A question to Men of Faith

[Seagoon]

Hi Drediock,

If you really want an answer to your question.
I would suggest Seagoon.
Who as far as Im concerned is more or less the O'club chaplin

He can usually come up with some pretty good pearls of wizdom

Come to think of it
Where the hell is Seagoon anyway?

My apologies, Drediock, I don't really log on to the forums anymore, in fact I'm only here today because I was checking out the "new and improved" BB and caught this thread in a search.

To tell the truth I found in the end that I just didn't have time to Pastor, counsel, run two blogs (one theological and one for deployed troops) moderate a mailing list and keep up with the AH BB. I had to make the decision to concentrate on the things that were directly part of my calling (either as a pastor or a husband and father) and the people who were asking for help - which could easily consume 24hrs of every day - rather than wasting the time of people who are sure they don't need it (or who become incredibly hostile if it is offered). Then there was the issue of my temper, I found that the more I interacted online, the more volatile my temper became. There are some people who live for arguments and bitter conflict and who thrive upon it, I'm not one of them, and over time it begins to wear me down and lessen my patience, which is something I can't afford to lose, especially not when I do marriage counseling. In pastoral ministry in a fallen world, there will be more than enough conflict, argument, and trial without going looking for it online. Remember that Christ instructed the Apostles that there was a time when you should shake the dust from your sandals and move on (Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5), and when even Paul determined that further efforts amongst one group would be fruitless and counterproductive (Acts 18:6).

If there was a specific thread for questions and civil religious discussion, I'd probably contribute, and I will always answer questions or give what help I can when people contact me directly http://www.providencepca.com/contactus.html but other than that I'm sincerely sorry Dred, but I don't think the parameters exist here for me to be the informal chaplain although I sincerely appreciate your support and kind words. I do wish everyone here well though, and am quite serious about always being available to help anyone who wants it.

- SEAGOON

[Seagoon]

Hi Republic,

I thought it would be unfair to pop into your thread and not actually take a stab at answering the genuine question you've asked.

I'm 26, I've been a Christian for about 10 years now.  The older I get the more frustrating it can be to remain steadfast in the midst of the great multitude of Christians 'in name only' and the general trials of life.


Some of you gents who are older in the faith, what scripture do you lean on when all else fails?


For me it would be:

Proverbs 3:5-6:  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

I've been a Christian for roughly 15 years now myself, I was converted at the age of 23 out of paganism. The longer I spend as a pilgrim on the way to the Heaven, the more I have come to appreciate the fact that the normal Christian life is one of tribulation and difficulty and that it is in tribulation and not comfort that we learn our most important lessons. If I can put it this way, it is in the furnace of affliction that the dross melts away, and I learn to lean on Christ. Trial weans me away from love of the world, and makes me long for heaven, just as their time in slavery weaned Israel away from the love of Egypt and made them long for deliverance and the promised land. I have also learned the truth of Romans 8:28 that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." and that all things includes the things that hurt us and that we don't enjoy. Joseph would never have thought being sold into slavery by his own brothers could have worked out for his good, but it did, because the things they meant for evil, GOD meant for good (Gen. 50:20). Consider also that when we want to make good soldiers we don't send them for a few months of easy living at a Resort and Day Spa, we put them in situations of privation and hardship and make them depend on their training, what they have available, and each other. So to, in hardship, Christians learn to depend upon the means of grace that God has provided (prayer, preaching, the word of God, the sacraments), the fellowship of the saints and the bearing of one another's burdens, and most importantly to learn to trust and lean upon Christ their Savior. That is why in the midst of personal difficulty Paul was able to write:

"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:7-9)

It was through this trial or "thorn in the flesh" that he desperately wanted to be free of (physical infirmity probably) that Christ taught Paul to be humble and to lean not on his own strength, but to depend on Christ's grace and strength.

I suppose the scriptures that are most significant to me in this process are the previously cited Romans 8:28 and Psalm 43 and in particular verses 3-5:

"Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God."

I am reminded by the last verse in particular to continue to preach the gospel to myself, and instead of being tossed to and fro by the discontent of my heart, to remind myself of the truth and ask "Why are you Cast down?" in light of the good news and promises of God.

Hope this is of use to you,

SEAGOON

PS: I don't know if it will help, but here are three sermons I preached on the subject of trial and testing all are available in PDF and MP3 format

Suffering For Christ Brings Encouragement: http://www.sermonaudio.com/go/283
Shouldn't I Be Bitter?: http://www.sermonaudio.com/go/282
The Fiery Furnace: http://www.sermonaudio.com/go/281

[Masherbrum]

Hell most of the time I feel like GOD is beating me with the watermelon end of the stick and Jesus is holding me down saying "Don't get up."

I rely upon GODs sense of humor..how else do you explain the Giraffe?

Mac

I'm 50  almost halfway thru the whipping.

But some people are always there to push them away and hold out a hand for a friend.   

[AWMac]

But some people are always there to push them away and hold out a hand for a friend.   

Thanks Brother. Sometimes we all need somebody to lean on. You can call on me.   

Mac

[LEDPIG]

   It can be frustrating turning to and relying on religion, because i believe our supreme creator cannot be justified and totally summed up in the confines of a book and a limited perspective. We are all a part of that book and can look to each other for the learning and experiences we seek to gain in our quest for knowledge of ourselves, our creator, each other and the universe.

And we will seek and learn it was all the same thing. We are not seperate from our God, only seperate in our understanding and we will learn we were never far from his heart our his love from the beginning. We must seek apart to learn what we already knew in the beginning, to come to understand that place, and the true meaning of love and forgiveness and what it means to be whole. We will then be happy and can rest in the boosom of our creator for all of eternity, secure in the knowledge of our importance, our place, his place, and ours and his endearing love.

Our source is beyond the mere mortal comprehension of us men. Although we have the mental power to understand our creator. He cannot be understood from the comprehension of our mortal mind only the soul's mind for only the soul is true. So seek for truth not with finite eyes, open your mind past the possibilities of religion, without the fear of judgement. Be not afraid to do wrong for if you do wrong with the heart and mind of love and correction. It was never wrong in the beginning. Your creator will not judge you, only you and i will. And that has always been far harsher and the true crime since the beginning.

Seek your truth where you will, it will only lead us back to where we started, and that is where we have always been.....

[SirLoin]

Is it ok for an Athiest to chime in on this thread?(on what i think of scripture)..don't want to hyjack the topic.

[LEDPIG]

Is it ok for an Athiest to chime in on this thread?(on what i think of scripture)..don't want to hyjack the topic.

Go ahead Sirloin i'd like to hear what you think...

[AKIron]

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" -Job 13:15

Job suffered greatly, beyond what most of us can comprehend. Without faith that this life has a purpose beyond it's few years I couldn't go on.

[falcon23]

If alot of you could seperate out RELIGON from RELATIONSHIP with Jesus,you would all be alot better off,and would be drawn to delve into it deeper.Then again that only comes from God..
                                                                                   Kevin