@ poster - may the Almighty Lord bless you for starting this networking thread.

Below is my contribution for today - I hope that this will bless someone out there!

---

God's Perfect Plan

"They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia, A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us." - Acts 16:6-9 NASB

It would have been easy for Paul to assume he knew God's will or simply could follow his own instincts. But throughout his life, Paul had come to realize God had a special plan-just for him!

How else could Paul explain his extraordinary journey through life? As a boy, he had come to Jerusalem to be trained by the greatest minds in Judaism. Jesus had appeared to him and called him, even though he zealously had persecuted Christians. Paul realized this all had been part of God's plan, a plan that unfolded day by day. He learned to be sensitive to the Spirit, always seeking to let Him show the way.

This commitment was never clearer than when he and his companions traveled through Phrygia and Galatia. For reasons they must not have understood, God would not let them preach there. Then, suddenly, in Troas, Paul received a vision: They were being called to Macedonia. This was the right place and the right time.

We see the importance of Paul's determination to go only to the right place and do the right thing at the right time. Because of this commitment, he was ready to take the Gospel to Europe.

Do you believe that God has a plan for your life? A right place for you? A right time for His blessings to flow? Make sure to commit yourself to seeking His plan and doing His will. Submit your life to Him. Be ready to go wherever He leads you.

Remain Blessed!

@Ruddyface

You are right. Fantasy is not bad when it is wholesome. It's good to fantasize. God gave us the mind to imagine. The people in Babel fantasized to build the greatest skyscrapper and God said it is possible to achieve that which they have imagined to do. Every inventor has fantasized! There is power in the mind, folks.

I also think faith supplies the driving force to make dreams reality. That gigantic project would never have started if there is no faith in its success. Faith is that 'eye' that sees it as already completed before it ever started.

Foolishness is having a fantasy without faith driving it.

More thoughts on this.

God bless you BeckyUk for your post. That's another one so timely for me.

Thursday 21 August, 08

‘FROM HIM…ARE ALL THINGS.’ ROMANS 11:36 NIV

Acknowledging God’s sovereign control in all things doesn’t make us helpless pawns, or free us from responsibility. No: 1) It takes away our anxiety. When you rest in the loving character of God you can say, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’ (Psalm 23:6). That’s a ‘surely’ you can’t get from your banker, your broker, your insurance man or anybody else. 2) It frees us from explanation. We’re liberated from the tyranny of having to have all the answers. We can say, ‘I don’t know, but I trust the One who does.’ The danger of knowing a little theology is that we start thinking we can fathom the unfathomable. Even the great Apostle threw up his hands and said, ‘How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out’ (Romans 11:33 NKJV). Face it, we can’t explain why God closes some doors and opens others or how He can take evil and use it for good. But He does and He usually doesn’t explain it to us. 3) It keeps us from pride. Paul writes, ‘From him and through him and to him are all things.’ If you want to make God’s sovereignty temporal or limited, then you have to get rid of the ‘all things,’ in this Scripture, just as you must do in Romans 8:28: ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (NIV). If God says ‘all things,’ He means it! It comes down to a simple choice: either we trust God or we play God. And it’s an easy choice to make!

http://gsafnigeria.org/devotional.aspx?dDate=8/21/2008

[color=#006600]Posted on: Yesterday at 10:16:08 PMPosted by: Ruddyface
Insert Quote
Well, I think Faith is the evidence of things hoped for and the certainty of things not yet seen.

My brethren dont think, that is the definition of faith according to the eternal word of God.

daruche:


Well, I think Faith is the evidence of things hoped for and the certainty of things not yet seen.

My brethren don't think, that is the definition of faith according to the eternal word of God.

Brother you are right. But what we are examining is the relationship between faith, fantasy and foolishness. You can throw in a little light as well.

Food for thought.
http://4allchristiansunite.multiply.com/video/item/136/Will_You_Stand_Up_For_God

@OLAADEGBU that was inspiring. Thank you for sharing. I believe we all have opportunities to stand up and be counted a Christian on many occassions and we don't take them all. May the Lord grant us courage in the face of opposition and strength in the face of persecussion to stand up for Him.

@OLAADEGBU, I like that and it's very relevant especially in western societies where there is concerted effort to try and suppress the truth of God's word

Posted by: Analytical : Brother you are right. But what we are examining is the relationship between faith, fantasy and foolishness. You can throw in a little light as well.

I will start by defining the 3 words, we are considering from online dictionary;
Quick definitions (fantasy)
▸ noun: imagination unrestricted by reality ("A schoolgirl fantasy"
▸ noun: fiction with a large amount of fantasy in it
▸ noun: something many people believe that is false
Quick definitions[b] (foolishness)[/b]
▸ noun: the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
▸ noun: the quality of being rash and foolish
▸ noun: a stupid mistake
Quick definitions (faith)
▸ noun: loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person ("Keep the faith"
▸ noun: complete confidence in a person or plan etc ("He cherished the faith of a good woman"
▸ noun: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny ("He lost his faith but not his morality"

Let me go back to the bible and check some defination
The bible says a foolish man says in his heart there is no God. I hope we remember the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12. Luk 12:20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul shall be required of you, then whose shall be those things which you have prepared?
Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none that doeth good.

Looking at fantacy from the dictionary defination, is something that everybody believe is false. My brethren, the bible declare that we should search all things and hold on to that which is truth. As long as everybody believe is wrong to large extent is the wrong thing to do. Let me sight an example of homosextual; sir/ma will you tell me morally, it is right to be homosextual. I wont like to discuss more on fatancy because i would like to have more insight into what the person is looking at.

I believe as long as you operate under the sonship annointing i.e. the era of grace, there is need for the Spirit of God to direct your thought in all that you do.
I Corinthians 2:10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Sir there is no relationship whatsoever between them, faith operate at another extreme to them. I just said that the simple meaning of foolishness from the bible is a person that believes there is no God.
Do you want to tell me that without been born again, is possible for you to make heaven. Sir, there is no shortcut to it, if you are not born again, you cannot see the kingdom. There is the aspect of seeing and the aspect entering, dont mix it up. A lot will see and not enter, there is need for us to enter the kingdom after runing this race here on earth.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Joh 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Without faith brethren, you are not part of the Kingdom.

1Th 1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
1Th 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, welcoming the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
Brethren we must be imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ,

@ Daruche,

That was a rather extremist view of the issue. What happens to the 'foolshness of God' being greater than man's wisdom? What happened to Paul famous 'I talk now as a fool'? Did it mean that Paul was an unbelieving folk? My! And he (by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) wrote two-third of the New Testament!

Oga, you cannot call fantasy false just because one dictionary out of thousands said so. Fantasy is simply imagination. Fantasy can even substitute for imagination. I guess u only read KJV, have u tried Living Translation and Amplified Bible? Look up the words imagination and fantasy in both if u use electronic Bible like me. I am yet to imagine something so strongly and prayed about it so well and yet didn't get to see it practically, physically, literally happen.

Analytical/Gamine,

It was this kind of know-it-all, conclusive and extremist posture I was talking about at the beginning.

Problem with many Christians is that they pick isolated scriptures and speak with such finality that one begins to ask: what happens to out of the mouth of two or three witness. shall every matter be established? What happens to contextual comparism of scripture to scripture?

I get what you mean, Ruddy

The guy is going haywire.


@Daruche , i really couldnt read da whole thing

Anyways, i thank God for His Grace n Love

He will always direct those who Seek HIM.

We are Foolish to believe in Faith, in this world of Seeing is Believing

@BeckyUK: #224 on: August 21, 2008, 12:17 AM »

@ poster - may the Almighty Lord bless you for starting this networking thread.

Below is my contribution for today - I hope that this will bless someone out there!

God's Perfect Plan

"They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia, A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us." - Acts 16:6-9 NASB

It would have been easy for Paul to assume he knew God's will or simply could follow his own instincts. But throughout his life, Paul had come to realize God had a special plan-just for him!

How else could Paul explain his extraordinary journey through life? As a boy, he had come to Jerusalem to be trained by the greatest minds in Judaism. Jesus had appeared to him and called him, even though he zealously had persecuted Christians. Paul realized this all had been part of God's plan, a plan that unfolded day by day. He learned to be sensitive to the Spirit, always seeking to let Him show the way.

This commitment was never clearer than when he and his companions traveled through Phrygia and Galatia. For reasons they must not have understood, God would not let them preach there. Then, suddenly, in Troas, Paul received a vision: They were being called to Macedonia. This was the right place and the right time.

We see the importance of Paul's determination to go only to the right place and do the right thing at the right time. Because of this commitment, he was ready to take the Gospel to Europe.

Do you believe that God has a plan for your life? A right place for you? A right time for His blessings to flow? Make sure to commit yourself to seeking His plan and doing His will. Submit your life to Him. Be ready to go wherever He leads you.

Remain Blessed!

Please when did the Christian god release the gag order, and therefore allow the words to be spoken in Asia? As I recall, Christianity is now in Asia. Isn't it? Could you give us immeasuable information on the time and place and who was the order lifted upon?

olabowale:

@BeckyUK: #224 on: August 21, 2008, 12:17 AM »
Please when did the Christian god release the gag order, and therefore allow the words to be spoken in Asia? As I recall, Christianity is now in Asia. Isn't it? Could you give us immeasuable information on the time and place and who was the order lifted upon?

Dear Olabowale,  How are you?  Great, I hope.

While everybody's freedom/opinion is respected on a forum like this, we will really appreciate it more if the aim (as contained in the very first post) of this thread is respected as well.  This is Christian E-fellowship.  It is not supposed to be an inter-religion debating platform.  You may wish to create a thread to address your concern so as not to derail this one.

Thank you for your understanding.

Friends, how was your weekend all?  Thank God it's another blessed day.

@Ruddyface, you are well understood.  In the spirit of fellowship let's continue to accommodate each other while at the same time examining things in love and in the light of the scriptures.

I quite agree that Daruche's view of the subject of Faith, Foolishness and Fantasy is rather narrow.  We can make the discussion more robust by giving examples of them at play in practical reality (from scriptures or real life situations).

Bless y'all.

Analytical, i think you have been a good moderator, to this end i might not be able to contribute to the faith of our brethren. I believe in the generation we have found ourself, there is need for brotherly love to continue in aiding the growth of our fellow believer in faith. Pls dont think i have anything against anybody, Christ love is still in me,

If christ as declared somethings about us, when he was sent to the heart so many of us wont have the oppurtiunity we have today of coming to the fold. I wont want to say anything for now but let me conclude by refering to the passage that PAul said is a fool. The passage is 2 cor 12:11, I am acting like a fool---but you have made me do it. You are the ones who ought to show your approval of me. For even if I am nothing, I am in no way inferior to those very special "apostles" of yours. By the time you read the whole chapter you will understand the message Apostle paul is passing to the corinthians.

Posted by: Ruddyface
It was this kind of know-it-all, conclusive and extremist posture I was talking about at the beginning.

Problem with many Christians is that they pick isolated scriptures and speak with such finality that one begins to ask: what happens to out of the mouth of two or three witness. shall every matter be established? What happens to contextual comparism of scripture to scripture?

Posted by: Gamine
Insert Quote
I get what you mean, Ruddy

The guy is going haywire.

Am so sorry for the contribution if my brethren think am an extremist and going haywire, as long as am doing it to the Lord.

this is my parting gift to all my brethren in the house, Thank you and GOd bless!

2Ti 4:8

(GNB) And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day---and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear.

(ISV) The victor's crown of righteousness is now waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who eagerly wait for his appearing.

(KJV+) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

(MKJV) Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but also to all those who love His appearing.

Keep up the good fight of faith,

daruche:


Am so sorry for the contribution if my brethren think am an extremist and going haywire, as long as am doing it to the Lord.

this is my parting gift to all my brethren in the house, Thank you and GOd bless!

Now Daruche, why would you want to do such a thing? We need you here please! Everyone can't always agree with everyone, but there is always joy in sharing. Tell me, how would you know if someone has not been blessed with a phrase you have posted?

I beseech you by the mercies of our Lord to bear each other with much love and patience! Peace.

Analytical, i understand your message. I am still a member of the house but might not be able to say anything on any issue, we are deliberating on . .
The bible says in quietness lie your strenght,

I Thessalonians 5:26 Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss.

@Daruche, no sir!  Are you posting to be commended or to encourage/bless someone?  Don't withold good when it is necessary, brother.

Looking forward to reading your posts o!

it is well!!!!!!!!

Thanks, you just made my day!!!

Hallmark of True Discipleship

John 13:35
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." .

This is straight from the mouth of the Master Himself!  No greater mark, no stronger bond, than that of love (agape) that we share and show, even when others are not deserving of such.  After all, He even gave His life for us while we were yet underserving sinners.  What a show of love!

1 cor 13:13
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

As strong as faith is and as good as hope is, the greatest is still love.  Have you shown love to someone today?  Have you ever loved someone the way Jesus loves you- unconditionally?  It's about time!!

1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Father I pray you grant us the grace to love more than ever before.  Help us to show love even to those that hurt us because by so doing we show we are your disciples indeed.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen.

Excellent! Hold on to that which is good. God bless you. U are great!

i want to thank the initiator of this forum,may u never be a cast away!recently the Lord has been dealing wit me on the issue of forgiveness. i stood in 4 a pastor friend of mine recently and in less than 30minutes delivered dis messg. till dis moment testimonies are still coming in, families got united, r/ships got mended. pls brethen study matt.5 and psalm 133 afresh. this is the Lord's mssg 4 us 4 the now.

nice idea

Hi all!

Been a while I logged on. God has been showing himself good on my behalf, and I am more than convinced that there is indeed a GOD!

Even when all hopes seems lost, GOD has not lost all hopes on his own. I do not know who my message is for, but I know that no matter what you are going through at the moment, there is indeed a GOD that is always ready to listen to us, only if we call on HIM.

Psalm 78

Vs 1 - GIVE ear, O my people to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Vs 2 - I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Vs 3 - Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us.

Vs 4 - We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

If you fully obey the commandments of the LORD, and you hearken to HIS sayings, he will make a way where there even apparently seems to be no way.

GOD LIVES HALLELUYAH!!!!!!!!!!

daruche:

Analytical, i understand your message. I am still a member of the house but might not be able to say anything on any issue, we are deliberating on . .
The bible says in quietness lie your strenght,

I Thessalonians 5:26 Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss.

Here you go again. The fact that people don't totally accept your views does not mean that they do not accept your person.

I believe you are a fan of Paul as he is of Christ. You can learn a lesson or two from him. Paul spoke in Athens and Corinth and not all the people agreed with him. He did not take off, he stood still and even the Lord had to speak to him thus:"Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no-one is going to attack you and harm you because I HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY"emphasis mine.

One of the success factors of Paul's ministry was his dynamism. He was as much at home with a Roman or a Greek as he was with a Hebrew. No wonder he chose Timothy, a son of a Greek man, as his PA - a thing many Nigerian leaders can learn from; most of them have their PAs from their villages!

Paul related with Governors, fellow Lawyers and Fishermen, each in the language he would understand - without grandstanding or being ostentatious. To the Jew he was a Jew, to the slave (though he was free born) he was like a slave.

@ Analytical,

You are a gentleman.

@ Gamine,

How are you my friend?

it is well

Tuesday 26 August, 08

‘THEN PETER GOT…OUT OF THE BOAT, WALKED ON THE WATER… TOWARD JESUS.’ MATTHEW 14:29 NIV

Peter proved that as long as you keep your eyes on Jesus and stick to the plan, you won’t go under. Notice:

1) Before you get into something, make sure it’s God’s will for you! Peter said, ‘Lord, if it’s you, bid me to come to you on the water’ and Jesus said, ‘Come.’ Before you take on something like water-walking, pray and be sure God’s in it. In other words, get God’s plan and stick to it.

2) Don’t expect everybody in the boat to go with you. Water-walking is a lonely calling; it sets you apart from those who are timid and security-minded. It also tends to bring criticism from those who think you’re making them look bad by contrast.

3) If you wait for good weather you’ll miss your moment. When Jesus said, ‘Come,’ they were in the middle of a storm. Face it; we’d all like the stars to line up, or some big donor to underwrite the whole project before we make a move. But how often does that happen? Peter wasn’t walking on the water; he was walking on the Word! What has God told you to do? Stop waiting for ideal conditions and start doing it!

4) Don’t expect a mistake-free performance. Nobody walks without fluctuation. The Bible describes its heroes in one sentence: ‘Whose weakness was turned to strength’ (Hebrews 11:34 NIV). All the great men and women of God you admire, go through sinking spells when they cry out, ‘Lord, save me.’ And do you know what? He does! And He’ll do the same for you.

http://gsafnigeria.org/devotional.aspx?dDate=8/26/2008

Just got this from someone and decided to share it as well:

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go, only one of two things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor.

Have a blessed day.

Out of your bellies shall flow rivers of living waters
This is what's happening here.

Oh how I miss sunday school from me singing ''I'll make u fishers of men'' to dividing the word, hmm Rhema sweet Rhema.