Speak Your Mind 2

Musicmaster said:
What say YOU all from YOUR experiences
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That God hates my self sufficiency... haha.

True though.. it's something I can't get through. I have to "do", I have to be the "caregiver", not the cared for. I don't know how to be that, honestly, and I'm no good at it.

When I pray for other people, wanting nothing for myself, He is always there for me, too, without fail.
 
Chris1 said:
That God hates my self sufficiency... haha.

True though.. it's something I can't get through. I have to "do", I have to be the "caregiver", not the cared for. I don't know how to be that, honestly, and I'm no good at it.

When I pray for other people, wanting nothing for myself, He is always there for me, too, without fail.
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Hmm. The topic of self sufficiency seems to have struck something. I have a family member (not immediate) who once said, "I'm tired of always serving everyone else, like I was their slave." That made me wince. It forced me into some searching of my own thoughts and ways. It would seem easier to serve others who are appreciative, but much harder those who are not. That brings to mind the people whose feet Jesus washed. They were reluctant to let Him fulfill what was prophesied about Him, and in more ways than just that.

Where it's true that my aim in post #41 was spiritual self-sufficiency, you hit on something that drives home to us all a need for self-examination...to see to what level we're willing to serve others, even in menial tasks. There have been times I served others, but not with a glad heart, and it forced me to go into my prayer closet and seek the Lord for a needed change within me.

Why? Well, on the surface it may seem selfish, but I found myself wanting to be the greatest among others, and that to accomplish that, I had to be the servant of all.

Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Mark 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

There are those ambitious souls who climb over everyone else to try and become chief among them all, and then there are those who serve others without having to climb over others, having been made chief among them by the Hand of Christ Himself.

I prefer the latter.

Lord, help me to serve others with a glad heart, that I may honor You in serving others, and be counted worthy to lead.

So many ambitious people out there fail to realize what Jesus was saying. True leadership should be defined not so much as a position above others, but rather a function among them. Leaders must serve all others they lead. Those not willing to do that, well...they're vagabonds and scoundrels...rascals of the worst sort who make serving under them very unpleasant for all but their favorites.

Thanks for bringing this up. It ties in to something perhaps we all can relate.

MM
 
Musicmaster said:
Hmm. The topic of self sufficiency seems to have struck something. I have a family member (not immediate) who once said, "I'm tired of always serving everyone else, like I was their slave." That made me wince. It forced me into some searching of my own thoughts and ways. It would seem easier to serve others who are appreciative, but much harder those who are not. That brings to mind the people whose feet Jesus washed. They were reluctant to let Him fulfill what was prophesied about Him, and in more ways than just that.

Where it's true that my aim in post #41 was spiritual self-sufficiency, you hit on something that drives home to us all a need for self-examination...to see to what level we're willing to serve others, even in menial tasks. There have been times I served others, but not with a glad heart, and it forced me to go into my prayer closet and seek the Lord for a needed change within me.

Why? Well, on the surface it may seem selfish, but I found myself wanting to be the greatest among others, and that to accomplish that, I had to be the servant of all.

Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Mark 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

There are those ambitious souls who climb over everyone else to try and become chief among them all, and then there are those who serve others without having to climb over others, having been made chief among them by the Hand of Christ Himself.

I prefer the latter.

Lord, help me to serve others with a glad heart, that I may honor You in serving others, and be counted worthy to lead.

So many ambitious people out there fail to realize what Jesus was saying. True leadership should be defined not so much as a position above others, but rather a function among them. Leaders must serve all others they lead. Those not willing to do that, well...they're vagabonds and scoundrels...rascals of the worst sort who make serving under them very unpleasant for all but their favorites.

Thanks for bringing this up. It ties in to something perhaps we all can relate.

MM
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Is it weird that I can serve others but not be served?

That's what I have a hard time with. I love doing stuff for other people, regardless of who. It's like I was born to it...

But being served? Being helped? Not so much.

Maybe God just wants us to be able to do those things that in and of ourselves we can't do. It's here in this place we find our reliance upon God alone, rather than self...
 
Chris1 said:
Is it weird that I can serve others but not be served?

That's what I have a hard time with. I love doing stuff for other people, regardless of who. It's like I was born to it...

But being served? Being helped? Not so much.

Maybe God just wants us to be able to do those things that in and of ourselves we can't do. It's here in this place we find our reliance upon God alone, rather than self...
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If I may, I'd like to offer a counter-viewpoint:

We are sometimes served by others without knowing it, and even more profound, the Lord has and does see to our needs in ways we can't even begin to imagine. I'm not saying you're ungrateful or anything like that, but we sometimes get our perspectives out of whack in relation to the realities in how we measure things and people around us.

Does that make sense?

As for me, I sometimes get the impression I'm walking some path alone, and that's when I think upon Elijah's prayer that the man next to him on the ramparts have his eyes opened to see things as they are.

How does that relate to what you were saying?

Well, maybe if our eyes were opened to the treasures we have stored up in Heaven for serving others, we'd hop to it to keep serving so that we can continue heaping up more of that treasure that will never be stolen, won't rust, and can't be eaten by moth. I stopped doing the measure of what others do for me, and continue trying to serve them, and the joys of serving are so much more rewarding than what we can see with our physical eyes.

Isn't it amazing how different things can look when shifting about the vantagepoint of how we're seeing things? I know it works for me. That's why I mentioned the seat of my pants being so dirty from having to be kicked so often... That's just what works for me.

MM
 
Musicmaster said:
Have you heard the voice of God today?

Yes, I mean YOU. Have YOU heard His voice this morning?

Did you know that reading the word of God, THAT is one of many ways He communicates to us, speaks to us. While reading, have you not sensed and heard that inner voice confirming AND opening up deeper revelations you had never thought of before?

For emphasis, please consider Daniel 9:10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. When others ask, "You hear the voice of God?" Yes. Throughout the OT, the prophets said many times, "Thus saith the Lord..." Everywhere we read anything inspired from the Lord in the Bible, which is all of it, that's His voice.

Just wanted to emphasize that so that you can add that to your praise toward the Lord, in your Bible reading time, and your prayer time.

When I've been sick, I meditate upon the Lord in the sick bed, and His voice sooths the pain and discomfort. In pain, suffering, and praise that disregards it all, His strength has filled me me so greatly that the pain and suffering subsided into the backdrop. How? Why? Simply stated, His perfect Power is mightier than anything physical.

Some might say, "Well, I've tried that, and it didn't work!"

This isn't some formula or magic trick that works all the time. If His presence isn't alleviating the suffering and pain, according to His promises, then some self-examination is in order. Ask Him, "Lord, what is it within me that keeps it the forefront that holds back your Power from comforting me?"

Dear ones, remember that there is no magical formula for this. The Lord can and does show to us in many ways what is in our lives that grasps the suffering in us with a tenacity so that the Power of the Most High is rendered ineffective at the moment. In suffering we grow, or we succumb to it. It's a simple choice we make daily. I'm speaking from experience coupled with the word of God in its totality.

What say YOU all from YOUR experiences?

MM
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Why YES I have.

I was sound asleep this morning and I heard a BOOMING voice say .......... "Get Up, You have a Doctor's Appointment in an hour!"

My wife does that when she gets excited. Sometimes I think she has 2 adrenaline glands!

Seriousely..........I agree with MM completely. There is NO magic involved. No secret codes. No secret formula.

Open your Bible and start to read it. Be still, Allow your conscious mind to be open and then listen to your conciouseness.
 
Musicmaster said:
If I may, I'd like to offer a counter-viewpoint:

We are sometimes served by others without knowing it, and even more profound, the Lord has and does see to our needs in ways we can't even begin to imagine. I'm not saying you're ungrateful or anything like that, but we sometimes get our perspectives out of whack in relation to the realities in how we measure things and people around us.

Does that make sense?

As for me, I sometimes get the impression I'm walking some path alone, and that's when I think upon Elijah's prayer that the man next to him on the ramparts have his eyes opened to see things as they are.

How does that relate to what you were saying?

Well, maybe if our eyes were opened to the treasures we have stored up in Heaven for serving others, we'd hop to it to keep serving so that we can continue heaping up more of that treasure that will never be stolen, won't rust, and can't be eaten by moth. I stopped doing the measure of what others do for me, and continue trying to serve them, and the joys of serving are so much more rewarding than what we can see with our physical eyes.

Isn't it amazing how different things can look when shifting about the vantagepoint of how we're seeing things? I know it works for me. That's why I mentioned the seat of my pants being so dirty from having to be kicked so often... That's just what works for me.

MM
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Yeah maybe... maybe I am just sitting spinning wheels when I think I'm doing something, when in reality I'm just a burden, whether conscious of it or not. Self deluded into thinking I offered anything of value when I haven't.

I'm sure I've hurt more than I've ever helped..
 
Chris1 said:
Yeah maybe... maybe I am just sitting spinning wheels when I think I'm doing something, when in reality I'm just a burden, whether conscious of it or not. Self deluded into thinking I offered anything of value when I haven't.

I'm sure I've hurt more than I've ever helped..
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That's not what I was saying. I shared from my own experiences. You're sitting at a vantagepoint that isn't what I was driving at.

MM
 
I just heard a story of an elderly woman who, before passing on from this world, requested of her pastor that he ensure that there was a fork in her pocket in the casket.

Befuddled, he asked her why in the world she would want that.

She confided to him that while living at the senior center, they always told them to be sure and hang on to their forks for when dessert was handed out to them after the meal. To her, dessert was the best that was yet to come at meal time. So, she wanted to make sure she had her fork in her pocket for when she entered into Heaven because the best was yet to come.

What that said to me is that so long as we keep our eyes Heavenward, the things of this earth fade into the backdrop of importance since our reward is something we can always look forward to in eternity. Some may inevitably croak about the here and now, and how we're stuck here for the time being, and how there's no real value in looking Heavenward.

Really?

2 Chronicles 20:12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes [are] upon thee.

Matthew 20:33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

Sometimes we simply need to cry out to the Lord that He open our eyes, that we may look upon the hope we have with Him. When we stand in His presence, in that place of wonder and glory, the things of this life will fade away so quickly. Having something so wonderful to look forward to helps keep the things of this life in perspective.

Don't let anyone take that from you here. Put that fork in your pocket. Remember always that the best is yet to come...a best that will never end.

MM
 
Musicmaster said:
I just heard a story of an elderly woman who, before passing on from this world, requested of her pastor that he ensure that there was a fork in her pocket in the casket.

Befuddled, he asked her why in the world she would want that.

She confided to him that while living at the senior center, they always told them to be sure and hang on to their forks for when dessert was handed out to them after the meal. To her, dessert was the best that was yet to come at meal time. So, she wanted to make sure she had her fork in her pocket for when she entered into Heaven because the best was yet to come.

What that said to me is that so long as we keep our eyes Heavenward, the things of this earth fade into the backdrop of importance since our reward is something we can always look forward to in eternity. Some may inevitably croak about the here and now, and how we're stuck here for the time being, and how there's no real value in looking Heavenward.

Really?

2 Chronicles 20:12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes [are] upon thee.

Matthew 20:33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

Sometimes we simply need to cry out to the Lord that He open our eyes, that we may look upon the hope we have with Him. When we stand in His presence, in that place of wonder and glory, the things of this life will fade away so quickly. Having something so wonderful to look forward to helps keep the things of this life in perspective.

Don't let anyone take that from you here. Put that fork in your pocket. Remember always that the best is yet to come...a best that will never end.

MM
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Reminds me of an old Southern Baptist story.

It seems that an old Jewish man died. He was a millionaire! His wife went to the bank and took out 1 million dollars in cash and placed it in his casket so that he would be able to be well supplied where he was going.

The local pastor of the 1st Baptist church saw this.....took out his checkbook and wrote a check for the million dollars of cash and placed it in the casket. ...picked up the cash and left.

Keep that fork and the cash in your pocket......because we go out the way we come in.
 
Chris1 said:
Yeah maybe... maybe I am just sitting spinning wheels when I think I'm doing something, when in reality I'm just a burden, whether conscious of it or not. Self deluded into thinking I offered anything of value when I haven't.

I'm sure I've hurt more than I've ever helped..
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You be careful Chris1.....you are going to hurt your arm hitting yourself on the back!
 
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Major said:
Reminds me of an old Southern Baptist story.

It seems that an old Jewish man died. He was a millionaire! His wife went to the bank and took out 1 million dollars in cash and placed it in his casket so that he would be able to be well supplied where he was going.

The local pastor of the 1st Baptist church saw this.....took out his checkbook and wrote a check for the million dollars of cash and placed it in the casket. ...picked up the cash and left.

Keep that fork and the cash in your pocket......because we go out the way we come in.
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Instead of a nude beach, it'll be a nude cloud... Oh, man, I'm so glad He will put garments of righteousness on us... It's no fun touting a sword without wearing something under the belt from the chafing...
 
Dr. John Barnett said in a recent video that the Jews were called "Palestinians" up until 1964 when the world's mass media invented a whole new nation of people who had never existed. "Palestine" is nothing more than a Greek rendition of "Philistine." It was originally a jab at the Jews in the year 165 AD by a Roman who refused to acknowledge there would ever be an Israel. So, there is no such thing as a "Palestinian" people. The people the media today call "Palestinians" are actually mostly Arabs. For more information on this, see the following:

 
Oh, also, in relation to the post above, Arafat was actually an Egyptian. Go figure...

I don't know about you folks, but my having some heart issues has encouraged me to avoid what they erroneously call their COVID Vaccinations. The Israeli news found out that some preliminary research has found that the Pfizer COVID DNA shots (not vaccines since there is no virus in their shots) have been linked to Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) in men 18-30, and can be deadly if not treated. They've found that 1 in 100,000 people have developed the inflammation, usually after the second booster.

Article

So, we have a man-engineered virus released out into the world from China, with the media conveniently, intentionally touting a projected death rate in the millions within just the first few weeks, which never happened, but played into the power grabbing plans of politicians all over the world. South Dakota, which never did implement any lock-downs or mask requirements, had no greater infection and death rates that were out of the ordinary, which proved the lock-downs and mask requirements were/are not at all effective (only environmental suits protect against viral infection).

Doctrinally, what implications does this have?

Psalms 38:12 They also that seek after my life lay snares [for me]: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

The enemy of our souls are the only ones who can pull off such elaborate hoaxes as we see going on today. The fear this is all infusing into the fabric of people and society are the exact opposite of what is commanded in the word of God:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 12:7, 32

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. ... 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

It's never easy to live free of fear. My flesh trembles at times at the thought of what's happening today. The level of hate out there seems to be escalating.

Mark 13:8 For nation (ethnos) shall rise against nation (ethnos), and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these [are] the beginnings of sorrows.

See that? The Greek word "ethnos" used twice in that verse, isn't just a reference to a people of nationality. No. Ethnos is a direct reference to RACE. In other words, the boundaries of "race" are not defined by national borders. We all know where that leads...

Now, given that there's nothing new under the sun, it seems that today, fueled by Washington politicians and media, we all are now facing many opportunities to show love for people of other so-called "races" in the face of their hatred of you and me because of our skin color. I look white, even though I have Irish-Indian blood coursing through my veins, which brings up another interesting phenomenon - that acnestry.com website business, and a few others, are so far off base from reality. I think those are actually DNA collection entities moreso than actually showing your background.

My sister had hers done by them, and they showed no Indian lineage whatsoever in their report, even though we have documented evidence of 1/8th Cherokee blood at our level of documented ancestry. That they could get it so wrong proved to me that they are pouring all the DNA signatures into federal databases in order to get that "fingerprint" of everyone for reasons that...well, I'll let your own conspiracy machine do its own work...but I think the anti-christ and other despots in power will make great use of that information...somehow.

God is our King, and He alone has the power to shield us from the evils in this world, remembering, of course, that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the Church. We stand in the way of that man of sin coming to power and doing his mischiefs. Keeping my eyes upon Jerusalem, that is how I gauge where we are in the prophetic time table.

MM
 
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Musicmaster said:
Is that your answer?
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Yes, it's appropriate to your question. I'm surprised you are asking 'what does it look like? What is it? How is it defined?' If you were unchurched I would venture an answer, otherwise it strikes me as a carefully laid trap. I think you know the answers to your own questions. I was answering post #54.
 
Trap? Me? Do I really look that sinister?

No, actually, I have asked that question of others over the years just to see how they see "corporate worship." It's not always the same in different people's thinking. Some lump praise in with worship as if they are one and the same, which they are not.

So, I just wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter. Is that so bad? Why would my being "churched" or "unchurched" have anything to do with it; given that not everyone sees it all the same way?

Ok, how about this: What does worship look like when you're alone with God, and what does it look like in the corporate setting?

That should be less sinister sounding, is it not? Sheesh...

lol I just wanted your take on it, that's all.

MM
 
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