Keeping the Lord company

[Bob Estey]

Is it a good idea to keep the Lord company throughout the day? (Jesus did tell us that the first and great commandment was to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and Paul did tell us to pray constantly.)

And in addition to that, is helpful if we resist the temptation to sin? I imagine it's painful to the Lord when we sin.

 

[APAK]

Is it a good idea to keep the Lord company throughout the day? (Jesus did tell us that the first and great commandment was to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and Paul did tell us to pray constantly.)

And in addition to that, is helpful if we resist the temptation to sin? I imagine it's painful to the Lord when we sin.

And in keeping with the lord many need to understand what is and is not sin. Too many people overreact to acts and thoughts that are not actually sin. And this keeps them at times, and for some unfortunately for decades at a distance from the Lord, unnecessarily. This is at least what I've come to know over the years. Knowing sin and what especially is not sin in one's life is all too important. Most take a very conservative and judgmental stance on the subject for themselves and others and quickly condemn unnecessarily. It's subject that needs to be examined more carefully.

 

[Nancy]

And in keeping with the lord many need to understand what is and is not sin. Too many people overreact to acts and thoughts that are not actually sin. And this keeps them at times, and for some unfortunately for decades at a distance from the Lord, unnecessarily. This is at least what I've come to know over the years. Knowing sin and what especially is not sin in one's life is all too important. Most take a very conservative and judgmental stance on the subject for themselves and others and quickly condemn unnecessarily. It's subject that needs to be examined more carefully.

Love your post @APAK , this has been something I have struggled with on and off...FOR DECADES!! Perhaps you could start a thread on this. Some of us condemn ourselves needlessly, missing out on His joy and walking on eggshells, and that cannot be right! Living this way is anything BUT freeing.

 

[APAK]

Love your post @APAK , this has been something I have struggled with on and off...FOR DECADES!! Perhaps you could start a thread on this. Some of us condemn ourselves needlessly, missing out on His joy and walking on eggshells, and that cannot be right! Living this way is anything BUT freeing.

Yeah Nancy it's an an important subject in my books and I will look into it. And it someone beats me to the punch in generating a thread for it, so be it.

 

[Bob Estey]

And in keeping with the lord many need to understand what is and is not sin. Too many people overreact to acts and thoughts that are not actually sin. And this keeps them at times, and for some unfortunately for decades at a distance from the Lord, unnecessarily. This is at least what I've come to know over the years. Knowing sin and what especially is not sin in one's life is all too important. Most take a very conservative and judgmental stance on the subject for themselves and others and quickly condemn unnecessarily. It's subject that needs to be examined more carefully.

Okay.

Who had the authority to define sin? Did God have that authority? I would say yes. Did Jesus have that authority? I would say yes.

Is there anybody other than God or Jesus who had, or has, the authority to define sin? Put another way, is there anyone other than God or Jesus who had the authority to issue commandments?

 

[APAK]

Okay.

Who had the authority to define sin? Did God have that authority? I would say yes. Did Jesus have that authority? I would say yes.

Is there anybody other than God or Jesus who had, or has, the authority to define sin? Put another way, is there anyone other than God or Jesus who had the authority to issue commandments?

And your point for me is...?

Let me walk you through a scenario for a guy at this point and try to describe a scene out of the page of life.

Let's say you (this man) considers he has a real squirrel tree rat problem exasperated by a neighbor a few doors up by them having not one but two squirrel feeders. And say over a 3 year period the number of varmints have multiplied by 10-fold. And because of their ignorance and or selfishness of this neighbor, this current year these swarming varmints have now eaten all kinds of green matter and flowers and have gotten into attics and chewed up wires and the wires in vehicles etc. costs hundreds and even thousands of dollars worth of property damage.

This man now says enough is enough and wants to fix the problem...

So then a neighbor a few doors away wants to do something within the law and quietly. He is seasoned hunter. He has an air rifle with a great scope and knows how to use it. He is careful with his aim and environment always and only shoots from his back door only. Over several months he kills dozens of these tree rats and the problem is now controlled.

Now this person is a Christian as he says. Does God condemn him and say he has sinned. I know lots of people would say he is a murderer.

What say ye...did he sin? And to add, this man is not convicted of sin in the least, and he used to go hunting all the time for food and varmint control when he was younger.

 

[marks]

Is it a good idea to keep the Lord company throughout the day? (Jesus did tell us that the first and great commandment was to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and Paul did tell us to pray constantly.)

And in addition to that, is helpful if we resist the temptation to sin? I imagine it's painful to the Lord when we sin.

Absolutely yes!!

The flesh has no fellowship with the Spirit. Only in our spirit do we have communion with God. I really like your wording here, "keep the Lord company", this ongoing moment by moment sharing with God everything that's going on.

We do this, we gain His perspective on things, which guides us in what we do, even what we think about, and of course God Never leads us into sin, so if we are keeping Him company throughout the day, we are not straying, it's axiomatic. If we walk in the spirit we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

And as we are in communion with God, His love is more in our hearts and minds, and gives us that power to withstand whatever comes.

Much love!

 

[Bob Estey]

And your point for me is...?

Let me walk you through a scenario for a guy at this point and try to describe a scene out of the page of life.

Let's say you (this man) considers he has a real squirrel tree rat problem exasperated by a neighbor a few doors up by them having not one but two squirrel feeders. And say over a 3 year period the number of varmints have multiplied by 10-fold. And because of their ignorance and or selfishness of this neighbor, this current year these swarming varmints have now eaten all kinds of green matter and flowers and have gotten into attics and chewed up wires and the wires in vehicles etc. costs hundreds and even thousands of dollars worth of property damage.

This man now says enough is enough and wants to fix the problem...

So then a neighbor a few doors away wants to do something within the law and quietly. He is seasoned hunter. He has an air rifle with a great scope and knows how to use it. He is careful with his aim and environment always and only shoots from his back door only. Over several months he kills dozens of these tree rats and the problem is now controlled.

Now this person is a Christian as he says. Does God condemn him and say he has sinned. I know lots of people would say he is a murderer.

What say ye...did he sin? And to add, this man is not convicted of sin in the least, and he used to go hunting all the time for food and varmint control when he was younger.

My point for you is that I agree - we need to figure out what sin is. So I suggest God and Jesus do that for us.

 

[APAK]

My point for you is that I agree - we need to figure out what sin is. So I suggest God and Jesus do that for us.

And being, when we know we are in the spirit and mind of Christ, we will know what is love and what is evil and true sin. The Spirit of God is there to ensure we are guided and to maintain our spiritual bearings or compass in life as we choose to continue to adhere to instruction or not. Either we learn the hard way, with more turbulence, or the easier way on our personal journey to the permanence of light and eternal life, as Yahshua's yoke is light.

 

[marks]

My point for you is that I agree - we need to figure out what sin is. So I suggest God and Jesus do that for us.

I think God leads us in paths of righteousness, as as we keep Him company, as we spend our day in communion with Him, we can follow are hearts and do as we like. What we will like will be righteousness.

I can always feel inside me when something is not of God. Sometimes I'll feel like I'm questioning things, Is this God's plan? Is this God's will? But I think I actually always know, and that's a head game of the flesh.

I believe the Holy Spirit is faithful to us to always let us know what we need to know, only, we don't always - in our flesh - want to hear Him.

Much love!

 

[Bob Estey]

And being, when we know we are in the spirit and mind of Christ, we will know what is love and what is evil and true sin. The Spirit of God is there to ensure we are guided and to maintain our spiritual bearings or compass in life as we choose to continue to adhere to instruction or not. Either we learn the hard way, with more turbulence, or the easier way on our personal journey to the permanence of light and eternal life, as Yahshua's yoke is light.

God gives us some rather simple commandments to follow. That seems helpful to me.