Fez Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Share Posted April 5, 2013 It is a very serious question I have been asking myself. The background is that in my little sphere of influence, my little world (Church, area in which I live, family, friends, work, etc), I see so much wrong and so much sin. (not saying I don't sin), I see so much poverty, marriage problems, borderline child abuse. pride, drinking, debt, racial hatred, corruption, family disputes, etc. So a pretty normal slice of a persons surrounds I would guess. At least a person who gets out and about quite a bit.... The foreground is that I am blessed to be in an amazing God blessed marriage, I have a very good job in a vocation that I love, I attend a Spirit centered bible based church, I am as healthy as a dodgy old dude as I am can expect to be, I have a family who are believers to the last child. So I am blessed in so many ways. To get back to the first paragraph. I despair when I look around me and see all the challenges. And I wonder... "What can one person do?" This is dangerous, because we are tempted to retreat into the "foreground" where it is comfortable for us and stuff like abortion, same sex marriage, legalized drugs, etc, become the norm (This post is not about any of those in particular, I am sure there are dozens more I could name), because we just get beaten down into submission. But one person can make a difference (believer of secular). Luther did, Gandhi did, Mandela did, Florence Nightingale did. But I am none of these. So I ask you all, "what can one person do?", where does one even start? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RejectedStone Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 40 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/02/2013 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/03/1980 Share Posted April 5, 2013 So I ask you all, "what can one person do?", where does one even start? Love people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevenseas Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 30 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,373 Content Per Day: 0.75 Reputation: 683 Days Won: 22 Joined: 02/28/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted April 5, 2013 I agree...that is a very serious question. I have noticed that many Christians seem to be avoiding it by saying Jesus is coming back any moment now, so don't worry. Irregardless of the fact that spiritual principals mean nothing if they have no practical application, it seems that many would rather discuss the latest 'vision' or 'super spiritual' website, rather than deal with or discuss the things you mention in your op. I really do think things are getting darker and lies are replacing the truth more and more...but yeah, we all know the words to that tune. What can we do? I live in Canada and it is now considered 'hate speech' to say homosexuality is sinful. You begin to understand how the world could turn on Christians...the pastor who was imprisoned and yet continues to show love to his captors is what some of us may have to live one day. I think it is normal to question...but every day I pray for discernment and I ask God for His mercy...we are living in a dangerous world...and I would say love God before we love anyone else...I think that helps to keep us on the right track. I find myself wondering what will happen...it almost seems the quiet before the storm even though it is stormy all around....I am not referring to the rapture...I am not pre-trib... at any rate, I can only say we must keep our eyes on God and not deviate from what we know to be true and encourage each other and hold each other up. I do have the awful habit of wanting to put out all the fires of deception and error.....it is increasing every day. (not my 'habit'...the deception) I don't know how old you are Fez...you keep saying you are old...LOL...but I am middle aged and I certainly did not grow up in the world I find myself in now. I don't feel panicky though...and I attribute that to the Holy Spirit and God's 'keeping' power...but that does not mean I don't have concerns...we all do I think. Just some thoughts........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1peterlight Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 28 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 116 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 11 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/05/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 5, 2013 What I wonder is how to possibly tackle prayer for all of these. I can pray God please fix the world, God please protect my children in this world, but it seems to feel vague to me. Most of us have family problems in one way or another bearing down on us that we need to pray over. I have so many family problems I dont know how to pray genuinely for all of them, it seems like I'm asking too much. Then once you look outside of your family problems, the world is much worse. So that's my question, how can one person possibly pray with all your heart for all of these jaded lives and practices in the world? It is overwhelming for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 It is comforting to see that I am not the only one. I am going to post a picture God gave me at church during worship last week. I don't often do this, because I am the least super spiritual person you could imagine. It is what I think God is telling me and perhaps my church. I mailed my pastor, let me go look for it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 I was standing in front of a small house looking towards the garden gate. It was a picture perfect house, painted white, with a grey slate roof, with wooden clinker built walls. It was fairy tale stuff. The garden was perfect in every way. Lush green and manicured grass with perfect borders surrounded by a riot of colorful flowers all backing onto a waist high white picket fence. The weather was perfect. The sun was out in a cloudless sky, it was cool with not a breath of wind. I could taste the clean air and hear birds singing.... I walked down to the garden gate and looked out, and what I saw was desolation. A grey brown landscape of wilted and brown bushes, dead tree stumps, a howling wind, and a dust storm. It was bleak, and from the gate I felt that if I stuck my hand over the fence it would be sandblasted. It was like I was looking from behind glass. I could not hear the wind. But I could see it. I went home and thought long and hard about what He had shown me. God is amazing, and He does Bless us with the desires of our hearts. He does provide for us and protect us. But He provides for a reason. Not so that we can sit back in our garden and look out at our "perfect" lives, our perfect church. He does it to equip us to open the front gate and go looking for people lost in the dust. And perhaps over the hill find another perfect house where we might rest and share. And by opening the gate and walking into the dust storm in faith, He also equips us to know what to do when satan finds a gap in the picket fence or an open gate we have failed to address in our lives... And perhaps that is why so many of us falter when a gap in our boundary, or armor, is found. We have not tasted the dust, not do we know how to deal with it when it comes because we have never opened the gate and walked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 I have just read George's devotion for today here http://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/163783-sow-into-the-lives-of-people/unread/ It is not a coincidence that I posted before I read what he is saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevenseas Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 30 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,373 Content Per Day: 0.75 Reputation: 683 Days Won: 22 Joined: 02/28/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted April 5, 2013 I actually read George's devotion today also and read your post first...I was going to come back and mention it...but didn't...no, not a coincidence. The world indeed is that horrific dust storm . Your post is timely...thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyycuuup Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 68 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,384 Content Per Day: 0.37 Reputation: 155 Days Won: 1 Joined: 01/20/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/22/1996 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Hey Fez! God is absolutely amazing, not only did He provide the vision, but along with that the interpretation! I have some thoughts reading through your posts, and with that of course (most importantly) scriptures. So, now it is a matter of choosing where to begin. I despair when I look around me and see all the challenges. And I wonder... "What can one person do?" The moment I read the beginning of your Post, a song that I always remind myself about popped into my head. The song is "My Own Little World" by Mathew West. Your probably wondering what it has to do with your question in mind, and well, it has a lot. I am going to post the song, so my post will be quite long, but it is a great song, and I encourage you to give it a listen. In my own little world it hardly ever rains I've never gone hungry, always felt safe I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet In my own little world, population: me I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give 'til it hurts And I turn off the news when I don't like what I see Yeah, it's easy to do when it's population: me What if there's a bigger picture? What if I'm missing out? What if there's a greater purpose? I could be living right now Outside my own little world Stopped at a red light looked out my window I saw a cardboard sign said, "help this homeless widow" And just above that sign was the face of a human I thought to myself, God, what have I been doing? So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye Oh, how many times have I just passed her by? I gave her some money than I drove on through And my own little world reached population: two What if there's a bigger picture? What if I'm missing out? What if there's a greater purpose? I could be living right now Outside my own little world My own little world Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours Give me open hands and open doors Put Your light in my eyes and let me see That my own little world is not about me What if there's a bigger picture? What if I'm missing out? What if there's a greater purpose? That I could be living right now I don't want to miss what matters I wanna be reaching out Show me the greater purpose So I can start living right now Outside my own little world My own little world My own little world So maybe that is not what God is wanting you to do, not to be sad in a sense of being overwhelmed, but be saddened for what is truly out there, and in them. Not saying we Christians are any better, because we still sin, fail etc. But with that being said, it is God that makes us new and adds color to gray and light to the darkness. I am going to post a picture God gave me at church during worship last week. I don't often do this, because I am the least super spiritual person you could imagine. The vision God gave you in particular I believe is extremely powerful, along with that, the understanding God gave you or the interpretation to go with it is equally powerful! I kept in mind that song, and I thought real hard and I was saying, "God what does this mean?" Because from the outside looking in, such things can be quite difficult, and well, in reality impossible to understand without the God given understanding. I read over the vision God gave you a few more times and it hit me. In one aspect or another, or all the way through and through, we are extremely blessed. We have this picture perfect place called "home" and outside of that, we keep in this place, not going outside of this hedge, or over the fence. Outside of that, is utter darkness: dull, colorless and even a lifeless atmosphere. We think to ourselves that maybe we should stay in this "little world" in the case of something going bad, or maybe in the case of disaster striking etc. But is that what God has called us to do? Are we shaken in fear? Afraid that the moment we go outside of this "area," we will be engulfed in the same Worldly destruction? God has called us! What a message to receive! But what a hard one to follow....... Philippians 3:8 "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." Psalms 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you" So we are reminded. . . what does this world have to offer? The answer to that is nothing. But what do we believers have to offer? Jesus Christ and all things that follow: love, patience, kindness, and most importantly the Good News! So we are met with a decision; be the Light that God has called us to be (Mathew 5:14-16 "14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."), or remain in our "Own little worlds" and store away the talents He has given us. I believe that, that was the message (also the interpretation that God had given you) to be received. To go out into the world and be the Light! It is CHRIST, who is in us, that makes ALL things possible. We are called by the Almighty God, to glorify His Kingdom and preach the Gospel. Not only to make believers, but to make Disciples! We are to make a continuation of glory, an unending chain to tell of this Good News! The biggest part that I see, and probably only because I struggle with this, is the fear aspect. The verse that gives me the most comfort in this aspect is Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" the reason behind this, is that I know I am not going to be alone. I know, that in that moment, it will be to the glory to God and with that, He will not let me be ashamed because we can do all things through Him, and by Him, will we be lifted up, strengthened and upheld. By this, we can hold onto it! For we know that God is not a liar, and He keeps ALL of His promises. The Key which seems quite simple.....is praying. Praying for God's strength, His will to be done, and to be a better Servant- all to the glory of Him, of course In this, I also struggle, because in the same sense I think to myself, what if things go wrong, what if I mess up, don't know what to say.....and all these questions just keep building up, and up and up etc. But then I get this notion, this knowing, that God will and is by myside ALWAYS, and if I do my best, try my hardest, God will not be ashamed of me, for that is what He wants from us, to take up our cross, and follow Him. So where to start? I would first pray for Gods guidance, and then. . . start washing feet. Pray for just as that song says, to give you compassion on them, and a spirit that is willing to withstand their judgement to plant seeds. Seeds that should also be prayed over, that the message of Him, be well received, be convincing and convicting. What can a guy do? Nothing! What can God do? ALL things! God bless you Fez, you will be in my prayers, and with that I pray that what I feel God lead me to say is in one aspect or another, helpful, and glorifies Him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmateurPoet03 Posted April 5, 2013 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 64 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 17 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/02/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 5, 2013 It is a very serious question I have been asking myself. The background is that in my little sphere of influence, my little world (Church, area in which I live, family, friends, work, etc), I see so much wrong and so much sin. (not saying I don't sin), I see so much poverty, marriage problems, borderline child abuse. pride, drinking, debt, racial hatred, corruption, family disputes, etc. So a pretty normal slice of a persons surrounds I would guess. At least a person who gets out and about quite a bit.... The foreground is that I am blessed to be in an amazing God blessed marriage, I have a very good job in a vocation that I love, I attend a Spirit centered bible based church, I am as healthy as a dodgy old dude as I am can expect to be, I have a family who are believers to the last child. So I am blessed in so many ways. To get back to the first paragraph. I despair when I look around me and see all the challenges. And I wonder... "What can one person do?" This is dangerous, because we are tempted to retreat into the "foreground" where it is comfortable for us and stuff like abortion, same sex marriage, legalized drugs, etc, become the norm (This post is not about any of those in particular, I am sure there are dozens more I could name), because we just get beaten down into submission. But one person can make a difference (believer of secular). Luther did, Gandhi did, Mandela did, Florence Nightingale did. But I am none of these. So I ask you all, "what can one person do?", where does one even start? Thank you for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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