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| Which man??
Posted: 7/5/2008 7:43:48 PM | Who will go to heaven ?
Well I know one who is going to heaven, and he does not resemble either of these 2 gentleman. The criminal on the cross beside Christ , will be there. Christ said so, and he probably never spent much time praying in fear, or loving his nehibours / wife who ever.
Maybe both men mentioned will get to heaven, maybe neither, I do not know. I would like to mention this, which individual has the biggest cross to bear? Which one has the biggest battle to fight?
Measuring a persons worth is funny I find. As an example, most of us have no problem getting up for work in the morning, feed our kids. Some though have demons they have to fight, maybe chronicle depression, drug addiction, for that person , it is a lot harder to do this, they have to fight and pull themselves out of bed. God, I think, is pretty good at reading whats in our hearts, he knows the struggles we face as individuals and how it is harder for one than it is another to do what we should.
The parable of the prodigal son, didn't make much sense to me until I faced it it my self. I am so proud of one child who is fighting drug addiction, when she does things my other 2 kids do with out my even recognizing it.
That guy in the mountain, what has he had to bear in this life? Why is he so good for spreading love? Maybe he is a genius, could cure cancer, but because he is lazy doesn't. Maybe that poor sod in the church, has huge phobias, with coping ,so who has the biggest burden? We don't know do we ? Maybe we don't even know what our nehibour is facing, co worker, ex?
I think God knows the demons that plague us, he knows the burdens each and every one us face that is unique to us. Man has his own standards, judge every one by those standards , yet we do so with out knowing all the facts. God knows the inner facts, and his son said at Calvary to what we know was a criminal, " Today I will see you ".
All that individual did was recognize Christ as the son of God, no works, no prayers, no loving nehibours. Just a belief in God and acceptance of Christ as his son.
Guy in the mountain, doesn't know of God? Its not that far fetched actually I find. Man, I find it refreshing to run into any one with beliefs, even if that belief differs from my own. Rather meet a aesthetic person any day, over "I don't know, must be something out there type".
"We all come short " , that criminal on the cross beside Christ, did not get there by good works, or prayer I am pretty sure. He accepted a gift , thats all he did, for recognizing Christ for what he was. | |
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| Which man??
Posted: 7/5/2008 11:00:23 PM |
I think God knows the demons that plague us, he knows the burdens each and every one us face that is unique to us. Man has his own standards, judge every one by those standards , yet we do so with out knowing all the facts."
Thank you, dunrich, for those words. You may never know how much they spoke to me, but know that you have my thanks at this moment. I have discovered only one new thing that I value, that it is when we are most sure of ourselves, we are most vulnerable. Grace is not so. It is there for when we are least sure. | |
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| Which man??
Posted: 7/8/2008 7:55:54 PM | " When we are less sure' ? You mean, like being a human and all the failure that entails?
Yes, I agree with Romanticoptimist in this matter. For sure, it is only by Grace that I am accepted by God, like the song says, a wretch like me.
Amazing concept I find! | |
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| Which man??
Posted: 7/9/2008 6:25:45 PM | Not meaning to veer off-topic in any way, but I wanted to share something in regard to fear. To fear God means to be in awe of him, not to be afraid of him, while to fear going to hell is a deep-rooted, scared sort of fear.
In my understanding of the Bible, we are taught to do good, not for recognition or increase of self-worth, but because God wants us to reach out to others in a reflection of his love. Seems to me the man in the second scenario offered by the OP is doing good because he believes it is expected of him. | |
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| Which man??
Posted: 7/10/2008 7:43:51 AM |
Firstof all I wrote that the Psalm passage taught that every man knows in his heart that there is a God, not that hw would know in His heart that Jesus was He.
Can you imagine explaining that to a head-hunter in the wilderness of his own domain? (yikes!)  
And illiteracy wont cut it. Some of the most godly people I have known cannot read/write.
True, all can have a perspective regardless of their ability to read and write - no problem with that. :)
Preachers, teachers, missionaries, TV broadcasting , radio, media in general, and plain ol' gossip works wonders, my friend.
Gossip? I hope it's not if they want the "truth".   | |
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