THE INNER ROOM - "Learn and Grow - to Maturity". Please read the 1st Post.

[Bondman]

Oh, oh! I got something!

What I do when the enemy tries to lay guilt and condemnation on me:
Out loud: Thank God for forgiving me and making me clean and right with Him. Thank Him that my sin is buried in the deep part of the ocean with a sign on the beach that says "No Fishing!"
Do not address the enemy directly, all your focus should be on God. God deserves the attention. But say it outloud so that not only does the enemy hear it, loud and clear (no doubts!) but YOU hear it as well.

Mark said "Full throttle". I like that! Amen!

WHOO-HOO, Fluf, THIS WAS FULL THROTTLE TOO!!

Especially loved what you said about NOT addressing the enemy directly, that he doesn't deserve the attention! Only GOD does!! YES, YES, YES!!!

And speak out LOUD (if you can) - you need to hear it, as well as the Lord!!

Amen, Amen, and definitely AMEN as well!!!!!

 

[Fluffy]

 

[Soccerman]

Fluffy i love that! Might i ask were its from?

 

[Fluffy]

Go to Photobucket.com and you will find LOTS! However, I must warn you that there are some pretty viral stuff in there, too. Put on the armor of God before you enter!

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #109

RELATIONSHIPS - Part 2

... Continued from Part 1

THIS IS VERY PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS. YOU MAY WANT TO GO BACK AND CHECK OUT PART 1 BEFORE CONTINUING.

FOURTH leads on from number three: don't bottle things up inside. FACT: if you don't work out a way to effectively communicate with each other, then all of the hurts, and annoyances and anger and all the rest have to be pushed down and kept INSIDE YOU. Which not only is most unhelpful to the relationship, but this CAN ACTUALLY MAKE YOU SICK!!! Bottling things up inside is a dreadful thing to do to yourself!

I know how difficult it can be to face someone with what you're feeling. Most of us really prefer to not stir the pot, and many will do just about anything rather than this! Such as keeping it all inside. Sadly, it has to be said that this course is destructive and unhelpful to the relationship. God WILL give you the strength to help you speak the truth. And He'll help you to do this in LOVE. This is no guarantee that it will go smoothly. Nonetheless, He WILL help if you trust Him.

FIFTH concerns people who fight. FACT: there is barely a couple in the world who doesn't FIGHT from time to time. Seldom is this a very nice experience. Yet in many ways it seems to be like some sort of "escape valve" for the pressures that do build up from time to time in this most difficult of all relationships. Thus we need to sound off, get it out of our system, and later are able to come back together again (which can be enjoyable! *grin*)

The trick here is number SIX: aiming to do the least damage to each other by trying to "fight fair". What I mean by that is that we can fight "dirty", or we can do our best to keep it as a reasonably clean fight. Fighting 'dirty' hurts the other person so bad, and is a definite no-no cos it's SO destructive!! And again it takes BOTH PARTIES working together to manage to "keep it clean" - so TALKING beforehand about aiming to do this can be most helpful for when things do suddenly go all awry.

Number SEVEN belongs with six: if one person is able to step back, and even walk away this CAN help to prevent things from getting dirty. In 'walking away' though, it's quite important to do this in the right way - else trying to diffuse the situation like that may actually make the other person even more angry! Another thing that you should talk about when you're both calm.

Finally for today's post, I would hope that these rugged times may improve to become closer and closer to what we may call disagreements rather than fights! - with the help of our God, and because we want to PLEASE Him! Sound good?

Continued in Part 3 "How to Improve Your Relationships"...

- BM, with his bestest friend

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ​

FOR EVER AND EVER! AMEN!​

​

 

[Faithwoman]

Number seven belongs with six: if one person is able to step back, and even walk away this CAN help to prevent things from getting dirty. In 'walking away' though, it's quite important to do this in the right way - else trying to diffuse the situation like that may actually make the other person even more angry! Another thing that you should talk about when you're both calm.

Great messages on relationships.. the stepping back and even walking away and doing it in the right way.. that I believe is the tough one.. I believe well let me say for me.. that the fleshly side says.. man I am just going to stick in there so I can have the last word or prove my point or let that person know how much they hurt me, how wrong they were.. there is a word that I need to learn the defintion of and put it hard in my brain and that is forgiveness.. how does that saying go? you can forgive but never forget.. now really Robin! what if Jesus would have never forgot! think about that one Robin ( I am typing here to myself..lol)

Life is churning away..one day at a time.. am I being like Jesus would be? This morning, I am going to try a church here in my new home town. It is a beautiful day. . I have got to get it into my brain.. that life is short.. and whatever is hindering me from my walk 100% I have got to let go of. Is that easy? No.. possible? yes..

I hope you all enjoy today and have a blessed day!
Faithwoman

 

[Fluffy]

Awhile back, my hubby and I would get irritated at each other, but we walked away without sorting it out. But later, we would have fire call, and he would yell at me for something fire related, and I would yell at him back (also fire related) and we were good again. We got it out of our systems that way.
But now, I take it to God and pray about it, and He changes my perspective and attitude.
Hubby still yells at me on the fire ground if I've pulled a piece of stupid, but that's just being a chief.

 

[Bondman]

Great messages on relationships.. the stepping back and even walking away and doing it in the right way.. that I believe is the tough one.. I believe well let me say for me.. that the fleshly side says.. man I am just going to stick in there so I can have the last word or prove my point or let that person know how much they hurt me, how wrong they were.. there is a word that I need to learn the defintion of and put it hard in my brain and that is forgiveness.. how does that saying go? you can forgive but never forget.. now really Robin! what if Jesus would have never forgot! think about that one Robin ( I am typing here to myself..lol)

Life is churning away..one day at a time.. am I being like Jesus would be? This morning, I am going to try a church here in my new home town. It is a beautiful day. . I have got to get it into my brain.. that life is short.. and whatever is hindering me from my walk 100% I have got to let go of. Is that easy? No.. possible? yes..

I hope you all enjoy today and have a blessed day!
Faithwoman

Stepping back or walking away sure can be hard!

"the fleshly side says.. man I am just going to stick in there so I can have the last word or prove my point or let that person know how much they hurt me, how wrong they were.."

This is the 'flesh' alright! And we ALL do or have done what you related. IMPORTANT: Galatians 5:17 - the flesh and the desires of the flesh war against (are opposed to) the spirit, and the spirit is against the flesh.

Then consider this STRONG statement by the Lord God to each of us: Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. My personal preference here is to LIVE rather than to DIE, so I work constantly at choosing what is Spiritual, not what is of the flesh and according to the ('natural') desires of this world!

Bless ya hon, as you seek to go His way!

- BM

 

[Bondman]

Awhile back, my hubby and I would get irritated at each other, but we walked away without sorting it out. But later, we would have fire call, and he would yell at me for something fire related, and I would yell at him back (also fire related) and we were good again. We got it out of our systems that way.
But now, I take it to God and pray about it, and He changes my perspective and attitude.
Hubby still yells at me on the fire ground if I've pulled a piece of stupid, but that's just being a chief.

Now THAT really is an intriguing way to solve a major problem, Fluf! But who cares about the 'how' - it's the end result that counts, and you achieved it! *happiness*

Prayer to change my perspectives and attitudes? - yes please! I'll take that!!!

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #110

WANT TO BE HAPPY? (WHO DOESN’T!)

I’ve long considered the U.S. Constitution to be one of the greatest statements ever made by mankind concerning mankind (so please, there are NO negatives intended in this Message). I just received an email containing the Declaration of Independence and my eyes went to these so well known words:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I found myself pondering the thought that, "Our Creator endowed us with the unalienable right of the pursuit of happiness" - and was soon wondering if it is actually TRUE! *shock, horror!* First thought was: if you actually pursue happiness, will you find it? Hmm… isn't HAPPINESS one of those things where searching for it means you will never find it, but if you STOP seeking it, THEN you got a reasonable chance!!

Such as: seek for HAPPINESS via fame (look at all those who get into drugs, have 5 marriages, and so on); via money and possessions (even the very rich admit that money can’t buy happiness); via position and power (maybe satisfaction in some cases, but I sincerely doubt happiness per se); via relationships and love (figures like 40% marriage break-ups gives a very strong no to this).

Then I realised that a fair time ago I stopped pursuing happiness! Don’t need to!! Instead what I’ve done is pursue THE LORD for a lot of years, and in gaining HIM and HIS BLESSED SPIRIT I have not just happiness in my life, but astonishing deep-down JOY or JOYFULNESS. This is SO incredible, in that nothing in my life, no matter how bad or hard or traumatic, EVER AFFECTS MY JOY!! It's TRUE! Sure, my happiness can be affected temporarily - cos it’s more a superficial thing, isn't it? - but the JOY He's blessed me with IS ALWAYS THERE!!! YOU can have this same joy: it comes in the 'package' called the Fruit of the Spirit, along with other wonders like love, peace, patience, faith, and more. Galatians 5:22-23.

I must add here that, as always in our Christian walk, in order to fully enjoy the Fruit of the Spirit (which you already HAVE) the greater your COMMITMENT and degree of SUBMISSION to the Lord and the more OBEDIENT you are to Him, then the MORE those nine wondrous aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit will GROW within you and be more and more effective in your Christian life.

So the New Testament message is: DON'T saddle yourself to THINGS IN THIS WORLD like position, power, money and possessions, relationships, and things of that nature to get happiness. Instead go to our God in the SPIRITUAL REALM – cos He’s got JOYFULNESS for you there, to fulfil your deepest needs for this important part of your life! May your JOY be full!!!

- BM and his Love

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ​

FOR EVER AND EVER! AMEN!​

​

 

[Fluffy]

Hey ya'll.
Computer at home caught a virus. Be awhile before it gets cleaned up. Dont know when I'll be on again. Blessings to you all!
Later,
Fluffy

 

[Fluffy]

Did I say "A" Virus? Let me change that... we had 1,555!!!!! But now...is fixed! yay!

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #111

THAT NEW COMMANDMENT - Part 1

I’ve mentioned this New Commandment of Jesus’ before, but never done a Message on it. Which is incredibly slack of me because this is SO IMPORTANT!!! His New Commandment 'add on to' where He changed the Old Testament Ten Commandments into just TWO: the 1st where we LOVE GOD TOTALLY, the 2nd where we LOVE EVERYONE ELSE. In John Ch 13 He called this His NEW COMMANDMENT - then to ENSURE that we really 'got it' He REPEATED it TWICE MORE in John Ch 15!!

John Ch 13: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John Ch 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John Ch 15:17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

This command to us all is quite, quite NEW. And not complicated even one bit! STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE, He is instructing us that we MUST love each other, meaning that as a Christian Believer I am to love each and EVERY ONE of my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Do you think that we actually DO this? Well we better, cos He says that it's a COMMANDMENT to be kept!

God's COMMAND to EVERYONE in the world (whether they know it or not) is to love everyone else. If everyone hated each other imagine the chaos of THAT!! As it is we're NEVER free of war somewhere in the world where people hurt others, hate others, kill others.

HAS TO BE AGAPE LOVE!

Here lies a major problem for we who call ourselves Christians. We make friends and spend time with people who love us back. But this is NOT agape love. In the NT, God's love is always 'agape' (a totally GIVING love) and OURS must be the same!!! – otherwise it's NO different from that between two unbelievers!! AND THAT'S TRAGIC!! Agape (God's) love just GIVES and GIVES and GIVES – AND REQUIRES NOTHING IN RETURN!! Let me illustrate with a living example:

Most who know us seem to think we're reasonably okay people, and yet we have no friends left. Every Christian we've had in our life over the last 20 years has GONE! Mostly they just drift away, disappear, they just GO! Apparently without reason... It's quite astonishing! Of course the reason is our chronic ill-health!!

I remember a nice Christian couple who came to visit us a couple of times, which was SO incredibly lovely!! But at that point an UNWRITTEN societal rule (that almost certainly you will NOT be aware of) came into play: once they'd visited us, WE WERE SPOSED TO VIST THEM BACK! But we are too sick to do that! So quite subconsciously they reacted and responded to this - and they simply DUMPED US, without further contact!

DARE WE ASK: WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE? We've observed this sort of thing just about everywhere: it seems clear that WITHIN THE CHURCH there's a social climate indicating that we mostly DON'T truly love each other, and therefore we are BREAKING Jesus' New Commandment!

Continued in Part 2...

- BM and his Lady

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ​

FOR EVER AND EVER! AMEN!​

​

 

[Faithwoman]

Great message Bondman

Here lies a major problem for we who call ourselves Christians. We make friends and spend time with people who love us back. But this is NOT agape love. In the NT, God's love is always 'agape' (a totally GIVING love) and OURS must be the same!!! – otherwise it's NO different from that between two unbelievers!! AND THAT'S TRAGIC!! Agape (God's) love just GIVES and GIVES and GIVES – AND REQUIRES NOTHING IN RETURN!! Let me illustrate with a living example:

I will say that I am sure the totally giving love is what is hard for folks.. I have had to learn that.. that I am to give and give with nothing in return.. For most of the male/female relationships I have been in.. I have just wanted to be loved back.. I give so much of myself when I am in a relationship and then just yearn for that love back.. now what comes to my mind as I type is that if I was in the right relationship. that love would be there right? I mean look at the troubles folks have in marriages and such. and then they as a Christian and true believer are to just keep loving with all their heart.. now aside from these relationships, I will say in relationships with other people, I do love others and keep loving them.. Lord help me see if I am not doing that.. it has just always been the struggles in the one on one relationships that I have struggled with..
Your message was a great message .. and may I go forth and keep loving those folks in my day to day walk that could potentially want to change my way of thinking on that.. .. and Lord.. help me with those people at work.. may I continue to be shining light.
Hope you and the Mrs are doing better.

Hugs
Faithwoman

 

[forgivenWretch]

Bondman it is sad to say that man truly will never be capable of agape love. We are so wrapped up in worldly beliefs that they forever cloud our minds with muck. As a society man is totally blinded to true love.

Oh, there are those who come so close, most assuredly, but our human minds disallow us to fully understand what "agape" love entwines, and most of us would find it entirely too hard to put forth the effort required, to fulfill it's true meaning.

These disabilities for a Christian, are too many times, the cause of our falling away, but yet they, for many, are merely a stepping stone that carry us closer and closer to our ultimate desire to be Christlike.

Christianity is most definitely a daily battle that we confront in our strides as a Christian, and that is why we must surround ourself with others who hold the same values.

The highest goal as a Christian is to become like Christ! And even in church, as you stated there remain the "cliques" that wage against us. God tells us that the road to Him is not easy, that there are many pitfalls and barriers that will come before us, but the simplest desire of our minds can and will overcome these barriers, because we are not alone. God lives within us and He will guide us where ever we go.

 

[Faithwoman]

The highest goal as a Christian is to become like Christ! And even in church, as you stated there remain the "cliques" that wage against us. God tells us that the road to Him is not easy, that there are many pitfalls and barriers that will come before us, but the simplest desire of our minds can and will overcome these barriers, because we are not alone. God lives within us and He will guide us where ever we go.

Awesome reply... your whole reply was awesome!

Thanks for sharing!

faithwoman

 

[forgivenWretch]

Thank you Faithwoman!, but all glory is God's, which without Him, such words could never come from such a simple mind.

Be Blessed,

Wayne

 

[Bondman]

Bondman it is sad to say that man truly will never be capable of agape love. We are so wrapped up in worldly beliefs that they forever cloud our minds with muck. As a society man is totally blinded to true love.

Oh, there are those who come so close, most assuredly, but our human minds disallow us to fully understand what "agape" love entwines, and most of us would find it entirely too hard to put forth the effort required, to fulfill it's true meaning.

Absolutely right - man alone is incapable of anything remotely resembling agape. But the Christian certainly CAN truly love with agape - as His love IN us reaches out to others THROUGH us. Selfless giving love, requiring nothing in return!

To reach this point most certainly does require some effort on our part - but certainly NOT struggling-type effort. The way to this is rather via FAITH and ACCEPTANCE of what His Word says. I must add a note that when you struggle with constant illness this can be much harder than for those who are well, but seeing that I've managed it, then with determination I'm perfectly confident that others can also!

The highest goal as a Christian is to become like Christ! And even in church, as you stated there remain the "cliques" that wage against us. God tells us that the road to Him is not easy, that there are many pitfalls and barriers that will come before us, but the simplest desire of our minds can and will overcome these barriers, because we are not alone. God lives within us and He will guide us where ever we go.

Wayne, I agree with Faithwoman, and love this statement of faith also!

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #112

THAT NEW COMMANDMENT - Part 2

...Continued from Part 1

We certainly all need to be loved (and loved back). That's how God made us to be. It's perfectly simple: we all NEED love! But there are two important matters here: 1) Human love will never ultimately satisfy, only God's love will (more on this below). 2) For as long as we CONTINUE in the human pursuit of SEEKING LOVE BACK from people, we can NEVER hope to get filled with agape! We desperately need to recognise that agape is the only

.:: TRUE
.:: GIVING and
.:: UNSELFISH

LOVE that exists!!! All other love fails the test. Thus in Jesus' 1st and 2nd Commandments in Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus says we are to agape God, and we are to agape all others. Neither of these is human love, because such love will NEVER be up to this task.

So as a Believer, when you find yourself lacking the love that you need, please recognise that - THIS IS GOD!! That is, He is lovingly showing you that the ONLY love that can ever satisfy your longings is HIS agape (love). This comes via His Spirit. It is available to us all. What we need is to CHANGE OUR FOCUS TO POINT TOWARDS GOD rather than pointing towards people. Please have no fear on this: when we are allowing His agape to fill our hearts, THEN WE WILL BE LOVING PEOPLE WITH IT!! In fact we can then give and give and give - WHY? Because we are receiving the love we need from God Himself.

Does that mean human love is then unimportant? NO! We need this too. But it will FAIL TO WORK FOR US AND TO SATISFY US until we get that FOCUS right, i.e., for so long as we remain not fully connected to the Lord, and thus unfilled with HIS LOVE because we are not being FILLED WITH HIS SPIRIT. Ephesians Ch 5:18b be being filled (always) with the (Holy) Spirit. Pray for this! Ask God for it, and keep asking!!

IN SUMMARY:

1. A lot of the time we are giving out love to others and expecting or hoping for love back from them - but sadly the love we are giving as well as the love we receive is HUMAN LOVE.

2. This is NOT how the New Testament says that Christian Believers live. We have to learn how to give agape to others as described above - THEN we will neither expect nor need them to give any love back to us!

I know that may all sound, well, radical. And it is! But it's simply what His Word is saying to us if we'll LISTEN and then ACT upon it.

- BM and his Lady

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ​

FOR EVER AND EVER! AMEN!​

​

 

[Faithwoman]

Need help

In Romans 1:28 it states:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Can you help me with this? Why would God give them over to such a mind to do those things?


What does this mean?

Thanks
Faithwoman