REFLECTIONS

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

I would like to encourage the members of BPN to take some time and seriously reflect on these scriptures and in your own words, express what they are saying to you personally.

I am not looking for a challenge. What I am hoping to read is your response to God as it pertains to these scriptures.

We spend countless hours in dialogue, debates, preaching/teaching and posting paragraphs of our own commentaries on just about every thread on this network. Yet, I find very few comments where we encourage one another. We seem to be more interested in challenging each other with our knowledge of the Word rather than encourage one another in love and with patience. There are few of us who are actually on the same level of knowledge and wisdom, which is the very reason why we seem more prone to correct and rebuke because we feel it’s our duty to speak the truth as we know it to be.

My purpose for posting this thread is to encourage unity, even though we may still differ in our understanding and belief on some scriptures. I am challenging everyone to be less combative in our replies and more patient with those who may appear to you as not being able to “get it.”

So, when posting your comments and you happen to read another comment that you do not agree with as it pertains to their interpretation of a scripture, please refrain from correcting/rebuking. Please stick to the purpose of this thread. There are plenty of other threads where you can post your opposing views.

Peace in the Name of Yeshua

Exodus 20:2-3, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Matthew 22:37-38, THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND. This is the first and great commandment.

Matthew 5:43-48, Ye have heard that it hath been said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12:1-2, I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Galatians 6:7-10, Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

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[Chaplain Pat Harris]

Great post Pastor Lee (Spoken).

This is why the Holy Spirit led me to post Exodus 20:2-3 and Matthew 22:27-38 as the first two scriptures. Unless we can truly learn how to walk/talk in God's agape love, we will forever struggle unnecessarily in many other areas of our lives.

Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This thread is challenging us to reflect on ourselves rather than on others, and for this reason, there probably won't be many replies/comments.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

So true Evang. Fugett

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

When we as Christians take on the attributes and characteristics of God;s love and bestow that on our brothers and sisters as God does to us, then we can say I have known love. God's love allows us to walk in a daily stream of forgiveness. It allows to get personal with Him. When it becomes personal then transformation will begin. Our bodies, our very lives are no longer our own. Our actions change, our thought process change and we can move from the "I like you " stage to the "I love you" stage. Loving those that have hurt or wronged us is a hard thing! But it is truth, that man will reap what he sows! But love anyway! Love hard and love strong! Let God handle the rest!

Thank you Sis. Tricia for these empowering words of wisdom.

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

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[Chaplain Pat Harris]

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[Hezekiah Ben Israel]

I see where you are going with this Sister Harris. Some of it is sound. May I add some scriptures to your bottom line for your thread?

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

By all means Hezekiah, please share your scriptures.

This thread is about self awareness and encouragement - it not a thread for debate, rebuke or correct.

[Zealot X]

Good thread. I hope people listen. For me, I believe there is a balance that we should all strive for. It's not an external balance in which you are consciously trying to do a certain thing a certain way but an internal balance. A good actor can always act but if someone is acting the part of your friend does it make them friendly? I do think people need to be less combative. At the same time I think people are more combative because of the internal conflict going on in their minds. A lot of that conflict, imho, is a tug of war between the person they were and the person they desire to be. The person they are is simply more reflective of the side that seems to be winning in that moment. And this is what contributes to our behavior and how we judge others to be needing to be taught. It always says more about who we are than it says about them.

True change comes from within. I think that people too often becomes actors as a means of editing themselves and they're not being real and genuine. In other words, they wear masks of goodness to seem more appealing. Inside they may be raging wolves. But they edit themselves to create a certain image and appearance that is false holiness or they cover their malice and pride with a 3 piece suit... they do so much acting that they do less and less "becoming". They act like a child of G-d instead of becoming that. And this is not a judgment against anyone. It is something we should all reflect on. Certain things people need to just stop doing for the same of peace and harmony. At the same time people need to change from within or else they risk becoming reliant on their ability to go back and backspace, cut, delete, and edit themselves; treating the symptoms but not the cause.

When you know G-d you know love. You could be right a thousand times about a thousand things related to the bible but that doesn't mean you know him. But IF you know him your life changes because you cannot know him and be the same. We all do that which we have seen with our Father. The question is what have you seen?



Shalom

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

True words of wisdom ZealotX.

Especially when we admit . . ."True change comes from within." (Romans 12:2)

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

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