mags

What does the "water of life" represent here and in 22:1? Eternal life and life in the Holy Spirit In what sense is it a "free gift" (22:17)? We don't have to do anything for it - it is by God's mercy that we can have it. It is free because Christ paid the price on the cross so that we might live! In what ways should "the Spirit and the Bride" (22:17) extend that invitation in your community? We have a responsibility where-ever we are to tell the world of the Good News (the Gospel), that truth, no matter what we believe we are called to do. 'In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight'. Jesus came with a heart bleeding for the lost and poor - so our hearts should bleed for the lost and poor - not just think about them but bleed for them - and want to tell of Jesus' love for them, so they can be changed.

The separation from God is over - no longer will we strive for a closeness with our Lord and King. The restoration of God's plan and desire for us will be complete. We were not meant to live in suffering and separate from His presence - we were meant to dwell in the Garden of Eden with the Lord our God. The promise of God's presence is fulfilled along with the promise to the end of all suffering and unrest. The promise of rest in the arms of our Lord is fulfilled. The one I most look forward to is being in His presence constantly without having to strive for it. To be able to spend time sitting at the foot of His throne and listening to Him.

We need to strive for spiritual maturity - to be like Jesus should be our heart's cry. As we grow spiritually everyday we will become more like Jesus everyday, and therefore, closer to the perfection that is Jesus and the Father. We will not have sinless perfection until the Lord comes again (see Phillipians 1:6). The work in us has begun but won't be completed in us until we see Christ. Spiritual maturity is the key and as we mature and grow in God our lives will be and are changed dramatically for God's glory.

Yes there are times we are called to defend ourselves physically against evil men - but it isn't usually a personal action. You need to, and should, stand against evil but it doesn't mean to be self-righteous, vindictive or with resentment. It should still be done in love as it is not for us to condemn or judge.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love others with the same love and forgiveness that God loves you with.

What do Jesus' examples or tiny cameos in verses 39-42 have in common? They are all examples of giving more than required - of yourself and your posessions - giving more love to the people around you and not just your friends. Someone has said that if we were to carry out verses 39-42 literally, we would aid and abet evil. Do you agree? How should we take these examples: As case law? As hyperbole? As a series of aphorisms or adages? In another way? There will always be people that will take advantage of these things but on the whole people would see you as being different. I don't believe Jesus is asking or telling us to let everyone walk all over us and to not stand up for ourselves. He is saying that everything we do - to do it with love not to hate the person or to react with hate. How would we treat a very close friend who hurt us? With the love and forgiveness that Jesus is talking about. We should be the same for our enemies as they are God's children too.

What was the purpose of the "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" regulation? To restrain man's vindictiveness, not encourage it - that it would be just and not overboard. Is this law designed to be administered by a court or judge, or by an individual? 'A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' - Therefore, designed to be administered by a court of law. Is it designed to govern judicial action or personal action? Judicial action - it prohibits taking the law into your own hands.

We don't need to back it up with evidence, or swear. We are called to honesty and if we always said what we mean - if we always told the truth, without exaggerations then we wouldn't need to say anymore. We would simply be believed if we say we are going to do something then we should do it. People will then see us as honest and reliable - that we say what we mean and that we don't say things just to make ourselves look better. If we did this ALL the time then we would stand out from the world and we would be trusted and respected for it.

It tells us in the Bible:- that if we believe in our Lord and repent then we are savfed and will be written in the Book of Life. I love Ephesians 2:8 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.' Ephesians 1:13-14 says that 'after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ...' I have heard the message, believed it and am, therefore, sealed in Christ. I believe it because God has said it and I love my Lord whom I love to spend in His presence!

It is frightening because we are human and come to this idea with human thoughts. We know and understand that our sins are washed through Jesus' blood, but we still remember and dwell on it. We have a harder time forgiving ourselves than God does forgiving us. It is also frightening as we all know people who aren't saved - we fear for our families and want God's mercy for them not His judgement on them. The judgement is final and there are no second chances. We resist as we don't want to leave anyone behind but it is not for us to decide.

There is none higher than the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is all powerful and has authority over all. We should be submissive to Him, remain loyal and true to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is to be the centre of our being - the first person we seek! We need to rely on Him for everything and find His presence with us every second of the day!

We are to be both admonished and encouraged by the marriage ideals - betrothal. We are to remain pure and loyal while awaiting the great marriage feast. We are to be encouraged by the proposal of marriage - that God will never leave us nor forsake us and that we will be bound to Him for all eternity.

We are not called to judge one another. We have no right to judge others and should never put our opinions on to other people (forcefully). We need to show LOVE for that is the greatest command. If we condemn and judge we will turn people away from the Kingdom of God. We need to comfort and support that person without judgement and condemnation. We need to be there to listen and to wrap our arms around them. Jesus would want us to love and care for them. It is later when the hurt isn't so raw and the emotions aren't so high that true healing can take place. It is when they get to this point that they are ready to receive teaching and need led to repent of the divorce. It is part of the closure they will seek but they may not actively seek God's forgiveness because they may not realise they need it - especially if they are the ones that were left.

Yes, I believe that a person who has divorced for any reason other than marital unfaithfulness lives in a perpetual state of adultery. But I believe that this is only so in those people who haven't repented and asked for forgiveness. Divorce is the same as any other sin and through Jesus' blood we can be cleansed of it. Should that person divorce or separate to get back into God's will? No- it would be committing the same sin again and God doesn't want that for any of us. We need to repent and be forgiven and then change our ways and outlook so that the marriage we are now in becomes strong with the Lord as the head.

I think Jesus' disciples reacted so negatively to His teaching on marriage and divorce because it is clear and concise - but so different to the worldly practices. I think that they understood the message that Jesus was teaching them about, the intent of marriage, but just didn't like it. It is something that would last and long time and perhaps they saw it has too hard and not achieveable.

The Mosaic Law doesn't command divorce at all. It permitted divorce so that it had to be a formal and legal procedure that had financial implications. It permitted divorce because the people's hearts were already hard. Divorce was never part of God's original plan. God intended marriage to be sacred - one of unity and love and forever. Marriage was/is to be built on love and for a lifetime.

No - it is not so for only believers it is for all people Natural Law - it is the sexual relationship 100% - they are no longer two but one

Jesus' teaching on divorce was parallel to Rabbi Shammai's view. Jesus taught that it was not for a man to sever the union that God had brought together (witnessed). The exception to Jesus' prohibition on divorce was that of marital unfaithfulness. This relates to Deuteronomy because it follows the same teaching. Jesus is not introducing a new idea on divorce, He is spelling out the intention of the original Law in Deuteronomy. Jesus says that 'He didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it'. Here Jesus is giving the intention to this law not changing it.

Our call is to be like Jesus - Jesus was in the world and not of the world! He lived a life of worship and did not hide himself from the world. He commanded us to 'go and spread the good news' and we can't do that if we are hiding. The key to being in the world and not of the world is the relationship that we have with our Lord and Saviour. The more time we spend in the Word and in His Presence (prayer) the more grounded in Him we are. We are set apart to shine our lights in a dark world, to be different from the rest of the world. Our prayer should be that God uses our light to shine on others' lives. To make a difference.

The words of worship songs are important, worship is with our whole lives - not just at one particular time etc. We should worship in spirit and in truth. Our Lord is with us at all times and we should be worshipping Him all the time with everything we do in every circumstances. Just to name a few songs: Holy, Holy, Holy; Salvation Belongs to Our God; I Exalt Thee; Thou Art Worthy; Mighty is Our God...

Everlasting punishment is difficult for us to understand because we have experienced God's mercy and love. If God is a loving and merciful God why does He condemn people to everlasting punishment (hell)? This is a question I have heard often over the years. But our God and King is a just God who would love nothing more than for all to be in heaven with Him - it is what we choose. It is not the outworking of impersonal laws of retribution but the response of a righteous God to those who refuse his love and grace.

Here we are given lots of ways that the 144,000 provide the ideal for christians to emulate: * redeemed from the earth - salvation is the first step Christians must take * refrained from adultery or sexual immorality - kept themselves from defiling relationships with the pagan world system * follow Christ wherever He leads you * offered as the first-fruits to God and the Lamb * no lie - truthfulness * spotless - only by the blood of the Lamb WOW! If we could keep all these things all the time - wouldn't we stand out from the rest of the world?

We are to take **** seriously - it is a sin and we are to repent from it and avoid it - just as with all sins. **** is particularly dangerous as it can lead to other sins: - lying, adultery etc If we look at people as brothers and sisters then **** won't be prevalent. If we share the same love that Jesus had then we would look at everyone differently.

I would tell him that God still loves him and that he has made the first step in leaving his sinful nature behind. I would tell him that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. You can protect yourself by removing those images and asking God to help you. Turn the TV off, get a internet protection programme - spend more time in getting to know what pleases God and keep your focus towards Him and He will convict you of the things he wants you to deal with.

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