It's all about God!

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, everyone.

I was posting in "Doubt" (thanks JohnD), and I got to thinking that what we were talking about is so VERY important, that we really should have a topic on it. (I know, there may already be one.)

I had said,

Quote

 

Yes, the remedy for doubt is faith, but try not to concentrate on the "faith" part. Concentrate on the God in whom your faith is placed. HE is the One in whom we trust and it is HE who has the power and the love toward us in which we can trust.

It's like "prayer." The reason why we have problems with praying is that it is frequently thought of as a duty we must perform each day, another task to perform, another habit to learn. However, if we contentrate on the One to whom we are praying - the One to whom we are talking and with whom we are spending time - then the praying becomes much easier and enjoyable! We begin to look forward to our time with Him! By learning to enjoy His company, we NATURALLY learn to enjoy prayer!

 

But, this is true for about EVERY aspect of our walk with God.

Even when we are reading God's Word, it's not the "reading" that's important; it's the God about whom we are reading!

When we give, it's not to a person or to an organization or to a church that's important; it's giving to the God whom we love that's important!

This may be academic to some people, but I've been listening to "prosperity preachers" and have recognized a form of "faith" that is being exercised WITHOUT God involved! That's just NUTS (IMO)!

What do you all think?

[missmuffet]

18 minutes ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, everyone.

I was posting in "Doubt" (thanks JohnD), and I got to thinking that what we were talking about is so VERY important, that we really should have a topic on it. (I know, there may already be one.)

I had said,

But, this is true for about EVERY aspect of our walk with God.

Even when we are reading God's Word, it's not the "reading" that's important; it's the God about whom we are reading!

When we give, it's not to a person or to an organization or to a church that's important; it's giving to the God whom we love that's important!

This may be academic to some people, but I've been listening to "prosperity preachers" and have recognized a form of "faith" that is being exercised WITHOUT God involved! That's just NUTS (IMO)!

What do you all think?

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit should be in the drivers seat of our lives. They should take a number one position in everything that we do. Unfortunately in the world we live in now God is not number one. We are seeing that in many of the Churches and teachers. But the Bible did say that will happen at the end times.

[Retrobyter]

On 2/12/2017 at 2:57 PM, missmuffet said:

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit should be in the drivers seat of our lives. They should take a number one position in everything that we do. Unfortunately in the world we live in now God is not number one. We are seeing that in many of the Churches and teachers. But the Bible did say that will happen at the end times.

Shalom, missmuffet.

Absolutely right. I just find it ironic that preachers and teachers will be scratching their heads questioning why their churches are so weak without any true power, when all along they don't encourage their people to connect with the God who loves them! They'll talk about how we should increase our faith, pray more, read the Bible more, and give money to the church, and wonder why that isn't working! (Sigh.)

[Guest]

On 2/13/2017 at 11:29 PM, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, missmuffet.

Absolutely right. I just find it ironic that preachers and teachers will be scratching their heads questioning why their churches are so weak without any true power, when all along they don't encourage their people to connect with the God who loves them! They'll talk about how we should increase our faith, pray more, read the Bible more, and give money to the church, and wonder why that isn't working! (Sigh.)

Jesus couldn't do anything in His hometown of Nazareth because of the unbelief of the people.

While there are certainly some pastors who preach simplistic solutions, we as humans have a responsibility as well.

[Retrobyter]

2 hours ago, CCole1983 said:

Jesus couldn't do anything in His hometown of Nazareth because of the unbelief of the people.

While there are certainly some pastors who preach simplistic solutions, we as humans have a responsibility as well.

Sure, we have to be obedient, but the POWER is not in us any more than it is in our faith! Being obedient is nothing spectacular. It's what we're supposed to do; however, GOD is still the Source of all power!

Furthermore, don't think that these Nazarenes' unbelief was able to defeat Yeshua` in some way. That's wrong-headed thinking, too. God just didn't choose to waste any time on these bozos. And, Yeshua` could only work when and where His Father told Him to.

Also, their attitude toward Yeshua` is an example of the saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt."

[Guest]

God desires a partnership with His creation, especially those on whom He placed His image. Scripture makes it clear that unbelief prevents God from working the way He desires, though it doesn't impede Him enacting His will.

[Retrobyter]

10 hours ago, CCole1983 said:

God desires a partnership with His creation, especially those on whom He placed His image. Scripture makes it clear that unbelief prevents God from working the way He desires, though it doesn't impede Him enacting His will.

Shalom, CCole1983.

Seriously? God doesn't need "a partnership." He is totally self-sufficient. What He wants, what He WILLS, is praise from His children:

John 6:39-40
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
KJV

Ephesians 1:3-12
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
KJV

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
KJV

1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
KJV

Revelation 4:10-11
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
KJV

THIS is what God wants, what God desires, from us, nothing less!

Psalm 22:1-5
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
KJV

He wants to hear us praise Him, to brag on Him, to boast of our God and His infinite abilities.

Now, as far as "unbelief preventing God from working the way He desires," is He the ALMIGHTY GOD or isn't He? Has it ever occurred to you that NOTHING has "occurred" to God?

Isaiah 46:9-11
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
KJV

Do you think the children of Israel thwarted God's plan in any way when they had to wander 40 years in the wilderness? Don't you think God had that time in His plan?! NOTHING takes God by surprise!

[Guest]

Maybe I should give you some background...

I'm a Free Methodist pastor, born and raised in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition through the Wesleyan and Nazarene churches. I have attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University in central Ohio and graduated from Houghton College in Upstate New York.

With that being said, perhaps God doesn't NEED a partnership with us, but He created us in such a way that we were to have a relationship with Him, and to care for His creation, to be His representative to the rest of creation. If we are the stewards of His creation and the bearers of His image as He created us, then it's fairly clear to me that it is indeed a partnership He desires.

Now I can throw all manner of chapter and verse at you, but frankly I don't like debate. It's a waste of time in my opinion, and my time is way too precious for that. But I will end with this: God desiring a relationship with us does not in any way diminish His sovereignty. In fact, I believe our ability to make free moral choices actually makes God's sovereignty even stronger than Him being a micro manager. If God wanted us to be puppets He'd have created us with strings. And as Pinocchio sang "There are no strings on me."

[gdemoss]

Yes!  It IS all about God.

Even Jesus said that we won't have need to pray to him but straight to the Father.  We GET to have a relationship with God.  We GET  to enter into his rest.  It is God who gives us rest.

[Retrobyter]

22 hours ago, CCole1983 said:

Maybe I should give you some background...

I'm a Free Methodist pastor, born and raised in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition through the Wesleyan and Nazarene churches. I have attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University in central Ohio and graduated from Houghton College in Upstate New York.

With that being said, perhaps God doesn't NEED a partnership with us, but He created us in such a way that we were to have a relationship with Him, and to care for His creation, to be His representative to the rest of creation. If we are the stewards of His creation and the bearers of His image as He created us, then it's fairly clear to me that it is indeed a partnership He desires.

Now I can throw all manner of chapter and verse at you, but frankly I don't like debate. It's a waste of time in my opinion, and my time is way too precious for that. But I will end with this: God desiring a relationship with us does not in any way diminish His sovereignty. In fact, I believe our ability to make free moral choices actually makes God's sovereignty even stronger than Him being a micro manager. If God wanted us to be puppets He'd have created us with strings. And as Pinocchio sang "There are no strings on me."

Shalom, CCole1983.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that although God DECLARED the end from the beginning that I think that He ORCHESTRATED the end from the beginning. He DOES allow us to make our own decisions; He just knows what we're going to decide before we do! No "strings" necessary! And, one cannot try to fool Him, either. No "random" choice is a choice He doesn't anticipate.

For instance, as we pass through the door of God's justification (often called "salvation"), the invitation above the door is "Whosoever will." Once inside, the door announces, "Chosen before the foundation of the world," and God LOCKS the door since it is HIS decision to justify us, regardless in what state He finds us.

A relationship is not a partnership. The Father is ALWAYS in a higher position than a son, but partners are considered EQUALS, and THAT will not do at all to a God who said,

Psalm 46:10
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
KJV

Isaiah 45:22-23
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
KJV

That includes every one of His children!

Isaiah 42:8
8 I am the LORD (Hebrew: YHWH): that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
KJV

Therefore, "partnership" is really the wrong word.

I've said all I'm going to say ... at least, for now.