Elisabeth

Q4. (Luke 1:38) What is the essence of Mary's positive response to the angel? What can we learn from her response for our own lives? In what sense was Mary's response an "informed consent"? When we respond to God, what do we consent to? Mary asked 'How' which indicated that she believed what was being told her would happen? Although she still didn't comprehend the 'how' she still believed it. Many times there things which I face and can't see how, but am learning that simply trusting is the better way.

It is hard for us to understand grace because we have so little grace in our nature. Grace is unmerited favour, because of our pride and stiff necks we find it goes against the natural grain of things. Our Lord Jesus bestows His grace fully, and yet although we read it, and in a certain sense accept it, we still have our old nature demanding some form of 'merit' because when the soul kneels before a Holy God and sees grace for what it is, then truely that soul is left without any hedges, completely exposed, completely at the mercy of our Lord, stripped of everything, accepting one thing only, and that being the grace of God. Oh what a wonder this is, that Holiness can be joined with sinful man. Out standing before God can only be in Christ. His sacrifice, undeserved, our punishment deserved. And He chose to give this to His children. Why? Because He did, and that is that. God is creator and sovereign, and He can bestow His grace upon sinners and can and does draw them to Him. We must ever remind ourselves that it is by grace that we are saved, not because of any merit, but because He loves us to the uttermost. Why my deceitful and vile heart do you stray from this wonderful precious eternal grace. How can it be that My Lord and Saviour intercedes even now for me. The old testament is a wonderful testimony to the grace of God, for time after time His children sinned, and yet with patience He kept them in His hand, and even now He keeps me in His hand. Praise be to God for ever and ever more.

The fulness of Christ is the church, and the church is the body of believers. Christ died for His church and one day shall come for His church (His bride). Meeting together we are blessed through worshipping our Lord, learning more and more about Him and each of us pointing to Jesus for all our needs and comforts. When we dont support or attend and worship in our local church we are witholding all the blessings that our Lord has given for us to share, we share His love and encourage one another reminding each other that we live in the hope of the return of our glorious saviour. we are to be wittnesses to the world, to shine for Jesus, we are to be so filled with Christ that others may see Jesus in us. "May the beauty of Jesus be seen in me".

I think this is because we dont believe in God and His holiness, and thereby dont believe or want to face the powers of evil. Many believers and unbelievers alike see the fruits of evil and call them evil. Christians often draw back from facing the evils of the devil, and due to weak or inadequate teaching which emphasises love and gentleness, and has no mention of evil. Paul is teaching and exhorting us to look to Christ for all power and to keep us looking forward to the day when Christ shall call all things to account. Christ is supreme and all power and dominion belongs to Him. We need to be reminded of this in our lives as so often we are thinking as in the flesh, and the flesh avails us nothing, we are nothing without Christ. Yet Christ in us (remembering the opening verses) is our hope and our power.

We are powerless because we don't believe, we depend on ourselves, or each other and do not look to God, or even appreciate or know that when we are saved we are saved by God's power and mercy. God is sovereign and all powerful, His divine power is the ultimate. It is by faith that we are able to conceive, know and trust completely in His power looking only to Jesus for everything. There are some churches who do not teach, preach or even believe in the saving, sustaining power of Christ. Often today the message is "Jesus is love" (which He is), but it is missed out that Jesus Christ is God, He is the divine Son of God, Saviour, Holy and pure, and it is in Him only that we can stand before a Holy God. Earlier in Ephesians v 17 it says 'revelation of the knowlege of Him', we need to learn about Jesus who he is, what His purpose is, and what His sacrifice was for. Only by becoming aware of our sinful and hopeless state can we begin to know what we have been saved from. The church needs to acknowledge a right thought of God in order for it to begin to breathe the power of God. God is not a powerless God who hopes that people may decide to have Him as saviour, friend or in some extreme cases as 'mate'. God is a Holy divine creator to whom all living things owe their lives, He governs the universe and will one day call to account each one of us.

If I knew I would inherit 10 million in a few years I cant really think what effects it would have on my life. Would it make me complacent and wasteful? Would it make me extra careful? I really don't know, it may make me think about what I would do with the inheritance in so much as where I lived, my family, my work etc. It is a difficult question, thinking of the promised inheritance of glory with the saints is something I cannot imagine as far is its splendour. I think about the joy that sometimes wells up in me, and imagine 'glory' will be 10, 20 30 times greater that the feeling of great joy, only this will be all the time!!! Our inheritance with the saints is a wonderful promise as we shall see loved ones who have gone before, and will look for loved ones left behind that they too will be saved. Thanks be to God for His promises.

I have been pondering this question for some days, as I didn't want to write a biblical answer, but an answer from my heart. So what do I have to look forward to? Christ, my Lord Jesus is my hope and my future. There are times when I look down, or around and get distracted by wordly things, but when I look to my Lord I know and have that God shaped fulfilment that I am going to be with Him. The greatest thing about this hope is that lack of fear. Jesus said "fear not and believe", looking to myself and others I begin to shake and tremble, looking to Jesus I have hope. The hope of Jesus is secure, because God never changes, the foundation is set, our Lord is the supreme Creator and sustainer of all things. Thanks be to God for His glorious mercy and goodness to his children.

I have been pondering this question for some days, as I didnt want to write a 'biblical' answer, but an answer from my heart. So what do i have to look forward to: Christ, my Lord Jesus Christ is my hope and my future, there are times when I look down or around and get distracted by worldly things, but when I look up to my Lord I know and have than God shaped fulfilment that I going to Him. The greatest thing about this hope is the lack of fear, how can I fear then I have such hope? Jesus said "fear not and believe". Looking to myself and others I begin to shake and tremble, looking to Jesus I have hope. The hope of Jesus is secure because God never changes, the foundation is set, our Lord is supreme Creator, sustainer of all things. Thanks be to God for His glorious Mercy and goodness to His children.

God's wonderful gift of salvation is sure, true and completely dependable. He has chosen, redeemed and has sealed us in with Him. The seal is a seal which cannot be broken or removed, sealed by the Holy Spirit Who's mark is on us until the day when all things will come together under Christ. On that day we shall be fully saved, not that our salvation today is unsafe, but until we are brought into the presence of God out of the sinful flesh our salvation hsa not been consumated. What a wonderful wonderful thought, that God has predestined us, chosen us, freely given us forgiveness of sins, through the blood of Jesus. Washed us and redeemed us, He has also given us His Holy Spirit here on earth to live in our earthly bodies that we can be kept, sealed in a steadfast covenant. Thank you Lord for Your grace mercy and love.

God's purposein our lives is to glorify Him, praise Him and give Him full worship. The arrogance in our hearts would deceive us into thinking that in some way we have a contribution of our works to Him, something good, nice an well behaved. When in fact the only purpose He has for us is to kneel down and give Him all the honour,praise and glory. We can only do this when we see ourselves as utterly dependant upon Him, we have and can bring nothing of ourselves to the throne of God, we can only in complete submission truely worship when we accept that we are sinful creatures, and that there is no good in use, and He is all in all. Our light is Christ, so often we are deceived into thinking that we can be good christians if we behave in a certain way, follow a particular code of behaviour, but it is only when we trust only in Him for everything, having no fear, because we know He is God Almighty. Having no pride because we know our deceitful hearts and nature. Having no desire for wordly things because our joy is in Him. Then so we shine like lights in a dark world. Lord Jesus let me have complete faith in You and no other and certainly not myself!!

I think the significance of all things being brought under one head 'Christ Jesus', is that we were created for heavenly things, our earthly lives are just a mere vapour in comparison to the fullness of what God has prepared for His children. We are made to glorify God and given Him complete devotion, whilst on earth we are sinful and selfish and are more inclined to worship self. Yet God made us in His image and one day we shall be fully delivered from the fetters that keep us from pure worship. Oh my soul magnify the Lord for He has done, and is doing, and will do wondrous things beyond our comprehension. On the day of all things being brought to a head we shall be joined as one church, as one people with one desire, and that will be to worship Him.

I have been redeemed from all the chains of sin, although I still struggle, my sins past, present and future have been paid for. How can this be? It is truly the most greatest mystery, that My Lord took on Him my sins and paid the price that I may be able to stand and be counted holy before the a Holy God. My life was a mess before I knew my Lord, filled with pain, vanity and strife. Without Christ I had no hope; peace or rest. Without redemption my future would hold the blackness and horror of unforgiven sin, my soul trembles to think of life outside of Christ Jesus. Sometimes I shake at the thought that without His grace, mercy and divine love drawing me to Him I would have been utterly lost

To adopt someone is to take on as your own, they become part of your family, they have your name, they have all of the priveledges of the family. It is a legal binding agreement, and you become as one of the family equal to the natural children. God has done this with us, as His children He has given us all the rights of His inheritance, He has bound us to Him. I think of a child in an orphanage, being adpoted into a family,the would be parents selecting a child and bringing it home, giving their name, love and all the free use of the home. We have been chosen by God as His children, like an orphan I was chosen, redeemed, sealed with His promis. I can now call Him Father. Thank you Lord for loving me for taking me as Your child That I can be called the daughter of God