Some thoughts regarding... our indentity

[acomplishedartis]

The ones whom, belong not anymore to any church system, whom have compassion and real good hopes toward all humanity, and their main wish and desire is to live a more piety life, i have seen that it is hard to generalize them with an specific identity or naming. And that's okay with me.

    But, Whit what should we be related or which should be our referential?   
The word 'Christian' have gone way to big in significances, I guess we are just people making a hard effort and having much intentions to follow and try to imitate Jesus life.

    How does most of the people surrounding us see at us? Answers could be many..., like with rejection, respect, admiration,  etc.. But a better question should be: How does they (the people surrounding Jesus) used to see him? And from there try to compare our selves.
    And how do we see at our own selves? Humble followers trying hard? (I hope so), hypocrites?, failures? Very mature and spiritual giants?

Does telling people (people that surround us and that doesn't know much about us) about our unconventional theological founds and understanding will really help them to understand us? Hardly, because lets remember that same sentences can be able to mean very different things for certain groups of individuals. But maybe the ones that have some respect toward the bible will have more possibilities to understand us a little better.

If we see Culture as every expression of life on a certain group of persons
Then we kind of are having our own culture, our own way to interpret language,
there is great discourses taken from the Scriptures that hold us together
we have very different Values and also very different cultural statements regarding the bible

I know many of us here have had struggles regarding 'carnal family' relations. Personally, the paper of Ray called ''love'' has help me much.


    Since a few years ago I have had the opportunity to live in certain places very far from each other and also to talk and to read two languages. One main thing that I have learn from these, is to try harder to don't generalize (people and places) much (without enough evidence), and if possible try to don't at all.

For example: IF somebody (that we don't know much about) say to be from another country, then the only fact that we know for sure about these saying is that he was born in that certain region of the world and that's it.   
AND THAT'S IT? ...
  Oh no, because most of our busy minds don't work just like that. Because when we hear the name of that certain country we also have a tendency to relate much about what we already know about that certain country (which is usually very limited) with that person. And these is what I mean when making generalizations, judging simplistically, easily and fast.

   Don't get wrong on my example, I know that they are concepts of things and places that must remain quickly in us as individuals as our knowledge is limited, all I am saying is that I think that we all most try to be more careful when choosing, using and interpreting words and phrases and sayings. And the same goes when we try to show information regarding the bible truths that we know about. Because:

We want to say what we mean! We would like to show who we are, and give what we have to give!

And these is very Fine, but lets keep in mind that we will always have good chances to be misunderstood if we don't pay enough attention.

It's easy to generalize, isn't it?
The place
The name
The skin color, the race
The social status, the work, the experience, the hobbies and the income

Oh,
  and The place!           
But where we live doesn't have to say strictly, something about our characters
  The number of habitants and the general main ideologies from the country where we live I don't think that it describe us at all

How can somebody embrace a certain culture without diminish another ones?

What does defile us the most is our main believes, our aptitudes and wishes toward others and what do we think and hope the most of the time.

We are trying here to be grateful and content with what God have already give to us
And if we suffer, we should be encourage, because God is going to console us.

[Samson]

Good and informative Thread Moises,

                                                   Yes, We tend to Stereotype People, Places, Cultures based on limited knowledge and exposure. We have to keep in mind there are always individual differences before forming an opinion on anything. This is definitely true in our perception on different Scriptural passages and verses.

                          Take for example a basic and simple Scripture to us like 1Timothy. 4:10(the Savior of all Men, especially those that believe). To those familiar with the understanding We possess, it sounds straight forward and simple. Why can't people see this, sounds so simple and elementary to us, yet prior to learning about Universal Salvation, I used a translation(NWT) about 95% of the time that rendered the "All" as "All sorts of Men" and was taught that God desired All Men to be saved, but since He gave us Free Moral Agency, We might choose otherwise rejecting His offer of Salvation. Those were the spectacles or glasses in which I previously interpreted that Scripture, coupled By what I was told By My Religious Leaders. As a matter of fact, I didn't really do too much thinking about it at all, instead letting others do most of the thinking for me. I feel privileged that God saw Fit to share this understanding with me at Bible-Truths.

                                      Thanks for the Thread, Samson.

[cjwood]

 "...prior to learning about Universal Salvation, I used a translation(NWT) about 95% of the time that rendered the "All" as "All sorts of Men" and was taught that God desired All Men to be saved, but since He gave us Free Moral Agency, We might choose otherwise rejecting His offer of Salvation. Those were the spectacles or glasses in which I previously interpreted that Scripture, coupled By what I was told By My Religious Leaders. As a matter of fact, I didn't really do too much thinking about it at all, instead letting others do most of the thinking for me. I feel privileged that God saw Fit to share this understanding with me at Bible-Truths."

                                     

samson. your statement above is so bang on! i feel so grateful that God the Father saw fit to smack me up the backside of the head and get my attention, while also causing me to feel the heaviness of the ignorance i was believing without ever really questioning ALL of it. kinda like gibbs does to his fellow agents on the t.v. series "ncis".    and, it is always done out of love. by gibbs, and most especially by God our Father.

moises. your writings are as honest and humble as you are yourself. i am always inspired by you. thank you for posting them. traveling mercies mi amigo. 

claudia

[servias]

                           As a matter of fact, I didn't really do too much thinking about it at all, instead letting others do most of the thinking for me.

This is right on.  I must say I did not do any thinking of my own regarding the bible.  Thats what led me away from GOD (mostly due to my misguided thoughts of HELL and torture)...  Thanks to stumbling  on this site I can't stop wanting to read and discover more!  I'm now forced to try and interpret things I would normally skip by.  Its like I am starting fresh and hearing bible stories for the first time again but with an open mind (sorry didn't mean to hijack this thread...got carried away - what you posted just hit me)   

[Roy Martin]

Ouch! your post has humbled me in several ways. Thank you for sharing.

Roy

[Deborah-Leigh]

I got a warm and comforting impression after reading your post Moises, that God is influencing your thoughts, impressions, feelings and conclusions to conform to what is pleasing to Him.  Yes ~ The Kingdom of God is within, not without in the multitude of class distinctions, economic variables and among the thorns choked with cares,  riches and pleasures of this life, that bring no fruit of His Spirit to Perfection.

Arc

[soberxp]

How can somebody embrace a certain culture without diminish another ones?

we can!we!chinese

[acomplishedartis]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi.

I have decided to post a new subject on these old tread, well, it was just made these present year in August. The reason is because I would not like to make a brand new one just for these.

Some here on the forum know that I was on a long trip since a couple moths ago. --From south center mexico I took a bus to texas and from there I took a plain to NY in the beginning of August. I was able to stop by to visit friends and alike minders, and in one occasion I almost was able to met again with other very meaningful people that I met at the Alabama's conference.
  Then, in september I departed to the UK from NY, that was part of the plan since I was invited. Dave UK and her wife Karen welcome me gladly. I have been in contact with him since we met at the last year conference. Now at the present moth; november, I am back in mexico.
I believe I did a lot with very little. I still can verily assimilate these blessed past moths that felt to me like a couple of precious years to my perception.

I had many motives to make this long trip. Plus, since I still have many years ahead of me, I took these opportunity. In the UK I also was able to met more alike minders that behave very kind and gentle with me, and that also helped me out when they had a chance, just like Dave and Karen did. Dave is fortunate to be able to share the truths taught on these site with her. I was living in a small community and was very greatfull for the time spend there. Plus I had opportunity to go an admire many great landscapes in that nice region of the world.

So now I am back from where I departed from the beginning, and I am glad that I am not totally alone in my believes at these region of the world with such a nice template weather. Since I arrived I have been kind of busy, however, my mind is clear and running fast, I have been encoraged to hopefully keep on building an spiritual edifice.
One good memory of before departing the UK was a last meal-dinner reunion that we all had with another couple of brothers where we had a great time.

 Even so, some trials at traveling, that I experienced, I would not dare to complain. I keep on seeing over and over again, how everything is preordained and when good and bad things that have very little possibilities to happen, do happen to you, --you have more evidences and proves of this truth. Another thing that I have noted lately is how we seem to be able to advance or grow faster, under certain amount of pressure. And God knows exactly how much heat do we need.

I guess that I could entertain many of you with personal stories or as they call them adventures, but, I no time for it, I am still a young (and please I would not like to be looked down because of it). And as I hear before; 'to know that the God of peace will be with us' when we are thankfull with what we already have and know ''is what makes it all worth it.''
      By the way, I don't like the word adventure when talking about my trip, it feels to me as if I would just be going wherever the wind blows, looking for excitement, when these is not the case. Really, I am not a conventional tourist at all.


'' be constantly fleeing (taking flight from) these things. But
continuously pursue (rapidly follow and chase) fair and equitable dealings in right
relationships in the Way pointed out (justice), faith (trust; trustworthiness),
love, remaining under in patient endurance, meek and gentle sensitivity (mildness of
temper).''   Timothy 6:11

and how I wish these,

18. to be habitually doing good acts (working profitably), to continue being rich in beautiful
deeds (ideal acts; excellent works), to be liberal contributors (ones good with giving), ones
in community (ones who partner and share; fellow participants),    

At these region of the world, I hardly can see what is next. It is not a bad ideal to be rethinking the present
empty ideologies found at this present predominating society. --(this last saying; way too generally speaking, I know)

[Deborah-Leigh]

Dearest little brother in years, Big Brother in Spirit, Moises,

Your shared insights and experiences you have written, remind me of the love and affection that Paul had for Timothy. 

Your message makes my day, Moises, to see how much you have grown through the travells God caused you to experience in the UK.

To the Brethren of Christ, who served,shared, blessed and provided for you, THANK YOU!

Your sister in Christ
Deborah