the (mainly) christian thread.

[DeathPing]

Thanks, Synth! Thanks for not preaching at me - what you have said was more than enough, bru. Much appreciated!

Thanks for the hug, KK! Here is one back!

[Prime]

Sadly I lost my belief in Christianity long ago

I'm not sad I lost mine.

But that's for another thread.

Here

K I'll take myself to another thread

[DeathPing]

Hi, Prime!

Please don't be offended, as it is not intended as such, but I find it really ironic that you were the one that started this thread... back in the days.

[DeathStrike]

Well i'm not Christian.

I'm Muslim. (aka ak47 carrying terrorists to some)

just putting it out there. don't really care.

[DeathPing]

We live in a world where faith, hope and love is separated. We have no love, except for ourselves and that which we hold dear to ourselves. We have no hope, except in that which we can achieve by means of our own abilities. We have no faith, except for clamping onto that grass-tip of a something which might be better than our current circumstances... somewhere, somehow, someday.

1 Corinthians 13:13 "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Why is it that Paul (if I am not mistaken) deemed it important to mention these three entwined?

[Prime]

Hi, Prime!

Please don't be offended, as it is not intended as such, but I find it really ironic that you were the one that started this thread... back in the days.

Yeah, I find it ironic as well.

It serves to remind us all that things and times change.

[KatrynKat]

Well i'm not Christian.

I'm Muslim. (aka ak47 carrying terrorists to some)

just putting it out there. don't really care.

we all have our own choices that we make, and for me personally, i will respect your religious views no matter what they are, i might not agree with some of the things that you do, but every religion has its ups and downs, all i ask in return is that you show me the same respect...... i am a christian who believe in evolution as well....

We live in a world where faith, hope and love is separated. We have no love, except for ourselves and that which we hold dear to ourselves. We have no hope, except in that which we can achieve by means of our own abilities. We have no faith, except for clamping onto that grass-tip of a something which might be better than our current circumstances... somewhere, somehow, someday.

1 Corinthians 13:13 "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Why is it that Paul (if I am not mistaken) deemed it important to mention these three entwined?

i think it is that if you do not have faith, you can't have hope, and if you don't have hope, you can't love.... i don't really know
but ever since i was small, 1 Corinthians 13 was by fav piece of the Bible, and verse 13 one of my all-time favourites

[hamin_aus]

I will respect your religious views no matter what they are

Not me.

I respect people, not their religion/beliefs.

Which is to say I respect people, often in-spite of their religious views.

[KALSTER]

You need to make the decision for the right reasons and your prayers will be answered.

Somebody should tell this to those poor sods who are sitting around in the dust and flies waiting to die from starvation, while some are sitting around drinking milkshakes and eating burgers while they thank the lord for his blessings.

i think it is that if you do not have faith, you can't have hope, and if you don't have hope, you can't love...

If you don't have faith in....?

[lancelot]

Kalster, do not come here with your bull, go to the other threads made for your comments.

[Stuart]

Any other Christians around

Here.

And some above the line too . . .

[DeathStrike]

Well i'm not Christian.

I'm Muslim. (aka ak47 carrying terrorists to some)

just putting it out there. don't really care.

we all have our own choices that we make, and for me personally, i will respect your religious views no matter what they are, i might not agree with some of the things that you do, but every religion has its ups and downs, all i ask in return is that you show me the same respect...... i am a christian who believe in evolution as well....

I'm not the kind who will step on your toes and all that.

care to share what you don't like? if you feel you don't want to its cool.

[KALSTER]

Kalster, do not come here with your bull, go to the other threads made for your comments.

Ok. Didn't realise we can't give criticism in this thread.

[Ron2K]

Kalster, do not come here with your bull, go to the other threads made for your comments.

Ok. Didn't realise we can't give criticism in this thread.

There's already the existing thread for that purpose; please rather use that.

[KALSTER]

No problem.

[MadFrog]

I have experienced the power of prayer and the guidance of God in my life. I have to say that I don't think there is something that can shake or rattle my faith.

[KatrynKat]

good for you!!!

[MadFrog]

good for you!!!

Thank you.

[DeathPing]

Though I'd share this. I am not sure if the tale is true or not, but it has a good lesson.

The Perfect Mistake

My Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was really upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses wedged between two blankets.

The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, "Thank you, God, for not allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your life from being taken in a car accident. "Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I'm sure they'll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned."

I have to remember this in these times of trial with my own family.

May GOD bless your week. Look for the perfect mistakes.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Phil. 4:19

[ADT]

Looks at thread

[KatrynKat]

then run away...!

@DP: sooo waar en dankie!

[Jonboy]

If you don't like it, don't troll in it

Looks at thread

[lancelot]

I will give ADT a mighty klap with my ban club (";)

[ADT]

I will give ADT a mighty klap with my ban club (";)

Hehe

[DeathPing]

Paths to Ponder

Can you imagine living in the desert for a whole year, observing the activity of a mound of busy fire ants? Deborah Gordon of The Santa Fe Institute did exactly that, and discovered four main groups of workers: cleaners, haulers, gatherers, and security ants. Each category consisted of an ever-moving line of ants marching in cadence toward a specific goal.

Cleaners carried debris from inside the nest, to a dumping ground. Hauler ants circled the top of the mound, clearing clutter from the entrance. Gatherers marched off on time-consuming missions for food, and security members fought off threats to the community at large.

How could one person observe so much? Deborah painstakingly painted a tiny dot of color on the back of each ant, to the tune of over 50,000 dots! The dots enabled Deborah to chart the course of each line of workers. One of the most fascinating aspects of her study was watching the ants overcome obstacles and threats to their orderly world--a stick across the trail, invading insects, lack of water, and fire.

Haulers immediately stopped to help gatherers; cleaners came to the aid of the security force. None ran for cover, but scurried to and fro, working to protect and serve each other. They overcame obstacles by fulfilling their own tasks, then helping fellow members of the community to excel at their tasks, too. Complex adaptive behavior. That's what Deborah called the ants' behavior.

How adaptive are we when unexpected obstacles or events litter our path? How do we react when people around us stumble? What have we done this week to make our community and world a better place? They're questions worth pondering.

"Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established." (Proverbs 4:26 NAS)

- Bonnie Bruno -