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#Post#: 2731--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mike's Corner
DIR By: Rita
Date: January 4, 2026, 3:02 am
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--- Quote from: Dave link ---
>
> I have never been in a five sense teaching, quite intriguing
as the eye is the predominant one that is preached on, it is
also the one closest to the natural brain, and the one used by
Eve first in the garden but the question being, was it actually
hearing THEN seeing????? The Thlot Pickens as in Mikes
vernacular.
>
--- End Quote ---
I have always prayed for my spiritual eyes and ears to be opened
as scripture often mentions being spiritually blind and deaf, so
that two senses, so I was intrigued about the others.
The interest kind of stemmed from my word for the year and then
a passage about “ the dry bones “ in Ezekiel started off a
conversation with another Christian about how God communicates
with us - through visions ect. I can’t remember exactly how we
got onto the other spiritual senses but it led to a google
search for info and Patricia Kings book came up. So I brought
it, so did the person I was speaking to, and we decided to
compare notes as we read it. It’s quite a small book, so it
should take long.
Not sure what my verdict is yet
#Post#: 2744--------------------------------------------------
Re: Our Raison d'être
DIR By: Mike Waters
Date: January 11, 2026, 11:22 pm
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As I surely approach my 'end' I conclude that through all the
changing scenes of life, pride or shame, successes or failures,
joys or sorrows, gains or losses etc our ultimate raison d'être
has been to be brought to our knees until we finally see Christ
face to face and can truly say "NOTHING in my hand I bring,
simply to Thy Cross I cling"
#Post#: 2745--------------------------------------------------
Re: Our Raison d'être
DIR By: KerryD
Date: January 11, 2026, 11:49 pm
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--- Quote from: Mike Waters link ---
>
> As I surely approach my 'end' I conclude that through all the
changing scenes of life, pride or shame, successes or failures,
joys or sorrows, gains or losses etc our ultimate raison d'être
has been to be brought to our knees until we finally see Christ
face to face and can truly say "NOTHING in my hand I bring,
simply to Thy Cross I cling"
>
--- End Quote ---
Sorry, Mike, but I do not find that song measures up to
Scripture. The question is what gifts has God to us and what
have we done with them? You seem to be depressing yourself too.
Thinking about myself can get me depressed. When that happens,
I start thinking about others and can I do for them? That gets
me out of my feeling sorry for myself; and it might for you too.
Do not show up with NOTHING in your hand, Mike.
Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling
into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered
unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to
another one; to every man according to his several ability; and
straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded
with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other
two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth,
and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and
reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought
other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five
talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord,
thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two
other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant;
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said,
Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou
hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth:
lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather
where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the
exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine
own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him
which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall
have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away
even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I do not know your circumstances; but one option might be donate
all your worldly possessions to charity after you and your wife
pass on. For sure, you can't take them with you.
#Post#: 2746--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mike's Corner
DIR By: Mike Waters
Date: January 12, 2026, 11:31 am
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Thanks Kerry, but maybe I only fit into my overview because my
Epitaph, as you see under my Avatar, just has to be "If only ~
But (almost) too late now."
I am so sorry and so ashamed of all that I have been and done at
every stage of my selfish life, that I can only hope to get
through the "Saved, yet so as through the refining fire"
(Corinthians) by the 'skin of my teeth' which will purge away
everything but my basic saving faith"
When Matthew 25 was penned they omitted a category for the likes
of me.
I'm found in Luke 15:24 "my son was dead, and is alive again; he
was lost, and is found"
My quote was from a hymnist's inspiration which, for me, is
every bit as powerful as any scriptural two edged sword, having
been "implanted into the fleshy tablets of my heart"
(Corinthians again)
#Post#: 2747--------------------------------------------------
Re: Our Raison d'être
DIR By: Mike Waters
Date: January 12, 2026, 12:54 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: KerryD link ---
>
>
> I do not know your circumstances; but one option might be
donate all your worldly possessions to charity after you and
your wife pass on. For sure, you can't take them with you.
>
--- End Quote ---
I've already divested myself of all but my pension income which
'dies when I do'.
If charitable deeds ranked for eternal life I would flag up the
occasion when I paid off the outstanding mortgage which a bank
was calling in for a destitute girl who had fallen on hard
times.
But I count that as being part of the "Nothing in my hand I
bring", simply because I am of the persuasion that, whilst faith
with no good works is dead, good works, in themselves, do not
constitute faith.
'Works', imo, are for testing by fire (Corinthians), with the
"Work of believing on Christ" being sufficient for salvation,
after the testing through fire.
#Post#: 2748--------------------------------------------------
Re: Our Raison d'être
DIR By: KerryD
Date: January 12, 2026, 1:53 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Mike Waters link ---
>
> I've already divested myself of all but my pension income
which 'dies when I do'.
> If charitable deeds ranked for eternal life I would flag up
the occasion when I paid off the outstanding mortgage which a
bank was calling in for a destitute girl who had fallen on hard
times.
> But I count that as being part of the "Nothing in my hand I
bring" simply because I am of the persuasion that whilst faith
no good works is dead, good works, in themselves, do not
constitute faith.
> 'Works', imo, are for testing by fire (Corinthians), with the
"Work of believing on Christ" being sufficient for salvation,
after the testing through fire.
>
--- End Quote ---
I suspected you had some good deeds to your name. We all have a
mixture of good and bad; so don't depress yourself by thinking
of only the selfish ones.
There will be some people who are surprised on Judgment Day when
Jesus rewards them for their good deeds. Christians often fancy
there is a magical formula in obtaining salvation. No, God
looks at the heart. Some obey the Holy Spirit perhaps without
ever having heard of Jesus, and Jesus will reward them. Back to
Matthew 25.
Matthew 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and
he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats
on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and
ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee
drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the
devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty,
and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye
clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we
thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick,
or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did
it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.
We certainly can't buy salvation. It is a gift given freely;
and if we truly value it, we imitate Jesus and give freely
ourselves just as you did for the destitute girl. The way I
look at it is that Jesus made it possible for us to become
better, more loving people. If we value that, it is like that
tiny mustard seed -- with the Word being sown in the heart and
growing up reaching into the heavens. John also addresses how
will we be judged?
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; and the books were opened: and another book was
opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books, according to
their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works.
Why not sit and ponder over other good things you've done? I'm
sure you can think of more; and then thank Jesus for making it
possible for you to do them.
I've also been wondering if you are getting enough exercise?
Too little exercise can also put us in the dumps.
HTML https://www.npr.org/2026/01/12/nx-s1-5667599/exercise-is-as-effective-as-medication-in-treating-depression-study-finds<br
/> I do some exercises indoors but also walk -- the walking also
gets me out among other people. Many smile at me, too -- and
tells me things aren't as bad as I feel when I get down. I
think Jesus will reward them for those smiles too -- yes, even
if they're not Christians in name. By their fruits, you will
know them.
I have seen some people who claimed to have faith who bewildered
me. Some are on social media doing all kinds of unpleasant
things, mostly trying to make money. I want to tell them what
James said, that faith without works is dead.
James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed
and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which
are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew
me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by
my works.
#Post#: 2749--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mike's Corner
DIR By: Mike Waters
Date: January 12, 2026, 5:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Kerry, We're not too far apart.
Reminds me that, whereas Christians make much of their
conception that no man comes to God other than through Christ,
there's no reason why some, who have never seen and read a Bible
or heard what we call the Gospel Message, cannot still come
through the redemptive work of Christ without knowing about it.
There's not much said about that in scriptures of Jewish
origination, except for the hint in Romans 1.
It's what I call the 'bigger picture', of God being the creator
of the entire universe stretching to the extreme antipathy of
Mount Ararat, as distinct from God being God only of the 'flat
Mediterranean world', where ships that ventured beyond the
Straits of Gibraltar where considered by some to have fallen
'off the edge' as they disappeared beyond the Horizon.
But that's enough of my guesswork theology, and back to my "I am
not skilled to understand what God has willed; what God has
planned, I only know, at His right hand stands one who is my
Saviour".
Coupled with "Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan it's work
in vain. God is his own interpreter, and He will make it plain".
The inspired writings of hymnists yet again (but that's what
gets implanted into the fleshy tablets of my heart).
#Post#: 2750--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mike's Corner
DIR By: Dave
Date: January 13, 2026, 10:13 am
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Mike I'm with you on the Redemptive love of God, Imho 'the
creation beginning' shows that love, and you can catch glimpses
of that love reflected by a changed creation that is many
thousands of years old, but His mercies are new EVERY morning,
that blows my receding hair up.
I think we all have lived a life of Trust in the Lord and maybe
come short in our OWN understanding.
Why is it at the closing of our days, we start a search of
condemnation when there is no condemnation, all the dirty
laundry comes out whiter than snow at the end, some may have to
pass through the wringer twice to understand that redemptive
love, one does pause to consider why religion has put certain
restrictions on His Love and His methods.
#Post#: 2751--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mike's Corner
DIR By: Dave
Date: January 13, 2026, 10:44 am
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Mike I had to look up 'Raison d'etre, the reason of being' was.
At my school French were the people who came over in the summer
to chat up our local girls.
The night I met the Lord was by asking out loud "the reason of
being" I did it in English too.
Helens dad was a man of much learning, I often wonder who the
'ignorant clot' was LoL.
#Post#: 2752--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mike's Corner
DIR By: Mike Waters
Date: January 13, 2026, 2:49 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Dave link ---
>
> His mercies are new EVERY morning.
>
--- End Quote ---
Well, would you believe it, here we are back into my "inspired
words of Hymn writers"
[center]New every morning is thy Love.
Our wakening and uprising prove.
Through sleep and darkness safely brought.
Restored to life, and power, and thought[/center]
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