parkerslope

In what way were the Thessalonians confused? Some "Christians" had brought a report, "from Paul" that Jesus had already returned and that the Thessalonian Christians had missed it. What is the order of Christ's coming is relation to the revealing of the Antichrist? First comes the rebellion, then the "man of lawlessness" (NOT ANTICHRIST) is revealed, then Christ returns.

How might you describe Christ's glory? Brilliant light - the gospel writers tried to explain it when Jesus was transfigured, but I do not think they got it completely right, as human language cannot fully explain it. How will his glory be terrifying to unbelievers? Being sinless, Adam and Eve could have fellowship with God literally. But man is sinful even as it was written of Moses - when God passed by Moses, He put His hand over Moses and even at that Moses head glowed for a while. God's glory is pure and cannot be in the same place as sin. That is why we have Jesus as our mediator, like a transparent shield, so that the Father can see us through Jesus. If heaven involves sharing this glory forever, what would it be like to be excluded forever from the glory? I like to compare it to warmth. Being with God and His glory, we are warm and comfortable, but without this glory, the unbeliever is cold like the coldness of outer space. In what ways is the phrase "outer darkness" a helpful description of hell? Being that hell is not a literal fire, "outer darkness" describes it well. It is the place of absolutely no light! I was once in the Oregon Caves and they turned the light off to show us complete darkness. It was terrible, I couldn't keep my balance - I didn't know up or down or sideways. Without some light, things can be really bad!

According to verse 9, what kind of punishment will unbelievers experience? I believe that the unbelievers will suffer eternal, conscience separation from God. One definition of "hell" is "a place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked". What parts of this definition are confirmed in verse 9? The word "hell" comes from a fire in the Valley of Hinnon that burns all the time and all garbage and dead bodies of criminals are put there. Verse 9 uses the phrase, "everlasting destruction" meaning that their punishment is forever. Which parts of the definition trouble you? None! Why? I believe that the punishment of the unbeliever will be just and that it will last as long as God exists. And the this punishment is separation from the prescience of God.

Would God be just if he did not punish sin? In justice there are two sides. One is the reward side and the other is the punishment side. If God rewards the good people, then He must punish the bad people. Sin is not just bad, but sin is rebellion against God and it has to be paid for, as God does in justice. God would not be just, if He did not punish sin. What is the difference between rehabilitation and retribution? -Rehabilitation - is the work of trying to change a person's outlook on life and the individual's character. -Retribution - is the act of paying back for something done that was wrong. When does a Christian's rehabilitation take place? A Christian's rehabilitation takes place over time. It starts when a person is born again with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Then throughout a Christian's life the Holy Spirit is like a "sculptor chiseling off pieces of rock" to make the complete image. Of course with people, our "baggage" is dropped off and we begin to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. When does a sinner's retribution take place? A sinner's retribution can start in this life, but will largely take place after they die, being separated from God fro eternity. It is the sinner's soul that will die in the "lake of fire". How do you balance love and justice? We first have to remember that God is just in everything He says or does. Justice is making things right - eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But can cover over all bad things with mercy. It is like a person who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and then departs, cursing God and all He stands for. God's love is enduring but it does have an end point. I try to look at a person through the lens of love, but if the offense is too bad, justice will come with mercy.

In what ways do persecution, pressure and stress help us grow strong in Christ? If we just believe, but do want to obey Jesus, our faith will not endure under the pressure of persecution and will "fall" away. But if we endure the stress and pressure, and rejoice, we will have much more confidence in our faith and it will show the unbeliever that what we believe is true. What would we be like without the testing of our faith? We will not fully believe in Jesus without someone questioning how we believe. I believe because I have had to show why I believe and also demonstrate my faith in actions. No faith is pure without being tested to see if it will stand true. Without the testing of our faith, we have nothing to lean on.

What effect should a belief in Christ's soon coming have on believers? Be Prepared and be working to please God. Even though we are saved by grace, it doesn't mean we should do nothing to prepare others for eternal life. Stay pure and holy as you can. What does it mean to be "sober" or "self-controlled" (verse 6)? It means that we need to exercise a control over our fleshly appetites. It is not easy, so don't try to put little effort into it, but as Paul said, "I buffet my body daily", we need use what is necessary to control our lives in Jesus Christ. What does it mean to be "alert" or "watchful" (verse 6)? Christians need to have "eyes" that are looking up. We need to look for the coming of Jesus, at any moment and be prepared for His appearance. Be doing what He wants us to do, will please our Lord. How does this differ from our normal Christian lifestyle? We tend to get caught up in worldly affairs that seem to dominate our lives. So we need to be "watchful" for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, which could happen at any time.

According to this passage, what warning can we expect to have prior to Christ's return? When Jesus comes again, He will come angelic shout and trumpet sound and there will NOT be a secret "rapture". It will happen suddenly like a thief coming in the night. What does it mean that he will "come like a thief"? When a thief comes to your house, he does it when you don't expect him, like when you are gone of asleep, so he can do his job without being caught.

How will Christ bring with Him those believers who have previously died? The scriptures do not tell us. It could be that God will make it happen that where Jesus is, also are the saints who have died physically. According to Matthew 25:31, who will also will accompany Christ when He returns? According to Matthew 25:31, all the angels will be with Him.

In what ways does Daniel's prophecy of the Son of Man outline Christ's return? -The Son of Man approached the Ancient of Days in the clouds. -The Ancient of Days gave to the Son of Man authority, glory, and sovereign power. -Then all people of the earth worshiped Him. -Then His Kingdom would last forever. In light of this prophecy, why did Jesus use the title "Son of Man" rather than Christ" or "Son of God"? I believe that Jesus used the title, "Son of Man", so He could relate to people that He was fully man and could relate to the problems of man.

Why do you think Paul mentions such severe punishments for sexual immorality? I believe that it breaks down this way: we are created in the image of God - as a Christian, we have become a temple or home for Holy Spirit - God made us to have sexual desires for the opposite sex - God also has given to us marriage, one man and one woman - sexual interest and desires of passion in marriage are appropriate for bringing children into this world - and most of all Paul uses the illustration of the husband and wife compared to Christ and the church. Because of its association to Jesus and the church, Paul wanted to emphasize the importance of NOT doing sexual acts outside of marriage. Are these punishments more severe than for other sins? Man puts sins into categories of worst to the least worst. To God, sin is sin and all sin is rebellion against God. Paul uses the severe punishments to put strength into his message against sexual sins. What effect should these warnings have on Christians? Immense weight! In our world today, sex has become a very common word, but with a lot of misunderstanding. Sex is good, inside marriage, but outside of marriage, it becomes dirty and foul. The freedom of sexual conduct today only enlarges the impact it has on young people and children. We must teach our children the principles of the Bible on how to conduct ourselves each day.

Are humans actually capable of controlling their sexual urges? YES - God has given us the power of chose. In this chose we have to consider the consequences and what may happen on the way to the end. It is like controlling our bowels. We must practice control of our sexual desires to live according to God's commands. If so, why are so many people seemingly out of control? Because people, naturally want to have pleasure and feel good, so they do not put restrictions on the passions or lusts that they have. They see no reason to control their sexual appetite. Why is it so important to control ourselves sexually within marriage? Having sex is not "all of life". Having sex is just a part of who we are, even within marriage. Our desire of sex MUST be toward our spouse only! We must have control over our desire for the "forbidden". In our society today, sex and sexual organs are used as common words of conversation, even with young people in the conversation. Sex is not dirty. It was given to us by God to use correctly. What happens when sexuality has no boundaries? Love for one another is destroyed when we live by our passions only. Sexually transmitted diseases spread as well as HIV and AIDS. What happens to: Marriages - are destroyed. Children - grow up not know who their father and mother are and maybe born diseased. Our spirits - we cannot make commitments to anyone in that type of society. Our bodies - are wrecked - diseased - no love - no trust - no comfort.

What does it mean to be "sanctified"? Being sanctified means to be "cut off from the world - separated from the worldly society - a part of God's holy nation." In what sense are we "holy" now? When we turn our lives over to Jesus, He then possess us and we are declared righteous and holy. The blood of Jesus makes us clean, spiritually, and sets us apart from worldly desires. In what sense are we in the process of becoming "holy"? We are like a big rock that a sculptor takes his chisel to and makes it into a beautiful piece of art. As we experience life, Jesus helps us "cut off" all the unnecessary parts of our life to become more holy. What does holiness have to do with "sexuality"? Paul instructed the church at Thessalonica to have bodily control and not to let their bodies run loose in immoral things. Holiness means to separate their total life from the sexual attitudes of their society.

What is the difference between: -Conducting our lives by rules - When we come to the place where we are living by all the rules, our lives are dead. We have nothing to look forward to that is a reward for our work and each day becomes like the quote, "work another day, get another day in debt". Rules are boundaries that post the limit for things and are not posted to be broken. -Conducting our lives to please our God - Many people think that the Bible is a book of do's and don'ts. It is not. The Bible gives us guidelines to follow, but with boundaries when we get off the right path. God did not make us to love Him. God made us with the ability to choose to Love Him. When we do please God, it also pleases us and gives us more joy. Which is stronger - rule keeping or love? Love is much stronger because when we love, we choose to follow God and His commandments. With rule keeping, we just do it as a routine. On whose authority does Paul bring these commands? Paul issues these commands through the authority of God through Jesus Christ, the highest authority.

Why are "motherly" nurturing qualities so important for growing disciples? When a mother raises a child, she does it with love and care, instructing them by example. As we grow disciples grow spiritually, it is done in the same manner, with love and care with instruction. How effectively can male disciplers adopt some of these traits? As men we need to look for the best example to follow and in this case, it is mothers. Disciples need help in their spiritual growth and we need to love and encourage them to keep on doing the work that God has set forth for them to do.

Which of the character flaws that are mentioned in these verses is the greatest problem in the church? Why do you say that? I believe that the greatest character flaw in the church today is their impure motives. Impure motives cover a lot of ground. One that has stayed with me a long time is "win people as numbers of people saved". Another one is the idea "that bigger the better". "I have more people coming to my church than you do." And I feel the impure motive of "its just my job" is deadly for the church today. How can you prevent one of these character flaws from overtaking you? The prevention is in our relationship with Jesus and not listening to the rules of the world. By following the path that Jesus has set for us, we can keep away from any false motives that will destroy people.

Why is personal courage such an important character trait for a disciple -- and for a discipler? 2 Timothy 1:7, tells us that God did not give us the spirit of fear. Fear of people rejecting me has plagued me most of my life. Courage crosses out fear and gives an assurance the God is looking out for me. We need to have courage to trust God in all things - the disciple as well as the discipler. How does a lack of courage prevent evangelism? When a person does not courage to talk to others, evangelism stops! How does a lack of courage prevent a congregation from being healthy? The congregation will not have new people to bring in new ideas and thoughts to encourage the old congregation. For a congregation to be healthy, it must have the courage to reach out to the lost. What is God calling you to do that will require courage on your part? Our congregation has dwindled down to 20 to 25 people and we, the leadership, have decided to turn our property over to an evangelistic organization, but one member is fighting it. I need the courage to press on, because I know it is the right thing to do for our people.

Why is the Holy Spirit's working so necessary to effective ministry? We have been redeemed from our former way of life and have surrendered our life - soul to God. Therefore, as Christians we allow God working in us through the Holy Spirit. We are God's - it is God's work, not ours. What happens when the main power behind our ministry is will power? Won't work - worldly! What is the role of miracles in Paul's evangelism? Miracles were used to confirm that what Paul spoke was from God. It gave the people who saw the miracles more broken convictions of their own. They then became more open to listen to the truth. What would happen if we saw miracles in evangelism in our day? The purpose of miracles being done by the apostles was to confirm that they spoke the Word of God. I believe that the use of miracles in ministry today is like using a crutch. We have the Word of God and do not need the confirmation of some miracles. What is faith? Believing without seeing. Miracles are not needed today. What is hindering this? Do you want miracles or faith to confirm your work? God desires us to trust Him, and Him alone; and not in some miracles. Where is your faith?

Why do you think there was so much strong opposition to Paul's ministry in Thessalonica? As Paul preached, he persuaded many Jews and many favorable Greeks which made the Jews Jealous. The Jews were filled with such rage as to cause a riot. Remembering the militant messianic movement, the Jews were willing to even go to the house that he stayed at to dray Paul out. Also there was the fact of "less people, less money". Why do you think that Paul keeps preaching the gospel, even though there is often a violent reaction against him? Paul knows the truth! Paul knows that all people need to know Jesus! And Paul knows that God is with him as he preaches the truth. Paul later wrote to Timothy saying, preach the gospel "in season and out of season", meaning to preach all the time. Does a violent reaction to our ministry necessarily mean we should stop? NO - I think it means that we must be doing some good. When the "world" reacts against us, it means that we are preaching and teaching the truth.

What are the main promises of the Davidic covenant? 1. God told David - I will make your name great. 2. God will provide a homeland for His people Israel. 3. God said that - I will give you rest from your enemies. 4. God said that He would establish a descendant from David's family on the throne of Israel. 5. God told David that one of his son's would build a temple for God. 6. God would establish David's descendant upon his throne forever. Are these promises conditional or unconditional? These promises that God had given to David are unconditional. Why does conditionality make a difference? When a promise is made upon certain conditions, the promise is not always given or becomes a reality. Which of these promises are most important to you as a Christian? The last one which speaks about David's Kingdom will last forever. It is through David's Kingship that Jesus Christ has come to be our Redeemer.

What has happened to Michal that she is so bitter at David? King Saul had given her to David as a wife years before and then Saul took her away from David and gave her to a close friend of his. Now that she is back with David, she has become the 7th wife in line and she is not liking it. How does her bitterness cause her to misjudge what she sees? Bitterness causes the mind to be blurry and not recognize what is really happening. Some have said that bitterness causes blindness also. Her judgment in this case was blinded by the fact that she did not like to share him with the slave girls. Are you bitter towards God because of something in your past? NO What effect might it have on your spiritual life? If I would have had bitterness toward God, it would have killed my spiritual life and made my spirit feel guilty. How can you find healing from the bitterness? By forgiving God and be humble before him, confessing your wrong doing. Even confessing to a fellow believer would make much of the bitterness disappear. What would have happened if David had conformed his worship expression to his wife's preferences? It would not have been true worship from his heart. It would have been empty - useless - vain. Our worship experience has to be from our heart. When someone else tells us how to worship, it becomes their worship and not ours.

How would you describe David's approach to worship? First, David was worshiping God, not people. Second, David was expressing what was in his heart toward God in David's way of praise. Third, David approach to worship with dancing was not the fully accepted way of worship in David's day, but we today take the approach that David did it, so can we. There is a great chasm between worship and *******. What is our motive in our dancing? Who are we dancing for? With our sexual revolution of today, we need to be careful. What does his dancing here teach us? There is no set way to worship God. But what we do in our everyday life is worship, because we are living for Jesus every moment. If we dance in the church building, we should dance outside the church building. We have the tendency to do different things in and out of our buildings. What do we learn about praise from the psalms he wrote? David wrote the psalms when he was in a good mood and when he was in a bad mood. But David was able to praise God in good times and bad times. We can learn much from David's way of praising God in his writing of the psalms. Does what others might think affect your ability to worship? Yes, a little, because we are still human and want the acceptance of others. It shouldn't affect us, because it is between God and us. How has God been working in your life to teach you to worship Him in spirit and truth? I see more and more, the way many congregations are becoming mere social clubs, speaking about the issues of the day. True worship comes through me as my mind and spirit see the works of God about me and I can let out great praise to Him. I can raise my hands and say AMEN, but when it comes to dancing and speaking in tongues, I need to be careful that I don't go over the line into sin.

How should the Ark have been transported? The presence of God is between the Cherubs on the Ark. So God had instructed the Israelites how it was to be carried. The Levities were to carry it on special poles and it was to be covered. The Ark was to show God's presences and it was sacred. How are David and Uzzah responsible if they do not know the provisions of the Mosaic Law? David and Uzzah are responsible to know the Law and how it was written down about how to transport the Ark. As we say, "Ignorance is no excuse". What does David's mistake in this incidence teach us about seeking to do God's will? We need to know what the Bible says about something before we try it. Even a time of prayer over the the subject matter is important to God. Know what God wants and do it right.

Why does God strike Uzzah? The Ark was being transported in the open. The Ark of the Covenant was to be covered and not seen. Uzzah thought that God could not take care of His Ark. Why is David so angry? David thought that that day was his day to glorify God and he did not want any interruptions. When God struck down Uzzah, the focus of the day was changed to that incident. David was very angry and probably felt ashamed when he was worshiping God and all attention was turned away from him.

Why does David inquire of the Lord before he attacks the Philistines the first time? David knows that God is the ultimate One in control of events, so he inquires of God and follows His instructions and has a victory. What would have happened if he thought he knew how to attack the Philistines, and didn't inquire of the Lord the second time? The Bible says that the Philistines were waiting for David and his army to attack the same as in the first battle. But God told David to go a different way and He gave him the victory. Why do we often want to figure out the process so we can act independently, rather than wait on God as a way of life? We are not patient nor are we willing to waste time. When we do our thing, we get the praise (which we think we need). Our society today is fast paced and every minute has to be filled with something, so it comes to waiting on God, it is a struggle. What does that say about God? He is very patient with us. God works with us to gain what is necessary for the work ahead of us. Even when we fail, God works with us to gain what is needed. What does that say about us? Self-reliance is not good! When we trust in our own decisions, they are probably wrong. We need to have the faith and trust in God to always ask Him about the decisions we are to make.

Approximately how long has it been since David had been anointed king by Samuel? The best estimate is 15 years. Why did the fulfillment of God's word take so long? God is very patient. And He takes a long time in fulfilling His promises. Look at Abraham and the promised son - 10 years. Look at Moses becoming a leader of the Exodus - 40 years. I believe that David was not yet skilled enough to be king, so God allowed David to be involved in being chased and fighting to be fit to be king. How would you evaluate David's patience concerning this prophecy that he would be king? David seemed to be a "man after God's heart" and trusted in God and His decisions. David would not become involved in any killing of God's anointed nor would he try to become king before God wanted him to. I see great patience and trust in David. How would you measure your own patience concerning what you believe God has promised you? I lack patience! I seem to always want to run ahead of God and His plan. When something does not happen as fast as I want, I try to push or dray the elements into play before its time. God is at this time trying to teach me patience and trust, so that I might be a more firm Christian.