The Key to all the Parables of Jesus

[Johann]

But my testimony...and that of the bible as I perceive it...is that we are to seek for that audience now. Call it the throne of grace. Call it buying the oil for our lamps....there are many metaphors.

So the Pauline epistles is not for us today-you are making an appeal to the gospel accounts?

-that, and experiences-correct?

 

[ChristisGod]

Yes, He gives grace to the humble. I have a very different understanding of things compared to some here. But we are not here to try changing each other. We have to allow for differences in perceptions. We are each individually responsible to the Lord for what we do. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us as we seek God.

I have taken your insults towards me as a cry for help. I have not taken you seriously beyond that. But I see you are happy with the way you already understand spiritual things. So be it. I may question some stances here in the future but I will cease from trying to get you and others to see things as I do.

We all have blind spots when it comes to the things of God and it wiser to try to understand one another...or just move on.

I hope we can agree that challenging each other has limits. I have reached that limit and for the sake of harmony on the forum, I will leave it You ato people to judge things for themselves...while personally I will endeavour to use a lighter touch!

The forum is not a natural way to communicate. I realize our perceived personas are not necessarily who we really are. Adjustments must be made.

You are conflating correcting you with insults. I do it in love without insults unlike you calling those who disagree with you animal and bird names. So once again you are projecting.

So the Pauline epistles is not for us today-you are making an appeal to the gospel accounts?

-that, and experiences-correct?

yes he is making scripture contradict itself and making Jesus teaching contradict the Apostles.

 

[Johann]

You are conflating correcting you with insults. I do it in love without insults unlike you calling those who disagree with you animal and bird names. So once again you are projecting.

yes he is making scripture contradict itself and making Jesus teaching contradict the Apostles.

So I noticed brother, a serious error-Progressive Christianity.


Progressive Christians have a deep belief in the centrality of the instruction to "love one another" (John 15:17) within the teachings of Jesus Christ. Progressive Christianity focuses on promoting values such as compassion, justice, mercy, and tolerance, often through political activism.

--and nothing about the 13 letters of Paul.
Johann-stay strong.

 

[ChristisGod]

If we can see the bible as a ticket to an audience with God....it then depends on when you think when that audience needs to take place.

I think most believe that an actual divine encounter will only happen after we die.

But my testimony...and that of the bible as I perceive it...is that we are to seek for that audience now. Call it the throne of grace. Call it buying the oil for our lamps....there are many metaphors.

In so doing ...as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling...my view is that we avoid being rejected by the Lord as in..I never knew you."

If a person feels that that is not a possibility...for whatever reason...then that is a personal decision.

I am for the seeing seeking through...no matter how long it takes. If we refrain from giving God our all....which means that for those who think it impossible or improbable that such a connection can be made with the living God...at least may the Lord find us watching and praying and doing what we can to make that connection with Him irregardless of the success of our seeking.

I just want to encourage us all to watch and pray...and seek until we find. Is there not more to the Christian walk than what we moderns have come to see as normal? (rhetorical question)

Peace

a ticket to an audience with God ?

are you kidding me ?

how about the eternal inspired word of God by which one hears the gospel and becomes born again or rejects it and remains condemned in their sins.

Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Psalms 119:160
All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

Acts 13:44-50
And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 "For thus the Lord has commanded us,

'I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.'"

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

The word of the Lord(Jesus) is the word of God. More proof Jesus is God in Acts.



The word of the Lord, the word of Christ is the same as the word of God. The word of the Lord(Jesus) was spread throughout the book of Acts as the very word of God and they are used interchangeably in Acts. Below we see the word of the Lord = Jesus words are the very words of God. This can be said of no mere man but only a man who is also God as Scripture declares about Christ.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.



2 Thessalonians 3:1-3
Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

1 Peter 1:23-25
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."

And this is the word that was preached to you.

1-Can we say let the word of Paul richly dwell in you
2-Can we say let the word of Peter richly dwell in you
3-Can we say let the word of David richly dwell in you
4-Can we say let the word of Moses richly dwell in you

the answer to the above is a resounding NO you cannot say it.

But you can say let the word of God, the word of the Lord, the word of Christ richly dwell in you because they have the exact/identical meaning.

hope this helps !!!

 

[Lizbeth]

But why should the devil be at work in the un-crucified flesh?

Gal_2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Gal_5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal_5:24. ἐσταύρωσαν. The Apostle has already traced back his own spiritual life to the fellowship with the crucifixion of Christ, which he had undergone at his conversion (Gal_2:20).

He assumes that his converts have likewise crucified the will of the flesh—not, however (as the previous context shows), that that will is already dead, but that the spirit has by one decisive victory asserted its complete supremacy in all true Christians, and so given an earnest of its entire triumph in the end.—παθήμασιν. This word departs here from its usual meaning, sufferings, and expresses inward emotions, as in Rom_7:5. Greek philosophers applied πάθος in like manner to denote active impulses of passion.

To make it even more clearer--
Crucified the flesh (tēn sarka estaurōsan). Definite event, first aorist active indicative of stauroō as in Gal_2:19 (mystical union with Christ).

Paul uses sarx here in the same sense as in Gal_5:16, Gal_5:17, Gal_5:19, “the force in men that makes for evil” (Burton).
With (sun). “Together with,” emphasizing “the completeness of the extermination of this evil force” and the guarantee of victory over one’s passions and dispositions toward evil.
Robertson
have crucified the flesh—They nailed it to the cross once for all when they became Christ’s, on believing and being baptized (Ro 6:3, 4): they keep it now in a state of crucifixion (Ro 6:6): so that the Spirit can produce in them, comparatively uninterrupted by it, “the fruit of the Spirit” (Ga 5:22). “Man, by faith, is dead to the former standing point of a sinful life, and rises to a new life (Ga 5:25) of communion with Christ (Col 3:3). The act by which they have crucified the flesh with its lust, is already accomplished ideally in principle. But the practice, or outward conformation of the life, must harmonize with the tendency given to the inward life” (Ga 5:25) [Neander]. We are to be executioners, dealing cruelly with the body of sin, which has caused the acting of all cruelties on Christ’s body.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 338.

5:24 "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh" This is AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE which speaks of completed action in past time. This passage, and others which imply mystical union, can be interpreted within theological categories (cf. Rom. 6:6). Throughout the book of Galatians, particularly 2:20, "crucify" is used to characterize our relationship to the Law. Once we accept God's free offer of grace in Christ as our only means of salvation, we decisively cut ourselves off from the evil of our fallen nature and the fallen world system. This personal decision of cutting ourselves off is the biblical metaphor of "crucifixion" as seen in Gal. 2:20; 5:24 and 6:14.

This is often characterized as "death to self." God has made us individually (cf. Psalm 139) to serve Him and not ourselves (cf. Rom. 6). This new life in Christ means death to the fallen, self-centered lifestyle of rebellious mankind (cf. Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 John 3:16).

Would you agree @Episkopos?

We have died with Christ-now look at this verse-

Rom_6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom_6:6. All this can be asserted, knowing as we do that “our old man” = our old self, what we were before we became Christians—was crucified with Him. Paul says συνεσταυρώθη simply because Christ died on the cross, and we are baptised into that death, not because “our old man” is the basest of criminals for whom crucifixion is the proper penalty. The object of this crucifixion of the old man was “that the body of sin might be brought to nought”. τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας is the body in which we live: apart from the crucifixion of the old self it can be characterised as “a body of sin”. It may be wrong to say that it is necessarily and essentially sinful—the body, as such, can have no moral predicate attached to it; it would be as wrong to deny that it is invariably and persistently a seat and source of sin. The genitive is perhaps qualitative rather than possessive, though “the body of which sin has taken possession” (S. and H.) is a good paraphrase. See Winer, p. 235, 768. This body is to be reduced to impotence τοῦ μηκέτι δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς κ.τ.λ. “that we may no longer be slaves to sin”. The body is the instrument we use in the service of sin, and if it is disabled the service must cease. For the gen inf, see Burton, § 397.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

συνεσταυρώθη
Transliteration: synestaurōthē

Morphology: V-AIP-3S
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's no.: G4957 (συσταυρόω)
Meaning: To crucify together with.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Crucified the flesh (tēn sarka estaurōsan). Definite event, first aorist active indicative of stauroō as in Gal_2:19 (mystical union with Christ).

Paul uses sarx here in the same sense as in Gal_5:16, Gal_5:17, Gal_5:19, “the force in men that makes for evil” (Burton).
With (sun). “Together with,” emphasizing “the completeness of the extermination of this evil force” and the guarantee of victory over one’s passions and dispositions toward evil.
Robertson

So how can you say "the devil is at work in the un-crucified flesh?"

Johann.

I think it's in the same sense of where Paul said, "If I do that which I don't want to do, it is no longer I who sin but sin dwelling in me" (Rom. 7:16-20). This is kind of companion to where it says it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. Both are being reckoned to us....His grace extended to us. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross...but even though he is a defeated foe he still prowls around seeking who he may devour. It's like where the bible says, All things have been put under His feet, but we do not yet "see" all things put under.

Heb 2:8
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

1Co 15:25
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

We/He are in process of taking ground for Him little by little....it's God's wise wisdom, knowing us in our humanity so well, that it needs to be "little by little" (Ex. 23:30...Deut. 7:22). It's necessary for a number of reasons having to do with the infirmity of the flesh nature that we need to suffer being in the fight, carrying our crosses....crucifying and putting our flesh to the death little by little. To humble us and that we would know/experience that it is by His power and mercy, not our own just desserts....even though heaven is reckoning the battle to us as being already won and reckoning the devil as being already defeated.

 

[Lizbeth]

So I noticed brother, a serious error-Progressive Christianity.


Progressive Christians have a deep belief in the centrality of the instruction to "love one another" (John 15:17) within the teachings of Jesus Christ. Progressive Christianity focuses on promoting values such as compassion, justice, mercy, and tolerance, often through political activism.

--and nothing about the 13 letters of Paul.
Johann-stay strong.

Amen. Paul's letters are such a blessing to read. How about this from Rom. 4/5...clearly for all believers, not just the "perfect":

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

And God's ways are not our ways, they are higher. His love is not like the love of the world and flesh...emotional and fickle and self consciously choosing when or where to apply it when we want to feel good about ourselves or look good to others or other motives, etc. His ways and His love are not like that, it is higher and is not a respecter of persons and neither does it abandon the truth. "I the Lord do not change."

 

[Keturah]

a ticket to an audience with God ?

are you kidding me ?

how about the eternal inspired word of God by which one hears the gospel and becomes born again or rejects it and remains condemned in their sins.

Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Psalms 119:160
All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

Acts 13:44-50
And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 "For thus the Lord has commanded us,

'I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.'"

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

The word of the Lord(Jesus) is the word of God. More proof Jesus is God in Acts.



The word of the Lord, the word of Christ is the same as the word of God. The word of the Lord(Jesus) was spread throughout the book of Acts as the very word of God and they are used interchangeably in Acts. Below we see the word of the Lord = Jesus words are the very words of God. This can be said of no mere man but only a man who is also God as Scripture declares about Christ.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.



2 Thessalonians 3:1-3
Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

1 Peter 1:23-25
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."

And this is the word that was preached to you.

1-Can we say let the word of Paul richly dwell in you
2-Can we say let the word of Peter richly dwell in you
3-Can we say let the word of David richly dwell in you
4-Can we say let the word of Moses richly dwell in you

the answer to the above is a resounding NO you cannot say it.

But you can say let the word of God, the word of the Lord, the word of Christ richly dwell in you because they have the exact/identical meaning.

hope this helps !!!

Love it, amen!

 

[Lizbeth]

a ticket to an audience with God ?

are you kidding me ?

how about the eternal inspired word of God by which one hears the gospel and becomes born again or rejects it and remains condemned in their sins.

Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Psalms 119:160
All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

Acts 13:44-50
And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 "For thus the Lord has commanded us,

'I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.'"

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

The word of the Lord(Jesus) is the word of God. More proof Jesus is God in Acts.



The word of the Lord, the word of Christ is the same as the word of God. The word of the Lord(Jesus) was spread throughout the book of Acts as the very word of God and they are used interchangeably in Acts. Below we see the word of the Lord = Jesus words are the very words of God. This can be said of no mere man but only a man who is also God as Scripture declares about Christ.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.



2 Thessalonians 3:1-3
Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

1 Peter 1:23-25
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."

And this is the word that was preached to you.

1-Can we say let the word of Paul richly dwell in you
2-Can we say let the word of Peter richly dwell in you
3-Can we say let the word of David richly dwell in you
4-Can we say let the word of Moses richly dwell in you

the answer to the above is a resounding NO you cannot say it.

But you can say let the word of God, the word of the Lord, the word of Christ richly dwell in you because they have the exact/identical meaning.

hope this helps !!!

Amen. And that word came and dwelt in us the moment we believed. It brought us through the veil into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God. We've had His presence and attention and been in audience with Him ever since.

 

[ChristisGod]

Amen. And that word came and dwelt in us the moment we believed. It brought us through the veil into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God. We've had His presence and attention and been in audience with Him ever since.

Amen !!!

 

[Johann]

I think it's in the same sense of where Paul said, "If I do that which I don't want to do, it is no longer I who sin but sin dwelling in me" (Rom. 7:16-20). This is kind of companion to where it says it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. Both are being reckoned to us....His grace extended to us. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross...but even though he is a defeated foe he still prowls around seeking who he may devour. It's like where the bible says, All things have been put under His feet, but we do not yet "see" all things put under.

Heb 2:8
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

1Co 15:25
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

We/He are in process of taking ground for Him little by little....it's God's wise wisdom, knowing us in our humanity so well, that it needs to be "little by little" (Ex. 23:30...Deut. 7:22). It's necessary for a number of reasons having to do with the infirmity of the flesh nature that we need to suffer being in the fight, carrying our crosses....crucifying and putting our flesh to the death little by little. To humble us and that we would know/experience that it is by His power and mercy, not our own just desserts....even though heaven is reckoning the battle to us as being already won and reckoning the devil as being already defeated.

Problem here is @Lizbeth none of the Pauline epistles is "for us" but "unto them"-according to the "gospel of @Episkopos "
But I concur with your explanation, as always, on point-however there is a a warfare going on, presently, and we need to be continuously clothed with the full panoplia of God as per Ephesians 6-and suffering should be a constant friend/companion of the believer in Christ-as to the flesh being crucified-it is a decisive once for all Aorist-yet in the outworking of sanctification-praise our Lord Christ Jesus for sanctification-we conquer, "little by little"- with the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

Shalom
Johann.

 

[Episkopos]

Problem here is @Lizbeth none of the Pauline epistles is "for us" but "unto them"-according to the "gospel of @Episkopos "
But I concur with your explanation, as always, on point-however there is a a warfare going on, presently, and we need to be continuously clothed with the full panoplia of God as per Ephesians 6-and suffering should be a constant friend/companion of the believer in Christ-as to the flesh being crucified-it is a decisive once for all Aorist-yet in the outworking of sanctification-praise our Lord Christ Jesus for sanctification-we conquer, "little by little"- with the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

Shalom
Johann.

I never said it was not for us. It was not written directly to us. Paul was addressing real people then, people that he knew, with real lives and real experiences. Although people here will whine and rail against an actual experience and intimacy with God...the bible comes to us by that very experience. It is meant to inspire us to seek God for the very same outcomes that they experienced. God is not the bible...He is the living God. I think many here need to lift their eyes from a dead religion to a living faith in a living God.

The pride of the outer man is that once this becomes a religious thing...people will double down and defend what they perceive is justifying them. What is actual happening when this takes place is that the outer man is defending himself...based on a self-justification.

Hope this helps somebody out there...

If people don't see that...that's up to them.

 

[Johann]

I never said it was not for us. It was not written directly to us. Paul was addressing real people then, people that he knew, with real lives and real experiences. Although people here will whine and rail against an actual experience and intimacy with God...the bible comes to us by that very experience. It is meant to inspire us to seek God for the very same outcomes that they experienced. God is not the bible...He is the living God. I think many here need to lift their eyes from a dead religion to a living faith in a living God.

 

[Lizbeth]

I never said it was not for us. It was not written directly to us. Paul was addressing real people then, people that he knew, with real lives and real experiences. Although people here will whine and rail against an actual experience and intimacy with God...the bible comes to us by that very experience. It is meant to inspire us to seek God for the very same outcomes that they experienced. God is not the bible...He is the living God. I think many here need to lift their eyes from a dead religion to a living faith in a living God.

The pride of the outer man is that once this becomes a religious thing...people will double down and defend what they perceive is justifying them. What is actual happening when this takes place is that the outer man is defending himself...based on a self-justification.

Hope this helps somebody out there...

If people don't see that...that's up to them.

It is a word - the truth - for all believers, not just those who are "perfected". Nobody here is justifying themselves, only gratefully saying (and pointing out the word) that Jesus has justified us through the cross, by our faith in Him. As others have already said we still have work to do in working out our salvation and dealing with the flesh...don't know why you don't seem to be hearing that.

Once again, you are making assumptions about the brethren here, assuming we do not experience God. People do not always like to boast in their experiences so you have no idea our experiences with the Lord are.

 

[marks]

This is true. I do respect you as a person or I would not have said anything.

When threads get ugly, my default choice is to disengage. But we are to seek peace and pursue it.

I don't actually think most people here enjoy being unkind or insulting. It tends to come out on this forum as we get caught up in discussion. But every day is a new day to get it right.

You can tell what people want by what they do. Those who value and love insults, they insult others. Those who are unkind act unkindly. Those who are hypocrits justify themselves for their shameful behavior.

God says to leave them alone after a few tries. Try to correct, lovingly rebuke, and then believe it when they resist all godliness.

Much love!

 

[marks]

I hope that as many as possible realize my purpose has not been to hurt anyone but to help..

I think we all demonstrate what is inside of us in what we do, and I believe that will continue to be the case. When both our doctrine and our conduct agree with Scripture, that is what matters.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Although people here will whine and rail against an actual experience and intimacy with God..

And who are these people you continually whine and rail against? No one is speaking against intimacy with God! Actual experience. Seriously man!

Much love!

 

[Wynona]

You can tell what people want by what they do. Those who value and love insults, they insult others. Those who are unkind act unkindly. Those who are hypocrits justify themselves for their shameful behavior.

God says to leave them alone after a few tries. Try to correct, lovingly rebuke, and then believe it when they resist all godliness.

Much love!

@marks I am holding out hope for Episkopos because he told me this:

It's unfortunate that that my rebukes are taken as insults. But I will change my approach as you suggest. I will stop trying to point out things on a personal basis. I am not the Holy Spirit. We are each responsible for our own part. I hope to proceed in a way that does not make receiving things more difficult than it already is.

Thank you for your correction, sister. God bless you.

He said he would change his approach. Time will tell if he will but please forgive Episkopos in the meantime?

I agree that people reveal themselves with their actions. But you especially are at your best when you show them patience anyway.

If anyone wants someone to change, it's more effective to address a specific action the other person did instead of attacking their whole character at once. I noticed that people wanted Episkopos to change and fell into attacking him as a person. That didn't work so frustration kept building on both sides.

This happens a lot on this forum. But maybe we can get through to each other more if we learn to be specific without name-calling. I am not one to pick sides. I just think its a better witness when we're not at each others throats.

 

[marks]

@marks I am holding out hope for Episkopos because he told me this:

People who want to change do. Those who want you to think that they want to change tell you about it. Lessons learned over life . . .

Time will reveal what is real.

Much love!

 

[GTW27]

People who want to change do. Those who want you to think that they want to change tell you about it. Lessons learned over life . . .

Time will reveal what is real.

Much love!

When people change, it is temporal. But when we are changed(By Him) it is eternal.

 

[Episkopos]

@marks I am holding out hope for Episkopos because he told me this:



He said he would change his approach. Time will tell if he will but please forgive Episkopos in the meantime?

I agree that people reveal themselves with their actions. But you especially are at your best when you show them patience anyway.

If anyone wants someone to change, it's more effective to address a specific action the other person did instead of attacking their whole character at once. I noticed that people wanted Episkopos to change and fell into attacking him as a person. That didn't work so frustration kept building on both sides.

This happens a lot on this forum. But maybe we can get through to each other more if we learn to be specific without name-calling. I am not one to pick sides. I just think its a better witness when we're not at each others throats.

Nice conversation. I changed my tack because it wasn't working. My purpose here is not to be right or force the truth on people. I merely responded in the same way I felt that certain people needed. I have been on the forum for a long time...and I have tried every conceivable way to get through to people in any kind of honesty and truth.

I always receive at least double the attacks before I expose the condition that caused such resistance to the truth.

I think @Wynona has a good heart but lacks understanding...going by what appears to be right on an emotional level...and not being entirely wrong about that. And where she is right I will cede that point. She made me see that my similarly blunt approach to others here wasn't getting through. So unless there is a GENERAL instruction to be made concerning things of the kingdom...I will let things be.

The truth is hard enough to swallow...especially in these perilous times...without getting personal about it. So I will not be doing ANY personal instruction. People can do as they wish with no complaint from me. I tried to help...but I have ceased from that endeavour. My own personal care for people ...doing as I would want others to do for me...was less than appreciated. So I will move on from such efforts.

Peace always <><