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Post by tjaman on May 26, 2006 11:20:03 GMT -5
Reb, do you see anyone else in your faith community who is as frantic and worried and as upset about everything as you seem to be?
If you saw someone who was living a committed life as scared of G-d as you are, what would your advice to them be?
I'm going to share mine with you: G-d already saved the world. G-d doesn't need you to do it for him from scratch.
Relax.
One of the gifts of the spirit is peace. Why don't you believe that it's G-d's gift for you as well?
Be still. Know that you are loved.
Once you internalize that, you'll be in a stronger position to deal with the "worldliness" you see encroaching on you from every direction.
Not that I believe for a second you're actually going to take this advice, but I fervently pray that you would.
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Post by Dr. Purple Goddess on May 26, 2006 11:23:47 GMT -5
Well I'm glad there's someone around who knows exactly what the LORD wants and can act accordingly.
It's also interesting to me that a person could actually experience Love at all (God's or anyone elses) if they think feelings are useless things to have.
Meh, maybe I just don't understand what is being said.
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Post by Dr. Purple Goddess on May 26, 2006 11:41:49 GMT -5
yeah, I'm right there with ya tj.
I'd feel better if Reb could tell me about the joy he gets from his faith..and not all the doom and gloom I read in his posts.
Yeah, not everything in life is pretty...but man, isn't your faith supposed to help you find the joy or something? Isn't it supposed to help you be positive even when things around you might not be what you or G-d would like?
/sigh ok I guess I better leave the thread now, it's bringing me down.
Unless Qcat could post something to cheer me up
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Post by Rebelman on May 26, 2006 11:51:21 GMT -5
Reb, do you see anyone else in your faith community who is as frantic and worried and as upset about everything as you seem to be?
If you saw someone who was living a committed life as scared of G-d as you are, what would your advice to them be?
I'm going to share mine with you: G-d already saved the world. G-d doesn't need you to do it for him from scratch.
Relax.
One of the gifts of the spirit is peace. Why don't you believe that it's G-d's gift for you as well?
Be still. Know that you are loved.
Once you internalize that, you'll be in a stronger position to deal with the "worldliness" you see encroaching on you from every direction.
Not that I believe for a second you're actually going to take this advice, but I fervently pray that you would. The reason I put the frantic persona off to people is because of spiritual gifting. And yes TJ you have one of the 7 motivations as well. We apparently have 2 different ones.
Mine calls for repentance and forgiveness and correction of wordliness and striving for Godliness and fruit of the Spirit.
What you implied that is my witness is dimished to what I put off to people. That would be wrong. King David was devoted to God and feared Him and look what he got? King Saul did it when he felt like it and see where it got him? The LORD reads the heart not the outside of man. If you accept Him that is in your heart.
What you said about me relaxing and internalizing yes I do. I have been doing that for months now. That is why I have not been here in such a very long time. I have been in fast and internalization and discernment.
And in all reality believe it or not I have peace quite a bit lately. I have found someone in this life that I love deeply. Along with that I am learning a bit about giftings as well. I'm not as idle as you may think on peace.
I know I am not fully able to destroy wordliness. That is what spiritual maturity is. I am around 14 months old in Christ and I am still kicking strong growing as each week goes by learning and observing the LORD's opration in my own life. I only speak out when I really have to observe some act of injustice. Otherwise I observe and ask the LORD for help.Dr. Feigy, basically you have to ask in Spirit and in Truth and have a careful eye. There are many ways the LORD can operate in someones life. One way is in personal Godly experience, another way is in devotional prayer, another way is in fasting, and another way is in His Word. That is how I have learned much of what I have.
What I said about feelings is letting them fully drive you. Lets look at anger for a moment. That is a feeling. How would you act if you were driven off anger. Its the ungodly emotions that are completely useless. That is what i meant by feelings.
Lets take love for example. Love of God that is a feeling. That drives you closer to the LORD. Anger will drive you further away. This is what I mean. The fruits of the Spirit make you stronger but ungodly emotions just diminsh your very soul.
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Post by Rebelman on May 26, 2006 11:55:58 GMT -5
yeah, I'm right there with ya tj.
I'd feel better if Reb could tell me about the joy he gets from his faith..and not all the doom and gloom I read in his posts.
Yeah, not everything in life is pretty...but man, isn't your faith supposed to help you find the joy or something? Isn't it supposed to help you be positive even when things around you might not be what you or G-d would like?
/sigh ok I guess I better leave the thread now, it's bringing me down.
Unless Qcat could post something to cheer me up Alright since you implied that I have no joy let me post some joy.
1. The joy of being eternally secure 2. The love of friends 3. The love of helping 4. The love of serving 5. The love of speaking out on Truth 6. The love of giving myself to another 7. Love of how God gifts me each day 8. Love of sharing with an unbeliever 9. Love of yall 10. Love of my Godly family 11. Love of my Godly Will 12. Love of standing firm 13. Peace on my status 14. Peace on my determined Will 15. Peace in fast 16. The LORD loving me enough to care 17. Being cured of my weaknesses 18. Being a Witness for Love not of Wordly 19. Walking through chaos and making it out 20. Always being helped when I feel down
I just named 20 shall I keep on going?
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Post by Dr. Purple Goddess on May 26, 2006 12:03:42 GMT -5
Well, Reb, Anger isn't completely useless... I think you are forgetting about the concept of moderation. If you indulge or dwell in anger, then yes, it's useless. But if I understand correctly your faith can help you keep that balance...not help you avoid it all together. If you avoid something all together it just comes back to bite you in the butt twice as hard as before.
NO feelings are negative...it's what you do with them that makes them so. And if you have the faith or whatever it is, then you can learn how to make all emotions/feelings useful in your life.
And IMO if you preach to others the way you talk to us about this subject, I would run away from your faith too.
You know that anger you say is useless? I think it's making your message useless to those who are truly seeking faith. You have soo much displaced anger and repression it colors the way you say things. If you're a representative of faith in g-d, I don't want that kind of faith in my life. It's too angry, too filled with guilt.. too many mind games...there's no moderation...there's no peace in it. I think you use your faith to keep people away and that's sad for you.
And I appologize for doing this again...Someone feel free to try to put this thread back on track.
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Post by Dr. Purple Goddess on May 26, 2006 12:06:09 GMT -5
yeah, I'm right there with ya tj.
I'd feel better if Reb could tell me about the joy he gets from his faith..and not all the doom and gloom I read in his posts.
Yeah, not everything in life is pretty...but man, isn't your faith supposed to help you find the joy or something? Isn't it supposed to help you be positive even when things around you might not be what you or G-d would like?
/sigh ok I guess I better leave the thread now, it's bringing me down.
Unless Qcat could post something to cheer me up Alright since you implied that I have no joy let me post some joy.
1. The joy of being eternally secure 2. The love of friends 3. The love of helping 4. The love of serving 5. The love of speaking out on Truth 6. The love of giving myself to another 7. Love of how God gifts me each day 8. Love of sharing with an unbeliever 9. Love of yall 10. Love of my Godly family 11. Love of my Godly Will 12. Love of standing firm 13. Peace on my status 14. Peace on my determined Will 15. Peace in fast 16. The LORD loving me enough to care 17. Being cured of my weaknesses 18. Being a Witness for Love not of Wordly 19. Walking through chaos and making it out 20. Always being helped when I feel down I just named 20 shall I keep on going?
Somehow that cold lil list just isn't inspiring joy in me. It just feels like something you're spouting...not something you actually feel. Words are just that...what have you done lately that's an example of anything on that list?
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Post by Rebelman on May 26, 2006 12:23:43 GMT -5
First, you have to understand something. I can't talk the same as I do with a believer than an unbeliever. Its like putting football into a baseball game. It aint working
Let me focus on you. You are a very intelligent young lady. You have gone through a very difficult life. I can see that your life in the past shaped how you stand today. When you endure a problem you process it and format a decision and you walk away with peace knowing that you accomplished your goal.
You earned a masters degree. That is a major accomplishment. You let that inner drive inside of you motivate you to accomplish something you love to do dearly. See how a great person you are. You exhibited love, peace, joy, compassion in your life to shape an outstanding woman you are right now.
Secondly, the only anger I have displaced is basically in some current events friends wise but I have put that aside and focused on the love of my life. Someoen who I told personally a few days ago that I love with all my heart. Along with Faith and both of our love of God we have accomplished much as well. I look at her and I see a great encourager. A mighty woman of Faith. Someone I completely fell in love with at first glance. When I think of her I feel terrific. Along with faith in God that is bittersweet feeling of love. Love + God = Eternal Godly joy. I have found that and it has changed my life forever.
Lets take an example from my list, lets take love of friends. I have 2 right here in Ga. Both of which I love deeply. I'd do anything for them. I'd give them my clothes if I had to. When they were brokenhearted I stood by them to find a way to uplift them in any way imaginable. Even when they rebel I still stood by them. I put time and energy in them something I would never wish to take back to bring joy to them and complete myself at the same time.
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Post by Dr. Purple Goddess on May 26, 2006 12:39:59 GMT -5
Well, thank you for sharing that. I'm afraid I just don't see any of that joy in the things you post here. I see it all the time in the things Qcat posts. I also see it in the things tj and py have posted. So far, your spiritual messages have only shown me a fanatic fundamentalist who isn't interested in trying to help people try to find the joy you've mentioned that you've found in your faith. You seem more about telling people that their lives aren't joyful unless they do what you do... that's entirely different from showing people the joy. Your words are never what's gunna turn people. It's your actions. I'm sure you've probably figured out by now that showing people how great faith can be goes much further than preaching about it, or telling people what they can do to do right by g-d and their faith.
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Post by quantumcat on May 26, 2006 12:46:20 GMT -5
Whoa. Good points,y'all.
Think about this,Reb.
I used to despise green peas,Dr.Pepper and cherries.
Could not STAND them.
That's because I tried Dr.Pepper before I was ready for it and I had mistaken it for cola.
The green peas I was exposed to in their overcooked,cloying version you get in bad cafeterias.
'Cherry flavored ' junk killed me on the rest.
I was a lot like the kid in the old joke:
"I don't want to eat spinach because then I might learn to like it and I don't want to like it because I hate it."
Great logic there.
Anyhoo,I eventually found out that green peas,etc. can be darn tasty in their natural state.
We have to WORK at making them yucky and boring.
If I started out liking something,I could be exposed to the crappy version and ignore it.
I'd still like the real thing.
If I'd never known the good version,I'd be hard put to risk enduring more of the bad on the off chance it was the exception rather than the rule.
The rest of life is kinda like that.
We can assume it's all terrible and the folks who think otherwise are deluded.
We can assume it's all awful unless God works a miracle and makes it right.
Or we can assume that God created everything (even us!) to be pretty special and all He has to do is restore us to our true selves.
Fresh cherries straight off the tree do not taste like cough syrup.
Imagine that!
So,if our default assumption is that all things come from God and He can 'reset' the worst of the world's screw-ups to order if we just give him the chance,then we don't wind up with tacky corruptions of our assigned blessings-or no blessings at all.
We tend to give evil too much credit for being able to mess our lives up.
Too often,we let our joy get stolen by becoming 'spiritual hypochondriacs' who know so well what can cause disease,death and injury that we ignore our strength,our ability to heal and the fact that not EVERY worst case scenario is going to come to pass.
We need to remember that we're survivors.
Think of the enemy as copying God in yet another way.
If he gives us misery and we respond with anger and fear and do our best to dump our despair on others,he has an incentive to give us more of the same.
If God gives us hope and joy and we share that love with those around us, God is prepared to bless us with even more positive things until we can't contain any more-THEN He expands our capacity.
If we prove to be poor stewards of spite and worry,then we're not going to be given very much to work with.
We'd be a lousy investment.
Let God handle all your worries and you take over some of His bliss.
Then,all that's negative will atrophy from lack of exercise and the wholesome, creative parts will get even stronger.
Spiritual health is like the physical in that it takes a while to undo the damage that misuse and neglect cause but our 'factory-issued' setting is to be in good shape.
Yes,it takes work to get fit ( much less buff and athletic) but it is also unlikely that you can maintain a sickly,weak self if you insist on sensible diet,exercise,rest and getting ailments properly treated as they appear.
When the abuse stops, we aren't just healing to keep from deteriorating further.
We start getting better.
Recognize your healing and celebrate the now along with the future.
You can either spend your life looking at every cloud and assuming all around you are going to be drowned,struck by debris or hit by lightening or you can smile at the shade and the breezes, offer everyone a lightening rod and directions for their storm shelter (It'll come in handy sometime.) - and plan your rendevous to enjoy the rainbows.
You're kind of like a new parent in that you feel the weight of your new responsibilities so much that you fret every moment about the fragile life you've been given to tend to.
Yes,you need to care about the welfare of those around you and about helping your spirit to grow but this experience is meant to have a lot more wonder and laughter involved than it does feeling frantic and overwhelmed.
God never meant for being born again to involve post-partum depression.
Whether it's organic or spiritual,determine that you'll separate reasonable concerns from soul-sapping wretchedness.
Then you won't be at risk for becoming too smug or too helpless.
You'll have the quiet,humble,comfortable confidence of the hero who has matured in proportion to his tasks.
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Post by quantumcat on May 26, 2006 13:23:40 GMT -5
Reb,I'm glad that you've got some good stuff going on but PG's right that showing God inside you is going to influence folks a lot more than telling them what you've learned.
If you wanted to get fit,who would you seek out first,the guy in the muscle shirt who can lecture about slow-twitch fibers and supplements or the mom who moves like a gazelle,lifts groceries,furniture,critter food and potting soil without a grimace, never gets a cold and can beat a naked two year old to the sidewalk when he's on the edge of the lawn and she's sweeping the porch?
I'd go to the folks whose every moment of life was advertising what I needed before I hit the other dudes.
Heck,*I* know aerobics and such but I don't think I could sell any regimes,machines or supplements unless I could prove I could get off the couch without assistance.
If you've already got the results of grace,you don't need the hard sell.
That's for folks who aren't sure of their product or who aren't good examples of how it works.
You are sure,you do serve it well and it is all you claim it to be.
So,just let the proof of the love speak for itself.
THAT kind of 'infomercial' never gets old.
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Post by Rebelman on May 26, 2006 13:26:34 GMT -5
Dr. FeigyI do in fact help bring joy to others. Yall just can't see the full length because you have never seen me in person before.
Jesus was called much of what i get called. He was called a fanatic as you just stated. Remember the Image is the motivator of a Christian. These names and people just plain out not understanding Him at times is what led to the shed blood for redemption. That is another one of my inner drive for love.
When I go to a friends house. The first thing I see is the individual. Then I combine information to help them. Each individual has individual issues and joys. That is why I am for the individual not the whole. The whole in general is the Image. That is always an underlying motivator.
Just as most people my past shapes me but I don't live off of it anymore. I had my crap brought to light and I realized that alone I could have never beat it. But in Christ I found a joy that can beat it at any given time.
I can tell I am completely misunderstood by people. Rememeber what I said about spiritual motivators. It just so happened the misunderstood one came to me on my day. Let me show you how Jesus embodied this particular one. Correction of Truth, Godly Living, fervent prayer life, and standing by the ones He loved despite differences. Those qualities of Christ came to me on my day. Now along with this people get the misrepresentation that I am trying to control them when my real intention is to help them. Like you Doctor, if you lived very close to me and you were in trouble and I saw it I would not even blink an eye before I'd come to you and help you in your life. I wouldnt care if I had to drive a phone bill up I'd do it just so you could be happy. Jesus put other people above himself. That is humility. In that same way I put others above myself. That is why I care about you and every other person on this forum as well.
I acknowledge I have weakness but I have the love of God to restore brokeness to new. From old to new. I am darn glad I was made a new creation. I feel rejuvinated into something far different. And the amazing thing I look at before I go to bed each night is how I can resemble the LORD in my life. That right there makes me happy before I go to bed each night.
QuantumCatI understand the analogy you are using. Making something you once despised into something you can enjoy.
Let me point out in my own life how that has been made possible in many aspects. I use to hate people but now I love them. I use to not be motivated but here I am just as stary as the eye can see. I use to not have a goal and now I have fully attainable goals I shall accomplish
I do not respond to problems with misery like I use to. But I look at them, here them out and let them speak. I allow them to feel loved in the sense that they have individuality. And when they ask me questions I give them what I am. And in this same way we help either other instead of just one being helped at a time.
Just like with you QuantumCat. I love you as well. I have to say you are a very bright lady. I have come to know you very well over the last several months and you have helped me tremendously.
People get the impression I am not happy primarily because of what I have said in the past. It seems to mirror me for people not to hear me. But I can say I am very much alive, I am very much still kicking, I am very much not in pain but in love.
Love can cover over a multitude of problems if it is aloud to. If it is not aloud to then you will always be in a slump. But even the slump can turn to rejoicing.
I am not the throw myself on people type. I go with them, i laugh with them, i rejoice when they rejoice because it consumes my very being into joy. I allow myself to be with others I love deeply and I completely assure them they are loved even when the world has yet another excuse to tell them no.
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Post by Rebelman on May 26, 2006 13:31:58 GMT -5
Reb,I'm glad that you've got some good stuff going on but PG's right that showing God inside you is going to influence folks a lot more than telling them what you've learned. If you wanted to get fit,who would you seek out first,the guy in the muscle shirt who can lecture about slow-twitch fibers and supplements or the mom who moves like a gazelle,lifts groceries,furniture,critter food and potting soil without a grimace, never gets a cold and can beat a naked two year old to the sidewalk when he's on the edge of the lawn and she's sweeping the porch? I'd go to the folks whose every moment of life was advertising what I needed before I hit the other dudes. Heck,*I* know aerobics and such but I don't think I could sell any regimes,machines or supplements unless I could prove I could get off the couch without assistance. If you've already got the results of grace,you don't need the hard sell. That's for folks who aren't sure of their product or who aren't good examples of how it works. You are sure,you do serve it well and it is all you claim it to be. So,just let the proof of the love speak for itself. THAT kind of 'infomercial' never gets old. That is a very strong witness
And I am growing as I go. With weightlifiting what you said has already occurred. I am far bigger than I use to be and I can now outdo both my friends in weight traning.
In my spiritual life simlarly they come to me. Now if I was doom and gloom then why do they seek me? When they are in trouble they don't go to the others they come to me. I dont go around gloating but I stand by them when they really need my help to help then in every aspect I can
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Post by Dr. Purple Goddess on May 26, 2006 13:42:16 GMT -5
Dr. FeigyI do in fact help bring joy to others. Yall just can't see the full length because you have never seen me in person before.
I haven't met qcat or Py or tj or anyone else on this forum for that matter, and I still managed to get a more pleasant picture of their view on life and their spirituality. Of course, I'm not expecting everyone to always present themselves as pleasant. But at least I can finish reading any of their posts secure in the knowledge that they are stable enough and have enough in their live's and to feel that they are generally able to feel and spread the love and joy.
With you, all we get is the preachy God fearin' Reb that basically only posts to wedge religion and dogma in front of yourself so we don't even get to know you as the joyful and peaceful person you claim to be. Mostly you just seem preoccupied with trying to tell us a lot of stuff. And honestly if I had to use qcat's analagy about the muscle bound guy selling vitimins n such and the supermom who is in great shape because she "DOES" stuff....You're coming off as the muscle bound preachy guy who hasn't shown me anything that proves what he's selling actually works.
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Post by quantumcat on May 26, 2006 13:46:37 GMT -5
Thanks!!! I guess we do hear more of your worries than the good stuff. Being in love and helping people is VERY good. Just make sure the upside of your life is staying evident to people. Our lives don't have to be air-brushed perfect every second anymore than we expect to be but we ought to show that we expect to overcome the negative we encounter in our lives. I admit this tends to come easy for me. I was born shot-to-Hades and wasn't expected to live. I survived and since then,every downturn has been met with the reaction: "Oh,great! *Now* what?! I know I'm going to get through this so tell me how-and make it snappy!" That's a little tooo much hubris but it helps sometimes. Trust me,you ain't gonna get the cattle on a thousand hills without dealing with a little bullskite. The diffence between us and the rest of the world is we plant gardens to utilize all that free fertilizer while the others only notice the stink.
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