layhoma

Even in today's standard in churches when physical abuses are reported in marriages they would intervene by recommending the victim to separate in hopes that restoration may take place to mend the relationship. But never suggest the possibility of a divorce. Divorce seems like a taboo unless it involves unfaithfulness or the death of a spouse. Anything beyond is like uncharted territory for us Christians. Long story short, it involves the testimony of a female friend. She got involved back less than 2 years ago with a man she met in her night classes in College. He was a divorcee. Because he knew she was a Christian and he wasn't, he showed his resolve by voluntarily taking up Bible classes and later to become a born again Christian. When the time was ripe, he proposed. She accepted. I'm sure you have already spotted a few red flags. Just a few weeks ago, she left him with a few boxes of her belongings, rented a beat up room and is filing for a divorce. She was hiding a lot of shame until she told me all about it recently. I will have to take her words, not only because I've known her for 25 years, but because she is a genuine God fearing woman. So whatever she confesses it sticks, in my book. Based from her testimony, her husband is not what she thought would be by breaking promises upon promises he made before marriage. There's no point in getting into the nitty gritty details, but based from 4 undeniable facts, this marriage is a sham, for lack of a better word. 1. He is driving a wedge between her friends and even her parents. He hates her visiting or contacting her parents by phone. He rejects the idea of helping them out by financial means even though he has high earnings. So much for honouring mom and dad. 2. He is a miser. Even when she requires medical help when she has depression, he refuses to pay for her medical bill. His reason is it's all in her head. So much for loving your wife. 3. He uses the analogy of having made a bad investment in this marriage. Always juxtaposing their marriage as a bad investment (yes in monetary value). Whatever that means.. 4. He publicly and privately demeans and disparage his wife with unfathomable languages in short of physically striking her. He knows not how to build, but quick to accuse. I can't judge this man because I don't know him. More importantly, I can't because I don't want the Lord to judge me. BUT what I have is spiritual discernment. I can tell by the fruits of a person by his deeds, that much I can tell you. So back to the initial topic, what would you do if you were in her shoes? She is being emotionally traumatized in the past 18 months. Their counselor (Pastor) has reached the conclusion that the husband has his heart so hardened that he finds no fault and unwilling to compromise. In fact, he has made several attempts to threaten her for a divorce just to incite terror and exert control over her. There is no end in sight. In such an abusive relationship what would you do? Better yet, what would Jesus do?

God Bless

I Just checked the online store for The Thompson Chain Reference Bible and they are all available only in NKJV. As English is my second language, I can only comprehend NIV. Is the NKJV close to the NIV ? Is it an easy read ? Thanks again for the heads up. In Chirst

Hi, I don't even know where to start. I need a book that will help me not as much as to answer life perplexing questions biblically, but more importantly to direct me to the exact verses in the Bible to where such questions may be addressed or answered. I have many questions but don't know where to search in the Bible for answers. I want to buy just that book at Christianbook.com but not sure what the category or title should be. Can anyone suggest? Thanks in advance In Christ

I have been attending this Church for several years. I believed it's an Anglican based church. 99% of the praise & worship services I felt comfortable with except for the 1%. I tried to disregard this incident that happened about 3-4 times but I felt a great sense of unease on my last service. The preacher had a long sermon about praying to St Andrew ....etc Natually my mind was blocked. Suffice to say I'm a bible following Christian. I hope I don't offend any bros or sis who are catholic but I choose to believe that the only prayers I'm allowed to make are those directed to the Triune God. Trinity. It is extremely challenging for me to accept the concept of praying to a Saint so he could more effectively relay our prayers to the Almighty. That is the concept no ? I need your sharing and opinion on this subject. You don't have to reveal your denomination, it's irrelevant. This isn't a debate. I'm just here to seek enlightenment and whether my reaction is justified. Thanks

Thanks everyone. I think I can now distinguish the difference in two words. Hope and Forgiveness. Blessings

Karma is something out from the new age movement and has roots in some Pagan religion. Since being a Christian, I refuse to use it, but instead I would quote "you reap what you sow". Opt out to be politically correct, both serve the same meaning. Anyone would like to elaborate?

Bearing fruits are a process of true Christians. But the meter is often misleading. Some who have met Christ over a long period would bear much fruit. But someone who has just met Christ, still being milk fed, most likely that person would still struggle with earthly sins and bad habits which takes time to clean. So here is my take. Instead of putting someone on the 10 commandment list, which no one would ever measure up; I would see how the person is transformed over a period of time. There are those that became Christians for only a few short years that exhibit more Christlike behaviors more than those of a lifetime believer.

Very True! You have struck a cord. Most sincere followers of Christ are usually quite subtle. They don't go around like a salesman. Meekness and Humbleness are hard to counterfeit.

Surely I have learned to pick up the cross daily and there will be pain and persecution for the sake of Jesus. But Never thought the enemies would be so close to us. I hate to call them enemies although all factors point to the fact but I fear judging blatantly for we were taught not to. So deep down I wish they were back slide Christians. But if my friend is used as their collateral damage then its better to jettison as far as possible. Enough of hypocrisy, for the lack of a better word

Oh I address her as my Ex because we had shared a decade of trust and love together. I would say she is my best friend. But that is an understatement. It's platonic thingy. Next best thing to a marriage.

My Ex and I would usually prance around in jubilation whenever we meet Christians from all walks of life. After two years of her testimony in 2 different jobs, she now cringes at the thought of meeting self proclaimed Christians, particularly in workplaces. Long story short: my friend is the victim of Christian prosecution. She is a very simple girl, heart of gold and always thinks of the positive sides of people instead of negative. I see her as a diamond in the rough, things she does I could never do and I always see her very blessed, with having a strong image of Christ. That said, the following 3 people that changed her view, and mine too, forever, toward Self-professed Christians. Job A: 7 months she was constantly harassed through verbal abuses and slandering from a person (co-worker) who timidly claimed to have been baptized. This lady is a very manipulative and controlling person. Full of jealousy and constantly gangs to form an alliance to rid of her. One time my friend almost called the police because she felt her life was threatened. The employer was a high profile figure in the community so my Ex only option is to resign and let it slide. Job B: (1). A Lady literally claps her hands and screamed in joy after learning that my Ex is a Christian the first day on her new job because she too is a sister in Christ, so she said. They worked closely together and it didn't take long to discover the Lady is a showman. She always asks my Ex to help her quote scriptures and uses them at the end of business letters just to tell the world how spirit filled she is. In other words, this lady will use the name of Christ to further her career because her boss (My Ex also) is a high profile Christian who does a lot of charity fund raising. She says what people want to hear but not what she believe in. She doesn't practice what she preaches. Period. She is always on the receiving end and seldom reciprocate. She does things illegal just to get on the boss's good side without having fear of God. She too often causes discord among the peers through gossip. Job B (2). The boss, the CEO of this company my Ex works directly under her. She is a high profile fund raiser and spend much time releasing her testimony in front pages of magazines. After two weeks when their honeymoon period is over, her boss showed her true colors. She often loses her temper and go ballistic. She screams and blast at my Ex most days of the week over trivial things. Her voice could be heard reverberating across the hallway and seems like people who have worked there are very used to her troubled mental state of chaos. One time she stood up and literally threw her hair against the wall and my Ex was petrified with fear. In the west, such abuses are criminal but here in Asia, people in high places are virtually untouchable. Again broken hearted, she left. Bear in mind I have no right to judge others less I'd be judge but I have all the given right fed by the words of God from the bible that I must have the wisdom to discern if people are truly disciples by their fruits. Everything I have written so far are observations that my Ex has shared with me and I have no doubt her every word is true without exaggeration. That's what hurts. The findings are very disappointing. Having my Ex share her ongoing ordeals in the past 2 years been betrayed by members of the body of Christ is the worst kind of betrayal a follower could ever endure. I guess we both are still naive. There is little hiding in work places because there are many political agendas and conflict of interests that bring out the worst in a person. The need to climb the corporate ladder, the want to get a pay raise by stepping down others or the ambition to have power corrupt the hearts. These may be the very same people whom we may shake hands in churches while saying "may peace be with you". I guess we are very near end time. Matthew 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Through prayers, after having her last 3 jobs with very abusive employers, she has now landed in a job with a high position that serves under a Chairman of a Listed Company whose nature is Financial Investments. Very soon she found out that part of the company invests in casino businesses locally and internationally. Perplexed she has hit an impasse. A decent job nowadays is hard to find at this difficult time. This job is almost like a needle in a haystack. Is it providence of God or a ruse of the enemy ? The business is legit and the casinos investments are licensed by local government. Her job nature is to assist her boss in paper work and research but not directly running the gambling part but still there's something that she is unease about and I guess the reason is obvious. Before anyone of you would jump into any judgements, could it be possible that she was put there for a reason ? That she has something to learn and perhaps she has a mission behind the enemy's line (if there is one)? Her boss treats her very kind and fair whereas her last 3 jobs she was constantly being abused by previous employers. For once she felt like a human being with some dignity attached. Put yourself in her shoes, what would you be thinking? What would you do? Your sharing would be much appreciated.

I guess that person has made his point blatantly. I thought the Shepard is supposed to set an example and lead the sheep. But again, he is just human after all. I wonder if Jesus would pause whenever a person enters the crowd of 5000

Yes indeed. God appoints a delegation to take care of the church as well as His sheep which reminds me of this verse: 1 Corinthians 1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.… Thus the motive of having the doors shut when service begins......is it out of love ??

I don't have the exact number of churches but is enough to discourage attendance that's for sure. So far I have heard of 3 testimonies from 3 different church goers having this predicament of their home church. These churches would either use one of the following options to enforce their regulations: 1. Doors locked. Period. 2. The doors remain open but if anyone who dares to enter when it's in session, they will be greeted by an usher telling you nicely to leave.

I live in Asia and quite a handful of local Christian churches would slam shut the doors, literally for late comers. Some would give a grace period of 15 minutes at best but eventually the doors will be shut. A convenient excuse for the administrators who pass down this rule would be to prevent disturbances from late comers during worship. I have been hopping to many different churches over the last 15 years and even the most old school churches would have the last 3 rows of seats near the entrance reserved for the tardy and thus, eliminate the fuss of "disturbances". Unfortunately some are very unforgiving and whenever I hear fellow Christians tell tales of their ordeal being barred from entering the house of God because they were "LATE" I would get very emotional and start giving them a lecture. I would say something like "what would Jesus do"? Would He kick people out when He was in the middle of preaching just because they arrived late? Ironically the scriptures told a story of people who trashed the roof top of a house during Jesus' preaching and lowered a sick man down from above and Jesus healed him. This incident is recorded in the Bible for many reasons, this correlation to the topic being as one. I then would ask these church goers if they know why Jesus rebuked the Pharisees with harsh words. The Pharisees were preventing the people getting close to God because of their hypocrisy and stringent laws. That being said, I do not believe that any churches, regardless of denominations, have a right to close and shut doors in any given situations because to do so would be to deny believers or non- believers the right of communion with God. This act alone would constitute, a grave sin. IMHO. I would like to hear your opinion. PS. I have no problems with North American English speaking churches and I never attended one with any trace of bureaucracy or red tape that would burden worshippers.

So part of our mind is deleted ? I really missed this verse. But does it contradict the theory of free will ? I'm just sayin.....

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." When we enter paradise in this condition, I can't imagine how there will not be pain or tears from the memories we endured from this world. Examples: A victim of rape carries the trauma in her mind. The worries if loved ones will be saved during the last 7 years of tribulations. If we fail to find our loved ones in paradise, there will be tears. Just to name a few............ The only argument that counters my question would be - Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. So lets just take an educated guess from our finite wisdom at this moment, the only way when we enter paradise when there is no pain and tears would be for God to erase part of the unpleasant memories we bring along and even erase that part where we met or associated with friends and loved ones in the past. Anyone would like to comment?

Hello Brother, I can't exactly make a scriptural argument, but some do come to mind that may raise some alerts: their grapes are not like our grapes. Their grapes come from the the vineyards of sodom and the fields of gomorrah. Read deuteronomy 32 - deuteronomy 33 It says that what they worship is false (the false grapes) and what we worship is real. It also makes mention of the poison of cobras The Bible sometimes don't go into details over everything mentioned. For example, all his disciples could cast out demons in the name of Jesus. Except for this one case and Jesus told them this one requires fasting. Did not elaborate more and it seems what is written is only the tip of an iceberg IMHO. There was a section teaching us how to equip ourselves in spiritual warfare but how to practically engage the enemy head on with those gears supplied and equipped is again not elaborated IMHO. So is the Bible incomplete? An astounding NO! Some of us are given gifts and each one of us plays a different part in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit will make our given gift(s) mature over time and we may discover things that are not mentioned in the scriptures but are definitely from God. Suffice to say some of us are given a gift of discernment and that is why there are one or two comments in here felt their spirits were in unease when they enter a pagan temple. If you have read books and hear testimony from people who have been delivered from possession of demons, the process of casting out is much more complicated, unlike Hollywood movies. Yes we have been given authority and of victory over death but how many of us really know how to exercise such authority? A friend of mine once succeeded in casting away an apparition manifested in front of her face just by saying the name "Jesus". Other times a demon possessed person may take hours in a tug-of war with a group of Christians praying, laying of hands and rebuking in the name of Jesus just for the spirit inside to reveal its name! Without knowing the name of the demon it becomes hard to cast it out. I will not get into too much detail because most likely many of you are becoming more skeptical of my thinking. It's really not my thinking but my experience. Suffice to leave it at that. Not many are into Healing and deliverance ministry. Yes I totally agreed and believed in Romans 8:31 & James 4:7. Here is my angle. But only when we are totally aligned with God. Since none of us could keep the 10 commandments, that's why Jesus is our only way to God, by His blood. We need his cleansing every day. Sometimes there are areas of our hearts left unchecked. That said, anytime we sin, we open a door to spiritual attacks and most of the time without even knowing. Here comes the tricky part of resisting the devil. Demons come in many names. Spirit of Hatred, Spirit of Lust, Spirit of Dissension, Spirit of Debauchery, Spirit of Anger.....the list goes on and on. So let's say a person (even Christians) gave in to the lust of the eyes by watching pornography, he/she may have made a crack that invited an evil spirit (eg. Named Lust) into his/her life. I don't believe it's a possession but rather the person given a right for an oppression by evil spirits. You dig deeper into the forums you will see many Bibles abiding and God fearing Christians who are held bondage and chained by compulsive behaviors that are sinful in the eyes of the Almighty and yet, they seek ways to make right but to little avail. Should we be fearful ? No, but neither should we downplay the power of the enemy. That said, back to your question. What are we Christians are afraid of ? Sure our spirit is secure and nothing could snatch us away from God's gift of salvation. It is written. But our walks could very well be impeded by our weakness. Many of us face harassments from the enemy because we couldn't possibly live a perfect life in this imperfect flesh and in this imperfect world. We can't afford to let our guards down. Once we became Christians we are on top of Satan's hit list. I know a bro in Christ who is in constant attacks because he is in high gear in bringing unsaved souls to Christ in the front line. He had to put up with constant harassment from the enemy. Some are supernatural that I do not want to discuss in here. Sorry I can't offer further concrete evidence and please just take it as mere "sharing" from someone who has been "there" and "done" that.

I am the OP and I would like to make a humble comment here for those that are not so spiritually aware that spiritual warfare is real and is an ongoing battle in which we can't see or hear. Whenever a temple is used to worship anything but our one True God, demons are summoned in that dwelling place and particularly reside in idols. So you may ask me it is not scriptural or "how would you know?" Before I became a Christian, I have sought monks and priests of the Eastern religion that claimed to have the power to channel in spiritual entities that could foretell and manipulate the future. I have personally witnessed these people using demonic power to one's own gain. Furthermore, many of these vessels possessed by demons went with me to visit certain temples to make offerings and prayers. I remembered one particular woman ( My ex sister- in -law ) who was Thai, on many occasions would tell me which idol to worship and which not to because the real idol with power she could see their eyes glowing in red ! She would know which temple is so called blessed or so called mediocre. Thus I learned there are ranks in the demonic hierarchy but that is a different story. She could detect and connect with all kinds of eerie principalities of the air inside these premises because she is possessed. The spirits in her and the spirits in the temple connects. It's a family reunion of satan's minions. Demonic infested nests where they receive worships and offerings. Isn't this what Satan desire ? To be worshipped as God ? A short introduction: My ex- sister- in- law takes great pride that there are 3 Buddhist gods living inside her. They communicate telepathically and offer advices to people who wish to seek consultation. Every time a spirit is summoned she would go into a trance, composure changed, voice and dialect altered. I remembered the first time I seek consultation from these entities, they would ask me a question before I ask them anything. They would ask :"do you believe in us (me) ? Just as if you would want to follow Christ you would have to announce that you believe in Jesus and want to invite him in as your lord. Do you see the counterfeit similarity? ? So IMHO, many religious temples are housing demonic entities. I can say this with confidence because I once had a close relation with the enemy, literally. I would not go walk on these "cursed grounds" because I based on the scripture on you cannot have two masters, either you love the other or despise the other. " Setting foot would mean my acknowledgement of them and a defilement of my temple. that being the Holy Spirit. I thank Jesus for forgiving my past sins and accepted me into his life and mine to His. I thank Him for breaking my chain of ties with the enemy and to be forever His in both spirit and flesh. I thank the Lord I am blessed having the privileged to bear witness in His name, Amen.

Say if you joined a tour to India and as part of intinary to visit Jai Mehal of Agra, one of the great ten wonders of the world. A Hindu temple known for its monumental architecture and grand beauty. The tour guide leads the way and you would : a. I flew half way from the world and it's a waste not to take pictures. I'm going in because as long as I'm not there to worship and know my heart and faith belong to God, there is no problem with it. b. I'm going in because I know this "building " is just an empty shell for people worshiping nothing but thin air so I'm at peace with it. c. I'm staying inside my bus and no one is going to make me set foot on cursed ground because any kinds of worshiping that is not to "Yahweh" is to Satan. d. Others.

Thank you all for your sharings. Please keep up with your inspirations. There is something I would like to add: I believe I have this gift of patience. I mean I could sustain and dissolve most hostility and hardcore temper tantrum being thrown at me without shedding a tear (97% of the time). Maybe this is the reason why God has put me in this place to aid this lady. I doubt anyone or in fact a normal Christian could put up with her ( I'm not saying I'm holier but I have this ability to detach myself ). Deep down she is a nice person and has a will and a powerful drive to further God's kingdom with her abundant financial resources. And I know despite all the harsh criticism she throws at me she doesn't mean it. In fact, she holds no grudges because if I walk back into her office in an hour after being spited, she would forget anything ever happened as if having amnesia. In a way I feel sad for her and it pains me to abandon ship during the period when she is most fragile and the enemy would make attempts to divide us and attack her/me knowing she is a threat.

There is a problem at work from my ex girlfriend. She's really struggling. I shall use first person tense to tell it. Christian advice is needed. Bless you all ! Having two job offers, I prayed and ask God to help me choose one that is best for me. Now here I am working for my boss who also happens to be a CEO of a company and a Christian. She does a lot of side work to glorify God such as establishing non-profit foundations to serve the needy. As her Personal Assistant I felt privileged that I could take part in some of her charity work and also felt thankful to be with other Christian especially at a workplace. After less than 2 months of work, some ugly truth surfaced. Bear in mind what I'm about to disclose has no intention to demean or disparage her. Just facts. If I haven't had love and patience, I would have left after the 2nd week of service. She has severe depression, probably on medications and ultimately leading to side effects that exhibit unusual behaviors. She lost her son a year ago and she is emotionally unstable. She is a difficult person. IMHO She is extremely forgetful and not open for reasoning. When she tells me to do task A, I complete the task and she may end up blaming me why I did it. When she asks me NOT to do task B, I leave it alone and she may end up scolding me why I did not do it. If I explain and begin to reason, she would go ballistic, literally, thinking I shouldn't talk back to an immediate superior. Her composure is quite hostile and uncanny. She has some sort of speech impediment in giving instructions. When she asks me to do something she usually does not give me a complete sentence and expect me to guess the rest. If I fail to comply, it's my fault. In other words, unless if I could read minds, it's almost an impossible task. She does not believe in communications with her subordinates. Yet she expects results. She is an extremely temperamental person. She has a lot of sorrow and frustrations to vent. As a newcomer, I have been chosen as "The" person to release her unwanted energy. She would shout at the top of her lungs and scold me. It becomes her chore every day. She has lost her objectivity at work. She is starting to criticize me at a personal level complaining things like: how she dislikes my hand writing, belittling me of my lack of business sense and questioning how I earn my seat in this company, so on and so forth. Recently her scolding sometimes escalates to blatant outburst of anger that is out of control, banging her desk with her hands, screaming that literally shakes the floor of the whole department over something that is very trivial. Let's just say in the west, her behavior is a form of abuse and harassment that could be charged as crimes. ( FYI: I am working in the East ). I am still hanging on because I sense she exhibits signs of remorse after each episode of outburst but just that she couldn't control her emotions. I still haven't left because no matter how useless she thinks I am not being able to measure up to her expectations but deep down I know she needs me. She knows I pray for her often and she knows I am a decent person. But I too have depression and in the long run if she doesn't get better I may be the one to break down. I have another job offer from an agency and they persuade me to leave. It's a much more prominent company and higher pay. But that isn't the point. I want a way to exit from this predicament. Here is my dilemma. Since I asked God to pick a job for me and He landed me in here, to leave prematurely would thwart off God's plan for me. I'm not sure if this is something I must persevere or if God has offered me a way of escape. I am just confused. Some bros and sis in Christ suggest me to stay because they think if I work long enough my boss will change and accept me not to mention I have a chance to contribute to the Lord's work. Some say abuse is abuse and perhaps being here is just a crossroad in God's plan so it's time to move on. Some are indifferent but a little skeptical because the new job offer is run by a chairman who has had a history of criminal activities, did his time and now made his new company to the top with a comeback and set a good image in the business stage. ( I kind of reasoned would judging this person to be a legitimate reason not to get involved just because he was a sinner? Are we not sinners??) What would you do ? Furthermore, if I go ahead and applied to this potential job and ask God : "Lord if I don't get hired, I would presume you want me to continue working here but if I do get hired I take it you want me to move on". BUT would that be putting God to the test when the Bible specifically tells us not to?

While living under the same roof and cuddling together in bed are not sins, it is a lot of work to avoid falling into fornication (which is a sin). There are a lot of Christian couples out there who had "oops" moments and ruined it completely. Indeed your concern is valid and perhaps 9 out of 10 of those Christians who attempted would probably fall from grace. Allow me to extend my brainstorming, the 1 couple who makes it could be: 1. Asexual:Lacking interest in or desire for sex. Yes these are real people who meant what they say just as real as gays have no interests towards the opposite sex or transsexuals who honestly think they are trapped in bodies that are contradictory to their minds. 2. People who are physically impotent and mentally having zero sex drive as results of the prolonged intake of medications such as anti -depressants. 3.( A stretch but not unheard of ) People who are so spirit filled that their flesh or carnal nature have no grip or control over their desire and walk close with the Holy Spirit. But I must admit that I myself can't deny the fact that such action would cause a stumbling block both to Christians or non believers. Since it is human nature to judge whatever happens behind closed door ends up in a negative verdict. Hence, doing so would and could never glorify God.