doesn't He understand our motives behind every action and behavior we project?
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Does God understand WHY we do what we do?
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stormdancer0
Do not be so open-minded that your brain falls out
He knows everything. Many things we look at as good works will be rejected because of a wrong attitude.
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yeah i've heard that too but that's not very encouraging.
a WRONG "attitude" is much more ingrained into a person than the actual action they take in a situation.
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childofGod31
Regular Member
Of course God knows. If even people can sometimes figure that out (the reasons behind the why), how can God now know?
Joh 2:25 There was no need for anyone to tell him about them, because he himself knew what was in their hearts.
When two people came to pray to the temple (tax collector and pharisee), the tax collector got justified by God. Why is that? Because God did in fact KNOW what was in the heart and the motives.
When Jesus said: do not judge, because while you judge somebody for a branch that they have in their eye, you yourself might have the whole tree in there (so to speak). (I can't remember the exact wording, but that's the idea) Why did he say that? He was trying to teach us about motives, and that things are not often as they seem.
You judge with an unrighteous judgement Jesus said. Why? Because we don't know what's in the heart. But what's in the heart? Motives. The reasons behind why we do the things we do.
Some people and their actions seem good sometimes, but they are not. (Example: tax collectors vs. pharisees)
It's like they say: in heaven you will see those you did not expect and won't see those you expected...
I like the words in this poem: maze of love
Maze of love
Take a look around, just look at your friends
And the people you think you know
If you wanna be honest and face the truth
Then there's not really much that you know
You've known 'em for years just by their face
And you'll never ever call me on
You're stretchin' yourself but there's more to know
If you really want to go on
Before you run you gotta learn to walk
It's the way, it's the way of your life
Take a look at your friends, take a look at yourself
And find out what goes on inside
It's really easy, you trust your luck
And you face the truth as it comes
You can take the good with the bad
Then you're startin' to run
Too many people are running around
Still trying to find themselves
If they could only understand
It's the egg and not the shell
Stand too close to the mirror
And you won't even see yourself
It's the maze of love, maze of love, love, love, love
Joh 2:25 There was no need for anyone to tell him about them, because he himself knew what was in their hearts.
When two people came to pray to the temple (tax collector and pharisee), the tax collector got justified by God. Why is that? Because God did in fact KNOW what was in the heart and the motives.
When Jesus said: do not judge, because while you judge somebody for a branch that they have in their eye, you yourself might have the whole tree in there (so to speak). (I can't remember the exact wording, but that's the idea) Why did he say that? He was trying to teach us about motives, and that things are not often as they seem.
You judge with an unrighteous judgement Jesus said. Why? Because we don't know what's in the heart. But what's in the heart? Motives. The reasons behind why we do the things we do.
Some people and their actions seem good sometimes, but they are not. (Example: tax collectors vs. pharisees)
It's like they say: in heaven you will see those you did not expect and won't see those you expected...
I like the words in this poem: maze of love
Maze of love
Take a look around, just look at your friends
And the people you think you know
If you wanna be honest and face the truth
Then there's not really much that you know
You've known 'em for years just by their face
And you'll never ever call me on
You're stretchin' yourself but there's more to know
If you really want to go on
Before you run you gotta learn to walk
It's the way, it's the way of your life
Take a look at your friends, take a look at yourself
And find out what goes on inside
It's really easy, you trust your luck
And you face the truth as it comes
You can take the good with the bad
Then you're startin' to run
Too many people are running around
Still trying to find themselves
If they could only understand
It's the egg and not the shell
Stand too close to the mirror
And you won't even see yourself
It's the maze of love, maze of love, love, love, love
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childofGod31
Regular Member
I think she meant that if a person seems good sometimes (like donating lots of money for charity for example), it could be that he is not doing it out of the goodness of his heart, not to help others, but out of helping himself with tax problems (for example). So such a person would seem good, but is not that good. And God would be more pleased with a person who spent two hours with a person helping him and actually caring about helping, rather than with the one who gave out of ONLY benefitting themselves.
One person saw this vision: here was a missionary/evangelist. He did lots and lots for God. And there outside was a homeless person, and he came across a cat and was nice to a cat. So God was more pleased with the person who was nice to a cat because it was SO MUCH HARDER for that person to be nice to a cat than to that other person to do good.
Some people who are born in bad situation come out bad. And it's so much harder for them to do good. And of course God knows that. And of course he takes everything into account.
To judge any person, all people would have to put themselves into EXACT situation that the other person was in and THEN see if they would do the same thing or not do it. THEN and only then would the people know whether they are LIKE that other person or not.
The point is this: things are NOT as they seem. Things that seem good, might be bad. And things that seem bad, might be good.
For example, hating your neighbors just because they are prostitutes or drug addicts is BAD. But some Christians might be brainwashed into thinking that it's GOOD to hate sinners like that. And they would then be too blind too notice that they do NOT have love of God in their hearts with such attitude. Such people would think of themselves as nice Christians. Where in reality their hearts are full of hate. Therefore, they are NOT nice Christians.
Again, many things and people are NOT what they SEEM. And of course God knows the TRUE REALITY.
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JCFantasy23
In a Kingdom by the Sea.
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This is true, but at least attitude can be changed with effort. It is not so ingrained the person cannot improve, otherwise everything is pointless. Through life we're supposed to grow, change, and improve (our attitudes altering are a big part of that.)
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stormdancer0
Do not be so open-minded that your brain falls out
I think of it this way. God would rather me give $5.00 with joy and with a giving, loving heart than $500.00 if it's done in a "Look what I gave. Ain't I spiritual?" attitude. Read the Sermon on the Mount about giving.
If our attitudes didn't matter as much as action, then Jesus would have commended the Pharisees, rather than condemn them.
If our attitudes didn't matter as much as action, then Jesus would have commended the Pharisees, rather than condemn them.
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No question about God's Ability to perceive/understand.
Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
I know that thou can do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. <-----> Job 42:1+2
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knows my down sitting and mine uprising, thou understands my thought afar off.
Thou compasses my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knows it altogether. <-----> Psalm 139:1-4
And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. <-----> Ezekiel 11:5
He reveals the deep and secret things: he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. <-----> Daniel 2:22
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. <-----> Hebrews 4:12+13
The question is, "do we understand/recognize?"
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. <-----> Jeremiah 17:9+10
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. <-----> Ecclesiastes 12:13+14
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? <-----> Matthew 15:16
********************************************************************************************************
Emotion = How we see ourselves and our situation.
Attitude = How we see ourselves and others.
Disposition = How we see ourselves and God.
The Testimony of Jesus has The Power to change all of the above.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. <-----> Revelation 19:10
May The Lord Be Magnified !
wm
Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
I know that thou can do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. <-----> Job 42:1+2
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knows my down sitting and mine uprising, thou understands my thought afar off.
Thou compasses my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knows it altogether. <-----> Psalm 139:1-4
And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. <-----> Ezekiel 11:5
He reveals the deep and secret things: he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. <-----> Daniel 2:22
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. <-----> Hebrews 4:12+13
The question is, "do we understand/recognize?"
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. <-----> Jeremiah 17:9+10
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. <-----> Ecclesiastes 12:13+14
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? <-----> Matthew 15:16
********************************************************************************************************
Emotion = How we see ourselves and our situation.
Attitude = How we see ourselves and others.
Disposition = How we see ourselves and God.
The Testimony of Jesus has The Power to change all of the above.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. <-----> Revelation 19:10
May The Lord Be Magnified !
wm
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Terene
Bondslave of Jesus Christ
That is why, dear brother, that it is the work of God in us to change our attitudes by a change of heart. Mark what the Scriptures writes:
The change of heart is what changes our attitudes, and this only God can do. We ought to pray for the Lord to examine our hearts often so that all wrong attitudes will be repented of and our hearts may be changed daily by Him.
May God our Father bless all the brethren in Christ!
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so God knows WHY i have such a hard time being Spiritual?
God knows WHY i don't read the Bible?
God knows WHY i don't pray?
God knows WHY i go to Church on and off?
God knows WHY i don't read the Bible?
God knows WHY i don't pray?
God knows WHY i go to Church on and off?
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childofGod31
Regular Member
God knows your motives and why you do things even better than you do. You probably don't even know why you do certain things. But He does. I will be honest with you: reading the Bible was also boring to me for many years. I had to force myself. I mean it's the rules and regulations, who likes to read that all the time? It's like school. Who likes to go to school? Well, some people do, but most don't I bet.
It's only after I started seeing each word as the message from God personally to me, that the words became more interesting to me. It's only after I realized that God is with me NOW, even as I am reading. He is speaking as I am reading. Only then the Bible became interesting to me. But although I was a Christian for 20 years, it only happened very recently.
About going to church, it's like going to lectures and meetings. Most people don't like doing that. Very few people actually enjoy lectures. So it makes sense why someone wouldn't want to do that.
The trick is to make things personal. The trick is to make them apply to your everyday life and see everything you do as reality. In other words, whatever you do, you have to realize that God is right there with you. He hears EVERYTHING you ever think or do. He feels your feelings. He is connected to you and knows you more intimately than you know yourself. Why? Because most of the time people don't understand why they do certain things. Only the more wise people of our society understand. But God is wise. And He understands.
A religion could be really boring and suck life and fun right out of life. So the trick is - to make it real for yourself. To make everything matter. Each word you hear, you have to realize that it could change you.
Change happens if someone really strongly believes something. That's why you see many Christians' lives change. They really believe and they act on their belief. Some other Christians never change because they don't really embrace the belief, they just kind of go through motions of traditions and rituals and head knowledge.
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The bible is alive and i think God uses it in different ways to help us but we should be aware that sometimes we don't always hear God right. Gods in control though, He knows what Hes doing and that we don't.
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capnator
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1 chron 28:9
"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. (NKJV)
"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. (NKJV)
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Because He didn't want to make us love Him he wanted us to love Him on our own. Not like a robot but a living thing with free will. Because we have free will He leaves it up to us. Its our choice.
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stormdancer0
Do not be so open-minded that your brain falls out
No, all-knowing does NOT = pre-determination.
Yes, He knows who will choose Him. He loves each person, and wants not one to be lost. Some people prefer the darkness to the light. But He still gives them a choice.
Yes, He knows who will choose Him. He loves each person, and wants not one to be lost. Some people prefer the darkness to the light. But He still gives them a choice.
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