Get Real!!!

[looksgood]

How many times do we hear nice little religious words? Bless him/bless her...seems to be what we enjoy saying. Who takes time to actualy BLESS another?! When was the last time we said Bless you and handed someone the answer to their prayers rather than just saying words?!

How about our tolerance level? Should we even have that word in our vocabulary?! If we tolerate sin how can we say we hate it?! How can we tolerate sin and claim to love God?!

I am sickened by the things in the church. Mark these words...Judgment WILL begin with us!

Get real with God. No more time to treat God as though He is our imaginary friend. Why do we have no power we ask...we should ask the question WHO DOES HAVE THE POWER! Once we find out then we need to start going after Him! Find out His ways. Study to show yourself aproved BOTH to GOD and man. So that you will be able to answer to him who asks!

How many have an answer to someone who asks the question "Who is the Lord that I should follow Him?" What if God asked you the question "Why is your prayer life so weak?" Have we searched the answers to these questions or is it ok for us to simply stay in the boat when Jesus is on the water?

12 disiples all afraid in the boat of safty and comfort. ONE got out to follow Jesus! Who was less determined to follow God? The one who steped out and didn't know what he was doing? The one who looked for the power and failed because of lack of understanding? No...he looked for the power of God in his life. The others made no real attempt to grow. The others didn't even ASK GOD if they could find the power!

Tell me people, do you know how to pray? Is it an order of words or a matter of knowing who you speak with?

I am sorry if this seems iron handed. Sometimes I believe we need disiplen. That goes for myself as well.

 

[Lilacladyangel]

Hello everyone,

I believe the reason peoples prayer lifes are so weak is because they are not close or friends with God.

If I CALL my earthly father and ASK him anything he will do all he can to give me my REQUEST and so would my closest friends. I would do the same for them also.

FAITH is believing in the unseen, and expecting God to do what He says when I ask in faith, because He loves me and I love Him.

Child like faith is the only thing that pleases God.

Blessings from my Father and me,

Lilacladyangel

 

[JPPT1974]

Peter got out of the boat
But then got scared and nearly drowned
Despite being with Jesus
He really let the earthly things get to him
Rather than know that Jesus was inside him
To let nothing happen.

 

[looksgood]

At least he steped out.

 

[JPPT1974]

At least he steped out.

You got that right!

 

[plmarquette]

Paul instructs us to Daily .... just like the Lord's to meditate , pray , forgive, intercede , study , crucify our fleshly desires ...
... don't let the sun go down on your anger , make peace .... be angry (at source-satan) and do not sin ( with who he uses to tempt you ) ; His grace and our faith is sufficient ; in all things with Jesus we are more than conquores ... all will work out if we do not quit ...

Look at Ezekiel 3.18-24 and then read Matthew 28.18 sound familiar ... a sense of urgency - the lost

Look at Matthew 10.38-42 and consider traveling ministers

Look at the second chapter of the epistle of James , then rethink what is written in Matthew 25.32-42

we are all called to provide seed (give10%+) , sow seed (speak what is good ) ; water seed - comfort , encourage , edify ; some harvest ( born again , baptise, witness , be a barnabus ) ; but God gets the glory , for it is His spirit that enables us along the way ..

 

[kisstheson]

What is power?

What is the proof that one Christian is "stronger" than the other or more diligent in his or her prayer life?

Peter got out of the boat, yes, but later on he denied the Master three times. John on the other hand remained in the boat but was the only disciple who was faithful to stand beneath the cross of Jesus.

So please define what you mean by power.

I'll be back later to share a little more.

 

[looksgood]

Power is the ability to change things. As far as one being stronger than the next...there is nothing to that effect. However there IS one who uses the power more than the other.

When we do nothing we are powerless since we do not use any power. When we work we are powerfull because we make things happen.

We gain power by knowing who God is and DOING God's will. We can sit and pray all we want, but God will not give power unless we do something with what we have!

 

[looksgood]

more diligent in his or her prayer life?

You miss the point my friend. Prayer is great and needed. But your walk with God is not based on prayer, it is based on doing what God said to do. You can talk to God about how you want to feed the hungry all you want but until you do it your not getting anywhere.

 

[InHisPeace]

Peter got out of the boat, yes, but later on he denied the Master three times. John on the other hand remained in the boat but was the only disciple who was faithful to stand beneath the cross of Jesus.

Great point.
What is more important? Showy faith - faith in front of others? Because if we really have faith we won't need to prove it or justify it to anyone.
Peter appeared to have faith in front of all the others. He was the only one brave enough to get out of the boat and attempt the impossible, which is great, because I know I would have been terrified.
But later on, when no one was there to hear him, he denied ever knowing Jesus. He even called down curses on himself... anything to make the accusers believe that he didn't know Him.
The Beloved disciple stood beneath the cross as Jesus died. He wasn't going anywhere. He was faithful when there was no one there to watch.
Which of these has greater faith?
I believe our faith is proved by who we are and what we do when no one is watching.

 

[holo]

What's a "prayer life"?

 

[looksgood]

I believe our faith is proved by who we are and what we do when no one is watching.

Our faith is proved by what we do if someone is watching or not. Because someone is ALWAYS watching! But the thing is you must DO something. This is not about showing off or being humble. This is about getting out in Gods garden and working! What is better to do...pray for someone to reach the lost, or to go out and reach them?

If all we do is take in the word of God in our little bible studies and prayer closets and do not go out and use that word to reach others we are without faith since our faith has no action.

 

[kisstheson]

Looksgood,

You're right, both are important. prayer and doing. However I think that most of the church has it wrong when it comes to what "power" really is. I think the church lacks this power because many, including myself, don't walk in the humility Jesus walked in. We rather see miracles instead of washing one another's feet. Jesus wasn't even released into "public ministry" until He was thirty years old. Sometimes the bigger miracles in God's eyes are cleaning someones toilet, doing grocery shopping for an elderly person, befriending the person everyone else ignores... Jesus must have put the hidden works into practice long before He traveled throughout Galilee healing all who were "afflicted by the devil."

Take for exsample the woman who spent what Bible commentators said was probably a years worth of wages on spikenard to anoint Jesus. Many thought is was a waste and even had a good excuse for saying so. "She should have given this money to the poor." But Jesus commended her and said that her story would be told whenever the gospel is preached. A life that is saturated, touched, filled with Christ is what's going to attract people to Him. Unfortunately the church has it backwards. They want the great works of power, display well dressed ministers, and claim the wealth of the world will win the world when the world knows that Jesus was a very humble Man and when He healed some people He even told them not to tell anyone. Preaching the gospel is very important yet so many of us can't even act Christ like to the guy who cut us off in traffic.

Of course there is balance in all things but from what I hear, there's little talk about getting to know the Master, spending time with Him, learning of Him who is meek and humble. And the ones that are really doing the work of Christ are not on flashy TV broadcasts because their life is hidden with Christ in God.

 

[looksgood]

Those are the things I am talking about. Many of us do not even do those things. If we are not using the power God has already given to clean someones toilet then how are we going to move mountains?

 

[kisstheson]

Those are the things I am talking about. Many of us do not even do those things. If we are not using the power God has already given to clean someones toilet then how are we going to move mountains?

This is true. Right on!

 

[ivory]

Power is the ability to change things. As far as one being stronger than the next...there is nothing to that effect. However there IS one who uses the power more than the other.

When we do nothing we are powerless since we do not use any power. When we work we are powerfull because we make things happen.

We gain power by knowing who God is and DOING God's will. We can sit and pray all we want, but God will not give power unless we do something with what we have!

I agree!

 

[kenblaster5000]

Great point.
What is more important? Showy faith - faith in front of others? Because if we really have faith we won't need to prove it or justify it to anyone.
Peter appeared to have faith in front of all the others. He was the only one brave enough to get out of the boat and attempt the impossible, which is great, because I know I would have been terrified.
But later on, when no one was there to hear him, he denied ever knowing Jesus. He even called down curses on himself... anything to make the accusers believe that he didn't know Him.
The Beloved disciple stood beneath the cross as Jesus died. He wasn't going anywhere. He was faithful when there was no one there to watch.
Which of these has greater faith?
I believe our faith is proved by who we are and what we do when no one is watching.

Peter also preached on the day of pentecost. His faith in Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God built a whole church. Not so much talking about the physical church, like Catholicism, but the Body of Christ. First to the Jews, then the Greeks (Gentiles). Paul is another story, but Paul was the chief of sinners, and I think God used him the most out of anyone, though he said he is the least of all the Apostles combined. I haven't studied much into John, I have been somewhat focused on Paul and Peter myself. Oh, by the way, I think that is where we got the whole, sink or swim thing, huh. Amazing how the word seeps into the world, and we only get it if we are positioned right. God bless you all, love you all.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Peter also preached on the day of pentecost. His faith in Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God built a whole church. Not so much talking about the physical church, like Catholicism, but the Body of Christ. First to the Jews, then the Greeks (Gentiles). Paul is another story, but Paul was the chief of sinners, and I think God used him the most out of anyone, though he said he is the least of all the Apostles combined. I haven't studied much into John, I have been somewhat focused on Paul and Peter myself. Oh, by the way, I think that is where we got the whole, sink or swim thing, huh. Amazing how the word seeps into the world, and we only get it if we are positioned right. God bless you all, love you all.

I think John's books are more fascinating than any. The gospel, 1-2-3 and then Revelations. Sometimes I think those are the only important books. I really like Peter. His depth is so subtle. Paul gets on my nerves b/c of the pharisee training he had (many people idolize Paul. They do that by giving a capital H to all His words) Alot of what he gives to the church are still pharisee traditions, as he points out.

 

[kenblaster5000]

I think John's books are more fascinating than any. The gospel, 1-2-3 and then Revelations. Sometimes I think those are the only important books. I really like Peter. His depth is so subtle. Paul gets on my nerves b/c of the pharisee training he had (many people idolize Paul. They do that by giving a capital H to all His words) Alot of what he gives to the church are still pharisee traditions, as he points out.

Paul also said that some were following him and Apollos and he had to correct this. I do not worship Paul myself, and like so many, he has alot of things good revealed. Just look at 1 Corinthinians of the spiritual gifts, and what love is and isn't.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Peter also preached on the day of pentecost. His faith in Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God built a whole church. Not so much talking about the physical church, like Catholicism, but the Body of Christ. First to the Jews, then the Greeks (Gentiles). Paul is another story, but Paul was the chief of sinners, and I think God used him the most out of anyone, though he said he is the least of all the Apostles combined. I haven't studied much into John, I have been somewhat focused on Paul and Peter myself. Oh, by the way, I think that is where we got the whole, sink or swim thing, huh. Amazing how the word seeps into the world, and we only get it if we are positioned right. God bless you all, love you all.

Paul also said that some were following him and Apollos and he had to correct this. I do not worship Paul myself, and like so many, he has alot of things good revealed. Just look at 1 Corinthinians of the spiritual gifts, and what love is and isn't.

So true. Collosions is a favorite for reading about the church.