I Like This Man

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marks

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it doesn’t matter to God, He can use it all to teach me and that if I take a deep breath and remind myself to just remain expectant and in His peace and wait there, I will always see Him, even in the most unlikely places.
Well said!!

Much love!
 
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stunnedbygrace

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I got that. :) But if we look at the way grace is being used...even that is way out in left field. There are people now who throw out God's word in the OT...because "it doesn't look like Jesus"....not realizing that Jesus IS the One speaking very often.

So it is a crisis of reality...moving further and further away from the truth by a bent or leaning towards permissiveness.
Well…here’s the thing. I used to not be able to see grace as the power of God either. I saw it to mean the mercy and kindness of God. I got into no huge arguments over it, but that’s how I saw it. Every time you said it was the power of God to not sin, I did NOT understand. If I liked a post you said it in, (and I probably did since I find a lot to like in 99% of your posts) that’s NOT the part I was hitting the like button over! :D That is, UNTIL I saw what He did for me by making my flesh just sit down and shut up. In a moment, bang, it just was under my feet. It was such a shock that I could talk about it for days and not run out of stuff to say about how peaceful it is. It was still there but it was in subjection to the Spirit in me. And THAT was when I understood what you had been saying about grace meaning the power of God to not sin. (I realize there’s a difference between marks and I in that I did not argue with you over everything you shared.) I just gladly took whatever helped me and ignored what didn’t. But I didn’t see grace as you did and I think it was impossible that I could. Until I could.
So in my reply I said that I took him to be meaning mercifulness when he said grace. And he didn’t have a problem with that because it IS what he meant. And I can’t force him to see what I couldn’t see either until my flesh was quieted. That would be futile to try to force. So…you Kind of have to meet someone where they are. I mean that AS LONG AS they do not run about attacking anyone, INCLUDING those who are talking about things they don’t understand yet. I’m still working on how to handle that correctly. or…Im just trying to say…you can’t FORCE anyone to bear something they aren’t yet ready to bear.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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And here’s another thing. Before the flesh is quieted, men will often take what is said and act as if they already know it and already knew it and will try to teach it to others as if they know it when they absolutely do not understand it. It’s similar to a child pretending they can read. Are you going to force them to stop pretending to read before they are ready to bear learning reading?.
 
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marks

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And I can’t force him to see what I couldn’t see either until my flesh was quieted.
Actually I know that grace experientially.

I know that God can just bestow that grace in a moment, it happened to me. And I know we can stand in that grace by trusting Jesus.

Where God can take us in a moment - as I see it - is His intent for us in our maturity, though that may take much longer. Being mature in Christ - Till Christ be formed within you - Those who are perfect walk by the same rule - as we grow, this is where we are growing to.

My personal thinking is that, I think I've told this to you before, that God removed that particular gift in a moment, as He had given it in a moment, my thinking is that He was showing me the prize, but then returned me so I would learn that walk by faith. As far as I'm concerned - I don't expect to convince others - it's real. I find it in Scripture, and I find it in life.

Much love!
 
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marks

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It's learning how to just ignore your flesh. By trusting Jesus. We overcome. We learn to walk in the Spirit, and in doing so, learn to control our flesh. Hunger for a nourishing meal? OK. Hunger for a gluttonous meal? Not OK. And it all goes on like that.

The longer we walk this way, the less the flesh troubles us. Except if God is using it to test us.

Much love!
 

stunnedbygrace

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Actually I know that grace experientially.

I know that God can just bestow that grace in a moment, it happened to me. And I know we can stand in that grace by trusting Jesus.

Where God can take us in a moment, that is, what I believe, His intent for us in our maturity, though that may take much longer. Being mature in Christ - Till Christ be formed within you - Those who are perfect walk by the same rule - as we grow, this is where we are growing to.

My personal thinking is that, I think I've told this to you before, that God removed that particular gift in a moment, as He had given it in a moment, my thinking is that He was showing me the prize, but then returned me so I would learn that walk by faith. As far as I'm concerned - I don't expect to convince others - it's real. I find it in Scripture, and I find it in life.

Much love!
No, I remember. You said you asked something like…how do I share this with others, and you were immediately back out of it?
 
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stunnedbygrace

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It's learning how to just ignore your flesh. By trusting Jesus. We overcome. We learn to walk in the Spirit, and in doing so, learn to control our flesh. Hunger for a nourishing meal? OK. Hunger for a gluttonous meal? Not OK. And it all goes on like that.

The longer we walk this way, the less the flesh troubles us. Except if God is using it to test us.

Much love!
Boy, that would have NEVER worked for me! My flesh and emotions and pride was the boss of me and ignoring it or pretending it wasn’t so would have been 100% impossible for me. I could have NEVER learned to control my flesh.
 
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marks

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Boy, that would have NEVER worked for me! My flesh and emotions and pride was the boss of me and ignoring it or pretending it wasn’t so would have been 100% impossible for me.
It wasn't/isn't the only tool in God's toolbox of course! This experience came alongside some very difficult trials, from months of agonizing and untractable pain, life threatening illness, sparing the long story, He did a lot of things to really shatter me!

5 o'clock again! I'll need to go soon.

The thing is, I learned it was real. I learned what it looks/feels like. Once that got into my mind, and knowing that we stand in grace by faith, I set out to know that faith. It's real. And the key is knowing I am justified by God, accepted by Him in Christ alone, and not because I'm doing something He likes.

Much love!
 
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stunnedbygrace

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It wasn't/isn't the only tool in God's toolbox of course! This experience came alongside some very difficult trials, from months of agonizing and untractable pain, life threatening illness, sparing the long story, He did a lot of things to really shatter me!

5 o'clock again! I'll need to go soon.

The thing is, I learned it was real. I learned what it looks/feels like. Once that got into my mind, and knowing that we stand in grace by faith, I set out to know that faith. It's real. And the key is knowing I am justified by God, accepted by Him in Christ alone, and not because I'm doing something He likes.

It seems counterintuitive, I know, but the way to walk in the Spirit is to stop thinking you have to, and just enjoy Jesus. The walk in the Spirit is our "natural" state as children of God, but the flesh will get in our way until we are trained/learn how to keep it in subjection.

Much love!
dang…you must have changed this post just as I hit the quote button or something. What I wanted to talk about is no longer in your post…and I don’t remember what it was. Because I’m old. Psh.

I don’t think it’s walking in the Spirit though. I think it’s being weaned. God gave me the verse one day when I was marveling over it and wondering about exactly what it was that had happened to me. And HE gave me the verse. No man explained it to me. It just popped into my head - my soul is like a weaned child within me.

And just a few days ago I learned how to stay calmly in the peace of it so that I don’t keep losing an amazing thing that was added on to it, which is…like…not having to labor or think or meditate or ruminate but just…receive understanding with no effort. I kept banging in and out of that and it was confusing as to why that would be so. One minute it’s like I understood everything and the next it was all just gone. The closest I can explain it is to say it was periods of bright light and periods of that light disappearing in a second and everything in darkness. Right before I learned to stay in that light - oh not now. Getting tired and its only 8:30.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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It wasn't/isn't the only tool in God's toolbox of course! This experience came alongside some very difficult trials, from months of agonizing and untractable pain, life threatening illness, sparing the long story, He did a lot of things to really shatter me!

5 o'clock again! I'll need to go soon.

The thing is, I learned it was real. I learned what it looks/feels like. Once that got into my mind, and knowing that we stand in grace by faith, I set out to know that faith. It's real. And the key is knowing I am justified by God, accepted by Him in Christ alone, and not because I'm doing something He likes.

Much love!
Forgot to say, yes, trust - extreme and unwavering trust- is absolutely the way to that putting under of the flesh. And THAT is a very great battle.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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It's learning how to just ignore your flesh. By trusting Jesus. We overcome. We learn to walk in the Spirit, and in doing so, learn to control our flesh. Hunger for a nourishing meal? OK. Hunger for a gluttonous meal? Not OK. And it all goes on like that.

The longer we walk this way, the less the flesh troubles us. Except if God is using it to test us.

Much love!
I think I see a place you are stuck here. But my eyes won’t stay open to explain it. Tomorrow.
 

stunnedbygrace

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dang…you must have changed this post just as I hit the quote button or something. What I wanted to talk about is no longer in your post…and I don’t remember what it was. Because I’m old. Psh.

I don’t think it’s walking in the Spirit though. I think it’s being weaned. God gave me the verse one day when I was marveling over it and wondering about exactly what it was that had happened to me. And HE gave me the verse. No man explained it to me. It just popped into my head - my soul is like a weaned child within me.

And just a few days ago I learned how to stay calmly in the peace of it so that I don’t keep losing an amazing thing that was added on to it, which is…like…not having to labor or think or meditate or ruminate but just…receive understanding with no effort. I kept banging in and out of that and it was confusing as to why that would be so. One minute it’s like I understood everything and the next it was all just gone. The closest I can explain it is to say it was periods of bright light and periods of that light disappearing in a second and everything in darkness. Right before I learned to stay in that light - oh not now. Getting tired and its only 8:30.
Bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go this morning! :)
What I was saying, continued. Right before I learned to stay in that light, I learned suddenly how to judge myself in this level just as I had learned to judge myself at the previous level. I had already seen that the “first motions toward“ were still in me. Another way to say it is…while my flesh had been calmed, there was still a long seated habit of reverting back to my default position in small ways. It was easy to ignore because it was not with the grossness of before my flesh was calmed but was more like barely heard whispers, and I sort of…ignored that rather than acknowledging it. (I feel like it’s important to underline that I cannot fix it just as I could not calm my own flesh, but I just need to see and acknowledge it is in me and ask for what I still lack. It would be disastrous to get here and then go back to trying to operate in my Own strength again. All I have gained would be lost if I did that.) But I began to not leave it in the periphery and to instead pay attention and say, ah, I saw and felt that small pull toward pride or toward anger, I felt that first motion toward. It is the “treating my flesh roughly” that Paul talked about, so that I won’t be disqualified. The enemy has been put under my feet. I better not dare to take my foot off his throat and give him an opportunity to get up again.
And that is how I absolutely know that I was weaned but am not walking IN the Spirit. He brought me safely through to where I now am without my falling into a pride again that assumes I am somewhere I’m not. Our tendency is ALWAYS to think we are further or higher than we are. No one is an exception to that - no one. From the very first day that we come to God and receive the down payment of the Spirit, it is always a grave danger that we will try, with our flesh, to take a higher seat than we belong in. And that doesn’t become less of a danger as He gives us more, it becomes MORE of a danger, because it would be like the difference between falling out of a window on the first story of a building versus falling out of the fourth story. The damage would be far greater, with less likelihood of surviving and recovering.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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I’ve been trying since yesterday to wrap my head around, turn him over to satan for the destruction of his flesh.
Its like saying, this man is going to explode in a spectacular fashion and he will not listen about what he is doing, so put him outside and put orange cones around him to warn everyone, and a sign that says, caution steep drop, so no one else will be hurt by his crash and burn.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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And concerning post #53 and judging yourself at each level of understanding -

At the first level, satan greatly hinders, binds and harms the greatest number of men. With doctrines that make a deal or treaty with the enemy (the flesh), instead of slaughtering the enemy, it’s the same thing, in spirit, as when God would tell Israel to go to war with an enemy, like the amalekites, and He would tell them to be completely merciless and not leave a single person, child or animal alive. He knew if they did, they would grow again and rise up to war against Israel again and take away the peace He desired for them.

So if you make a treaty with the flesh in a doctrine, instead of men going to war, they live complacently with the enemy when they should be discerning that enemy and slaughtering him.

So we hear many different treaties being made with the flesh, such as, for example, we can never be free of the flesh and God does not intend to give us victory over that enemy so we must live that enemy all of our lives.
But it’s not true. God has clearly told us that the flesh is one of our three great enemies and He WILL give us victory over it.
 
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amigo de christo

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This guy comes from the Jesse Duplantis- prosperity gospel school.

Another charlatan. Not that anyone has ever accused @stunnedbygrace of having discernment when it comes to choosing teachers. :p
The same jessie dulplantis that said The gift that JESUS gave was so now we can call ourselves EVERLASTING Father .
Etc .
Yeh , thems false ones all right .
 
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Episkopos

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The same jessie dulplantis that said The gift that JESUS gave was so now we can call ourselves EVERLASTING Father .
Etc .
Yeh , thems false ones all right .
...or even impute God's righteousness to ourselves. It's all the same bag. Take the bible...now apply any nice sounding things to our own self-love. Anything negative is for others.

Just follow the logic to its inevitable conclusion.

I have had people red in the face tell me that they have already been glorified with Christ. I don't hear from then after that.

Do I believe for one second that their judgment has any value whatsoever?
 
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stunnedbygrace

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I have had people red in the face tell me that they have already been glorified with Christ. I don't hear from then after that.
They are easy to see, so I pray for them. But there are…levels of guile, and with some people, it’s more difficult to see what they do, as they glide rather than stomp, more covert, more hidden. Sometimes I don’t catch on until they’ve destroyed five threads and slipped back out to leave the blame on those whose flesh they stirred before They snuck out.
Harmless as a dove is only PART of the verse about how we are to be in maturer stages.

But I do think if someone appears to have got better, they should be given another chance with us.
 
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Episkopos

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They are easy to see, so I pray for them. But there are…levels of guile, and with some people, it’s more difficult to see what they do, as they glide rather than stomp, more covert, more hidden. Sometimes I don’t catch on until they’ve destroyed five threads and slipped back out to leave the blame on those whose flesh they stirred before They snuck out.
Harmless as a dove is only PART of the verse about how we are to be in maturer stages.

But I do think if someone appears to have got better, they should be given another chance with us.
Yes. We always hold out hope that THIS time, they see the bigger picture and get a better reading on who they are in it. The most difficult, and annoying, ones. are those who try to adapt their language (wording) to how they describe their condition...rather than allow the words of God convict them. That's why I am a stickler for the meaning of words. When words change their meaning the gospel, is changed into something that suits the flesh.
 

Mr E

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Yes. We always hold out hope that THIS time, they see the bigger picture and get a better reading on who they are in it. The most difficult, and annoying, ones. are those who try to adapt their language (wording) to how they describe their condition...rather than allow the words of God convict them. That's why I am a stickler for the meaning of words. When words change their meaning the gospel, is changed into something that suits the flesh.

A real stickler. Like with the meaning of tropaion?

What was that scriptural verse that uses that Greek word again? You did a whole podcast on it… where is the scriptural reference? — since we are wanting to make sure no one changes the meaning of things to suit the flesh.