Some Things to Think About Before You Marry

Some tips on finding a wife (husband)


 

The easiest marriage life is when people are friends with much in common. The more in common the easier it is. Looks have very little value, because you have to live with this person. The most beautiful person in existence may have a road kill personality. Marrying such a person would make life difficult.


 

How much melanin is in their skin is meaningless. It has no bearing on whom to marry. There are no races. We are all one race.


 

Culture may be different but is an opportunity to learn and appreciate others. It should have no bearing on marriage choice.


 

A spiritually born again person must not marry a non-born again person. A born again person should marry a born again person, and a non-born again person should marry a non-born again person. Confused? See here--Need God.


 

Beware of the psychopath! See article at the bottom.


 

A1 Similar

B1 Lifestyle

C1 This would include

D1 Dress

D2 Music

D3 Food

D4 Daily habits as bedtime, etc.

D5 Clean or sloppy house and/or personal habits

D6 Helps in house cleaning, etc. or not

D7 Partier or not

D8 Involved in politics or not

E1 Conservative

E2 Progressive

E3 Libertarian

E4 Communist, Marxist, Nazi

E5 Anarchist

D9 Environmental concerns

D10 Business ideas

E1 Capitalist

E2 Socialist

E3 Biblical (I don't agree with everything in these articles, but it does give us something to think about)

F1 Creating a Company Code of Ethics: Using the Bible as a Guide

F2 Biblical Best Practices: The Call for Christian Excellence

C2 A country lover or a city lover

D1 Country

E1 Animal smells

E2 Animal sounds

E3 Hunting, fishing, etc.

D2 City

E1 Neighbors

E2 Activities

E3 City sounds and smells

E4 What type of neighborhood

C3 Animals

D1 Inside animal status

D2 Outside animals

D3 Animal lover or not

B2 Personalities

C1 Introvert

C2 Extrovert

C3 Pet peeves

B3 Financially

C1 Work

C2 Bank accounts

C3 Investments

C4 Amount of time working

C5 Work related activities as parties, meetings, brand/business promotions, traveling

C6 High spender versus low spender

C7 Savings or spending

C8 Credit

C9 Wife/husband working while partner stays home

C10 Charity

B4 Spiritually

C1 Religion

D1 Serious or not

D2 Daily Bible reading and prayer or not

D3 Church attendance--regular or not

D4 Giving to charity or not

D5 Evangelizing or not

D6 Lots of church activities, some, or none

D7 What is modest and not modest

D8 What is the final authority

E1 Bible

E2 Theology book

E3 Religious leader

E4 Emotions

E5 Experiences (as dreams, visions, premonitions, etc.)

C2 Irreligious

C3 Doesn't care

B5 Emotionally

C1 Happy

C2 Melancholic

C3 Good listener or not

C4 Talker or more quiet

C5 Thoughtful or not

C6 Compassionate or not

C7 Sympathetic or not

C8 Helpful or not

C9 Needy or not

C10 Gentle or not

C11 Whinny or not

C12 Responsible or irresponsible

C13 What do they do when depressed

D1 Want to be alone

D2 Want to sleep

D3 Wants to yell

D4 Whinny and needy

D5 Big spender

D6 Big eater

C14 Mature or immature

C15 Not looking for a wife but a mama

C16 Self-control or not

C17 Gossiper or not

C18 Busybody or not

C19 Peaceable or not

C20 Humble or arrogant

C21 Appreciative or not

C22 Sensible or stupid

C23 Loves others or themselves (especially children and elders)

C24 Smiles or not

C25 Laughs or not

C26 Forgiving or not

C27 Joyful or not

B6 Marriage Life

C1 You are the one and only or looks around

C2 Flirts or not

C3 Views on sex life

D1 Gentle and caressing

D2 Fast and painful

D3 How often

D4 Birth control and abortion

C4 Who handles the money

C5 Romantic or not

C6 Eat out often, rarely, or never

C7 Where to eat out

D1 Expensive and formal

D2 Cheap and fast

D3 Grocery store

D4 Picnic

C8 Likes big gifts, small gifts, tokens, or none

C9 Enjoys your company a lot or rarely

C10 Looks and a person's weight mean a lot, little, or don't care

C11 Helps around the house or not

C12 Children or not

C13 How to discipline children

C14 How to educate the children

D1 Home school

D2 Public school

D3 Private school

D4 Tutor

D5 College important

E1 Child pays for most

E2 Parent pays for most

D6 Career choices important

E1 Professional

E2 Technical

E3 Labor

E4 Doesn't make any difference as long as they are productive, self-supporting, and happy in their career

C15 Vacations

D1 At home

D2 Elsewhere

E1 Expensive (as in a cruise)

E2 Less so (as in camping)

E3 Local or far away

C16 Retirement

D1 When

D2 Where

D3 What type of lifestyle

C17 Who is the boss in the family

D1 Wife or husband

D2 Both

D3 Neither (each does their own thing)

C18 Argues or not

C19 How they handle conflict (conflicting views)

C20 How they handle difficulties

C21 How they handle disappointments

C22 Their definition of love

D1 My way only

D2 1 Corinthians 13

C23 Boosts their spouses self-esteem or is critical and belittles them

C24 Critical, complaining spirit or not

C25 Wife is a nagger

C26 Concerned with spouse's emotional, physical, spiritual needs

 

A2 Some rules

B1 Husbands

C1 Be understanding of wife (1 Peter 3:7)

C2 Treat them respectfully (1 Peter 3:7) If not then God may not listen to your prayers.

C3 No adultery (Hebrews 13:4)

C4 Not to be harsh (Colossians 3:18-19)

C5 Not to remain a mama's boy and a responsibility to start own family and not live at home forever (Ephesians 5:31)

C6 Love wife likes he loves and treats himself (Ephesians 5:28)

C7 God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16)

C8 Practices the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

C9 Only one wife (1 Timothy 3:12)

C10 Live joyfully with your wife (Ecclesiastes 9:9)

C11 Have an enjoyable and gentle sex life (Proverbs 5:12-13)

C12 Teach children, especially truth about the Bible. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:5, Proverbs 22:6, Isaiah 38:19)

C13 Provide for family (2 Corinthians 12:14)

C14 To nurture children (Ephesians 6:4). Nurture has to do with correcting children and educating them.

C15 Try not to force your children to be angry (Colossians 3:21)

C16 Don't be an evil influence (1 Kings 22:52)

C17 Be a good influence (2 Chronicles 27:2)

B2 Wives

C1 Concentrate on inner beauty rather than outer beauty. (1 Peter 3:5)

C2 The final voice (authority) is the husband (1 Peter 3:5)

D1 Not a dictator

D2 Listens closely to wife's view

E1 Wife may have more common sense than husband (Judges 13:22-23)

E2 Wife may see things from a different angle. (Matthew 27:19)

E3 Wife may be gifted in that area while husband doesn't have a clue (for example wife is a physician and husband knows nothing about medical) (Daniel 5:10-12)

D3 Final voice as in any business, work, or government situation. Someone does have the final say.

C3 No adultery (Hebrews 13:4)

C4 Interested in helping younger women (Titus 2:4)

C5 Not to make fun of her husband (nor husband make fun of his wife)

C6 Practices the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

C7 Only one husband (1 Timothy 3:12)

C8 Have an enjoyable and gentle sex life (Proverbs 5:12-13)

C9 Teach children, especially truth about the Bible. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Proverbs 22:6, Isaiah 38:19)

C10 To nurture children (Ephesians 6:4)

C11 Don't be an evil influence (1 Kings 22:52, Matthew 14:8)

C12 Be a good influence (2 Timothy 1:5)

B3 Children

C1 Encourage others to follow God (Psalm 34:11)

C2 Praise God (Psalm 148:12)

C3 Be wise, not foolish (Proverbs 10:1)

C4 Listen to what your father and mother tell you (Proverbs 23:22)

C5 Remember your Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

C6 Respect your parents and do not curse them. (Mark 7:10)

C7 Obey parents (Ephesians 6:1). This would obviously be for good things not evil. If your dad tells you to rob a bank, you must disobey.

C8 Be aware, willing, and help your elderly parents especially the widowed. (1 Timothy 2:4)

 

 

Avoiding the psychopath and the abuser.


 

Make sure before you marry that the person is NOT an abuser. They will appear and act charming only to control you. If you do not or will not of anything they want, they will truly hurt you. That hurt may be financially, emotionally, physically, verbally, or other. Avoid, run, do anything to get any from that person.


 

"DEAL BREAKERS: HOW TO AVOID MARRYING AN ABUSER"


 

I think there are almost always red flags waving high and clear, but very few young people are willing to acknowledge them when passions are waving higher. We've all experienced this either in our own lives or as we've observed the lives of other young people. It's all about the "here and now." The FEELINGS. The romance. The dream. The excitement. The longings fulfilled.

Nobody wants to be practical. How dull.

The hard, stone-cold fact is, if a young person refuses to look carefully at the other person from all the angles, taking time to observe objectively and get the input of other objective observers, the feelings, romance, dream, excitement, and fulfilled longings will all end in a shocking and abrupt ending at the altar.

And then there's the long "and they lived…horribly ever after."

I'm not talking about the normal transition from the amazing drama of the dating days to the daily grind. Everyone goes through that and GROWS through that. I'm talking about when you wake up and realize with horror that you are married to an abusive spouse.

How can you avoid this? An abuser doesn't introduce himself like this, "Hello – it's nice to meet you. I'd like to take you on a whirlwind romance, sweep you off your feet, marry you, and then abuse you until death do us part." Tweet This They follow in the footsteps of their father, the devil. They enter your world like an angel of light. A thing of beauty and wonder.

They are super-de-duper nice. Like Barney.

They worship the ground you walk on.

They are very religious. Think Ghandi.

They tell you that you COMPLETE them. (Watch out with that one.)

They do good deeds. Like Mother Theresa.

They are charming. Attractive. Kind. Thoughtful. Spiritual.

Often (not always) you will find them in or jockeying for leadership positions.

Often (not always) they are very confident.

Often (not always) they live generously.

This is where time is your ally. Take advantage of TIME in order to see what the potential mate is like under pressure. For example:

1. What happens when you give him negative feedback about something he has done?

An abusive person cannot accept negative feedback.

They will... Read the rest at the above link.

Colossians 2:6-15

Chapter 2:6-15

 

A1 Scripture

B1 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been rooted and built up in Him and being established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. See that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and in Him you have been made complete, who is the head of all principality and power. In whom you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried together with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised together through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed principalities and powers, He mocked them in public, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:6-15, EMTV)

B2 Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him. Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving. See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ. For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity, and you have been given full life in union with him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority. In union with Christ you were circumcised, not with the circumcision that is made by human beings, but with the circumcision made by Christ, which consists of being freed from the power of this sinful self. For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith in the active power of God, who raised him from death. You were at one time spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were Gentiles without the Law. But God has now brought you to life with Christ. God forgave us all our sins; he canceled the unfavorable record of our debts with its binding rules and did away with it completely by nailing it to the cross. And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession. (Colossians 2:6-15, GNB92)

 

A2 Outline

B1 Received Christ

C1 Already

D1 Rooted

D2 Built up

D3 Established

D4 Abounding in it

D5 Thankful

C2 Now--walk

B2 Continue in Christ

C1 Don't be deceived by

D1 Philosophy

D2 Empty deception

D3 The traditions of men

D4 The basic principles of the world

C2 Be in Christ who

D1 Has all fullness of the Godhead bodily

D2 Makes us complete

D3 Head of

E1 All Principality

E2 All Power

D4 The circumciser of the heart

D5 His baptism

E1 We were buried with Him

E2 We were resurrected with Him

D6 He is the life giver

E1 We were dead

F1 Because of sins

F2 Because we were Gentiles without the Law

E2 We are now alive

F1 God forgave sins

F2 God canceled our record of sins

F3 God nailed it all to the Cross

D7 Christ defeated

E1 Spiritual rulers

E2 Spiritual authorities

E3 Christ mocked them

E4 Christ won the battle over them

 

A3 Notes

B1 A summary of the passage would be becoming a true, Bible believing Christian is only the start of the Christian walk. Now there are many things as doctrine and rules for a Christian life,

B2 Colossians 2:6

C1 Received Christ

D1 Believed God that they were NOT good and lawbreakers

D2 Believed God that they would be punished with hell forever

D3 Believed God that they could not do anything to receive forgiveness for these trespasses

D4 Believed God that Jesus is the only Savior

D5 Believed God that asking for and fully believing in the Lord Jesus would receive forgiveness

C2 The Lord

D1 Jesus is not just Messiah

D2 Jesus is not just a religious leader

D3 Jesus is not just a good, easy going friend

D4 Jesus is Messiah, Head of the Church, and King of our lives

D5 Jesus is the one to whom we submit to His rules

C3 Walk is living the daily Christian life

B3 Colossians 2:7

C1 Rooted

D1 Grounded in Messiah

D2 Secure in Messiah

D3 Nourished by Messiah

C2 Built up is the growth of the Christian. We do not grow ourselves but are feed by the Scriptures, blessed by prayer, encouraged and lead by the Holy Spirit.

C3 Established is settled and unmovable in faith and doctrine--both written and living.

C4 Faith is the Christian faith of doctrine and lifestyle

C5 Paul and the others taught the people these things. So it should be so today.

C6 Abounding is a growth spurt.

C7 Thanksgiving is recognizing the source of blessing and help even in difficult time.

B4 Colossians 2:8

C1 Captive is a loss of freedom. It is being enslaved by something. God gives up libertarian freedom, not exhaustive determinism. The idea also carries the idea of stealing something from a person.

C2 Philosophy

D1 The word is has the idea of using man's ideas through using science, logic and rhetoric.

D2 It is totalitarian science.

D3 It is the idea that science as all the answers.

D4 Using persuasive speech, false promises, lies in the name of science to control all people.

D5 It is science as being the highest knowledge.

D6 Thus the philosophers would be these wise priests of science who alone can enable a successful life.

D7 See this link. See this review.

C3 Empty deception is the lies and pervasive speech to convince people they are wrong and the so called philosophers are right.

D1 It is to lead the Christian astray. It is to lead us away from the libertarian freedom of the truth taught by Jesus Christ.

D2 The divide is clear. One will either follow the philosophy/science authority or the authority of God.

C4 The tradition of men. The idea of this type of philosophy and deception have been practiced for millennia.

C5 Basic principles of the world. The exact opposite of the basic principles of God.

B5 Colossians 2:9

C1 Godhead

D1 Godhood

D2 Everything that is God, is Jesus also with the idea of Jesus having a physical body.

D3 Jesus is fully God.

C2 Bodily

D1 Jesus is 100% man and 100% God.

D2 When someone saw Jesus, they saw God.

B5 Colossians 2:10

C1 We have been made complete

D1 Jesus is everything we need.

D2 "...but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:24, EMTV)

D3 Sin fractures us, separates us, affects us in many bad ways. Jesus heals all our spiritual illnesses.

D4 The Jews and Gentiles are no longer separate. They are now Christians--just one group. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's descendants, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29, EMTV)

C2 Head--the highest authority

C3 Principality and power

D1 Ranks of angelic beings.

D2 Ranks of human rules.

D3 Jesus is Lords of lords.

B6 Colossians 2:11

C1 Circumcision made without hands.

D1 The circumcision done by God on the evil, unregenerated heart.

D2 "...but he is a Jew that is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men but from God." (Romans 2:29, EMTV)

D3 For we are the true circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, (Philippians 3:3, EMTV)

C2 Christ performed this circumcision, not a human, Jewish priest or physician.

C3 Sin and its effects are now cut off and throw away.

D1 "...that you put off, concerning your former way of life, the old man which is being corrupted according to deceitful lusts." (Ephesians 4:22, EMTV)

D2 "...knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin may be done away with, that we should no longer serve sin." (Romans 6:6, EMTV)

C4 "...in the circumcision of Christ." This refers to the fact that Jesus kept the Law perfectly.

B7 Colossians 2:12

C1 Baptism is an image, illustration, of burial and resurrection. Jesus did this literally; we do this to illustrate what He has done for us.

C2 All this is through faith. Faith is believing God. What God says is true and if we agree with Him, especially when we are wrong, it is faith. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:3, EMTV)

B8 Colossians 2:13

C1 Dead in trespasses.

D1 Really dead. Because of sin we do not seek God. There is nothing in us that is good. We cannot seek God.

D2 Trespasses are breaking God's law.

C2 Uncircumcision of flesh

D1 There is nothing good in us or about us.

D2 We need someone to remove this load of sins.

C3 Alive together

D1 The same process.

D2 The rebirth.

D3 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name; (John 1:12, EMTV)

C4 Having forgiven us all trespasses

D1 Our sins are forgiven.

D2 We are justified.

D3 We are pardoned.

D4 The penalty was paid by Christ. The conditions and plan were from God. The opening of our heart and mind was of God. We only did not resist when God gave the command to repent.

D5 The atonement by Jesus shows that God's Law was righteous (Jesus did die). It also shows God's love for humans in that there is the provision for sin if the sinner meets the conditions.

D6 We are not sinless but forgiven. The penalty of God's law, hell, is now removed.

D7 No one deserves forgiveness. It is not a right. It is a free gift. It cost Jesus everything however.

D8 Faith, as God defines it, is the condition to be met.

B9 Colossians 2:14

C1 Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us

D1 Blotted out means that it was overwritten. The original cannot be seen any more.

D2 The handwriting of ordinances was the miles long list of our sins.

D3 God did this out of love. Jesus choose to be the Passover Lamb for us.

C2 Nailed it

D1 When Jesus died, He paid the full penalty and punishment for sin.

D2 He did not go to hell and suffer there for our sins (some heretics teach this).

D3 This long list had written on it, in a sense, "Paid in full."

B10 Colossians 2:15

C1 Disarmed

D1 He freed Himself from the demonic and human authorities.

D2 He was a victor over these evil ones.

D3 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14, ESV2011)

C2 Mocked them

D1 They thought they had killed God, made Him a loser (He did not accomplish what He set out to do), and make Him look like a weak fool.

D2 He rose from the dead in triumph. He is victor over death or sin's penalty. He accomplished all that God wanted.

D3 This is the open shame. The smile of triumph and victory from the evil beings was turned upside down.

C3 Triumphing

D1 God never loses. Even when it seems like it, He turns it all around and is the Victor.

D2 He let them do it. They thought they did it. God used them and their openly evil actions, so show the complete loss of evil's war.

D3 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12, NKJV)

 

 

Welcome, Thou Victor in the strife,

Welcome from out the grave;

Today we triumph in Thy life

Around Thy empty grave;

Today we triumph in Thy life

Around Thy empty grave.

 

Our enemy is put to shame,

His short lived triumph o'er;

Our God is with us, we exclaim,

We fear our foe no more;

Our God is with us, we exclaim,

We fear our foe no more.

--Benjamin Schmolck

 

 

 

True Discipleship

True Discipleship. God demands obedience and trust.

 

A1 Objectives

B1 Describes what Jesus requires of His followers.

B2 Distinguish between disciples and discipleship.

 

A2 Scriptures

B1 Matthew 10:16-39

B2 Matthew 16:24-26

B3 Luke 13:25-33

 

A3 Notes

B1 Sheep and wolves

B2 Serpents and doves

B3 Persecution

C1 From religious authorities

C2 From government authorities.

 

A4 Notes

B1 What are the sheep that Jesus is talking about?

C1 Jesus is called the Good Shepherd.

C2 Shepherds take care of their sheep in nearly every aspect.

C3 The sheep of the Good Shepherd are the true Christians.

C4 For example->Now may the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20, EMTV)

B2 What are the wolves that Jesus is talking about?

C1 False prophets ("But beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15, EMTV)

C2 The unsaved ("Behold, I am sending you forth like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16, EMTV)

C3 False teachers seeking to lead the sheep astray into error/heresy/death

D1 But a hired hand, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. (John 10:12, EMTV)

D2 For I know this, that savage wolves will come in after my departure, not sparing the flock. (Acts 20:29, EMTV)

B3 Serpents and Doves

C1 What is Jesus calling serpents?

D1 How to answer skeptics, etc. wisely. "...for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict, nor to withstand." (Luke 21:15, EMTV)

D2 Deep knowledge of things God wants us to know. "For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I rejoice on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent to what is evil." (Romans 16:19, EMTV)

D3 Knowing God's will for today. "See then that you walk carefully, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17, EMTV)

D4 How to interact with nonbelievers. "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time." (Colossians 4:5, EMTV)

C2 What is Jesus calling doves?

D1 We are to love enemies.

E1 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, (Matthew 5:44, EMTV)

E2 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22, NKJV)

D2 Help enemies. ""If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. "If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it. (Exodus 23:4-5, NKJV)

D3 Feed your enemies. "But he answered, "You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master." Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel. (2 Kings 6:22-23, NKJV)

D4 Pray for your enemies. ""But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, "bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. (Luke 6:27-28, NKJV)

D5 Follow Jesus's example. "Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. (Luke 23:34, NKJV)

D6 Ask God to help your enemies. This is so they will repent. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14, NKJV)

D7 Shows real love. "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NKJV)

D8 Have God take your burden. The Lord Jesus is our example in this, too. "who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; (1 Peter 2:23, NKJV)

B4 Why are we to be alert and to beware of people?

C1 Not to be too trusting.

C2 We are to be a little skeptical.

C3 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. (Matthew 10:17, NKJV)

C4 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there. (Acts 14:5-7, NKJV)

B5 Dealing with religious persecution. How are we to respond?

C1 They will call us "fools" and "Raca". But I say to you that whoever gets angry with his brother without cause will be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Empty-head!' will be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ' fool!' will be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:22, EMTV)

C2 They will seek for false witnesses to justify punishing us. Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the Sanhedrin were seeking false witnesses against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death, and they did not find any. And though many false witnesses came forward, they did not find any. But at last two false witnesses came forward (Matthew 26:59-60, EMTV)

B6 Dealing with persecution from the government. How are we to respond?

C1 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (2 Timothy 4:16-17, NKJV)

C2 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; (1 Peter 2:23, NKJV)

C3 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:19, NKJV)

C4 To give the Gospel to authority both religious and government.

D1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." (Acts 22:1, NKJV)

D2 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you." (Acts 24:25, NKJV)

B7 How does God help us what to say at times? ("But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; (Matthew 10:19, NKJV)

C1 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. (Acts 4:8-14, NKJV)

C2 Regarding Stephen, it was said, "And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." (Acts 6:10, NKJV)

B8 Will there be problems and conflicts with family members? Why?

B9 Why do people hate Christians?

C1 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23, NKJV)

C2 "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. (John 7:7, NKJV)

C3 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. (John 15:18-21, NKJV)

B10 For Matthew 10:22, what does "endure to the end" mean?

C1 End may mean

D1 The end of the trial, persecution, affliction, etc.

D2 The end of life.

D3 The end of time--judgment.

C2 "...eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; (Romans 2:7, NKJV)

C3 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9, NKJV)

C4 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, (Hebrews 3:14, NKJV)

B11 Is it OK to leave an area suffering persecution? (Yes, Matthew 10:23).

B12 Can we expect some type of persecution?

C1 Yes, they did it to Jesus.

C2 Matthew 10:23-26

B13 Is it OK to be afraid?

B14 What is the definition of bravely?

C1 Not an absence of fear but doing what needs to be done even if afraid.

C2 Courage

C3 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, he went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (Mark 15:43, EMTV)

B15 But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly I say to you, by no means will you have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23, EMTV)

C1 Does this mean that Jesus would come back before the Apostles had preached the Gospel to all the cities of Israel?

D1 Some believe it means they would hide in the cities of Israel, but they would not hide in each and every one before Jesus returned.

D2 Jesus return would be His transfiguration, Pentecost, or the destruction of Jerusalem.

D3 The word for "come" is not return. The word means come.

D4 So possibly, per context, they would not preach in every city on this commission, sending out, by Jesus before Jesus would come. Come as in

E1 When Jesus finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he left that place and went off to teach and preach in the towns near there. (Matthew 11:1, GNB92)

C2 What does it refer when it is written "the Son of Man comes"?

D1 Jesus sends out the disciples 2X2 early in His third Galilean tour. Matthew 3:35

D2 Jesus then was rejected, again, at Nazareth. Matthew 13:54-58

D3 John the Baptist was beheaded. Matthew 14:1-12

D4 Jesus takes his disciples to a place of rest. Matthew 14:13

D5 So most likely it would refer to the time Jesus goes to Nazareth and is again rejected.

B16 Should we expect troubles because we are Christians?

B17 Does God know all things? (Yes, Matthew 10:26

B18 Jesus knows that living and preaching (for we all preach Christ, if we live for Christ) will bring great fear, but He encourages us. How does He do this? "What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!" (Matthew 10:27-31, GNB92)

B19 Why are some fearful to confess Christ?

B20 What is the danger if we refuse--for any reason--to confess Christ? Matthew 10:33

B21 Did Jesus come to bring peace? Is He referring to peace with God or peace in the world? Why did He not bring peace into the world--at least at this time?

B22 Why would members of a family turn against each other?

B23 Why must Jesus be the highest priority of those we love? (Some of the family might not love Christ and urge the Christian to continue with them. "Please, don't you love me? How can you be a Christian? Thus, some might deny Christ because they love their family member more).

B24 What is the blessing for following Christ to the very end of our life? Matthew 10:39

B25 What does it mean to find our life (Matthew 10:39), or to lose our life? (Physical versus spiritual life)

B26 What does it mean to deny himself (Matthew 16:24)? (God's priorities must be greater than ours).

B27 Why do so many people seek riches, fame, and honor, even to the extent of the whole world (Matthew 16: 26)?

B28 What can a person give in exchange for their soul? What do they think would be the thing they could exchange; would it be money, honor, business, beauty?

B29 Are humans going to be judged by their works (Matthew 16:27)?

B30 Who are those who are standing there who will not die until the Son of Man returns?

C1 Some believe that Jesus returned in 70 AD. (Preterist--all prophecies are fulfilled, Jesus returned spiritually, not physically).

C2 "The coming of the Son of man, intended in this verse, is clearly distinct from that intended in the preceding verse, unless, with some modern scholars, we are ready to attribute a gross error to Jesus. They would hold that He Himself expected to return during the lifetime of His Twelve. While He confessed not to know the time of "that day and that hour" (Mat. 24:36), He affirmed nothing about not knowing perfectly every other detail thereabout. In Mat. 16:27, rather, He shows that He does know these details. As with other prophecies, so also this one must be interpreted in the light of its undoubted fulfilment. Jesus did not return personally in the lifetime of His Apostles. Therefore, He did not intend to promise that here. Rather, Jesus did establish His Kingdom during the lifetime of these disciples, therefore that is the coming He had in mind. (Study Acts 1, 2 as the beginning of the fulfilment of this prophecy.)

 

Had Jesus meant to refer to His own second coming in this verse, then it would be assumed by the reader that, after some would have seen the coming of the Son of man in His kingdom, then they would experience death. But the very final defeat of death at the final judgment precludes this possibility. (Cf. 1Co. 15:25-26) Therefore, when the Lord affirmed that some would not die until they should see Him coming in His Kingdom, He really leaves open the possibility that, after that event, they could really die. In light of the Church's beginning on Pentecost, an event witnessed by every Apostle (except the suicide, Judas, Mat. 27:3-5), we must affirm that this verse refers at least to that event, and maybe to much more in the life of the early Church. Today, however, the Apostles are all dead, and Jesus has not yet personally returned in His glory and royal dignity. What has occurred in Mat. 16:27-28 has been correctly analyzed by Hendriksen (Matthew, 659). Jesus shows the Apostles His entire glorification as one unitary concept embracing all the events from His exaltation and vindication at Pentecost and the period following clear up to His second coming. Mat. 16:27 outlines His final victory; Mat. 16:28 describes its beginning.

 

A careful harmonization of all that Jesus said reveals His full intention:

 

MATTHEW: There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom

MARK: There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.

LUKE: There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.

 

The differences in reporting Jesus' words may be resolved in the following manner: "You will live to see the beginning of my Kingdom surrounded with power. The arrival of the Kingdom of God is equal to and contemporaneous with the beginning of my reign as King." The fulfilment of this promise was only understood by faith, since Jesus did not personally appear in Jerusalem at Pentecost, nor even visibly above Jerusalem, exalted at the right hand of God. Not even then did Jesus perform stupendous personal signs, other than those actually recorded as performed by the Holy Spirit, to convince men of His reign. But what was done was evidence enough that He had indeed begun to rule the Kingdom of God with power. (Cf. Act. 2:32-33; Act. 2:36) That the post-crucifixion, post-Pentecost events are evidence of Jesus' coming in His Kingdom is clear from the following observations:

 

1. The disciples saw Jesus ascend to the Father's right hand. (Act. 1:6-11; Luk. 24:50-52)
   

   
    

2. They beheld the Spirit's coming to bring charismatic power, help and illumination. (Act. 2:1 ff)
   

   
    

3. They witnessed the birth of the Church among the Hebrew people despite the helpless rage of His enemies. (Act. 4:24-33; Act. 8:4; Act. 21:20!) They thought of this as "the Kingdom." (Act. 1:3; Act. 8:12; Act. 19:8; Act. 20:25; Act. 28:23; Act. 28:31; Rom. 14:17; 1Co. 4:20; Col. 1:13; 1Th. 2:12; Heb. 1:8; Heb. 12:28; Rev. 1:9)
   

   
    

4. They participated personally in the vigorous, rapid, world-wide expansion of the Church among the Gentiles. Acts 10; Act. 11:19-26; Acts 13-28.
   

   
    

5. They labored for and witnessed the maturing of the Church's love, boldness and oneness.
   

   
    

6. Some of the Apostles, notably John, witnessed the fall of national Judaism with its temple, priesthood and sacrifices, and the triumph of the Gospel proclaimed in every part of the Roman empire." (From the commentary College Press Bible Study Textbook Series on this passage)
   

B31 Luke 13:25-33

C1 What happens to all the workers of iniquity? ("Depart from me" Luke 13:27).

C2 Where do they depart to? (Hell--the Lake of Fire. "And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15, EMTV)

C3 Is there any meaning or difference in the weepers and the gnashers? (Possibly weepers are those who wish they had believed in Christ. The gnashers are those who hate God and curse Him).

C4 Is Jesus being disrespectful to King Herod? (No, it is the truth).

C5 Does Jesus know the future? (Yes, He explains what is going to happen shortly. Luke 13:32-33).

 

 

 

Christological Heresies

The list of Christological heresies is long. At the end of this article I have a brief summary plus some links.

The two I wish to discuss today are rather recent. The first is that Jesus is the good buddy. The second is that Jesus is the lover.

The Good Buddy heresy

The good buddy idea is expressed as terms like Jesus is my good friend. We play football together as well as basketball and boxing and breakdancing, etc. I'm not specifically referring to the "Good buddy Jesus" but that probably would fit this heresy as well. A quick search online found topics as "would Jesus make a good drinking buddy?" You get the idea. Jesus is a good friend, a peer, who you do things with, a bestie. Jesus only is some sort of glorified superman.

The trouble with this view, this Christological heresy is that Jesus is God.

The Lover heresy

Consider some lyrics from "Burning" from IHOP

I have found the love of my desire (Jesus)

I'm caught up in the passion of an ever-flaming fire (We're lovesick)

Captured by a pure and holy gaze (You're beauty ravishes me)

Frightened by your beauty but I just can't look away

Burning, oh I'm burning

My heart becomes and instant flame

At the very mention of Your name

 

And a few from Undivided Focus

And I am in love, with undivided focus

And I am in love with You

I am in love

And I am in love, with undivided focus

And I am in love with You

I wanna be a laid-down lover [x3]

Filled with You

 

List of historical Christological heresies

Ebionism	Jesus is only a man	Makes Jesus a liar or lunatic.	Colossians 2:9,
Arianism	Jesus had all of God's perfections but had a beginning. Jesus was also of a different substance than God	Jesus would not be the perfect Savior. He had to be the God/man of the same substance as God.	John 8:58, Isaiah 9:6, Hebrews 13:8, Isaiah 44:8, John 14:9
Adoptionism	Jesus was only a man, who lived a most righteous life and was adopted by God.	Jesus would not be the perfect Savior.	Hebrews 13:8, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Isaiah 45:21-22, Philippians 2:6-7
Docetism	Jesus is God/spirit. He has only an appearance as a human.	Jesus would not be the perfect Savior, because He was not a real man.	Luke 24:39, Ephesians 5:30, 1 John 1:1-2, Hebrews 2:14
Apollinariansim	Jesus had a human body and a human soul, but he had the divinity as his spirit.	Jesus was neither perfect God nor perfect man. All of man needs to be saved. Jesus would have to be perfect God/man to save the whole man—body, soul, and spirit.	Philippians 2:6-8, Colossians 1:15, John 1:1, Matthew 26:12, Matthew 26:38, Luke 23:46
Nestorianism	Jesus had a human and separate God person, so 2 persons in one body. Oil and water do not mix, so God and human are not mixed in Jesus. Jesus is a man who was infused by the second person of the Trinity.	Jesus was a split personality to be sure and not a complete savior. Which person was crucified? The one unified person of Jesus Christ, the God/man, was the Savior.	John 1:1, John 1:14, Hebrews 1:1-4, Philippians 2:4-7. This view is erroneous in that Jesus is always seen in the Scripture as one person. Mary gave birth not to just a son with a human nature but the God/man, one person and two natures. When Jesus died on the cross, both God and man died, since Jesus on the cross was the God/man. Jesus is one person, the God/man unmixed, unchanged, undivided, and inseparable.
Monophysitism	Jesus was a mixture of human and divine with the divine characteristics predominate.	Humans needed a human savior who was fully God as well.	Jesus is fully human as any other human (yet without sin 1 John 3:5) and fully God. There are two natures and one person. Jesus is fully divine as in John 1:1 and yet fully flesh as in John 1:14.
Eutychianism	Jesus had a mixture of human and divine is some sort of third substance. Sort of like hot water and cold water get mixed and are neither hot nor cold.	Jesus wouldn't be a perfect savior since he is neither human nor divine.	There is no mixture of natures. Jesus is fully human and fully God—100% human and 100% God.