> General Discussions
2 or 3 Things Learned (still) Learning
Robin:
Rays paper was very helpful to me when trying to understand all the different kinds of trails we go through.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS FOR CHRIST'S DISCIPLES
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS FOR YOU, NOW!
http://bible-truths.com/lake16-D3.htm
--- Quote ---These four examples of Christ's judgments in His Elect can come in so many varied and over-lapping circumstances that it may be impossible at any given time to tell exactly which if any of these God is using for your benefit at any particular time. Jesus' personalized uses of judgment, high council, Gehenna, and prison, are obviously geared to fit each individual according to each needed correction.
I do believe, however, that those of us who have been experiencing Jesus' judgments in our lives, can attest to the fact that we can now recognize many of these "strange" things in our lives, as being judgments from God. Have you never experienced a "FIERY trail" such as Peter reminds us of? (I Pet.4:12). As badly as we want these trials to be over, we nonetheless, need to be reminded that these trails are good for us, producing "patience"&"righteousness."
Here is a Scripture that I continually remind myself and others of, when life gets a little hard to bear:
"Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:11).
--- End quote ---
NoviceBeliever:
GOD never leaves us!
When I saw this post (2 or 3 things learned (still) learning) and several others of the last few days about how GOD molds us, teaches us, chastises us, corrects us, comforts us...my thoughts keep taking me to how it is to be a child. Whenever I have felt a need to have some rejuvination and simplicity, I am drawn to spend time with children. Not having children of my own, I have been blessed to have friends that allow me to play a part in their childrens' lives. Tonight I was thinking about a conversation that I had with one of my friends this past weekend about if I might consider taking care of their kids should something happen to them. What an awesome responsibility!; but what a rewarding role to be blessed with!; how good of a parent would I be?; what type of parent would I be?; all these keep filtering through my head and I've thought back to my own childhood and the one thing that I have spent my life grappling with was being deserted by my father. Dissertion by a parent leaves an indelable, long reaching effect on children.
Much of these thoughts have intertwined and I have been praying and meditating on this and GOD opened my eyes and made me understand that: HE will never leave me! HE will not desert me! HE is my father! I can not tell you the comfort that this brings, it is like a life time of sorrow has been lifted from my shoulders. It is not the first time I have cried lately, but it is tears of relief and joy!
NB
hillsbororiver:
From;
WHO AND WHAT IS JESUS? & WHO IS HIS FATHER? . . . Nashville Conference 2007
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4472.0.html
Isa 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
That’s how far apart our (God's and our own) thinking is.
But I want to bring this together. The way He’s doing this is you’ve got to go through a living hell on this earth. It’s the only way, it’s God’s way.
Whatever is, is not because man screwed up and through his free-will, he thwarted this beautiful garden of Eden, and all such stupid nonsense. Like I heard Hagee and Copeland chit chat about a few days ago. How wonderful their walk with God is, perfect harmony, they were the very image of God. They went through the whole thing, nonsense. People who are in the spiritual image of God DO NOT SIN!
They sin, quickly and easily, you know.
So what IS (this painful experience), that is what it is supposed to be. Right here and now, this is what God wants. Why? Apparently this is the best way for Him to get what He wants, out of us. To go through this, is the best way! It’s not only the best way, it’s the best of the best ways.
So this is the best that God can do , but it’s not pretty and it’s not fancy and it’s not always happy. It’s painful and sad and much of our lives are misery, you know, laughing on the outside and crying on the inside. It’s not always happy happy happy, but it’s necessary. Is it right, that God should put us through something like that?
We have no say about it, we didn’t ask to be born and we didn’t ask to get lung cancer or whatever. We didn’t ask for this, God puts us through it. Is it fair for Him to do that? Why is it fair? Well there is something good in store. But is it necessary that we would have to go through all of this bad first? It’s true, you have to have the contrast. But sometimes I just say, Lord I think I’m at the place now, Lord I think I’m there. You can take away the bad and see if I’m not thankful.
He sent Jesus Christ to go through the same stuff we go through and that’s why I wanted to bring these out today. Because most of you never knew that. Jesus Christ lived a pretty painful life. Paul lived a pretty painful life, he said I learned to be content in all things. God put His Son through what we have to go through, because He loves us! He didn’t have to.
Jesus Christ did something between His creation and the creation of the earth. He did something to acquire God’s glory, something. Because He had it and He didn’t get it for nothing.
God wants creatures, He wants children, He wants sons and daughters. He has a desire to have something like Himself. But for us to be like Him, we have to go through some pretty tough stuff. So He sent His Son as an example, as how you can go through it and never get angry or upset with God. And to never turn against your fellowman, because of what you have to go through. He lived a perfect life, of the perfect man, sick and diseased, in pain and He lived it perfectly. But God was living in Him, the Father was going through it just as much as He was, you see.
Christ had to die, it said He had to die for our sins. That’s true, that’s the scripture, Christ died for our sin. But then we have a scripture here that doesn’t mention sin.
John 3:16 "For God so(thus) loved the world,”
Thus or in the manner, a lot of people think it’s saying He loved us so much, but that is not what this is saying. What this is saying is God loved us, in this way. This is the manner and way in which He loved us. In this way He loved the world.
“…that He gave His only begotten Son,”
Ok, He died, they killed Him on the cross, He died.
“…that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Of course the Bible is written so man don’t understand it. That’s why some of these things are put in there, “that who-so-ever believes.” God knows and now we know, everybody is going to believe. So the ‘who-so-ever’ is going to be everybody, ok.
But He gave His Son, now here’s the point I want to make and that is this, why did Christ have to die? Why? Why did the Father sacrifice His Son? Why did He have to do that? HE DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT! He didn’t have to do anything, HE’S GOD! Why did He?
Because whether you recognize it now or later in life or those in the resurrection to judgment or for the rest of eternity, we are going to know it for sure. That God died for us for no other reason than to show us that HE LOVES US! He did not have to die. He said, I will do it to show them. How can I show them that what I am putting them through has real value? What can I do? I can promise them the world, I can give them mansions and youth and joyful life. I have all that to give, but they will say, you are only giving out of your abundance, of what you have. What can I really do, that you will know that I really love you? And God said, I will DIE!
But God can’t die, He’s eternal, He has immortality, deathlessness. If you have immortality you can’t die.
So He made a Son. He made Him great. And to show us how great He was, He said, let Me show you what I can do when I make a Son. Ok, Create the universe first, now become a man, and now die.
Then they will know We love them.
Then they will know.
Peace,
Joe
Marlene:
Joe, You have no idea how I am needing this post today. I have been going through a living hell this week. I had a little breather. I had a few months now boom. I am just so glad I have you all. God just seems to put in the mind of others to post something. I have been at my wits in this week. It has been one family thing after the other. Between , that and my health, which is not made better under these trials.
But, I just keep taking this to God.
I just wanted to tell you, I am so thankful for this post.
In His Love,
Marlene
hillsbororiver:
Hi Marlene,
You are welcome Sister, I am very familiar with experiences like your present reality.
We all seem to have periods of pure joy as we meditate on and share His wonderful promises and the peace that comes with the knowledge of God's love and ultimate purpose for His creation. Then sometimes suddenly we find ourselves for a time (times and half a time?) in a brier patch of trials that challenge and test our faith.
If we truly believe that all these things are necessary for our growth to spiritual perfection then we should be thankful that we have been given the wisdom to see it for what it is, His process for creating Sons and Daughters that are to receive an unimaginable inheritance!
I am acutely aware of how much easier it is to say these things than it is to live through them.
A bad analogy might be sitting in a dentist's chair as we experience a root canal, it is not especially a pleasant experience but there is a certain relief if not joy that this necessary procedure will ultimately relieve us of a more profound pain and we will be much better off because of what we had to go through.
I really love the following bit from Ray;
We didn’t ask for this, God puts us through it. Is it fair for Him to do that? Why is it fair? Well there is something good in store. But is it necessary that we would have to go through all of this bad first? It’s true, you have to have the contrast.
But sometimes I just say, Lord I think I’m at the place now, Lord I think I’m there. You can take away the bad and see if I’m not thankful. ;)
Peace,
Joe
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