How close can we walk with God? - All About GOD2024-03-29T09:29:59Zhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/how-close-can-we-walk-with-god?commentId=1383940%3AComment%3A1667603&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe Creator Almighty, All-kno…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2015-11-04:1383940:Comment:16676032015-11-04T12:50:25.063ZAnanda Welikalahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/AnandaWelikala
<p>The Creator Almighty, All-knowing, everywhere-present God walked with Adam and Eve in close friendship with thier Maker. Then Satan came into the couple's lives and DESTROYED the close walk they had with God by enticing them to disobey God. Satan being a DECEIVER did to Adam and Eve what he knew best to do, He tricked them into believing that by eating the forbidden fruit they could BE LIKE Almighty God. The result of thier action was that they had to flee from the presence of God in…</p>
<p>The Creator Almighty, All-knowing, everywhere-present God walked with Adam and Eve in close friendship with thier Maker. Then Satan came into the couple's lives and DESTROYED the close walk they had with God by enticing them to disobey God. Satan being a DECEIVER did to Adam and Eve what he knew best to do, He tricked them into believing that by eating the forbidden fruit they could BE LIKE Almighty God. The result of thier action was that they had to flee from the presence of God in shame. Thus there ceased the one-on-one communication with God. As sinners no human being can get close to God the same way that our first parents did. Almighty God IS infinitely Holy and nothing sinful is allowed in His presence. Now God devised a remedy for this situation. He Himself put on flesh as the baby Jesus Christ and grew up among sinful human beings and in due course He taught mankind how to live lives that could come as CLOSE AS POSSIBLE to the Creator God. The fellowship of mankind with God was restored so mankind is able to talk with God, not physically as Adam and Eve did, but Spiritually. That's why we are required to talk to God (pray) in Spirit and Truth. Jesus Christ, Almighty God in human flesh left Earth to live in heaven with the Father, but He sent a Substitute, the Holy Spirt to Earth so that mankind can communicate with Almighty God thru' the Holy Spirit. Since God is not on Earth to talk with us, He gave His WORDS in written form and we call it the Holy Bible. Now our "one-on-one" communication is back with/to us. When we read the WORDS God wrote (aka the Holy Bible), we are listening to Him. When we pray in SPIRIT and TRUTH, we are talking to Him. If we don't "talk" to Him in truth, please DO NOT expect to be heard. This is where true FAITH comes in. A person who is BORN AGAIN as in John 3:3 will have the privilege of being heard by Almighty God, aka Jesus Christ or Holy Spirit. If you are not born again and you are talking to God in prayer, forget it. Why? Because He will not hear. But there is another god who will hear and that is Satan. Satan is called the "god of this world" in 2nd Cor. 4:4. He will answer the prayers of those who are not in right fellowship (relationship) with Almighty God. Now here;s a HUGE problem. Those who pray, not in truth and spirit, THINK that they are praying to the Father-God in heaven When they get thier prayers answered, if they do get answered, these COIN believers i.e Chritian Only In Name, people think that the Father in Heaven answered. This way Satan is able to keep the COIN people happy in thier COIN state. Why should they get born again if thier needs are met thru' thier prayers. Let me illustrate: A woman bought a lottery ticket and placed it at the foot of a statue of Mary. She won. Now, will that woman ever deviate from worshipping at the foot of Mary? Unless the Holy Spirit SHOWS her the WAY to everlasting life in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ, she will never even consider stopping her prayers to Mary.</p> I believe the answer is a dee…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2015-08-15:1383940:Comment:16507742015-08-15T20:55:10.175ZLeonard Thttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/lrtraina
<p>I believe the answer is a deeply intimate one ... He lives in the child of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit.</p>
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<p>Lord Bless,</p>
<p>LT</p>
<p>I believe the answer is a deeply intimate one ... He lives in the child of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit.</p>
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<p>Lord Bless,</p>
<p>LT</p> These are good questions: "Ho…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2015-08-12:1383940:Comment:16505622015-08-12T15:08:04.805ZAmandahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/Godinmystorm
These are good questions: "How close does God allow us to walk with Him? Does He still talk to us in our spirit man or only and strictly through scripture?"<br />
Many quote this passage and we've discussed it before on AAG but I still question it, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).<br />
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It seems Scripture does tell us…
These are good questions: "How close does God allow us to walk with Him? Does He still talk to us in our spirit man or only and strictly through scripture?"<br />
Many quote this passage and we've discussed it before on AAG but I still question it, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).<br />
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It seems Scripture does tell us that God wants us to come to understand His thoughts, to know His mind—to actually begin to think like He does. That would require getting awfully up close and personal, IMO. We're even told that we have the mind of Christ. What does it mean that we have the mind of Christ? Does it mean that we have the bible which contains God's thoughts? "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16). This is vey beneficial Jenny.…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2015-03-03:1383940:Comment:16171752015-03-03T14:25:08.697ZCarlahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CarlaButler777
<p>This is vey beneficial Jenny.. The psalms are also such an encouraging place to read.</p>
<p>We read of the struggles, fears, anxieties etc....Then they cry out to God, God delivers them, and they praise Him. This is also about 'us' written in the psalms. :-) A broken humanity realizing their need for God---It's a beautiful thing.</p>
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<p>Blessings, Carla</p>
<p>This is vey beneficial Jenny.. The psalms are also such an encouraging place to read.</p>
<p>We read of the struggles, fears, anxieties etc....Then they cry out to God, God delivers them, and they praise Him. This is also about 'us' written in the psalms. :-) A broken humanity realizing their need for God---It's a beautiful thing.</p>
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<p>Blessings, Carla</p> "...several months of frustra…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2015-03-03:1383940:Comment:16171532015-03-03T02:03:55.649ZJennyhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/Jenny249
<p>"...<span>several months of frustrating self condemnation and listening to satan and the flesh so intently that I entered a phase of depression that I was beginning to see no way out of."</span></p>
<p><span>This is something I'm painfully familiar with. It's encouraging to know I'm not the only one who experiences this (maybe that's selfish), and what blessing has come out of it for you. It's nice when other Christians are real about their low points, not only the high…</span></p>
<p>"...<span>several months of frustrating self condemnation and listening to satan and the flesh so intently that I entered a phase of depression that I was beginning to see no way out of."</span></p>
<p><span>This is something I'm painfully familiar with. It's encouraging to know I'm not the only one who experiences this (maybe that's selfish), and what blessing has come out of it for you. It's nice when other Christians are real about their low points, not only the high ones. </span></p>
<p></p> Dear Seek
I can so very muc…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2014-10-11:1383940:Comment:15887592014-10-11T14:57:31.582ZCharles Burwellhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CharlesBurwell
<p>Dear Seek</p>
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<p>I can so very much relate to your statement about slapping the steering wheel and saying 'I'm finished'. I have just gone through several months of frustrating self condemnation and listening to satan and the flesh so intently that I entered a phase of depression that I was beginning to see no way out of.</p>
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<p>Last Wednesday as I arrived home from work I just sat in my driveway and didn't even unfasten my seat belt. I just didn't care about anything…</p>
<p>Dear Seek</p>
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<p>I can so very much relate to your statement about slapping the steering wheel and saying 'I'm finished'. I have just gone through several months of frustrating self condemnation and listening to satan and the flesh so intently that I entered a phase of depression that I was beginning to see no way out of.</p>
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<p>Last Wednesday as I arrived home from work I just sat in my driveway and didn't even unfasten my seat belt. I just didn't care about anything anymore. after sitting there for awhile I finally told God that we needed to have a real serious talk and I asked Him to shut the devil and his helper's mouths for just a few minutes so that we could had a heart to heart talk.</p>
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<p>I told Him that I was just too tired to fight anymore and I needed an answer to a lot of things. I told Him that whatever I've got I give to whatever or whoever He wants me to give it to if that's the problem. Then I told Him I'd just do whatever He wanted irregardless of how unqualified I was to handle it. And believe me , I feel qualified to do absolutely nothing. I told Him that I just can't , or maybe don't want to, take another step or do another thing unless could hear from Him about something,anything.</p>
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<p>Then I just said out loud, "so what do you want?" His presence just seemed to fill my soul to overflowing and the answer , I don't mean an audible answer or anything like that, was that I had just given Him what He wanted. And that was that I had sincerely offered Him everything . Including any hint of any idea that I could do anything right unless I was totally dependent on Him to accomplish it through me.</p>
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<p>I had been studying 1 Peter 5:7, Phil.4:6-7 , Matt.11:28 and several other scripture areas that concerned Ggiving God everything and especialy all out my worries and concerns. He was telling me to give Him ALL of them. Keep none of my concerns and worries ebcause they were His to deal with and not mine. He let me know that as long as I was occupied with thinking or worrying about them I was not in the spiritual condition to help myself let alone anyone else.</p>
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<p>Actually in 1Peter 5 the bible declares the act of 'casting all of our cares on Him' as being a very important part of 'submiting ourselves under the mighty hand of God'. He has restored me to the land of the living and has my eternal gratitude for that. I know that that sounds a little melodramatic but it is truly how I feel about it .</p>
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<p>Anyway , I've rambled too long so I'll close.</p>
<p>God bless you as you surrender and submit to Him.</p> I get devotions from OurPraye…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2014-09-25:1383940:Comment:15865422014-09-25T18:49:19.721ZSeekhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/Seek
<p>I get devotions from OurPrayer.org. I received this one this morning. It is nearly identical to a time for me. For I pulled up AAG on my phone, not knowing what to do, driving through a haze of tears and yelling on my way to work. I saw Chris in the chat room and PM'd him "CALL ME!" He did so immediately and helped me to calm down and put things into perspective. I think that even when we're at a state where we cannot hear God, or even aren't sure of how to distinguish His voice from…</p>
<p>I get devotions from OurPrayer.org. I received this one this morning. It is nearly identical to a time for me. For I pulled up AAG on my phone, not knowing what to do, driving through a haze of tears and yelling on my way to work. I saw Chris in the chat room and PM'd him "CALL ME!" He did so immediately and helped me to calm down and put things into perspective. I think that even when we're at a state where we cannot hear God, or even aren't sure of how to distinguish His voice from all the other chatter in our minds, He provides a way. He made sure someone was here that would answer the call...or make the call. </p>
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<p>Another thing is I have developed a deep appreciation for the skies and other parts of nature that I never had cared about before. And many of the devotions I get like this are often EXACTLY a word to what I'm dealing with at that particular time. Some days it's almost spooky what comes in. So I know that God is speaking to me through these devotions, His Word, others, and I'm sure even internally even when it can get lost in the raging cacophony of thoughts. </p>
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<h2 style="color: #4074b8; font-weight: bold; font-size: 21px; margin: 0;"><a href="http://email.ourprayer.org/t?r=2&c=17503&l=21&ctl=4B548:42FDF8C8C0A1F5E9C1E7D695B824EDE6&utm_source=Power-of-Prayer-&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2014-9-25_nl_a-prayer-for-perspective" style="color: #4074b8; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Prayer for Perspective</a></h2>
<div style="font-size: 14px;"><p><i>But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” Matthew <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">10:39</span></span> (MSG)</i></p>
<p>I gripped the steering wheel of my vehicle as I flew down the highway. Mile after mile of gray wooden fence posts supporting strands of barbed wire flashed past. The road wound through large ranches with cattle grazing in the grassy meadows. The scenery looked peaceful, but I wasn’t. I churned like a volcano ready to erupt.</p>
<p>I’d been involved in a situation where I’d been repeatedly wronged and was driving to calm down. I shook my head and raised my voice. “But, God, I...” On and on I ranted about my upsetting situation and then I slapped the steeringwheel and yelled, “I’m finished!”</p>
<p>Finally I grew quiet. Only the humming of the tires on the road broke the silence.</p>
<p><i>It’s really not about what you want,</i> I heard.<i> It’s about what I want to do through you. When you talk about I, I, I, each one of those I’s is like those miles of fence posts. When you rant and rave, you’re stringing barbed wire between us. You’ve been fencing Me out</i>.</p>
<p>Tears streamed down my face. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. What do You want me to do?”</p>
<p><i>Stay and be a witness for Me</i>.</p>
<p>So I stayed.</p>
<p>My situation didn’t change. But I took control of my thoughts; I refused to let them lead me down the dark road of rage. Trusting the Lord and obeying Him despite my own desires brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined.</p>
<p><i>Lord, nudge me when I start putting I’s where there should be Yous. Amen.</i></p>
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<p>By Rebecca Ondov</p>
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<p></p> Understood. If I had used one…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2014-09-24:1383940:Comment:15864862014-09-24T23:57:25.703ZLeonard Thttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/lrtraina
<p>Understood. If I had used one word instead of the passage I posted it would have been "Surrender" and yes, surrender is a moment in time and an ongoing battle moment by moment over the course of a lifetime.</p>
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<p>Understood. If I had used one word instead of the passage I posted it would have been "Surrender" and yes, surrender is a moment in time and an ongoing battle moment by moment over the course of a lifetime.</p>
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<p></p> We all are experiencing mind…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2014-09-24:1383940:Comment:15865192014-09-24T23:53:18.160ZAmandahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/Godinmystorm
We all are experiencing mind renewal where bad attitudes and wrong beliefs are gradually being transformed as we see more and more of the truth and repent, realizing when and where we have been wrong. <br />
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I think I've shared this with you before but will confess one of my own patterns.<br />
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I have a wrong thinking pattern that begins with fear and anxiety (angst, or fretting). Thoughts and feelings aren't sinful unless they are sinfully acted upon, and I have acted upon them. <br />
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I used to only…
We all are experiencing mind renewal where bad attitudes and wrong beliefs are gradually being transformed as we see more and more of the truth and repent, realizing when and where we have been wrong. <br />
<br />
I think I've shared this with you before but will confess one of my own patterns.<br />
<br />
I have a wrong thinking pattern that begins with fear and anxiety (angst, or fretting). Thoughts and feelings aren't sinful unless they are sinfully acted upon, and I have acted upon them. <br />
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I used to only associate envy with being jealous of someone's material possessions or looks or abilities, but I now see that it's envy when we think God deals unfairly by letting the wicked get something they want at our expense and wondering why the wicked get away with their wickedness and even appear to be blessed and to prosper.<br />
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In Psalm 73, Asaph is very aggravated and what he feels is envy because he is suffering and is righteous. Also, in the story found in Matthew 20:1-16, the reaction of some of his workers was anger growing out of envy.<br />
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I don't envy people for intelligence or looks or money or possessions, but, for me, I have envied how others are treated better than I am. <br />
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I have thoughts that other people and things are more important to God than I am, and then I think God loves others more than he does me and I'm not worth much to him in comparison, and he will leave me. That is envious thinking. <br />
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To rid ourselves of the things mentioned in 1 Peter 2 is something that must be battled daily, dying to self day by day. Yes, and thanks for clarifyin…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2014-09-24:1383940:Comment:15864842014-09-24T23:12:18.438ZLeonard Thttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/lrtraina
<p>Yes, and thanks for clarifying.</p>
<p>Yes, and thanks for clarifying.</p>