Attitude Adjustment!

Comment

Comment by MandyJ on November 6, 2008 at 12:55pm

The power of prayer is strong. Please pray for my sister and friend Janet. She is going through a really hard time right now. Her former life is trying to take a hold of her again. The darkness is trying to take control. Please pray for Jesus' power to break her free from that whole lifestyle. She is a dear and wonderful person who needs us to come together as her brothers and sisters and pray for her. Thank you all and God bless you! MandyJ :-)

Comment by mary jamieson on October 31, 2008 at 6:18pm

father help us to see your work in people and not what we see help us be open to you and what you are doing in that persons lives so the we will not hinder your work and will be able to assist you rather than hinder your work amen

Comment by Lourdito on October 31, 2008 at 6:08pm

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall watered also HIMSELF. -Prov. 11:25(KJV)

Were I to define a Christian


Were I to define a Christian, or rather to describe him at large, I know of no text I would choose, sooner than Galatians 5:17, "The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other--so that you do not do what you want."

A Christian has noble aims--which distinguish him from the bulk of mankind. His leading principles, motives, and desires--are all supernatural and divine. Could he do as he desires--there is not a angel before the Eternal Throne, that would excel him in holiness, love, and obedience! He would tread in the very footsteps of his Savior, fill up every moment of time in His service, and employ every breath in His praise!

This he would do--but, alas! he cannot! Against these spiritual desires, there is a contrary desire and working of a corrupt nature, which meets him at every turn! He has a beautiful copy set before him in the Scriptures--he is enamored with it, and though he does not expect to equal it, he writes carefully after it, and longs to attain to the nearest possible imitation. But indwelling sin and Satan continually jog his hand, and spoil his strokes!

Therefore, the most spiritual and gracious people confess themselves as vile and worthless! One eminent branch of our holiness, is a sense of shame and humiliation for those evils which are only known to ourselves, and to Him who searches our hearts!

In proportion as the Lord enables you to live more simply upon the blood, righteousness, and grace of the Mediator--you will possess a more stable peace. The nearer you are brought to Him--the more lively sense you will have of your vileness and worthlessness; and your continual need of Him. Thereby your admiration of His power, love, and compassion, will increase from year to year.

Remember that we have a Supernatural Saviour who always there to strengthened us if we ask HIM.

In Christ,

Comment by journeymanhd on October 31, 2008 at 9:57am

I am Loving this book! It is right on target for me. I know God has drawn me to this group and this book. I am laughing and opening my eyes even wider.
I read to my wife at night and she is also laughing and together we are seeing ourselves in this. Thanks for the invite.
journeymanhd

Comment by maad alassaf on October 26, 2008 at 3:37am

I'd like to comment on what our brother Lurdito said,
I agree with u that we have to be positive all the time,but in reality being in good mood all the time is not normal,the mood is like that, it is between ebb and flow (tide ),a normal person is sometimes depressed,and sometimes happy,the essential is to stay in the normal limits,between these tow limits,changing attitude means that altough what arround us is gloomy that doesn't push us to be negative,if we have faith in the work of our god jesus all the glory for him,in these moments we can change our desperation into hope ,having the faith that the allmighty will not fosake us,thank u all.

Comment by Lourdito on October 24, 2008 at 6:49pm

Hi to All,

I do agreed that attitude is a choice. Allow me to share this story.

The Two Choices

I have a story that I'd like to share with you. It's a good illustration of how one's attitude affects self and others.

Jerry was the kind of guy some people just didn't like. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone asked him how he was doing, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins." He was a unique manager because he had several waiters that followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was due to his positive attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry told the employee how to look for the positive side of the situation.

Seeing his style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it. You can't be a positive person all the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Jerry, you have two choices today: you can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life's all about choices. When we cut away all the junk, every situation's a choice. We choose how we react to situations. We choose how people will affect our mood. We choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. The bottom line is, it's our choice how we live our life."

I reflected on what Jerry said, and soon afterward, I left the restaurant business to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him, and I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later I heard that Jerry did something that you're never supposed to do in the restaurant business. He left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Fortunately, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to a local trauma center. After eighteen hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullet still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins." Then, he said, "Do you wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door. Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die, and I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room, I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and the nurses, and I got really scared. In their eyes I read, 'He's a dead man; He's not going to make it.' So I knew that I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

He said, "Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me. And she asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied, and the doctors and nurses all stopped working and waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and said, 'Bullets.' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I'm choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.' " Jerry lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Friend, we have a choice concerning how we live each day. We can choose to be a happy Christian or we can choose to be depressed. Many people walk around feeling as though they're being cheated out of life because they're Christians. They need to walk closer to God. We can't control some circumstances in life, but thank God, we can control how we react to each situation.

The man named Jerry in the story chose to live, and his positive attitude allowed him to do that. The same applies to us. The attitude we take in everything will determine whether we live or die spiritually. Thank God, the Word of God can lift us and help us to maintain the right attitude necessary to press on. We may be going through a time in life where we feel depressed, but the Word of God can encourage us.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." -Philippians 4:8

In Christ,
Lourdito

Comment by Carla on October 24, 2008 at 11:02am

I absolutely agree with Susan and Maryann (my mom).. I have been feeling the desire to live more simply for about the past year.

Now... to Let Go and Let God! I'm heading off the to market this week and I'm going to do some canning next weekend with Mom. Next Spring we're planting a garden with a variety of veggies..I'm very excited to do that. That has to be from God...if anyone knows me! :)...gardening has not been my thing. But now I am excited and truly looking forward to it. I am learning that God's provision comes from the incredible nature He has Created and already supplied for us.

Comment by MaryAnn on October 24, 2008 at 9:58am

I just love the comment from Susan, and yes I agree it is time we start to be realistic and go back to gardens, preserving food, and helping each other. In short. SIMPLIFY!

I read Numbers 11, and also Chapter One in James MacDonald's book, 'Lord change my attitude (before it's too late.') Our attitudes are patterns of thinking, formed over a long period of time, that we choose. Complaining is a sin and it hurts us, God and others.

Numbers 11:1 'Now the people became like those who complain ... and ... the Lord heard it.' He HEARS everything! By complaining which is offensive to God, we flush away HIS grace. God hates our complaining.

A Prayer from the book:
Lord, I thank You for Your Word. I thank You that You have revealed Yourself to me as You truly are. Thank You for directing Your holy, righteous anger at my complaining and how that keeps me from You. Thank You, Lord, that You not only love me, but You hate my complaining and the way that it makes my life like a desert.

In this moment, I ask that You would make me very aware of what I say and what I think. Keep the connection strong between how I deal with my circumstances and the joy that I experience. Forgive me for complaining, not just because of how it affects our relationship, but how it affects my relationships with those I love. Give me grace and faith to embrace the trials You allow, knowing wht is best for me is always upon Your heart. Please teach me not to complain, and even as I look to this next chapter, teach me to put on the life-giving, joy-producing attitude that goes in its place. I pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen .

Comment by Susan Howard on October 24, 2008 at 1:59am

Hi I am knew to this group and have not read the book yet, but just from reading the Bible chapter 11 i can see how timely this is. The Isrealites having come out of captivity are now hankering to be captives so they can have the riches of the world whether in the form of material things or food they are all part of the world.
We also are captives of the world, thinking we need all these riches, striving after all the riches, forgetting that God clothes and feeds freely every day the beasts of the earth, birds of the air and the flowers of the field. Today money is disappearing in countries around the world more of us will be pushed to feed and clothe our families as money and jobs become short. But God does not go away and if we have faith in him he will provide for us, as he provided manner for the Isrealites, so they could feed themselves, let us also look for the food that is given to us through nature, Blackberries etc, food we can grow in our gardens, veg, keep chickens, eggs, we can help ourselves without moaning, we can be industrious so we do not have time to think of wordly things and so not continually being part of it.

Comment by Ramona P. Jacobsz on October 23, 2008 at 11:49am

THIS IS CHAPTER TWO :

ATTITUDES TOWARDS NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS:



THIS IS JUST A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF UNACCEPTABLE RELIGIONS BY CHRIST FOLLOWERS:

Beyond this, however, religious pluralism significantly underestimates the differences between the teachings of the various religions. This can be seen, for example, in the differences between Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, with regard to their teaching concerning salvation. In classical Buddhism, the problem facing humanity is the suffering caused by desire. Since whatever man desires is impermanent, and ultimately leads to frustration and sorrow, the way to peace of mind and ultimate "salvation" is through the elimination of all desire-even the desire to live! In classical Hinduism, the problem facing humanity is our being trapped in this illusory, material world over the course of many lifetimes primarily due to our ignorance of our true identity as fundamentally divine beings! The solution to our dilemma is our recognition of our true divine nature. In Islam, man's problem is his failure to live by the law of God which has been revealed through His prophets. The solution is to commit ourselves to obeying God's laws, in hope that our good deeds will outweigh the bad.

NOW THIS PARAGRAPH IS VERY IMPORTANT : READ CAREFULLY PLEASE

In Christianity, the problem is similar--our rebellion against the will of God. But the solution is much different. It is through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, provided by God's unmerited grace. From these examples alone, it is evident that though there may be superficial similarities among the world's religions the differences are fundamental in nature!

THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH IS ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT...
Not surprisingly, most pluralists are unfazed by these differences in belief. They emphasize that in spite of these differences, if the various religions foster a common "religious experience" or result in the moral and ethical improvement of man, this is enough to show that they are valid ways to God. The problem is that with regard to "religious experience." Even here there are significant differences. And with regard to the moral and ethical effect of the various religions, this is something impossible for us to measure. For, as Jesus so strongly emphasized, morality is as much a matter of the heart as it is of action. And this is something only God can know!

We must conclude, then, that due to its denial of the uniqueness of Christ, and to its failure to take seriously the vast differences among the world's religions, religious pluralism does not represent a valid point of view for the Christian.

Are the Followers of Other Religions Recipients of Christ's Salvation?
A more subtle and attractive theory of reaching out to non-Christians is the concept called Christian inclusivism. Inclusivists hold that, though Christ is the unique Savior, nonetheless there are many people included in His salvation who are ignorant of this fact--even followers of other religions.
Inclusivists generally hold that Christ's salvation is available to those who positively respond to the truth they have--whether it be through creation, conscience, another religion, or some other means. Such individuals are sometimes termed anonymous Christians.

There is no question that this is a very attractive approach to the problem of world religions. Inclusivism seeks to widen the extent of God's grace while still preserving a commitment to the uniqueness of Christ. It must be acknowledged also, that God could have arranged things in this way if He had so chosen. The question is not, however, whether inclusivism is an attractive position, or a logically possible one, but whether the evidence is convincing that it is true. And for the Christian, this means the evidence of Scripture.

Inclusivists generally recognize this and seek to find support for their view in Scripture. We will briefly look at one biblical example that is often used to support the idea of inclusivism--the case of Cornelius the centurion recorded in Acts 10.

In this chapter Cornelius is referred to as "a devout man, . . . who feared God," even before he heard the gospel. This is often pointed to as evidence that he was an anonymous Christian before believing in Christ. It must be remembered, however, that in the next chapter (specifically in Acts 11:14), it is clearly stated that though Cornelius was favourably disposed to God he did not receive salvation until he heard and believed in the gospel.

Other examples could be discussed. But in each case we would see that a good deal must be read into (or out of) the text to arrive at the conclusion that salvation can come to those who do not know Christ.

Furthermore, there are clear statements that it is necessary to hear and believe in the gospel to receive salvation. Perhaps the clearest is Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of (or about) Christ." Hebrews 9:27 also strongly suggests that this faith in Christ must be expressed before we die: "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment."

What then of people, like Cornelius, who do respond to the truth they know about God, but do not yet know of Christ? Is there no hope for them? Actually, the case of Cornelius provides a good illustration of what seems to be the biblical solution to this problem. Because he had responded to what he knew about God, God saw that he eventually received the gospel--in his case through Peter. But it was only then that he experienced Christ's salvation and the forgiveness of sins. This principle was also well summarized in Jesus' statement: "To him who has, shall more be given" (Mark 4:25).

Based on our confidence in the faithfulness of God, we can be assured that the gospel will come to all those whom God knows would be prepared, like Cornelius, to receive it. And He has commissioned us to carry the message to them!

What Should Our Attitude Be Toward Other Religions?
In the course of this short discussion we have examined the attitude of religious pluralism, as well as that of Christian inclusivism. The former holds that all religions are equally valid. The latter holds that Christ is the unique savior, but that His salvation can extend to followers of other religions. In both cases, we concluded that the evidence in support of these views is inadequate.
The only remaining option is the attitude of Christian exclusivism--the view that biblical Christianity is true, and that other religious systems are false. This is more than implied in numerous biblical statements, such as in Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

This is not to say, however, that there are no truths at all in non-Christian religions. There are certainly moral and ethical truths, for instance, in Buddhism. In Buddha's Eightfold Path, he appealed to his followers to pursue honesty, charity, and service, and to abstain from murder and lust. We should certainly affirm these ethical truths.

Likewise, there are theological truths in other religions--truths about God that we could equally affirm. These may be more scarce in religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. But Orthodox Judaism and Islam certainly share our belief in a personal Creator--God, though Christianity is unique in the monotheistic tradition with regard to the doctrine of the Trinity. There are even truths about Jesus that we share in common with Muslims--that He was a prophet of God, and the Messiah, and that He worked many miracles, though they deny that He was the Son of God, or that He died for the sins of the world.

We can, and should affirm these moral and theological truths that we share in common with followers of other religions. We must acknowledge, however, that in no other religion is any saving truth to be found. And as mentioned earlier, there is no other religion that presents the human dilemma, or solution to that dilemma, in quite the same way as does the Christian faith. In Christianity, the problem is not ignorance of our divine nature--as in Hinduism--nor simply our desire--as in Buddhism. The problem is our alienation from God and His blessing due to our failure to live according to His will--what the Bible calls sin. And the solution is neither in self-discipline, nor in revised thinking, nor even in moral effort. The solution lies in the grace of God, expressed in His provision of His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sin. Salvation is not something we achieve; it is something we receive.

It is clear, then, that though there are superficial similarities among the world's religions, there are fundamental differences. And the most important difference is the person and work of Christ.
I FOUND THIS PARAGRAPH ALSO TO BE MOST IMPORTANT:

What should our attitude be toward followers of other religions? It is important for us to distinguish our attitude toward non-Christian religions from our attitude toward followers of those religions. Though we are to reject the religion, we are not to reject them by mistakenly perceiving them to be "the enemy." The biblical injunction is to love our neighbours as much as we love ourselves no matter what their religion. Rather than viewing them as "the enemy," we should see them as "the victims" of the enemy who are in need of the same grace that has freed us from spiritual slavery--in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ.


About the Author
Rick Rood is the former director of publications at Probe Ministries, and now serves as a hospital chaplain. He is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University (B.A., History) and Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.). He has pursued Ph.D. studies in theology at D.T.S. and has served as pastor, been a seminary instructor, and has worked for a number of years in ministry to international students. Rick and his wife Polly are the parents of two young adults.

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