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Jesus in HIS infinite wisdom has included this in the prayer HE taught to us, so that we can approach God in our prayer with clean conscience, having not holding anything against anyone who has hurt us. Also we seek forgiveness of God, because we are humans and have commited sins knowingly or unknowinglu. As God is merciful and generous with us, inorder to receive and enjoy HIS blessings we should not be harbouring grudges against our brothers. When we are in this position of peace with our neighbours and brothers, God's forgiveness freely flows into our lives and spirit, without any hinderance.

The fallen human nature is very egoistic and hence can not humble itself to seek help when in need of it. Not only physical and material needs, even seeking advice in matters of faith, profession and relationships. Sometimes we think the matter is trivial to be brought in prayer before God and that we can ourselves handle them. Even when we have enough on the table to eat, to humble ourselves to ask God to provide us our daily bread is to acknowledge that God only enabled us to have that food. Besides only God can give us the health to enjoy the food and make use the energy wisely for the kingdom of God.

We are acknowledging that God has created man and this universe for His glory and worship. However when sin entered, we and all this earth got seperated from the reinship of the almighty God. God in his infinite wisdom fulfilled a great restoration plan to reconcile us into His kingdom, through Jesus Christ. We are only further appealing to God to use each one of us mightily in this process, according to His will. By professing "let God's kingdom come on this earth", it becomes our responsibilty with the help of Holy Spirit, to spread this good news to everybody. As such we surrender ourselves as willing instruments of Jesus Christ, by the life we live and spread His light to others.

When we say "Hallowed be thy name", we are lifting His name above all names ever existed or in future and appraching Him with utmost adoration and respect, however calling Him "our Father". When we take His name in vain in any aspect in our lives we are desecrating and besmirching His name. We approach Him calling Him Father, which gives us great intimacy, but with greatest respect.

'"will himself restore you" is the most assuring promise to me. Imagine the very omnipotent GOD coming my rescue and restoring me to my original position with HIM through the blood of Jesu Christ. Once HE restores me to my original position with GOD, I will stand firm on the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

In Peter's instructions, it looks as though we are fighting Satan on our own, though with the full backing of Jesus Christ, because of our faith. In Paul's instructions , he figuratively assures us, becuse of all that armour, we are more ready to figtht and defeat the enemy. Both Peter and Paul give us excellent and practical methods of standing against the guiles of the evil one, only differing in the way they are expressed.

Satan is always trying to alienate us from God and to deprive us the salvation through Christ. He is busy at work in this world to establish himself and to destroy christians. That is why Lord taught us to pray " lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil "-- the evil one is Satan

As we live in this world, we will be facing many a problem, which might dsiturb us and cause us concern. We are not become fearful of these problems, but pray and ask our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver us from these problems. In this way we are solely depedent on our Lord, with faith, trust and adoration. We are to do this, because our Lord loves and cares each and everyone of us, and is eager to help us. Until a decade back, I was really getting worried on every small and big issues. Now I have learnt to prayerfully and faithfully trust that Lord would take care of these problems, if only I could wait for his timing. And, YES He is trust worthy and loving.

Church leaders first of all should realise that they are servants of God and also of God's children as well. They should exercise Christlike humilty in dealing with their charge. They should be kind, patient, and understanding and above all scripturally sound. Their family should be an example. A humble man does not try to impose himself on others nor boast of his qualifications or of his ancestry. I know of a story where a man started feeling proud of his humility!!. Unfotuntely many a congregations are let down because of non-committed leadeship of pastors and we get into unnecessary complications, which are detrimental to the edification of CHURCH, HIS BRIDE.

Openess in church administration, keeping the members fully informedof the church affairs, generally does not lead to " church elders" seeking power for themselves. Congregation should always pray for their pastors and elders, so the they are always under God's guidance. In organised churches this is not much of a problem, but single man oriented and owned churches, that single person would not like to be scrutinised, claiming God's personal call to him. It is always better to lay down the resposibilities, initially. Pastor's authority should never be limited, but he is also resposible to God and to the church elders. The elders should recognise a problem in its earliest stages and prayerfully look for a solution, without sacrificing any christian living guidelines from the bible.

We persuade somebody to takeup resposible position in the church so that we have in that position whom we like and listens to us. If that person has God given talent and obedient to God's directions, it could work for the edification of the church. But if an elder is simply forced to do that job, it would be detrimental to the church as well as for that believer. Willing to work in God's field is personal calling and obedience.

Their main responsibility is to take care of the group of believers, in their spiritual growth, physical needs and socialogical problems. To achieve this efficiently and properly, the elders need to go to their level, instead of lording over them. Service to the Lord's flock is the motto, without selfishness, and everything for the glory of the Lord and total welfare(spiritual and physical) of the believers in their charge, young and old.

The world system and standards are opposite to the teachings of Jesus Christ, whom we whole heartedly serve and follow. We are subject to persecution because of our firm convictions and committment to Jesus Christ and sometimes even to the extent of being killed. We, because of our love for Christ , are prepared to lay down our life for Him as he has already gave His life for us. Our God has alway has been faithful to His believers and we completely put our trust in Him

When the world does'nt consider us worthy of persecution, means tha theyt do not see Christ in our actions and life style. The viceversa should make us happy, because they see that we are striving to standup for Jesus in this world and make a difference for good. Sometimes persecution comes in the form of discremination in small things and not necessasarily in bodily harm and incarcination.

God loved us first and redeemed us through the blood and suffering of his only son JESUS Christ. As I try to abide in Him, I may face trials and persecutions in this world of this world. The high calling we have to be sons and co-heirs of God himself, totally over shadows all these persecutions we face because of that.

In the realm of serving Jesus Christ and spreading of his teachings - sufferings and persecution are unaviodable. Beacuse this is a fight between good and evil. We know we are on the side of victorious Jesu Christ. However in this world, sometimes we succumb to the pressures as the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. If we try and avoid these persecutions we may loose the very prize for which we have taken-up this yoke.I was many a time subject to such persecutions and tried to avoid them, but by the timely help of the holy spirit, was able to stand firm for the calling I have in Jesus. In my life, I have witnessed and observed many follwers of Christ standing firm for HIM in non-christian country, in the face of severe persecution and adversities and also those falling easily.

The " I, I, I" peole are very self-centered even if they are in the ministry. They are still not mature in the Lord, they should humble themselves and should ask for Holy Spirit guidance in what they speak and claim. God has given me the gift of organising and have used it in Sunday school, Youth activities and church activities. But I also got into troubles because of this either due my own foolishness and lack indepth knowledge of God's word as well as the satan's influence on the people I had to interact with. However God has blessed me with enough of maturity, now.

In the present society 'accountablity' is one word nobody relishes. Eventhough we try to fix resposibility on politicians, company executives in a broader sense. Non-christians deceive themselves into the belief that they are not accountable for their actions to anybody let alone God in whom they do not believe and that nobody is going to question them, especially after they die. Since we christians are fully aware of the judgement by Lord Jesus, we are simply ashamed of our shortcomings. If I sincerely repent and confess my sins to God and ask for his forgiveness and try to live a righteous life, setting an example both to believers and non-believers alike, I can face judgement seat with humility and assurance of God's grace.

There are two types of non-christians. 1. Those who realise that you are a committed christian and intentionall try to get you to sin. 2. Those who do not know Jesus and who are not aware that it is a sin. In the first case we have to stand steadfast and softly but firmly reject the offer of the non-christian, In the second case it is an opportunity for us to witness for Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8 "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." 3. Sometimes we often fail and commit sin in small things like: - being discurteous to telemarketer. - when we have to wait for a long time to get a service representative on phone - fourway or twoway traffic stop. - do not giveup our seat for an elderly person in train or bus. - built in racial discrimination - not returning the carts to station at super stores. _ not minding going late to church or a prayer meeting, when you can help it. "THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE MINE BY YOUR ACTIONS"

I think, Jesus when he was suffering in the body, his state of mind is: 1) Obedience to God's plan of salvation 2) Love for the mankind, who are being lost " forgive them ....." 3) Exhilarating experience of saving sinners by his suffering 4) His victory over satan's tricking of the mankind 5) All this being achieved once for all- "it is finished " We, his believers and followers are to take our bodily suffering in the same way and workout for our salvation, keeping away from sin, with the grace our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and help of Holy Spirit.

Being the son of a dedicated pastor from a mainline church, I had my child sprinkling baptism when I was a baby and confrmation at the age of 14, and was brought up in a Godly way with biblical knowledge and involvement in chuch and its activities. However I had the experience of Holy Spirit at much later date and was convinced to participate in an immersion baptism, to witness to my congregation and to my God and saviour Jesus Christ that I rededicate my life to Jesus and am dead to my sins and I always try to keep in my mind and soul this act, to streghthen and sustain me in all situations.

To be reconciled to the almighty God, is something unimaginable to me, a mere human being. But Jesus made this possible for me (Col 1:20) by HIS great atoning sacrifice on the cross, which was pleasing[/B] to God. This process of reconcilaiation progressively involves all the three acts, forgiveness of my sins,once for all, making me righteous in the sight of God and recociliing me to GOD, all because of the love of mighty savior Jesu Christ

a). Many atime when we realise that taking a stand for our beliefs, under the circumstances is likely to put us in difficulties, we very cleverly avoid the situation instead of witnessing for Christ in a positive and humble manner. There are too many such occassions here in this permissive and liberal society. . " Be ready to give an answer" I get tongue tied.

Pastor has given us in the exposition of this lesson some of the references from the God's word when God has catagoricaaly stated in what circumstances our prayers are not acceptable to Him. Now Peter here is stating that ill- treating a spuose is tanamount to those hinderances and hence not acceptable to the righteous God. God has made ample provision and instruction to curb this evil of mistreatment in the marriage, which has been plaguing the societies from time immemorial.

The very fact that God has created woman from the rib of man is to prove that woman is an integral part of man and is made by God for the very purpose of companionship for man. For this purpose man should respect woman, as he respects himself. Wisdom is a two way communication between man and his wife -- to share and enrich each other. Woman is to be considered in no way inferior to man execpt physically, because it is in the that way she was made, thereby increasing the responsibilty of man to love and take care his wife. She also is to be respected becuse God has created her with all required faculties. One spouse tries to dominate the other becuse of the lack of understanding and knowledge of God purpose. If one takes time and try to think of his/her role in building the family for the glory of God, the more they realise the value partnership and love. One should always thankful to God for the partner he has provided and treat specially as God's present.