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Greater is HE IN YOU, than he in the world

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mharrell08:
2 Cor 12:9-10  He [Lord] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Phil 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.


My family attends church services...all of them, mother, uncles & aunts, wife; they all go to their different church services. And THESE are the spiritual lessons that I wish they could partake in but never are taught on Sundays.

They have never heard a sermon that teaches the PURPOSE to why they suffer in relationships, finances, career fields, etc. Everything is always a quick prayer solution away (with a monetary donation, of course), the need to attend a 'power conference' to learn to 'empower themselves', or some other nonsense. When they suffer, they are taught it is because they are doing something wrong instead of God doing something right in them...that in their weakness, He is strong.

They don't learn ANYTHING when they go to these sermons. When they walk out, they have the exact understanding and knowledge of the Lord as when they walked in. It's an illusion that would make David Copperfield jealous. And they SHOW how disillusioned they are by buying books & other publications to teach them to pray, manage their finances, meet a mate, start a business, etc the 'Christian way'.

Paul says the following:

Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh

Now anyone who knows me, knows I don't go around slamming those of the church...it's a waste of time, I believe. But I do feel as Paul does...like I wish I could 'cut out' my spiritual eyes and give them to those of the church. Though that would leave me spiritually blind, THEY would then see the glory of God, having their understanding opened.

Freedom and peace of mind are the greatest virtues one can have spiritually, I believe. So it can be disheartening to see those bound and tossed to & fro in their minds & hearts with their beliefs. The Lord says 'As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live' (Ezek 33:11) and spiritually I agree. I take no pleasure in the spiritual death of the wicked & unbelieving, blind leading the blind.


Just had to get that off my chest,

Marques

Akira329:
Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

I cannot tell you how many times I said this to myself and now you show me a scripture for it!!!

Great post man
Antaiwan

indianabob:
Great topic,
Good to prod us to think and reason and return to prayer for strength and clarity.
Thanks, Bob

Deborah-Leigh:

Hi Marques

Your disclosure tweaked some feelings and thoughts that I can share in empathy with what you describe.


--- Quote ---the need to attend a 'power conference' to learn to 'empower themselves',
--- End quote ---

As in the making themselves a name to be honored and famous which was the aim of the children of men …

Gen 11:4  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and LET US MAKE US A NAME………...

In their efforts to make themselves a Name they fulfill what God has prophesied, prepared for and authored.

Rev 3:1  And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things. I know your works, that YOU HAVE A NAME that you live, and are dead.

Christendom’s books feed the desire for self gratification and promote the effort to overturn, reject, deny and defeat or escape Gods work in making us into His Image. The most finely honed and best intended does and don’ts that Christendom’s Best Selling How to do it books,  cannot be observed by the most well intentioned person, for it is God who Works in us according to His Will and Purpose ~ not us. We are God’s achievement, not our own from the least to the greatest of us, it is all God’s Work. Those who elevate human kind to the Babel height and stature of making again a name for themselves, show their addiction to the desire to be gods of manmade honor and renown. They may get the praise, kudos, applause and recognition of the world ~ they have their reward from the world but not from the Creator OF the world. Should we lament this? :)


--- Quote ---I wish I could 'cut out' my spiritual eyes and give them to those of the church. Though that would leave me spiritually blind, THEY would then see the glory of God, having their understanding opened.
--- End quote ---

You don’t have the Holier-than-thou pride of place and prejudice which is well and good so now you may advance to the recognition of Gods work in them to cause the contrast to be so stark, so blatant and so overpowering that when finally God unveils His work to them, the shout of joy will not be a weak, dubious, doubtfully attended voice of praise but a burst of Joy equivalent to Adams AT LAST! 8)

As Paul, so do you and I and all, have to endure and suffer the deep desire that others see and hear and know our Lord for Who He is. We find the peal of great worth but no one can see it! It is an untradeable commodity! What a letdown! :D :)

Php 1:8  For God is my witness how greatly I long after you all in the BOWELS of Jesus Christ.

This love and desire is appropriate, necessary and designed by God for few to experience, suffer and appraise as part of the nature of our God who Loves us accordingly. God is Spirit. The pearl is Spirit. Christ is Spirit. No flesh or blood can appraise or see or hear Spirit. This Spiritual unheard of, unseen intimate Love of God we have to experience of  God appropriating His Love into your feelings as He fashions His Image into your soul. This is good news! If you do not feel this way deep down in your aching heart of hearts, which I see that you DO, then it would yet ahead of you, I, us, to yet experience this deep core type love for the children, family, heirs and brethren yet to be made whole by the Spirit of God that heals, restores and brings to perfection through His consuming Fire.
 
We, as God want a FAMILY. Paul desired a FAMILY to share in the joy and appreciation of GOD. His love was for the transformation of those without eyes, to see, and those who were weak in their faith to be made sure and steady as of Christ in His Faith. This desire is of God and is part of the process of learning to Love and become acquainted with God.

 God does not want to be alone, neither did Paul or you or I or anyone of us who find the treasures of great worth in the Truth unveiled for our eyes hearts and minds to embrace and enjoy. We ache that others do not know, cannot see and prefer not to hear.

God is a FATHER not of fatherless children but of FAMILY in His Spirit and His Truth that is formed out of great travail conforming rebellious children into His Children and heirs of His Spirit. In Gods time there shall be Sons and Daughters of His Kingdom.

Wisdom that was birthed, the butterfly that is born and any baby that has to go through the most frightening experiences before being spanked into taking that first breath upside down and then…never again…..Your suffering indemnifies you from the worldly and invites you into the spiritual Family of God’s Spirit and His Truth. There has to be the purging purifying, chastising fire of God to burn out weakness and propensities to evil and deceptions of carnal lust driven behaviors of greed and self idolatry. This is a work for the Son of God and His appointed heirs who cannot afford to faint at the prospect of pain and suffering that accompanies Gods work to transform and transmute evil to good by overcoming the drag of imperfection on buckled feet or spiritually slothful leanings towards self aggrandizement.


--- Quote ---Freedom and peace of mind are the greatest virtues one can have spiritually
--- End quote ---

Endurance in bondage to vanity and overcoming the absence of freedom and absence of peace of mind, may be the virtue of perseverance and acceptance of God’s work.  :)

This endurance and perseverance in patience is the full work that suffering brings about to produce that peace under duress and that freedom inside the boundaries of perceived controls which is the true virtue of being the spiritual fire of God.  Not escaping Gods consuming fire, but being as He is that is the victory and totality of our God.
 
You know God is not one sentence of pacifying appeasing good sounding verses of Scripture and He is not one line or chapter of insight presented by Ray Smith.  Paul ascended to the fullness of the stature of Christ as evidenced by God causing him to return to Rome and his certain death there by execution that went against the desire of those who loved him. So his death ended his suffering and assured him the better resurrection. So too must our path be. Your suffering, hallmarks you into the path of Christ and His family that have gone before us. Your suffering is your blessing that is His Mark of fire upon your circumcised heart. May you take courage to be stilled in your concerns and sufferings for your God who is the One true God ~ your God.

God is on track with you Marques. He keeps you, keeping on… 8)

Arc

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