Diane44

I think strengthened by the Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit giving us courage to do the things Christ has predestined us to do. Things we may be too fearful of doing through our own volition. Whether it be speaking out about the Gospels or just sharing Biblical principals with others. Re: Christ dwelling in our hearts. To me that's the ultimate. That's the moment that we accept Jesus as our Savior and ask Him to live within our hearts. From that point on we strive to (through the Word) become like Christ. I think this takes a lifetime!

That the church is more than a building, it is us together a dwelling place for God, meeting to gether and celebrating him. Things that hinder us from this being fully experienced is the bickering the occurs in the church about little things that really don't mean anything. I can continue to pray and try to get along with others, even if I disagree and work things out smoothly and in love.

Access to the Father is as if some random neighborhood child was asking my Dad for the keys to his car on Saturday night, He might consider it, but would probably decline, he has no reason to grant such a request. On the other hand, if I were to ask, my father would not only consider the request, but most likely grant which I had asked. The reason being I am part of the family, he knows my, my heart, what I've been through and what I need. In this manner my God, Jesus, the Father know His sheep and He calls them by name, He knows me and I can come to Him with confidence that my petittion will be answered. The Holy Spirit will lay on our hearts, the need to commuicate and go to the Father with requests. Not just requests for healing, but also request for things we would like to see happen. Jesus obviously is the central key in this, without Him we would still be lost and unable to approach the Throne of God so boldly. Praise Him!!! He has washed us clean and through Him we are free to come into the tabernacle and approach the Almighty.

Sounds like we should forgive, like we have been forgiven. We are reconciled to God by the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. We (Jews & Gentiles) through the cross have access to the Father. He came as peace, but still we fight. Maybe someday, we'll get it.

If you can relate to what it means to be "lost" then you can more readily sympathize with others and their particular loneliness, emptiness. We have to remember what it's like to be hungry and how we felt when we were first fed. I still have times that I experience "being left out". I have friends who participate in things I don't (i.e, Casino, bar, etc...). They are still my friends, but I by choice have to be left out. I don't participate in those things because of my beliefs. I work with a couple of people that don't really know Christ. Their spiritual condition is worldly. When they have a lot they are happy, when they have nothing they are sad. Their joy is based on what the world tells them should make them happy. I by no means claim any judgement on them. I would need to take the plank out of my own eye first. However, I do try to pray for them and continue to invite them to church.

Believing/drawing near to God. No we cannot fully take credit for it. It is the Holy Spirit moving within us and God's drawing us close. I think everyone has an idea that they have a sinful nature, I guess it's how you respond or it as all you chose to. If we say we have faith but no actions we are then dead in our faith. It's a wonderful message. I know many who claim to have the faith and love the Lord, but do nothing at church, through church or their neighborhoods,schools to further the Kingdom of God. I would ask the child if their parents loved them. Yes they would say. I would then ask "how do you know"? They would say because the do things for them (actions) feed them, care for them. I would ask the child that if they got hurt would they have faith that their parents would take care of them. Yes they hopefully would answer. I would say that after all the Lord has done for us (given us water, food, pets, parents, siblings, friends the Lord Jesus to save our sins) we should also have faith in Him. He will supply our needs, just as our parents have and in turn we are called to return His love by helping further His Kingdom by works He has planned for us. Just as mom & dad have planned for some of you to do "chores". God has planned for you to do special work amond the earth. So be alert to the Holy Spirits leading. Look for the good you can do.

Goodworks that have been preplanned for us to do by God. These are works specifically created for us. These are not legalistic laws created by the head man through some group of men that decided this is what we should do. If we would only open our hearts and minds to God's leading we would see what He is calling us to do.

I would tell them that we ALL do wrong, and therefore we need to be saved. I would present the ABC of being saved. It's a difficult thing to get across. There are so many that say they believe in Christ, but continue to openly follow the kingdom of the air. I loved the message today. It was so true how Satan has slipped into our culture and our thoughts. Weather it be gambling, cheating, gossiping. Look at what the TV teaches us about life and how we should live it. Sometimes it can become overwhelming and confusing.

It's very hard for us to understand the concept of something for nothing. I think of the saying "nothing's free". I tell my children that. In this culture. There is always a payback. That's way grace is so hard to understand. God's love is unending. We cannot imagine why/how He could love us this much.l I accept His grace, but I cannot fathom it. I am unworthy. I can only put it into my own terms as a parent that I unconditionally love my children and would give them anything. I will be trying to explain grace to my young children at church. I think I will ask if there are any new people at church, then I will chose to give a small gift to someone. Then I will ask the kids what that person did to deserve that gift. They will say (hopefully) nothing, because I didn't know the person. Exactly, that is grace, just giving because you see a need and have the ability and love to give that gift. We'll see if they get it.

That we have been chosen to be seated next to God's heavenly throne! Think about that one. I know I for one am so humbled at that thought. Obviously it would have to be by Grace that we are saved. There is no way anyone could ever do enough to acquire authority from heaven. He has graciously chosen and given it to us. His grace is amazing, it's really no wonder most people don't understand it. If I do something nice for someone for no reason and ask for nothing in return that person will get that perplexed look of disbelief. We look at the Father through our worldly eyes, which tell us nothing is for free and no one gives you anything when you don't deserve it. I am learning through this Bible study to pray a lot differently. I'm am coming to Him clean, professing any sins, asking for forgiveness, knowing I have been forgiven, and then move onto expectation of answered prayer. I am trying to remember there is unimaginable power in prayer and that we have the power of heaven if we only ask.

Following Satan is really pretty easy to do in this day and age. Look around, things that were not toloerated years ago are being done by our peers. I have friends that openly gamble, swear, buy items from the store use them for a while and then return them, use the Lord's name in vain. We are a country, society of justifiers (is that a word?). Anyway, we can rationalize about anything to make it work out our way. We know we are going against God, but hey everyones doing it. Get the picture we are fooling ourselves if we think for a moment we are fooling God. Of course we rebel, we're a bunch of little kids trying to hide from the Father. As I've gotten older I realize, that's not going to happen and I had better start taking responsibility for my actions and try to be obedient to my heavenly Father.

Our non-believing friends, neighbors, relatives are dead to Christ not just because they sin. We all sin but for the refusal to not take the gift of salvation. I have several friends that come to church and say they believe in God, but do not hold close to any of God's commandments. They continue to openly follow a worldly view. I'm also subject to the attraction of the devil. My Pastor's wife once told me "No one said sin wouldn't be fun!" She made a lot of sense, but we have to remember that that particular kind of "fun" comes with a price and that we can (if we chose) fill our time with fun of God's leading. My life is different from these friends due to my prayer life and strong conviction in the Lord. I know without a doubt I will be held accountable to Christ for my sins. Sometimes when confronted with something I shouldn't do (gamble, go to the bar) I tell people I've already created enough things to answer for I don't need to keep adding to the long list. If we really believed that they are going to experience the "wrath" of God. We would try to lead them to Jesus with a much stronger conviction. I know for myself I don't want to "offend" anyone. We want to stay friends. Unfortunately many who say they are Christian, are not and if I start to speak of the Bible they get a little nervous. So I continue to pray for them and just answer questions when asked.

Afraid we are not fully equipped. We need to remember that He that has appointed us, has equipped us and that through Jesus we have strength and power (unimaginable). Easy words to say, hard actions to do. It comes down to do you really believe what you believe? It's scary to think of the power we have access to. I appreciate how Paul brought words of encouragement. I need to stay in the Word and remain strong in my faith that through the power of God I can achieve great things for the Father. I loved the comparison to WWII occupation. What a great way to think of our victory in Jesus and that now we must do clean up and get the message of freedom out to those who haven't heard

Because we forget that we have power. Therefore, we act powerless. Typical human reaction. When we remember to get into the Word. Again we realize we Are truly powerful through the Word. Everyone I know that is a believer trys at some point to do it themselves and then realizes that we need to come tot he Lord and let His power work through us. I'm a big one at this. I like to control, contemplate and organize things. I am Martha's sister. I'm am always pulling myself short and trying to remember that Jesus wants me to be like Mary. It's really hard sometimes. Afterall He must have created me like this for a reason. We are currently working in our church to have more miracle-believing faith. I've seen it work and I've seen where a couple people going the other way can have a great effect on many. I'm trying to encourage others to keep in prayer and remember it's about love. If we have not love we have nothing.

Yes it would affect my life. Of course, any financial worries would disapper. I would be thinking no problem, I'm getting 10 million soon. Such as, we should continue to remind ourselves that we are indeed heirs to a greater inheritance through Jesus shed blood. I suppose we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. The culture leads us to worry about the most trivial things, cars, jewelry, right hair, right clothes, biggest t.v. Whatever! I'm continually reminded if I would just keep Jesus in the front, I would worry about all the other stuff that makes life messy. Noting that the inheritance will be overflowing and abundant, we can rejoice with our fellow believers that there is soooo much! How greatful we will be.

What do we have to look forward to? Besides, no death (sound good). I think just knowing peace, calm. Like at the end of a long stressful workday when you lay down at night and breath a sigh of relief. I look forward to the end of this journey and the beginning of my eternal one. This hope should go with us everyday and therefore motivate us to watch our actions, trust in the Lord and keep our eyes upon Jesus, alway looking forward to the future. The average person (non-believer) has hope in the culture, society, wrinkle cream! Whatever, is the present day fix all. I've seen it in my own family, someone always looking for something new to make them happy, to make life "better".

When something is sealed or a seal placed upon it, then no decay can come to that particular thing. This seal tell me when accepting Christ as our Saviour we are sealed from sin and set free to be all that He wants us to be. To live a joyous, adventerous life for His glory. The end term I believe is just that the end of what was started. However, even though we are sealed, isn't it correct that during the tribulation if someone takes the mark of the beast 666 that they too will be cast into the lake of fire? Let me know. Thanks

As it should be everything is under Jesus. We were made for a specific purpose by One Creator. RE: Corinthians 15:24-28 - God will always be in control and one day all that have taken the seal of Jesus Christ will be under His rule.

God's purpose is for us to glorify His name. According to Matthew, in order to have this happen we shouldn't hide our light for Christ, but let it shine among the world. So even in our small little cubicles/offices, while shopping, etc. we should look, touch, sound like a diciple of Jesus Christ and in doing so we will fulfill verses 11 & 12. We must try to keep in mind at ALL times that we are predestined by God. This is unbelievably difficult in our day and time. Even many in our churches have adopted worldly views.

In order to be held in slavery we must have a master (Sin) in this case. To be redeemed for me means forgiven for past sins and transgressions. My life definitely would have taken a turn for the worse if it weren't for the redemption of sin and my faith in Christ. It has allowed me to try to let go of past sins (very hard) and to move forward. Although life keeps giving me challenges, I try to remember I can do ALL things through Christ

To be adopted, how wonderful, again we see that God chose us. I see the predestination and the adoption going hand in hand. He obviously has plans for all of us.

It be "holy" also mean chosen, therefore predestination. It's wonderful how the Scripture are tied together, but again sometimes overwhelming that we (me, you) have been chosen by the Creator of the universe not just to sit around, but for an actual purpose. Therefore we are called to action by our Father. Blameless, now there's a word for todays world. There's always plenty of blame to pass around. Praise God, He knows our hearts and loves us anyway and wants us to be with Him and found a way for that to happen. We are all adolescent children to the Father. We are bumbling, stumbling humans. Through Christ and in Christ we are covered. This is the only way we can stand blameless, for it is by grace you have been saved and not good works.

What is scary about predestination - is simply the truth that God is God and he is awesome beyond our imagination. Therefore, he chose you & me thousands of years before we were born and what's even more scary is He has a plan for our lives. Wow~ some of us aren't even able to plan dinner let alone the next day, while our Heavenly Father planned our existence long ago. What's good about it - Everything, just putting your life in His holy hands and letting the Spirit work in your life will bring blessings. If only we could go out and share this with everyone. The world would be changed.

exactly - so whatever was holding us back before we gave our life to Christ is over and we now live for Christ. Therefore, he dwells within our hearts

I loved the cake mix analogy. WOW! I couldn't have said it better and I will plan on using this lesson with my children at church. Thank you. I think it's easy to simply answer the question by repeating what the Scripture says. However, the truth is that God is so amazingly awesome that he chose us! Although sometimes I really wonder why when I look at some of the things going on in the world. This is a great passage as it reminds us we were not accidents and that God have a purpose for us. That being in Christ to me really means to have my mind on Him and follow with my actions. Talk is cheap as everyone knows. While true love is shown by action. So if a person is in Christ his/her actions will definitely show this.