Weekly Spiritual Discipline

[Lloyd]

I wrote the previous message before reading the messages that were posted after my message yesterday. I appreciate those who welcome me here. Anyone else who doesn't want to discuss righteous discipline, I'd like you to say so on a different thread or via private message. I'd like to just be able to discuss discipline here without any more interference. Okay?

[ded2daworld]

OK with me, I've lead horses to water. :Peace2:

[VineBranch]

I wrote the previous message before reading the messages that were posted after my message yesterday. I appreciate those who welcome me here. Anyone else who doesn't want to discuss righteous discipline, I'd like you to say so on a different thread or via private message. I'd like to just be able to discuss discipline here without any more interference. Okay?

You know Lloyd IMO you can't have it both ways.  You can't change the message inside the post, it's really not fair.  One of the reasons you came here was to flog your book.  You can't tell me your English is so good that you wish us all to read your book, and then tell us your English is bad when you don't want to take the flack for offending people.  You tell me you're the author of a book in English, and expect me to take you seriously, and then tell me:  "I think I've demonstrated my naivete' here pretty well lately. I communicate imperfectly and end up annoying people."  Make up your mind.  Do I take your words seriously, or don't I? You are either responsible for you words or you're not.  Please choose which it is.

IMO the caliber of your English changes with how you wish to be perceived in a specific thread.  That's hardly naive.  That's pretty calculating.

[Colleen]

Love is not easily offended?

[VineBranch]

Love is not easily offended?

Rice cakes can be eaten for breakfast?

[Lazarus Short]

Love is not easily offended?

Rice cakes can be eaten for breakfast?

This little piggy went to market?

[Colleen]

To get Nutella for the rice cakes?

[micah7:9]

For me the only spiritual discipline is LOVE....Let It Shine and HE will bring me into His walk, and give me a more filling answer to all my wondering. Yeah my opinion :dsunny:

K!?  I think I get that but am having a really hard time seeing love as a discipline.  I see UR based on love, but as a natural outpouring of God's love, not as a way of bringing about something.  I think UR is a result of love, and God's love is something natural.  I was created to love and be loved by God.  I can't see it as a discipline.  Just my  :2c:

Love is NOT discipline, love is a soother of my anger and when love is embraced and given to be understood, much of what I consider not love, is reversed, so that my kindness is moved to the fore front. Love is opposed to hate, now there is a quandary, and how will we decide? Huuuummmmm.
I see UR as just another denomination or should I say a dimension of religion. UR folks don't believe in eternal torment in a place called forever, other than that, any well established religious named commodity would suffice. UR questions nothing but a place called hell, time called ages and ions rather than a forever, other than those very important pieces of evidence, huuummm what am I called?  PS the humor is intoxicating to say at least the least.

[ded2daworld]

If love is a discipline and God is Love, then logically God is a discipline?
I don't think so. .. and I don't think hate is the opposite of love for they are both passions. The opposite of love is apathy.
Apathy is what our loving God is accused of by non-believers when they ask why didn't God do this or that(the way they wanted him to) Doesn't he care? or did he just start everything and then let it all go to hell?

If ET were true, I would think, "Poor God. He can't seem to catch a break. Satan seems to be one step ahead of him all the time, doesn't God care that this world is full of sin and hatred? If he doesn't care, then why should I?"

[Lloyd]

I started a new thread, called All Discipline is Bad at http://tentmaker.org/forum/lounge/all-discipline-is-bad/. And I answered VB and Ded there. I won't be debating discipline here. I hope folks will have the discipline to discuss dislike of discipline in the other thread rather than here where that discussion is off-topic. If too many people want to oppose my efforts to seek to learn and practice righteous discipline here, I'll take the hint and avoid this forum as long as the opposition remains here.

[ded2daworld]

Might as well lock this forum since the topic was discipline and we didn't get off topic.
Lloyd started the topic so I surmise this is his wish.

[eaglesway]

one who loves, loves discipline

[VineBranch]

He who loves, doesn't push his own agendae on folk.

[jabcat]

Hi Lloyd.   It seems you wish no one would talk about NOT doing spiritual discipline?  It might if everyone agrees or sees it all the same way, but likely won't work that way.  A thread can stay on general topic, i.e., spiritual discipline, but still wander some.  Also, it's just almost a given for most topics - someone's either not going to see it exactly the same way, or they may just flat-out disagree.  That tends to be OK on TM, as long as it's done appropriately - i.e., according to forum guidelines (no baiting, flaming, personally insulting, etc.).  A topic that's totally controlled by someone without any dissent or varying opinions is usually more of a personal blog rather than a discussion forum such as this.  That may not meet your wishes, but it's just pretty typically how it works.  Blessings.

[jabcat]

P.S.  Maybe if there aren't too many on-going struggles/back-and-forths, you can mostly keep it in the direction you wish.  Time tells.   :2c:

[Colleen]

Lloyd
I don't know if you are aware or not but there is actually an Emotions Anonymous. I came across their big book about ten years ago. This past summer during some trying times it popped into my mind. I found there is a group that meets a little too far for me at an inconvenient time but if I remember correctly there are online meetings also. Just a thought. 

[ded2daworld]

Never heard that one Colleen. Overeaters are for those that overeat, alcoholics is for those that overdrink, but emotions anonymous? Would that be if you had too many emotions, were too passionate, or were just too emotional? I am serious as I never heard of such a thing :Peace2:.

[VineBranch]

emotionsanonymous.org  They have mailing lists, and discussion lists.  It's kinda interesting.  I thought at first is was about maladaptive emotional responses.  It uses the twelve step template and the first step is just emotions (not qualified).  Their desctiption of themselves is kinda cool.   

[shawn]

There is also a Chapstick anonymous.  I wonder what that bottom looks like.   :Chinscratch:

[ded2daworld]

Wow! In their statement they say" that each day you will do something that you don't want to do"
They must not know me. Let's see, things I don't want to do...
smoke, drink, drugs, overeat, adultery, murder - I really Don't want to do those things and yet it says I must do something
I don't want to do. :dontknow: :Chinscratch:

[VineBranch]

There is also a Chapstick anonymous.

It's technically called lipbalm anonymous.  They have a neat website too.  http://www.lipbalmanonymous.com/

[VineBranch]

Wow! In their statement they say" that each day you will do something that you don't want to do"
They must not know me. Let's see, things I don't want to do...
smoke, drink, drugs, overeat, adultery, murder - I really Don't want to do those things and yet it says I must do something
I don't want to do. :dontknow: :Chinscratch:

Ain't it the truth.  I do something I don't like all the time. I get up every and go to work.  Apparently I'm a better person for it.  I don't see it myself.

[shawn]

BTW:  I think this may be appropriate.  I haven't read anything by Zender in a long time.  But there it was staring me in the face, his book talking about this very subject.  While I don't see eye to eye with Zender on some issues I think he nailed this one.

Zender stated,

Are you walking by perception?  No wonder you are miserable.

Think, walk, see, set.

Think I'm freed from sin.
Walk as if I'm alive among the dead.
See yourself as God sees you.
Set your mind on what Christ has done, not on what you are doing.

I see no other way to live today.  I must live by faith, because if I look at me...I will become convinced that I'm not justified, accepted, loved or cherished.  I must believe that I am these things independent of what I do.  My flesh mocks me, humiliates me and tells me that my revelations are wishful thinking.  "Look Shawn...look at what you just said, look at what you just did!"  If the flesh forces me to look at me, then discipline myself with some more white knuckle will power...I again become a slave to sin.  Sin wins...it controls...it makes me miserable and I begin to pull away from God.

This is just my experience...not saying it has to be for anyone else.  But, I MUST live a Life of gratitude, thankful for my salvation and justification that I see through eyes of faith.  Loving God is where the freedom lies. 

[VineBranch]

I once thought of starting an optmist anonymous group.  I didn't feel good about it though.

[shawn]

There is also a Chapstick anonymous.

It's technically called lipbalm anonymous.  They have a neat website too.  http://www.lipbalmanonymous.com/

Interesting.  I make a bit of a funny with that one, but I suppose we each have our own struggles...whether it be with lip balm or chemical addiction.