Willa

Personally, I don't think confronting her would help or solve anything. The best thing you can do is to demonstrate God's loving compassion for her and those like her. She is lost and probably has experienced a lot od harm and was hurt by men; only God's love can heal those wounds. This takes time as well. So bear with her patiently, be friendly kind polite and caring.

Love Keaggy's guitar as well as this rockin' bluesy song taken from an old spiritual.

Miss Muffie, This reminds me of my late hubby singing this with tears running down his face, arms raise in worship face lifted to the heavens. Someday I will worship with him again. Thank you for posting it.

Yes, all of us Jn 3:16 whosoevers should be focusing on the whatsoevers and on Christ. It is easy to be distracted by the darkness of the world and evil politicians when we should be focusing on good, true and pure things. It's no wonder that we lack peace.

On the mission field I have heard of Catholics, Baptists and Pentecostals joining each other for fellowship and support in the face of severe Muslim persecution. This was in the Philippine Islands.

I so agree with this. I remember the verses and passages that I have applied and have become a part of my life. However, I wish I had memorized more as a child. It was much easier to do when I was 8 than now when I am 80. I can always tell which were those memorized early on because they were in King Jimmy. Now I read modern translations like AMP, NKJV and ESV.

I did mine with "self piercing"rings that were supposed to go through on their own in time....they were extremely painful and got infected pretty bad in spite of my carefully following instructions. I ended up jamming them through just to get it over with. These days the stores here that pierce are inspected regularly and precautions are taken to avoid spread of disease and infection. It is done as a surgical procedure and those who do it are well trained.

TY!

Discussing Scriptures that mention the faith OF Christ vs faith IN Christ, I learned that in some cases neither word is supplied in Greek but a preposition is altogether absent. In other cases the preposition can be translated either way, depending on the translator's interpretation of the text. However, I tend to believe that Christ being fully man as well as fully God, willingly limited Himself to our existence and walked in the Spirit as we do, knowing only the next step revealed to Him. That is truly walking by faith. It is the old hymn Trust and Obey. We trust Him and do as the lord directs us. So Jesus did and said only those things the Father gave Him to do and say.

All. However I see more basic truths about the person and work of Christ as part of our unity of faith. Salvation by faith in Christ's suffering, death and blood shed for the propitiation of our sin is central to the Gospel as is His resurrection.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Act 3:19 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

It sounds a little bit like a Brethren church. Each person functions as the holy Spirit leads. By the way, both formulas for baptism are scriptural and therefore valid as for as I can see. However, repentance or turning away from a sinful life style to follow and trust in Jesus Christ as your God and Savior is pretty important. Read the New Testament noting verses that really get your attention. It is very common for people to have arguments on the way to church or as you have mentioned concerning communion. The enemy delights in upsetting us or causing us to doubt, so remember that he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

God doesn't see us through rose colored glasses, He sees us through blood covered glasses. Once we receive Christ into our lives and His atoning death for our sins, He sees us as pure, cleansed, forgiven and justified by Christ's blood. He makes us new creatures in Christ. True, we die daily to the old man. However, our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and we have eternal life!

When personal prophesies have been given to me, the genuine ones have all been confirmation of something God had already told me. However, most have been false. One in particular was an accusation. I prayed about it and opened the Bible randomly to an Old Testament page and pointed my finger to a verse that proclaimed it was a lie. I rarely have done this and being skeptical I randomly reopened to a New Testament passage that turned out to be a quotation of the previous passage saying again that it's a lie! We are told that the truth will set you free, and at that moment the heaviness that had come over me totally left and I felt light and free. We are also told that satan is the accuser of the brethren. I had the witness of Scripture to not believe that personal prophecy. At one time I attended a pentecostal church. Many of the members were there because they had been kicked out of their mainline denomination upon receiving a spiritual gift! They were told it was contrary to the churches doctrine. Someone asked whey the gifts don't occur in the Baptist church--That is why. When they do the people are asked to leave. Others who experienced this were Lutheran. While in this church they were contemplating construction a new building. While praying about it I saw myself and family worshipping in a gymnasium. As it turned out, we changed to a Baptist church so I never saw what they built. However, after attending the crowded little church for several months we learned that the new addition they were building was to be a gymnasium that would double as their new sanctuary. We worshipped there for nearly 20 years. When we again changed it was to a Calvary Chapel. We first worshipped in a remodeled shopping center for 2 years, then a community center for 2 more years, and for the last 15 years in a gymnasium! Why God showed me this I don't know, except perhaps to confirm that this is where He wanted us. When giving a prophecy in church God always gives me a short phrase to speak out and then either gives me more words or I see something taking place that I describe. So I never am never given a whole prophecy that I could take to the elders to be judged. It is something that unfolds as I speak out in faith. Very rarely have I been given a personal prophecy for another person. Like others here I am very wary of self proclaimed prophets. As one lady put it, "Well, Willa, If God could speak through Balaam's ass, I suppose He can speak through you!"

Have you read the book of Job lately?? I have lived in his shoes and in the book. Perhaps it was pure stubbornness coupled with God's grace that enabled me to hang tough. It is really hard when we feel like God doesn't hear us or isn't there. Remember that feelings are unreliable and that satan fills our minds with lies to discourage us. You don't have to listen to his lies! Our God is faithful! Worship God for Who He is and for sending His Son to die for us. God does love you. He didn't promise that the Christian life would be easy or free of hardship. 1Pe 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.