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.
Well said Quix. Thank you for the reminder, and God bless you.
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Well put.
If we put 1/10th the energy into provoking unto love and good works we spend provoking to irritation, anger, resentment . . .
The world would be wholesale changed—at least our world would be.
Am humbled and blessed you thought so.
Thanks for your kind words.
God’s best to you in your efforts to provoke unto love and good works!
bttt
HE is RISEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We also have to listen to the Spirit telling us that it’s ok not to let our button go down. He helps us with the grace not to react angrily if we listen. And thus, through the grace of God we can break the chains that cause the grief, both by not provoking, and by turning away the word spoken to provoke by words of love.
Not easy, but He gives us the strength to do the will of He who is our Master.
I spend a large portion of my prayer time in praying for the Mercy of God on the world, because of that type of feeling...So many people who need to not just vaguely know about Jesus, but to KNOW Jesus...and be touched by his light.
We are the tools in his hands. He knows that none of us alone can reach everybody, but it is our calling to touch those whose lives we are in contact with.
When you think about all the misery in the world that sin causes, anger, and grief and hunger and fear and despair, it’s overwhelming. But when you bring it down to remembering to be kind, to act justly, to behave mercifully, and to share the light of Christ by both word and, in some ways more importantly, deed with those who you come in contact with, you know it’s a job that is doable.
I see us all as little lanterns. We don’t shine with our own light, but we carry the light of Christ with us, and from that light, other lights get lit. One candle isn’t very bright, but can light a huge number of other candles along the way.
Amen and Amen
God knows what we need and it is through the 'one anothers' that he meets that need. It is not about what they need, but about what we need also, all of us. God knew this and created a way through serving others, that we would also be served. A way of serving and being served that strips us of our solitary existence and makes us dependent on all and all of us dependent on Him.
I thank God for those he sent to serve and bless me, and I thank God for those he sent that I may serve. It is through serving one another that our purpose is fulfilled.
I may have to study this one post all day. : )
Thanks.
I think your following is a thoroughly wonderful set of insights and truths. Quite accurate, imho. Thanks tons.
And thanks for your kind words on my very long post. Am humbled and blessed.
May God add fruitfulness to the reading of same.
Love transforms.
__________________
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing.
If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous or boastful;
it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong,
but rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never ends.
I Corinthians 13 1-8a
As I like to condense it, Jesus tells us to love God with all we have, and love our fellow men with like we love ourselves.
It’s demanding, hard, and not easy. But with God, all things are possible, and we will become not necessarily people of power or wisdom or strength or nobility or wealth, but people who love as he loves.
So many traps along the way to pull us from that love. And it’s not a love that says “I’m OK, you’re okay, let me pat you on the head and say you’re nice.” It’s a love that demands us to stand up and be holy. To reach out when we’re tired. To care for people we don’t like. To pray for people we know want to do us wrong. To choose the loving way when we might prefer vengeance. To deal kindly with our spouses when we want to yell. To act lovingly to our children when they reach that point we want to beat them. To avoid saying the hurtful thing about that smarmy co-worker when we have a juicy tidbit. And so on and so on, but in the end, persevering, we will stand before our Lord and hear him say, “Well done.” And know it is all worth it.
INDEED.
And, the heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it. There is perversity in usually even the best of us to some degree--which likes to look the other way, run away; anything but buckle down and pay the price to love as Jesus Loved/Loves.
And, it IS costly. It can cost more than we can pay. And sometimes, I wonder . . . if we are not experiencing that cost, maybe we aren't loving like Christians.
Nevertheless, IT IS worth it all. Maybe not in the midst of cleaning out the outhouse pit . . . but it IS worth it--even in this life and certainly ultimately.
It is worth it in the lives of those we love, certainly. But it changes us. It helps transform us into HIS IMAGE. And He prizes that enormously more than we can understand. AND it has something to do with our eternal roles . . . and that "Greater weight of Glory" which He also wants . . . FOR US.
A lot of times we'd rather have less pain now and more comfort and joy now. Forget eternity and the rewards then.
But we know that's short-sighted. We don't encourage our children to settle for short-sighted account settling. We try and train them to delay gratification and focus on long term goals and rewards. But with God, we are too prone to act like 2-4 year olds.
But we CAN, BY HIS GRACE AND HELP choose the more excellent way. We CAN do all things through Him who strengthens us.
We even CAN, by His Spirit LEARN to be joyful and content in virtually all circumstances [I'm not there yet but I'm light years from where I used to be on that trek].
HE IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. HE DIED FOR US; SAVED US; FILLES US DAILY WITH HIS SPIRIT WHEN WE ASK AND COOPERATE WITH SAME. Our Names ARE IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE! WHAT JOY. What Priceless treasure.
The noise here is chaff. The worst of the pain here is chaff. Scripture says the worst of this life is not worthy to be compared with the joys of the next life. When are we going to believe that and act like it?
I see us all as little lanterns. We don’t shine with our own light, but we carry the light of Christ with us, and from that light, other lights get lit. One candle isn’t very bright, but can light a huge number of other candles along the way.
= = =
Wonderfully put.
Thanks tons.
The world will be wholesale changed
INDEED.
Yea God!
Thx.
[warning note: The attitude is lovingly provockative]
Wouldn’t want folks to think Calvinists were allergic to such threads so please consider this a courtesy ping! LOL.
— It is worth it in the lives of those we love, certainly. But it changes us. It helps transform us into HIS IMAGE. —
exactly!
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