A Thought About Biblical Contradictions

 this morning 4 degrees Celsius (brr) and quite breezy

From time to time I will read a post about Biblical contradictions, sometimes from the atheist's view and sometimes explanations of seeming contradictions from a Christian perspective.

Today is a gloriously sunny day, much like last Easter (resurrection) Sunday was, except the day before yesterday it was warm and sunny and today it is quite chilly. It had me thinking about the seeming contradiction in it. One person describing today might talk about the beautiful sunshine, birds singing, etc, and another might describe it as very bone chilling cold, the need for extra warm clothing, etc....and on the surface at a quick glance the descriptions might seem to be opposing and contradictory, and yet they are not, the two depictions actually give added information and support each other in describing the real facts of the matter.

So next time you see a seeming contradiction in the Bible, look a little deeper, and you may find that little nugget of something special, that breathes a fresh and new life into the narrative.

Mine is admittedly an oversimplification of this topic. To get an indepth study into Biblical (perceived) contradictions, please visit this website:
 http://www.debate.org.uk/debate-topics/apologetic/contrads/

How Does My Garden Grow...

The weather is beginning to warm up....but the wind has been terrible!!!

Yesterday I repotted a couple of plants...

 

 this picture was taken May 2015

I got this peace plant last year....yesterday I divided it into two plants, it was getting extremely root bound, I should have taken pictures of the befores and during separation, I'll do that next time :)

 

 here is #1

 and #2, I put this one into the original pot

I learned this week

that when the peace lily's flowers are green

it is getting too much fertilizer,

the last 3 flowers have been green...

but there's hope

this new bud is looking the normal white color

I've been planting seeds, and putting them outside in the sun as the weather permits, getting them acclimated to being outside. Soon it will be time to plant my seedlings and cuttings outside! I can hardly wait!

This reminds me of the joy the new things the Lord has planned for us will bring. He is preparing a place for us!

Idolatry

It's pretty easy to spot idolatry today. Our flesh is drawn to worship, whether it is a rock star, a movie star, or an amulet that you believe will bring you some kind of luck, we all have that desire to look to something to worship, to adore, to be uplifted by....but when it comes to idolizing a pastor or Bible teacher, such idolatry is much harder to spot. I'll confess that I am in that same boat. My desire is to find "that pastor" or "that teacher" that will bring the truth so sweetly and wonderfully that I won't need to go anywhere else for clear teaching.I can just go to Pastor Knowsperfectdoctrine for correct teaching every time. Is there such a pastor?

There's a pastor I really enjoy listening to that is almost that for me. This pastor has just the right balance; giving lots of scripture verses to just the right amount of doctrinally sound exposition, and he is humble, and gracious, and refreshing (not boring) with anecdotal stories at just the right places in his sermon to keep your interest in what he is talking about. Then he stated something that caught my ear. He said "I hate it when some pastors give their opinions while giving a sermon. I NEVER give my opinion, and you will be hard-pressed to know my opinion on most anything because I never give it." REALLY?? Actually I was listening to lots of his opinion up to that point in his sermon on what the passages he was reading in the Bible meant to him. Never mind that I do agree with most of his stated opinions, but they were still opinions. Everything that was said by him that came after the Bible readings were his stated opinions. I still enjoy his sermons, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to make the point that it would be wrong of me to simply believe every word this man (he is a human being after all) says simply because I agree with it and want to believe it.

It is so easy to point out the  bad teachings out there, and the ones giving the bad teachings. Every day I see pastors like John MacArthur pointing to the Benny Hinns and T.D. Jakes and Rick Joyners, and shout "False!! False!!" and yet there is a falseness in themselves that they need to be sensitive to and be kept humble by the truth of it, and also beware that the disciples that they have made are not following after themselves  but only following after Jesus.

A recent situation with a fellow blogger made me extremely sensitive to the reality of such idolatry. How easy it is for her to point to someone like Beth Moore (I can't stand Beth Moore either btw) and the following someone like Beth has, and whose following won't tolerate anyone pointing out Beth's errors to them...and yet people like this blogger hold in too high respect some of her own favorite teachers and preachers that are also human beings who can be prone to error.

Something Jacob Prasch has said (and I do not agree with him on everything either) about the coming antichrist;  the number one objective will be to deceive Christians. The devil doesn't need to fool nonChristians, he's already got them. His hatred is against the Church and against the Jews, God's elect. Pastor Prasch made an observation that I thought an important one. He stated that the book/letter of 1 John points out that the antichrists in the world come from amongst us. He also shared from scripture that Judas Iscariot, who is a type of antichrist, was so close to Jesus, so religious and pious, so "correct" in his beliefs that he even had all the other apostles bamboozled. Judas wasn't a "name it and claim it" type of imposter who was so way out there in left field in his crazy religion that most anyone with a half a brain would be able to see his falseness. No, instead  Judas was an angel (messenger) of darkness disguised as an angel (messenger) of light. He had his stuff seemingly together. The only one who wasn't fooled was Jesus.

In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus' first admonition is to "take heed that no man deceive you", and the ones that are most crafty at deceiving are those who seem to have the most correct doctrine, selling lots of books and tapes, able to point out the many deceivers OUT THERE, while they themselves are so crafty at deception that perhaps they even deceive themselves with their self-righteousness.

Let us TAKE HEED that we worship only Jesus, not a man, not even a very "good" pastor. When someone said to Jesus "Good Rabbi...." Jesus answered "Why do you call me good? Only God is good." He didn't say to the man "Don't call me good" but rather He asked him "why do you call ME good?". Our mindset needs to be to look to God alone, not a man, as Jesus also warned us. Beware because the days of deception are growing worse and worse, and angels (messengers) of darkness know how to disguise themselves as angels (messengers) of light, and are VERY convincing, and only by  the Holy Spirit can we discern the difference. Be on your guard and be clothed with the armour that is of God (Ephesians chapter 6).

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Deception

The deception is getting stronger and stronger, many are succumbing to it, many are ill-prepared for it. Even those who have been trying to keep up with watching and praying are having a difficult time with it. I have been trying to pay attention and watching all the warnings, ok, some of them were pretty far fetched, but many of the warnings were accurate and did not actually reach far enough to describe the level of deception and horror that is going on in our midst.

Amir Tsarfati is an Israeli Jew. He is also a Christian! Hallelujah! He has many prophecy videos on youtube, I do not agree with him about a pre-trib escape but that is a minor issue. In this video he warns about the ecummenical movement that is sweeping through Protestantism. It is happening, the devil is crafty, and I like the way Jacob Prasch put it. Prasch said the only persons in the Bible given title of "son of perdition" is the antichrist and Judas Iscariot. The closest disciples of Jesus were all fooled by Judas, that should be a warning to us. Judas put on a great religious act, he even seemed so caring for the poor, while he was pocketing the money...and now today there are many antichrists at work, and some of the worst ones are the very best at fooling us Christians into making us believe they are one of us.

Please be aware of what is happening today. Please search out Albert Mohl and see how subtly he is at work to line up the "good" preachers for the antichrist system.

And please watch this video to get an idea of some of what is happening in the "church" today:

OK! So What? We All Sin After All....

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The last few posts started out with my resolve that I'm not going to argue and I'm not going to seek out the wrongs and sins of false ones, but just keep my eyes on the True (Jesus alone is true and EVERY MAN -- HUMAN -- IS A LIAR Romans 3:4)

AND THEN....

I go on to speak on some of my pet peeves and a few that popped into my view right after my new resolve. I sympathize with Jeremiah in chapter 20, Jeremiah had resolved to shut up but it burned in his being to speak up....

And did my thoughts change anyone's mind? I doubt it.

A couple of years ago I had brought up to a blogger friend a particular sermon I enjoyed by John MacArthur. She replied by telling me that she did not trust JM because he has so many masonic and globalist ties and that he has sold out to these worldly things rather than being fully sold out to Jesus. I didn't believe her, well, I semi-did but I thought she was splitting hairs over nothing. We are all in this world after all, we all make compromises from time to time, don't we? I wrote her back the day before yesterday to apologize and to thank her for staying true to the truth. It took me quite a while, a couple of years, so perhaps others are seeing these things as well, and like me, will take a year...or two...or three...maybe never will see it, it is as the Lord knows will be so, it is ok. It's a lonely path and it usually loses you "friends"....but were they ever REALLY friends?

We cannot avoid compromisers or evil people, but we can avoid those who claim to be ministers of the truth and show evidence of a different kind of rotten fruit. Paul tells us:

1Corinthians 5:9-11 

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 

Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, 

or with the covetous, 

or extortioners, 

or with idolaters; 

for then must ye needs go out of the world.  

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, 

 if any man that is called a brother 

be a fornicator, or covetous, 

or an idolater,

 or a railer, 

or a drunkard,

 or an extortioner;

 with such an one no not to eat.

How much worse if anyone who calls himself a brother and a pastor and is an extortioner of souls? ...or covetous of the world's friendships and wealth and ease....

.....which would have to be sacrificed if the whole truth were to be held to and preached in full humility and full of the Holy Spirit confessing one's own shortcomings before men? Should we not avoid such men too? Well, at very least we shouldn't put them on too high a pedestal only reserve praise for Jesus, and of course we are to pray for these leaders, or so-called leaders, God can and does use anyone to bring his lost sheep to Himself, so in season or out of season, at least the gospel is being preached even if there are ulterior motives involved, God can and does still use even those for good (Romans 8:28!!!yay! Praise God!)

Ecumenicism Part 3

Part one and two provide a backdrop for something that is developing behind the scenes in what I term the "visible church". The "visible church" is not the same thing as the true Church, the saved ones, God's elect. The "visible church" is an organization that has both elect and false brethren mingling together.

Acts 20:29-30 
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.


One of the signs, the main one, is that these false ones will draw men away from the true gospel and make "disciples after them". These men make disciples for themselves, not for Jesus, setting themselves up as an authority instead of bringing the truth that causes the true repentance through the Holy Spirit's power that leads people unto Jesus alone. These men write books, sell tapes, sell conferences, etc, to continue their gathering of their following, and some of them even get the Bible right 90-95% of the time, and can point out other heresies that get it even more wrong than they themselves do, however their own inside of the cup is still dirty. When the Apostle Paul spoke on this topic he mentioned that he was glad that he didn't baptize many because otherwise people might be tempted to say  they were followers of Paul. We are followers of Jesus....or not.

 Last Thursday I put up a post "About That John MacArthur" in which I question  things MacArthur has said, things that can be found on Youtube etc, it brought me to a place where I felt I needed to look a little deeper. One of the things MacArthur stated is that he cannot remember a time he ever converted,and that he ALWAYS believed the gospel, and that some people see this as evidence that he is not born of the Spirit.

The conversation with Phil Johnson went like this:
 PHIL: How old were you when you first recall sensing your need for Christ?
JOHN: Well I always believed the gospel. I don’t ever…I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t believe the gospel.
PHIL: So you’re saying…are you saying it would be difficult for you to put your finger on when your conversion took place?
JOHN: Yeah. I’ve never been able to do that. And it doesn’t bother me.


 I cannot say a person is truly saved or not, only God knows. However, the Bible says we can know them by their fruits, so where are his "fruits meet for repentance"? I have never heard him confess in deep humility and shame, his shortcomings and failings and his deep need of saving by the shed blood of Jesus for his own sins. That doesn't mean it has never happened, however, in the Christian's life such humility is a way of life, not something to parade out in the open once in a blue moon to add extra feeling to an alter call or to a singular message aimed at sinners to come to Christ (if it even ever happened that he confessed personal failings with heart wrenching sorrow for sin at all, I haven't heard them).

If anyone knows of such a confession that is caught on tape, please share it. I pray that he has made such a declaration and hopefully continues to live with such a repentant heart before God.

But to continue with what I have found, things that I find disturbing in my spirit regarding him and some of his associates, I shall now share in this post.

Read this about MacArthur's book "Slave"  regarding his new revelations regarding our true slave relationship to Jesus:
 http://watch.pair.com/macarthur-2-slave-book.html

Read this and at least see the many photos given here taken at MacArthur's "Regeneration Youth Camp"
http://watch.pair.com/macarthur-7-druid-festival.html

Further, there is the Manhattan Declaration, which MacArthur denounced. You can find why he, and some of the other pastors that revolve in his circles, say they refused to jump on board with it:

 http://www.erictyoung.com/2010/11/20/john-macarthur-r-c-sproul-alistair-begg-and-michael-horton-weigh-in-on-manhattan-declaration/

However, MacArthur and R.C. Sproul, two who openly are dead set against this ecumenical document have as a frequent guest speaker Albert Mohler. See what Mohler says about why he signed it here:

http://www.albertmohler.com/2009/11/23/why-i-signed-the-manhattan-declaration/

See the list of the rest of the signers of the Manhattan Document here:
 http://manhattandeclaration.org/man_dec_resources/list_of_religious_leaders.pdf

Several have sent to MacArthur's ministry to ask him why he feels it necessary to hold affiliation with "Dr." Mohler, and other questionable associations:
 http://www.pccmonroe.org/2010/02.10.htm

 http://paulspassingthoughts.com/2013/01/22/john-macarthur-and-al-mohler-their-hearts-are-revealed-by-their-endorsement-of-cj-mahaney/

He was upset that repentance and the message of the cross was preached to Jews in Israel:
http://www.thewatchmanwakes.com/In-Jerusalem-With-John-Macarthur--Rabbi-Feinberg--and-the-Three-Thousand.html

I read another page (which I cannot locate now, but will put a link if I can find it) of someone that repeatedly tried to call GCC to ask about the Mohler connection, who was stonewalled, and when he went to the GCC directly was threatened with legal action....not too kosher!

These are just a few, there are many many more links that expose a sinister side to this "man of God". Is it possible that he is duped? That he unknowingly has allowed people into his organization that perhaps have other agendas and that being the reason persons such as Mohler continually appear at his conferences? I suppose it is possible. His organization has become huge and he has other people who handle all the "small stuff" and he (MacArthur) has himself stated clearly that he does NOT support the Manhattan Document. True enough. Perhaps it is just that, his "ministry" has become so large that he has lost control over it.......maybe.....I personally believe R.C. Sproul is being dragged into this unholy alliance (much like John Piper as well) and am praying for him, but I personally think MacArthur is more of a willing participant who doesn't want to reveal his true stance on where his real loyalty is.

Please be careful, do not follow men who are likewise fallen just like you and me. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus.

Beware of the wolves in sheep's clothing! 

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Ecumenicism Part 2

In part one Robert Michael Zins on the video of that post speaks about the error of the ECT document that came out in the 1990's, which was signed by many evangelical and Catholic leaders. If you haven't listened to it please go back and listen carefully and prayerfully to the compromises that are being worked out in secret behind the scenes.

This next video (below) is given by a former Catholic priest who likens what is happening to what he heard some of his Reform brethren refer to as being "tulips in a vase" and cut off from the ground, having been cut off from the root of the truth of the gospel. He warns of the documents that are uniting protestants with Catholics, spelling out specifically what the problem is, to understand why this "unity" is completely antithetical to Biblical Christianity.

Please understand what is happening in the "Church" and know that we worship Jesus, not these fallen "leaders" who are succumbing or have already succumbed to this false unity.

Ecumenicism Part 1

My goal with pointing so some flaws is to point us back to Jesus and not  follow men, many of which are blind leaders of blind people, taking them down the path of worldliness with a thin veneer of religiousness over it. That is Pharisaical. We need Jesus, not world unity with worldly love disguised as Christianity for a cover.

This a painful issue for me because it involves many "good" pastors that are joining up under the mantel of the globalist agenda for religious unity. I begin it with this sermon about why J.I. Packer got it wrong.

The embed function has been disabled for this video but you can follow this link:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvdKHU9r4yw&list=PL3A52B111D2E99875

About That John MacArthur

A few days ago I mentioned John MacArthur:

"1.  John MacArthur said you can repent after taking the mark of the beast if you mistakenly take it during the great tribulation. (I disagree with him)
2. He said he couldn't recall ever repenting or being born of the Spirit, that he had always believed in God even as a small child. (God only knows if he is saved, some think this means he isn't born of the Spirit... as for me, I don't know so I'm leaving that one with Jesus)
3. When he talked about his great family heritage, and about his great grandfather being a pastor in Prince Edward Island, Canada, he failed to mention that his great grandfather was also a grand master in a Masonic lodge and held the 33rd degree. (If you are going to talk about great family heritage would it be good to mention the failings as well?... when talking about my grandmother I doubt I'd drag out her skeletons in the closet, but does that prove a lack of being born again? I personally don't think so)"

 http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.ca/2016/02/spotting-counterfeit-part-3.html


Here is a clip of John MacArthur saying you can be forgiven of taking the mark:

 

Anyway, I just could not leave it there especially with regards to the MOB issue. It is such an important issue because the Bible tells us that all who take the mark...well, here's what the Bible tells us:

Revelation 14:9-12  
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,   The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:   And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.   Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 


That is not what John MacArthur stated in answering his church member. As a pastor, he should know better than to falsely add to what the word of God actually says. The Bible does not anywhere say that you can take the mark of the beast and later repent of having taken it and avoid the punishment that all who take the mark will receive. The angel warns everyone with a loud voice. The warning goes out, so those who take the mark do so knowingly, there is no excuse. They will worship the beast and his image AND take the mark of the beast. There is a finality to this, a full renunciation of following Jesus to worship this beast and his image and then take the mark to be able to eat, drink and be merry in a world where those who do not take the mark are getting beheaded:

Revelation 20:4  
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 


I have listened to many of John MacArthur teachings and agree with him at least 90% of the time (and for me that's quite a high percentage), and it's true that you should not throw out the baby with the bathwater when it comes to the minor things we can disagree on. Even the Apostle Paul knew that his spiritual children were wise to check what he said with what the scriptures actually say. He commended the Bereans for checking their Bibles  (Acts 17:11-- the Bereans only had the Old Testament the NT came later) to double check to make sure what was said lined up with what was in their own Bibles.  

I understand why Pastor MacArthur believes the way he does about the mark because this is how he makes it fit his pre-trib philosophy, but pre-trib is a minor issue and not one over which I would part company with him. However the mark of the beast comment  does change it up for me quite a bit. One who speaks in the Spirit and authority of Christ (as a pastor over his flock, which when you count all who listen to him online, is quite a substantial number of people) should tread very lightly and carefully and prayerfully about a thing that will send many to hell.

About the 33rd degree mason great grandfather, masonry is satanic through and through.  Bragging about a satan worshiper when boasting about spiritual heritage is so strange...I mean, I just cannot picture the Apostle Paul doing so unless he was doing it to show how miraculous it is that he could be saved coming from such satanic roots...so I tried to find out more about it and while I was looking I  found out that Grace Community Church is connected to the Church Growth Movement, and has a Dr. Mohler was a keynote speaker at a GCC general conference. Check this out:

 I had discovered that Dr. Mohler was a Founding Fellow of the “think tank” of a UN-NGO. I had discovered that a UN-NGO is a non-governmental organization that is listed with the UN and that serves the UN and its one-world agenda.
The link:  http://johnmacarthurexposed.blogspot.ca/

Follow the link above to read about  the strange reactions from GCC when it responded to questions about Dr. Mohler's affiliations with GCC and with the UN.

Although I find these things about John MacArthur very disconcerting, for me it is still about reading the Bible on my own, trusting Jesus, being taught by the Holy Spirit, and only agreeing with people like John MacArthur as far as they stay true to what the Bible clearly says. 

However, yes, MacArthur blew it big time when advising someone that taking the MOB is something that can be repented of (when the Bible does not say such a thing), then boasting of family who clearly was a prominent figure in a satanic organization, and having connections with the United Nations and the Global Church Movement. All of these things are not good, not good at all. It makes me extremely sad to know this about him and his ministry because I truly believed he was doing so much good for the kingdom of Jesus...and I still believe there are many who are true that are part of his congregation, but I hope they will stop following a man and only stay true to what the Bible says....and when they start chipping people, I hope MacArthur's people do not take the mark.

It is possible that MacArthur has already sold out to the beast system and when it comes to the time when they begin chipping people he might be a voice to "his people" saying "It's ok, this isn't it because we are still here, the rapture hasn't happened yet so this can't be it. I'll show you, I'll be first in line to take it." God knows.

Can I change anyone's mind if they truly believe MacArthur can do no wrong? Probably not, and that isn't something I should strive for anyway. I just need to keep my eyes on the Lord, test all things by the Word of God, and scatter bread upon the water, and who knows if anything will come of it? If any of this helps someone, praise the Lord for then He has done it, He gets all the glory. 

Job 28:28 
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Spotting a Counterfeit Part 4

Part One began with the how of spotting a counterfeit. The best way is to get to know the genuine really well. Parts 2, 3, and now 4, are more about my going out of my way to involve myself in arguments over topics that believers can and do disagree over, that may or may not be important enough to win an argument about....a few words from the Apostle Paul:

Titus 3:9-11  

But avoid 

foolish

and genealogies,

and contentions, 

and strivings about the law; 

for they are unprofitable  

and vain. 

A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;   

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, 

and sinneth, 

being condemned of himself. 

My going round and round arguing over the law or " what came first, the chicken or the egg" types of discussions are not only a waste of time, they can be damaging.  Even if it is in the hopes of converting a "heretic", Paul advised to only attempt admonishing the person once or twice and then to let it go. My husband rightly pointed out to me that (just as the above verses reveal) I continued arguing only to prove being right out of pride and vanity. If it is an important thing for that person, the Lord will bring it in His time, His way. There is nothing to gain in arguing about it, Paul said it is unprofitable.

I agree.

1Corinthians 2:1-4 
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.   And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power

All We Can Do Is Pray

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Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.



I'm sure you've heard people say this after they have exhausted all other resources, and tried by their own efforts to change an outcome that just doesn't want to change no matter what efforts are placed against it. Perhaps it is regarding a bad workplace situation, or a terminal illness of a loved one, or a child that is bent on destruction...all efforts to make the problem go away have failed, and now all that is left is to give up, and pray, and maybe God will grant a miracle.....or maybe not.

 James 5:16 
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.





Why do we think when a situation doesn't turn the way we think it should that it is because: 1. God isn't watching or listening 2. God isn't there, He's busy with other things or 3. God doesn't exist (atheist)? From having paid attention to events as they have occurred in my life, I see that God has always been faithful, that the things that haven't turned out the way I wanted ended up being for the best anyway, and that God does have a plan for each of us and often the things that happen (or don't happen the way we want them to) occur because the Lord is using those situations to prune us, to dig around our hard soil, so that proper growth can take place. David went through terrible hardships. His thoughts and prayers, his sorrow and shame, are recorded for us in his Psalms that were sung to the Lord as he patiently waited on the Lord, knowing that no matter what happened God is good and knows what He's doing, and that in the final end it is all for the best.
 Psalm 34:8,15  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

When I pray I do have a "this is how I want it to turn out, Lord" in mind, but the Lord sees more than I do. He sees long-term and I only see immediate short-term benefits. Plus I don't see how all of the pieces are to fit together. The fact that I want rain to make my flowers grow might interfere with the fact that a family a couple of doors away is praying it doesn't rain until they are able to repair their roof that is in very bad shape (as a poor example, but you get the idea; what is a blessing for me might be a curse for someone else and the world does not revolve around me).

So the next time you are tempted to say "All we can do is pray" instead say "How wonderful it is we can talk with the Lord about this in prayer!".