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N
This may sound harsh, but I honestly believe that the confusion and lack of understanding of which she spoke only comes to those who either haven't heard the true gospel message or to those who have heard it, but haven't truly responded to it in their hearts.
Jesus said that we cannot be his disciples unless we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him. He also said that we must lose our lives to find them. So, yes, it's definitely a matter of God's will being done in and through our lives as opposed to us seeking to fulfill our own lusts or desires.
Simply put, we were created by God and for God. We all went astray as lost sheep, and Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, came to seek and to save us who were lost. That salvation is a reconciling of ourselves back unto God in order for us to fulfill the purposes for which we were actually created in the first place. If we understand this, then there's really no need for much of the heartbreaks which we face, which are often nothing more than us not getting our selfish desires fulfilled. Our real heartaches should be in relation to seeing the lost perishing all around us, but many people seem to have no real regard for them whatsoever. These are just general observations of mine, and not direct accusations against anybody here in particular.
Revelation 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Jesus said that we cannot be his disciples unless we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him. He also said that we must lose our lives to find them. So, yes, it's definitely a matter of God's will being done in and through our lives as opposed to us seeking to fulfill our own lusts or desires.
Simply put, we were created by God and for God. We all went astray as lost sheep, and Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, came to seek and to save us who were lost. That salvation is a reconciling of ourselves back unto God in order for us to fulfill the purposes for which we were actually created in the first place. If we understand this, then there's really no need for much of the heartbreaks which we face, which are often nothing more than us not getting our selfish desires fulfilled. Our real heartaches should be in relation to seeing the lost perishing all around us, but many people seem to have no real regard for them whatsoever. These are just general observations of mine, and not direct accusations against anybody here in particular.
Revelation 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
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H
I do understand what you mean. And I know God doesn't want us to wallow in our misery. But praying for God's will to be done is a good start to come out from that I think. I know though that personally I'm far from where Paul was when he said he counts all things loss that he might gain Christ. (But I want to be) And who knows if the girl who sings the song really knows the Lord (I think the background story is about her struggles after she lost a baby by miscarriage.) I just could really relate to the prayer expressed. I've sung it so many times from my heart.
You are right that we should sigh and cry for the perishing...oh that God would form that heart in all of us...
Maybe females are more apt to get confused when troubles come along. Or Like sometimes I feel the Lord may be leading me to do something but go back and forth in my mind and feel so unsure. I guess maturity would have a lot to do with it.
Get what I'm saying? Hope it makes sense...
You are right that we should sigh and cry for the perishing...oh that God would form that heart in all of us...
Maybe females are more apt to get confused when troubles come along. Or Like sometimes I feel the Lord may be leading me to do something but go back and forth in my mind and feel so unsure. I guess maturity would have a lot to do with it.
Get what I'm saying? Hope it makes sense...
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N
I get what you're saying, but I don't know if it's really a male vs. female type of thing.
You and I spoke briefly the other day about "hard truths", and it is a hard truth that we really are to be dead to ourselves and alive unto God through Christ.
I wasn't raised in a Christian family, and I therefore learned everything initially from the world. Basically, every thought of my mind and every desire of my heart was somehow related to being accepted by this world and even revered by it to some degree. When I got saved, it truly was traumatizing to come to the realization that everything about me was wrong. My mindsets. My heart sets. Everything. I truly did need to be crucified with Christ so that it might no longer be I that lived, but Christ who lived in me and through me. That required a lot of repenting on my part, and a lot of renewing of my mind. Believe me, I'm not fully there yet, but I came to recognize early on, as I began to read my Bible, that this is the true call of Christ.
I've often told people that one of the main things that I love about Christ is that he didn't sugarcoat anything. I knew what I was getting into in that I truly counted the cost before I began to build the figurative tower or before I entered into this spiritual war. Because of this, there really hasn't been any confusion in that I knew what to expect from the outset. Heartache? Tons of it, but it's always been more related to grief over my own condition or godly sorrow when God placed his finger on something in me that wasn't right or grief related to the perishing souls all around me. To be fully honest, my biggest heartbreaks are often definitely related to being hated by the lost whom I dearly love. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people there missed the day of their visitation. Do we weep for the same reasons that he wept, or do we weep simply because we're not getting the things that we want?
I know that I've mentioned this to you before, but I often read the book of Ecclesiastes in order to maintain a proper mindset and heart set in relation to this world. Everything that is done "under the sun" which is not of eternal importance truly is vanity and a vexation of spirit. Again, that's a hard truth, and certainly not a popular truth, but it is the truth, just the same.
You and I spoke briefly the other day about "hard truths", and it is a hard truth that we really are to be dead to ourselves and alive unto God through Christ.
I wasn't raised in a Christian family, and I therefore learned everything initially from the world. Basically, every thought of my mind and every desire of my heart was somehow related to being accepted by this world and even revered by it to some degree. When I got saved, it truly was traumatizing to come to the realization that everything about me was wrong. My mindsets. My heart sets. Everything. I truly did need to be crucified with Christ so that it might no longer be I that lived, but Christ who lived in me and through me. That required a lot of repenting on my part, and a lot of renewing of my mind. Believe me, I'm not fully there yet, but I came to recognize early on, as I began to read my Bible, that this is the true call of Christ.
I've often told people that one of the main things that I love about Christ is that he didn't sugarcoat anything. I knew what I was getting into in that I truly counted the cost before I began to build the figurative tower or before I entered into this spiritual war. Because of this, there really hasn't been any confusion in that I knew what to expect from the outset. Heartache? Tons of it, but it's always been more related to grief over my own condition or godly sorrow when God placed his finger on something in me that wasn't right or grief related to the perishing souls all around me. To be fully honest, my biggest heartbreaks are often definitely related to being hated by the lost whom I dearly love. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people there missed the day of their visitation. Do we weep for the same reasons that he wept, or do we weep simply because we're not getting the things that we want?
I know that I've mentioned this to you before, but I often read the book of Ecclesiastes in order to maintain a proper mindset and heart set in relation to this world. Everything that is done "under the sun" which is not of eternal importance truly is vanity and a vexation of spirit. Again, that's a hard truth, and certainly not a popular truth, but it is the truth, just the same.
H
I do know you're right. Heaven will be so worth it. The sufferings of this present hour are not worthy to be compared... I need to be reminded of those truths because it's so easy for me to get self-focused.
Being hated for Christ... it's what he promised would happen but he never said it would be easy.
Thanks for the admonishments.
Being hated for Christ... it's what he promised would happen but he never said it would be easy.
Thanks for the admonishments.
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H
Your testimony reminds me of someone close to me, radical. And kinda starting from scratch learning things from the Lord.
I was raised in a Christian home most of my childhood. And though I did make my faith my own,and definitely had sins to repent of, sometimes felt maybe a little inferior to someone whose change was so easy to see. You know like, he who is forgiven much loves much.
But I am very thankful for a Christian home and the insulation I've had from what many have had to endure.
I was raised in a Christian home most of my childhood. And though I did make my faith my own,and definitely had sins to repent of, sometimes felt maybe a little inferior to someone whose change was so easy to see. You know like, he who is forgiven much loves much.
But I am very thankful for a Christian home and the insulation I've had from what many have had to endure.
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N
Believe me, it's much easier for me to speak about these things than it is for me to actually walk in these things myself, so I definitely don't want to come across as sounding super-spiritual or anything like that. Like you said, it's so easy for me to get self-focused too, but I've learned to be disciplined and to remain in God's word to keep my focus aligned properly.
I was just talking to a small group of people at a Bible study last week, and I told them that, unless we're in God's word, this world almost seems as if it's okay. I mean, the sun may be shining, and people may be out and about and having a good time, but the harsh reality is that this world truly is under the bondage of corruption (alluding to your allusion from Romans chapter 8) and multitudes of people are dying and going to hell every single day. I wish that it wasn't so, but it is so, and I have to keep this mindset before me always so as to not be deceived or so as to not waste whatever time I have left on this earth.
It's a straight gate and a narrow path that we've been called to. Thankfully, I occasionally encounter people who seem to be on that same path; like "Christian" did with "Faithful" in "Pilgrim's Progress". I don't really know you, except for the glimpses of your heart that I've gotten here on this site, but you seem to be on that path yourself. This is one of the reasons why I've told you in times past that you're an encouragement to me, and why I've also admonished you to "Stay the course".
I was just talking to a small group of people at a Bible study last week, and I told them that, unless we're in God's word, this world almost seems as if it's okay. I mean, the sun may be shining, and people may be out and about and having a good time, but the harsh reality is that this world truly is under the bondage of corruption (alluding to your allusion from Romans chapter 8) and multitudes of people are dying and going to hell every single day. I wish that it wasn't so, but it is so, and I have to keep this mindset before me always so as to not be deceived or so as to not waste whatever time I have left on this earth.
It's a straight gate and a narrow path that we've been called to. Thankfully, I occasionally encounter people who seem to be on that same path; like "Christian" did with "Faithful" in "Pilgrim's Progress". I don't really know you, except for the glimpses of your heart that I've gotten here on this site, but you seem to be on that path yourself. This is one of the reasons why I've told you in times past that you're an encouragement to me, and why I've also admonished you to "Stay the course".
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N
Truth be told, we've all been forgiven much, whether we realize it or not, but, yes, that verse definitely describes my own love, passion, or zeal for the Lord.
Being raised in a Christian home doesn't make you the least bit inferior to anybody else. Personally, I see traits in you that I rarely see in others, and those are definitely godly traits.
Being raised in a Christian home doesn't make you the least bit inferior to anybody else. Personally, I see traits in you that I rarely see in others, and those are definitely godly traits.
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N
Amen. You stepped on my toes but I need it.
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H
Hey. Stop agreeing with me or my head will get so big that I won't be able to slip on a sweater.
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N
N
But you don't wear sweaters remember
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