Akita Suggagaki

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Our role model had his agony in the garden. Sure, I would like to follow his example. And intellectually that seems doable. But how difficult it can be when the body, the flesh seems to have its own opinion. I imagine if I were in the garden with Jesus I'd probably be throwing up and fainting.

So much is out of our control or influence and we really have no other choice but to accept, surrender. For those who can fully surrender to God's will as it unfolds in our lives there is great peace. But for me it is a struggle. I see that the older I get. When I was younger I was fooling myself. It is easy to surrender and be at peace when everything seems seems to be going well for you. That is why the Psalms have become more meaningful for me as I age. Now I get it.
 

mlepfitjw

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You're right, about that Akita. Even Paul went through hard times as well and suffered even sometimes with depression, though it seemed like either at the start of his letters or the ending of his letters we was saying may the grace of God be with you, and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
 
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Akita Suggagaki

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You're right, about that Akita. Even Paul went through hard times as well and suffered even sometimes with depression, though it seemed like either at the start of his letters or the ending of his letters we was saying may the grace of God be with you, and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

And Paul had a life Mission. He seemed obsessed and driven with Christ. For must of us we are eking out a living doing something else and our Christian life is about trying to be Christlike for others. But it is not specific. Unless one is a minister or Catholic religious. And of course, even they have their struggles. Just dealing with the problems of life seems enough. No need for further penance or self denial. Life is tough enough already. for most of us.
 
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mlepfitjw

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My friend, Akita.

Yesterday, I talked with a friend of my mothers named Morris both of them are the age of 60.

My mother is alone with no friends (really).

We talked about death, the kingdom of God, faith, the heart, and what lies ahead for those who reject God.

He told me and shared many things with me as far as the fact of when you get older you miss the things you were able to do when you were younger. (He has only one leg, and the other leg is a fake) lost it due to diabetes. He has a daughter and also 4 brothers, and his dad mom grandmother has past away.

Surely God has a purpose still for you today this is my encouragement to you.

My heart goes out to you in your distress friend Akita, may you be able to find that peace that comes from God and may you truly trust him, that you may experience peace that will guard your heart in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This would be all that is able to be offered. Pray and thank God.

Life is tough, and im sure you have an amazing story to tell.
 
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com7fy8

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A soldier can surrender and become a prisoner.

Or, a soldier can surrender and defect and become submissive to the soldier's new country.

Or, a soldier can defect but than can try to keep having his or her own way.
 
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aiki

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Our role model had his agony in the garden. Sure, I would like to follow his example. And intellectually that seems doable. But how difficult it can be when the body, the flesh seems to have its own opinion. I imagine if I were in the garden with Jesus I'd probably be throwing up and fainting.

So much is out of our control or influence and we really have no other choice but to accept, surrender. For those who can fully surrender to God's will as it unfolds in our lives there is great peace. But for me it is a struggle. I see that the older I get. When I was younger I was fooling myself. It is easy to surrender and be at peace when everything seems seems to be going well for you. That is why the Psalms have become more meaningful for me as I age. Now I get it.

The wonderful thing is, though, that even our surrender, God makes possible. He doesn't leave it up to us to be the linchpin of our success in walking with Him. We are too weak, too selfish, to be able to surrender to Him as we ought by ourselves.

We all harden, over time, into ways of living and thinking. We see this in life and in Scripture, too. The longer one lives not in surrender to God, the harder it is to begin to do so. But God is greater than the habits of life we form; He can undo all our bad habits and shape in us new, Christ-centered ones.

The apostle Paul explained how God deals with us as His children: We work out what God has first worked into us.

Philippians 2:12-13
12 ...work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.


These two verses go hand-in-glove, the command of the former (vs. 12) arising out of promise of the latter (vs. 13).

This is as true in the matter of surrender to God as it is in any other dimension of our walk with Him. We are able to work out a life of surrender to God because He has first worked the desire and ability for such a life into us (in the Person of the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:9-10; Ephesians 3:16; Titus 3:5-8). We can, then, always surrender to God because His Spirit within us makes it possible to do so. Of course, the Spirit not only brings us to a place of surrender, but transforms our desires and moves us into a holy life as we remain surrendered to Him. Just as in our salvation, we are brought on into a deeper communion with God by His transformation of us, not by our flawed, human efforts.

Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.


1 Corinthians 1:7-9
7 ...our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.


1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
 
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Akita Suggagaki

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A soldier can surrender and become a prisoner.

Or, a soldier can surrender and defect and become submissive to the soldier's new country.

Or, a soldier can defect but than can try to keep having his or her own way.


Yes, but can a soldier surrender and celebrate the will that is not his own.
That is the work I am trying. To celebrate the unfolding of God's plan and will in time even thought it makes me old. Celebrate that also. It is part of the plan. I remind myself that my life is not my own. It belongs to God and I am a servant. Such thinking is countercultural. But it is the real work of life and our Christian journey, and the only way we will really find happiness.

We may tell ourselves that we are servants, that we commit our lives to Christ and mean it. Until something happens that we do not like and we cannot change it; our agony in the garden moments. that is the real treats of our spirituality.
 
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