Praying for discernment, to look for a balance

These days I was in mentally trouble while was rejected by people about sharing gospel and witnessed there are varies of value and belief in Christianity. Well, I know I am not yet find the complete answer. To master the truth is cost of life-timing instead of one day. Well, I have initiated myself of some writing here and share out to help articulate my thought.

A sharing: Pride; Sloth And Loneliness
Sources: MinistryHealth: Support and Resources For Pastors and Christian Ministry Professionals "Pride, Sloth and Loneliness" Thomas F. Fischer Number 293, Available at: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/8492.htm

2 sins that can set us apart from God, make people reject Gospel & decision to take up the cross (the cost of physically & mentally discomfort) and following Jesus Christ.
PRIDE:
1.) Failure of trust God. A driver to a hideous refusal to accept the natural limits of our creaturely condition, seeking freedom from God's control by wresting that control for one's self. A general inability to let God be in control.
2.) St. Augustine characterized Satan's sin as pride: "He refused to be subject to his creator, and in his arrogance supposed that he wielded power as his own private possession and rejoiced in that power." (Meilaender, p. 60). Satan's greatest mistake, Augustine concluded, was that "he has refused to accept reality." (Meilaender, p. 60). They distort the reality/truth, and undermine others with angers and jealousy, in order to boost the esteem of themselves.
SLOTH:
1.) Alienation from God, seeks this same freedom by isolating oneself from the influence of God.
2.) The sloth may appear disinterested, apathetic, unkempt, and unmotivated. Their sluggish disinclination to action and their seeming outright laziness seems to be anything, but this is slipped in the component of pride as well, a control behavior simply chooses to avoid altogether, include the truth and calling of God. They find is reasonable to be in their comfort zone.

Interestingly, the article touches about the denial of reality is a motivating component of pride to transcend reality. According to Thomas F. , whether the vision is from God or of human origin, the nature of vision-driven leadership is to direct energies toward the creation of that which is "unreality" in the present. This has implicated the meaning of faith. But dangerously, the more the vision needs to be kept in control, the greater the potential for pride to slip in and place us into the same mistake Satan made. He refused to accept the reality of who is really in control.

I am trembling to touch about the picture of faith here, where faith is the right relationship with God (Roman Chapter 4:13), the component that counted righteous in eye of God (Roman Chapter 4:3). As I know I am not good in master the whole word of God now, as true faith is by the real foundation in the whole (the complete picture) of word of God. But I am so sure that faith is revealed by the behavior of servant heart, with humbly& simply trusts God by knowing the will, power and glory of Him. We can know God through words of God in bible, but holding a servant heart is not easy till we can put down our pride and sloth.

As per Luke chapter 7: The faith of Roman Officer in asking Jesus to heal his servant. Luke 7:9: Jesus said “ I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Isreal” . Jesus was amazed by the humble and the simple trust of this Roman Officer. Roman officer said: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed”.

The optimistic resilience of a gentile woman in Mark 7:27 in answering Jesus’ challenge while Jesus Christ was describing gentiles as parable of dog. This gentile woman responded Jesus Christ in humble (accept the parable of dog) and knowing the power of God in control. Jesus: “First, I should feed the children, it isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. She answered: “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.” Jesus said: “Good answer”. And just this, the demon was left the daughter of this gentile woman by her faithfulness.

This reminds me the faithfulness of charismatic movement:
Bodies of charismatic followers of Christ have access to the Holy Spirit; come together with others to worship, study, and serve. They truly love Jesus, the Scriptures and are sincere. They believe in the authority of the Word of God, the deity of Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death, His physical resurrection, salvation by faith and not works, the need to live a life of obedience, and to proclaim their faith.

But , that is a "dangerous deception" and very much need of discerning power about the movement and seek out the true move of God, in order not get caught up in the emotional flood of signs and wonders, and be fooled while deeply captivated by visions, dreams and miracles performing. As per Romans 10:2,"For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge."

I don’t have abundance experience of exercising spiritual movement, I unable to speak in tongue and many times hardly to pray fervently. This is because I allow my analysis conscious as controlling behaviors to stop Holy Spirit flowing in control of my thought and tongue. Analysis and research can make knowledge, reasons, theories and law, and I was led by interest and pride to do so. Thus, I have to always need to remind myself, Christians are saved by faith, not by law. With humble and children heart (simple trust), I only able to get closer to God through spirit. And through Spirit, I only able to understand the secret of God words, and set free by the grace of Lord.

Corinthians chapter 2:3 had saved my life, by knowing the spiritual movement is the core of Christianity. While Paul said this: “I came to you in weakness-timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit”.

Well, as today I was writing this passage, I hope to understand the weight balance of spiritual movement and intellectual discernment. As I know they are churches are not encourage charismatic movement as they are avoiding of the deception of evil spirits. Well, if intellectual reasons take full control of Christianity practice, will cease the zealous and passion in Christ and lead to the boosting of human pride by intellectual achievement. But if practice of Christianity takes only passion of spiritual leading, potentially their tongue is praising the Lord and reading the bible verses still, but just taken partially of the bible meaning which are found impressive to lift up their strength and vision of their life instead of vision of God.

The world is dangerous, even the journey to pursue the real God is exposed to risk as well. No doubt, spiritually movement is must for Christian, while praying & worshipping, in whole hearted of submission and trust, first intention to love God. Well, exercising intellectual understanding and analysis is needed to test the spirit of leading us all the times too. Thus we are always needed to pray for God for wisdom and discernment.

There are fruits of Holy Spirits obvious to be found as I read. Such as Love (understandingly and forgiving), Joy (smile and delight behavior), Peace (no anger, jealousy and bad tempered), patient (words of encouragements and gentleness), Kindness (compassionate and caring), faithfulness (truth worthy and strong determination), hope (positive thinking and no blaming), Self-control (resists temptations) and so on. The complete picture of the image of Christ is the standard of us to check ourselves whether is holding a right spirit in transforming us.

As I learned, the very first understanding about Christianity should go about God‘s love, mercy and grace through Holy Spirit in Jesus name, forgiving human sins and transform people life to the image of Christ. We have to know we are sinners; only can go into character building by repentance, which is the intrinsic value of blessing and the most influencing power in lifting up the truth of God. Extrinsic value of blessing such as materially is playing as testimonial of God power and glory, as the reward and promise to the obedience and faithfulness of children of God. But, there are not all the materially blessings are come from God, keep watch and discern. Material provision by evils spirit can fool the world and attract human greedy nature and keep accelerate their sins.

I like the logic of salvation and learning to articulate briefly here. Sinful nature is magnetic attracting to sinful spirit and set us apart from God. God is faithfulness and mercy, He bring us salvation through Jesus Christ. Is not by the efforts to make holy ourselves by doing good deeds in order to magnetic attracting the Holy Spirit to bless us, but is through the name of Jesus Christ come the Holy Spirit , take times to make us to be the image of Christ, the holy being.

Ephesians chapter 2:9-10: Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the goods things he planned for us long ago.

Here the discoveries and enlightens of these half year of my growing. Most of the Christian knew these for long already, but I just found out this year though I was Christian for four years. Well, God timing in taking control, as the time I learn to humble and put down my analysis interest, I know more than before. Praise the Lord.