open2itall
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Posts posted by open2itall
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Why is the statement, "God is love," so important? What does it say about God's nature? How does love being the essence of God's nature affect us?
If we are children of God, then we can be like our Father and live the life of love.
If we were created in God's image of love, but fell, what does this say about the road to healing in our lives?
God is love, and healing comes with love.
Why does love demand a willingness to forgive?
Forgiveness brings peace... it's in a field of peace that love grows
"...you are to be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect"
Sermon on the Mount
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What in us is greater than false prophets and even Satan?
The Holy Spirit is gentle but powerful, and with The Holy Spirit in me, Satan's energy is nothing but a weak undercurrent.
In what sense have we overcome them?
We live the life of love.
In what way will we overcome them in the future? How should this truth affect fear in our lives?
By staying aware of our Lord Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit within us, we will stay strong. And slowly we will become fearless and more and more like Him.
Prayer is important. This is perhaps my favorite prayer. It is certainly the prayer I most often repeat.
Lord make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love,
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is pardoning that we are pardoned,
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life
The Prayer of Saint Francis
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Why is believing that Jesus was God in the flesh so important? Why doesn't Satan want us to believe that? What are the implications of the fact that Jesus could live out his divine life in a human body like ours? What significance does it bring to the crucifixion and to the resurrection? What is the significance for your Christian life?
Jesus experienced life on earth and yet lived a divine life, with his help I can aspire to be like him. I am filled with an optimism, a positive expectation of God
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We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favor through obedience?
obeying God gives us the confidence to ask for anything we want, like a well-behaved child asks a father.
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What does it mean to "lay down your life for your brothers"?
It means to love them, and ultimately it means to reduce my self-will to zero and put their needs before my own.
What are some concrete examples of this kind of love in action within the Christian community?
helping in practical way. helping others in financial trouble. offering help with shopping or household chores during an illness.
If you are in a large congregation, how can you get to know other members so you'll be able to lay down your life for them -- and they for you?
In order to really bond and feel connected, I can see that I have to spend time working together and sharing leisure activities with a small group of people.
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How can anger turn into hatred in our hearts?
it
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Why did Cain resent Abel?
Cain resented Able
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How does John's teaching on sin and righteousness in this passage relate to combating the false teachers? What did they seem to be teaching about sin and righteous living?
"just as you can identify a tree by it's fruit, so you can identify people by their actions" The Sermon on the Mount
John seems to be saying that they claimed to be righteous despite their sin.
John names them as antichrists and the devils children, these phrases bother me no end. There is nothing wrong in the phrases themselves... but there's something wrong in the way some people have used them to fuel infectious undercurrents in the masses and bringing about mob rule... a good example of this was during the dissolution of the Catholic Church in 16th century England, many Catholics were murdered. The story of one particular woman who was tortured to death rather than renounce her faith brings me to tears when ever I think about it.
Let us always be conscious of the light in our hearts
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How does John's teaching on sin and righteousness in this passage relate to combating the false teachers? What did they seem to be teaching about sin and righteous living?
John teachings are saying that... if we look at what a teacher does in life, we can tell if they have the Lord with them
"just as you can identify a tree by it's fruit, so you can identify people by their actions" The Sermon on the Mount
I feel I must add this.... There is a great danger in Demonising people by calling them antichrists or devils children. The danger is that we can over-react and get caught up in some evil energy that leads us to commit terrible crimes including murder. We must be careful about what streams of energy we step into. We need to be careful about how we react.
God willing, may our inner strength be always as strong as a mountain and yet as fragrant and soft as rose petals.
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How does the presence of God's seed in us keep us from habitual lawlessness and sin?
With God's seed there is a purity in us, and we can tell when we do wrong because it stands out like a sore thumb against the purity.
How does the Holy Spirit sanctify us and make us like Jesus?
The holy Spirit gives us the strength to correct ourselves when we do wrong and slowly but surely we become more and more like Jesus.
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How does lawlessness show up in a person's attitude and actions?
lawlessness shows up as sin
In what sense is an attitude of lawlessness the cause of sin in our lives?
The law limits sin, with lawlessness there is no control.
With an attitude of lawlessness we ignore the difference between right and wrong.
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In what way does our expectation of Christ's Second Coming motivate us to purify ourselves from sin?
How awful it would be to shrink back in shame from Christ
How wonderful it would be to run into His loving embrace
How does purifying ourselves from sin relate to God's grace?
We can slowly but surely purify ourselves because... through God
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In what sense are we "children of God"?
"Children of God" what a beautiful phrase, we are beyond doubt blessed
We have taken on the Spirit of The Son.
We are now spiritual beings
What does the Holy Spirit have to do with this "new birth"?
We have been awakened to new life
and the Holy Spirit is our fuel (our power)
How does the new birth change us?
we are at peace
we have love
we have strength
we have God
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If we have the Holy Spirit, why do we need teachers in the church?
The Holy Spirit starts the process that will sanctify our natures, and enable us to live righteously. It
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What does it mean to abide/remain/continue in Jesus?
It means to stay faithful to the Lord.
And to stay faithful we need to keep the Lord in mind throughout the day.
Finding time to pray is important. It
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In what ways is the Holy Spirit an internal Guide for us?
the Holy Spirit lives within us
In what ways does he teach us?
It gives us the truth, and therefore we can tell what is false.
I experience a peace, a calmness
This peace is the key to the truth, and in this truth I am guided.
I see things more clearly
I am becoming more loving.
I care about the world around me, but I
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What is the "anointing" that John is talking about?
the anointing is an act of Love from above, it's the giving of the Holy Spirit
In what way is anointing connected to the Holy Spirit in the Bible?
it is referred to as a way of empowering people
Has every Christian received this anointing? What do you think?
every person receives the Holy Spirit according to their ability, we have to be open to receive.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit..." Blessed are the meek..." the Sermon on the Mount
for some Christians, their faith is on an intellectual level
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What is this antichrist that John expects to come?
the prince of hatred, the dark source of despair.
What is the difference between the antichrist and antichrists in the church John is writing to?
there is a huge difference, the antichrist is a pure nasty hatred.
I suspect these people simply had a different point of view.
In what ways do we see the spirit of antichrist at work in our day?
an unwillingness to understand others
an absence of love for others
a desire to be loved rather than to love
may all those in need find Peace and Love and Strength
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What kinds of sins are covered by the three examples of worldliness that John gives?
these are the sins of an agitated mind
**** of the eyes... wanting more than we need or have a right to
**** of the flesh... grabbing more than we need or have a right to.
pride and arrogance... being full of self-importance and self-will
Blessed are the poor in spirit... Blessed are the meek... our Lord
till you love men so as to desire their happiness with a zeal equal to your own; till you delight in God for being good to all: you never enjoy this world Thomas Traherne
Why are these sometimes so difficult for us to discern in ourselves?
the agitated mind has no time or space to see clearly
it is more likely to see faults in others than see faults within, this is because the mind is searching outside in the world for a sense of fullness, and sadly fails to look within.
The kingdom of heaven is within our Lord
Why is worldliness so harmful to our future?
when we are full of worldliness there is no room for God
not I, but Christ lives in me Saint Paul
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What is "the world" in verses 15-16?
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John encourages "children," "young men," and "fathers." Why do you think he takes time to encourage them? In what ways does he encourage them?
he sees them as haveing an understanding of what is important
and therefore John wants to encourage them
he encourages them by saying how they all know God in their own way, according to their ability.
with the children, he points out that they are forgiven, (this is something of great significance to new Christians)
with the young, he points out the strength that lives within, (Jesus is leading them by the hand)
with the fathers, he points out their relationship with God, (it's like it has always been there, it just is. Forever and ever)
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How does hate and unforgiveness blind us spiritually? If we have been darkened by hurt and hate, how do we come into the light?
hate and unforgiveness are depressing debilitating negative forces that weigh us down
they are the opposite of Christ's uplifting Love and Forgiveness.
we can overcome negative forces by focusing on the light of Christ
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Hmm. . .I may be the only one doing this study this week! Well, that's okay. If anything, writing these posts will serve as a journal of sorts.
To me, justification through faith means being acquitted from death on account of my belief. I like thinking of faith in the verb form, as the study mentioned. Faith can often have a frothy, angel-wings connotation. It sounds very peaceful and "inspirational." However, faith as a reliance on God is a different story. It's a raw, full-force, often scary dependence on God.I'm not saying this verb-faith should be confused with works--we believe hard enough, we earn righteousness. But when reading Romans, I can't help but think that Paul had something more in mind than the superficial Christian trimmings of bumper stickers and church potlucks. Paul's faith implies action.
Performing works for God can be a wonderful way to worship him. But it is not the key to salvation. I think faith is so important for justification because belief requires our whole lives. Works can be broken down into tasks that are easy to compartmentalize. Faith takes over. Full reliance on God requires our whole hearts. And of course, we can never do enough works to acquit us from our sin. By God's grace, he has given us another way.
You might be interested to know that although I'm not studying Romans, and instead studying Johns Letters, I've infact just read your post... so who knows how many more people might find what you write. Just wanted to say that you are not alone and wish you the very best.
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How can we be serious about obeying Christ without become legalistic and judgmental, with a self-righteous attitude like the Pharisees had?
we are sincere about obeying Christ
when we have the Lord at our centre
How do love and legalism differ?
Love is warm, alive and pure
legalism feels like cold dogma
How can we be serious about obedience and make love our center?
we can have Christ as our centre to guide us
Q4. Love Casts Out Fear
in 6. God Is Love (1 John 4:1-21)
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What kind of fear should we have towards God? What kind of fear is extinguished by his love perfected in us? What kind of attitude should we have towards future judgment?
to lose God would be terrible, fear of judgment vanishes with God and we look forward with confidents