Just something the Lord was showing me...

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Prentis

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The Lord was just teaching me something today, and I thought I would share....

The Lord was humbling me today. A brother talked to me about gentleness, and the Lord was just showing me something about it today... Something about love! It has to do also with what the Lord was showing me lately, about character, but I think now he was bringing it to my heart! Where it matters, and where it hurts!

I'm just seeing how without love we have nothing. Everything we do must be rooted in love... Otherwise, though we have knowledge of the things of God, our heart is not like his.

In my own struggle and stubborness, God showed me mercy and at the same time asked me to be gentle and loving with others. I just want to magnify the Lord's mercy and patience. Let us learn from him! The depth of it just boggles me, and by that I mean the depth of the heart, how deep the love is actually rooted, how deep a place it flows from...

And I want to add that I'm sorry if I have expressed myself outside of the love of God to people on here. I tend to be a zealous and forward moving kind of guy, but the Lord is showing me how it must be sparkled with love!

Blessings to all of you, with love in our Lord...
 

rockytopva

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Prentis... You are all right. Nothing wrong about being zealous for God... It is my prayer that God turns you guys even more spiritually dynamic for God.. Like Smith Wigglesworth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oUM6WphESo
 

Comm.Arnold

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Don't be afraid Prentis, as Rocky said nothing wrong with being zealous for God but it can be easy get off course and miss the point, especially if we are not gentle and loving.
 

jiggyfly

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Nice post Prentise, kinda reminds me of something Paul said.

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Eph 3:14-19 (NLT)
 

Jake

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The word "gentleness" came up yesterday for me as well, so I decided to study the word to see if it really means what I thought it to mean and thought I'd share my findings. It was slightly different than what I thought, and along with love, I can see why "gentleness" would be required as we conform to the image of Christ. The word is "praotes" and it's meekness, an inward grace of the soul, it's a complete submission to God's will. It's opposite of weakness, in fact it's the power and strength required to submit to His Will. I don't know about you, but I do struggle with God, what He has allowed to happen in my life and I have allowed anger to control me, anger with God and with others, and this is direct opposition of what gentleness means. I'm not sure we can display a gentleness without love, especially love for the Lord. Our desires should be God centered and our will should be His, it seems impossible to do this, without love. Thank you, Prentis, your zeal for the Lord has redirected me once again.
 

Shirley

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Thank-you dear Brothers for these posts! Seems like I read something about being rooted in God's Love. I'm so hungry for my whole being to be rooted in Gods love and gentleness, and meekness. I'm so hungry to be completely sanctified, to receive complete cleansing. To grow unshakable roots. To believe so deeply that every day will be moving forward! To really grow! To really be like him! To be his child in my mind, body and soul! To be God's child and servant to all. Thanks guys!
 

Prentis

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The word "gentleness" came up yesterday for me as well, so I decided to study the word to see if it really means what I thought it to mean and thought I'd share my findings. It was slightly different than what I thought, and along with love, I can see why "gentleness" would be required as we conform to the image of Christ. The word is "praotes" and it's meekness, an inward grace of the soul, it's a complete submission to God's will. It's opposite of weakness, in fact it's the power and strength required to submit to His Will. I don't know about you, but I do struggle with God, what He has allowed to happen in my life and I have allowed anger to control me, anger with God and with others, and this is direct opposition of what gentleness means. I'm not sure we can display a gentleness without love, especially love for the Lord. Our desires should be God centered and our will should be His, it seems impossible to do this, without love. Thank you, Prentis, your zeal for the Lord has redirected me once again.

Good study, Jake! :)

I like best what a brother used to describe it; iron fist, velvet glove.

Not to worry, rocky and Comm., ;) in no way do I set aside the zeal. We must have this zeal, we must have this depth, the iron fist, the strength, but it must be in a velvet glove. We must be gentle, meek, loving... Which takes greater strength, to wield great power wrecklessly, or to have this power, and yet be gentle as a dove?

The answer depends on whether we are speaking of carnal strength, or strength of character.
 

jiggyfly

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I think gentleness is a result of being transformed inwardly into the image of Christ rather than a requirement to being conformed outwardly.
 

Prentis

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I think gentleness is a result of being transformed inwardly into the image of Christ rather than a requirement to being conformed outwardly.

I would agree, it comes by 'beholding Christ in the mirror', by being with him, if we are seeking to be conformed, we learn his character, and are transformed by his very presence.

But the inward transformation comes as a result of our obedience. Thus we can also choose to be gentle, though we do not wish to, and all of a sudden, it's there! The love is flowing through us, as a result of our obedience.

I see it as both. :)
 

Comm.Arnold

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Good study, Jake! :)

I like best what a brother used to describe it; iron fist, velvet glove.

Not to worry, rocky and Comm., ;) in no way do I set aside the zeal. We must have this zeal, we must have this depth, the iron fist, the strength, but it must be in a velvet glove. We must be gentle, meek, loving... Which takes greater strength, to wield great power wrecklessly, or to have this power, and yet be gentle as a dove?

The answer depends on whether we are speaking of carnal strength, or strength of character.

:lol: Your bludgeoning me with truth again you oger !
 

jiggyfly

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I would agree, it comes by 'beholding Christ in the mirror', by being with him, if we are seeking to be conformed, we learn his character, and are transformed by his very presence.

But the inward transformation comes as a result of our obedience. Thus we can also choose to be gentle, though we do not wish to, and all of a sudden, it's there! The love is flowing through us, as a result of our obedience.

I see it as both. :)

Well seems we still disagree, your saying conformance (the outside) causes transformation on the inside. You got the cart before the horse.

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
 

Prentis

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Well seems we still disagree, your saying conformance (the outside) causes transformation on the inside. You got the cart before the horse.

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

The transformation can and happens both by an encounter with God, by proximity to him ('beholding him') AND by obedience, because both our spirits AND our characters must be renewed and conformed.

It is not that we try and make the outside clean for appearance... and to the religious, what we do and how we are might be offensive. We might be too easy going about things to which they make laws, etc etc.

But the point is we should not neglect one for the other. Take the story of Corrie Ten Boom, for example. She was in a concentration camp as a christian, because she hid Jews in her house. In this camp she was treated very badly, by many guards. She survived, and after the war she held seminars where she spoke of the Lord, and of his love. There she met a guard who had mistreated her and been part of the killing of the Jews in the camps! Her first reaction was hatred and anger... How dare he! But she knew she had to forgive, and he was coming for this exactly. He was repentant. She chose to love him, gave him a hug and speak grace in his life. And all of a sudden she was overflowed with the Lord's love for the man!

We must choose to follow after God. By doing this, we see him, and are transformed. But when this doesn't happen at a specific moment, we must choose to be obedient anyways, and thus the Lord transforms us, and it shapes our character.

Which is wiser; to be always obedient and take opportunity to be transformed in all situations, or see it as being only one way, and stick to that, denying the God is pleased and helps those who obey him out of faith, even when they don't see?

Put in this light, I think it becomes quite obvious. :)
 
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jiggyfly

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Put in this light, I think it becomes quite obvious. :)
You know Prentise there's several things besides this where we simply don't agree but it's ok because as we grow spiritually our thinking will change also until we mature fully and then we will be on the same page. I'm content to leave it with HolySpirit.
 

Vengle

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Nice post Prentise, kinda reminds me of something Paul said.

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Eph 3:14-19 (NLT)

I find the various renderings of Ephesians 3: 19 interesting. As we see in the NLT version you quote from here, it imposes the very common belief of what is said, that the love of Christ surpasses knowledge in the sense of going beyond what is knowable.

I do not agree with that common view. I believe that what Paul there said corresponds to what he said also at 1 Corinthians 8: 1-3.

The point is not that the love "is too great to understand fully". But the point is that if we yet violate the love of Christ, then we do not yet really understand what we ought to understand. 1 Corinthians 8:2 "And if any man think that he knows any thing, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know."

Do you see that? The point is that if we yet violate the love of Christ with our knowledge, then we do not yet really understand what we ought to understand.

Looking at the meanings of the two Greek words which have been combined by Paul as one word, "huperballo" (or, in this case, "huperballousan"), I see that it is grammatically tied to the word "love" the way that Paul wrote it, "agapen". Those words mean, (literally) "to throw beyond". And I say it is our knowledge that Paul is saying is thrown beyond.

What Paul is saying, then, is that it is the love of Christ which perfects our knowledge.

Thus the rest of Paul's statement makes even better sense: "that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

That then also accords with what Paul said at 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, that if our knowledge lacks in love then we do not yet understand it as we ought to.
 

jiggyfly

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I find the various renderings of Ephesians 3: 19 interesting. As we see in the NLT version you quote from here, it imposes the very common belief of what is said, that the love of Christ surpasses knowledge in the sense of going beyond what is knowable.

I do not agree with that common view. I believe that what Paul there said corresponds to what he said also at 1 Corinthians 8: 1-3.

The point is not that the love "is too great to understand fully". But the point is that if we yet violate the love of Christ, then we do not yet really understand what we ought to understand. 1 Corinthians 8:2 "And if any man think that he knows any thing, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know."

Do you see that? The point is that if we yet violate the love of Christ with our knowledge, then we do not yet really understand what we ought to understand.

Looking at the meanings of the two Greek words which have been combined by Paul as one word, "huperballo" (or, in this case, "huperballousan"), I see that it is grammatically tied to the word "love" the way that Paul wrote it, "agapen". Those words mean, (literally) "to throw beyond". And I say it is our knowledge that Paul is saying is thrown beyond.

What Paul is saying, then, is that it is the love of Christ which perfects our knowledge.

Thus the rest of Paul's statement makes even better sense: "that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

That then also accords with what Paul said at 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, that if our knowledge lacks in love then we do not yet understand it as we ought to.
Seems you referenced 1 Cor. 8:1-3 but forgot to mention verse 1 so I'll print it out, it may bring a little more perspective.
Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. KJV

Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that "we all have knowledge" about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. NLT

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