| Author | Message | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 304 Registered: 8-2004  |
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/010/26.56.html | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 900 Registered: 3-2005 |
Mary, that is an excellent article on God's protection. It helps make so much sense out of suffering in this world when we realized that God is protecting our spirits from destruction. Thanks for sharing. Stan | ||
| Patriar Registered user Username: Patriar Post Number: 204 Registered: 3-2005 |
Mary: Thank you for that article! Such an eternal perspective... I am thankful! Patria | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2700 Registered: 12-2003  |
Mary, awesome article! Thank you for sharing it. I was struck by this quote: "But we will continue to be disappointed in him until our value system lines up with his, until we value the eternal life of our souls more than the limited life of our mortal bodies, until we understand that God's primary agenda is kingdom building. It may cost us our very lives, and he is okay with that." The loss of our very lives is OK with God if that loss promotes His kingdom. Truly we can't have peace or faith in Him until, as Guthrie said in her article, we line up with His program--the glory of His name and purpose. IOW, the ultimate value in the universe is not me or any human life; it is the glory of God. We are for Him, not the other way around. And when we are surrendered to Him, we are for the praise of His glory, and our hearts are at peace. Colleen | ||
| Another_carol Registered user Username: Another_carol Post Number: 273 Registered: 12-2002 |
Yes Collen that is amazing and for me it is an understanding I cannot comprehend because while I long for the day of Peace and Rest, some days more than others, I find myself with a desire to live. It boggles my mind how I can want so much to be with God and yet He has given me a will to live here until my job is done. Even though I have no issues with dying I also cannot allow myself to be put into a position of unsafety. And I certainly cannot say I've had enough and take a bottle of pills and be done with it. My mother is 84 and I sometimes I am envious of her being so close and yet she seems to have the same propensity to stay alive that I do. God created a marvelous and creative, mysterious thing when He created Male and Female in His Image. Carol | ||
| Patrickfoy Registered user Username: Patrickfoy Post Number: 42 Registered: 3-2004  |
Mary- thanks for taking the time to share that article on Gods protection. I found it to be just what I needed to hear, today. I battle everyday with sins of this world and wonder sometimes why God would allow this or that to happen or why would He allow satan to tempt me. Then I realize that God is much bigger then that. God does not tempt and cannot be tempted. It is the work of satan that continues to keep our minds preoccupied with things of the world, and that includes our bodies and the sad things that we encounter each day and even death. I know that I am far from being good enough to make it to the kindom, but Jesus was! And I am living under His shield. Although bad things will happen in my time on this earth, nothing can ever happen to my soul and to the my spirit that will be with Chrsit on that day. Praise God! Come Jesus, Come. Patrick | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2707 Registered: 12-2003 |
This seems like the thread to share this. There is a twenty-something young woman from Trinity Church named Jen Jagerson who went to india about a year and a half ago as a missionary. I just read an email forwarded by our Women's Ministries dept from Jen. She is in Dehli, but she felt the earthquake last week; where she was, it lasted about 3 minutes. I'm sharing below her reflections on God's sovereignty and our responses to suffering as she tries to make sense of this horrifying disaster so close on the heels of the tsunami. "I felt the earth shaking last Saturday and thought it was my imagination because this area is not known for earthquakes. Of course, tsunamis are pretty rare as well, and one has to wonder at the mighty hand of God and what His will is in all these things. The suffering in Pakistan and India on any given day is an overwhelming thought, but as we learn of the suffering happening even as I type...of children trapped under buildings, whole villages destroyed... I wish my heart was breaking more than it is, I wish I loved so greatly that I prayed in a deep grief. And the hard questions come...isn't God's heart breaking, why does He allow this? The temptation for me is to either deny His sovereignty and pretend He didn't really want it to happen, or protect my heart by callously dismissing the suffering of so many because it is God's will. "My roommate, Heather, went to South India to help with relief for the tsunami victims right after it happened, and we were wrestling with the same questions then. She was there for a month, and after she returned, she had a lot of stories to tell and we both learned a lot about God. Here are my thoughts as I work through the current situation. The western secular world has taken the Christian ideals of eternal paradise and applied them to this world...they want to make a utopia in our own time, and many even in the Christian world have adopted this idea, so when the world is fallen and painful, instead of looking at the Bible and thinking, "Well, yes, this is exactly what God said would happen in the Bible when sin was introduced into the world, He didn't want it to be this way, and He sent His Son to die an excruciating death so it won't always be this way for those who believe," we tend to think, "The world shouldn't be this way and if God were as good as my heart is, He would stop this, because if it were me, I'd never allow this kind of suffering." So I respond to suffering by making myself a judge of the work of God. I do the same thing with my beliefs about Hell...how can He send so many to Hell? I am daily surrounded by millions of Hindus and Muslims that are going to Hell. At some point along the way, perhaps in college or through the vast forces of secular thought, I came to presume that I can objectively sit outside of history AND ETERNITY and the Word of God and decide what is just, and if God's ways don't somehow jive with my ideas of mercy, justice, compassion, etc., then I get to question God, His Word, and His ways in the world. "Somewhere in the last couple years, the Lord began to show me that my thoughts, my heart, were incredibly arrogant and deceived. The secular world has had to come up with a worldview with no God, so of course they can't understand how He might be working. And of course they think they can come up with all the answers because to them, they are god, they are the height of intelligence in the universe, so they'd better be able to come up with some answers. But we, the children of Light, know that we don't know everything, that we are submitting to a powerful, just, holy, wise Father who IS LOVE. HE IS GOOD. And when we can't see how, we need to trust. "My roommate came back from the tsunami relief work with story after story of how God used Christian relief agencies to bring whole villages help, and many Muslim and Hindu villages who wouldn't even let Christians walk through their area before the tsunami were inviting missionaries to come and stay. There are similar stories all over the tsunami effected region. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims died, and that is a tragedy, but I wonder if we'll get to heaven and see millions blessed with eternal grace through these newly opened doors. "I don't know why the Lord brought this earthquake about, but I do know He knows the name of every person who is suffering, He knows how many hairs are on their head, and my stewardship it to pray and have faith that God in His infinite mercy and love is going to take this awful consequence of the Fall and use it to glorify His name and draw many to Himself." Just one young missioinary's reflections... Colleen | ||
| Lindylou Registered user Username: Lindylou Post Number: 86 Registered: 1-2005 |
Colleen, Thanks for sharing this missionary's story. It reminds me of a song by Kathy Triccoli - "Life is hard, but God is Good." And Romans 8:38: "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't and life can't... our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, NOTHING in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 925 Registered: 3-2005 |
Colleen, I second Lindylou's post regarding that inspiring story from Jen Jagerson. Stan | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 320 Registered: 1-2003  |
Have a God filled day. Friends are God's way of taking care of us." This was written by a Hospice of Metro Denver physician. I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends: I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die. I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel. At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me." I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little. She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there. So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there. I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?" This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people." It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong. Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings... Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless, especially for the months in 2005, and I picked you. Please pass this to four people you want to be blessed and a copy back to me. This prayer is powerful and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards, let's continue to pray for one another. Here is the prayer: "Father, I ask You to bless my children, grandchildren, friends, relatives and e-mail buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace, In Jesus' precious name. Amen." I know I picked more than four and you can, too. When Satan is knocking At your door, simply say, "Jesus, could You please get that for me?" Being blessed is GOOD...being HIGHLY FAVORED is best! Don't settle! Live life one day at a time. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1925 Registered: 3-2004  |
Seeker, Thanks for the story above. I do believe that when a person loves God, God does place them where He wants them. Like he has placed me with my sister MLB. He placed the physician where he was needed. My pastor said in a sermon this past August, that there will be one person in our lives that will see God in us. That is so true. Thanks for the story. We truly have an awesome God. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2724 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thanks for the story, Richard. God does place us where He wants us. It's amazing to realize we've been given a part to fulfill in His plan. Colleen | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 321 Registered: 1-2003 |
A personal note on the story I posted above. I have had numerous times where I've been "directed", in sometimes unsutle ways, to be in a particular place. Not until afterwards did God reveal why and for what reason I was there. I've learned to not complain and just wait on God to make it plain why I am where I am at particular times. In Christ, Richard rtruitt@mac.com | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2012 Registered: 11-2002 |
Richard, That is an amazing story. Yes, I truly believe the Lord used you in His plan to work a miracle. I hope your car is o.k. | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 1120 Registered: 7-2003  |
I don't want to put any sort of damper on the story Richard posted, but I have read it before. Here is a weblink that talks about it. The website usually tries to sort through the myriad of stories we're told about people and places and things. I've found many times that stories spread around are false. At this point, the story posted above has yet to be determined whether or not it's true. That doesn't negate the lesson we can all learn from it. http://www.snopes.com/glurge/denver.asp | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 322 Registered: 1-2003 |
Melissa, I agree with you that we must be careful what stories we repeat. I know the story is attributed to a Doctor in the Denver area and I have no way of knowing it's accuracy since I'm not there. I know what God has done things in many of our lives which, if we look at them with our Spiritual Eyes, we can see how God in the same way has used us as He used this doctor. I know there have been several times when I've followed an impression that I needed to go see someone and when I arrived found that I was needed. God will "speak" if we will only listen. In one instance I had this impression to go see the father of one of my students. It took me several hours to get an address and then find out were it was in the inner city. As I drove up to the last corner before arriving at the house my beeper went off and and as I turned the corner he was walking out to the curb with an astonished look on his face. He had just beeped me and yet I had received this impression to go see him a couple of hours earlier. We spend a couple of hours talking and spending time in prayer. We worship a God who really does know our needs and sends answers to our prayers even before we ask. (in this case beep)  Richard rtruitt@mac.com |
