jon burke

Q4. Why is repentance so central to the Kingdom of God? Why is baptism important to converts to the King? Can Christ reign in an unrepentant heart? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=996 We have to repent, to get rid of all the old sin and the daily sins, it is imperative to repent and seek forgiveness daily from God. Baptism is important because it is a cleansing process, both physically and spiritually, we come before God with a clean and repentant heart. No He cannot, we cannot serve 2 masters.

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Q3. (Matthew 3:11) What is the point of comparison between John's action and the Messiah's action? What is the point of difference? Do you really long to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit? What might prevent this in your life? What might encourage it? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=995 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11) John immersed them in water, whilst Jesus baptised in the Holy Spirit. Water is the cleansing, whilst the Holy Spirit is the cleansing agent. Powerful stuff. The Holy Spirit touches me everyday and I just love being in His presence.

Q2. (Matthew 3:5-10; Luke 7:30) How would John's baptism have offended a Jew's national pride? Who welcomed John's baptism? Who resisted it? Why? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=994 John baptised publicly. Jesus welcomed John

Q1. What happens when people adopt the Christian faith without repenting of their known sins? Why do people avoid repentance? What percentage of Christians today do you think are unrepentant, unprepared in heart? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=993 This basically means that they are Christians by name only and will not receive the Kingdoms promises. They avoid repentance because they don

Q3. (Psalm 31) What does it mean to say to the Lord, "Into your hands I commit my spirit" (31:5)? How does that statement bring peace to a person? How does the statement, "My times are in your hands" (31:15), bring peace to the troubled soul? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=680 Our spirit is eternal, so when we commit it to God, we r trusting Him implicitly

Q2. According to Psalm 23, how does the Lord our Shepherd quiet his sheep and give them confidence? How many ways can you find in this psalm? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=679 Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. Jehovah is my Shepherd; I shall not want. Psa 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. Psa 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psa 23:5 You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah forever. As in the previous psalm (question 1) God gives us rest and He restores us. There are quiet a few, rest, leadership, restoration, no fear, comfort, blessings, promises. This is a Psalm so filled with hope, with promises from God. I often find myself quoting this psalm during the course of my day, it is a great comforting Psalm.

Q1. According to Psalm 131, just how does David quiet his inner person before the Lord? What are the elements mentioned in this psalm? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=678 Psa 131:1 A Song of degrees; of David. O Jehovah, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes lofty; nor have I walked in great things, nor in things too wondrous for me. Psa 131:2 Surely I have behaved and have quieted my soul, as one weaned by its mother; my soul on me is like one weaned. Psa 131:3 Let Israel hope in Jehovah from this moment and forever. He does this by resting and trusting in God. The elements are for us to be weaned and to grow spiritually.

Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson -- or another psalm with a similar theme -- do one of the suggested exercises to help you experience the Psalms (www.jesuswalk.com/psalms/psalms-exercises.htm). These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others. http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=677 Jon Psalm 6. Father, You are my shelter in the storm My light in the darkness I will look to You. Father my protector in times of danger My healer in sickness I will trust in You. Father you are my provider in times of drought My strength in times of weakness I will hold on You. God is our strength, our hope, our joy. He will never let us down. We should be looking to Him at all times. God wants us to trust in Him and him alone. I adore you Father God. Amen

Q4. Since Christians don't seem immune to accident, persecution, and death, how are we to understand these psalms of protection? Why don't some believers seem to be protected? Does God really protect us? How? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=676 Maybe some Christians time is up here on Earth, God is calling them home. I take these psalms as comforting Psalms, whilst I am here on Earth. I think all believers are protected at all times by Almighty God. God does protect us in our hearts and minds, with His word and with the Holy Spirit. ALWAYS.

Q3. (Psalm 121). What reassurance is it to you that God keeps you and watches over you? How does Psalm 121 make you feel? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=675 Psa 121:1-8 GNB (1) I look to the mountains; where will my help come from? (2) My help will come from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (3) He will not let you fall; your protector is always awake. (4) The protector of Israel never dozes or sleeps. (5) The LORD will guard you; he is by your side to protect you. (6) The sun will not hurt you during the day, nor the moon during the night. (7) The LORD will protect you from all danger; he will keep you safe. (8) He will protect you as you come and go now and forever. This is the most amazing reassurance that God loves and watches over me, this blows my mind completely that God loves me enough to do this. This Psalm makes me feel good inside, it is reassuring knowing that God is there, with His angels looking out for me. Wow man. Thank You father

Q2. (Psalm 91) What does this psalm teach us about God's protection when in danger? What does it teach about our authority to vanquish our enemies? What promises does Psalm 91 contain? How does this psalm make you feel? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=674 Psa 91:1 Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty? Psa 91:2 can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust." Psa 91:3 He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. Psa 91:4 He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you. Psa 91:5 you need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day Psa 91:6 or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kills in daylight. Psa 91:7 a thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed. Psa 91:8 You will look and see how the wicked are punished. Psa 91:9 You have made the LORD your defender, the Most High your protector, Psa 91:10 and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home. Psa 91:11 God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. Psa 91:12 They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones. Psa 91:13 You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes. Psa 91:14 God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as LORD. Psa 91:15 When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honour them. Psa 91:16 I will reward them with long life; I will save them." This teaches us that just as God is our provider, He is our protector as well. What a mighty bodyguard we have, the ultimate in personal safety. This gives us authority in God

Q1. (Psalm 61:1-4) What images does the psalmist evoke to communicate his trust in God's protection? How do the first four verses of this psalm make you feel? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=673 Psa 61:1 To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. Psa 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psa 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. Psa 61:4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. This portrays an image of God as our rock and fortress, our stronghold in times of danger, trouble and strife. This makes me feel that we are small and weak and that God is huge and our fortress at all times. We can run to Him and only him for protection.

Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson -- or another psalm with a similar theme -- do one of the suggested exercises to help you experience the Psalms (www.jesuswalk.com/psalms/psalms-exercises.htm). These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others. http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=672 Jon

Q5. (Psalm 80) If you were to formulate a personal prayer for revival for your own life or for your congregation, how would you word it? What elements should be present in a prayer for personal or congregational revival? What would this prayer have in common with 2 Chronicles 7:14? How does this kind of prayer pave the way for revival and restoration to take place? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=671 Psa 80:1 Listen to us, O Shepherd of Israel; hear us, leader of your flock. Seated on your throne above the winged creatures, Psa 80:2 reveal yourself to the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Show us your strength; come and save us! Psa 80:3 Bring us back, O God! Show us your mercy, and we will be saved! Psa 80:4 How much longer, LORD God Almighty, will you be angry with your people's prayers? Psa 80:5 You have given us sorrow to eat, a large cup of tears to drink. Psa 80:6 You let the surrounding nations fight over our land; our enemies insult us. Psa 80:7 Bring us back, Almighty God! Show us your mercy, and we will be saved! Psa 80:8 You brought a grapevine out of Egypt; you drove out other nations and planted it in their land. Psa 80:9 You cleared a place for it to grow; its roots went deep, and it spread out over the whole land. Psa 80:10 It covered the hills with its shade; its branches overshadowed the giant cedars. Psa 80:11 It extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea and as far as the Euphrates River. Psa 80:12 Why did you break down the fences around it? Now anyone passing by can steal its grapes; Psa 80:13 wild hogs trample it down, and wild animals feed on it. Psa 80:14 Turn to us, Almighty God! Look down from heaven at us; come and save your people! Psa 80:15 Come and save this grapevine that you planted, this young vine you made grow so strong! Psa 80:16 Our enemies have set it on fire and cut it down; look at them in anger and destroy them! Psa 80:17 Preserve and protect the people you have chosen, the nation you made so strong. Psa 80:18 We will never turn away from you again; keep us alive, and we will praise you. Psa 80:19 Bring us back, LORD God Almighty. Show us your mercy, and we will be saved. 2Ch 7:14 if they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again. I would word it very simply. I would ask God to reveal to me areas in my life that required attention or change, I would then repent of these, seek God

Q4. (Psalm 40:17) In this verse David combines both humility and faith in his prayer to God. Why are both humility and faith necessary? What happens when one of these qualities is missing? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=670 Psa 40:17 I am weak and poor, O Lord, but you have not forgotten me. You are my savior and my God--- hurry to my aid! We have to humble ourselves before God, where there is no humility, there is pride and where there is pride God cannot work. When one is missing, God will not be present, we have to be humble before God, without humility there can be no faith.

Q3. (Psalm 40:5b) When you realize that God's thoughts and plans are focused on you in particular, how does that make you respond? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=669 Psa 40:5 GNB You have done many things for us, O LORD our God; there is no one like you! You have made many wonderful plans for us. I could never speak of them all--- their number is so great! This makes me overjoyed as MY God cares for little old me, He loves me, is concerned for me and really cares what happens to me. I love and worship my God in return.

Q2. (Psalm 69:30-32) Why does this lament (and nearly all laments in the Psalms) end with an upswing of hope and praise? What does this teach us about our own laments and prayers? Why is praise, the language of faith, so important in our prayers, especially prayers of desperate pleas for help? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=668 Psa 69:30-32 GNB I will praise God with a song; I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks. (31) This will please the LORD more than offering him cattle, more than sacrificing a full-grown bull. (32) When the oppressed see this, they will be glad; those who worship God will be encouraged. It is encouragement to us from the Psalm writer. Through times may be tough, ton always give praise to God. Our hope and faith lies in God, resulting in victory for us. This teaches us, that in all circumstances we have to give praise and thanks to God. If we don

Q4. (Romans 8:35-36) What kinds of perils were the early Roman Christians likely exposed to? What kinds of perils are Christians exposed to today? How does this passage reassure us? In what sense do we Christians "overwhelmingly conquer" (NASB) despite the obstacles we face? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=829 Rom 8:35 Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? Rom 8:36 As the scripture says, "For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered." Rom 8:37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! Rom 8:38 For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, Rom 8:39 neither the world above nor the world below---there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. They faced stoning, rejection, humiliation, death and all of this from their fellow human beings, nice people? Today we face humiliation, rejection by friends and loved ones and even death and prosecution in some parts of the world. We are guaranteed victory through Christ; we cannot be separated from the love of God, which we receive through Jesus Christ.

Q3. (Romans 8:31-32) What is the significance of the statement: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Who might our enemies be? What is the evidence presented that God is for us? How does this statement make you feel? How does it affect hope? How does it allow you to act? What might: "...graciously give us all things" refer to? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=828 Rom 8:31 In view of all this, what can we say? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:32 certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all! He gave us his Son---will he not also freely give us all things? This has to be one of the most powerful statements in the bible. God is the mightiest of Gods; He is more powerful than anything or anybody. So whoever is against us has absolutely no chance of overcoming us. Man we serve a mighty God. Our enemies would be Satan, non believers, in fact anyone who is an enemy of God. God gave up His one and only Son for us, now that is love. This blows my mind completely, I have a 4yr old son and I would have major issues in having to give him up for anybody. This gives me so much hope, it gives me strength and reassurance that nothing is greater than God and that anything the enemy throws at me can be overcome by God. God gives it freely.

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=827 Rom 8:29 Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers. (GNB) To be conformed to the likeness of Jesus is to be Christlike, to put aside our

Q1. (Romans 8:28) What is the actual promise contained in verse 28? What does this promise mean? Put it in your own words. What are the two qualifications to the recipients of this promise? How does verse 28 give you hope? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=826 Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. The promise is that all things work together for good to those who love God. It means that what we are asking (praying) for will come to pass for those who love God if what we are asking for is in Gods will. 2 Qualifications 1. Those who love God 2. Those who are called according to His purpose. This gives me hope that as a believer, I can trust my Father to answer my prayers according to His will. Amen

Q5. (Romans 8:18-25) In what sense do we expect to experience God's glory when Christ comes? How will the suffering creation experience God's glory? How will our mortal bodies experience God's glory? In what way will our spirits experience God's glory? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=825 Rom 8:18-25 MKJV For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us. (19) For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him who subjected it on hope (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (22) And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. (23) And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body. (24) For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for what anyone sees, why does he also hope for it? (25) But if we hope for that which we do not see, then we wait for it with patience. I expect that there will be joy; we will be rewarded by God for our faithfulness. The suffering creation is going to feel the wrath of God. Our bodies will be resurrected and redeemed with Christ into Heavenly bodies. With our hope and faith our spirits will arise triumphantly with Christ.

Q4. (Romans 8:24-25) What are the characteristics of a person who has lost hope? How does this person typically conduct his life? How does this differ from a person who holds an eager expectation of a better future? What is the "Christian hope"? How should it motivate us and affect our lives now? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=824 Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for what anyone sees, why does he also hope for it? Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that which we do not see, then we wait for it with patience. They are negative, despondent, sad, depressed people. They have basically given up on life. There life is generally a mess, they are living in sin, have lost faith and see no future. These people are positive; we walk in faith trusting God above all. Our faith is in God and not in man. Hope is Faith and if we do not have faith we have nothing, it is trust in Almighty God. We should be positive and rely on God and not ourselves.

Q3. (Romans 8:26-27) How does the Holy Spirit act as a Helper or Mediator or Intercessor in verses 26-27? What similarities do you see between the Holy Spirit's ministry here with Jesus' teaching of the Spirit's ministry as Counsellor/Comforter/Paraclete in John 14:16 and 15:26)? Why do you think we tend to take the Holy Spirit for granted or fail to understand His ministry to and through us? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=823 Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Rom 8:27 And He searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, John 14:17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. John 15:26 And when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me. The Holy Spirit helps us by talking to us, pointing out what