"To err is human", so said a wise phylosopher. If we as christians follow after the flesh, we err. Flesh has a tendency to want to reduce God and His Majesty down to an understandable level. When we have discussions here in these forums, we all want to share and know more of Him, and understand His Word as much as possible. However, just because we do not understand something, that does not mean we have to disagree with it, providing God's Word says it is so. We also need to keep in mind that the Word of God says to let everything be established by the testimony of two or more witnesses. This holds true for scripture as well.
There are verses in the bible that are not easy to understand. That does not invalidate it's witness. But if there are not other supportive scriptures, then we really must be careful with assumptions made based on our own understanding.
Of course most bible readers know the proverb in Chapter 3 that warns us not to lean on our own understanding....rather, we trust in God. In God we trust is a testimony on our money. Do you trust God? Is He a fair weather God only? Or is He God in the storms and trials too?
The bible says that His ways are above our ways. He once told me, "Lahry, your wildest imagination is far short of the least of my ability". That is confirmed by the testimony of the Word, "with God all things are possible". Yet too often, we tend to judge the feasability of something by our own perception of it's possiblity. This may short circuit our blessings, beloved. Let God be God.
I guess I said all that to say this. Let us continue the work of the Spirit here in peace, truth, and love. Let us encourage one another not to lose heart. Let us all pray that more rhema is given with passion and revelation, that we may all be edified and encouraged. I love this place, the maturity and stability of all the writers. God bless you. Let us not get caught up in vain disputes and idle words. We never know whom God may send here to read what we write. Therefore, we write not only for discussion, but for instruction and edification. It is a responsibility I would never want to attempt if I was shooting from the hip and not speaking the truth in love. Oh God knows I've erred in the past. I've preached messages that had parts I'd like to withdraw. Sigh. Forgive me Lord.
I did not write this because I want to discourage contribution here. Oh no, no, no. I love all the contribution. I just know, rather God knows we have a huge blessing in progress here. It is a feast that I do not want to see spoiled. I believe in my heart that God is in it's midst. He takes delight in what we do, as long as we are careful to give Him all the glory, honor, and praise, in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.

Dear Lahry

Thank you for this post… I really needed to hear this, and it is the first blessing God has sent me on this His morning. I don’t know what kind of an image I have here on SI but on my end, brothers and sisters I want to help and be helped, maybe I need more of the latter. This forum has really changed my opinion about many misconceptions I had, but I hope my learning is not at the expense of the peace of others. I do believe God is doing something unprecedented here on SI if we will all bear with each other. I pray the Lord will continue to bless this fellowship and allow us to learn something about His body, the church, which is God blessed forever. Amen.

James

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James Gabriel Gondai Dziya

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Aaron Ireland

Wow ... Amen brother Lahry ... amen ...

Brother Lahry...The Lord Bless You. You have encouraged me so much. I admit I was hurt by somethings I had read, and discerned, and maybe I lashed out. My apologies to the readers. Forgive me God, cleanser me once more with your blood, and wash me with your word (Ezk). Never the less I always find myself coming back... to this site. You mentioned Proverbs 3 and how it says not to lean on our own understand. I don't understand alot of things, but I do trust him.
I am hungry -- hungry to learn his ways. I've served God for many, many years. Now, I realize that I don't know anything. I have failed/prefailure. I am not discouraged, but encouraged and especially as I read/read everyone's replys. I too am in school with you all.

You mentioned trust/money I agree. I don't have any money, yet! I don't think of myself as being poor, maybe I am and I don't see it. If I don't see it, it's because I feel rich, rich in him, rich in God.

Life has a way of being at times like a Sport, let's say baseball, now I speak not from experience in the sport, but life or death in trials and tribulations, if I may. In baseball you are thrown fast balls, and curve balls, if you don't hit the ball the first time, STRIKE -- if you don't hit the ball the second time, STRIKE -- if you don't hit the ball the third time, STRIKE your out and so you loose your turn or you had your turn and now it's someone else. What the Lord has just spoken to me, is that yes, you may have had some strikes but you are not out of the... Please do not say that with too many strikes, you are then traded.

In saying this what I am trying to say, is that trust, trust in the Lord with your money, and with everything that should arise to test your faith. Life has a way of throwing certain curve balls, fawl ball, and fast balls but God word says he will never leave you nor forsake you. When one door closes another one is open, he is faithful in all of his ways, he is faithful. I trust him, he has been faithful to me and my son through every trial, every circustance, every situation...Let's trust in the Lord and not lean on my own understanding. Amen

God Bless You, and once again forgive me I am not perfect, and I am not as strong as I perceive to be, his strength! I hope that this has encouraged someone.

And if someone can resay, what I just tried to say, in a more spiritual way, please do so thank you and i appreciate it.

Sincerely,
MeekFlower

Dear Brother Lahry

Thank you for a well written piece of honesty. It is always needed, and several others have written such messages that are just as wonderful. We need these every once in awhile so we can stop what we are doing in the forums, alas we tend to forget our purpose here is to encourage, uplift, any rebuking or heated disputes should be done via email or PM.

I too love this website, it is a community that starts the first thing I get off work, or sometimes it's an all day affair.

A resounding Amen to your post, let us all heed to Lahry's advice.

Karl

Thank you for this post it is a blessing reading it, and also very usefull to share with others.
I hope you don't mind me paste copying it, and print it out to share it to my home group.

God bless

Dear all,
Oh the sweetness of your spirits. Thanks be to God. In this they will know you are His disciples in that you love one another. Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes...yes Lord.
I didn't set out to write anything. I didn't wake up with it on my mind. I just sat down and it began to come and I just wrote what came by. I'm glad you all received it so lovingly. God bless you.

In Him,

Lahry

My thanks as well Lahry,

Have found myself in a very difficult and deserted place recently. Hard to understand, harder to express. Hardly feel compelled to say anything whatsoever.

Not many weeks ago all the same circumstances were being underwhelmed by a sense of the Lords Presence, not overt, not 'feelings', just the still small sense, perspective, peace...

Now... zip, nothing, nada. Silence, anguish..Isahia and David, can relate wholeheartedly. None of this matters in any way towards any particular thing or circumstance even if there are many to Greive over. It is the Lords will as there is nothing I can attribute it to specifically even if rationally there are many generally.

So all that is a preface to where this soul is presently at and not even sure why the want of comment here. Being that this was brought under the heading of 'Danger' do think there are those lurking in subtle unnoticed ways. Not to far back there were many contentions and controversial topics, snipping and bitting, it seems to have subsided thankfully. But a different aspect is noticeable in that a wonder towards a fast clip at which things get posted. At this writing, the front page is full of items from the "Lounge", minus one. That in itself isn't particularly out of place, just a wonder that so many other areas get pushed aside in a hurry to feed in the next topic.

The whole prophetic thing I must say usually brings up a defensive posture in the sense of pronouncements of what the next move of God may be. Just being honest here, I am very warily of most of this kind of talk, there is much that lends itself to self-appointed forth-telling that is in itself dangerous. That is not a dig at anyone just an urge to caution, there have been many a ministry that has become caught up in it's own 'prophetic' thinking that has gone off the rails and started leading many astray. Even the most recent here had a good sound to it, but wonder if that is less a case of prophecy (as it is interpreted to mean) than just a discernment of what is more or less obvious for brethren that are seeking the Lord. Reading back into the text's can 'make sense' of things but the murmurings in our heads ought to be guarded with diligence, even when they make 'sense' to us.

...[i][b]for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy[/b][/i]

Perhaps what this plea is, is toward patience and plundering the depths here from the messages and the other areas of the forum. Prayer, scripture especially, but also the minds of Christ that have gone before us who have much to say to us all, much we can learn from and share from and often it takes some time to chew on things and read through them.

Not sour grapes or to throw cold water on anyone, just a notice of some things, [i]being sober-minded[/i] comes to light. Sometimes the Lord wills us to suffer in different ways without any reason that we may be aware of and at points I could wish to wish it away, there is nothing worse than to lose that sense of abiding, of being alone, though still knowing that you are not alone.
Though he slay me yet will I worship Him.

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Mike Balog