FOR WHAT DID PAUL VOLUNTEER?

[Deborah-Leigh]

  I forgive you Joe! 

[hillsbororiver]

Dear Arcturus,

Thank you for your forgiveness. 

Now perhaps you can put away the bitterness, wrath, anger and evil speaking and in its stead replace it with being kind and tenderhearted.

In the future please remember your own sensitivity when you feel challenged and respond to others that you disagree with in a more agreeable fashion.

That would most definitely sweeten the air within the Forum and help alleviate some of the reluctance of some of our brethren to post their thoughts and questions.

His Peace to you,

Joe

[dawnnnny]

Amen Joe
It was rather uncomfortable to watch the back and forth posts...
and its true, I'm nervous about posting something because what if I'm wrong or someone
disagrees?  I'm waiting until I have a little more maturity since I'm hurt pretty easily right now 
Blessings and peace to both you are Arcturus!!!   

[Deborah-Leigh]

If i could remember my own sensitivity AT ALL TIMES...I would be the NEAREST to Christ I have EVER been!

i desire to be near Jesus and if my presence here is interfering with others joining and particpating I shall step out into deeper proximity to my sensitivity. I shall ponder this solution.......

Peace be to you too Dawn

[dawnnnny]

Thank you Arcturus    

And I have LOVED your posts!  There are several who post here that I look forward to reading because I can tell how far along with these truths they all are, and YOU are one of them!!!. 

My intimidation comes mainly from just being new to it all and so its pretty much that carnal "not wanting to embarrass myself" ego thing...  but I know God's working on that! 

Have a great day and weekend!

Love,
Dawn   

[Deborah-Leigh]

Peace to you Dawn.

This scripture comes to me in response to your kind words of encouragement.

John 14 : 1 Do not let your hearts be troubled, distressed, agitated: you believe in God, believe also in Me.

I AM NOT TREATENING to leave!

I am pondering the accusation leveled against me.

It is amazing what Joe has expressed about me....not because it can not be true...it can very well be true.... but because there is nothing impossible with God.

HE can do ALL THINGS and THIS thing HE is doing has for His reason and purpose, got me involved. I know God loves me and he loves you all too.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[dawnnnny]

I seemed to have been given an appreciation of "words" from my young adulthood.  They always fascinated me, the origins, etc.  How the original word could change over years, etc.  Maybe that's why, when I did become a believer, I became one who just dug into the Word.  I'd read a lot of other Christian books about theology, etc.  I got a good mix of a bunch of different viewpoints for sure.       Which I'm VERY grateful for.  I guess when you see all perspectives of an issue (be it something spiritual or something so simple as a voter's pamphlet) it can be at first very confusing.  To me, both sides sounded valid and I feared I would never figure out what the truth was.  So years later I find myself at BT and seeing how everything is coming together, everything has built on all the things I've read in my life.  Its all very exciting..but I digress (I do that often) 

Being a lover of words in general, you would think I'd know better than to use words at times when verbally speaking would have been a better option       I've gotten misunderstood so often with emails to my kids if I was upset about something, etc.  No matter how hard I tried to be loving and cover what I felt about the issue, most times it wasn't taken that way.  It only took me several years to figure out that emails were NOT the best way to handle family disputes     thankfully, my family survived.

But I guess I just wanted to say, and I'm sure everyone has experienced this, that a lot of times the written word can be taken the wrong way.  You can take a sentence and read it several different ways.  I'd love to think of a good example right now but nothing is coming to mind.

I think its important to remember the wonderful fellowship here and to try to not take things too personally.  I guess to hopefully discern, by God's grace, what the message is and how it is given.  I hope when I'm ready to start diving in with things that I'll have that quality, that I won't get hurt by something written (hehe I probably will though), but that I'll get over it quickly    reminding myself that you are all brothers and sisters in Christ!

This isn't like other fellowships that I've visited, where certain words that were voiced or written, were like a knives stabbing me in the heart.  I feel safe here and I just wanted to thank everyone for that feeling of safety 

Love,
Dawn

[pylady]

Hi Dawn,

Thank you for that reminder about how easy it is to misinterpret what someone has written. 

"Truly I tell you today you will be with Me in paradise."   Hope that thief didn't expect to be in paradise within 24 hours! 

Your post reminds me to ask myself when I read a post  what the writer really intended to say, and what spirit it was said.  And, if I post, to ask myself am I being clear in what I intend to say (hard one for me!), and what is my motive for what I'm writing (to ask a question, to share something I've learned, to contribute a thought to a thread - all good motives to help each other spiritually). 

It's so easy to get sloppy when writing our thoughts, and then so easy to be misunderstood!  I truly believe many of our problems on the forum are simply misconceptions about what was said or intended.  Is our Father teaching us something here?

Dawn, thank you for your wise reminder.

Your sister in Christ,

                                Cindy 

[dawnnnny]

"Truly I tell you today you will be with Me in paradise."   Hope that thief didn't expect to be in paradise within 24 hours! 

Cindy!!!!  Thank you for providing that example that I just couldn't think of, it was PERFECT 

God bless you!
Dawn

[YellowStone]

Hi Dawn and All

Words are words, they cannot bring joy, peace or anger. They cannot make you smile or inflame you. They simply cannot.

Taking this a Little further, words being written such as I am writing now, are just as powerless. I cannot make anyone believe what I am writing. Oh, I could lash out and call someone a fool, but do you see that words know not what they say.

It is how each of us receives the words that emotions are attached. Each one of us is responsible for how we react when reading a post. It's not like, he so made me angry or she really upset me. It's not! It's I who allowed myself to take offense, or allow my feelings to become hurt. No one can MAKE a person do this and certainly NO words. Just ones carnal nature.

Yet, I see in this forum attack after attack, how rarely (but I do see it) are words of reconciliation written instead of harsh derogatory words; words and accusations that have no place in this forum. Yes, no place at all, and here is why:

Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.  

We are to always to seek peace and edification (clear understanding) in a way that is indicative and supportive of the Spirit that is in us. The Spirit and it's fruits should not be hid or tucked away. Neither should they be spoken of but not seen.

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.  

If any lives in the Spirit, let them walk in the Spirit and dare I say Talk in the Spirit. If this simple truth is remebered and etched deep upons ones heart; thoughts of vindication, and demoralizing words and actions will vanish forever, they need not be supressed; because they will be replaced always with the afrementioned fruits of the Spirit that changes lives for the better. Actions speak way louder than any word.

I trust all will take this in the spirit that it is written.

Love to you all in Christ,

Darren

[dawnnnny]

a big AMEN Darren!

[iris]

Thanks Darren, that was a great post!!


Peace and Love
Iris

[Sue Creamer]

Hi Joe,

Many thanks for the detailed reply to my question.  It was soooo informative and answered my question perfectly.  I did not realize the angels "watch" us...!!! 

Many thanks,
Sue Ann

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Sue Ann,

You are very welcome, I am glad it helped in your understanding.

His Peace to you Sister,

Joe