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The enemy can even use God's word to preach to us to our error. What he says may even be 99% true, but it's the 1% we need to watch for! But how can we rightly divide the Word of Truth? We must repent! Repent of every agreement with the enemy. When we feel justified in the flesh, we agree with the enemy's justification, for in the spirit we can only justified by God. We may try to justify jealousy, we may try to justify covetousness, the enemy even seeks to justify murder, like abortion, or abomination, like homosexuality. This justification comes from pride. If we had the humility to repent, we would not seek the justification. Once we are in agreement with God, we will be in a WILLING position to be able to receive His truth. Know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free!!!!!! It is very important to keep searching ourselves, and asking God to show us all error in our lives, so that there would be nothing hindering the flow of WILLING communication between our spirits and His. He is more than willing. It is for this reason that He died for us, that we would live out His life in Him, knowing Him, whom to know is eternal life. How aggressive is our refusal of the things the enemy brings our way? Is it aggressive enough? Do we sit and entertain every thought that drops into our mind? Do we act out of impulse before asking the Holy Spirit how to proceed? Are we brave to speak out and say: "Get thee behind me, satan!!!" This is not something just for those with theology degrees, this is for all believers and disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us not continue in avoidable error, and forgivable error, that we do not receive the forgiveness thereof because of unrepentance. If we continue in error, we end up distracted and frustrated over extremely petty things, rather than the enjoying the deep and profound riches that are ours in Christ out of his abundant love. Agree and obey God's leading, that we would agree with one another, and come into unity. In Jesus' mighty Name!!!!!!!!!

Here are some excerpts from my uncle`s book `Fires before the Dawn,` (1992) as a lead in to our question for discussion. It is history we know but good to be reminded, so we can get the background for the present & future events that are shaping. I will present it over four posts.

We should not confuse "the last days" (Heb 1:2) with "the end of the age" (end of the world KJV). We are in the last days since the first coming of Christ, but the "end of the world" (age) will be at His Second Coming. "When will be the end of the world?" That was the question which was asked before the Olivet Discourse (Mt 24, Mk 13, Lk 21). We should also distinguish between the trials and tribulations of the saints (which are for the testing and purification of their faith) and the wrath of God against the unbelieving and the ungodly. The Tribulation and the Great Tribulation have nothing to do with the Church, therefore you will never find the word "church" or "churches" from Revelation 6-18. Once we are clear on these fundamentals, we can understand the end of the world with clarity.

As it pertains to believers, there is the tribulation that we experience to various degrees and in various ways for being not of this world. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 15:19-20 This has been going on since the beginning of the church. Jesus talks about a period of great tribulation in Matthew 24 that begins when the abomination of desolation is setup and ends with the sixth seal. Outside of the great tribulation He mentions, there is no other distinctly separate time of tribulation affecting the church.

The body of Christ is still here and the tribulation of Revelation will only last 7 yrs. we are seeing the wars and rumours of wars and famine and trials and tribulation but nothing on the scale of what is to come. We are experiencing daily life as our ancestors did.

Thank you so much for that wonderful post and story - I got to the "big pink thing" and busted up laughing. If you were educated in Judaism you would know that Gentiles were unclean and a Jew could not even enter the house of one. Hence, Peter protesting about the vision and why the Jews could not enter the Roman palace or they would be defiled and not able to celebrate the Passover. That is the whole point of the Gospel. We are now made clean in Messiah and grafted into Israel. There is no adding to Scripture. Know Judaism and you will know the scriptures. Rem Don't forget. The entire Bible is a Jewish book, written by Jews in a Jewish language, with Jewish customs, in Jewish logic, regarding a Jewish Messiah, who will return as a Jew and establish His throne in a Jewish land with Jewish worship established. Please do not wipe out everything Jewish in favor of Replacement Theology. [The apostles, other than Paul, did not write in Greek. They had to have someone assist them from the original Hebrew.]

Hi Sister, Yes we know that `the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one,` (1 John 5: 19), & we see the manifestation of that here on earth. So here are some facts & projections concerning the city of Babylon today. 1. The City of Babylon is in Iraq. In President Saddam Hussein`s time he referred to himself as the modern King of Babylon. He even had his birth certificate altered to prove direct descent. At enormous expense & effort he rebuilt the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon. This is continuing under the World Heritage`s over site. The UN & the USA have also made it a high priority. 2. The River Euphrates is being enlarged & deepened to allow ocean going vessels to eventually go right up to the city of Babylon. (Rev. 18: 17) 3. The 10 nations of the (inner) Middle East, (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Oman & Yeman) are all in the throes of bringing forth their `messiah like` figure, to bring them together & rule over them. 4. ISIS is bringing together the three nations, Iraq, Syria, & eventually Jordan, to form a single area of ancient Assyria. God tells us that this Messiah figure is called the Assyrian & is the leader/king of Babylon. Marilyn.

When we turn to Numbers 21:5-9, we see that the Israelites were blaspheming God and speaking evil of Moses, and their accusations were false. So God brought swift judgment upon them in the form of fiery serpents (their poison probably produced a fiery sensation, followed by instantaneous death). This was a lesson not only for them but for all who read the Bible. "The wages of sin is death" was dramatically illustrated here. But then Scripture says "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 6:23). However, the only way we could receive eternal life is after our sin-debt was paid in full. So Christ was literally made "Sin" for us (2 Cor 5:21). God the Father placed all the sins and guilt of humanity on His Son, and poured all His wrath upon the holy soul of Christ. Therefore the Son was forsaken by the Father, since Christ was the "Sin-Bearer". Christ was represented in the wilderness by the Sin/Serpent as the Sin-Bearer, with the pole representing the Cross. That is also why the people could simply look on that Brazen Serpent and live, just as we simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive eternal life.

Satan and the Serpent are inseparable, and Satan and sin and evil are inseparable. That fiery serpent in the wilderness was a symbol of sin, and it was not a a stick but a pole on which it was place. So it actually represented Christ on the Cross, who was made Sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Hence John 3:14,15: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

FORETELLING THE FUTURE. Nebuchadnezzar was indeed the King over a mighty empire. The most important and wisest of his subjects was a man by the name of Daniel. The King appointed him as his chief minister and adviser, and made him chief ruler over the whole empire (Daniel 2:48). Daniel, however, was also a prophet of God. He foretold accurately and graphically not only the future course of the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar; but the rise and fall of the various empires that would succeed him (Daniel 2:31-40). This is now factual history. His amazing predictions have been precisely and minutely fulfilled. With similar prophetic accuracy Daniel concentrates on contempo­rary events. Along with Habakkuk (2), and the phenomenally parallel prophecy of Isaiah (10 & 11) he documents that the Middle East will again experience a resurgence of world power. They concur regarding a latter day Assyrian who at the “Appointed time” will harness the long suppressed frustrations of the Arabic ideals. He will unite the conflicting factions of Islam and dominate the entire world. The past endeavours of Saddam Hussein are merely an adumbration of what the Bible predicts will shortly come to pass. The relentless Kurdish persecution was a further reflection of Hussein's fixation with his national history, and the lessons to be learned. It was not until the 7th Century when they became Sunni Moslems that they adopted the name of Kurds. Previously in the time of Nebuchadnezzar they were known as Medes. Daniel (5:30) succinctly expresses the event that concerns Hussein the self-styled "King of Babylon" “That night the King of Babylon was slain; and Darius the Mede took the Kingdom." Will history repeat itself?` (end of quote) What are your thoughts regarding `Will history repeat itself?` Marilyn.

MESSIAH OR DESPOT. The universal opinion of the Allied Nations considered Saddam Hussein as a megalomaniac, a sadistic despot who systematically despoiled Kuwait. However, one of the amazing repercussions engendered by Operation Desert Storm has been the resurgence of Pan-Islamic nationalism. To countries emerging from centuries of oppression, humiliation and foreign intervention Hussein had be­come a Champion, a Messianic Paladin. He released profound emotive sentiments and pride that will not disappear with the cessation of hostilities. "Oil is wealth and this wealth is for Islam" has become the catchcry. Saddam - the name he prefered - actually means "One who confronts". It is this con- frontation against "Imperialist" enemies which provided the catalyst to accelerate the destiny of the Middle East. It has inspired an intoxicating beacon of expectancy across national boundaries from Africa to Indonesia. The coalition won the battle, but in the eyes of the Islamic World, Hussein won the war, he was not defeated. Already the strategists are emerging, arms are being replenished. Clovis Maksoud, the Arab League Ambassador to the United Nations stated recently,” The Arab World is never going to be the same, History will not be made just for us. It has to be made by us." Saddam Hussein's vision and ambition has always been to be the power broker of the Middle East, to weld Arabic race identity with Moslem religious fervour and thus dominate and recreate the vast Islamic Empire of the 9th Century which lasted for 500 years. He lead the Baath Party, whose name means "Renaissance" - Renais­sance to this place of power and authority as a mighty third world power. His intention and program was explicitly revealed in March 1990. It was to be implemented in a definitive 3-fold schedule: - Corner the entire oil deposits of the Gulf area: to control and manipulate world prices. (2)Destroy Israel by every means at his disposal. He knows that the most effective way to popularity, and to unite the Arab World behind any leader is to declare a "Jehad" or Holy war against Israel. In addition he has strong personal motivation. (3) Duplicate the Glory, Power and extent of the empire of King Nebuchadnezzar who ruled in the 6th Century B.C. as King of Babylon and Assyria. Hussein so admired him as his hero that he had his own birth certificate altered to prove direct descent. His propaganda portrayed him as the modern King of Babylon. At enormous expense and effort he has rebuilt the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon to its former pattern and glory.

ACCENT ON OIL Oil was what the Middle East crisis was all about. It has influenced every decision made and every action taken. Robert Tucker, a highly regarded Middle East expert at John Hopkins University, as far back as 1975 `Strongly advocated a permanent United States Presence in the Gulf. A force that would guarantee a steady flow of oil.` Every president since then has concurred. The influence of Arab oil, & the wealth it generates will be a decisive factor shaping future strategy. It will eventually lead to a cartel whose policies will dominate all other world superpowers, consolidating their economic & political authority under one charismatic supremo. FOCUS ON THE MIDDLE EAST. Operation "Desert Storm" has certainly restored the Middle East as the focal point of world attention. Without doubt it is an area of immense prophetical significance, particularly Iraq, which has been designated variously in history as Mesopotamia, Assyria and Babylon. The American historian of Islam, Bernard Lewis, stated recently “The GuIf War is a signal that the end of the Cold war does not mean the beginning of Peace, but the beginning of a new form of war ... a war being waged by Moslem fundamentalist... against the West". This re-alignment of ancient nations which have emerged from obscurity and become the focus of world attention has been accu­rately foretold by the prophets centuries ago. The entire scenario clearly provides an indisputable sign that we are living in the last days of this age. There will be a series of crises affecting the entire world. Super-powers will emerge and capitulate to ruthless dynamic leaders. World War 3 is I believe, already on the horizon. Its magnitude will only be transcended by the final great battle of unprecedented proportions - Armageddon. Iraq in particular will be involved. This was where history commenced; the location of the most ancient city in the world and where great empires had their day. Here was the site of the Tower of Babel, and the cradle of civilisation. The present Gulf crisis is only the preliminary performance in a phenomenal series of Biblical predictions for the Middle East. Marilyn.

Yes, Look at the verse carefully! Yes, let no man judge you for eating kosher (meat), keeping the festivals (holyday), the new moon (another Jewish festival) and the Sabbath (the 7th day of rest) Don't let anyone judge you for keeping the Jewish days. Yes, they are a foreshadow, but they are not gone. Christ brings the true meaning into the keeping of them.

Yes, there are many texts that make it certain whether a person knows the truth or not. While it is true that we are all subject to our own experiences and subsequent opinions, God has ensured that truth be known among His people, and that by love they share it and confirm it. The Love of God is reality.

Well, it may well be that as the book of Jasher tells us, the watchers taught mankind to genetically mix different species and the dinosaurs were not part of the original creation... Just a thought.

I doubt very much there were dinosaurs on the ark. The Bible tells us that Noah took living animals onto the ark, not fossils. Any animal that either did not exist or had already gone extinct by that time would not be taken onto the ark.

I have a dear friend who is struggling with her marriage. Her love has been unrequited since very soon after they wed. That was around 6 years ago, and I myself saw the difference. She is wondering about these verses, and wants to know if she can divorce her husband on terms of deliberate emotional neglect. What does God say about this situation? They have two young kids, and she feels very much isolated and alone. Here is the portion of scripture. Matthew 18:15-17: 15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’[a] 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

as i read your post, it brought me back to a similar place in my life 18 years ago. i was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the prognosis was 6 months; i've been cancer free and doctor free for 16 years now, and received numerous other healings over those years. i've prayed with people and seen immediate healing received, and gradual healing received over time; and this is entirely logical based on scripture; i've experienced instant healing and gradual healing in my own body, and i understand why based on scripture. but there's some things you need to understand about receiving healing from God; it's not that some people have the gift of healing and others don't - every Christian has the gift of healing (albeit most either don't know this or have been somehow prejudiced against the concept) - for themselves - for their own healing - you don't need to go to someone else. the gift of healing commonly referred to as one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit (which i think you are referring to) is something every Christian can operate in - but like all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it cannot be done outside of the leading of the Holy Spirit and is always directed toward healing others instead of one's self - but the good news is, healing is already available to you, the Holy Spirit is always leading you and everyone else to receive it (His healing power is always on), and the key to receiving it is the simple law of faith - now don't get defensive - you OBVIOUSLY have faith; and since faith is a gift from God and everyone gets the same amount - a mustard seed sized chunk of faith that can move mountains - faith is not the variable; and this is actually good news, because no one is gonna force God to give them more faith. the variable is what Jesus called 'unbelief'; and this is better news, because your unbelief is entirely under your own personal control. the effectiveness of faith is the result of the combined and opposite effects of faith (believing God, who is His word) and unbelief (reports that oppose God's word - doctors reports, test results, the body's 'voice' of pain and fear, all the predictions of likely bad outcomes you can find on the internet about the type of sickness you suffer from, etc.). faith and unbelief are opposites. let's say your faith and unbelief is like two teams of horses connected to each other through a carriage that you're sitting in, and pulling in opposite directions. the number of horses on the faith team is constant, but the number of horses in the unbelief team is variable and under your control. if you have less horses on your unbelief team than God put on the faith team, your faith team will drag your unbelief team backward, and pull you toward life; the less horses there are on your unbelief team, the faster the faith team will pull you toward life. if you add horses to the unbelief side, the faith team will slow down; once you add the same number of horses to the unbelief team as are in the faith team, a standstill is reached (your faith is 'bound'). keep adding horses to the unbelief team and the unbelief team will move you faster and faster in the direction of death. unbelief comes in 3 basic forms: 1-'natural' or 'physical' unbelief - where sickness is concerned, symptoms that you feel in your body - pain, weakness, cold symptoms, etc. - this form of unbelief results from focusing on the 'voice' of your own physical body 2-lack of complete understanding of the gospel 3-wrong thinking based on wrong teaching, bad experience - yours and/or others, etc. " Fast forward 25 years, I myself am a chemical engineer, so when I found out I was sick I intially turned to my mind and exhausted every possible option that mankind has to offer which left me back at square 1. " all this stuff opposes what God has said - that He sent His word to heal you - and builds your unbelief (#3 above). since you've started seriously seeking God in His word and stopped researching the world's wisdom, and exercised faith in His supernatural healing, hope has risen up and you're confident that God wants to heal you - you've reduced this 'learned' unbelief by focusing on God's word. does this make sense? i edited the post after posting it, and removed the 'if' from the last sentence; that was a typo

I agree with that , and so we as gentiles should be trying to come along side the jewish believers , and all eventually become of one people , under one rule and under one grace and under one God, ? this makes total sense, and what I am striving to do , if it be possible, to assert all my efforts to be holy and righteous and pleasing in the eyes of God, but also to separate my self from the worldly false believer, and be set aside as a true called out one, in grace and in truth

But you forgot the early quote of James in Act 15:19...."It is my judgement that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to G-d." To lay all the teachings on them at once and to immediately expect more would have overwhelmed Gentiles unfamiliar with the monotheist faith. So James then lists out the 4 minimum requirements for the Gentile to be able to get close enough to a Jew to teach them. You did not quote the last part of James' reasoning which he stated in Acts15:21 "For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath." It was expected that as the Gentile entered the fold they would eventually learn the faith.

Absolutely we should. It is ridiculous to even think a single human being can possess all the knowledge of God when we only been given the word of God in part and only know in part. The unction we have from the Holy One will keep us from the anti-christ spirit. Which are those among us who have never been born again recieving Jesus Christ as their Savior never confessing Christ that he died was buried and arose the third day. Those among us who do not have this testimony are of the anti-christ spirit. These will go out from among us as they were never of us the born again saints of God. Some like to blow up what we say to an extreme level what one is trying to say. But sometime we got to pop that balloon they created. Bottom line is that it is just plain wise to stay away from strife as much as possible. Do I believe in debate absolutely I do in the spirit of love so that the truth of the gospel will have free course and not be hindered or stopped to the best of the ability as God has given to me. Sometimes we have to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves that is the scriptures even if others don't understand what it means but there are those who do.

Hi SINNERSAVED, Interesting question for discussion. here is my example as relating to the nations of the earth. `O King, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom & majesty, glory & honour.......But when his heart was lifted up, & his spirit was hardened in pride, he was disposed from his kingly throne & they took his glory from him...... ...you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.....God has numbered your kingdom & finished it;....you have been weighed in the balances, & found wanting; your kingdom has been divided, & given to the Medes & Persians....` (Dan. 5: 18 - 28) Foretelling the Future Nebuchadnezzar was Indeed the King over a mighty empire. The most important and wisest of his subjects was a man by the name of Daniel. The King appointed him as his chief minister and adviser, and made him chief ruler over the whole empire (Daniel 2:48). Daniel, however, was also a prophet of God. He foretold accurately and graphically not only the future course of the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar; but the rise and fall of the various empires that would succeed him (Daniel 2:31-40). This is now factual history. His amazing predictions have been precisely and minutely fulfilled. With similar prophetic accuracy Daniel concentrates on contempo­rary events. Along with Habakkuk (2), and the phenomenally parallel prophecy of Isaiah (10 & 11) he documents that the Middle East will again experience a resurgence of world power. They concur regarding a latter day Assyrian who at the “Appointed time” will harness the long suppressed frustrations of the Arabic ideals. He will unite the conflicting factions of Islam and dominate the entire world. The past endeavours of Saddam Hussein were merely an adumbration of what the Bible predicts will shortly come to pass. The relentless Kurdish persecution is a further reflection of Hussein's fixation with his national history, and the lessons to be learned. It was not until the 7th Century when they became Sunni Moslems that they adopted the name of Kurds. Previously in the time of Nebuchadnezzar they were known as Medes. Daniel (5:30) succinctly expresses the event that concerns Hussein the past self-styled "King of Babylon" “That night the King of Babylon was slain; and Darius the Mede took the Kingdom." Will history repeat itself? Marilyn.

Hi turtletwo, What a blessings - you & your poem. Thank you. To take the time to appreciate each other is very important, God`s heart. So you may not be here as much but obviously a much loved & important part of the `Body of Christ` each doing their part. I, too, have over the years come to recognise & relate to different ones. God`s work in each of us is shining through & the Master is at work continually shaping & refining us. This song encouraged a friend & I just lately - `Through it all, through it all, I`ve learned to trust in Jesus, I`ve learned to trust in Him. Through it all, through it all, I`ve learned to depend upon His word.` So I`ll give it to you too, TT & may God do that deep work within your spirit through this difficult time & may you experience more of His love & care & compassion flowing out of you to others. Blessings, Marilyn.

It clearly states "made". Not restored, recreated or anything else. God created in six days. I thought along your line of reasoning, maybe 5 or 6 years ago some good folks here at worthy showed how actually studying the wording of the bible leaves no room for a gap. You have to add to the bible and ignore certain scripture to make this gap theory work. And the stumbling block is when we refuse to believe and submit to God's word,

Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. [NASB] This is in reference to the six days of restoration work.

that's pretty shallow. Why is it that the first time Jesus told the disciples to go out to teach he told them not to take anything with them, not even an extra coat and no money at all...... people had no wealth and was not a target for thieves. But the second time he sent them out he told them to take extra money and coat and a weapon...... even if they had to sell an extra coat to afford it take a weapon. So I disagree that the bible says we are not to be armed.

Sure There is nothing but truth in your word, and all of your righteous regulations endure forever. Psalms 119:160 (GOD'S WORD® Translation) Enough Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Proverbs 30:6 (New American Standard Bible) But, But But.... For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 20:11 (New Living Translation) Love, Your Brother Joe

Since God does not directly say why He told the children of Israel to eat only those animals categorized as clean, there are indications. First of all, I want to say that prior to the Mosaic law, there were no restrictions on which animals were clean to eat. When Noah and family left the boat, the animals which were considered clean were clean for sacrifices, not food. Noah 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. 3 Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. 4 Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. So, to Noah and his children, any living animal was given as food. The only limitation was that they were not to consume blood. When we get to the Kosher laws, God told the children of Israel only to eat clean animals which are listed. God said to do this because the children of Israel were to be a Holy people. Holy means to be separated for God's purposes. The dietary laws were to separate the children of Israel from the surrounding people. The children of Israel could not eat with the surrounding people and eating together is a standard way to socialize. Since the children of Israel could not socialize with the surrounding people, they were kept physically separated. In the NT, the indwelling Holy Spirit separates believers from the non-believers. So, living a life of a believer, separated by God, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit separates us from the surrounding people. As a new believer, I came from a life in which I had little contact with non-Jews. It took me over a year of believing on Jesus before I went into a church (which is predominantly Gentile). My very first time going to a church was very strange. I did not know what to do, or what was proper in a church. I did not know where women sat (as in synagogue, women sit in a separate section from the men. I did not know if I was to wear a head covering like in synagogue. I knew nothing. Once I figured out that men and women sit together, I found a place to sit. A very nice couple in front of me started a conversation. I asked them a few questions which they gracefully answered. They invited me over for lunch on the following Sunday and I accepted. The next Sunday, I followed them in my car to their house. When we entered, the wife told me lunch was almost ready and if I wanted to, we could go to the kitchen and visit. Once there, she took out of the oven, a big pink thing with little sticks stuck into it and pineaple wrings hanging off of it. She smiled quote proudly at the special meal she had prepared. For me, I stared at the thing as I had not stopped to consider that they might serve ham. I had never eaten pig before and I was in a quandry. I stood there with my mouth dropped open thinking 'what do I do?', and the story of Peter and the sheet of unclean things came to mind. In the mean time, my hostess was trying to figure out why I looked so shocked and horrified when it dawned on her that I am Jewish and probably never had pig before. When she started to apologize, I stopped her and said do not worry, for we are now family in Jesus. Kosher could not separate me from the body of Messiah, as we are one in Jesus. I ate ham. (But as a side note, I really do not care for the taste.) As believers, we come from a wide variety of cultures, and physical separators like food should not separate us. As another added note, certain traditional Jewish food which is Kosher, many non-Jews find disgusting. I have cooked traditional dinners for Gentile friends and do serve some of the things others find disgusting so that they can try them, but I always make sure there is plenty of other food, Gentiles will find palatable.

If it was only from the President, that would be one thing. But when they have been getting everything from the RINOs without a murmur, that should be extremely disturbing. That was betrayal.

Should we classify this as a "foolish question"?

I believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. But I could be wrong. We may have to go through some or all of the Tribulation to come. If so, we must do that while holding on to our Christianity. I will not turn away the hungry. I will provide comfort to those in need, the best I can. I will protect those that need protection, even if the cost is my life. But I will show no mercy to anyone coming after my family, or those I've given shelter to.

I know it doesn't deal directly with marriage, but as a Christian, he is her brother. You have asked questions that you will find answers to if you read through the thread. And anyway, as I said before, God is solving this one, and she is far happier now than she was a week ago, so I'm just glad that they are getting a breakthrough. Rejoicing with those who rejoice

God is Awesome !

Excellent news! God has finally gotten through to the husband, and it was just something as simple and as fundamental as obeying the call of God in his life. After that acknowledgement and repentance, their world is turned around 180! God is so merciful and good, and we give Him all the glory! Thanks for all the advice, and prayers if you have prayed. It's like new, I can see it on her face. Praise be to Jesus!!!

I wasn't going to relay everything everyone has said as gospel truth, just wanted to help her in some way. Whatever will happen, I trust and she does too that God is in control. I just wanted to ease her burden.

Just tell me if/when you want those resources.

That's helpful, thanks I shall pass this on. It would at least show her that she's not the one going crazy

I understand but what about Her pastor the person that God placed over her...He may not say the same thing any over are saying. If He truly is following the Lord he is going to say what Gods will is. We have to repsect the authorities God has placed over us. I gp back to my original statement that sharing these very difficult times with many can continue to aid in confusion. Zion I think you should leave us out of it and let her Spiritual Mother and Father handle it whether it be continue praying, counseling, or divorce. And let this be done without every ones opinion. This has been a great discussion but i dont feel comfortable adding more, this is outside my jurisdiction Love u Zion Im praying May God come throug expediently

This is an emotional abuse. I had a best friend once, who was in a similar situation. I tried to help her; unfortunately, despite the opportunities given to her by God, she lacked the faith to follow through. And so she is still trapped, and we're not friends anymore. Your friend should really consider separation (not divorce). I'm no expert, but that is the advice given by a pastor I trust and respect to those who are being abused in their marriage. If you want, I can PM you some links to resources you can study.

I think Jeff might have been trying to add more love. after praying about this the scripture "after you have done all stand therefore" came to mind. One preacher put it this way, the Roman army in battle would slay every enemy they could find and when a soldier thought he was finished in battle he would look around for more enemies. Hot. sore. tired. achy. In general pain. But they stood therefore. Although I agree with you Zion, the truth should be said in love. Jeff's last post may actually be what God is saying. I would be cold bloodedly honest with myself bc God sees the heart of man. And make sure that there isnt any resentment, anger, unforgiveness, I know this can be hard in any type of relationship, but is she seeing him after the Spirit not after the flesh? Like Jeff said confess positive instead of negative....this helps to renew your mind. As a mother i felt nothing towards my son and was heavily considering giving him for adoption. I spoke with some leaders at my church and they said meditate on love scriptures and confess positive things. O gosh there were times id be in public whispering those scriptures so i didnt lose it. And at first it was hard to confess right things about my son....i had to really work hard it...i spent a lot of time quiet.... if you dont have anything nice to say dont say it all....ya kno. Now he is five i love this kid with all I have and I know God put it there. I cant say one negative about him. I dont see life with out him either. Gods word is alive and active like a double edge sword dividing bone and marrow soul and spirit. She can do all the right things but from what i can tell in this post her heart is not in it. There has to be a point where we decide that GODS WILL be done regardless of how we feel. Jesus is the perfect example one of my favorite images of His level of obedience and honor to God. He said with blood dripping from His brow Father if there be any other way.....the best part....God was Silent......then Jesus said not my will but urs b done and He died on the cross for us. It wasn't based on His feeling or even His beloved desciples who would have preferred He stay alive. Again she has to choose. Her heart attitude could be what God is working on. Anyway srry about Jeffs last reply, I quoted him but.... After giving this my heart i think Go to leadership if we aren't able to here God bc our emotions are in the way then we go to leadership. Other posters are right about the host of issues this will cause the children if it isnt the Lords will. Keep listening out for Him....He will make it super clear. We may not always get the answer we want but He answers every time.

Jeff: Be indifferent to emotion. Transcend emotion... Well now, that's Buddhism Do you think Christ was on earth walking around like some kind of robot? Do you think He got His disciples to follow Him because He was dazzlingly obnoxious about everyone around Him? He Himself was a man of sorrows, and many thought Him afflicted of God. Again, not helping. But if you'd like to try again, that's fine by me. I did ask what God says about this, but not what Jeff says. Once again, I'm not after technicality, I'm after His truth in His love. Just saying.

Thanks Gary. Number 1, she has no issue with his appearance, she didn't marry him for that, so... Number 2, she repeatedly asks him what is so wrong with her that he treats her the way he does. He says there's nothing wrong with her and that she is just wonderful. Notice that he doesn't deny that he does treat her poorly. Number 3, she is all about the Lord, and then all about him. I tell her that that there is her problem. She can't help it though. She feels selfish if she doesn't think about their life that way. But I think there is a difference between being selfish and protecting yourself. If you surround yourself with negativity all day with no escape... is numbing herself to everything the answer? Number 4, kids are starting to take after Daddy. I've seen it with my own eyes. There might be more to it, there might not. I'm just relaying what I have seen. God bless you

Jeff, it's not what you say, it's how. you may be technically correct but you are not helping at all. Sorry, but that's the truth.

We always should speak the truth but in love, Correction is important but it needs the love cushion

Divorce is a last resort. It may well be that, after 6 years, all other options have been explored already, but if not, one way of putting Matthew 18:15-17 into practice would be for them to seek marriage counselling.

Im not married and never have been...so my opinion may not count.....but is she getting beat? is he continuously cheating on her? Bc those are the only two reasons i know of that can legitimately even CONSIDER divorce. I dont know the full story but it sounds like her love tank is empty? Is it possible to consider spending more time in Gods word about He is truly the Husbandmen and even Head over her husband. Reach out to Him to fill the places where shes dry. At the end of the day her husband cant be love to her he wasnt meant to be thats Jesus's job. She can tell God to striaghten him out. Also is it possible for her to read the Five Love Languages of God book. SOMETIMES we have to sow the very thing we are looking for and even into the person we aren't liking. Also consider the fact that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And we love Him bc He first loved us. Love is by decision its not a feeling. 1 Cor 13 4-8 says it best Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. Look at each word and phrase they are all choices. Now is it possible that her husband was not Gods choice sure....but we dont want our feelings telling us that. We want God telling us. In my short service to the Lord I have found that by doing His Word and waiting on His response by two or more witnesses works wonders. Like Enoob said he may come around to loving Christ more if she did her part in the Word. It happened to Smith Wigglesworth. And there is freedom in knowing that she can put her foot down and humbly disagree with her husband if he is not putting God as head over the house hold and submit to his decision making all the while telling God to convict his heart. Kennith Hagin talks about this. I would actually put my God at His Word and see what He has to say about it. I also wouldn't be talking much about it with too many people maybe one or two trusted friends who would partner with me prayer as well. To find out what God is truly saying. To many opportunities for the enemy to get in there causing confusion. Which God is not the author of. Then i would purpose in my heart that no matter what I will praise Him and be a doer of His Word towards my husband. Also i would try talking with Him about it but that may not work and ur still faced with choosing to love him anyway. I would specifically pray against marriage destroying Spirits like pride contention miscommunication misunderstanding dishonor and other attitudes. Marriage is supposed to be a testimony of how Jesus responds to the church and how the church responds back so protect it with prayer. I would also pray for my husband more than I have been. I would repent for anyway that I have contributed to the issue and purpose before God that I will be the solution and ask Him to keep me accountable. At the end of the day I said vows before God. He would be looking at my heart and judging me based on my heart response. We cant change other people but we can change out responses. SOMETIMES thats how God works on our flesh and molds us to be more like His son. I will pray for her

Jeff, you have dazzled me with your new depths of callousness. This section is for those who are struggling. What do you think she needs if not prayer? If you came here only to present your opinion then please don't trouble yourself. People are hurting, and the last thing they need is others rubbing their noses in it.

He says he's a Christian, but as far as fruits go...

Z if your using this to show spiritual un-equals, as believer and unbeliever, then she would still need to consider these verses ! Cor 7:10-15. My personal council to her would be for her to set down with The Lord and commune together in this matter where God may allow her to die to her personal needs to see a more important matter and that being the rescue of the father of her children from hell... Love, Steven

She does trust Him. She also feels trapped. The least you could do is offer to pray.