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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/10/2018 in Posts

  1. According to the pretrib narrative, the body of Christ is made immortal and raptured at some point prior to the great tribulation. At that point, there are no believers left on the planet. The problem with that is that there are a multitude of believers beyond number who are martyred that come out of the great tribulation. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. Revelation 7:9 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 This is problematic for a couple of reasons. First of all, who are they? And second of all, where did they come from? Who are they? We know that they are new covenant believers because their robes are made white in the blood of the Lamb. By definition, new covenant believers have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. According to these verses, that makes them a part of the body of Christ. There is one Holy Spirit, and there is one body of Christ. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling. Ephesians 4:4 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 7:34 The pretrib doctrine states that the rapture ends the "church age" and that the totality of the body of Christ is with Jesus at the wedding feast. How can that possibly be when there is still a multitude of new covenant believers that come out of the great tribulation? Why would God leave out a part of the body of Christ at the wedding feast? They are clearly new covenant believers who have been baptized into one body by one Spirit so why aren't they included? Where did they come from? If all the believers are raptured before the great tribulation then where did that multitude of new covenant believers come from? A great revival? That runs contrary to how the Bible describes those days. When asked about His return Jesus' first words were "See to it that no one misleads you." Those days are days of deception, not revival. The one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The man of sin comes with all the deception of wickedness. Also, a deluding influence is sent upon the unbelievers that they might believe a lie. How can a multitude of unbelievers who are under the influence of a strong delusion from God shake off that deception and come to a martyr's faith? It doesn't fit what the Bible teaches. ~~~~~~~~~ The only explanation that I've heard is that these "tribulation saints" are a kind of hybrid group all by themselves, a new classification of believers. I'm told that they are new covenant believers and have the one Holy Spirit indwelling but somehow they are not a part of the one body of Christ. Is this idea supported anywhere in scripture? Did I miss something?
    3 points
  2. I don't think you missed anything. This is a troublesome truth for the pretrib doctrine and difficult to adjudicate in a satisfactory manner. To add to the above I have posed a question several times that is ignored as the doctrine cannot answer this all important query. For one, the pretrib doctrine supposed the last week is equivalent to the wrath of God. This is unsupported and therefore a false premise. But it allows for a pretrib rapture as, "we are not appointed to wrath", which is true. Attached to the false equivalency of 70th=wrath then, Rapture=pretrib. Internal consistency, false conclusion. But again, this reasoning allows for the pretrib rapture. According to the doctrine then all the 70th week is God's wrath, or as some depart from this, only the second half is Gods' wrath. In the second half the GT takes place and as you quoted above, "I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14" an innumerable host of believers stand before the throne and around the throne. Pretrib's doctrine demands this group of believers arrive in the throne room after enduring the wrath of God. This question can be added to the Who? and Where? queries from the OP: If pretrib doctrine equates the GT and God's wrath, and the church escapes this time through "we are not appointed to wrath", then how is it a vast group of believers endured God's wrath to stand before the throne in heaven? This dives right into the segregation of the body as you stated. Where is this segregation supported by scriptural fact? I would also like to touch on this 'church age' thing. The dispensation of grace and faith is the origin of the church age, so it's said. We have moved out of the dispensation of law and we now enjoy grace. What freedom! No longer under the law the path to God is now through Christ and not burdensome liturgy and ritual. I don't buy it. It has always been faith and grace. Job was justified by faith. The original patriarch of the congregation was counted as righteous because of faith in God's word and by the grace of the almighty Lord. If we are in Christ we are of the seed of Abraham with all the attendant promises and warnings. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile. The seekers of El Shaddai will know this through the Spirit of God; there has never been any segregation in the body of Christ from the foundation of the world. It has always been Jesus Christ, it is now all about Jesus, and it will always be about Jesus, forever. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."" This is for every soul from every age. There is no 'church age', no segregation of the 'church', the 'body', OT saints, nor GT saints. "If You Are Christ’s, Then You Are Abraham’s Seed. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." This alone should put the matter to rest.
    3 points
  3. Mattehw 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
    2 points
  4. I think these discussions are vital in the faith. It's my hope that the truth is spoken as it is written concerning this topic. Alas, that isn't always the case and I'm probably guilty of an error or two in this topic as well, hopefully in an innocent fashion and not as a deliberate promotion of agenda or personal longing. I heard someone say, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts." In this topic it seems as though we arrive at conclusions before facts instead of allowing the facts to guide us to the conclusion. It's not a mystery why this happens but it is telling that so many diverse conclusions exist. How is it possible we are all hearing the voice of the Lord on this? For instance, Pretrib and Post Trib are on opposite ends of the timeline of the end of the age. Each doctrine has it's adherents and each group claims they have the truth of the matter and the other group is wrong. Either both are wrong or one is. We are confronted with the reality there is only one end of the age. There isn't two or three. The book has been written with all the need to know information about this time, the books actually. Does it make any sense that the information contained in those books could mean many things to many people? Would it not be the case that there is only one correct conclusion to the set of facts contained in the books written about the end of age? None of the facts given by our Lord to us about the end of age are unrelated. The facts are the driving force hurling us along to the revealing of the time to come. These facts march along with us in tow leading to truth, hopefully. And we all have access to the same set of facts. Now how can there be many conclusions to the same set of facts? Something is wrong. The same Spirit cannot be giving competing conclusions to facts the Spirit recorded for us; the facts of that Spirit, by that Spirit, foretold by that same Spirit, and coming to pass by the power of the Spirit. We tend favor our perspective. That works. In the world we live in; jobs, commutes, the gym, poker night, whatever, a personal perspective on these things and more is appropriate and necessary. While we are all the same in many respects we are also individuals. But when it comes to the truth of the Spirit of God we continue on the path of personal perspective. Our fantasy realms usurp the reality of the Spirit. Something is very wrong. Instead of allowing the Spirit to fill us with the greater perspective, instead of humbling ourselves to hear the Spirit, we rebel. We don't like to hear the truth of reality. We impound the truth in our minds dungeon like a criminal. Too many times the truth is viewed as sedition, a bad actor subverting our personal take, destroying the carefully constructed fantasy of personal perspective. This is the enemies doing. There is only one Spirit of truth, and there should be only one truth in every concept of the scriptures of truth, not the many we experience today. This is division. All the diverse conclusions cannot be valid. Only one. We have been led astray by the enemy. The exhortation to, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." means we should start getting out of her now.
    2 points
  5. I care too much about almost everyone and I'm wondering if anyone else is like me. For example, the longer I know someone the more valuable I consider knowing him/her. Up until 20 yrs ago this wasn't a problem, I always knew people who throw other people away (for no good reasons that is). I made sure I didn't get overly attached to them. But 20 yrs ago this became like an epidemic in my life. 20 yrs ago the entire family on my father's side stopped associating with me. Since I have no immediate family, brothers, sisters, wives or ex-wives, and I made sure I didn't have any kids out of wedlock. On my mother's side they all died except 1 female cousin. She's the new age queen, her and her husband even started a false church. He's the only minister I know of that charges money to hear him speak. What a shame, on the one hand it proves how hungry Americans are to know God, but on the other hand it shows how ignorant we are about God.A true minister can ask for donations, they all do. But this guy charges $75 an hour and what he teaches is false. So I can't be close to them. To make matters worse most of my father's side consider themselves Saved. What's more I was the first to switch from Catholicism to a Bible believing Christian. They should be the first to want to associate with me. Or maybe I'm nuts. I realize that I'm making a lot of posts about this lately. I apologize for this. I just feel like I can't take this much longer.
    1 point
  6. What do u do when you are broken in ministry
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  7. Hi Last Daze, Good question to ask as it pertains to us making sure we are looking for the Lord coming and growing in the knowledge of His purposes. OK, so these people are described as - - out of all the nations, - Gentiles. - standing before the throne and before the Lamb, - the Lamb (capital `L`) relates to God`s purpose for Israel (& thus the nations) - clothed in white robes, - repented and accepted God`s salvation. - palm branches, - indicating the time of the Tabernacle of God coming down, (New Jerusalem). The palm branches were what Israel built tabernacles with to remind them of God dwelling with them. The nations (Gentiles) shall walk in its light, on the earth. - came out of the great tribulation, - did not take the mark of the beast. - washed in the blood of the Lamb, - through Christ they are saved from hell and have eternal life, (on the earth). Thus this great multitude are - `And the nations (Gentiles) of those who are saved, shall walk in its (NJ) light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it.` (Rev. 21: 24) regards, Marilyn.
    1 point
  8. And His love is............Jesus... Jesus is the HEART of God.
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  9. Prayer is sometimes the best thing we can do. When a person is being attacked by the enemy as in your illustration, and they are without hope, we can't do much but God can. The person on the phone should have offered more opportunity to listen to his friend, through, had he been more sensitive. Sometimes a person most needs a friend to talk to. We can't always be there in person. We have had people on worthy who repeatedly say they have survived suicide attempts. These people also need Christian professional help. A good many survivors are looking for attention. The people who are serious about it will most often do it in such a way that there is absolutely no way a person can survive. But all thoughts of suicide need to be taken seriously and family and authorities should be informed.
    1 point
  10. This, "These are they which came [away from] out of great tribulation, " is tomfoolery. "Away from"? Let me show you again: erchomai: to come, go Short Definition: I come, go Definition: I come, go. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Definition to come, go ek or ex: from, from out of Short Definition: from out, out from among, from Definition: from out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. HELPS Word-studies 1537 ek (a preposition, written eks before a vowel) – properly, "out from and to" (the outcome); out from within. 1537 /ek ("out of") is one of the most under-translated (and therefore mis-translated) Greek propositions – often being confined to the meaning "by." 1537 (ek) has a two-layered meaning ("out from and to") which makes it out-come oriented (out of the depths of the source and extending to its impact on the object). 'Erchomai ek' is either 'come from the middle out', or 'go from the middle out'. In proper speech 'ek' is 'out from going to', a complete action of leaving a condition and going to another condition. From the above analysis of the definition of 'ek' it's apparent what is 'come out from' has had direct influence on whatever has 'come out'. That's not the case in the Pretrib interpretation, meaning the Pretrib stance on this is incorrect. The fragment could be written thus, "These are they which come out from the inside of great tribulation," The action 'away from', as in 'avoidance' is not represented here. Here is 'away' in the Greek NT: Strong's Greek: 683. ἀπωθέομαι (apótheó) -- to thrust ...Strong's Greek: 667. ἀποφέρω (apopheró) -- to carry off ...Strong's Greek: 4879. συναπάγω (sunapagó) -- to lead away ... Strong's Greek: 851. ἀφαιρέω (aphaireó) -- to take from ...... Strong's Concordance. aphaireó: to take from, take away. Strong's Greek: 520. ἀπάγω (apagó) -- to lead away Strong's Greek: 617. ἀποκυλίω (apokulió) -- to roll away Strong's Greek: 3583. ξηραίνω (xérainó) -- to dry up ...Strong's Greek: 1821. ἐξαποστέλλω (exapostelló) Strong's Greek: 4014. περιαιρέω (periaireó) -- to take ...Strong's Greek: 654. ἀποστρέφω (apostrephó) -- to turn ...Strong's Greek: 1578. ἐκκλίνω (ekklinó) -- to deviate, to ... Strong's Greek: 3855. παράγω (paragó) -- to lead by, to ...Strong's Greek: 3901. παραῤῥυέω (pararreó) -- to flow ...Strong's Greek: 3911. παραφέρω (parapheró) -- to bring to ... Strong's Greek: 645. ἀποσπάω (apospaó) -- to draw off ...Strong's Greek: 628. ἀπολούω (apolouó) -- to wash off ...Strong's Greek: 868. ἀφίστημι (aphistémi) -- to lead ... Strong's Greek: 3133. μαραίνω (marainó) -- to quench ...Strong's Greek: 1601. ἐκπίπτω (ekpipto) -- I fall out ...Strong's Greek: 3895. παραπίπτω (parapiptó) -- to fall ... Now with all the different ways to say 'away from', why do none of these appear in Rev 7:13? Because that's not what Jesus meant. That's why 'ek' appears. While I find these word studies enlightening and interesting, having to go through a word study to prove a point that should come about through normal reading, common sense, understanding our Father's character and plan, and the leading of the Spirit, is a woeful commentary on the mindset of the body of Christ. Repent, trust, believe and let the Spirit lead, in Jesus name.
    1 point
  11. God bless you Friend your eyes are open
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  12. Not pointing fingers but the office of President must be all inclusive no matter what faith exists in our country. Gay marriage and trans gender is at the top of the list. This alone excludes being Born again in the spirit. They may believe in their mind that they are right with God but our brother said it right. You will know them be their fruit. The hush up about the Stormy D was to keep it under the rug until he got office. There is not one president that claim's to be a true to His faith believer in Christ walking in the spirit. Christians who believe they can we need to pray for them. Honor the president for his office but as a true believer its all in their head.
    1 point
  13. Mark 13:23 "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. Where did Christ tell us about the rapture?
    1 point
  14. I am posting this for the sake of those who are not aware why Tolerance is not of Christ please refer to Wikipedia I am not familiar with the new windows and not able o copy past articles What is wrong with world peace and religious harmony. World peace is a desirable and an attractive ideal. Who would not want this. Our Bible warns us not chase after the worldly rainbows. 1st John 2:15. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except by me. This is not the intent of many Christians today. They will follow after the RCC who does not hold to this thereby they love religious tolerance and despise Christ. There is so much today that is plunging to destruction. This is not our home . I think of David when perused by Saul wrote in a Psalm if only I had wings like a birdt I would fly away to a peaceful place. How many times I was living in rebellion and still while I was saved. Sin follows us even after forgiveness. Just as it was with David. My lessons to were from Psalm 27
    1 point
  15. There are a few scriptures that point to varying rewards.. This of course does not include salvation.. Anyone who believes Jesus and trusts in the atonement He secured for them will be saved.. Matthew 5: KJV 19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." So both will be in the kingdom of Heaven. But one will be called Great while the other one will be called least.. In the parable of Jesus:: Luke 19: KJV 12"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. {13} And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. {14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. {15} And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. {16} Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. {17} And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. {18} And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. {19} And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities." In the above parable both servants where rewarded by the LORD upon his return and where given authority.. But one received 10 cities and the other 5 cities .. I believe the pound given to them represents the Gospel and their trading represents their witnessing to others the Gospel.. Matthew 16:LKV 27 "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Revelation 22 "{12} And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. {13} I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
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  16. ‘And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.’ (Gen 3:8)
    1 point
  17. 'And the eyes of them both were opened, .. and they knew that they were naked; .... and they sewed fig leaves together, ...... and made themselves aprons.’ (Gen.3:7) * The repetition of the word, 'and', stresses the importance to take note of each element: whereas, the absence of the word 'and' intends that we give emphasis to the conclusion rather than each clause. Praise God! For that little word and it's usage. * All praise to God! Whose Word this is! For manipulating the mind and the senses that we may know and understand every shade of meaning and element of importance within the text He is using, that we may see and believe that He IS, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. * Praise His Holy Name!
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  18. Yes, it’s that one and one relationship between a believer and Jesus. Thanks for your post. Much love in Christ, Not me.
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  19. Thanks for this Not Me, it really is about that still small voice isn't it
    1 point
  20. This would be a great topic in our inner court general discussion. After you have replied here a few time perhaps it can be moved. Some of the great evangelists also prayed for that cleansing and refilling of the Spirit, and God moved in a powerful way. So intense prayer may also be a part of it all.
    1 point
  21. While the OP makes a good point the same could be said for other believers. Believers can turn on each other in a minute at times too! Also, anyone who's calling you "church boy" is not your friend anyway. I learned to be very careful which folks were allowed in my life, and that was before I was saved. Still, OP is correct: the lost can turn on a believer in minute.
    1 point
  22. Scriptural model: Acts 8:26 ¶ And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south, on the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is a desertedplace . 27 And he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot he read Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran there to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you indeed understand what you are reading? 31 And he said, How can I unless some man should guide me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 And the content of the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His judgment was taken away, and who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." 34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I beg you, of whom does the prophet speak this? Of himself or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached the gospel of Jesus to him. 36 And as they passed along the way, they came on some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized? 37 Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, it is lawful. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And he baptized him.
    1 point
  23. HI THOMAS, I AM NOT ARGUING THAT SHARING IS NOT A GOOD THING. Sorry about the all caps. But in truth I would eat the odd looking apple myself and share of the better looking ones. I have enjoyed being a gleaner of the fields, some 535 acres, then canning the product, using it, and sharing it. Made for grand family adventures, fellowship and just neighborliness. I have traveled to pick of the fruit orchards and canned those as well. But I have listened to a man whose very mission was to work the deep ghetto share of the word of God and encourage others to get above their poverty and dependence on the government dole and Christian charity. He advocated providing gruel ( a porage/porridge with vitamins added) which he did so that the needy had good nourishment, but did not feast without labor. His own church chef would argue that more and better could be provided, but he insisted that would further cripple the already dependent upon hand outs. I found though it seemed a bit of tough love that I agreed. Still if I were to share of what was in my own lunch I would share the better and keep the lesser for myself. I have always hated, yes hated, the idea that so many give to the local church what they do not need anymore, as they buy new for themselves. I think no the church does not need your excess, your waste, your no longer needed junk. Keep it if it is still serviceable and give the new to the church to pass on to another. If one has something God wants them to share then share the best and not the least. Anyone can give away their excess junk, what Glory to God is there in that?
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  24. Then youre doctrine of imminence is for the jews But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son...So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. By the way here goes your pre trib rapture completely out the window Mat 12:29 "Or else how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
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  25. Hi jlesso88. And welcome to this discussion forum. At our church, a fellowship of believers, as believers, are Holy Ghost filled. I also believe I, or anyone, can have revival, and sometimes with others also. If it is true revival, it won't be a emotional show, but an inner cleansing. I pray for this often, for our body. May God bless your enthusiasm for Him.
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  26. Sometimes I just feel like I can’t. It’s hard.
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  27. You have to love them the way that God loves us. We sin everyday and do things against his will all the time; but he still loves us. That's why He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. You have to put away all pride and pray and ask God if there is maybe something you have in your heart against that person. Maybe that's why you're having a hard time loving them.
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  28. The Bible never says “ The righteous shall live by keeping the rules and keeping your repentance ledger up to date” The Bible says “The righteous shall LIVE by FAITH”. What you are describing is the faith walk that God wants His Children to undertake.The Bible isnt just a book about “ don’t do this and do do that”.Life is full of problems and God is looking for those who will turn to him and trust in His promises to get them through this life.Pass one test of faith, and God will put you through you another one— every time the test is just a little harder and requires more faith.This is how we grow in faith.Paul eventually got to the point he was content no matter what the circumstances were.That is how strong his faith walk made him. That is what God wants for us all.Our Faith is what started our walk with God , as Paul said......we are to finish the way we started.Faith is so pleasing to God that He created a Faith Hero Hall Of Fame That included scoundrels like David and Sampson.Heroes of faith who stumbled severely and were punished severely.Nowhere in the Bible do I see a chapter devoted to the heroes of good- doers or the heroes of repentance.If we give God what really pleases Him—- FAITH —-He will take care of the rest.
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  29. Hi, from an old geezer now past most workforce day's terrors and opportunities. "Their level"? "Mind the work"? Therein might be found a couple of useful keys to relief from personal distress. Hey for years, once I was called to my own repentance by the Holy Spirit, and did hear and heed that call, I was often referenced as "Dudley Do Right" in workplace conversations. -Until the day came that they all called me "Boss!". I having become the bigger fish in the small pond was then up and led by God to a much larger body of water to have to learn to swim in among the larger fish yet. There is always, always, the challenge that leads to greater challenge so that each of us might continue to grow and not be stiffled kept small by our environment of littler water bodies. Best to keep humble, happy in all circumstance else it seems humility comes the hard way. Praise God for the work each day. Do the work well and be thankful. Let others see whatever they see. Serve God's good purposes in all that is done and try to do all that you do to His Glory. May God continue to give strength for all tasks. Congratulations on His having given you the opportunity of your new job! Praise God.
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  30. All who try to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2Ti 3:10 But you have closely followed my doctrine, the conduct, the purpose, the faith, the long-suffering, the love, the patient endurance, 2Ti 3:11 the persecutions, the sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra, what persecutions I bore. And the Lord delivered me out of all. 2Ti 3:12 And, indeed, all desiring to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Your co workers are not your enemy. The battle is spiritual. Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:13 Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Eph 6:15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; Eph 6:16 above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 1Co 10:13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
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  31. You have already sank to their level. You've said you feel hate, anger, irritation, and you return evil for evil. Think about what you've said. Now. How to fix it. [1.] You've said you've tried kindness and that you also return the irritation. That's a very mixed message indeed. So stop with the "getting them back" for their irritations. [2.] Don't engage in this game that they are playing with you. They enjoy seeing your be the odd man out. Ignore what can be ignored. Smile and take the conversation to something else. They should soon get the idea that you are not easily goaded anymore. It may stop. It may not. [3.] Have some compassion in your heart for these people who sound like that they are not saved. Pray for them regularly. [4.] Since this is a new job, you are the odd man out - the newbie. They should be treating you better. Perhaps they are just cliquish. Perhaps they are just mean-spirited. It wouldn't hurt to ask if you all could try and get along better. [5.] Keep every conversation and interaction professional. You don't have to pretend to be kind. They know you don't like them. What you do have to be is civil, professional, the adult in the room, the imitator of Christ in the room. [6.] If it gets too bad, don't feel like a "tattletale" if you have to go to the boss or the person who had enough faith to hire you and ask for advice on what to do. Tell them that you are not ratting anyone out and that you know these people won't change, but ask for a transfer or a different office or just help. [7.] This is going to take time. And work on your part.
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  32. Hi starsong4, There are probably millions of people living now, and in days gone by who have never heard of God, Jesus, the Bible, God's Word, who will be judged by God, not according to the Law or commandments, but by the way they lived their lives in the society they were born and raised in. Paul wrote in Romans 2:11-15; Romans 2:11, For there is no respect of persons with God. 12, For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13, For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14, For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15, Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) V. 16, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
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