Home » Discussion Area » Introductions & General » Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples
Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1702] |
Sun, 27 April 2008 14:31 ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
I would like to start to talk and hear about specific learnings we've gotten from FA--not for persuasion or debate, but very practical "what we got that helps our lives today." If this fits better elsewhere, please "move me." I think we will need all the wisdom we've gleaned in the days to come and it would be a tremendous help to me to know what you-all have learned and seen since. --Is anybody willing to explore this topic with me?
First off, I'm not "cutting church." We're in upheaval--Assembly of God pastor repented of keeping God at a distance in Oct 2006, drew close, God revealed to him total surrender message, he started preaching it and doing what God said moment by moment, and we've gone from 130 members to 30 members, had to move out of our building, and are finally beginning to relate to each other outside of the "structure." It's fantastic...new agenda is believe God to deepen our relationships with Him and as an outgrowth of that, in the body. Getting ready to make time for waiting on God as a body...learn to flow together by His Spirit...but right now only meet Friday or Sunday nights for a small group meeting (we were out of the building as of two weeks ago). So...here I am.-How does this relate to the subject at hand? I know without FA learning I probably wouldn't be open to such, and would be "open to flakey." Also I'm very well aware that without much agony, soul-searching and healing I couldn't be making use of what I've learned (or even perhaps recognize what I'd learned that was good). Be that as it may...
Here's what I wrote someone recently that I received (revised for this forum):
First let me say that I am very grateful for all the good I got there. Faith Assembly is where I learned God could do anything, and that He cares about all that concerns me. It is where I learned that God heals, and He has healed me and preserved me through prayer and faith many times. (At the same time, I have fallen flat on my face in this area as well, both there and since at times, which has given me great grief...but I'm still working out my salvation with fear and trembling, and revel in the wonderfulness of the truth that "Jesus [still] loves me this I know... .")
This is where I learned that God does not want me in debt--that debt binds someone to the world system. There too I fell flat on my face once-for a long time. - God is birthing something in us, and I think most of us go into captivity in "Egypt or Babylon" at one time or another. If not, we may be captive to pride that we haven't fallen. - Because of that, I repented and learned to seek Him about everything, asking Him, "What's the strategy?" when something would otherwise make me go into debt. Because of that, I've also had to continually trust Him that He won't allow a situation in my life that would cause me to sin about debt or anything else (lead me not into temptation, Lord, and please deliver me from evil).
I learned at FA to have a kingdom perspective--that this life is a training, testing and proving ground and that my reasonable response to His love and grace is (Rom 12:1-2) to present my life as a living sacrifice (though not a fleshly martyrdom) in His service.
I heard Br. Freeman state that God through Jesus calls and will empower me to live above the law on an even higher plane. God captured my heart when I heard that He could even help a marriage betrayed by adultery--by bringing the offended party to forgiveness. I have meditated on that long and hard, friends, for that is to me a huge miracle--of the human spirit. That God could so get us past our flesh...He is wonder-full.
That understanding and hope helped me much when my former husband divorced me in 2004. I asked God to help me, to give me His love for him. (Without His love for him, it wasn't possible to come to forgiveness for him.) My wonderful Lord did.
Then when he remarried two and a half years or so later, God told me to pray for his new wife. I was so devastated, I really didn't want to, and came to God reluctantly, confessing that I didn't want to and asking Him to will and do of His good pleasure in me as I brought her in obedient, listening prayer to His throne. I watched God take a hard obedience and soften my heart and give me His view of her (He loves her!), and from there grant me grace to forgive her. God has since inspired heart-felt prayers for her. He has also reminded me not to take His place as Father and judge--reminding me that He is not pleased when His sons and daughters look too eagerly to judgment and rejoice at the fall of their enemies.
From Faith Assembly I have learned about what God intends for His people - I have received that God wants me personally to be a 100-fold fruit bearer, and keep crying out for Him to continue tilling the ground of my heart. The Lord has led me to pray for Him to lead me into the Eph 2:10 works He has ordained for me, and that He show me where and how to labor so I can bear fruit that remains.
Lastly for now, Faith Assembly taught me what God intends for His body--and I have continued praying over and seeking that ever since. I am looking for the Bride of Christ to be revealed in all her glory--which is but a reflection of His matchless beauty.
God bless you, friends...any other sharers?
Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1733 is a reply to message #1702] |
Wed, 30 April 2008 01:13 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
Hi, all! You know, I must be pretty hard up if I feel I have to reply to my own topic! Seriously though, I didn't want to make the last writing too long (whoops! too late) and I didn't want to move this too far from the subject, so here I am again.
I've been continuing to read through this site, and there are some really good testimonies sprinkled in here. At this point, I'm still not ready to go into some of the sorrows I experienced, most of which were going on simultaneously while I was at Faith Assembly. But I am making reference to them here to say if anyone has been in the pit, I've been there with you. In one of the posts I recently read, Dave Gilmore (message #775) said,
So much pain communicated on the factnet.org site. Bitterness abounds. My wife and I lost a son during our years there [FA], later divorced, and experienced a number of other troubles over the years but I have never blamed someone else for these things. ...Bitter or better . . . you make the choice. God is sovereign and works all things together for our good through His great love for us... .
There's much for me to think about here, brothers and sisters. Enough bad has happened to me that I can choose to give up or I can choose to get healed and see what God can do with the rest of the life He's given me. Now mind you, I am not saying, "I can choose to give up or I can choose to go on." No, I cannot go on without healing. I'd just be trying to cover over the problem, cope, compensate. Nothing else will do for me than healing and restoration (that is cleaning me from the inside out, not putting a veneer on something that needs to be recast/rebuilt). Does that have anything to do with God wanting truth in our inward parts (Ps 51:6)?
I don't know what happened in your lives, brothers and sisters, but the trials showed me where I wasn't with God. In His mercy, because I'm choosing healing and restoration, that process is taking care of some of what I thought I had but really didn't. One more aside, and this is very important in my life--what I lacked was seldom what self-appointed judges (or my own fleshly evaluation) said I lacked; oftentimes the trial was not about what onlookers thought it was about. If I had listened to them without going to God, I would have remained in condemnation which leads to bitterness--and I would have totally missed the point.
I almost got stuck there - several times. But God didn't let me stay there, and I've just now (finally!-healing isn't accomplished in a day--it's a journey by faith with God) gotten healed enough that at the beginning of 2008 God said I was coming to a new level. Does that mean I'm all healed? Hardly. It just means the focus is changing a bit... .
But now I want to share with you some neat stories of tests I've had since 1999. God has still been proving the Word I received, even "out here." I pray they bless and encourage you as to what He can do for you.
Just in the past year (spring 2007) I have seen a job with my brother-in-law end after 6 1/2 years because the owner who was 70 sold the business, and the image the new owners wanted to project was not that of a then-almost-56 year old! Knowing the job was ending, I prayed and trusted God for the timing of that, and while the new owners first said I was going to be out in mid-March, they changed it till mid-April, then July 1st. All this time God was saying only one thing as I asked for His strategy: "Finish well."
That precluded my going out and looking, so I just kept praying, believing for favor, and trusting God. My prayer warriors were getting, "God is going to give you your next job--you don't have to go looking." Since that didn't contradict what I heard, I just held steady. At the beginning of June, I got a call from a family (whom I'd asked to pray for me) that I've been friends with for 14 years--the husband owns a small business, and his administrative assistant of 4 1/2 years gave notice that she was leaving mid-June. The upshot of it was, I left the former job on Friday, June 8 and started the new one on Monday, June 11. God was so good, I didn't lose any pay due to time between jobs. Furthermore, my pay increased and my hours went down, and I only work 4 days a week, which gives me time to work on the other things God wants me to!
Before the job though, I needed a car. (Since I must support myself trusting in God's help, this is no small thing.) At the other job I was able to walk--no more than 15 minutes away. This one, however meant I had to drive 6 miles each way to ride with a friend from church. Work is about 14 miles from home and there are also days she can't drive, and I get to drive her to work. (I of necessity gave up my last car in 2001 when I couldn't afford any more repairs on it.)
I prayed, and the Lord told me I'd know when I could get another car, so I'd been slowly saving and praying. At the beginning of 2007, I had enough to pay cash for a decent used one, but having asked the Lord, "What's the strategy?" He told me, "Wait." About the third week of January 2007, a young couple from church told me they felt God wanted them to give me their used 1994 Honda Accord, but that it needed some repairs, and they didn't want to give it to me without the repairs being made. I told them not to go out and put money they didn't have into repairs--that if the Lord wanted me to have the car, He had a way.
I advised this young couple (who wasn't really familiar with listening to the Lord) to pray, ask the Lord for His strategy and wait. They did, and He told them to see if anybody at church wanted to help with the repairs. They told the pastor who knew my financial situation, how through rocky times the Lord had kept me out of debt, etc. Pastor prayed and was led to suggest this couple email some people in the Body and ask if they wanted to help contribute to repairing my new car...some did want to help anonymously and in the middle of May 2007 God gave me my new car just in time to take my current job in mid-June! (One of my sons has insisted on paying insurance and registration so far as well!)
Want to hear a "Storm Story?"--Okay, you caught me...I am a "recovering Weather Channel addict!" In 2002, I went to St. Louis...while a tornado was heading here. I had just been led to pray three weeks before, asking God if He wanted me to get renter's insurance, because I could afford it by then. (I didn't want to assume anything.) I heard not a word, so I told God, "I take that as a 'no,' that You want me to continue trusting You alone." I got a call that Friday night in St Louis from my eldest son, who said, "Mom, I hate to bother you tonight, but I don't know what time you leave your hotel in the morning, and I don't want you to come back and be shocked. We will meet you at the mall, because things are pretty bad in your area. Your apartment complex was hit head on by a tornado. We don't know about your apartment because they wouldn't let us in to look." That gave me a whole night to wrestle with God; at that point, I had almost no money saved, having just had my new job for a year and a quarter, and had no idea what would happen. But I was so glad I didn't know what had happened so that I could "stake my faith on God" first.
When I got home, the authorities allowed me in. The front apartments had the roof and back wall ripped off. My apartment was in back, and the tornado skipped over it to the house and school just north and west. Not one of my windows was broken, while all of my neighboring apartments even in the same building upstairs and to the left and right of me had cracked or broken windows.
I had to find places to stay with friends for three weeks, have help packing and finding another place within my price range (I was across the street from work--after I relocated, I was a 15 minute walk). Even then, because of lots of help from the Body, I didn't even lose one day of work; I didn't have to pay for the truck to move; they took up a collection without the pastor's knowledge (!) and the amount of money they gave me was enough so that I didn't have to spend a penny on relocating!
I could tell you of the hurricane God protected me in (and maybe will sometime unless you-all stop me from replying to my own posts). Or how about the auto accident (this one was after FA) where I was riding with friends to church when someone crashed into us. God greatly protected my friends and me, and from the insurance settlement God said I could either buy a car or a computer, but that if I bought a computer it was an instrument of ministry, and He would tell me when I could get a car... . Or maybe about the Christian inner city homeless shelter for women and children the Lord told me to go to and offer to work in exchange for room and board for a short season in late 1999 and winter/spring 2000. I could also tell you of the Bible study He had me lead at the shelter and what neat God-things happened there--or about the people from abused homes the Lord has brought to me to seek Him with and on behalf of, or the seemingly conventional church that the Lord led me into in fall of 2001 and the things that are now happening here--the Lord has sovereignly led the pastor into the message I've waited to hear about dying to self and living to God--and I am seeing people begin to catch it and lay down their yuppie middle class priorities... .
I want to encourage you, brothers and sisters, that God is at work. He has not left you; you are not alone. I believe some of you know that already, while others of you are hoping that is so, and you haven't totally given up or you wouldn't be looking here. When I finally told someone what happened to me while I was at Faith Assembly, his response was something like, "If God could heal you, He can heal anyone hurt at or by Faith Assembly." That's true!! - If you're not walking in all you long to, consider what I just shared as the downpayment on the life He offers you if you choose to get healed.
The Lord has been showing me for years the "carnage on the battlefield"--bruised and bleeding broken warriors, totally unhealed and fragmented. This is not His will, and I look to see true healing and His restoration. He by His Holy Spirit will blow and is already blowing through those who are His (no matter what they look like regarding their spiritual state in the natural). He is speaking a creative Word to revive, restore, and if need be resurrect those likened to Ezekiel's dry bones.
Brothers and sisters, one time while I was at Faith Assembly going through an agonizing trial of long duration,the Lord asked me a question. Now I am led to ask you this question. He said, "What kind of a God am I if I can make plans but have no power to bring them to fruition?" Then He said, "If Job had given up when he thought the trial should have been over, he never would have been restored." Selah.
[Updated on: Wed, 30 April 2008 01:47] Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1734 is a reply to message #1702] |
Wed, 30 April 2008 02:46 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
![](http://overcomersonline.com/FUDforum2/images/custom_avatars/2.jpg) |
william Messages: 1456 Registered: January 2006 |
Senior Member Administrator |
|
|
Okay, I'll bite!
The faith message has helped a lot! Just knowing that God is an ever present help for us every day has made a tremendous difference in my life. A lot of people I meet seem to have an almost superficial relationship with God. They know He's there, and they have at one time asked Him to be their savior, but it seems that the major difference it has made in their lives, is on Sunday.
I know that, given our past, that is going to sound very critical and perhaps saying it gives the impression that I believe that I'm superior and filled with pride. But can't we be honest without needing to qualify everything? I know that without God's motivating hand and His illuminating Spirit, I would no doubt have the same sort of attitude, but I don't, and it is because He has placed something within me that I cannot explain.
The deeper life message has also played a major part of my life. It seems that those who have received the message and adjusted well are those who actually made God the center of their lives, and have learned how to die to their selfish desires on a daily basis... that was a central message taught at FA. How much of this can be attributed to God’s election, and how much of it is dependent upon our on receptive hearts, I can't answer.
Let's face it, trials come to all, even to those who have never heard about God... but for whatever reason, those who have allowed those trials to shape and develop them, instead of allowing the trials to defeat them, come out stronger and with a different sort of attitude.
Since we all take the Word of God seriously I'll mention Mt13 the parable of the sower. A lot of seed has been sown. We know our hearts represent the ground... some hearts did not even allow the seed to penetrate at all, but most of us don't fall into that category. Most did allow the seed to penetrate. Of these, some got caught up with the cares of this life, and the Word was choked. Some got the message but they didn't have any depth, and it was quickly over for them.
These last two groups actually received the Word and it affected their hearts, but whether they allowed the Word to be choked by the deceitfulness of riches and cares of the world, or they just didn't have much room for the Word to flourish --- they lost what they had.
How many of us fall into this category? We all want to think that we are the forth group, but are we? Did we receive the word with such reckless abandonment that we did not allow it to be choked out with life's trials and cares? Or did we quickly move on? (Considering that the Word was great for a time, but after all, we've got a life to live!)
All of us fall into one of those categories and it doesn't do us any good to deceive ourselves.
James says that it is the implanted Word that makes the difference:
Jas 1:18 In accordance with His will He made us His children by the message of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. [Williams]
And a couple of verses later:
Jas 1:21 So strip yourselves of everything impure and all the evils prevailing around you, and in humble spirit welcome the message which when rooted in your hearts is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 Keep on obeying this message; do not merely listen to it, and so deceive yourselves. [Williams]
Our response seems to be the key, at least on this side of eternity. I say that, firmly convinced of God's electing grace, but fully aware of all of the exhortations given to us as believers to heed and do His Word.
Blessings,
William
[Updated on: Wed, 30 April 2008 12:37] I want to believe!
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1742 is a reply to message #1734] |
Thu, 01 May 2008 15:12 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
james Messages: 2137 Registered: April 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL |
Senior Member |
|
|
As a newcomer to this websites, forum, postings, blogs,threads??? whatever...Yet not new to the teachings of Christ or HEF, I think (in my humble opinion) that both of you, Moulder and Hombre, are quite eloquent in your expressions of thought and convictions. I'm thinking, without really knowing, that both of you have deep theological background, whether recieved formally or through HEF. Thank you for causing people to think and examine their stands on spiritual matters...(NOW don't get all puffed up with pride, just give God the glory)Just kidding...it IS o.k to find humor in life, isn't it?
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,”
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1744 is a reply to message #1742] |
Thu, 01 May 2008 15:33 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
![](http://overcomersonline.com/FUDforum2/images/custom_avatars/2.jpg) |
william Messages: 1456 Registered: January 2006 |
Senior Member Administrator |
|
|
james wrote on Thu, 01 May 2008 10:12 | As a newcomer to this websites, forum, postings, blogs,threads??? whatever...Yet not new to the teachings of Christ or HEF, I think (in my humble opinion) that both of you, Moulder and Hombre, are quite eloquent in your expressions of thought and convictions. I'm thinking, without really knowing, that both of you have deep theological background, whether recieved formally or through HEF. Thank you for causing people to think and examine their stands on spiritual matters...(NOW don't get all puffed up with pride, just give God the glory)Just kidding...it IS o.k to find humor in life, isn't it?
|
Funny that you should say that! I have almost no formal education and I must say that any theological understanding I may have, is a result of brother Freeman's ministry...
Hombre on the other hand is an egg-head, and were it not for his propensity to slash and burn everything within sight, would be a nice sort of fellow to hang out with, what with all of his wisdom. I suppose it would be like hanging out with Elijah, misspeak and yer toast!!<grin>
All kidding aside, I appreciate your kind words but believe me, I know from whence I came, and it ain't a pretty site!
Blessings,
William
I want to believe!
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1746 is a reply to message #1734] |
Thu, 01 May 2008 17:13 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
Thanks for the reply, brother. In thinking about learnings from Faith Assembly, I would also count the "what I learned there or over the years about what didn't work for me" learnings. You touched on a few things that relate to this. In praying over the comments I've seen so far on this site and other places, I am getting some questions. My goal (in general, not just on this site) is to understand what makes getting healed easier for some, and how more of us can get there. I can quote theology, but one of the things I see that needs to happen for the miracle of restoration is that our faith has to get extremely practical - practical enough that it dislodges the hurt and anger. Announcement: I'm talking in general-I have no person in mind but myself and my journey--this is what had to happen for me. Let me also say here that this is not a "preaching message in disguise"--I've heard enough of them, and it doesn't feel good to hear a person target me "in general in public!!!"
I have observed that, as you said, certain attitudes are held in common by 1) those who were there but really weren't too badly hurt (this group seemed to have healthy emotional responses from the get-go at FA), and 2) those who have been/are being healed--this group seemed to learn these attitudes later (I know I did--it was a matter of survival and wanting the Word to work in my life).
You wrote: Let's face it, trials come to all, even to those who have never heard about God... but for whatever reason, those who have allowed those trials to shape and develop them, instead of allowing the trials to defeat them, come out stronger and with a different sort of attitude.
You also said: The faith message has helped a lot! Just knowing that God is an ever present help for us every day has made a tremendous difference in my life. It has in mine too, brother, as I've said. But what I didn't say (can't say everything at once ) is that once the trials heated up, first came the pain of what seemed not to work. I'm not talking minor trials here--I'm talking about my children and me in a car with my parents and a two ton semi hitting us at 55 mph--Dad went to be with the Lord within 2 hours; Mom was raised up (if anyone wants the testimony, I have it written out--just ask)--but I was seven months pregnant and lost my baby in the womb (delivered at my parents' home 9 days after the accident). She was our first girl (after three wonderful sons). I had 6 months of healing that the Lord took me through step by step, and our children were not hurt at all... . There were lots of blessings, but nonetheless... . Being a thinking person, I was dealing with, "Where was our protection?" as well as mourning and the physical trials. That question came not just because of the accident, but was also provoked by all the other things that were going on -
The reason I was even down at my parents' with the guys was because there was another trial of longstanding--I was trying to deal with both physical (a little) and emotional (much) abuse in my marriage. I had prayerfully gone down to my parents' to seek the Lord while they were away on a ten-day vacation. (Things were so bad, Br. Freeman felt he should pray that my husband let me go...). I felt the Lord wanted both my husband and me to take a break--as it turned out with the accident and all I didn't even get back home for close to a month, and my husband had worked on the physical abuse area, vowing to God never to do it again (and he never did)... . But even the emotional abuse quieted down for a season with people in and out of our home in ministry to our family (I couldn't cook or take care of the children for a good six months...).
Then there were the financial trials--to be totally honest, we were in the pits. My husband had been fired from a job building boats--because he was terrible working with his hands. His giftings are in business and ministry, and he felt the Word being taught precluded business for him. Then later when he tried to find more "work with your hands" jobs, he was turned down for being overqualified. It did not help that I didn't think this was a commonsense approach - I felt he needed to go with his giftings and I was scared and didn't handle things well--at this point I felt that our whole lives were extremely out of control...so that put more pressure on our marriage...(my comments were also unwelcome because my husband said I had a "negative confession.") - Let me make it absolutely clear-I am not saying "it was my fault." It was not-but I do have a part... .
Then I got pregnant again nine months after the accident and losing our daughter. I had prayed that I not conceive again till I was healed, and that things inside be healthy (I got very banged up in the accident, and I know that couldn't have been good. It was months before I "felt right" inside. After the stillbirth of our daughter, there was also much infection...and God told me step by step what to do, including to believe not to conceive till I was healed. So I trusted in His timing... . When our son was born healthy and whole, my husband couldn't be reached. He'd gone to a bigger town to find work, and had no telephone, and neither did we have a phone. He had left me with $5 (all he had other than gas money) and a gallon of milk and said, "The church will take care of you," because he didn't know what else to do and he thought (rightly) that the church wouldn't help as long as he was there.
I delivered two weeks early-a healthy happy baby boy. I saw this as God's blessing-a comfort after the accident...until he got sick and died six weeks later. (More on that later...it fits in with more lessons I learned...) My husband had phoned a relative who told him of the birth about four days after, but he had never gotten back (he said he was saving gas money) to see us, and then the baby died. The authorities questioned him and he said, "I wasn't here. I don't know anything."
I was indicted and went on trial for neglect of a dependent, criminal recklessness and reckless homicide. One charge did not hold up in court--the one charge where the judge allowed them to say I was innocent if I really believed God during the sickness. The prosecutor tried to trip me up here for 25 minutes, but God helped me. I now have a felony record to remind me, and another hole in my heart that God is filling with His grace, mercy and comfort day by day.
I tell you all this to tell you what I had to work through. I would in the future (Lord willing) like to explore the dealings of God in my heart...because that's how the healing came and continues to come.
Well, brothers and sisters, I'd like to comment more on what William said, but not right now. I just want to go on record that I appreciate you all, and that He who started a good work in each of us will complete it--if we let Him. And to let Him, no matter what is unresolved in our hearts now, all we have to do is go to boldly to the throne to find grace and help in our time of need.
One final comment: I see that there are several comments on this category now, but I have not been led to read them yet. I first needed to finish this. Know this, brothers and sisters, I am led to spend hours (no exaggeration) on this site in this season, taking what I see to the throne and praying...God is still for us and loves us with an everlasting love... .
Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1750 is a reply to message #1744] |
Thu, 01 May 2008 23:23 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
Hombre said: actually, I find more irony in life than humor and that is what I would like to subdue in favor of humor, but alas it is not meant to be....
Now Hombre said God says:
' ..Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? '
~ Prov. 17:16
...and so day by day,
' I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.'
~ Ecc. 10:7
.....hence, sorrowfully, I conclude with Solomon:
...sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
~ Ecc. 7:3-5
This is true, but Solomon also wrote other things in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes
Prov 15:13,15 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
and
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
Hence, joyfully I conclude with Solomon (grin!!)
Prov 17:22 2 A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
and (dare I even mention this one???) maybe I better not make any comments here--let's just let Scripture speak for itself:
Eccl 9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
NKJV
...Have a blessed evening, folks! (I had such fun reading these exchanges, and of course contributing much food (and wine?) for thought!!)
[Updated on: Thu, 01 May 2008 23:35] Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
| |
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1757 is a reply to message #1744] |
Fri, 02 May 2008 14:44 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
james Messages: 2137 Registered: April 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL |
Senior Member |
|
|
Yep brother, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and ALL our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." GOD'S GRACE, Whew, Awsome.
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,”
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1759 is a reply to message #1744] |
Fri, 02 May 2008 15:42 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
James, you said: When I see or hear Indiana, after FA or Bro. Freeman, I think of Larry Bird or Peyton Manning
Well this has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but one of my son's one claim to fame (seriously) is that when he was delivering dry cleaning one day, Peyton Manning's dog bit him (not badly)...
[Updated on: Fri, 02 May 2008 16:22] Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1760 is a reply to message #1750] |
Fri, 02 May 2008 16:11 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
Hombre, you said, ...but seriously, thanks for your cheerfulness, the world would be a grim place indeed were it populated by people the likes of me.
I really doubt that, brother, but personality does play a part in how we come across, and even in how we perceive the world. William conceded that possibility a few posts ago. Tim LaHaye says as we grow in God (my paraphrase) that our personality will move more toward balance...I believe it's so...take it from this sanguine/melancholy (another contradiction)! Also seriously, I really believe a good sense of humor is a gift from God--it is healing in its own way...and (smile) maybe it can help more than that wine I was talking about last night--I know it can help with the "whine" I can get tempted towards...
You said today: ...and this post is evidence that I don't slash and burn everything.
And in an earlier post: ...I prefer to think of myself as more like a kindler, gentler Ghengis. Laughing
You have proven these things, brother... -seriously. Thank you for the encouragement, Hombre. I'm glad I'm here.
Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
| |
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1764 is a reply to message #1759] |
Fri, 02 May 2008 21:37 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
Hi, James! You said: That [my son's bite from Peyton Manning's dog] should have been worth an autographed football or maybe tickets to a Colts game
Peyton (though not in person) did pay for a new pair of jeans after the dog ripped the other ones...I thought they should at least have been autographed...
I know about the eye-roll about all things sports at FA (at least in those days)...glad you stuck to your guns and went to French Lick...and thanks very much for the encouragement.
Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1823 is a reply to message #1702] |
Thu, 08 May 2008 03:43 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) ![Go to next message Go to next message](theme/default/images/down.png) |
jisamazed Messages: 170 Registered: January 2008 Location: Grand Rapids, MI |
Senior Member |
|
|
Capturedbygrace, I was saddened by your story but blessed by your current attitude. You have suffered a lot. I pray that the Lord will continue to lift up your head and bless your later years more than the former, as He did with Job, and strengthen you with power by His Spirit in the inner person...
Amazed smitten astonished stunned floored blown away astounded shocked flabbergasted surprised wonderfully devastated awed shattered overwhelmed incredulous speechless sense of wonder at the love of God.
|
|
|
Re: Learnings from FA and Real-Life Application Examples [message #1824 is a reply to message #1823] |
Thu, 08 May 2008 11:55 ![Go to previous message Go to previous message](theme/default/images/up.png) |
capturedbygrace Messages: 41 Registered: April 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN |
Member |
|
|
Thank you, brother. I appreciate and receive that prayer. I find I have inside me the desire with all my heart to see what God's redemption in the natural as well as the spiritual looks like for someone like me...I am watching...and anticipating...because no matter what I feel like I know He always shows up bringing His abundant life, and He's never late... .
Broken vessel in training: Pressing on to experience the fullness of Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...
|
|
|
Goto Forum:
Current Time: Thu Aug 15 01:01:43 UTC 2024
Total time taken to generate the page: 0.01055 seconds
|