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Rev 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
He's knocking and we all need to answer!
Jesus is talking about how He operates. It is not an "invitation." The sheep aren't "invited" back into the fold, the Good Shepherd has to GO and GET them.
Jesus had to come and get me, and I think you too, friend. We aren't that "smart."
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
It is IMPOSSIBLE for man to "choose" Christ. It's how He made us!
(Also, I think Jesus was speaking to the "angel" of the church in your quote, not to individuals.. You might want to check it again..)
I have a son who I am so proud of. He graduated last evening. He loves God so much that he spends almost all of his waking hours in some form of worship or prayer. At times I used to worry that it was almost obsessive but I don't worry any more because he has been a great example to me, his own mother. He has been my inspiration.
He is strumming his guitar right at this very moment upstairs in his room singing a worship song.
In Grade 9 and 10 he was ridiculed for his strong religious beliefs that he wears on his sleeve. We almost had him switch schools as I feared he would not be able to take the sarcasm. Last evening at commencements you should have heard the screams of joy from his fellow classmates as he walked across the stage to accept his Grade 12 diploma. This took me by surprise as I had always thought he had been a bit of an outcast.
Every single Wednesday morning he went to school early to sing worship music before school started to any one that wanted to listen. He said that 3 people in his worship group have found their way to God. That isn't a lot but I wonder of how many more seeds have been planted at that school?
I told him this morning of how proud I am of him in that he held fast to his beliefs and did not let the stinging words of his classmates deter him from letting everyone know of how much he loved God.
I asked him today. Why do you think you are so popular at school Ryan because 2 years ago they were all lauging at you? You know what he said?
He said I love all of them and I try to live my life like Jesus did. He prays for them too! A lot of those kids that laughed at him kind of look up to him now. My son never preaches about a God of hate and he never talks about hell. He wants to tell the world how much God loves each and every one of them. It is his Love for God, not fear of hell that he has preached. This kid is not preaching a false gospel!
My son at 18 doesn't care about UR or ET. He just plain and simply loves God, Jesus and his fellow man and he does not have enough biblical knowledge to understand the difference and I think he wouldn't want to waste his energy arguing about it when there is more important work to be done
I have a son who I am so proud of. He graduated last evening. He loves God so much that he spends almost all of his waking hours in some form of worship or prayer. At times I used to worry that it was almost obsessive but I don't worry any more because he has been a great example to me, his own mother. He has been my inspiration.
He is strumming his guitar right at this very moment upstairs in his room singing a worship song.
In Grade 9 and 10 he was ridiculed for his strong religious beliefs that he wears on his sleeve. We almost had him switch schools as I feared he would not be able to take the sarcasm. Last evening at commencements you should have heard the screams of joy from his fellow classmates as he walked across the stage to accept his Grade 12 diploma. This took me by surprise as I had always thought he had been a bit of an outcast.
Every single Wednesday morning he went to school early to sing worship music before school started to any one that wanted to listen. He said that 3 people in his worship group have found their way to God. That isn't a lot but I wonder of how many more seeds have been planted at that school?
I told him this morning of how proud I am of him in that he held fast to his beliefs and did not let the stinging words of his classmates deter him from letting everyone know of how much he loved God.
I asked him today. Why do you think you are so popular at school Ryan because 2 years ago they were all lauging at you? You know what he said?
He said I love all of them and I try to live my life like Jesus did. He prays for them too! A lot of those kids that laughed at him kind of look up to him now. My son never preaches about a God of hate and he never talks about hell. He wants to tell the world how much God loves each and every one of them. It is his Love for God, not fear of hell that he has preached. This kid is not preaching a false gospel!
My son at 18 doesn't care about UR or ET. He just plain and simply loves God, Jesus and his fellow man and he does not have enough biblical knowledge to understand the difference and I think he wouldn't want to waste his energy arguing about it when there is more important work to be done
He sounds like a great kid!
It was LOVE that drew the outsiders and outcast into Jesus' arms. The religious hated him because of that love.
Why are you sitting with sinners??? Why do you show these "others" love? Why aren't you avenging us? WE are the elect, they cried!!
They just didn't understand what he was up to. LOVE is what changes souls hardened and baked by this planet into something higher.
Jesus is talking about how He operates. It is not an "invitation." The sheep aren't "invited" back into the fold, the Good Shepherd has to GO and GET them.
Jesus had to come and get me, and I think you too, friend. We aren't that "smart."
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
It is IMPOSSIBLE for man to "choose" Christ. It's how He made us!
(Also, I think Jesus was speaking to the "angel" of the church in your quote, not to individuals.. You might want to check it again..)
Blessings,
brian
Yes, but multiple times he switches to the congregation as I will show you below.
Revelation 2:7
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the CHURCHES. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God."
This part of the message is for the congregation, and Jesus points out the difference. "...to the churches: To him who overcomes, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Of course, angels do NOT need to eat of the tree of life, because they are already spirit and do not die.
Revelation 2:10
"Don't be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life."
Jesus is saying that some were going to be thrown to prison and that those faithful unto death would be rewarded with the crown of life. This part therefore refers to the churches.
Revelation 2:11
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes won't be hurt by the second death."
Revelation 2:17
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he who receives it."
He tells us that if we overcome, we will be able to get the hidden manna. God will feed us in the same way He fed the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt.
Revelation 3:5
"He who overcomes will be arrayed in white outer garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
When Christ says "He who overcomes" He is referring to the members of all the churches.
Revelation 3:12-13
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and the new name of mine. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:20-22
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Anyone who hears his voice and opens the door will sit down with Him at His throne.
I have a son who I am so proud of. He graduated last evening. He loves God so much that he spends almost all of his waking hours in some form of worship or prayer. At times I used to worry that it was almost obsessive but I don't worry any more because he has been a great example to me, his own mother. He has been my inspiration.
He is strumming his guitar right at this very moment upstairs in his room singing a worship song.
In Grade 9 and 10 he was ridiculed for his strong religious beliefs that he wears on his sleeve. We almost had him switch schools as I feared he would not be able to take the sarcasm. Last evening at commencements you should have heard the screams of joy from his fellow classmates as he walked across the stage to accept his Grade 12 diploma. This took me by surprise as I had always thought he had been a bit of an outcast.
Every single Wednesday morning he went to school early to sing worship music before school started to any one that wanted to listen. He said that 3 people in his worship group have found their way to God. That isn't a lot but I wonder of how many more seeds have been planted at that school?
I told him this morning of how proud I am of him in that he held fast to his beliefs and did not let the stinging words of his classmates deter him from letting everyone know of how much he loved God.
I asked him today. Why do you think you are so popular at school Ryan because 2 years ago they were all lauging at you? You know what he said?
He said I love all of them and I try to live my life like Jesus did. He prays for them too! A lot of those kids that laughed at him kind of look up to him now. My son never preaches about a God of hate and he never talks about hell. He wants to tell the world how much God loves each and every one of them. It is his Love for God, not fear of hell that he has preached. This kid is not preaching a false gospel!
My son at 18 doesn't care about UR or ET. He just plain and simply loves God, Jesus and his fellow man and he does not have enough biblical knowledge to understand the difference and I think he wouldn't want to waste his energy arguing about it when there is more important work to be done
Thanks for sharing Kat...it is blessing that you have a son who walks with the LORD...not too many God loving parents have it as easy as you do.
Let's go a step further, when it's all said and done, getting your "just reward"....it's called JUDGMENT!!
If you're actually siting there thinking God is ignoring sin and disobedience, then calling it grace, you've got another thing coming......be careful, your threading on thin ice.
Don't you know that saints shall judge the world?
Think, Betsey.
We are being made into HIS image for a reason!
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life is better with humor
