Katy

Q3. We must obey our government’s laws unless they are contrary to God’s laws. No government is in office without the Lord permitting them to be. An anti government stance brings discredit to God because it is the law of the land to obey. If it is directly opposed to God’s law we must obey God. If we are causing trouble because we don’t want to obey the law of the land we will not attract people to our Saviour. We will be labelled as trouble makers. Gossip and backbiting are sin and we must refrain from doing either. If we are doing either we are involving others around us and drawing them into sin. And so it goes on unless someone has the backbone to call a halt. These sins cause hurt, distress, and harm to relationships which in turn badly affect the atmosphere and unity within the church.

Q2. The two purposes of Christ’s redemption are: To redeem us from our wickedness and sin. Jesus wants to set us free From the bondage of sin in our lives, and also to turn around our lives and move away from being wicked. He also wanted to Purify a people who are eager to do good works. We need to be pure to do good works otherwise our motives will be wrong, we won’t be doing them to draw attention to Jesus and bring Him glory but we will be doing them for what we can get out of it, and to draw attention to ourselves and how great we are for doing good deeds.

Q1. I should be writing that I would not change anything in my life if I was convinced that Jesus was soon to return. But I know that my life is not as perfect as it should be. My priorities would be different if I lived daily in expectation of Jesus return. The daily routine of life so often distracts from these more important things to come. We have a blessed hope , which means that we are especially favoured, with an expectant hope that Jesus is coming back as He has promised to take us home to live in His presence for eternity. When Jesus was born , He came quietly and lived in humble circumstances, but His second return will be different. All nations and people will be aware of His return, no one will miss it. The last trumpet will sound and His glory will be seen by all. There will be hosts of angels with Jesus as He appears in the clouds. No one will be in doubt about His power, majesty and strength.

Q4. We have been given wonderful grace from God when we accepted Him as Our Lord and Saviour. We have been given freedom, but this freedom is from all our sins. This grace and freedom is not given to us so we can be careless about the way we live. This grace is given to us to live Godly lives that are pleasing and honouring to God. The more we live honourable lives the easier it will become to continue this way of life and the more offensive it will be to us to do anything that is non pleasing to our Lord and Saviour.

Q3.The young woman needed to love their husbands and children, otherwise they would be thought to be neglectful of their responsibilities. They were to be mindful of being pure and moral always, or their behaviour wound reflect badly on the church and ultimately on God. Young women were not to neglect their household duties, to be kind and do good in their communities, this goodness would come from their moral goodness. They were to be submissive to their husbands as head of the household. In all these things if done as they are taught by the older ladies they will bring honour and glory to God and attract nonbelievers to ask questions. The young men as to be instructed in just one area and that was self control. They were to stop and think through things before diving straight in with planning etc. They were to be reasonable in everything that came their way in life. All employees are to work to the best of their ability, not to be lazy or doing enough just to get by. They should be respectful to their employer and not be smart, answering back etc. They must never steal, if they do their employer will not trust them, and will not have any desire to know about Christianity. It would be a great insult to God. Very often people will pay attention more to a leaders actions rather than what they are preaching. That goes for all Christian’s our lives must reflect what we are saying and what we are saying must reflect our words. They can never be different. While we are here on earth we are God’s representatives, therefore anything we do or say that is wrong, unkind, judgmental or unloving will reflect badly on God and we are responsible!

Q2. The older men were to be taught by Titus to be first and foremost Temperate. It appears that the older men were drinking too much alcohol and this was affecting the way people thought about them and of course the church. Paul urges Titus to teach them to be worthy of respect. Respect must be earned and of course if they are consuming too much alcohol, they will not earn any respect. The old men must also learn about self control, which is very much needed if they are going to limit their intake of alcohol. The old men must also ensure they are taught about the soundness or healthy Christian virtues of agape love, sound doctrine, which needs study and application to God’s word on a regular basis. They must also be taught the importance of being patient and enduring whatever comes their way. It appears that the older ladies may have been indulging in too much wine. This of course will have led to behaviour that was displeasing to God. Titus must teach the older women the importance of living in a reverent way, a way that would please the Lord. There is no place for uncouth and coarse behaviour in a Christian women’s life. We must be good examples to the younger generation of women coming after us. The older women have a role to play in teaching what is good , and to know what is good needs prayer and study of God’s word.

Q1. I have never experienced a Pastor who doesn’t correct false teachings. I have not come across false teachings within my church. However I can imagine that if it is allowed to continue by a Pastor it maybe means that he fears man more than he fears God. Maybe his own biblical knowledge isn’t as good as it should be and therefore he is not aware of wrong teaching. Maybe he is afraid of causing splits within the church which he doesn’t believe he can deal with, or maybe he has already experienced such a situation and cannot face it again. In all of these reasons he is forgetting of his duty to God and just how dishonouring the whole situation is to God. There will also be a lack of trust in the pastor by some of the congregation if he is not seen to deal with the problem as it arises. False teachings will also lead to confusion and error among the congregation especially those new to faith or the vulnerable in the church. The pastor and eldership must be gentle but firm in speaking to the offender. There must be a lot of love and patience also. It is hoped in this way things can be resolved without further steps needing to be taken.

Q5. In order to guard our faith we must know and continue to study God’s word. When we are sure of our own position in God’s family it makes it easier to stand up and be counted. We must concentrate on growing closer to God as we do this the fruit of the spirit will become evident in our lives. We will know how we must live… and if people judge us as being narrow or old fashioned, that is their wrong perspective of the world. However we must at all times be mannerly, polite, willing to discuss our differences with calmness and dignity. If we are walking in God’s footsteps, we will be positive, loving and pleasant to be around. Even if someone is saying we are narrow minded and antiquated in our ideas, we must still treat them as we would anyone else, no matter what has been said about us.

Q4.The best antidote to the love of money is to realise just how much you have got by comparison with many others. Then ask God to lead you and guide you to share some of our money with someone or some organisation that needs help. This must be done because we love Jesus and all He suffered for us. If it is done for any other reason it is selfishness and not something that the Lord wants to see in us. We may not have a lot of money to give away, but we have other gifts we can use to do good deeds. We can make an effort to visit an older person who cannot get out anymore. We can apply active listening when a friend is sharing a problem with us. We can help a young mum with babysitting or sitting with someone to allow their carer go out for a couple of hours. There are many good deeds we can do which will bring glory to God, as long as we are doing it with the right motivation, because we love Our Saviour. These good deeds will not cost us any thing except our time. They also will prevent any financial pressure becoming a burden to the family from giving away too much financially.

Q3.The love of money grows when we spend our spare time wandering around shops looking at ‘things’ we just don’t need. We start to feel dissatisfied and discontent. These feelings may be strengthened when we see ads on tv or in magazines that suggest life would be perfect if we had the things they are trying to sell! If we continue in this way of life these feelings will become stronger and we may be tempted to try and get rich by doing the lotto or other things which may not be in keeping with what the Lord would like us to do! Also our minds are so taken up with our desires and spending time looking at shops etc, that the Lord is being forgotten or given a minimum of time because of our other pursuits. In the past I have found the best action is to avoid pursuits that make you ‘want’ things and concentrate on spending more time with God. Eventually I found I was not interested in shopping or looking at magazines etc which made me discontent. I now dislike shopping and only visit the shops when I really need something. I know that I have exactly what the Lord wants me to have and I am usually content with that. I have far more than many people in our world today.

Q2.God wants us to be content with what He has given us, if we are discontent we are telling God that He is not providing enough for us. This must be difficult for the Lord to witness. Our lives must be lived to please God, therefore we should be content with what we have and not always want more. Contentment brings peace of mind and peace with God. The Lord doesn’t mind us striving to give our families what they need and some luxuries, as long as families do not suffer from the absence of the parent because of long hours at work. Also extra work must not interfere with our time spent with the Lord. If extra work is causing discontent, stress or fatigue, the situation needs to be addressed and changes made.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q1. I suppose people hear what they want to hear. By nature we are greedy and can fall into Satan’s trap when we are told about Christian’s becoming wealthy. In Phillipians Paul tells us that God will meet all our needs , he doesn’t mention our wants. We will most definitely receive spiritual wealth as we live our Christian lives but this may not also include financial wealth. We should be content with what God has given to us and not always be looking for more. If we daily look at our blessings it will make us more aware of all that we have and hopefully help us to be content. If God does bless us with more money than we need, as a Christian the surplus should be used to benefit the spreading of the gospel and helping others who need help and support.

Q5. Paul was teaching Timothy what he needed to teach to slaves. Paul is not condoning slavery but he accepts that at that time there were people who were slaves. These slaves if they were Christians needed to act in such a way as to honour their Lord, Jesus Christ. If their masters were not Christians they were not to bring disrepute to God by acting in a disrespectful manner to their Master and those they came into contact with on a daily basis. If their Master was a believer, He deserved even more respect because he was a brother in Christ. As a believer his Master will care for the welfare of His slaves. In God eyes every person is equal to another, He does not see Greek or Jew, slave or non slave, one race or another, one religion or another. We are all equal to each other. This is a great lesson and example to us all.

Q4.Having dealt with the disciplining the false teachers Paul goes on to tell Timothy not to be in a hurry to ordain more elders. It was more important to get to know church members deeply and then decide who to ordain. A person for leadership in the church must not be a new convert because he may become conceited also he would not have the depth of knowledge required by a teacher. It takes time to get to know people deeply , a persons bad traits may not be obvious at first when one knows them on a superficial level also their good deeds and qualities may not at first be obvious. These qualities and not so good qualities become more apparent as we get to know people on a deeper level.

Q3. Paul felt it necessary to call a halt to wrong behavior within the church, even if it was among the leadership of the church. Paul had laid down criteria for doing this: an accusation had to be well supported before it was even considered. No favouritism was to be shown to anyone, no matter how hard it was. It was to be done in public as a warning to others that bad behaviour/wrong teachings were noted and would not be tolerated in the Church. The temptation to ignore it and not go through with it can be very strong and can cause damage within the church. Some will not accept that certain people can be wrong. They in turn start to complain about the person trying to deal with the whole situation. It can split a church and do damage. The most important thing is to have everything covered in prayer. It does not guarantee smooth sailing but God will lead and guide the church and even if there is trouble God will be faithful if we obey and seek His face daily. Today it is difficult to exercise Church Discipline because everything in this world is now more casual and acceptable. This is present to a lesser degree within the church but still present to an extent. I don’t think all Christian’s are prepared to accept the authority of the Bible when the circumstances affect them. We do not grasp the Holiness of God and His loathing of sin. Some don’t accept there is such a thing as sin. It is hard to follow through on a set course that you know has the potential to disrupt the peace of the church body.

Q2. Paul tells us that Elders who do a good job in teaching and leading are worthy of double honour1Tim.5v 17. By this Paul means they are worthy of the honour and respect that goes with being an elder in God’s Church , but in addition to this they deserve to be compensated for their good work. Paul refers to various Scriptures that teach us to pay promptly those that have done work for us. We must not delay as the worker may be poor and totally dependent on his wage to feed his family. The Lord will be angry if we defraud our workers. Leviticus 19v13. James 5v 17. Deuteronomy 24v14-15.

Q1. It is our moral duty as human beings to care for family members who are not able to care for themselves. Even unbelievers do this. Therefore as followers of Christ we should welcome the opportunity to look after our parents who have nurtured and provided for us while we were unable to fend for ourselves. It is our responsibility and not the responsibility either of the State or the local church. We should regard it as a privilege to have the opportunity to give back some of the love, care and time to our parents that they have given to us over the years of our lives.There maybe others in the area or the church who don’t have any family members to care for them. If we neglect our responsibilities to our parents and others have to look after them, we may be depriving someone else of the care they need because they don’t have any relatives to look after them. Paul tells us that to neglect our duty makes us worse than unbelievers and infidels! By our non action we deny the very faith we proclaim to have.

Q4. Ridged unsmiling orthodoxy misses the core of Godliness…. Which is love, first of our Lord and Saviour and secondly love of the people we meet in our lives, our families, our church family, our work colleagues, neighbours and those we try to meet to befriend and introduce to Jesus. Ridged unsmiling orthodoxy is teaching the law, hard fact with no emotions attached. It is like the Pharisees scrupulous about carrying out the law, they miss the opportunity of experiencing Jesus properly, instead they plan to kill Him. Absolutely no understanding of the world that God wanted to create, just their own world of rules and regulations. They could have experienced Godliness among their midst, and learnt it from the source of love Himself. They were blinded by their ridged rules and orthodoxy. We all learn from example and our leaders must be examples of people who lead Godly lives. People would also find it hard to accept a leader who teaches about Godliness and yet shows little or no signs that he is living a Godly live.