RD35

Q3. (Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14a; 4:18-19; 5:17b; 10:21; Acts 10:38a) Did Jesus do miracles by reason of being the unique Son of God, or by means of the power of the Holy Spirit upon him? Why is this important for us as his disciples? In what ways does Jesus serve as our example in ministry? Jesus does miracles by the power of the Spirit. In his humanness, Jesus performs miracles in the same way that he teaches his disciples to do them -- by direction from and dependence upon the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we accept that Jesus' miracles resulted (at least in part) from him being a human being who is full of faith and in tune with his Father's will and timing, then Jesus becomes our exemplar as the Spirit-Filled Man, from whom we can learn how to operate in the Spirit! In Jesus we see a Man who lives fully in the Holy Spirit. He is God, yet he has laid aside his heavenly glory and prerogatives (Philippians 2:5) to operate in our midst as a Man. In doing so he shows us how we can minister by the Holy Spirit that has been poured out on us. Indeed, Jesus' power to minister is dependent on the Holy Spirit that is upon him and in him. This is true for Jesus' disciples, too.

Q2. (John 5:19; Philippians 2:6-7) What does Jesus' statement, "the Son can do nothing by himself," indicate about his relationship with the Father? Why did Jesus have to "empty himself" from his heavenly glory when he became a man? Paul explains that Jesus voluntarily lays aside some of the prerogatives of divinity. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:6-7) This is a voluntary submission to the Father's leadership (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). So the phrase, "the Son can do nothing by himself," indicates how dependent Jesus is upon the Father, especially during his time as a human being. Jesus on earth as a human didn't operate on his own inherent will and power! In his humanness, Jesus performs miracles in the same way that he teaches his disciples to do them -- by direction from and dependence upon the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had to empty himself of his heavenly glory and become man for our sakes, so that he could die and bring about salvation to mankind as per Gods will and plan for us. In Jesus we see a Man who lives fully in the Holy Spirit. He is God, yet he has laid aside his heavenly glory and prerogatives (Philippians 2:5) to operate in our midst as a Man. In doing so he shows us how we can minister by the Holy Spirit that has been poured out on us.

Q1. (Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:20; Luke 3:21-22) In what ways is the Holy Spirit active in establishing Jesus' core identity as Son of God as Jesus came to earth? Angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary explaining how she, a virgin, will become mother of the Messiah. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) This fact is repeated to Joseph in a dream: "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:20) Jesus' identity is also confirmed by God's voice when Jesus is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 3:21-22) How does the Holy Spirit establish your core identity as a disciple of Jesus? The indwelling of God the Holy Spirit and His anointing on my life when I am born again of God is my identity that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that convicted me of sin and drew me to Jesus. I could not become a believer without this ministry of the Spirit: John 16:8-11 My Body is the temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:19 God the Holy Spirit strengthens me - Ephesians 3:16 He guides me - John 16:13 He empowers me to be a powerful witness of the gospel

Q4. (Joel 2:28-32; Ezekiel 36:26-27; 37:14; 39:29) What promises do we find in Joel and Ezekiel concerning the Holy Spirit? Who are the recipients of these promises? " 28 And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days....32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved...." (Joel 2:28-29, 32a) "26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:25-27; cf. 11:19) "And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:14) "And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 39:29) These prophecies point to a future time: the New Covenant. Believers in Jesus Christ who believe in their heart and declare with their mouths Jesus is the only way to the Father, repent and are baptized in Jesus name.

Q3. (Isaiah 11:1-2; 42:1; 61:1-2) What promises does God make through Isaiah the prophet concerning the Holy Spirit and the Messiah? How were these fulfilled? " 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him -- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." (Isaiah 11:1-2) Isaiah also says that Yahweh will put his Spirit upon the Suffering Servant, who turns out to be Jesus (Isaiah 53): "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1) Jesus reads from a third prophecy of Isaiah that refers to the Anointed Messiah. "1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn." (Isaiah 61:1-2, ESV) Jesus was the fulfilment of these prophecies. He was the descendent of David whose father was Jesse, and we see in the gospels that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He brought the good news of the kingdom of God for the spiritually poor, the brokenhearted and the captives, He brought to mankind the gift of salvation by his death on the cross and resurrection on the third day.

Q2. (Numbers 11:16-29) What enables the 70 Elders to lead the people? What happens when the Holy Spirit comes upon them? Why does Moses long for the Spirit to come upon all God's people? The gift of Gods Spirit upon the 70 elders enables them to lead the people. When the Holy Spirit comes upon them they begin to prophecy. Moses longs for the Spirit to come upon all God's people, so that they will see and know who God really is and would enjoy having a relationship with him, rather than grumble and complain.

What is the primary purpose of God putting his Spirit upon selected individuals in the Old Testament? The primary purpose of God putting his Spirit upon selected individuals is to do certain specific work special service for God. What effect does the Spirit seem to have upon their relationship with God? They were obedient to God and allowed themselves to be used by God. God used them mightily and was with them. They had a closer relationship with God.

What is the primary purpose of God putting his Spirit upon selected individuals in the Old Testament? The primary purpose of God putting his Spirit upon selected individuals is to do certain specific work special service for God. What effect does the Spirit seem to have upon their relationship with God? They were obedient to God and allowed themselves to be used by God.

Q4. (1:6-7) Can you remember any instances in which God used difficult circumstances to refine and purify your faith? What did God accomplish in your life? How, exactly, does genuine, tested faith bring glory to Jesus? There are many instances, but the main one was a chronic illness attack. Through this circumstance, I was tested and my faith was strengthened. In all my pain God became my strength, and in my loneliness He was the only one who did not abandon me. Because of this test, I gave my life totally to Jesus, first time read the Bible from cover to cover and my family was also saved. God brought me out of Egypt to his promised land.

Q3. (1:5) According to 1 Peter 1:5, what is God's part in securing your salvation? What is your part? God does the shielding of the believer. This guarding will continue until Christ returns -- and personally consummates our salvation Our faith has a part in activating the protection and salvation. Certainly God's strong guard around us is not dependent upon our sometimes weak and vacillating faith, but our faith still has a role. Jesus told his disciples that even if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, it could move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

Q1. (1:1) How would you describe the behavior of a Christian who identifies more with his present homeland than his heavenly one? Have you ever caught yourself doing this? What has to happen to get our spiritual priorities straight? A Christian who identifies more with his present homeland will have his heart on the treasures of this world. They will be more involved with pleasing people and worrying about their future in this world. I was like that before I accepted Jesus. Even now sometimes I tend to slip, but on conviction by God the Holy Spirit and by Gods grace I am able to correct and repent immediately. To get our spiritual priorities right we have to have to work on having a close relationship with God, know the Truth and the truth will set us free.

It is quite clear that Paul thought of the Philippians' financial contributions (and sending Epaphroditus to assist) in terms of a business partnership -- Paul supplied the labor while the Philippians supplied the financial backing. The "profit" or "fruit" that resulted in men, women, and children won to Christ and serving as disciples in new churches -- that was credited to their heavenly account just as much as it was to Paul's account. They would both share in the reward. The idea here is that as the enterprise matures, the investor will receive more than he has invested. Both the ideas of reciprocity and multiplication are present.

Q2. (4:11-13) What is the basis of Paul's contentment? Does this contentment undermine ambition? What is necessary for us to achieve this kind of contentment? Paul's life was not centered around this world but it was centered elsewhere. His mind was set on things above, trusting Christ at each step of the journey, in each crisis and in each victory. His basis of contentment was his dependence on Christ. Though I am sure he preferred ease rather than stress, none of these outward conditions moved him because his life was centered elsewhere. Though Paul had his eyes set on an other-worldly goal, he very much lived in this world -- trusting Christ at each step of the journey, in each crisis and in each victory. We need to trust our lives and future with Jesus Christ and for this we have to have a relationship with Jesus, when our eyes are only on him, our dependence is only on him and our minds are focused on the things above and our hope is in the promises of Jesus for us, then we can achieve this kind of contentment.

Q1. (4:11-12) How can a "prosperity doctrine" threaten Christian ministry? To what prime motivation in us does such a teaching often appeal? In balance, what does the Bible teach about poverty and riches? Jesus himself has warned us with his words, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Many have misunderstood that prosperity only means increase in wealth and assets, and this threatens Christian ministry. The prime motivation in us which prosperity doctrine often appeals is greed and to be friends with the world. Psam 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers True prosperity begins with a right relationship with God. And it follows onward to a life filled with peace, tranquility of mind, and sweet contentment.

Q4. (4:8) Why is mind control necessary for success? For mental and spiritual peace? What have you decided to focus on instead of your anxieties? How is this working for you? Learning to control your mind is essential to successful living. When you're in class you must exert your will to pay attention or you'll fail the class. When you're at work you must discipline yourself to tend to business or you'll get fired. When you see a curvaceous woman or a hunky man, you can appreciate their physical beauty, but you must control your mind so that you aren't imagining yourself having sex with them, or you'll be in bad trouble. The thought may be there, but you must choose not to dwell on it. Martin Luther is attributed with the advice: "You can't help it if a bird flies over your head, but don't let it make a nest in your hair." You can't banish fear and anxiety by trying to block them out of your mind. You must choose something else to think about, something else to go to when your mind flits back to that fear and anxiety. I have decided to set my mind on Jesus Chirst and the things of heaven, and the ones listed by Paul. and these help me to keep my mind off the worries and anxieties and enjoy my relationship with Jesus.

Q3. (4:7) How does make our requests known to God help build a relationship and trust? What is God's part in the promise of peace? Making our requests known to God, is because God wants us to ask him. He is our Father. God is not trying to raise bratty, self-indulgent kids, but those who have a trusting relationship with their Father. Sure, God knows, but he wants you to ask him, to tell him, to pour out your heart before him, to "present your requests to God." . God would like to engage us in a conversation with him and Conversations cause relationships to deepen. When we pray with thanksgiving Gods peace will guard our heart and mind. He will provide security, guard and protect our hearts and minds. His peace will banish all our turmoil and worry. and this Gods peace is that which goes beyond our rational understanding and though processes.

How is a request in prayer altered by the presence of thanksgiving in the prayer? How does thanksgiving affect our faith as we pray? Our prayers are to be made in the midst of giving thanks. "Thanksgiving" is "the expression or content of gratitude, the rendering of thanks, thanksgiving. God doesn't like whiney, self-pitying prayers any more than you like your children to come to you with that attitude. Whining is a symptom of both unbelief and self-centeredness. It implies that God doesn't really care about the problem or he would have done something already. Whining doesn't exhibit faith. If God doesn't answer your whiney prayers, it's because he doesn't want to raise whining children and so won't reward this behavior. Instead, he tells us to pray "with thanksgiving." That is, we are to offer our prayers to God in the midst of an attitude of remembering God's faithfulness, love, and power in past situations, and thus an expectation of his answer in this situation. Thanksgiving is the language of faith. I believe that thanksgiving is the key element missing in many prayers.

Q1. (4:4-5) Is rejoicing in the Lord a feeling or an action? How should you seek to fulfill this command if you don't feel like it? What is the effect of rejoicing? Rejoice to be in a state of happiness and well-being, This isn't just a just an empty encouragement to "be happy" or "have a good day." Rejoicing is not merely a passive, spontaneous reaction; as a command it is to be a deliberate action. The Philippian Christians are to take joy, that is, find joy, in the fact of God's love for them, that Jesus has died for their sins, in the promise that their names are written in the Book of Life, that the Holy Spirit is with them constantly, that they have eternal life with God. We should seek to fulfill this command by asking the Lord himself to open our heart and life to joy. Ask Jesus to teach us to rejoice in him. Then follow the promptings he gives you. This is not some magic or spiritual bonus, but our heritage of joy in a growing relationship with our Lord. The effect of rejoicing is we will no longer be sad, depressed or our lives will not be affected with the circumstances we are in. We will be forever in a state of satisfaction that Gods love for us will never change. Rejoicing also affects our health and everyone around us too.

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship? Recognizing and affirming our citizenship and allegiance is vital to our discipleship so that the world does not attract us or distract us from our goal of pursuing Christ. The New Testament reminds us that our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God; here on earth we are to consider ourselves exiles and aliens in a foreign land. Heaven should be our focus, not the illusory and transitory world in which we live. And from heaven, Christ shall return, resurrect those who have died and transform the bodies of those Christians still living into Christ-like resurrection bodies. A church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship is in the danger of destruction.

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call? The heavenly calling of God and the prize have been interpreted in three main ways: (1) The prize and the calling are essentially one and the same thus the prize itself is God's calling to life in his eternal presence. (2) The call is the summons by the president of the contest (or perhaps even the emperor) to the successful athlete to come forward to receive his prize. In this interpretation, the calling or summons is the one that occurs at the end of the race. But this doesn't jive with Paul's usual use of the idea of "calling." (3) Paul is referring to God's act of calling to salvation, thus the sentence refers to "the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus."Thus in this context the prize is "the full and complete gaining of Christ, for whose sake everything else has been counted loss." Yes I have experienced this calling to life in Gods eternal presence Cares of life, distractions from the world and our own way of thinking causes the causes to dim our hearing to Gods call. Striving to have a personal relationship with God, meditating on Gods word and prayer and continuously seeking to serve the Lord, fellowship with dedicated Christians (true disciples of Jesus Christ) can renew our hearing for this call.

Q1. (3:13) How can the past get in the way of our quest to know Christ? What do you need to "forget" so that you may focus on Christ today and tomorrow? Is there forgiving you need to do so you can grow in Christ? When we look at our past our losses, failures, regrets and defeated lives we loose our current focus that is to live a life pleasing God. Fear that our past may repeat or deception that we may not be completely forgiven by Jesus will make our faith waver and these doubts will stand in the way of our quest to know Christ. I need to forget my past completely as Jesus has forgotten while he saved me and cleansed me so that I can focus on Christ today and tomorrow. I don't think that this means our mind is wiped clean of any remembrance of past hurts and failures, but that we choose not to go there any longer. We choose not to remember. We choose instead to look forward. Thank God for forgiveness! In Christ, we can find forgiveness for our own failings. In Christ we can find the grace to forgive even the deepest hurts.

Q4. (3:8-10) What does it mean to "know" Christ? Does this mean to have faith? Or to have a personal relationship? Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Christ without faith? Is it possible to have faith without a personal relationship? Where are you on your quest to know Christ? To know Christ means to have a close relationship with him, such a personal relationship as to cause have communion with him. and this relationship we can have when we have faith in Him. To know Christ is to consider giving up everything else to have him. The relationship begins when we first put our faith in Christ and grows over a lifetime. My relationship with Christ - I just cannot have enough of him, I am really longing to know him better.

Q3. (3:9) How does righteousness obtained through faith differ from righteousness obtained through law observance? How seriously does righteousness by law observance infect your congregation? Society's view of Christianity in general? Why is this concept of justification or righteousness by faith so difficult to grasp? Righteousness under law considers a person righteous because of his or her own upright behavior. Righteousness by faith, considers a person righteous because God has declared it so and as judge considers a person so. This concept of justification or righteousness by faith is difficult to grasp because its hard for people to believe why anyone else and how any one else could take my sin and who would do that. Its hard to believe that I do not have to bear the consequences of my own sin.

Q2. (3:2-6) Why isn't Paul merely neutral about his religious pedigree? Why does he consider it loss, dung, an obstacle? In what way could your religious background be an impediment to your faith? First, because they are empty in themselves. They don't satisfy the heart. Second, the pride they represent stands in the way of grasping something much more valuable -- knowing Christ intimately. Paul considers his religious pedigree loss, dung, an obstacle because when you weigh the value of one vs. the other, his religious credentials tip the scale as "rubbish" or "dung". My religious background did not allow me to have a relationship with Jesus Christ but was only a list of do's and don'ts and religious duties which were according to it, needed to gain righteousness. It was more about works and not the victory of Jesus.

How does "confidence in the flesh" show up in your congregation? Have you ever struggled with it? Confidence in the flesh arises when we try to obtain a standing before God, to win Gods approval and acceptance with our won effort. It happens in our congregations when we consider what man thinks is important and not what Gods word has to say. Yes I have struggled and keep struggling sometimes when I try to do things in my own understanding and trusting God and Gods ways.