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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : THEY ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY STAND AND WAIT

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HeartSong
Member



Joined: 2006/9/13
Posts: 3179


 Re:

pastorfrin,

When I am alone with Him, there is no problem. It is when I am with other people, or there are other people involved, that there is a sense of being pulled away from Him. Is the "If" an indication of a divided heart? That I am still trying to please man? The problem is more prevalent in conjunction with people that I have a past history. If I withdraw myself from them the problem goes away - but how do you have a relationship with others if you are withdrawn?

Oh, I think I see - all relationships must go through Him. Our relationship is with Him, and then through Him it extends to others - and in this manner the "if" is removed, or rather, the "if" is given over to Him. We all get our bearing from Him - it is a new way of relating - it is freedom from worrying about what others think - it releases us from the confusion and bondage of trying to please others. It is singular focus - that being Christ, and Christ alone.

It seems as if I already knew this at one time . . .

 2008/12/14 0:05Profile
pastorfrin
Member



Joined: 2006/1/19
Posts: 1406


 Re:

Quote:

HeartSong wrote:
pastorfrin,

When I am alone with Him, there is no problem. It is when I am with other people, or there are other people involved, that there is a sense of being pulled away from Him. Is the "If" an indication of a divided heart? That I am still trying to please man? The problem is more prevalent in conjunction with people that I have a past history. If I withdraw myself from them the problem goes away - but how do you have a relationship with others if you are withdrawn?

Oh, I think I see - all relationships must go through Him. Our relationship is with Him, and then through Him it extends to others - and in this manner the "if" is removed, or rather, the "if" is given over to Him. We all get our bearing from Him - it is a new way of relating - it is freedom from worrying about what others think - it releases us from the confusion and bondage of trying to please others. It is singular focus - that being Christ, and Christ alone.

It seems as if I already knew this at one time . . .




HeartSong,

Yes, but this must carry through to ‘all’ of my life, where my life becomes ‘His life’ lived through me.

Galatians 2:20
[b]“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:[/b] and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This is what I believe Alexander Maclaren is saying as he concludes this teaching.

“My dear friend! has death to you dwindled to a very little thing? Can you say that you are quite sure that it will not touch your truest self? Are you able to leave the alternative in His hands, content with His decision and content with the uncertainty that wraps His decision? Can you say,

‘Lord! It belongs not to my care,

Whether I die or live’?

The answer to these questions is involved in the answer to the other:—Have you trusted your sinful soul for salvation to Jesus Christ, and are you drawing from Him a life which bears fruit in glad service and in patient communion? Then it will not much matter whether you are in heaven or on earth, for in both places and states the essence of your life will be the same, your Companion one, and your work identical.

If it be ‘Christ’ for me to live it will be ‘gain’ for me to die.”

Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture

[b]"Are you able to leave the alternative in His hands, content with His decision and content with the uncertainty that wraps His decision?"[/b]

This is where it becomes "not I, but Christ liveth in me:"

In His Love
pastorfrin

 2008/12/14 13:35Profile
HeartSong
Member



Joined: 2006/9/13
Posts: 3179


 Re:

Thank you pastorfrin.

 2008/12/14 13:51Profile
Lor_E
Member



Joined: 2006/12/23
Posts: 248
Montana USA

 Re:

Quote:
Dear brethren! that is a blessed state that you and I may come to; a state of quiet submission, not of indifference but of acquiescence in the undisclosed will of our loving Christ about all matters, and about this alternative of life or death amongst the rest. The soul that has had communion with Jesus Christ amidst the imperfections here will be able to refer all the mysteries and problems of its future to Him with unshaken confidence.



[i]...and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me[/i]

I don't remember where I heard it, and I may not be quoting it verbatim, but:[i]
it is not a matter of running, but of resting;
not a matter of doing, but of trusting[/i]

Sometimes I wonder if we who live here in the flesh expect the flesh to become perfected, so that we can have a "perfect" relationship with Christ. Yet, here all this time the perfect Christ seeks to have a relationship with us so that He might perfect and complete us until the moment we see Him face to face.

With all the varient things we could hope to be perfected in: perfect health, perfect harmony, perfect peace, perfect obedience, perfect hearing... I think the most important is perfect trust, that basic foundation so easily ignored.

Trust is so simple to say, to speak, and yet a difficult lesson to learn...sometimes we act so surprised by God's faithfulness, like WOW look what God did for me- isn't that something!? Instead of saying, Isn't God something that He would take care for every detail of my life with such perfect love! (What I mean to say is that it is not just what He does, but who He is...)

It is the very thing that the enemy tripped me up in when I was but 12 years old. I had some terrible things happening that I felt no control over and when reading my Bible I read the verse [i]if God so cares for the sparrow, does He not much more care for you...[/i] I felt a pang in my heart as I heard a whisper, "does He so truly care for you, if He did would He allow this and this to happen to you?" Somehow I believed that lie and it took me on a spiral downward for many years. And when God in His great mercy scooped me up in His arms of grace and revealed to me His Son, even then it took several more years to come to the realization, the revelation of that seed of doubt planted so long ago.

But praise to God, He did reveal Himself to me! He tore out that weak, selfish, doubting, fearful weed that had grown in my heart for all those years, and I was absolutely crushed when I saw my doubt. I wept bitterly.

It was so simple a moment, so defining.

I not only live amidst the imperfections, I am still an imperfection :) but I know One who is perfect, who does everything for my good- my spiritual good, who can do more than I could even think to ask! And in Him I can rest that whatever happens to me, it will be only according to His will. He will give to me every breath that I have coming.

I am sorry for going on like this... thank you for your patience.

[i]Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever.
For He satisfieth the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness...
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands asunder...[/i] excerpts from Psalm 107

Thank you for the opportunity to be further reminded of such a wonderful God we have!

Hidden in Christ yet visible to all,
standing on the rock, but sometimes not without trembling...

Lori


_________________
Lori Salyer

 2008/12/15 7:53Profile
pastorfrin
Member



Joined: 2006/1/19
Posts: 1406


 Re: His perfect care

Quote:

JoanM wrote:
There are [u]many[/u] beautiful truths in here. Just one is:

“Peter is shut up in prison and delivered once, at the very last moment, when hope was almost dead, in order that he might understand that when he was put into another prison and not delivered, the blow of martyrdom fell upon him, not because of the strength of his persecutors, but because of the will of his Lord.”

Many years ago, after nearly a year of unsuccessful treatment for a painful condition (great prayer corporate and individual) I surrendered to the course of surgery. Before the surgery was scheduled, on a Sunday, I happened to show one of the doctors in my fellowship and the pastor the continuing condition and told them of my decision. We (the choir) sang a song about the Divine Love in the Blood that was shed and I was overwhelmed by God’s Love for the congregation I saw before me. After church, as I opened my car door I saw that I was healed. I had known the joy of healing before. This was different. I was filled with the peaceful confidence that when I die it will be for no other reason than because of the will of my Beloved Lord. Did you learn something of this?



Re: His perfect care

Hi Sister JoanM,

I’m very sorry to have somehow missed your post, please forgive me it was not intentional; I’m still a bit in the fog.

To answer your question I would say yes, definitely so.

Alexander Maclaren states it very well when he says

“Lord! It belongs not to my care,

Whether I die or Live.”

And “If it be ‘Christ’ for me to live it will be ‘gain’ for me to die.”

If our lives have been given over to Jesus Christ, how can we look at it any other way?

When I was so very, very ill and unaware of where or who I was so much of the time, my only memorable prayer was, “Lord, don’t let me slip from your hands.” With this I found complete assurance and rest. Not rather I lived or died, but that I was secure in Him.

In His Love
pastorfrin

 2008/12/19 20:48Profile
pastorfrin
Member



Joined: 2006/1/19
Posts: 1406


 Re:

Quote:

HeartSong wrote:
Thank you pastorfrin.



You are most welcome, thank you for the discussion.

 2008/12/21 13:05Profile
pastorfrin
Member



Joined: 2006/1/19
Posts: 1406


 Re:

Quote:
Sometimes I wonder if we who live here in the flesh expect the flesh to become perfected, so that we can have a "perfect" relationship with Christ. Yet, here all this time the perfect Christ seeks to have a relationship with us so that He might perfect and complete us until the moment we see Him face to face.

Quote:
With all the varient things we could hope to be perfected in: perfect health, perfect harmony, perfect peace, perfect obedience, perfect hearing... I think the most important is perfect trust, that basic foundation so easily ignored.

Quote:
Trust is so simple to say, to speak, and yet a difficult lesson to learn...sometimes we act so surprised by God's faithfulness, like WOW look what God did for me- isn't that something!? Instead of saying, Isn't God something that He would take care for every detail of my life with such perfect love! (What I mean to say is that it is not just what He does, but who He is...)

Quote:
Thank you for the opportunity to be further reminded of such a wonderful God we have!



Hi Lori,

It is wonderful to experience the truth that Jesus is living in us just as His word says He will; oh what joy!

Thank you Lori for helping to remind all "of such a wonderful God we have!"

 2008/12/21 13:47Profile









 Re:

Lori - this one line of yours ....

"(What I mean to say is that it is not just what He does, but who He is...)"

Bless GOD. It's all about Who He is.

When we pray - that He'll strip us of all But Himself - we find that it's All and Only about "WHO" HE IS.
Praise GOD - thank you!

 2009/1/1 13:52
pastorfrin
Member



Joined: 2006/1/19
Posts: 1406


 Re:

Quote:

Jesus-is-GOD wrote:
Lori - this one line of yours ....

"(What I mean to say is that it is not just what He does, but who He is...)"

Bless GOD. It's all about Who He is.

When we pray - that He'll strip us of all But Himself - we find that it's All and Only about "WHO" HE IS.
Praise GOD - thank you!




Isaiah 44:24
Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 45:5-6
I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: [6] That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:18
For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:22
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Isaiah 46:4
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.


Rev. 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Rev. 22:16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.



 2009/1/2 13:50Profile
Lor_E
Member



Joined: 2006/12/23
Posts: 248
Montana USA

 Re:

[i]And of His fullness have all we received and grace for grace.[/i]


_________________
Lori Salyer

 2009/1/3 14:55Profile





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