hmbld

in my 20s, i was a mess... as most 20-somethings are. i went with a friend of mine to a wedding in the texas panhandle one weekend, where we stayed at her aunt's house. she was one of those happy clappy christians. i thought since she was a christian, she would be compassionate and helpful when i sought her advice on something. instead, she told me that she did not believe in anything negative being spoken in her house, and that if i would walk a christian walk, i'd never have to deal with any sadness again. it's really sad that there are people out there who keep their head so surrounded by the light reflecting in their own fog that they can't offer a little light to a hurting world. And that is exactly the kind of stuff I can't stand. Romans 8:28 is true -- but not what someone necessarily wants or needs to hear while burying a loved one. (That's just an example, by the way.) There are times in life when the "Oh, just trust the Lord." thing sounds to the hurting person like one of 2 things: 1. A brush off or cop out. 2. A slap in the face. When someone is in a lot of pain "just be positive" doesn't help. I have heard others express this same thing. I don't know why but I don't agree. When my darkest days came nobody could help. But they could remind me to look to Jesus and tell me to trust Him. I was not offended but thankful for the simple wisdom in that. Good point. I'm thinking from the bolded sentence that the delivery of that reminder to look to Jesus makes a big difference. A caring friend you've known for a long time saying that would probably not feel like a slap in the face or a blow off. The person's tone of voice would be different too. It would not sound like a casual remark in that case. I've been thinking about this and your right. It was the delivery. It was said with caring and expressed in a way to show the importance of taking everything to Jesus. That is why I didn't feel brushed off. This is still a mystery to me as even with my best intentions I find I am lacking in my communication with others.

An article written by Russel Moore, seems to explain how praying for justice, and salvation are not contradictory. The main problem is that we sometimes forget that we are called to be a people of both justice and justification, and that these two are not contradictory. It sounds awfully spiritual, at first blush, to say that we should not pray for the defeat of our enemies on the field of battle. But that’s only the case if these enemies are not actually doing anything. This terrorist group is raping, enslaving, beheading, crucifying our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as other innocent people. To not pray for swift action against them is to not care about what Jesus said we should seek, what we should hunger and thirst for, for justice. A world in which murderous gangs commit genocide without penalty is not a “merciful” world but an unjust horror show. As Christians, we ought to be, above all people, concerned with such justice. We not only have the common grace standing of caring about stopping murder and injustice, rooted in the image of God and the law written on the heart. We also have the personal implication here. It’s our household being wiped out in the Middle East, the very place where our church started. For us, this isn’t a matter of “they;” it’s a matter of “us.” At the same time, praying for the salvation of our enemies, even those committing the most horrific of crimes, is not a call to stop praying for justice against them. The cross, after all, is not forgiveness in a contemporary therapeutic sense—in which one is merely absolved of wrongdoing as though it were all a misunderstanding. No, that’s precisely the Apostle Paul’s point in the Book of Romans. The gospel does not say, “Don’t’ worry about it; it’s okay.” The gospel points us to the cross where sin is absorbed in a substitute. God’s righteous condemnation of sin is there. He does not, and cannot, enable wickedness. And God’s mercy is there in that he is the One who sends his Son as the propitiation for sin. He is both “just and the justifier of the One who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). The gospel doesn’t leave sin unpunished. Every sin is punished, either a the Place of the Skull, in Christ, or in the judgment of hell, on one’s own. The thief on the cross—a Middle Eastern terrorist by Rome’s standards—in his act of faith did not believe that his salvation exempted him from justice. He confessed that his sentence was justice, and that he was receiving “the due reward for our deeds” (Lk. 23:41) even as he cried out to Jesus for merciful entrance into the kingdom of Christ (Lk. 23:42). We ought, indeed, to pray for the gospel to go forward, and that there might be a new Saul of Tarsus turned away from murdering to gospel witness. At the same time, we ought to pray, with the martyrs in heaven, for justice against those who do such wickedness. Praying for the military defeat of our enemies, and that they might turn to Christ, these are not contradictory prayers because salvation doesn’t mean turning an eye away from justice. We can pray for gospel rootedness in the Middle East, and we can pray to light up their world like the Fourth of July, at the same time. We are, after all, the people of the cross.

That is not reassuring lol. Had plans to take grand kids there in a few weeks.

lol. I remember what you said about 1000 posts. Glad you kept going!

Isn't that a little over $1000 per month? We were blessed with four kids. I'm thinking we had the economy versions.

Preachers ought, of course, to be good examples. Are we not all called to preach? When you know someone well enough to know if they are caught up in sin and still preaching, well, does it give you pause to reflect on your own life? How small a thing as getting angry can affect how others see Christ in you when you talking with them about God? Or any number of other things people judge each other on. Can you find me one righteous preacher? Are any of us righteous? In Christ alone we are righteous. God can use anyone, including a preacher possibly caught in a habitual sin, even if it is to show us what we look like when we preach others should live such and such while we don't. Would this be a really good reason to be regularly attending a church, so that each member can be held accountable, in love?

in my 20s, i was a mess... as most 20-somethings are. i went with a friend of mine to a wedding in the texas panhandle one weekend, where we stayed at her aunt's house. she was one of those happy clappy christians. i thought since she was a christian, she would be compassionate and helpful when i sought her advice on something. instead, she told me that she did not believe in anything negative being spoken in her house, and that if i would walk a christian walk, i'd never have to deal with any sadness again. it's really sad that there are people out there who keep their head so surrounded by the light reflecting in their own fog that they can't offer a little light to a hurting world. And that is exactly the kind of stuff I can't stand. Romans 8:28 is true -- but not what someone necessarily wants or needs to hear while burying a loved one. (That's just an example, by the way.) There are times in life when the "Oh, just trust the Lord." thing sounds to the hurting person like one of 2 things: 1. A brush off or cop out. 2. A slap in the face. When someone is in a lot of pain "just be positive" doesn't help. I have heard others express this same thing. I don't know why but I don't agree. When my darkest days came nobody could help. But they could remind me to look to Jesus and tell me to trust Him. I was not offended but thankful for the simple wisdom in that.

Life does hurt walla. Most days this world looks very dark to me. But I have to say, I have never felt so much joy welling up inside, just praising God even when this world is kicking me. So maybe I'm one who you think is not being honest about how I feel. I dunno. I've been told by many at work not to tell them "good morning!" Most don't want to see others happy early in the morning maybe lol. The happiness I have most certainly is not coming from anything this world has to offer me!

Except they have large numbers, and the difference I see is they believe they serve god, ISIS gives them purpose to their lives, or actually in giving their lives to death. Its not just land and conquest they want, but the apocalypse. In contrast, a christian would desire all to have eternal life, ISIS wants to take the lives of all infidels.

Very interesting. ISIS eagerly anticipates american troops or other infidel troops, "Now that it has taken Dabiq, the Islamic State awaits the arrival of an enemy army there, whose defeat will initiate the countdown to the apocalypse." Likewise, they anticipate very few jihadists will survive. Their world view is all about bringing an end. Death. Very sad.

Psalm 108:11-13 11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 12 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Deychrome, how about this?

That is a great point, it is present, not past tense!

To answer your questions, the bible does not speak of individual guardian angels. We pray to be delivered from our own temptations, temptation to sin. The one central truth that protects us from the spiritual realm (the dark side of it), is Jesus, no more, no less. To answer the question the OP asks, in how do angels and demons fight? The bible is not clear on this, and if God wanted us to know He would have told us through His Word. 2 kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. I have heard this refers to angels who are always fighting for us. I have also heard this is only a vision to show him God's hand is with him. Comments?

I read this link, History classes in public education certainly do not cover material like this: In March 1785, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to London to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman (or Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). When they enquired "concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury", the ambassador replied: It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave;

I do not see anyone attacking you, and i am aware you keep pushing this same concept repeatedly. I do not agree

That is a great, short explanation! I love it when someone uses a few words to get to the point!

Hi Will, I don't have your answer as I have never believed I became a Jew by believing in Jesus. But, I am interested in understanding this further, so I was hoping someone would answer you and include a strict definition of who is a Jew? Thanks.

Well, I am still lost on the "how" of caring for others. You say you "can't". This implies you are unable, or are a victim of either who you are or how you feel. John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Now, why would Jesus command us to do something we "can't" do? Now, i should state I am looking for answers or understanding here more than anything. I don't remember where, but at one time someone tried to explain to me that "love" is a verb. It needs an action. You stated 'Sacrificing yours so that they can have theirs." When I see the world, I see people say they care, or love. But, with very few exceptions, it is a self-serving love. They love those that provide something for them. I try not to see things that way. The world tells us to "follow your heart" or "be true to yourself" or etc. Your spouse tells you they didn't mean to fall in love and off they go. That's not love to me. If Jesus commanded us to love, then we are not victims to love. It is a decision, an action to love. Serving. I think about this often. I feel the world tells me there is something wrong, or missing in me when I don't understand love as they seem to. It's been said to me. I think the world has corrupted the meaning and understanding of love. So I come back to your second sentence, "what exactly does it mean to love somebody?"

I, for one, don't think your in deep trouble. I can relate to what you are saying. Also, you are thinking about it. Possibly even meditating on love, if I understand you correctly. If your concerned, I believe God is drawing you. Your answer, "deep care for others" tells me you view love as how you feel?

Question-you say you are incapable for love. How do you define love? A feeling or an emotion or?

Interesting choice of wording. "Choices in this life", meaning good works? Does Jesus fit into this list of choices you see?

and donuts. Both of which are examples of things a church group does to try to entice people into their doors. Along with trying to find feel good music, shorter preaching time, etc. And yes, I do know your adding humor here.

I think it is easier than that. God exists outside of His creation of time, so He knows the end and the beginning, as He is present at both. He does not guess what decisions we will make, as He is presently here and in our future. God can not be limited by His creation.