Diplomacy and attitude in this society

In relating to "Mistaken Identity" story about two girls. One survived and one died that I posted earlier today. It is amazing to me how both parents behaved with positive attitude towards one another during their toughest 5 months since the accident. I am seeing "this is not about 'me' but rather about 'all of us and God'".

To me diplomacy in this world is being graceful towards others regardless how I think of them or how I feel about them. Learning to love and accept others is an important part discipleship. God through my Mediator, Jesus Christ have established a meaningful intimate friendship. I have learned to understand that God is the deeper life and much more than "faith systems". I have learned that as a Christian, I must decide whether I will put my emphasis on what is important in God's will more than my will. The Holy Spirit have taught me to be humble in situations and be fruitful in bearing one another with love.

One of the most important lessons I have learned as a Christian that a Christian life cannot be lived individually.

Why?

Because, in Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together."

The spiritual people within the church are to come alongside the fleshly and lift them up. Its not about what I am going to gain from God but rather I am cared by others as I am. A church is an assembly of believers. Just like a family, a local church is our spiritual family. It is only in the local body to which one is committed that there can be the level of intimacy that is required for spiritual growth with brothers/sisters in Christ "to love and good deeds." Only through that kind spiritual initamcy where we can encourage one another. A church is an assembly of believers and is made up of real spiritual people. Now.. when we are talking about "spiritual Christians", we need to figure out what kind of "community" within a local Church. If the people are submitting to the Holy Spirit, who will give them fruit. Quality is measured by the Christ-like living of a local church members. The primary reason to become a participating member is not to gain a personal advantage, but to identify with the characteristics of biblical maturity and commitment to the mission and future of a local church.

When you read their stories like "Mistaken Identity", you can't help and think about other similar stories around the world. One of my favorites is Corrie ten Boom's stories. Corrie ten Boom was schedule to die in Nazi Camp like the rest of family did, but came out of Nazi prison alive due to clerical error through God's divine intervention. Through Corrie ten Boom, God was glorified through Corrie's ministry through many years until the day she died. Her ministry is still alive even though she is no longer with us physically but she is in heaven.

People just refused to see God allow evil to happen for His Glory. An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different. The bad events are circumscribed by a loving providence and God promises to use them all for His ultimate good for HIS GLORY. There is a verse in the Bible that God promises that there won’t be anything so bad happen to me that I am not able to bear it. God does everything--He governs everything. Faith is accepting God's Will. There is confusion between the determined Will of God and a Christian's responsibility as a Christian. 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." God is adjusting our history to His purposes. He knows what He's doing. I have to learn to trust His will, His power to do His will, and His timing to do it when the time is right--and not until then. That's the essence of real faith. God carries out His will in His perfect power and timing.

People forget the Story of Job (or they refused to believe). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. The point of the story of Job is about God's Sovereign. Not really about Job. People always focus on Job more than God's sovereign.

Jesus said clearly about a penny's worth of sparrows compare to us. Matthew 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. If God can control with those two sparrows, then He will do the same for His children as well. In reality, the blessings are from God, the Holy Spirit-and using that person as an instrument to do God's will and plan.

Over the years, I have seen God's interventions that I thought they surely could happened but didn't since God had another plan. Everything that happens in our lives (including trials) somehow fits into the plan of God. Most of the time, God allows evil to happen, other times, God divinely intervene situations when He has a plan that will Glorify Him.

One of the reasons I disagree with Word of Faith doctrines is because they don't believe in God allows that kind of suffering for Christians. Even though the word "suffering" have been mentioned many times throughout the Old and New Testaments. The concept of the unity of all things written in the Scriptures that God will reconcile all things (i.e. sufferings) unto Himself. Truth wounds through life's experiences as well as from the Word of God. The truth resolves some difficulties and creates more difficulties. Without sufferings, Pride will always gets in the way of God's glory. We suffer to keep down pride (2 Cor. 12:7). Suffering is a process as Scriptures said “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, proven character; and . . .” (Rom. 5:3-4). “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam. 1:3-4).