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To visit any in need and be a help is true religion. We all know that from the book of james. Religion is supposed to be our life with the things of God. Things like worship and prayer and hymns. Maybe fasting . So to tie these things with true religion of visiting the helpless and the hurting and the sick or the hungry. Those things should be preparing us to show God's love. To strengthen us for the good work. Fasting can teach us to feel for the hungry in there need. Praying for others will help us to love them more because the holy Spirit prays with us without words. We are fill with love from the holy spirit. God works in us to do of his good will. So my point is we need so much the things of our religion. But christ is the real substance of our religion. Our religion is a person. He is our focus. You visit me he said when I was sick. When did we see you sick. When you visited the least of my brothers and sisters. What a beautiful surprise. We are visiting the Lord himself.

I was pouring soup into bowls. Homegrown, homemade pumpkin soup. They would start arriving at my place soon for our gathering, some at about 10AM, others a bit later having further to come. It's understood there will be a shared lunch. John walked in the door and pulled out 8 bundles of triangular sandwiches and a large filled roll, all done up in gladwrap. I asked where they came from, knowing this senior widower didn't "do food" other than purchase it. Wonderful story, he said and told me that his daughter who lives in the house adjacent to his "man cave", received a visit the previous day from a woman she knows who runs a cafe/bakery, and this woman gave her the sandwiches as she said "I know your father is part of a gathering and they always have a shared lunch, so I'm sure they would appreciate these." We did appreciate them. What a blessing. Also that day as I was putting out the cups and placesettings the Holy Spirit kept saying "And one more..." and lo and behold we did have one more person arrive than anticipated. Fellowship at the gathering was joyous and edifying. Looking forward to tomorrow when we gather again.

I've had a few cats over the years. Usually kittens found in engine compartments when headed to or from work. Nothing like getting off work and discovering that your pickup is meowing . . . Last cat was a yowling kitten I found under my front steps on rainy Saturday morning that turned into a 17 pound Maine Coon, the vet said. Never saw the mother, and I have no idea where she came from. She lived for about 20 years or so. The other part of the pair was an ginger short hair my room mate found in his car's engine bay. Haven't had any pets for some time, partly because I'm in a no pets apartment complex at the moment. Fun fact: Sphinxes just look strange without fur. Many look pretty unhappy about that, but then they're cats . . .

Thanks Wayne, good topic. I wanted to give you and Michael "likes" but I'm all out! ? Sometimes just little things we do for others can show Christian love...helping an older person without a car to get some groceries, maybe chatting a little with someone who seems lonely, showing kindness (we never know which person might need a kind word), etc.

I am not married so I have the time. I have other things too of course. I believe the Lord led me here. I need to fellowship like Apostle John spoke of in 1 john. Our fellowship is with the father and the son. And also with any who fellowship with God. I think I touch it a few times here . Fellowship is sharing God's presence with others to me. I think we need that badly.

Has anyone heard from FresnoJoe? I PM'd him last week but he did not respond, and he usually does within a day. He made reference to not being well, but gave no specifics so I am hoping someone here knows how he is doing. Just concerned about his well being, so any info is greatly appreciated. TIA Cheers

Are you giving more attention to WB (therefore other people and their opinions ) and not enough time to your spouse/loved ones and their opinions? I do believe a lot of time is invested here with other people ..... I'm spouseless but a single Mum and I find myself here too many times.

I'm a writer by trade and, all of my life, I have craved stories. When I was a kid, if I didn't have a book to read, I'd read the encyclopedia. A writer friend of mine was talking about how you could actually speak the truth more effectively in fiction than in non-fiction because it engages not just the mind, but the emotions as well. Readers step inside stories and get involved in them on a deep level. A good story stays with a person, keeps him/her thinking about it long after they have closed the book or turned off the DVD player. Right now I am reading Holly Ordway's Apologetics and The Christian Imagination. Ordway was an atheist who came to Christ through literature, specifically, through The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. They're stories that embody Christianity. She talks about how metaphors can build a bridge between the known and unknown. It takes a talented writer such as Tolkien or Lewis to be able to do that. It's interesting that, in places where censorship might prevent someone from sharing the truth, it can be done in stories that go under the radar. There's a reason that, historically, totalitarian governments have shut down theatres, smashed printing presses and thrown writers in jail. They know how dangerous stories can be!

That thought did cross my mind, @LadyKay, but it is still a dangerous precedent, and the repetition of it following the study in private conversation made it sound very much more like a principle. Thank you, In Christ Jesus Chris

Could it be that they might of thought that there would be someone in the class who gets stuck on the fish question? So rather then to spend an hour debating the fish, it was easier just to start off saying "it's not about the fish"so that they could just get on with the study? I mean really I can see someone in a Bible study class taking up the whole class time debating what kind of fish it was or was it not a fish ect ect. In other words, I don't think it was because the person giving the Bible study didn't believe the Bible or was lacking in faith. I think it could be that they were just doing the best they could and really just wanted to get on with the study without a debate about the fish taking up all the time. Anyway, just a thought. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.

Hey Dennis, I know of many woman who have attended church on their own Sunday after Sunday, without their spouse. I often admire people who are able to do this on their own as it takes effort to do so. I can understand that it can be hard attending social functions without your wife. At least this has not stopped you from attending and growing in the Lord. I often think that sometimes the hardest people we can influence are those closest to us. I pray for strength for you to keep on doing what is right. That you can continue to show by your life and example that there is something different about your life, and pray that one day you will be able to go to church together. I realise that I am not in your situation and know you did ask if anyone here was in a similar situation. I just wanted to encourage you to contunue growing in the Lord and let your life and love be an example. God bless.

I'll give him a ring this weekend and let you know. God bless George

Wow! It's cool to read about people getting along in happy fellowship, posted on the forum, Michael. For a change. Breaking bread together. A blessing.

The shoe might be on the other foot if the spouse is tied up with their interests. After nearly 32 years of marriage we are a well-oiled machine, helping each other to be temperate (self-controlled & moderate). Competitive Scrabble features large on my wife's agenda and I chose whether or not to travel away to her weekend tournaments or stay home and get my DIY done. Happy Days!

Love your story! It reminds me of the book by brother Andrew - God's Smuggler!

I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God (himself God) and that he sacrificed his life to take the punishment for the sins of those who have faith in him. I do however believe in evolution. Are there others like me here? More liberal Christians? Do you frown upon people who believe in evolution?

I was listening to a really good podcast earlier, and one of the things that stood out to me a lot was this: “God never fulfills anyone’s expectations... He exceeds them. So it’s much better to give and trust than to expect.” (Paraphrased.) The podcast spoke about how lots of people turn away from God because He “let them down”. This is usually because these people expected God to do or prevent something, or do things the way they wanted them done, and God didn’t. They set expectations for Him that He didn’t meet. In order to avoid such disappointments in our own lives, we need to stop setting expectations for God and just learn to give it all to Him and trust that He will make something huge out of it. Oh, and by the way, we should stop asking what we can get out of our relationship with God and start asking what we can give to it! What are your thoughts?

More than 40 years ago, when actor Anthony Hopkins was appearing on Broadway in the hit drama “Equus,” he would play a practical joke on his audience each night. The moment the curtain fell on Act I, he would quickly repair to a bar around the corner from the theater. Astonished theatergoers would find the star of the show they were attending tossing back drinks, even before they could get their own orders in. The practice also made Hopkins, in his own words, “disgusted, busted and not to be trusted.” Shortly thereafter, Hopkins says, he attended his first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. He showed up at the meeting because he was sick and tired of hangovers and of being called “very difficult to work with,” as he recently told a Los Angeles audience. At that 1975 meeting, a woman said seven words that transformed Hopkins’ life, put him on the road to more than 40 years of continuous sobriety, and helped make him one of the most successful motion picture stars in the history of the industry. The seven words: “Why don’t you just trust in God?” Hopkins took that advice, and the results speak for themselves. He went from being hung over and difficult to work with to become one of the most beloved movie stars of all time. And what worked for Hopkins can work for anyone. What works for people in 12-step recovery also can work for anyone. If your life isn’t working and you think you might need God’s help, all you have to do is ask for that help. People wonder what Alcoholics Anonymous is all about, and why there is so much talk of God in the program. The short answer is that the founders of A.A. recognized that a reorganization of one’s spiritual principles was necessary to escape the grip of addiction. They identified addiction as a spiritual issue as well as a physical and mental one, which meant that a spiritual solution was in order. And that’s why, 40 years after the program was founded, a woman asked Anthony Hopkins in an A.A. meeting: “Why don’t you just trust in God?” There’s a story in an A.A. book called “Experience, Strength, and Hope” about a newcomer who approached A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson at a meeting in the late 1930s. “I’ve made a jumble of my life,” the newcomer sadly said. “What about asking God to unjumble it?” Wilson replied. That’s what God does. He unjumbles our lives – but only if we let Him. As another A.A. member, Chuck C., wrote in his book, “A New Pair of Glasses,” “God is a gentleman – he doesn’t go where he isn’t invited.” The good news is that God wants nothing more than to help people who ask for help – and often, those who don’t as well. “The Big Book,” the basic text of A.A., addresses the question in a chapter directed to agnostics: “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him.” In other words, if you want to pray in a manner following the dictates of an established religion, go ahead. But God is equally amenable (pun intended) to a prayer as basic as “Please unjumble my life,” or even, more simply, “Help me.” Early members of A.A. discovered that by inviting God into their lives they were able to overcome their addictions to alcohol. And then they found that by keeping God in their lives, they were able to meet all of life‘s challenges as never before – in Bill Wilson’s words, “to match calamity with serenity,“ This is just as true for non-alcoholics who sense a need for a spiritual solution to seemingly intractable problems in their lives. “God loves to hear from strangers,” as A.A. members laughingly put it. If you need help, just ask. A.A. is not an opponent of organized religion – far from it. In fact, many members who for decades had never darkened the doorstep of a church or synagogue find themselves returning to the religions in which they were raised. But that’s not an obligation – not for people in A.A., and not for anyone else. Is it easy to trust God, an invisible, unprovable force? Well, that’s why they call it a “leap of faith” – not a “crawl of faith.” It took courage for Anthony Hopkins to trust God after decades of uncontrolled drinking and other negative behaviors. But he made that leap of faith, and by trusting God, he has inspired others for more than 40 years to do likewise. Those who know Hopkins personally through A.A. could tell you story after story about his kindness and selflessness – not the typical behavior associated with big-time movie stars. It’s hard to find the words “Hollywood A-lister“ and “role model“ in the same sentence, but those terms both apply in his case. So if, like Hopkins back in 1975, you need a drink or two to get ready for your second act, you might follow his example and give God your trust. After all, as we say in A.A., “if you were feeling distanced from your Higher Power, who moved?” http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/08/04/these-seven-words-changed-anthony-hopkins-life-can-change-yours-too.html

I realize that all I am is given me and the tore up parts is by my own hand... therefore to expect anything further would be to be unthankful for what I have already been given! We have been given God within, a gift, that cannot be evaluated within any created boundary wherewith we have for understanding. It is as though what I have began in shall never cease, s/Spiritual new birth, so how shall my thanksgiving ever cease Simply if it remains within it is God's gift to me, if it is taken away it is not; based on this I determine the things of God as that which remains and that which does not I am the wiser in knowing Him by attachment to the everlasting... seeing how all things corporeal are being removed and things planned have not entered into our minds or hearts it leaves us with a pure faith that is able to transport us into the everlasting solely by this same faith built within us by His Word- completely fulfilling this 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 He has testified thoroughly of Himself both by creation and His written Word for me to lay down all my present expectations that cannot frame His completion of plans for me and eagerly await that which is completely free of sin... to sit down without hinderance of being and survey His wonder without end with an ever increasing thanksgiving to Him that I was counted worthy [by, through, in] Him to be there...that is my faith.

In the midst of discussions on literal versus allegorical parts of scripture (among Christians who believe God exists and believe in scripture as authoritative), one thing I always try to keep in the back of my mind is that some issues are of critical importance to some Christians' faith. Some of these discussions can cause serious doubts in some people's minds about scripture. I always try to make sure that any such discussion is purely about arriving at a better understanding of particular passages in scripture and is not becoming a make it or break it issue for someone to trust the Bible or not. I've run into scores of Christians over the years who had a near shipwreck of faith when something that they had whole heartedly believed suddenly was questioned. They then started to question everything that they had been taught. This is especially prevalent among those who were raised (either as children or as young Christians) in churches that taught some version of a "scripture as we teach it is 100% trustworthy or else we may as well give up and throw it out" approach. Instead of teaching a "God is 100% trustworthy whether we understand everything in scripture correctly or not" which puts the focus on God, some Christians are brought up with a focus that having particular beliefs about what the Bible says is of critical importance. For example, I've become aware that when I get into discussions with flat-earthers, I need to ascertain first if that is a critical matter of faith for them whereby they'll give up on the Bible if I manage to produce doubts in their mind about the shape of the earth. If so, I try to first deal with the idea that God is 100% trustworthy whether we make mistakes about what we believe or not.

* Gary Lee, Those Sphynx cats ? they look so sad!

Andrew and Peter

locusts

Really? You don’t think there is a spectrum of racism? Maybe someone that might be slightly uncomfortable sitting next to an individual of a different race versus someone that would willingly kill someone because they are of another race? A distinction between the two is ridiculous? Clearly not. In my opinion, someone that makes real estate decisions to exclude people of different race would qualify as racist. In my opinion, someone that points out a black guy in a sea of white people and says “look at my African American” is showing some cultural ineptitude and probably racism. In my opinion, someone that repeatedly lumps entire ethnic groups together and uses derogatory language for ALL of them exhibits racism. Your opinion is otherwise. You cannot prove he isn’t a racist any more than I can prove he is. All we do is formulate opinions. Your inability to acknowledge this is a strong indication that you need someone’s help distinguishing the two. You just aren’t going to accept any help I am offering.

27

Bethlehem

Hello SerenelyBlue. Before I was born again, science was my "religion". I mean, who could argue with what can be proven right? Well, actually wrong, as science was the reason I became born again. After becoming a believer, what became obvious to me is that science simple "discovers" the laws of nature God ordained, and how these laws explain much of what we observe in physical reality. The biggest problem (IMHO) for folks to see the compatability of scripture and science is I think the concept of time. For evolutionists, obviously there seems to be a divide in the timeline between creation and evolution simply too great to reconcile. This would be correct IF time was itself a constant. Yet through the science of physics and quantum physics we know time is relative, so that what appears to be 14 billion years from the human perspective, is in fact simultaneous from God's perspective. Yes, many unbelievers will tell you this is a cop out, but science disagrees. Look at Einstein's Relativity, where time is relative to the observer. It can actually speed up and slow down depending upon your position and speed in space, to the point where you could leave this world on a space voyage and return, from your point of observation a few years later, yet your children could have become older that you in every sense of aging. If you consider the very first physical component of this existence that God created, it was light. He created it even before the earth and universe had form. If you traveled (if you could that is) at the speed of light you would never encounter time. You would not even know the concept of time because at the speed of light time simply does not exist. Yet, here we are with "tons" of evidence for evolution. Science is what's called deterministic, which means that science looks for evidence in nature that is consistent, provable, predictable, and constant. A chemical reaction between two elements occurred the same way billions of years ago as it occurs today. The interaction of all matter and all energy with each other likewise happened from the beginning just as as it happens today. God by His very Essence, is deterministic too. He cannot change. He is the exact same God from the beginning as He is today; completely immutable. So ultimately the big question is , for science anyway, what was the first cause? What happened that set up a deterministic universe and allowed it to "evolve"? For believers, obviously God is the first cause of this universe and all evidence of evolutionary processes, just as God is the first cause of all the laws of nature. Science is still blank on it's first cause in so much as having a reasonable explanation for that first cause. Yes, there are theories, but little to support the theories of those theories! When you factor in the incomprehensible actions/interactions/processes/variety of inorganic-organic structures/the various forms of energy (electromagnetic spectrum)/the sub atomic, atomic, molecular structures that must exist (to support the existence of all the inorganic-organic structures)/ the shear complexity and magnitude of it all to happen precisely as it does becomes scientific evidence for a first cause that at least indicates a high probability for intelligent design. Not just evolution of life, but evolution of all that has to take place for this universe and all it contains to exist as physically real exactly as we observe it. So, it's OK to believe what science says about evolution as long as you understand the evolutionary process was conceived and established by God's mind, His Thoughts, His Attributes, His Creation. There is no conflict. The conflict is for those who insist God does not exist, which of course could, itself, never happen if God did not make them! Love the irony! Cheers!!!

It isn’t about believing in God. I know God is CAPABLE of doing such things, so I’m not denying that it’s possible. But, even though God COULD have done it, doesn’t necessarily mean He DID. I believe God COULD have created the Earth in 6 days if He wanted to. But I don’t believe He DID. It’s not that I think He’s not powerful enough, it’s that I recognize that for some reason or another He chose to do it another way. I can assure you that I most certainly believe in an infinite God who is capable of everything. There are clues which point to a story being allegorical. 1. There is no historical evidence. (Of course, this doesn’t definitively prove that it’s allegory, it might just mean we haven’t found the proof yet.) 2. The early Christians took it allegorically. (And I can point you toward many examples where early Christians took certains tories allegorically.) 3. The language used in the story is poetic language. (Like in the creation account in Genesis, the repetition of “and he saw that it was good” is poetic language, making it more likely that the author intended to write a poem or allegory instead of history.) The Bible doesn’t just come out and say, “oh, hey, that story was just an allegory”, but that doesn’t mean we can’t understand that the story is an allegory based on biblical and historical clues. There is always a chance that I’m wrong and an event in the Bible that I think is merely allegory may actually be literal history. But for now I’m sticking with the theory that the events in Jonah are allegorical. I respect the idea that the events may be literal history, it’s just that I disagree.

And the LORD GOD said unto the peoples COME YE and ENTER INTO THE ARK OF CHRIST , for no other mindset or religion will save you . THROW THOSE HANDS UP SISTER AND JUST HOLLER OUT PRAISES TO THE LORD .

The only rebellion against LIFE can only be death...

A bit of Bing research and reading some articles from a series of sources shows that this person was removed from their position as a worship leader upon coming out. A few sensationalist headlines made it sound like Hillsong leadership knew about it and did nothing or even paraded it and that this person is still a primary worship leader there. Now, their choice of what to do (and what they decided to do) when this situation happens is certainly up for discussion, but headlines and innuendos that create the impression that they did nothing or indeed celebrated it appeared to be more based in bias than fact. I've found that there are some Christians web sites that have such strong and passionate views about the error of certain individuals, churches, and denominations that they seem to believe each and every innuendo and often assume the worst and pass that on as factual. Hillsong seems to have a number of things that should be openly discussed, but doing so primarily on the basis of innuendo driven headlines is not helpful. My sense is that churches take 3 main approaches in situations like this, zero-tolerance, limited-tolerance, and open celebration. Many more liberal churches have taken the route of open celebration. More conservative churches either take a zero-tolerance stand (there is a list of sins for which you will be kicked out of the church and not allowed to attend at all) or a limited-tolerance stand (there is a list of sins for which you will not be allowed in leadership or ministry positions but you won't be kicked out). It boils down to what to do with people caught up in and in bondage to something that goes against the standards that church holds. I've been seeing this debated in various forms for various things over the years. Basically, it is should a conservative church excommunicate people and allow no dealings with them or keep them around to try to influence them and help them grow? And, what list of behaviors constitutes grounds for excommunication? Some Christians passionately feel that there are certain sins and behaviors that should be immediate grounds for action. Other Christians passionately feel maintaining ties with people is necessary for their spiritual growth. This is basically what happens every time a local pastor or church board has to decide if a particular person's sin or behavior is so egregious that they should be kicked out of the church, removed from ministries, and what requirements are then placed on them for remaining in fellowship or ministry. From what I read, this appears to be what Hillsong did in this situation. They removed this person from ministry but allowed them to remain in the church with limitations. It can of course be debated if this was the best or correct course of action, but that is basically the same debate that occurs every time a pastor and board must decide what to do in this type of situation from the largest megachurch to the smallest local church. At what point is a person so irredeemable and obstinate that it is in the best interests of the church that we wash our hands and give up on them?

Area 51 cat.....! (plz tell me that's not real)

I don't think that can be addressed easily, or at least not with such a broad brush stroke. One would need to look at a verse in question, see the context, and look to the original languages, see the definitions and see how a word is used there, and in other verses. Of the top of my head, I think that the Earth, tends to be the place, inhabited by mankind. By contrast, the world, can be the world, as in people who are not so heavenly or spiritual, closer to society and attitudes, than the the planet we live on, but it can mean that also. Certainly there the context will tell you a lot. We are in the world, but not of the world, implies that we have a different standard, a different leading. On the other hand, God so loved the world, is not about the things of the world, but the world of the lost, God loved people, not referring to "God so loved planet Earth", etc. Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. That is a different Greek word, the word kosmos. There, I would say likely, we should view it as the inhabited earth. In Rev 1:5, earth there, is the Greek word ge. That is the physical, and temporal earth. The earth of time and space, the physical earth. Temporal here, in time, also means temporary. Peter uses the same word, and makes it's temporary status quite clear: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 2 Pet 3:10

That first begotten, is the kind of thing, that translators have to just try there best at. in Greek, it is prototokos. The proto part of that is time related, first, or pre. In contexts, it (prototokos) will often be rendered as pre-imminent. The firstborn son, was the most important, to him came the major birthright of inheritance. So here these things can be in view, Jesus, it the pre-imminent Son of God, that puts Him in sort of a ruling position, as a birthright, Son of the King - and of course, what is a son of a king, if not a prince? That sort of leads us to Jesus, as and the prince of the kings of the earth, or, is it ruler? Well, either or both. Jesus, gets the name of King of Kings, and why not, the Father turns all things over to Him. But what about that word, is it prince, or ruler? Ah but before I get to that, there was another interesting aspect. He is firstborn of the dead. I think that might likely refer to that fact, that He is the first (of many) to be resurrected. There then, I think again, chronologically and positionally. In terms of position, He is pre-imminent in terms of his importance. Language is interesting. Imminence, sometime refers to something that is about to happen, chronologically. We forget though (perhaps) that is was also a term of high position, or importance. Perhaps you nave noticed in movies and the like, that a king, and even the pope, is referred to as "your imminence". Okay back to the word "prince" or "ruler". That word is arxon in the Greek. Comes from arxo, which means to rule or to take precedence. So, ruler is probably a more literal translation, but since rulers can me princes and vice versa, it is not too out of line. The word is used in the gospels to refer to the rulers of the synagogue. Now, mind you, I am not qualified to make such comments with any sort of authority, so take it with a grain of salt as from what at best, I could be called a lay theologian.

Well said, Wayne222, As you may know the word pure in Greek is katharos, meaning clean, clear, and pure, from which the word catharsis (meaning purgation) is derived, and this ties in with being undefiled and unspotted. Jas 1:26-27 (26) If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain. (27) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Hi Christine, I agree it was an actual event. There are words in the Bible to support my opinion, and gives certain "stories" credibility, such words as - as in the day of...a certain man/woman etc....if Jesus said it happened, then that 100% seals it for me.

It’s Raining Holy Spirit http://graceambassadors.com/spirit/its-raining-holy-spirit By Justin Johnson “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16 Charismatic Lanny Wolfe wrote in a popular hymn that “surely the presence of the Lord is in this place”, because “I can feel the brush of angels wings”, and “I feel that same sweet Spirit.” Sometimes people describe the Spirit dwelling in them like a pregnant woman does her baby: “he moved inside me”; but God never says we would feel the Holy Spirit in us. Even so, it is the lack of a feeling that often prompts prayers for him to rain on us and to come into our presence, our house, and flood us with emotion. Perhaps the fear is that the Holy Ghost in us gets stale like an old bottle of root beer. There just isn’t any fizz after a while and it needs a good shake. Of course this is nonsense, but it does not prevent prayers to call the Spirit down upon us like rain when people want to “feel his mighty power”. A popular Roman Catholic prayer, Come, Holy Spirit, asks the Holy Spirit to come and “kindle a fire” in the faithful. Pentecostals are inclined to pray on any given Sunday for the Holy Spirit to “come on down” like a religious Price is Right. “Calling down”, “welcoming”, “tarrying”, and “praying to send the Spirit” are all appeals that have been made in church buildings in anticipation that the Spirit would “fill this place”. To all these prayers perhaps the apostle Paul would respond with: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19 The Spirit In You There is no reason why anyone who knows 1 Cor 3:16 and 1 Cor 6:19 should ask for the Holy Spirit to come on them when Paul plainly says the Spirit is already present in everyone that believes the gospel of salvation. While most of Christianity pleads “Come, Holy Spirit”, perhaps we should be thankful that he stays where he’s at by God’s grace. As our ever present seal of salvation he doesn’t need to move anywhere. “… in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” – Eph 1:13 If the Spirit dwells in us then he does not need to come down like he did at Pentecost on covenant Israel. Neither does he need to find his place in us repeatedly every new Sunday as if the the first time was ineffectual. The Holy Spirit must slide off like water off a duck’s back if continual prayers are needed for him to be “poured out like rain”. Instead, we need to recognize that he is present every waking (and sleeping) moment of our lives in Christ (Rom 8:9). Paul presents this truth as one very good reason why the Corinthians should shape up their behavior. Could it be that the wrong doctrine of a distant Spirit that needs to be invited into church meetings is what produces poor manners in many charismatic meetings? “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” – 1 Cor 15:33 If you are in the body of Christ, the Spirit dwells in you. What a grievance it must be for the Spirit among so many ignorant Christians who pray for him to “Come” when he dwells in every member of the body of Christ, that is, if they have indeed heard and believed the word of truth.

Welcome back Patmen:)

Someone needs to paste large pictures of grumpy cat all over them prosperity churches . with the WORDS the love of money is the root of all evil right under his picture .

This is a blessed forum. God is working by his spirit. We should show the love of christ to all who post here. Pray for each person along the way. God will be happy if we do.

Absolutely! When we take our shield of faith and combine the blood of the lamb with our testimony as to who Christ has made us, declaring that sin has no more power over us, often people assume that means we are saying we are perfect. But the absence of the negative does not mean the fullness of the positive. When Israel entered the promised land, God told them that He had given them the land and that every step they took would be theirs. But they still had to go in and possess it. And it is taken by believing the promises of God. This is how the divine nature is shared with us, from glory to glory. How important ant it is, however to finally come to hate ones walk in the wilderness. Lots of movement, lots of time passed, no progress. Jesus said that we must count the cost of following Him. But what a rare thing that is today in our modern take on Christianity. We we hear a lot of FREE, but counting the cost? Our itching ears cannot bear such a thing! And what is the cost to walking into and taking the land of promise? Hating our old nature..... self. Blessings, Gids

So precious....thank you for sharing it.

‘And the LORD said unto Noah, .. Come thou and all thy house into the ark; .... for thee have I seen righteous before me ...... in this generation.’ (Gen 7:1) Praise God! For His salvation

Sin and Your Identity in Christ http://graceambassadors.com/life/sin-and-your-identity-in-christ By Justin Johnson There are tremendous doctrines about who I am in Christ found in Romans chapter six. These identity doctrines deliver you from the power of sin and death. Missing these important identification truths produces a variety of doctrinal mistakes. My New Life in Christ Romans 6:3-4 describes that now we, that are saved, are identified with Christ. The old man, though present every morning in my flesh, is to be reckoned dead (Rom 6:6, 11). This teaches that the judgment and sentence of my old man is already complete. No longer am I trying to make it look better than what it was, nor am I letting it walk around with impunity. It is nailed to Calvary’s cross. There is now no eternal connection between me and my old man in Adam (Col 2:11). I am not merely destined to die then face a judgment unto condemnation and death. I am now destined to live in the resurrection of Christ (Rom 6:8). Freedom from Sin and Death As a result, sin and death have no more rightful dominion over me (Rom 6:9, 14). The life I live now is the resurrected life of Christ in me, the hope of glory! Without power of dominion, sin cannot accuse me, condemn me, kill me, or make me subject to it any longer. It can taunt me like the unrepentant thief crucified next to Jesus, but it is already dead. The thief was nailed to a cross! When it tries to raise objections to the court, it cannot because the court is already dismissed and the bailiff has him on the electric chair. Anything he might say are seen as last words, and irrelevant to his sentence of death. Death cannot threaten me with its fear of judgment, for my old man has been judged and is dead. I am now alive in Christ. Silencing Sin and Death When these identity doctrines are neglected, then all of the gracious benefits we have in Christ are called into question. Sin will try to adjudicate over your eternal life by asking, “Can we lose our salvation when we sin?” Grace responds with, “Your testimony and authority is not valid in this court. The case has been closed. The old man is already dead. This new man is free from your accusations.” Death will try to object, “But sin must be judged and suffering must match the crime. He did not suffer!” Grace responds with, “This man is in Christ. Christ died unto sin once, and does not die anymore. You have no right to speak in this court seeing as this man is already dead and resurrected in Christ.” Neither sin nor death can do anything to change who you are in Christ, free from both. Identification Mistakes Those who think that the sin of their old man determines their destiny, direction, or duty have missed the doctrine of their identity with Christ, dead to sin. Those who think they must suffer even unto death for their sin do not understand who they are in Christ, where death has no dominion. In Christ, you can forget the daily re-crucifixion of Jesus in the Mass, flagellation, the works of penance, fasting, stair walking, stigmata, prayers of confession, and whatever other forms of suffering the old man tries to perform on itself to make a fair shew in the flesh. Pleas are no good to save the man that is already dead. These are all useless to rid you of your sins or your sin. Christ’s Work Against Sin Christ dealt with all your sin problems by the cross. This is what we mean when we say, “Christ did it all”. He did more than die a death in your place; he died so that in your place he could conquer death in resurrection. Do not forget what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you, he not only died for your sins, but he died unto sin for you. Thank God we are now no longer identified by our weak and useless, corrupt and sinful, old man, but are now identified with the Lord Jesus Christ and the reign of grace.

‘And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, .. and thou shalt gather it to thee; .... and it shall be for food for thee, ...... and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.’ (Gen 6:21-22) Praise God!

The Judgment Seat of Christ http://graceambassadors.com/books/romans/the-judgment-seat-of-christ By Justin Johnson Every person will eventually stand before the Lord and be judged. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:12 Yes, even those that trust the gospel of the grace of God. After all, Christ is our Head, why wouldn’t we as members of his body be accountable to him? “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” – Romans 14:10 The important question you need to ask is for what are you being judged? It would be good to know before that day. The Judgment of Sin All sin must be judged, but if you trust the gospel, then the judgment you face will not be for sin. When Christ died he took the judgment for sin upon himself. By his resurrection he offers forgiveness of sins through faith in what he accomplished in our place (Rom 3:24-26; 2 Cor 5:21). When you trust this gospel that saves you are counted as crucified with Christ, and your sin has already been judged by the cross. What remains for you is to live through the power of the resurrection of Christ. If you are crucified with Christ, then you will not face a judgment again for sin, because by grace you are saved through faith in Christ. You cannot be condemned for sin again. The judgment of sin is over for you. Judgment of Responsibility Though the believer’s sin is judged by Christ’s cross, the saved will still stand before the Lord in judgment. At this point, some cry “double jeopardy” as if we are held in judgment again for our sins, but this is not so. Remember, salvation is not from judgment, but from the judgment of sin which is death. Yes, you are still accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing more right than that members of the Body are held accountable to their Head. You will face judgment for your responsibility in His body. Being made servants of Christ there is work entrusted to us as members of His body according to what Christ has given us by grace. In fact, only believers can be held accountable for this work as servants of Christ. Unbelievers are neither made servants of Christ nor do they have any responsibility as workmen for the Lord. They will be accountable to the Lord for their sins at a different judgment. The judgment where members of the body of Christ attend is called the “judgment seat of Christ” in Romans 14:10. This is different than the judgment of nations before Israel’s kingdom (Matt 25) and the great white throne judgment of the wicked in Rev 20:12 and Rev 21:8. Our Work Judged For what are we being judged if not for sin or salvation? This judgment seat will judge the sort of work done by members of His body, whether according to God’s will or not. It is described in 1 Cor 3 and 2 Cor 5:10. In 1 Cor 3:10 Paul describes himself as the wise masterbuilder laying the foundation of Christ, elsewhere described as Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (1 Cor 4:1; Rom 16:25). Paul admonishes… “let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” – 1 Cor 3:10 The judgment on that day will not be to determine the character of a man’s soul whether his identity is that of a sinner or a saint. At this judgment all are believers and are sanctified in Christ Jesus by grace through faith (1 Cor 1:30). Neither is this judgment to weigh the number of good works over against the bad works to see whether on balance a person was good or bad. Rather, the fire at this judgment will “try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Cor 3:13). The sort of work that endures is that which builds and edifies the body of Christ according to the Pauline pattern. The sort of work that is lost to the fire is that which is not edifying to the body of Christ. Good work is worthy of a reward. Bad work will not remain. Conclusion Do you see how important it is to know the will of God, the mystery of Christ, and how to rightly divide the word of truth? Without understanding God’s will, we do not know how to build according to plan. Our effort in service will be in vain. All of our study is for the purpose of pleasing God by the sort of work that will survive the judgment seat of Christ (1 Thess 4:1; Eph 1:5; Eph 2:10). Any lower standard for ministry is vanity. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 The reason we study is not to be right, but to build right. Not building at all is the same as building wrong. It will not last. “Every man’s work shall be made manifest …” – 1 Corinthians 3:13

Why the sarcasm ? Judgement begins at the household of God. But that is talking about something else. We must all appear before the judgement of christ. Obviously that day to receive rewards or rebuke.

The point I was making is that it does not even require people to lay hands on you. If someone simply has the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, one can simply ask... And it will be given by the Father, who is heaven.

Be careful of people laying hands on you.. Before anyone lays a hand on you pray to God and ask Him for His protection if this laying of hands in not from Him.. There are more spirits in this world then the Holy Spirit and so there are false spirits / demonic spirits that you most certainly do not want to recieve..