BibleForums Christian Message Board - Blogs - By Avalanche and Bullhorn by Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/blog.php/12367-By-Avalanche-and-Bullhorn A free online Christian Community. Active, moderated Christian Message Board. en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:07:58 GMT vBulletin 60 http://bibleforums.org/images/misc/rss.jpg BibleForums Christian Message Board - Blogs - By Avalanche and Bullhorn by Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/blog.php/12367-By-Avalanche-and-Bullhorn <![CDATA[75. "God is Love"]]> http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3514-75-quot-God-is-Love-quot Sat, 01 Jun 2013 01:27:06 GMT Here is a portion of a homework assignment I'll be turning in later. It does NOT surprise me now that yesterday I was led to read the Matthew 5 scriptures since I see how the verses impacted the assisgnment and helped me complete this portion:

Faith working through love. We hear many say, “God is Love”. Saying this isn’t enough though. To help the lost of the world understand that “God is Love,” then ACTION must accompany the statement. Words mean nothing if a Christian downtown is telling everyone that God is Love and those listening happen to have an encounter with an aggressive driver on the highway later in the day. Then as the car speeds by and the aggressive driver happens to be the same person preaching God’s “love” downtown… oh, the car also has a bumper sticker that says, “God Loves YOU!” Well, the actions speak LOUDER! I like the point in the slides that Love “demands” (slide 21). This supports that when we speak about love, this also means that we must act as if love is real. Our attitudes, our expressions, our actions, we must seek and pursue reconciliation and this begins with an act in the offering of forgiveness or even seeking to receive forgiveness. How can a person preach love or just speak about God as “love” and not show this love when they will not forgive others? Or when necessary, set down their offering at the altar when they KNOW a brother/sister is upset with them? Seeking after that reconciliation with a brother/sister is putting the love that is professed into action and thus, love is REAL. Jesus asked if He’d find faith when He returns… well, with the lack of real love, even through those who profess Christ, I feel that He won’t find much faithfulNESS at all. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3514-75-quot-God-is-Love-quot <![CDATA[74. Ya know, when satan's forces come up against you...]]> http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3511-74-Ya-know-when-satan-s-forces-come-up-against-you Fri, 24 May 2013 13:16:14 GMT Ya know, when satan's forces come up against you and you find yourself overcome because a weakness was found and exploited by the enemy forces... all this means is that now you have a place to look within yourself and surrender it over to God so that the weakness can be fixed. This also means that the enemy will not be able to attack you there anymore. By doing this, there will be less struggling and more maturing as you walk the path God set before you. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3511-74-Ya-know-when-satan-s-forces-come-up-against-you 73. ForGAVE compared to ForGIVE http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3462-73-ForGAVE-compared-to-ForGIVE Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:05:24 GMT I just posted this onto Facebook after this hit me... A thought hit me about three minutes ago. ForGAVE compared to ForGIVE. If I forGAVE a person, then why do I have to forgive them again? Since I forGAVE them, if an offense remains or... I just posted this onto Facebook after this hit me...

A thought hit me about three minutes ago.

ForGAVE compared to ForGIVE.

If I forGAVE a person, then why do I have to forgive them again? Since I forGAVE them, if an offense remains or happens again, it is not a matter of forGIVING them over and over. This means NOTHING is being accomplished in helping them or helping to solve the problem(s).

Since you forGAVE them... help them instead! Each and every time they rise up against you in offense, deal with the offense because the person is already forGIVEN.

This way, you both (or all involved) can enjoy what forgiveness is ALL ABOUT!!! ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3462-73-ForGAVE-compared-to-ForGIVE 72. Thanking God http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3458-72-Thanking-God Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:18:10 GMT When you pray for others, don’t forget to reflect on the answering of prayers as God has done work in the person’s life that you are praying for. This is when you do prayers of Thanksgiving. Even when the person you are praying for still has... When you pray for others, don’t forget to reflect on the answering of prayers as God has done work in the person’s life that you are praying for. This is when you do prayers of Thanksgiving. Even when the person you are praying for still has problems and these problems still perturb you, there is progress from WHERE they used to be.

So for what God has already accomplished in them, THANK HIM as you continue to pray for the continuation of His work. You see, when we are praying for the salvation of another person (for example), even though they may not have accepted God… what has changed? Thank God for the step by step work that God does. Many expect a person to be “transformed” by prayer but it’s usually more about transformaTION that is taking place. Thank God… as this transformation is taking place. Expecting only an end result can blind us to the work that is being done and we don’t see what is changing. All we want is change… NOW! God does quality work and sometimes this takes time to accomplish so it’s done right and only once. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3458-72-Thanking-God 71. An Assignment http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3447-71-An-Assignment Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:04:08 GMT Here is what I turned in for one of my college homework assignments this week. Oh... these assignments are to be like journaling and when it comes to journaling, I'm quite used to doing it!

Reflective Journal: Week 7

Question one for chapter twelve is the question that immediately caught my attention. Bear with me… I believe that testimony is always a strong manner in which to reach people. When testimony is involved in a sermon, teaching, or a speaking engagement with people, testimony enables the speaker to show that they are just as human as everyone in the room. While they may be standing on an altar or behind a podium (or both), a testimony places the speaker on equal ground with all who are listening. This enables the listener to relate with the speaker on a more personal level and this consequentially enables a greater chance to impact the lives of those who are listening.

So for me, this is why God places us into situations that even while the storm is happening in a person’s life, testimony can always bring glory to God even when the storm is still raging. I am in a storm at this time and right now it would be great to just say, “I quit!” I have actually, several times during this trial and each time I’m ignored. As I sit here rereading that last sentence, I cannot help but smile and almost laugh.

Inner strands and outer props is the topic of question number one for chapter twelve. Well, for me there are no outer props. I liked what I read at the beginning of chapter 11 when the author quoted E. Stanley Jones, “I need no outer props to hold up my faith, for my faith holds me” (p. 149). Well, there is a quote and I believe that I’ve mentioned this in a previous assignment, if so here is a repeating of this quote. A friend once said this and I made note of it because of how important it is to me, “I am faith FULL of He, who is faithful.” For me, this clarified how we are to place all our trust into God who sustains us and in doing this, we are exercising our faith and receiving all He can offer to us.

Just this morning I read the KLOVE’s, “Encouraging Word” and it is the Isaiah 40:31 verse. I think about this verse and I have always realized that God doesn’t simply give the strength. The strength is a result of first trusting in God. We are not given wings but we will sour “like” the eagle. Finally, while we are always constantly running or walking, we will not grow weary or faint.

Well, for me… I’m weary of the running and I don’t even want to walk anymore and thus, this present “I quit” attitude. Although I am glad that I’m ignored and the reason is because even if I’m low-crawling and blowing snot bubbles in the dust that my nose is pushed through (characteristic of being in the desert)… I am still moving.

I even know why I am so weary and at the same time, seem to continue to battle. Yesterday God began to remind me what is lacking in my life in answer to a short little crying out that I posted on Facebook. Yep, of all the places to find edification as God begins to show me how He is moving behind the scenes and had begun to unfold what He’s doing. You see, it boils down to face time with God through His Holy Word! While I read a verse here or there in constant effort to help others, I do not READ and STUDY the way I’m used to when I am placing myself into God’s presence. I honestly cannot recall a time over the past few (several?) months when I’ve halted and actually read the Bible in an effort to actually read or study.

Here is what I posted on Facebook as I whispered in crying out and God began to answer in a loud way. I will post specific comments and also some from a specific friend of mine as well:

Ken: Joshua requested that the sun stop moving so he'd have more time to fight. Do ya think if I prayed for the sun to speed up, so I can fight less... it would work? I'm serious!

Friend: Jesus taught us to pray "Lead us not into temptation" where there's a real battle! I think it is Godly indeed to pray that we don't have to fight. The greatest victory is the battle avoided. That said, God also left the enemy in some of the land so each generation would learn how to fight.

Ken: Friend... oh, I'm fully aware of the enemy, for the teaching of the art of fighting. Sometimes it seems I'm on that LAST belt of ammo, the barrel is redhot because I'm executing the FINAL PROTECTIVE FIRE, and screaming for MORE AMMO... while my finger remains tight on the trigger as I watch that last ammo belt getting reallllll short. Guess that is a close assessment of where I'm at.

Friend: I hear ya Ken. You probably know far more about it than I do. I hope you get a break soon. You remind me of that soldier in the OT that fought so long, he couldn't let go of the sword after the battle. (His hand "froze" in place so to speak.)

Ken: His name was Eleazar and he was one of King David's Top Three... this does not surprise me. Also, in that he battled alone... no surprise there either! Also... the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) never should be let go of... WOW... ok, a sermon is brewin'

Ken: Friend... a sermon is clearly brewin. I text my senior pastor and mentioned about revelation. My senior pastor ended up calling and informed me that God is preparing him to preach about Eleazar this next Sunday. As usual, God is at work behind the scenes and drops in prophetically to edify first and then this will lead to exhortation and comfort.

By the end of yesterday, I understood what God was pointing out to me. I received what I’ve been given so
far by God in edification and I wait for Sunday in expectation. Of course, in the meantime I will be halting
myself when I can and shut the world out while I fellowship with God through His Word. Yeah… time to get
the inner strands strong again! ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3447-71-An-Assignment 70. The Jordan River http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3434-70-The-Jordan-River Sun, 20 Jan 2013 20:28:59 GMT So... have I been led to say anything this week that is worthy to post on Facebook?? (I first posted this on Facebook) OK... a thought based on something I said to a friend this week, here goes: Are you waiting to be carried across that... So... have I been led to say anything this week that is worthy to post on Facebook?? (I first posted this on Facebook)

OK... a thought based on something I said to a friend this week, here goes:

Are you waiting to be carried across that Jordan River that you stand on the edge of?

Well... go get some 5 Guys Burgers and Frys because if the waiting for God to carry you across doesn't kill you, the burgers will do the job effectively.

You will wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and... is this clear enough?

Allow God to do the prepping He has to do so that "you" can cross the Jordan... He's not gonna "carry" you because then you will not be prepared to deal with what's on the other side!! Sometimes this prepping will be painful. Ya think when all of Israel had to first be circumcised as prep before walking across that Jordan... it was not painful?

Let God do what He needs to do, surrender to the work He needs to do because He is prepping you (circumcising you) for what is on the other side! ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3434-70-The-Jordan-River 69. Mentoring vs. Discipling http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3432-69-Mentoring-vs-Discipling Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:00:07 GMT Concerning mentoring vs discipling the sheep of the flock God has entrusted you with.

Mentoring will lead sheep into being like "you", the mentor.

While discipleship leads sheep into being servant's... who are Christlike.

BIG DIFFERENCE! ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3432-69-Mentoring-vs-Discipling <![CDATA[68: Jonah's Obedience]]> http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3422-68-Jonah-s-Obedience Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:35:20 GMT Jonah 3:4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Ya know... when we "say" or "do" exactly what God tells us to say or do... despite all our stubbornness, even our lack of understanding or hesitation, but through our obedience to God, the lives of others WILL BE IMPACTED in a way that will make them do a 180 degree about face, TOWARD God.

Jonah spoke only a single sentence and look as what happened to an entire city!!

Imagine the work that God can do with a church full of "Jonahs"?

However, we all may need to work on our own attitudes as well :) ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3422-68-Jonah-s-Obedience 67. Why are you RUNNING to... Tarshish? http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3414-67-Why-are-you-RUNNING-to-Tarshish Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:01:29 GMT Wow... check this out!!!

Isaiah 66:19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul[a] and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.

Now... someone we may all know was planning to RUN to Tarshish. One of the places that "who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory."

Jonah was on the run from God, trying to get away from Him:

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

So... Tarshish is a place where God's fame and glory have not been seen. Jonah is attempting to RUN from the presence of God... to Tarshish!

So how many of us are running toward a "Tarshish" for the wrong reason?

Or actually LIVE in a location that can be considered a "Tarshish"?

That is in NEED of seeing both the fame and GLORY of God??

So, the reason for going to any Tarshish MUST be... to witness Christ to others!! Not run away!

OK... I feel a sermon brewing :-) ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3414-67-Why-are-you-RUNNING-to-Tarshish 66. BOLDness to Witness the Gospel to others! http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3401-66-BOLDness-to-Witness-the-Gospel-to-others! Mon, 19 Nov 2012 02:15:26 GMT Ya ever feel that hesitation to walk up to a stranger and say,

"Hey... do you know that Jesus Christ died for us all and that the reason for His death, is so that I, you, and all... may live eternally with God the Father?"

Paul was a man who met Jesus in such a profound way in that Jesus seemed to slap him off of a horse and even blinded Paul for a few days. Ya think this was enough to prepare Paul to go out and BOLDLY speak about Jesus? Well... even though the answer is YES, we also know this: Paul asked for support and prayer concerning bold speaking of the Gospel!
So we ALL should ask for support and prayer so that we don't have to get slapped to the ground, for Jesus to make a point to us :-)

Ephesians 6:19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3401-66-BOLDness-to-Witness-the-Gospel-to-others! 65: Old fruit... http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3400-65-Old-fruit Mon, 19 Nov 2012 02:13:18 GMT A comment by a friend and then my wife's answer to that comment, got me thinking:

God informs us that good fruit comes from a good tree:

Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

So the question is... when a "spirit filled" speaker takes the "stage", why do we sometimes have to listen to 30 minutes of past fruit accomplishments?

Seems to me that this is the building up of a "show" about to happen?!

Nope... God don't lead people to put past fruit on display for the purpose of proving whether or not the person screaming on the stage is actually spirit filled or not.

Good tree's ALWAYS produce good fruit, no NEED to describe last years harvest or any past produce... just speak what God wants you to speak... don't scream either, can't hear screamers as clearly as a speaker who simply inflects their voice to emphasize a point of importance. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3400-65-Old-fruit 64. Legalism http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3385-64-Legalism Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:33:53 GMT Here is a comment of mine during a discussion in my Methods of Bible Study class: ~I also experienced a legalistic childhood and this hindered my seeking of God and in the reading of my Bible. Praise God for freedom from undiscipled... Here is a comment of mine during a discussion in my Methods of Bible Study class:

~I also experienced a legalistic childhood and this hindered my seeking of God and in the reading of my Bible. Praise God for freedom from undiscipled "performance measure hoops" that a person must jump through, in a specific way at that... to be a "Christian".~ ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3385-64-Legalism 63. Listen http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3383-63-Listen Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:47:19 GMT *_Listen_* On the way to work this morning… funny saying this after no job for the past 22 months!! Anyway, on the way to work this morning I was praying to God. A short prayer, more about praising Him than anything else. As I ended the prayer,... Listen

On the way to work this morning… funny saying this after no job for the past 22 months!! Anyway, on the way to work this morning I was praying to God. A short prayer, more about praising Him than anything else. As I ended the prayer, God began to minister to me.

There was a song on the radio since I had KLOVE playing while I prayed. God told me to listen to the music. So, I began to listen to the music and in a few moments I was singing along with the song.

God told me to stop singing and to listen to the music.

Okayyyyy… so I stopped singing and began to listen to the music. As I listened I was paying attention to the words of the song.

God once again told me to listen to the music.

I was surprised by this but began to realize something. So I began to pay attention to the music. As I did this, I first began to pick up the beat of the drums. How I was able to pick out the bass, the snare, the cymbals. How the three guitars complemented each other along with the keyboard… man that sunrise was really cool. The colors of the sun rising were beautiful and I began to thank God for such a great…

God once again told me to listen to the music.

So I began to listen to the music again. The song changed to a different song and I wondered if God meant this song to?

All God did was remind me that He told me to listen to the music.

So, I began to pay attention to the music again but then it hit me! The moment it hit me, God ministered this extremely short understanding… that listening to Him also means following through with what He’s saying. That this morning’s lesson is about how easy it is for us to be distracted and this will cause us, not to listen to Him.

Many do hear… they just fail to listen. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3383-63-Listen 62. Getting Dirty http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3372-62-Getting-Dirty Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:53:02 GMT Doing some reading and these scriptures are the ones I'm to post today:

Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

And

v3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Yes, this is the order I'm to post them.

One for those who are not leaders in their church and the other...

WELL, for those church leaders who FORGOT what it was like to NOT be a leader... should you forget, then you have ceased being a leader.

Keep to the trenches! Or, should God take you away from the trenches, NEVER fear getting dirty, should the need arise to jump into a trench to help a brother/sister stuck in the mud. ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3372-62-Getting-Dirty 61. Chaos http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3369-61-Chaos Wed, 03 Oct 2012 02:50:31 GMT Chaos I made a comment to a friend a few months back and at that time, I had made a note so I wouldn’t forget. I found it in my Bible this past weekend before church. Ya see, I have a ton of notes all over inside my Bible and papers are beginning... Chaos

I made a comment to a friend a few months back and at that time, I had made a note so I wouldn’t forget. I found it in my Bible this past weekend before church. Ya see, I have a ton of notes all over inside my Bible and papers are beginning to fall out. Anyway, I found the note and I have to write something up that is based on that note.

Here is a statement that raised this issue about chaos, “God is in CONTROL!”

So then… why the chaos in our life?

While this question can be answered in many ways from many different angles, I will focus on one. You see, the Sunday before this issue was raised, I had raised the topic of “Chaos” during our Sunday morning Bible Study. So for those who actually attend this study and are wondering what I’m meaning… I’ll remind you that this was before we moved to our new location and had to put the Bible Study class on hold.

So, why can we experience both God’s control in our life and chaos at the same time? Here is the analogy I found myself raising during that Bible Study that helped put some perspective upon this issue.

When we decide to make something “right” or “clean” something up, a process of change or correction must begin. When this process begins, everything seems WORSE off than what it was like before the process began.

This is a period of Chaos!

Let me break it down even more and I will use a room for an example (this is what I used during the class). A room can be an organized mess and the reality is this, it’s still a mess no matter how organized. Work is done to remove the mess in the effort to achieve an organized, cleared out, and clean room. A room that will now be “more effective” for what it is intended to be used for.

So what happens?

All the elements that make the room a mess (despite an attempt to keep the mess organized), comes out into the light, put out into the center of the room. Now the room is worse off than it was before. Same mess, but now it’s in total Chaos! There is always that SURPRISE as well. When you open that closet with all that “hidden” mess… some of which you had NO CLUE about. This must also be exposed and tossed out into the center of the room.

We can become SO discouraged when this chaotic period begins. Especially when we look at the pile in the center of the room and then when we open that closet and find a TON more that we didn’t even expect?? Sometimes such Chaos will cause us to stop dealing with it. We shut that closet door and what is hidden, remains hidden. We don’t even WANT to know what’s truly in there. We spend more effort trying to put the mess back into a semblance of organization and the truth is, the mess remains.

When you stand up against this, when you remain steadfast and focus on that chaos in the center of the room and step by step, day by day, week by week… you work to reorganize and CLEAN at the same time, the Chaos becomes less and less.

Soon, there is no more Chaos. Nothing hidden in that closet anymore.

When Jesus does this work IN US, we are the one tossed into the center, light shines upon the mess, it’s all exposed as we ARE the Chaos. It’s tough, it wears us out, we get discouraged and sometimes… it seems like hell on earth. Well, it is after all, that stuff that satan has managed to put into us that is being exposed. Even those past fears we aren’t aware of that satan has hidden deep within us while we were children. Jesus will expose it all, rip it out from where it’s all hidden and toss it into the light as well.

Know that God is in control and the chaos is only during the period of when He’s doing some major work within you. No matter what type of work He may be doing, no matter the pain, confusion… surrender it all and let Him do the work He began in you. Like when we clean out a room so that the room can be more effective in whatever the purpose is for that room, Jesus is rendering us to be effective FOR Him.

Oh… should He be working in the life of a loved one, be prepared to share in the chaos. Even if all you can do is keep out of the room and pray! PRAY HARD, encourage, and offer support.

Even when that support may be to simply inform them to GET BACK into the room!!! ]]> Slug1 http://bibleforums.org/entry.php/3369-61-Chaos