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Post by shadowrider on Sept 14, 2006 21:33:42 GMT -5
Yes, Kaye...all bad things will be gone and forgotten, no thoughts of sin or sickness or death or broken hearts, only good, good good b/c that is what makes it Heaven!! I'm so pleased to hear your mother sings such songs. Not everyone is blessed with a mom who is also a believer!
To die is gain....I heard a comparison one time...talking about how people fear death and don't even like to talk about it. He said that we should think of a baby inside its mother, all nestled and warm, well fed, all needs are met, he's right where he wants to be! He doesn't think anything could be any better! Then comes the time for birth, and he kicks and screams and holds on, doesn't want to leave that warm womb. But what is he born into? LIFE!! What he thought was so bad, something he never wanted is just what we cherish so much!
Thus, life with Jesus in Heaven is like that. We think we love this life so much, but the next one makes this one pale in comparison!
I think we can end up this segment by saying that Paul's letter tells us that he is fully aware of what awaits him in Heaven. BUT, he writes that he's willing to forego that and suffer in this present life if it well serves his brethren. That is quite an example for us!! To be willing to give it all for our brothers. I just had this thought: you know how it is said that no greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his brother? Well, look at what Paul is saying here!! He's willing to lay down LIFE (in Heaven) for his brother!! or at least postpone it a bit. Paul is showing us the way of selflessness and what is truly important: fruitful living.
I'm so enjoying this study, I'm already being blessed by it. Now, onward!!
love, mac
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Post by Kaye on Sept 15, 2006 9:07:15 GMT -5
Philippians 1:27-32 27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
I guess in this set of verses. he is telling them to stay strong and live a good Christian life, even though they are being persecuted. It also seems like he is telling them to stand together as one instead of being separated. Kinda like us, lol. Now I have to go work on some homework, and iron my JROTC uniform, since I have a color guard at the opening of our football field tonight. (which I don't know how I'm going to do be able to do it, but I love color guard, so I'm going to try, ;D) t2ul!
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Post by shadowrider on Sept 17, 2006 21:42:26 GMT -5
Hi, Kaye, I'm back after a couple of rough days (at home cervical traction is throwing me for a loop!)...
Yup, we're standing together as one!! and that's a good thing, martha!a
One word jumps out at me in this set of verses is "confidence." That we can stand strong against all enemies (when things don't go according to our plan...when we don't feel understood or feel unloved) (the enemies of poor health or poverty or loneliness or many others) with confidence that God is for us!! If God be for us, who can be against us? (where is that verse?) There's another verse from the OT that this reminds me of: Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.
We should not be frightened because we know we are going the right way...we stand in the right...God is on our side and we are on God's side. Like in your football game, we are on the RIGHT team! So, no matter what happens, this knowledge gives us faith! Faith that God is for us, He's going to make sure it all comes out right in the end.
How do people live without faith? I just don't know. But I think they seem very unhappy.
So, it occurs to me that we can say from these verses, looking from the last back to the first part:
We have faith because we have confidence because we know God is for us and therefore, we live a good life and therefore, people hear a good report of us!!~
Your comments are right on!! Even in the midst of persecution (we lose a job due to our faith...others make fun of us due to our faith...some won't be friends with us, etc...), we are to stand united, lead a good life, and have confidence in God!!
What other ways can you think of how Christians are persecuted today?
mac
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Post by Kaye on Sept 18, 2006 11:24:53 GMT -5
I have the lyrics from a Chris Rice song that fits the mood.
I can’t feel You movin’ inside I don’t hear Your voice whisperin’ in the night And I’ve never seen You with these eyes Am I a fool, am I just a fool? They ask how I follow what I can’t see Why I trust in a love that my arms won’t reach I don’t need You, don’t need You, to prove it to me I’ll be a fool, yes I’ll be a fool ‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on Holdin’ on for another day ‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith So I cry for Your help while the world looks on And they laugh at my hope when all hope is gone But I’ll just keep prayin’ when answers won’t come Am I the fool, am I just a fool For standing alone while they mock Your name
"Well if your God is so good, tell us why all the pain?" I’m not sure, not so sure that God is to blame So don’t be a fool, please don’t be a fool ‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on Holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith In a world where our questions are haunted ‘Cause life’s not as fair as we all wanted Where the innocent die, we ask why And still we await the reply... Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day ‘Cause that’s what it means...it means holdin’ on for another day ‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith Yes that’s what it means to live by faith That’s what it means to live by faith, to live by faith...
how people persecute Christians...by taking away the right to pray and read the Bible in school. When I was still living in Indianapolis, in the newspaper, there was a girl who got expelled because she was reading her Bible and praying during lunch. its sad...in a country that is supposed to have religious freedom, and they take it away almost. anyway, I have to go work on school work. I hope the home traction thing gets better. (just wondering, what exactly is traction?) t2ul!
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Post by shadowrider on Sept 19, 2006 0:01:28 GMT -5
Hi, Kaye, thanks for sharing those lyrics!! They do mean so much to me as I read them and they so succinctly say what true faith is: holding on just one more day! Isn't that so true? True faith is praying and praying even tho we don't "see" the answer right now. And only our dear Lord gives that faith!
Persecution ... the story about the girl in school is so sad. But they can never take away the right to pray, as we pray with our hearts and minds and no one can stop us from doing that. They can take away our written Word, but remember that God said, when Moses came down from the mount and smashed the Ten Commandments that God had written with his own Hand...He said he would not write the Ten Commandments again, b/c from then on, He'd write his commandments on the fleshy tables of the heart. I find that is so true. So many, many words from the Bible are written on my heart and come to my mind, even tho I may not have actually read them in years. I did not work to memorize them, God's own finger wrote them upon my heart (and yours)...ain't that cool?
The traction thing...if, at TCI, they suspect you have cranio cervical instability ( your neck can't hold your head up), then they suggest you try an at home, non invasive traction unit. It hangs on the door with a couple of pullies, and on one end is a bag for water that has measurements on it, how much water equals how many pounds. the other end of the rope attached to the bag is a neck/head sling. So, in other words, the weight of the bag of water is lifting the weight of your head off of your spine. If you experience great improvement during the traction or immediately after, they know that you would benefit from fusing your skull/spine into that taller position. I started at 4 lbs and tonight am up to 8 lbs. Hard thing is, when the weight of your skull is allowed back onto the spine, you experience some tough symptoms. They call it "rebound."
Hope that school work goes well! I homeschooled my son, who is now 25, from 1st grade thru graduation. He's doing great now, too.
hugs, mac
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Post by Kaye on Sept 19, 2006 8:19:43 GMT -5
ouch, ouch, ouch, that sounds painful!!! I'll certainly will be praying that pain goes away. that is cool about the Word being written on our hearts. and I know they can't take away those things really, just publicly praying and reading. and I wish I was doing the actual homeschooling curriculum, because doing the things I'm doing right now is a little hard.(you know, my brother brings home bad termignments, I send them back with him completed, and go in every Wednesday to make up a test/quiz.)
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Post by cyclops on Sept 19, 2006 16:11:49 GMT -5
how people persecute Christians...by taking away the right to pray and read the Bible in school. When I was still living in Indianapolis, in the newspaper, there was a girl who got expelled because she was reading her Bible and praying during lunch. its sad...in a country that is supposed to have religious freedom, and they take it away almost. anyway, I have to go work on school work. I hope the home traction thing gets better. (just wondering, what exactly is traction?) t2ul! Yeah, last week, I got busted for passing notes about Jesus
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Post by Kaye on Sept 20, 2006 8:48:58 GMT -5
yeah, sounds like the system. how bad was the punishment? (not saying you need to buckle under or anything, just wondering.)
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Post by cyclops on Sept 20, 2006 16:08:36 GMT -5
When my teacher saw it, he just stopped the class and asked me if there was a meaning for it. I told him no but I was thinking differently.
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Post by Kaye on Sept 20, 2006 17:19:58 GMT -5
I think next time you should say yes. I know it would get you in a little more trouble, but it would be something Paul would do. Of course, you can do what you think is best at the time. Anyway, t2ul!
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Post by shadowrider on Sept 20, 2006 22:01:05 GMT -5
Hi, Kaye and Cyclops! Hey, how about our next set of verses?? I'm ready!!
mac
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Post by Kaye on Sept 20, 2006 23:18:01 GMT -5
I noticed I made a typo in my last set of verses, it only goes to verse 30. we are no in chapter 2 of Philippians. Philippians 2:1-5 Imitating Christ's Humility 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Now that is a powerful set of verses. not easy to follow either, . having the same attitude as Christ...I wish I did, I wouldn't blow up at my older brother when he calls my cell to tell me to turn down the volume on the tv when its alost mute so he can sleep(we havea 2 story house, and the tv is downstairs( ) well, my back is buggin me, so, goodnight everybody and hope you had a goodnights rest, t2ul!
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Post by cyclops on Sept 21, 2006 15:03:29 GMT -5
I think next time you should say yes. I know it would get you in a little more trouble, but it would be something Paul would do. Of course, you can do what you think is best at the time. Anyway, t2ul! Yeah, have you ever done something, and then later when you think about it and you wish that you would have said something differently? Thats sort of what I am thinking now. "Why didn't I say yes and use that as an opportunity to preach the word of God?"
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Post by Kaye on Sept 21, 2006 15:25:51 GMT -5
that would be cool if we could go back in time to fix the mistakes we make, but it would be even better to try and fix them now. anyway, since I am confusing myself by what I say, I'd better go, t2ul!
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Post by shadowrider on Sept 22, 2006 18:55:19 GMT -5
Hi, brothers and sisters! I've been away a bit, my head is still weird feeling but anyway, these new verses are pretty clear, huh. In fact, so far in this book, we really do see a lot about how to treat each other, how to be a part of a group (family, in work or SCHOOL, church, etc). When I read this, my first thought is, wow! If everyone did this, what a world this would be! There would be no wars, no lawyers (ha), no prisons....can anyone think of anything else in this present world that would no longer be needed if we all treated each other Paul says to do in this first part of Chapter Two?
mac (wow, just saw how the verse today, Romans 15:7, also applies to all of this!)
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