My new book is out! "The Sum of All Possibilities in Christ"

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Episkopos

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Fresh off the press! My new book is out. This Covid time was beneficial to me personally as I felt constrained to write a book about God's ways in general and the way of God in Christ in particular. This is a big book. I waited to announce it pending access to the eBook version....for the sake of the cost. A free sample is available on the Amazon site for those who are interested.
Book Cover.jpg
 

amadeus

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Fresh off the press! My new book is out. This Covid time was beneficial to me personally as I felt constrained to write a book about God's ways in general and the way of God in Christ in particular. This is a big book. I waited to announce it pending access to the eBook version....for the sake of the cost. A free sample is available on the Amazon site for those who are interested.
May God accomplish His purpose through you in this work!

I will be checking into it...
 

Episkopos

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Congratulations on completing your book. That takes a lot of work.
Thank you. It was a lot of work. I think I burned out twice during the time of writing...and then editing (which took 4 months). The whole enterprise took over a year and a half.

It's hard to believe that I actually got through it. :)
 
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stunnedbygrace

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Oh…I was impatiently waiting for a check to come in to buy the book and I see it can now be bought on kindle for mere pennies. Yet I feel guilty if I would do that because I downloaded the free sample and it is very good John! It’s like a packed refrigerator! I will buy both!
 

stunnedbygrace

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I’m somewhere around page…230. It’s blown me away actually. I did reach a part that I somewhat disagree with though. It’s where you say we can love others as much as we love ourselves in our own strength. Our selfish and self seeking flesh makes that impossible, in my opinion. Our very own flesh will make us fail in that.

I may want everyone to have a piece of cake but…I will always secretly grab the piece that looks best to me, more icing, bigger, whatever.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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Then again, I’m basing that on me, and, in the natural, I was never a particularly caring person. So I probably shouldn’t base it on me and think that I’m the norm. I’m pretty sure I’ve been worse than the norm…
 

stunnedbygrace

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Now I’m to about pg 270 and I see that I’m confusing the two. And not only that, I’ve assumed I’m typical rather than worse than typical, which is closer to the truth.
 

Nancy

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Fresh off the press! My new book is out. This Covid time was beneficial to me personally as I felt constrained to write a book about God's ways in general and the way of God in Christ in particular. This is a big book. I waited to announce it pending access to the eBook version....for the sake of the cost. A free sample is available on the Amazon site for those who are interested.
View attachment 24083
Wow, congratulations Epi, hope they fly off the shelves! I'll check it out.
 

Episkopos

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I’m somewhere around page…230. It’s blown me away actually. I did reach a part that I somewhat disagree with though. It’s where you say we can love others as much as we love ourselves in our own strength. Our selfish and self seeking flesh makes that impossible, in my opinion. Our very own flesh will make us fail in that.

I may want everyone to have a piece of cake but…I will always secretly grab the piece that looks best to me, more icing, bigger, whatever.

OK But the law helps us to divide the pieces of cake equally. It doesn't take a supernatural power from heaven to divide the pieces equally. It's simple geometry! :) :rolleyes::D
 

ScottA

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Fresh off the press! My new book is out. This Covid time was beneficial to me personally as I felt constrained to write a book about God's ways in general and the way of God in Christ in particular. This is a big book. I waited to announce it pending access to the eBook version....for the sake of the cost. A free sample is available on the Amazon site for those who are interested.
View attachment 24083
Congratulations!

There are many books and many paths of good intention and service to God. I pray your reach is greatly profitable to the kingdom!
 

stunnedbygrace

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OK But the law helps us to divide the pieces of cake equally. It doesn't take a supernatural power from heaven to divide the pieces equally. It's simple geometry! :) :rolleyes::D

mmm…I have a snag here. This is like saying the law helps me to divide it equally. But while at the same time, my flesh cuts a bigger or more desirous piece for me. (To say nothing about the extra piece left over, which I hide from everyone in the back of the fridge, hoping for a midnight snack.)
So to my mind, the law does not make me stop the lust of my flesh to divide the pieces equally. It does make me see what I’m selfishly doing, but there’s still no power to stop doing it. At least not totally and consistently. I can treat my flesh roughly, which helps, but.
I’m thoroughly convinced that the snag is on my part, not yours.
 

marks

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mmm…I have a snag here. This is like saying the law helps me to divide it equally. But while at the same time, my flesh cuts a bigger or more desirous piece for me. (To say nothing about the extra piece left over, which I hide from everyone in the back of the fridge, hoping for a midnight snack.)
So to my mind, the law does not make me stop the lust of my flesh to divide the pieces equally. It does make me see what I’m selfishly doing, but there’s still no power to stop doing it. At least not totally and consistently. I can treat my flesh roughly, which helps, but.
I’m thoroughly convinced that the snag is on my part, not yours.

Romans 7:5-8 KJV
5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7) What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8) But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Colossians 2:20-23 KJV
20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

From the NLT,
21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

The Law provokes sin in the flesh, but does not provide the means for us to be righteous, not with the righteousness of God. People could be counted righteous under the Law, but the Law does not remove the fleshiness of our minds. As you know.

Much love!
 
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Episkopos

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mmm…I have a snag here. This is like saying the law helps me to divide it equally. But while at the same time, my flesh cuts a bigger or more desirous piece for me. (To say nothing about the extra piece left over, which I hide from everyone in the back of the fridge, hoping for a midnight snack.)
So to my mind, the law does not make me stop the lust of my flesh to divide the pieces equally. It does make me see what I’m selfishly doing, but there’s still no power to stop doing it. At least not totally and consistently. I can treat my flesh roughly, which helps, but.
I’m thoroughly convinced that the snag is on my part, not yours.


To be sure by grace we are able to go beyond our own desire to do what is right. The law of Christ surpasses what is possible for us in what is only possible when we are empowered to love as Jesus does....sacrificially. However, it is possible to divide our own self-interest with that of others. It just takes practice! ;)

That's not to say that a selfish impulse is not somewhere there in the background.

In the book I explain how loving God as we love ourselves is insufficient...or else going too far the other way with loving others with all our hearts minds and souls. If we have two coats we are to give one of them to the one who has no clothes. That is righteous. When we try to be overly righteous to give BOTH coats away we are only harming ourselves. So then we can try being MORE righteous this way but to our own detriment. That is NOT what the law says. In our own strength we can only share what we have...not give all away. Righteousness only demands what is possible for us to do.

"Be not righteous over much; neither make yourself over wise: why should you destroy yourself ?" Eccl. 7:16

Holiness on the other hand demands ALL. Like the widow's two mites...or else the whole alabaster jar of ointment that was poured on Jesus' head.

So we are to understand the two different standards we are to use in judgment.
 

stunnedbygrace

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To be sure by grace we are able to go beyond our own desire to do what is right. The law of Christ surpasses what is possible for us in what is only possible when we are empowered to love as Jesus does....sacrificially. However, it is possible to divide our own self-interest with that of others. It just takes practice! ;)

That's not to say that a selfish impulse is not somewhere there in the background.

In the book I explain how loving God as we love ourselves is insufficient...or else going too far the other way with loving others with all our hearts minds and souls. If we have two coats we are to give one of them to the one who has no clothes. That is righteous. When we try to be overly righteous to give BOTH coats away we are only harming ourselves. So then we can try being MORE righteous this way but to our own detriment. That is NOT what the law says. In our own strength we can only share what we have...not give all away. Righteousness only demands what is possible for us to do.

"Be not righteous over much; neither make yourself over wise: why should you destroy yourself ?" Eccl. 7:16

Holiness on the other hand demands ALL. Like the widow's two mites...or else the whole alabaster jar of ointment that was poured on Jesus' head.

So we are to understand the two different standards we are to use in judgment.

Okay, so…I think I’ve got it. Giving away one of your two coats - if you give away the oldest and most worn one, with your selfishness keeping the newest one for yourself, that’s the righteousness you can do in your own strength. God accepts that. Is that sort of it? You have cared that another not be coatless and have given from what you have, but not necessarily given the best that you have?
 

marks

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Philippians 3:8-9 KJV
8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Much love!
 
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Episkopos

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Okay, so…I think I’ve got it. Giving away one of your two coats - if you give away the oldest and most worn one, with your selfishness keeping the newest one for yourself, that’s the righteousness you can do in your own strength. God accepts that. Is that sort of it? You have cared that another not be coatless and have given from what you have, but not necessarily given the best that you have?

The law doesn't specify which to give if there is a quality distinction. I think it has to do with keeping another person warm. Since we are able to give away our least favourite coat...or else our favourite coat...we see that there is being able to go beyond the letter of the law in blessing another person. There is the basic requirement and then there is the "cheerful giver" aspect that surely comes with a greater reward. :)