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Confessing is recognizing right from wrong, being humble enough to admit that I did wrong, and going to the source of forgiveness. It is with a repentant spirit and not just regret. Christ is our only source to identify right from wrong, to see His standards in life are the right choice, and to accept responsibility that it is He alone who can remove the sin so we may live the purpose filled life He has for us. Without forgiveness we carry with us a little more spiritual death in our hearts. That spiritual death or separation from God will eventually destroy us as Satan plans to do. Our life in Christ depends on all the choices before us to be life and not death. As we choose life we discover the great love and mercy of God. It is only His Grace extended to us which can actually cleanse and purify us. It is only then we are seen by the Father through the righteousness of Christ as holy. It is through forgiveness and the resurrection power from God that can lift us and empower us to live in this corrupted world and still be a citizen of heaven victoriously.

True Christian fellowship is sharing Christ with others as we share our own life. Relationships take risk. People are not real because there is pain and suffering as well as joy and fulfillment. Another reason is the accountability factor. It may cost you something. Being among true Christians who respect you for how God sees you, who is willing to taste of unconditional love, and also protect you are hard to find. It is also the greatest relationships of all because Christ is in the center and we strive together to allow God's plan and purposes to be present among us.

Q4. (Matthew 7:24-27) Does Jesus require obedience of his disciples? (John 15:14). Is there a kind of true Christian who believes, but does not obey? How do you justify Jesus' requirement of obedience with Paul's teaching that salvation is a gift, not because of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-10)? All have fallen short of God's glory. All have sinned. Therefore it is not possible to get to heaven on our own. It cannot be earned, but we can choose life with God or life without Him. It is a gift from God, yet the fruit of the Spirit enables us to live the life God desires for us. When we believe in faith we are saved. Yet the understanding here of believe is revealed in obedience and action. It is the changed life which bears the truth of living by the Spirit. His Spirit enables and impowers us to live righteously. God will forgive us along this journey when we willingly bring our faults under the saving blood of Jesus. Over a life long relationship we live in right-standing with God through our intercessor Jesus Christ.

Q3. (Matthew 7:21-23) How is it possible to deceive yourself, so that you presume that you are "doing" when you are only "hearing"? (see James 1:22-25). How might it be possible to prophesy, drive out demons, and perform miracles in Jesus' name and not enter the Kingdom of heaven? Unfortunately there are many that are self-decieved into believing that just being a member, or occassionally showing up at church, or you have the Christianese language down, but they do not live the Christian life. When Christ does not impact our daily lives, there is no regeneration of new life. There are some in my congregation that are very satisfied to be church people, but do not allow the Word of God to change them. I went through a situation where someone seemed like a faithful, strong, Christian, yet they were able to compartmentalize there sin so much that it was justified. Being a member of the leadership team, while in the background having an adulterous affair, was OK because that was part of his life away from his church life and family life. Other situations escalated which revealed his sin and he chose to repent. Praise God he is now on his way to a new life in Christ which affects the whole man. Some of us say "He understands my weakness" and live the way they wish, but "I am a member of that church around the corner". They do not share Christ with others, or go to church, or love others, or actually seek after God. The big concern is having somewhere to be buried. And of course they are a Christian. We love and care about these people very much, but their self-deception prevents them from ever seeing the real Christ who died for them. Not only do they miss out on the daily blessing of walking with Christ, but their false Christianity may lead them to a dark eternity.

Q1. (Matthew 7:13-14) If Jesus' teaching about the narrow gate and the narrow road to life is to be believed, what change would this make in how you conduct your life? What difference would it make to how you witness to your neighbors? How might it affect your acceptance of Universalism? I have found over time that the enemies tactics are to make the gate wider than it is. Acceptance, love, and fairness, are used in a perverse way to promote self and the rights of the individual. Jesus, The Father, The Spirit, their way is narrow. They are the only true God. God has been consistant throughout time in all His dealings with us. Satan's goal is to present a path of doubt, grayness, many ways, because of course we deserve whatever our desires are. God's ways are for our greatest fulfillment in life and in the next phase with Himself. Satan wishes to destroy and devour. When the cloud is cleared away and reality is visualized, there are no wise choices other than God. Satan is a liar.

The amazing thing about the Beatitudes is that they go beyond the letter of the Law and present what God intended for the Law to create, a moral compass of the heart. The sexsual sins are those of our bodies and hearts intwined that cripple our communion with God and cloud our senses to the Love of God. **** is that "want" for self to be fulfilled in an intense fashion. The adultry is carrying out the hearts desire into an action which engages Satan and two people. We cross over into a sinful action which causes yourself and others to break fellowship with God and worshipping the enemy. However the "beatitude thinking" tells us that the playing out of those lustful feelings even in our heart and mind is the same as breaking the command not to commit adultry. This is so because God desires the accountability of our heart. God knows that entertaining our selfish desires already brings the corruption of our souls and mind. God intended the expression of love for another to be wonderful, fulfilling and an extention of His own character. As we love another with great intimacy and passion, He reveals to us His own passion for us.

Q3. (Matthew 5:23-24) What's wrong with worshipping while a brother has something against us (or us against a brother, Mark 11:25)? What is the appropriate action for us to take? How far should we go to bring about reconciliation with someone whom we have offended? Are there any situations that we shouldn't try to resolve? Or that we can't resolve? Unfortunately, many of us are willing to call ourselves"Christian", yet there are many areas of His character we do not wish to embrace. We have this attitude that "God understands" when we act outside of His character. We must have the courage to face the conflicts among us and be peace-makers. Whether others respond to our desire for peace is not the issue, but when we harbor sin in our hearts and still expect to be recieved by God, we are telling Him that my ways are more important than God's. Through prayer and God's leading, all offenses are able to be healed. The difficulty happens when the other person is not cooperative or may even wish to do you harm, not also obeying the Spirit of God in their heart. Ours is to love and obey. The results are in God's hands. Reconciliation always takes three. God, you, and the other person. Some may reject you and God.

Q1. (Matthew 5:13) In what sense are Christians the "salt of the earth" using the preservation analogy? In what sense are Christians the "salt of the earth" using the seasoning analogy? As Christians we are to be the living reflection of our Lord and preserve His "likeness" in the earth before those who do not know Him. As seasoning we are to be a welcome addition to those who need a savior. Making our world better because of the presence of God that fills us. However we will be persecuted because God brings the personal accountability to all His creation, desiring them to be in His likeness, so we are also to be a catalyst for change in the world that lives without Him.

To be or possess a certain character/action from God and the reward for living/being that way. There was always a promise vs action throughout the bible. God is always leading and guiding us. His Word is one of the vehicles for this. The fruit of the Spirit is a list of attributes of God's character. Through love and obedience these attributes are given as gifts so that we have the power to be.

God's righteousness, to me, is a reflection of His character and presence. So to "hunger and thirst" denotes a certain passion toward the giver more than the gifts. This description leads me to seek Him and His ways. With the nation of Israel during the time of Moses, it was interesting to note that Israel clamoured after what God did on their behalf, where Moses sought His ways. A certain intimacy comes to life in this attitude and character of Moses. It was also seen in the life of David as he yearned for His God. This kind of Love brings obediance and devotion naturally to the one who is in a relationship with his Savior.

The two parts are those who are blessed and the promise. They are truly counter-culture. They are a path for us to grow into maturity. Each one to be taken in their purest form is impossible to obtain, however they are the heart-beat of our Savior. Truly, as stated before, they are what we are to be more than to do. I present these attributes to those who would mentor others as a framework to be and to encourage others to walk in. As a paradox they are the essence Christ came to portay. The religious culture of the day had created a "church life" that did not resemble God's nature. Christ came to put us on track with His true nature as well as to pay the price we could not.

So many times I see religious people who are following after traditions and the "form of Godliness". I believe until we are drawn by His Spirit and we respond to His calling, can we ever see the Lord. He is desirous to have a relationship with us, yet by only doing the religious forms of the church, we can never truly have that intimacy with the living God. Church is good, worship, fellowship, and being faithful are all desperately needed, yet we must have that sense of lack and need for the Savior to truly cross over into relationship. There many seeking, however, it does seem that only a few find that rich presence with our Lord. Not through our desire to be good or even to serve in the church. Christ freely gives Himself to us. It is free for the taking, yet it will cost us everything to truly be united with Him. The Beatitudes in the place for us to discover the depths of His love.