THE EXHORTATION THREAD (For Christians Who Love Jesus)

[Wayne222]

55 minutes ago, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

It is not a false teaching, but it would be of no use for me to provide you with the scriptures which teach and support this. It's not the scriptures you need, but understanding from the Lord about it. If I gave you scriptures to prove this, which I already have elsewhere on this thread, you would misinterpret them and say that they don't mean what they say or don't apply to whom they apply. It's not the scriptures that you need (which you would already be familiar with if I were to list them here) but the right understanding of them. And only the Lord can give you that if you're confused about it. 

Not of works least we boast. If we have to work then it's payment.  But the lord said it was a gift. Nobody works for a gift. So I hope you can understand it will change your view on why you do things. It will make it more easy to do good works. And with a cheerful heart. 

[Heleadethme]

16 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

You have many untruths in your post. The Catholic church is not half pagan for one. And what church do you belong with ? I bet you will not tell me. Hating the Catholic church and making her evil is not biblical. This board is full of haters now. Wolves in sheep clothing. 

I was once a Catholic........the Lord found me back in the eighties and I received Christ and got born again.  I hate no-one, but I do hate the lies that lead people to hell, and the institution that churns them out. There is no teaching of the word of God to raise a banner against sin, so the people, including priests and nuns, do as they please under cover of darkness.  Worse than pagans, because of the judgment of God upon it for claiming his name and teaching lies and committing abominations in His name........it is full of plagues of sins and demons.   So full of plagues that it has it's own "mental health" institutions dedicated to "helping"priests, nuns and lay workers who have been caught in sexual improprieties and perversions.  And even then instead of looking to God and His word for help and answers, they are relying on psychology and psychiatrists.........unfortunately they are the blind leading the blind into ditches.  It is not Christianity, it's a dead religion leading to death......the presence of God, His Spirit, His Glory does not dwell there.  It is not of Christ......it's enmity against Him.

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

What Seems To Be A Waste Of Time May Actually Be Making The Best Use Of The Time

 

When we love the Lord and are zealous for Him, it is natural for us to desire to do many and great things for Him---things that we ourselves consider to be important and worthwhile. But the only work that matters to God is His will for us, whatever that may be. And it's not the same for everyone. Anything beyond that faith, however apparently magnificent the work or good its results may be, will amount to wood, hay and stubble on the Day of Judgment. So we can't do any better than what God wants us to do in His time; and we can and should be content with that, knowing that we could do no more to please Him, and that we are doing all that He desires of us.

It's easier to do great works than it is to be faithful to the end of our course. Let me repeat that: It is easier to do great works than it is to be faithful to the end of our course. And a Christian who isn't trained and proven in faithfulness won't be good for any greater work. To give him more to do when he can't even be faithful in what he has, and hasn't been well-trained to follow the lead of his Commanding Officer and not to go his own way, would be a disaster.

Don't think that when God parks you by the brook that the time is wasted. God's will is always exactly what we need and what He wants of us, and it's always timely according to His purpose and plan. Even if we may not seem to be doing much in our own eyes, God may be working in us according to something that is important to Him, which we ourselves do not know about, to prepare us for something He wants us to do in the future, and/or to make us more like His Son. (His priority is to conform us to the image of Christ; the works are secondary.)

We may think we're ready and equipped to do more, but God knows better; and He knows what He wants to do with each of us and what we need in order to do it, as well as the right time and the right way. Jesus Himself spent most of His earthly life as a carpenter before He began His ministry, and not one of those years was a waste of time. He was doing exactly what the Father wanted Him to do, as He always did, and was growing in wisdom and in favor with God and man.

The things we do in our obscure and unobtrusive life and mundane routines may be having an effect somewhere and on someone, which we may never know about until the Day of Judgment---besides the work that God is doing in us as we faithfully do whatever He has given us to do. 

 

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23, 24 ESV)

 

...We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son... (Romans 8:26-29 ESV)

 

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14,15 ESV)

 

The prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)

(Or: The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16 KJV)

[Heleadethme]

16 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

Islam is the Antichrist religion.  Anyone who says otherwise is false. The Catholic church does not deny Christ came in the flesh. Islam does deny Christ came in the flesh. Our enemy is Islam. Wake up people. 

When and how did Islam ever "go out from us that it be shown they are not of us"?  Whereas Catholicism claims His name, while denying that He comes in the flesh through the new birth.

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

58 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

Not of works least we boast. If we have to work then it's payment.  But the lord said it was a gift. Nobody works for a gift. So I hope you can understand it will change your view on why you do things. It will make it more easy to do good works. And with a cheerful heart. 

I've explained this already on this thread. My understanding is correct (and it is not proud to state this fact, simply because others do not know that it is correct); I do not have any problem doing good works; and my heart is cheerful about those things about which it should be cheerful, and sober about those things about which it should be sober.

[Heleadethme]

11 hours ago, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

And though the discipleship came at a high personal cost, I wouldn't trade the benefits for the world.

Amen.........it seems to be a lost secret to most of Christendom today that we need to count the cost......that following Jesus comes with a cost........truth must be bought at a cost (but sell it not), that extra oil for our lamps has to be paid for at a price.  Such a tragedy that it is a crossless Christianity of loving their lives in this world that is being taught and sold now.....rather than take up our cross and deny ourselves as Jesus taught.

[Heleadethme]

13 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

What church do you belong to ? Do you go to a church even. I bet you belong to a cult church that's why you keep it a secret. I am a protestant and I grew up in protestant churches. I used to go to CalveryChapel. I attended a Baptist church. But I know Catholics are not false Christians. Some of there doctrine is wrong. But they have the truth of Jesus. So what church are you with. If you refuse to answer then don't answer my posts.

Wayne, have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?  We need to receive the Holy Spirit, without Him we do not receive a love of the truth and other spiritual weapons that we need in the battle, such as spiritual discernment.  Brother, I encourage you to ask, seek and knock to receive the Holy Spirit, if you have not......it's a matter of life and death, spiritually speaking.

[Heleadethme]

11 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

Wrong and your not in charge. You don't go to church because like it says they went out from us. People who don't want to go to church don't want to be under leadership and elders of the church. Read Timothy. 

Have you not read brother, about what happens when God rises up to judge the false shepherds.....He takes HIS sheep away from them, out of their mouths.....those who are HIS scatter and skedaddle out of there.

[Heleadethme]

9 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

People come to this board and dont want to be in a church. Yet they tell members of worthy how to live the Christian life. They act like they have authority like Frienduff who is always telling us where we are wrong. Let me tell you God made men Pastors. He made them overseers to feed the flock. And they are given a gift by the holy spirit. So you people are walking astray.

I think I see the problem Wayne.  Needing and letting a man come between the believer and Christ........is very antichrist.  Those who left and were "not of us" (antichrist) were men wanting positions and recognition (offices) in the Body.  But there is to be no schism in the Body.  This is what the daughter of Babylon still has in common with her mother, and this is why she is having no trouble going back to Rome, now that her transgression has grown to the full in the fullness of time. 

[Christine]

On 3/2/2018 at 2:09 PM, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

The purpose of this thread is for Christians who love Jesus Christ to encourage one another, and to find encouragement from others, to obey Him, and to press on on the narrow and difficult road, on which encouragement to obey the Lord, and like-minded fellowship, is often scarce.

There is plenty of temptation to do evil and encouragement to compromise, but not much encouragement to obey, to be pure and holy, and to be faithful.

This thread is for encouraging the timid, the weary, the embattled and the down-hearted to stand firm in the doctrine of the New Testament and in all the will of God, to persevere and not to compromise, and for the edification and refreshment of those who desire to do what pleases the Lord in all things and to live wholly for Him, no matter what the cost. 

Hello there,

Having come into this thread at such a late date, I decided to go back to the first post, and take up what was intended by the one who began it. I see that this thread is intended to be an encouragement. So I would like to quote a passage of Scripture which is an exhortation to walk worthy:-

‘I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you 
that you walk worthy of the calling with which you are called,
with all lowliness and meekness, 
with long-suffering, 
forbearing one another in love,
endeavoring to keep 
the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace.
There is:- 
one body and 
  one Spirit, even as you are called in 
    one hope of your calling,
      one Lord, 
        one faith, 
          one baptism,
            one God and Father of all, 
Who is above all 
  and through all 
    and in you all.
But to every one of us is given grace 
according to the measure of the gift of Christ.’
(Ephesians 4:1-7 ) 

Praise His Holy Name!

In Christ Jesus
Chris