FOCUS ON GOD

Matthew 6 continued - God wants us to focus on him, not on earthly things and don't worry about those earthly needs and desires, if you believe in God, he will take care of you. 

PRAYER and TITHING

In Matthew 9:14 and 2 Samuel 12:22 we discover that fasting can be a form of mourning. We discussed fasting and agreed that it was not required but it is beneficial; however, as Jesus pointed out, it needs to be done discreetly. The Jewish Pharisees did it to be revered by the people but if you want to be revered by God, is must be done without fanfare. You need not give up food to honor God, you can give up anything that you will miss to honor God. Similarly when you contribute to charity and the church, don't advertise it as pointed out in Luke 18. Interesting to note that in Malachi 3:10 we learn that the Lord said to test him concerning tithing and see if you don't gain from it.

PRAYER

We reviewed the Lords Prayer and agreed that it is not to be a mantra or a chant but rather a guide to praying. Each of our members had their own ideas about how to be guided. One member felt that it simply ment that you should:

Honor God

Thank God

Ask God for Forgiveness

Ask God for Guidance

There was considerable debate concerning Matthew 6:13 "...lead us not into temptation..." Some felt it suggested that God might lead us into temptation but other passages in the Bible suggest that God wouldn't do that. On the other hand the Greek translation could be read as "... please don't test us..." or allow us to be tested - as in the case of Job. This view seemed to meet with some agreement.

Praying

Christ gave specific instructions on how to pray (Matthew 6:5); pray in private essentially praising God, thanking him for your existence and sustenance, remembering to forgive your enemies, and asking God to protect you from your own tendency to do evil and from the evil one but never forget that God's will is paramount; even Christ, when he prayed to God to "let this cup pass from me,'' added "yet not my will but yours be done." Further, it is pointed out in Luke 18:1-8 that we must persist; keep honoring, keep praying, keep thanking God for all that he does for you and has promised to do for you. When a situation arises that makes it appropriate to pray in front of others, as when we are in church or in a restaurant thanking God for a meal in public, be sure of your motivation; we pray to honor God, not to look pious. 

  

Matthew Warns Against Grandstanding

It is clear that bragging about your charitable giving is a bad idea yet last week we read in Matthew 5:16 that we are to "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works..." Our group felt that the key to understand this possible conflict was motive; why are you showing others what you are doing? 

Charitable giving is a very interesting Christian duty and, unlike other Christian activities, it is the only one about which God said to put him to the test and that if you did it you would be rewarded now - Malachi 3:10 "...And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need" So give and you will receive. 

We also discussed why bad things happen to good people and essentially determined that if you are a believer, you know better and just as it is said in Like 12:47 "...and that servant who knows his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." More stripes than the non-believer who didn't know what he was supposed to do. As Christians, more is expected of us.

Exceed the Requirments of the Old Testament

We discussed Jesus' requirements exceeding the directions of the old testament. He wasn't refuting the old testament, he was adding to it; creating the next step in our behavior - See Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement' but I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment."

Turn The Other Cheek - Continued

Matthew 5:38-42 is hard to understand, no one wants to be a coward and let someone slap them around but perhaps this verse shouldn't be taken literally and it means that you should tolerate an insult a "slap in the face." Next, if someone is suing you, perhaps you have done something wrong and it would be best to settle out of court. Verse 41 talks about being compelled or forced to help someone; you should volunteer to help them more than they ask. The last one is the easiest, if someone wants to borrow from you, give to them.

Turn the Other Cheek

Matthew 5:38 References Exodus 21 (an eye for an eye...) which means you should not receive compensation more than your actual loss but Jesus said you shouldn't ask for any compensation. 

Matthew 5:38 also tells us that Jesus said not to resist evil; "turn the other cheek." We discussed when "enough is enough" and we essentially agreed that we should act to defend others if not ourselves. We also considered Israels recent response to Gaza's attack. More than 12,000 people have been killed in Gaza; is that revenge or a deterrent and if it is a deterrent, what does the Bible say about deterrents?

Sin

Jesus said that lusting after a woman was the same as adultery; we puzzled about Jesus suggesting it would be better to gouge out an eye than to got to Hell. Our Ed Grant suggested that the metaphor means no sacrifice is too great to avoid your total destruction; to keep you from Hell. 

We also discussed Jesus having said not to swear by anything; ie "I swear to God." We should just answer yes or no. Bartt Stevens pointed out the there are events such as being sworn in to testify in court which are really just ritual and that concerning all these things, admiring women or taking an oath, we are judged bases on our objective or motive - there is a difference between admiring and lusting and a difference between swearing by something vs. just complying with an accepted protocol. 

We also discussed sin in general and agreed that all sins are equal. A person who, for example, has committed adultery can hardly look down on someone who is actively gay.

Killing vs. Murder

We discussed the difference between MURDER AND KILLING. For example, are soldiers damned for KILLING the enemy; is it MURDER? Our conclusion was that the difference is in motive. Have you KILLED to defend your family; that isn't murder. Exodus 22:2 says: "If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him." The issue comes from the King James translation which reads: "...thou shalt not kill." This was later changed in the New King James version to "thou shalt not murder."

Matthew Chapter 5

We discussed Jesus' reference to salt and, among other things, felt that it referred to being an active Christian rather than a bland Christian. We also discussed the Bible's reference to showing your Christianity to the world which seemed at odds with passages that say you should not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing and yet Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men..." - like so many things in the world, it is all about your motivation. When you pray in a restaurant before you eat are you wanting people to see how great you are or how humble you are.

The Beatitudes

As we reviewed the beatitudes, the reference to Poor in Spirit gave rise to a lot of discussion. It would seem that the word SPIRIT in this context refers to an attitude rather than an entity; Poor in Spirit, limited pride, and a dependence on God. Thanks to our Bruce Belanger for some extra insight on this issue.

JESUS NAMES HIS FIRST DISCIPLES

We read how Jesus asked Peter and others to follow him and how they dropped everything and went with him. At first we wondered if a person would just drop everything for someone who walked by and said "follow me" but we remembered that Andrew had seen Jesus with John the Baptist and told Peter that he was the Messiah (John 1:41) and, as one of our members pointed out, it was typical for a person ask a Rabbi if they could follow him and here we see a Rabbi (as identified by Andrew) inviting them to follow him; it would have been a great honor.

Jesus Baptiized & Later Meets with Satan

We discussed Satan's power; did he lie to Jesus when he said he could give him the kingdoms of the Earth? It is clear that Satan had some power on Earth (See 1 John 5:19 and 14:3) but our group believes that once you become a Christian, you are no longer of this world. Sadly, even though as a believer your sins are forgiven, there continues to be consequences of your sining and even though you are saved, you are not physically safe; 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober-minded: be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. God gave Satan some power on Earth but our group believes that his power is limited by God. How much he has over us, who knows for as it is written in John 8:44 - ...he is a liar and the father of lies. 

MATTHEW 3 - JOHN THE BAPTIST

Some of our group commented on how unusual John the Baptist would have looked and wondered how he could attract so many in spite of his unusual appearance; however, he had to appear as he did to satisfy the prophecies of Isaiah (40: 3-5) and Malachi (3:1).

Jesus is Born

As we discussed Jesus'childhood we wondered why Joseph and Mary stayed in Bethlehem and didn't go back to Nazareth. A logical reason, which I have seen acted out in my own time, is that Joseph and his family were from Bethlehem and, given that they just had a new child, perhaps they wanted to be near family. We also discussed how long they stayed in Bethlehem and Egypt. It is thought that Jesus was born around 6-4 BC and It is recognized that he was less than two when they fled to Egypt, given Herod's order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem under two years old and, given that Herod died around 4-1 BC, Jesus would have lived in Egypt about 2-3 years after which they returned home. 

The Book of Matthew

As we began the Book of Matthew we realized how difficult it was for Matthew to make a case for Jesus being both a child of God and the descendant of King David. Jesus was essentially adopted by Joseph, who's lineage reached back to King David, but was actually the son of God. Only 180,000 Jews call themselves Christians but there are over 2 billion non-Jewish Christians in the world to whom the lineage to David perhaps isn't very important.

Gifts

As we reviewed Acts 28 and Paul's continuing trip to Rome we discussed the gifts that believers can receive. Here are some of the biblical references:

Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-1, 12:8-10, and 12:38-30; and Ephesians 4:11.

It can also be said that Luke 17:6 trumps everything.

PAUL TRAVELS TO ROME

Paul's travel to Rome seems full of problems and delays, even life-threatening events, but through it all Paul and Luke were protected and, as our Bartt Stevens pointed out, it gave Paul an opportunity to spread the word to hundreds of people across the islands of the Mediterranean.

                                  

The Case for Offering the Gentiles Salvation

ACTS 25-26: Jewish religious leaders were murderers; they not only wanted Paul dead but, in previous years, they had authorized Paul to arrest Jesus' followers to be killed - mass murder, no trial. It could be said that these verses are making the case for offering Christianity to the gentiles.

God Keeps Paul Safe

Paul was arrested but given some liberty; his friends could come and go even though the Jewish leaders wanted him dead and the Roman leadership had little conscience when it came to killing. In that terrible environment, God kept Paul safe and unhurt. 

Planning Murder

As we study ACTS and the Jewish Leaders plotting to murder Paul, we are reminded of their similar efforts to murder Jesus. Given their attachment to the Ten Commandments, it is odd that they plan murder as casually as I'd make out a grocery list. If they are the Chosen People, imagine what the other people of the time must have been like, including we Gentiles. 

PAUL'S COURAGE

As we studied Paul's travels we marveled at his courage; he clearly knew going to Jerusalem would put him at risk. It was; however, God's will that he be arrested and transferred to Rome where he, as a Roman citizen and a past Jewish anti-christian zealot, would be perfect to spread the word.

BEWARE OF INFILTRATORS

We read Acts 20 wherein Paul warned the followers to be alert for those who might creep into their fold unnoticed and then pervert their beliefs with subtle changes to serve their own interests. 

The Impact of Christianity on Cultures

Christianity impacts all cultures more than any other religion because it makes people realize that they have been worshiping “Gods” that they were unaware of - they worship money (Matthew 6:19) and position (Luke 11:43) - neither of which brings you eternal life.

THE COST OF SINNING

I wondered, given the pain that can befall a believer, if even though Christ died for our sins, do we still pay a price for continuing to sin after we are saved. Brother Mike observed that if Christ, who was without sin, suffered on the cross, suffering may not be the result of sinning. 

PAUL IN EPHESUS

ARE ALL PRAYERS ANSWERED? The bible says God will answer all prayers made in the name of Christ. Our brother Bartt pointed out that God answer all prayers in one of three ways: Yes, Yes but not right now, and I have a different plan to accomplish your desires. I also think time is a factor, to us, the clock is ticking, to God, who is eternal, all time is now.

Paul in Prison

In Acts 16 a slave girl is described as has having the spirit of divination, a fortune teller, and she proves her skill by identifing Paul and his group as “The Servents of the Most High God.” The spirit that gave her that power had to leave her when she accepted Christ. It made me wonder if there are still people who are possessed and given special skills. Our group felt that any spirit, other than the Holy Spririt, is evil.

Interesting to note that it is, or was, possible to know the future; is it just what’s likely to happen or are our lives already scripted?

We also talked about a system that allowed Paul, a citizen, to be imprisoned and beaten without a trial; while I can't speak for our group, I think we are there again - January 6th.

TIMOTHY

Reading Acts 16 the group wonder why Paul, after appealing to the disciples in Jerusalem not to required that converts to Christ needed to be circumcised, had Timothy circumcised. One thought was that Timothy's mother was Jewish, which made Timothy an uncircumcised Jew, something Jews who they hoped to convert would find unusual if not unsettling.  

PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES

We closed todays meeting with a discussion about how hard it is to pray for your enemies. Some felt that while it is hard to pray for your enemies to enjoy success and good luck, you can with sincerity pray for them to find Christ.

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE BELIEVERS

Acts 15:39 Describes "sharp contention" between Paul and Barnabas; hard to imagine Paul being contentious over the choice of traveling companions so our group felt perhaps Paul was right in not wanting to travel with Mark and it was Barnabas who was continuous.

CONVERTING GENTILES

After being threatened with the requirement for adult circumcision, potential Gentile converts in Antioch were later told they need only obstain from things offered to idols, blood, meat from stangled animals, and sexual immorality. Our group felt that perhaps the message is that once you accept Christ, following Jewish law (the Ten Commandments, etc.) is no longer required. If you except Christ you aren't likely to violate the Ten Commendments anyway. Also, by making the stipulations concerning blood and strangled meat, it would have allowed Paul and Barnabas to more comfortably meet with and convert Jews.

RULES MADE BY MEN

We discussed the rules that followers create when they accept a new belief; it would seem that the rules created by Christian followers are optional - not bad but not necessary for you to follow in order to be saved. In Matthew 19:10-12 Christ was asked if it was better not to marry and he responded that some men are eunuchs; “Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” In other words, it's not a bad idea but it isn't required for salvation. In Gelations 5:6 Paul said, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love."