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Ruben's Email - It's So beautiful
Gina:
Haha, Dave -- you're so right. No worries here, my friend!
JohnMichael said:
--- Quote ---it would make perfect sense that God would reward the desires of the heart that are pleasing to Him as well because He's the one who put them there in the first place (Paraphrased: God works in us to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure).
--- End quote ---
Right - they originate in Him:
What do you have that God hasn't given you? 1 Cor. 4:7
...he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalm 37:4
Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26)
Very insightful, John. Thanks.
Gina
JohnMichael:
No problem here either, Dave :)
I was referring to when a person dies, the body returns to the dust from whence it came ["...for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return" - Gen 3:19], the spirit (breath of life; Heb: "ruach") returns to God who gave it ["...and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it" - Ecc 12:7], and the soul vanishes (sheol/hades).
When that person is resurrected, however, the soul returns (body + spirit), and the HEART will be in the same condition it was in when that person died - pleasing or displeasing (whichever the case may be).
Just clarifying :)
In Him,
John
Gina:
Thanks everyone for your input. There are a lot of well thought-out replies here and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them all -- more than once I might add - since there's always more than one layer when a thought is Spirit-driven. Which is what makes B-T's so interesting -- what we read here never gets old.
Alex: This scripture you pulled out helped me realize something I hadn't considered:
1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
Originally I was looking for what kind of reward it will be. But Paul makes it clear that a person reaps what he sows--if he sows to the flesh, he reaps death; if he sows to the spirit, he reaps life. (Gal 6:8 ) This is why I asked that ill though-out question in the first place: I was thinking receiving a reward meant having something to look forward to with nothing other than joyful anticipation and even expectation (because after all it was earned). But there are only two rewards and it's either death or life. I was way over-complicating it.
That was a mouthful. ;D
lilitalienboi16:
--- Quote from: Gina on December 07, 2011, 12:31:02 AM ---Thanks everyone for your input. There are a lot of well thought-out replies here and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them all -- more than once I might add - since there's always more than one layer when a thought is Spirit-driven. Which is what makes B-T's so interesting -- what we read here never gets old.
Alex: This scripture you pulled out helped me realize something I hadn't considered:
1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
Originally I was looking for what kind of reward it will be. But Paul makes it clear that a person reaps what he sows--if he sows to the flesh, he reaps death; if he sows to the spirit, he reaps life. (Gal 6:8 ) This is why I asked that ill though-out question in the first place: I was thinking receiving a reward meant having something to look forward to with nothing other than joyful anticipation and even expectation (because after all it was earned). But there are only two rewards and it's either death or life. I was way over-complicating it.
That was a mouthful. ;D
--- End quote ---
Haha, well that explains why I was unable to answer you! It seems the Lord was preparing you for the answer to come! And yes, I think you are right, if your heart longs for that which is spiritual than your reward will be something truly amazing.. I Know I feel that way. I Long to be able to love everyone and to never hurt anyone ever, to stand up for everything that is right and protect the least of these.
I know one of the gifts, or the gift, i look forward to is love. I've realized as I've grown in my life, that all that really matters is love. How much we've loved, who we've loved. Honestly... When I think of all the times I was hateful, arrogant, mean, impatient, negative, condescending, just anything that is hurtful towards anyone, especially my close loved ones, it just pains me. I'm so ashamed of that behavior, so saddened that I could be so mean and I've realized I really don't want to hurt anyone anymore, no matter who they are because time is so short, life is so precious, all that matters while we are here is that we love. There's no reason to continue this cycle of pain and sorrow, it's time to love. I'm starting to see that so much more and in such a powerful way. Seeing everyone around me as God's children and how I Just want us to be a big happy family makes me realize a lot.
Well.. thats atleast the gift in my humble opinion.. it's what I want. I want us all to be one big happy family and to be together forever. As cheesy as that sounds >.>
I watched an anime called "Angel beats" recently and they had the characters in it who were all really close in a family like way and I just thought to myself... maybe that's what it's like to have a big happy family and maybe that's what it will be like one day. I thought to myself, what a beautiful thing.
God bless,
Alex
acomplishedartis:
QUALIFYING FOR RULER-SHIP
WITH NO LEADERSHIP, MONEY OR TALENTS
This one is entitled Qualifying for Ruler-ship with no leadership or no money or no talents. I know a lot of people fit in that category. People say, ‘oh Mr. Smith, you teach and preach and you’ve got this site and you give Bible studies and you will probably be over 125 cities. I can’t do all that, I don’t have any talents… oh woe is me.’
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world (comment: that’s me) to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things (comment: that’s me) of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world (comment: that’s me), and things which are despised (comment: yeah and do they ever), hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not (comment: yeah that’s me, I’m a nobody), to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence.
You say, ‘how am I going to do all that? I have no education… I don’t have any money… I don’t have any place to entertain people… I don’t have a car to visit the sick, I’m sick myself. I’m old, I just learned these truths a year ago, I was already 75 or 80, what can I do? I’m an old man… I’m an old woman, how am I going to qualify for this, to rule the world… to rule the nations… to judge angels? How am I going to do that, come on.’
Well, how is he (she) going to do that? I’m here to tell you, whether you believe it or not, it’s possible to develop talents, abilities and character without having those qualities and talents inherently within you. They can be developed without natural abilities, without leadership, without education, without money, etc. But they can be developed!
Here’s how and why they can be developed. I don’t care if you’re a paraplegic on your back in bed, if that’s how you live, you can do this. Here’s why. Because of two principles.
1.) Proverbs 23:7--
(KJV) For as he (or she) thinks in his (or her) heart, so is he (she):
(ASV) For as he thinketh within himself, so is he:
(CLV) For as one who calculates within his soul, so is he;
(Rotherham) For, just as he hath thought in his own mind, so, he is:
And the second principle is this.
2.) Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
On those two principles, you can be flat on your back a paraplegic and you can develop character traits, virtues, fruits of the spirit, wisdom and knowledge so that you can rule nations. Likewise, one can meditate (think) and what he thinks then becomes what he IS. Not having money, education, talents, or possessions is no excuse for not being able to produce the kind of character and leadership necessary to “have power over the nation.”
It is in SPIRIT that we accomplish the things of the spirit:
No matter what your condition is, you can keep the law of God. Why? Because it is spiritual. It is in SPIRIT that we accomplish the things of the spirit:
We can pray in the spirit:
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…
The mind, “as you think…”
Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
It’s in the heart - in the mind - in the spirit.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, (comment: how so?) which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
It’s what’s inside that counts!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ALL DAY LONG?
So you become what you think about all day. If you think about God and His ways and His law, you can accomplish things, you can build things and you can acquire fruits of the spirit and so on. Because the law is spiritual.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true (we want to stick with the truth), whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS.
v. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, DO: and the God of peace shall be with you.
If you follow these instructions and you do what it says and believe what it says is true and you do them year after year, you are going to become like that, you know. That’s what you will become!
If you read your Bible daily and study them thoroughly and follow and do what it admonishes… think on these things… meditate on God’s laws… God’s ways… forgive everyone and love everyone. Follow and do these instructions everyday for the rest of your lives and you will BECOME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT! You will be ready to take on responsibilities in God’s Kingdom.
Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
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link: http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,11521.0.html (note, I copy and paste and cut a little between the writen so to just left the content that had to do the most with this thread, but the link is here anyway...)
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