Sower

Through out most of any day I am whispering 'Father, I can't do this, I need you now' whatever the case. Through out most every day I am whispering 'Thank you Father for blessing me beyond measure', and elaborate. The neatest blessing is when I realize/discover his help was already there, before I asked......God's ways not man's ways... Thanks VA.....and, To God be the Glory!!..

When witnessing to the lost what you said is often what I testify at the end. Don't ask God to help improve your lifestyle without being born of the spirit. But, 'Cry out for salvation mercy' and he will hear you.

For myself and my young growing family, our greatest growth in Christ our Savior was during those lean mean years. We had to trust in God because there was nothing else to cling to. And He was ALWAYS there, his timing, his way. God created our situation, removed the human means to provide for my family and then SAW his hand show up when we saw no hope in ourselves and He provided all our needs, and more. Trust in the Lord, Not our own understanding. (Lesson in Faith-101) What I didn't realize then) was He had blessed us beyond measure, a young family of believers, learning to Trust God. This hasn't changed over the years. God is still in control and He is still on the throne. As OO posted, these are exciting times. Share the gospel, do the good works we were created for. Trust in the Lord.. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Let the lost and dying see our hope, our Trust in our creator. He lives..

My old bible has coffee stains in it, beer stains, cigarette burns and tear stains. I use it. I pray about anything at any time. Adding God's word into our hearts has no special time/conditions imposed upon it. Receiving light removes darkness, every time. I smokes 51yrs. I could not quit. Ever. Today I have been smoke free for 11yrs. I was delivered. A brother in Christ laid his hands on my shoulders and cried out to God for healing mercy for me. God heard. God healed. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much," James 5:16 I remember when still addicted to nicotine talking to a friend whose father was a pastor asking him if he ever had a problem with smoking. He told me yes he had chewed and dipped. He was distressed he couldn't quit and ask a deacon at church what he could do. His friend told him to NOT let his chewing stop him from doing all the Lord had for him, but press on serving God. He told me the friend said that God would deliver him at his timing. It was a lesson. And when delivered, God received the Glory. God's ways are not man's. You being here BQ asking questions to clean up your act shows God's hand at work in you. I learned an interesting fact at a church drug addiction class by Dr. Palmer of the 'PDAP' Palmer Drug Abuse Program. Nicotine is the most addictive hardest to quit of all drugs, yes all. It causes the brain to generate extra nicotine receptors. My wife quit 40+ yrs ago the day she found out she was pregnant. Why? (I know, women are tougher than men..) I got real serious and tried everything, gum patch injections etc etc except hypnotism. Nothing worked. I believe God allowed me to stay hooked those years for his purpose, to humble me, and show me the others that were hooked. I saw those who couldn't stop cursing, saw overweight gluttons, back biting hypocrites, gossipers etc etc. Sinners just like me. But then I realized that their particular sin was just like mine in that they couldn't quit either just like me. I empathized with them, not judged them for their addiction like mine. A good story you may appreciate. One day while driving I was listening to pastor J,Vernon McGee on the christian radio station and he was talking about christian smokers. He said he knew a lot of them and many came to him for prayer while trying to quit. And then he talked about the 'Silver Hair Brigade', those ole gossiping ladies club waiting to ambush a new young lady convert who hadn't yet learned to dress appropriately and instead of helping her to understand a Godly way to dress they had wood to fuel their fire of gossip. New believers take time to grow in understanding and will stumble just like a new born child. (Even old believers:) The gist of the story was the smokers he knew had quit smoking, (as did McGee did many yrs earlier), or were trying to quit. But the gossipers weren't trying to quit nor had any conviction to quit. I had tears in my eyes hearing and was shouting in the car that he understood how difficult it was to let go of nicotine. (When praying for smokers, pray for the gossips too:) Don't let the great accuser to discourage you, BQ, but take his thought captive, submit to God, resist the devil and he WILL flee. Learn from your experiences. Praise God in all things. He will lift you up. Call upon him. He will hear. Your time to be delivered God knows. His timing does not change by our impatience. It took me years and in those years I grew, learning, everybody else is fighting battles I knew nothing about, so I need to stop judging them and start praying for them. Stay in the word and look for someone to share the good news with or just do something neat for someone. Then one day, at God's timing, ......... Thanks BQ..

Many years ago our church invited a popular upcoming evangelist who was endorsed by Jerry Falwell the Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist and co-founder of the 'Moral Majority', to speak at our church and give his testimony/teaching. It was very well received by all the church/pastors. But, after hearing him my heart was very troubled. I did not believe him, and felt he had deceived us some how and was a con. I had no scripture to quote, no facts to give, just a 'discerning' spirit within said beware and do not believe him. What to do?.. When my asst. pastor, a good friend came up afterwards to me and ask how I enjoyed the sermon I told him what I thought. Needless to say he was very upset about it and said I shouldn't be speaking about what I didn't know by judging this man , and rebuked me. I felt it was important and that my friend the asst. pastor should know, but was put in my place instead... A few years later my friend the asst. pastor came confronted me and said what I had discerned about that evangelist that came to our church was true, that he was not a born again christian like he said he was in his testimony, had been caught having relations with married women in the choir and other transgressions and investigated. A bad dude. So wait... "In a theological context, "vindication" typically refers to God's act of clearing someone of an accusation or wrongdoing, showing that they are in the right" "You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. 8 The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands" Psalms 138:8 I believe there are times God gives us discernment to be used for God's will to be done. And it may not always turn out as nicely anticipated. At first! In my case God was merciful.... Praise God Thanks OrangeCat.. (It strengthened my asst pastor. brother and I like soldiers in the fox hole, together)

Strange. My wife and I and children and grand children, extended family and most of our church members and friends did not get the jab. Of all those only one elderly man died but with pre existing medical problem. On the other hand, I do not know of anyone who did receive the jab who died. Go figger... I also place no trust in government. And the media reporting the 'facts'/data even less. I do Trust in the Lord, and just press on..thinking on the true honest pure just lovely and praise worthy things in life.

That's cool. How much would you charge to make me one to freak out my grand kids! Maybe a giant Jalapeno spitting seeds then saved by their grandpa who eats it..... Really, its genius. Fried potatoes! Thanks Dude..

You reap what you sow. You think something's setting the stage for the really big 'mass population disappearance' coming soon?........... I reckon I'll miss have to miss that one....

My tiniest little obedience is God's will....

You purposely missed the point, or ignored my point. So to put it more acceptable to those who refuse to understand; 'God "removed" me from the power of the devil' and set me free. Would that be acceptable 1to3? "Metaphorical Language": wiki The language of "stealing" or "taking back" is used to convey the idea that Jesus's actions have a transformative effect, freeing people from the power of sin and death and restoring them to a relationship with God" Christ's crucifiction on the cross made possible for him to take me away (deliver) from the god of this world. It is finished! I never implied that our God would steal as his created beings do in sin. You KNOW that he is sinless as does every believer. There is a term the informed debaters use when you divert the topic away from the actual content being discussed to belittle a comment expressed. The OP subject was about a song OO posted and the problems of changing the lyrics to honor God. Thanks, 1to3 (nice little sermon by the way)...

Because it's a beautiful melody. I watched/listened to the autistic children singing 'Hallelujah' on the tube. I believe it was of God. I'm glad God doesn't think like that. He took a sinful secular reprobate like me and "stole" me away from the devil and 'created' a new creature. Praise God!

what other people?

cool. thanks..

I often may find myself in a talk/prayer with God that others may seem at an inappropriate time. Then in my mind I justify it thinking on what God says, Pray without ceasing. Take every thought captive. The only way I can rid myself of ill thoughts towards someone that offended me is to pray for them. It works. The older I get the more I depend upon God and the more the conversations. When contemplating questions in the things/situations in my mind it's the word I have hid in my heart that answers. Old age genders a thankfulness and gratitude for what's still working in this old tent. This, for me, creates an awareness of those less fortunate and inspiration to intercede for them. And I think on the fact everybody is fighting battles (like my own) I know nothing of. This also works to generate empathy for prayer of needs unknown. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Thanks Ray.

Claude Debussy is on my Pandora stations, and Clair de Lune is a favorite, you can even sense the moon light mood.. Thanks Debp..