sue57

I have not made a rapid cultural change personally. However I feel in our world today we often are in a culture that does not support our values, or follow God. I think this study will be especially valuable for me for that reason.

Hi, My name is Susan. I have done other studies with JesusWalk and really enjoy them. I'm looking forward to studying Daniel. I live in Massachusetts. I work with women recovering from addictions, wom en who have been exploited, pregnant and parenting teens, and am passionate about strengthening families. I've been a Christian since I was a child and enjoy growing in faith.

This prophecy tells us that people from all nations will stream to Jerusalem recognizing the one true God. All nations , Gentiles and Jews alike will worship together. there will be tremendous desire for spiritual truth, a yearning for it. There will be no more war, people will live at peace with one another. I think this must refer to after the second coming of Christ. It provides much needed hope for the future.

Judah is confused about its identity because they don't recognize God as their leader, father, protector. When we fail to submit to God's leadership we wander aimlessly from one thing to the next without purpose or direction. This results in frustration, anger, resentments and depression. The phrase "your hands are full of blood" means I believe, they have been responsible for killing people. They are doing evil, which God cannot look upon. They must repent from doing evil (things against God's plan) and start doing right ( following God's plan). Specifically defending oppressed people, orphans and widows. It's not reasonable to choose actions that lead to destruction. The choice is clear if they (we) follow God they (we) will be under His care and protection, if they (we) don't death and destruction follows us.

Paul needs God's power to effectively minister. God tells us to pray for each other. It shows unity of purpose when many pray toward a specific goal. I've seen God answer prayer in miraculous ways.

I can really reate to this. I like to feel I can take care of myself without help, but God has taken me to a point over the last several years,wen I felt reallly helpless. My family was falling apart, with kids in crisis making bad choices, and a husband arrested and put in prison. Many times I felt I couldn't discuss with others what was going on so as not to gossip. I had to completely rely on God alone and He is faithful! He truly is our strength and our comfort. He also worked dramatically through my church family, but many times I felt it was me and God alone. My faith was strengthened immeasurably through this time.

God has always been there for me when I've gone through deep dark valleys. At times I've felt I was held in his hand, when I was otherwise alone in my pain. When dealing with others it's impotant to let tem feel their feelings and see God working in His timing for them. However I certainly can talk to people about the dark struggles I've gone through and the fact that ultimately God is the one unnchanging, completely powerful, completely understanding one that I can rely on. I find tremendous comfort in the fact that God loves me no matter what, and He is in control of everything that happens, even those things that I don't understand or don't want to happen.

I actually have a question instead of an answer. Point seven talks about Jesus being the first to rise from the dead, but he wasn't was he? He caused people to rise from the dead while he lived on earth. Could someone shed some insight on this for me?

Words like "spring from" , "bearing fruit and growing" indicate activity, energy and excitement to me. Paul indicates that "all over the world" this is happening. This reflects an active faith of believers, not just sitting back and letting things happen randomly. It requires a focus on the ultimate truth, that is the gospel, without wavering due to common practises or beliefs coming from the world around us. It's very easy to be misled, and often starts with letting very small ideas into our lives that grow and eventually crowd out the gospel. There is no room for anything contradictory to the gospel in our lives or churches. Christs message is one of meeting people where they are and loving them, sharing his truth with them and never giving up or compromising his gospel.

We are no longer controled by Satan and our sinful selfish nature, when we turn our lives over to the control of Christ. We obey God, and are now serving him with every aspect of our lives and bodies. We freely choose to be under God's control and seek to please him by obeying him.

THis refers to Jesus death taking the punishment for our sin. When we follow him we choose to live the way he wants no longer just for ourselves. In this way we die to sin, we are no longer controled by sin, but can be controlled by God thus living a new life. We don't have to suffer with guilt and shame because Jesus sacrifice took care of all of that, enabling us to be in right relationship with God.

My understanding from scripture is that baptism is merely an outward symbol of what has already happened in one's life. For me I became a Christian at a very young age and grew over time into a more thorogh awareness of what it meant to be a true follower of Christ. During Junior High years I tried to fit in with the crowd and was actually proud that no one could tell I was any different from them because I was a Christian. I learned that if we truly die to self and let God be in controll of our lives then we really will act differently than those around us. Jesus was my savior but the time came when I decided I wanted him to be Lord of my life as well and really take over contol of my life. I then chose to be baptized. This was my way of obeying God in this step symbolizing that I had let go of trying to control my own life (which really was letting sin control me), and giving the control over to God. For me this was an important step in my Christian life.

I think the strongest example of this in our culture is the military, where the leaders make decisions for the entire group. Also the president and other elected officials make decisions that affect everyone in the country and sometimes in other countries, but even there the decisions are supposed to reflect the consensus of the people who elected them. Also in business the owners and top management make decisins which affect everyone in the company and everyone in the company must go along with the decisions. Parents make decisions for there families also. In our society we are democratic and often rebell at the idea of one person making a decision for others. We want to have our say and beleive our input counts.

To be reconciled means to come together in relationship where there once was seperation. Jesus death made it possible for us to be reconciled with God. His life makes it possible for us to live in a continual relationship with Him, as we grow closer to Him , become more like Him, are forgiven by Him and guided by Him.

It's important to understand that Christ came for and died for sinners. He came to make a way for us to be right with God. There is no sin too bad for God to forgive. Christ's death covers all our sin. To God all sin is the same, because the effect is the same seperation from God. Christ's blood shed for us is what enables us to enter a relationship with him, and be clean in His sight.

No one likes to suffer, unless they have some psychological issues that need to be resolved. However we can rejoice in our suffering and tribulations because we know God is in control and will use it to develope us into more of the person He wants us to be. Perseverance is important because it means we'll keep pressing on toward the goal no matter what the circumstances around us. Tried character means that the more we persevere the more we develope the character God wants from us. Hope is the sure knowledge that God will keep his promises, will not give us more than we can handle and will work all the struggles we go through to a positive end in His time.

To me being justified means being made clean, right with God so I can enter into a relationship with him. I have often wondered about this statement that Abraham was justified because of his faith, because at the time they were under the law and didn't have Jesus sacrifice to cleanse them. I think faith is actively trusting God in a way that is shown through our obedience to him. This is clearly seen in Abraham's life when he is willing to sacrifice Isaac. We see Abraham growing in his faith throughout his life. I think in Abraham's day following the law was neccessary, but people could just follow the law out of habit or legalism. What set Abraham apart was his faith, his active obedience to God even when it didn't make sense. This is what made him right with God. Similarly, many people today can do kind and wonderful things. They may observe a "christian" lifestyle, but if they don't have the belief and faith in God they aren't right with God, justified.

Hello everyone, I'm really looking forward to starting this study, and developing a closer relationship with God. I live in Massachusetts. I have 7 children ages 12 - 27. This is the first online bible study I've done.