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'The way' of God - 9/11/2008 5:09:21 PM
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Liveloved
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I was starting to post these thoughts under Little_1's thread on mind renewal but decided perhaps it deserves it's own space.
Recently I have been meditating on 'the way' of God. Frequently we are admonished to walk in His ways, learn His way, walk in 'the way' of His precepts, etc. And, of course, Jesus is "the way".
So if you'd like to meditate on this with me and share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them.  LL
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/11/2008 10:03:51 PM
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SomeFineDay
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I tend to want to go my own way too often, so I have been thinking lately that about......
"We can do it His way or we can do it His way"
but I know the real answer is;
"Take my yoke, my burden is light"
and
I have come to give you life, and that more abundantly.
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/12/2008 12:13:45 AM
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URForgiven
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Walk in Love, walk in the Light, walk in Truth. Three walks that struck me first.
Jesus is Love, Jesus is Truth, and Jesus is the Light.
Without Him, we cannot Love. Without Him, we have no Truth. Without Him, we would walk in the dark.
Just as Jesus walked in total dependency upon God the father, and apart from the Father could do nothing (John 5:30)...so we, when we walk independent of Christ...then we can do nothing.
Good topic LL. There is lots more there I think...but it is late...
Peace
_____________________________
"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Galatians 3:3
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/12/2008 1:05:09 PM
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Little_1
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Today has been a difficult day. I have watched a situation unfold and it is far from being a pleasant situation. Much evil and wickedness is involved and someone who is a worker of iniquity is tonight 'rubbing their hands in glea'! It is so wrong and I feel quite sickened by what unfolded (sorry not something I can go into detail about on a public forum however).
Then I come on site and read this post and God reminds me that "He watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." (Psalm 1:6)
Thank you for this thread LL. There is so much one could post under this thread. Tonight I am reminding myself that no matter how I feel about what I have seen, God is in control and knows everything; His ways are life and peace and so much more beautiful and pleasant than the ways of the wicked which will eventually perish......
< Message edited by Little_1 -- 9/12/2008 1:24:09 PM >
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/12/2008 2:21:10 PM
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Liveloved
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Thank you, somefineday, URF & Little_1, for pondering a bit with me.
As sfd pointed out, there is His way and my way. Psalm 119 speaks of this. In verse 26 it says "I have told of my ways, and Thou hast answered me". I take great hope in that thought. Our being truthful about ourselves is that place of meeting with Him (at the mercy seat) and hearing His ways.
And URF reminded us that Jesus is Love, Light and Truth and walked in total dependence on His Father. That is His way indeed.
And Little_1 reminds us that He is watching over our way. Yes, His eye is on the sparrow and on you and me. And the way of the wicked will perish.
I don't have alot of time right now but just wanted to add these thoughts.
I have been pondering "the way of God" as more of an attitude of life rather than the doing of specific things. So it is a state of mind and a state of heart from which we live. Verse 27 of Psalm 119 says "make me understand the way of Thy precepts".
Anyway, I'm continuing to meditate on these thoughts. And I appreciate hearing your thoughts as well. Bless you, friends.
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/12/2008 4:15:01 PM
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Little_1
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Liveloved
......I have been pondering "the way of God" as more of an attitude of life rather than the doing of specific things. So it is a state of mind and a state of heart from which we live. Verse 27 of Psalm 119 says "make me understand the way of Thy precepts".......
LL, I don't quite understand what you mean by ""the way of God" as more of an attitude of life rather than the doing of specific things"? As I understand things, the 'way(s) of God' will require us to think and act on God's Word so for me 'doing' is included in such. Here is my understanding of the 'way(s) of God'. I think I may be misunderstanding this thread's intent but it will be good to learn more things regardless and so I look forward to the further posts on this thread :
Often during the day, I have to ask myself, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" e.g.
* When I am being mistreated, God's Word teaches me that I am to pray for those who mistreat me!
* When someone has done me wrong, I am to forgive them (whether or not they apologise)! etc.
This is God's ways and despite how I 'feel' God knows best and His Word teaches that, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways higher than our ways and God's thoughts than our thoughts." --Isaiah 55:9
I find that God's ways often run in the opposite direction to the ways of the world and the world's mindset. If I'm utterly honest, I often struggle with what God's Word teaches - not because I don't believe God's Word but because other ways of thinking have been so long engrained in my mind that it is a challenge to do things differently in the way(s) God's Word teaches me. However, I know that God knows best and I have no peace until I surrender to Him and accept His mind on a matter(s). Someone harms us - God says forgive but the world's standard and mindset often says, "Get revenge!" "Be angry!", etc...... There is no peace in our hearts and minds until we give such over to God and accept His way of doing things and obey.
Reminds me of the chorus:
Trust and obey
for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus
than to trust and obey.
Simple chorus but profoundly true.
< Message edited by Little_1 -- 9/12/2008 5:20:28 PM >
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/12/2008 8:13:12 PM
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Liveloved
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quote:
LL, I don't quite understand what you mean by ""the way of God" as more of an attitude of life rather than the doing of specific things"? As I understand things, the 'way(s) of God' will require us to think and act on God's Word so for me 'doing' is included in such. Here is my understanding of the 'way(s) of God'. I think I may be misunderstanding this thread's intent but it will be good to learn more things regardless and so I look forward to the further posts on this thread :
You're not misunderstanding, L1. My 'intent' was to explore this topic together. . . so the thoughts I added are just the results of my pondering and certainly not to be regarded as the definitive word on the topic.
Certainly God does change the way I think and act. But if I am honest, I still see so much of 'me' in me, KWIM? But my longing, the attitude of my heart, is to please Him always. So regardless of my actions, my heart is what He looks at. I am not excusing wrong behavior or saying it does not matter. But I am being truthful.
This morning I was led to the passage in Hebrews that speaks of the priesthood coming from the tribe of Levi. . . yet Jesus is from the tribe of Judah. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. (Heb 7:14-16)
It is not what we do but Whose we are. Neither of these priests were 'right' according to what the law said. Neither am I. I am not right. I cannot be right. But because of Jesus' life in me, I am right according to the power of an indestructible life. It is not the law, about what we do or do not do, but about being born of the Spirit.
So that is specifically what I was thinking of as I posted those few thoughts. Anyway, let me know your ponderings as well. LL
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/12/2008 8:38:20 PM
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deliveredarling
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quote:
I have been pondering "the way of God" as more of an attitude of life rather than the doing of specific things.
I would have to agree with this completely. Knowing His character, learning as it evolves us, changes how we view things. Our perceptions are sharpened, our heats more open to forgiveness, willingness to be bold in Him.
He is our strength when we are weak, He is forgiveness when were are unforgiving,His heart is open when ours are closed, He is the vision when we are blind, He grows and shapes us the more we learn about His nature.
The way of God-merciful beyond our wildest dreams.
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Luke 8:16
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/16/2008 7:23:54 AM
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growingseed
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To be a disciple of Jesus is an exciting venture. It is to enter into a lifestyle that brings wholeness and fulfillment. It is to maximize our potential, fulfill our destinies and discover our true selves because it is to live in the way God has designed for human beings. Taken as a whole, three distinct characteristics emerge that define the disciples of Jesus in addition to the general characteristics of discipleship: (1) calling and following: to be Jesus’ disciple is to hear his call and to heed it by following him; (2) counting the cost: to be Jesus’ disciple means to bear our cross; and (3) commitment: to be Jesus’ disciple is to enter into a relationship with him. With that Jesus is the only joy and direction in which learning who he is, is what matters to me.
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RE: 'The way' of God - 9/16/2008 10:49:13 AM
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Liveloved
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quote:
To be a disciple of Jesus is an exciting venture. It is to enter into a lifestyle that brings wholeness and fulfillment. It is to maximize our potential, fulfill our destinies and discover our true selves because it is to live in the way God has designed for human beings. Taken as a whole, three distinct characteristics emerge that define the disciples of Jesus in addition to the general characteristics of discipleship: (1) calling and following: to be Jesus’ disciple is to hear his call and to heed it by following him; (2) counting the cost: to be Jesus’ disciple means to bear our cross; and (3) commitment: to be Jesus’ disciple is to enter into a relationship with him. With that Jesus is the only joy and direction in which learning who he is, is what matters to me.
growingseed,
You've made some very good and important points. And I think what is most vital is the focus on relationship and desire to know Him. I think of the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 3:
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death: in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I emboldened certain words and phrases because I think we often fail to miss Paul's emphasis here. Knowing Jesus means loss. This is the life of the cross. It is the willingness to surrender all and lay everything down for Him. This is what Paul did. Suffering is not optional. It is not chosen or sought after but it will come if we truly desire to know Jesus. This is the life you are speaking of (if I've understood you correctly). And I think this is 'the way of God'.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and continuing the pondering!
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