My question is to you mature Brothers and Sisters

[CharliRenee]

Alright gang, I have been pondering again, lol. I am an agreeable person for the most part, meaning I tend to be non confrontational, open minded person, ready to learn, seeing things from different perspectives. Lately though, I have been wondering if this might be counterproductive to my learning and growing curve.

Wait now..

This thread is not an am I an ok person, or do you think I am a people pleaser a wishy washy, fake person, aiming to cater to whomever I am addressing, . I can imagine that I give that impression but I know myself enough to know where my heart and intentions are. I am NOT seeking reassurances or criticism either, lol. He examines my heart and deals with me as He sees fit, showing me if and when my motives are coming from a deceitful place. He knows my heart best. What I am asking is not about me, actually, but about you...

My question is to you mature Brothers and Sisters, those of you who have spent much time in the word. We are to have an humble, teachable spirit with regards to the Holy Spirit, and we know that the scripture in not for any one man's interpretation, so where do you draw the line with regards to keeping an open mind, looking at the scriptures from others perspective, but not so much that you are tossed to fro, being of no use to anyone, getting nowhere?

How do you keep yourself balanced with regards to standing firm in the truth, while also being open to learning, to growing?

Is it simply a matter of just quieting the mind and waiting for His revealing?

 

[BrotherMike]

Is it simply a matter of just quieting the mind and waiting for His revealing?

I pray and seek peace from the Holy Spirit in the thoughts, decisions, and directions I should take. When I do things my own way, it usually doesn't end well.

 

[SpoonJuly]

I have now lived 73 years and been studying the Scripture for over 50 years, but I will let God judge my maturity.
I thought I had heard every belief under the sun until I came to this forum. SURPRISE, SURPRISE!
Now when I here something that MAY seem legit, I just go to the Word for the truth. It is there, just have to search until I find it.
Will say this. Have not changed my mind since I have been here.

 

[Subhumanoidal]

Open minded and Christian are two terms rarely uttered together. And the more likely one is to think of themselves as a mature Christian the more likely that statement is true.

 

[Blain]

It is true that we are to have an open and teachable heart as well as having discernment, however the thing is no one person can ever have it completely right. The word of God is like the earths crust or an onion it has many many layers and learning the truth and learning how to hear and read his word with the holy spirit is a constant learning process. It is an art always strived for yet never perfected.

The important thing about his word isn't if you have it right or if it's the correct doctrine as much as how it speaks to you and effects you. To many people concern far to much on the correct doctines of his word of their version and other peoples versions of the truth instead of enjoying his word and letting it simply speak to them and soak in their hearts. I know a friend who wakes up at the crack of dawn and just reads the bible for hours she simply enjoys it and soaks it in and allows his word to speak to her she doesn't do it for any kind of doctrine she does it because she enjoys it loves it and loves spending time getting closer to him doing it.

Also it is important to remember that the more you have personal quality time with God and the closer you two get the easier his voice will be to hear and the more his spirit and words will flow from his word. That intimacy and cloesness between you and God is the vital key to understanding and hearing his word and the deeper it is the more you will see his word open to you

 

[BrotherMike]

Now when I here something that MAY seem legit, I just go to the Word for the truth. It is there, just have to search until I find it.

Ahh yes, the Bible should be our instruction book for life.

 

[BrotherMike]

It is true that we are to have an open and teachable heart as well as having discernment, however the thing is no one person can ever have it completely right. The word of God is like the earths crust or an onion it has many many layers and learning the truth and learning how to hear and read his word with the holy spirit is a constant learning process. It is an art always strived for yet never perfected.

The important thing about his word isn't if you have it right or if it's the correct doctrine as much as how it speaks to you and effects you. To many people concern far to much on the correct doctines of his word of their version and other peoples versions of the truth instead of enjoying his word and letting it simply speak to them and soak in their hearts. I know a friend who wakes up at the crack of dawn and just reads the bible for hours she simply enjoys it and soaks it in and allows his word to speak to her she doesn't do it for any kind of doctrine she does it because she enjoys it loves it and loves spending time getting closer to him doing it.

Also it is important to remember that the more you have personal quality time with God and the closer you two get the easier his voice will be to hear and the more his spirit and words will flow from his word. That intimacy and cloesness between you and God is the vital key to understanding and hearing his word and the deeper it is the more you will see his word open to you

We all fall short of His glory. The Bible says all scripture is God breathed... to be training in righteousness. In order to do this, we need to have an open and teachable heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

[CharliRenee]

Open minded and Christian are two terms rarely uttered together. And the more likely one is to think of themselves as a mature Christian the more likely that statement is true.

True Subhumanoidal, it is like saying I am humble, which I use to. I had it wrong. If we are truley humble, we don't consider ourselves as such, lol.

 

[CharliRenee]

I have now lived 73 years and been studying the Scripture for over 50 years, but I will let God judge my maturity.
I thought I had heard every belief under the sun until I came to this forum. SURPRISE, SURPRISE!
Now when I here something that MAY seem legit, I just go to the Word for the truth. It is there, just have to search until I find it.
Will say this. Have not changed my mind since I have been here.

Not even one time?

 

[CharliRenee]

It is true that we are to have an open and teachable heart as well as having discernment, however the thing is no one person can ever have it completely right. The word of God is like the earths crust or an onion it has many many layers and learning the truth and learning how to hear and read his word with the holy spirit is a constant learning process. It is an art always strived for yet never perfected.

The important thing about his word isn't if you have it right or if it's the correct doctrine as much as how it speaks to you and effects you. To many people concern far to much on the correct doctines of his word of their version and other peoples versions of the truth instead of enjoying his word and letting it simply speak to them and soak in their hearts. I know a friend who wakes up at the crack of dawn and just reads the bible for hours she simply enjoys it and soaks it in and allows his word to speak to her she doesn't do it for any kind of doctrine she does it because she enjoys it loves it and loves spending time getting closer to him doing it.

Also it is important to remember that the more you have personal quality time with God and the closer you two get the easier his voice will be to hear and the more his spirit and words will flow from his word. That intimacy and cloesness between you and God is the vital key to understanding and hearing his word and the deeper it is the more you will see his word open to you

Your friend sounds like a woman of valor, with her priorities in the right place. Good response, thank you, Brother Blain.

 

[Demi777]

When I started ministering to the homeless it got me back to earth where I didnt know I was not ok. That was a big thing

 

[CharliRenee]

When I started ministering to the homeless it got me back to earth where I didnt know I was not ok. That was a big thing

I bet, perspectives must change. I'd love to know some of your experiences.

 

[Demi777]

I bet, perspectives must change. I'd love to know some of your experiences.

Well there is one guy in his 40s whos an epileptic and lost both wife and child. Hes had 19 years in jail. He cant get over the pain of their death and ive been trying to help him not drink so much.
Another man is maybe in his 60s he drinks 3litres of wine so h3 can walk. Hes so sick his face is blue and purple.
One guy is 65 he was a dry alcoholic for many years and lived with a woman who kicked him out for an other guy. She recently started contacting him again with insults and accusations that brought him back to drinking. Meanwhile he has a lot of pain due to many surgeries and metal implanted in his back, shoulder etc. And the only pain meds he gets is ibuprofen...
Etc
Theres a lot of broken hearts

 

[CharliRenee]

Well there is one guy in his 40s whos an epileptic and lost both wife and child. Hes had 19 years in jail. He cant get over the pain of their death and ive been trying to help him not drink so much.
Another man is maybe in his 60s he drinks 3litres of wine so h3 can walk. Hes so sick his face is blue and purple.
One guy is 65 he was a dry alcoholic for many years and lived with a woman who kicked him out for an other guy. She recently started contacting him again with insults and accusations that brought him back to drinking. Meanwhile he has a lot of pain due to many surgeries and metal implanted in his back, shoulder etc. And the only pain meds he gets is ibuprofen...
Etc
Theres a lot of broken hearts

Oh Sis, God Bless you for getting out there with the ppl and loving them and encouraging them, ministering to them. Just even listening to them must make such a difference in their lives. I lift you and these broken hearts up, in Jesus name. Please Lord, feed, comfort, and protect these people, reveal yourself to them. Lord, also, please help guide and comfort Demi as she reaches out, help her shine Your light Lord, being a beacon of hope in You. Thank You and Amen.

 

[p_rehbein]

How do you keep yourself balanced with regards to standing firm in the truth, while also being open to learning, to growing?

Is it simply a matter of just quieting the mind and waiting for His revealing?

No. There are several levels to the question you asked in the OP. I will try to address a few of them.

1) It is easy to reject the words of some who come here, IF they come here teaching another Gospel than that of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us this will happen, and we have all seen it happen here. Do not entertain them. Such are of evil, and we should never entertain evil. The person who believes they can entertain evil and not be harmed is a foolish person in my opinion. Scripture tells us to have nothing to do with them. That means NOTHING.

2) Core beliefs. There are core beliefs in Christianity that we all have. Through sincere prayer, study of the Word, and counsel from elder believers in our lives, but most importantly.......through the counsel of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, we develop these core beliefs. These beliefs must remain firm if we are to weather the storms this world sends to try us. The Holy Spirit IS the only Teacher we must put all our faith in when it comes to understanding Scripture. It is perfectly acceptable to listen to elder believers give their understanding, and to try their opinion, to weigh it, to test it against what Scripture says, and, if it stands with Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to accept it, even if it means we change what we first believed. In my opinion, many people put their faith in the teachings of some man, and that is a huge mistake! Trust the Holy Spirit.

3) Denominational differences. There are several well known Denominational Teachings that differ from group to group. Most of these have nothing to do with salvation in my opinion, and concerning these......while it may be interesting to debate them, they should not become stumbling stones. Again, as a person grows in Christ, and develops their core beliefs through the Holy Spirits teaching, they should maintain those beliefs. Do not be afraid to stand firm in what the Holy Spirit has taught you, even when others challenge you and belittle or berate you. Scripture says this will happen, so expect it to, and remain firm in the Faith given you by the Holy Spirit. There are a few that do have something to do with salvation, and when one of these arises, reject it. Do not allow yourself to entertain such, for it could well prove to be a stumbling stone and cause you harm. Rely on the Holy Spirit to warn you of such as these. In my experience, the Holy Spirit WILL warn you when what is being taught is NOT Truth, and is harmful.

4) Do not simply sit and wait. God has purposed ALL His children. We should always be about our Fathers business! Seeking to fulfill that purpose for which we were called. And learning and growing in understanding of Scripture comes from study, prayer, and being focused on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian Faith is a DYNAMIC Faith, not a dormant faith.

I can not stress enough the need to approach the study of the Word with a sincere and contrite heart, prayer, and a desire to learn FROM the Teacher God sent to us!

 

[JaumeJ]

Alright gang, I have been pondering again, lol. I am an agreeable person for the most part, meaning I tend to be non confrontational, open minded person, ready to learn, seeing things from different perspectives. Lately though, I have been wondering if this might be counterproductive to my learning and growing curve.

Wait now..

This thread is not an am I an ok person, or do you think I am a people pleaser a wishy washy, fake person, aiming to cater to whomever I am addressing, . I can imagine that I give that impression but I know myself enough to know where my heart and intentions are. I am NOT seeking reassurances or criticism either, lol. He examines my heart and deals with me as He sees fit, showing me if and when my motives are coming from a deceitful place. He knows my heart best. What I am asking is not about me, actually, but about you...

My question is to you mature Brothers and Sisters, those of you who have spent much time in the word. We are to have an humble, teachable spirit with regards to the Holy Spirit, and we know that the scripture in not for any one man's interpretation, so where do you draw the line with regards to keeping an open mind, looking at the scriptures from others perspective, but not so much that you are tossed to fro, being of no use to anyone, getting nowhere?

How do you keep yourself balanced with regards to standing firm in the truth, while also being open to learning, to growing?

Is it simply a matter of just quieting the mind and waiting for His revealing?

From reading about Mary in the Word, I learned somethig very important about learning from the Word. When I do not understand somethign I keep it to myself until I do, or until God's eternal day tocome......YOu have said it……..you have her wisdom, so continue in your wisdom about such things.

 

[Hungry]

Alright gang, I have been pondering again, lol. I am an agreeable person for the most part, meaning I tend to be non confrontational, open minded person, ready to learn, seeing things from different perspectives. Lately though, I have been wondering if this might be counterproductive to my learning and growing curve.

Wait now..

This thread is not an am I an ok person, or do you think I am a people pleaser a wishy washy, fake person, aiming to cater to whomever I am addressing, . I can imagine that I give that impression but I know myself enough to know where my heart and intentions are. I am NOT seeking reassurances or criticism either, lol. He examines my heart and deals with me as He sees fit, showing me if and when my motives are coming from a deceitful place. He knows my heart best. What I am asking is not about me, actually, but about you...

My question is to you mature Brothers and Sisters, those of you who have spent much time in the word. We are to have an humble, teachable spirit with regards to the Holy Spirit, and we know that the scripture in not for any one man's interpretation, so where do you draw the line with regards to keeping an open mind, looking at the scriptures from others perspective, but not so much that you are tossed to fro, being of no use to anyone, getting nowhere?

How do you keep yourself balanced with regards to standing firm in the truth, while also being open to learning, to growing?

Is it simply a matter of just quieting the mind and waiting for His revealing?

In response to your last question, yes, and no. Truth is only served from God but you need to make sure you aren’t talking to yourself. Pray for wisdom and discernment....continually. From my years of Bible study I have concluded, God makes sense. If it doesn’t make sense to me, my perceptions need to be realigned. Most people try to fit themselves into scripture. However, not every word was uttered to every believer. Many people invent their own dogma, favourable to their desires, instead of reading what was wrote. They did it before Christ came, and sadly after. The question is, are we prepared to follow the true Messiah or worship an invented Christ?

 

[PennEd]

Alright gang, I have been pondering again, lol. I am an agreeable person for the most part, meaning I tend to be non confrontational, open minded person, ready to learn, seeing things from different perspectives. Lately though, I have been wondering if this might be counterproductive to my learning and growing curve.

Wait now..

This thread is not an am I an ok person, or do you think I am a people pleaser a wishy washy, fake person, aiming to cater to whomever I am addressing, . I can imagine that I give that impression but I know myself enough to know where my heart and intentions are. I am NOT seeking reassurances or criticism either, lol. He examines my heart and deals with me as He sees fit, showing me if and when my motives are coming from a deceitful place. He knows my heart best. What I am asking is not about me, actually, but about you...

My question is to you mature Brothers and Sisters, those of you who have spent much time in the word. We are to have an humble, teachable spirit with regards to the Holy Spirit, and we know that the scripture in not for any one man's interpretation, so where do you draw the line with regards to keeping an open mind, looking at the scriptures from others perspective, but not so much that you are tossed to fro, being of no use to anyone, getting nowhere?

How do you keep yourself balanced with regards to standing firm in the truth, while also being open to learning, to growing?

Is it simply a matter of just quieting the mind and waiting for His revealing?

I think you have it backwards sister. I look at YOU as the mature Christian. I pray I could look at every issue or debate in the way you do. With an open mind, not assigning motives, and NOT thinking that it is my way or the highway. All while simultaneously standing firm in the Truth of the Word.

 

[CharliRenee]

No. There are several levels to the question you asked in the OP. I will try to address a few of them.

1) It is easy to reject the words of some who come here, IF they come here teaching another Gospel than that of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us this will happen, and we have all seen it happen here. Do not entertain them. Such are of evil, and we should never entertain evil. The person who believes they can entertain evil and not be harmed is a foolish person in my opinion. Scripture tells us to have nothing to do with them. That means NOTHING.

2) Core beliefs. There are core beliefs in Christianity that we all have. Through sincere prayer, study of the Word, and counsel from elder believers in our lives, but most importantly.......through the counsel of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, we develop these core beliefs. These beliefs must remain firm if we are to weather the storms this world sends to try us. The Holy Spirit IS the only Teacher we must put all our faith in when it comes to understanding Scripture. It is perfectly acceptable to listen to elder believers give their understanding, and to try their opinion, to weigh it, to test it against what Scripture says, and, if it stands with Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to accept it, even if it means we change what we first believed. In my opinion, many people put their faith in the teachings of some man, and that is a huge mistake! Trust the Holy Spirit.

3) Denominational differences. There are several well known Denominational Teachings that differ from group to group. Most of these have nothing to do with salvation in my opinion, and concerning these......while it may be interesting to debate them, they should not become stumbling stones. Again, as a person grows in Christ, and develops their core beliefs through the Holy Spirits teaching, they should maintain those beliefs. Do not be afraid to stand firm in what the Holy Spirit has taught you, even when others challenge you and belittle or berate you. Scripture says this will happen, so expect it to, and remain firm in the Faith given you by the Holy Spirit. There are a few that do have something to do with salvation, and when one of these arises, reject it. Do not allow yourself to entertain such, for it could well prove to be a stumbling stone and cause you harm. Rely on the Holy Spirit to warn you of such as these. In my experience, the Holy Spirit WILL warn you when what is being taught is NOT Truth, and is harmful.

4) Do not simply sit and wait. God has purposed ALL His children. We should always be about our Fathers business! Seeking to fulfill that purpose for which we were called. And learning and growing in understanding of Scripture comes from study, prayer, and being focused on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian Faith is a DYNAMIC Faith, not a dormant faith.

I can not stress enough the need to approach the study of the Word with a sincere and contrite heart, prayer, and a desire to learn FROM the Teacher God sent to us!

I agree with you, very much, on the dealing with evil. What you said here...
not allow yourself to entertain such, for it could well prove to be a stumbling stone and cause you harm.
I have experienced that, it is foolish. Honestly, this one is hard for me in the sense that I never want to hurt or disregard another. But i have harmed my own walk with my own desire to try and help, see where they are coming from, and care for others that are not for me to deal with. I admit it is easier for me to me gentle as a dove than wise as a serpent. Actually though, if i am honest with myself, it isn't that I am unable to detect evil as much as wanting to believe they are not evil, u know not wanting to think the worst of ppl. Ugh. I am getting there brother, thanks be to Him. He has been so merciful in dealing with me. Thanks be to Him, His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Not a dormant faith, but one of follow through and action, ok, that too makes sense.

I also think it is so important that when listening to men, we need to listen to His discernment within and also always chk the word. You know the truth is I don't think anyone will agree with anyone, all the time, that we need to be wise and spend one on one time, praying, studying and focusing, with Him, like you said. This was the most beneficial for me in your words, Brother...

I can not stress enough the need to approach the study of the Word with a sincere and contrite heart, prayer, and a desire to learn FROM the Teacher God sent to us! Yes yes yes!!!

Thanks for taking the time to respond. God Bless you and yours.

 

[CharliRenee]

From reading about Mary in the Word, I learned somethig very important about learning from the Word. When I do not understand somethign I keep it to myself until I do, or until God's eternal day tocome......YOu have said it……..you have her wisdom, so continue in your wisdom about such things.

Thank you, Brother. Walk in faith and wait for His revealing, while studying and praying, sincerely.