Paul H

Q2. (Matthew 3:5-10; Luke 7:30) How would John

Q1. What happens when people adopt the Christian faith without repenting of their known sins? Because repentance prepares us for God to work in us. Unless we have repented of everything, we are keeping a part of ourselves back, trying to hide it from God. That is not possible, we cannot hide from God, but leaving the sin there unrepented is an obstacle to having a full relationship with God. Why do people avoid repentance? There are a number of reasons. Denial - that's not really a sin, or embarassment at having to face up, even as between ourselves and God, to things we have done. What it comes down to though is wanting to hang on to a part of our old selves and we cannot do that if we are to enjoy the pleasures of a full relationship with God. What percentage of Christians today do you think are unrepentant, unprepared in heart? I don't know and wouldn't hazard a guess. That is known only to God.

Dogs and pigs were regarded as unclean. Holy food and pearls are both precious. In Matthew, Jesus warns the apostles who He is sending out to preach the Gospel that they will be rejected by people and He tells them to shake off the dust from their feet of the places where the Gospel is rejected and move on to other places. This is exactly what happens to paul in all of the passages in Acts. Some people accept the Gospel, but others reject it and in one case Paul is actually driven out of the region of Antioch. In each case, Paul follows what Jesus said, shaking the dust from his feet or in one case from his clothes and moves on to another place. In the end, Paul takes the Gospel on to the Gentiles, having been rejected by the Jews What I think that this really means is that the Gospel is for everyone who will listen and respond.

Well it conjures up an amusing image of someone with a huge plank stuck in their eye trying to perform a delicate operation. I think that Jesus chose this image because the plank and the speck of sawdust are made of the same material (they are both wood) and they both represent the same thing (sin)but their comparative sizes make the whole concept ridculous. It is impossible for us to remove a speck from someone elses eye when we are effectively blinded by the thing in our own eye and it would be riduculous to even try. This is the point which Jesus is making.

According to matthew's account of Jesus' words, if we judge in a crtical way, then God will judge us in the same way. Luke's account is positive in that he says if we do not judge, then we will not be judged, if we do not condemn, then we will not be condemned and forgive and we will be forgiven. The flip side of this though is obviously negative, so if we condemn, then we will likewise be condemned, if we judge, then we will be judged and if we refuse to forgive, then God will refuse to forgive us. Insteand of judging, we should measure out love, compassion and forgiveness.

No, I don't think that I have. I am just so aware of my many failings as a Christian, that I could never think of critisising another Christian. So, although my failings are many, being critical of other Christians isn't one of them. I can see though how it could be something which is so easy to slip into, but it is important that we don't. As Christians, we are all part of one body and if the body turns on itself, as with a cancer, the results can be disasterous.

I think that Jesus must have smiled as He said these words, but He is making a serious point which is that first; there is no point in worrying about tomorrow, because no amount of worrying can add even 1 minute to our lives and second; there is no need to worry because God has me in His care.

To seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. That means to value God above everything else, because where our treasure is or where we place the most value, there our hearts will be also. We do not need to seek food and clothing, or anyting else as that just gets in the way of our seeking God The promise is that God will provide all these things (food, drink and clothing, by which I tink Jesus means our basic needs for living) if we seek Him first.

By pagans, or Gentiles He is talking about those who do not believe in God or Christ. These people focus their attention on material things, on the thhings of this world rather than on God. Christians on the other hand should focus on God and not on the things of this world. This passage, backed up by my own personal experience of God's provision for me, should make me not worry about my material needs because I know that God will provide. That doesn't of course mean that I can sit back and do nothing and wait for my food and clothes to appear out of thin air, but it does mean that there is no need to worry. Whilst my own experience has been that God has always provided for my needs, I do though still have an issue with the question which Marloes raised in relation to the first question in this section. There are people in the World who have no food and who ultimately starve to death. Some of these people are the most vulnerable in our society - children and old people and some of them will undoubtedly be Christians. So how does this passage relate to someone (a Christian) in that position? I am still working on my thoughts on this and if I come up with a conclusion I will post it!!

I counted 5 times. Certainly enough to show how important this concept is. Worry is not itself a sin, but it is why we are worrying that borders on sin. Invariably the reason we are worrying is that we are focussing on our material posessions and have moved our focus away from God. That is a sin. Trust(in God) and worry are opposites in that if we have complete trust in God, there is no worry.

The point is certainly not trivial. It is a fundemental point for Christians to understand that God is in control of and cares about the whole of His creation from the flowers to the birds to us humans. God knows what tomorrow will bring and will provide for us come what may. So worrying about the future is futile.

If I exclude the period during which I have been a Christian (that is the past 18 months) I would say that for the whole of my life from about the age of 17, I have been deceived by this. To be fair to me, and to the millions of others who continue in this deceit, it is very easy to get into. Just read any newspaper or any colour supplement or magazine and it is clear that the rich and famous are having a great time and moreover, it is possible for everyone to be rich and famous. In fact if you aren't rich and famous then somehow you are some how less of a human being. Well I pursured this dream for over 30 years, and on average through that 30 year period I was well off, financially. In the end though it came to nothing, it crumbled like dust and I had to look back and realise that all I had created was nothing and during this whole period, I had an emptiness that just could not be filled. That was until I found God (actually He had been there the whole time, I had just chosen to ignore Him). Now God not money is my goal. I have seen God provide for me time and time again over the past 18 months and I know He will continue to provide, so money and all its trappings has no meaning for me and the void that once existed at the very centre of my life is now gone, filled with my love of God. So yes, I can describe many times when I was deceived but now praise God those times are gone. Oh, and yes Jesus is saying that desire for money can and will **** a person!

Q4. (Matthew 6:24) Jesus seems to make it sound like you can't seek wealth and God simultaneously. Does he really mean this? Is this hyperbole? Figurative? Literal? Can wealthy people serve God in actual fact? I think that he means it literally. You cannot seek wealth and God. That doesn't mean that you can't have wealth and serve God but it isn't possibly to actively seek wealth and God at the same time. One will always come first.

He is speaking very specifically. He isn't saying that we shouldn't make provision for ourselves, but that we shouldn't make that our focus. God should be our focus. This is a vey old teaching going back to the ten commandments and specifically to "you shall have no other God's before me".

Q1. (Luke 12:15-21) Read the Parable of the Rich Fool. What did Jesus condemn him for? Storing his harvest? Not for storing his harvest but for his greed and for his disregard of what mattered the most namely his eternal life. What is the key verse in this passage? 'This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.'" (Luke 12:15-21) What is the context of this parable? How does this relate to the Sermon on the Mount? It is in the context of Jesus talking about the danger of focussing on building up possessions here on Earth whilst ignoring the Kingdom of God.

Q4. (Matthew 6:12, 14-15) Why should we continually ask forgiveness? Because we constantly fail and fall back into sin. How can unforgiveness on our part block God's blessing? How can unforgiveness block God's forgiveness? The answer to these 2 questions is connected. Jesus makes it clear in verses 14 - 15 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins". So if we are unable to forgive those who sin against us, then we are still in sin as far as God is concerned, and that will be a block to God's blessing on us.

Q3. (Matthew 6:11) Why do we seek to be independent of asking anyone for help? We think that we have strength enough on our own. Why do we seek to be independent of God? Similar reasons to the above. We think we have strength enough on our own ... until we don't. At that point God is always there. He never breaks His promise to us. I know because I have been there and God has brought me through. Why should we ask God to "give" us daily bread so long as we can earn a living for ourselves? Everything we have comes from God including our ability to work and earn money. So in that sense God is giving us our daily bread by providing us with the ability to work. When the ability to work falls away for whatever reason, then God provides in some other way. In any event, He always provides.

Q2. (Matthew 6:10) In what sense are we asking that the Father's kingdom should come? In 2 senses. First; that through us, God's kingdom will be established here on earth physically right now. This should affect our whole lives and everything we do. In everything we do here and now we are working towards the establishment of God's Kingdom. If we read what is said in the Bible about what God's Kingdom is, that gives some idea of what we are working for and it is a huge task! With the help and guidance of The holy Spirit though, that is what we are here for. Second, we are asking God to hasten the ultimate fulfillment of God's Kingdom, which will only occur when Christ returns.[/color] Why are we asking for the Father's will to be done here on earth? Because everything which we are asking for should first and foremost be in accordance with God's will. How else can we establish God's Kingdom on Earth? How should this prayer affect our living? Our primary task here on earth is to establish God's Kingdom here. That task should permeate everything we do and say.

Q1. (Matthew 6:9) What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father? We should live our whole lives in reverence of God. If I stop and think for a moment that as well as being my Father (in the close Dad like sense) He is also the creator of the Universe and the power that holds everything together, then it is almost impossible but to have reverence for Him and to approach Him in awe and wonder. Our whole lives, including our speech must maintain this reverence. What desecrates and besmirches it? When we treat God in a shallow worldly way and in particular when we use God's name other than with reverence. How should we "hallow" the Father when we begin to pray? We should approach Him in an attitude of awe and worship as well as love.

Q1. (Matthew 6:9) What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father? We should live our whole lives in reverence of God. If I stop and think for a moment that as well as being my Father (in the close Dad like sense) He is also the creator of the Universe and the power that holds everything together, then it is almost impossible but to have reverence for Him and to approach Him in awe and wonder. Our whole lives, including our speech must maintain this reverence. What desecrates and besmirches it? When we treat God in a shallow worldly way and in particular when we use God's name other than with reverence. How should we "hallow" the Father when we begin to pray? We should approach Him in an attitude of awe and worship as well as love.

One other thing which I almost forgot... Prayer isn't just, or even mainly, about asking for things. It is about thanking God for what He has done and is doing for us and it is about praising and worshipping Him and it is about putting ourselves in His presense. The fact That God already knows all of our needs and desires is irrelevant to this part of our prayers.

Prayer is all about communication with God, our Father and as such is absolutely vital in our continuing relationship with Him. A parent will very often know what his or her child wants and needs without the child needing to ask, but it would make for a strange relationship if, because the parent already knew the childs needs, the relationship was conducted in silence!! So with God our Father, communication is vital to maintain and build our relationship with Him.

Q3. (Matthew 6:5-7) Why does Jesus tell us to pray in secret? So that we are not tempted to try to impress anyone with our piety Though public prayer in church gatherings is commanded in scripture (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1), in which circumstances might public prayer in a church service be contrary to the spirit of Jesus' instructions in these verses? Where the purpose of it, as far as the person praying is concerned, is to draw attention to themselves How do flowery prayers hinder the development of disciples? Because it suggests that only a certain form of praying in terms of the words and terms used is acceptable to God and many people feel uncomfortable with this which in turn puts them off praying altogether. This is bound to hinder their development.

The passage in chapter 6 1-4 is dealing with how we should give; in a spirit of love and for an audience of one (i.e. God)and I certainly strive when I am giving to follow Jesus' teaching on this. What is more difficult, as is evident from a read of the various previous postings on this subject, is Jesus' teaching in 5:42. Here Jesus is saying that we should give to whoever comes and asks us. In practice, I find that it is very rare for a person to actually come and ask for something (individuals I am talking about, not big charity appeals). However, I think that in the unusual circumstances when someone actually asks, then I am sure that what Jesus is saying here is that to the extent that we can, we should give without question and with no strings attached. Of course, humankind being what it is, there are going to be occasions when people take advantage of this. However, I think that if we are careful this is going to be a very rare occurance and in any event, I think that Jesus' message is clear, we should give when asked. As to what prevents us from giving more to the poor, this is an even more difficult question because it begs the question of what is your definition of poor. There are some very poor people in the country in which I live, but by comparison to people in some other parts of the world they are not poor. Generally though I would say that what prevents me from giving more to the poor is greed. That's not to say that I am greedy in the traditional sense of that word and in the way that we all understand it, but more that I overestimate what I need and therefore hoard up sufficient amounts to deal with my perceived needs. There is always a balance between the needs of the poor (and my giving to alleviate those needs) and my own needs. If I give everything which I have to the poor, then by definition, I become one of the poor! However, I suspect that the balance is more often tipped in my favour in this analysis rather than in favour of the needs of the poor. Maybe it is that balance which I need to look at.

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? The audience of one is God. Whatever we do in response to this command must be done before God alone to please Him adn Him only. What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? Spending time with God, turning ourselves solely towards God and away from the World and our own desires. In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give? All humans crave to some extent the appreciation and approbation of other humans. Some churches and non-profit organiastions play on this desire by offering people a way to feed this craving. We should turn away from this (not from the giving part) but from the expectation of gaining recognition of others as a result of our giving. The only recognition we should crave is that of God.