Thought Provokers

Good thought provoking questions, but the fact still remains one does not know what he/she would do when he/she would be in that situation because of other contributing factors unknown at the moment. "He that thinketh he standth take heed lest he fall" came to my mind. As you get older you learn to never say "I would always do...." or "I would never do....." because you just do not know. You live by the grace of God, are in tune to his Spirit and you want to be obedient at all times whatever that may call for. ginnyrose

I) He is alright. I would try to hurry up for those behind me and not stop and look.II) I would still have to know what the money is going to be used for and when he could pay it back. I could give him the money under the right circustances but I do not and will not blindly give money to anyone, in my case the sad fact is that here in California there are a lot of great unemployeed actors who think buying drugs, alchol or even the most recent video game will bring them to tears. Another factor is how well I know him or her, if I do not know him well I would wonder why is he asking his newest friend and if this is a pattern. I would have to know why no family, no friends and no established credit. We are supposed to be good stewards of our money. Just because someone asks does not trigger an automatic, yes on our part. If this person does not have a job, no friends, no family most likely drugs or alchol is envolved. Now I am going from helper to enablier. NOT GOODIII) I would call unless I passed out on the way to the phone, I would try very hard. I do not do sleep deprivation very well. Call him? if God called me, I hope I would go in person if at all possible.

those are great questions! they really caused me to examine my heart and realize that some of those things have happened and some could very well happen to me some time soon. it also kind of sobered me up because i when i searched my heart i saw what i really would do:1. i wouldnt stop if the person was a man because i am a girl and idont feel right doing that. if it was a girl and i saw that there was a person there already i would most likley keep going, just say a quick prayer for them. my heart always goes out for the stranded people or the people who have to walk, and im such a pansy that i dont help out so i just pray. one time when i did stop and ask a girl i got rejected! hahaha. im scarred for life now... (just kidding)2. well i am a college student, money is tight, i do work a job in my city and volunteer to make tuition cheaper at my college...100 is a lot of money... but with this one i think i would give it just because the Lord has provided for me large amounts of money before so i cant be stingy with my money. but you never know, maybe i wouldnt. but at the same time i would be so busy i wouldnt even have time to listen the sermons and read the books?3. this one is the one that really got me. when you emphasised WHISPERS, and only ONCE....i knew that i would be disobediant. i dont know, this is a tough one because you never know how you are going to react, temptation is high when you are tired and i would probably walk over to the phone and then reason my way out of it by saying 'nah this isnt from God i can just call them tomorrow first thing when i get up'. this one was a good thought provoking one. i know that this is something that i want to be changed in, to just barely hear the voice of God and jump up and do what He calls me to do. these were all really good, im glad you put them up! i got blessed by it. im kind of scared now because all of these situations are probably going to happen now...thanks :-P As for what you said about the body of Christ needing to show love, AMEN! God has been putting that on my heart latley too, i want the body to show a DIVINE kind of love, not just mere human effort love.

This is just a quick answer, I have to go soon, I've just read 'God's Smuggler' the Brother Andrew story and he answers those questions. He did what God told him to at the time, and it always worked out ok (even giving his last few pennies to someone who needed it, when he owed a debt) It's a very encouraging read, I reccomend it. Sorry don't want to hijack this great thread.Ste

1. Some's there. I they weren't I'd stop.2. I'd give. What's better, a biblical teaching on faithful trust and obedience, or a Devinely appointed object lesson. In the middle of reading Oswald Chamber's biography, and am deeply challenged by his action upon Jesus' words, "Give to all that ask." Even to the point of being accused of being irresponsable when he gave to a homeless man while saying to him something to the affect of, "Just so you know, I don't believe a word of you explaination for needing the money, but I'll give you it anyway, at my Lord's command."3. I'd ask God's mercy over the friend and myself and go to bed. In the past satan has appeared to me as an "angel of light" and had me also serve myself into the grave. Beside, after 50 hours of sleep dep', they'd probably finsh the job after talking to me. I was long ago delivered from the need to prove myself as some kind of spiritual superman. God doesn't need us anywhere near as much as we make out, you know.Having said that, if God somehow supernaturally woke me up, or gave me the equivelent of 8 hrs sleep in 5 mins, I'd call.

I must say Ginny Rose said it right. Hypothetical questions lack God’s Spirit of Wisdom and God’s Grace his ability to do his will in the middle of our situation. So we really don’t know exactly what to do. Personally I have got in a lot of trouble trying to answer hypothetical questions in my life. I am not saying easy black or white type questions I am talking those questions we truly need to look to God for his answers. In the Old T. Aaron the high priest wore a breastplate with 12 stones mounted on it. Each one representing the one of the 12 tribes of Israel and upon his shoulders were two other stones called the Urim & Thummim stone. When Aaron needed to find out what to do God would reveal his will through the Urim & Thummim. This is what God wants in our lives as well. For Us to go to him and ask God what should I do in this matter. FellowShip

I like this thread, and here's why: I think it is an exercise in checking our PRIORITIES and our MOTIVES. I have to say that it IS very easy for me to say some great intellectual reason for not doing something that I ought to be doing. In the places I frequent, we call it "rationalizing and justifying". I know those are not popular words in certain circles, but it has been a real eye-opener for me when I have taken the time to CHECK myself, as to what my REAL motive is, for doing or not doing..... If this may be you, please apply accordingly, if it's NOT you, then "go with God"!:-D Hypothetically speaking, I THINK this is what I would do (By the way, you didn't mention, is there anyone around who KNOWS me in these scenarios?;-)):#1 I would have to say that I would not stop, if there was already someone there with him, helping. I also am a female, and have been taught well, not to stop/pich up hitchhikers, etc. However, there was a time when the lord laid it on my heart to give a man a lift, and he turned out to be a really CHRISTIAN guy, and a blessing. So, (I HOPE)I would listen to the Spirit's direction.#2 As a recovered addict, myself, I have to say that the WISE thing to do, since this is a recent acquaintance, is to find out what it is for, and pay the bill, or do whatever it is, for them, w/o putting the money into their hands. OF course this is IF the Lord tells you to help them out. I agree w/ the rather hard-line reply earlier, that there are usually reasons for ppl getting themselves into situations, but I also know that a helping hand can be the difference between another day to decide for Jesus, or abject despair and possibly not making it. Yes, it's that heavy, sometimes. I think there is a pattern here: #1, listen to the Lord; #2, listen to the Lord....Hm. :-#3, This is a hard one for me, I can't imagine the 50 hours w/o sleep, in the first place, but I get the general idea. I just hope that my spiritual ears are open, and remain that way.abbie

wow, praise God! I didn't feel the 'anointing', I just loved him.AMEN! That's the way it should be toward all the people who we stumble across! we have to have the divine love for them, thats how we can truly pray for them and lay down our lives for them! 'though i speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, i am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. though i have the gift of prophecy, and understand ALL mysteries, and ALL knowledge; and though i have ALL faith, so that i could remove mountains, and have not charity,i am nothing. and though i bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though i give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing' 1 corinthians 13: 1-3The Lord put it on my heart to meditate on this when a group of us took a trip to evangelize in Las Vegas, and i was floored. i was praying for all this power and anointing and all this stuff when i didnt even have love down, and all that power wouldnt profit anything if i didnt know how to love those people. Jesus is the anointed one, WE, just need to love! its love that pushes us to warn people of hell and thier sin against a Holy God. Man theres just so much about that and i dont want to ramble on forever. Theres so much truth in that verse and i encourage everyone to really meditate on it and allow the Lord to speak to them. its amazing! :-D