(06/27/2016) The Comfort from GOD?

Today, focus is upon a believer’s recovery from harsh parenting they endured during childhood.  It is correct to teach small children that their disobedience, disrespect, and rejection of parental authority imposes hardship and shame upon their own caretakers and protectors.  Even so, parents may not rely only upon violence in the home to establish honor, order, and respect within their little ones.  Parenting techniques of denying privileges and those using physical punishment both should be avoided when not properly balanced with demonstrations of acceptable responses, explanations, guidance, and step-by-step instruction.  Thus, rightly understood, judgment of ones parents is safely done only as a prerogative of GOD:  A child may not judge their parent as worthy of heaven or not either on the basis of bad treatment (spanking), or good treatment (that may in fact be no more to the child than bribes, influence, license, or inordinate affection).  Where children maliciously accuse and condemn their own parents, their sin actually is against GOD, and not against their caretakers.  When looking back, many are confused and disappointed because their prayers—that the character and nature of their parents or others be changed, or that they be rescued and saved from difficult situations—did not seem to be heard and answered.  Such may fail to discern and recognize that the response of GOD, instead, was to lend them greater determination, patience, resilience, and strength to endure.  In the plan of GOD, babies and minor children are to develop within a fixed and stable family structure that has some flexibility, yet, perseveres in maintaining specific meanings, order and values for various attitudes, behaviors, and conduct.  Before small children master using adult logic and rational thinking, physical punishment to admonish and warn them may be needed for their nourishment and protection, and are not the same as beating and striking them that merely display anger, displeasure, frustration, and hatred.  More than this, cursing, threats and verbal abuse in no way express the care and concern of GOD as revealed by Jesus suffering and dying upon the cross.  A writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Cassandra Mills” (Level 2 with 462 points, a member since March 28, 2012) posted the following:

Fundamentalist Christian book that teaches to "beat the bitter root out of your child"?

Ok so here's the deal. I had a pretty bizarre childhood, my parents were super, super strict fundamentalist Christians (I have nothing at all against Christianity btw--just the craziness involved in fundamentalism) and abusive to an extent. I'd rather post this somewhere else besides yahoo, but I'm hoping a non crazy person will read this and be able to help me :-) Basically I'm just trying to piece some parts of my childhood together and see what exactly my parents were believing and what books they were reading (they deny stuff like this so I can't ask them)

Anyway, this didn't happen to me, but to my sister. She said that at some point (she was probably around 9-10) she was sort of rebellious (probably just spirited like any kid) and my mom just spanked her for a long time insisting on getting "the bitter root out of her", which she (my mom) thought was the root cause of my sister's "rebellion". I'm pretty sure she didn't come up with that phrase/idea on her own and I'm almost sure I read an article about some Christian parenting book that taught this??? So if you know please let me know!

Another phrase I remember from one of her books was "you're not disciplining your child, you're discipling your child" So if you know what book that's from please let me know too. Again, I just really want to know what crazy things they were filling their heads with; maybe it will help me understand why they acted like they did.

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:  shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:  nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  (Hebrews 12:  1-11, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Discipline and The Cross?
(06/16/2016); GOD’s Answer to Injustice? (04/28/2016); The Forms of Prophecy? (04/26/2016); Divine Love Seen As Hate? (01/29/2015); Comfort? (09/06/2014); We Become Comforters? (07/19/2014); Inseparables? (07/15/2014); On Christians Being Inclusive? (07/16/2014)

“Cassandra”, for Christian believers, comfort is an aspect of prophecy, and is received through operations of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, the comfort provided by GOD to those who have endured abuse and neglect in their childhood has been experienced by many mature Christian believers as (1) our dying in Christ upon the cross, (2) arriving at ones own adult perspective, (3) ability to correctly discern and recognize spiritual errors in the actions and beliefs demonstrated by others, (4) realization of the multiple instances where the active presence of GOD has been part of their own experience, and (5) the shift from self-centered expressions of anger, bitterness, or regret to displaying balance, insight, maturity, and soundness of spirit.  

The goal of the Christian believer is not to forget or ignore affliction and hardships they may have suffered.  More than they desire “get back,” “pay back” and revenge, believers should want to be free of anger, fear, grudges, and hate; and this is accomplished by responding to forgiveness and love as spirit aspects of divine person.  Christian believers become “born again” through water baptism (death and burial of ones inborn spirit, rebirth from divine DNA, so to speak); and receive deposits of spirit substance from the makeup of divinity such as faith, holiness, joy, longsuffering, meekness, wisdom and wrath against sin.  Even so, all believers also must “grow up again” meeting the same life challenges as others living upon the earth.  Being a “new creation” from Christ, the disciples and followers of Jesus must acquire sacred knowledge and continue in fellowship with other believers to establish godly living routines that maintain sacred practices (we say, sacraments).

There is far more that should be carefully said, thoughtfully examined, and spiritually understood.  (For example, it is written:  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:  for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9: 13, King James Version (KJV) ).  At first, minor children are established in covenant with exalted divinity through their obedience, respect, and reverence of their caretakers and parents (not their own affection and fondness).  Thus, circumcision and divine covenant are to be understood as a “life condition” that a child may be born into like poverty, royalty, or wealth.  Where parents use spanking and punishment to train their children they must do so understanding that there must be balance and restraint.  In the same way an edible cake can not be made using only the bitter ingredient of flour, the single ingredient of butter, or only the overwhelming sweetness of sugar, in training a child, correction is more important than punishment; and after a certain point in the child’s growth punishment is not to be used at all.)  Even so, I am sure this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(07/16/2014) On Christians Being Inclusive?

Today, reply is made to a writer who desires Christianity be a peculiar global philosophy, or secular “open” belief system.  Also there is more on the inseparable things from GOD.  The “Yahoo! Answers” member using ID “Colin” (Level 1 with 159 points, a member since July 04, 2010) posted the following:


Is it possible for Christians to be inclusive? 

I find that more and more fellow Christians I meet are open-minded when it comes to those who follow non-Christian religions. But I wonder: when a conservative Christian insists that Jesus is the ONLY WAY, are they accurate? The Bible seems to support such exclusive views (especially the Book of John but certainly other areas of the New Testament as well).

1) Can you be Christian and be inclusive toward those whose faith/lifestyle is different than what is laid out in the Bible? In other words, can you fully love and respect your Jewish neighbor, even though he/she does not believe Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life"?

2) If not, then doesn't this support the atheists' arguments that Christianity, despite its messages of love and forgiveness, creates more division than unity in a world in desperate need of coming together?

3) If yes, then how can this be? How are you able to fully follow Christ while also feeling and exhibiting respect and love toward your Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and atheist neighbors?
Thanks in advance for all thoughtful, respectful answers.


THE BATTLE AXE:  Inseparables? (07/15/2014)—
When speaking about the process for baking a cake, sharing the recipe, teaching a class, or demonstrating how it's done, it is correct to describe each of the ingredients.  However, a finished cake is more than just a collection of its ingredients.  The content must be blended in specific amounts and measures having a peculiar balance and proportion.  Thus, the cake may not be all flour, all sugar, or all vanilla extract without its other items.  The cake must have eggs, butter,  milk, and even a dash of poison commonly found around the house (i.e., table salt).  Simply placing all the ingredients in a single container is not enough to make them edible; yet, only together may the ingredients be spoken of as “cake.”  The ingredients must first be combined, and then undergo together a process that will transform them, and permanently bind and fuse them to one another:  They must be fired, as it were, in an oven or furnace, and endure together over time.  In the same way, some seek to analyze and describe a person’s salvation in terms of parts, portions, phases, and stages.  However, the whole may not be reduced to a formula, a mere “table of contents,” or a recipe.  Salvation embraces baptism, fellowship within a covenant community, obedience to divine law, repentance, resistance to sin, transformation of ones form, nature, and spirit, and more.  Their amount, measure and proportion, are known only to GOD; and the process wherein they are fired and fused is of the Holy Spirit.  Salvation is far more than simply a matter of attitudes, behavior, conduct, devices, lives, mechanisms, methods, opinions, traditions, or a fixed pattern of peculiar steps.  More than this, salvation can not be separated from other divine operations such as atonement, commitment, confession, divine love, judgment, revival, and eternal life.


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  (2nd Corinthians 6:  14-18, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Putting GOD First? (06/02/2013); Need for A New Holy Spirit? (06/03/2013); The “Jesus Way”? (05/17/2013); An Earth to Fix A Heaven? (05/18/2013); Jesus Lives! (05/04/2013); Experience Is Not Evidence? (05/05/2013); Illusion? (04/25/2013); Not of Legal Age? (04/26/2013)


“Colin”, here are a few points to consider that have been  helpful to many Christian believers:

(1.)  While all Christians must be drawn to GOD through Jesus Christ and must be set apart by the sacred knowledge they receive, by sacred practices they maintain (we say, sacraments), and by their endowment of Spirit content from GOD (taken together we say, by their being sanctified), all Christians are self-selected, and established in correct relationship to divinity through self-will and volition (we say, by their own choice).  No one is forced to love.

(2.)  In baptism (the death of ones inborn spirit, rebirth containing spirit matter from the make-up of GOD) believers begin the transformations needed for mankind to serve as an eternal companion to the Almighty Father.  Born again, believers must “grow up” again continuing to meet the same life challenges as all others upon the earth.  Realizing that all mankind must enter into a pattern for survival that will establish lasting change, growth, healing, freedom (rather than enslavement), and eternal life (rather than death), most Christian believers endorse the many teachings that counsel that followers of Christ have a duty to assist, minister to, and nourish the salvation of others.  Challenged to serve others, believers are not authorized to condemn, dominate, manipulate, and subordinate others.  On the one hand, believers are told, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  Yet, all are also commanded, “freely you have received, freely give.”  In either case it remains, commitment, integrity, self-esteem and respect to others, true reverence, and acceptable worship are only maintained through sound discipline, and one having internalized divine boundaries, sacred law, and godly limits.

There is far more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (3.)  Until they are perfected (we say, mature), and contain more than an “earnest” of the imparted Spirit, Christian believers can not display flawless balance, completeness, consistency, fullness, and stability.  Thus, at first, love that appears among believers is an awkward mix that comes from flesh and intellect, and depends upon such earthly elements as desire, emotion, fantasy, feelings, imagination, and memory.  Divine love that appears among believers (to serve ones enemy, to encourage ones ex) is exclusively a product of divinity, and appears through such aspects of ones own divine makeup as faith, forbearance, forgiveness, holiness, humility, joy, longsuffering, truth, wisdom, and wrath against sin.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC