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=> General Discussions => Topic started by: Deborah-Leigh on April 26, 2007, 07:02:14 PM
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I found a match.
Luke 3 : 17 His winnowing shovel is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His threshing floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished.
The fire that "cannot be extinguished" I do not have a problem with. This is Gods consuming fire. God does not change so why should His fire get cold or die out?
It is the WINNOWING SHOVEL! Now that is judgment!
Here is the match.
Matt 14 : 24 But the boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs distant from the land, beaten and TOSSED by the waves, for the wind was against them.
How is that for the winnowing shovel and the wind against them! I know just what they may have experienced as Christ has started to share with me the pain He felt through persecution. It is therein that I can know that He is with me, because of bad times...the winnowing fork of God or the waves.....know what I mean?
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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Arcturus, you are truly on to something here, for I know exactly what you mean! :)
Matt 14:24 But the boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs distant from the land, beaten and TOSSED by the waves, for the wind was against them.
This world is seemingly full of uncertainity and calamity abounds; however, we have faith. :)
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Unlike some, who are tossed and battered because their faith is forgotten and they are tossed to and fro until they sink. :(
1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
They beg and plead but God hears them not, for they ask not in faith.
Jam 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
But we as children of God through our faith in Christ Jesus, stand firm. :)
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And the trials of this world begin to fade to nothing, for by faith our focus is not on this world, for we "rejoice in hope of the glory of God." and the promise of his Kingdom.
Rom 8:31 ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? REALLY!! :D
Your faith inspires me, my dear sister. :)
Your brother in Christ,
Darren
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Alright Arcturus! You nailed it friend; great detective work (Mrs. Sherlock! ;D) Without that religious persecution and bad times and trials we wouldn't be quite sure if our faith was working.... I know exactly what you mean!
Yes Darren, I'm glad to know that those trials will help us to stand more firm with time.
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The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Joh 3:8
but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. Mat 14:24
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? Mat 11:7
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Mat 14:30
In the carnal state the Spirit (the wind) seems to be against us, though really it is God disciplining us by struggle and challenge...we are "shaken" and brought into humility. Without God's help spiritual matters are frustrating to try and understand, and living without God's spirit as our only true Guide and Comfort, is really like being tossed from one turbulent experience to another. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. One day however, when God is ALL in ALL, and we are truly ONE, in unity with God's mind and purpose, there will be a calm for all of us (the sea):
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mar 4:39
Peace,
Diana
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Thank you Darren.
The scriptures that arose to your mind that you shared, fit perfectly.
As for MY FAITH....well...it is really like this. When I wrote this post I was going through the most painful experience.
Thank you Susan for your kind and friendly fellowship. I know you too have been through a lot!
Diana, it will certainly be wonderous when finally we hear Our Lord say to all our trials that test our faith as gold....Peace be still! ;D
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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God Bless your heart Arcturus, I wouldn't have noticed that you were going through anything by just reading your post; but, praise God that you are able to work through this buffetting and that you are able to notice and accept it for what it is. You seem to be working it all out gracefully; I cannot say the same for myself at this point, although I want to...
Try and count it a blessing b/c, as you know, The Lord allows those whom HE LOVES to go through the fires right now in order to come through the next life shining as gold; like HIM!!!
Hang in there! ;)
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Hi Arcturus,
I like many others here will be praying for you.
You are a blessing to us with all your wisdom and posts.
I pray GOD lifts you up and holds you high in his heart.
When one of us hurts its felt in the forum we are all family.
God bless you my dear sister.
You are in my prayers.
God be with you always.
Your brother in Christ.
Randy 8)
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My valued brother and sister. How kind your words are! Thank you very much.
I can share with you that the Lord has shown me a glimpse, a tiny weeny example of what HE felt when HE was judged falsely and how HE felt when the people HE brought healing and blessing to, cried out to crucify HIM.
I can tell you, it was so painful to experience this emotion that HE has born upon HIS heart and body soul and mind for us ALL.
I feel very blessed that God our Father saw fit to make me ENDURE the experience I have been through. My flesh wanted to DIE because of the emotional pain BUT it has brought me a marvelous certainty that Our Lord has shared with me a most precious blessing of connectedness with HIM.
The thoughts arose in my mind during the consuming fire of God that if we do not repent through His goodness we will repent through the consuming fire. The second measure of judgment was appointed to me and He saw fit to keep me and bless me.
Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts for me and Our Lord that we share in peace and mutual comfort.
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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Hi Arcturus,
Thanks for sharing that you are going through a painful experience. Hearing you speak about it does bring a little bit more understanding to me of the betrayal Christ must have felt. He did have human emotions and I think we forget about that sometimes, only thinking about His power and strength.
My prayers are with you.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
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Thank you Kat.
I am through it....passed it....and came through :D ;D While I was in IT I was holding my breath as my tears flooded! 8) then the sweet sharing Christ showed me that nothing is in vain and He protects and directs all that happens!
This is not to trivialise what HE went through or to diminish that I caught a fleeting glimpse....if it had been more than fleeting I would have been undone :D ;D for sure....It just shows that HE know how to handle all of us and exactly where our break points are! ;D
Thank you for your precious words of comfort and understanding Kat.
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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Thank you Arcturus for sharing this with us.
May God be with you and comfort you in
your time of need.
You are in my prayers.
Iris
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Iris
We are all appointed a "time of need" as you say. My time of need seems to be all the time! ;D
I just want to explain what your post means to me. You see in Psalms 27 King David wrote the following:
vs 8 You Lord have said "Seek My face, inquire for and require My presence as your VITAL NEED.
In the margin of my Bible, and referring to this vs I wrote : As you Know My presence is your vital need, you step into MY Grace and flow of My Power. When ever you know this..."MY Strength is made perfect in your weakness."
So I guess you will see how much your kind words mean to me because your prayers for my comfort in my time of need are prayers for relief from my human condition and deliverance from evil until I reach perfection in HIS Spirit which is THE vital need of all humanity.
Thank you my sweet Sister for the heavenly fragrance of your sweet prayers.
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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Arcturus,
I too am going through quite a time. I have so many things coming at me at one time that it seems over whelming. In reading this thread, I thought about these verses....
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Daniel 3: 13-25
It seems the closer your walk with the Lord is, the hotter the firery furnance becomes. But as they were in the furnance, the Son of God was with them. Because they were faithful and did not give in to the flesh nor bowed down and worship any idols of the heart, this is what happend to them...
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:26-30
Look what happend when they were tried. Those who threw them into the fire were burned. When we are truly tried by the Lord, even those around us will be burned by our fire. I am waiting for the King's promotion. Praise His name.
In Him,
Dwight
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Not sure it will help or hinder, but 'winnowing' is a word, perhaps a farming term used to describe the way how barley so easily comes off the stalk - it winnows.
Also, barley is the first of 3 major harvests.
I look at it as God's first and most gentle way to get our attention. If that doesn't work, we go to the next harvest - Wheat.
Wheat must be 'thrashed' against a screen floor to remove the kernel, well at least that's how it was done back when. If THAT doesn't get one's attention, God has one more trick in the arsenal to drag (gr. helkuo) to Him and that's where the final grape harvest comes in.
Grapes must be trod under foot, well at least that's how it was done back when!
I've also heard about God's 2x2's 4x4's and 8x8's!
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Hello and Welcome Flipper. Did I miss your intro?, if so, I'm glad that you are here. Obviously your name is Phillip? Where are you from? One of my best high school buddies' name was Flip...
Interesting about the winnowing! I hope that I will only be in need of the first step in the process of God's work in my life, unfortunately, I know better b/c there will be times when HE will have to do some harsh work to get my attention!
Im looking forward tohearing more from you!
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Thanks Flipper and Welcome to the Forum. Luke 3:17 takes on a whole new meaning when you know what winnowing is. Very interesting.
Arc, I am so glad you are always uplifting and helpful, even thru your own trials. The Lord has given you much wisdom.
Our brothers & sisters on the Forum-family, have indeed their share of trials-so many have and are going thru so much.
Even tho these trials are in His Master plan, we need to love and support each other in prayer 24/7.
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Dwight
You and your family are in my thoughts often. It is always a pleasure to see your posts in the Forum. I share with you an appointment to trial coming up for me in the near future as do you regarding the May appointment for your wife together with all the other tests and conditions coming against you and separating you from what unimportant and gathering you into what is important! The learning is painfully difficult I can attest to that!
The Scripture you posted is a personal favourite of mine! It has left me the thought that once the King called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to come out, they left the flames and the King of Glory who was walking with them, to return to the realms of Babylon! I would prefer to stay in the company of the King, unbound and in communion with HIM and not come out of HIS consuming fire to be promoted in the earth kingdoms of man.
I think this is where we depart from the Old Testament into the New and where we are fed not with Manor from heaven daily but with the bread of life unceasingly in our walk with Christ as we walk in the atmosphere of HIS consuming fire without one hair on our heads being harmed! I believe this is the conclusion to which HE is leading us as we look ahead to those appointments that are as the fiery furnace into which our friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound to enter but were loosed once inside!
Let us rejoice Brother.
Peace to you and thank you for the post and the Scriptures you shared.
Peace to you and your family
Arcturus :)
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I thank Our Lord for you G!
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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Dwight, you included a very insightful response to the wonderful Scripture you posted. :)
You wrote:
It seems the closer your walk with the Lord is, the hotter the firery furnance becomes. But as they were in the furnance, the Son of God was with them. Because they were faithful and did not give in to the flesh nor bowed down and worship any idols of the heart, this is what happend to them...
I truly believe that your reference of "It seems the closer your walk with the Lord is, the hotter the firery furnance becomes." is where, the rubber (our walk) leaves the road (this world)
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is a wonderful example of faith overcoming physical trials. Their faith was so strong, that the flames and heat were as NOTHING! :) Less than nothing and here is why I believe this to be so.
Could Nebuchadnezzar nullify their faith in God, Could anyone? :D
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:37 ... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
We will only feel the heat whist ever our focus is not 100% percent on God. Let's look at what Paul asked again. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" The answer is simple, our own self aided by our self-righteous ego. ???
It is 'this' carnal self that feels the heat and persecution. But it need not be so when we walk with God. David felt only comfort when he walked through "his" deathly valley.
Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Likewise, did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego feel any discomfort? No Sir, they did not. :) I am sure when asked, they could have answered: "What fiery furnace!" :)
In conclusion, I would like to add that world will not change, for it is oneself, who through faith and the gracious love of God that changes. The trials, tribulations and fiery furnaces do not go away; however, they come as nothing. For the shield of faith will protect us.
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And we can indeed begin to live a glimpse of the life that is to come. :)
Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
With love....
Your brother in Christ,
Darren
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Likewise, did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego feel any discomfort? No Sir, they did not. I am sure when asked, they could have answered: "What fiery furnace!" Quote from Darren.
I can only agree with this comment if it was meant in HINDSIGHT compared to the glory that lay ahead and the promotions that were received once the fiery furnace was left behind the bound up abused and persecuted Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Like wise I think the suffering we experience in this world is felt like the furnace that is described that is spiritual. We suffer spiritually emotionally mentally and physically and this story captures the symbolic meaning of this for me. If comparisons are to be made then this is what comes to mind for me.
Hebrews 12 : 2...He (Jesus) for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
2 Cor 4 : 17 For our light, momentary affliction this slight distress of the passing hour is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an Ionian weight of glory beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all COMPARISONS and calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease.
Our trials or anyone's trials are felt and suffered and yes, AFTERWARDS yes they may appear as nothing as the Scriptures promise....but this AFTERWARDS is only once Christ returns to wipe away all tears. As for me, my trials continue and it is not funny or trivial but is a way into the Kingdom of God for the passage into the Kingdom of God is via our trials and testings and judgement upon the house of God now.
May be one day I might say...what trials....compared to the suffering of Christ! my trials are certainly as NOTHING! but still I feel my testing and my chastisements and I pray that I never rebel against my corrections that hopefully will diminish into nothing to bring me to the day where Darren believes that Shadrach Meshack and Abednego can say...what furnace!
Peace be to you
Arcturus :)
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Arcturus, my dear sister. :)
You wrote:
I can only agree with this comment if it was meant in HINDSIGHT compared to the glory that lay ahead and the promotions that were received once the fiery furnace was left behind the bound up abused and persecuted Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Like wise I think the suffering we experience in this world is felt like the furnace that is described that is spiritual. We suffer spiritually emotionally mentally and physically and this story captures the symbolic meaning of this for me. If comparisons are to be made then this is what comes to mind for me.
Please believe me when I say that I have no intention of dismissing the sufferings that you or any other have experienced or will experience. However, I believe with all my heart that Paul is speaking the following words for us today.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
I fully realize that all of man-kind is subject to all kinds of attacks, some to the very core of our being. .....Well maybe not. Not if we have Christ as our center peice. For we have been given the Spirit of Truth, which separates us from the world.
Jhn 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
So, seeing that the Spirit of Truth is in us by the grace of God, every persecution, trial and tribulation must take second place. We simply cannot serve two Masters. Neither today or in the future.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
This must be the comfort that David mentioned in Psalm 23:4. The Rod and the Staff of God did and will provide comfort. As Paul asked, who really can separate us from the love of Christ? Neither man, tribulation nor spirit can or will ever do anything against the truth.
2Cr 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
Arcturus, we must with all our faith, put the trials and persecutions of this world in their place, today. As much as they trouble our carnal body, mind and spirit; they must always be overshadowed by our love and faith for God. :)
2Cr 4:8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair;
Paul said it very well, we must put on the whole armour of God. :)
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
We are to do this today, so that we can be as conquerors through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Rom 8:37 ... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
These are my heart felt thoughts and I mean no disrespect to anyone.
May the love of God be with you always Arcturus.
Love in Christ,
Your brother in him,
Darren
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Darren
The scriptures you have assembled together reflect right standing with God!
Though Paul could write those words to exhort and encourage others to know and understand God he also claimed to be the WORST of sinners. I for one suffer weakness failure and am subject to the assaults of temptation that are increasing my patience and dependence on Christ who is our strength in weakness, hope in hopelessness and victory and confidence in expectation for HIM until He comes and delivers those the Father elects from this evil world.
I do not deny the promise and hope in the scriptures you have presented. These are the rewards for those who look with all hope and confidence not measured in self but in HIS victory alone.
I believe I am His precious work in progress. until The Author and Finisher of Faith returns again! ;D
Peace be to you
Arcturus :)
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Arcturus,
I am sure you speak for all who frequent this forum, at least of all, me. For I too share your shortcomings and know that I fail more times than I can count in a day.
Although I am yet a sinner, I know that God has a far greater plan for me than my mere mortal mind can comprhend. This is my comfort, along with the love of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, who died for all of mankind. I believe also that the following words of Christ, puts everything into perspective, in my yet carnal life.
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Truthfully and honestly, what more is there that is more important than this? :)
The answer may be far simpler than many realize: it is that God loved us first.
1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
I know and see that you are indeed a precious work of God that is yet unfinished. :) Thankfully, I can see that we are all part of God's precious work. For all that we have been given, are, feel, see, hear and taste; all he asks is that we love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and knowing that we are indeed temples of God.
2Cr 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Knowing this is such a comfort, living it is somewhat harder. All we can do is pray for strength and wisdom for ourselves and all of the bretheren, in hope that if one of us falls, that there are many others, ready and capable to pick us up again.
God has us covered and this for me is the beginning of the meaning of life.
Love to you Arcturus.
In Christ,
Darren
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Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
These are the very words our Lord said during His own passion toward us. Actually, I see both sides of what Arcturus and Darren are saying. On the one hand, no one who goes through these firey trials can say that they were pleasant.
Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Proverbs 3:11
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
No doubt about it, these trials and corrections from the Lord are very uncomfortable on the flesh. I have discovered lately that the beast in me is a monster with seven heads and ten horns, and will not go down to defeat easily. We all have in us these kindoms of the earth that Satan tempted our Lord with, and if we will just worship him he will giveall these kindoms to us The Lord will not stop these trials and allow these temptations of His elect to cease until we are transformed into His very image. Our flesh is weak, and Satan preys on that weakness. His commision is to destroy us and eat our dust (flesh). But...
2 Corinthians 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.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I think that unlike Christianity that preaches only Christ AND him crucified. The elect must live I am crucified WITH Christ. The difference is milk and meat. It is the called and the chosen. See the difference?
Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy
To be a partaker in Christ sufferings is not taught in Babylon. To fill up the afflictions of Christ in my flesh is so foreign to their teachings that we have never even heard of it.
Colossians 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
As Christ suffered for His body so we also suffer for His body and fill up anything that is behind. This all takes place in the dying of our flesh.
1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world
We not only suffer for Him, but with Him. We are buried with Him by baptism into death. But even through flesh and blood, it pleased God to destroy the one who holds the power of death....
Hebrews 2:14
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Through these trials and sufferings, we learn what He learned, we experience what He experienced, we know what He knows because through them, we become one with Him. Thus we share with Him, His death and resurrection, His life and glory, His ascension and kingdom We sit with Him at the right hand of the throne of God.
Ephesians 2:6
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
In Him,
Dwight
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Arcturus, Praise GOD for answering our prayers and delivering you from the valley so that now you may shout from the mountain tops that this too has passed and that HE WAS ALWAYS WITH YOU. ;)
I love hearing from each of you on this thread. You have been such a blessing and with your words of truth and enlightenment. Thank you.
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Dwight you wrote my thoughts exactly which begin to show that there is a premium on suffering and carrying the cross!
Diana thank you for your kind words of inspiration and encouragement. Precisely what the world hates me for I have experienced being loved for here in the Forum and it brings me much joy and comfort.
Darren....What counts is integrity above sentimentality for me and standing by your perspective often means being back to back on one side of the same coin! What counts is the value God brings in the scriptures presented that do not conflict or contradict but present deeper or more harmonious truth about the subject. All coins have a face . Of course the promise stands that we shall know God and it is therein that for me it is a consequence of knowing God that we will love God with all our all and He will be All in all. See what I mean? As Dwight says...he can see both sides....that is important and relevant.
Susan thank you for your prayers....the trials are not over yet though!...I am still not perfect in Christ yet Sis but I do desire to be.
Love to you all
Arcturus :)