Bible Study - Class meets on Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST.

[WindComeWindBlow]

LL, men are all hypocrites, right? 

[LadyLionness]

LL, men are all hypocrites, right? 

I would say ALL peole are hypocrites for one thing or another...whet her intentionally or unintentionall y... my kids accused me of being a hypocrite all the time if we plan something and then it gets interrupted and ended up not being able to do it... lolz... especially if I promise that we will do something but then ended up not being able to do it... even with good reasons... hahaha

[LadyLionness]

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for bring us peace of mind and grounding to our hearts.  Please be with us today as the study your Words together.  May it lead us and feed us.

All this I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

[LadyLionness]

OK, any questions from Chapter 3's discussions?

[LadyLionness]

Matthew Chapter 4:1-11

The Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness right after His baptism by John, reminding us that ast least part of His preparation for ministry came from a wilderness experience.

Does this sound familiar?  Quality leaders can almost always point to a wilderness experience as part of their leadership preparation - a hard and dark time in our lives.  During this time, our motives get purified, our backbone solidifies, and our calling gets clarified.

The devil tempted Jesus for 40 days in the wilderness - a screening process to see what Jesus would give up and how He would trust God to provide.  In his book, In the Name of Jesus, Henry Nouwen reminds us that the three tempations of Jesus corresponds to three tempations leaders face today:

1.  The tempation to be self-sufficient (vv. 2-4)
     Jesus didn't become controlling, even with His legitimate needs.  He trusted God.

2.  The temptation to be spectacular (vv. 5-7)
     Jesus refused to become a stunt man.  He didn't perform in order to become a celebrity.

3.  The temptation to be powerful (vv. 8-10)
     Jesus wouldn't take a shortcut to gain power or worship.

How do you deal with the tempations of leadership?  Study Jesus' method for combating these familar temptations of legitimated needs, gifting, and fame.  jesus provideds our standard for defeating temptation.  He never lost.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 4:12-25

As Jesus began His public ministry, He preached (Matt. 4:12 - 17), the passed yet another test of leadership.  He called other leaders to join Him (4:18-22).  These twelve men He called disciples.  Immediately He began developing them into future leaders for the church.

Jesus passed the acid test of leadership:  Could he reproduce His leadership in someone else?  At the same time He choose three fishermen, he cast vision for spiritual reproduction:  "Follow Me," He said, "and I will make you fisehrs of men" (4:19).  Clearly, He called these men to become leaders as well.

What do we learn about Jesus' selection and development of leaders?

1.  He found them in the course of His everyday world (v. 18).
     Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee and spotted men close to Him.

2.  He handpicked them (v. 19)
     Jesus didn't hold a popularity vote; He chose the ones He knew were right.

3.  He called them to become leaders (v. 19).
     Jesus called them not only to follow Him, but to influence others.

4.  He used language they understood (v. 19).
     He plainly challenged them to catch men instead of fish.

5.  He took them on a journey and emonstrated leadership (vv. 23-25).
     Jesus modeled leadership as he traveled through Judea.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew Chapter 4:1-11

1.  The tempation to be self-sufficient (vv. 2-4)
     Jesus didn't become controlling, even with His legitimate needs.  He trusted God.

How do you deal with the tempations of leadership?  Study Jesus' method for combating these familar temptations of legitimated needs.

Self-sufficient... when  I got the job in Erie PA, I thought it was for my career... to bring it up one level higher.  But it was after moving here... and see my prayers answered for my son... that I saw clearly that the move to Erie PA was not for my career - more self-sufficient - that it was ALL for my spiritual growth... God was answering my prayers for "how to cultivate the Fruits of the Spirit."  And the move here was to find a church where the youth praise and worship team will draw my son to attend church on a regular basis and help him grow spiritually. 

So, while we think it's our career that brings us to where we are... it's not.  As long as we have enough to meet our needs, God doesn't worry about that... he is more concerned about placing us around the RIGHT people so that we can grow spiritually.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Jesus definitely set the the bar for all of us. 

[LadyLionness]

Jesus definitely set the the bar for all of us. 

Beauty of it is that he has already created the trail through the jungle, all we have to do is follow in his footsteps.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Beauty of it is that he has already created the trail through the jungle, all we have to do is follow in his footsteps.

Amen.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Lord, I thank you for bringing us here to study about your words.  I pray that you fill us with your wisdom and love.  Bless us so that we'll be a blessing to others.  Thank you Lord for your love and kindness.  I pray in Jesus' precious name, Amen. 

[LadyLionness]

Matthew Chapter 4:1-11

3.  The temptation to be powerful (vv. 8-10)
     Jesus wouldn't take a shortcut to gain power or worship.

I haven't seen this come to play in my own life... but I just think back to the people that Jesus called to be his disciples... and they weren't the well respected and powerful pharisees... but lowly fishermen... works, etc...

The first time I attended a CMA annual conference and saw all the speakers, it brought home that God truly look at the heart of people and that he is more than willing to groom them to be great and powerful in his own way... he did not take the tall, handsome, successful businessman who already have the respect of the community... no... he take ordianary men... men who have a passion for God's will in their lives... and he made them powerful. 

[LadyLionness]

From my understanding of what I've learned in Sunday school, judgement only happens during the rapture and only for those that hadn't already accepted Christ. And I'd thought that you will finally go to heaven during the rapture, not directly after death.

I'm all confused.

Thanks!

The only thing I have accepted so far is that God's time is not like our time.  A 1000 years in our time may just be one day in God's time.  

I have not found many scriptures on this, just a few... but from listening to people who died, went to heaven/ or hell... and come back... it would seem that what Jesus said here is true... that our spirit will be with him upon death.

Luke 23:43 (NIV)
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Philippians 1:23 (NIV)
I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
 
John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Thessalonians 4:13-18

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



To me, these verses indicate that while our bodies remain on earth, our spirits goes to heaven and are with Jesus (aka God aka the Holy Spirit).  Especially what I highlighted in the verse right above... that those who are asleep in Jesus, he will bring with him... so... if he is "brining them..." they must be with him already.


And then there is the Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16

19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,c where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 

[LadyLionness]

Good morning, Everyone.

I am looking forward to today's reading, Matthew Chapter 5.  Hopefully we will get through it as there is some much I want to touch on in this chapter... here is a tiny bit to get y'all started....


Jesus’ most famous message, the Sermon on the Mount, focus on the hearts of his listeners.  He called his disciples – then, and us now – to be different, to see the world from God’s perspective and to relate to people in a supernatural fashion.

Jesus demonstrates that leadership development begins with shaping the perspective (the thinking and point of view) of the listener.  Jesus challenged the normal human perspectives on:

-   Spiritual poverty and success
-   Sadness and mourning
-   Meekness and gentleness
-   Passion and hunger
-   Mercy and compassion
-   Purity and integrity
-   Peacemaking and reward
-   Persecution and adversity

[LadyLionness]

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day that you have created.  It's beautiful.  May it be a day of blessing for us and help us to sit back, relax and listen to your words.  Father, I asked that you lead me today, for this is a chapter that I have been wanting to learn more about for a very long time.  Please grant me the gifts of discernment, wisdom, and knowledge today.  All this I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, Amen.