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

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Got this in my email and thought I would share it with you:

The First and The Last Mile
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I just finished jogging.

It's 7:12 a.m.

During the run, many revelations came that paralleled this
Mmorning's run to life.

There are two very difficult miles to run no matter how long
the run.

The First and the Last Mile.

I usually run five miles or more.

The first mile is the hardest and the one most missed.
You see, you have to get started to run the first mile.

It's hard to get started.

I have to get out of bed.

Those first few steps that wake a sleeping body
are part of the first mile.

They are tougher than the steepest hill.

You have a race to run, a course to complete,
or a project that awaits you.

You too have a first mile.; Aand your first mile is tough,
just like mine.

When I take my first step outside most of my run is completed.
I've accomplished the hardest part.

I've gotten started and stepped out.

The next few steps bring out the stiffness of your body as the
muscles stretch and your lungs fill with the crisp, cool morning
air. It's still dark outside and menacing shadows reach out
from strange corners.

Darkness creates a different, somewhat eerie world.
There could be dangers in the shadows, but danger usually doesn't
get up this early.

If there are any aches and pains,
the first mile will bring them out.

The greatest probability that you will give up and turn back is
in the first mile.

The vast majority make new year's resolutions each year.
Most have broken them at the end of the first two weeks.
The first two weeks is the first mile.

Miles 2, 3 and 4 are usually uneventful, but the last mile is a
doozy. There is something about the last mile that's a real
strain, and it doesn't matter whether I am running 2 miles or 10
miles. The last mile is a real strain.

And so it is with life.

To get started is a strain.

To finish is a strain.

The First and The Last Mile

What's your first mile?


~A MountainWings Original~

Bondman,
It made me think about my journey with Christ. It was hard to get started with being obedient and all. It was hard to take the steps needed to start maturing as a Christian. I will say the miles in between so far, were a bit easier, well I should say more peaceful.. but man every day we have to die to the flesh.

I continue to pray for those who have not even started with the first mile of faith.. there is folks out there just racing around in life like I had been.
I am so grateful for my journey now. I have found when I am home alone now I just blare Christian music to keep me alive. It is so much better than the quiet house, yes I turn it off when i sit down to read the bible and study, but when doing day to day activity, I am singing and praising away,, just like I sing, praise and give thanks for the IR!

Faithwoman
 
ERROR and APOLOGY

In Message #183 "Who Exactly Did Jesus Say WILL Get Eternal Life - Part 1" I wrote the Matthew Passage as being from Chapter 29. It's NOT: it's Chapter 25. (I know there are only 28 Chapter in Matthew cos two of my major verses are the last 2 in Chapter 28!!!) *hides head in shame!*

I've fixed them all up. Sorry guys!

Part 2 is one NOT TO MISS if you value your place in heaven!! - it will be up soon.

Jesus' love!!

- BM
 
Faithwoman, that was a great analogy. The Christian walk is not easy. Never has been, never will be. But we MUST GET STARTED, else we may easily leave it TOO LATE and end up missing HEAVEN altogether...

A GRATEFUL heart to the Lord for all of his love and grace He just loves. Being thankful, and much better, giving THANKS to Him, He also loves.

You are a blessing!

- BM
 
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PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY


MESSAGE #184

WHO EXACTLY DID JESUS SAY WILL GET ETERNAL LIFE? - Part 2

Continued from Part 1...

QUESTION: Is there an ETERNAL and CRITICAL message for you and me in the Scripture in Part 1? Have we totally MISSED it - even to the point of ending up on JESUS' LEFT HAND... on the way to EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT instead of to ETERNAL LIFE???

Are we EXPECTING - and even CERTAIN - that we're on the way to heaven, to live with God forever, yet we've MISSED A CRITICAL PART OF ENSURING THIS? Surely that can't be?!! (But you know HOW MANY TIMES I've stressed that becoming a true Believer is NOT easy! - and it sure ISN'T!!)

So have you ever read MATTHEW 25:31-46 before, that's in Part 1 - written to ENSURE THAT YOU'RE TRULY GOD'S, not just hope you are, or believe you are when you're really NOT! Because here are some of the things we're NORMALLY told that they claim will make 'DESTINATION HEAVEN' a certainty for us - starting from the 'simplest' to the 'least simple':

.. Believe in Jesus
.. Accept Jesus as your Saviour
.. Receive Jesus as Saviour and give your whole life over to Him.
.. Receive Jesus as your Saviour, and Lord over ALL of your life,

and they say that's it for you, but Scripturally it's certainly NOT!! Because in the Matthew Ch 25 passage we have another Scripture passage OBVIOUSLY OF THE GREATEST POSSIBLE IMPORTANCE - but which I sure was never taught!! Were you?? In fact Beloved and I only got a serious grasp of this quite recently (you really HAVE to be a 'Truth-Seeker'!!)

So what's this all about? JESUS IS CLEARLY SAYING THAT IF YOU SIMPLY DO NOT EVER CARE ABOUT: FELLOW BELIEVERS** (HERE, YES, BUT ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE MISSION FIELD IN THE POOREST COUNTRIES WITH POVERTY-STRICKEN CHRISTIANS) WHO ARE IN DIRE NEED OF FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, CLOTHING, ARE SICK, OR IN PRISON FOR THEIR FAITH, then you are in the GOAT GROUP on Jesus' LEFT HAND, AND ON YOUR WAY TO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT!!!!

Would you AGREE that this is A SHOCKER!!! (If NOT, then perhaps carefully read through Part 1 again...) What this all means for each of US right now is coming in Part 3, where another word is added to RIGHTEOUSNESS, to make perfectly clear we 'get' what righteousness really is!

**Jesus calls them "His Brothers" and so here He is clearly referring to our fellow Christian Believers. Verses and Passages elsewhere say we should also care for Unbelievers, but this serious passage says Believers are considered as "being Christ" and so are of highest priority.

Continued in Part 3 ...

- BM, with his Mrs
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THE RIGHTEOUS GO TO LIFE ETERNAL;
THE UNRIGHTEOUS TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.
WE MUST BE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE NAMED AMONG THE RIGHTEOUS!!

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Bondman,
Not sure if you saw this yet or not, but now talk about how people will be creative to help others.

check this out about helping the homeless. Of course with being in street ministry, I found the personal stories interesting.

Pimp This Bum!

Still working on my rooting of my home.. man this is hard!!!!!

Faithwoman
 
Loved a couple of the quotes on the video, like:

"If you can't feed 100 people - then feed just one." - Mother Teresa

Indeed!!
 
Preparing

Hey Bondman,
Just a quick update here. As you know I have been busy rooting through my house gettting things in order. It is amazing the pictures and little mementos of years gone by that I am stumbling upon.

I truly am taking this time to continue to get my whole life cleaned up and preparing for the day I go home to eternity.

My parents will be back from florida in April and I truly am hoping to get baptized in April! Last year at this time, I was preparing to give notice at my old job to come forth to the new beginnings that God had waiting for me. Each day I look to him now for guidance as to where he wants me.
It truly is about seeking him 100%.

I cannot wait until I go down in that water and the old truly is taken away and the new comes up! Even though with accepting him and living my life, I know in God's word it calls for us to be baptized.

Also busy preparing with Care-A-Van to head to NY city in April.
Also just so you know, you and the Mrs are now ministering in California!
Yep, the Lord led me to be praying and ministering with a gal out there!
My daughter was blessed to go to Disneyworld with another family. They took the train down from Pittsburgh, PA.. they were like on the train forever! she is loving it and God has been so good to her. The only expense she had was her spending money! Man God is good!

Have a super duper wonderful day!
So thankul, I have your messages and writings to come to .. they truly have made a huge difference in my faith walk!

Hugs
Faithwoman
 
California now, eh! Wow (and I haven't even had to leave the house yet!!)

Your tidying up sounds to be proceeding well. Keep up the good work in the human realm and the spiritual!

Reminds me of how the early church went around gossiping the Gospel! No wonder it grew so massively at that time!

Bless you heaps in all of your days!!!

- BM

Will be looking forward to that baptism!
 
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PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY


MESSAGE #185

Hmmm... (a Rather Surprising Verse)

Right in the middle of some quite serious teachings about bondmen/servants, Jesus said this: For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required... Luke Ch 12:48b. The King of Heaven is enunciating a very SERIOUS principle: that the servant must do his very BEST to be very WISE and wholly TRUSTWORTHY with all that his master gives and entrusts to him.

I was thinking about this earlier tonight. "Lord," I said with some passion, "You HAVE given me SO MUCH!! But how much have I given to you?" I was feeling like the unworthy servant that I am! I was feeling most concerned about how well I've REALLY done for the One I love with all of my heart!! Much will be required - even demanded, Jesus said. Whoa! It gave me much to think and pray about!

Did you notice: "To whom MUCH is given..." Here's a question: have you been given MORE or LESS than I've been given? Does NOT matter!!! Not one jot!! What DOES matter is what we've DONE with what we have been given! FACT: our countries have all the RICHES needed to CHANGE THE WHOLE WORLD'S POVERTY!!! And we Christian Believers have all the RICHES needed to START TELLING 3 BILLION PEOPLE ALL ABOUT JESUS!!!

So... am I doing the very best I can, or am I HORRIBLY LETTING THE LORD DOWN, by being so slack - and so uncaring of others? We've all been guilty of them, haven't we? Maybe you know EVEN NOW what you SHOULD be doing, and WHO you should be - YET ARE NOT!!

Do check back to the Messages about RECEIVING or LOSING our REWARD at Jesus judgment of our WORKS, and how MANY will totally LOSE THE WHOLE REWARD God wanted to give them!! TRAGIC!...

- BM, with his Love
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DO YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR REWARD IN ETERNITY -
OR BE TOTALLY WITHOUT IT? YOUR CHOICE!

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Prayer needed

Hey there
Happy Friday,

Can you all just keep me in prayer? Since seeking God and having him examine my life, there is so much cleaning up that I am going through in all aspects.

My mind has been wondering a bit to some of the "old" Robin ways and stuff and I need to remain focused on who I am in Christ.
But we all have days and I have had a few of them lately, especially today. Prayer is a powerful thing!

Hugs
Robin
 
Understanding

Bondman,
Remember when we were having discussion on Tithing and such?
and how the OT talked about the 10% of your first fruits? and how you have been teaching me and all to live in the New Testatment.

Today I got one of my devotional emails and it was:

Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
~ 2 Corinthians 8:12, NLT

The NIV is
2 Corinithians 8-15

8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.

14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,

15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."[b]

So just to let you know, I finally get it! yeesh took a bit. and when I looked at it and read in front of the verse and behind, like you taught me, I get it much clearer! I also understand that it is not only the giving of money that is being spoken of.
Hugs
Faithwoman
 
Hey there
Happy Friday,

Can you all just keep me in prayer? Since seeking God and having him examine my life, there is so much cleaning up that I am going through in all aspects.

My mind has been wondering a bit to some of the "old" Robin ways and stuff and I need to remain focused on who I am in Christ.
But we all have days and I have had a few of them lately, especially today. Prayer is a powerful thing!

Hugs
Robin

Wow, praying!!

RESIST the things the devil is putting into your mind. Ya gotta cut 'em off at the pass!!

James Ch 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Very powerful verse!! - but you DO have to RESIST the very moment the thought comes in! If you don't then you will almost immediately start turning in towards yourself, and the end result of that is a pity-party of self-concen and self-absorption.

Did I say, "Praying?" *hehe*

Much love!

- BM
 
Very powerful verse!! - but you DO have to RESIST the very moment the thought comes in! If you don't then you will almost immediately start turning in towards yourself, and the end result of that is a pity-party of self-concen and self-absorption.

Amen! Thanks for a great reminder! That is exactly what happens!

Faithwoman
 
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PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY


MESSAGE #186

DEALING CORRECTLY WITH THE SCRIPTURES - Part 5

... Continued from Part 4 "To Tithe or Not to Tithe - That is the Question" Part 1 is here.

Bondman,
Remember when we were having discussion on Tithing and such?
and how the OT talked about the 10% of your first fruits? and how you have been teaching me and all to live in the New Testatment.

Today I got one of my devotional emails and it was:

Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
~ 2 Corinthians 8:12, NLT

The NIV is
2 Corinithians 8-15

8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.

14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,

15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."[b]

So just to let you know, I finally get it! yeesh took a bit. and when I looked at it and read in front of the verse and behind, like you taught me, I get it much clearer! I also understand that it is not only the giving of money that is being spoken of.

Hugs

Faithwoman

Oh, how wonderful, hon!! "Thankyou, Lord Jesus!!"

KEEP THE SCRIPTURES IN CONTEXT!

I normally just can't write the BEFORE and AFTER verses in Messages, which is a shame - but it makes them much too long, and people in general are not going to wade through long Scripture passages.

So what you did is GREAT!! PUT IT IN CONTEXT!!! Yessir!!!

But in Messages I am prepared to quote just a single verse - ONLY cos I know that what it's saying 'ALONE' is the SAME as what it says IN CONTEXT, if you see what I mean. But if I was discipling/mentoring someone personally, we'd be looking at the contexual verses just like you quoted!

THE HOLY SPIRIT ALONE CAN REVEAL GOD'S WORD TO US

I don't know if you realise this also: when we suddenly 'get' something, THIS IS HOLY SPIRIT REVELATION. FACT: we can understand NOTHING - until He 'highlights' it, and brings us to REVELATION and UNDERSTANDING! Until then either we don't seem to even SEE it, or else it is just head knowledge, not really affecting our heart and spirit at all.

Thus, after 5 decades of reading the Word, I will still SUDDENLY 'see' something I've missed all those years! This has happened this year more than once!!

I love all this cos what it means is that THERE IS NO END TO GOD'S WORD!! Study it for 950 years and there's still so much still to go!! There is NO OTHER BOOK on this earth even vaguely resembling that!!!

As for giving, Paul saying to his friends who he was leaving: Acts Ch 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

Indeed!!

- BM, with his Lady
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GOD'S WORD IS SUCH A BLESSING! STUDY IT WELL!

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if you see what I mean. But if I was discipling/mentoring someone personally, we'd be looking at the contexual verses just like you quoted!

that sounds well... if you are teaching Scripture to a group of people, do you read long passages aloud for them to get them to context? I have found that people often find it boring:( and they do not pay much attention to that.

How do you deal with this?

Thanks:cool:
 
if you see what I mean. But if I was discipling/mentoring someone personally, we'd be looking at the contexual verses just like you quoted!

that sounds well... if you are teaching Scripture to a group of people, do you read long passages aloud for them to get them to context? I have found that people often find it boring:( and they do not pay much attention to that.

How do you deal with this?

Thanks:cool:

Hi Johana! I'm sure you're right about reading round a group. Pretty similar to writing a long passage in a message!

What I was thinking of when I said discipling/mentoring was one-on-one, where we'd be looking at the verses/passage together, and normally there's no problem.

Furthermore if I'm working with someone like that they will be serious about the Lord and about growing and about learning the Word - or I won't be working with them! Thus again not a problem.

To be certain what one NT verse is really saying, often you only need a few verses up (and maybe down as well). I will most often read MORE than that to ENSURE context is right, but then you can often prune it down to not too many verses.

If I was discipling a group, I'd most likely get each one to read a verse round the circle - to help keep them focused (awake!) Or (because I'm a trained teacher!) I may read one verse, ask what it means, or ask just a pertinent question about the verse such as 'what does that say about giving?' - and proceed that way to hold interest.

Finally, unless a verse or passage is going to be of interest, and apparently of 'value' to any particular person, they're unlikely to be very focused. I remember kids I taught years ago who we got saved via after-school meetings, and I then discipled these as a group. They came because they WANTED to! I used a simple translation (another tip), and because these 10 and 11 yr olds were SERIOUS ABOUT THE LORD there was never a problem with them.

Hope maybe some help there!

Blessings!

- BM
 
As for giving, Paul saying to his friends who he was leaving: Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

Amen, we were on the streets today giving and it truly was a blessing. Bondman, it is sad to see, just as my own walk was sad at one time, that even though I knew Jesus, how I had continued to live the way I did. There were some hurting souls today that truly have known Christ back have back slidden. One being a father who was a drug dealer and alcohol problems, his young daughter came to the bus to get food since he was on house arrest. I walked her home and he was outside and we had a nice chat.

He has the love of Jesus, but the bondage is so great on him, he knows it all, we talked about resisting the devil and he shall flee, we talked about Christ dying on the cross, it was a very uplifting conversation. As I left him, there was another woman walking down the street whose husband died 2 years ago today, she was crying tears.. We hugged right there and prayed.

Lots of more stories from the streets today. When I was done, I made sure to stop and pay my bills on time today to be obedient with what I was blessed with and to keep taking care of all .. my health, my money, but most of all my day to day spiritual walk. Yes, God supported the weak today, not me, but Christ within me... (note.. I now do know where ALL CREDIT IS DUE! Praise the Lord!

Faithwoman:):groupray:
 
Yes, it's all about Him, isn't it? Not me. I try to do it=failure. I do my very best to let Him use me=a chance of good results.
 
Joana, I'm sorry that I didn't notice that you are from Prague. Wow! Great to have you here, sharing with us!

I notice God's_Child sent you a Visitor Message, so that's Sisters from the Czech Republic and Russia we have here!! I wonder if any other nations??

Love in Jesus to you!

- BM
 
Goodness! I can't believe that I just posted two parts of a message that belong together - and would you believe that one went here, and the next was on the next page!! *grrr...*

Anyway I've fixed it via this (rather irrelevant) post *smile!* - at the moment without a sig for some reason. Never noticed that happening before...
 
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