Posted on 04/21/2007 3:04:58 PM PDT by Quix
ONE ANOTHER DEVOTIONAL CHRISTIAN CAUCUS:
Knitting a Conundrum: We are coming together in love, and to share the love of Christ, and therefore, even if we disagree, we need to remember to avoid things that are not said kindly and in love. Each of us holds our beliefs because we do it for the love of Christ, and even if you don’t accept the conclusion of a person, honor it by not saying harsh or hurtful things because it’s done to honor Christ.
Kind and respectful discourse. Avoid words that you know will cause a kneejerk reaction. If a person uses terminology that seems wrong to you, ask them to define it the way they use it, and accept the fact that it might be used differently than you use it. Together we can work on ways of discussing our love of Christ in a language we all understand.
Above all, treat others like fellow lovers of Jesus.
ONE ANOTHER DEVOTIONAL CHRISTIAN CAUCUS:
We construe that to mean—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PERSONALLY NEGATIVE will be posted to another FREEPER Christian.
Generic Biblical points, MINOR, essential comments about flaws of generic groups of Christians MIGHT--with hopefully rare exception--MIGHT be allowed but are NOT to be the focus or emphasis of this thread.
We seek the awesome possibility that this thread could be an overwhelmingly positive example of:
We call and challenge ourselves and other BELIEVERS IN CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR to respond to each ONE ANOTHER as posted for that day as though delivered from the hand or mouth of our Lord and Savior directly that day at the moment of first reading it.
By respond, we mean to prayerfully ponder it—FIRST—THEN type.
Ask The Lord where in one’s life HE would like to see that expressed more fully, earnestly, Spirit-led-ly, routinely.
Ask The Lord where in the FR Religion Forum network of RELATIONSHIPS it might be better expressed more faithfully as unto The Lord.
Share the resulting Spirit-born insights as led on the thread.
< If The Lord reminds one of where one has done well with that ONE ANOTHER to good effect in an individual’s life for The Kingdom and their relationship with God—sharing that in a humble, edifying way could be helpful.
Perhaps most redemptive would be a walking out of that ONE ANOTHER in a growthful, amplified way ON THE THREAD WITH ANOTHER FREEPER BELIEVER(S) with whom one has been less than ideally Christian in threads past.
Above all, let this thread more than any other prior— BE A VIVID EXAMPLE OF THE WORLD KNOWING WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER!
Accordingly:
1. Anything which arises out of our flesh nature—especially with a gritch, jab, tweak attached—particularly one designed to leave the other person one down and us one up.
2. Anything designed to/out of any motivation to shove our presumed saintliness and saintly perspective down anyone else’s, everyone else’s throat.
3. Anything which would detract from, sabotage the goal of a mutually supportive; mutually loving, mutually edifying CHRISTIAN CAUCUS thread. Anything UNloving.
1. Show ourselves and the world that we ARE CHRISTIANS by our LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. If the flesh is weak, ASK GOD for more umph in the love department before finishing typing and hitting POST.
2. Build other posters up; edify; encourage; clarify; support; affirm; BE KIND; be gentle; . . . be CHRISTLIKE in word, tone, deed.
3. Word things as you might during your most fervent courtship--to a young gal/man you were hoping to marry—i.e. attractively, winsomely, invitingly, maturely, responsibly--LOVINGLY.
It is evidently the case that a lot of us are struggling around the world . . . whether it be with life/death issues like VA Tech and Winkie Pratney [still struggling in a Korean hospital with multiple organ near failures, a potentially collapsed lung . . . ]; troublesome computers; struggling with ONE ANOTHER; struggling with the world, the flesh and the devil; struggling with globalism, globalists and traitorous politicians; . . .
Mercifully, Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden light. I'm still in kindergarten on learning that one. But I know it's an important principle to learn t cast our cares; our burdens on Him--even the burden of ourselves--onto Him.
One dear FREEPER sister has a son who's quiet, isolated, mocked and ridiculed at school. The VA Tech thing has alarmed her. The son appears to be out of the woods a present but has been in some pretty dark spaces.
Then there's the genuinely troublesome issues brandied about; sometimes flashed and slashed about on the religion forum. Where each poster presumes to have the more or less latest from Mr Sinai according to their construcio on reality and is more or less demanding that all other religion forum members join-up in-toto.
Yet, it is spring. flowers are poking out into the polluted air declaring God is still in His Heaven.
There is so much to grieve about . . . so much to rail against . . . so much to ponder . . . so much to shake one's head at . . . so much to pray over.
There hardly seems much space to recover before the next wave of something hits.
And the waves seem to be closer and closer together.
Folks, there's really no option. Today's verse did not come with an option.
OPTIONS:
. . .
1. ignore
2. obey occasionally to a slight degree when the sun is shining, the bills are paid, the kids are healthy, the crabb grass gone.
. . .
3. obey maybe 25% of the time when only the Christians I respect are around and watching and when I have energy to bother.
4. obey maybe 50% of the time when only the Christians I respect are around and watching.
. . .
5. obey maybe 75% of the time when Christians of my congregation are around and watching.
6. obey maybe 85% of the time when Christians of any congregation are watching.
. . .
7. obey maybe 95% of the time when I'm awake and reminding myself that Holy Spirit is within and I'm bought by His priceless Blood.
8. obey as close to 100% as Holy Spirit within me can help me manage as I realize that Christ paid it all and such is my reasonable thanks and service to Him.
We are called to be instant in-season and out of season. While too often the reality is that the cosest we get to that is our 3rd cup of instantcoffee trying to rise to the occasion of facing the day in any shape, form at all.
I think the responses to VA Tech have been . . . fascinatng, if not illusrative.
The caustic hostility toward parents on the part of some has been grevious. But maybe it says more about the one flinging the hostilty than it says about the parents.
Some Christians have been able to express compassion and understanding. I pray that grows, in capacity as well as in common expression. It is the least we can do for our Lord.
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I think we often forget about tests. Especially if we are beyond formal schooling.
But this is boot camp. There are a myriad of tests daily. We are being conformed to the image of HIS SON. Sometimes with cooperation and sometimes kicking and screaming and dragging our heels.
Will we LOVE ONE ANOTHER, or not.
Loving does not always mean agreeing. Principles are important. Perspectives are important. Truth in Love is certainly important. And, it IS TRUE that sometimes a loving 2 X 4 is the most compassionate and sensitive, even spiritual thing possible.
But most of the time, loving is what most people think is loving--kind, gentle, winsome, compassionate, goes down easily, agreeable in tone and attitude . . .
We have demonstrated on the religion forum a capacity to grow in kindness toward one another. And kindness is a great step toward loving, if not a component of loving.
But the temptation is so readily at hand and fingers to treat DOCTRINAL PRIORITY; our particular MAGICSTERICAL; MY particular construction on spiritual reality as FAR, FAR MORE important than loving one another.
But DADDY will have none of it. He declares, LOVING ONE AOTHER TRUMPS THE LAW.
PING for ONE ANOTHER PING LIST
Please let Knitting A Conundrum and Quix know if you want on or off the list.
Knitting, Please insure that Jocko Manning is on your copy.
Thx.
Sorry for some of the text glitches.
It appears that Knitting and I cannot exchange html formatting without modifying it or some such.
Spelling errors are my own haste and my keyboard problems. Sorry.
Please add me to this ping list.
Welcome to God's family. Stay in His Word and with His people...and Pray without ceasing.
In Christ,
Wiley
Peter speaks of this in this week's Sunday School lesson,
1Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
The 'fervent charity' is also translated as fervent in your love, or to love deeply. Man do we need that now.
In Christ,
PRAISE GODD!
Would you be willing to share your conversion experience and/or what led you to The Lord?
A huge part of me hopes you keep your particular denomination quiet so you don’t get pounded on by those hostile to whatever denomination that is, hereon! Though on this thread, we could keep that at least polite.
Am so blessed to read of your joining The Kingdom.
In these trying, dramatic times, there is no other refuge but Our Lord God Almighty; Christ Jesus, His Spirit.
Will go add you to the ping list.
Knitting, please add proudofthesouth to our ONE ANOTHER PING LIST, backup copy. Thx.
Amen, Wiley,
But could you operationalize it for him/her a bit?
I can imagine for many new believers, that would sound like a terrible, dysfunctional, impractical burden.
Love that word fervent.
Nothing passive or wimpy about that.
I think tooooooooooo many men have been victimized by tooooo many soap-opera women and what not in the media and movies . . . .
Love itself has taken on a wimpy, feminine aura.
While, actually, the fierce Love of God—especially vis a vis The Cross—is incredibly masculine—powerfully masculine.
And, it is the protective, supportive, fierce masculine Love of spouse and family that allows those parts of the family to function in a supportive, protected atmosphere.
I keep prayerfully pondering how I might comment on the GREET ONE ANOTHER WITH A HOLY KISS. LOL. I know some translations deal with it idiomatically, culturally—changing it to a holy hug.
Anyway interesting issues. LOVE IS NOT FOR WIMPS. IT COST CHRIST HIS ALL.
Thanks for your kind post.
Stay in His Word: Read the Bible. The Bible I take with me to church and the one I use to memorize is the King James Version. But, I use 8 or 9 different translations to study. Admittedly, KJV can sometimes be a bit confusing, so, just use the others to help clear it up. e-sword is an excellent and free software Bible that helps me a lot in my study. www.e-sword.net
Stay with God's people: Hebrews 10:25 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Also, you can be assured the the Holy Spirit is there...Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Prayer: 1 Thesolonians 5:17 pretty much says it all...Pray without ceasing.
Prayer: 1 Thesolonians 5:17 pretty much says it all...Pray without ceasing.
= = =
Great, Wiley, but I think you can elaborate better on the last part. What does it mean operationally? Behaviorally?
Do we walk 2 paces and bow our heads to the ground toward Jerusalem every 2 paces?
Do we go around muttering under our breath in tongues 24/7? When do we sleep, eat and work?
Do we say an endless loop of vain repetitious OUR FATHERS?
What do we DO, Wiley?
How does one pray always in balance, functional usefulness, etc. Is it a heart attitude? Is it multiplexing? How does it work? How does it REALLY WORK in the nitty gritty of REAL life?
Great comments, whether they’re from Q. or KaC.
I’d say more, but it appears Vlad has decided it’s too early to get up, after all :-).
Starting back in November and up till late March I went through a period of serious depression. The longer it went on the deeper it became. In mid/late March it got to the point where I became really afraid for me.
I didn’t want to go back on medication (had been there once and it was okay but not a permanent solution) and didn’t want to go to a shrink cause I knew what was causing it namely financial worries and lack of self confidence. Having to pay for medication/shrink (even with insurance it would have been a financial burden on me and therefore made my depression even worse) (and having worked with MD’s in the past they are now on my permanent s**t list.)
Anyway, I started thinking about going to church even though with my beliefs I was afraid that lightning would strike it but also figured that billions of people who believe in Jesus coudn’t be wrong.
One afternoon I got down on my knees at home and asked God to take over my life for me. That what I was doing obviously wasn't working for me. I laid out all my problems to him. I told him that I wasn't sure if he existed and that if he did that he could have any affect on my life.
I phoned a one particular church and spoke to them several times but it just didn’t feel like a good fit. The following Friday I happened to read the religious section of my local newspaper (which I NEVER, EVER read in the past) and there was an article about the church that I now attend. I figured it was worth a shot and I didn’t have anything to loose. Besides its within walking distance of my home and I like the idea of being able to walk to church.
I went and have NEVER felt more at home ANYWHERE. These people are SO VERY WELCOMING. So much so that a week later I officially joined that church and have been going every week. And a few days after that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.
I have started praying at least once a day and read daily devotions. I have a long way to go to understand God but am working on it.
Am I still depressed? It happens occasionally but I just pray and it TRULY helps! Never before believed in the power of prayer but I do now!!
To me, "Pray without ceasing" means the same thing that "situational awareness" means to a fighter pilot in a dogfight. The pilot is always aware of his surroundings, who's there, how he can react to a situation, and how his partners can help him out of a situation.
"Pray without ceasing" tells me to always be aware that God is there. He's willing to listen and He's able to intervene when He sees it necessary.
We don't have to "do" anything special. It's like talking to your best friend...because He is.
BTW, I do love working for Him!
One afternoon I got down on my knees at home and asked God to take over my life for me. That what I was doing obviously wasn't working for me. I laid out all my problems to him. I told him that I wasn't sure if he existed and that if he did that he could have any affect on my life.
Then I thought of what Jesus said...
Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Your faith and surrender seems much like a 'little child'. What a great start to your eternity!
I think you’re trying for a facetious tone here, or a pointed use of irony, but don’t you think we’d do more to build one another up if we avoided using tendentious buzzwords like “vain repetition”?
God, and only God, knows the heart. Only He can judge the value of any prayer, whether it uses many words, a few words, or no words.
Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
But, you're right too when you say...God, and only God, knows the heart. Only He can judge the value of any prayer, whether it uses many words, a few words, or no words.
Plus, his comments made me do a little more work for the Lord...which is always a good thing.
Wiley
P.S. BTW, I had to look up the definition of facetious...lol
Please put me on this list.
will do!
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