4179	Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Free writing	on: November 04, 2009, 12:24:26 PM
Gods covenant of grace presupposes Gods determination of the salvation of man. The spirit of the covenant is the spirit of grace. Salvation is a foreign procurement that determines the just consequences in time and in eternity as that by which identity is confirmed both in terms of its future effects to us and in our eternal state in heaven. The cross is not the process to produce these effects in us but they have produced salvation in this foreign idea of its full effects in the initial saving event. This is definition of a lack of self reliance or the knowledge of an understanding of the nature of all that we know of the powers of the world to come. A real assurance is a covenant assurance because that is the exercise of the understanding that God is a saving God.
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4180  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Romans and the Flesh Monster. on: November 04, 2009, 12:16:11 PM I find this whole idea of universal justification a concept that is full of holes and gives us all kinds of excuses in our view of who has the power... who is in the position of knowing the state that they are in as being assured of the effects of the cross and creating a picture of God as being dependent on future events. God is a person who is saying that i cant do enough what i intend to do before I preform the work on the cross and i did everything at the cross but i cant determine how that work is going to actually be experienced. Because i did all the work for those who rebelled against me then my judgment for sin is only valid when i bring all mankind to the judgment at the end. All of the evidences of the judgment of sin mean nothing in the imputation of Adams sin to the whole human race as the reason that men will be sent to hell. God manages to be helpless until the new covenant and then he erases all the real reasons that men are severely punished in hell at the final judgment. First of all everything that is brought into reality is purposed by God in His work on the cross in the past and the present ... because the event of the cross is not temporal but eternal. If the power of the cross could only work at the time of the event then it has no power over the wills of men. God did not come to make the event of the cross as a reaction to procure a covenant in order to free mankind from the effects of Adams sin. God brought the cross into history for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself. This whole plan of salvation was determined before the creation of the world. The cross is the center of history because it did not violate that plan by violating the reality of all of the reasons that men are powerless to obtain salvation on their own and to take the glory away from Christ by only making salvation available since universal justification is only made real in the... equality of mans willing... or the determination of man in that link. But God determined to save some men in choosing before hand to make the effects of the cross valid. The reality is that Christ did not acquire an imaginative justification but He actually justified some men and then declared it is finished!! All of the power and the glory is in the gospel and not in a half gospel that is determined upon an event. Salvation is by the will of God alone. Reply Quote Notify

4181  Forums / Main Forum / Re: what women are looking for? on: November 04, 2009, 11:52:41 AM There is no one outside of the family structure that can be an adequate replacement. All of the attitudes one brings into the marriage are not necessarily wrong if they are negative. Just because there are more people doing something that is good for somebody in that society does not equal the importance of the honest expression in that family unit. In this sense its evil to confuse the two not necessarily in the connection to the majority. Think about this.  I am only trying to give the other side equal time to vent. Reply Quote Notify

4182  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: All men cleansed from sin on the Cross ... on: November 04, 2009, 11:39:08 AM I find this whole idea of universal justification a concept that is full of holes and gives us all kinds of excuses in our view of who has the power... who is in the position of knowing the state that they are in as being assured of the effects of the cross and creating a picture of God as being dependent on future events. God is a person who is saying that i cant do enough what i intend to do before I preform the work on the cross and i did everything at the cross but i cant determine how that work is going to actually be experienced. Because i did all the work for those who rebelled against me then my judgment for sin is only valid when i bring all mankind to the judgment at the end. All of the evidences of the judgment of sin mean nothing in the imputation of Adams sin to the whole human race as the reason that men will be sent to hell. God manages to be helpless until the new covenant and then he erases all the real reasons that men are severely punished in hell at the final judgment. First of all everything that is brought into reality is purposed by God in His work on the cross in the past and the present ... because the event of the cross is not temporal but eternal. If the power of the cross could only work at the time of the event then it has no power over the wills of men. God did not come to make the event of the cross as a reaction to procure a covenant in order to free mankind from the effects of Adams sin. God brought the cross into history for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself. This whole plan of salvation was determined before the creation of the world. The cross is the center of history because it did not violate that plan by violating the reality of all of the reasons that men are powerless to obtain salvation on their own and to take the glory away from Christ by only making salvation available since universal justification is only made real in the... equality of mans willing... or the determination of man in that link. But God determined to save some men in choosing before hand to make the effects of the cross valid. The reality is that Christ did not acquire an imaginative justification but He actually justified some men and then declared it is finished!! All of the power and the glory is in the gospel and not in a half gospel that is determined upon an event. Salvation is by the will of God alone. Reply Quote Notify

4183  Forums / Main Forum / Re: what women are looking for? on: November 04, 2009, 10:05:36 AM I will take Carolinas side. I think he has a point. And he can correct me but i think most of this modern psychological is an asexual world view. Its Hollywood gone wild. oh and there is a difference between asexual and spiritual equals. Reply Quote Notify

4184  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Romans and the Flesh Monster. on: November 02, 2009, 07:56:53 PM tb i am not saying that there is force here. I mean i think its dangerous to make the christian life a matter of doing things we do not want to do as obeying. I mean ... i mean this is the definition of doing the work. If biblical maturity is defined as a process in which you do things you do not want to do then its making the world a place where the things of the world a matter of avoiding things simply because there is equal power in their resistance.But a mature man is defined in scripture as being free in the usage of all things as a matter of this principle of enjoyment and freedom as a matter of knowing the cause of freedom and that ability. This is why i am kind of suspicious when you have this program of bible reading or focusing on some kind of methodology that you go to the bible to get. This is why l like acting because there is no method to produce that art...i mean that if it is canned then you can tell. This is why i think the christian life is something that is happening to us. Its really not something we do in order for it to happen.  True freedom in not natural to man. I mean some strange things happen to us when we read the bible and pray... i dont mean strange in the sense of being unnatural to the believer... i mean that something happens to us that doesnt have a connection to this world. If i were to take the artistic brush away from this christian life and present it as a matter of discipline then i do not think that its what biblical encouragement looks like. Courage is giving something away.. in speech ... or in things ... time or in private without anyone knowing about it as a matter of a spiritual exercise. So this exhortation to read the bible in gaining faith is focused on something changing in that transaction... something that happens to us... something that delivers us from this age. Reply Quote Notify

4185	Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Romans and the Flesh Monster.	on: November 02, 2009, 06:36:09 PM
Quote from: toadbat on November 02, 2009, 06:28:11 PM Quote from: mybigGod on November 02, 2009, 06:03:25 PM MH...its really the direction of ones life rather than whether they are struggling with sin. You really cant fake it. Some people need to forget in trying to be good. I mean sometimes thats how you know whether they are not faking it. Because a person who is truly born again will never depart from the faith.. in reality that person cant. Its really not the absence of sin or the good qualities they try to add to their lives. I mean in a moral sense.. like doing the relationship work... or trying to avoid the bars.. or trying to balance their lives out by going to church. Its not changing a course in their lives. Its not in a mans repentance from sin in turning over a new leaf.  A person can say all the rite things.. they can look good on the outside. They can have a prayer partner... an accountability partner and for a time they can talk that kind of talk as well. But something  will still be missing. I have seen people who are gifted socially be more spiritually accepted in a community than a real christian. Ive seen people who you can look at as an example of what it means to be a good citizen... a very affluent life stile...even giving to the church with the 10 percent. Yet they are still missing that something. Thats why Austin said that a man will be wrest less until he finds all of his rest in God. He didnt say a man will find God when he is done with his sin. Nor did he say a man would find God when he was united to some kind of society. God is everywhere and we fellowship with Him all the time. The reason that you cant fake it is because a man will do exactly what he wants to do. The want always gives away what he loves. If he loves God then it will be natural for him to trust God ...to spend time with God in prayer... to approach God in reading His word. I mean you cant prove that these things will save you but you cannot be saved without them. If a person does not show some kind of love for His word and prayer.. then they could live a very moral life... go to church ... say all the rite things... do all the good works... witness to all their friends and still be as lost as the most worst criminal. Let me talk in the relationship lingo....if a person loves God then they will have all the qualities that draw two people who love God together. If a person loves God then they will want to spend the time to get to know God. Its not a struggle for one person to get the other person to do these things. Its not really whether the person who is really not wanting these things to destroy the person who wants them either. Everyone who enters a relationship choose to spend their time doing exactly what they want. And then do things that they want to do in spite of having to do them in a selfless way. What i am saying is that self denial is not doing something that we do not want to do for the other person. Its doing exactly what we want to do but its doing it for the glory of God. You cannot fake this. You cant force a person to do these things. They are completely free because they always do exactly what they want to do even if it is with a bad attitude. A persons direction in life is exactly what they love to do.. and then they will spend time thinking of the things they love.. that will translate into the kind of lifestyle that they chose for themselves. They will develop a mindset according to that kind of practice. If they change it will be because they want something as a matter of being cause to do it. In other words a person will love those things that are natural to that want. Thats why the bible says that its impossible for a person whos life is spent in a worldly minded way to be a christian even if he is the most honorable man in the sense of societies norms. Now you think about that in a marriage sense. A man does exactly what he wants at all times.    Gee, Mbg; now you got me on one of those "morbid introspection trips" again; Prayer, bible study and meditation are still things that I pretty much have to "make myself" do.  Not really saying that TB.. i know... well the bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Now ... TB i know that it takes time and effort. I am not saying that reading the bible is going to mean that one is saved. But lets take that phrase faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and then reverse it... so it says faith cannot come without the word of God. Thats all i am saying. 4186  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Romans and the Flesh Monster. on: November 02, 2009, 06:03:25 PM MH...its really the direction of ones life rather than whether they are struggling with sin. You really cant fake it. Some people need to forget in trying to be good. I mean sometimes thats how you know whether they are not faking it. Because a person who is truly born again will never depart from the faith.. in reality that person cant. Its really not the absence of sin or the good qualities they try to add to their lives. I mean in a moral sense.. like doing the relationship work... or trying to avoid the bars.. or trying to balance their lives out by going to church. Its not changing a course in their lives. Its not in a mans repentance from sin in turning over a new leaf.  A person can say all the rite things.. they can look good on the outside. They can have a prayer partner... an accountability partner and for a time they can talk that kind of talk as well. But something  will still be missing. I have seen people who are gifted socially be more spiritually accepted in a community than a real christian. Ive seen people who you can look at as an example of what it means to be a good citizen... a very affluent life stile...even giving to the church with the 10 percent. Yet they are still missing that something. Thats why Austin said that a man will be wrest less until he finds all of his rest in God. He didnt say a man will find God when he is done with his sin. Nor did he say a man would find God when he was united to some kind of society. God is everywhere and we fellowship with Him all the time. The reason that you cant fake it is because a man will do exactly what he wants to do. The want always gives away what he loves. If he loves God then it will be natural for him to trust God ...to spend time with God in prayer... to approach God in reading His word. I mean you cant prove that these things will save you but you cannot be saved without them. If a person does not show some kind of love for His word and prayer.. then they could live a very moral life... go to church ... say all the rite things... do all the good works... witness to all their friends and still be as lost as the most worst criminal. Let me talk in the relationship lingo....if a person loves God then they will have all the qualities that draw two people who love God together. If a person loves God then they will want to spend the time to get to know God. Its not a struggle for one person to get the other person to do these things. Its not really whether the person who is really not wanting these things to destroy the person who wants them either. Everyone who enters a relationship choose to spend their time doing exactly what they want. And then do things that they want to do in spite of having to do them in a selfless way. What i am saying is that self denial is not doing something that we do not want to do for the other person. Its doing exactly what we want to do but its doing it for the glory of God. You cannot fake this. You cant force a person to do these things. They are completely free because they always do exactly what they want to do even if it is with a bad attitude. A persons direction in life is exactly what they love to do.. and then they will spend time thinking of the things they love.. that will translate into the kind of lifestyle that they chose for themselves. They will develop a mindset according to that kind of practice. If they change it will be because they want something as a matter of being cause to do it. In other words a person will love those things that are natural to that want. Thats why the bible says that its impossible for a person whos life is spent in a worldly minded way to be a christian even if he is the most honorable man in the sense of societies norms. Now you think about that in a marriage sense. A man does exactly what he wants at all times.    Reply Quote Notify 4187  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Romans and the Flesh Monster. on: November 02, 2009, 03:26:02 AM http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/living_grace/ Reply Quote Notify 4188  Forums / Main Forum / Re: Do You Ever... on: October 30, 2009, 05:10:47 PM I hope there is no one saying that i do not believe in the security of the saint... i just think that when you present the case that we are never suppose to doubt or that we are not carnal any more as a reality that you are setting someone up for a law unto themselves. I do not agree with churchs who work on the conscience as a matter of focusing on conviction to deal with sin either. But in order for us to find real grace we need to be encouraged when we are at any point of self denial learning. I do not think that you can make someones burden lighter just by saying we are this therefore just accept it by faith as if not experiencing the freedom we have in Christ is a matter of taking something the scripture says by the letter and saying i believe. We are required to search these matters out so that we gain a real assurance of  these things. No one lives in the reality of freedom as if we just have a one time resigning to understanding completely our identity in Christ. TBs or anyones struggle is not just a matter of accepting it by faith. Reply Quote Notify 4189  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Romans and the Flesh Monster. on: October 30, 2009, 04:37:05 PM The bible is a history of Gods redemption of His people in the sense that God views history from the beginning to the end as the culmination of bringing His people into a world that we would only imagine in an ultimate sense as we live in this time sequence. But God rules in these events of time both past and present. So that one generation will determine the quality of religion as if one door would close and another would open as that by which the former times would be forgotten. This is why God is a God of events both past and present. In this paradigm we are talking about events in the past that have a direct effect on these personal experiences in the present tho that seems to have no connection to the present circumstances. This is why God is eternally in the present. Because God reminds us as if we were in being redeemed taken back to the quality of these events. Because God rules in His willing these events and these reminders of past events are interwoven in the fabric of these eternal qualities that exist in the present in the hearts of the redeemed people since Gods kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that is ruling in the hearts of His people!! Now then we do not believe that these reminders in His word are magical but we believe that His word has a world of all of these powers and qualities that are timeless in the present illumination. In other words we believe that God has spoken His word in the past through the prophets and in Christ so that His word is eternally present as if the color of the past event was living as if the event was present. This is why Gods word has these markers for all time for us to remember. So that we will not be in a situation where we experience the level of present religious experience as if the door had closed to us who have been redeemed and are experiencing His renewal. In terms of this present climate we are drawn into this eternal paradigm so that what we know of the past events that are markers for us who are brought into this union with Christ ... that mystery which was not revealed in times past but has been made know to us in Christ being revealed. In being given these oracles we are exposed to the eternal word of God who speaks and all is brought into existence. So that His revelation is that by which all reality is made true or false. Since we have so great a salvation let us focus on these eternal spoken realities so that we will know the greatness and the power of the world to come ... so that we will know that kind of love that translates us into understanding just how wide and deep is the love of God that is without limits in its power to effect us as we are illuminated to understand the wealth of Gods eternal word to us.    Reply Quote Notify 4190  Forums / Main Forum / Re: Jesus is the Healer on: October 30, 2009, 02:55:28 PM This is a very interesting post. I am not sure whether it presents christian values or it is purely motivated by politics. I consider that politics is necessary but i think politics and doctrine are like faith and works. Someone needs to do the dirty work but usually in the way of politics it is the work of the worldly man. If you think of what is valuable as far as what constitutes loyalty in the christian sense then i believe you must present mans loyalty in the end as predominately political. I think Jesus showed this in His earthly ministry... that the standard of men as far as giving and receiving acceptance has this judgmental return on that connection. Men are offended only when there is revealed truth involved. I mean that every mans philosophy as to how he thinks of truth is that by which he is seeking the comfort of a relationship. In a sense we are all very fickle. The reason is that we judge anything by the view we have of what we think we are in comparison to the real man. I do not think that we are able to produce enough leverage in ourselves to not be viewing all reality without some form of prejudice. In the biblical sense of truth we must come to the truth that we are corrupted in every part... from head to toe as that by which we place ourselves under the obligation to view life through Someone else s view of what is that connection. This corruption is so bad that i am speaking about that we would on a normal basis of judging another man accuse that man of exactly the same things we are doing and present ourselves as being able to discern that we are under some form of connection that is acceptable to the standard of truth!! In this world of these societies that have ingrained philosophies of great mens ways is the most obnoxious display of prejudice. The majority of men who take part in this society that we call modern scientific renewal are only reflecting the natural prejudice of their own sinfulness. And it flushes out in a cast system where the most powerful worship at the idols of scientific progress... financial independence... and physiological wholeness as a methodology to keep men in a connection that is purely political in this narrow ideology so that this seeming close family unit is nothing more than a system of arbitrary checks and balances that represent the real functioning process. There is a closeness in a connection sense that is nothing but a cheap version of real christian fellowship.  As i am saying i am not sure just presenting another view.       Reply Quote Notify 4191  Forums / Main Forum / Re: Do You Ever... on: October 30, 2009, 12:43:15 PM The bible is a history of Gods redemption of His people in the sense that God views history from the beginning to the end as the culmination of bringing His people into a world that we would only imagine in an ultimate sense as we live in this time sequence. But God rules in these events of time both past and present. So that one generation will determine the quality of religion as if one door would close and another would open as that by which the former times would be forgotten. This is why God is a God of events both past and present. In this paradigm we are talking about events in the past that have a direct effect on these personal experiences in the present tho that seems to have no connection to the present circumstances. This is why God is eternally in the present. Because God reminds us as if we were in being redeemed taken back to the quality of these events. Because God rules in His willing these events and these reminders of past events are interwoven in the fabric of these eternal qualities that exist in the present in the hearts of the redeemed people since Gods kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that is ruling in the hearts of His people!! Now then we do not believe that these reminders in His word are magical but we believe that His word has a world of all of these powers and qualities that are timeless in the present illumination. In other words we believe that God has spoken His word in the past through the prophets and in Christ so that His word is eternally present as if the color of the past event was living as if the event was present. This is why Gods word has these markers for all time for us to remember. So that we will not be in a situation where we experience the level of present religious experience as if the door had closed to us who have been redeemed and are experiencing His renewal. In terms of this present climate we are drawn into this eternal paradigm so that what we know of the past events that are markers for us who are brought into this union with Christ ... that mystery which was not revealed in times past but has been made know to us in Christ being revealed. In being given these oracles we are exposed to the eternal word of God who speaks and all is brought into existence. So that His revelation is that by which all reality is made true or false. Since we have so great a salvation let us focus on these eternal spoken realities so that we will know the greatness and the power of the world to come ... so that we will know that kind of love that translates us into understanding just how wide and deep is the love of God that is without limits in its power to effect us as we are illuminated to understand the wealth of Gods eternal word to us.    Reply Quote Notify 4192  Forums / Politics Forum / Re: The incredible shrinking economy on: October 30, 2009, 11:05:02 AM Quote from: crowwoman on October 29, 2009, 09:15:01 AM Is that actually being rumored. I'm kind of out of the loop with all this ... Haven't been watching tv much so not much news other than what I get on here. cw ......its more of a wish of mine... but the way things look this is the first time in my life time i have witnessed a consorted effort to destroy the American culture and take away the freedoms that we have enjoyed. In my opinion this is an evidence of Gods judgment. We may never visit that culture again after this plan is put into effect. Remove Reply Quote Notify 4193  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Praying in the Spirit on: October 29, 2009, 04:16:54 PM The Holy Spirit manifest Himself in His communication to us through increasing our knowledge of the glory of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of supplication... the Spirit of reviving... the Spirit of adoption... the  Spirit of comfort... the Spirit of grace.. the Spirit of conviction and the Spirit of our salvation. When we fellowship with the Holy Spirit we fellowship with Him in prayer. Here is the Holy Spirits main teaching... because we are drawn into this communication by the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of revival... He encourages us to find all of our happiness in God. That is what we find as a matter of focus .. this communication from a desire that has a physical effect in its fire and warmth. The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray with this warm desire as the way of finding that all things are a source of comfort to us rather than a temptation.  By teaching us to communicate with Him as we speak in prayer the Holy Spirit responds to us with much illumination and warm desire. This is how we learn to tarry in prayer. The Holy Spirit draws us into the eternal love of our Father by responding to our prayers. I think this is why it is so important to come with boldness into the presence of God! We must know what to ask for and we must be able to state to God how we are in need ...in terms of the dangers of this life... the grief of our hearts..or tendency to be under the power of something that causes us much anxiety and pain . When we find comfort in the Holy Spirit we find it is in His infusing us with this inner desire...  It is the functioning power of the Holy Spirit that creates in us the bowels of compassion. If it is the Holy Spirit it is from a desire of revival that feels like we are having a euphoric experience that comes from our bellies. The Holy Spirit is a person who dwells in us. We know Him to be present when we know there are some things that are present both in terms of our inflamed desires that are the overflow of our fellowship with Him in prayer but also we feel this physical happiness from the belly. This influence of the Holy Spirit draws us away from the powers of this world.. those influences that come to us from other people.. the tendency to long for things as a matter of creating in us certain thinking patterns that will lead us away from this revived experience... and the normal tension we feel as a result of the struggle we have with this kind of inconsistent reception of comfort. The Holy Spirit communicates to us by drawing us away from this world even tho we are in the world. If we can describe His presence it is a lack of being under this worlds tension and being able to go in an out of this kind of deep illumination. When we experience His reviving then we begin to have this spiritual journey that moves us to rejoice in this overflow of deep fellowship.   These overflowing experiences that the Holy Spirit works into us are from the depths of the wellspring of the mixture of the desires of joy and pleasure. Remove Reply Quote Notify 4194  Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Reformed Doctrine on: October 29, 2009, 03:53:21 PM Discipleship Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Peter 1:3-8 Power for godliness comes through the knowledge of God. The starting point of all godliness is not effort. It is the initial reception of the knowledge of God, when God reveals to us His character, our sin, and Christ's Cross-work through His Word. This knowledge is more than mere cognitive awareness that results from a divine data transfer. It is a relational knowledge of God that results from being called by Him into His family and fellowship (2 Pet. 1:3-8). Mark Dever 4198  Forums / Main Forum / Re: Do You Ever... on: October 29, 2009, 11:03:37 AM TB there is a situation where the experience of relief does not happen when we have tried everything. I have experienced that kind of sorrow. I guess in many ways its like someone who has a physical defect and no matter how we think of normal looking its going to still be present as creating pain in wishing it was not a burden as being an ugly appearance. I have experience this kind of defect in my soul. The experience is that after meditation on the scripture there is still  a tendency to feel the sorrow as a general disposition. Then it would lead to a certain resignation in struggling to find some relief from the scripture so that there was sorrow turned to joy. But it was like a cloud of grief had settled on my soul. Then there was a choice to either give into the grief and relax to find some relief in relaxing .. or to fight with the grief by mourning... crying... pleading.... and a more intense focus.  Now that seems to be working really hard to over come the grief. I have heard it said that if we obey then the feelings will follow. Or the exercise of faith will bring the experience of salvation. This is something were there is a lot of mystery since there is no reasonable experience as a matter in the process of receiving an illumination with the normal process of the desire  and the accumulation of the effects of the illumination. In a way its an experience of going through the motions without having the heart respond. My own personal belief in this kind of predicament is that we must think in terms of discipline. In other words if we are experiencing sorrow on a continuous basis then we must respond with the mediation even tho we have no real completeness in the returns. Sometimes when we have a defect of some sort it demands that we go through the pain in order to get better. So we move the physical part in order to build strength to lesson the defect. This is resting in Him and resisting the sorrow even tho it seems to always return to meet our resistance. God will reward us if we do not give up.    Reply Quote Notify 4199  Forums / Main Forum / Re: Good Teacher.... on: October 28, 2009, 07:33:36 PM Quote from: Willis on October 27, 2009, 10:09:31 PM Quote from: mybigGod on October 27, 2009, 06:40:56 PM I have friends who disagree with calvin on some of the basics but it will be that level of friendship. I think I'm one of them!  Yes.. .Willis i have known you for awhile and just seeing that you are still in this whole thing is an encouragement to me. I know its been quite a few yrs i remember coming here when Patrick... LM ... You , Gene and Bill along with everyone else i forgot to mention... of course my very good buddy Pete Worc... Reply Quote Notify 4200  Forums / Main Forum / Re: Do You Ever... on: October 28, 2009, 07:13:59 PM i think the Apostle talks about this christian life as pressing on like an athlete. Some of us think that it means to work our buts off with our hands and feet... but its really about preparing that soil so that we can reap a harvest... going out weeping with seeds to sow and coming back rejoicing caring the sheaves with us. I think the attitude is one of seriousness as far as going out. But the harvest will not be that much without the preparation. And i think this is what we describe when we are talking about the gymnastics training... that is we are training ourselves to discern between good and evil by the constant use of the word. So in an essence this way is the only way we can progress. Its not really the action of the game day but its all the training for the game day! Why because we are looking for a work that we cannot do on our own. This is where we must change i think. Our methods in a human sense are all about results. Gods methods are all about the individual. How do i know this... whats the Apostles answer to moving on in this life? Set your thoughts on Jesus the apostle and finisher of our faith. This is why our forefathers simplified all of life by saying that it is about glorifying and enjoying God forever!  In this scenario we become something that we are not and we give away something that we have no personal reward for. In our training we are actually producing the effects of what will transpire when God rewards us if we do not give up. In a sense we spend most of our lives seeing little fruit of what we train to produce. What does this look like? We are training by standing firm in the faith. Our training is standing firm against the wiles of the devil. We use the means of faith in order take one territory to another territory. Every time we move a little the opposition gets more intense. God has made it a war first and then peace. Its 40 hours of war and 3 min of peace. But when we defend that territory it is out of Gods goodness love and faithfulness that we can defend with a sense of finding Him alone as our most cherished desire to find our security. In other words we train and we find God ... then we enjoy God and then the territory is an overflow. In my experience in this warfare is that we are going up against a foe that puts up a resistance at every turn. We learn that if we are training properly that we are going to have a feeling of resistance. But we do not fight with our own weapons. We fight with the spiritual weapons of the word and prayer.. and the sacraments. One of the resistant methods the devil throws at us ... because we seem to be so vulnerable to those around us is that we are not doing enough. He wants us to go on the offensive so that we will find ourselves without the proper power and the vision to move that big evil and devilish opposition. But we fight on our knees to see the waters parted.  It may seem as we learn to cry to Him that we are overly attacking the enemy.. but by the means of prayer we prevail through illumination and Gods sovereign actions against evil men. We have the kingdom of God that dwells in us and we are taking the territory as He renews us back to His image. This is the only way to move forward.