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[darren]

This earth is a beautiful place. It's just humans that make the world evil miserable. Not all humans. You must unplug from the rat race stop and look around at the beauty that God has given us to enjoy. At times I feel as you. I was told by a great man once before i go to bed stop to thank The Lord for the comforts you have. Such as the roof over my head, my bed that i  sleep on the pillows I rest my head on the heat in winter the a/c in summer. Lets not forget the ones that truly love you no matter what hell you put them through. If you have pets thank The Lord for them also. They love you always. Do this every night before bed. When you wake up in the morning getting ready for the day look yourself in that mirror and tell the Lord thank you for this day. Out loud, This will be a good day a positive day I will stop and see the beauty You have given me. In Jesus name I give thanks .Sounds weird but I try ed it for 1week everynight and everyday. What did I Have to loose. Hey Katrina took everything away from me except my love ones, which is all that matter to me so I gave it shot. after a week I notice a difference in my attitude, my out look on life was changing so I continue to carry on everynight,everyday. I still have my moments but not as often.
OH YEA It was Ray who said thank God for the everyday things you have.
Thanks,
Darren

[Headdy82]

Hi Jase,
        I can relate to how you feel. I think that a little piece of all that everyone has responded should help and be some encouragement for you. It is funny how we go through all these cycles of emotions. It is tough most times. I wil pray for you and that your spirits are lifted!
          Much love from your sister in Christ- Heather.

[adiamondintheson]

I was looking at all the little icons on here... and I think all the faces remind me of what I'm feeling as I read this thread.  I think it's one of the better ones that have been on for a long while.  The reason being... everyone goes through the same things.  It doesn't matter if we're rich.. we worry about how to spend... if we're poor we don't have that worry, but we then have concerns about a roof over our heads, food to eat, clothes for our backs.  If we are well.. we worry about maintaining our health.. if we're sick we worry about how to function in a world that needs us to function... about how to find relief from pain, etc.  This is LIFE... and we're here to LEARN all that God has for us to learn. 
The thing I find encouraging in the message is that... when we suffer, when we see our children suffer, we can look at them and say... God's got something IN this situation that he is teaching us... and we can take comfort in that because trials only last for a little while... and will benefit us if we just fall back into HIS arms of love and trust that He's in control.  My husband and I have found sooooo MUCH comfort in the things we've learned through Rays teachings.  We were lost for a while after he died.. "LIKE NOW WHAT"?  But we have a heavenly Father who teaches us through His spirit... and each day actually becomes exciting... wondering what's next.  I see Him working in my children.. (where as I used to lay awake in bed, stressing about them). 
I do believe the main thing is to LOVE each other, and know that God is working in us all... that's why we like BT's.... it's been quite a ride. 
Love you all...
Dennis & Connie

[Greatest I am]

Hello all,

Just wanted to ask a quick question in regards to how you all feel about your time left on this planet.. do you enjoy it? some of it? none of it?

Lately everything just feels likes it is getting worse and worse and I cannot seem to find anything good or anything worth even getting enthused at. I feel like every single day left on the planet will be nothing BUT misery.

I know in the end God will save the whole world but that seems like a million years away..

Let me give you two pick me up's to lighten your heart my friend.

As you can see, globally things are going quite well.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo

As you can see, individually things are also well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oww4Ap3YZA

Regards
DL

[darren]

There sure is plenty of misery on this earth. Then again we have these special moments in our lives. These moments make our lives bareable. As Ray always said by the grace of God. Sometimes i get overwhelmed with the amount of pain and suffering it makes me upset and sad. This is when i thank God for all theblessings He has bestowed upon me. Not just the love I'm souround with but all the thing we might not think of much. Electricity, hot and cold running water, the roof over my head and the bed i sleep in and much more. By the grace of God i  i don't live where i have to walk to a river could be miles away and carry buckets of water to a dwelling with no electric ,dirt floor, and living in real poverty. thanks be to God. My heart goes out for these people. Once again, only by the grace of God there goes me.

[Dennis Vogel]

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

"Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day... 22,000 children die each day due to poverty..."

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

IMO, this planet is one big cesspool of misery. Even the small percentage of us who escape poverty still suffer.

But there are an even a smaller percentage who live easy lives, enjoy their grandchildren, etc., then die peacefully in their sleep. Perhaps God puts them here for the rest of us to envy?

If you are called in this life then you will have to "endure" unto the end. But for a purpose:

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:

[Dave in Tenn]

Did Eve and Adam eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Evil?  I don't think so.  There's the knowledge of both GOOD and EVIL in the fruit.  I've seen happy poor people and miserable well-off people.  Which one is experiencing GOOD and which one EVIL? 

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Php 4:12  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Did Paul know only how to to be abased, hungry, and suffering?

I recognize that this life is an experience of evil WHEREBY to humble us.  But the same book talks about a good life...it just may be that having it ALL good doesn't play the same role in humbling us.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And he 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.
2Co 12:10  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.

Did Paul have the thorn without the revelations?  Did he only have weakness and no 'strength being made perfect'?  Did he take NO PLEASURE in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses?  Was he only weak and never strong?  Did he never rejoice, or always?

Isa 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.
Isa 26:10  Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.


Are God's judgments only evil/unfavourable?  Are they evil/unfavourable at all? 

Can favour be shown to the just, and he will deal justly?

Eph 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

I know we have just an earnest/down-payment of the Spirit.  But if we don't have so much as a little of all that, then we don't have so much as a little of His Spirit.  Abounding or abased, this is the character that God is or will be creating in us.  I just want to get onboard and yoked up.

Just me talking, but when I first came to B-T, it was a REBIRTH of optimism and faith from despair and cynicism.  My first thought on believing the Salvation of all wasn't "Thank God all these pesky other people are going to be brought up to my level."  Instead it was, "Thank God.  That means I'm going to be saved too."  That faith and optimism has waxed and waned over the years since, and been tried many times.  (Truth be told, a fair number of those trials have occurred right here on ye olde BT Forum.  Sometimes its been wisdom, and sometimes not.)  I just want to be right on the inside, no matter what the outside circumstance may be.  Man, even the world envies that.

 
 

 
 

[GaryK]

Understandable Dave.   My experience when coming to BT was more of a birth than re-birth. Like taking an old coat off (church doctrines) and sewing a new one to wear (seeing scripture in a different view and understanding). I think God likes human yo-yo's.  Since first stepping into the BT world it's been an up and down coaster.  Too often I do wonder if I'm the rock too heavy for God to lift.  But then again, I suppose to find the precious minerals one must split the rock.   The mustard seed parable is becoming more and more enlightening, and perhaps understandable. Many good things can come from something so small, but to be perfect, it will take an enourmous amount of time and pruning.


Dennis: 

"Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day... 22,000 children die each day due to poverty..."

We should be so thankful for the smallest of wonders like: clean water pumped into a  house, a house to live in, warm air in the winters, cool air in the summer, and on and on.  And freedom.

[Dave in Tenn]

Yes, Gary.  I'm also glad to be free of all that Christian doctrine...to the extent I am.  Every 'revelation' since then has added to that.  And every pull back to it has lessened it as well.

And maybe its cynicism creeping back in, but I hear familiar voices murmuring in my head reading your list of things to be thankful for and seeing the 'evil' side of them. 

No to pick on Jace, but he's a young man.  Lord willing, he'll have a longer life of opportunity than a broke-down old coot like me ahead of him.  Freedom FROM is certainly a great blessing, but freedom TO is better.  What is he going to DO about all the evil he sees?  I hope it isn't just 'feel', moan, blog, and comment on Yahoo news articles.