bertha

God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid, to not dismay or be discouraged : Reassuring Joshua that He(Jehova God) would be with him wherever he went. I believe this command is relevant today as it was then. God has not changed nor will He ever. He promises to be with us until the end of the world. Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulations, but to take heart, for He has overcomed the world! Jesus told his disciples that He would not leave us as orphans. One day He will come for us. In the meantime He would send us a Helper( The Holy Spirit) to guide us and remind us of all He the things He had said. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you". John 14:26 Jesus' words of assurance encourages me to continue the good fight of the faith. To be anchored in Christ. For God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self control, therefore I press forward towards the finish line. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but NOT FORSAKEN...2 cor. 4:8-10

God sometimes disciplines us through hardships and circumstances (Hebrews 12:7-11). Sometimes through us not having all that we need. What is such discipline intended to do in our lives? Are you experiencing hardship? What is God trying to say to you in the midst of it? I have been through hardships and difficult circumstances in my past. I was living out of the will of God. I went through a state of depression, loneliness, self pity, and so forth. It took me a while to realize that God was trying to get my attention. Though I learned to tithe most of my life, my spiritual life was non existent. I went through the motions of attending Sunday morning service, maybe Wednesday bible studies, but my heart was far from God. I was a young single(divorced) mother, angry at my circumstances but never stopped going to church. After many years of having one foot inside and one out of the church, God, through His great mercy, brought me back to Him. He mended my wounds and established me in Him. It did not happen overnight, but I can testify that I am where I am today, because I finally opened my heart to God and allowed Him into my life. I enjoy a close relationship with HIm. God has blessed me both spiritually, emotionally, physically, and I lack nothing and desire nothing but to continue growing in the Lord and to do His will. I'm not saying all is perfect, but I have put my trust in My Father in Heaven to supply ALL of my needs and to gratefully thank Him daily for who He is and for what He will do not only in my life, my children's, but in those around me and throughout the world. God is good.

God wishes to take pleasure in us, for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He takes pleasure when we put God first in our lives over everything else: when we make time to pray, when we take time to read the bible to know and understand His ways and walk in them. God takes pleasure in us when we surrender our hearts to Him. He takes pleasure in watching us develop into "mature trees" bearing much fruit. Mature disciples. Wholly willing and ready to be used by Him for His honor and glory. God is pleased when we serve Him joyfully not because we feel we have to. God is pleased when we walk in Faith not knowing what lies ahead but wholly dependent on Him to take us wherever He leads us. We displease God when we go against His will and instead put our will before His(disobedience). When we neglect our spiritual life to focus in our physical needs instead. Christians who's hearts have grown cold because they have stopped reading the bible, have stopped praying, have lost interest in attending worship services(church). It displeases God to see us stagnate, not growing spiritually, not being fruitful, not producing. Sometimes I am so pressed for time that I miss opportunities to serve God. Whether at helping out at church more, attending prayer meetings, or volunteering at shelters. My prayer time with God at home is sometimes cut short because I don't wake up early enough to give God His time. I need to work in this area.

What do repentance and separation from the sins of our culture look like for a disciple today? How should we prepare ourselves to worship Jesus in the Lord's Supper? How should we prepare to serve Him with purity day by day? Repentance and separation from sins today for a disciple is the same as for our past disciples. One should turn from our wicked ways(every form of sin) and surrender our lives to God. We are to be led by the HOLY SPIRIT to be able to live pure lives. Not mingling with the world and it's affairs. Today more than ever, the world is very egotistical, self centered, ambitious, money hungry, immoral. These are a few examples of the things we are to separate ourselves from. God is holy and we are to be, too. We are to strive to be like Jesus. This can only be accomplished by having an intimate relationship with God through prayer, meditating in His word daily, fasting, and filling us with His Spirit. We should examine our lives to see if there is any sin in us that we must turn from to get right with God. If we do, then we must ask God to forgive us and if we have offended our brother, then we are to go and get right with our brother before we can partake of the Lord's Supper. Every day, we must take up our cross and follow Jesus. Everyday, we must crucify the flesh. For the old self has died and we are a new creation in Christ Jesus who died for us.

I believe we forget that God is who is in control of all things. Things that look unreachable or unachievable to us are very reachable and achievable to God. It is God who closes doors and opens doors. It is He who allows us to go through these trials or barriers sometimes to test our faith in HIm. We tend to do things with our strength and our own ability and in turn it wears us out. So we just give up or say it can't be done. A disciple with a robust faith is determined. He turns to prayer for God's direction and guidance. He learns from the Master Teacher Jesus. He knows his strength comes from God and that he has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish God's perfect will. A true disciple perseveres under any type of pressure because he knows in whom he has placed his faith: God Almighty, Creator of all things. If God is for us who can be against us!

What is the danger of letting people without a deep heart commitment and close walk with God redesign the church’s image in the community? Redesign worship? Redesign the preaching? How can we be innovative and still be faithful to God’s heart? I was a member of a small church that just couldn't seem to grow. Turns out that the older members of the church had too much control of what went on in "their" church: how much the pastor was to get paid, how the services were to be performed, even making sure we didn't go over the 2 hours that the service was scheduled for. The pastor was at fault for letting this continue for several years. People came and left. The older members eventually turned on their pastor and all chaos broke loose. The congregation was divided and split after so much rift between them. I, myself, made the decision to leave. I couldn't see how God could be in the midst of all this. The Holy Spirit was not given it's place in the church, therefore decisions were made by men for selfish reasons. A true relationship with Jesus was obviously lacking. True worship requires a repentant heart, a committed heart, a humble heart, and a true love for Jesus: a willingness to be led by God's Holy Spirit and not our own selfish desires. I believe when we love God and understand that we are but vessels in His hands and that our purpose in this life is to do His will, we can work in harmony: allowing ourselves to be guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. It takes a humble spirit, a love for God and for the church(people), an understanding of God's word and obedience, to be able to accomplish great things that will honor God, and Him only.

Q1. (Ezra 1:5-6) Why did only some return to Jerusalem when given the opportunity? What are the likely characteristics of those who return vs. those who stay behind in Babylon? Why do only some answer Jesus’ call to follow him on his journey to a radically different kind of lifestyle and mission? What are the characteristics of true disciples Many years had passed since the captivity that some had already forgotten about their lives as God's chosen people. Some had no knowledge and/or experience as to what it meant to be God's chosen people. Others, I believe preferred their present lifestyle and didn't want to bother with the move. I believe characteristics of those returning were : they were hopeful, obedient, humble, optimistic, motivated, encouraged, grateful vs those that stayed behind: probably some had legit reasons, but if you truly love God and are dedicated to Him, humbled because God has made it possible for you to return to your homeland, you would set aside everything and follow God. I would say some of those who stayed behind could of had grown resentful, perhaps some were simply lazy, unmotivated, and their hearts had turned cold, and insensitive to the Holy Spirit. I believe being sensitive to the Holy Spirit requires a willing heart. Not many answer the calling because it takes sacrifice to follow Jesus. A true disciple is dedicated, obedient, humble, valiant, constantly seeking God's direction and instruction. He learns from the Great Master of masters. As phillipians 3:8 says “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ".

Q4. (5:10-11) Which promises in verses 10 and 11 are most meaningful to you at this point in your life? Why? God himself will restore me. Establish me. Strengthen me. These words bring me hope, peace and joy! At this point in my life, I'm going through some difficulties in my marriage, and to know that God, himself, will. God is a promise keeper. He declares something to be and it gets done. In a little while, but God will. Two words sums it all. God will. Praise be to God Almighty!

Q3. (5:8-9) What instructions does Peter give us to guide us in spiritual warfare? Extra credit: How are these instructions similar or different than Paul's instructions in Ephesians 6:10-17 Peter instructs us to be self controlled/sober minded. Disciplined. Steadfast in the faith. Not double-minded. He goes on to say to be alert, as well. Always with our guard up. Prayer is the warrior's weapon. Constant in prayer. We are told to resist the devil. Fight the devil even if your life depends on it. Face adversaries without wavering. In Ephesians 6:10-17, Peter goes into detail on how to use the armor of God. He compares this armor to a roman soldier's armor. Though the armor instructed for us to wear sounds different, it is not. We are fighting a spiritual battle. The same areas we need protection from mentioned in Ephesians are the same in 1 Peter. We have many enemies: Battles of the mind(which is why the helmet is mentioned here), temptations, the flesh, the world, and satan himself. Each piece of armor covers those areas in our lives that need to protect if we want to be victorious. It is the Spirit of God in us who will help us defeat our foes. It will be our faith(steadfast in the faith) that will be tested. The shield mentioned here, which will not allow the darts of the enemy to penetrate us. Our faith which comes from knowing the word of God(our sword!). Resist the devil. We need the armor of God in order to be able to remain standing after coming face to face with the devil. Praying always. Prayer keeps us alert!

Q2. (5:8) What is it important to be aware of Satan's existence? What does this verse teach us about the devil? Why is this teaching important? We are at battle. We must know who our enemies are, if not it is like entering a battle blindfolded. Not knowing who or what to aim at. Not knowing the enemies tactics leaves us vulnerable. We will lose the battle. We will be defeated. This verse teaches us that the satan is very real and prowls about like a roaring lion looking whom to devour. Satan will show no mercy. He is at work wanting to destroy us. This teaching will help us to understand how Satan works and how to prepare ourselves to face our enemy. It is not by our might but through the power of His(God's might) that we will be victorious.

Q1. (5:7) According to this verse what should you do with your fears? What reason is given why you should do this? In what manner should you do it. How will you apply this verse's instruction in your own life? God says to cast our fears upon him. Give them to Him because He cares about us. He is concerned about our lives. God wants us to be whole, healthy. Whole in Him, that we may function 100% properly to be able to do His will. He invites us to come before Him in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving in our hearts. This I will remember every time fear wants to take over me when at home. My husband recently left me. We had just moved to the outskirts of town to a 2 acre ranch. Now that I'm alone, sometimes fear wants to creep in at night, but I find myself praying to God and declaring His promises, that He will never leave me or forsake me. This lesson lifts my spirits up. I will cast my fears upon Him. It also helps me to encourage my son, and others who suffer from anxieties and fears in their lives. God cares for us! God is good!

Q4. (5:5-6) What acts of humility are appropriate for church leaders? How can we discern a person's humility before putting him or her in a place of leadership in the church? What happens when we fail to do this? Jesus set an example for us to follow: Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life. Matthew 20:28. Jesus is loving, patient, understanding, tenderhearted, peaceful, merciful, forgiving, etc. All these traits show humility in a person and are a must have for church leaders. Church leaders will encounter many different temperaments, views, attitudes when dealing with the congregation, therefore they must be able to work/coordinate with them. How leaders interact with the congregation says a lot about them. You can see the joy of being of service to God in their faces. They are there because they are fulfilling God's purpose; to make disciples of men, to feed the sheep, to care/tend to the needs of the sheep. They are not there to be known or receive recognition from men nor to be admired by men. They want to please God. When we fail to discern this spirit of humility in a person and go ahead and give them the role of a leader, we are putting the church of God in the hands of someone who can bring harm to it instead of good. We can expect conflicts, disagreements, church members leaving, and maybe just losing interest in God.

Jesus set a good example to us when he said a true pastor cares for the sheep and will give his life for them. Jesus showed humility when he washed the disciples feet and asked us to do the same for each other. Elders and pastors must be filled with the Holy Spirit, be humble, be constant in prayer, show love for the people, knowing that they are but vessels in God's hands and will surely give an account to God for their actions. Having a board of directors to whom they must give account to should be necessary. A secretary, a treasurer, as well. All tithes and offerings recorded and accounted for. It is sad to say we have to run the church like we would a business.

When someone takes a position in the church forcefully, there is the danger of.neglecting the flock for there's no love for them. They mean nothing to you, so the minute any problem arises, you run. Instead of caring for the sheep, you might have a bossy attitude and scare the sheep, possibly scattering them. In the primitive church, chosen leaders of the church were required to be filled with Holy Spirit. This says it all. The Spirit of God: The Spirit of truth. God is love. God is merciful. God is patient. God cares.

This is evidence that we have fully surrendered our lives to God and have died to ourselves. The flesh is only concerned about itself, how to benefit itself. Therefore, in willing to die for Jesus, we are renouncing ourselves and placing God over everything. On the other hand, if we aren't willing to die for Christ, we have not surrendered all to him, as He has asked us to. We are letting God know that it is us sitting in the throne of our lives and not Him. We are not committed to Christ. We have much to lose, for Jesus said " For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it".

When I meditate on the idea of partaking in Christ's sufferings, it brings me comfort in that this is only temporary, compared to the reward awaiting me in heaven: Eternal life in God's presence. People will know that I am willing to suffer for Christ and maybe this will move them to search for answers and in the process find Jesus, Also, this makes me know that I am doing something right in order to receive such persecution.

If we are never persecuted, we should be careful. Jesus was persecuted for preaching the truth. He wasn't worried about offending anyone with the truth. He suffered in the hands of those who rejected Him. He loved without measure, yet he was persecuted. Now, if we are not suffering for the cross, maybe we are still living in the flesh, being people pleasers. Maybe, we need to examine our lives and see where we are slacking in our faith. Suffering for Christ should bring us joy, remembering that if they persecuted Jesus, we, also, will be persecuted. That means Jesus is in us by means of the Holy Spirit. We should rejoice when in trials, tribulations, because it is here, when God glorifies himself in us and we grow spiritually closer to God. We are being molded, our character is being formed. We experience God's strength, for it is He who strengthens us in our weaknesses.

Posted April 9, 2004 · Report post By avoiding persecution and sufferings for Christ, we can be in danger of compromising our faith and allowing ourselves to fall into doing something that goes against Jesus' teachings. We forget that God's standards are set and we cannot serve both God and the world. We are in danger of denying Christ. For if we deny Christ , he will deny us before the Father. Avoiding persecution means we have not surrendered all to God. I have shared Christ at work with my coworkers, and sometimes I do feel bad vibes around some of them. Like if they can't stand my presence. Though they are cordial. Other times I admit I have held back from sharing Christ, thinking people might shoo me away, or just simply " don't want to hear about religion". I know this is wrong. I simply have to plant the seed and God takes care of the rest. I ask God for boldness to speak up. I have observed other Christians pass up the opportunity to share Jesus simply because of fear of losing friends. We need to take heed of God's word that reminds us to fear Him who can send our soul to hell, rather than fearing man, who can only destroy the body but not the soul.

When people start "bragging" about how God is using them and what they have accomplished, I believe they are pretty much glorifying themselves and not God. I once heard an evangelist say that if it wasn't for him, a certain brother in Christ would of still been lost. God had used him to minister to an old "drinking pal" of his and sadly every opportunity he got he would brag how he had saved him from destroying his life. Though he would say God had used him, just listening to the way he would say it just didn't sound right. I believe a pompous spirit might be the cause of this. "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). We live in a very competitive world today, and sadly some Christians are competing amongst each other to see who has the most talents, who sings better, who preaches better, who has the most members. We are told to imitate Christ. Wash one another’s feet (John 13:14). Jesus commands us to be humble. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted". I pray to God that in everything I do, He receive the honor and glory. If it is the gift of teaching, that I may speak what the Holy Spirit wants me to speak. If it is to intercede for others in prayer, that I may do it diligently and with a caring heart. If it is to be generous with what he has given me, so then I must do it with a cheerful heart. These I believe are the gifts God has given me, and I do admit I need to exercise them more dutifully.

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 want to indulge in the worldly passions without restraint. They are simple minded and live for today as they say. Not giving a thought to what the future holds for them. They live by the saying "if it feels good do it". Christians on the other hand don't like others to point out their faults and/or weaknesses. Some might even use the "I'm not perfect" line, or that we are under grace, and so God will forgive me. Some are still struggling with pride, or a sin that hasn't been dealt with(surrendered to God). But the bible tells us that we should all be accountable for our actions, both to God and to others. This should inspire us to walk righteously, justly, and with integrity. Knowing that one day we all will be before God's throne to give an answer to everything we did on earth, whether good or bad. Also, People are watching our every move. What does our walk say about us? Will it bring someone to Jesus or will it make others reject Him?

(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? When non-Christians hear that we are professing Christians, they feel that we are saying we are perfect, better than them, holier than them. Could be it gives them the satisfaction of knowing that we are just as bad as them or no different. Seems like they want to see us fail or err so it can make them feel good. At the same time, I believe they are blinded to their sin, and therefore don't see anything wrong with themselves or with the choices they make. Christians that continue to hang out with non-believers will encounter many temptations. We tend to want to be accepted, to be part of the group, to belong and so we might have the urge to compromise or give in to temptation. Sometimes, we start off innocently by accepting an invitation to lunch, a party, a drink(pop), and then before we know it, it becomes a habit. Like they say, be careful with our habits because they become our character. That's why it's very important to cover ourselves with God's shield of protection. We need to abide in Christ, be filled with the Holy Spirit and never put our guards down.Praying before we start a new day, reading the word of God. Doing these things on a daily basis we help us resist temptation.

. (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 Christ defeated sin on the cross. Christ triumphed over sin. We, also, who profess to be followers of Christ, redeemed by the power of the blood of Jesus, have been empowered by Christ through the HOLY SPIRIT, to overcome all evil thoughts, temptations, etc. We are to arm ourselves, program our minds(prayer, bible reading) to believe that we are more than conquerors in Christ. Sin no longer has a hold on us, unless we allow it to. Like Christ hates sin, we, too, should hate sin. When we think of what Jesus went through for us, it should embolden us to fight all kinds of sin, not by our own efforts, but through the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the enemy!

If I recall correctly, I was baptized at the age of 14. Our church at that time was performing baptisms and I got baptized. I remember being in love with the Lord and enjoying going door to door witnessing to neighbors and participating at church events. At the same time my family was very dysfunctional(alcoholic parents, verbal abuse, mental abuse, etc.) eventually I backslid and was in and out of the church for most of my adult life. I have been serving the Lord after renewing my vows to Him for approx. 10 years. The past 5 years or so I have enjoyed teaching children and youth Sunday classes. I also disciple a teenager at home on Saturdays. There's so much to do for the Lord, that I feel I'm still not doing enough. Sometimes I feel that I didn't take my pledge seriously at 14 and would love to get baptized again. Of course I understand that it's really not necessary, so as long as I keep my pledge from this day forward. But, people put too much emphases on when you received Christ and when you were baptized, it makes me feel terrible that I didn't follow through with my pledge to God. God is good!

What impresses me most: to bring me to Godt Our Creator, Our Father, had us in his mind since the beginning of creation; Providing the perfect sacrifice to bring us back to Him after we were separated by the original sin. Knowing very well that many would reject Him, yet he considered us of much worth. If only one, would repent and receive His perfect sacrifice, God would do it all over again. For God so Loved.....this impresses me most. He so loved us that he came down to earth in the person of Jesus to be sacrificed in our place that we may be reconciled to Him! There is no greater love than for a man to give his own life for his brother. God did this once for All humanity. Suffered a painful, horrifying, death, branded as a sinner(the worst), having committed no sin, and then being nailed on the cross. All for me. Truly amazing grace!

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? When we are persecuted, we tend to want to defend ourselves. We forget in whom we have placed our trust. Our God who promises us to be our Defender, Avenger, Lawyer. Instead we fight back. We react to circumstances instead of analyzing the situation, responding to it like Peter said, already prepared beforehand knowing that whether good prevails or not we await a greater blessing by God if we respond with kindness. A blessing that far outweighs any reward here on earth. For this, we need to meet in our secret room with the Lord daily, to be filled with His Spirit, that we may be good witnesses of Jesus' love and not the wrong kind of witness. We don't want to bring shame to God. We want to reach souls and win them over to God not scare them away. In my situation, I need to work on my replying with gentleness. I do know that in some cases, if I would of kept quiet or held back answering, things would not have escalated to where I felt ashamed, like if I failed God. I have honestly at times asked God to forgive me for failing the test. I pray for a gentle spirit, so that I can be an effective witness for God to the world.