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The Fight For Life Virtual Class Forum
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Stacie
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07/22/2011 08:24 |
Helga, I am right there with you. As I was listening yesterday, I was thinking about how I've lived on one end of the spectrum to the other - from living under the grace and love and presence of God, to the hardships and struggles and attacks from the enemy. I have been going through Walking With God and the study book by John, and it's helped me sort through all these thoughts and emotions. I feel like lately I had been treating the Bible like a magic eight ball, opening it up and saying, "Okay, God. What do you want me to read today?" and literally immediately, the answer would come. It was an exciting experience, and then the answers quit coming. I found myself just flipping through pages, floundering for enlightenment, and the enemy trying to use the very scripture I was reading to attack me. But God has been speaking to my heart, "Don't give up!!" He did lead me to 1 John 3:16 - we must love our brothers as Christ loves us. And I thought, how am I not loving enough?? I just don't understand! I had been grappling with that for a while. And just this morning, I heard the word "dedicated" just over and over in my heart, and I know that was comfort coming from God. I was then led to Romans 1:11-12 - we should mutually encourage each other in our faith. So the biggest lesson I learned today is that I've been so caught up in MY struggles, MY insecurities, MY everything - when quite honestly, I am in a strong, Christian marriage, our every need is provided for, and although we might struggle, we are still standing firm on God's promises. And I had to repent of the frustration and defeat I've been feeling lately.
My son is almost 2, and I remember not that long ago when he was learning how to walk. We would hold his hands and then eventually let him take steps on his own, with our hands inches away to catch him should he fall - and that's what God is doing with us - teaching us how to walk!! So I can see clearly this morning that my/our job as Christians is to encourage each other and love as Christ did. In 1 Thesallonians, It was written that they should work with their hands, mind their own business, so that their daily life will win the respect of outsiders. I had been struggling with my daily life - as a new mom and wife, and still a baby in God's eyes. Anyway, it seems my thoughts are in a thousand directions right now, just excited about this new enlightenment. We struggle so we can grow, and thus strengthen others. As John put it last night, when he reads books by young authors, they always describe the struggle and leave it at that - but there is a light at the end of that - God's unending love for us and how we should project that to others.
Whew... I'm hoping all that makes sense. My thoughts are faster than my mouth, or fingers, in this case. :)
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David Boer
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07/22/2011 11:54 |
Week 3 still will not load up on iTunes. Is there something I can do to get it?
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Joyce
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07/22/2011 12:53 |
David, for some reason it isn't automatically downloading with our daily readings but if you go to itunes store you can download it from there. Hope that works for you.
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David Boer
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07/22/2011 16:24 |
Thanks Joyce that worked!
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Bonnie
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07/23/2011 09:30 |
Week 3 and soon, week 4 teaching on the Major and Minor Themes are so important in beginning to look at life with a larger perspective than the 'right here, right now' filter that life is usually viewed.
This is a review for me, as I purchased these teachings when I attended Captivating a year ago. This teaching was one I listened to several times a year ago...and now in review I see more so, the truth contained. It was a perfect compliment to my time at Captivating, and helped me to go deeper in the process that began at that retreat.
Now...after leading a grief support class and walking alongside those who are in the midst of loss...I see that this message is universal - we just had not had a way to quite express these emotions before. Indeed there are those who are 'majored by the Minor Theme' and those who choose to major in the Major Theme. That means not letting the Minor Theme be the controlling defining thing of you...but instead walking THROUGH the minor empowered by the MAJOR...(Jesus).
It has been incredible to witness this transformative truth taking hold in the lives of those in the class. It has been life giving to me to walk in the MAJOR theme. That is not a life of whistling in the dark, but one of embracing God, growing in Him, crying out to Him, and resting in Him. Praying daily for His truth to prevail and provide the grid that I live from.
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Servant-Ken
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07/23/2011 14:19 |
I think the one learning in Week 3 that stood in my face was 'living in the minor or suffering'. With the death of Brent, John said some that wanted to remain in the sorrow long after. I feel this is where I have been in my situation. For some reason I want to wallow in this and not move on emotionally. I haven't really defined much else out of that, but I think it is important to at least recognize where we are. I continue to try break false agreements, and listen to the daily prayer. It has helped.
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Servant-Ken
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07/23/2011 20:59 |
I forgot to mention the mistakes I have made asking for an answer from God our trying to understand why. I think the statement was we can have God our we can have understanding. I realize I must have God instead of understanding the suffering I have been through.
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rustcp
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07/24/2011 23:15 |
I believe I have misunderstood the title of this session, which ended up aggravating and upsetting me. The Minor theme here is not to belittle my suffering, as if to pat me on the head and say, "there, there, this is only a Minor thing you face." The meaning of course would be... "there is an existence of suffering and it is hateful and hurtful. BUT God who is good and whose steadfast love endures forever, has said there IS more... that life does not end on suffering, BUT on LIFE". And THAT is the Major theme!
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Ray
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07/25/2011 20:53 |
Thanks for sharing your heart, David. I'm learning.
I read this in Utmost the other day. I think it is so encouraging to think the Lord's desire for us is to be one with Him, which is one of the Major themes, I think.
'"I and My Father are one." "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered." The Son's obedience was as Redeemer, because He was Son, not in order to be Son.'
It's the same for us and that is amazing.
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Calico
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07/25/2011 23:28 |
I have many thoughts to add here...
...but before doing so, I will be sitting down with Sean first, to let him hear Week 3, too. With cancer still inside of his body, and the outcome of the operation having not gone as planned, this may make for good discussion for him and I.
I will try to write before Thursday... we'll see....
Praying with you,
Tom
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