Peace Dealers

[Deuteronomy]

October seems to be one of those months for me also or was one of those months before meeting my fiancé.

Hello again James (Bond, that is .. or do you prefer "007" instead) , I thought that I should also mention that while Halloween night (in 1986) was a small part of what finally led me all the way to the Lord. I celebrate a different holiday on October 31st now, Reformation Day (this is the day, on October 31st, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, the day that is now considered to be the official starting point of the Protestant Reformation).

I am having a hard time answering whether I truly love God or not. I’m not sure what that means. I know my life was radically transformed when I said the sinners prayer and accepted Jesus as Lord and savior.

Well, perhaps a place to start would be with considering what it means to love your human father?

The sad fact is that everyone loves the blessings that He provides us with, but only a few actually want to know and love the Blesser Himself (but, if you think about it, that's what the Christian life and eternal life is really all about, yes, our knowing Him (John 17:3), and Him knowing us (Matthew 7:22-23) by which I (and the Greek) mean ~really~ knowing each other, not just knowing things "about" one another.

Is it not BEYOND astounding that the transcendent Being who created everything by speaking it (most of it anyway) into existence, actually wants to know all of us (His adopted children, that is), personally? He, in fact, wants to not only be part of our daily lives, but the biggest part of our entire life, moment by moment by moment .. e.g. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Also, is it not even more astounding that this same, glorious Being thought so much of us, His enemies (Romans 5:10), that He chose to come here and die for us on the Cross (to redeem us, save us and make us part of His very own family), so that we wouldn't be faced with living out eternity apart from Him, nor He apart from us

There are MANY words that are used to describe God, but only three of them are nouns, God is spirit, God is light, and God is love. So, God isn't just loving, rather, He ~is~ love, by nature.

You know, I used to think that things like His omnipresence would take the longest to even begin to truly wrap our minds around and understand in the age to come, but I now believe that getting a handle on such attributes all pale in comparison to truly understanding the depths of His love

I do confess my sins and seek forgiveness as soon as I realize what I’ve done.

That' s a good sign that you are, indeed, a true believer! As theologian and pastor Arthur Pink once said,

"It is not the absence of sin, but the grieving over it, which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors".​

Unbelievers sin, not only because it's part of their nature to do so (cf Ephesians 2:1-3), but also because it's, well, fun. Believers, on the other hand, find sinning anything but fun, because our natures have been changed by God (Ezekiel 36:26-27) and, as a result, we know how much it displeases the One who loves us and died to save us from our sins.

My life, using technology, probably isn’t like Jesus’ but I have been walking more and studying the Bible every morning almost, with my fiancé. My fiancé is a believer, whom I fellowship with daily.

That's great There's more to talk about here, but let's do so another time (as this is an important and somewhat separate topic, marriage, that is).

I mostly listen to pray.com for my spiritual needs.

Also good, but still not enough. God gave us each other, along with the visible church, to help us as we walk through this difficult life (as aliens & strangers/sojourners & exiles) in a world that is no longer our true home .. cf 1 Peter 2:11. Believers. all of us, are men and women under authority, and that includes the teaching and authority of the visible church, which again, God put in place for our good, the church, with His chosen undershepherds (our pastors) as well. These are men who will be held accountable by God for the care they took in watching over our souls for Him in this life .. e.g. Hebrews 13:17.

I do have a men’s Bible study I was apart of on Mondays but decided to stop going to those because I don’t really know them all that well, and I don’t really trust the guy who hosts the Bible study.

Perhaps you and your fiancé can find a Bible study that you can go to together (that's pretty easy to do if you join a church that holds the Bible in high esteem .. which usually requires finding a church that teaches that the Bible is not only infallible, but inerrant too).

Sorry about the length of this message, I know that you've got to get back to tracking down those foreign spies and the like (so I'll be sure to make my replies shorter going forward)

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy (David)
p.s. - I mentioned 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 above, and I'd recommend taking some time to really consider all that it is saying, because I believe that it is a BIG part of being progressively sanctified, or growing up in Christlikeness, and a big help too with growing in our relationship with our heavenly Abba. It is practical instruction/advice about how to "practice the presence of God" in your life.

We can talk more about this and how to begin to apply it to your life (just let me know if you'd like to do so). Oh, and don't let the "pray w/o ceasing" command bother you, because even though it sounds crazy at first, you'll quickly see that it is not

1 Thessalonians 5​

16 Rejoice always; ​

17 pray without ceasing; ​

18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ​

.

 

[Deuteronomy]

The big thing, with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and practicing God's presence in your life, is to start small, first and foremost by remembering Him more often throughout your day, and then by beginning to look for new ways to include Him in the moment by moment of your life (and the easiest way to do that, IMHO, is by becoming more aware of everything around you throughout the day and then consciously looking for things in your life the rejoice in and thank Him for).

--David

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Hello again James (Bond, that is .. or do you prefer "007" instead) , I thought that I should also mention that while Halloween night (in 1986) was a small part of what finally led me all the way to the Lord. I celebrate a different holiday on October 31st now, Reformation Day (this is the day, on October 31st, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, the day that is now considered to be the official starting point of the Protestant Reformation).


Well, perhaps a place to start would be with considering what it means to love your human father?

The sad fact is that everyone loves the blessings that He provides us with, but only a few actually want to know and love the Blesser Himself (but, if you think about it, that's what the Christian life and eternal life is really all about, yes, our knowing Him (John 17:3), and Him knowing us (Matthew 7:22-23) by which I (and the Greek) mean ~really~ knowing each other, not just knowing things "about" one another.

Is it not BEYOND astounding that the transcendent Being who created everything by speaking it (most of it anyway) into existence, actually wants to know all of us (His adopted children, that is), personally? He, in fact, wants to not only be part of our daily lives, but the biggest part of our entire life, moment by moment by moment .. e.g. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Also, is it not even more astounding that this same, glorious Being thought so much of us, His enemies (Romans 5:10), that He chose to come here and die for us on the Cross (to redeem us, save us and make us part of His very own family), so that we wouldn't be faced with living out eternity apart from Him, nor He apart from us

There are MANY words that are used to describe God, but only three of them are nouns, God is spirit, God is light, and God is love. So, God isn't just loving, rather, He ~is~ love, by nature.

You know, I used to think that things like His omnipresence would take the longest to even begin to truly wrap our minds around and understand in the age to come, but I now believe that getting a handle on such attributes all pale in comparison to truly understanding the depths of His love


That' s a good sign that you are, indeed, a true believer! As theologian and pastor Arthur Pink once said,

"It is not the absence of sin, but the grieving over it, which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors".​

Unbelievers sin, not only because it's part of their nature to do so (cf Ephesians 2:1-3), but also because it's, well, fun. Believers, on the other hand, find sinning anything but fun, because our natures have been changed by God (Ezekiel 36:26-27) and, as a result, we know how much it displeases the One who loves us and died to save us from our sins.


That's great There's more to talk about here, but let's do so another time (as this is an important and somewhat separate topic, marriage, that is).


Also good, but still not enough. God gave us each other, along with the visible church, to help us as we walk through this difficult life (as aliens & strangers/sojourners & exiles) in a world that is no longer our true home .. cf 1 Peter 2:11. Believers. all of us, are men and women under authority, and that includes the teaching and authority of the visible church, which again, God put in place for our good, the church, with His chosen undershepherds (our pastors) as well. These are men who will be held accountable by God for the care they took in watching over our souls for Him in this life .. e.g. Hebrews 13:17.


Perhaps you and your fiancé can find a Bible study that you can go to together (that's pretty easy to do if you join a church that holds the Bible in high esteem .. which usually requires finding a church that teaches that the Bible is not only infallible, but inerrant too).

Sorry about the length of this message, I know that you've got to get back to tracking down those foreign spies and the like (so I'll be sure to make my replies shorter going forward)

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy (David)
p.s. - I mentioned 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 above, and I'd recommend taking some time to really consider all that it is saying, because I believe that it is a BIG part of being progressively sanctified, or growing up in Christlikeness, and a big help too with growing in our relationship with our heavenly Abba. It is practical instruction/advice about how to "practice the presence of God" in your life.

We can talk more about this and how to begin to apply it to your life (just let me know if you'd like to do so). Oh, and don't let the "pray w/o ceasing" command bother you, because even though it sounds crazy at first, you'll quickly see that it is not

1 Thessalonians 5​

16 Rejoice always; ​

17 pray without ceasing; ​

18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ​

.

I remember you telling me about reformation day when I was under a different username @seantspence . It was my first time learning about reformation day and changed October 31st for me, forever.

When it comes to my earth dad, he beat my mother almost to death when I was 5 years old, so it’s kind of hard to relate a loving God to my earthly dad.

I would say when I was working with other people, I’d share Jesus with them, there would always be opposition, and usually I would have to leave the job.

I think I had a better connection with God and his presence when I wasn’t divided.

Oh, I am well aware of the prayer without ceasing, it definitely manifests the presence of God, for sure.

Thanks for taking the time to write all of this @Deuteronomy

Do you mind if I private message you? I have something I’d like to share with you that I can’t post in public.

 

[Kainos]

I’m almost finished with John MacArthur’s sermon. God bless you for sending it my way. I wish I can be my younger brother’s peacemaker but he wants nothing to do with God or Jesus.
Maybe I’m not a son of God?

You wouldn't want to share the better hope with your brother, if you didn't belong to God.

My own family want nothing to do with Jesus either. All we can do is share the message of His life, death, and resurrection, so people can make an informed choice. If they pass up the open invitation, it's no reflection on us, or our relationship with God. Just deaf ears and blind eyes which are too busy enjoying life's uglier motivations to the fullest.

Who is your favourite James Bond? Daniel Craig is mine.

Roger Moore. Just before my time, but the first James Bond I saw.

My fave, because he got the better of a villain who had me hiding behind the sofa when I was little. The henchman, Jaws!

The big thing, with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and practicing God's presence in your life, is to start small, first and foremost by remembering Him more often throughout your day, and then by beginning to look for new ways to include Him in the moment by moment of your life (and the easiest way to do that, IMHO, is by becoming more aware of everything around you throughout the day and then consciously looking for things in your life the rejoice in and thank Him for).

--David

Wise counsel.

It's no picnic being a child of God in a world which has jettisoned Him from their thinking. Blessedly, we don't have to look far for living things which remain true to the sum and substance of our Creator. From the green in budding trees, to the melodious chorus of singing sparrows, the natural world declares the glory of God.

What's soulless, manufactured, processed and mechanical, can never overshadow the cosmos, wildlife, or flora and fauna, when we are aware of, and responsive to our surroundings.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Do you mind if I private message you?

Sure, PM away

--David

 

[Deuteronomy]

I remember you telling me about reformation day when I was under a different username @seantspence . It was my first time learning about reformation day and changed October 31st for me, forever.

Good to know BTW, you are most welcome to stop me whenever I repeat something that we've already talked about, or whenever I start talking about something that you already know.

When it comes to my earth dad, he beat my mother almost to death when I was 5 years old, so it’s kind of hard to relate a loving God to my earthly dad.

WOW, yeah, that really won't work in your case I'll get back to you with some other ideas about what loving God looks like.

I'm sorry to hear that you had to witness that (your dad's attack on your mom), especially as a young child.

I would say when I was working with other people, I’d share Jesus with them, there would always be opposition, and usually I would have to leave the job.

Bummer!! I've been there, especially when I was a young believer because, silly me, I thought that others would actually want to hear about the BEST news that I've ever had to offer, the INCREDIBLY Good News that I had personally experienced. Sadly, I quickly found that many (or even most) of those I talked to would have actually preferred to hear about almost anything else from me instead.

I think I had a better connection with God and his presence when I wasn’t divided.

Whoops, it looks like you just PM'd me, so I'll reply to the rest later.

--David

 

[frederickdoc]

I listened to an interesting Christian podcast on how the world, specifically America is becoming weak because of pastors who sell peace to their congregation, so that the church goers are addicted to the peace, instead of being equipped to fight back, while the entire world is at war, and communism and terrorism continues to grow.

This might have been an older podcast that I listened to on pray.com but just wanted to get pastors and leaders perspective because I believed that even I was sold peace, instead of being equipped to even survive in this world we all now live in.

God sellS peace too! ,A PIECE IF HIS MIND! . ITS A 3D PRINT DESIGN plaques I made during the pandemic lmk it's not common it still one kind it His design really

 

[frederickdoc]

God sellS peace too! ,A PIECE IF HIS MIND! . ITS A 3D PRINT DESIGN plaques I made during the pandemic lmk it's not common it still one kind it His design really