JoanG

The Jewish people have suffered for a long time. The person that is coming with the good news ia so very special to them. It is the most wonderful sight that they have ever seen. Teh historical context of these verses is the freeing of the Jewish people from slavery in a foreign land. Paul is basically saying that good news is always a wonderful thing. And the messenger that brings it is a beautiful person to the one that receives the news.

I believe that we need to have faith in God to know what is best for us. We need to let go of our fears and put our best food forward. We need to stop trying to open closed and locked doors. There is always fear to the unknown. However, if we think about the present moment and not the past or future, we are able to see more than the darkness. We can see that God is really showing us a light. When we try to make our own light, we will end up walking in much more darkness that can lead to a life filled with chaos.

In this passage, Isaiah is talking about Jesus the Messiah. Jesus was always aware of the will of the Father. His prayers were intimate conversations with God. Jesus became man and suffered on a daily basis. He was tormented by the Pharasees. He was ridiculed by his own family and friends. He was sentenced to die a very unjust death. However, Jesus rose above all of these things and was glorified in heaven. At the end times, He will return in his full glory to judge all the earth. I feel that people need to have patience in the Lord. We need to realize that God will judge peopel in His time frame not ours. And I feel that we need to let go of our negative feelings and pray for understanding hearts. We need to see the silver lining in all situations not just vindicated ones.

I feel that the Israelites will always be God's chosen people. He has made a pact with Moses and David. He has promised to always be there for them. He will gather them from all the corners of the earth for the final day. I feel that the Jewish people need to be prayed for. Their rights need to be guarded. Their way of life needs to be honored and not made fun of. They need to have people fight for their justice in this hostile world.

I find that older people fear those that are different from themselves. It is a learned habit passed down through the generations. They do not have the ability not to judge a book by its cover. My grandparents were notorious for this type of thinking. They judged everyone on a standard that was close to themselves. Nothing could ever be different. I feel that we need to get to know more about other people. I feel that the internet had made this more possible. We are no longer immobile to visit other lands. It does not take a passport to read about others. I feel that churches need to open their doors and hearts to all people. We need to find common ground. We need to dismiss those things that are different in people. We need to unite all people who believe in God and Jesus.

I believe that Jesus got the same help that we would get from God. However, I feel that the help we get depends on the trials and tribulations that we are facing. I feel that God does not give an angel when a tiny bit of help is needed. I feel that God would be able to put that on our hearts very easily Himself. However, if we were facing a life and death situation, I truly feel that God would send us all the angels that we would need right then and there.

The Father was always pleased with His Son. The Father wants us to let him know what is on our minds. He wants us to use the brains that he gave us to think and feel for ourselves. He wants to be able to help us grow. If we constantly do things that God wants without even thinking, we are not growing or maturing. There has to be an open discussion of what we want and why we want it. Then we can go to the Father and openly express our wants and let him know that we will do it his way whatever that may be. We are allowing ourselves to have a learning moment with the Father this way.

I am sure that Jesus was overwhelmed by the amount of pain and anguish that was going to be felt. He is human at this point. He was suffering just as we would. It must have been a task that seemed totally impossible to him at the last moment. He did not want to fail the Father at all. He feared what was coming. He was hoping against hope that he wound not have to face this test of his humanity. He had no idea how the Father was still going to love him with all of this sin on his shoulders. He was not resisting the Father's will, he was doing the human thing and asking for help to deal with it. He was basically saying, I really do not want this for myself, but if you need this of me, I am going to do it willingly for you.

Jesus wanted his disciples to build a great faith base within themselves. He wanted them to know that true diligent prayers would soon be answered by him and his Father in heaven. Jesus knew that there would be a great temptation to turn from his teachings back to the ways of the world once he was gone. He told them to pray that they would not give into temptation. He wanted them to pray for help. I am not sure how well they did pray for this. After his death, they took to hiding right away. They were afraid to be out among the people. The Lord's prayer was given to the apostles in the Sermon on the Mount. Even though the meaning is the same, there are different words used in different versions of the bible. KJV says: and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. NRSV: and do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. New English Bible: And do not bring us to the test, but save us from the evil one. Jerusalem Bible: and do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one. Everyday Bible: and do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from the evil one. I feel that Jesus wanted to be alone to talk to his Father above, and on a very personal basis. He did not want to share this very special time with anyone else. It was going to be the very last time that he was going to be able to have privacy before his death and resurrection.

People that do not use their gifts are denying the rest of the world the assistance from God and the Holy Spirit. I personally feel that all people are given gifts and talents that are to make the world a much better and holier place. I feel that the more people that use their gifts, the more the influence of God and Christ will shine through everyone's life. Churches will once again become the beacons that they were meant to be.

The Holy Spirit gives power to the gifts, distributes the gifts, and gives the gifts according to his will and the will of the Father. We are not able to control the gifts that we are given. That decision is God's alone. We need to use the gifts we are given to their and our fullest potential. Every person has a spiritual gift.

I feel that God has used me to help heal people. I was able to use my skills as a nurse to sense something was wrong and was able to get them help immediately. I have the ability of prophecy and have used it in different situations to help people to make the best decisions that they could. I have discernment of Spirit where I am able to help people cleanse their homes and surroundings. I have used this ability in my ghost hunting practice.

Jesus is the perfect person that we should try to model. He understood the gifts in full and he knew how to use them to the best of the gift's potential. Even though he was so perfect, Jesus knows that we are not perfect at all. He was the ultimate teacher. And I am sure that he keeps teaching us through the bible each day.

Spiritual gifts are gifts given to us from God that the Holy Spirit guides our use of. So that we can fulfill the purpose for which we were created. I believe that when people misuse their spiritual gifts, chaos can take over in their lives. These gifts can also be used for evil purposes. However, I am sure that God will hold that against people at the final judgment. If you use your gifts wrongly now for money and earthly rewards, you will not get the reward in heaven. I feel that miracles will happen when people really work together. I feel that a lot of good would happen quickly. We as a collective group can possibly change the world.

we should worship Jesus with our whole heart and soul. All of our worship should be a glorious and prayerful honor. We should put Jesus first in our lives. We should obey each and every one of his commandments with complete faithfulness. I feel that I do not honor Jesus as I should. I feel that there is a lot more than I can do.

They were calling him the King of Israel. They were praising the fact that he came in the name of the Lord. It is time for him to be revealed to all the world. This is what the Father wanted him to do.

The riding of the donkey is to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. It showed that he was the Messiah. It showed that the Pharisees and ruling government were evil and corrupt. The crowds got excited and showed honor to him. They were singing his praises.

Judas felt that the amount of money could have been given to him to disperse to the poor. He also would have been able to steal the money to use on himself. Jesus knew Mary's heart. He knew how much she loved him. She wanted to honor him. We need to pour our hearts and souls into our worship. I think I make my worship as extravagant as I can. I pour my whole heart and soul into it. I have changed churches so that I can get more out of it.

Judas felt that the amount of money could have been given to him to disperse to the poor. He also would have been able to steal the money to use on himself. Jesus knew Mary's heart. He knew how much she loved him. She wanted to honor him. We need to pour our hearts and souls into our worship. I think I make my worship as extravagant as I can. I pour my whole heart and soul into it. I have changed churches so that I can get more out of it.

Nehemiah is not acting as a true servant. He is going to blatantly answer the king. He can actually be let go from his position or he can be put to death. He gives a quick prayer to the Lord for the right words, strength, bravery, success, or all the above. But he knows what he has to do. It is a final push for help. A lost minute plea for all of God's guidance, help and understanding.

God will place people where they need to be to accomplish his work. He needs to have certain things done at certain times by certain people. We need to stand firm in what God needs us to do. We need to be willing to die for our beliefs. We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters. We need to see that justice is done. We need to really pray when faced with death. we need to ask God to help us bit if we are to die let us die with grace. To have asked God to protect me or give me a swift and painless death.

Nehemiah appeals to the Lord's sense of fairness. He points out that God has promised to regroup the Jewish people when they returned to Him. Nehemiah is showing that he is a great servant. And that the people are returning to God. They are praying and are delighted in honoring your name. He is asking God to hear what the people are saying.

Nehemiah knows the sin of the Jewish people. They know that the punishment is deserved but he is going to take the sins of the people upon himself. He is going to pray not only for himself but for all the Jewish nation. He is going to fast and he is going to pray and he is going to weep and literally beg for forgiveness. He is going to keep this up till he knows that God has heard his prayers.

God will allow people to have free will. If we follow God's plans for us willingly, God will bestow grace upon us. However, if we do not follow God, we will have to deal with the consequences. We will be disciplined for not following and allowing sin to enter into our lives. God will use trouble, poverty and disasters to help get us back on track with his goals and purposes for us. He will also use these to punish those that refuse to follow his laws and rules. We need to really live our lives according to God. we need to be as holy and sinless as possible. We need to keep God as the number one in our lives.

God knows all things and is able to share what will happen in the future. He is all knowing. And God can and will and does manipulate time, events and people to accomplish his goals. I feel that God shared this information about Cyrus. And Cyrus was blessed and anointed by God's own hand way before his birth. God gave him credit way before Cyrus was born. He is destined to do the will of God. I feel that God will put his goals and purposes on the hearts of people. They do not have to believe to feel with their hearts. Their minds are open to many things. God can make people do as he wants. God has given everyone a purpose and a reason to be. We honestly have no clue why God created people. We have no way of knowing what God's purpose is. We need to love everyone the same because we are all God's children. And each of us is very special to God.