think about such things

electricbluesman · Jun 13, 2012

Philippians 4:8 says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is loveley, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

It is important for us to keep a handle on our thoughts and to think about the positive, but these things are hard to find in this world. Whenever I read the news or even just look around, I am constantly bombarded with the truth of how the world has become - Romans 1:18-30 discribes it perfectly. When one pays attention to what is going on here, it is no wonder that the earth groans. Still, we must try to focus on what is good.

So for the sake of thinking about excellent or praiseworthy things, if anyone has experienced anything
recently that is unmistakably true, noble, right, pure, lovely, or admirable, please share.

Deadtosin · Jun 13, 2012

thank you for this thread, it is so true. This world seems designed to get our focus off of that which is true, noble, pure, lovely or admirable. and onto that which is wicked and self serving.

I have seen a working through Christ Jesus recently, where more and more people seem to be open to the Word and reproof from the Word. Tears of righteousness and the goosebumps abound as what is wicked is seen in such a sharp contrast from that which is of GOD. It seems to me, at least on this end, that the Holy spirit is taking a stronger hold in the people that I've been in contact with and I pray that this movement is taking place across the earth. ( and I'm sure it is) praise GOD

TheGrungeDiva · Jun 13, 2012

Good point.

I'm not sure the world is as horrible as it seems when you watch or listen to the news. After all, stories like, "married couple stays together," or "old man dies quietly in his sleep after family has a chance to say goodbye," or :young woman does good deed: helps her neighbor in time of trouble," are seldom news-worthy, but I think stuff like that happens more often than death, divorce and violence. It's just that it isn't reported. Know what I mean?

About 10-15 years ago, I noticed a few of the local news shows adding a bit of "good news." They would do a story on something uplifting like the above. But I noticed a lot of them stopped over the past few years, and I have to assume it's because ratings indicated it wasn't "selling." And of course, there are exceptions. The pilot who successfully landed the plan in the harbor rather than crashing, an occasional "married couple celebrates 50 years together, still happy after all these years" story. But I think those exceptions are reported way less often than they actually happen.

Not to diminish the evil in our midst. I agree that there is great evil in the world. We should not get caught up in it. But I also think we can't ignore it. Does God not call us to confront the evil? I think there are times when if we ignore the evil we are not doing God's will. It is a balancing act, I agree.

Thank you for this thread. Excellent food for thought.

Rickee · Jun 13, 2012

Deadtosin said:

Always Remember....Spiritually Speaking This World belongs to Satan.. He has most people blinded to The Truth ( II Corinthians 4 v 4). That is most assuredly why The Bible tells us.." Love not The world...." We are Children of God, and Pilgrims just passing through here. Our Job is to witness God' s Word, talk about his Love and Goodness. If God does not want them... They won' t listen no matter what you tell them. If they humble themselves and not for some selfish reason, God may hear their cry, and deliver them out of the bondagecof Satan....Satan, told Jesus....This is HIS KINGDOM.....(Luke 4 verses 5 to 8).

RedTent · Jun 13, 2012

I live in a different world than the one filled with things like we read about in the news. As I study the life God wanted for the Hebrews after Joshua, that is how I see my world. My close friends live in this world with me.

When the twelve tribes were stationed in a camp around Moses, some who were unclean were put outside the boundaries of the camp. There are people in this world who do not even know that God is in control, they have no idea of the difference between worldly things and Godly things. They are living outside the camp. I live in a world inside the camp. I know and visit with a lot of people outside the camp, but I keep apart from that life. That is how Christ did it.

I have absolute faith in God’s plan and I see it all working toward that plan. I also have faith in my protection when I live in my world with God the head. The world has gone through correction from God before. When most people before Noah went their own way without God, God brought on the flood. Noah was saved. When most people went their own way before Moses, God trained a group of people in His ways to show His principles and the way. Then to bring in a way for pagan gentiles to be included God had Christ live with us and sent apostles to train us. God has a plan and that plan can be trusted.

Deadtosin · Jun 13, 2012

Rickee said:

thank you Rickee, I do always remember who owns this world. It is quite impossible not to see how twisted and dark everything has become. From family to friends, to television to politics. In no way do I love this world for what it is has been or is becoming. In fact I believe that was the reason for this post, to focus on what we DO see that is good. There is an awakening among believers and a calling to the lost that I find most amazing, and is the reason for my rejoicing.

electricbluesman · Jun 14, 2012

Thanks for the replies. It isn't just the news (which I rarely watch or read simply because it isn't "fair and balanced"), but everywhere and everything. The nature of humanity is that of hatred toward God and this hatred is manifested in every way imaginable. The purpose of this thread was however, as Deadtosin said, to focus on the good. So, specific examples please? Thanks.

TheGrungeDiva · Jun 14, 2012

electricbluesman said:

I have a son. He's about 2 1/2. He brings me and my husband no end of joy and happiness. He was a little late in speaking, so he's still experimenting with sentences. His first sentence was "I'm putting juice on my head," which he said while he put his sippy-cup on his head. He's musically advanced (my husband and I are both accomplished musicians) and he seems to be ahead in small-motor-skills, too. He sings anything he can, and it's fun to watch him play the drums, and we're having a blast learning how to kick a soccer ball around. He's actually quite good.

If you're feeling glum, I highly recommend spending time with children and/or animals (unless you have allergies to the later, and/or just don't like animals). Even when they misbehave (or sometimes especially when they misbehave) they can provide hours of entertainment.

I can't think of a better antidote for righteous anger at the world in general.

GreenNnice · Jun 14, 2012

TheGrungeDiva said:

Good point.

I'm not sure the world is as horrible as it seems when you watch or listen to the news. After all, stories like, "married couple stays together," or "old man dies quietly in his sleep after family has a chance to say goodbye," or :young woman does good deed: helps her neighbor in time of trouble," are seldom news-worthy, but I think stuff like that happens more often than death, divorce and violence. It's just that it isn't reported. Know what I mean?

About 10-15 years ago, I noticed a few of the local news shows adding a bit of "good news." They would do a story on something uplifting like the above. But I noticed a lot of them stopped over the past few years, and I have to assume it's because ratings indicated it wasn't "selling." And of course, there are exceptions. The pilot who successfully landed the plan in the harbor rather than crashing, an occasional "married couple celebrates 50 years together, still happy after all these years" story. But I think those exceptions are reported way less often than they actually happen.

Not to diminish the evil in our midst. I agree that there is great evil in the world. We should not get caught up in it. But I also think we can't ignore it. Does God not call us to confront the evil? I think there are times when if we ignore the evil we are not doing God's will. It is a balancing act, I agree.

Thank you for this thread. Excellent food for thought.

We should overcome evil with good
And,
no thinking needed for this one either, that is, talking about what we should do in the face of evil, grungediva....

Therefore, to him (the man) that knows to do good, and does it not, to him (not to mention, 'to God') it is sin. James 4:17

pickles · Jun 15, 2012

One of the most moving moments of Jesus's love was a while ago, but has remained with me because of the love shown by this simple action.
Its been over 20 years, but my son because of adhd and speech issues, struggled with His behavior, at that time many did not understand the effects of adhd.
My son and daughter had made new friends in our neighborhood, but because of my son's active behavior, the mom did not want them at her home.
My son saw his sisters saddness, as she liked the new girl as a friend alot.
I felt sad and frustrated for them both, but knew there was not much I could do.
I was coming in from our backyard when I heard my son talking on the phone.
He was speaking to the mom that had told them they could not come over.
I overheard him say, I know you do not like me, but my sister really likes to play with your daughter, If I promise to stay away, will you please let them be friends? I heard a few more mumbled words, and him say thankyou verymuch, Ill let my sister know. He then hung up.
He then saw me and smiling, said that was so and sos mom, and she said sister could be friends with her daughter again.
I just told her I would not come over, so its ok now!
I was overwhelmed by his simple explanation to me, for I knew how much he hurt inside as he wanted a friend so much himself.
His love shown has remained with me to this day, for he was often treated baddly and bullied for his adhd and speech issues.
The mom over the next year softened towards my son, I believe it was his simple call that changed her heart.
But In a way, I felt that I had witnessed the greatest gift in Jesus, not like Jesus did,

but to see a seven year old willing to lay down his own wants and needs in life for the sake of his sister's, trully spoke to my heart.
Sometimes the greatset love, is shown in the simplest acts.

As to your posting, I have earned that when we look to all things in Jesus, one can see the all that is trully lovely and good.
For satan seeks to pull our eyes away from Jesus, yet he is defeated when we refuse to look anywhere but to Jesus!
For God's power is in all things and even our weaknesses when we rest our eyes and heart always on Him in faith!

God bless
pickles

psychomom · Jun 15, 2012

"So for the sake of thinking about excellent or praiseworthy things, if anyone has experienced anything
recently that is unmistakably true, noble, right, pure, lovely, or admirable, please share."

Firstly, this thread! Thanks, bluesman.

My daughter was married two weeks ago, and she and my lovely new son had such a nice wedding. It was nothing like the bridezilla type weddings which have become so popular. When my sister got married (24 years ago) no children were allowed to be at either the church or the reception because she and her husband wanted nothing to take the focus off them. This included my 2 1/2 week old son, who I was breast feeding, and who had health issues. I had to have a friend come to stay at a room in the hotel where the recpetion was so I could go in to feed him every 2 hours.

(my sister has since apologized for being so selfish, and that's fitting to this thread.

)
But at my daughter's wedding, entire families were invited. They're in their late 20s, and they have many friends and family members with young children. In the middle of the ceremony, my nephew's son (age 4) yelled, "I'm hungry!" lol Both bride and groom stopped to tell Derek he'd eat r-e-a-l-l-y soon. Everyone smiled and then they finished the ceremony.
At the recpetion, there were soo many little ones on the dance floor...and their enthusiasm was infectious. It was truly a family event, a whole family celebration. I was just so impressed with the goodness and kindness of the bridal couple in their heartfelt desire for all to be welcome and comfortable. The whole day made me think of the wedding of the Christ and His bride, where all who want to be there will be welcome.

~ellie

ps- the owner of the restaurant that held the recpetion took me aside to tell me how amazing my daughter is, and to ask me what her father and I had done that made her so very different from all the other brides he's seen. (It's Jesus, natch!--nothing WE did.) This gave me an opportunity to witness to him. God's so good!!

gcaro7l · Jun 15, 2012

Keep on rejoicing in the Lord at all times. I will say it again: Keep on rejoicing! (Philippians 4:4)

I just want to praise him for his magnificent love, it's so amazing to know that our God loves as so much that He calls us His child even if we're not worthy.. and that makes me feel so special, i feel more blessed than a superstar. I'm just so grateful. THANK YOU LORD JESUS! Thank you Lord for teaching me to love and consider others more than myself. I have so much to be thankful for, blessing always come unexpectedly, He gives me and my family strength that we need each day, i cannot ask for more He's my everything. I Love you Lord!!

marianna · Jun 15, 2012

RedTent said:

i am outside the camp, with My Lord Jesus Christ Who was rejected and considered unclean and killed outside the camp of the unfaithful Hebrews. I dont understand why the christian church is trying to focus so much on Moses all the time.

Everything is New in the New Covenant.

Hebrews 13
7Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. 8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

TheGrungeDiva · Jun 15, 2012

I imagine many of you may be familiar with the "upstream vs. downstream" allegory of injustice. If you are, you can skip the next few paragraphs.

The parable goes like this: You're walking along a stream, and you hear someone calling for help from the water. They are drowning. Immediately, of course, you go to rescue them. No sooner to you pull this person onto dry land, when you notice another soul calling for help, drowning. You go to rescue this new victim, and you notice two more people drowning. Well, you start to talk to people on the bank, ask them to come help you pull people out of the stream and on to the shore to safety. And you're able to get a lot of people to help you, but there seems to be no end to the number of victims in the water. At this point, you decide to go upstream, and find out what is happening that may be causing all these drowning victims.

Upstream a ways, you come to a bridge. On the bridge, there is a man who is throwing people over the bridge and into the stream. That is what is causing all these victims. So there are two issues here: one is the victims in the stream: the "downstream" issue. The other is the man on the bridge, the "upstream" issue. You cannot ignore the victims "downstream," but if you can find a way to stop the man "upstream" both issues will be solved.

So here's why I bring up this parable in this thread. On one hand, I agree that the news seems so down, and yes, Paul said we should think on the good and not dwell on the evil. However, I don't think Paul intended that we ignore the evil. I see way too many Christians ignoring both downstream and upstream issues using Paul's words as an excuse. Or perhaps they will help the victims -- get involved with the downstream issues -- and stay out of the upstream problems, claiming that it is beyond their scope. I believe God calls us to deal with both. God would have us fight for justice both upstream and downstream. That doesn't mean we have to wallow in despair and darkness. On the contrary, I think only when we fully live Into the Light, can we conquer the Darkness that is the upstream evil, as well as the downstream victims.

I don't know if this makes any sense at all. But there it is.

RedTent · Jun 15, 2012

Jesus was not outside the camp! Moses was chosen by God to be a go between between Him and man. People had gone completely away from Him, God chose a people to be trained in what God was like. The tribes camped around the tabernacle, which was to represent heaven. If they were put outside that camp it was saying they needed cleaning or forgiveness to be included in God's world. That was NEVER true of Christ. Learning about Christ was the kiey to that training given to those people. Christ was a fulfllment of that training. If you refuse to learn except after the fulfllment, you will never understand Christ. God expects you to do that.

kip-s · Jun 15, 2012

For the past two years, I've been having financial problems. Actually, I'm originally from Nigeria, but I'm here in the US to study. Since my dad retired in 2010, it has been pretty difficult for me to get the reasonable financial assistance I need, but God has been showing up.

Most of the time He doesn't provide when I want it, but He always provides whenever I need it. Of a truth, God is seldom early, He's never late but He's always on time.

marianna · Jun 16, 2012

RedTent said:

Hebrews says He was. outside the camp. rejected and killed by His Own. outside the camp of the jews.

and The Lord God in Moses' day had His own tabernacle of meeting where He met with Moses moved outside the camp also. For the same reason. the people had angfered and rejected Him and they were separated from Hm.

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. - Exodus 33

God had withdrawn from the people, His tent of meeting OUTSIDE THE CAMP.

So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. - Hbrews 13

a forshadowding and a warning of Jesus being put outside the camp of His own.

I might be wrong about this, so i apologize if i got it wrong. But i dont think so.

RedTent said:

I dont like it much when people condecnd after theyve made a statement thats wrong.
you said you are within the camp.

in both the Old and New testament examples, the camp is the idolaTROUS AND UNFAITHFUL those who are in the camp are the worldly and rejecters of God
so all i was saying was that saying one is IN the camp is odd.

of course Jesus was not unclean. the point is the carnal Jerusalem which was later destroyed for what they did said He was and hated him without a cause. the message of hebrews is that christians should know that to follow Jesus means leaving the CAMP the people who reject the heavenly (especially gGod) for the worldly. that christians should remeber we are Pilgrikms here, and especially the city of Jeruslame being a passing fading thing.

just think you got it wrong thats all.

RedTent · Jun 16, 2012

We are getting WAY off the subject, Electricbrluesman, I am sorry. It is a wonderful topic to think about. I am seeing so much of such as bipolar, and wonder if it isn’t stress related so that if we always kept our mind disciplined to how God asks us to think, if it would avoid a lot of it.

Marianna, I don’t think you are wrong so much as we just aren’t talking about the same thing. “Camp” to you means something completely different from my understanding of the word. We really aren’t communicating, our words don’t have the same meaning to each of us. I think if you could find a good Christian person who understood Hebrew language and culture to open up the principles of the OT, and you would be open to that, we could learn the same language and, I promise you, the growth and pleasure in meeting that aspect of our Savior and His Father would delight you! You would even get to know your Savior, Christ, more intimately. But we are ending up in the same place. Christ is our Savior!

pickles · Jun 16, 2012

One thing to consider, yes, there are many dark vents shown on the news these days.
But I have seen that these events always bring great works.
For those in need, one sees strangers come together to help them, some simple, like a child giving their allowance, some great, where many go or send so much to help.
I have learned that it is in the darkest moments that Jesus's love shines the brightest, and God's grace brings so much.
It is when one looks to Jesus, not self, that their eyes are trully opened to Gods glory.
Like scripture says, : it is in our weaknesses, that God's power is trully made perfect!:

For no matter how great any darkness may be, the tinyest light overcomes.
But darkness can never overcome any light!

God bless
pickles

marianna · Jun 16, 2012

RedTent said:

Red Tent, Than you for your kindness in your post. Perhaps we are saying some what the same thing. but I;m sorry i believe you are wrong that needing to know the Hebrew langauage will make me closer to my Lord. The Old Testament is a part of the Bible and it is all about Jesus also, but i Know my Bible in English, and espcialliy the New Testament which is the most important part of the Bible. I am outside the camp of the Old Covenant people because the Old Covenant is passed away and the New is come and Jesus spoke in Aramaic my husband said, which isnt Hebrew anyway.

Please dont say that I must know or even should know Hebrew to knowmy Father more intimitely, thats wrong and thats what i do not like about the modern Jewish church today. no offense please Red tent but what you said is wrong! The Jewish churches are always focusing on the Old Testament tooo much i think and not enough on the nEW Testament

The Lord Our God did not intend that we lessen the importnace of the New Covenant the New testament in preference for the Old. My husband said this is a new idea in Christianity today and that. the New Testament interpets the Old. The New Testament was written in the Greek langauge and |God decided and planned that this would be so. He has a reason for this. thats not to say it isnt good to understand all the loanguages of the Bible, no not at all. But I believe I know My Lord just as well as you do, and that it doies not have anything to do with focussing on the Old Testament. Its is because He knew me first. The Holy Spirit teaches Christians about Jesus Christ Our Lord, and He does not prefer any one lanaguages about any other languages. i know some lovely people who barelyy speak a word of english and they do not speak Hebrew either and they are not father away from God than you or I are.

Thank you for your lovely post
marianna.

To the subject of good thigs to think upon i would say that one of the best things to think upon is that The Lord Our God through Hsi glorios power and great Mercy wherewith He loved us sent His Son and the saving Grace Gospel is preached in all langauges to all people. That is a wonderful Miracle!

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