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Aug 6, 2019 09:32:51   #
bahmer
 
Armageddun wrote:
HARVEST EYES

"Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." John 4:35

"People matter so much to God that everyone warrants an all-out search." ---Bill Hybels....

The contrast between Jesus and His disciples in this passage is stark. Jesus is busy telling a sinful woman of eternal t***hs. The disciples are focused on their physical needs. Jesus sets off a spark and sees a whole town ablaze with spiritual hunger. The disciples are obsessed with their daily bread. Jesus was ready to minister to people. The disciples were ready for lunchtime.

Don't we see a similar contrast in our own lives? Sometimes we can be outward focused, seeing people's needs and trying to meet them. More often, we are just trying to get though the day, feeding ourselves and our families, and trying to earn enough to pay the bills. We get caught up in our own agenda and neglect the more urgent needs of a hurting world---perhaps not in principle, but certainly in practice.

Jesus urges His disciples to look beyond themselves. He tells them to thrive on a different kind of food---the will of God and His passion for people who need the gospel. They are to be outward focused, filled with vision. Their ambition should be to see the the gathering of the kingdom of God, not just to get through the daily grind.

We tend to neglect the eternal purposes of God and hone in on the peripherals of life. But life isn't about going into town to shop (John 4:8) or about lunchtime (v.31). Those are necessities of sustaining life, not its substance. The substance of life is eternal, and we can invest it in either the kingdom or in the world. Jesus points us to His kingdom.

Are our eyes filled with visions of harvest? Do you understand why we are here? Do not be distracted by the daily routine or by the needs of the hour. Learn to recognize moments for reaping. Jesus has given us a mission and told us to have a vision for what's going on around us. Focus outward, not inward. Lift up your eyes and look at the fields. It's harvest time.
HARVEST EYES br br "Open your eyes and look ... (show quote)


Amen and Amen

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Aug 10, 2019 02:25:14   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen




LIVING IN THE LIGHT

"Whoever lives by the t***h comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:21

"For him who confesses, shams are over and realities have begun."
---William James...

Much has been made of the possibility of the people in the church bringing discredit to the gospel. The line of reasoning is this: The gospel cleanses us from sin; therefore when one of us falls into sin, the cleansing power of the gospel is discredited. But is this true? Does a sinning saint damage the gospel's reputation?

That depends. Someone who claims to be right with God, but who clearly is not, may weaken the witness of the message. But someone who falls confesses, and repents---no matter how great the fall---only confirms the power of the t***h. That person has demonstrated the meaning of grace.

Look at it this way: it's easy to discredit a gospel of legalism; all you have to do is break its laws. But the only way to discredit a gospel of grace is to be perfect. Grace assumes that the laws have been broken by everyone already. Why would we be outraged when we see someone fall into sin? Our message of mercy presupposes that we will. It accounts for the depravity of the human condition. How can our sin contradict our assertion that God forgives sin? When we see sin and repentance, we don't see a discredit to the gospel; we see the gospel in action.

Jesus said that those who live by the t***h will come into the light and their confession will be evidence that God is at work. He does not mean that those who live by the t***h are those who never sin. He means that those who live by the t***h will deal with their sin. They will bring it into the light and accept God's forgiveness. That does no harm to the gospel; it affirms it.

Are you hiding your sin? The church often unwittingly encourages its members to do so. But that denies the gospel. Bringing it openly to the cross exposes the sinner as sinful but also exposes the gospel as p

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Aug 10, 2019 09:21:27   #
no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun
 
bahmer wrote:
Take care Zemirah we all love you and are praying for a speedy recovery in the Lords name. Just take your time and wh**ever it takes we are all with you. Bruce.


Yes, glad she is doing better, and our prayers are still with her.
NPP and SWMBO

Reply
 
 
Aug 10, 2019 09:22:30   #
bahmer
 
Armageddun wrote:
LIVING IN THE LIGHT

"Whoever lives by the t***h comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:21

"For him who confesses, shams are over and realities have begun."
---William James...

Much has been made of the possibility of the people in the church bringing discredit to the gospel. The line of reasoning is this: The gospel cleanses us from sin; therefore when one of us falls into sin, the cleansing power of the gospel is discredited. But is this true? Does a sinning saint damage the gospel's reputation?

That depends. Someone who claims to be right with God, but who clearly is not, may weaken the witness of the message. But someone who falls confesses, and repents---no matter how great the fall---only confirms the power of the t***h. That person has demonstrated the meaning of grace.

Look at it this way: it's easy to discredit a gospel of legalism; all you have to do is break its laws. But the only way to discredit a gospel of grace is to be perfect. Grace assumes that the laws have been broken by everyone already. Why would we be outraged when we see someone fall into sin? Our message of mercy presupposes that we will. It accounts for the depravity of the human condition. How can our sin contradict our assertion that God forgives sin? When we see sin and repentance, we don't see a discredit to the gospel; we see the gospel in action.

Jesus said that those who live by the t***h will come into the light and their confession will be evidence that God is at work. He does not mean that those who live by the t***h are those who never sin. He means that those who live by the t***h will deal with their sin. They will bring it into the light and accept God's forgiveness. That does no harm to the gospel; it affirms it.

Are you hiding your sin? The church often unwittingly encourages its members to do so. But that denies the gospel. Bringing it openly to the cross exposes the sinner as sinful but also exposes the gospel as p
LIVING IN THE LIGHT br br "Whoever lives by ... (show quote)


Amen and Amen

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Aug 10, 2019 13:22:45   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen


LIBERATING SURRENDER

"If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." Matthew 16:24

"Carry the Cross patiently and with perfect submission, and in the end, it shall carry you."
---Thomas a Kempis...

There are two attitudes with which we can approach this verse. The more typical attitude is dread; we look at self-denial and cross-bearing as burdensome responsibilities, demands that are ill-prepared to fulfill. We see this principle of Jesus' teaching as an imperative for deep sacrifice---walking the way He walked. It looks like a difficult road.

But if we can get past the pain of this verse, there is a profound liberation to be experienced. We realize that this verse is not just about sacrifice, it is about surrender. And the benefits of surrender are well worth the pain of sacrifice.

Think about it: Our biggest burden is us. We can not manage our own lives, but we are exhausted trying to do just that. We can not determine our own futures, and it is mind-boggling to try. We cannot handle our own problems---eventually, we are in over our heads far more often than we'd like to be. And when Jesus says any follower of His "must deny himself," it is not just a denial of satisfying things or of attempts at self-fulfillment; it is a denial of all of the self-management that weighs us down. It is a call not only to surrender what is pleasing to the senses but to surrender everything that rivals our dependence on God---including the burden of our willful independence and the awful responsibility of becoming "successful" in the way we define success. We should be eager to make such a denial.

We see the pain of self-denial and cross-carrying when we read of Jesus' crucifixion. But we forget---the Cross was the path to ultimate fulfillment and glory. It was so for Jesus, and it is so for us. The initial cost looks remarkably overwhelming at first glance, but there is ultimate liberation beyond it. It's the liberation of surrender to a wiser, gentler, more powerful Lord than the one we're accustomed to---ourselves. We can find freedom by embracing the Cross.

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Aug 11, 2019 10:49:41   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen


FULL SUBMISSION

"Now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have h**ed both Me and my Father."
John 15:24

"It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey."
---Soren Kierkegaard ....

Our standard approach to the strange story of pharisaical unbelief is to attribute their rejection of Jesus to spiritual blindness and hard-heartedness. And though they were certainly blind and hard-hearted---these are Jesus' terms---there are some alarming hints in Scripture that many actually knew Jesus to be the Messiah and rejected Him anyway. Nicodemus's statement in John 3:2 is revealing: "We know you are a teacher who has come from God." in John 15:24, Jesus affirms that their guilt comes from their rejection in spite of their knowledge of who He is. They couldn't let Him disrupt their hold on spiritual authority.

We tend to think of unbelief as the result of intellectual stumbling blocks to the Gospel, or philosophical objections, or a lack of evidence and authentic miracles. But these things are usually cited by unbelievers simply as a cover for deeper issues. The real issue of unbelief is the inclination of the human heart. It wants to remain enthroned. It cannot accept a Savior without denying its own ability to save.

The human r*******n is well disguised with convincing excuses. "We didn't know. We didn't have enough proof. Jesus's teaching didn't make enough sense to us. We did the best we could. Love and tolerance are the key, not dogma." Underneath the mask, the heart's contempt for its Creator runs deep. We hide it well, even from ourselves. But it's there.

Watch for this tendency in your own heart. Often we assent to Jesus mentally but resist Him deep within. Have you known this struggle? It's subtle, but human nature often is. We come across as enthusiastic believers, but the unbelief deep inside wants to put up a good fight. It wants to retain the right to a little bit of sin, to maintain a little autonomy. We often really want only a partial submission to our Creator. Let the Holy Spirit search---and t***sform---the deep places of your heart. Let Jesus complete His miracle in you.
3

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Aug 17, 2019 12:04:12   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
Armageddun wrote:
FULL SUBMISSION

"Now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have h**ed both Me and my Father."
John 15:24

"It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey."
---Soren Kierkegaard ....

Our standard approach to the strange story of pharisaical unbelief is to attribute their rejection of Jesus to spiritual blindness and hard-heartedness. And though they were certainly blind and hard-hearted---these are Jesus' terms---there are some alarming hints in Scripture that many actually knew Jesus to be the Messiah and rejected Him anyway. Nicodemus's statement in John 3:2 is revealing: "We know you are a teacher who has come from God." in John 15:24, Jesus affirms that their guilt comes from their rejection in spite of their knowledge of who He is. They couldn't let Him disrupt their hold on spiritual authority.

We tend to think of unbelief as the result of intellectual stumbling blocks to the Gospel, or philosophical objections, or a lack of evidence and authentic miracles. But these things are usually cited by unbelievers simply as a cover for deeper issues. The real issue of unbelief is the inclination of the human heart. It wants to remain enthroned. It cannot accept a Savior without denying its own ability to save.

The human r*******n is well disguised with convincing excuses. "We didn't know. We didn't have enough proof. Jesus's teaching didn't make enough sense to us. We did the best we could. Love and tolerance are the key, not dogma." Underneath the mask, the heart's contempt for its Creator runs deep. We hide it well, even from ourselves. But it's there.

Watch for this tendency in your own heart. Often we assent to Jesus mentally but resist Him deep within. Have you known this struggle? It's subtle, but human nature often is. We come across as enthusiastic believers, but the unbelief deep inside wants to put up a good fight. It wants to retain the right to a little bit of sin, to maintain a little autonomy. We often really want only a partial submission to our Creator. Let the Holy Spirit search---and t***sform---the deep places of your heart. Let Jesus complete His miracle in you.
3
FULL SUBMISSION br br "Now they have seen th... (show quote)





Update on Zemirah in her own words.


A strange thing happened Tuesday on my way to becoming cast free. My surgeon
(through his therapy team) gave me a new extended plan to reactivate my fingers, in order to be able to fully type into the computer again.

A local medical supply firm is furnishing a one arm control for my walker (star wars apparatus) to enable me to more fully function in the meanwhile, as home health care also received new instructions to more fully engage in "rehabilitating" my fingers to former status.

I fully believe your prayers contributed to God's inspiration of this development because it contradicted what both therapists and the surgeon's partner had insinuated earlier by telling me they believed the doctor would have the cast removed... permanently, strengthening it as it was, which would have resulted in little improvement.

I now have a deep purple cast with black accents, as I always receive a choice of colors.

So, I also now have more effort and more struggle, which is fully expected to reap a fuller reward.

Thank you and God's prayer warriors for their Christian love and support.

Praise God for being always in control.

Reply
 
 
Aug 18, 2019 07:37:24   #
Rose42
 
Armageddun wrote:
FULL SUBMISSION

"Now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have h**ed both Me and my Father."
John 15:24

"It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey."
---Soren Kierkegaard ....

Our standard approach to the strange story of pharisaical unbelief is to attribute their rejection of Jesus to spiritual blindness and hard-heartedness. And though they were certainly blind and hard-hearted---these are Jesus' terms---there are some alarming hints in Scripture that many actually knew Jesus to be the Messiah and rejected Him anyway. Nicodemus's statement in John 3:2 is revealing: "We know you are a teacher who has come from God." in John 15:24, Jesus affirms that their guilt comes from their rejection in spite of their knowledge of who He is. They couldn't let Him disrupt their hold on spiritual authority.

We tend to think of unbelief as the result of intellectual stumbling blocks to the Gospel, or philosophical objections, or a lack of evidence and authentic miracles. But these things are usually cited by unbelievers simply as a cover for deeper issues. The real issue of unbelief is the inclination of the human heart. It wants to remain enthroned. It cannot accept a Savior without denying its own ability to save.

The human r*******n is well disguised with convincing excuses. "We didn't know. We didn't have enough proof. Jesus's teaching didn't make enough sense to us. We did the best we could. Love and tolerance are the key, not dogma." Underneath the mask, the heart's contempt for its Creator runs deep. We hide it well, even from ourselves. But it's there.

Watch for this tendency in your own heart. Often we assent to Jesus mentally but resist Him deep within. Have you known this struggle? It's subtle, but human nature often is. We come across as enthusiastic believers, but the unbelief deep inside wants to put up a good fight. It wants to retain the right to a little bit of sin, to maintain a little autonomy. We often really want only a partial submission to our Creator. Let the Holy Spirit search---and t***sform---the deep places of your heart. Let Jesus complete His miracle in you.
3
FULL SUBMISSION br br "Now they have seen th... (show quote)


Reread this today.

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Aug 18, 2019 07:38:09   #
Rose42
 
Armageddun wrote:
Update on Zemirah in her own words.


A strange thing happened Tuesday on my way to becoming cast free. My surgeon
(through his therapy team) gave me a new extended plan to reactivate my fingers, in order to be able to fully type into the computer again.

A local medical supply firm is furnishing a one arm control for my walker (star wars apparatus) to enable me to more fully function in the meanwhile, as home health care also received new instructions to more fully engage in "rehabilitating" my fingers to former status.

I fully believe your prayers contributed to God's inspiration of this development because it contradicted what both therapists and the surgeon's partner had insinuated earlier by telling me they believed the doctor would have the cast removed... permanently, strengthening it as it was, which would have resulted in little improvement.

I now have a deep purple cast with black accents, as I always receive a choice of colors.

So, I also now have more effort and more struggle, which is fully expected to reap a fuller reward.

Thank you and God's prayer warriors for their Christian love and support.

Praise God for being always in control.
Update on Zemirah in her own words. br br br A s... (show quote)


Praise God and thank you for the update!

Reply
Aug 18, 2019 09:58:01   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
Rose42 wrote:
Praise God and thank you for the update!


Amen, she is a trooper. As the old saying goes, you can't keep a good woman down. Thanks for your prayers.

Reply
Aug 22, 2019 12:46:19   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
Armageddun wrote:
Amen, she is a trooper. As the old saying goes, you can't keep a good woman down. Thanks for your prayers.


The Devil Can't Surprise God by Jesse Duplantis

One of the tricks of the devil is to try and convince believers that God is caught by surprise by the devil's attack on their lives. He whispers that God hasn't figured out what to do about your situation. He insinuates to you that God is sitting up in Heaven completely dumbfounded and has no idea what to do about your situation—like He's never encountered such a rough attack before.

Nothing could be farther from the t***h. "You just don't know what I'm going through, Brother Jesse!" I may not, but God does. Actually, God solved the problem before you were born. He's heard worse and seen worse, and done more fixing in people's lives than you may ever need. The only thing that will derail God's plan is if you get troubled by the trouble. Jesus left you that legacy of peace exactly for troubling times.

Philippians 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That verse says that you won't be able to understand the peace that God gives. And really, who cares if you understand it! Praise God you've got it!

Peace is what keeps your heart from falling apart. It's what keeps your mind from going berserk when life sends you a curve ball.

The devil can't surprise God, and he shouldn't surprise you either. So don't get troubled by the trouble. Lean on the peace that is available to you, seek the solution from God, and then tell the devil you're going to start sending trouble his way!

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Aug 23, 2019 04:03:05   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
John 3:30: "He must increase; I must decrease."


Enough already! I Thank you for your prayers and well wishes on my behave!

Y'all are might near embarrassing me here.

All this heaped on praise after losing my equilibrium, and flying backward into the edge of my own computer table, head first, completed by a less than graceful collapse into a heap on my right arm in such an awkward manner, the bones disassembled, some literally into powder, is hardly noteworthy, and certainly not deserving of any praise.

Again, let all praise be directed at our Lord and Savior who is the great I AM, He who is able to make each of us stand before Him in thanksgiving, and before the entire world as His witnesses.



"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy —
to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, d******n, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.… "
(Jude 1:24-25)



Armageddun wrote:
Amen, she is a trooper. As the old saying goes, you can't keep a good woman down. Thanks for your prayers.

Reply
Aug 23, 2019 09:47:41   #
no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun
 
Armageddun wrote:
Update on Zemirah in her own words.


A strange thing happened Tuesday on my way to becoming cast free. My surgeon
(through his therapy team) gave me a new extended plan to reactivate my fingers, in order to be able to fully type into the computer again.

A local medical supply firm is furnishing a one arm control for my walker (star wars apparatus) to enable me to more fully function in the meanwhile, as home health care also received new instructions to more fully engage in "rehabilitating" my fingers to former status.

I fully believe your prayers contributed to God's inspiration of this development because it contradicted what both therapists and the surgeon's partner had insinuated earlier by telling me they believed the doctor would have the cast removed... permanently, strengthening it as it was, which would have resulted in little improvement.

I now have a deep purple cast with black accents, as I always receive a choice of colors.

So, I also now have more effort and more struggle, which is fully expected to reap a fuller reward.

Thank you and God's prayer warriors for their Christian love and support.

Praise God for being always in control.
Update on Zemirah in her own words. br br br A s... (show quote)


Our prayers are with you always.
A friend who is a rehab therapist as well as a breeder of Bernese Mountain dogs, has an assistant in the therapy for hand or/and arm damage . It is one of her dogs who just loves to be petted, When her clients come in she has them pet the dog, which helps them relax as well as strengthen their hands, When they are ready to go further she gives them a slicker brush to brush the dog. The clients are so busy with the dog they don't realize how much better their hand strength becomes as well as their co-ordination. With several clients they have gotten in the habit of stopping by just to pet and brush the dog. At this point she has to bring three dogs in so no one dog gets over worked. One of the clients now owns a retired champion from her kennel and that dog is always in great condition as well as the client having vast improvement in hand and arm usage. Sounds like a great idea to me.

Reply
Aug 23, 2019 13:11:16   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
no propaganda please wrote:
Our prayers are with you always.
A friend who is a rehab therapist as well as a breeder of Bernese Mountain dogs, has an assistant in the therapy for hand or/and arm damage . It is one of her dogs who just loves to be petted, When her clients come in she has them pet the dog, which helps them relax as well as strengthen their hands, When they are ready to go further she gives them a slicker brush to brush the dog. The clients are so busy with the dog they don't realize how much better their hand strength becomes as well as their co-ordination. With several clients they have gotten in the habit of stopping by just to pet and brush the dog. At this point she has to bring three dogs in so no one dog gets over worked. One of the clients now owns a retired champion from her kennel and that dog is always in great condition as well as the client having vast improvement in hand and arm usage. Sounds like a great idea to me.
Our prayers are with you always. br A friend who i... (show quote)


I really appreciate your love and loyalty to all service dogs. I have a life long friend who has the same affection towards them as you and Mary Beth. She uses them for her health as well as breeds them.

Reply
Aug 23, 2019 13:12:10   #
Armageddun Loc: The show me state
 
Armageddun wrote:
I really appreciate your love and loyalty to all service dogs. I have a life long friend who has the same affection towards them as you and Mary Beth. She uses them for her health as well as breeds them.





FILL THE VOID

"I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" Luke 10:18

"In prayer, we act like men, in praise we act like angels."
---Thomas Watson...

Yes, Jesus was there. Before dust was made man, before the serpent was in the Garden, before there even was a Garden, Jesus saw Satan's demise. From what we can tell, this high angel wanted to be higher, and he was aggressive about it. But there is only one ultimate throne, and it belongs to God. There wasn't room in heaven for two sovereigns. Lucifer had to go. Jesus and the whole Godhead watched him fall.

Who was this sick creature? Michael is the warrior archangel, and Gabriel is the messenger archangel; was Lucifer the worshipper archangel? Did he sing songs of praise before he yearned to be the object of them? He certainly has his hand in music now; is he perverting his background as a once-sacred artist? Did his familiarity with God's glory breed the contempt that he now has for it? What did he see in the Most High God that made him think he could occupy that position? Did he mistake God's gentleness for vulnerability? What could he possibly have experienced in heaven that would inspire such lunacy? Perhaps we'll never know the answers to these questions. Or perhaps one day we will. For now, Scripture only gives us hints.

There are some things we can know for sure: Satan h**es God. He also h**es the fact that God takes such weak, ignoble, sin-struck creatures as ourselves and makes us one with Christ, bringing us into blissful, worshipful fellowship with the Trinity. That's where he wanted to be! He thought his high position qualified him. How is it that our low position qualifies us? What an unexpected replacement we are. It grates on him with undying annoyance.

We have learned something that Lucifer forgot: We can only fulfill the purpose for which God created us. Lucifer was made to praise God's image. We were made in it. The void of praise that his exit left behind is to be filled with us. Never forget that; never let the evil one convince you otherwise. He wants to distort what God has done in you. You are obligated and privileged---to the praise of God's glory---to fulfill it daily.

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