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  1. I think slowly fuming for years over such issues hurts the offended one far more then the one who is the focus of the offense.. The thing to do is to give it all over the the LORD Jesus Christ and allow Him to deal with the situation as He deems fit.. Anger is like a weight on your shoulders.. Lugging it around for years is just toxic to all concerned.. It is a heavy debilitating burden..
    5 points
  2. Nope. I don't care who attends a wedding or a funeral. And I would not expect even a close friend to leave their vacation for my funeral. That is unreasonable. The dead don't care. They are dead. The older I get, the harder it is for me to be offended by others. They live their life and I live mine. I can't expect them to have the exact same values as me. That is not reasonable. Life's too short to get offended every time someone does not meet your particular expectations of how things should be done. You'll be a much more happy and joyous person if you stop judging what others do regarding "non-sin" issues. Heck, even sin issues. Let Jesus deal with it.
    4 points
  3. I have a serious question I would like to ask; Why does God allow pain & suffering in the world? I'm not just talking about in general like war, terrorism, racism etc but in each of our lives as an individual. I was a victim of child molestation as a baby, I have suffered from neglect, childhood bullying, in fact I have been bullied all my life, both in real life & online. I am going through financial issues and currently putting up with verbal & emotional abuse from my Mum who is actually my Great Aunty which she got custody of me when I was 10 months old because of the neglect by my biological parents and was diagnosed by my pediatrition with an intellectual learning disability since being a child. I am on a disability support pension which is why I am struggling with financial problems and my Mum is on the Seniors pension. Because of the verbal & emotional abuse I am dealing with from my Mum, I feel I really need to move out and get my own place but because I am on a disability support pension I don't think I could even afford to pay rent. What I want to know is why did God allow all this to happen? Is he punishing me for something I did or maybe because of what my biological parents did? Is God trying to tell me something through my pain & suffering? Is their a purpose for my pain and suffering? If so then why?
    3 points
  4. Christianity isn’t the “old man improvement society” but is of a life (nature) which has never before existed in mankind, and is established and maintained by the One who “created” it. It, like faith, brings believers along in the “walk in the Spirit,” and instructs and leads them (via the Word) unfailingly to “grow up into Him (Christ) in all things” (Eph 4:15). The present difficulty is not so much as understanding these truths but in knowing the reliance in their unceasing “work” in us. The very thing that separated us from God (old nature) is one of the elements continually being used to bring us to God and to grow in His Son! Heavenly Citizenship Paul, the Father’s chief exponent of Christianity, wrote, “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Mark this, “I—no longer I—but Christ.” The old “I” – “crucified.” The new “I” – Christ (“who is our life” – Col 3:4 via the “new nature” which is “after the image of Him that created him” - Col 3:4, 10—NC). “And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:19, 20). This, and only this, is Christianity. It is not “the old man,” the first man, becoming religious, even though the religion be the profession of the doctrines, and adopting of the ordinances of Christianity. No, it is the death and burial of the old man—the old I—and being recreated in the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Every true believer is a new man in Him. He has passed completely out of the old-creation standing, the old estate of sin and death, guilt and condemnation; and he has passed into the new-creation standing, the new estate of life and righteousness in the Last Adam, the Head of the new creation. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal 6:15). There is immense power in all the realm of truth. It sets forth Christianity in striking contrast to every form of religiousness under the sun. Take Judaism or any other ism that ever was known or that now exists in this world, and what do you find it to be? Is it not invariably something designed for the testing, or experimenting or the improvement, or advancement of the first man? Unquestionably! But Christianity is something totally new—heavenly, spiritual and divine. It is based upon the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which the first Adam came to his end, where sin was put away, judgment borne, the old man crucified and put out of the Father’s sight forever, so far as all believers are concerned. The Cross closes, for faith, the history of the first man. “I have been crucified with Christ . . . and risen with Christ.” Christianity begins, as it were, from the open tomb of the Second Man, to pursue its bright career upward to eternal glory. “All things are of God”—hence there can be nothing of man (e.g. concerning godly sources which come only from God. Source from Him—evidence of it from the believer—NC)! Such is the position and unalterable standing of the feeblest believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is absolutely no other standing for any Christian. I must either be in the first man or in the Second. There is no third man, for the Second Man is the Last Adam. There is no middle ground. I am either in Christ, or I am in my sins. But if I am in Him, I am as He is before the Father. “As He is so are we, in this world.” He does not say, “As He was” but “as He is.” That is, the Christian is viewed by the Father as one with His Son—the second Man, in whom He delights. We do not speak of His deity, of course, which is incommunicable. That blessed One stood in the believer’s stead—bore his sins, died his death, paid his penalty, represented him in every respect; took all his guilt, all his liabilities, all that pertained to him as a man in Adam, stood as his substitute, in all the verity and reality of that word, and having divinely met his case, and borne his judgment, He rose from among the dead, and is now the Head, the Representative, and the only true definition of the believer before the Father. The truths that we have just quoted from Galatians are a most vivid and condensed statement of it, and if we turn to Romans Six, we will see further evidence of it. Consider these specific statements in the first half of the chapter: “We that have died”—“We are buried with Him—“Like as Christ was raised . . . even so we also”—“Our old man was crucified with Him”—Dead with Christ”—“Dead indeed unto sin.” Do we really understand such utterances? Have we entered into their real force and meaning” Do we, in very deed, perceive their application to ourselves? These are searching questions for the heart, and needful. The real doctrine of Romans Six is but little apprehended by most believers. There are many who profess to believe in the atoning virtue of the death of the Savior, but who do not see aught therein beyond the forgiveness of their sin. They do not see the crucifixion, death and burial of the old man—the condemnation of sin—the entire setting aside in death of the old system of things belonging to their first Adam position—in a word, their perfect identification with a dead and risen Lord Jesus Christ. Hence it is that we press this grand and all-important line of truth upon the attention of the believer. It lies as the vary base of all true Christianity, and forms an integral part of the truth of the Gospel. Now to consider further evidence on this point, Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances after commandments and doctrines of men (as such), touch not, taste not and handle not?” Thus it is that human ordinances speak to us, telling us not to touch this, not to taste that, not to handle the other, as if there could possibly be any divine principle involved in such things—“which all are to perish with the using”; and “which have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body—not in any honor—to the satisfying of the flesh. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your mind (contemplate mostly—NC) on things that are above, not on things on the earth. For ye have died and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 2:20-23). Here again, let us inquire how far we enter into the true force, meaning and application of such words as these—“Why as though living in the world?” etc. Are you living in the world or living in heaven—which? The true believe is one who has died out of this present evil world at the Cross. He has no more to do with it (concerning our spiritual source—NC) than the Lord Jesus on high. “Like as Christ . . . even so we.” The believer is dead to the law—dead to sin—dead to the world; alive in the Lord Jesus—alive in the Father—alive in the new creation. He belongs to heaven now. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who once were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13). The believer is enrolled as a citizen of heaven. He is a heavenly man walking on the earth, fulfilling all the responsibilities which belong to the varied relationships in which the hand of his Father has placed him, and in which the Word of God most fully recognizes him, and amply guides him, such as husband, father, child, servant, etc. The believer is not a monk, an ascetic, or a hermit. He is a heavenly, spiritual man, in the world, but not of it. He is like a foreigner, so far as his residence here is concerned. He is in the body, as to the fact of his condition; but not in the flesh as to the principle of his position: he is a man in Christ. - C H Mackintosh Excerpt from MJS devotional for May 15: Throughout time and eternity the God of circumstances has every situation planned for our good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28, 29). That is all that should matter to us. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee” “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God” (Ps. 76:10; 2 Cor. 4:15).” - MJS “What the other person said or did to you was undoubtedly wrong and cannot be justified. Nor did he do it at God’s direction; but God permitted him to do it for some wise reason which will yet prove to have been abundantly worthwhile for you. By the time that action reached you it had become the will of God for you, since to a yielded believer there are no second causes.” – O. S. http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/
    2 points
  5. One of the areas God changes in the heart when He enters is where to place importance ... it is to be formed from His Word and not of the darkness of lies in this world... Matt 8:21-22 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. KJV This would seem cold if not born again unto a living hope... but the lump of dirt that once held the soul is but a lump of dirt! The unique aspect of Life is that it entails The Lord and The Lord only all else is smoke and mirrors to detract from that reality...
    2 points
  6. There are many ways to pay respect. The pastor did not have to cut short his vacation in order to attend a funeral in order to pay respect. John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” You shouldnt judge the motives or the heart of those folks based on outward appearances.
    2 points
  7. Hey Alison, I can feel your hurt, and i can hear in your voice all the worries and brokenness inside you, and im truly so very sorry that your life, till now, has not been as happy as you need it to be... but i have something to share with you that will help. Alison, On This forum, we all have something in common. We are all people who hurt sometimes, and feel lonely sometimes, and are very disappointed sometimes... and honestly, this is just how it is to be a human..... as we are all down here together on this green spinning Globe, and its not always a fun ride.... But, on this forum, we all have another thing in common, and that is, that we have all found the LOVE of God and we have all discovered that "Jesus came to HEAL the broken hearted", and all of us need this...... all of us. So, i invite you to discover that God knows you, and He knows all about you, and Has seen your pain and He wants to give you hope and joy where there has been hopelessness and sorrow. I can promise you, as all the believers here can testify.....God is Real, and JESUS IS ALIVE, and they both want to you to know that they care for you and love you...... and so do we. Alison, find help and all your answers in a close personal relationship with Jesus, and you'll find lasting relief for all your pain, and it will always be there for you, as God and His unconditional Love will never leave you. God is always waiting for us to reach out and receive His Love. Thats what I did, I heard about the Love of God and i wanted this, i needed this, and He replied and filled my heart...... And so, Alison, i hope you will reach out to Him also, very soon, and let Him fill yours.. Please do. <B><
    2 points
  8. I would just like to say that spych meds are not necessarily the answer. Many emotional problems are also spiritually rooted and can be solved through other than taking psych meds. Spych meds should be a last resort not a first. I am glad i never took any spych meds. And i am glad that my own personal GP never pushed me toward that way of dealing with personal problems. My problems were all about learning new coping skills to cope with everyday situations along with having a daily living relationship with God. As for helpful therapies out there? There is cognitive therapy that can show new ways to look and react to life problems, but not many places offer such programs, all depending where you live, perhaps in your area they do offer such cognitive therapy that you can find out about by going through your regional social worker, who can then refer places that do offer cognitive therapy? If none are available in your area, there are books on the subject, where some people read and practice that way. Again what helped me more than just the psychological aspect of it was my spiritual outlook . With a new spiritual outlook, many things changed and for the better. My concern is when people begin to advocate the use of spych meds. I am very much against that as i have seen and heard how too many times they don't work and the difficulty it is of coming off of them and the long term chronic physiological damage they can do to the body. Also there are many even professionals who are now coming to admit that all these meds given to try and solve depression do not necessary work and especially long term and that they can also cause other side effects that can become chronic . Rather than going strait for spych meds or to a psychiatrist whose job it is to prescribe medication and not counseling, better if you feel you need for some kind of counseling to try and find that through social services offered in your area, and look also to group counseling with others who also suffer similar . Be very careful about getting into the psychiatric medicine and its division, you can then become listed and labeled as a person with Mental health issues on your personal medical information chart. And these can have repercussions throughout your life in divers aspects of it.
    2 points
  9. None of this is your fault. God is not punishing you. His desire is to heal you and save your soul. Mat 9:12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Mat 9:13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” We serve a God of compassion and mercy. Grace is underserved favor. He came for us not because we deserve it but because we need His help. This passage concerns Jesus but it was written centuries before He came to suffer and die on the cross for us. Every bit of it was fulfilled when He came. God's word is true. Isa 53:2 ESV For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. Isa 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Isa 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Isa 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? Isa 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Isa 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Isa 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Hebrews 2:17 Wuest. For this reason it was an obligation for Him in all things to be made like His brethren, in order that He might become a compassionate and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, with a view to offering that sacrifice for the sins of the people that would perfectly meet the demands of God's justice. For in that He suffered, having himself been tempted and put to the test, He is able to run to the cry of those who are being tempted and put to the test, and bring them aid. Jesus wants to save your soul, help and heal you so that you can help and comfort others eventually. If you have not already done so, receive Jesus as you Savior and Lord God. Call out to Him and ask Him to come into your life to help you to forgive your abusers as Jesus has forgiven His. Father God will send His Holy Spirit to you Who is called the Comforter, and He will dwell in you and make you God's own child, His heir, and a part of His family. This is not an overnight solution. It requires learning Scripture so you can refute the accusations of the enemy, whether satan or people. Jesus came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Satan came to kill, steal and destroy. Learning to recognize the lies of the enemy can only be done by learning the truth of God's word. 2Co 1:3 ESV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.2Co 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. Sorry this was so long.
    1 point
  10. I can't judge people's love for others by a 30 minute service over the dead. My grandfather died suddenly many years ago. Our pastor at the time was out of town. He did not come in for the funeral. He and my grandfather were the closest of any two men in our church. They dearly loved each other and each other's family. Not one person in our family thought anything about it. Nothing. We were not offended at all. We knew that he was out of state and getting back for 30 minutes wasn't prudent. He would grieve with my grandmother when he came back. I wish you could read the letter he wrote my grandmother that did get to her a day or two later. It was the most heart-felt thing ever. It was something she kept for many years in her bible. I would hate to know that I had to attend every single funeral/wedding of every single friend or their families to prove my love for them.
    1 point
  11. Amen, "from glory to glory" in Christ's image!
    1 point
  12. It could be argued that Romans 13 is an indictment against the founders of the U.S. who rebelled against their government and created the U.S.
    1 point
  13. ah the OT 12 as in the 12 tribes of israel gee i hope you dont want me to name them all lol and the then in the NT the 12 disciples that Jesus chose
    1 point
  14. Sometimes on Worthy you have those moments where you think, this cannot be real, I cannot seriously be reading a thread like this....
    1 point
  15. Very cool, wonderful! BTW- That sounds to me like a great tale to be told, and shared with many.
    1 point
  16. Hi, Regardless of circumstances in either situation, just who is carrying a burden over them today? Developing a keen sense for slights is just that a burden that wears on the heart. It just doesn't matter a wit what happened nor when. Let it go, put on a happy countenance and go about proclaiming the wonder of the gospel of our Lord and savior. Should it be that you still feel bad about not attending a wedding, then say so to God. Ask Him what to do about that now. And if the answer seems to be apologize for not attending a wedding then share that you feel bad to this day about it and give a nice surprise anniversary gift to the wedded couple. But please do not share your sense of having slighted someone, by balancing flaws, finding someone else, a pastor who in your opinion did something similar , and then try to balance that all out to feel justified in some manner. Instead let it go, be appreciative that the pastor bothered to mention your extended family member at any time. Why you could perhaps get over your own sense of being slighted by sending that pastor a note saying thanks for your mention of my family member, I miss him too. It was nice to hear his name mentioned, thanks. My point and suggestion is please consider being pro active in getting past your own burden, shake it off, don't let the evil one, nor your own mind, weight you down. Get back to a happier countenance and praise God for it. It is hard to sing He Lives He lives Christ lives today while carrying the burden of small slights around. Hard to participate in the Lord's supper that way too. So please for your own well being bury the slights and put a grave marker on them, and move on having finalized that issue. Just my thoughts for whatever they might be worth-
    1 point
  17. In the first quoted post, isnt that what you were doing? You judged him for not attending the funeral.
    1 point
  18. ‘And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.’ (Gen 1:31) Praise God!
    1 point
  19. Hi sisters Yes, John the Beloved. How I love reading his letters. Especially the first few verses of The Gospel of John, but these three letters are nothing short of wonderful!! Marilyn, I have often thought that the reason Jesus told Peter when they were walking on the beach not to worry about others, but just to "follow Me". John was being saved for the Isle of Patmos, and Revelation.
    1 point
  20. Hi Alison_P and I attempted to reply on another thread prior to finding only members connected to the ministry could reply. One of your questions there was "Why does God allow pain & suffering in the world?" I attempted to reply with this following answer. I believe God, and as a believer we’re told that all things work together for good to those that love God in Rom 8:28. Well, Paul below was given a thorn in the flesh many believe to be weak eyes such that he had to have other write for him (read it below). Sufferings? God allowed him to suffer like none other than Jesus I’ve read, and yet in 1Cor 11:1 Paul tells us to follow him as he followed Christ. The benefit? We’ll be judged by the gospel revealed to him by our risen Savior according to Gal 1:11-12. And Rom 2:16 which says “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” You speak of being on disability support income, but I know it is limited also. I’m also aware that there is other housing available to some of these cases in America when things are not working in your present situation; you might want to ask any counselors you have contact with. I am sorry to hear of such conditions, but I do know that it was the hardest times in my life that led me to seek a relationship with God as I never did before. Blessings in Christ Jesus, and I'll sure be praying for you in Jesus' name. 2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
    1 point
  21. Hi Brother Berean, I suspect that you’re speaking of something personal you may desire to purchase, other than some biblical mission you may want to enter. To me, if it’s God’s mission for you, you may be confronted with opportunity, and as the angel (messenger) of God provide help in someone’s time of need. That is according to God’s word that we love one another. 1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. As to some things in my life I have to weigh in the balances of eternity who may be attempting to lead me at the moment. Don’t really know if that’s what you’re seeking, but I wanted you to have more responses to consider. Blessings in Christ Jesus.
    1 point
  22. Even in the winter I got my ice tea!
    1 point
  23. I love this response ? Thank you for sharing!
    1 point
  24. I wish more people would trust in the finish work of christ . It tells us how we are right before God. The blood of christ is what makes us right.
    1 point
  25. What you use to attract people is what you must use to keep people. So attract people by preaching the Word. Down with the circus and up with Jesus. It is the preaching of the cross that calls out the believers from the world. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
    1 point
  26. Ice tea? Southerner alert! Southerner alert!
    1 point
  27. Hi Alison; Know that you are not alone, going through all these feelings. People can be very nasty and cruel, but that is the nature of the beast. For sure there are good things in life and also good people, just coming to understand the workings of life sometimes takes time. Healing needs to take place in you, and yes God can help you., help you to forgive those who mistreated you. Understanding human nature is also important, so you can come to terms with what was done to you and then let go of it. What helped me a lot to overcome my past hurts from coming from a dysfunctional family was to firstly go to God with these problems.Depression many time is anger turned inward. Being angry with family members, people from school, workplace, who have taken advantage and mistreated you. There is a solution, and that is to get a little more understanding on human behavior and not reacting to people places and things, but to look at thing objectively and not internalize what you observe of people especially bad behavior of people. The thing many hurt people become is either a people pleaser or a bully.Neither is good. The healthy solution is to learn to reclaim your authentic self through and In Christ Jesus. God never creates junk. You are precious in Gods sight. As a christian you are an ambassador to Christ Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:20 Study Bible Ambassadors for Christ …19that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. 21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.… . That is a high calling, and as such you have God as your guide and protector. Always remember to not seek esteem from people, but rather to seek esteem from God. People are fallible and disappoint, God remains true, His Laws are unchanging, you can depend on Him and His word always, and His word equips you with all the tools to help you along your path in life. It took me a long time to figure out why people do the things they do. Until i was able to find better understanding of that, I remained caught up in a trap of hate , anger, and forgiveness, and I placed all that on me, punishing myself the hardest, and it sunk me into great depths of depression. No drugs, medication could help. But God could and did come to help me out of my pit of great sadness and despair. Once i learned the importance of forgiving, I finally became released of my past hurt that would, when i least expected it, come to haunt me like a broken record (you know that broken record of : your no good, your a failure, your ugly, you will never amount to anything, you are good for nothing...) without me having any control of stopping that broken record from playing. I tried everything self help books, psychotherapy, group therapy, going to church, going to different churches. Nothing gave me relief from my initial pain of self hate. It was when I was alone with God and began a very personal daily relationship with Him, that I began to get better. Step by step I brought to God my problems and asked Him to heal me from them and to teach me how to overcome. In time God has taken away a lot of my hurts, has restored me in confidence of knowing who I truly am in Christ Jesus. And He can and will do the same for you if you keep seeking Him with all your heart in the privacy of your own room. He will meet you where your at. There is a man who helped me to understand human behavior, that in turn helped me to be able to forgive.He has a radio talk show and you can listen to his podcast by going to .https://www.fhu.com/ on the right side it says: advice line radio show, click on Play podcast. This man understand human nature and explains it well, well enough for a person to be able to begin understanding and from there being able to forgive. This man is just another human, he is not perfect, but he has a gift of explaining human behavior, I take what is good from what he says and what I don't agree with I just let go, but this man knows the human condition and explains it so well, and that is the main purpose to listen to him. when you know how people are, you become better equipped to deal with them. And it is from that understanding, that you will be better equipped to deal with people in all walks of life and most importantly, find it in you to be finally be able to let go, let God and to forgive on the spot. Also, what helpful in feeling better in the head,healthy eating habits, and doing on a regular basis , stretching and a little exercise and walking. these help bring oxygen to the brain and improve blood circulation and bring a sense of well being. Its important to develop these good habits young so that you will keep them up as you get older. they will help to sustain you through the process of life. Dear Alice, I am thinking and praying for you. :-) 2 Corinthians 5:17 Ambassadors for Christ …16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:… There is a solution to a better you and its in finding it through Christ Jesus. God Bless; 1to3
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  28. God bless you! Be sure not to neglect prayer; every day, go to the Lord, ask Him to show you His love for you, and to help you learn to love yourself as well. It's good to guard against excessive, prideful self-love, but it's also wrong to forget that God loves is dearly, and we should not despise what God loves, right? It's easy to say and hard to do, but try to keep reminding yourself of it. This is from one victim of emotional and verbal bullying during my school years to another here. You also need to get connected to a good local body of believers. Find a church where the truth is preached and taught and the people are open and loving. Don't try to go it alone!
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  29. Friend, I am so very sorry you have endured such bullying and also neglect. First of all, are you believing on the Lord Jesus as your own Savior? If so, please start to remember and think on that you are a beloved child of God through Christ. Everytime you start to feel badly, remember who you are in Jesus. God loves you unconditionally. In order to learn more of who you are in Christ, please read the Bible. If you are a new believer, most people start to read the Gospel of John, then other parts of the New Testament. However, please also read the Psalms....the Psalms are very comforting and healing for us emotionally! I find in reading the Psalms, that our innermost being is often touched. Of course, pray and ask the Lord to help you. Also, if you don't have a church family, I would look for one where you feel loved and accepted, just as you are. Of course we all want to grow spiritually, but it's important that others love us unconditionally at the place we are at right now. I hope these suggestions will be of some help to you. God loves you!
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  30. "You can be a clown, you can be a Preacher. But you can't be a clown-preacher." -unknown
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  31. The only true believer of the word is the doer of the word. For every inward grace will bear outward evidences Hi Marilyn. I really love what you have said here, particularly this part above. Every inward grace..... will bear outward evidences. Beautifully put. Thank you.
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  32. The whole point is to be blameless before Yahweh who ultimately gives all authority everywhere. It is a tough pill to swallow for us 'free' westerners. But in reality, there is no authority except it first comes from the Lord. "We are led like lambs to the slaughter all the day long." We must not forget that this world is NOT our home, yet we must bring glory to the Lord whenever possible. "Hold you peace and let the Lord fight your battles".
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  33. The general teaching here, Kay, was to subject yourself humbly under the rule of those in authority (Romans 13:1), and lead what Paul taught elsewhere was a "quiet life," where you were not a nuisance to rulers but did your best to instead be a blessing to the cities and nations you were citizens of. The idea was not that they would be perfect in their judgments, but simply that they were not generally a terror to those who did things like praying for the peace and well-being of their nations (1 Timothy 2:1-4), but would be far more likely to be to those who demonstrated in the streets and threatened to rebel, as the Jews were doing against Rome, which would lead to their eventually being conquered and completely subjugated not many years later. This is essentially the same teaching Jesus was giving when he taught that if a Roman soldier commanded a Jew to walk a mile and carry has equipment by force, a disciple of Jesus should walk with him an additional mile as well, as a way of overcoming evil with good. So the teaching was not necessarily to expect the government to always be good and fair to you, but simply to understand that you would be much more agreeable to them if you were a blessing to their rule rather than a public nuisance and a potential threat to stability. As for your question about walking free of fear completely, I think this is only possible by walking ever closer to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, since He has not given us a spirit of fear, but One of love, power, and a sound mind.
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  34. What do you want?! What do you need?! "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8 "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." - Matthew 13:12 God bless you in Jesus' name!
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  35. Well, it is just about the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. For those not familiar with that, it is a time in church history, where people were waking up to how far the church had degraded since it's inception. A reformation was needed, because church leadership, to a great degree, had become corrupted. Church positions were basically for sale to the highest bidder. The church was allowing people to buy indulgences, basically a license to sin, and shorten one's time in Purgatory. These could be used for yourself, or to shorten the time of a deceased loved one. Purgatory was basically seen as a place where a person paid for their sins by suffering until their sins were paid for and they could attain to heaven. In other words, the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross was deemed inadequate - definitely not the gospel, nor in the Bible. Church leadership (and by that I mean the Pope, Bishops, Cardinals, all the way down to priests) was falling prey to pride, sexual sin, hunger for power, greed and the like. The Bible was not yet in the hands of common people, nor was it necessarily in a language that ordinary people could understand, Christians were totally dependent, on what their leaders told them the Bible said, and what the Bible meant. That was a very quick summary of the conditions that had developed in the first 1500 years of the church. It is not my purpose to lecture anyone on church history, nor am I qualified to do so. I just wanted to give a quick background of what lead to the Reformation. Generally it is held, that the Reformation began when a German monk (Martin Luther) nailed his 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle. That can be debated, but it was certainly a pivotal event. Now, the main thing I came to do, was to open a discussion about the five "solas" of the reformation. These are 5 ideas, that sort of embody the spirit of the Reformation, the main things that were seen as needing to be addressed and focused upon in the church as it existed at the time. Luther's hope, was not to attack the church, or start a new denomination, nor anything of the sort. His hope was to start a bit of a dialogue or debate, an opportunity for the church to do a little self examination. Sola, comes from a Latin word meaning alone or sole. The solas are these: SOLA SCRIPTURA SOLA FIDE SOLA GRATIA SOLO CHRISTO SOLI DEO GLORIA Sola scriptura, is the idea, that only the scripture, is ultimately a trustworthy source of information about spiritual matters. The traditions of the church, lack any real authority. Likewise, the leadership of the church, was also not authoritative, and must be subservient to the word of God. Sola fide, is the idea that salvation comes by faith alone, not by works, God grants salvation, and believers do not earn it by doing good deeds. Sola gratia, is closely related to sola fide. It is the idea, that mankind does not earn, cannot earn, and can never deserve salvation. Salvation is a free gift that God bestows to believers, totally apart from any merit of their own. Solo Christo, addresses the subject of and object of the faith of believers who will inherit salvation. Our faith is in Christ alone. There is nothing or no one in which we place our faith apart from Christ. No faith in works, nor the church, nor Mary the mother of Jesus, not the saints, not our prayers or rituals - our faith is in Jesus alone, regarding salvation. Sola deo gloria, informs us that all glory, is due to God alone, no one else gets credit or glory for what God has done for us. Of course, this implies the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as the one true God. They could be stated, that the scriptures alone, authoritatively teach us that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. That is what I have to say, to start this topic. If anyone chooses to, they may add to the discussion, elaborate, offer scripture, etc. I just thought it fitting, at this time of the impending 500 years anniversary of the Reformation, to offer some thought and reflection on what it was/is about.
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  37. "The churches" ?, "Sermonettes"?, "Catch phrases"? Hey please, come visit sometime if you have an hour and a half for worship and verse by verse presentation with exposition of the word of God plus and hour or more of lesson from scholars that know their Hebrew and their Greek. If you have six years of Sundays plus study time, you can go through the book of Matthew as many here did, or spend one hundred and seventy eight hours in the book of Psalms. Now warning, you will be expected to find some ministry to be of service in at the local body if you do decide to come full time. And you might find yourself going to Italy Nigeria Papua New Guinea, France, El Salvador, and even Connecticut, for short term missions support. Sorry!, but I do get tired of individuals knocking "the churches" when there are so many saints in Christ that are members of local bodies of Christ Jesus that go into all the world with the gospel of Jesus so that many may be presented as mature in the Lord. I just can't imagine that the Holy Spirit is not leading many to "the churches". I have to consider and think that maybe some are just resisting going where they are being sent. I know the Holy Spirit has led and dragged me clean across country more than once. I know I resisted too, but at the end I did see that I was being led and I then obeyed. Makes me wonder that if churches are indeed bad it isn't because some people just won't go where the Holy Spirit directs them to go and be of help. Instead they sit and type out how bad churches are.
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