Neighbor Posted April 5 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 962 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,731 Content Per Day: 5.04 Reputation: 9,121 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/03/1885 Share Posted April 5 Life decisions have consequence, lasting consequences that spill over into all aspects of life. So make good ones, take time to read the Bible with understanding brought by the Holy Spirit. Starting right where one may be now and going forward make God first and God's word utmost in the decision making process for all of life's decisions and activities. Do not make decisions and then ask God's blessing upon them for that is as the saying goes puting the cart before the horse. Plus don't just pray without reading the word, especially within the word about prayer. To pray without reading (Bible reading) and thinking over what is read is presumption. To act without praying is atheism. Be thorough take the time to be thorough in prayer, reading, and thinking; giving thanks to God in all things. If it is broken God can fix it! Ask of him with respectful prayer and reading of his word. He is not a cuddle teddy present when wanted only, He is God. He demands there be no God before him, above him or beside Him. Praise Him, be a blessing to Him; God blesses those that hear and heed His word through the awakening to it by God the Holy Spirit. God's mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon those that believe on God the Son as their lord God and personal savior. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJK Posted April 5 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 43 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 3,349 Content Per Day: 7.53 Reputation: 1,305 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/01/2023 Status: Offline Share Posted April 5 I have to add that when you find yourself in a situation you must first realize it was your decisions -your choices- that led you into it. If you want to change the situation you have to make new choices and make them differently than you have made them in the past. Everything is related, if you change one thing you change all things, So when you find yourself up against a wall, just change one thing about your life, it doesn't have to be a large thing, just a small one done with absolute consistency will do, and wee for yourself how the other things in your life start changing to conform with it. Don't question it and put it off, as a pair of running shoes might say, "Just do it". 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted April 6 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,274 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,899 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted April 6 On 4/5/2024 at 8:04 AM, Neighbor said: To pray without reading (Bible reading) and thinking over what is read is presumption. To act without praying is atheism. I sorta agree, and I sorta don't can't. I have to make decisions all day long. I just looked this below up again. "Various sources suggest that the average adult makes 33,000 to 35,000 total decisions each day, including what we will eat, what we will wear, what we will say, and how we'll say it" Etc etc........ I do pray in the morning thanking for another day, and acknowledge God for direction, and press on. If I'm going to do a particularly dangerous work on the saw, or share the gospel I'll say think a short desire for direction. I do talk to God through out the day, trying to practice the presence of God with me, think talk. I do not read the bible when I'm engaged in work or most anything in every day life. I have hidden his word in my heart for instant recall when needed. And that happens all day long. Being transformed by the re new ing of my heart. Adding light, storing it, ready when needed. Neighbor, I do believe as you said to pray about important decisions and look for appropriate verses to study. But I also do run mostly on auto pilot, depending on the light stored within, light, to recognize any darkness. What's neat is the needed word just sorta 'pops up' in my mind, and gives a trust in my actions/dialog. My understanding. Neat post, Neighbor. You got me thinking. Again. On 4/5/2024 at 10:56 AM, FJK said: I have to add that when you find yourself in a situation you must first realize it was your decisions -your choices- that led you into it. I agree that is usually the case, results of choices made, but not always/directly. We are branches abiding in the True Vine, Jesus. The Father is the vine tender and he prunes the branches. His way, not man's way. I believe many things happen/have happened in my life that were not of my choice. The father prunes, cuts off, unnecessary parts of me that hinder the bearing of fruit produced by the vine. I know I can do nothing unless I abide in Jesus. He produces all fruit. As a branch, I only bear his fruit. The longer the branch, the less fruit. The less of 'me' the more of Jesus, fruit. The vine tender removes what ever is hindering the bearing of more fruit, and will do it his way. The loss of a close friend, a comfortable church, a job, etc etc. Cut off. Why me Lord? He has a plan I know nothing about. Perhaps a new friend that will better influence me better spiritually and not worldly. A new church, not so comfortable but more honorable in the ways of glorifying the Lord. A better job that allows me to better serve God through new opportunities of service. My point is, some things we view as chastisement can simply be the vine tender pruning us. Believing by faith that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, gives trust in whatever the results. The more pruning, the less me, the more fruit to bear. More fruit is good. John 15:8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit;" My understanding. Thanks, FJK PS; Ultimately you are correct in that you 'chose' to follow Jesus, and his/our father will prune you. His way. Good choice. (I believe also in choice. I can anger or please God. choice...) 1 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted April 6 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 72 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,365 Content Per Day: 7.12 Reputation: 13,426 Days Won: 99 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Online Share Posted April 6 I'm in agreement with @Sower. There were things that happened, matters decided by others, that have had an impact upon my life that I had nothing to do with. A decision made by another affects us; what can we do to change that? Nothing. We might not even be made aware of the consequences of the above until much later in life, long past the window of opportunity to act in a meaningful way to change the outcome. If I had known that I suffer from chronic granulomatous disease many years ago, I would have made it a point to seek medical care even when I was homeless and destitute. The cumulative effect of infections in this body have made life more difficult than it otherwise would have been had I been prescribed antibiotics and antifungal drugs... If I had known that I suffered from fungal pneumonia then I would have went straight to a public hospital for emergency care. And so on. The point? Whatever befalls us through no fault of our own (like the man born blind from John 9) is according to the will and purpose of the Lord. Neither my father or mother knew that they both carried more than one genetic defect, one of which was identical. How were they supposed to know that? That those genetic defects would be passed on to their children? No one involved did anything "wrong" to create the resulting consequences. As for making decisions without praying, our brother Sower addressed that adequately. No, I'm not going to pray about what I ought to eat for lunch. Heh. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted April 6 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,274 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,899 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted April 6 1 hour ago, Marathoner said: No, I'm not going to pray about what I ought to eat for lunch. Heh. Just give thanks and press on. However, the older I get, I sometimes pray about what not to eat. No more heavy on the ghost pepper sauce! .......... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted April 6 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 72 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,365 Content Per Day: 7.12 Reputation: 13,426 Days Won: 99 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Online Share Posted April 6 (edited) 41 minutes ago, Sower said: Just give thanks and press on. However, the older I get, I sometimes pray about what not to eat. No more heavy on the ghost pepper sauce! .......... Ah well. I had a few doctors say that to me, brother: no more Carolina reaper puree... no more ghost peppers... not even jalapeños. I have grown accustomed to life without spicy chile peppers. Edited April 6 by Marathoner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdHoc Posted April 6 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 4 Topic Count: 10 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,071 Content Per Day: 3.29 Reputation: 1,468 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/29/2021 Status: Offline Share Posted April 6 @Neighbor @Sower @FJK @Marathoner and you others, I find this a profitable thread. I was a young Christian before the Internet and would have dearly liked this kind of input from older experienced brothers and sisters. Keep it up brethren. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts