tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post5386747426955993527..comments2024-01-11T10:58:30.769-05:00Comments on Jesus community: overcoming ourselvesTed M. Gossardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580691315315271791noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-57115559201604522832008-09-28T21:20:00.000-04:002008-09-28T21:20:00.000-04:00Triston,Thanks. I think the prayer for hardening i...Triston,<BR/>Thanks. I think the prayer for hardening is really a prayer for grace. Hardening oneself against sin. Which would involve a change of heart, of course.Ted M. Gossardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10580691315315271791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-39860856839384665132008-09-27T04:19:00.000-04:002008-09-27T04:19:00.000-04:00I liked Nancy’s comment: our beings can not overco...I liked Nancy’s comment: <I>our beings can not overcome evil. only God can overcome evil for us.</I><BR/><BR/>That is so true. “For <B>it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.</B>” (Phil. 2:13)<BR/><BR/>"<B>By God's power we are guarded through faith for a salvation</B> ready to be revealed in the last time." (l Peter 1:5)<BR/><BR/>"<B>to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish</B> before the presence of his glory with rejoicing…” (Jude 24,25)<BR/><BR/>"May your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and <B>he will do it.</B>" (l Thes. 5:23-24)<BR/><BR/>"And I am sure that <B>he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion</B> at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)<BR/><BR/>"<B>Jesus Christ will sustain you to the end; guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful</B>…” (l Cor. 1:8-9)<BR/><BR/>It’s an excellent post. The only thing I am a bit uncomfortable with is the idea of praying for God to harden us (though the content of the prayer is good). I believe the only time God hardens people in the Bible are in the context of judgment, not blessing. It reminds me a bit like praying for “justice in the world”. That is almost the equivalent of praying for condemnation; we don’t want God’s justice; we want His grace.<BR/><BR/>I did enjoy the post.Litl-Lutherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09790787494599438994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-54819197393940756512008-09-26T18:11:00.000-04:002008-09-26T18:11:00.000-04:00Lanny,Thanks! Amen. And that sounds dangerous.Lanny,<BR/>Thanks! Amen. And that sounds dangerous.Ted M. Gossardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10580691315315271791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-21845439094425909942008-09-26T18:09:00.001-04:002008-09-26T18:09:00.001-04:00Thanks for your kind comment, Bill!Thanks for your kind comment, Bill!Ted M. Gossardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10580691315315271791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-13278062065989005752008-09-26T18:09:00.000-04:002008-09-26T18:09:00.000-04:00Nancy,Thanks for all your helpful words to us. For...Nancy,<BR/>Thanks for all your helpful words to us. For your exuberance in sharing, thanks!Ted M. Gossardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10580691315315271791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-17751234056620269472008-09-26T18:06:00.000-04:002008-09-26T18:06:00.000-04:00Preacherman,Thanks, brother for your good thoughts...Preacherman,<BR/>Thanks, brother for your good thoughts about surrender. You too!Ted M. Gossardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10580691315315271791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-81354579958608583672008-09-26T14:18:00.000-04:002008-09-26T14:18:00.000-04:00Had a friend who always said, "we throw rocks in f...Had a friend who always said, "we throw rocks in front of our own bicycles"<BR/><BR/>All my "rocks" are my own doing.Lannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16018584509455303394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-52713613295761734612008-09-26T12:35:00.000-04:002008-09-26T12:35:00.000-04:00Overcoming ourselves is more about looking to Jesu...<EM>Overcoming ourselves is more about looking to Jesus and finding our true self in him.</EM><BR/><BR/>What an incredibly insightful statement! Thanks for the gentle, yet compelling, exhortation to die to self.<BR/><BR/>Blessings in Christ,<BR/><A HREF="http://spiritualoasis.org" REL="nofollow"><STRONG>Bill Williams</STRONG></A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-63448311011013593912008-09-26T11:44:00.000-04:002008-09-26T11:44:00.000-04:00the lie, that we have been told, and that we belie...the lie, that we have been told, and that we believe, is that we are free to belong to "our" self. when we are in sin we believe that we are free. <BR/><BR/>the truth.... that we "can see" when we are in Jesus, is that we never belong to self. we either belong to evil or we belong to God.<BR/><BR/>self, meaning control of our being.<BR/><BR/><BR/>God is stronger than evil. <BR/>so God is in control of all.<BR/><BR/>we are alive becuse of God. <BR/><BR/>our choice... <BR/><BR/>of God OR continuing to belong to evil ...<BR/><BR/>is given to us by "God".<BR/><BR/><BR/>the enemy is evil, <BR/>and it is hard to understand that overcoming evil is actually the battle. our beings can not overcome evil. only God can overcome evil for us.<BR/><BR/>believing that it is "our" self or "our" identity is just believing that we own self. we do not, but we do have "choice" of who owns us...in that "choice" we choose every day who we are going to obey.<BR/><BR/>God wants for us to obey Him in Holy Spirit and in truth and Love, praise and rejoicing. <BR/><BR/>evil wants for us to choose the lie and be blinded by it.<BR/><BR/><BR/>praise God! it is what God wants for us. praise is joy in Him. it is our joy and our STRENGTH.<BR/><BR/>praise God, brother. in Love.<BR/>for you are a child of God in Jesus and God in you.<BR/><BR/>praise God...and He will give you JOY...which is our strength in Him.<BR/><BR/>praise you Lord God, my God, the God of abraham, the God of israel, the God of all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20184070.post-28178077110904708842008-09-26T11:29:00.000-04:002008-09-26T11:29:00.000-04:00I think when we see our true self in the eyes of G...I think when we see our true self in the eyes of God we appreciate the grace and love of the Almighty more. I think the battle with most of us is that we fail to completely surrender everything over to him. I mean everything!I(money, food, clothes, jobs, family, etc). God wants to be in control and yet the world and society impact our willingness to give. One of my favorite passages and think it is key to this issue is what Paul says, "It is no longer I... But Christ!" <BR/>Thanks Ted for sharing this wonderful post with us. <BR/>I hope you have a great day and blessed weekend brother!preachermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922837614859997243noreply@blogger.com