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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2020 5:35:34 GMT -5
God helps those who help themselves - is it in the Bible?
"God helps those who help themselves" is probably the most often quoted phrase that is not found in the Bible. This saying is usually attributed to Ben Franklin, quoted in Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1757. In actuality, it originated from Algernon Sydney in 1698 in an article titled Discourses Concerning Government. Whatever the original source of this saying, the Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless! Isaiah 25:4 declares, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat..." Romans 5:6 tells us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless. We are all infected by sin (Romans 3:23), and condemned as a result of that sin (Romans 6:23). Nothing we can do on our own can remedy this situation (Isaiah 64:6). Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus paid the penalty that we were incapable of paying (2 Corinthians 5:21). God provided the "help" that we need precisely because we could not help ourselves.
Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept "God helps those who help themselves" is correct. As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you. I would be doing the work for you. Many Christians fall into the trap of inactivity. Many Christians ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself. They excuse this by pointing to the fact that God will provide according to His will and in His timing. However, this is not a reason for inactivity. As a specific example, if you are in need of a job, ask the Lord to help you find a job - but then be active in actually looking for a job. While it is in His power to do so, it is highly unlikely that God will cause employers to come looking for you!
What are your thoughts?
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Post by frienduff on Jul 4, 2020 6:58:55 GMT -5
God helps those who help themselves - is it in the Bible?
"God helps those who help themselves" is probably the most often quoted phrase that is not found in the Bible. This saying is usually attributed to Ben Franklin, quoted in Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1757. In actuality, it originated from Algernon Sydney in 1698 in an article titled Discourses Concerning Government. Whatever the original source of this saying, the Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless! Isaiah 25:4 declares, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat..." Romans 5:6 tells us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless. We are all infected by sin (Romans 3:23), and condemned as a result of that sin (Romans 6:23). Nothing we can do on our own can remedy this situation (Isaiah 64:6). Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus paid the penalty that we were incapable of paying (2 Corinthians 5:21). God provided the "help" that we need precisely because we could not help ourselves.
Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept "God helps those who help themselves" is correct. As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you. I would be doing the work for you. Many Christians fall into the trap of inactivity. Many Christians ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself. They excuse this by pointing to the fact that God will provide according to His will and in His timing. However, this is not a reason for inactivity. As a specific example, if you are in need of a job, ask the Lord to help you find a job - but then be active in actually looking for a job. While it is in His power to do so, it is highly unlikely that God will cause employers to come looking for you!What are your thoughts? God helps those , WHOSE HOPE IS IN HE ALONE , IN JESUS ALONE . For unto those the HELPER , HOLY GHOST IS SENT to guide us into all truth . YES INDEED . And that saying that God helps those who help themselves , well many reap that in such a way , taken so out of text , that they make themselves as the enablers , and YET IT IS GOD ALONE WHO ENABLES us to walk as we ought and speak as we ought . Here is a saying les , and WE BOTH KNOW THIS ONE IS FOUND BIG TIME IN THE BIBLE . and that is this JESUS ALONE SAVES , he who beleives willl be saved , but he who beleives not will be damned . THAT ONE IS in the BIBLE and its very well understood in many places . JESUS is not called the entire corner stone of the foundation for no reason . ITS BECAUSE HE IS the CORNER STONE and ONLY CORNER STONE of that entire foundation of the entire temple . FOR there simply is NO , as in NO , as in no other , NONE , no other NAME whereby we might be saved . Les its getting ugly against the gosple in more and more churches . SO rejected this simple truth is fast becoming and increasing . But what i say to one i say to all , if any tries to remove that corner stone , that same STONE will be their judge on the last day and it will grind them to powder upon REUTRNING . We will not put an all inclusive stone as any kind of foundation . for any temple , any stone , any man or woman that is added as a stone into a temple whose corner stone is all inclusive , ON the day of the LORD both they and that stone as well as all stones in that temple will be destroyed by the Coming of the one and only TRUE CORNER STONE HIMSELF . And its that serious that all lambs FULLY KNOW THAT . Les , the mockers are increasing against the one true gosple , and while i plead they do not , so many are not heeding the warning . ITS NOT LOOKING GOOD LES . WE ARE IN THE ALL OUT THRALLS of a massive delusion that is taking captive and will take captive ALL who are not in the lambs book of life , whose faith IS NOT IN JESUS ALONE . ITS all out battle time for the one true faith . Ol frienduff might sound like a broken record in skip mode that just keeps saying the same warning , BUT Due to the fact that ONLY JESUS SAVES , LET IT BE REPEATED over and over again day in and day out TILL JESUS COME .
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2020 9:55:01 GMT -5
Amen #frienduff
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Cletus
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Post by Cletus on Jul 4, 2020 11:21:18 GMT -5
my thoughts...
the saying God helps those who help themselves comes before Ben Franklin's Poor Richards Almanac. it can be found in Aesop's fables, also possibly a proverb from Greece. its even found in the Quran.
i think however, its important to look at context. for Ben Franklin he was dealing with tyranny which without actually taking a stand, which meant helping himself, God would not have helped them. Just as the OP points out you cant just sit around being inactive expecting an angry mob of potential employers to come kick in your door and start trying to shove a job down your throat. just as Ben Franklin could not expect tyrants to one day say, I am sorry i have taxed you so hard and not even given one thought as to you being a human being with needs and wants. but we can however see when men who did call upon our creator for help did more than just have faith but took a stand for liberty and justice that God did in fact help them. we can use this as an analogy for our own personal life. when we make the choice to stand for liberty and justice in our own lives, that is, a stance against sin and we begin to judge our own lives then He helps us to gain liberty. How much of this decision making process is however debatable as God grants repentance. However in light of this God did make us free will beings. He has set before us life and death, blessing and cursing. and its up to us to choose which way we will go. and lets be real here. faith without works is dead. you MUST do something. you can not just sit there inactive, as Les points out. even when we are judged we will be judged by what... every word... and every ACTION/DEED.
I think there is a fine fine ever so fine its almost invisible line on the phrase God helps those who help themselves, if its true or not and it hinges on we some times must act/walk/live(zao)... i also think that its in instances when IF we do not... when we fail to act/walk/live(zao) that we are sinning/not moving towards Gods will/ establishing righteousness.
in a nutshell, what we do or even what we do not do absolutely matters. and if our words and deeds line up... we are genuine in our faith. if not, we are no more than a pharisee.... a hypocrite. an actor. we can not establish Gods kingdom on earth by doing nothing.
now lets flip this coin over and take a look at the other side. I do not desire to take away from the message in the OP. I do not desire to make it void, because it is truth. God does have a heart for the widows and orphans, for the poor and needy, for the cast aways of society. Even I am one of them, and He had mercy on me. He came to me and apprehended me, even when He by mans logic had ever reason to despise me. lets look at the oppressors of the formentioned... by the deeds/actions of oppressors of oppressing those God defends/helps what have the done? they have sown seeds to the wind thus they will reap the whirl wind (its a tor-nayduh!)... they didnt really help themselves did they?
i tell you of a certainty, when the option to do good is before you... see to it that it happens. do not delay. it matters what you do.
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Post by frienduff on Jul 4, 2020 15:51:25 GMT -5
Its sad my friend and in private my heart weeps for them . but not a soul , besides you and john have even put one like or agreed with the gosple i bring . and a few have outright attacked it on that other site . I do not know how much longer i will remain . I dont think one soul has heard . but i do pray it sinks in to at least some . I really do .
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2020 16:10:06 GMT -5
Keep praying for them brother as I do- Remember what happened to Saul, God can do the impossible. Our job is to deliver and plant the seed the remainder is between them and our KING.... I have shared on many sites and even so called Christians have removed me and there are some who want to here more.
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Cletus
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Post by Cletus on Jul 4, 2020 23:32:15 GMT -5
Its sad my friend and in private my heart weeps for them . but not a soul , besides you and john have even put one like or agreed with the gosple i bring . and a few have outright attacked it on that other site . I do not know how much longer i will remain . I dont think one soul has heard . but i do pray it sinks in to at least some . I really do . what are you talking about? i like your posts. best i can remember i only disagree with one thing you have ever said, but i respect your position on it and i am not going to try to sway you on that. its who you are.
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Cletus
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Post by Cletus on Jul 4, 2020 23:33:26 GMT -5
Keep praying for them brother as I do- Remember what happened to Saul, God can do the impossible. Our job is to deliver and plant the seed the remainder is between them and our KING.... I have shared on many sites and even so called Christians have removed me and there are some who want to here more. here or hear? *I have shared on many sites and even so called Christians have removed me and there are some who want to here hear more.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2020 6:09:54 GMT -5
Its sad my friend and in private my heart weeps for them . but not a soul , besides you and john have even put one like or agreed with the gosple i bring . and a few have outright attacked it on that other site . I do not know how much longer i will remain . I dont think one soul has heard . but i do pray it sinks in to at least some . I really do . what are you talking about? i like your posts. best i can remember i only disagree with one thing you have ever said, but i respect your position on it and i am not going to try to sway you on that. its who you are. It's ok Cletus - I know exactly what frienduff is talking about and he is not making any reference to any one here (including you) on 'Narrow Ways Forum'. We are involved in sharing on another forum and a very difficult one to witness too.
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Post by frienduff on Jul 5, 2020 9:03:36 GMT -5
Its sad my friend and in private my heart weeps for them . but not a soul , besides you and john have even put one like or agreed with the gosple i bring . and a few have outright attacked it on that other site . I do not know how much longer i will remain . I dont think one soul has heard . but i do pray it sinks in to at least some . I really do . what are you talking about? i like your posts. best i can remember i only disagree with one thing you have ever said, but i respect your position on it and i am not going to try to sway you on that. its who you are. I am speaking about the all out rejection of the true gosple i am bringing to another place . Cletus its being attacked . they are all inclusive big time .
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Post by frienduff on Jul 5, 2020 9:12:06 GMT -5
Keep praying for them brother as I do- Remember what happened to Saul, God can do the impossible. Our job is to deliver and plant the seed the remainder is between them and our KING.... I have shared on many sites and even so called Christians have removed me and there are some who want to here more. here or hear? *I have shared on many sites and even so called Christians have removed me and there are some who want to here hear more. Yes indeed you have my friend . At this other place it is so bad now , they reject the very concept that JESUS must be confessed in order to be saved . This unity lets find common ground mumbo jumbo that almost all churches now teach and some have been teaching much longer than others , IT has and is leading them RIGHT to the place where , BY GRACE i knew it would . TO OUTRIGHT rejection of the only ONE true gosple that saves . Under the guise of a love that is so false , it denies the one work required for salvation , which is Faith in JESUS alone . And we better all watch out . because in one form or another to one degree or another , ITS infected a number so high , ten thousand men counting could not count that number . ITs bad cletus . And i mean very bad and very high that number is . Not all , as of yet are as infected to the degree that many are , but on the unity train , THEY WILL BE , IF they do not flee it RIGHT NOW . NOTHING WILL Stop what has been determined . And what has been determined is this , IF one rejects the love of the truth , THE GOSPLE and all it entails , THEY WILL RECIEVE THE DELUSION and be led RIGHT TO A LIE . And cannot anything stop it . This world , and all its religoins will merge as one , in at least the common mindset for world peace and unity under a false love , RIGHT TO THE BEAST who is waiting with fangs to devour the lambs , to convince the world that it is lamb slaughtering time . THAT is exactly where its all headed . As i am sure you know this too
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Cletus
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Post by Cletus on Jul 5, 2020 9:34:08 GMT -5
its gonna rain. latter rain. the crops are gonna fluff. gotta let the chaff come up with the wheat. then harvest. hide and watch.
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Post by frienduff on Jul 5, 2020 9:42:15 GMT -5
its gonna rain. latter rain. the crops are gonna fluff. gotta let the chaff come up with the wheat. then harvest. hide and watch. Be encouraged cletus . Lets look to what occured in acts wherein they saw this glorious rain . PETER was preaching a message of what .............repentance and faith towards GOD , of JESUS CHRIST . IF we want the rain , then know and understand it cometh only by the means of GOD , THROUGH the preaching OF HIS WORD . SO , guess what time it is , TIME To arise and do exactly what the first men did , who had FOLLOWED JESUS . PREACH JESUS ONLY SAVES , exposing sin and showing the world it has a dire need of A SAVOIR . INTO THE TRENCHES . they take no time off with this false end time unity revival awakening , WE TAKE NO TIME OFF procliaming JESUS and EVERY WORD HE ever said , as well as those apostels . THAT IS how souls will be won . the pattern WILL never change . You see many , NOT YOU , but many are being lulled to sleep by a message of some kind of coming big revival , and yet these men of belial are not and do not preach the gosple They only lull men to sleep and make it seem as though somehow GOD is going to make a big awakening occur , YET HOW did the apostels approach this all . THEY HIT THE TRENCHES and preached JESUS , they did not sit and WAIT for some kind of end time revival . I am telling us they are lulling us to sleep with a false notion . and the reason most embrace it , is because they themselves had rather not have to preach the gosple and offend anyone or be persecuted . THEY are lulling us to sleep . And there is no end time message of any kind ofgreat awakening , or great revival . ONLY words like a falling away , only words like they will get worse and worse . HIT those trenches my friend , i KNOW you KNOW THIS . but i simply remind us .
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Post by frienduff on Jul 5, 2020 9:46:44 GMT -5
its gonna rain. latter rain. the crops are gonna fluff. gotta let the chaff come up with the wheat. then harvest. hide and watch. Lets rewrite this . Its gonna rain , latter rain , the crops will fluff . gottal let the the chaf come up with the wheat , then the harvest , PROCLAIM JESUS as the only means of salvation and watch . We take no time off , they take no time off , so we take no time off proclaiming every word of GOD , pointing ONLY to JESUS , all HIS Sayings , all His reminders all reminders of the apostels every word of GOD . HIT the trenches RUNNING FULL FORCE with all armour on . TIME to do all out battle . the souls of all humanity are at stake . many will reject and persecute and hate , but at least some will hear and be saved .
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