Jesus Sermon on the Mount is delivered to His disciples against the backdrop of his coming kingdom. John the Baptist had already declared, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matt. 3:2) Jesus also declared that same message in Matt. 4:17. Jesus is the king and the kingdom belongs to Him. Throughout this sermon Jesus exposes the darkness of the religion of men, contrasts their teachings with His own, and digs down deep into the human heart exposing the fallacy of outward religion as compared to a supernatural change of the heart. The truths that Jesus teaches will challenge the heart of every believer as the reality sets in of the impossibility of obeying completely His commands without His divine help. However, even in our imperfect state, a life lived by these principles will prove to be the blessed life These truths when lived out under the grace of God should cause the child of God to shine in a dark world desperate for the light of God’s salvation. The Sermon on the Mount portrays for us Jesus Himself as well as how a child of the King will live in every generation shining God’s kingdom in his or her own heart.

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Micah prophesied during a period of intense social injustice in Judah. False prophets preached for riches, not for righteousness. Princes thrived on cruelty, violence, and corruption. Priests ministered more for greed than for God. Landlords stole from the poor and evicted widows. Judges lusted after bribes. Businessmen used deceitful scales and weights. Sin had infiltrated every segment of society. A word from God was mandatory.

Micah enumerates the sins of the nation, sins which will ultimately lead to destruction and captivity. But in the midst of blackness there is hope. A Divine Deliverer will appear and righteousness will prevail. Though justice is now trampled underfoot, it will one day triumph.

(Taken from Talk Thru the Bible. Wilkerson and Boa, P.261; Nelson Publishers)

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The Apostle Peter wrote this second epistle from Rome as he awaited his soon martyrdom. His first letter focused on the trials the church would go through from outside of the church and now he turns his attention to the trials that will come from within. Peter is deeply burdened that after his death false teachers will come in an attempt to draw many away from the faith by their appeals to the flesh which is directly opposed to the message of Jesus which is to put to death the flesh. Peter’s desire is for true believers to grow in the faith and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus therefore protecting themselves from the false teachers and their destructive effects. It is also clear from this letter that Peter is also concerned that those who claim to Jesus truly belong to Jesus. His message can be summed up in 3:17; “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your stability.” Peter was deeply concerned that his readers not depart from being established in the truth (1:12). True stability only comes from Jesus and His gospel.

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Habakkuk is a prophet of God who is being shaken deep in his soul by the silence of God and then the promised actions of God. Habakkuk is having his theology and framework of who he believes God is, challenged by God Himself. The book begins with Habakkuk being under great distress and experiencing that unsettling feeling of God’s silence. He is struggling with God’s apparent lack of concern and interest in the times in which he lived. Finally God answers him and now Habakkuk does not like God’s answer at all. The Lord informs him that the Babylonian army is being raised up to come and bring judgment upon His people. This is inconsistent with Habakkuk’s understanding of who God is and he presents to God his case that this is simply the wrong thing to do. God will come again to Habakkuk and inform him that the righteous must live by faith and that He is in His holy temple and that all the earth is to remain silent before Him. God will use the evil nation to judge His sinning people but He will not let justice go unserved as He promised to bring Judgment on Babylon. The promise is that the earth will be filled with God’s glory. Habakkuk experiences a heart change and prays this wonderful prayer in chapter 3 ending with this great declaration that he will quietly wait for the day of trouble and while waiting he will rejoice in the Lord for he realizes that salvation always comes through judgment . Someone put it this way; “God brought him from whining to worship. Nothing had changed, except the prophet’s heart.”

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Mark begins his fast paced gospel account, bypassing Jesus birth and childhood, and going immediately to the testimonies that prove that this Jesus is truly the long awaited Messiah. Jesus is The Messiah that is the Good News, the Messiah that changes lives, the Messiah who is the authoritative One, the Messiah that is sent by the Father, and the Messiah who demands authority over the lives of those who follow Him. Mark’s gospel informs his readers that following Jesus will include something that the crowds and even His close disciples will struggle with, and what is rarely talked about even today – following Jesus on the path to the cross. We will see that instead of running to Him and embracing Him, they concluded that this was not the Messiah they wanted at all, and they killed Him. Mark’s gospel presents Jesus as the One who has the right to have authority over our lives and the one who follows Jesus must follow Him, even if it takes him to a “cross”.

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The congregation of Living Hope was asked to turn in questions concerning areas of the Bible that they would like to hear what God’s Word said on that particular subject. That is why this series is being called, “Questions from the Congregation.”

The goal is not to just supply content to answer a question, but as always, to see and hear and feel the heart of God from His Word. As we will see each week, the answer to each particular question is really related to a much bigger issue which should concern every follower of Christ. We hope you are encouraged and look forward to studying God’s Word through each topic and the deeper subject that lies behind it.

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Paul wrote the letter to the church at Philippi while in prison at Rome. “First, he wanted to express in writing his thanks for the Philippians’ gift (4:10-18). Second, he wanted the Philippians to know why he decided to return Epaphroditus to them, so they would not think his service to Paul had been unsatisfactory (2:25-26). Third, he wanted to inform them about his circumstances at Rome (1:12-26). Fourth, he wrote to exhort them to unity (2:1-2; 4:2). Finally, he wrote to warn them against false teachers (3:1-4:1)” [Taken from the Introduction to Philippians from the John MacArthur Study Bible]

Acts 16 records for us the beginning of this church at Philippi which occurred on Paul’s second missionary journey.

Paul enjoyed a sweet and deep loving relationship with this church as is evident in this letter. The church was not without its problems and dangers, but it was a source of great joy to Paul’s heart.

These themes are highlighted in this letter: Joy, Service, Jesus Christ, The Gospel, Growing in the faith, serving side by side with other believers, and serving others over self.

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For many people, when they recall Sunday School lessons in times past of the character, Jonah, they immediately think about the large fish that swallowed him. There is nothing wrong, perhaps, with knowing the facts about the Biblical account of Jonah, but often the true message of the book gets overlooked. That message, in short, is knowing God’s heart towards those that need Him most and aligning our heart with His. In this study, you will journey through the book of Jonah, all the while seeing the contrasts between the prophet’s heart and God’s heart.

Jonah’s day and time would certainly pass as our own. Man’s heart had drifted from knowing and worshiping God, to worshiping self and self ascribed idols of wealth and other luxuries. The oppression of the poor and needy, murders, strifes, lying and cheating were not lacking in any way. A true concern for the spiritually needy was absent.

Now, as you study through this material, you will see how God used his reluctant prophet, Jonah, to send the message God had in store for the people of Nineveh and how God reveals His heart of mercy, grace and compassion for those we often despise and reject.

Jonah; it’s not about a fish!

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For many people, the Christmas season is their favorite. The uplifting music, the lights that begin to show up all over town, the family gatherings, the memories of Christmas past, the joy of giving, the appreciation of receiving gifts, the Christmas programs in churches and schools, and the general overall spirit of joy and hope.

Christmas is also a great opportunity to reflect on the One who was sent from Heaven. In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus mentioned that He was sent from heaven some 40 different times. It seems that Jesus wanted us to know the significance of the truth that He came from His Father. Because He came from His Father, He alone is the hope of mankind.

This Christmas season we will be examining the One sent from heaven. It is the most beautiful story of all time and it is the most needed story of all time. While Christmas is the favorite season of many, there are many who don’t know the One sent from heaven. They enjoy the lights, the music, the festive spirit, the family gatherings, and the giving and receiving of gifts, yet they are in the dark with no real hope and no real joy.

May this study draw those of us who have received God’s grace to a closer walk and love for Jesus and a deeper burden for those who remain in darkness. May the Sent One change us and use us to be a part of seeing others change for God’s glory. Have a blessed Christmas season as we focus on the One sent from heaven.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.” John 8:42

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The dictionary says that the word “prison” means a place of confinement and restraint. The freedoms that were once enjoyed are now gone. The work that was once bringing in income is now gone. Relationships are greatly hindered as separation from loved ones is a hard fact of prison. They cannot leave, choose their own favorite foods, have privacy, hug their children, kiss their wife, and are forced to live with others whether they like them or not. Doors are locked and time outside is limited. It truly is a horrible place to be.

There is another prison that many people, even believers in Jesus Christ, are living in on a daily basis. It is the prison of bitterness. We live in a cursed and fallen world and everyone is sinned against and everyone deals with the failures of others. Oh, and by the way, we sin against others and fail others also! Sometimes this sin against us is fairly minor, but at other times it may truly be a life changing and heart breaking event in our lives. We are tempted to say, “If only they had not _____________, then I wouldn’t be here today.” Bitterness and hardness can then make a home in our heart and soon we find ourselves trapped in prison. We are consumed with the hurt and pain and our heart can turn ugly with a desire to attack and fight back and sin against God in so many ways. Our joy is quickly gone and we begin to believe that our lives are in the hands of the one who sinned against us rather than in the hands of our loving God who is sovereign over all.

You are about to embark on a journey into the depths of your heart – a journey that may reveal to you some things about yourself that you do not want to see. This study will examine bitterness from God’s point of view which always brings hope, joy, and a release from prison to the freedom of joy and peace. May God release us all as we humbly set out on this journey “Out of the Prison of Bitterness.”

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31,32

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