open2itall

Q3. (Romans 5:15-19) By what right does Adam represent all humankind? God breathed life into Adam and we have shared in Adams life. By what right does Christ become head of all who become his disciples? Christ is our Lord, who we are united with as members to a Divine Head If Christ is not our "representative" or "head," how can his death for sins be effective for us? The key for us on our path is the removal of the cause that prevents, namely guilt. For us, as Christians our Lord Jesus Christ removes the guilt that prevents us knowing God and for this I am truly grateful. (but if God is an Ocean of Love, and I believe God is, then I believe all paths will eventually lead to God, for Love will triumph over all in the end, I certianly hope so)

Q2. (Romans 5:13, 20) What is Paul saying in these verses? Can there be sin without law? In what sense does the "trespass increase" (5:20) when the law is present? there can be sin without written law (however there have always been un-written laws, these un-written laws are about being in the flow of Gods energy, and the moment we start to try to put these laws into writing is the moment we bring about un-healthy dogma, because the laws are about having the right attitude and are very difficult to convey in words, however the Sermon on the Mount is a greatest of guides.) Sin increases with the Law When we are conscious of the law that is present in our hearts, and we ignore the law, our trespass increases compared to when the mind is ignorant of the law from (for example) infirmity edited due to embarrassment, sometimes I'm embarrassed when I think of what I’ve written here, did I really I say that written law is un-healthy dogma.... I didn’t mean that. Written law serves a purpose, it gives something concrete to work with at ground level.

a leader (or head) of a group will make decisions that the members are tied to in a subordinate way. We need to beware of what we become a part of, but we have no choice of what we are born into.

Q4. (Romans 5:9-10) What does "reconciliation" mean? Reconciliation means Re-Union, it signifies that we are free of guilt Why is reconciliation with God necessary? life without God feels wrong, and is wrong, conversely it feels good to be with God. We understand our having been saved by Jesus' death (5:10a, past tense). In what sense are we being saved (5:10b, present tense) by his life? Christ lives in us to guide us in the process of Sanctification What is Jesus doing for us in the present? Christ enables us to see more clearly, freeing us from petty concerns. Christ is there in our hearts helping us to be more loving. When we fail to be all that we would like to be, Christ is there to help us become once more aligned and in harmony with God.

when we fail to live as we should, we are reassured by embracing the truth that "Christ died for the ungodly" Christ died for us at our worst, now in our heart of hearts we hold Christ.

Q2. (Romans 5:2-5) According to this passage why should we rejoice in our sufferings and tribulations? Bad times lead us to reach out to The Lord for help, and the Strength we experience gives good cause for Hope. One by one, what is the importance to our lives of perseverance, tried character, and hope? Perseverance - the first few steps of leading a spiritual life are vital, but with every additional step there is a fire that builds, this fire is an energy to fuel further healthy activity. To break from perseverance is like throwing a bucket of water on the fire. Perseverance is therefore good. Tried Character - A strong character is formed from perseverance in the face of trials and tribulations. Hope - because we experience the Strength of our Lord helping us in times of trouble, we develop a strong Faith, and live in genuine Hope. Through believing in the Love that is Jesus Christ, there can be hope in the darkest of times. It is the mark of a deeply spiritual person that they can welcome both good and bad times with a sense of gratitude and secruity, and this is a wonderful state of mind to aim for.

for Abraham, faith brought justification for us it is the same first a longing for goodness then, reaching out with faith what does it mean to be justified it means to be at peace in my heart the disquiet quietened the uneasiness eased the world may still trouble me at times but everything is easier standing on high ground

bad behaviour takes me away from God confession and repentance leads me back I flourish in God's field of peace only His forgiveness will take me there

Q3. (1 Corinthians 11:28, 31) Introspection by a neurotic person can foster guilt and self-loathing. Where is the balance? How can we conduct self-examination and self-judgment so that it has a healthy rather than an unhealthy result in us? the balance can be found in recognizing where we have done good as well as recognizing where we haven

Q2. (1 Corinthians 11:29-32) Why has God brought judgment to the offending parties at Corinth? to make right what was wrong Isn't sickness and death rather harsh? it often seems harsh, but this is how it is if we swim against the flow of energy, against The Law. Life becomes difficult or even impossible. but we all have to face our last day, and we all have difficult times. I have to accept pain and suffering as a natural part of this world, my desire to end it is also natural. This is very difficult for me to understand How does God's discipline actually work for our good in the light of Hebrews 12:5-7? Gods discipline guides

Christ is in the body Christ is holy we are pointless if we don't see this

Q4. (Revelation 22:4) When you meditate on "seeing his face," what thoughts come to mind? I think of His smile His gentleness and strength I think of falling into His arms like falling into an Ocean of Love Why should the Lord's Supper stimulate these thoughts? it is the Great Gift beyond words, if I was a poet maybe i could come close but really the experience is perhaps beyond words and each generation simply do their best to describe heavenly life

I can

Q2. (Luke 22:16) In what sense does the Lord's Supper find its "fulfillment" in the Great Banquet at the end of the age? What should this do to our thoughts at the Lord's Table? The Lords Supper finds it

Why are so many of Jesus' teachings oriented toward the future? I'm not sure that I really understand this question but here goes anyway, I may be way off track... so that we understand the promise of perfect Unity in life after death so that even if we live in despair of this world we have hope What kinds of associations come to mind as you think of the Great Banquet? Eternal Goodness, His smile, Gentle, Giving, the many becoming The Not Many, Unification.

How does eating the bread of Life nourish our faith? How does partaking in the Lords Supper build and nourish our faith? What we experience by eating the Bread of Life, builds and nourishes are faith. I believe Christ comes to us according to our need, and we feel Him perhaps according to our personality. (I am a highly sensitive person) I would like to write here of my own experience. Someone else may experience The Lord differently... but in a no less valid way. When I was first blessed with the freedom of forgiveness, I experienced such amazing peace, the Lords Peace... and experiencing the Lord was like an inpouring of energy from above which gradually filled my whole body. I was still and everything was so very simple, there was only Christ's loving goodness. My initial reaction was thankfulness, then simply filled with ecstasy, I delighted in the bliss of Union. This happened to me by reaching out to our Lord in pray. I remember thinking "If I die now, it's OK, I've achieved something in this life" I could have happily died that evening. Since then I have gradually built up a way of focusing on our Lord Jesus Christ when ever I can, and I feel Him in my heart. There are times when I notice that I'm not feeling our Lord in my heart, but when this happens I find Him right by my side. I am living a better life, I am happy. I am sure that there will be testing times ahead for me, but my experiences cannot fail to nourish and build my faith to see me through them. I feel blessed.

Faith is the fuel needed to launch into a life of Christianity. (The only thing that comes before Faith is the longing for God) Once we experience Christ in our hearts we feel His Strength... but in difficult times, faith is still our cornerstone, our foundation. So I can see why Jesus emphasized the importance of faith. The difference between the Twelve and those who turned away was that the Twelve had faith. The mark of true disciples is that they are secure in the Truth, and in times of crises when truth might escapes them, they at least keep faith. "So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" Saint Paul I notice that faith comes first.

He is referring to His sacrifice as the Lamb of God. What similarities do I see? I see the same words being used Bread - meaning His Energy, His Great Goodness. body and flesh - these words point to where the energy is to be found, it is found by focusing on His life and death given and give - meaning given up, sacrificed for - on behalf of, for the sake of someone or something perhaps the difference comes at the end with: you - meaning us and life of the world - meaning new life, eternal life in Unity

what we focus on we become staying focused on our Lord is the Bread of Life The Bread of Life is in The Lords Supper I find it also in pray and the repetition of His Holy Name by nibbling we do not fill ourselves with Christ. nibbling does not satisfy, we still long to fill a void inside and can easily be distracted by what we really don't want. eating fully, delighting in the Goodness of His Body is needed.

St Paul

I haven't been part of a congregation for a long time but I remember that when I was I found fault with others and was a miserable failure, I criticized others for being non-loving when I was probably the least loving of all. I didn't do any bickering as far as I remember, but instead withdrew complaining to myself that the world was not as I wanted it to be. I was foolish. But I feel ready to try going to church again, and the next Sunday I have free (I work shifts in a factory) I will be going to introduce myself at my local Church. I have been taken these lessons to help me find the way. A bickering congregation has forgotten Love, and we sin when we forget the love that is in our heart of hearts. When we open to the transformative energy of Christ we are blessed, anger turns into compassion, ill-will into good-will and there is only Love 1 Corinthians 13:3.... "but if I have not love I have nothing" 1 Corinthians 13:13.. "there are three things that last forever, faith, hope and love; but the greatest of them is love."

each person must find within the Peace and Love that is Christianity and form a bridge of Peace and Love to others so that we may think and act harmoniously as one body

That which is held high is to be blessed, The Lord our God is to be blessed. When we bless the cup of blessing, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Yes, we bless the Lord and focus on our Lords eternal Love, for it is in giving that we receive.

At the lords table, Jesus offers Himself to us Jesus enters us, and lives in us and we live in Him. We live in Unity with the Lord. You can't get more intimate than that

The 12 Apostles at the last supper can be likened to the leaders of Israel on Mount Sinai. By taking what was offered they entered into the new covenant and we can do the same today.