is deliberate. They have sin in there lives and don't want to believe. The god of this age is able to blind their eyes to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. I don't know how many people are likely to find Christ without intercessory prayer however I do know that our God cares about us and hears our prayers and WE NEED TO PRAY. He does answer if we ask according to His will and He desires that all be saved and that none perish. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13 I need your prayers and I am sure many of you need mine. May we be faithful to pray for each other.

Q1. (2 Corinthians 4:1-2) How do questionable ethics and ministry practices hurt the work of Christ? What is Paul's alternative in verse 2b? It is no longer the work of the Spirit but of man. It is phoney. It turns people off of the greatness of our God and focuses on the phoneyness of man. Set forth the truth and let the Spirit work at will. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q4. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Why is character change directly related to time deliberately spent in God’s presence? What is the theological word for the process of maturing in Christ? Have you noticed a change in the “degree of glory” you’re experiencing now compared to a few years ago? Why or why not? God doesn't have character flaws, we do, so the more time we spend with the one who is holy, sinless, perfect love the more we change and become like Him. The theological word is sanctification. I haven't noticed but it is there. There is so much going on with my own immediate problems that I don't take or am unable to take time most days to reflect on what the Lord is doing for and with me. But He is of that I am sure. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13 Remember to pray for one another. We are God's family!

Q3. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Moses glowed by spending time with God on Mt. Sinai, in his tent of meeting, and in the Tabernacle. How can we get a similar glow of the Spirit in our lives? In what way is meditating on Scripture beholding God? Is the low plane of Christianity in our day related to the time we spend in communion with the Lord? What is God leading you to do to increase your glow? Scripture is so sweet to meditate on. When we meditate on it we are meditating on God. He is the Word. So many people don't read the Bible and they don't know what they are missing and I believe it is related to the "low plane of Christianity in our day". God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q2. (2 Corinthians 3:16-17) Why is the Holy Spirit essential to help people see truth clearly and be able to grasp it? What enables people to come to Christ at all? What kind of freedom does the Spirit give us when we become Christians? The Holy Spirit makes everything happen. He leads us into truth and removes blinders or veils off our eyes to come to the truth so that we may know Him who is the truth. We are free from bondage to sin and condemnation when we become Christians. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q4. (2 Corinthians 3:6a) Why is a Christian’s spiritual health so closely related to his or her involvement in ministry? What are the consequences of dropping out of church – for the believer? For Christ’s Kingdom We are a family and have a terrible enemy. WE need each other. For those who can't find a church nearby where the gospel is preached it is important to stay in the Word and be involved in someway with a friend or in a study like this. Depends on the church! but the believer must stay close to the Lord and needs someone to be accountable too who is in the Lord. I am struggling with this issue. Many of the churches here accept anything that feels good. They don't seem to want the truth of eternal judgement and don't want anything to rain on their Sunday parade. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (2 Corinthians 3:7-11) Why did Moses’ face glow? Why did he cover it when he was out with the people? Why didn’t more people’s face glow in Moses’ time? What’s the difference between the spread of God’s glory in Moses’ time when compared to our own time? Moses face glowed from being with the Lord. He covered it becausehe knew that the glory was fading and passing away and he didn' t want the people to see the glory disappear. The glory disappeared because too much depended on sinful man and so judgement took its place. The law cannot save only the Lord can. The Spirit was only temporary in OT times but now we have the Spirit wth us all the time to go and spread the gospel of the light of Jesus Christ come to us in pure grace and glory and that will not fade away. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13 My husband is very sick and we need your prayers.

Q2. (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) In what sense are we “living letters”? In what way can people “read us”? Why is it so important to be authentic, not phony, in our lives? What happens when people “read” something in you that they admire and mention it to you? How might you respond appropriately? People watch us and our actions display our faith. We are still human and make mistakes so how we handle those is important. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q3. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6) What is the balance between the need for training in ministry (either in the local church or in schools) and personal submission to the Spirit of God? Are you able to “listen to the Spirit’s voice” in your own life? Why would this ability be so important in being a competent minister? We need both Biblical knowledge and training and wisdom which comes from the Spirit. We can do nothing without the Spirit and we need to listen to the Spirit's voice to do service for God. Our enemy is cunning and only the Spirit knows what to do in any situation. God Bless Jen Romans 15:13

Q2. (Exodus 32:21-24) What was the nature of Aaron’s sin with the golden calf? Why do you think he won’t take responsibility for his actions? Why do you think he gets off so easily? Why must leaders be accountable for their actions? What is necessary for leaders to be able to learn from their mistakes? It was an idol! He saw the miracles from God, he knew it was wrong, he caved. It is very hard because of our prideful hearts to admit our faults, mistakes, sins and take accountability for them. I am not sure he got off so easily. He had to live with himself and sometimes that is the worst punishment is looking at ourselves. There must be accountability if there is to be accord with God and if God is to work through His people. Also it is a sign of maturity and we shouldn't want to be ruled by children. I seem to have learned most from my mistakes and when I look at the ruins I do not want to repeat. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

I think Anne said this very well

Q1. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16a) In what sense is knowing God fragrant to people who are open to God? In what way is this fragrance repugnant to people who are closed to God? Have you suppressed your “fragrance” because some people are allergic to Christian perfume? If so, how can you regain the fragrance of Christ’s gospel? I liken it to those who like darkness and those who like light. To those who are open to God it will be sweet and comforting. To those who are in darkness it is uncomfortable because it conflicts with the darkness in them. They can see themselves and it brings forth rage and anger. It is a spiritual battle raging in people. I tread slowly with some people because I know the reaction is going to be viceral. I wait for openings. Is that suppressing? I don't feel so. People know my beliefs and the reaction here has been intense on many occasions. Sometimes it is good to pull back. The Lord went off by Himself many times. He knew the hatred of our enemy. People who are fighting God will react to the fragrance of God. They will want to get rid of it, ridicule, shun, persecute, murder it is so totally opposed to the natural unredeemed sin nature. I agree with the first post. We need to pray for each other. I need prayer. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (Exodus 32:1-6) Why do you think the people of Israel were so quick to make idols, even after hearing the monotheism of the Ten Commandments that forbade graven images? Why do you think Aaron facilitated their sin? How do you think the golden calf made God feel? What idols do Christian churches allow that lead them away from pure worship of God in our day? It was their sin nature. They wanted a god they could see so they made one. They wanted instant ease and comfort. No waiting around for Moses for these people. Aaron 'just put the gold in the fire and out popped the calf'. That is too much! He didn't want to stand up to them and be unpopular. Angry and ashamed of the people. Anything that takes the eyes of the people off God and on anything else. Does anyone see anything here that makes them think of themselves? I do. Too impatient when God doesn't work fast enough for me. Too easy to take my eyes off Him and focus on whatever idol is there. Too hesitant to want to stand up to those who want to go the way of the world system. Oh Lord please don't give up on me. Thank you for your faithfulness since I have so little within me of myself. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q4. (Exodus 24:8; Matthew 26:27-28) What is the function of the �blood of the covenant� in Exodus? What is the �blood of the covenant� in the New Testament? How is the Old Covenant similar to the New Covenant? How are they different? 1. To atone for sin 2. The blood shed on the cross for us by Jesus Christ 3.They both atone for our sin 4. The Old Covenant was temporary and had to be repeated over and over and the New Covenant is once for all, everlasting, permanent. Thank you Jesus. We are so blessed! God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q3. (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) In what sense is Israel a �holy� nation? What does it mean to be holy? Why do you think that personal holiness is de-emphasized in our time? Israel was chosen by God as the nation through which His laws and His Messiah would come. They are a nation loved by God (not always their behavior or ours either) and the apple of His eye. What does it mean to be holy? Well we always struggle with a sin nature so I guess that would mean we don't practice sin or sinful pleasures. And we spend time with God so we become more holy like as we mature in Christ. We no longer want to conform and sin.. We are set apart for HIm Personal holiness rains on the nonbeliever's parade. They don't want to give up their shameful practices so they parade their shame for all to see. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q2. (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) What did priests do in the Old Testament? In what sense are you a priest? How do you function as a priest? In what sense are you a �royal� priest? In what areas can your personal priestly function improve? The priests ministered to God and to the people. They were an intermediary to act on behalf of the people and to come before God and bring sacrifices for the people as offerings for sin and also pleasing aromas to God as He saw their humble hearts before Him in obedience to His commands. We are all priests now who are in Christ who are free to come into His presence through the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross, to worship, adore, love and to intercede for those we know and don't know who are in need of various helps and needs. I am a child of the King. As the Israelies were a chosen people so are we who are in Christ. We are in Him and He is in us. What a mystery. God does more than just know us and be near. He is in us. How to comprehend. In all areas and only through the help of the Holy Spirit who will help us improve in our priestly duties. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q4. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11) How does Satan take advantage of our unforgiveness? What are the symptoms in our own heart of unforgiveness? According to Matthew 6:14-15, how does holding unforgiveness hurt our spiritual lives? What would you have to do to really let go of your resentment and give it to God? Oh Dear! Satan loves an unforgiving heart. He can use it much to our detriment and the detriment of our testimony. At best we are unhappy especially when the incident(s) are brought to our mind and he has many who will do his bidding to accomplish that and at worse it can lead us to commit acts maybe worse than what has been done to us. Plus it perpetuates the acts done in pay back to us and to others. It doesn't end. Unforgiveness separates us from God. We are still of His family and still His however we cannot come to Him and harbor hate for someone and then worship and adore Him at the same time. We are missing the essence of true religion and we loose our joy because we are focused on the horrible (and some acts are just that) acts done and not on Him and who He is! He is marvelous. He is an awesome God who forgave us first! You must be willing to forgive. It is an act of the will. Your feelings will eventually fall into line. Go to God and humbly confess your unforgivness, ask His forgiveness for you as you repent and to cleanse you of the hate for those who have so bitterly hurt you (and some with great joy, which adds to the wound). I have hated the way I have been treated on occassion but when you forgive you are freed from the bonds that tie you to the negative emotions that abound instead of joy and peace that should abound in us. You will have an even greater testimony in this world for Christ. Oh what a God we worship! Father please root out any unforgiveness in me to anyone so I may confess and be cleansed and be free to just love you. There is so much in me that needs the work of the Holy Spirit who can see into the deep recesses, the little unclean parts long ago buried and forgotten to me but are a festering sore. Help me to be willing. I have harbored hate and unforgiveness sometimes too long. Just give me Jesus and You can take care of anything that needs to be taken care of. Thank you Jesus! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I pray in your precious Name. Amen God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q3. (2 Corinthians 2:9) How does obedience to servant leaders help the church of Jesus Christ? How does obedience to self-serving leaders hurt the church? Are you obedient to those whom God has placed over you in the Lord? Why or why not? What is the relationship between obedience and church unity? Obedience to servant leaders in the church firstly honors God. We are not to be concerned about who is most important or trying to be that but to God be true. It helps the church run smoothly and allows the leaders to attend to other areas needing attending. Self-serving leaders will not be concerned with God's glory but with their own which actually doesn't exist. The church members will become divisive and arrogant and prideful. Yes as long as it does not go against the Word of the Lord and if I can do it. Physical limitations and my own home chores in caring for my husband limit my time. The relationship between obedience and church unity is too have a church that can operate for the Lord to the maximum with love abundant as we delight in each others God given abilities and talents. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:9) From an emotional standpoint, what does it feel like to take out and look over one of your treasured possessions? How was the idea of �treasured possession� fulfilled in Israel? What does it feel like to be God�s treasured possession � as we Christians clearly are according to 1 Peter 2:9? From an emotional standpoint great affection for the object as we think on how it was obtained or it's beauty or whatever attribute it has that is precious to us. The Israelites were a chosen people through no doing of their own but wholly on God's doing to be His treasured possession and He was to be their treasured Lord, their God. Deuteronomy 4: 7,8. It is hard to comprehend how a sinner like me could be His treasured possession however as I grow in Christ I understand more ,not on who I am but on who He is. Words cannot articulate, I can only say thank you God for who you are and for loving someone like me. Thank you Jesus for accomplishing the work on the cross so that I might be your treasured possession. Thank you, thank you thank you, Jesus! God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:24) What does it mean to “lord it over” someone? What is the balance between (1) good, strong leadership, (2) micromanaging, and (3) a complete laissez-faire approach to leadership? What are the dangers of an authoritative leadership style? What are the dangers of a weak leadership style? Lording it over someone is to treat that person as inferior. A good leader will know the people under him and their talents. He will treat them with respect and dignity and will expect to be treated the same. He will expect good work but not more than can be reasonably and fairly delivered. An authoritative leadership style promotes fear, rebellion, a give up attitude. A weak leadership syle leaves one wondering what is expected and an uncertainty as to boundaries. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:21b-22) According to this verse, what does the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives signify? How does the Spirit unite us with God? What is the promise of future blessing inherent in the Spirit’s presence? 1. We are established in Christ 2.We are set apart for His purpose 3. We are marked, sealed as belonging to Christ 4.We are guaranteed eternal life with the Holy Spirit as a deposit, down payment of what we are waiting for. What an awesome God we serve. Thank you Jesus! God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13

Q3. (Exodus 16) Why did God provide manna for the people? Why did the manna finally cease? Why do you think that the people gradually began to take the manna for granted? What provision of God are you taking for granted? He provided manna out of His total and complete mercy. They were without food and forgot the miseries of the past in Egypt and remember only the food (what little there might have been of it). So he out of His abundant goodness provided manna for them. It ceased when the need for it was no longer there. At least of that type of manna. For we need always to feast on the "food" that Christ provides. What don't we in our natural state take for granted. It is deep in our sin nature to be ungrateful. What do I not find myself taking for granted and then must repent of my sin and gives thanks to the one who provides for us. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q4. (Exodus 18:13-27; Numbers 11:10-30) Why do you think it took Moses so long to delegate his judicial role to others? What were the qualifications of these judges? How is Moses� role similar to the role of leaders in Ephesians 4:11-12? What is the importance of the anointing of the Spirit in Christian leadership? He didn't know that he could and it didn't enter his mind until it was suggested. They were to be capable men, of the very best character, God fearing, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain. Without the annoiting of the Spirit they can not do what only the Holy Spirit can perform. For within us lies no good thing, except the Holy Spirit. How merciful of Christ to maintain and uphold His church. He did not leave us alone for He knew we could not stand for even a moment but sent the Holy Spirit to minister, teach, guide, correct, rebuke and perform a good work in us until completion. To God be the glory! And we give Him praise for His mighty work in our dark hearts. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Q2. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) How does facing a harrowing crisis help us grow in the Lord? How has a crisis helped your spiritual life? What is the value of learning not to rely on ourselves? What does this do to our pride? How does this improve our effectiveness as God’s servants? It forces us to seek the help of another. If we turn to the Lord we learn to trust in His all-sufficiency, His grace and mercy. It was at the beginning of one deep (for me) crisis that I had my prayers answered in a way that could only be of God. I said to my husband (with great exuberance) "He answered, He answered". It was the beginning of a walk of relying on Him and not myself. When we rely on Him we are relying on One who knows everything including the thoughts in every head, every thing that will happen, and the One who has power to deliver. Pride? What pride? I'd rather have Jesus! We can more effectively serve with greater confidence our Lord as we fully trust in Him. God Bless! Jen Romans 15:13 We need to pray for each other!!

Q4. (Exodus 14:4, 17-18) Why is God�s glory important in the Exodus? How is recognition of his glory important to faith? To holiness? To reverence? What happens when leaders take for themselves the credit and glory that should go only to God? How can leaders keep themselves from pride? I wonder how we can even have to ask a question about God's glory. Who is man that we are mindful of him? Everything is of God, to God and through God. We are nothing without Him, we can do nothing without Him and yet we take glory for things. It is mind boggling to consider. God's glory in the Exodus was important to show just one of the big ego heads on this planet that he was a worm, pharoah was nothing. Any power he had was granted by the Lord of Hosts. How often do I forget to recognize God's glory? Well it could be when I have my mind on myself. That is deadly. I end up depressed and failure. We need to recognize God's glory to stand strong in the faith, to desire a holy walk, to love and adore Him above all else. His Glory stands supreme over all the earth. When leaders take credit for what God and God alone did is stealing from God what is His alone. I believe maybe the angels in heaven shudder because they carry out His wrath. Lord help us. We need to humble ourselves before Him and express our sorrow for the sin in us and thank Him for the gift He gave us in His Son. Thank you Father, thank you Jesus, thank you Holy Spirit that You are mindful of us. On this earth I am not a leader or a person of "earthly" importance except to those in my family but I am important to God. He knows the little person down in the glen. People like pharoah know only themselves and they must lead very boring lives. "To God be the glory, great things He has done, So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the lifegate that all may go in." What did pharoah do for anyone but himself, nothing. What did God do for me? EVERYTHING!! God Bless Jen Numbers 6:24-26