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!

Hi Mandy. Didn't see the article before this but have experienced the healing and delivering power of Jesus by having communion in my home. God Bless.

One of the root issues we all have to deal with is rejection and a lot of what was described in the post has its root in rejection. I used to think that I didn't have any roots of rejection in me until one day God showed me the deep-seated anger within me that manifested in my irritability in relationships, my low self-esteem and my people-pleasing behaviour. It is but one step in this journey with Him but aren't we glad that He was rejected and despised so that the curse of rejection can be broken over our lives and yes, repentance is the way to go...God Bless

There is another excellent book on the blood called 'The Scarlet Thread' that traces the blood of the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world from Genesis to Revelation. Understanding the power in the blood of Jesus will give you such confidence in your authority as a believer. Like Candi said, we can all tell you what God has shown us about the blood but when He reveals it to you, it will become life to you...so happy studying!

I have a problem in accepting that one can do something with one's body without any impact on the mind because we were created with all three aspects: body, soul and spirit connected in a person. The problem with anything based on Eastern philosophy or teaching is that religion is an integral part of the discipline: the yoga positions all mean something specific from a spiritual point of view and their development and evolving contains in the essence of the movement a spiritual principle that you are subjecting your spirit to that does not come from the truth that is in Jesus Christ.

I hear preachers talking about the fact that we are living in the end times and that Jesus is coming soon. Matthew 24 is often quoted as evidence that the condition of the world is such that He can come at anytime. What about the church? Is the church ready for Him to come? What about all the Scriptures on the great and terrible Day of the Lord in the Old Testament? Is this the same as His second coming? Sometimes it seems that Christians don't really believe He is coming cos of the way they live their lives. Jesus asked the question, When I come will I find faith in the earth? Is their faith in the earth?

If you have unforgiveness in your heart, God cannot hear your prayers because the key to prayers heard and answered is that they are asked in the name of Jesus who died to bring us forgiveness.

It is God's love that draws us but His grace and whatever means He uses to get us to the point where we can respond to that love depends on how responsive we are to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Some people choose Him because they are afraid to go to hell but once they get to know Him, His unconditional love is what keeps them in Him.

I am with you on this...I would only add she needs to be reflective and prayerful and not impulsive and vindictive in her response.

Thank you Peaches for your detailed explaination. It gave me lots to think about. I think sometimes even though we may have married the 'right person' in our other relationships we can be unequally yoked and that can influence our judegement and our walk with God. If we are not clear on what our stand should be, it is easier to get into situations where feelings and emotions get entangled and then decisions become difficult. There are certain relationships as a believer that you just have to steer clear of when it comes to romance and we need to be absolutely resolute that these are not options we can give any room to: unbelievers, married or committed people and anyone else you feel a check in your spirit about.

I agree that context is very important in interpreting Scripture, especially if doctrines are built on them and you are ministering them to people whose lives can be altered by your interpretation. I think that sometimes in your personal walk with God, a single verse can inspire you in a particular situation and that's also OK.