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On her way to work one morning Down the path along side the lake A tender hearted woman saw a poor half frozen snake His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew "Oh well," she cried, "I'll take you in and I'll take care of you" "Take me in oh tender woman Take me in, for heaven's sake Take me in oh tender woman, " sighed the snake She wrapped him up all cozy in a curvature of silk And then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk Now she hurried home from work that night as soon as she arrived She found that pretty snake she'd taking in had been revived "Take me in, oh tender woman Take me in, for heaven's sake Take me in oh tender woman, " sighed the snake Now she clutched him to her bosom, "You're so beautiful," she cried "But if I hadn't brought you in by now you might have died" Now she stroked his pretty skin and then she kissed and held him tight But instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite "Take me in, oh tender woman Take me in, for heaven's sake Take me in oh tender woman, " sighed the snake "I saved you," cried that woman "And you've bit me even, why? You know your bite is poisonous and now I'm going to die" "Oh shut up, silly woman," said the reptile with a grin "You knew dxxn well I was a snake before you took me in "Take me in, oh tender woman Take me in, for heaven's sake Take me in oh tender woman, " sighed the snake

Blessings spiderman....... I'm sorry you are struggling so at this time & I could only hope you will choose to see the glass half full,the world is a beautiful place ,,,,,,,,,,,just choose to look at a picturesque sunset & understand that all that awesome beauty was PUT THERE purposely for YOU,,,,,so were the birds that sing wonderful melodies in the wee hours of the morning or snow capped majestic mountains,colorful trees & flowers in all their glorious splendor or the vast blue ocean ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,look around you at what God has prepared just for us & be thankful for each new day by His New Mercy,,,,,you just cannot focus on miserable people & evil,,,,,,,,,,you have to see what is good I will tell you & I do hope to encourage you & give you HOPE I have had terrible battles with health issues over the years,many years ago there was a time I said your very same prayer,over & over ,every night ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,& I got an answer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The answer was loud & clear,not condemning but in a very Loving Way I heard "How dare you ask Me that & do not ever ask that of Me again because until you have fulfilled the Plans I have for you,,,,,,,you will not come home!!!!" I will not go into all the details but what happened that night changed everything,I became very grateful for the things I do not have (eg:a wheelchair,a seeing eye dog,oxygen tank,prosthetic limbs,etc......)I felt so bad for asking such a thing of my Father WHO is ALWAYS with me every step of the Way,,,,as He is with you,,,,,,,,, Friend,make it a daily routine of talking with God,giving Him Praise each morning & usher in His Presence(He inhabits our Praise),read the Word & ask the Holy Spirit for Wisdom & Understanding,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,perhaps God has allowed you to not have friends or family around at this time to draw nearer Him * have you to Himself? Praying for you,Praise the Lord With love-in Christ,Kwik

I found this great new sandwich shop. Loved the food. They try to stand out from other sandwich shops with unique menu and food choices. Got home and looked at their online site and found under the "about us" certain images that make me question whether or not I should go back to them again. One of the images was this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Christ Another was the "illuminati" eye, or all seeing eye from the dollar bill: http://nebula.wsimg.com/707d6b57e5b272619b2f8f178b5be4cf?AccessKeyId=576F3D1CD8660D24C78F&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 Another was this "illuminati" owl: http://nebula.wsimg.com/7d6566583c5a52e7637b4d50234b493a?AccessKeyId=576F3D1CD8660D24C78F&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 Finally, this one: http://www.redbubble.com/people/illuminnation/works/12010118-dont-be-a-sheep-herd-mentality?p=sticker One more image I forgot about. They have the basic Christian fish symbol. Which makes me wonder what are they trying to portray lol. If they are just typical lost folks, I dont mind patronizing their place. If they are antiChristian tho, thats different. Your thoughts?

Spiderman, seems you are under spiritual attack. ( check Ephesian6) Like quick sand if you react to it, you just keep sinking further and further, but if you stay still, you stop sinking. If you can become objective from what thoughts are attacking you, you can disable them meaning if you can just remain still in Christ and not panic but just look at these thoughts as they are outside you, like passing clouds, they do not belong to you and have no more power than you allow to give them, if they can't get into you , all they can do is just leave. There is a passage in the bible in James 7:4 that says: Resist the devil and he will flee, also resent not the devil just observe what he is trying to do without any anger or fear and he will leave. I say this : do not resent the devil, just look at him objectively, because that is what he wants you yo feel, anger, resentment, fear. Don't give him that power. Like the wicked witch of the west of Oz, without any power given to it, he will just burn up by his own combustion. also there is another passage, God will never give us more than we can handle. found in:1 Corinthians 10:13 He will always show us a way to flee and escape the devil. Use the Sword of the spirit= The Word of God as your defense against spiritual attacks: (that becomes your spiderman venom/weapon lol ) Like: Isaiah 54:17 17 "No weapon formed against me shall prosper" Being in recovery, you are just beginning to learn the tools needed to fight against the enemy. These tools are to be applied everyday in all walks of life, for the rest of your life. These are tools of wisdom, they will help you survive this mad world and all its chaos. Easy does it, you are not alone, one day at a time, keep it simple, be still and let go and let God. Recovery from trauma is life long. Everybody has their own healing to deal with, and make the best of. It takes time to heal, be gentle with yourself and give yourself the time to heal. Remember H.A.L.T. hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Take care of those needs . First thing first always. Always God first along with the tools of recovery you have received from recovery programs as well as from the Holy Bible. Find a good christian role models that you can look up to and perhaps follow their lead. About finding work? Are you ready for work or do you need more healing time? Only you can answer that. The truth is some people are so broken by trauma, they may never be able to hold down a full time job, those have to rely on social disability . Others find part-time work, others volunteer at their own pace. Whatever the case, go by your own pace. Its a matter of survival and you need to go by what will work best for you in order to survive and get better. You seem bright, I don't know how old you are, but in terms of Jobs, what about becoming a pizza maker or working at an ice cream shop? or working on a farm, milking cows? or learning how to make cheese?, learning to sheer sheep? working at a botanical garden? volunteering in an animal zoo, just thoughts... In these places you can learn the trade and even perhaps on day own your own pizza business or ice cream shop or other. These are just examples, but there are many different possibilities if you have the energy and drive to get ahead. The world has always had misery, just we see it more in our face everyday, but its always been . You need to keep to horse blinders on and focus on your goal and always first your goal in Christ Jesus. Whatever it may be, keep those blinders on so that you make your path clear towards your destination, despite of all that is going on around you. God gave you life for a reason. However small that reason my appear to some, it is reason enough because you received the miracle of life. Last evening, I was down myself and could not do much, I happened turn on the t.v. to P.B.S. and watched a documentary on Japanese Snow Monkeys ~ Nature Documentary The beauty of nature, also the sadness . They are both part of life here on earth. Even the snow monkeys have had to learn the best way to cope with the life they were given. Sometimes their life is in danger, sometimes their life is in pleasure, but yet they continue on. And so must we also continue on. After the Snow monkey documentary , they showed another documentary :Secrets of the Dead The Lost Gardens of Babylon PBS quite interesting, and with the technology of today, they have been able to map out were a king 700 B.C.E. designed an elaborate garden with aquaducts In the documentary the main researcher Stephanie Dalley, a British scholar of the Ancient Near East. . she must have been in her seventies, and yet she was very lucid, and full of life. I look around and say wow! some people are truly blessed with brains and capabilities. thank goodness for those being able to do from production to completion of a documentary. All the people that where necessary, in front and behind the scenes to make it all come together. Not everyone can be the master chef, but even so, everyone can do something in contributing to a greater goal if they want to. Finding something to live for despite all the trouble all around. It is part of survival to do so. And even if we do not become great scientist, or great archaeologist, we still can have something to contribute to life, even if its just a smile or a helping hand to some creature in need. Making a gratitude list of the things we have, can help us SEE with a clearer more balanced perspective . Best wishes to you in Gods Mercy and Grace. 1to3

perhaps go in and ask them? Maybe theyre just trying to be humorous.

who DO My Fathers will... Jesus did talk there about christians that already had faith strong enough to do miracles. yet... I never knew you.. so work + faith.

just in prayer? what about - He directs you, say what to do or not. suggest, give advice or dont allow do something?

Back in the 70s I started clinging to the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. The rest of my Lutheran doctrine pretty much was forgotten. Moreover, I have never looked for signs as some stamp of approval as to being an "apostle"or even a true Christian. (Today's "sent out ones" are missionaries. There were only 12 Apostles who were with Jesus from the beginning and witnessed His resurrection and ascension. ) I wan't sure if I even believed there is such a thing a divine healing. God does not change. He healed people in the old testament and the new. He still heals. And if your child is very sick and medication is not helping, you will pray for him. You may be holding him and rocking him at the time, or reading a rag book to him. But you can't help but pray. I have to laugh at my Baptist friends who could only pray for God's grace for people. Their own pastor would occasionally pray for the sick privately and miracles occurred. But neither this pastor nor my present pastor make a side show of it. They do so in private with no fanfare. Occasionally new people would complain that healing weren't happening in our church. Very few people know. Sometimes even the pastors don't learn the results till later. Now, there is nothing wrong with asking for God's grace to endure. But no where in the Bible does it tell us not to pray for the sick. I am just as wary as you about the people who would have people come up on a stage and yell at them to be healed, pushing them over as they did. Anyone who does so seems to be seeking the glory for himself. When God does the healing most of those who pray are just astounded and humbled by what has occurred, knowing they had very little to do with it. Mt. 8:16b-17 And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying : "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Isaiah 53:4) NKJV It is just like sharing the Gospel with people. We do it out of love of the people and obedience to God. Whether they receive Christ is somewhat up the them but mostly up to God. They can pridefully resist the grace of God, or they can receive it with humble hearts and thanksgiving. But I don't tell anyone it is a persons lack of faith that kept them from being healed. Even faith is a gift from God according to Eph. 2. And we never know who God will give that faith to. It might be the person praying or someone else in the room. If the person is suffering greatly he may have little faith but is just trying to survive the pain. it is nothing but a heartless cruel lie to tell someone whose child has just died that he didn't have enough faith. Psm 103:2-4 NKJV Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, EX 15:26 For I am the LORD (YHWH) Who heals you. 3 Jn 1:2 Beloved, I PRAY that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (This is not a promise--it is a prayer.) James 5:13-16 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray--. 14. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up---(Note that in this case it is the pastor who does the praying who must have faith.)- 16. Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--- I am not a "healer". I am an intercessor. But I often pray for peoples' salvation, for the blindness to be removed and their ears opened, so they can trust Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. And I often pray for the sick. Sometimes I pray for people over the phone. Sometimes in private and sometimes enjoining with my husband, as God reminds us of needs of family and friends. blessings, Willa

Brother Spider: Here's something that helped me to realize how specialized some parts of the Body are: 1 Corinthians 12:22-25New American Standard Bible (NASB) 22 On the contrary, [a]it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, [c]on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no [d]division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. I eat and drink with sinners. I listen to their music and hear their laughter. They share their hearts with mine. I know when they're angry or frustrated; I know when they feel alone and forsaken; I know when they're overwhelmed by the world. They share their private thoughts off open forum and I know what they're afraid to let other people know. God uses us in different ways. Stay strong, my brother. God will use you according to your own special gifts and talents and many other people will not likely understand the high calling with which you've been called. Your Sister in the Lord, Cats

Do you Believe in Salvation by Faith and Works Together? the Apostle Paul Did Not Believe and Teach this. in Phil.2:12, he stated we need both as did James in James 2:14-26.

That was the reading last Sunday about the greatest among you should be the least and servant of all

Yes... so what are some things you reflect on that God has done for you in times where you feel abandoned by him?

I too, often feel this way, especially since the beginning of March. It seems as if I can't handle my life everyday. I know in my intellect that God will always be here but I don't always feel it neither. I've reached the stage of life where I wonder why I'm still here. The only sensible answer is because God wants me here. But why? This is what makes me feel pathetic. I've spent most of my life doing things similar to what you 2 are doing. I was usually around people who where either lost or searching for they knew not what. I could tell them about God but that's not very effective. I had to show I had strength because I knew God, but I often felt I was becoming like the people I wanted to help, more than I was helping them. But I persisted because as you both said, I felt that was where God wanted me. But they have all been removed far from me and I am alone except for God. But it's not as easy as I'm making it sound. I know how you both feel. May God be with us all.

And Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12 They Still Do Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8 Even Buss But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12 Boys Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13 Love, Your Brother Joe

The gift of healing is far too underrated

We can discern a good teacher if the Holy Spirit is using his preaching to change our lives and cause us to grow. Often He is speaking to me during a sermon, sparking a rabbit trail that I then pursue. Usually there are opportunities during the following week to apply the things the Lord has been teaching me. So it is the Holy Spirit Who is our teacher. He just uses the Bible teaching to accomplish His purposes.

Blessings Friend,,,, I do love my Brother Ezra,he is not one to mince words No one here is going to "convince" you of anything,that is not our intention or our job but we can & will point you in the direction where you need to look to find the answers you seek,only the Holy Spirit can convict your heart,,,,we can only hope that :through us" He will speak to your heart & you will Find that Christianity is unlike any other religion in that it is a "relationship " with God in Christ,,,,,,,,so I do pray we can plant some seeds in your heart & mind and you will thirst for them to be watered ,flourish & grow,,,,, Firstly &I mean no disrespect but I do not believe you have done your due diligence that has lead to your conclusions,,,,,,,,Personally(a lifetime ago) I studied the Word of God & tried desperately to refute even one thing because if I could find contradiction or lack of support then I could be my own god & do as I please,,,,,,,I was a science major & began a diligent search with years of study(historically,archeology,science,physics,theology,ancient languages etc)it always resulted in confirmation,validation & support of what God said from the very beginning,,,,,,,,,,,,take for example "the Shroud of Turin" ,,,,,,,how was the imprint made?World renowned nuclear physicists proclaim it is beyond any technology known to man today!!!!! Please,I do not want to change the subject & I am not saying the shroud is or is not the authentic cloth that was used to wrap Jesus Body,all I am saying is by reading a couple of books,hearing people's opinions or interpretations ,googling information &/or being raised in a church going family & environment is not by any means research & study,,,,,,,,,,,,you have made a few comments about your interpretation of Scripture and personal family experiences & I don't see any "proof" to support your beliefs or unbeliefs,,,,see what I am saying? My friend,if you truly & sincerely have the desire ,hunger & thirst to seek the truth then this is something that is between you & God,I can safely say that you most likely believe there is something more than the life we lead here on earth ,in these bodies or you would not be here asking for "proof' or for someone to convince you other wise,,,,,can you prove to me that we are born,die & that is that? Of course you cannot but we have eye witness accounts that Jesus rose from the dead (not just in the Bible),evidence documented that shows more than not that Jesus did exist,the historical person,,,,,,,,,the question is,was He a liar ,a lunatic or truly Who He said He is?Lets forget about the Old Testament for right now,forget about how old the earth is & whether or not it was a "big bang" or created,,,,,,,,,,how about starting your research with Jesus,,,,,why? Well ,because He said that NNO One comes to the Father except through Him,,,,,,,that is what Christianity is all about,being Saved by our Faith in the knowlegde of our Living Redeemer by which we are reconciled to Almighty God and receive His Grace(we are pardoned,unmerited ,undeserved Grace ) I do hope what I have said only encourages you to consider that you just may be an eternal spirit & that if that is true then I have nothing to lose if I were wrong but you have much more at stake if you are wrong...........The Book of John(as previously suggested) is a great place to begin but only with an open & earnest heart & mind,see how much this Jesus loves you & what He did to make it possible for you to have eternal life with Him,,,,,,,,,,later,see the confusion & dismay of His followers when all their King of kings hung on the cross & died,,,,,,,,,,,even they were not yet fully committed to Christ until nearly 2 months later(find out why?),,,,,,,,,so my friend,the Apostles that walked,lived ,slept & ate with Jesus for over 3 years were no less confused than you are until they realized OUR REDEEMER LIVES,,,,,,& He lives & Loves for me and for you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Go in Peace & God Bless you,I hope this helped With love-in Christ,Kwik

love this song

Yes Mother Theresa St. Francis countless others have said " Everything Begins Continues and Ends In Prayer" we are told to Pray without Ceasing.

Yes we Follow the voice of the Holy Spirit always in Prayer in Living the Holy Gospel daily

but he did just not OUR works. doing Fathers will and he call it - walk in Spirit, are leaded BY SPIRIT. how? study acts...

I will not debate any further immature language. PM me if you wish to continue your tyrade of accusations. Also just so we're clear the "errand boy" you keep referring to, is the Holy Spirit, Jesus is no longer on earth. Speaking blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgiveable sin, so watch your language.

You are just trolling now. I will provide you with one name, because it is public record, to appeal to your childish content. Everyone else will remain private. I can not be faulted for having visual evidence of Gods work....I myself am not invisible, nor are x-rays, blood tests, or other scans. No one can say they are free of something unless they receive a word from God or verification of a healing manifestation from a medical report. This is reality, faith necessitates all these happenings, so I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. I will again reference 1 Peter 2:21, not sure how much clearer it can be given the ten commandments, the instructions of Jesus, the bible....

This is really nice sentiment but not Scripturally based... emotions is a poor keeper of God's Word! Try to start a hermeneutic approach to the study of God's Word... fit your concept of faith with The Scripture and begin again to reason with God! Isa 1:18 Heb 11:1-3 11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. KJV Love, Steven

Who do you think you are? That you deserve to be shown any proof? You are no more important than they are or I am, or anyone else is. Jesus is our proof, the words he left, the trail he left for us to follow. You have just name called a plethora of times and just named a majority of Christians gullible....you are the gullible one, settling for the minimum. You may not want or need God's best, but I do. I pray you are enlightened by someone who has words like a jackhammer, how else will someone be able to get through your skull.

they are certainly historical books that many during the time of Christ used.... and the Bible pretty much quotes from Enoch and Jasher. As I understand it there were 15 scrolls of Jubilees found in the dead scrolls. That would seem to be a sign it was used by many.

Yes and sadly these sort say it is a lack of your faith... what a destructive response from a confused people! How often did they not even know who Jesus was and were healed! Still others help my unbelief! To stand in the gap and say what was done then is not what is done today and even though God hides His miracles from proof seekers or provides none for the sake of goodness- Rom 8:28 ... To read of His Works and of those God bestowed them upon is as good for me as actually seeing them and that is the work of The Holy Spirit within me! The reason of miracles to validate supernaturally the persons through whom He would speak the finale work of forming the New Testament is substantiated by internal reasoning of Scripture itself: Mt 24:24-26 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. KJV Bottom line why would God, Who leads us in His Word to be able to stand firm, keep doing signs and wonders in these last of days whereby He has warned of false hood able to fool anyone who is looking for validation through miracles... Does this really sound like how The True Shepherd would lead us? Love, Steven

Some people here like to argue, and argue, some people here, like anywhere, they are not filled with the spirit of Peace but of strife. I come in peace, I need to remain in peace to be able to pray for others as well as live my life as close as possible to God. That is what works for me in Him. I said what I said, I know what i said to be Truth, and God through His Only begotten Son Christ Jesus is my witness to the words I spoke. I will not say more on the subject of healing here, as I have already said most everything on the subject. God gives his Mercy and Grace to all who seek and ask for it. Peace to all, and Gods Mercy and Grace to all who seek Him. This Friday is good Friday, I pray we set our hearts on Him, thanking Him for His Love and plan of Mercy and Grace for mankind.

Healing is possible through our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, I have personally experienced this in my life more than once. One healing I received 23 years after I had first prayed for its healing, When it happened it happened on the same day I prayed once again for that same healing I feel sorry for those who still have not come to believe this. If you do not believe, you cannot receive in full Gods promises for your life. It all has to do with your walk with God and how much faith you place in Gods Words. Healing is possible. The person on page one of this thread, who got healed, said it all. Praise God! And if God does not heal strait away, there is always reason for this. Never give up on your faith that God can and does heal. Amen! Thank you Father God, through Your only begotten Son Christ Jesus. Praise your Name! Amen! Amen! Amen! Isaiah 53

Truth is required. Absolute Truth. Jesus. "No man can receive anything unless the Father grants it from heaven." "Have no other gods." "The same yesterday, today, and forever." All boils down to TRUST. (("TRUST", a gift from Yahweh, cannot be earned, but can be rejected.)) "ONLY the PURE in HEART can ever see heaven." "They were pierced to the heart and cried, what can we do ? " Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and ... biblehub.com/acts/2-37.htm ‎ When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Acts 2:37 Commentaries: Now when they heard this, they were ... biblehub.com/commentaries/acts/2-37.htm ‎ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and to ... Wenow begin with the last verse of the second part of the address. ... How surely does the first glimpse of Jesus as Christ and Lord set conscience to work! .... gained;) they were pricked in their heart — Or, were pierced to the heart, with ... "What should we do?" Only the Father can reveal this to anyone. biblehub.com/luke/5-12.htm ‎ When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. "Lord," he said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and ...

Willa, my lovely sister in Christ, thank you for the encouraging and respectful response! It is possible that you were but not necessarily so. I am learning to be careful to understand the difference between having an opinion based upon education and knowing something because God the Father has revealed it as true unto me. I once was taught and understood that Jesus was the Son of God but a day came when God revealed that truth unto me and now I can declare it. As for the gift of healing and the laying on of hands I have no such revelation of God. Gal 1:11¶But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taughtit, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. True wisdom, knowledge and understanding come by revelation of God through Jesus Christ.

.... in that gotquestions webpage: > Near end, the summary: "Better than seeking after a new miracle is taking God at His Word" True. SEEK HIM. and KEEP SEEKING HIM every day. His Word: WHOEVER seeks ME and keeps seeking ME will find ME. "take HIM at His Word". Remember, when you find Him, there's His Promise: Peace, Joy and Righteousness. ((end of deception and depression, in the midst of all troubles)) Free access to HIS THRONE OF GRACE to find HELP IN TIME OF TROUBLE. biblehub.com/kjv/hebrews/4-16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

There is a lot to understand above this subject... but this is a good basis to begin right thinking and reason with God in His Word about it! http://www.gotquestions.org/signs-and-wonders.html

God nor Jesus ever promised immediate healing, there are instances where Jesus healed people and they were not healed immediately, the lepers were healed as they went and the blind men was healed after Jesus prayed twice. The battle with sickness is a battle against the devil not with God. Jesus has redeemed us from all sickness and disease, given us authority over all the powers of the enemy, sickness is a satanic opression. Jesus has done his job, "it is finished," we need to do as we were instructed and use the power we have been given the keys to.

Oh boy. In God's eternal purposes, He does say no at times. I believe he heals, after 15 years I merely asked Him one day about healing and He healed my painful shoulder. In my lack if faith I was afraid to testify of it for fear I would lose the use of my shoulder and cause someone to doubt God. But to say all can be healed immediately, well for someone who has faith and has been told no, your response is hard, especially for a babe.

The gift of healing has not passed away. If you believe so, it is your loss and the loss of the people around you. You are obviously a religious person, but it does require the knowledge and faith in it to occur; it requires more than religion, it requires spirituality. I see it weekly. A man with a theory is hard pressed to argue with a man who has experience. He must have the desire and spiritually battle for it. Plenty of preachers wear glasses and even the man who is mentoring me wears glasses, but he has worn them since he was 4 and they don't bother him, he does not care to pray for his eyes to be renewed. I have already addressed the issue of Paul's thorn but it seems people don't read previous commentary. I think it's certainly appropriate to question anyone's biblical literacy, especially when they have been mislead by doctrinely incorrect teaching such as yourself. Since it need be brought up again for peoples' lack of background reading. Paul's thorn was no more a physical ailment than the inhabitabts of Canaan to the children of Israel, if you are unfamiliar with this scripture, I won't make you do your own homework, Num 33:55, or in Joshua 23:13, "they shall be...scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes." Did God mean that the people would crawl into their eyes? Or that they would impale themselves in their abdomens? Doubtful. Try reading 2 Cor 11 and 2 Cor 12 together again, or for the first time it seems. Remember these separations were not there, they were put there so scripture could be catalogued. This was one continous letter. Paul names all of his "infirmities" yet fails to mention any physical illness. Renew your mind with the truth. Jehovah Rapha, I am the Lord that healtheth thee, his first redemptive name infact, all of his other redemptive names are eternal, why would anyone believe just this one has been revoked? Because of your doubt and lack of knowledge. As for the commentor who keeps speaking about the importance of the eternal only, realize that Jesus died to redeem us from the curse of the law, it does not apply to us, we are eternally redeemed from it. If you are sick then you need to renew your mind and learn about the possibilities, for man it is impossible but for God nothing is impossible. When you or someone close to you becomes grievously ill, remember to inform them and remind yourself, of the eternal and not the present, 'because that is all that is important.' Did Jesus say this to the sick that came and crawled to him? Did he say no worries, your illness will only remain for the rest of your natural life, then you will be reborn. Or did he even say, do not worry, I will die in 6 months for you and after that you will have eternal life after you have been plagued with phayical hardship for your entire life.....No. He healed them. He loved them and he loves us, now, not just when we are dead and in heaven. If we were doing as Jesus instructed there would be no poverty, no hunger or homelesness, and no sickness. We keep speaking his word but we have lost the power in it, or some of us have. Be aware that Jesus said it is finished, he has given us all we need, yet we keep scrurrying about like a kitchen mouse searching for crumbs. You would be a fool to think God and especially Jesus don't care about the present, the present tense is part of eternity, and don't forget Jesus died 2,000 years ago, would you think he'd be happy at the depravity taken in so many forms throughout the world? That a majority of people don't believe that sickness was redeemed through his beatings and death because they lack the knowledge of it? That we aren't casting out devils, healing the sick, and raising the dead. Read Mark 16:17-18, his FINAL WORDS before his ascention. Don't you consider someone's final words important? How about your saviors last words? You would be a fool to think that Jesus is all smiles with the way his legacy has played out as a whole.

You have made statement, So back them up with scriptures. Please.

Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Dearest brother, I have frequently told one of my best friends that her argument is with God and not with me. She gets very angry when I say that. You see, she believes that Jesus died for her sins but does not believe the Bible is God's Word, God breathed or otherwise. She thinks it is only man's opinion. So she incorporates some reincarnation and some animism into her philosophy. I don't argue with her anymore like I did when we were teenagers. I just love her intensely and tell her that her argument is with God. Is that being prideful? I tend to lay hands on the sick or just pray for the sick in obedience and leave the results to God. Our pastor seems to also have a gift of knowledge because he often knows who will be healed before he prays. But it is all done very quietly and few know this is being done. Only once Has God given that faith to me, and that time in my daily devotions I had begun reading in Matthew again, but paused and meditated on every verse about healing as I was being drawn to them. A week later my husband was bedridden with a pinched nerve in his neck. No doctor would touch him that I called. The hospital gave him narcotics that didn't help--even morphine. 5 weeks later he had lost 30 pounds because he was so nauseous from the pain and the narcotics. It caused him to go into afib. I prayed for him intensely day and night, believing that God would heal. But only a few hours after our pastor and elders prayed for him, it was completely gone. Hubby said it felt like warm oil was being poured over him and going through him. I would love to seen God work miracles when I pray for people, too. But most often I don't see the results. I just have compassion on the people and pray for them irregardless. We can always ask.

You really expect others to do your homework?

Show me where the Bible says the gifts have ceased. Show me where the Bible says it was just the Apostles that did healings and miracles. Show me where Paul couldn't exorcise the gifts.

At this time it's precisely that I don't feel above them enough, which is why I feel if I jump into the water to minister to them, I will drowned with them, though I share what I feel can help them. But in order for my words to help them, they need to see a strong and stable person. These are the people that Jesus came for. He said he came for the Sinners , not the righteous. There is more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than 99 righteous people who have no reason to repent. It is the sick who need a doctor, not those who are well. These are who Jesus would spend time with so they are who God wants me to hang out with , but I need to have the strength to be able to do more good than harm for the both of us. I assume that is why John the Baptist, Elijah, Jesus, and many of the prophets had to spend a lot of time in solitude before their Ministry. Meditation: I'm feeling very pathetic today and I cannot manage my own life. Only God can. May He do so soon.

and here's a similar psalm i love -- that i hope you will also love

have always loved this song here's another nice contemporary version

I do believe in once saved always saved but remember we as Christians will go through a judgment of everything we have done while in these bodies on earth.Are we judged only from the time we become a genuine believer? I am not quite sure of that. Question: "What is the Judgment Seat of Christ / Bema Seat of Christ?" Answer: Romans 14:10-12 says, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Second Corinthians 5:10 tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” In the context, it is clear that both scriptures are referring to Christians, not unbelievers. The judgment seat of Christ, therefore, involves believers giving an account of their lives to Christ. The judgment seat of Christ does not determine salvation; that was determined by Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf (1 John 2:2) and our faith in Him (John 3:16). All of our sins are forgiven, and we will never be condemned for them (Romans 8:1). We should not look at the judgment seat of Christ as God judging our sins, but rather as God rewarding us for our lives. Yes, as the Bible says, we will have to give an account of ourselves. Part of this is surely answering for the sins we committed. However, that is not going to be the primary focus of the judgment seat of Christ. At the judgment seat of Christ, believers are rewarded based on how faithfully they served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). Some of the things we might be judged on are how well we obeyed the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), how victorious we were over sin (Romans 6:1-4), and how well we controlled our tongues (James 3:1-9). The Bible speaks of believers receiving crowns for different things based on how faithfully they served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). The various crowns are described in 2 Timothy 2:5, 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, and Revelation 2:10. James 1:12 is a good summary of how we should think about the judgment seat of Christ: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” http://www.gotquestions.org/judgment-seat-Christ.html

Gary, I think it's possible to feel that way not be proud about it, but still stuck in that isolation. We are in a fallen world filled with people who are spiritually dead. We need to preach life to them! It's hard sometimes, the resistance can be so great. Even Elijah felt like that, but God was the one who encouraged him that he was not alone. We need that encouragement. Let's encourage one another, though at times rebuke may be needed.

We are commanded to condescend to men of low estate. Whenever I get lifted up like this I know I am headed for a fall. There have been times where I was so far above all the 'walking dead' that I felt very alone. I would treat that loneliness with isolation for fear that the 'dead' might have their stink waift on me and I should smell like them! Then reality kicks in and I see myself as the Pharisee that I am being and I become the publican again who cannot lift his eyes unto heaven. Thank God for his loving kindness that sought me out, sat with me in my death and reconciled me unto him in Christ THEN sent me out to do likewise. Peace

I"m a little shaken by the term "Somehow you will make it to Heaven". There is only one way to Heaven and that is with a faith in God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said " I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me". I pray spiderman that you know Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life, because as I said that is the only way your going to Heaven. JTC is right with one thing he said, Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.

spiderman1917, I remember you from several years ago. I think it was some other Internet place. I'm sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time. Part of it is the era we're living in. You certainly do have a love for God inside you. Right now just about everyone who loves God is having a hard time. We should expect it because Jesus said that since the world hates Him they will hate us too. I see in this in my life almost everyday. I think the only days I don't see it are when I sit home all day. Somehow you will make it to heaven. God never abandons us even when we can't feel Him. I'm glad you're still around and on a Christian board.