"I Did It My Way"

"I Did It My Way"

"Frank Sinatra was wrong to do things "his way." In Gen 11, we see people uniting in building what seems like a great triumph of humanity--until we realize what their work is all about. They're tired of being distant from God, so they build a structure that will reach the heavens. "Surely the gods will know and find us now.... Let's meet our maker," you can almost hear them say. But the true God, Yahweh, knows their plan and says: "Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech" (Gen 11:7).

Because all the people spoke one language, they were dangerous to themselves. In the unity of one world, there is disunity: we choose to assault the God we should serve. There is an alternative--a unity that God desires: where we serve Him by serving others. Jesus describes how we should act towards one another and towards Him, even teaching us how to pray. With Christ, God has resolved the reason the tower was attempted. Since the Holy Spirit came and brought us comfort (John 16:4-15), the very presence of God is always with us.

Sinatra also said that if a man doesn't have himself, "then he has naught." But God wants us to stop focusing on ourselves, building towers, and trying to do things our own way. He wants us to seek Him, and to treat others with the love, respect, and self-sacrifice that Christ gave us. He wants us to do things His way.

What towers are you building? What type of investments should you be making instead?" -John D. Barry

("Genesis 10-11; Matthew 9; Ecclesiastes 2:18-26 / Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments:
A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press).

Your take on this email forward received earlier today from the Pastor-Teacher of a Local Church in New England?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby


"Frank Sinatra was wrong to do things "his way."

You've gone too far this time! 😠

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"I Did It My Way"

"Frank Sinatra was wrong to do things "his way." In Gen 11, we see people uniting in building what seems like a great triumph of humanity--until we realize what their work is all about. They're tired of being distant from God, so they build a structure that will reach the heavens. "Surely the gods will know and find us now... ...[text shortened]... s email forward received earlier today from the Pastor-Teacher of a Local Church in New England?[/b]

You did a copy and paste on a thread entitled "I did it my Way"?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Your take on this email forward received earlier today from the Pastor-Teacher of a Local Church in New England?

Intellectually and spiritually, your forwarded e-mail strikes me as being spam.

All you have here is a kind of rhetorical riff --- yea... Frank Sinatra... yea ... some song title... etc. --- that a pastor/preacher might use to 'preach to the choir'.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"I Did It My Way"

"Frank Sinatra was wrong to do things "his way." In Gen 11, we see people uniting in building what seems like a great triumph of humanity--until we realize what their work is all about. They're tired of being distant from God, so they build a structure that will reach the heavens. "Surely the gods will know and find us now... ...[text shortened]... s email forward received earlier today from the Pastor-Teacher of a Local Church in New England?[/b]

Dueling Lyrics?

"You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!"

Originally posted by DeepThought
You did a copy and paste on a thread entitled "I did it my Way"?

Originally posted by DeepThought
You did a copy and paste on a thread entitled "I did it my Way"?
______________________________________

Yes, DT. Sinatra is a familiar point of reference and the thread's content conforms with the topics suggested for this forum:

Red Hot Pawn Spirituality Forum: "Debate and general discussion of the supernatural, religion, and the life after." -Russ

"In Gen 11, we see people uniting in building what seems like a great triumph of humanity--until we realize what their work is all about. They're tired of being distant from God, so they build a structure that will reach the heavens..."

"But the true God, Yahweh, knows their plan and says: "Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech" (Gen 11:7).

"In the unity of one world, there is disunity: we choose to assault the God we should serve."

"With Christ, God has resolved the reason the tower was attempted. Since the Holy Spirit came and brought us comfort (John 16:4-15), the very presence of God is always with us."

"But God wants us to stop focusing on ourselves, building towers, and trying to do things our own way. He wants us to seek Him..."

("Genesis 10-11; Matthew 9; Ecclesiastes 2:18-26 / Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments:
A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press).

Originally posted by wolfgang59
You've gone too far this time! 😠

wolfgang59, how far do you think we can go with God? “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God,
'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way'" -C.S. Lewis.

How far do you think we can go with Sinatra?

“There are two kinds of people:
those who do it their way
and
those that don't"

- Wolfie

Originally posted by wolfgang59
How far do you think we can go with Sinatra?

“There are two kinds of people:
those who do it their way
and
those that don't"

- Wolfie

And which way does Wolfie choose?¿

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
And which way does Wolfie choose?¿

If you choose God, isn't that then, your way?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
And which way does Wolfie choose?¿

Who says any of us get to choose?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"I Did It My Way"

"Frank Sinatra was wrong to do things "his way." In Gen 11, we see people uniting in building what seems like a great triumph of humanity--until we realize what their work is all about. They're tired of being distant from God, so they build a structure that will reach the heavens. "Surely the gods will know and find us now... ...[text shortened]... s email forward received earlier today from the Pastor-Teacher of a Local Church in New England?[/b]

You are right in that salvation is a collective affair, not an individual one.

Originally posted by JS357
If you choose God, isn't that then, your way?

Fair question, JS. Yes, it's your volition deciding to accept rather than reject God's grace gift of salvation and eternal life.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
Who says any of us get to choose?

You, Wolfie, decided to choose to join Red Hot Pawn on June 8, 2007, and to reply to this thread on January 6, 2015. Our volition is the decision maker of our immaterial souls. "Who says any of us get to choose?" Empirical evidence says we do.

Originally posted by rwingett
You are right in that salvation is a collective affair, not an individual one.

Please clarify and thanks for weighing in.