Posted on 04/04/2007 10:15:14 AM PDT by Quix
Knitting a Conundrum: We are coming together in love, and to share the love of Christ, and therefore, even if we disagree, we need to remember to avoid things that are not said kindly and in love. Each of us holds our beliefs because we do it for the love of Christ, and even if you don’t accept the conclusion of a person, honor it by not saying harsh or hurtful things because it’s done to honor Christ.
Kind and respectful discourse. Avoid words that you know will cause a kneejerk reaction. If a person uses terminology that seems wrong to you, ask them to define it the way they use it, and accept the fact that it might be used differently than you use it. Together we can work on ways of discussing our love of Christ in a language we all understand.
Above all, treat others like fellow lovers of Jesus.
ONE ANOTHER DEVOTIONAL CHRISTIAN CAUCUS:
We construe that to mean—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PERSONALLY NEGATIVE will be posted to another FREEPER Christian.
Generic Biblical points, MINOR, essential comments about flaws of generic groups of Christians MIGHT--with hopefully rare exception--MIGHT be allowed but are NOT to be the focus or emphasis of this thread.
We seek the awesome possibility that this thread could be an overwhelmingly positive example of:
We call and challenge ourselves and other BELIEVERS IN CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR to respond to each ONE ANOTHER as posted for that day as though delivered from the hand or mouth of our Lord and Savior directly that day at the moment of first reading it.
By respond, we mean to prayerfully ponder it—FIRST—THEN type.
Ask The Lord where in one’s life HE would like to see that expressed more fully, earnestly, Spirit-led-ly, routinely.
Ask The Lord where in the FR Religion Forum network of RELATIONSHIPS it might be better expressed more faithfully as unto The Lord.
Share the resulting Spirit-born insights as led on the thread.
< If The Lord reminds one of where one has done well with that ONE ANOTHER to good effect in an individual’s life for The Kingdom and their relationship with God—sharing that in a humble, edifying way could be helpful.
Perhaps most redemptive would be a walking out of that ONE ANOTHER in a growthful, amplified way ON THE THREAD WITH ANOTHER FREEPER BELIEVER(S) with whom one has been less than ideally Christian in threads past.
Above all, let this thread more than any other prior— BE A VIVID EXAMPLE OF THE WORLD KNOWING WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER!
Accordingly:
1. Anything which arises out of our flesh nature—especially with a gritch, jab, tweak attached—particularly one designed to leave the other person one down and us one up.
2. Anything designed to/out of any motivation to shove our presumed saintliness and saintly perspective down anyone else’s, everyone else’s throat.
3. Anything which would detract from, sabotage the goal of a mutually supportive; mutually loving, mutually edifying CHRISTIAN CAUCUS thread. Anything UNloving.
1. Show ourselves and the world that we ARE CHRISTIANS by our LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. If the flesh is weak, ASK GOD for more umph in the love department before finishing typing and hitting POST.
2. Build other posters up; edify; encourage; clarify; support; affirm; BE KIND; be gentle; . . . be CHRISTLIKE in word, tone, deed.
3. Word things as you might during your most fervent courtship--to a young gal/man you were hoping to marry—i.e. attractively, winsomely, invitingly, maturely, responsibly--LOVINGLY.
Romans 15:7
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
True. True. True.
What a horror in eternity to realize one had behaved otherwise.
Lord, forgive us and change us NOW!
THANK YOU LORD, for such a fitting exhortation.
This !RISEN! DAY is a good day to determine to encourage ONE ANOTHER.
Lord, it is so easy for all of us to get our eyes off you and on our circumstances. There are so few brothers and sisters who see fit to bother to strengthen one another's hands in you. Let us be different from this day forth, Lord.
Provoke us unto Love and Good works--and encouraging.
Bless us with your heart for one another that we sow encouragement at every opportunity. We sure like to reap it, Lord. Let us sow it liberally. Enable us with your Joy. Encourage us with Your Loving presence.
Help us to sing unto you; dance unto you; rejoice in and with you this day. And hand in hand with ONE ANOTHER Love as you love by Your Grace and Spirit, this day. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
I can't imagine going to a tomb of the god that I worshiped to pay homage to him/it. Instead, I worship a Risen Savior who is no longer in the tomb but sits at the right hand of God!
1Corinthians 15:53-57 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
INDEED.
Though I do recall many times when a brother or sister's encouragement has kept me on the straight and narrow. Many times when the enemy succeeds in getting us in a slough of despond; a pit of despair, some of the deceitfulness of sin with it's pleasures of the moment--sometimes including a brain dopamine high--the trap is successfully sprung.
Certainly we are each still responsible for our own behavior and for not tenaciously seeking out the way of escape. Nevertheless, we all do well to realize we are not isolated totally independent islands unto ourselves. We do influence those we relate to. We do make a difference in the lives we touch. And, that difference can be positive when we are encouarging vs ?neutral? to negative when we are not.
I can't imagine going to a tomb of the god that I worshiped to pay homage to him/it. Instead, I worship a Risen Savior who is no longer in the tomb but sits at the right hand of God!
INDEED, FOR SURE. PRAISE GOD FOR THAT--and that He has insured our names are in The Lamb's Book of LIfe. Praise God for His Grace and being the author, finisher and perfector of our faith.
1Corinthians 15:53-57 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Thanks much.
BTTT
Thanks, Qx, for your post #44 on 4/4. You said,
‘I still remember after a sermon wherein Pastor had mentioned loving the unlovely—in Jr High—the next week to a month—riding around with mother on errands etc. . . deliberately asking God to help me feel in the skin of hobos and drunks on the street—what did it feel like to live in their skin; live their lives etc. And I kept earnestly praying that way and thinking that way until God began to do so more than I’d have ever imagined. Does a lot to change one’s perspective when God answers that way.’
What a remarkable thing for a junior high kid to seek such a thing. And many decades later you are still doing it. I commend you for loving as Jesus loves. May you reap what you sow, much esteemed brother.
Thank you M.O’M for post #46. Am glad to learn of CHARLES DE FOUCAULD (Brother Charles of Jesus), of his early military career and his later rededication to saving faith. Amen.
Thanks for post #48. Excellent.
Thank you, O.O., you said,
As you are sitting there, you look over and observe that the brother next to you is using a different Bible translation than the one you like ... or you notice that the musical style of the worship is different than you are used to ... or you discover that these people are Arminians and you’re a Calvinist ... or they’re charismatic and you’re Baptist ... or they’re amillennial and you’re premillennial ... or they practice infant baptism and you’re convinced of believers’ baptism.
The question is, how much will it matter then? Will you turn to your wife and say, “Gather the children, dear, and let’s get out of here”? Not likely. You may still disagree with these dear brothers and sisters, but the disagreements will tend to find their proper perspective.
Thanks!
‘I believe it was Paul Billheimer who said ... if love is the greatest commandment, then failure to love is the greatest compromise.’
Thanks O.O. Good point.
Billheimer wrote Destined for the Throne, a book that spurred many to develop a genuine prayer life.
Thanks for your kind posts and contributions to this thread. Very fitting and blessed. Much appreciated.
Do you want to pick the next batch? I think that’s all the first 5 you picked.
Blessings,
I can do this in the morning. I’m just about to call it a night.
No sweat.
I can post after that tomorrow before I leave for school.
But, there’s no reason you can’t post by yourself! As you wish.
Thanks much,
LUB,
BLPH,
He earnestly prayed and prayed for that and he informed me that the Lord answered his prayer and it did not take long for him to ask that it be lifted off of him. I aksed him why?
He said that all he felt was pain a separation and it was to much to bear.
You said, ‘The next Sunday when we walked into the church Priscilla started crying and sobbing so hard she couldn’t talk. I finally got her to calm down enough to tell me what was going on. She told me to look at everyone. I did but still did not understand. She said, “look they are wearing jeans.” Sure enough I looked around and almost every person there was dressed in jeans. Priscilla had found acceptance among God’s people. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. To this day we are referred to lovingly by other church members as “the blue jean couple.”’
+* +* +*
Oh, that makes me cry. Thank you and God bless all of you.
I did dress up more than usual today to honor the Lord and His resurrection. But most Sundays, I wear the same clothes to church that I wear to work during the week. It’s a personal preference of mine.
How excellent to hear of your wife’s choice to be baptized in a way that was so very vulnerable for her. Wow.
Glory to God and blessings to all you anothers!
Don't be too surprised, she wore a full length blue denim dress. : )
And I wore my best jeans.
Thanks for the reply, I will pass on your comments to her. God bless.
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