vitality22004

Paul taught the Corinthian church that there were men who were gifts to the body of Christ, like apostles and prophets who were anointed to equip the body of Christ. In the other letters the churches in Ephesians and Phillipians, he exhorts us to be one body that is built on the foundation of the 'five-fold' ministry gifts. Has this led to a hierarchy in the church? Can you be an apostle and prophet and not have a platform within a church?

Me too! I am reading a New York Times Bestseller, "Walking The Bible," A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses. It is written by a Jewish author Bruce Feiler. I haven't come across anything that isn't found in the Christian Bible. Yet, to some on Worthy forums, it may not pass with their okay. Unfortunately, it seems like some of Worthy's family likes to think their way is the only way. Snow4JC If someone wrote a fictional account of your life or your parents, spouse or siblings, would that still be ok? Would you still like everyone to read it and even make a movie having amazing actors play out scenes in your life that never happened? It would be ok, of course, because the author would write that it was really fiction even though your name, address, place of work, parents geneology and everything else would be true, the rest would be made up and that would be OK...and of course it would be so interesting to read and right up there with freedom of speech, if the fictional account had you doing and saying everything that was directly opposite to who you are and what defined you, because that would be fiction and everyone watching and reading would know that...cos they would know you. We either believe Jesus was real like you and me and He is who He says He is, (He's still living like you and me, by the way), and is entitled to the same respect and dignity we afford ourselves or He is a fictional character and then yeah...write anything you want about Him then!

I have found that divorce seldom solves the problem in this situation because the person with the alcohol abuse has yet another reason to justify his addiction. And the spose has to live with total insecurity and anxiety every time the children are away during periods of access. I think the principles of Al-anon are the most helpful: there is nothing you do to make them drink and there's nothing you can do to make them stop. I have encouraged this spouse to stay clear about her decision not to have alcohol in her home and expose her children to behaviour under the influence of a substance. I have encourage her to attend a support group with her children, to pray for her husband and to encourage him to attend counselling. I have asked her to continue to attend church and to encourage him to come with so that God can work in their lives. I have hepled her understand that it is NOT God's will for her to live like this and that God's will is for her husband to be set free.

Jackie, thank you for your reply and your sincerity. I only raised this in a post because of the pastor's counsel. The man with the problem of alcohol abuse is a Christian and I felt he needed help as well as his family but as long as the church's counsel was only to his wife that she must submit to him even in situations that placed her children at risk, i felt that he would not get the help he needed. I agree that alcoholism is a disease and that insight is a major problem with those who drink. I also agree that abandoning someone with a problem of alcohol doesn't help them but I don't think that the wife can handle this on her own without the support of the church. Some of the posts have suggested a period of separation, which in this situation might be useful to help the man realise what he stands to lose if he doesn't get help.

So true Candi. Just wish the living out of this was easier!

Was Abraham not the father of the Jews, which makes him the first one?

What about 1 Cor 5:11 guys? The Corinthian church was exhorted not to associate with anyone who was Christian and known to be an adulterer, idolater or a person with a foul tongue or is a drunkard. Does this mean that this applies to everyone you are not married to but if you are married to any of the above, God expects you to not just associate with them but to live with them and submit to them? That Scripture ends by saying 'you must not so much as eat with such a person'. vitality, I can see where your heart truly is at right now. It is very clear you want to leave your husband because of his behavior and I can understand that I truly can. It is very hard to be around those who carry on like that let alone your own husband especially if you are a christian who fears the Lord it is extremly offensive behavior to have to deal with. You have chosen in this life to marry this man and now you have kids you are bound to him now by law it does not matter if he is christian or not you said the marriage vows for better or for worse. All i can tell you is that it can get better by G-ds grace. That there can be true happiness again within your marriage. But I can see by your response that you are hardened right now as well and are having no tolerance to working at this relationship and for doing the things maybe you need to do in order for reconcilation between the two of you. If your heart is made up to leave then all the christian counseling for you or your husband does no good for the home will be forever broken and with broken homes comes broken lives. I pray that you would not use the word of G-d to try to find loop holes that will lead you in the wrong way a midst your hurting heart. lots of time the anger and bitterness we have in our hearts guides us and decieves us so that we can't get to the wound and pain of our own heart to mend it and dress it as it needs to be. For I have found this deception within my own life dealing with my own problems. Don't let the pain and anger and bitterness guide you adress the pain in heart and take care of it so healing can come to your entire family. Take courage to do what must be done. blessings once again Openly Curious Sorry guys...tried to say, I'm not the person involved. I was the Christian counsellor. I am a widow who had 27 years of happy marriage!!!!!

vitality, I can see where your heart truly is at right now. It is very clear you want to leave your husband because of his behavior and I can understand that I truly can. It is very hard to be around those who carry on like that let alone your own husband especially if you are a christian who fears the Lord it is extremly offensive behavior to have to deal with. You have chosen in this life to marry this man and now you have kids you are bound to him now by law it does not matter if he is christian or not you said the marriage vows for better or for worse. All i can tell you is that it can get better by G-ds grace. That there can be true happiness again within your marriage. But I can see by your response that you are hardened right now as well and are having no tolerance to working at this relationship and for doing the things maybe you need to do in order for reconcilation between the two of you. If your heart is made up to leave then all the christian counseling for you or your husband does no good for the home will be forever broken and with broken homes comes broken lives. I pray that you would not use the word of G-d to try to find loop holes that will lead you in the wrong way a midst your hurting heart. lots of time the anger and bitterness we have in our hearts guides us and decieves us so that we can't get to the wound and pain of our own heart to mend it and dress it as it needs to be. For I have found this deception within my own life dealing with my own problems. Don't let the pain and anger and bitterness guide you adress the pain in heart and take care of it so healing can come to your entire family. Take courage to do what must be done. blessings once again Openly Curious

What about 1 Cor 5:11 guys? The Corinthian church was exhorted not to associate with anyone who was Christian and known to be an adulterer, idolater or a person with a foul tongue or is a drunkard. Does this mean that this applies to everyone you are not married to but if you are married to any of the above, God expects you to not just associate with them but to live with them and submit to them? That Scripture ends by saying 'you must not so much as eat with such a person'.

Thank you for your replies. What happens though if he drives under the influence and insists on taking the children with him? Does God require her as a parent to protect her children in these circumstances? As he is Christian, should not the church help him with counselling and bring him to repentance instead of placing the burden on her to stay in the marriage?

I have understood the mark to represent a trading system with the world that we will be given the opportunity to say no to, at the start of the tribulation. The church will be raptured soon after. I don't know if this is the only way to see this as so much of revelation is still not fully understood. I just feel the safest place for us is to remain obedient to God and to His Word for He will always be our shelter and refuge.

Where there is alcohol abuse in a marriage, often the spouse and children suffer for years in silence in the cycle of abuse. There is verbal abuse, aggression, financial instability and lots more. I had to counsel a lady recently who had been advised by her pastor that it was God's will for her to remain in her marriage despite the problems she was experiencing as a result of alcohol. Her husband was Christian, attending church although irregularly, got drunk on a regular basis, insisted on driving under the influence often with her three minor children in the car and was verbally abusive of her in front of the children and sometimes in public and at her place of employment. Is the pastor correct in his counsel?

John 1:13 ' Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh (that of physical impulse) nor to the will of man (that of a natural father) but to God (They are born of God).' Ampl. What did John mean by this statement? In 1 John 3, he states that no one born of God deliberately, knowingly and habitually practices sin, for God's nature abides in Him. Is this before or after we are born again?

I guess I would say something when I felt prompted to do so by the spirit: there are differences in opinion, interpretation, revelation and there is truth and error. With the first three, I will feel free to share my view or not. Where there is clear error, I feel that I would have to speak the truth in love.

'And all of these, though they won divine approval by their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised, because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us so that they(these heroes and heroines of faith) should not come to perfection apart from us (before we could join them)' Hebrews 11:40. This is the Scripture God called me into the ministry with. It is so humbling and awesome to consider that we as the last generation are the ones that will cross the finishing tape. This Word is my motivation for running the race with determination and honour and by God's grace, we will not drop the baton!