Irmela

3.1. What's wrong with worshiping while a brother has something against us? (or us against a brother?) Worship means to honor God. If we try to do this with known sin in our heart, eg. being angry with someone, it is a mockery. In the same way if we know that someone has something against us, we need to get that cleared out of the way because it can easily become the root of bitterness (sin) in our own. If there is sin (which is a blocker) be it either me holding something against someone or someone having done something against me, there is a hindrance in my thinking or action, there is distraction, and I will not be able to come before God. There is a contamination, as it were. 3.2. What is the appropriate action for us to take? We need to humble ourselves and repent and be reconciled to the person or persons. 3.3 How far should we go to bring about reconciliation with someone whom we have offended? We should humble ourselves and go all the way to bring about reconciliation. In the prayer we know as the LORD'S PRAYER, we say, ... forgive us our trespasses (sins) as we forgive those who sin against us. ... So if we do not forgive, we cannot be forgiven, for we are only forgiven in the same way (measure) as we forgive others (or for that matter, ourselves). 3.4 Are there any situations that we shouldn't try to resolve? Or that we can't resolve? We should try and seek reconciliation at all time, but should the offender or offended not seek or accept reconciliation from their side, know that from your side you have sought to make things right and have forgiven the other party for their side of the offense and know that God had forgiven you. Accept God's forgiveness and leave it at that. Further than that you can only show love from your side, i.e. let go and let GOD do the rest.

2.1 Why does Jesus treat calling someone a fool in the same classification as murder? The motivation behind murder and calling someone a fool, is anger. Both start at the same place. They have the same root. Calling someone names in anger can have devastating, life-long effects. (Basically you are murdering a part of that person). 2.2 Does this mean that murder is no worse than an angry insult, in God's eyes? Yes. In God's eyes sin is sin. Because of sin you fall short of the glory of God. There is no big sin or minor sin. All have the same consequence. 2.3 How would we react differently if we actually believed that angry attitudes towards others are viewef by God as murder? We would be slower to lash out. We would think first.

1.1 Can you see any tendencies in the church today to effectively "abolish" the O.T. from the Christian Faith? It does not matter how hard one tries, but the O.T. is part and parcel of the Christian Faith and it will never be successfully be abolished. The Christian Faith is built on what the law teaches. .... Jesus Himself said: 'I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill them'. 1.2 What does a "Christian" legalism lool like in a church? "Christian legalism" is following rituals. I understand from that, that there are laws, upon how to keep the laws or rules, upon the original laws. (eg. thou shalt love thy neighbour is understood to hate thy enemy, whereas Jesus interpreted it as loving thine enemy) i.e. there are extra rules and regulations almost 'explaining' what the original ones were interpreted to say (sometimes it was not correct). Putting it plainly I guess one can say, legalism is concerned with the external keeping of the interpretation of the law rather than the spirit of the law. 1.3 What does it look like in a church where there are no moral standards and no obedience expected of Christians? There is no difference in that church than in the "world". Not "true believers". The "Light" would have pointed out the wrong lifestyles/ immoral behaviour.

Jesus warns us that if we do not expose our light, we will make our lives ineffective in his service and endanger it to be snuffed out. {Light (fire) needs air to breathe as it were.}

4.1 Just as salt and light can bring about "good" it also exposes the "bad". We read in the Bible about prophets who often had to say something that did not "sit well" with the recipient(s). In spite of this they brought the message God had sent them with. They did not hide it as it were, under a bushel. The light exposed the darkness. Often they then underwent torture or even death. In the same way, in the present, if we are persecuted for living a righteous life or for exposing evil, we are letting light shine in the darkness and allowing the darkness to be exposed. 4.2 Our deeds and words must point to God and bring glory to Him. If we hide our "light", it is as it were that we are agreeing with the evil instead of exposing it by our light and thereby allowing God to receive glory. 4.3 Suffering is bound to be the consequence of exposing evil. In ecposing evil, it can be dealt with and the situation can change and glory for that is given to God. 4.4 Yes. If He had not suffered, we would not have been set free. By suffering, He took our iniquities upon Himself and then foed in our place. The debt for sin was death and Christ paid that debt for me. 4.5 Yes. Christ our Lord and Master was persecuted, so it is only natural to assume that we too will undergo some persecution. 2Tim 3:12 All who live a godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution. 4.6 By distancing ourselves from the world i.e. by not conforming to it, by being different (almost sticking out like a sore thumb) we are standing out, as it were, from the norm. Our standards are different. Our lifestyle is different. We live as we believe that God would have us live, by His standards. Again we see in darkness a light will stand out and may it be to God's Glory. I am just reminded of a chorus we used to sing .... It only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around will warm up in its glowing. That's how it is with God's love Once you've experienced it You spread His love to everyone You want to pass it on. No matter the persecution. That is sideline, the most important is that God's light is reflected and passed on.

Jesus warns us that if we do not expose our light, we will make our lives ineffective in his service and endanger it to be snuffed out. {Light (fire) needs air to breathe as it were.}

2.1 What might be the symptoms of a Christian who has lost his saltiness? Enthusiasm for living a Christ-like life is no longer noticeable. It is like you have become luke-warm. The world has crept in and participation in "church" activities grow to a minimum. 2.2 Is it possible for a believer to detect such symptoms in himself or herself? Yes. If the believer were honest and looked at himself with Christ's mirror, he would notice the lack of zeal in attending church, reading God's Word or praying. 2.3 What do secular people notice about a "desaltified" Christian? Secular people might notice that the believer is now attending places ohe would never have attended before; the talk is different; jokes are made and language is used that previously would have been an absolute no-no. 2.4 What do other Christians notice about you? Other Christians notice that excuses are made for not joining in, in activities previously enjoyed. 2.5 Is it possible to re-saltify your life? If in sincerity, you repent and with God's help your attitude and lifestyle are changed, yes, I do believe God can re-saltify our life.

If we use the preservation analogy we can say that as Christians we preserve society (the world) and hold back God's wrath against it. Examples we find for example Moses pleading for the Israelites, Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah, which would have been spared if 10 righteous people would have been found there etc. To be good seasoning means that our lives are to be exemplary, our conversation is to be wholesome, even if 'tangy' (certainly not insipid / compromising / luke-warm). Our lives are to affect others around us in such a way that they too seek God and become Christians.

If you are not aware of any lack, you do not recognize a need. Once you are aware of your spiritual poverty you will seek a means to fill that or to change the situation and are then ready to change your spiritual situation, i.e. hopefully becoming a Christian and not turning elsewhere to try and fill the emptiness. Mourning for your lost state. Mourning for (feeling sorry about) the sins you have committed or put plainly, for the lifestyle you are living in. Our mourning should not be without hope. We should indeed mourn for the sins we commit and be full of hope, knowing we can come to Christ for forgiveness. We should also mourn for the atrosities committed in the world at large (eg. the abortions) also for those who are lost and without hope of a Saviour. Our praying for their deliverance should be filled with hope for a positive answer and a change of lifestyle for them also.

The world's ideal is to strive for promotion, to strive for more, come what may. There is no satisfaction. The "more" is so often gotten by "standing" on others as it were. Pushing onward nevermind who is trodden on. Christ's ideal is being gentle (pleasantly cam, kind, patient) and long- suffering, not at all bombastic. He served. Humility is very important to Christlikeness, in that people are sooner drawn to calmness and kindness than bombastic reactions. Christ portrayed strength and power in His being humble.

Righteousness is defined by being morally good, religeous and praiseworthy. The world frowns upon this kind of lifestyle. It takes it to be an old-fashioned lifestyle. It is not the lifestyle of the Pharisees, for they looked down on humanity that was not part of them. Looking down on others is definately not part of being righteous. I guess humbleness is included in that lifestyle. The world sees this as being weak. The world wants strength and power. I think the righteousness that Jesus was talking about, included humility and looking out for your fellow- man, not being selfish. Being just We will be filled, we will be satisfied

Generally when one experiences persecution it is because one is doing or believing something right and whoever is administering the persecution is not wanting to acknowledge it. This is of course if you take the definition of persecution to be, being treated cruelly and unfairly because your beliefs are not being approved of. It is not necessarily finding pleasure in the pain but rather an enduring of the pain than a letting go of your beliefs. The blessing is appropriate because one is already experiencing "hell" here on earth and the "hell/persecution" is being experienced because one is clinging to believing in Christ.

Pure means not to be mixed with something. Not to be defiled or contaminated. As we are naturally not pure, this in itself, in our own strength would never be possible. We are tainted by sin. This makes it that as "chronic" sinners ( filled with ****, greed and other forms of unrighteousness) we cannot see God. Christ has made it possible by taking our sin upon Him on the cross. If we come to Him and confess our sin He promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then we can come before God and "feel, sense and know Him". So the clean and pure heart, we are then able to obtain by putting ourselves before Him, by taking on His righteousness and putting off our filthy rags

Each beatitude consists of two parts. What are these parts? *The recipients of God's blessing *What the recipients are being blessed with. Why do you think Jesus made each Beatitude a paradox? *In those times 'wisdom' sayings were often said in paradoxes or riddles. Jesus used this form to speak to the multitudes. I think it was possibly easier to understand the "picture being painted" and these pictures would also cause questions to be asked or make people search themselves to see where they stand in relation to what He was talking about. What is the relationship of the Beatitudes to the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23 *The recipients of God's blessing are the ones that will display the Fruit of the Spirit.