You pray for Him.

No choice sophiera, you're going to have exercise your faith.

I'll help you and probably knock some of God's word into your prayer life.

yup, Pmed.

Welcome.

oh no, I'm not a pastor.....yet. Though it did cross my mind.

You mean this verse?

1 Corinthians 12:21 - the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

In a way yes. Different believers are given different gifting and everyone is equally important to build the Church up and impact the nation.

Even giving is a gift. Not everyone can give. So every believer has their own role to play, in this sense, nobody is left out.

Are you a Christian, bro?

If you're not a Christian, you might find my explanation rather irrelevant, these days I'm not interested into long rebuttal with a non believer, waste of precious time as you put it.

The truth of God's word transcends time, past present and future. It applies throughout generations and the days to come even the future if God wills it.

First of all, God is not against people receiving their living. It saddens me to see sometime people try to exhibit legality holiness when it comes to money beyond even what God has warranted.

In of Church
1 Corinthians 9:14 - In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
1 Timothy 5:18 - For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."

and outside of Church
Luke 10:7 - Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
2 Timothy 2:6 - The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

Yes you are right, people can give their tithing other than money, like time and skills but you have to understand that even God knows we all have our needs and those intangible resources can't pay the economics of living. (Matthew 17:27)

It's really up to each individual to give. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

We can't dictate how preachers of the Gospel should receive their living (whether material or intangible) but I believe they have a right to their living.

That's a rather tall order to live up to.

I'm someone with great flaws and still learning and seriously far from what people expect from a Godly Man.

The grace of our Heavenly Father is why I'm here.

but thanks for the encouragement anyway.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Jun 18 2014, 04:35 PM

It's not less important. It's equally important.

Just for the record, no believers of Christ should feel condemn if they're unable to help.

That's why I posted my explanation to spacelion, those who are able to give consistently has been given a gift indeed.

Not everyone has this gift.

My theological perspective from scripture, tithing is important. If everyone tithe truthfully, Churches should not have financial difficulties.

I mean if you are able to do this, you have already done a huge part of helping out the body of Christ, that is from world perspective, if only they understand tithing is more than that. It's a declaration of Faith and declaration proclaiming God is alive.

Problem is, not many Christian believes in tithing. They have 101 excuses when it comes to parting money. Sometime I just shake head, some people can scream till the cow comes home contesting in knowledge how much they know the bible, how much they love God but when it comes to money, every tune start to change.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Jun 19 2014, 12:03 AM

Tithing, offering, Love gift, whatever, still points to money issue.

There's an issue that goes deeper than what you see on the surface.

Amen, you know your Bible.

We need to see things as How God sees it.

Romans 4:17 (KJV) - (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Bible Devotions with UW

How do you live the New Life?



I want to address to Christians who are struggling to live the new life that Christ has given you.

Sometimes in the course of our lives, we may slip here and there, falling short of the mark, God has set. You feel there's a distance from God, you feel condemn.
And sometimes Preachers enforce, you MUST do this and that and this, You MUST REPENT!, YOU MUST CONFESS, YOU MUST LOVE GOD, followup with a message of condemnation.
GOD WILL JUDGE every action and every words. They meant well but the focus is wrong because it hinges on the believer.

What does the Bible say?

Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.........
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 - May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

WHO IS the author and the finisher of our Faith? Jesus. WHO IS the one who sanctify us and keep our spirit, soul and body blameless? WHO WILL DO IT? Jesus.
Look at the 2 verses above. Anywhere in there, that says we are the one who need to exert the work to make ourselves righteous, living the new life? No.

Let me begin by saying the new life doesn't come through exerted will power of our own. It will only Fail if you do through that. (Romans 7:19)
"I must not sin, I must not sin, I must not sin, etc" It doesn't work through the flesh.

Consider these 2 chapters
Ephesians 4: 21-24
21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3: 1-10
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.b 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being [B]renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator[/B].

So here is the revelation. The new life comes through the change of mind. (Knowledge) Question. change of what mind? Answer: the knowledge in the image of it's creator (Colossians 3:10)
What do you mean? What is the knowledge in the image of it's creator? Answer: to Know that you are now in Christ. The more you see yourself in Christ, that Christ has removed your sins, made you whole, made you new, washed you, sanctified you, cleansed you and be convinced in the mind, YOU WILL CHANGE.

I'll leave you with this last verse for the day.

Romans 12:2 (KJV) - King James Bible
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I pray that this will help you in your spiritual life.

God Bless.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Jun 21 2014, 09:27 AM

Well Yes, Thank God it is Christ Jesus that's the one who will change us.

It's like this.

1) If you see yourself that is going to need to be changed and you tell yourself, you need to repent and walk righteously with all the will power you can muster, You will fail.

But


2) If you look to Christ Jesus and acknowledge; HE IS THE ONE who has cleansed you, has made you righteous, you WILL walk in obedience. Noticed the past tensed?


Obedience to God doesn't come through this chest beating, remorseful type of repentance and crying at the Altar. That type of repentance is still very much in the Flesh type of repentance, meaning it's Man's way.

What is God's way? God's way of repentance, happens in the change of mindset.

It comes through being humbled in knowing that God is good, God has cleansed even when you fall into Sin. Yes, you guys heard me right.

You may want to contemplate what I just said. May take few more time reading before it sink into the soul and spirit.

God Bless.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Jun 23 2014, 09:46 AM

I'm very passionate about interpreting Bible verses, I don't think there's any verses that actually says Earth is flat.

Show me if there is, and I can prove you where it s understood wrongly.

And for the record, it has never been Science Against Bible Teaching.

The Bible is not a manual about Science anyway, so to say we need to strike a balance is totally off tangent.

I've always said this but nobody seems to understand. God allow Man to advance in knowledge, to discover how thing works, Man calls it Science but that does not mean Science nullify the existence of God because God exist and operates outside the confinement of time and space.

To say that God must be confine to the discovery of Science, it totally diminish the concept of God. That is not God. I don't know how to put that in better perspective.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Jun 23 2014, 10:48 AM

Suicide doesn't happen by momentary lapse of weakness. What I mean is, it doesn't happen just like that.

It starts way, waaay before that.

It's accumulated through a period of pain, disappointment, depression, lack of understanding, hurt, etc.

Could be years, months before that.

Most likely, suicide tendency happen when the person gave up hope, God, everything.

From there, it starts.

I don't believe suicide happens just like that. Nobody responses like that.

It's not easy to end one's life even though at a very critical stage.

From my observation, there's usually a history prior to this, before arriving at that stage.

Same thing with why people divorce, why people go berserk.

It's usually accumulative day to day experiences of negative connotation that reached an explosion point.

And For sure, spiritually speaking it's either the work or influences of the devil

Let me give you an example, prior to that state of depression, the guy may have accepted the condemnation that he's not doing good enough or is good enough for anything.
Even when He does good enough, there could be voice telling him, it's never enough, he got to do better. Just an example.

or

It could be that the said person is already in a financial delima, very critical one, takes an unrealistic gamble to invest the last portion he has and found He lost the gamble


What I mean is, people don't decide to suicide in the next few seconds. There's usually a precedent before it happens.

It's how the person arrive to insanity, that's the precedent I'm talking about.

No I'm not talking about physical or material precedents (as in assets or financial stocks, etc) but soul aspect of the person.

Ahh, okay, maybe this point.

How is it, that the person becomes weak, how he arrive at being weak?

Is it through years of self condemnation, for example? Maybe, maybe not, depending on circumstances, his upbringing, many variables.

But How a person reacts today depends on what is being fed to his mind prior to today.

That is my point of what is the precedent.

Well, yes, a Single drastic incident can change people in an instance, for example road rage. But I always question, what is the person's philosophy in life that lead to the rage.

Could it be that He view himself untouchable with a high sense of pride? That kind of upbringing could lead to what happened. This is another example of precedent.

And you did asked me whether I've encountered any critical boiling point in my life, the answer is yes. I know I've snapped before and it's because of anger. That's the thing I'm trying to explain.
How we live our lives (what we feed on in thoughts, emotions, etc) determines our next course of action even if it's a snap moment.

This is getting a bit off topic, from suicide to snap anger. We can always call this off to agree to disagree.

I think what causes suicide has more to do with giving up on hope and what causes anger is a snap of stress aggravation.

Moses had many weakness like most of us, among them, lack of confidence, insecure, can't speak well, fearful, etc.

But that's not the point. Getting to know God under the Old Testament Law requires a tall order. It requires perfection and No one is able to fulfil it perfectly because it hinges on own's strength, thus in the word of Apostle, we do the evil we want not and do not the good we want.

The Failures of Moses, along with others like Abraham, even Judas has theological reasons, too wide a topic to discuss at one go.