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I'd rather..... pray the same request 10,000 times to God - in brokenness and tears and earnestness..... than to be silent..... and have the devil bask in that silence.

As it looks more & more apparent that the middle-east situation is set turn into a major conflict, I've been having the realization that this is a big opportunity for the gospel among those we know! How simple is it to show people that God's main prophetic focus is all about Israel and the middle-east, and that this marks the ending of the age? Regardless what your particular theology or eschatology is, I think most would agree that the stage is being set and that this is according to what the Bible has laid out - the whole world will be drawn into conflict in this area. So I'm developing a few, simple talking points to tell others that this all is according to God's plan for the end of the age. It starts out by saying that the background of Israel becoming a nation again, after 2,000 years, is unprecedented in history. And soon, serious conflict will erupt there, of which we are already beginning to see. And then a very charismatic leader will arise to resolve the situation with a treaty, which will not last more than a few years. These events will start the countdown to the Lord returning - and now God is calling all people to repent and call on the name of the Lord Jesus to be saved! So that seems simple enough, right? And, of course, we need to be ready with a few verses/passages to back that up . . . but just keep it simple - His Spirit will do the rest!

Wasn't there one on a Mount somewhere?

I been listening to podcasts by the Orthodox Church various ones. I don’t hold to there position on Mary and icons. But I am finding a lot of there teaching is spiritual nourishment. Nothing heretical I have found. They teach repentance on a daily basis. They say if you sin get up and confess it right away. I believe that too. I rather listen to the Orthodox Church then the word of faith teachers. Like Copeland and others.

Approaching God in prayer especially about a topic I would rather brush under the rug, namely, my shortcomings and sins are subjects that I make certain I do pray about, to clear my conscience and remain an open book before Him.

You are either going to focus on the great love of God or you are going keep your mind stayed on your problems. It's your choice. I understand - completely understand the struggle. I've had a BAD, BAD day and it's just 1:00. Keep a few scriptures written down to read when you are overwhelmed and remember what @Tristen said. "God knew exactly what he was getting with you and loved you anyway." Here's a good scripture. Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In "EVERY" situation. With "prayer" and "petition", WITH "thanksgiving".

Reminders – If you love me, keep my commandments. There is some confusion in the body of Christ concerning the keeping of the law of commandments. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 As Christians, we certainly love the Lord, don’t we? And if so, He says we should obey Him. Don’t Jesus’ commandments include the Old Testament law? So, what should a Christian’s relationship to that law be? As we’ve heard so many times before, we must always interpret scripture in context and in its relationship with the rest of the Bible, never isolating verses to fit our doctrine. As we do that concerning the law, we learn from the New Testament that keeping the law for salvation is impossible. “For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:20a The law was not given to save anybody, it was given to reveal man’s sinfulness in not keeping it. “…for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20b Paul explains what the relationship of the law to man is, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid…the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good…But sin, that it might appear sin, works death in me by that which is good; that sin, by the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.” Romans 7:7-13 To punctuate the impossibility of being righteous by the law, James tells us, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10 But there is hope. Jesus lived a perfect life according to the law and thus fulfilled the requirements of the law for mankind forever. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 And Jesus’ fulfillment of the law, removed the requirements of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:4 When we believed the Gospel, He forgave all our failures to keep the law, “having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 “For [God] hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 Final Thoughts: When asked what the New Testament commandments of Jesus are, most savvy Christians will quote Mark 12:29-31 which is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Even the holiest among us will have to confess that they fall woefully short of loving God with ALL. Though we may want to love that much or try to love that much, that little word ALL humbles us into admission of not living up to that standard. So, what are Jesus’ commandments? Whatever He says to you. John 10:27 He is the living Word of God and He tells us what He wants us to do. Not as a list of commands with punishments attached for disobeying, but rather the revealing of His will and what is best for our walk with Him in fellowship. Because we love Him, we want to keep and do those things He asks. The ‘I have to’ of the O.T. law, has now become ‘I want to’ as new creations in Christ. ph

It is relevant. In the beginning, the Lord created Adam and his race to rule over this Earth. This is our domain. God expected Adam to eat of the tree of life and live forever, but instead, Satan deceived Eve to eat of the wrong tree. The underlying purpose is so that Satan and his minions can control and inherit what was supposed to be mankind's domain - but that part is another topic. And thus we are all familiar with sin, death and so forth in which the entire Bible is about bringing back that which was lost in the garden and to restore everything. So the entire Bible is the Lord, thorough a people and purpose, working to this end and in the meantime mankind gets the lesson that we cannot do it all or rule ourselves (and that's obvious as things are getting worse by the year). It all ends with the end times and a new heaven and earth, but again, God is laying the foundation over time to achieve that end.

I read this this morning and was reminded that it is only Christ in and through us Who has any profit, and of our own strength and energy we cannot build one thing concerning His church (that will stand through the testing fire)! How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? (Galatians 3:3 NLT) You know all that the Letter to the Galatians is about, and you know the two prominent words – Liberty – "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 4:1 – A.V.) – and sonship. Not servanthood, nor slavery, but sonship; the liberty of sons. They are the two great words of that Letter, but what are the grave bands there in Galatia? They are the grave bands of tradition, of legalism, and all such things. You know, dear friends, it is very easy to get tied up with these grave clothes! The persistent peril through the ages of Christianity is to crystallize itself into something set, something fixed. You have some light, some revelation, something of the immensity of truth, just a fragment of it, and it is not long before you begin to form that into a set system and make it the limit, saying that this is what people must believe, they must come within this horizon, and they must behave like this. It becomes a system again: 'You must... you must not!', and there is no difference between that and the Old Testament 'Thou shalt... thou shalt not!' Christianity has fallen into that peril, and is continually doing it, circumscribing the great revelation, making Christ smaller than He is, crystallizing truth into something fixed and set: 'This is how...' and the meaning of that is: 'This is the ultimate.' Now you notice that when the Spirit did come, as we have the record in the Book of the Acts, the one thing that these old Jewish disciples experienced was a marvelous emancipation from that bondage of Judaism; and how the Holy Spirit was working all along against any fixed barriers! By T. Austin-Sparks from: “Loose Him, and Let Him Go”

Hope you are not offended in any way… and you can be sure that millions upon millions have been exactly where you are right now and CERTAINLY EVEN MUCH WORSE!!!!!!!! You are quite able to articulate your situation and express the pain, the frustration, the unknowing, the lack of support, the true lack of peace, and of course, the anger that comes along with all of this. You are also an intelligent individual who is able to reach out and receive and even accept the true and wonderful comments, suggestions, and advice from those folks within this forum that have responded to your situation. However, you are now within a situation that almost all people will / have found themselves in … whether it is a financial crisis, a medical issue, legal concerns, drugs, abuse, poverty…. or any combination of these…. There is nothing new under the sun. You have responded in very kind ways to the comments and suggestions offered here, but there is a very noticeable (my opinion) reaction from you… and please believe me, EVERYONE has had to go through this to some degree (some will never leave this stage, some will have to continue falling down into the hole, some will respond as though they have just had a large bucket of very cold water on them and realized - ENOUGH, they are right, ENOUGH WITH THIS WAY OF LIFE AND I DO NOT WANT IT ANYMORE! It is NOT your circumstances that will take you down and down and even further down, it is your continuation to look for help from anyone other than the One that can and will help you. Today’s responses by the wonderful, caring folks will / may provide you with some relief or give you a pleasant feeling knowing others are sympathetic, but this is all short term to you. An hour from now, you will have moved back to your previous position of … all those things you are used to feeling. The bottom line is that you are NOT going to find a quick fix or the right set of actions or steps to take to stop your state of mind and your continued falling down that dark hole… The ONLY solution you have to experience what you are looking for … in every way, is to ask yourself just how long and how much YOU ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THIS STATE YOU ARE IN. It will not be resolved with a check for XXX dollars, it will not be resolved with a brand new job, it will not be resolved by ANYTHING OTHER THAN DECIDING YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND LOOK UP TO YOUR GOD AND TELL HIM YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND YOU PLACE EVERYTHING (EVERYTHING - NO MORE OF YOUR “buts”) IN HIS CARE. This is NOT an easy thing to do!!! In fact, for most people, it is easy to say, easy to agree with, but almost impossible for most to actually do. But once you COMPLETELY / SINCERELY/ give Him the keys to the car and turn your heart and mind over to Him, you will know it was the right and only decision you could and should have made. Don’t continue to look and search the “how’s and ‘why’s” and the “when” each of your issues or problems will be resolved… they are not there and NO ONE can give them to you! Again, I can assure you, it will be an easy thing to hear from others, it will be received by you calmly, but it will be the most difficult decision to do… to truly let go and let God. Ask yourself just how long you think you want to continue doing and living this life as you have been doing… when you have had enough, God WILL BE THERE FOR YOU… you must want to abandon this life as you know it. Don’t look for solutions, look only to Him! I hope this does not sound too harsh or without substance! You DO HAVE THE ANSWER… you just don’t believe it can be so. God bless always, Charlie

The uniqueness of the New Covenant of Jesus Blood: Having no idea of what it will be like or even idea to start ... I, as a little child, am His and I now desire the things of Him more than all else I began in... there is no law in this place of s/Spirit it is just serving Him while moving through the worthless...

who me

The rest is found in s/Spirit ... which if you have opened your heart to Jesus then He, The Holy Spirit and your new s/Spirit life exist.... it is in the knowing of what will be and this all gone that is so delightful ... If we look in flesh for better here -'not going to happen' but if we look in s/Spirit then it has happened already...

All things work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. Btw, that psychiatrist would probably think we are all nuts....

Can't you rent something cheaper? I live with 3 teens in a 1 bedroom, 2 bunk beds. Lately saw an article of a single mom who had 70 euro a week to spend. She earns just as much as me, but she has a normal house with rooms for the kids. That's just not doable alone. Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. Ask Him to give you a job and ask Him where to go. They wanted to fire me. I was forced to get a psychiatric test. That psychiater said: Aren't you worried? Single mom, they want to fire you. I said no, thinking: Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you. LOL She thought that was nuts and wrote down that I was nuts but too stupid to realize it myself and then they couldn't fire me. Google a bit if there are christian organizations that can help you.Your aunt is a pastor? Doesn't she know something, can't she help?

Two years ago, the Lord declared that I would work as a peer support counselor. I couldn't fathom it, but He said that when the time came, I would know. What happened? A colleague where I work left one day and never returned. He abandoned his job as our peer support counselor, and I remembered the words of the Lord regarding this. I submitted a resume for the vacant position and then immediately regretted doing it. "I hope they don't call upon me, Lord," I said to Him. "They won't select me. I'm needed right where I am." They did indeed call upon me, and I was offered the position. Whatever the Lord declares comes to pass.

Hi Koneckey, Nice to see you starting such a good thread. Now, I see from God`s word that His plan and purpose is for us to be like Christ. `We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.` (Rom. 8: 28 & 29) Then whatever area of life we find ourselves in then we are to serve - our family, our friends, others in the Body of Christ, our neighbors, our community etc. In every area God by His Holy Spirit will be making us like Christ.

My graphic depiction of characteristics associated with the flesh versus those of the Holy Spirit

And all the more as the day approaches. "And he that winneth souls is wise".... Pray. Open mouth. Acknowledge God. He will speak....... Good stuff, VA....

Death, Burial, Resurrection, Belief = Eternal Life For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom. 1:16

I already knew you were attending a Baptist church and I harbor no ill will towards them. Many have been saved in those churches. Baptists are up close and personal to me since I was raiseed in a Baptist church from birth and attended one even afterwards when I left home. Yet in later years I never agreed with some of their theology. I also realize that often finding a good church can be difficult. Even the baptist moniker has been corrupted on several fronts by apostacy, which I guess means, judge no book by it's cover. One could do far worse than a good methodist, baptist or presbyterian church. I believed most of what was taught. The people in those churches are often dedicated and good servants of Christ, sometimes caught in a less than stellar theological system. No two are the same. Even churches under the same denominational umbrella. Neither am I saying my denomination is by any means perfect or has arrived, but it aligns most closely with my beliefs. I would like to think that Christians do not just look at what the church they attend teaches and believe all of it, but sadly I think this is the case many times. The pastor said it, so it must be right. The gifts are either in effect or they are not irregardless of any church. The degree to which we quench/discourage them is the degree they are usually seen. Churches that encourage the gifts will need to take a risk in allowing them, but much of this can be mitigated by checks and balances.Churches that tend to discourage the gifts because maybe they don't think they ever happen will reap what they sow. Noone who has such gifts will be likely to attend said churches, or if they do, they will not feel free in them. I have Presbyterian and Baptist friends, but I attend a Vineyard church that is part of the Vineyard denomination. -They believe in tongues, healing and prophecy as relevant today, however they don't overly emphasize them like some of the more charismatic churches sometimes seem to do. There is a way tongues are allowed and they follow that way.Same with prophecy and the others. Healing is a real thing and I know people who have absolutely been healed. Tongues are not a prerequisite to recieving the spirit. There is often some confusion about the Holy Spirit. I basically believe the same as the Baptists on the Holy Spirit. We get the Spirit when we are saved, however we can have the Spirit come over us to be used for special purposes. Some will say that's a filling of the Spirit. So far as I know Baptists completely omit prophecy. In all the years I was in those churches I never seen anything to indicate it was encouraged.

Indeed, it will show true liberty for any citizen to protest their cause peacefully. There is the sphere in the manner which protest should be done and in accordance with the law of the land. The universities and colleges are place of learning and while students group and others have the right to protest, it should be done without interruption of the institution law and activities. I think protest of political and war events should be done on the streets and with letters to the leaders of the land. I really don't know how to phrase a reply like this to be socially correct, but I guess what I am saying , is places of learning are there just for that. If the schools and universities are found to have corruption, then it should be made public in the media and to the government officials and investigation be done. To be frank, the universities have for the most part gone woke and is part of the havoc that is being pushed to bring about the "New World Order".

God is not "mad" at you. Or do you really think you surprised God into an emotional reaction? God knew exactly what He was getting with you - and He loved you anyway - with a love beyond comprehension. If your feelings tell you otherwise, then your feelings are lying to you. It is your responsibility to make a decision to trust what God's Word tells us, and to reject the lies of your feelings. Forget about what other Christians appear to be doing. They either will go through, or already have gone through, an experience similar to yours. Your walk with God is your own. And forget about striving to be anyone other than yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others. Just get to know God. Talk to Him about what is on your mind - honestly. Let Him speak to you through His Word, through sermons, through circumstances etc.. No pressure. Constant striving puts out the flame in many Christians. Fellowship with God is not a chore, but relationship. You talk when you have something to say, and God talks when He has something to say. Otherwise, you can simply enjoy each other's company. If you think you are too angry or lax, talk to God about it. God's kingdom is "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit". If you don't have that, ask God how to get hold of it. It's not supposed to be rocket surgery 😊 .

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Do you realize that walking with the Lord is a life of peace and even joy throughout hard times? Sometimes we might not have overwhelming joy, but inside we still have peace. Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. You talk about striving... although we do want to live godly in Christ, to me it isn't about striving. It's about resting in Jesus and walking with Him....a life of peace. A good life, away from the troubles that sin brings.

Could also be describing Antifa. Usually white, indoctrinated, come from wealth and privilege and a leftist household. (Purely my opinion).

Zephaniah 2:2-3 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. Today, Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami warning after Ruang Mountain erupted, sending ash thousands of feet into the sky. They ordered more than 11,000 people to evacuate the area. This brings to mind a story from the late 1800s, when witnesses to a volcanic eruption were convinced that it signaled the end of the world. It was 1883, and Captain Sampson of the British Navy witnessed one of the greatest volcanic eruptions in history, which took place in Indonesia. The eruption was so powerful that its shock waves traveled around the world seven times. The volcano shot miles of debris into the atmosphere, which fell to earth as far away as Madagascar, over a 2000-mile distance. Captain Sampson wrote in the ship’s log: “I am writing this blind in pitch darkness. We are under continual rain of pumice stone and dust. So violent are the explosions that the eardrums of over half my crew have been shattered … I am convinced that the Day of Judgment has come.” These men witnessed something extraordinary, and it caused them to ponder the inevitable question — Is this the end? What was the crew thinking and feeling as they were deafened by the massive explosions and blinded by the clouds of smoke and ash? To them, it must have been as if the sun had become like sackcloth! Did this experience change their lives? Were they now powerfully aware of how fragile life is? Did they suddenly begin to examine what their lives had consisted of up to that moment? Imagine yourself in that boat as these events are taking place. Now picture yourself in the present moment … are you thinking about what your life has been about or what it is now? Are you thinking about what it could be?? Wake up. Recognize that eruptions are already taking place, and these are the Lord’s warnings to this sleeping world; warnings that His return is NEAR! We are privileged to be witnesses and participants in the most extraordinary times as the end of the age draws near. But God is looking for people who are awake, wise, who understand the signs of the times, and who know Him … so they can take action and shine like stars in a darkening world– will you be one of them? Never miss a devotion again! Sign up for our Worthy Briefs!We're being CENSORED ... HELP get the WORD OUT! SHARE!!! View the full article

@mel85 I agree wholeheartedly with the above. Mel, don't think so much about the evil one. Instead when something starts to assail you, remember some Scripture verses to combat the situation. Remember the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. And take the helmet of salvation for protection of your mind. Ephesians 6 is good to dwell upon...the armor of God.

Sister, you are ever in my prayers. As you said, you are trying! Do not discount that as being a glorifying testimony to your faith in God. Even in these incredible trials, you know His will, you desire His will, you are fighting tooth and nail to stick to His will, resisting the devil telling you to give up, resisting the evil one's temptation to end your life before God is ready for it to end. You are fighting hard. You are a warrior. The devil has not defeated you. You are standing for God's truth and His will. Do not think for a minute that God is not very pleased about your show of faith in this time of great darkness in your life. God is allowing the devil to test you, and so far, you have not given in. You have not let the devil convince you to distrust God, you have not let him to convince you to orphan your precious children. You are an inspiration to me (and I imagine everyone else here). When I think of the struggles in attitude I have had at times over the past few months and days with the stress of moving, despite it being nowhere near your level of stress, I can only stand in awe of your faith. I hope one day to grow to be able to fight as hard and as successfully as you have been. Do not hold in those tears. "JESUS WEPT" (John 11:35) Did you get that? Let me say it again. "JESUS WEPT" (John 11:35) Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, very God of very God, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Light of the world, Prince of peace...he wept! Your tears are not shameful. They are not weak. They are not displeasing to your loving Father in heaven. And guess what the very next verse says: "So the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!'" (John 11:36) Jesus wept openly, in front of others, in front of his disciples, in front of believers, in front of non-believers! Do not be ashamed of your tears. Do not hide them. Do not hide your pain. Do not think it makes you weak or a failure of a Christian. Do not hesitate to keep seeking help. God is not finished with you yet!

The summation of your difficulty. If one refuses to accept the Lord as Lord, but continues to demand to be their own lord, then that is what the Lord will allow one to do. But the results thereof will always bring sorrow in the end. Because only God is good, and therefore only God can bring good into our lives. But that comes at the cost of our submission to Him. Choose whom you will serve. Right now, it is you. And it ain't working.

Sad not mad is what I have no doubt God feels at the moment You say you dont want to give up control so lets be honest here ................. God says no sex before marriage so you took control and had a child with someone you didnt even stay with Did God get mad ? NO He made sure you had a roof over your head and food to eat and some help with your child BUT it was not the perfect paradise you wanted control of SOOOOO You did it again and had another child with another person you didnt marry or stay with so YOU are in control NOT God Am I judging you ? NO I have a granddaughter that has done the same thing and she too likes to be IN CONTROL of her life ...it is HER choice and between her and God just as it is your choice in in YOUR control YET you both feel that God should be doing more for you , should be making your lives easier because by making YOUR OWN CHOICES and being IN CONTROL OF YOUR POWN LIVES you have made your lives more difficult and harder so who do you blame for this ??? Yourself and your control issues ??? NOOOO you both think it is God being mean to you Instead of being on your knees and weeping for joy that GOD has given you two healthy children you blame HIM because YOUR choices have not brought you the control and happiness you think you are entitled to Perhaps you do have a problem but it is NOT because God doesnt care about you it is because YOU dont care about anyone BUT you . I understand you are depressed and it is an illness and I understand you feel overwhelmed at time and tired ( I had 4 very young children and escaped from a violent husband and was left to work and care for them and try to maker a better life for us all so YES I DO KNOW HOW HARD IT IS ) Yet never did I contemplate killing myself as the easy way out and leaving them to face what I couldn't .YOU HAVE THE CHOICES AND CONTROL NOT THEM they didnt ask to be born nor do they have ANY control Does you post offend me ?? NO I just feel sorry for you and will continue to pray for you but it is time to grow up and learn to live with the results of YOUR choices' and control of situations and maybe learn to make better choices or hand over that control to God who cant make things worse than YOU have done but will not just wave a magic wand and make your consequences disappear We ALL make bad choices at times and we all have to live with the consequences of those choices but with Gods grace if we humble ourselves before Him and ask for His help and guidance ( and I dont mean just make public gestures and think thats all we need ) He gives us the strength and the grace to get through the valleys in life and back to the hill tops were we can give praise and thanks to HIM

This is what you see if you drive around my neck of the woods.

Your sermon about sermons is coming together quite well . . .

. . . and Paul communicated things that were to be held to, and things that weren't. 2Th 2:15 KJV Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 2Th 2:15 CEV My friends, that's why you must remain faithful and follow closely what we taught you in person and by our letters.

The Devil knows our sinful proclivities and he exploits these weaknesses. Personally, I have never had a weakness toward substance abuse (I have never been drunk, nor have done drugs, nor tobacco, etc.) and I "don't get it" why others have these weaknesses, but that is human nature: we "don't get it," until we ourselves have the same problem. My weakness (not surprisingly): being self-righteous, something I struggle with daily.

Since I first began to read I have always looked up the meaning of words and concepts hitherto unknown to me. Back to sermons, and their ilk, for which many good men and women, and boys and girls, study, train, and practice to produce, all I have to say is not everyone is a Billy Graham, least of all me. One Sunday I was rostered to deliver the message and having taken my position in the pulpit felt no vigor to proceed. I was about to defer to someone else who might have "the word" for the meeting when I heard that still, small voice whisper in my thoughts, "work your plan", which I did, but I had to fight to get any lift, such was the spiritual battle going on in that assembly.

Having given the Law with its temporary glory shown in the face of Moses, God showed it could not be violated with impunity and provided for pardoning through atonement, with its permanent glory being the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

I can't find any fault worth mentioning with many Eastern churches, though the same can be insufferably hidebound with regard to hierarchical traditions. As far as their theological doctrines are concerned I share much in common with prevailing Eastern conventions. This is not to say that I feel the need to join myself to a particular Eastern church. I don't. The "standing up, sitting down" routine in evangelical churches is nothing compared to Eastern rites. No thanks.

Awesome man doing an unique work among the Muslim world. Thank you for sharing about him.

Yes, James Knox preaches Jesus. An Independent Baptist minister located in Florida. Can be found on YT.

What earth are you on? Surely it is spring everywhere. Isn't it? You are not upside down too are you?

Oh, you sound like you are in so much pain. I just want to hug you. Go back to the doctor and tell them what your worst fears are. Let them see how serious this is. Antidepressants are very useful to give you some breathing space so you can sort out other aspects of your life. Once your mood is stabilising a bit, you can take a fresh look at your relationship with God, sort out your commitments to your family and studies etc and regulate your sleep patterns and diet. Sometimes we expect God to step in when He has already provided a solution. Go and chase up the doctor as a matter of urgency and go from there. There's nothing wrong with taking medication, if you need it. I took anti depressants some years ago and they were a bridge that helped me to get out of bed in the morning. I came off them once I sorted myself out. Antidepressants aren't addictive and can be life saving. God isnt distant, although it feels like it sometimes. He isnt though. It will all male sense when you look back. I'll be praying for you.

Agreed that there does need to be a balance in things, as extremes aren't usually effective . . . Yet, what this (the OP) is actually talking about is our source --> We can solve problems and do things for others all day long, yet if the source of our life is not in Christ and we are not going to Him for direction in the various matters, what does it profit?

Well, all Christians still have the flesh, and the flesh would rather do ANYTHING than listen and obey and align with the Anointing . . . it can even be things that outwardly appear to be very Christ-centric, yet the heart and reality is actually far off. Yes, any of us can be deceived by this "having the form, but denying the power thereof." Again, self will do ANYTHING to plot its own course . . .

The most important thing is to realize the Lord loves you and is with you throughout everything in life. He loves you even when you fail. Remember to take a day at a time with the Lord's help. That's how we all get through hard times. Another thing is we must be wise in how we treat our bodies. I remember you saying that you are sleep deprived. That will mess up your brain. Before a doctor puts you on any brain altering drug, he should know you are sleep deprived.

Hi Starise, Good topic. I grew up in a fellowship that had Prophets and those who prophesied. I saw the difference over time and also saw the character of those who gave the word. Generally, I would say that the prophecies that came forth (often in torrents, and with a Scottish, or English accent) were about the Lord Himself and His work among the people. I have grandma`s books she obtained from the Welsh convention once a year and the prophecies are wonderful. Not at all like you may hear in places today, which can be more like fortune telling.

Actually Paul said to follow either by letter or by word of mouth. Also Traditions cannot oppose scriptures. It has to agree.

Answering my own post.... Found him, this is very interesting! Scroll downward for in-depth info on his ministry. https://orthodoxwiki.org/Zakaria_Botros

That seems to be true of more than just the Eastern Orthodox Church, but you will find Christian Truth wherever you look for it, if you look for it, and you won't if you don't. "Seek and you shall find", a teaching that can also be used to show you what you are truly seeking, the truth about yourself, if you realize that what you have found is what you are really looking for. Truth is simple, we should just look for it and put it into practice, not try to complicate it with all sorts of complex doctrine. Like a little child would do. The way I see it.

I have mixed feelings about them. Aside from Mary and icons they consider church tradition to be on the same level as the Bible. Red flag for me.