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When I think that Jesus will return to this earth one day, it makes me realize how sinful I really am. He, the Pure One from the Father, lived on this earth and endured all the heartache yet without sin. I cannot even go one day without sin. I know that He will return and I am thankful for His grace that covers all my multitude of sins. His return causes me to want to do better because I know He loves me. I want Him to take me to that mansion He has prepared for me. Won't that be wonderful!

Joseph's actions were those of a good man who did not want to hurt the woman he was betrothed to marry. Mary could have been stoned to death but certainly would have been an outcast in her community.

I suppose that we are hesitant to use the titles for Mary simply because we do not want to appear "Catholic." Because of that, we miss out. Of course, Mary is no longer the "Blessed Virgin" since she and Joseph had many other children.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This is vital to our faith because we believe that Jesus is, in fact, God with us. If Jesus had simply been born to human parents, He could not have been God, could not have lived a perfect life, could not have been the perfect sacrifice for my sins and I would not have a hope of eternal life. In short, this message is central to my belief as a Christian.

When Zacharias questioned the angel, he obviously did not believe what the angel was saying--see verse 20. I presume that Mary's question was more of a "how is this going to happen?" question rather than doubting that it would happen. She simply wanted to know what method God would use to fulfill her destiny.

Mary's Son would save the people from their sins. What could be better for us? His name will be Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. No other religion has a living God who loves His children the way Jehovah God loves us. He sacrificed Himself so we could live with Him forever.

Hi, I am Bob from East Tennessee. I have enjoyed various lessons in the past and look forward to this one. I am a minister at a small congregation after practicing law for 27 years in Arizona. God is Good, no?

Paul used his life as an example to help convince the Jews that they should accept Christ as the Messiah. Through all that Paul had done, God still forgave him and made him a messenger of the truth. Paul oftens uses himself as an example of the Grace of God and refers to himself as the 'chief of sinners.' In essence, Paul is saying, "If God can save me through His grace, He can save anyone!"

There are many consequences of false doctrine being taught in the Church. From divisive arguments to a loss of salvation (potential), false doctrine creates an atmosphere that is not founded on God's Word. When this happens, the spirit of a church is weakened and ultimately dies because it is not being fed God's food. The division caused keeps people from working together so that growth is hindered. The mission of the church is to point people to Jesus. If the congregation is not teaching this, people will not be pointed to Jesus.

This question is too long to respond to in its entirety. Certainly, the churches were criticized because they failed to keep Christ first in their life, they failed to follow through to the end with the obligations God had placed on them, they failed to stay true to the Word that had been given to them, they were "wishy-washy" in their dedication to true worship, they did not keep pure the things that should have been kept pure. The churches were honored because some had remained faithful, had fought against untruth and were still following Christ. We have congregations just like these today. Far too many churches have diluted the Word, accepted false teaching and lost their "first love." Others, though, are trying their best to be what God calls them to be. We have to remembered, too, that it is the individuals that make up the congregations. We each have the obligation to be what God calls us to be. Church leadership is vitally important. Church leaders must model the kind of lives God calls us to live. Poor leadership (whether it is in faithfulness to the Word, godly living or whatever) will do more to destroy a congregation than anything. Leaders must be in constant prayer that God protects them from falling away or leading the people astray. bob

Most churches are apathetic because the membership has failed to grasp what it really means to be sold out to Christ. We have made "church" simply a segment of our lives rather than having Christianity as the core of our existence. So, "going to church" has replaced living a Christ-like life. And, since we see no real benefit in "going to church," we are not disposed to do much about inviting people to join us "at church." Our friends, seeing very little proof that Christianity means much to us, are not inclined to give up their Sunday mornings to "go to church" and live their lives without God the rest of the week. Without good Christian leadership in our churches and self-discipline, today's Christians will not break their apathetic lifestyle. People will go to hell (and, some of those will be people who are "in church" every Sunday) because they are not exposed to the life-transforming power of the Spirit of God. His love for us must make a difference in our lives; we must love Him enough to want to please Him and we must fall on our faces in awe at His wonderful grace. Until this happens, we will continue to play at church, compartmentalize our lives, and waste the opportunities that God has given us.

Q3. Why do you think the religious compromise required by participating in heathen religious practices in the trade guilds was so spiritually destructive? What compromises do twenty-first century Christians struggle with? Let's not settle for trite legalisms about drinking and smoking. What are the real compromises that dilute vital Christianity? Like the business people of today's world, those in Paul's days wanted to succeed in business. Connecting with people of other faiths or "just getting along" was vital to seeing financial success. We do the same. Some join a church simply because of who else belongs, some go to church simply to be able to put a fish or cross on their advertisements, some profess Chrisitanity while exhibiting absolutely no change in the way they live. We struggle against the political correctness that says all religions are the same. Some Christians agree that good Muslims will be in heaven just like good Hindus, Buddhist, etc., because they do not want to offend someone, especially a potential customer. We see divorce in our churches equalling, or exceeding, the national divorce rate because we are not commited to our spouses and have bought into the lie that "God wants me to be happy." We avoid church activities for our children because the ball game is schedule for Wednesday or Sunday afternoon. We watch the same filth on TV or in the movies because we want to experience the same thrills that the world is seeking. We dress immodestly and, worse, we allow our children to dress immodestly or provocatively because they want to belong. We give our children whatever they want, whether we can afford it or not, because we want to impress their friends or parents with our fianancial ability or our ability to keep up with the latest fads. On and on I could go. In truth, we want to be accepted not noticed as different. bob

Paul says that all sins are committed outside of the body except sexual sins. A person who gives in to sexual temptations affects his or her body in a way that other sins do not. When I allow the culture to determine morals, I am simply giving into mankind's weakness for pleasure and selfishness. If I act this way, no one could mistake me for a Christian. Certainly, my testimony is weakened, if not destroyed, and it would be very difficult for me to tell someone about the love of Jesus when I did not attempt to adhere to what He asks of me. The political correctness of this age says that there are no morals, that every religion, no matter what it teaches, it okay and that looking out for "1 is of vital importance. When I refuse to speak against sin, whether it be homosexuality or the Muslim faith, or I fear to speak the truth because of popular backlash, I am allowing the pressures of acceptance to dictate my actions. Peter said it best in Acts when he said, Whether it is right to follow God or man, you choose, but we cannot but help to tell about what we have seen and heard. I wish that could be my motto, too.

A congregation starts to lose its love for Christ when it starts thinking about itself before thinking of others. When a congregation starts trying to be what the world "wants" rather than to offer what Jesus gives, it is in real danger. Signs of this are flambouyant activities, offering some activity to everyone, focusing on numbers and marketing rather than Christ-like emphasis and watering down the gospel in order to attract a certain segment of people. A congregation can regain its first love by turning back to Jesus and building the members' Christ-like spirit.

Jesus is active and involved in His church. As He warns throughout the next chapters, congregations that do not accomplish His will could be removed. While I am not totally sure what that means, I am sure that it is not a good thing! He has not "gone back to heaven and left us alone." Rather, He is still powerful and aware of His people and His bride. It also teaches that He cares and wants a relationship with His people--the church.