Many of our problems in this life happen because events and ... happen according what we told ... to do. The problem is often that we don't know what we told .. to do.
This life is set up to operate by specific guidelines and proceedures (often called laws). When we violate those laws, then we cause problems both to ourselves and to others.For example, some of the principles of life are:
How can I know that I'm saved? How can I know that I will not go to hell? How can I know that my sins will be forgiven? Will God send me the hell? And
These were all fear based questions. These are all assume an angry god who is out to get sinners.
I was listening to the radio and, as part of his sermon, i heard this today:
"When I say I love you, my commitment to you is, "I will not get upset or irritated (not even a little bit) by anything that you do or say."
You can't control your initial emotions.
It begins with self talk, "It's OK, It's OK, It won't matter, I won't remember this next year."
Dee Duke, Jefferson Baptist"
In Ancient times very few people could read or write. To share information people could talk to others one by one. While that is often the best way, it takes a long time to tell anyone about the news or message. The other way to share information or messages more quickly was to get everyone together and have a speaker get up in front and tell everyone what needed to be told. That was the best method during that time in history. But, since the advent of the printing press, then later newspapers, radio, television, and now the Internet, the methods of sharing information has exploded.
The longest journey begins with one tiny step. Can you take one tiny step?
In examining my life I see many changes that I'd like to make, but haven't, for whatever reason. Here, at last, is an idea that gives me some hope. Make each change tiny and easy. Watch the 17 minute video and see what you think.
Ask not how you can serve God. Rather, learn how to live life, how to serve mankind, how to work in such a way as to bless those around you.
"Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen." 1 John 4:20
Spending time with Jesus
A Relationship with Jesus
Well, we are told that the (the people in) the church are the body of Christ. We are also told that we can't love God if we don't love people (1 john) When we want a relationship with... the Lord, we do it by developing a relationship with the people in the body.
Victor Frankl, his relationshiop with his wife.
I presume that you can convince yourself of anything, if you tell yourself over and over again.
How often have you heard someone say (or have you said it yourself)? "Well, umm, I know that I should be reading my Bible every day. I really want to, really I do! Really, I mean it." There is the guilt plainly laid out. However, feeling guilty about not reading the Bible doesn't make that person actually read the Bible.
Deep calls to deep. By going deep we are not referring to knowledge. Rather, we are talking about going deeper in our relationshipw with one another. Developing deeper relationships with other men. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." It is only as we learn to openly and confidently bare our souls and open our lives fully to our brothers that we can learn to go deeper.
There seems to be a way of thinking nowadays that thinks that we are to ask God for help by closing our eyes and speaking to God, either silently or out loud. Then ask God in our mind or with our voice for help. Some people may "pray" in this way for days, weeks, months, or many years, often with no affect.
I've gone to various churches for countlelss years. I've heard many sermons. The focus of each message seems to boil down to a few specific things. Although it is very subtly worded, it basically says, "In order to be saved, you have to believe some very specific things (the correct doctrine). God is a great and wonderful loving God. If you believe these things, and say this specific prayer, then You can go to heaven when you die. (and it just so happens that this "correct doctrine" so happens to be the same as "we" (the church) believe.
We all make mistakes. But if we fix out mistakes immediately it's almst as though we never made the mistake. This weekend we had gone camping on a friend's property. When we had finished camping and departed for home I left my camera at my frien's house. After we had arrived home my friend called and told me that I had left my camera at his house. He offered to drop if by my place after work on the next day. With that I began to think about how my camera would then be left in his car all day.
We just got back from camping this weekend. We have a friend who we've known from church for about 7 or 8 years. Last weekend he had made his 12 acres available to the church for a camping weekend. Previous to the weekend he had spend countless hours mowing fields (to be used for parking and camping) pruning back many trails, hauling tables and chairs from the church, setting up a volleyball court and other games. However, it turned out that there were other church events happening during this same weekend.
It seems that whenever I decide to develop a character trait in me that God brings a lot of circumstances into my life to test my resolve and to make it real in me. For instance, the latest principle is to do everything without grumbling and complaining . But how does one do that? So I have just been trying to refrain from grumbling but I still feel the grumblies within me .
