Liberal Theology?

bobinfaith said:
I blue-lighted and in MM's statement red-lighted because these are excellent posts that hit me hard this morning after yesterday's worship service. Major, I'm sure you can identify with this.

What Via said in contrast to what the responses were is a great example of our growing in Christ. Yesterday I had my liberal theological moment before, during and after yesterday's worship service.

The flow of the worship service was sloppy! I won't go into detail but many things just didn't go well. Afterward, I asked the leadership to meet with me in the library and the first thing I did was apologize to them. In my inner cup I was so intense and frustrated.

We always prepare for God's blessings for the Sunday worship service and especially the measures of preventive maintenance. Unfortunately, it didn't go well.

As they were listening, I confessed to everyone that deep inside, I was so frustrated over the mechanics of the service after everything I did to prepare my part. I let down my guard and instead of it being about God, it was about me, after all my efforts, yet many things went wrong.

The liberal was God being there to allow me to figure this out, spiritually and Biblically. Then I was reminded in Job 2:10b, Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

After I opened up to everyone, thank God, they all understood. Then we prayed in accord and gave glory to God for His presence in not just the good, but also during the troubles we will endure.

I agree with crossnote. I personally find that it's not always about how much we pray, read the Bible and apply the application of serving God that everything will fall into place, it's allowing the Holy Spirit to set us free from ourselves, exposing our weaknesses when we do fail or when things fall apart. We have to be reminded from God, what is missing?

Things Happen. God knows this and as Lanolin shared, always pray, connecting and let God be God.

Through it all, Major shares a profound lesson and by the prompting of the Holy Spirit's help, Stop, Sit Down, Listen and Wait. It works!

God bless you all for your posts. It gave me much to think about this morning.
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My dear brother........I have had those very same days. I have given sermons and just knew that it was the worst thing I had ever done only to have phone calls thanking me for it.

May I tell you what encourages me and gives me hope.

If the church had been perfect in the first century, we wouldn’t have several of the New Testament books.

The Galatians we’re leaving grace for old-school legalism.
The Ephesians very quickly lost their first love.
The Laodiceans were lukewarm.
And the Corinthians? Oh my. Where do I begin with them?

Yet God used the faithful, imperfect, striving, in-need-of-radical-forgiveness first century church to turn the world upside-down.

So even when a church service does not seem to feel right to us, it just may be that it does effect others and It gives me hope.

Also remember Romans 8:28..........
"ALL things work for good to them who are called......"!
 
On one of my treasure hunts, I found a book by Gleason Archer "Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties" The introduction to the book is quite interesting talking about the inerrancy of scripture as well as infallibility of scripture. Revisionists try to hold that the bible does have errs in science and history, but not in theology, but the author shows that this position is mired in quicksand.
 
bobinfaith said:
I blue-lighted and in MM's statement red-lighted because these are excellent posts that hit me hard this morning after yesterday's worship service. Major, I'm sure you can identify with this.

What Via said in contrast to what the responses were is a great example of our growing in Christ. Yesterday I had my liberal theological moment before, during and after yesterday's worship service.

The flow of the worship service was sloppy! I won't go into detail but many things just didn't go well. Afterward, I asked the leadership to meet with me in the library and the first thing I did was apologize to them. In my inner cup I was so intense and frustrated.

We always prepare for God's blessings for the Sunday worship service and especially the measures of preventive maintenance. Unfortunately, it didn't go well.

As they were listening, I confessed to everyone that deep inside, I was so frustrated over the mechanics of the service after everything I did to prepare my part. I let down my guard and instead of it being about God, it was about me, after all my efforts, yet many things went wrong.

The liberal was God being there to allow me to figure this out, spiritually and Biblically. Then I was reminded in Job 2:10b, Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

After I opened up to everyone, thank God, they all understood. Then we prayed in accord and gave glory to God for His presence in not just the good, but also during the troubles we will endure.

I agree with crossnote. I personally find that it's not always about how much we pray, read the Bible and apply the application of serving God that everything will fall into place, it's allowing the Holy Spirit to set us free from ourselves, exposing our weaknesses when we do fail or when things fall apart. We have to be reminded from God, what is missing?

Things Happen. God knows this and as Lanolin shared, always pray, connecting and let God be God.

Through it all, Major shares a profound lesson and by the prompting of the Holy Spirit's help, Stop, Sit Down, Listen and Wait. It works!

God bless you all for your posts. It gave me much to think about this morning.
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Bob, it's such a blessing when used by the Lord to bless others. It's always like standing in a springtime shower in the beautiful outdoors.

I'm so thankful for the Lord's provisions and loyalty to His written word.

Glory to Him for all things.

MM
 
Via dolarossa said:
you have all so kindly gave me something to chew on whilst He works this out.

One interesting message that jumps out to me is this:


And the answer is NO!

so now please excuse me whilst I ask myself why…
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Blessedly, no struggle is a lonely endeavor. You have in your corner the Mighty and Glorious Creator of all. Don't fear stepping out into the wilderness even further. That's where you'll find out what you're made of. When you see my footprints out there, look for the Lord's, because I did some meandering about out there at time before I came to the realization of the extent of my spiritual makeup...or lack thereof. It's earth-shaking to us all when we see just how lacking we are. Remember what's written:

2 Corinthians 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.

That wasn't a message only for Paul of Tarsus, but for us all...especially those who have ever dared to venture out there into that wilderness.

Find a strong brother...a giant in the faith. Fellowship with him. Let him walk beside you, one who has the strength to stand in the gap for you. We ALL need that at times. We all have those barren moments in life, when we harbor doubts and self-degradation. Don't let the enemy fool you. When you are the Lord's, there's no power that can snatch you from His hands.

John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

He has that power over ALL His creation, whether your crippled, cast down spiritually, addicted...whatever.

Isn't that wonderful?

MM
 
My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities
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Yes, I was in my own strength, see, I wouldn't have known what that even meant last week for how lost I was, but I realise now. after some heavy journaling, that passage makes perfect sense. I think the struggle dropped, or something dropped , whatever it was its certainly freeing.
 
Via dolarossa said:
Yes, I was in my own strength, see, I wouldn't have known what that even meant last week for how lost I was, but I realise now. after some heavy journaling, that passage makes perfect sense. I think the struggle dropped, or something dropped , whatever it was its certainly freeing.
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Please realize I'm not making a connection between you and these others, or even myself, but I've seen similar difficulties arise in the lives of some I have known who dabbled in the liberal theologies from the various groupings and systems of thought. That's why this thread is most relevant to this particular grouping of experiences. After they embraced various of the rudiments of those systems of thought, belief and dogmas, they slipped into valleys of "lostness" and despondency of faith, whereby some plummeted into the depths of atheism, some into heretical liberalism, some into mysticism, and others into abject, stoic materialism, etc.

You know, they all seemed to have one thing in common...they all gravitated toward various of the ages old sayings, such as, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." I can't tell you all how much I hate that dogma. Other's slipped so far down the slope as to declare they were the proverbial dead horse I was trying to whip back to life. Wow. How easily some allow themselves to be overwhelmed with old maladies the enemy of our souls uses because they work so well where many are concerned. I dare say we ALL have or will find ourselves beset by such tools and weapons that tend to skeleton keys used to open our lives to them.

This and many other of the maladies found in the enemy's toy box trove of getting along in life all have the familiar smell of mustiness easily identified with eyes taken off the Master; remembering Peter, while walking on the water of life, above the waves...until he took His eyes off that One who sustains us all, through it all. That sinking feeling is a horrid reminder to us of our utter inability to tread those waters alone. Those waves can be representative of many problems in life, such as depression, spiritual emptiness, sadness, inabilities, life woes, weight from loss of loved ones, loss of friends, jobs, finances, et al.

What one answer is there to it all? Well, we all know that one...Jesus. My wife drug me kicking and screaming into watching the new series Chosen. As with all Jesus movies, they incorporated all kinds of ad lib fillers into the biblical gaps to create more narratives, which I hate. Had all those fillers been necessary for us to know, the inspiration for them would have been inspired, but they were left out for a reason. Anyway, there are portions that grab one with the strong emotion of desire for that day we meet Him, and to be empowered with spiritual stature and power in this life...at least, that's what hits me...so that I can become a more effective witness for Him. Then life comes crashing back in around our ears after the euphoria of Jesus film fantasies. Now we're back to reality where miracles are not so visible, silence is what our prayers seem to be met with, and that excitement of the new believers experience has long since worn away. THAT is the wilderness. Dedication to Bible reading and memorization only goes so far in retaining that zeal. Burn-out is inevitable...at times.

This is a point where the Power of the Most High shines the brightest. This is where we finally begin to see all those crutches we had crafted for ourselves from the religions of churchianity, busy-body activities, program-centered living, etc., etc. I know that I'm never alone, and I think you do to, vD. Knowing that all along doesn't always help, does it? The deep-seated feeling remains. Maybe not your experience in this moment, but it does at times hit me. The promises and the Spirit are what keep the air in my raft so that I don't sink into the waves. If you had the Spirit before, you had Him always...maybe not "feeling" His presence, but He was there nonetheless.

It's quite amazing how many activities we build into life for ourselves to try and hang on to the feelings of zeal with a death grip, but sometimes our grip looses its strength, and that zeal slips away from us. Growing weary of losing that drip, I cried out to the Lord for the real thing in the place of mere zeal. That's when I learned to always be careful for what you ask for...

MM
 
Musicmaster said:
Please realize I'm not making a connection between you and these others, or even myself, but I've seen similar difficulties arise in the lives of some I have known who dabbled in the liberal theologies from the various groupings and systems of thought. That's why this thread is most relevant to this particular grouping of experiences. After they embraced various of the rudiments of those systems of thought, belief and dogmas, they slipped into valleys of "lostness" and despondency of faith, whereby some plummeted into the depths of atheism, some into heretical liberalism, some into mysticism, and others into abject, stoic materialism, etc.

You know, they all seemed to have one thing in common...they all gravitated toward various of the ages old sayings, such as, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." I can't tell you all how much I hate that dogma. Other's slipped so far down the slope as to declare they were the proverbial dead horse I was trying to whip back to life. Wow. How easily some allow themselves to be overwhelmed with old maladies the enemy of our souls uses because they work so well where many are concerned. I dare say we ALL have or will find ourselves beset by such tools and weapons that tend to skeleton keys used to open our lives to them.

This and many other of the maladies found in the enemy's toy box trove of getting along in life all have the familiar smell of mustiness easily identified with eyes taken off the Master; remembering Peter, while walking on the water of life, above the waves...until he took His eyes off that One who sustains us all, through it all. That sinking feeling is a horrid reminder to us of our utter inability to tread those waters alone. Those waves can be representative of many problems in life, such as depression, spiritual emptiness, sadness, inabilities, life woes, weight from loss of loved ones, loss of friends, jobs, finances, et al.

What one answer is there to it all? Well, we all know that one...Jesus. My wife drug me kicking and screaming into watching the new series Chosen. As with all Jesus movies, they incorporated all kinds of ad lib fillers into the biblical gaps to create more narratives, which I hate. Had all those fillers been necessary for us to know, the inspiration for them would have been inspired, but they were left out for a reason. Anyway, there are portions that grab one with the strong emotion of desire for that day we meet Him, and to be empowered with spiritual stature and power in this life...at least, that's what hits me...so that I can become a more effective witness for Him. Then life comes crashing back in around our ears after the euphoria of Jesus film fantasies. Now we're back to reality where miracles are not so visible, silence is what our prayers seem to be met with, and that excitement of the new believers experience has long since worn away. THAT is the wilderness. Dedication to Bible reading and memorization only goes so far in retaining that zeal. Burn-out is inevitable...at times.

This is a point where the Power of the Most High shines the brightest. This is where we finally begin to see all those crutches we had crafted for ourselves from the religions of churchianity, busy-body activities, program-centered living, etc., etc. I know that I'm never alone, and I think you do to, vD. Knowing that all along doesn't always help, does it? The deep-seated feeling remains. Maybe not your experience in this moment, but it does at times hit me. The promises and the Spirit are what keep the air in my raft so that I don't sink into the waves. If you had the Spirit before, you had Him always...maybe not "feeling" His presence, but He was there nonetheless.

It's quite amazing how many activities we build into life for ourselves to try and hang on to the feelings of zeal with a death grip, but sometimes our grip looses its strength, and that zeal slips away from us. Growing weary of losing that drip, I cried out to the Lord for the real thing in the place of mere zeal. That's when I learned to always be careful for what you ask for...

MM
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You put it rather well, MM. that's my journey in a nutshell.I was annoyed that I couldn't be bothered doing hundreds of things, things I don't need to do, but just to keep busy... and annoyed I couldn't recall any bible verses. trying to hang onto that zeal I once had.
but sometimes our grip looses its strength, and that zeal slips away from us. Growing weary of losing that drip
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exactly...
that's what happened!
I wanted a big fat dream.... but haven't got one, and He hasn't give me one...maybe, like you say, it would have been a sham anyway.

so here I am, floored, but still breathing.

well, you know what they say???

those who sleep on the floor won't fall out of bed.

but what do I cry out to the Lord for? acceptance?
 
CPerkins said:
Great example bobinfaith

I hope personally to always be prepared to learn and hear God. It is easy to get to the point one feels they might know something well or all that can be known, but this is when one stops learning.
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Speaking of "liberal".....I see that the SBC has just elected a Liberal President.

The "Saddleback Church" where Rick Warren pastors and which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), has just ordained 3 women as associate pastors.

When questioned at the latest convention, pastors were told that there concerns were "much ado about nothing.”

That is very incorrect!

Right now my church is talking about leaving the SBC because of its liberal "leaning"! .
 
liberal teaching is in every denom. but not in every Church . i myself have never been a fan of Rick warren .years ago i did get his first book i think purpose driven church. i read maybe half of it i found nothing in it of value . i will state this again the Church has be the Church not just a Church so many make Christ the foot and not the head. jude 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

new age theology is not so new one of the greatest men in sbc org was Adrian rogers he preached the word of God if we had more hunger and thirst for righteousness . we would have less liberal teaching , old time preacher man use to say we have just enough oil to take care of ourselves . i have a full time job keeping my oil and lamp ready .
all this has been filtering in at a steady trickle for years. paul warned us of those wanting teachers with itchy ears
 
Via dolarossa said:
but what do I cry out to the Lord for? acceptance?
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What is it you want? What is it you lack? Our feelings are fleeting and fickle.

Think about it. When something just doesn't feel right in our bodily health, what do we do? Seek a doctor?

Well, I've done that, and most generally it doesn't work. What I needed was a diagnostician. Most doctors don't even try to diagnose a deep-seated problem that is affecting our health in ways we can't explain in ways that any physician can understand well enough to write the proper prescription.

So, what's your self diagnosis...if you have one? Think back to the beginning of your first belief in Christ, and the change within you that took place at the point of your new birth. What was in your mind and heart in those moments? What is it the Lord gave to you specifically that transformed your life? You don't have to speak it here for everyone to see. Think within yourself about that journey, and the feel of His hand clasping yours (figuratively speaking, of course), and leading you. There was that something special that enveloped you, as it has us all with hues of spiritual substance that's different for each one because we are unique, as is the way He created us all.

I once saw a movie that expressed so well what may be happening with you. Have you ever seen Nikki and the Perfect Stranger? In that movie, the guy playing Jesus hears from Nikki that the Lord is far from her because of her sins (as I recall). The guy playing Jesus told her to stop the car. When she did, he jumped out and walked away from the car to be further away from her. It was an object lesson that, even though she had sinned and just knew God was far from her, he was right there in that car the whole time, never demanding to get away from her while knowing her sin.

I'm pointing at that because it hit home to me at a time when I too felt He was so distant...and silent. I didn't "feel" His closeness any more.

vD, I found out what a lie that is. I lied to myself and everyone else. It's not about acceptance. Heck, if I could work my way into God's favor, I would be the greatest man who ever lived...even greater than Jesus, because He made it SOOOO clear that we can't work our way into His favor. None of us can. You know this. They know it. I know it. I loathe what a powerful force it is to harbor even the smallest morsel of a belief for works.

So, the question is, what are you beating yourself up over? Again, you don't have to say it here. Just reflect upon it. Admit to yourself what you're doing internally. Set your feelings aside, and let the TRUTH govern your admissions of His presence, His perfect Power, and that He fills the space in and around you no matter your awareness, or lack of awareness, of His presence. You don't have the power to cast Him away. Again, none of us has.

Remember that movie War Room. Oh, that too is such a pick-me-up when things aren't going right. No matter how we feel, getting down on our knees in that private place, and just pouring it all out to the Lord, using up that whole box of tissues, sniveling and shedding those tears...whatever it is. Pour out that cesspool of pent up frustrations, emptiness, barrenness...the very dust of the wilderness that fills the air as we flail around in our agony...it's empowering because it's all about Him.

When the enemy injects us with the deadening poison of lies and deceptions of God's distance from us, that's when YOU must go to war. Don't feel strong enough? Find a brother who will fight with you, strengthening your arms for combat. He can help you don that armor we've all been commanded to wear. Have you done that? Have you sought out a brother in the Lord...a man of strength, and who is seasoned in this warfare?

Yeah. That's it. Been there. Done that. Let God's word build you up. Psalm 91 is fantastic for that. There are many other sections of scripture as well. Stand...and then stand. You will be the stronger for it.

MM
 
Major said:
Via....I would like to give you something to consider. YOU have a "Conscience". Your conscience is a God given ability so that you can know right from wrong in all spiritual matters.

Your conscience is the lamp of God shedding lite on the dark path of life and it is the vehicle to which God speaks to all of us.

Acts 24:16.......
"So always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man."

However, much of the time we ignore the voice of God speaking to our consciousness and instead listen to our fleshly side and then we live in defeat always asking......"why me Lord, what did I do to deserve this?"

You see......when we ignore the voice of God speaking to our conscience, disobedience always brings judgment!

Let me give some examples:
God spoke to Adam and Eve and told them what NOT to do. But they listened to their flesh and ignored God and did what they wanted to do.
They disobeyed God and were troubled by it. WHY then did they hide from God? Their conscience!

What do you think made David cry out........."Have mercy on me O God- withdraw not your Holy Spirit from me".
He disobeyed God, listened to his flesh instead of his conscience.

My advice.......STOP, SIT DOWN, and LISTEN and WAIT.
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when all else fails, my default point, is a wise saying by Donald Rumsfeld.

"if in doubt, don't. and if still in doubt, do what's right.

Yes my conscience has been a reliable guide up until now, sometimes I forget, this simple compass is a gift of God too.
I know other people that don't read the bible. and they turned out alright.
so if all else fails, God has a back up plan hehe

thanks, as usual M.
 
Via dolarossa said:
You put it rather well, MM. that's my journey in a nutshell.I was annoyed that I couldn't be bothered doing hundreds of things, things I don't need to do, but just to keep busy... and annoyed I couldn't recall any bible verses. trying to hang onto that zeal I once had.

exactly...
that's what happened!
I wanted a big fat dream.... but haven't got one, and He hasn't give me one...maybe, like you say, it would have been a sham anyway.

so here I am, floored, but still breathing.

well, you know what they say???

those who sleep on the floor won't fall out of bed.

but what do I cry out to the Lord for? acceptance?
Click to expand...

I think vD has brought up a great topic. Our perceptions can indeed give to us ample indication of where we are in our lives in relation to the Lord.

Imagine a radio you use, and you use each day to listen in on the only station you consider to be worthwhile among all the others that uplift you each day. Now, as you are busy and doing things around that radio, you bump the mechanical dial, and it goes off tune from that most favorite station. You, of course, don't notice at first because...well, you're busy. In that white noise between stations, you've become distracted until you finally realize it's not there any more, so you assume, "Hey, the station went off the air. Oh, no..."

Get the picture?

The station, which never went off the air, was still there. We just weren't tuned in.

So, what causes us to misdiagnose the problem, and thus assume the worst? Perhaps the unknowns in life? Perhaps sin in our lives? Perhaps so many distractions that out hearts have gone adrift away from what's important to the Lord? Perhaps we're like Jonah, going in the opposite direction from where the Lord wants us to go? Perhaps we've put the Lord on the back shelf of our lives, therefore having taken our focus off where it belongs? ... You fill in the blank. You alone are the one whom the Lord desires to reach out to Him about your life, and where you are in Him.

If you reach out to a mature brother, or a woman reaches out to a mature-in-the-faith woman for someone to come up along side them to counsel with, and maybe even become accountable, that's the beauty of the Church.

As you can see, I love encouraging people. Building up others is a source of blessing that's unique in its qualities and content. Reaching out to others, many of whom don't really want it in this wicked, self-reliant, self sufficient culture of ours, is much of the time a seemingly wasted effort, but it expresses the very love the Lord wants us all to have for one another, and for those around us who are not His. I pray each day when I walk through the neighborhood, for the Lord to open up opportunity to share and witness, to build up, and be a blessing to those people out there. Sadly, so many are just like so many professing believers...self-absorbed; given over to the pleasures and indulgences of this world.

Blessings to you all, and have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend, and hopefully none of the groupings of ruffian, punk kids in the area will shoot mortars at each other as they had done to us one night we were in the city park in Harrison, Arkansas after the city firework displays. We stayed a little while to let our kids shoot off some fireworks when some of the local punks started shooting mortars at each other, with us in the middle. Those things are quite a bit louder and exciting when they go off just a few feet above your head after having been launched horizontally rather than vertically. Needless to say, we high-tailed it out of there...although it was somewhat amusing when a mortar went through the open window of one of the punk's car, exploded inside, setting off his other fireworks stored in the car, and hearing the exclamations in the midst of all the explosions and fire consuming what I figured was his parent's car.

Sometimes, wickedness perpetrated against others has a price to pay...

MM
 
Luke 18:1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, 21-22

16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. ... 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

What is all this? Good suggestions? Commands. Operating instructions? Admonitions? Rebukes?

Well, whatever they are, when I do them, life is a darn sight better, with more depth, more faith, which is demonstrated by continually going to the Lord in prayer, for all things we need, against all things that are against us, for the filling of what we lack, et al.

How do we pray without ceasing?

Folks, THAT is RELATIONSHIP!

Oh, how sweet it is!

Don't let any part of life, be it emptiness, distractions, job, business...nothing, but nothing get in the way of that relationship. All of life can be couched in prayer, keeping the Lord always in our thoughts through every situation, whether we sit in a board meeting among greedy business executives, church boards, the grocery store, family reunion, holiday celebrations, grand kids, ALL of life, lived in Christ and constant communication-relationship, THAT is the essence of relationship with the Most High. If you ain't got that, then FIGHT for its re-inclusion in life...if ever you had it. If not, then learn how to live it. Bible reading is all fine and dandy, but RELATIONSHIP with the Lord of our salvation...THAT is how we all grow daily, and grow closer to Him in order to receive what we otherwise could not.

MM
 
Musicmaster said:
Luke 18:1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, 21-22

16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. ... 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

What is all this? Good suggestions? Commands. Operating instructions? Admonitions? Rebukes?

Well, whatever they are, when I do them, life is a darn sight better, with more depth, more faith, which is demonstrated by continually going to the Lord in prayer, for all things we need, against all things that are against us, for the filling of what we lack, et al.

How do we pray without ceasing?

Folks, THAT is RELATIONSHIP!

Oh, how sweet it is!

Don't let any part of life, be it emptiness, distractions, job, business...nothing, but nothing get in the way of that relationship. All of life can be couched in prayer, keeping the Lord always in our thoughts through every situation, whether we sit in a board meeting among greedy business executives, church boards, the grocery store, family reunion, holiday celebrations, grand kids, ALL of life, lived in Christ and constant communication-relationship, THAT is the essence of relationship with the Most High. If you ain't got that, then FIGHT for its re-inclusion in life...if ever you had it. If not, then learn how to live it. Bible reading is all fine and dandy, but RELATIONSHIP with the Lord of our salvation...THAT is how we all grow daily, and grow closer to Him in order to receive what we otherwise could not.

MM
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What does all that mean you asked???

The purpose of the parable is to encourage Christians to persevere in their faith against all odds. But it also has two applications for those who work in positions of leadership. First, the juxtaposition of a corrupt judge with a just God implies that God’s will is at work even in a corrupt world. The judge’s job is to do justice, and by God, he will do justice by the time the widow is finished with him.

The second point is that only God can bring about justice in a corrupt world. That is why we must pray and not give up in our work. God can bring miraculous justice in a corrupt world, just as God can bring miraculous healing in a sick world when HE chooses to do so.
 
I have a gardening analogy..

Having a relationship with the Lord is like being planted in the earth. We draw on and rely on the Lord for sustenance. We cry out for rain. But we also know because our roots are in the soil, that we are grounded in Him..and our roots will go deep to find that water, so when there's a drought, we won't die. Thats the relationship.

For those who are new to the Lord, I think sometimes that relationship is like being in a plant nursery, in pots. Even inside a greenhouse The plants totally rely on the gardener for water and shelter and sustance, but they are only in the nursery to get to a good start, THEN they will be transplanted. They are not going to stay in their pots forever, because they will get rootbound and need constant watering, since their roots are only in the pot and they are not in the ground...and they won't grow very big either if left in their pot.
 
crossnote said:
The country boy must have dug real deep for that one. lol
Click to expand...

Chapter 3, page 23 of the book - "Old Sayings from North Alabama".

An example would be....."juxtaposition" of the 2021 College rankings will be that Bama is still ranked #1 =

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. ;)
 
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