Lesson 32

Hello everyone,


The time has come to say goodbye to BSF for the summer.  I will not be posting BSF Lesson 32 since all questions are personal in nature.

I hope the BSF study in to God's word has blessed you, as much as it has blessed me, and I hope we all continue to "daily" grow in the knowledge and goodness of our wonderful and merciful Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lesson 31

FIRST DAY:
1.

2.

SECOND DAY:
3. a.
Paul used his freedom in Christ to became all things to all people, so that he might save some.  And in this passage, he was probably trying to keep to peace by submitting to Jewish customs.

b.
James, Jesus brother, was the "leader" of the Jerusalem church.  Paul's submission to James wishes in this passage shows his humility and willingness to uphold core essential Christian doctrine, while being flexible on non-essential religious issues (which was the case here).  Paul wrote in Romans that we should not judge on "disputable matters".  Shaving your head, or purifying yourself, are not core essential doctrines that can save a mans soul, and Paul knew it, so he submitted for the sake of peace, and so that he could share what really saved a man apart from OT law, and that is, Jesus alone and His wonderful grace.

4.
The result is humility and showing that while he was a man of strong conviction, he could be flexible when it came to "saving some".  

b.
I'm not sure what "it" is in this question, but I will presume the question refers to Paul's arrest.  First, Jesus said "In this life you will have trouble," especially if you follow Jesus.  Jesus also said, "If the world hates you, it's because the world first hated Him."  Secondly, and to the  point, Paul used his times of persecution not to complain about being persecuted, but instead, as an opportunity to witness.  Here, even his enemies, gave him a platform to preach to the Sanhedrin and Pharisee leaders.  

5. a.
He spoke many languages.  He was called to be a missionary and reach different tribes, tongues, and nations.

b.
He stirred up anger in the Sanhedrin and Pharisees and exposed pride in their exclusive religion that was meant to go out to the gentiles.  Paul was essentially doing their work and was on trial for it.

c.

• God's call on my life is to be ready to serve in God's army, and like a good soldier, "GO" into the world and witness when I am called to be used by God at any given moment.  
• Living in America, we really don't encounter much persecution.  The worst persecution I have experienced is "isolation," being called a "Jesus Freak," and being called a "Heretic."

THIRD DAY:
6. a.
With a good and clear conscience, and with confidence, Paul looked the Sanhedrin and Pharisee's in the eye, and he told them he is fulfilling his duty to God to preach Christ Jesus death burial and resurrection.

b.

• Paul had not quite learned how to gracefully "turn the other cheek."  He was pretty upset for being slapped in the face, and rightfully so, because Paul was basically on trial, but committed no crime.  
• Paul quickly turned the slap in the face as an opportunity to point out that the high priest, Ananias, was a hypocrite for teaching in error.  

c.
When Paul realized it was the high priest, Ananias, who ordered him to be slapped in the face, he humbled himself before the counsel by apologizing. Paul quoted scripture, which pointed out his error in insulting one of God's rulers of the people.  

d.
As mentioned in the previous question, Paul immediately quoted scripture.  Showing his knowledge and obedience to God; rather than the "religious" counsel.

e.
I would say his methods were first and foremost "dynamic" and "passionate" and "sincere."  He showed his passion (anger) at first and was quickly moved to humility and submissiveness.  He was clearly a theologian through and through having studied under Gamaliel, a well known High Priest.  He also studied under God himself, because he was able to effectively communicate scripture when it was needed.  Paul never lost sight of his goal to teach Christ crucified, buried, and his resurrection.  He had a goal, to win the prize!  As a writer of 2/3 of the NT, there are probably none other than Jesus himself that will finish the race ahead of him.    

7. a.
The Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! 

b.
I need comfort not to fear persecution of any kind while witnessing.  

8. a.
God allowed Paul to escape the conspiracy that was against him.  Paul was able to leave town without experiencing any further harm.


b.
This is the only biblical reference to Paul's immediate family.  Paul wrote he lost "everything" in another book (I think Corinthians). When he said "everything" he must have been referring to things of the "world" that don't really matter.  This story says his family stood by him through thick and thin.  They did not give up on him.

FOURTH DAY:
9.
Felix wasn't interested in God's call.  He was only interested in receiving a bribe from Paul.  Paul's talk with Felix became so personal (talking about "righteous" self-control), that Felix grew in fear of what Paul was preaching.  

10.
a. 22-23

b. 7-8, 20-21

c.  9-11

d. 12-18

11.  Paul's aim was of course, Jesus aim:

• To open their eyes
• To turn from darkness to light
• To turn from the power of Satan to God
• That they may receive forgiveness of sins
• To receive an inheritance
• And to be sanctified

12.
”Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

13.
Paul was appealing to facts in his case, and wasn't concerned about the accusations that were brought against him. He was only interested in speaking the truth in the case and the truth of the gospel.   Moreover, he was more concerned with the salvation of these strangers, than we was with having his chains removed.  

FIFTH DAY:
14. a.
He was first, persistent to get his point of view across, and then he was patient, courageous, calm, and humble.
b.
To remain calm knowing God is in control of our lives.  

15. a.
The Holy Spirit provided assurance that he would make it to Rome.  This strengthened his faith and provided the calm he needed to trust God.

b.
I've experienced a great deal of God's peace in my life in the last four years alone, despite experiencing overwhelming losses.  I now TRULY know God meant when we He said we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Like Job said, "Before (the trials) my ears have heard, but now (after the trials), my eyes can see" the goodness of God.  God truly does want to be an intimate part of every area of our life.  Praise God ALWAYS!  


c.
Paul continued to minister to others even as a ship-wrecked prisoner.  Many people were affected by his testimony despite adversities.  It's not wonder the gospel caught on like wildfire.  PAUL WAS TRULY "A WITNESS AMONGST THE TRIALS."

SIXTH DAY:
16.
It makes me want to trust God more without any fear.  Pray that I too would be a wonderful "WITNESS AMONGST THE TRIALS" just as Paul was able to do.  Persecution never stops the gospel, it only advances it through our testimony!

17.

Lesson 30

FIRST DAY:

1.

2. a.
To make a more concerted effort to submit since it was an example given to us by Christ himself.  Jesus did whatever Father said and the Holy Spirit did whatever Jesus said and the Father submitted everything into the hands of Jesus.  We must fully submit unto the Blessed Trinity.


b.
That if we persevere through suffering, the suffering will perfect our faith.  We cannot grow our faith without some suffering in our lives.  I.e., some trials in our lives.  

SECOND DAY:

3.
The "great and precious promises" included the gift of salvation through Jesus "precious" work on the cross.

4.
A Christian has to "do" more than just believe.  Even the demons believed in God.  As Christians we must continually learn to know God better through His Word and the example given to us by Jesus.  We must develop perseverance through trials, and work hard at loving one another just as Jesus commanded us to "do".

5. a.
Because the OT prophets and Peter are divinely proclaiming God's truth about Jesus, and not a human message of their own making.

b.
By the changes I've made in my life.

THIRD DAY:
6. a.
False teachers most likely do not think they are teaching falsely, or they would stop doing it.  Some things you have to look for from false teachers... false teachers will demonstrate their own self-will in the message.  They will change words or meanings of scripture and possibly consider core essential doctrines a matter of opinion.  We have to be like the faithful Bereans and test EVERYTHING we hear against scripture.

b.
By their half truths and misrepresentation of the gospel, they will bring self destruction upon themselves.

7.

• When the angels sinned, they were sent to hell. Jude 1:6; Revelation 20:1,2
• The flood in Noah's day.  Genesis 5-10
• Sodom and Gomorrah.  Genesis 19:24,25

8. a.
They are promised freedom by the false teachers who are enslaved themselves.

b.
Test everything I have heard against scripture, just like the Bereans did in Acts 17.

FOURTH DAY:
9. a.
To stimulate believers in to wholesome thinking.  He wanted them to recall all the words of the past spoken by the Holy prophets, so that they would not be deceived by scoffers who denied the existence of our Lord.

b.
The reminders for the Christians in the 1st century are still applicable for Christians today.  Just like the rest of the Bible.

10. a.

Verses 11-13
By preparing for things that are lasting and eternal and not be bound by the things of the earth.

Verse 14
Live a blameless life and live in expectation of Jesus return.

Verses 15–16
To focus on living a life of service unto God.

Verses 17–18
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, so that we are not deceived in the faith.

b.
Grow in the knowledge of Him.  You can't love someone without first getting to 'KNOW" someone. 

FIFTH DAY: Read Jude.
11.
Peter's letters focused on being deceived while Jude's letter focuses on apostasy.

12.

• The children of Israel were delivered from Egypt by God, refused to trust God and were unable to enter the promise land.
• The angels were once pure and holy, and living in God's presence, were judged for pride and kicked out of heaven.
• Sodom and Gomorrah - the people were filled with sin and were literally wiped off the face of the earth.

13. a.

• They are wild
• They wander
• They used harsh words
• Grumblers
• Fault finders
• They follow their own evil desires
• They boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage
• They are scoffers
• They divide Christians
• They follow natural instincts
• They do not have the Spirit of God

14.
Don't partake in it and do what Timothy says in 1 6:6, "Godliness with contentment is great gain.

15.
a.
Family members - I can no longer witness to them with my word, as they don't want to hear it anymore, but I can continue to witness with my life in action.

b.
Anyone I come in contact with throughout my life.
c.
To those who may persecute me with their words for sharing the gospel with them.

SIXTH DAY:
16.

17.

Lesson 29

FIRST DAY:
1.

2.

SECOND DAY:
3. a.
"In the same way" refers to the Christ like behavior that was shown to the wives, which ultimately led to their conversion to Christianity.  "In the same way," if the wives model Christ like behavior to their husbands, maybe their husbands would have been drawn to Christ as well.

b.
Sarah is the example set forth here in verses 5-6.  Sarah's submission was important, because there is a hierarchical order in the family of God.  If Sarah disobeyed, rather than obeyed Abraham, it would have been like the Vice President of the U.S. trying to usurp the authority of the President.  Chaos would surely ensue.  In like manner, their is an order in the family of God, and if for any reason, the order in the family of God is changed (in this case, if Sarah stepped out of line and challenged Abraham, rather than obeyed him), chaos will also ensue in our Christian homes.


c.
No. It simply means women should put their emphasis on inner spiritual beauty first, and then they can develop their outward beauty.  


4.

• Mostly women are physically weaker than men, and possibly spiritually, as God has put the man ahead of the woman to be the "spiritual" leader.  I personally believe all decisions should be made jointly, and if an agreement cannot be made between a husband and a wife, the man will make the final decision that bests suites the WHOLE family and be held accountable to Jesus for it.  1 Cor. 11:3, "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."
• A man must respect his wife, so that his prayers are not hindered.  The head of every man is Christ, and he cannot lead spiritually and effectively without his prayers for his family being answered.

THIRD DAY:
5. a.

1. Be compassionate and humble
2. Do not repay evil with evil. 

• I struggle with "Do not repay evil with evil."  It's really hard for me to "turn the other cheek" when I have been wronged by someone. 

b.

• We may inherit a blessing.
• The eyes of the Lord will be upon us and He will be attentive to our prayer.

6.
We should not be afraid when we suffer.  With gentleness and respect we should always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.  We should always respond with gentleness and respect, so that those who mistreat us will be ashamed of their own behavior towards us.

7.
I believe Christ went to Hades to proclaim His victory over the humans that were condemned and possibly the fallen angels and possibly Satan as well.  As the question says, we really aren't sure.  No point really elaborating on this when it's complete conjecture on my part.

FOURTH DAY:
8.
I've never had to deal with physical suffering, so I have never had to change my priorities as a result.  I would imagine however, the response to physical suffering would be similar to any other form of suffering.  That is to say, God never wastes pain, whether it's physical or emotional pain.  He uses pain in our lives to draw us closer to Him and farther away from the things of the world.  That's how my priority would change if I was suffering physically.  I would remove any barriers between myself and God and seek Him as my source of physical strength.

9.
Staying in context with this chapter, pagans will have to give an account for debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

10.
a.
Being self controlled - so that I can have a more disciplined prayer life.


b.
Pray like Zechariah was told to pray, "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."


c.
We obey the command to love, by demonstrating our ability to love through action, only with emotions.  In other words, 1 Cor. 13, the love chapter, says something like this, "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, nor self-seeking... etc."    

11.
We can rejoice because we are counted worthy to suffer for Christ; overjoyed; blessed; we can praise God that we bear his name.

12.
Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride in the book of Revelation and elsewhere in scripture.  When Jesus comes in judgment for His bride, it is designed to ensure his bride is adorned with a beautiful white garment (a church without sin).  The judgment we are facing now is God's way of preparing His bride for all eternity with Him.  I might add, it is also, so that we may reflect God's character without hypocrisy to the unsaved while we are still living here on earth.

13.

No matter what my circumstances may be, physical or emotional hurts, there is joy in the journey knowing no one can take worshiping and serving God cannot away from me, no matter how messed up my background or present situation may be.


FIFTH DAY:
14. a.
He appeals as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings, and one who will share in the glory to be revealed.

b.
The Pastoral Leaders of the Church believed it was important because they were the ones who needed to provide direction for the Church, and hand out any discipline in the Church,  if necessary.  They wanted to ensure the Church was acting in one accord.  

c.
They will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

15.
Younger people in the Church can serve the older people in the Church.  Young men should listen to the older men and follow the leadership of the older men.

16.
Resist the devil by standing firm in the faith and he will flee from you.  Be self-controlled and alert knowing he is always trying to steal, kill, and destroy us.


17.
The comfort comes from knowing their suffering will only last "a little while" in comarison with eternity.

SIXTH DAY:
18.

19.

Lesson 28

FIRST DAY: Read the notes with references.

1.

2.

SECOND DAY:
3.

• The recipients were God's elect.
• Facts about them:  They were strangers in the world; they were scattered; they were chosen according to God's foreknowledge; they are sanctified (set apart) by the Spirit of God, through obedience to Christ, and the sprinkling of His blood; they have an inheritance that will never parish, spoil or fade; they have been given new birth; they have living hope.

4.

• The Characteristics of our salvation is new birth, or to be "Born Again" (spiritually speaking) in to the family of God.  Moreover, the character of our salvation will reflect "spiritual realities" in our life.  The spiritual realities are, mercy, grace, hope, love, and an inexpressible and glorious joy that can only come from knowing Jesus personally.

1. I rejoice because God loves and excepts me just as I am today.  He doesn't see me for who I am today, but instead, He sees me for who I am becoming; in Christ Jesus.
2. I rejoice, because I don't have to "earn" my way in to heaven.  If I did, I would never know the love of God.  Praise be to God for our inexpressible and glorious salvation through our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

5.

Any trial that I go through, large or small, is God's way of working out impurities in my life.  God never wastes pain resulting from trials.  He often uses our pain to draw us closer to Him.  When we are purified through the fire of trials, we will begin to look more and more like Him after awhile.  We will have no other option but to give Him praise, and glorify Him, and honor Him, for the work of purification he is doing in my life.

THIRD DAY:
6. a.
God wants us to live for Him and Him alone.  This means we need to be self-controlled and focused on heavenly matters rather than earthly matters.  

b.
Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly.

7.
Peter's audience was Old Testament believing Jews who understood sacrificing lambs without blemish or defect was a "costly" way of atoning for their peoples sin.  When the Old Testament Jews heard this message from Peter, they could immediately recall from Old Testament scripture that a "Passover Lamb" was coming that would fulfill the need for animal sacrifices once and for all. 


"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  Heb. 10:10.  


Peter tried to explain that Jesus was and is the fulfillment of all Old Testament types and shadows.  He paid the supreme cost (His perfect spotless and blameless life) as a ransom for many peoples sin.  Thank you, Jesus!

8. a.
The perishable seed is the physical seed that enabled us to be born in to our earthly family, but the imperishable seed is the spiritual seed that enables us to be born in to God's family now and forever.  

b.
I was dragged to a Steve Camp concert in 1989.  I was exploring Christ at a deeper level at the time, but I really wasn't interested in going to a "Christian" concert.  I'm grateful to the individual who dragged me there, because it was the first time in my life I saw a genuine heartfelt love for Jesus by any man.  I knew right then and there I wanted to love Jesus with that much conviction in my own heart.  Thank you God for "wooing" me, and drawing me near to you.

FOURTH DAY:
9.

• Jesus is the foundation/corner stone for building the Church body in to a spiritual house.  The foundation/cornerstone is the first piece in the building project.  

1. Precious cornerstone - While precious, and priceless, access to this precious cornerstone is not out of reach for those that put their trust in Him.  People can freely accept God's precious gift of salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life.  
2. A capstone - A capstone is the last piece that is put on.  So, Jesus is the cornerstone (the first) and the capstone (the last).  He is also the Alpha and Omega.  Praise God!  Thank you, Jesus!
3. A stone and rock that makes men fall and stumble - They stumble because they disobey the message.  They should rightly respond to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

10.
They refuse to believe that Jesus is who he says he is.  Many believe, even the demons believe, but they don't put Him first in their lives and live to fulfill His will for their lives.

11.

• A chosen people; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; a people belonging to God; people who have received mercy.
• I would say being called a royal priesthood means the most to me.  I grew up Catholic, and at a very early stage in my life, I thought I had a calling on my life to enter the Catholic priesthood.  It's comforting to know I never missed God's calling on my life to enter the priesthood.  Albeit, in a different way than I understood at the time.  

12. a.
When God saved us, He began molding us in to the image of Jesus, the Lamb of God, so that we can reflect the nature and character of God. We must remember who we are now in Christ.  We do this by continually abstaining from earthly desires that wage war against our spiritual being.

b.
I've always been influenced by a missionary friend of mine.  I admire how he gave up all the comforts of home to plant churches over seas.  His life has always inspired me and makes me realize I can always die to self more than I do now.

FIFTH DAY:
13.
We are to obey civil authorities for the Lord's sake, so that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His people will be respected and known for their humility.  Many in our society today do not humble themselves toward civil authorities and therefore are considered prideful and rebellious.  

14.
Respect for those in positions of authority, loyalty to our employers (being thankful we have work, even under harsh conditions), perseverance (knowing the harsh conditions may not always be), which are all commendable to God.   When we do this, we join Christ in unjust suffering.  Christ suffered for us first, leaving us an example of how to suffer and to persevere in unjust suffering of our own.

15.
Respect, loyalty, perseverance, which are all commendable to God.   When we do this, we join Christ in unjust suffering.  Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example to persevere in unjust suffering.

SIXTH DAY:
16.
That I would always seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else I need in life will added in God's timing.

17.

Lesson 27

FIRST DAY:

1.

2. a.

b. Yes

SECOND DAY:

3.
Because a teachers words and examples affect others spiritual lives.  If you are a teacher, and you "fall" in front of your students, you could cause them to stumble as well.  

4. a.

• Bits in a horses mouth controls the direction of the horse.  Words that come out of the human mouth can control the direction our life should take as well.  I.e., we take the path to heaven or hell depending on whether or not we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.
• Large ships are controlled by a small rudder, and if steered incorrectly, the ship could get lost, or crash upon the rocks.  If we don't choose our words carefully, we could get lost in the world, and end up crashing our lives in to the "proverbial" rocks.
• A spark can start a forest fire, and in the same way, gossip can spread to the point that it could ruin the reputation of another human that took years to build.

b.
A mutual "friend" of my Fiancee was jealous of our relationship, when she didn't have a relationship of her own, and preceded to say many negative things about my character.  This cast doubt in my fiancee's mind about my character until my fiancee was able to see for herself how I live my life.  This had the potential to destroy our relationship before it really started. 


c.
Stay silent, and ask themselves before they speak if what they are about to say is "true," if it's "necessary," or is it kind."

5.
Because wisdom is the application of knowledge.  If we "apply" the KNOWledge of Jesus example in the Bible and on earth, we WILL be humble as Jesus was humble.

6. a.

• Earthly wisdom harbors bitterness, envy, selfish ambitions, and boasts in ourselves.
• Heavenly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

THIRD DAY:
7. a.
The evil desires within us.

b.
The spiritual wisdom of Solomon and more power that comes from the Holy Spirit.  I'm praying for it.

8.
We can only serve one master.  Since satan is the "prince of the air" we breathe, we learn that friendship with this world is essentially friendship with satan himself.  That makes us enemies of God if we continue in a worldly pattern of living.

9. a.
James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  I also love Col. 3:2, where we are admonished to, "Set your minds on things ABOVE, not on earthly things." 

b.
Thou shall not covet thy neighbors house.  I will continue to pray for contentment in my current living situation. I will continue to count what blessings I do have rather than the "one" blessing I don't have.  Praise God.

10.

• If I am going to be humble, and lifted up (i.e., be used by God according to His will), I must first be willing to empty myself of ALL my worldly pleasures, and secondly, be available to do His will to the point of death.  Then, and only then, will God's Spirit lift me up.     
• You "teach" by letting others see it in your life first.  Jesus is our example here.  Jesus "Made Himself nothing," and then "God exalted Him" to the highest place.  God will lift us up if we are humble and obedient to His calling on our life.  

FOURTH DAY:
11.
Democrats and Republicans openly criticize each other.  It violates the "law of love" and puts the person criticizing in a judgment seat.


12.
Probably Deut. 25:1, "When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty."


13. a.
They left God out of the planning.  Our future is in God's hands not our own.  We can plan, but we must put God at the center of it.

b.
Include God in your plans.


c.
When we make plans on our own and they don't work out the way we "planned" them, we can easily get discouraged.  When w include God in your plans and they don't work out as "planned," you can actually take comfort knowing God closed the door and has a better "plan" for your life. 

FIFTH DAY:
14. a.

They hoarded wealth
They failed to pay the workmen
They lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence
They fattened themselves on the day of slaughter

b.
Yes.  First, James is the half brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jerusalem Church, so naturally he would be writing to believers.  Secondly, James opens the letter in chp. 1:2 by saying, "consider it pure joy, my 'brothers' whenever you face trials...."


c.

• They hoarded wealth - These are believers who don't tithe what is on their heart
• They failed to pay the workmen - These are believers who are "indebted" to the worker for helping produce their wealth, but selfishly care about getting rich more than they care about others needs.
• They lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence - Believers in the 1st Century who were rich, did not think of their possessions as their own.  Acts 4:32, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had."
• They fattened themselves on the day of slaughter - These are believers today who feed their own hearts desires. 

15.
Realize that life on earth is short, and that we should spend the most of our time accumulating "spiritual wealth" that will be worthwhile in God's eternal kingdom. 

16. a.
Our prayer offered in faith (God heals; faith doesn't) can produce results not possible with human hands alone [if] the pray is part of God's sovereign plan.  I would like to add we can pray for physical healing, and possibly receive it, but our focus should always be on spiritual healing/renewing that we receive 100% of the time when we pray for it.  Moreover; "The death rate is still one per person, and no one get's out alive.  If we could always receive physical healing, we would never die our last disease." (a quote from Hank Hanegraaff).  Our spiritual well being, however, is the only prayer I believe God honor's 100% of the time.  Mainly, because our spiritual well being is the only part of us that we will carry in to eternity.  I think this is worthy to note, because this is what separates grounded Christians from falling prey to the prosperity gospel. I.e., prosperity teachers will tell you health and wealth is a result of our prayers prayed in faith.  

b
Always pray the way Jesus prayed, "Never the less, not my will be done, but thy will be done." This should be prayed at the end of our prayers.  


c.
First of all, they are privileged to have believers who are willing to help them see the errors of their way.  And secondly, they are privileged to serve a forgiving and loving God who never gives up on a believer. 

SIXTH DAY:
17.
God is more concerned with our spiritual richness in lieu of our eartly riches.  To me, this is an admonishment to share my blessings (that come from God anyway), to others who are in need.  

18.

Lesson 26

FIRST DAY:
1.

2.

SECOND DAY:
3.

• The first chapter opens up with "To the 'twelve tribes' of Israel" who were scattered.  I presume the persecution here was similar to the persecution in other books of the New Testament. I.e., the1st century believers were persecuted for simply being thriving Christians who taught Christ is King.  In other words, they would not adhere to the teaching of Pious Jews and Rome who said Caesar was king.  John 19:15, ""We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered."  
• The second chapter however, speaks of an admonition to believers to be careful NOT to discriminate between the rich and poor.  I don't see any "trial" connection with James 2:6-7 and James 1:2-4 in these two chapters. The first chapter speaks of facing trials and the second chapter speaks of an admonition to treat everyone equally.  The only "trial" I can read in to chapter two is that they may have been "tempted" to go with cultural standards, so they didn't have to face "trials."  Difficult question to answer, in my opinion, unless I'm understanding it incorrectly.  

4. a.
I don't have as close of a relationship with my family as I would like to have because of my faith.  My response to that is as follows:  "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."   The same could be said here of co-workers, friends at school, etc.  I am grateful for the body of Christ and my fiancee and her family.  They are all believers and have been a tremendous blessing in my life.  Praise God!  I will continue to pray for my family members salvation. 

b.
Whenever you lose someone in your life, whether through divorce, death, or simply because of your faith, God will fill the void by putting believers in your life to help us to continue to grow in the faith.  They joy is knowing that God doesn't waste our pain.  God uses everything in our life to draw us in to a richer more meaningful and more fulfilling relationship with Him; here on earth and for all eternity.  Praise be to God!  

5. a.

• Ask God
• Believe and not doubt

b.
No, because no human being has perfect faith.  Also, no, because we have an adversary that introduces doubt in our minds every day.  That is why we are admonished to put on the full armor of God every day.  To protect ourselves from the flaming arrows of doubt (with the armor of God we can put out the flaming arrows of the evil one).  There are varying degrees of doubt, however.  Mature believers doubt less, because they have been in the faith longer, and have seen the mighty hand of God move more often.  I believe as we grow-up in the faith, God would prefer that we remove doubt from our lives.


6.
God is interested in what is lasting (the spiritual), not in what is temporary (money).

7. a.
Our culture has become so sexualized that it’s not hard to become tempted by the number of images that bombard us every day. Walk through a supermarket and you see suggestive photos on the covers of magazines.  Turn on the television and it doesn’t take long before you see advertisements filled with sexual innuendos and erectile dysfunction.  Switch on the computer, and you find spam emails offering sex and images with just one click.  All this directly relates to acting out sexual desires and unwanted pregnancies (death).  Not to mention the spiritual "death" that is taking place as millions are turning away from God for earthly pleasures. 

b.
Put on the full armor of God daily.  Make my life a living prayer by FIXING my thoughts on, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."  Also, memorize scripture that is our only offensive weapon to defeat Satan.  Jesus quoted scripture in the wilderness to resist temptation.  We need to quote scripture as well.  

THIRD DAY:
8. a.

• Be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry
• Get rid of all moral filth
• Humbly accept the word planted in you that can save you
• Do not merely listen to the word, but be doer's of the word
• Keep a tight reign on your tongue
• Keep oneself from being polluted by the world

b.
Right now I am not involved in any type of ministry.  I need to do a better job of being a "doer" of the word.

9. a.
This could mean anyone with very little means of economic support.  I.e., the unemployed family trying to pay their bills, or the homeless person who needs food and warm clothing. 

b.
Yes, I have a responsibility.   We all are admonished by Christ in the beatitudes to take care of one another. At my church they take a special collection for the needs of those who are struggling financially.  I support food banks that support the homeless.

FOURTH DAY:
10.
Preference is shown at certain times where favoritism is at all times.  In other words, my "preference" may be to eat at Taco Bell one day, and then eat at McDonald's the next day.  "Favoritism" is like your favorite color, it almost never changes.  Favoritism is really not acceptable in any circle.  Preference, however, is okay as long as it is balanced out equally over time. 

11. a.
Democrats and Republicans try to win the favor of the rich by holding fund raising dinners that cost attendees more $1500 to $5000 a plate.

b.
I am a Republican, and I am not rich, so I can't reverse it.

12.
If they have sinned at any point in their lives, in which they have, that verse will help them realize they are guilty of breaking the whole law of God. Then, we can emphasize that salvation comes only by grace through faith in Jesus.  We can also say, if we could attain salvation by obeying the law, then Christ died in vain. We can show them that we can be righteous before God only on the basis of the righteousness of Christ. Though Christ was without sin, he paid the penalty due for our sin so that we would be declared righteous before God.

FIFTH DAY:
13.
James was describing a dead faith, one that is not real.  True faith, or one that is "alive," or real, and it transforms not only our speech, but our conduct as well.  Mt. 7:16, "You will know them by their fruits."  

14.
The demons are "orthodox" in their theology, because they believe in God just like Abraham and Rahab, yet demons are different than Abraham and Rahab, because they are rebellious towards God.    

15. a.
James says that Abraham was considered righteous for what he did with Isaac.  Rahab hid the spies from Israel, demonstrating her faith in God's plan for Israel.  If you are "born again," your "spiritual birth" must produce growth just like your physical growth.  With birth must come growth.  If there is not growth, someone may not be truly born again.

b.
Evidence of the faith to me equals fruits of the Holy Spirit.  I hope that people close to me see kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and joy.  I am still a work in progress and need to work on love, patience, and self-control.  

SIXTH DAY:
16.
As Christians I am learning to be a witness amongst the trials in my life.  I need to continue to persevere through trials and allow perseverance to complete my faith.  Pray that I continue to persevere.
17.