Hoping in Christ…..

[Not me]

Ephesians 1:12 (NASB95)
to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘to hope in Christ’

Hope, being the very essence of faith, this hope, this faith, this, being the life line between God and man…. For as this hope, for as this faith grows, does one learn Christ, for it being the one very thing that all are called to…..

For Christ’s salvation is for all those that would have it… It matters not how much one does or does not understand what Christ’s salvation consists of, for hoping in Christ will do all for one that one needs to be done to secure the salvation that is offered…

For it is the relationship of the heart and its hope in Christ that is one’s new life before God…. This inner relationship of the heart’s hope in Christ, for when and where the heart’s hope meets Christ, there the new creation is, that being, the Christ in one…. For feeding and growing this heart’s relationship of hope in Christ is that that is blessed in this life, and the only life that can live in the next, for it being the Christ in one coming to life….

For growing the new creation in one is the all of one’s purpose in this world… All things are for that end, information and knowledge might be a help to that growing, but it is the life itself that is that that needs to grow… For if one is not growing Christ in the life, all things regardless of what, matter not, for the purpose of one’s creation has not been achieved, for the growing of Christ in one is the purpose of one’s creation… For this hope of the growing of this new life is available to all at a moment’s notice, if one will but turn from oneself and hope in Christ…

For the manifestation of the new creation, which is, He Himself coming to life in one…. For the strength of His life in one, is according to the strength of one’s hoping in Him…. And a heart hoping and resting in the truth of these words, the end being, ‘to the praise of His glory’, for God is the one saving us, if but we will put our hope in it….


Be blessed in putting one’s hope in it, Not me

 

[Karl Peters]

I like the topic "Hoping in Christ"!

Yet there are somethings I hear from other Christians that sound great, but they seem to be just vague Christianity!!

What does "Hoping in Christ" - actually mean??

Does it mean: "the manifestation of the new creation, which is, He Himself coming to life in one"???

If so, what does that mean?????

Maybe I should just give up on understanding which might be what is meant by: "It matters not how much one does or does not understand what Christ’s salvation consists of,"

Except if I am going to put my faith, belief, and hope in something or someone I am going to want to understand clearly what I am getting into!!

Indeed I find people being lead by some religious blind faith to just be stupid! So what does "Hoping in Christ" actually mean that a person could have such a hope????

Well - I can tell you that, because I do have hope in Jesus Christ - but I won't sound much like the OP.

Having hope is Jesus Christ means having hope in a person, and indeed He is a person you can get to know personally. God is spirit, so I am not looking for a person who speaks to my physical ears, but rather One who speaks to my spiritual ears, so that I pick up what He says to me in by His Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit! If I am paying attention, I hear His words to me. If I am not paying attention those words might come across as a feeling or an unction, but I can ask Him about the feelings, thoughts, and such and hear words spoken to my spirit from His spirit.

So I know Him, but it still requires some faith and hope that He is God, like I think. I mean what if He asked me to take my son up a mountain and sacrifice him. Nope - I am not doing that unless I already have a ton of faith and hope in Him. Abraham obviously had many many years of spending many many hours of listening to Him, for him to take his son up that mountain - otherwise Abraham was a crazy man. Yet Abraham wasn't crazy, but rather Abraham was a close personal friend of the Lord, from the years of hanging out with Him, so Abraham knew that the Lord our God is love! Abraham's faith and hope in the Lord was so great that he even believed to go up the mountain. And Abrahams hope in His loving Lord did not let him down.

So when you hear the Lord tell you to do something, and it is something that doesn't make sense to you, does your hope in Him enable you to go and do it???

The answer for me is "Sometimes". Still I also told Him to not ever tell me to do something like that! So not as much faith and hope as Abraham. But He and my hope in Him, has gotten me to take all my money and open up a Christain bookstore, which didn't sell much so He asked me to give it to a church, since I couldn't believe He could keep it open another year. It is embarrassing to say, considering that He had already gotten me by one extra year when I didn't have any money left to get through that year either. So two years I had that store and gave it away, but He still runs it and that was over 15 years ago.

So having hope in Christ means believing what He tells you is going to work out regardless of you understanding!!

I don't know how that goes with:

"For it is the relationship of the heart and its hope in Christ that is one’s new life before God"

But there is a relationship between us and the Lord, and that relationship does mean doing different things in life than we would have without that relationship. So ok - may it is "the relationship of the heart and its hope in Christ that is one’s new life before God" - but that seem pretty vague and doesn't really tell the story does it?

 

[Not me]

I like the topic "Hoping in Christ"!

Yet there are somethings I hear from other Christians that sound great, but they seem to be just vague Christianity!!

What does "Hoping in Christ" - actually mean??

Does it mean: "the manifestation of the new creation, which is, He Himself coming to life in one"???

If so, what does that mean?????

Maybe I should just give up on understanding which might be what is meant by: "It matters not how much one does or does not understand what Christ’s salvation consists of,"

Except if I am going to put my faith, belief, and hope in something or someone I am going to want to understand clearly what I am getting into!!

Indeed I find people being lead by some religious blind faith to just be stupid! So what does "Hoping in Christ" actually mean that a person could have such a hope????

Well - I can tell you that, because I do have hope in Jesus Christ - but I won't sound much like the OP.

Having hope is Jesus Christ means having hope in a person, and indeed He is a person you can get to know personally. God is spirit, so I am not looking for a person who speaks to my physical ears, but rather One who speaks to my spiritual ears, so that I pick up what He says to me in by His Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit! If I am paying attention, I hear His words to me. If I am not paying attention those words might come across as a feeling or an unction, but I can ask Him about the feelings, thoughts, and such and hear words spoken to my spirit from His spirit.

So I know Him, but it still requires some faith and hope that He is God, like I think. I mean what if He asked me to take my son up a mountain and sacrifice him. Nope - I am not doing that unless I already have a ton of faith and hope in Him. Abraham obviously had many many years of spending many many hours of listening to Him, for him to take his son up that mountain - otherwise Abraham was a crazy man. Yet Abraham wasn't crazy, but rather Abraham was a close personal friend of the Lord, from the years of hanging out with Him, so Abraham knew that the Lord our God is love! Abraham's faith and hope in the Lord was so great that he even believed to go up the mountain. And Abrahams hope in His loving Lord did not let him down.

So when you hear the Lord tell you to do something, and it is something that doesn't make sense to you, does your hope in Him enable you to go and do it???

The answer for me is "Sometimes". Still I also told Him to not ever tell me to do something like that! So not as much faith and hope as Abraham. But He and my hope in Him, has gotten me to take all my money and open up a Christain bookstore, which didn't sell much so He asked me to give it to a church, since I couldn't believe He could keep it open another year. It is embarrassing to say, considering that He had already gotten me by one extra year when I didn't have any money left to get through that year either. So two years I had that store and gave it away, but He still runs it and that was over 15 years ago.

So having hope in Christ means believing what He tells you is going to work out regardless of you understanding!!

I don't know how that goes with:

"For it is the relationship of the heart and its hope in Christ that is one’s new life before God"

But there is a relationship between us and the Lord, and that relationship does mean doing different things in life than we would have without that relationship. So ok - may it is "the relationship of the heart and its hope in Christ that is one’s new life before God" - but that seem pretty vague and doesn't really tell the story does it?

Hello, as I am sure you know, all truths described in scripture need to be learned, as being a living reality in life.. As is plain by the words you wrote, you are on your course and being taught inwardly from above.. May you continue to be blessed as you search into the mystery of what it means to ‘hope in Christ’….

A fellow believer, Not me

 

[Karl Peters]

Hello, as I am sure you know, all truths described in scripture need to be learned, as being a living reality in life.. As is plain by the words you wrote, you are on your course and being taught inwardly from above.. May you continue to be blessed as you search into the mystery of what it means to ‘hope in Christ’….

A fellow believer, Not me

Yeah - kind of!

But it is not the truths described in the scriptures!!!!

It is the Truth described in the scriptures!!!

The Truth is a person - our Lord Jesus Christ - and He speaks to us via His Holy Spirit!!

That is what we are telling people - or is it??

If I am saying 'truths described in the scriptures' am I actually point people to Him?

I understand it seems like just a little small difference, but it is not!!

I get up in the morning and hear form Him - the Truth - the Lord - the King of kings - the Word of God - the Wonderful Counselor - the Teacher - the Truth!

The Scriptures explain that He is there to be found, to be inquired of, to get to know personally - meaning Him the person of God talking to me a little people person. Why He should talk to me or any person is just incredible, but since He does I refuse to make it about knowing the truths in the scriptures as opposed to knowing Him like the Scriptures explain!

Yeah - He goes over the Scriptures with me, but not to go over the Scriptures but to teach me about things. And don't think for a second that the Scriptures are the only thing He uses to teach me with. He made all things, so all things are there to be used by Him to teach me, if I indeed listen to Him!!

So doesn't anyone who has truly gotten to actually know Him know this about Him - that He is the Truth.

So I point people to Him so they might know Him - even Him as the - the Truth - the Lord - the King of kings - the Word of God - the Wonderful Counselor - the Teacher.

I come to this forum, usually because He told me to, and read things like:

For growing the new creation in one is the all of one’s purpose in this world

And I kind of like it, but who worries about growing as a "new creation" - don't you just concern yourself with just knowing Him???

Yeah, I grow as I learn from Him, but it is not because He teaches me and grows me ( and has been for over 20 years) that is the purpose behind me seeking Him, it is the relationship we have. That I can talk to God, and He loves me. I absolutely don't care that I am a new creation in Him, thought I can see that I am. I still feel like I always did, but it's just that He is there to help show me how to feel and why. I am still me, even though He exist with me and we talk. I can still get frustrated, though He will talk it over with me and give me understanding. I can still wonder, though He will give me wisdom as to it.

And one of the things I wonder most about is how people get to really know Him and talk to Him everyday and still say the things they do? Things like 'the truths in the Scriptures' as opposed to saying 'they truths we hear from Him, the Truth.'

It might seem like a small difference but it is the difference between being lead by a book as opposed to being led by our Lord Jesus Christ and His words to us personally. Isn't that explained in the Scriptures?

Jn 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

So any truth in the Scriptures point us to being lead by Him, the Truth, who leads us with His voice!

He tells me things like:

SHOULDN’T YOU HEAR FROM A MAN YOU’RE JUDGING WORTHY OF DEATH AND EXAMINE WHETHER THERE IS TRUTH IN WHAT HE SAYS. SO IT IS THAT I HAVE MADE HEARING FROM ME THE VERY THINGS THAT GIVES YOU ETERNAL LIFE.

(Faith comes from hearing words of His -Rom 10-17, and His is the Truth! But to kill someone called the Word of God, spiritually speaking, is to not listen to Him and thus count Him as dead)

WHEN WE TALK TO GOD, GOD TALKS TO US……. WHEN WE LISTEN TO GOD, GOD LISTENS TO US!

(If you want to get to know someone you go up and talk to them and listen to what they have to say. Then they will listen to you and consider what you say. It is no different with God, and indeed He is always standing there trying to get us to talk with Him, so who makes it about the truths in the Scriptures instead of the truths that come from listening to Him?)

TWO MEN WERE WALKING DOWN THE ROAD, ONE TRIPED OVER SOMETHING HE DIDN’T SEE, THE OTHER DIDN’T BECAUSE HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION

(He becomes a stumbling block to those who don't actually pay attention to what He says to them. If you don't listen to Him then the word of God to you become the line upon line of Scriptures and that causes you to go stumbling backwards and be taken captive. -Is 28: 12,13 He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,” And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen So the word of the LORD to them will be,
“Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,”That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.

So yeah, the information about Him is in the Scriptures, but the understanding and knowledge comes from actually listening to Him via His Holy Spirit speaking words to you spirit - so not the truths in the Scriptures but the truths from the Truth who talks to you personally.)

He once told me:

WHAT TEACHER DOESN’T PUT A BOOK IN FRONT OF HIS STUDENTS TODAY; YET NOT JUST A BOOK BUT OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCIES, VISUALS, AND OTHER MATERIAL? FOR I TELL YOU TRULY, IF THEY ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME THEY ARE NOT MY PUPIL, THEY ARE NOT MY STUDENT; I TELL YOU TRULY, THEY ARE NOT MY DISCIPLE UNLESS THEY ARE HEARING FROM ME. SO DON’T TELL THEM TO READ THE BOOK, THEM TO TAKE THE CLASS!”

(Pointing people to the truths in the Scriptures is telling them to read the book not telling them to take the class!)

Another time His Holy Spirit told me:

WE DON’T USE THE LORD TO PREACH THE SCRIPTURES; WE USE THE SCRIPTURES TO PREACH THE LORD

(Are we getting it backwards? So that we are using what the Lord gave us 'the Scriptures' to point people to the Scriptures 'truths in the Scriptures' instead of Him and the Truth that comes from Him??)

So what is with:

Hello, as I am sure you know, all truths described in scripture need to be learned, as being a living reality in life..

Don't you have it all wrong? I am not trying to learn the truths described in the scriptures, I am trying to learn the truths described by Him talking to me, and that is the reality of life!! Because in Him there is life!! The Scriptures don't give us life!! He does!! His words to us our spirit and not ink on pages, and those words of His which comes to us via His Holy Spirit speaking to us give us life!! How do we not know this??

Jn 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

That is explained in the Scriptures, but it comes to life when we listen to Him!!

 

[Not me]

Yeah - kind of!

But it is not the truths described in the scriptures!!!!

It is the Truth described in the scriptures!!!

The Truth is a person - our Lord Jesus Christ - and He speaks to us via His Holy Spirit!!

That is what we are telling people - or is it??

If I am saying 'truths described in the scriptures' am I actually point people to Him?

I understand it seems like just a little small difference, but it is not!!

I get up in the morning and hear form Him - the Truth - the Lord - the King of kings - the Word of God - the Wonderful Counselor - the Teacher - the Truth!

The Scriptures explain that He is there to be found, to be inquired of, to get to know personally - meaning Him the person of God talking to me a little people person. Why He should talk to me or any person is just incredible, but since He does I refuse to make it about knowing the truths in the scriptures as opposed to knowing Him like the Scriptures explain!

Yeah - He goes over the Scriptures with me, but not to go over the Scriptures but to teach me about things. And don't think for a second that the Scriptures are the only thing He uses to teach me with. He made all things, so all things are there to be used by Him to teach me, if I indeed listen to Him!!

So doesn't anyone who has truly gotten to actually know Him know this about Him - that He is the Truth.

So I point people to Him so they might know Him - even Him as the - the Truth - the Lord - the King of kings - the Word of God - the Wonderful Counselor - the Teacher.

I come to this forum, usually because He told me to, and read things like:



And I kind of like it, but who worries about growing as a "new creation" - don't you just concern yourself with just knowing Him???

Yeah, I grow as I learn from Him, but it is not because He teaches me and grows me ( and has been for over 20 years) that is the purpose behind me seeking Him, it is the relationship we have. That I can talk to God, and He loves me. I absolutely don't care that I am a new creation in Him, thought I can see that I am. I still feel like I always did, but it's just that He is there to help show me how to feel and why. I am still me, even though He exist with me and we talk. I can still get frustrated, though He will talk it over with me and give me understanding. I can still wonder, though He will give me wisdom as to it.

And one of the things I wonder most about is how people get to really know Him and talk to Him everyday and still say the things they do? Things like 'the truths in the Scriptures' as opposed to saying 'they truths we hear from Him, the Truth.'

It might seem like a small difference but it is the difference between being lead by a book as opposed to being led by our Lord Jesus Christ and His words to us personally. Isn't that explained in the Scriptures?

Jn 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

So any truth in the Scriptures point us to being lead by Him, the Truth, who leads us with His voice!

He tells me things like:

SHOULDN’T YOU HEAR FROM A MAN YOU’RE JUDGING WORTHY OF DEATH AND EXAMINE WHETHER THERE IS TRUTH IN WHAT HE SAYS. SO IT IS THAT I HAVE MADE HEARING FROM ME THE VERY THINGS THAT GIVES YOU ETERNAL LIFE.

(Faith comes from hearing words of His -Rom 10-17, and His is the Truth! But to kill someone called the Word of God, spiritually speaking, is to not listen to Him and thus count Him as dead)

WHEN WE TALK TO GOD, GOD TALKS TO US……. WHEN WE LISTEN TO GOD, GOD LISTENS TO US!

(If you want to get to know someone you go up and talk to them and listen to what they have to say. Then they will listen to you and consider what you say. It is no different with God, and indeed He is always standing there trying to get us to talk with Him, so who makes it about the truths in the Scriptures instead of the truths that come from listening to Him?)

TWO MEN WERE WALKING DOWN THE ROAD, ONE TRIPED OVER SOMETHING HE DIDN’T SEE, THE OTHER DIDN’T BECAUSE HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION

(He becomes a stumbling block to those who don't actually pay attention to what He says to them. If you don't listen to Him then the word of God to you become the line upon line of Scriptures and that causes you to go stumbling backwards and be taken captive. -Is 28: 12,13 He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,” And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen So the word of the LORD to them will be,
“Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,”That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.

So yeah, the information about Him is in the Scriptures, but the understanding and knowledge comes from actually listening to Him via His Holy Spirit speaking words to you spirit - so not the truths in the Scriptures but the truths from the Truth who talks to you personally.)

He once told me:

WHAT TEACHER DOESN’T PUT A BOOK IN FRONT OF HIS STUDENTS TODAY; YET NOT JUST A BOOK BUT OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCIES, VISUALS, AND OTHER MATERIAL? FOR I TELL YOU TRULY, IF THEY ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME THEY ARE NOT MY PUPIL, THEY ARE NOT MY STUDENT; I TELL YOU TRULY, THEY ARE NOT MY DISCIPLE UNLESS THEY ARE HEARING FROM ME. SO DON’T TELL THEM TO READ THE BOOK, THEM TO TAKE THE CLASS!”

(Pointing people to the truths in the Scriptures is telling them to read the book not telling them to take the class!)

Another time His Holy Spirit told me:

WE DON’T USE THE LORD TO PREACH THE SCRIPTURES; WE USE THE SCRIPTURES TO PREACH THE LORD

(Are we getting it backwards? So that we are using what the Lord gave us 'the Scriptures' to point people to the Scriptures 'truths in the Scriptures' instead of Him and the Truth that comes from Him??)

So what is with:


Don't you have it all wrong? I am not trying to learn the truths described in the scriptures, I am trying to learn the truths described by Him talking to me, and that is the reality of life!! Because in Him there is life!! The Scriptures don't give us life!! He does!! His words to us our spirit and not ink on pages, and those words of His which comes to us via His Holy Spirit speaking to us give us life!! How do we not know this??

Jn 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

That is explained in the Scriptures, but it comes to life when we listen to Him!!

As your wondering and understanding is, may you be blessed in your pursuit of Him…

A fellow pursuer, Not me

 

[Karl Peters]

As your wondering and understanding is, may you be blessed in your pursuit of Him…

A fellow pursuer, Not me

Yeah, my wondering obviously leads me to Him - but my understanding does not help! It is His understanding that helps!!

That is what really finding Him causes to become clear.!!!

It is also what those not actually listening to Him fail to understand. So, it is they lean on their understanding instead of seeking His voice for His understanding. And that too becomes clear as they speak and write.

Of course, we have our understanding and are going to have our understanding, because we have our thinking. He gave us the ability to think. Yet it is not our thinking and our understanding that blesses us nor causes us to seek Him. It is only our seeking Him for better understanding which gives us a blessing and continues our pursuit of Him.

He just asked me to use this parable that He once gave me:

“If you push water up, it flows back to you”.

“If you push water higher, it comes back as fresh water.”

“If you let it go, it will flow away to a salty sea.”

“If you spread it over a field things will grow.”

“So it is with the Word of God.”

The Lord gives us thoughts which might feel like fresh water to our soul. We then have choices as to what to do with it:

You can try to take the thought to someone, like a pastor or priest, but you will find out that the thought just comes back to you. They are not as much help as you think, but they do cause you to think about it more.

You can take the thought back to the Lord and He will talk to you again, giving you a fresh perspective, and disclosing more to you. That is how you get into a conversation with Him. So you can wind up just walking and talking with Him.

Now you can also just let the thought go, and it will flow away from you and if it doesn't dry up completely it will wind up in a salty sea, so even if you find it again it will come with a grain of salt. You wind up being sarcastic about what the Lord gave you.

And there is another thing to do with the thought. You can pass it on to a field, like this forum. By doing that others might consider it and then start to seeking the Lord for themselves and grow in Him like they need to. That is why Jesus said what you hear whispered in your ear shout on the house tops. Yet reading something, like the Bible, is not the same things as actually hearing Him talk to you personally. So read the Bible but the Bible is not what we are shouting on the house tops. It is what the Lord personally tells us. Make that bold.

And that is how it is with the Word of God we preach! We find Him and His words to us in our heart and in our mouth, and that is the Word of God we are preaching. So again, it is not the truths in the Scriptures which we are proclaiming, but rather we are proclaiming Him - and that we find His words to us on our hearts and mouth (in our spirit, not in a book) The Bible confirms that.

 

[Not me]

Yeah, my wondering obviously leads me to Him - but my understanding does not help! It is His understanding that helps!!

That is what really finding Him causes to become clear.!!!

It is also what those not actually listening to Him fail to understand. So, it is they lean on their understanding instead of seeking His voice for His understanding. And that too becomes clear as they speak and write.

Of course, we have our understanding and are going to have our understanding, because we have our thinking. He gave us the ability to think. Yet it is not our thinking and our understanding that blesses us nor causes us to seek Him. It is only our seeking Him for better understanding which gives us a blessing and continues our pursuit of Him.

He just asked me to use this parable that He once gave me:

“If you push water up, it flows back to you”.

“If you push water higher, it comes back as fresh water.”

“If you let it go, it will flow away to a salty sea.”

“If you spread it over a field things will grow.”

“So it is with the Word of God.”

The Lord gives us thoughts which might feel like fresh water to our soul. We then have choices as to what to do with it:

You can try to take the thought to someone, like a pastor or priest, but you will find out that the thought just comes back to you. They are not as much help as you think, but they do cause you to think about it more.

You can take the thought back to the Lord and He will talk to you again, giving you a fresh perspective, and disclosing more to you. That is how you get into a conversation with Him. So you can wind up just walking and talking with Him.

Now you can also just let the thought go, and it will flow away from you and if it doesn't dry up completely it will wind up in a salty sea, so even if you find it again it will come with a grain of salt. You wind up being sarcastic about what the Lord gave you.

And there is another thing to do with the thought. You can pass it on to a field, like this forum. By doing that others might consider it and then start to seeking the Lord for themselves and grow in Him like they need to. That is why Jesus said what you hear whispered in your ear shout on the house tops. Yet reading something, like the Bible, is not the same things as actually hearing Him talk to you personally. So read the Bible but the Bible is not what we are shouting on the house tops. It is what the Lord personally tells us. Make that bold.

And that is how it is with the Word of God we preach! We find Him and His words to us in our heart and in our mouth, and that is the Word of God we are preaching. So again, it is not the truths in the Scriptures which we are proclaiming, but rather we are proclaiming Him - and that we find His words to us on our hearts and mouth (in our spirit, not in a book) The Bible confirms that.

Be blessed in Him, Not me

 

[stunnedbygrace]

The answer for me is "Sometimes". Still I also told Him to not ever tell me to do something like that! So not as much faith and hope as Abraham. But He and my hope in Him, has gotten me to take all my money and open up a Christain bookstore, which didn't sell much so He asked me to give it to a church, since I couldn't believe He could keep it open another year. It is embarrassing to say, considering that He had already gotten me by one extra year when I didn't have any money left to get through that year either. So two years I had that store and gave it away, but He still runs it and that was over 15 years ago.

So having hope in Christ means believing what He tells you is going to work out regardless of you understanding!!

Sometimes He has to show us we are following Him because of the fish and the loaves or because of a hope in the fish and loaves. But when we see there is no fish and loaves forthcoming, that is when a hoping against all hope is born. It’s a very hard place to get to and He helps us to it by removing every speck of anything we depend in that is other than Him. And while He is moving us toward that place of extreme blessing and rest, it feels to us as if He must hate us.
Anyone who says it is an easy place to get to, I question whether they have even set out and begun to shed all that is not of trust.

 

[amigo de christo]

Well we better know CHRIST is all i can say . Cause way too many within christendom
are following another christ , another gospel and a false hope .
Better be the bibical one is all i can say .

 

[Nancy]

Sometimes He has to show us we are following Him because of the fish and the loaves or because of a hope in the fish and loaves. But when we see there is no fish and loaves forthcoming, that is when a hoping against all hope is born. It’s a very hard place to get to and He helps us to it by removing every speck of anything we depend in that is other than Him. And while He is moving us toward that place of extreme blessing and rest, it feels to us as if He must hate us.
Anyone who says it is an easy place to get to, I question whether they have even set out and begun to shed all that is not of trust.

Hope against all hope seems to be where the rubber hits the road...now we have to actually trust in the dark . I think this is where our faith is truly tested, in the dark.
He gives, He takes. Will we learn to trust Him even more when we see nothing at all, only loss?
Oh boy does He ever strip us of any and all things we depend on, grab for, place before Him in any way lol, and neither can we "trust" that even these things will one day not be taken. We have to actually give it all to Him willingly, although pretty harrowing to the flesh at first!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

It sounds like…we’re almost rapping Nancy…weird

 

[Nancy]

It sounds like…we’re almost rapping Nancy…weird

 

[Nancy]

oops, didn't work!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Like…
I’ma do what He say, He say
wanna’ fly so get low, get low
He da’ boss and say so, say so

haha!

 

[Nancy]

Like…
I’ma do what He say, He say
wanna’ fly so get low, get low
He da’ boss and say so, say so

haha!

Wow, I'm impressed sistah! Get giggy wit it

 

[Nancy]

Wow, I'm impressed sistah! Get giggy wit it

I'm in tears laughing here!!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Tom Macdonald look out!!

 

[Nancy]

Tom Macdonald look out!!

Just had to look him up.
Usually would say I "hate" rap but, this is okay...

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Yeah, and he has one, In God We Trust, that’s good.
But I wouldn’t recommend his other ones to religious people. I like them but I think others would be pretty offended by some of them. I can watch or hear someone and not demand perfection or holiness from them and just take the good parts and leave what I don’t like. I know some can’t though, so I don’t recommend him.

 

[amigo de christo]

Hope against all hope seems to be where the rubber hits the road...now we have to actually trust in the dark . I think this is where our faith is truly tested, in the dark.
He gives, He takes. Will we learn to trust Him even more when we see nothing at all, only loss?
Oh boy does He ever strip us of any and all things we depend on, grab for, place before Him in any way lol, and neither can we "trust" that even these things will one day not be taken. We have to actually give it all to Him willingly, although pretty harrowing to the flesh at first!