Hello out there, I am a struggling artist looking for work. I am trying very hard to keep my faith and follow the right path, but I just keep falling down. I have been working very hard to support my family, but nothing has proven successful. I am actively seeking steady income, and I have some long term projects that I believe will prove fruitful, but I desperately need a reliable income source. As a man with a family it is embarrassing and painful to have talent, skill, and education and not be able to provide. I have come to the conclusion that maybe I can't do it on my own, so I will swallow my pride and ask for help. I have a high level of skill in many different mediums, with pen and ink and digital art being my strongest. I will accept any help, ideas, critiques or suggestions with open arms. I have gone all in on a few risky endeavors and the results were devastating to me and my family. I humbly ask for any help and guidance, seeing my family suffer because of my mistakes and shortcomings is becoming more than I can bear. I thank you for taking the time to read my plea, God bless.
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A thread is like any conversation, it changes, it morphs, it heats, it cools. By nature it is an organic thing.
I think a lot was said to encourage Christopher, and I pray that the Lord will use it in his life. But the conversation took a turn as all conversations do.
For my part, I was not looking for division. I am not interested in bickering. I love the Truth, and I love the meeting of minds in search of the Truth. Sometimes there is a bit of back and forth, but I have always found the wrestling with facts and opinions enjoyable. Even fun.
That being said, there are some who consider this turn of the conversation a highjacking of the thread. I literally don't understand that- how can the pursuit of Truth (if done in respect) be highjacking anything- but I respect those individuals as brothers and sisters, and so I'll let it drop.
God bless.
Gerard - you're right. I recant on that point.
Gerard Lee said:
Proverbs 3
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
Condemn the life experiences of my fellow CCAS members? Why do you assume that their life experiences were not won through faithfulness to the Word and God? Did Christopher not ask for help and guidance? Condemn? I think not.
Ralph: Yes, and their discussion has theological application and import to Christopher's life. If when an individual seeks advice on this website, he merely wants everyone to tell him they will pray for him, then let me know. If when a person asks for sound Christian advice on this website, he or she merely wants advice with no reference to the Bible, then please, please, please let me know. I can tell people that "I'll be thinking of them" and give them your standard secular platitudes as well.
But if our role here is to be advising others on sound Biblical living, then it stands to reason that there are going to be debates about how that manifests itself. If you follow the conversation, you can see that Steve and Alika's dialogue has profound impact on Christopher's premises and goals regarding employment. If Steve is correct, then Christopher's supposition that he MUST be a sequential artist RIGHT NOW is erroneous, and some other mode of employment might be better for the time being. If Alika is correct, then God is a grand virtuoso orchestrating every facet and feature of Christopher's life, and so the signs and symbols Christopher is experiencing might all the more imply and suggest that that is the road he should take. The very root of Christopher's question is theological, and so the best way to draw it out is by grasping at the question theologically - which both Alika and Steve are doing.
What should be condemned is not what Alika and Steve are doing, but what everyone else is doing. Alika and Steve are trying to find light to illuminate the questioner's path. Everyone else is relying on their own experience, when it is the Word that should light our path, when it is the Word that brings life to dry bones, when it is the Word nourished by the Spirit that ought counsel us.
Our brother Christopher is seeking advice and wisdom concerning his employment situation. That is the reason this forum and his reaching out. Alika and Steve need to continue their discussion on another forum or in private correspondence. This forum is about Chris and his situation.
I think Alika is generally wrong about everything, but I think all the indictments to censure him/her make no sense. He/She is not hijacking a thread; he/she is conscientious that encouragement and advice need to be grounded in Biblical principles and precepts. And if people do not want Scripture, or a discussion about what that Scripture means, as it relates and applies to someone's life, then those people need to go to the bookstore and read a secular self-help book or something. Go on Dr Phil. This is a Christian forum and debate about how to live a Godly life should be all over the place, ESPECIALLY when someone is asking for exactly that. I cannot imagine going onto a public forum, and asking for Christian advice, and then blubbering because people are fleshing over what the Bible says regarding my particular problem.
The Bible prohibits some types of encouragement and rejects some types of advice. So of course Steve and Alika should be debating about it. The Bible has much to say about our employment and a lot of it is controversial. So of course Steve and Alika should be debating about it. I expect nothing less from them.
Hmm... I'm not sure I see the extreme rudeness in bouncing a few Scriptures around, Paula. I truly don't.
If there is some disagreement in the biblical support offered to Christopher, then this would be the thread to hash it out. And offering what you feel is a proof text, and responding to that text is not necessarily dueling.
Encouragement is not always affirmation.
We are all adults here, and I would think that we should be able to discuss as such.
But I appreciate your heart.
Thanks.
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Steve Crespo said:
Matthew 9:9 - 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27
Matthew 4:18-22 - 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20 - 16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
Matthew 8:21-22 - 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Luke 9:59-62 - 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Steve Crespo said:
John 15:16
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
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