Chargriller

Disclaimer: The purpose I am posting these questions are to try and stimulate or provoke heart, soul, responses or communication that may result in getting us to ponder His will for us as we go about our daily business. I would like these questions to cause Glory be given to the one true God. I would hope this will help some to put tools in their bag that would help construct their daily walk. In other words I hope to stimulate thought into areas that may not necessarily be stimulated.

Question #1:
Myself, playing the part of an unbeliever” (unsaved sinner) If I were your neighbor, schoolmate, business associate, team-mate, friend or spouse. And I asked you in confidence one day…. “If you have learned to love the Lord ( saved sinner) according to “His word” as you now claim to … how do you act or behave differently now… than you did before that happened?” And can you tell if it shows outwardly or physically by your daily actions? Has your perspective changed? Can you find Holy scripture(s) that affirms or helps define your conclusion?

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Clay
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Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift Jesus Christ; the only begotten Son of God, is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

Boanerges

Everything I do is different than before as I have been given a new spirit at rebirth:
Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

I am a new creature created to glorify God, as I walk with Him I am filled with His Spirit and the things of that fleshly old self hold no sway:

Gal 5:16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Chargriller

Gosh Mr. “B” , I’m almost getting goose bumps as I read your response. You posted this while I was writting my response in "Microsoft Word" and then pasting it in. I wonder how many others feel the same.

Yes for me as my life in Christ has grown….my worldly attachments are seeming to distance themselves further and further from me. By worldly attachments I mean neighbors, friends, relatives, business associates that I frequently socialized with in my pre-saved days have either distanced themselves or as frequently happens I am the one to put distance between myself and them. Neither side being rude or impolite….we just seem to drift away.

I found an insatiable craving for the fellowship of others that proclaimed their love for God as loudly as I. I found myself no longer wanting to engage in “manly rites such as course jokes, drinking, chewing Copenhagen snuff (yes you read right) , and having my fun at the expense of others.

This meant for going ritual hunting or fishing trips with the friends of old. I had to over time chose carefully who I wanted to go trail riding and horse camping with.

The most agonizing reality was that the closer I got to God the more obvious it became to me how much more of a sinner I really was. Things I did and thoughts I used to think that I never felt any thing was wrong with….were now as foreign and repulsive to me as I could imagine.

I was ashamed of myself in a way I had never considered. For some reason all my unbelieving life I felt I had been a “good person”. What a joke. Then I knew that I wasn’t the one changing…I hadn’t done a thing….the more I wanted to know about my God , the more undeserving I felt.

Good gracious I thought what could be happening. Here I am doing my (pathetic) best to get to know Him better…. the more it dawns on me that I shouldn’t even be allowed or deserve such a relationship with a force I didn’t understand that was so pure…so Holy that sin wasn’t even allowed to approach.

Then one morning in my quite time I realized (mini revelation) that this was the part in Galatians that told me I had died or been crucified in Christ…I was dead (to the world) but alive through Christ. That was a mile marker for me. I could go on…I just feel compelled to share my thoughts as they relate to my Sovereign Creator.

Tacky part is …yes I’m still a sinner…but now I’m a saved sinner who is changing through the Holy Spirit. It’s wonderful when you know and can feel Him working in you! My change is evidenced or can be seen by those around me by the friends and family I associate closely with. By good works that are produced in me by the Holy Spirit and not of my own volition. And even though I feel even more the sinner than before; the desire to cling closely with Abba my Father is stronger than ever.

I find time to seek out my church family more and more. I never had a church family before. I find myself wondering how to reach out to others and try to share the JOY I have been privileged to discover.

Summary: Before as unsaved sinner I felt that I was a pretty good person. I hadn’t murdered, or been unfaithful, or robbed a bank or anything. Now that I’m a saved sinner I have to smile when I read Paul state that he is chief among sinners….cause Paul didn’t know me.


A few of the Scriptures that helped me to affirm or guide my thought process. Or made me to feel I was being led by the Spirit.
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Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Eze 11:20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
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Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: 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.
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Gal 5:16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
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Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:12-14 NIV
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And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."

Luke 18:29,30 NASB
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So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. God's terrible anger will come upon those who do such things. You used to do them when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

Colossians 3:5-8 NLT
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Clay
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Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift Jesus Christ; the only begotten Son of God, is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

SweetSurrender

Thanx for bringing this up, Chargriller.

Fact of the matter is that this subject was what led me into Mormonism. I watched people at work who professed to be Christian and spoke about all the good things going on at their "great church," but then went out to get drunk on Friday nights. I know because I'd see them there. Most of the younger girls were living with their boyfriends. An older lady, who I thought for sure must be a Christian, was a horrible gossiper and spoke mean words about others.

But, then I noticed that the person I worked closely with was always reading her little black Holy Bible and was so kind and gentle, never talking against anyone. We began talking and I asked her why she always read her Bible. She told me she was Mormon and I started asking questions. "This must be the truth," the true church, I thought. And I was the happiest person for two years because I'd found an excitement and was sure it would last.

Well, it didn't last. I became discouraged when I just couldn't believe in Joseph Smith and that he was a true prophet. A few months after I quit going to church, I ran across this forum. This is where, for the first time, I ran into some truely good examples of pure Christianity. Again, I got excited about reading the Bible and I've come to trust in the real Jesus and I'm so glad to share this testimony. I testify that Jesus is the only true prophet and I believe that all the true body of Christ can be trusted to lean on and follow and grow. In Jesus name, amen.

Why is it so hard for some "Christians" to understand that others are watching them closely and long to see Christ in them? And why did I have to see it in the life of someone who didn't even believe in the same Christ of the Holy Bible instead? Would it be wrong of me to share with these other "Christians" how I feel and ask them why they are like they are?

freedom07

Amen Honeybare! There is a lot of deception among many "Christians" today, but much of it may due with their church leader who is leading them. Instead of leading them down the path of Yeshua (Jesus) they are being led down the path of Man. God's Word is being taught from the pulpit as a pick and choose lesson, whatever makes them feel good and keeps them coming back is good finacially,("people pleasing"). Do not tell them they are sinners, just let them know as long as they believe in Jesus Christ there lives will be filled with joy and happiness. So now these same "Sinners", "Christians" leave their church not having a clue what Jesus is about go among the world thinking they have all the answers when in fact they are of the world and blind of the True Living God.
If we are going to claim to profess yeshua (Jesus Christ) we must learn to show we possess Him also.
Sorry, I got carried away. There just seems to be to many lost souls out there who think they are saved, but they are being cheated.

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Romans 6:4
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Boanerges

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Love is the command of our Lord and the very essence of who He really is. If we want to be His disciples then we must learn to love the unlovely. Jesus went to the downcast, the leper and the harlot can we do no less? If we cannot express love to struggling, hurt and wounded people are we reflecting Him at all? Selah.

Chargriller

There is only agreement from everybody on the forum regarding those verses Bo. And I thank God for having you point them out. My succinct point I am trying to pull out is…. on a personal level how do you as a Christian (possessor vs. professor) carry out those scriptures in a way now and every day that you didn’t do when you were an unsaved sinner.

Physical evidence of Holy Spiritual rebirth? Manifested in a way now that was far from you before? This isn’t directed at any person directly…I’m trying to get my fellow brothers and sisters to put into words (as witnesses) how they manifest their Spiritual rebirth into worldly evidence so that those the Holy Spirit may be calling may see Christ manifested in the actions of others. What an encouragement!!

Though these forums are wonderful were all in a sense…preaching to the choir. For the few (out of billions) lost that find this Christian forum out of probably millions…. what would make this one different than all the others if we all just re-quote the Holy Bible scriptures but fail to show what crucifying the old man and being born again in Spirit (resurrected) means in a day to day to hour to hour to week to week to year to year?

To me it screams out….. Here is the instruction book with all the directions ….but I need someone willing to show me how to put it together. Please Lord give me a Daily tool that doesn’t just talk about it…but says here is an earthly sinful example…this probably sounds like rambling. I’m not an educated man. I know there are people on this forum with college degrees, (BA, PhD’s and all other letters) that could embarrass me in a heart beat trying to struggle putting into words the concept that’s in my heart.

We have all heard the term “Professors of faith vs. Possessors of faith. I am searching for a methodology that will let the unbeliever have the scales fall from their eyes and the veil lifted from his face. I want my self and others to have the privilege of perhaps being that “Tool”!

We should be able to show how “The rubber meets the road”. Not just quote the Driver Manuel and then your on your own. Instead look here sit down and fasten your seat belt. place your hands on the wheel at the ten and two position and so on and so on.

Just for the record I know that the above isn’t the only purpose of a Christian Forum. I vision this place as a manifold like on an exhaust on a car with many branches all coming off the main body of the manifold. Each branch peculiar to it’s self but yet rooted in the original Grace as it’s source. O’ my God I love You so!

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Clay
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Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift Jesus Christ; the only begotten Son of God, is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

Rumely

I Cor. 11:1 "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."

This is the struggle in my own life, to have a walk consistent with my testimony. I want to demonstrate God's truth in my life, as well as testify to it. It's easy to argue ideas, hard to refute a living example.

Chargriller

Short but well said as it highlights that there is plenty of information as to how we as Christians are to respond to the word but where are the examples? Do you see them all around you in all the folks that claim Christianity but you wouldn't know it unless they outright told you?

God bless those that have shared your testimony with me via PM. I totally understand......but. To me this Forum and the others like it....aren't just put here for a place to come to the Living Spring of Living Waters and fill my empty pail.

It should also be the place where I come to tip the pail I have recieved eleswhere to spill and share with those that do come here panting and thirsty.

And yes there are going to be those that reflect those things we may find have a negative aspect or seem to to not mix well with our concept of how and what should transpire here.

But I submit we should be overcomers not by confronting those things directly. But by emphasizing either our need or direction we may be seeking...drinking in if you will or sharing a recent blessing we may feel is from the Holy Ghost. Tipping our pail and spilling waters dipped from the Living Waters so others who are thirsty may share in our blessing.

To hold back such blessings to me would be akin to my Master giving me a shekle and going away for awhile and coming back to see if I made the shekle grow or did I just sit on it for safe keeping? Gee theres a story here...You think?

Thank you all for sharing and tipping your pail and spilling some Living Water to my dry and parched lips. So many of you will never know how you helped "Quicken" my heart with your sharing.I hope this has awakened or maybe caused you to meditate and look inward to evaluate in some way your own personal relationship with the Great " I Am".

Remember this if you don't remember anything else...God is Good...And His love endures forever Amen!

Thank you to all those that tried to bless me by PMing links to additional heartfelt blessings. However this guy is still on dial up and it takes forever to download some of these items. Plus my sweet "Rosie" can't get on the phone if I'm tying up the computer. Poor folks have poor ways!

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Clay
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Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift Jesus Christ; the only begotten Son of God, is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

Fluffy

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Be transparent before God, He sees right thru you, anyway!
http://www.likepreciousfaith.org/testimony_val.htm
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