Christianity Oasis Forum

[mlg]

Skrubby...Don't ya just love the Holy Spirit? He teaches us what to say when we need it...and what not to say as well

I hope that the Lord opened this door today for you to talk to these people as a way to bring Him glory. Praying for them and you...may His will be done in this situation.

luv ya

[deetu]

God knows that's been something that has been weighing heavy on your heart. You also know the cause now.
In case you didn't realize it, forgive Amber for her part and then ask God to bless her, heal her hurts so she can become a more loving and forgiving person. Once you pray for her, God can start to help her, which will then help the band.
Some of us have to stop wishing ill of a person who hurt us. Once we start forgiving and blessing, the hurting part doesn't come in anymore. It's amazing.

[mlg]

skrubby see ya tomorrow

luv ya

[vahn]

I don't quite remember how many times I read and re-read the studies when I was first going through them , and not find myself "losing" my train of thought from one paragraph to the other , whatever I had in mind to respond to in the first or second paragraph , by the time I'd get to the end of the study and try to post my experience with it , it seemed like my keyboard just simply vanishes into thin air , so I had to go back and read it again , with a different "strategy" (to retain memory ?) and that varied from making notations to double splitting my screen having both pages in front me . Did it work ? To a certain extent , at least at the time of the writing , so I thought . But whenever I tried to follow the notations , even my own notations seemed random . So I decided the heck with all that , and just read it to the end , crank up the "Post new topic" and type away .
Even then , whenever I came back to it , to check for replies and responses , almost without fail I'd find myself going " But .. but .. that's not.. sure .. but .." And just to double check if I'm reading the right post , and go back to what I wrote , I'd go "Who wrote that ? That's not what I meant !! "

Well , the truth of the matter is , that is exactly what I meant , because at that time and frame of mind that is exactly what the Spirit wanted ME to say and not necessarily what the Spirit was saying through me , I just simply thought of it that way , and in actuality I was more worried about making my statements "prettier" or sound more profound and intellectual .

There was a time when I was a circuit speaker for AA from Maine , I'd get invited all over the New England for speaking engagements , anywhere from conferences to round-ups to group anniversaries and in the brochure they'd inform me of the theme of the conference ie; "Spiritual Journey" "Healing through the Steps" and so on , and I would , at first anyway , and I would do my "research" , correspond my personal experience to it and sort of "write a script" in preparation and I'd read it 4 or 5 times before the date , just to get the "mind-set" established . But , almost always , and without fail , by the time I get to the podium , and I'd introduce my self "I'm vahn , and I'm alcoholic " my sponsor would always smirk with "Now that's the most honest speech I've heard , you can sit down now vahn !! " . Needless to say , after the roar of laughter subsides , all that prep work and study goes right out the window , .. blank .. That's when I ask the floor for a moment of silence , and I divert my attention to the Spirit asking Him to do the talking for me , the way He see's fit .

To this day , I run into AA's that say "I saw you here and there and I liked what you said about this or that " and my reaction is always "I said THAT ? " No clue !

Skrubbs , don't worry about it , people will here what they need to hear , according to what the Spirit wants them to hear , you just work on being the channel .

in Christ

[mlg]

Skrubby...sometimes I am misunderstood as well. I think it's because as vahn says people often hear bits and pieces of what we are saying that they can apply some way in their life...and the rest is just words. So if we say something and they take one small thing away...we have done what He asked.

Sometimes I have trouble getting my thoughts together too..I am very hard for most people to understand...and many often seem to find me confusing...not when it comes to posting but when it comes to me and who I am...I've just decided it's ok for people to think I'm "crazy" cuz to me it's normal

luv ya skrubby

[deetu]

So true. I will pray for someone, telling them something and they will ask me what it was I said again and I'll be "I have no idea"
Happy in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit was in control because apparently, I said something they needed to hear.

Skrubby's weight

[mlg]

Ya know when I think of judgement I think of how many people miss a blessing by judging a book by it's cover. It's what's inside a person that really matters...beneath all their actions...and if you dig deep enough you might just find a jewel in the rough...but most people look at the surface and come to a judgement and move on...never finding the jewel withing cuz they chose to judge instead of love...

I choose Love and I know you do as well.

luv ya

[vahn]

Hey skrubbs

If it walks like duck , waddles like a duck , and quacks like a duck , I am not calling it a giraffe ok ? Is that considered judging ? You bet ! Anything wrong with that ? Of course not right ? The only time that it becomes "wrong" , is when I call it a giraffe .
How many times we or rather I find myself saying things like , "Listen to that guy , he sounds like .... " and I make him out to be who I "think" he is based on two or three sentences . I don't know how many times I've had people tell me " You know what your problem is ? " and I shoot back with "Man I've been trying to find it out for the past thirty years , now here you are , figured it all out within ten minutes . Man you're a genius ! My question to you is , 'what are you doing in my office ? ' "

Yes skrubbs , like you said , it is a defense mechanism to cover up our own "quackings" . De-fence ? putting a fence around ourselves ? . Or maybe , "Laying in the gutter , looking down on people" would be a more appropriate term when we substitute passing judgement with judging (disernment) based on one or two "encounters" . By doing so , aren't we , in effect , defining our own self out loud , by verbalizing how narrow our own perception of things are when we call someone a duck just because he happened to "waddle like one" ? Wonder what would people think of me when I do that huh ?

As far as discernment is concerned , (and this is only my way looking at it ok ?) When one spends all the time necessary to study the real McCoy and knowing all there is to know about the REAL thing , then you get to spot a so called "phoney" a mile away , and only then you'll be able to make your proper discernment , and judge the "situation" without passing judgement . The passing of judgement is up to our Lord not ours .
when I used to read "Vengeance is Mine " I used to think of "sentencing" or something of the sort , but Vengeance also means passing judgement !


In Christ

[mlg]

Oh skrubby this is awesome...seeking out the Lost to share Truth...I find this to be great. Lost souls are everywhere...and if God sends you to a lost sheep on the internet...then follow God always...I too am working with some lost sheep on the internet that don't come to the Oasis...but God says seek and ye shall find...and I'm here to share His message...but I don't neglect what God asks me to do here either...God gives me time to go wherever He needs me...I do as He calls...whenever He calls...and He receives all the glory.

I pray this soul will Hear the Word you share and come to hold the love of Jesus within their heart.

luv ya skrubby...keep reaching

[vahn]

Let us just suppose I make it a habit of going to a Mosque every Friday or a Synagogue (however you spell that) every Saturday and observe the Sabbath regularly , does that make me Muslim ? or a Jew ?
What it does make me though , is a person seeking "something" , like the people you're talking about , going to church and not "being" Christians , obviously they too are or , hopefully were , seeking "something" and it is also , like you said , were obviously a bit confused by seeking "scientific" answers by going to church . hmm .

Here's what's sciences standpoint is on "Religion" , specifically Christianity .
Christians got their firm foothold and confirmation of their Belief , through the Resurrection of our Lord The Christ , if it weren't for the Resurrection, it is my belief that Christianity would not exist today . Remember ? Everyone disappeared after the Crucifiction , "They all went their own ways" .
That being said , some , if not most , saw the Resurrection as another one of our Master's "miracles" , generally .
Well , this is what science says . In order for something or an event to be classified as a miracle the same "event" MUST at least happen more than once , and that their theory on creation is the Big Bang . Which leaves me to think two things . One , is that science does indeed believe in miracles to begin with , otherwise why else would they be preoccupied by its classification(s) ie; more than once theory , which , in turn , brings me to point two , How many Big Bangs were there ?? !! ??

No wonder they all end up at the church's doorsteps , to seek answers to their own "theories" ?


In Christ

[deetu]

Skrubby warrior!

I was one of those peoples

I was actually talking to a friend today who said that she is being drawn to internet ministry too. I said, "Well look at it. The enemy has the airwaves and reaches far. There are people who are looking and someone has to be there for them"
God's got each of us doing different things.