2 thought provoking quotations

St_Worm2 said:

Hi @BibleloverBill, Elrod is, among other things, a secular motivational speaker, so I get his quote from that perspective (of course, it would have been helpful to have been able to read the context that it was written/spoken in as well!). That said, when I read it, the very first thing that came to mind was the Serenity Prayer.

As for quote #2, I have no disagreement with that quote. God is in the business of pulling the wicked/ungldly up out of the muck and mire of their sinful lives .. cf Romans 4:5, making us His own, and then hammering and chiseling us into the likeness of His Son for the balance of our lives. He's not in the business of making people "happy" (at least not "in the moment" anyway), nor should we, as Christians, make a regular practice of doing so either.

--David

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Hi David,

I thought the name was familiar. But whatever I read, I compare with what I know of Scripture before I respond. Did you know all of the famous individuals like Elrod and the founding fathers of Psychology who all hated Christianity and the Mega church preachers and the modern proclaimed prophets and the religions (even cults and Islam) and all successful businesses and politicians have to have obey some or many of the commandments God's Word in order to be famous and successful? My first responses to Elrod's quote was 1 John 1:9 and what the first recorded word of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ in their first preaching event. Do you know what that is? Also the 2 Oklahoma church services I watched via Facebook streaming the last 2 Sundays emphasized Grace and Responsibility. What does that mean to you?
BTW, most just know one of the paragraphs of the Serenity Prayer.

In response: Until I got born again on May 25, 1967, my top priority was to please the adults in my life and keep moral and ethical as my Mom and her manifested. My father was an alcoholic. But the first thoughts that came to my mind was a time usage list I had sent to hundreds of people several times during the past 15 years of Internet ministries. Also Psalm 37, Philippians 4:4-8, Ephesians 2:8-10, and Jude 20-23. And daily true Christians are being opposed, despised, hated, and persecuted. And why are there 2 groups of Christians mentioned in John 10 and 1 Corinthians 3?


Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every penny, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. Its' name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow."

You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special -- special enough to spend your time.

And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their heart to us.

com7fy8 said:

We are accountable to God, for everything; but we need to trust the responsibility to God, that He will correct us so we are with Him in His love and obeying how He has us handling everything.

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***The New Testament does not teach “Automatic Sanctification”.

A true Christian can be perfect only when he or she is sensitive to The Holy Spirit and Scripture

and doing what is being urged by them because they are perfect.

Anyone can be temporarily perfect

like in a 10 question quiz given by s teacher,

but true Christians are saved by God's Grace

for doing His predestined/preplanned works for each of His adopted children. See Ephesians 2:8-10.

Matthew 5:20

“For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees,

you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

(Attitudes and motives count according to God.)

Matthew 5:48

“Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

John 14:15 & 21

Jesus Christ said,

“If you love Me,

keep My commandments.

He [or she] who has My commandments and keeps them,

he [or she] it is who loves Me;

and he [or she] who loves Me shall be loved of My Father,

and I will love him [or her], and will manifest Myself to him [or her].”

True Christians are not under the Law, but they are for the 1050 commandments in the New Testament as the Holy Spirit guides.
1-- New Testament commandments in groups with verses Box

Radagast said:

Is this a request for advice?

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It is about 2 examples of advice.

Oscarr said:

Sounds like New Age humanism to me.

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All of the commandments in the New Testament are about Christian responsibilities.

St_Worm2 said:

Hi @BibleloverBill, Elrod is, among other things, a secular motivational speaker, so I get his quote from that perspective (of course, it would have been helpful to have been able to read the context that it was written/spoken in as well!). That said, when I read it, the very first thing that came to mind was the Serenity Prayer.

As for quote #2, I have no disagreement with that quote. God is in the business of pulling the wicked/ungodly up out of the muck and mire of their sinful lives .. cf Romans 4:5, making us His own, and then hammering and chiseling us into the likeness of His Son for the balance of our lives. He's not in the business of making people "happy" (at least not "in the moment" anyway), nor should we, as Christians, make a regular practice of doing so either.

--David

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Serenity Prayer (With Full Version & Original Full Version)





Attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr







It has been variously said that Reinhold Neibuhr himself denied writing it, and credited Friedrich Oetinger, an 18th century theologian, with its authorship; or that it was actually written in 500 A.D. by a philosopher named Boethius who was martyred for the Christian Faith.

Both of these theories have since been discredited, and it does now appear that the Theologian Reinhold Neibuhr was the actual author (he also did in fact claim credit for it). Niebuhr was a major influence on the German Pastor and Nazi resister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

God, grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change...
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference. ________________________________________

The Full Version

God, grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change...
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.

________________________________________

The Original Full Version

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

aiki said:

Hal needs to read Ephesians 2:1-3 or 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 that describe the state of the unconverted. No amount of acceptance of responsibility will undo the bondage to the World, the Flesh and the devil under which every lost person labours. This is why they need the Saviour.



An odd statement since God's will is that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves which usually involves showing them kindness, grace, forgiveness, love and generosity which in turn usually makes them happy - or, at least, not angry.

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You are not understanding or logical. Please get off your throne. Read my responses to the other posts. You might learn and feel the responsibility to repent to God-pleasing righteousness with the help of the Holy Spirit. I suggest you do what I do most of the time, live Jude 20-23. That is before Revelation for a reason and it relates to the Two Great Commandments mentioned in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (from the Lockman Foundation’s Amplified Bible and logically formatted)
10 In conclusion,
be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him];
draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
11 Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies],
that you may be able successfully to stand up
against [all] the strategies {and} the deceits of the devil.
12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood
[contending only with physical opponents],
but against the despotisms,
against the powers,
against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness,
against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
13 Therefore put on God's complete armor,
that you may be able to
resist {and}
stand your ground on the evil day [of danger],
and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
14 Stand therefore [hold your ground],
having tightened the belt of truth around your loins
and having put on the breastplate
of integrity {and}
of moral rectitude {and}
right standing with God,
15 And having shod your feet in preparation of the Gospel of peace.
[To face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness,
and the readiness produced by the good news.]
16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith,
upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
17 And take
the helmet of salvation
and the sword that the Holy Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in The Spirit,
with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose {and} perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).

4 Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near.

6 Do not be anxious about anything,

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.

8 Finally, brothers [and sisters],

whatever is true,

whatever is noble,

whatever is just,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever things are of good report--

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--

meditate about such things.