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The Goodness of God

DragonFox91

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So we’re going thru Acts & I’m struggling when it says stuff like ‘lots & lots of people believed’. I’m struggling w/ this b/c it makes me think it’s just a mob reacting to what’s popular, that is, were they really genuine or just doing what the rest of the crowd is. There’s a contrast between how quick the Church grew & the Gospel being tough news & people being hostile to it. I suppose lots & lots & lots of people also did not believe. Or lots & lots of people believed & it was lost in a generation like what’s common in the OT & even today.
The Church's growth happened the way it did due to the hand of the Lord.
 
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DragonFox91

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They are tearing down a church near here. I don’t know why. There’s no webpage & the Facebook page hasn’t been updated since 2019. It probably died. I wonder who they sold it to & what will be on that property now? It looked like a pretty church inside. It looked very modern. It’s sad. I don’t like it when God’s meeting places are torn down & congregations die. Hopefully it died due to false teachers.

But the buildings may be torn down & congregations may scatter, but the Church, its Lord, & his Word live on eternally

I’m not sure what happened to this church , but I found out the Mormons are building a big temple in its place……….

I'm surprised. There's not really any Mormons in this part of town. I live in a pretty secular part of town.
 
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DragonFox91

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Praise God! I had a really good witnessing opportunity today! I talked to someone on my walk.

He's been really struggling but when we started talking about God, he says he's really been turning back to God. He had made a lot of bad choices. He's seeing him move in his life & God is opening doors for him. He is realizing he needs to rely on him. We started talking about "chance encounters" & he said a total stranger came up to him when he was in line & said his grandma just died, God was telling her to say that & tell him it's okay. The stranger gave him a message his grandma had told him word for word before she died. I let him know God is always with his people, he's always watching out for us, he's there w/ us in our struggles, & that he's doing good & needs to connect w/ a church & believers, he allows bad things happen to draw us to him, how he's worked in me. We talked for a long time.

It's so great seeing God move. The Holy Spirit is alive & work & has been since the time of Acts. I've been praying for this kind of experience. We come into so much contact w/ the public during our routines, we need to go out & expect to be witnesses every day. Sermon I heard recently: the evangelists preached without stop b/c of the News they had been given.
Today was a rough day at work. I was feeling overwhelmed by everything. Then when I was going for a walk at this same place today, I ran into someone who saw my cross necklace & she introduced herself & her friend. I talked with her for a minute, then she shared her friend isn't a believer. I asked him if he was struggling with anything, he said he'll come to God in time & it's different for everyone, I agreed it does take God's time, but then the girl's phone rang & he went after her, so it was done.

Overall it was quick, only a couple minutes. I didn't really get to say much & unfortunately I wasn't super in the mood to either. I believe the Holy Spirit was at work, although I feel like overall I dropped the ball & didn't do my part. It does take God's time, yes, but you don't have forever.
You have to be willing to share the Gospel any time. But I think this place where I walk may be a place God wants me to witness at b/c this is the second time. I need to be extra willing & ready whenever I go there now. It reminds me of 'treasure hunting' opportunities stories I'd hear about in my college church group: people would pray to God, & he'd give them a location & person w/ a descrption of the person or what the person's going thru, & then they'd go to the location & they'd find the person that matched what God told them, no way they would've known on their own.
 
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DragonFox91

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I’ve posted this before but one thing I’d like to do a study on is the concept of generational curses. Are a lot of the lost just victims of their parents choices? This contradicts a lot of teaching by Christians today ‘no one is a victim’. I think a lot of Christians are uncomfortable about the topic. But it’s a common theme in the OT, & I can think of one instance it's supported by in the NT, early on in Romans when it’s said God let the nations go their own ways & follow their sins. The most I can say right now is that we do not know who’s truly cursed & God is compassionate & has promised to redeem individuals even if they come from a fallen heritage

So generational curses made me think ‘you are who your parents are.’
But your parents had parents too.
And they had parents.
And they had parents.
And you do that till you get to Adam.
So nothing is really of you or your parents anyways, it’s of Adam.
But even Adam had the Father.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this. I guess if what was given to Adam extends to you, what extends to other fathers may be given to you too.

The Gospel is you are adopted out of this!
 
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bèlla

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I’ve posted this before but one thing I’d like to do a study on is the concept of generational curses. Are a lot of the lost just victims of their parents choices?

My companion's parents were atheists with no occult history. He sought the Lord in his teens and traversed it without their involvement. His willingness to do so endeared me to him in spite of the uncertainties and questions one would have in his shoes.

I didn't expect him to be like me or require him to be the same. We have a lengthy history of fellowship and service in my bloodline and I wanted the same for him. I prayed, fasted and warred against the impediments confronting us and we're in a better place. He had amazing parents. I didn't mind pouring into him or them or his sister. They did their job and my service is deserved.

~bella
 
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DragonFox91

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What he begins, he completes. He wouldn’t have started it if he didn’t mean to finish It and so it is as good as finished. What he starts he finishes because it’s for his glory, & b/c his children are united to him thru Christ, his children’s glory. It began eternity past, is begin complete now, & is complete eternity future. So rejoice in the Lord always.
 
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