Christianity Oasis Forum

[comfy]

Ok, I took the test and got 71-80%, but there were items that did not give the answer that would have been most accurate, representative, or I would think the most honest for me. So, I did what I could, prayed, bluffed . . . accurate choices likely would have had my score lower.

I'm at step two, I think, about who I am . . .

http://christianityoasis.com/ManyCalled ... tepTwo.htm

in case I can't mark this as favorite on my technically challenged computer

"the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit"
(in Ecclesiastes 7:8)
This is good to feed on (o: all the time > no status about this, it's just good.
Being called and chosen is not about status, but good.

optimism . . . that you put your trust in the LORD

not about fame and reputation, nor about being mighty and wise

ask, instead of trying to control and set up security

[lizzie]

aww comferelli my brother

Im so excited for u

Lets see where this takes u

Being called and chosen is not about status, but good
not about fame and reputation, nor about being mighty and wise

Praise the Lord

[mlg]

wooohoo comfy I'm so delighted to see you beggining the Many Called study. This is such a wonderful study to find out what God expects out of you in His ministry....Each soul has a different place, and each soul is called differently...one thing that is so important is to remain humble when seeking God's will for you in His call...this will allow you to fully hear Him and become exactly what He wants you to be.

I'm excited to walk this journey with you comfy.

May God Bless you on this new path.

luv ya

[comfy]

Step three . . . the world . . . there is the "attention war" > how TV may not have what is obviously wrong, but it is seducing our *attention* away from God and from waiting on Him for His personal sharing and moment-by-moment guiding. We need to invest in this, rather than escaping to TV and trying to get an emotional fix by getting our . . . attention . . . away from things and people and problems of our lives. Rather . . . we need our attention to go to God, instead, then see if and where *You* please to take our attention.

"No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:4) I need to not allow people and things to get me and my attention tangled with them.

Now, this program has two sections > one about weeds and seeds, and the other about renewing my mind >

There are two basics > get out the weeds, and be renewed with what is right, instead. It is not enough to guilt-trip ourselves about how we are wrong and have failed. You, God, want us to give ourselves to You, so You change us to how we need to be with You, instead . . . and not only for ourselves, but seeking first to be pleasing to You > rather than first just being concerned about myself, I understand > this is a new one for me. I have been pretty concerned just about myself and getting attention for my ministry . . . not really about seeking first to please You and personally share with You.

So, only You can change me to how You really know You want me - - an adventure for me to discover . . . for *us* to discover, better than what we can understand and expect, now.

[comfy]

The "SEEDS AND WEEDS" part >

Ok - - so, our minds are kind of like a garden. There are thoughts that are seeds. We need to make sure of which thoughts should be growing something in our minds and witch ones must be gotten rid of as fast as possible, the way only God can get rid of them.

In my case, the weed seed stuff is basically immoral pleasure-liking stuff and paranoid criticizing and imagining how I can straighten out people with my smart words and control people with my words.

But I have just gotten how God can straigthen people out better than I can (o: And I need to be caring about people, instead, and praying blessing to them how God has me do this.

When I wake up, there can be things that demand my attention away from God. I need to wait while God clears me of this stuff.

And I was watching TV for hours a day. Then I got in relating with a lady on the Net. This was more interesting (o: It got me away from TV. I realized how even if I was not with her on Net or the phone, still I needed to be devoting to prayer and meditation about our love relationship; so I could not be going to TV and how it would deaden me from love and being prayerful and sensitive to the LORD about our relationship. So > being involved with real people was more interesting and certainly more challenging than TV. And when she dumped me, still I knew I needed to keep with being interested in people, and trust God to have me involved with people.

But this means trusting You to get us with whoever You want . . . not for what we are looking for, but in order to discover *Your* reason . . . with each person.

[mlg]

Hey comfy I like how you say that God can straighten people out better than you can. I too have found this out along the way. I really enjoy reaching out to others, but there are times that I want to just see them fixed, when in reality they can't be just fixed, they are being made new creatures in Christ and that takes a lifetime.

As for the weeds and seeds, you have the idea on that. Weeds cloud the calling up so much and can lead us off the path of what God wants us to do. Planting seeds is what we are asked to do. We just have to be careful that we don't overstep that boundary of planting to trying to be the harvester. That's when things can turn into a mess. God is the only one who Harvests the crop. We just plant.

Your doing great so far comfy.

luv ya

[Tam]

Keep pressing comfy.....you can do it.....you will make it.
Proud of you
Love ya
Tam

[comfy]

Ok (o: let's go to "RENEW YOUR MIND", and not for me to have the attitude that I know it all, already.

We need to renew our minds so we are
. . . . "able to overcome the world within us,"
it says, in this renewing our mind lesson. And yes it does say, in the Bible >
"Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

And *in* us is where we mainly need to have what makes us able to not be overcome by the evil in this world. So . . . renewing our minds . . . the way God means this, is going to be very important.

And we have, "Let this mind be in you which
. . . . . was also in Christ Jesus,"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Philippians 2:5)

So, this renewing of our minds is not just about how we can self-help ourselves to do better in our own minds. But we need a mind transplant, so the Spirit of Jesus' own mind is in us. Not only how He thinks, but how His mind *is*. So, just copying His words in our thinking is not enough > the *spirit* needs to be in me, too > as it does say, "and be renewed in the spirit of your mind," (Ephesians 4:23)

So, I need a full mind transplant, not just a change of thoughts. So, this is personal . . . a changing to the Person of Jesus becoming my mind.

So, for our mental things, there is the *spiritual* depth > the spirit of your mind, and therefore not just organic and medical stuff at the physical level. So, I can see that in dealing with mental problems, ones need how Jesus can make their minds sound. So, in dealing with my own mental problems and with those of other people, I submit to God for however You would correct and cure us in our minds and emotions. Emotions have motives, I would say; so they are from our hearts which are spiritual. And spiritual beings have emotions. God has feelings and emotions of love; but the devil and his spirit (Ephesians 2:2) has emotions witch are cruel and nasty and angry and dominating and driving and dictatorial and depressing and raging, etc.

And we humans include our spiritual level where we can share with God in His love with His emotions and feelings, and Jesus says He is

"gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:29) So, the emotions of Jesus are gentle and lowly, not driving and dominating and dictatorial like Satan who is dictatorial and how we with him can be dictatorial in our selfish trying to use people and things for pleasure. Instead, we need to not be lording ourselves over others > "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

So . . . I can understand that renewing the mind certainly needs to involve spiritual warfare (James 4:7), and *spiritual* curing by God's love so we get into how God's love has us relating with Him and each other and knowing how to deal with this evil world and its people who need how we can help them if we understand their real problem that is deeper than organic and medical.

And we are told to be of the same mind with each other. This comes with us all being how Jesus is in our minds . . . not just trying to clone each other to agree with our own ideas We need to get with God, first, so *You*, LORD, make us how You want us and this will be the same as others who submit for this

I have something to do; so I plan to continue this, later . . . You pleasing . . .

http://www.christianityoasis.com/Keywor ... urMind.htm

[mlg]

Comfy renewing of our minds is a daily thing. We have to get up and allow our thoughts to be those that are Christ focused and Christ driven. Not an easy task if we wake up startled by something. But learning to not let the emotions control us, but by the Spirit of the Lord in our mind, then we've definitely found the right way to renew our minds.

Looking forward to hearing the rest of your posting on this step.

luvya

[Dora]

Aw Comfy I love your openess and truthfulness.

And I'm not the only one that can't get through a study all in one sitting.

love ya.

[comfy]

We have to get up and allow our thoughts to be those that are Christ focused and Christ driven. Not an easy task if we wake up startled by something.

Very good, mlg . . . when I start the day, it does me good not to do or think anything that I commit to, until God first has me in His peace and then I'm going with how He takes me along (Colossians 3:15) I might, though, be busy with nonsense in my head
for h u r s before I find I have been rescued and restored by the LORD.

But learning to not let the emotions control us, but by the Spirit of the Lord in our mind, then we've definitely found the right way to renew our minds.

And Jesus is "gentle and lowly in heart", He says in Matthew 11:29; so the emotions of Jesus-love will be gentle and lowly, I would say Thank you, mlg > now about the rest of our "RENEW YOUR MIND" lesson >

There is an e-card cartoon with a few eggs that open and out come three little chickies. I think of how in the morning, I can start right off with thoughts about yesterday's issues and problems with people, responsibilities, desires, and plans I might have for the day. These can shut me in like a shell. I need to hatch out of all this stuff and the stale air of being shut in with all this > I need the brokenness of the shell of yesterday's things coming back to shut me in. And break out into the fresh air of God's love and discovering and enjoying the other little chickies who will be there for me And once I am in the peace of God ruling me, instead, enjoy discovering what God wants to do with me, that will be better than I would have thought and planned . . . with His surprises > our Father loves to surprise His kiddos

Our lesson says how ones just starting as Christians might expect that they
"will suddenly be enlightened to many facets of Christianity" >
but I started off with a lot of insights, at a certain point; but with growing in love . . . indeed, a child needs to grow and develop in order to just realize what are certain things the child needs to learn. All that miraculous insight and knowledge could not tell me what comes with growing in God's love. Learning how to love > there is more than words can tell. It comes with being renewed deeper than words > "in the spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:23). And this comes with my brothers and sisters who are members of me; so I can not get right in real love, without my others who help me. Because we all "are members of one another" (Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:25); so I need and appreciate your encouragement and prayer support and your example of how you love feeding and challenging me to do better.

In the lesson > "if you don't put anything into it ... You're not going to get much out."
I think of how it has done me good to stay with Christians I know, rather than spot something wrong and get away from them. I have needed to get past the criticizing and expecting how I could paranoidly misunderstand people, and stay with them so I could get rubbed the wrong way and learn to love.

"you can't sit down and eat one big meal to nourish you for your entire life" > every day, I need to keep investing in learning how to love. To find out how to love > this is the only challenge that can keep us alive, spiritually. And there are things I have to eat, every day > getting rid of all that stuff of yesterday's issues and criticizing people and thinking I can straighten people out, and forgiving, and submitting to God for how You correct me and then have me personally sharing with You and discovering what You please to do with me.
And *when* I fail in this, simply confess this to You, and keep trusting You to have me do better > and keep confessing and trusting and confessing and trusting . . . and do this for others, also over and over and over again

[Dora]

Morning Comfy.
I liked what you said about staying with people as they learn even though you see their downfalls.

If we don't stick with them, we won't get to see them growing. Sometimes their growth is so slow. We get discouraged. But it's all in Gods timing, not ours. Lest we try to quickly and cause more harm than good.

I've been on the end where people try to force me to grow when I'm not ready and so they get discouraged and leave. Years later they realize I'm not the person they knew. How did that happen? They deemed me as bad soil. I possably couldn't have learned and grown. We can plant a seed, but it's God who causes it to grow, in his time, in his way. We can hang around and love the person till he begins to grow that seed and enjoy watching the fruits or we can bail on the person and not be apart of watching the seed grow in them. I've been on both sides of that as well. Just because we see an area that needs work in another doesn't mean we need to jump in and try to get them to fix it. Pray first and wait for the word. Allow God to prepare the soil so it receives what we have for it. This could be the first time you meet someone, or we could be asked to wait. Other wise we are going around pointing out the faults in others and cramming food down their throat. It's all about his time and his way. Like in a marriage. If my spouse came to me and told me everything he sees wrong in me, I'd be crushed and feel to broken to move forward. The things I was working on would be hindered as I'd be discouraged. Yet a gentle, kind word when the time is right can set me on the right path and give me a boost to overcome this error.

Our love is always increasing. I think we'll never know the fullness of love until we enter heaven. It's just to great. So we keep on, seeking, and learning.

GBU comfy
luv ya