Peace cannot be protected.
He who desires life without stress, already stresses from his desire.
Peace is not shelter from the storm. It’s dancing in the rain.
Peace is not shelter from the storm. It’s dancing in the rain.
beetlebumdont · 26-30, F
View 1 more replies »
@Magenta @Reject I think that depends on how a person looks at things. I know I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't explored God's word to actually find out the truth. There's things we just can't know until we read about them. To me, the Bible is the wisest book in the world. It gives you straight truth in instruction and will not lead people astray. But if no one will pick it up and read it, they'll be missing a whole lot and God doesn't want us missing anything. He really wants to help us.
Philippians 4:7 means that God gives a supernatural, calming peace that does not depend on outward circumstances, and acts as a protective shield over your thoughts and emotions. I also know that God has protected me at times and he has also protected his children the Israelites from their enemies. God's protection is spread all over His word, but one must take the time to read it.
Knowing Jesus, brings me great peace from His presence. And when I keep my heart and mind stayed on him, just like today and now, this evening, my heart is totally peaceful. The closer I get to Him, the closer He comes to me. And that's a result of fellowshipping with his peaceful Holy Spirit. Now if I don't seek him and want to fellowship with him then naturally I don't feel as close to him. Our relationship is a two-way street. It's just not me talking to him. It's getting quiet and meditating on him and just listening in our heart and mind to what he has to say. But if I had a friend down the hall that I called my best friend yet never stopped to talk to her or listen to her, we wouldn't be friends very long. There would always be that empty void, from not having her presence for visiting. Jesus is no different. He wants to fellowship with us, but sometimes we ignore him and don't even read our bible. And sometimes we drown him out and concentrate on the world instead. A good test is how many times a week do you read your Bible? How many times do you pray? You don't have to answer that I'm just saying that's a good way to check our spiritual life and see if there's any areas we need to concentrate on.
If we don't visit with God, His Holy Spirit, we're trying to communicate with and fellowship with, will just feel quiet and dead. Just like any other friendship, one way communication does nothing. I think that's why I like James 4:8 so well. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Notice the interaction there? That's what it takes, I have learned. As a result, i cannot believe how much I have grown closer to him when I give my full effort. It has really been amazing.
We tend to get too busy with worldly things and sometimes we just walk away from God, or ignore him, but God never walks away from us. He's very patient. He sits with us 24/7, waiting and hoping we'll fellowship with Him.
That can be through prayer, listening to hymns, singing praises to Him, or just sitting down and talking with him, because he always hears. Always. Or you can read your Bible and get to know him better. Even myself, after all these years, knows that there's so much to read and learn about Him, I could read his word till I go home and still not know all there is to know. Not even a fraction. Because God’s word is ALIVE, the Bible says there's a plethora of wisdom in it, that we could apply to our lives, and even if we read and studied the Bible each and every day, we would STILL never exhaust its wise teachings.
I know every time I read my Bible I still learn something new. Even if it's the same verse. The Holy Spirit tells you more and gives you more information, each time you read the Bible. It helps us to examine the word at different angles but it's finally the Holy Spirit that tells you the truth and meaning of that verse. It's the truth that sets us free, and Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No man comes to the Father except by Me." That's God trying to protect us. To make sure we don't miss heaven.
There's a verse in the Bible that says: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7 means that God gives a supernatural, calming peace that does not depend on outward circumstances, and acts as a protective shield over your thoughts and emotions. I also know that God has protected me at times and he has also protected his children the Israelites from their enemies. God's protection is spread all over His word, but one must take the time to read it.
Knowing Jesus, brings me great peace from His presence. And when I keep my heart and mind stayed on him, just like today and now, this evening, my heart is totally peaceful. The closer I get to Him, the closer He comes to me. And that's a result of fellowshipping with his peaceful Holy Spirit. Now if I don't seek him and want to fellowship with him then naturally I don't feel as close to him. Our relationship is a two-way street. It's just not me talking to him. It's getting quiet and meditating on him and just listening in our heart and mind to what he has to say. But if I had a friend down the hall that I called my best friend yet never stopped to talk to her or listen to her, we wouldn't be friends very long. There would always be that empty void, from not having her presence for visiting. Jesus is no different. He wants to fellowship with us, but sometimes we ignore him and don't even read our bible. And sometimes we drown him out and concentrate on the world instead. A good test is how many times a week do you read your Bible? How many times do you pray? You don't have to answer that I'm just saying that's a good way to check our spiritual life and see if there's any areas we need to concentrate on.
If we don't visit with God, His Holy Spirit, we're trying to communicate with and fellowship with, will just feel quiet and dead. Just like any other friendship, one way communication does nothing. I think that's why I like James 4:8 so well. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Notice the interaction there? That's what it takes, I have learned. As a result, i cannot believe how much I have grown closer to him when I give my full effort. It has really been amazing.
We tend to get too busy with worldly things and sometimes we just walk away from God, or ignore him, but God never walks away from us. He's very patient. He sits with us 24/7, waiting and hoping we'll fellowship with Him.
That can be through prayer, listening to hymns, singing praises to Him, or just sitting down and talking with him, because he always hears. Always. Or you can read your Bible and get to know him better. Even myself, after all these years, knows that there's so much to read and learn about Him, I could read his word till I go home and still not know all there is to know. Not even a fraction. Because God’s word is ALIVE, the Bible says there's a plethora of wisdom in it, that we could apply to our lives, and even if we read and studied the Bible each and every day, we would STILL never exhaust its wise teachings.
I know every time I read my Bible I still learn something new. Even if it's the same verse. The Holy Spirit tells you more and gives you more information, each time you read the Bible. It helps us to examine the word at different angles but it's finally the Holy Spirit that tells you the truth and meaning of that verse. It's the truth that sets us free, and Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No man comes to the Father except by Me." That's God trying to protect us. To make sure we don't miss heaven.
There's a verse in the Bible that says: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Reject · 31-35, M
@GodsJoyfulGrace The reason faith is so important to religion is because the journey to God is a personal one. If you must rely on man made instruction to find your way to him, then you’re missing the point of his teachings. Things like love are universal. They are not constrained to only those who read a particular book. His light is found in each of us and does not depend on a religious account to be discovered. If he truly is omnipresent, then the very idea that he is only located within one belief system that people follow defeats the purpose of what he’s meant to provide for humankind. How one finds their belief in love is irrelevant. It’s only important that they do. The paths are infinite, but they’re all connected to one source. So take care when preaching one’s own path as that’s not nearly as important as letting others walk their own. It’s why he gave us free will.
@Reject @Reject I hear your heart in this, and I appreciate you saying it so kindly. Everyone in this forum deserves to be heard no matter what their faith and I really respect you for that and the opportunity to get YOUR voice heard, as well. I just love hearing everyone's thoughts on different things. It's so interesting besides an opportunity to examine our own thoughts against others and even learn from them. One person might have something completely different to offer on each subject that the other may not have even thought to consider or may not have even had that type knowledge, so I really appreciate everyone's contribution to these posts, whether they're mine or someone else's.
You're a good example of this. What you contributed here is really thought-provoking and I appreciate that. I'm not so smart, that I can't learn from others. With that said, I sure found it very interesting when you said "the reason faith is so important to religion..." I have to tell you, I'm really loving that because that's probably where we see things a bit differently. Which is interesting, in itself!
Firstly, I've noticed that you are quite scholarly. Well read and definitely highly educated. That tells me that things in life are both very important to you, and mean quite a lot to you. I think you are probably a scholar of life itself. I like that. Someone who likes to use the brains God gave him. lol
Allow me to share with you, what I have found about "religion" in my own experience. I'm reasonably aware, that my background may have been quite different than yours, Professor. 😃
For me, i really about religion. Ohhh, dear heart, I tried that for FAR too many years. Talk about WEARY! ONE Religion and many RULES, after another! Totally exhausting!!! The results were always the same: No Peace,
NO JOY.
However, once I turned from religious rules, cold regulations and empty rituals, to the person of JESUS....only THEN, did I experience that PEACE, LOVE, AND JOY, the Bible talks about, in my brand-new relationship with Christ.
I certainly wasn't, to my surprise, facing religious rules and regulations anymore. The huge difference was that after ALL those years of hunting and spiritual hunger for a REAL person to talk to, that would love me unconditionally, I finally had that love, peace and joyful Relationship with Jesus, I had longed for all my life and nothing else in this universe has compared to it. Nothing. There just is no substitute for what Christ can give us. That was my experience. And that has not changed over the years, because God never changes and he never abandons us. Not even when we sin. He said nothing in this whole universe can separate us from God's love for us. Having known and walked with him for 53 years, I've never seen anything different from Him. That means he's trustworthy.
The journey to God IS personal, you’re right about that. But I didn’t find Him because someone told me to read a book or forced doctor on me. I found Him because He found me when I was broken. His Word just confirmed what my spirit already knew. Life is empty and doesn't work without God.
Love IS universal because God IS love. And you’re right, His light is in each of us because He breathed life into us. But just because the light is there doesn’t mean we always know where to look. The Bible isn’t what gives Him power. It’s what points us to the One who already has it.
I don’t believe He’s only in one belief system either. I believe He’s everywhere. Omnipresent means just that. But He also said He is the way. Not "a" way. And free will means we all get to choose what we do with that.
I’m not trying to make anyone walk my path. When it comes to the salvation of souls, God did not assign nor equip flawed mankind to convince anybody of anything and especially force them to...that's not even possible. We're not powerful enough to take the role of saving souls. The HOLY SPIRIT IS, AND DOES, because that's His role in the spiritual world, and that's why it sticks better than the toughest glue. It is He, that speaks to our hearts, to come to Jesus and receive salvation. I’m just sharing what walked me out of complete darkness, and into the sweetest peace, and brand new life in Christ. If I had not experienced it, there's no way I could have known enough to confirm it in my testimony. I'm just a messenger, and the Holy Spirit is the Provider, who convinces people that spiritually, their souls need saving salvation. If it helps one person, then it was worth saying.
I respect your path too. And I pray we both keep seeking truth with open hearts.
You're a good example of this. What you contributed here is really thought-provoking and I appreciate that. I'm not so smart, that I can't learn from others. With that said, I sure found it very interesting when you said "the reason faith is so important to religion..." I have to tell you, I'm really loving that because that's probably where we see things a bit differently. Which is interesting, in itself!
Firstly, I've noticed that you are quite scholarly. Well read and definitely highly educated. That tells me that things in life are both very important to you, and mean quite a lot to you. I think you are probably a scholar of life itself. I like that. Someone who likes to use the brains God gave him. lol
Allow me to share with you, what I have found about "religion" in my own experience. I'm reasonably aware, that my background may have been quite different than yours, Professor. 😃
For me, i really about religion. Ohhh, dear heart, I tried that for FAR too many years. Talk about WEARY! ONE Religion and many RULES, after another! Totally exhausting!!! The results were always the same: No Peace,
NO JOY.
However, once I turned from religious rules, cold regulations and empty rituals, to the person of JESUS....only THEN, did I experience that PEACE, LOVE, AND JOY, the Bible talks about, in my brand-new relationship with Christ.
I certainly wasn't, to my surprise, facing religious rules and regulations anymore. The huge difference was that after ALL those years of hunting and spiritual hunger for a REAL person to talk to, that would love me unconditionally, I finally had that love, peace and joyful Relationship with Jesus, I had longed for all my life and nothing else in this universe has compared to it. Nothing. There just is no substitute for what Christ can give us. That was my experience. And that has not changed over the years, because God never changes and he never abandons us. Not even when we sin. He said nothing in this whole universe can separate us from God's love for us. Having known and walked with him for 53 years, I've never seen anything different from Him. That means he's trustworthy.
The journey to God IS personal, you’re right about that. But I didn’t find Him because someone told me to read a book or forced doctor on me. I found Him because He found me when I was broken. His Word just confirmed what my spirit already knew. Life is empty and doesn't work without God.
Love IS universal because God IS love. And you’re right, His light is in each of us because He breathed life into us. But just because the light is there doesn’t mean we always know where to look. The Bible isn’t what gives Him power. It’s what points us to the One who already has it.
I don’t believe He’s only in one belief system either. I believe He’s everywhere. Omnipresent means just that. But He also said He is the way. Not "a" way. And free will means we all get to choose what we do with that.
I’m not trying to make anyone walk my path. When it comes to the salvation of souls, God did not assign nor equip flawed mankind to convince anybody of anything and especially force them to...that's not even possible. We're not powerful enough to take the role of saving souls. The HOLY SPIRIT IS, AND DOES, because that's His role in the spiritual world, and that's why it sticks better than the toughest glue. It is He, that speaks to our hearts, to come to Jesus and receive salvation. I’m just sharing what walked me out of complete darkness, and into the sweetest peace, and brand new life in Christ. If I had not experienced it, there's no way I could have known enough to confirm it in my testimony. I'm just a messenger, and the Holy Spirit is the Provider, who convinces people that spiritually, their souls need saving salvation. If it helps one person, then it was worth saying.
I respect your path too. And I pray we both keep seeking truth with open hearts.
Lilnonames · F