Somethings never change, or do they?

In my brief time surfing around and reading opinions of people ranging from hard-boiled atheists, evolutionists, witches, satanists, mormons, premods, mods, postmods, evangelical extremists, theologians, mormons, jehovah's witnesses, the list stretches beyond my ability to find cute little boxes to put people in. A bad habit, and let's just say it is one I intend to attempt to address with this thread.

At the core of people there is this thing called doubt. Not knowing for sure. The inability to be sure about stuff eats at some, and others seem to find reasons to hang onto their doubts, or rationalize, philosophize or whatever crazy things us humans do to get rid of the stuff that keeps us up, or no longer keeps us up at night.

It is incredible that no matter how tough we maybe on the outside, we might have all the appropriate terminology down pat, and be able to debate everyone, till eventually we are all alone, with our victory and a handful of followers that devoutly agree with our opinions.

Truth is though people change. St Augustine had the courage to actually examine all his great thoughts, and wrote a book called, 'Retractions'...in which he examined his theology and thoughts and made a public declaration of his erroneous ones as well. Now that is very mature. He was willing to expose his hard-core beliefs to his own personal judgement. Wow! Not many are willing to do that. It is easier to settle with yesterdays old bread, which would have helped you none if you were in the desert with Moses, unless it was the day before the Sabbath rest.

Talking of rests, there is a wonderful rest in Christ which we are encouraged to strive to enter into. Is that not strange request. Sort of like asking one to force oneself to go to sleep. I am not sure if such a thing can be accomplished. But these are spiritual truths, and as believers in Jesus, we are no longer in the infancy of our blind and deaf and dumb minds, we have come to the Rock, which is Christ, to the Mediator of a better Covenant.

I know there are many things that don't seem to change. Christians still complain about not getting the victory over certain sins, as I mentioned 'doubts' still have a way of recurring, and well though we are able to announce boldly to the world that we are SAVED, we sometime fall so badly before others that the word SAVED, might better be pronounced SLAVED.

We are free, yes but not completely, we build a little and it comes tumbling down, we are being weened of our self dominated reality, and are simultaneously experiencing the new life springing up within. It is a crazy situation to be in, and to those around us, they cannot testify to any noticeable change. The truth is...WE ARE CHANGING...for the resurrection power of Jesus Christ is at work in our lives, in our bodies and our minds.

We may argue about whether or not we are going to get into the Kingdom if we don't endure, we might develop a complete doctrine explaining why we need to do certian things to gaurantee our exceptance, or we might take the oppossite side and as many Roman Catholics and Mormons accuse us of being couch evangelicals, or easybelievism, or some other name to denote that we aught not to live by faith alone, but we need to add something to it to gaurantee our entrance into the Kingdom of God. Oh that argument it has never stopped, and wierd that it comes not only from without, but from within. Instead of letting it rest and trusting God for one another, we are at each others heels doing the job that is not meant for Christians to do. To sew seeds of doubt.

There are more important matters that genuinely bring change, and they are things like praying together and getting serious about reaching out to the world that is watching and wondering what on earth is the church up to again. It is in Church History, we love to ARGUE, that I am sad to say is something that never, seems to change. Argue, argue, argue...if we did suddenly one day agree about what needs to be done to reach out, I am positive that the world would fall over backwards in absolute shock, the devil would head for of in the opposite direction, for we would be doing the one thing he does not expect.

But, is it possible, can believers really lay down their doctrinal differences and let the petty things alone, the controversial stuff alone, and concentrate on what really matters.

What really matters. Think about it. What is the one thing that really, really matters ?

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Eric John Sawyer

Touching Jesus is all that matters,
Then our lives will never be the same.
There is only one way to touch Him,
Just believe when you call on His Name.

What really matters? God's glory. He is first in all and anything we do. It should be. Is what we are doing gloryfying God? If not, why do it? Does it please Him as in Col 1v10? Doctrinal differences have always been there and most likely will always exist. But that does not mean that we don't use what we DO have available to us, and reach the lost for God's glory and honour. God bless.

Thanks Nellie and Enid, Praise God.

In Him,
Aeryck

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Eric John Sawyer

I enjoy reading everyone's posts here, allow me to borrow these Scriptures to share with you:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (King James Version)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

mamaluk

Hi mamaluk,

Thanks sister, Ecclesiastes only recently exploded with relevance recently after listening to JP Morelands lecture on the Meaning of Life.

Your focus is most appreciated. Journey well, journey safe, this is the best and coolest place.

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Eric John Sawyer

Ha ha,

King Solomon rocks ! Got a ring to it.

I like this site so much that I think I'm going to need a laptop. So much to read and listen to, my goodness, the Lord is so good to me...

Thanks bro (brother)!

It is my pleasure. I have been greatly edified in my moments here. It is good to be back again. I have a lot of work to attend to though, so you shall probably notice me posting less and less and then becoming invisible.

In Christ,
Aeryck
:-P

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Eric John Sawyer

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Mike Balog

Re: What really matters
Wow...
Aeryck, your message brings tears to my eyes...
I've battled with this for years-"What is the one thing that really, really matters?"
I compare alot of things: like the church in the Book of Acts to today's church, etc, etc. I didn't fall in love with God and His word to begin with through some church or religious system - not that there's anything wrong with that! But, the gospel of Jesus Christ was presented to me when I was at the end of very dark, self-destructive path. God seemed to show me that rest at the very beginning - I delighted in it and entered into it. But in a short time I was deceived from choosing to believe that somehow I wasn't good enough to have a relationship with God(which I'm not), and for some reason(insecurity, if I can remember correctly)I started thinking that I had to prove my worth to my family and friends instead of just resting in the fact that God loves me just because that's who He is. So then I basically just stepped out of that rest due to unbelief, worry, and fear of man's opinion of me. Then I became somewhat of a legalist, then angry, then bitter...Now, I can look back and see where I forsook that rest and assurance which is only found in Christ. He was there through it all - God have mercy on my soul!
What matters to me? That rest, that promised land of rest brother. Knowing that I'm pleasing Him no matter who's against me. Pleasing Him no matter the cost because there's a power greater than myself that is within me that can turn the other cheek, overcome evil with good, love my enemies, etc, etc.
The Father wants to show Himself to His children, if His children will let Him. The world will look in awe at those who will love no matter the cost to themselves because they've died to self and to the opinions of others.
Oh the wicked man I used to be - always competing for love and attention....How deceived I was(I may still be in other areas of thought). He never forsook me, but I did Him. God is not a man that He should lie!
I also agree that we should examine ourselves, our thoughts, and our motives, confessing them to the Lord.
I hope I haven't been rambling too much...
God bless you Aeryck, your family, and your country.
Richie

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Richie