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Author
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Topic: Whoever Clings To This Life Will Lose It
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Carol Swenson
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Member # 6929
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posted
quote:
You know, Carol Swenson, the devil likes to say that faith is believing in things we cannot see, but I believe in facts.
Eden, it is not the devil who says faith is believing in things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
lonlesol
quote:
Empty me of all the empty things that I hold on to,
Come and fill my heart with You
That says an awful lot, doesn't it?
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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lonlesol
Advanced Member
Member # 4511
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posted
I have been listening to this particular song today..."Come And Fill My Heart" by Avalon...it has been a while since the last time I have listened to it...
"Come And Fill My Heart"
by Avalon
Free, I long to be free
I long for the day I believe
That all You say You see in me is true
That's hard for me to do
It's hard for me to die to myself
And trust my life to someone else
So come, empty me out
I'm no good without
You inside of me
Come and fill my heart with hope
Come and fill my life with love
Come and fill my soul with strength to carry on
Because from here the climb is steep, the road is long
Come and fill my days with dreams
Empty me of all the empty things that I hold on to
Come and fill my heart with You
I need You in my life
Need You like the air that I breathe
You become the very heart of me
And I, I can't believe my eyes
I can't believe the dream that I've found
Lord Your love has turned my world around
So come, fill up my heart till I am like You are
So deep inside of me
Come and fill my heart with hope
Come and fill my life with love
Come and fill my soul with strength to carry on
Because from here the climb is steep, the road is long
Come and fill my days with dreams
Empty me of all the empty things that I hold on to
Come and fill my heart with You
Search me Lord, try my heart
Come and take me now and make me new
So Lord that the world will see You in my life
Come and fill my heart with hope
Come and fill my life with love
Come and fill my soul with strength to carry on
Because from here the climb is steep, the road is long
Come and fill my days with dreams
Empty me of all the empty things that I hold on to
Come and fill my heart with you
Come and fill my days with dreams
Empty me of all the empty things that I hold on to,
Come and fill my heart with You
Come and fill my heart with You
“Whoever clings to this life will lose it, and whoever loses this life will save it.”
So, Soooo True...this life of mine used to be filled especially with anger, bitterness and trusting no one, not even God...
I always thought that I was to go to Heaven at the end of my life but from what I have learned from the Bible I was surely heading straight to hell if I remained the same...something had to be done so He did and still does!... ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posts: 478 | From: Quebec | Registered: Mar 2005
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
Now, regarding your Topic title, it is indeed hard for a person to admit he or she is a sinner. That is the hangup spot for everyone. Pride in oneself and "I don't need anyone's help" and "I don't need anyone to die for me", are all pride stances. Self-reliance means they are still in their sins:
John 8:24
I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins.
Another way of clinging to our life is to think that we are better than others:
Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
But then finally is the answer:
Luke 18
13 But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast and said, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one who exalts himself shall be abased; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
pter)
Proverbs 6:3
Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, when you are come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself, and make sure your friend.
John 15:15
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant does not know what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.
Oh what a blessed day it was to see myself as a sinner:
Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25a I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
love, eden
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Eden
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posted
You know, Carol Swenson, the devil likes to say that faith is believing in things we cannot see, but I believe in facts.
The Bible is like a transcript of what happened back then that can be believed in like any other court transcript, of court evidence of transcripts and pictures and statements of what happened and to a jury, they have the same value as facts. The Bible to me is a transcript of actual events and is as good as the facts themselves to me.
be blessed, Carol Swenson
eden
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Carol Swenson
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posted
I'm glad you did Eden.
Wish everyone would.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Eden
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Carol Swenson said quote:
It's hard for people to believe in what they can't see.
Hi Carol Swenso, the written Bible isn't something that people cannot see. The written Bible is a physical item that can be held with physical hands, the Bible can be read with physical eyes and the miracles in the Bible can be believed with the physical brain.
When I saw that there were miracles in the Bible, I believed.
People can only believe in something that they can see. And the Bible can be seen anytime someone wants to:
John 20:29
Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.
Now, lest you go say, "see, see, it says they believed without having seen", Jesus clearly meant "have not seen me in person", because Jesus also said:
Matthew 10:40
He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me.
The people believed the preaching about Jesus and about His miracles:
John 2:23
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did.
So Carol Swenson, to repeat what you said quote:
It's hard for people to believe in what they can't see.
I believe in facts, not in ephemeral things. I read, I saw, and I believed.
with love,
eden
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Michael Harrison
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Member # 6801
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posted
quote:
Individualism—I work hard for me, and you work hard for you. I may make it; you may not. That’s your problem, not mine.
This is a good example of the doctrine of works! God, who is no respector of persons will more highly approve of one over another! Therefore, work hard for it, to be better than the next guy!
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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posted
Whosoever clings to his life, loses it all the while he clings (everpresent tense)! Michael's paraphrase!
"Thy will be done on earth as in heaven."
A man loses his life, as the Father's will is done on earth, as in heaven. This takes surrender of one's life. That is our sacrifice, and He has made is easy. All we have to do is praise, and let! He will move us into all good works when we put down the oars, and not until we put down the oars to know His will. ![[Bible]](graemlins/bible.gif)
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Carol Swenson
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Member # 6929
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posted
It's hard for people to believe in what they can't see. We can point out that they can't see the air, but they can see and feel its effects. We can point out that people can't see gravity, but they can experience the things that gravity does. But most of all, we can pray for them, and love them, as you did waynemlj.
Since God created life and gave life to us, it only makes since that we would give our lives to Him. This idea reminds me of giving a really cool toy to a child, and then the child says, "Daddy, show me how it works." He will. He will show us the way to true life, if we trust in Him.
lonlesol, hey you betcha!
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lonlesol
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posted
waynemlj...
What you just did is not a digression, not in my opinion for what it is worth...it is called sharing an experience of life that could serve to help others...God does work in mysterious ways!...
Thank you for sharing...I guess I am one of those people that do appreciate these kinds of ''digressions'' if I may use this term... ![[hug]](graemlins/hug.gif)
And Carol.......I thank YOU too, my friend!...
Posts: 478 | From: Quebec | Registered: Mar 2005
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waynemlj
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Hi Carol,
This Scripture verse is hard for a lot of people to understand.
You explained it as clearly as I've ever heard it explained.
As an aside, I tried to teach my 88-year old mother about the Bible and Salvation in Jesus Christ. She had lived a life as you described from the negative side.
I chose that very Scripture and kept repeating it to her on every visit.
One day after about a month of going over the explanation (somewhat as you did here), she said, "It's not working!"
I didn't want to laugh, but I couldn't help myself. It's a good warning to all young, or even not-so-young people to place their hopes in God's Word and examine what values they cling to while the opportunity for salvation is still there.
In age, it's hard to recover.
By God's grace He has softened the hardness of her mind and now, at 92, she's a different person . . . open to listening to any word about God, says the Lord's Prayer with me, and is (from what I see from her reactions to my constant references to Jesus and His death for our sins, etc.) saved.
I praise God that He can get through to a feeble mind like this!
Sorry, about all the digression from your topic.
waynemlj
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Carol Swenson
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Member # 6929
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posted
Luke 17:33
“Whoever clings to this life will lose it, and whoever loses this life will save it.” (NLT)
Christ’s return will cause great upheaval and danger. This is described in other prophecies regarding the end times, such as chapter 21 and the book of Revelation. The person looking for the kingdom will be able to run with joy to welcome it, willingly forfeiting home and possessions in order to have eternal life. However, whoever clings to this life will lose it, for nothing in this life will remain. When God’s kingdom comes, everything will change. Clinging to this world is foolish, for it will pass away. Clinging to life is foolish, for it too will pass away. Jesus said much the same thing in 9:24. (See also Matthew 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; John 12:25.)
Losing Life to Save It
Those clinging to this life are those seeking to escape physical persecution. Those who live for themselves display these common attitudes:
Materialism—I want it and work hard to get it. All that I see is real. Unseen things are merely ideas and dreams.
Individualism—I work hard for me, and you work hard for you. I may make it; you may not. That’s your problem, not mine.
Skepticism—Anything I’m not convinced about can’t be important. Everything important to know I can figure out.
Those who have these attitudes may protect themselves, but they will lose the spiritual dimension to their lives.
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