Pride

Only a humble person can be thankful for everything. He knows he deserves nothing and therefore gives thanks even for the smallest things. Lack of thankfulness comes from pride and thinking you deserve better. Pride tries to convince a man that his job, health, spouse is not as good as he deserves. Pride was the root of the first sin and remains the root of all sin. Satan's pride led him to rebel against God. The pride of Adam and Eve led them to believe Satan's lie that they deserved more than they had, even the right to be as God.

Thankful, Circumstances and Glorifying God

I am not thankful for my deafness however I am thankful because in my circumstance of my deafness, I have communicated with other deaf people to know Christ. I truly believe that God have been using me to glorify Him by getting them to KNOW God as Jesus said in John 9:3 "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." That's what we are to be thankful for. We are not thankful FOR WHAT we are living in but we are to be thankful IN WHAT we are living in. If you are not thankful in the circumstances you are living in, then you are ignoring the WORD. You can never have much faith unless you are dissatisfied with the way you are now, and are longing for something better. All through the Bible, the great enemy of faith is a complacent spirit, an attitude of self-satisfaction with the status quo. Faith always pleases God, because it comes to grips with our own reality. Christian who have faith understand the reality of their lives.

Whether or not God uses sickness as punishment is beyond our human understanding. Some examples in the Scriptures: Samuel 12:13-15 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die. After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill." John 9:1-3 "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira) Verses 9-10 Peter said to Sapphira, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Throughout the Bible, the following have caused by God as Amos 3:6 says "When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?:" Sodom and Gomorrah The Flood The Ten Plagues: 1 Blood (Exodus 7:14-25) 2 Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15) 3 Lice (Exodus 8:16-19) 4 Flies (Exodus 8:20) 5 Cattle (Exodus 9:1-7) 6 Boils and open sores (Exodus 9:8-12) 7 Hail (Exodus 9:18-34) 8 Locusts (Exodus 10:1-20) 9 Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23) 10 Death of the firstborn (Exodus 11:4-7;12:17,29,30) When people use reasonings, we are dealing with "Reasoning versus Biblical" now. As I have said before and I will say again. We cannot fully comprehend God and His decisions... this is why we are to have FAITH in God in ALL circumstances. God is absolutely powerful, that God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, that God is immutable, never changes, that God is all wise, perfectly just, holy, righteous. God is ruling all things to work together for our good and His purpose. Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Proverbs 20:24 How can we understand the road we travel? It is the LORD who directs our steps. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. Eccl 7:14. In Proverbs 16:9 We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

Noble

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." Luke 8:14-15 "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Romans 9:21 "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" All circumstances can turn people to God. Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." James 4:14 "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Faith is TRUSTING GOD and that's very nobel. The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts with all the power and gifts of God, necessary to enable us to walk the noble, spiritual, Son-like life with God. Spirit-lead is outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Preexistence and deity (John 1:1-13), incarnation by virgin birth (John 1:14; Matt. 1:18-23).

No matter how much "data" we have. No matter how much knowledge we have in the Mystery of God, we will never fully comprehend God until we get into heaven. The mystery is this: True faith is not the ability to superiorize unseen things to the satisfaction of our human minds, instead it is the human power to trust God completely. Psalm 48:14 "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." In Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, "My thoughts are completely different from yours, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." I would be careful about limiting to Jesus' incarnation. Before Jesus was born in human form, He always have been FULLY God. Preexistence and deity (John 1:1-13), incarnation by virgin birth (John 1:14; Matt. 1:18-23). After Christ died on the Cross and rose from the dead, His incarnation ceased, and He went back to His eternal self and returned to the Glory. Jesus never changed. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Jesus was ALL human (man) and at the same time He is ALL God. During the time of His incarnation, He turned Himself literally into being a servant, with human limitations of His attributes, and limited Himself only to that which the Father willed while AT THE SAME TIME, He had the full Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Immutability of the Trinity. Again, Jesus never changed. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Laying hands for Healing

We practice the "laying of hands for healing" but we also teach that healing is never guaranteed and that we always TRUST God. If I am not healed today (temporal), I will be fully healed later. Guaranteed to Come 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Hebrews 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 2 Corinthians 1:22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

God KNEW me before I was born.

God KNEW me before I was born. Wait.. God knew me before the conception. That's eternal. God created my inmost being and knitted me together in my mother's womb. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. This is what the LORD says— "He who made you, Who formed you in the womb, and Who will help you and that before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. The LORD said to Moses, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?" I was born this way so that the work of God might be displayed in my life and I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. I was DEAF before I was born so God knew that while my body was being formed. Therefore, time should be eternal because God's time is eternal.

Fellowship with Attitude

We are to worship God from our hearts because we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16), that God will search us and try us, and know our thoughts.(Psalm 139:23). We will never be perfect as long as we live in our body. Like David's experiences, God meets us in our heart rather than our mind therefore we need to focus on the "heart of the matter". Proverbs 4:23, it says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." Spiritual maturity requires great care and a true knowledge of ourselves to distinguish a spiritual burden from irritation around us but at the same time, we cannot close our minds to everything that is happening around us. "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16). In summary, God looks in my heart and I must express my whole heart otherwise, God is not impressed with my outward works—my acts of worship, my spiritual works and my spiritual giving. Reading the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah was saying to the people of Israel, "God grows weary of your sacrifices and offerings when your hearts and minds are not in tune with Him!".

Advise to your kids...

Someone told me "if you get into a fight with someone, fight smart by getting out of it with an attitude of love". That's the smartest advise I ever heard one.

Personal Relationship

Personal Relationship with God means: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Philippians 2:1-4 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Romans 15:1-7 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Based on many replies of the threads, people have shown an attitude that doctrines are more important love. Superiorism in regards to doctrines who have no compassion. Jesus in Matthew 15:1-3. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition (doctrine)?”