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So what's God been up to in your life lately?
Dave in Tenn:
I said then, Barnabas. I still think that, but my reasons have matured, maybe. In the accounts in Acts and elsewhere, Barnabas gets top billing in the missionary duo of Barnabas and Paul. Quietly and without explanation, the billing exchanges and it becomes Paul and Barnabas. Eventually, Paul rises to the pre-eminience and Barnabas is scarcely or never mentioned again. If Paul is an example of Christ, then this very much is a picture of our walk of discipleships with Him. He must increase, and I must decrease.
I don't want to create a "Doctrine of Barnabasificationism"--it's just one of those 'whatsoever things are lovely' things that percolates up in my mind sometimes as I look at both scripture and my life.
I can almost feel the excruciating difficulty Paul had in giving his 'testimony'. Some things are just too complex, personal, and difficult to relate in language. But look at how he tries.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
That is pretty much the same as saying 'He must increase and I must decrease'.
Beyond Barnabus, though, I relate to some extent to every 'character' in the Bible when my Spiritual Eyes are working. For me, that's why they are IN the bible, and in whatever ways and to whatever degree their lives and words reveal what's in me--both good and bad--they are the fore-shadow of God's work in me.
Kat:
Hi Arc,
I have been following this discussion with interest. I will say in a way that I can relate to Eve... in my church years I did give the fruit of the tree to my family and they did eat.
Then I also relate to Moses, when God called him he did not want to go and said; "Oh Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue" (Exo 4:10)
But God provided and Moses did go forward to lead the children of Israel. Though Moses was surrounded by a blind bunch of people, kind of like I feel some times with my family and friends. But Moses did have Aaron as someone he could talk to and a helper and I do too in my eldest daughter.
Another thing that I think I relate to is how I feel with the people here... when Mary visited Elizabeth while she was pregnant with Christ.
Luke 1:39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
v. 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
v. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
v. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
v. 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
v. 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
So often the spirit within me leaps for joy when I read a post and indeed I am filled with the spirit from what I receive from my brothers or sisters here :)
mercy, peace and love
Kat
Joel:
Hi Arc and All
Great thread, I can in some respects relate to Mary Magdalene. :)
According to Luke 8: 2 seven devils went out of her, I don't know how many God has delivered me from, but I am a blessed man.
I could be wrong about her, but can anyone show me in the scriptures where it says she was a prostitute?
God says we are to love Him and our neighbors as ourselves, that seems to be where I am at this day and time. Could be the people, or person we are wanting God to swat, God is working a work in their lives the same as us. ??? And I could find myself fighting against God, and missing the point all together.
He is showing me I need to PRAY more, doesn't cost any money, don't have that much any way. :) James 3:17 tells me, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Think I will study the book of James more. :-[ About the tongue.
Joel
grapehound:
As to your very searching question Arc, I have this to relate:
During my last 5 or so years in Babylon, I was part of a theatre group. My last ‘assignment’ was to play the part of Peter.
I prefer ‘Method’ for this type of role. For those not familiar with this term, briefly , ‘Method’ is a style of learning a part, that is born of the film industry;
due to the nature of how a movie is recorded and edited.
It involves immersing one’s self deep into the character and as much as possible, living the person in your daily life. This sometimes can cause problems within the home and at work! Thankfully, both populations of those arenas already had me down as a nutcase, so the transition was a little easier than it might have been.
The production was a montage/facsimile of the Gospels, set amongst a rural community of peasants in the 19th century, Northern Europe.
I was hoping for the character of Jesus, but thankfully it went to a young man of far greater ability, whom claimed a bravura performance. Therefore during rehearsals, I felt honoured to be playing his Peter.
I thought I’d somewhat ’over egged the custard’ by using Method.
On performance night, I really did feel the weight of Peter’s denial and quite unexpectedly, when Jesus spoke the immortal line, “Do you love me , Peter?”, I folded into a whingeing, gibbering, snotty heap, at His feet and could barely say my lines!
Two people came to me afterwards and thanked me for “an earthy performance” ! However, I was still in ‘Peter’ mode.
I remember this ‘Peter’ replying. “That wasn’t a performance!”
I’m not sure, to this day, if they had a clue as to why I’d said it.
Strangely, Peter took a long time to work off, so strong is his person.
Today, there is still a little more than a remnant of him.
So in answer to your question Arc, in a word; Peter.
Grape
( I really struggled to compose this without sounding boastful. I’m not sure I achieved that, so my humble apologies.)
Deborah-Leigh:
Reading through all of your intimate experiences with the Spirit of God, working personally in your lives, shares with others to see how clearly God works with each of us in most personal and individual ways. I could not imagine the diversity, yet here it is contained in but a handful of replies.
If you had to ask me to describe how God works in the body of His Spirit He appoints to each of us, I can now see such different works He engineers with integral rarity of His gifts appointed to each of us. This thread that reaches back two years ago through a question Dave presented, contains yet again, the evidence our Father brings to us to show He is not far off, remote or distant to any single event or experience we are appointed to live. The beauty contained in each of your testimonies of how God is personally creating in each of you the myriad blessings that come from Him testifies to the detail God observes in His dealings with each of us. Which gift of God’s work is more gorgeous is like asking, which color in the rainbow is more beautiful? Each are magnificent and when they stand together, they represent a promise of our God as His Bow etched in the stormy skies of our lives and experiences.
Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Blessings
Arc
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