012305

INTENTIONAL CHRISTIANITY
LOVING OTHERS

Luke 10:25-28 Monday
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.' " "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live.” (NIV)
1) These scriptures tell us that an “expert” in the law came to test Jesus. The entire Jewish law included the 10 commandments given by God, the coordinating requirements laid out by Moses, as well as hundreds of unnecessary oral or unwritten laws that were arbitrarily added by the religious leaders over a period of time. These additional requirements were referred to as the “traditions of the elders.” What does Romans 3:20, Romans 4:15 and Romans 7:14 reveal about the law and our ability to fulfill it’s requirements?
2) On his own, was this “expert” able to live up to the requirements of the law, even when they were broken down to their simplest yet ultimate interpretation, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself.’” See Romans 8:1-4 and Galatians 5:16.
3) In the two above verses we find love being introduced as the theme of the entire Bible. What was necessary for this “expert” to do as Christ commanded, “Do this and you will live!” See John 3:3-6.
4) “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Do you love yourself? What are some of the ways your express this love to yourself?
5) The seeming paradox in showing this same kind of love to others is that we must “die to self.” See Romans 6:6-12, 2 Corinthians 4:10-11 and Galatians 2:20.
6) Everyone who came upon the wounded traveler “saw” him. Yet, the Samaritan man saw him and felt deep pity! The word pity is the same word used as compassion in the King James Version. The word compassion is literally translated, “to be moved with sympathy from the deepest part of your bowels.” Like the religious leaders who passed by this man, how often do we as Christians pass by others, “see” their needs, yet are never moved to this gut level of compassion?
7) What are some of the daily circumstances that influence us and cause us to “pass over to the other side” when confronted with the needs of others?
8) Let’s read the command of Jesus in Matthew 5:40-44. How did the Samaritan “go the extra mile?”
9) The Samaritan man was of mixed Jewish descent (Jewish and Assyrian) and therefore was looked upon as being inferior to those with “pure” Jewish breeding. Samaritans were often referred to as “dogs.” Flash forward to modern times. Can you think of any instance(s) when prejudice is used as an excuse to overlook someone’s need?
10) Is serving God always convenient? Safe?
1 John 3:14-20
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (NIV)
1) Ouch! Not loving your Christian brothers and sisters is murder? Explain.
2) Verse 17 again stresses our responsibility to “see” the needs of others—and seeing, to take action! Read James 2:15-17.
3) There are so many people hurting and in need. We can’t possibly meet every need. Yet, there is one thing we can always do. What is that? Read Acts 12 to see just how powerful our prayers can be!

1 John 4:7-12
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
1) Real love acts first! (1 John 4:19). Back to Luke--there is a little bit of Jesus in that good Samaritan! Jesus “saw” our need. Romans 5:8 shows to what extent Jesus was willing to go to bring us back to the Father. How did he respond to our need? Would you say Jesus went the “extra mile”?

011605

INTENTIONAL CHRISTIANITY
PROTECT LIFE

Jeremiah 19:3-6
“…and say, `Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned sacrifices in it to gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal--something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.” (NIV)
1) Does anyone or any nation ever get away with sin? Read Job 9:15; Job 21:22; Psalms 9:8; Psalms 110:1-6.
2) List the specific sins that God's people were committing that would bring on such swift and terrible judgment.
3) List the moral equivalent of these sins in today's society.
4) God promises to turn the place called Topheth which means "fireplace" (this is the place where the Israelites became guilty of sacrificing their children to foreign gods--burning them alive) to the Valley of Slaughter--a place of worse judgment. The horror that Jeremiah predicted actually took place during two seizes--by the Babylonians, under rule of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. and by Titus in 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem (See Jesus' prediction in Matthew 24:1-2). During the seize of the Babylonians the people actually became cannibals, eating their own children because the food supply was so scarce. It seems that God judgment brought a worse sin upon their souls. You can be sure that this prophecy of God's judgment made "the ears ring of those who heard it!" Have you witnessed evidence of this same type of judgment taking place in the world today?
Jeremiah 33:6-9
“Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.” (NIV)
1) Above we see where God has rendered judgment. Yet, here, just a few chapters later, God promises to restore and forgive His people. What does this reveal to you of the heart of God? Is there any sin too great that God cannot forgive?
2) What part was required by Israel to receive this gift of God's grace. How does this encourage us today?
Romans 8:1-4
1) “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”
1) No condemnation in Christ Jesus! Yeah! What was the requirement of the law of Moses and why could the law not save us?
2) When did God put into effect His plan to save us? (See Revelation 13:8).
3) Why do you suppose that while God forgives us of all our sins, He sometimes allows us to suffer the consequences of our sin?
Exodus 1:15-20
“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (NIV)
1) What was Pharaoh's intent in trying to kill off the Hebrew boy babies? Read Genesis 3:15. This is God's promise to Adam and Eve of a coming Savior. With that in mind, who do you think was really behind Pharaoh's decision and for what purpose?
2) Although Pharaoh was very powerful and quite ruthless, who does Scripture clearly show that the midwives feared.
3) What is meant by the word "feared?"
4) How does our fear of the Almighty motivate us to stand against the evil in this world?
Jeremiah 1:4-8
“The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD” (NIV)
1) God reveals to Jeremiah that He has always known him and that He has always had a plan for his life, even before he was born. Were these words meant just for Jeremiah or is God screaming these words out to all human life, including your own. How do you respond to the fact that God knows you? Oh, I pray that you realize how very precious you are in His sight!
2) What do these verses tell us about how God values human life?
3) Verse 8 gives us a precious promise. What is it? You will find this promise repeated over and over in Scripture. "I will never leave you nor forsake you!" How are these words meant to encourage us? Who do these words point us to and away from? Oh, remember Peter in Mathew 14:25-31!

010905

INTENTIONAL CHRISTIANITY
PURITY

1) Titus 2:1-8 "You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5. to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8. and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV) Mark 7:20-23 “He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him `unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean.” (NIV) Boy, what a subject to start out on for the new year! Well, it's definitely one we all have to deal with, so here goes!
1) How do you personally define purity? For a pretty good list of things that are unpure, look at Mark 7:20-22 and Galatians 5:19-21!
2) How does the matter of self-control reflect upon your relationship with Christ Jesus?
3) Self-control (Titus 1:8). How does the failure to control our wills, our tongues and our fleshly passions (Romans 8:6; 8:8; James 1:26) reflect upon our relationship and witness for the Lord Christ Jesus?
4) As "mature" women in Christ, how can our daily actions influence and motivate younger women in the body of Christ? Are you, or have you ever been a younger woman's spiritual mentor. Describe your experience.
5) Hey, what's up with this keeping a good house stuff ? (Titus 2:5)
6) Are "older" men exempt from setting this same type of godly example? What example are they to show other men?
7) What constitutes “older”?
8) Where do we get much of the information from which we base our morality on? What messages are we receiving through television, magazines, radio and the internet? What are some positive steps we can take to correct the signals that we and our families are bombarded with? Do we have a Christian responsibility to let our voices be heard? How?
9) Paul is quick to point out that sexual sins are the only type of sin that we commit against our own bodies. What makes this sin different? How is Christ in us effected?
10) God created sex when he made Adam and Eve and as Genesis tells us--everything God made was good! Marital sex brings with it joy and commitment. What most people do not realize is that when a man and a woman join their bodies, "oneness" occurs that brings deep and lasting consequences. Paul explains this "mystery" in Ephesians 5:32 as being closely related to how Christ and His church are “one body.” Sex outside of marriage can have a negative effect within your present marriage or can carry over to any future relationship you enter into.
11) This brings up the subject of "soul ties." Have you ever heard about this subject? Women are far more vulnerable to this happening in our lives because most women rightly associate sex with love, belonging, acceptance, etc. It is definitely more bonding for us. Have you ever considered that some of the negative responses you have toward relationships and marriage, even your own self-image, may be the direct result of negative and uncommitted previous relationships? Can you see how tenderly God is looking out for our well-being by commanding that we flee fornication and adultery? A great book on this subject is "Keys to Understanding Soul Ties, Soul Power & Soulish Prayer" by Liberty Savard. You can go online to Christianbook.com and find this for $5.49. Worth reading!
12) No one wants to carry around with them the guilt of sexual sin. So, what do we do if we have a past that isn't exactly perfect? I want to quote something that Linda Dillow said while speaking to Nancy Leigh DeMoss on the "Revive our Hearts" program. (You can get transcripts from this wonderful program by going online to reviveourhearts.com) Linda stated, "...in reality, maybe single women have already erred in this area. I talk with many of them who push off dealing with the guilt of their past. I'd just encourage any single [or married] man or woman reading today that today is the day that you need to confess that sin to the Father. You need to cut those soul ties with the person or persons that you have been intimate with...We need to confess to the Lord Jesus every one of those sins. He will give forgiveness. A single woman can become “virginal” once again. No, she can't restore her physical virginity, but the word virgin means “pure-like”. Though Christ, every person can become pure, or virginal, in thought, word and deed."
13) So what if a single or man or woman has a "past?" So many of us have been abused, physically and or mentally. What happens if this person cannot or does not view sex as a good and a precious, precious gift from God? If anyone has a problem believing sex between a husband and wife is meant to be a sensuous and intimate gift from God and is blessed in His sight, they should read Song of Solomon 4. In 5:1, a third person enters the love scene between Solomon and his bride. That third person is God Himself and of all things He tells them “…drink, drink and have your fill.” God is encouraging his children to feast in their sexual love. If you have not given yourself “permission” to enjoy God’s great gift, or feel your past may be getting in the way, see what God promises in Joel 2:25a and Isaiah 61:3. “He is faithful who has promised.” (Hebrews 10:23)
14) 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 speaks of our responsibility to lead sexually pure lives. You have to realize that the apostle Paul was speaking to Christian believers. The church of was located in Corinth, a city know for its sexual promiscuity. Just the temple to Aphrodite alone had over 1,000 prostitutes and believers were participating in all manner of vile practices, including homosexuality. They had misinterpreted their "freedom in Christ" (1 Cor. 6:12) as a license to sin! See what Galatians 5:13 and 1 Peter 2:16 has to see about our Christian freedom. What does 1 Corinthians 9-10 tell us about people who continue in their practice such things? Note the key words here are "continue” and “practice."
15) Many of the Corinthian believers were going right back into the very sins from which they had been saved and delivered! What is the difference between a Christian falling into sin and "practicing" sin?
16) Can a Christian be a habitual sinner? Is it sin to be tempted in different areas? What does Mark 7:20 tell us about how sin enters into someone's heart and life?
17) According to Titus 2:11, what enables us to say "No" to our fleshly desires. If this is so, can any of us boast if we are able to overcome temptation? Remember, we are “new creatures” in Christ Jesus—In Him, “Ye are washed, sanctified and justified!” (1 Corinthians 6:11)