Yeah, well sometimes it's REAL evidence appearing real!
I'm not in favor of being overcome with worry, fear, and soiling my pants over nothing; getting all worked up about something that isn't there or may never come to pass is pretty unproductive, but there are times when there is something that you should very definitely fear. Ignoring reality is just plain dumb.
yeah... it was taught... but remember, it was also another way that they (TWI) tried to 'program' us not to give any credence to things that they were doing that were in fact wrong... kind of along the lines of "think no evil" (of leaders especially)...
It's another good concept taken to an extreme to condition the person to ignore "red flags"... IMO
I don't think fear is a bad thing. I think it is a natual warning system and when it pops up the situation needs thought.
In TWI fear was looked at as an anxiety disorder or something--as if there is nothing to fear, it's just all in your crazy natural man mind. But there are things to be feared, there are dangerous situations, there are things a person should prepare for, or take precautions about, or get away from.
Part of the law of believing was about fear becoming real--so people supressed fears--inner warning systems. How many of us were so confused about bad treatment or stupid advice by leadership because our internal warning systems were shut down? Mr. High Mucky Mucky can't be being a jerk, he's a man of Gawd, it must be me that isn't seeing this correctly...
If something makes me fearful or anxious, I pay attention. I no longer assume it is false, something to sway me from the Word. Perhaps there is information I need, or an action I need to take.
it is comforting to have someone say "dont worry be happy"
God is in control we have no worries.. nice peaceful thought .
But it s a lie.
God does not control people nor does he work along with the devils help them in any way, yet people often do unaware of what they are doing ignorant of his scheming manner and ways much evil is alive and well on this earth still. To say it is false evidence that we are human and capable of great sin and just plain old life within this arena is considered DENIAL.
the fact is the bible says we will be persecuted.. and possibly die because we believe in Jesus Christ.
many have and the story be told Paul had a great deal of trouble and strive and problems in life.
Knowing Jesus as Lord does not take away fear no way rather He helps us , sends a holy spirit in which we can find some comfort in the middle of the troubles we face.
misfortune hurts and it happens to everyone .
false evidence is a judgement call and fear of anything is NOT a christian call ing to have faith in the promnises of God.
yet we continue in a life in which bad evil things happen to good people .
fear should not motivate us.. but then neither should ignorance. l
Thank you all for your responses. I just need to take each and every situation and analyze it the best I can.
TWI probably did have their own agenda for the FEAR teaching.
When I started this topic, I had a ton of anxiety in me over taking a flight... sounds stupid to those who fly all the time, but I couldn't get rid of it. I felt that I shouldn't be afraid to fly, but I had a hard time putting it in perspective.... smiling at my kids and telling them how excited I was... how happy I was to be flying away on vacation... but falling apart inside.
Statistics show, flying is waaaay safer than driving. I couldn't justify the fear, and eventually it did pass. Eventually, I was peaceful about flying. No anxiety while boarding. My smiles and excitement were real inside and out.
On take-off one of the engines failed. Time for concern. I was concerned that the plane would get a quick look over, a quick fix, and we'd be sent on our way, but that didn't happen. After a fair amount of time had passed, we were given another plane.
And so, I'll continue to struggle sometimes with fear about things I have no control over. But, hopefully, I'll get throught it.
Now.... there's a giant false elephant in the middle of the hotel pool.... (no lie)....coincidence or are you just making fun of me???
Amazingrace-- In TWI we were taught an illusion, that we had control over situations-and people-that we do not have. We were supposed to have control over everything.
That mother's fear is what killed the little boy--somehow her fear made another person step on the gas instead of the brakes, or get drunk and drive or whatever, or made the little boy run out between parked cars. How could one person's fear get inside someone elses mind and body and cause them to kill a child?
How many prayers were really just trying to manipulate another person into giving us what we wanted? we wanted control--over our bosses, over our landlords, neighbors...other believers.
I don't know when you left TWI, but in the nineties you were held responsible for all types of things. Your rental house had lousy carpet--it's your believing! Your child has an ear infection--its your believing! Whenever something didn't go right, it was time to take someone apart, find the fear.
I don't think life is that simple. I think there are many things we have no control over, especially other people.
Even though I left TWI in '84, the law of believing ALWAYS applied... that was TWI's teaching. Good things happened because "you believed for it." Bad things happened because "you had unbelief".
I KNOW that is really not how the world works. I still try to be an optimistic person. In fact, I think I'm the most optimistic person I know of most of the time...and in control of my emotions. Maybe that's why I freak out when I feel fearful about something.
TWI's wrong teachings die hard for some of us, or maybe I'm just realizing the extensive impact they can have on me, even now.
When the engine died on the plane, I knew it would be twi's belief that my "fear" caused a malfunction. Even if I was happy when boarding and happy up until the engine failure, twi would still place blame on me. In my heart of hearts,
I knew I had nothing to do with the malfunction of that plane, even if I was shaking with anxiety, still wasn't my fault the engine failed.
It's a shame I had to sit there and reason with situation and was not able to just "take it for what it was" as it was happening.
It's a shame I had to sit there and reason with situation and was not able to just "take it for what it was" as it was happening.
Amazingrace, we (hubby and I) have had to reason out alot of things over the past few years since leaving! The first three or so years were full of it. I can remember when we went to a Methodist church, and there was a big wooden cross on the wall. It was like my eyes couldn't see anything else! I spent the whole service thinking about the cross thing.
Now we don't spend so much time figuring things out.Whew!
Okay - I pullled out my WAP syllabus - this is craigger's class....the one that was just replaced and, since this is standard TWIt doctrine, I'm sure they're still teaching it....
My comments are in italics....the rest is typed using the vee pee form of non-plagarism....
The Greatest Principle in All of Life: Believing
Believing is the greatest immutable law, standard, rule of action in life. Everyone believes something; everyone is convinced, fully persuaded about something.
What we want as followers of the way who desire to live this way of abunance and power is to believe God, His word, to walk the steps of JC and to do the same works ... to do that, we ahve to believe like he believed.
Heb 10:38
The only thing that pleases God is if you blieve him; and to believe him, you ahve to trust him and the integrity of his word.
Heb 10:39
Luke 9:59-62
"bury my father" - oriental custom. The father was not dying or dead. The man used this cultural custom as an excuse to keep from responding to the call of God
"let the dead bury their dead"
imo, this is one of the digs TWI makes to keep people separated from their family and to put their kids, parents, friends and relatives second to what TWI wants of your life
Fear always has excuses for not acting on the word
"no man, having put his hand to the plough"....That's to shrink in fear. They're not fit, not adequate, not committed for God.
To believe
Negative - doubt worry fear - issues in unbelief
Positive - confidence by learning the word - trust, faithfulness issues in believing
Unbelief defeats the promises of God. All religion - traditions and philosophies of men - falls short, and all issue in doubt, worry, fear - unbelief
Romans 12:11 - if you want to live the more abundant life, you've got to work at it. God says "this is truth" and that's what we're to get the confidence in, trust in and be faithful at....that issues in believing.
Believing comes from the heart, which is a figure of speech for the part of the mind where the real honesty of your soul resides. In your heart is where you're fully persuaded...have to have single minded believing.
Romans 10:10 - "with the heart the man believeth"
YOU DON'T FOLLOW YOUR HEART! You determine your heart by your thought patterns which determine your believing and believing is the only way to please god. Believing is the way to abundance and power.
Prov 23:7 - as he thinketh in his heart.
You have two choices - you either believe positively or negatively - you're always going to believe something
don't you sometimes just "not think" about something???
Negative - fear in believing - believing in reverse, wrong believing gives negative results
Sin is always based on fear and brings fear. "Fear is the air the adversary breathes" That's his greatest device against your mind and he has mulitfarious ways that he disguises it: religion, religious ritual, man-made forms of worship.
Filty rags - why "follow your heart" is wrong - selfish and ego covers fear - it's really fears
Homos at some point all know it's wrong when they sell out & may sear their conscience with a hot iron - but they did, at one point, recognize that it's wrong. Unbridled lust never satisfies.
You follow the word, put it on in your heart and believe. If someone wants to get delivered they have to get honest about the fear in their lives.
You've got to determine what you do is wrong or what you do is right - it's your responsibility to determine what you think.
You've got to be a competitor to believe the Bible. You take charge of your life if you want the way of abundance and power. You want to be a champion? You want to rise up to be more than a conqueror? You want to really walk like JC? This is the ministry for you. It has nothing to do with how god loves you; it has to do with, do you love him?
We're getting down to where you live!!! Do you want excuses or do you want to live for God?
“doubt” – the first step down is doubt, then worry, then fear and it issues in unbelief
“believe that ye receive..” – Jesus is teaching to believe – not make excuses. Jesus was more concerned about living the word than making friends
Fear is from wrong teaching or ignorance
pistis – faith or believing
Believing in action – the majority of the ways it’s translated – most of the time pistis should be translated “believing”
Faith of JC – the bridge spiritually between God and man
Family Faith – The standard of STAYING IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE BELIEVERS
Manifestation of believing – special category of believing in the holy spirit field
Faithfulness fruit – fruit of the spirit that you develop by operating the manifestations of the spirit.
Romans 4:19-21
Faith in the OT should be translated “faithfulness”
“staggered not” –
How did Abraham get fully persuaded? By speaking, confessing in his heart and confessing with his actions – this is the synchronized life.
Not that you ignore reality, rather consider the situation and decide to believe.
You can be right about something and not handle it properly if you let fear in, and it turns all wrong, because fear is believing in reverse – wrong believing. This is where Job opened the door to his calamity. He wasn’t sure – he should have confronted his kids – instead he just “prayed and worried about it”. The adversary gets involved by the fear in the believer’s mind. Fear erodes, corrupts and eats holes in your believing.
You’re never going to master the living of the word if it doesn’t start at home. let’s get tough in our minds – in a spiritual sense. Let’s get more disciplined in our thinking.
The only justice is in God and his word and the household of God
Why did Job get attacked so viciously when his sin didn’t deserve this kind of consequence? Because we have a personal adversary and if he can get through the hedge of somebody who has boldly stood and boldly spoken for God, the adversary will make it the worst.
Get the doubt worry and fear out of your life so you can be more than a conqueror and not get cheated out of what you deserve in life. There’s no “chance” in life.
Thank you for all your comments or TWI's comments.
Regarding
The only justice is in God and his word and the household of God
The people I spoke to about my upcoming vacation are in the household of God, but how far "in" remains to be seen. It was many of them who said that they would never fly. Their comments added to my anxiety, however, I later concluded that:
Fear is from wrong teaching or ignorance
I later concluded that I'd be ignorant to let their beliefs take hold of me.
I shouldn't be shocked at the negativity of some people. I did tell each "household" person that "anxiety or fear of flying wasn't going to stop me from traveling to a wonderful place to fulfill the goal I had in mind." It was a Godly goal... a goal made out of love. It was an unselfish goal. I kept focused on the goal and relied on God to do the rest.
You have two choices - you either believe positively or negatively - you're always going to believe something
don't you sometimes just "not think" about something???
Of course, on hunreds of subjects that are not relevant to my life, I have no opinion. I don't think positively or negatively. On hundreds of things, I have "no formed opinion" unless "I don't know" is a formed opinion.
Even on some issues that ARE relevant to my life, I have no formed opinion. I'm in the learning or RE-learning process. However long it takes for a negative or positive vote, is completely ok in most matters.
Having some forethought is a necessary tool in life. "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Proverbs 27:12 NIV...And in Luke 14:28-33 Jesus uses two illustrations [building a tower and a king about to go to war] to emphasize the importance of thinking ahead, assessing the situation realistically, counting the cost - instead of plunging ahead in a foolhardy effort, recklessly even...The opposite of the mindless mentality represented in the F.E.A.R. acronym.
Didn't mean to make you think I have no "forethought" on relevant matters.
Some questions I would have to answer "I don't know" would be, for example, will I travel to Russia to do missionary work in the summer, will I take a job I've been thinking about in September, will the church I'm attending be the "one" for me...
I'm in the process of evaluating all circumstances surrounding each event. Only time can answer these question. Time will allow me to "assess the situation realistically"... figure out if what I'm thinking in some instances is a product of the F.E.A.R. acronym or, if it's a realistic negative.
Once the situation is assessed from all perspectives, I'll have an answer, but at present, the best answer I can give anyone about such issues is, "I don't know."
Thank you for providing excellent scripture sources to make your point and thank you for your concern.
Hey AmazinGrace, I didn't mean to suggest you gave no thought to such matters - I really meant to emphasize we should realistically assess a situation. In my opinion the idea of False Evidence Appearing Real is a reckless judgment call - in terms of denying reality. The idea I get from Proverbs 27:12 is that the prudent sees the danger and takes refuge - they don't ignore it or claim the danger is not real!
Thank you T-Bone for that clarification. I do agree with you on both points.
Recently, I had to spend nine evenings in what you would call a "bad" neighborhod. We were practicing for a play. Our cars were parked in an alley behind the theater and we took precations to make sure the back doors to the theater remained locked all the times.
Overall, even with trips being made to my car on a regular basis, I felt safe. However, there were other moms there who didn't feel safe. Not even inside the theater. One was a nervous wreck... always stressed and on edge and continually voicing her complaints about the "bad" neighborhood we were in.
If groups of shady characters were in the alley when I needed to go to my car, I took someone with me. I was never afraid... just cautious.
It was interesting to experience all the negativity coming from the other moms. They knew the area much better than I. But I did assess the environment... took inventory on how well other buildings were kept up, how much trash was on the street, even window shopped at the local pawn shop. A "depressed" area for sure it was. But I still concluded, for the purpose I was there, I would be safe.
Maybe it's just different backgrounds of all the people I was with. Maybe this was the absolute worst neighborhood they had ever been in. I have definitely seen worse.
To me, their fear was unjustified.
One woman said to me, "You don't understand. I've been robbed at gunpoint!"
I told her that I had too, even had to taste the barrel of the gun, but I don't live my life in fear.
Probably TMI for anyone, but I guess my point is, sometimes the FEAR acronym takes over and wins unless we assess the situation correctly.
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likeaneagle
Yes, I have heard of it.
I think its in the Defeating the Adversary or Renewed Mind class.
It has helped me in moments I have rememered it.
It is a useful tool.
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Oakspear
Yeah, well sometimes it's REAL evidence appearing real!
I'm not in favor of being overcome with worry, fear, and soiling my pants over nothing; getting all worked up about something that isn't there or may never come to pass is pretty unproductive, but there are times when there is something that you should very definitely fear. Ignoring reality is just plain dumb.
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CM
We are to fear God-nothing else
unto the pure all things are pure
illusions of what is real
are not the truth
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Tom Strange
yeah... it was taught... but remember, it was also another way that they (TWI) tried to 'program' us not to give any credence to things that they were doing that were in fact wrong... kind of along the lines of "think no evil" (of leaders especially)...
It's another good concept taken to an extreme to condition the person to ignore "red flags"... IMO
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Bramble
I don't think fear is a bad thing. I think it is a natual warning system and when it pops up the situation needs thought.
In TWI fear was looked at as an anxiety disorder or something--as if there is nothing to fear, it's just all in your crazy natural man mind. But there are things to be feared, there are dangerous situations, there are things a person should prepare for, or take precautions about, or get away from.
Part of the law of believing was about fear becoming real--so people supressed fears--inner warning systems. How many of us were so confused about bad treatment or stupid advice by leadership because our internal warning systems were shut down? Mr. High Mucky Mucky can't be being a jerk, he's a man of Gawd, it must be me that isn't seeing this correctly...
If something makes me fearful or anxious, I pay attention. I no longer assume it is false, something to sway me from the Word. Perhaps there is information I need, or an action I need to take.
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pond
it is comforting to have someone say "dont worry be happy"
God is in control we have no worries.. nice peaceful thought .
But it s a lie.
God does not control people nor does he work along with the devils help them in any way, yet people often do unaware of what they are doing ignorant of his scheming manner and ways much evil is alive and well on this earth still. To say it is false evidence that we are human and capable of great sin and just plain old life within this arena is considered DENIAL.
the fact is the bible says we will be persecuted.. and possibly die because we believe in Jesus Christ.
many have and the story be told Paul had a great deal of trouble and strive and problems in life.
Knowing Jesus as Lord does not take away fear no way rather He helps us , sends a holy spirit in which we can find some comfort in the middle of the troubles we face.
misfortune hurts and it happens to everyone .
false evidence is a judgement call and fear of anything is NOT a christian call ing to have faith in the promnises of God.
yet we continue in a life in which bad evil things happen to good people .
fear should not motivate us.. but then neither should ignorance. l
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George Aar
I've always found great comfort in my rabbit's foot...
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TheInvisibleDan
Some some now, Way teaching here is a "False Education Appearing Real"...taught by even
a "False Educator Appearing Real"...
"F.E.A.R." can stand for so many things.
:)
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Tom Strange
...I once had a False Elephant Appearing Real...
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TheInvisibleDan
(lol) That's even better.
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Amazingrace
Thank you all for your responses. I just need to take each and every situation and analyze it the best I can.
TWI probably did have their own agenda for the FEAR teaching.
When I started this topic, I had a ton of anxiety in me over taking a flight... sounds stupid to those who fly all the time, but I couldn't get rid of it. I felt that I shouldn't be afraid to fly, but I had a hard time putting it in perspective.... smiling at my kids and telling them how excited I was... how happy I was to be flying away on vacation... but falling apart inside.
Statistics show, flying is waaaay safer than driving. I couldn't justify the fear, and eventually it did pass. Eventually, I was peaceful about flying. No anxiety while boarding. My smiles and excitement were real inside and out.
On take-off one of the engines failed. Time for concern. I was concerned that the plane would get a quick look over, a quick fix, and we'd be sent on our way, but that didn't happen. After a fair amount of time had passed, we were given another plane.
And so, I'll continue to struggle sometimes with fear about things I have no control over. But, hopefully, I'll get throught it.
Now.... there's a giant false elephant in the middle of the hotel pool.... (no lie)....coincidence or are you just making fun of me???
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Bramble
Amazingrace-- In TWI we were taught an illusion, that we had control over situations-and people-that we do not have. We were supposed to have control over everything.
That mother's fear is what killed the little boy--somehow her fear made another person step on the gas instead of the brakes, or get drunk and drive or whatever, or made the little boy run out between parked cars. How could one person's fear get inside someone elses mind and body and cause them to kill a child?
How many prayers were really just trying to manipulate another person into giving us what we wanted? we wanted control--over our bosses, over our landlords, neighbors...other believers.
I don't know when you left TWI, but in the nineties you were held responsible for all types of things. Your rental house had lousy carpet--it's your believing! Your child has an ear infection--its your believing! Whenever something didn't go right, it was time to take someone apart, find the fear.
I don't think life is that simple. I think there are many things we have no control over, especially other people.
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Amazingrace
Bramble,
Even though I left TWI in '84, the law of believing ALWAYS applied... that was TWI's teaching. Good things happened because "you believed for it." Bad things happened because "you had unbelief".
I KNOW that is really not how the world works. I still try to be an optimistic person. In fact, I think I'm the most optimistic person I know of most of the time...and in control of my emotions. Maybe that's why I freak out when I feel fearful about something.
TWI's wrong teachings die hard for some of us, or maybe I'm just realizing the extensive impact they can have on me, even now.
When the engine died on the plane, I knew it would be twi's belief that my "fear" caused a malfunction. Even if I was happy when boarding and happy up until the engine failure, twi would still place blame on me. In my heart of hearts,
I knew I had nothing to do with the malfunction of that plane, even if I was shaking with anxiety, still wasn't my fault the engine failed.
It's a shame I had to sit there and reason with situation and was not able to just "take it for what it was" as it was happening.
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Bramble
Amazingrace, we (hubby and I) have had to reason out alot of things over the past few years since leaving! The first three or so years were full of it. I can remember when we went to a Methodist church, and there was a big wooden cross on the wall. It was like my eyes couldn't see anything else! I spent the whole service thinking about the cross thing.
Now we don't spend so much time figuring things out.Whew!
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Belle
Okay - I pullled out my WAP syllabus - this is craigger's class....the one that was just replaced and, since this is standard TWIt doctrine, I'm sure they're still teaching it....
My comments are in italics....the rest is typed using the vee pee form of non-plagarism....
The Greatest Principle in All of Life: Believing
Believing is the greatest immutable law, standard, rule of action in life. Everyone believes something; everyone is convinced, fully persuaded about something.
What we want as followers of the way who desire to live this way of abunance and power is to believe God, His word, to walk the steps of JC and to do the same works ... to do that, we ahve to believe like he believed.
Heb 10:38
The only thing that pleases God is if you blieve him; and to believe him, you ahve to trust him and the integrity of his word.
Heb 10:39
Luke 9:59-62
"bury my father" - oriental custom. The father was not dying or dead. The man used this cultural custom as an excuse to keep from responding to the call of God
"let the dead bury their dead"
imo, this is one of the digs TWI makes to keep people separated from their family and to put their kids, parents, friends and relatives second to what TWI wants of your life
Fear always has excuses for not acting on the word
"no man, having put his hand to the plough"....That's to shrink in fear. They're not fit, not adequate, not committed for God.
To believe
Negative - doubt worry fear - issues in unbelief
Positive - confidence by learning the word - trust, faithfulness issues in believing
Unbelief defeats the promises of God. All religion - traditions and philosophies of men - falls short, and all issue in doubt, worry, fear - unbelief
Romans 12:11 - if you want to live the more abundant life, you've got to work at it. God says "this is truth" and that's what we're to get the confidence in, trust in and be faithful at....that issues in believing.
Believing comes from the heart, which is a figure of speech for the part of the mind where the real honesty of your soul resides. In your heart is where you're fully persuaded...have to have single minded believing.
Romans 10:10 - "with the heart the man believeth"
YOU DON'T FOLLOW YOUR HEART! You determine your heart by your thought patterns which determine your believing and believing is the only way to please god. Believing is the way to abundance and power.
Prov 23:7 - as he thinketh in his heart.
You have two choices - you either believe positively or negatively - you're always going to believe something
don't you sometimes just "not think" about something???
Negative - fear in believing - believing in reverse, wrong believing gives negative results
Sin is always based on fear and brings fear. "Fear is the air the adversary breathes" That's his greatest device against your mind and he has mulitfarious ways that he disguises it: religion, religious ritual, man-made forms of worship.
Filty rags - why "follow your heart" is wrong - selfish and ego covers fear - it's really fears
Homos at some point all know it's wrong when they sell out & may sear their conscience with a hot iron - but they did, at one point, recognize that it's wrong. Unbridled lust never satisfies.
You follow the word, put it on in your heart and believe. If someone wants to get delivered they have to get honest about the fear in their lives.
You've got to determine what you do is wrong or what you do is right - it's your responsibility to determine what you think.
You've got to be a competitor to believe the Bible. You take charge of your life if you want the way of abundance and power. You want to be a champion? You want to rise up to be more than a conqueror? You want to really walk like JC? This is the ministry for you. It has nothing to do with how god loves you; it has to do with, do you love him?
We're getting down to where you live!!! Do you want excuses or do you want to live for God?
to be continued
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Belle
Mark 11:23, 24
“doubt” – the first step down is doubt, then worry, then fear and it issues in unbelief
“believe that ye receive..” – Jesus is teaching to believe – not make excuses. Jesus was more concerned about living the word than making friends
Fear is from wrong teaching or ignorance
pistis – faith or believing
Believing in action – the majority of the ways it’s translated – most of the time pistis should be translated “believing”
Faith of JC – the bridge spiritually between God and man
Family Faith – The standard of STAYING IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE BELIEVERS
Manifestation of believing – special category of believing in the holy spirit field
Faithfulness fruit – fruit of the spirit that you develop by operating the manifestations of the spirit.
Romans 4:19-21
Faith in the OT should be translated “faithfulness”
“staggered not” –
How did Abraham get fully persuaded? By speaking, confessing in his heart and confessing with his actions – this is the synchronized life.
Not that you ignore reality, rather consider the situation and decide to believe.
You can be right about something and not handle it properly if you let fear in, and it turns all wrong, because fear is believing in reverse – wrong believing. This is where Job opened the door to his calamity. He wasn’t sure – he should have confronted his kids – instead he just “prayed and worried about it”. The adversary gets involved by the fear in the believer’s mind. Fear erodes, corrupts and eats holes in your believing.
You’re never going to master the living of the word if it doesn’t start at home. let’s get tough in our minds – in a spiritual sense. Let’s get more disciplined in our thinking.
The only justice is in God and his word and the household of God
Why did Job get attacked so viciously when his sin didn’t deserve this kind of consequence? Because we have a personal adversary and if he can get through the hedge of somebody who has boldly stood and boldly spoken for God, the adversary will make it the worst.
Get the doubt worry and fear out of your life so you can be more than a conqueror and not get cheated out of what you deserve in life. There’s no “chance” in life.
You can beat any attack/fear if you want to.
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Bramble
Thanks Belle. Funny-- I threw away my wap stuff several years ago, but that was all so familiar.
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Amazingrace
Belle,
Thank you for all your comments or TWI's comments.
Regarding
The people I spoke to about my upcoming vacation are in the household of God, but how far "in" remains to be seen. It was many of them who said that they would never fly. Their comments added to my anxiety, however, I later concluded that:I later concluded that I'd be ignorant to let their beliefs take hold of me.
I shouldn't be shocked at the negativity of some people. I did tell each "household" person that "anxiety or fear of flying wasn't going to stop me from traveling to a wonderful place to fulfill the goal I had in mind." It was a Godly goal... a goal made out of love. It was an unselfish goal. I kept focused on the goal and relied on God to do the rest.
Of course, on hunreds of subjects that are not relevant to my life, I have no opinion. I don't think positively or negatively. On hundreds of things, I have "no formed opinion" unless "I don't know" is a formed opinion.
Even on some issues that ARE relevant to my life, I have no formed opinion. I'm in the learning or RE-learning process. However long it takes for a negative or positive vote, is completely ok in most matters.
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T-Bone
Having some forethought is a necessary tool in life. "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Proverbs 27:12 NIV...And in Luke 14:28-33 Jesus uses two illustrations [building a tower and a king about to go to war] to emphasize the importance of thinking ahead, assessing the situation realistically, counting the cost - instead of plunging ahead in a foolhardy effort, recklessly even...The opposite of the mindless mentality represented in the F.E.A.R. acronym.
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Amazingrace
T-Bone,
Didn't mean to make you think I have no "forethought" on relevant matters.
Some questions I would have to answer "I don't know" would be, for example, will I travel to Russia to do missionary work in the summer, will I take a job I've been thinking about in September, will the church I'm attending be the "one" for me...
I'm in the process of evaluating all circumstances surrounding each event. Only time can answer these question. Time will allow me to "assess the situation realistically"... figure out if what I'm thinking in some instances is a product of the F.E.A.R. acronym or, if it's a realistic negative.
Once the situation is assessed from all perspectives, I'll have an answer, but at present, the best answer I can give anyone about such issues is, "I don't know."
Thank you for providing excellent scripture sources to make your point and thank you for your concern.
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T-Bone
Hey AmazinGrace, I didn't mean to suggest you gave no thought to such matters - I really meant to emphasize we should realistically assess a situation. In my opinion the idea of False Evidence Appearing Real is a reckless judgment call - in terms of denying reality. The idea I get from Proverbs 27:12 is that the prudent sees the danger and takes refuge - they don't ignore it or claim the danger is not real!
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Amazingrace
Thank you T-Bone for that clarification. I do agree with you on both points.
Recently, I had to spend nine evenings in what you would call a "bad" neighborhod. We were practicing for a play. Our cars were parked in an alley behind the theater and we took precations to make sure the back doors to the theater remained locked all the times.
Overall, even with trips being made to my car on a regular basis, I felt safe. However, there were other moms there who didn't feel safe. Not even inside the theater. One was a nervous wreck... always stressed and on edge and continually voicing her complaints about the "bad" neighborhood we were in.
If groups of shady characters were in the alley when I needed to go to my car, I took someone with me. I was never afraid... just cautious.
It was interesting to experience all the negativity coming from the other moms. They knew the area much better than I. But I did assess the environment... took inventory on how well other buildings were kept up, how much trash was on the street, even window shopped at the local pawn shop. A "depressed" area for sure it was. But I still concluded, for the purpose I was there, I would be safe.
Maybe it's just different backgrounds of all the people I was with. Maybe this was the absolute worst neighborhood they had ever been in. I have definitely seen worse.
To me, their fear was unjustified.
One woman said to me, "You don't understand. I've been robbed at gunpoint!"
I told her that I had too, even had to taste the barrel of the gun, but I don't live my life in fear.
Probably TMI for anyone, but I guess my point is, sometimes the FEAR acronym takes over and wins unless we assess the situation correctly.
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