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2 or 3 Things Learned (still) Learning

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Marky Mark:
Arion,well spoken my Brother ;) :).


Peace...Mark

Robin:
The worst time for me was when I couldn't find the path at all. I once sat in the same place for 10 years begging God to show me the path or talk to me or teach me. Just anything. I was out of the church with no place to go. I felt quite crazy because I couldn't find anyone else.

God gave me a long "time out" and it was just what I needed. My faith was weak when waiting and a lot stronger when going through the hard obstacles on the twisted, uphill path. I thought I would reach the end of the path and finally be finished.  I had to learn to live by faith and not by sight. All that "noise" was almost unbearable. Everything was telling me that God abandoned me and left me to die. I knew I was the beast and was very afraid of hell because God wasn't doing anything to "fix" me. I was trying to save myself by finding that hard path again so I could move forward and find salvation.

You can't imagine the weeping and laughter I felt when I found BT. Not only was God faithful to gather me with others, but he set me free from that terrible fear of hell. I could then delight in knowing I was the beast and all will be saved. I was able to let go of the fear of having no free will. I've settled in on this island and still can't see a path right now, but I'm not complaining.

God gave me a tiny bit of faith to believe that he didn't abandon me.
He gave me a tiny bit of faith to believe that he would finish the work he began in me.
I was holding on by a thread of faith with no sight or evidence that it was true.

The last question I had before finding all of you was how is it just for God to send anyone to hell when he does all the choosing and we are all equally guilty of sin? How could he choose to save some and not all and still be just? No one is better than anyone else. We are all the same. There isn't any justice in that. I remember saying do you just say eeny meeny miny mo? lol. God gave me a thread of faith to believe he is a just God even though I didn't have the answer.

Then he led me here and Ray showed me that God is a just God. I learned that I can sit without fear when God says sit and wait. That had to be the hardest lesson I've learned so far.

firefly77:
M.G., Thank you for sharing. Your story is very similar to mine. It is good to know that God has not singled "me" out to sit and wait. I am learning to accept the place He has put me in, so thankful that He brought me here.
Angie

Sandyk:

--- Quote from: hillsbororiver on June 04, 2009, 05:33:45 PM ---Perhaps the three most profound things I have learned to believe and consistently think about (since I stumbled onto Bible-Truths) is the falling away (from our first Love), recognizing the "beast within," and having real (not feigned) mercy for all of our brethren, aren't these prerequisites for growing in His Spirit?

We might gain knowledge without actually living it but we will not gain wisdom.

I spent over 30 years believing (when I happened to be thinking about it) that I needed to stay tuned to the evening news to see when the false prophet, the beast, etc. would be revealed, in other words looking outward for signs and wonders that would signify the last days.

Like some others here I also have experienced from time to time a feeling of being in tune with Him, having my eyes and ears ratcheted opened another notch, feeling a genuine love for my sisters and brothers and a sense of peace that all is well in the walk, that I am on the right path.....

Then the clarity clouds a bit, there is too much noise encompassing me to hear His voice as distinctly as before and my patience dissipates in regard to dealing with people.

It is like walking through the woods where the trail is cleared and easy to follow for a time and then you encounter some rather steep hills, moving past that the way is clear with a pleasant view until the path leads to a mucky swamp full of scorpions, snakes and mud 2 feet deep, suddenly there is a chill in the air and night is about to fall. Getting through this ordeal and taking a rest from the activity morning comes and you see the path continues on high and dry ground in a straight, defined line, it is sunny, warm and life is good. Then as day becomes evening there is a sharp bend in the path, to the left is a cliff that drops 100 feet straight down and on the right are swirling waters splashing on jagged rocks, up ahead you can see the brush and fallen trees that you soon will be dealing with. How much longer must these obstacles be overcome, when will we finally get to our destination?

I think all of us go through these feelings from time to time, this journey is not a flat line experience, there are many peaks and valleys and I really can't wait until we all are truly transformed incorruptible, but patience must be learned, faith must be more fully developed and love must be in our core being as we continue to be refined, being created in His image.

Easier said than experienced!  ;)

The following is from the Lake of Fire Part XIV ("The Beast Within");

THE DAY OF THE LORD AND II THESSALONIANS II

Most of us not unlike the Thessalonians of Paul’s day are aware of a prophetic time spoken by the prophets known as "The Day of the Lord." The Thessalonians knew somewhat of this day and what it portended, as Paul spoke to them earlier about it. Now he has to tell them in this second epistle,

"That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that THE DAY OF CHRIST is at hand" (II Thes. 2:2).

Never forget that Jesus Christ IS ‘The LORD,’ and so the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord both represent the Son of God.

Notice what Paul had instructed them in his first epistle concerning the coming of the Lord:

"…and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the Living and True God; And to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (I Thes. 1:9b-10).

Paul tells them of his suffering:

"For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But even after that we had SUFFERED before, and were SHAMEFULLY ENTREATED, as ye know… with MUCH CONTENTION

(I Thes. 2:1-2). Then Paul speaks of their suffering and the reason for sending Timothy to them:

"That no man should be moved by THESE AFFLICTIONS: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto" (I Thes. 3:3).

Paul states that:

"Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our AFFLICTION and DISTRESS by your faith" (I Thes. 3:7).

And so Paul tells them of his afflictions, and also acknowledges their afflictions. Again Paul assures these Thessalonians that:

"For yourselves know perfectly that THE DAY OF THE LORD so comes as a thief in the night… For God has NOT appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thes. 5:2 & 9).

Well Timothy reported back to Paul that they were having even more tribulations and persecutions to the point that they were thinking that they must be in that period of time of "The Day of the Lord," and that they themselves were suffering wrath from God.

Once more Paul acknowledges these tribulations and suffering:

"So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in ALL YOUR PERSECUTIONS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT YE ENDURE" (II Thes. 1:4).

But rather than wrath from God, Paul assures them that this suffering is really a token of God’s righteous judgment and that God will be punishing those who are persecuting them:

"Which [suffering] is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be COUNTED WORTHY of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God recompense tribulation to them that TROUBLE YOU" (II Thes. 1:5-6).

Then Paul gives them one more giant promise of rest from all of these sufferings:

"And to you [and to US as well] who are troubled REST with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction [eonian extermination] from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) IN THAT DAY" (II Thes. 1:7-10).

And next we come to the Scriptures of our present study. Paul comforts them in their persecutions and tribulations. He assures them that endurance in faith will account the worthy to be in the Kingdom of God, and that they will have rest at the coming of our Lord to be glorified in His saints and admired in ALL THAT BELIEVE. This is the way of the believer leading up to the coming of the Lord and the "Day of the Lord," when all will be changed and glorified. But Paul tells them that that day is not here yet.

Listen carefully: Generation after generation after generation of believers and saints of God have lived, suffered and been persecuted, and then DIED. This "Day of Christ" or "Day of the Lord" not only did not come in their lifetime, but it will not be a reality to any of them WHEN IT DOES COME, unless something else happens in their lives FIRST!

Unless this experience happened to them in their lifetime, whenever they lived, they will not be in the First Resurrection and see the Coming of the Lord in the Day of the Lord. Something had to have happened to them—all of them. Something HAS to happen to YOU—ALL OF YOU who expect to see the Coming of the Lord and the Day of the Lord and be accounted worthy to be in The Kingdom of God. Yes, we already read in II Thes. 1:10, "When He shall come to be glorified in His saints…" And He will be glorified in all His saints at that time, but not unless something has happened in all of His saints FIRST!

Until and unless the thing that I am going to mention next is an accomplished FACT in your PRESENT life, you will not see The Coming of the Lord, neither will you be in the First Resurrection of spiritual rest and glorification. I kid you not, this is deep and heavy stuff!

The entire article is here;  http://bible-truths.com/lake14.html

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe



--- End quote ---

Hi Joe

I am glad to read your post.  This has been heavy on my mind about not being one of the elect.  I think to myself that I lack the patience to make it.  The beast within me is ever present.  I catch it sometimes but other times I fail and react before thinking about what I am saying or doing and this seems small but it is annoying to fail when you know right from wrong but yet it happens to me often.  Thanks, for sharing your thoughts.

Sandyk

Astrapho:

--- Quote ---Echoing your thoughts, as we go deeper into the word the more clear it becomes.  As things are more obvious it becomes easier to know and do right.  If we stay in the word it stays simple.  The marvelous thing about Ray is he takes us deeper into the word and makes it clearer.

--- End quote ---

My thoughts exactly, Charles. :D

Couldn't have put the obstacles thing better myself, Joe. The stage I'm at now, is merely being on the path, looking at those huge obstacles, walking towards it as slowly as I can. When I get there, though... Yikes. I'm such a coward, haha.  :-\

Thanks for sharing, guys.

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