pbenson

Pastor Ralph hit the nail on the head about trials "pushing the issue" and bringing hidden areas (sometimes not so hidden) to the surface, so we can work on them (with God's help). The double-minded part is real accurate. Until a person is willing to really be rid of a sin, through and through, there is no real power to overcome it. It's like God provides this awesome power to kill the sin, every sin in our life, but we're secretly saying, "Oh, but I'm not gonna really touch this one, I like it too much." So it's impossible to kill the sin because it is we--us--that don't direct the power against it even when it's provided. Not that we'd openly admit that as even beinjg a thought in our Christians heads, but that's what our actions are saying, and this is what is meant by "dipsychos". The struggle Paul described is in Romans 7. Romans 8 describes the Spirit led life, when this "double-mindedness" has been conquered. I can see now that when this statement by James about "double-mindedness" is properly applied to the main topic of the lead paragraph of his letter (which it actually is a part of)--the subject, trials--it makes sense. Most people stumble over the "double-minded" verse, not really knowing what to make of it--"wisdom, what do I need that for in a trial?"--"why do I care about being double-minded, if I'm not interested in wisdom--I've got this trial to get out of!" That's how most must view this, not understanding the process, and thus never really growing. Not to say all trials may end when you become single-minded of purpose and have set new spiritual priorities (although they may for awhile), but you do find God's blessings flowing and open lines of communication between God and you once these things are straightened out. I think Romans 8 describes what happens when this "double-mindedness" is dealt with, whereas Romans 7 describes the actual battle we encounter when trying to deal with it. It's like, I think, you can decide to conquer this "enemy", but the actual conquering is something else, he's not gonna go quietly or easily. I am beginning to wonder if this isn't a lifelong struggle, this purification process. I don't know, I'm not there yet... Pete

Oh boy, here goes: God created the earth beautiful beyond imagination. The angels shouted for joy at the original creation, as was stated in Job 38:4-7, the earliest book of the Bible to be written. This matches with Genesis 1:1. But this world was destroyed when satan drew 1/3 of the angels into rebellion and attempted to storm God's throne in heaven (Rev. 12). Jesus saw Satan [and by extrapolation, those 1/3 of the angels, demons] cast down to earth like lightning (Lu. 10:18). This was about 65 million years ago, and resulted in the great die-off of the dinosaurs (and all live). Gen. 1:2 shows God (Elohim) recreating live on earth, and man with that life. As the early Genesis account shows, Satan [and again by extrapolation, the 1/3 of the angels, now demons] is still on earth. God isn't stupid, he left Satan and his deomons on earth for a purpose--or should I say, he placed man on earth in close proximity with Satan and his demons, for a great purpose which most of Christianity has missed the point on. The ultimate lesson of sin, Satan's way of life, doesn't pay. And God, the ulitimate and best teacher of all, is using Satan and his demons, to teach mankind as a whole by aversion therapy, that sin is ultimately evil and will lead to ultimate destruction. Yes, the buck does stop on God's desk, and his is responsible for this evil in the world. There is a Scripture that says, "I created evil and good", quoting God. i.e. God takes responsibility for it all. I used to blame God in my early walk with him for trials, because I realized this ultimate truth, that the buck really does stop on his desk. Then I saw the purpose for it all. It's to teach us all where sin--all sin--really leads to--death, the second death. Hope I haven't gotten too deep or theological for people here. But few tend to plumb the depths of this subject properly. What about the "unsaved dead", most of the uncoverted world that's lived and died up to now, and the 2nd coming--theologians have their pat answers--but how they're judged doesn't occur until 1,000 years after the 2nd coming of Jesus, so lets leave the answer to that question in God's hands, instead of answering it prematurely or without sufficient knowledge. Pete

I do not know if I qualify as a person with "normal" trials because I run a Christian unity ministry designed to help nourish believers online and encourage international evangelism. So I have been going through trials for the past two or three years that amount to severe spiritual warfare--probably because I am a one-man show with no prayer-support But trials are always horrible to the ones going through them, so in a sense, there are no "normal" trials for the person going through one. Mine seem to be heaped up on top of each other. I go through hills and valleys, and yes I get depressed (I'm in good company, Elijah had a severe case of clinical depression when he went to Mt Sinai to see the Lord). But I guess I'd have to say, you can be up, or down, but somehow if you are really with the Lord, you're never "out", the Holy Spirit just won't let that happen (Paul expressed this thought somewhere). To that wonderful gal who said she was blind-sided by jealous church leaders, I've had that happen on two, maybe three separate occasions, each time where I had served in that particular congregation for a minimum of two years. Yes, you just have to see where God really wants you to serve. I found that the Lord wanted me to be able to serve His food on a bigger table, just like this excellent online ministry of Pastor Ralph's. On the subject of "count it all joy", I honestly believe the "joy" part for most of us will come later, at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Agape & Shalom, Pete editor UNITYINCHRIST.COM