Willa

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.

Synonyms of abide: stay remain tarry live reside dwell stick with I think rely upon is one of the best translations of pistos--to believe. When we trust in Christ we rely upon him not just for faith but for help in all situations of life

yeh, we were talking about cats and as usual far0uk is talking about tats.

One unsaved granddaughter and one grandson in-law have several. The other 3 have one and are happy with them.

Dad didn't go to church when my kids were toddlers. Thinking of 18 month old babies.

It means to stick to Jesus, to stay with Him.

The Lord's Supper is a celebration of part of the Seder, the Passover meal that Jesus was celebrating with His disciples.

I think James said we are to count it all joy when we endure trials, but I still don't enjoy them. In fact, I am inclined to grumble like the children of Israel in the wilderness with whom God was displeased.

I can accept a woman being a pastor over women's and children's ministries when she is under the authority of a male head pastor. I cannot accept female head pastors except in very rare circumstances. In fact, I know of a male president of a seminary whom my pastor led to saving faith in Christ. I know many pastors who admitted they had not been called by God to the ministry and one graduated summa cum laude from his seminary. Another also had a doctorate. Others had no degrees but were clearly called and gifted in preaching and teaching the word. Two women were called by their congregations following the death of their husbands. One, a missionary in Africa, stayed on permanently; the other stayed on as an interim pastor in their church. One was under the authority of the head pastor as well as her husband. However, I would not choose to attend a church with a female head pastor. The ones that I have seen are mostly attended by women. Women are allowed in Scripture to pray aloud in church when they are under authority. We may prophecy, praise, or exhort when in order and inspired by the Holy Spirit. We may not disrupt by visiting, whispering to our husbands, showing him a message or joke on a cell phone, or otherwise distracting others, or by allowing small children to do the same. I do believe that these Scriptures that establish the chains of command in churches are for today. Yes we are equal in worth, but that doesn't mean we can ignore God's chain of command. Nor can we toss out portions just because we disagree with them.

When I used to pray for my unsaved husband that God would save him and change him, God used trials to change me so that I could accept and love him as he was, as God did. That included removing my self righteousness in thinking I was any better than he was. Ouch! Those trials are painful as they also touched my pride.

The Amplified version adds trust in, rely upon, adhere to. G4100 (Word Study) πιστεύω. pisteúō; fut. pisteúsō, from pístis (G4102), faith. To believe, have faith in, trust. NT meanings:

Yet it is gentle and kind but very strong and has great authority.

He is speaking of our eternal inheritance such as rewards, being seated with Him in heavenly places, ruling and reigning with Christ on earth; these saints walk in the light even as He is in the light.

In Greek patience means patient endurance. I am not sure I endured cheerfully without complaining and all that the word means. Probably not. God may have been trying to move me in that direction but I didn't get very far. Wasn't waiting cheerfully but I didn't fall away. I stubbornly trusted in God's promises and somehow endured due to God's grace. G5281 (Strong) ὑπομονή hupomonē hoop-om-on-ay' From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting). G5281 (Word Study) ὑπομονή hupomonḗ; gen. hupomonḗs, fem. noun from hupoménō (G5278), to persevere, remain under. A bearing up under, patience, endurance as to things or circumstances. VINE Patience, Patient, Patiently A. Nouns. 1. hupomone (G5281), lit., "an abiding under" (hupo, "under," meno, "to abide"), is almost invariably rendered "patience." "Patience, which grows only in trial, Jas 1:3 may be passive, i.e., = "endurance," as, (a) in trials, generally, Luk 21:19 (which is to be understood by Mat 24:13), cf. Rom 12:12; Jas 1:12; (b) in trials incident to service in the gospel, 2Co 6:4; 2Co 12:12; 2Ti 3:10; (c) under chastisement, which is trial viewed as coming from the hand of God our Father, Heb 12:7; (d) under undeserved affliction, 1Pe 2:20; or active, i.e. = "persistence, perseverance," as (e) in well doing, Rom 2:7 (KJV, "patient continuance"); (f) in fruit bearing, Luk 8:15; (g) in running the appointed race, Heb 12:1. "Patience perfects Christian character, Jas 1:4, and fellowship in the patience of Christ is therefore the condition upon which believers are to be admitted to reign with Him, 2Ti 2:12; Rev 1:9. For this patience believers are 'strengthened with all power,' Col 1:11, 'through His Spirit in the inward man,' Eph 3:16. "In 2Th 3:5, the phrase 'the patience of Christ,' RV, is possible of three interpretations, (a) the patient waiting for Christ, so KJV paraphrases the words, (b) that they might be patient in their sufferings as Christ was in His, see Heb 12:2, (c) that since Christ is 'expecting till His enemies be made the footstool of His feet,' Heb 10:13, so they might be patient also in their hopes of His triumph and their deliverance. While a too rigid exegesis is to be avoided it may, perhaps, be permissible to paraphrase: 'the Lord teach and enable you to love as God loves, and to be patient as Christ is patient.'"** From Notes on Thessalonians by Hogg and Vine pp. 222, 285. In Rev 3:10, "the word of My patience" is the word which tells of Christ's patience, and its effects in producing "patience" on the part of those who are His (see above on 2Th 3:5). B. Verbs. 1. hupomeno (G5278), akin to A, No. 1, (a) used intransitively, means "to tarry behind, still abide," Luk 2:43; Act 17:14; (b) transitively, "to wait for," Rom 8:24 (in some mss.), "to bear patiently, endure," translated "patient" (present participle) in Rom 12:12; "ye take it patiently," 1Pe 2:20 (twice). See also under A, No. 1.

Do to my spiritual immaturity I married a non believer in 1963. It was 11 years before he received Christ. During at least 6 of those years I compromised my values and beliefs and backslid. Then I realized that my kids would follow my example so I needed to come back to the Lord. So I adopted an attitude that even if I were the only one in the family to go to heaven, then I would do it alone. That is the attitude a secret disciple has. Early in my marriage I had suffered abuse for attending church and he had often taken my keys away from me so I couldn't drive the 7 miles to church. Now in 1969 his abuse was mostly verbal. He was saved in 1974. During that time God arranged circumstances and brought people into his life at work that he was forced to listen to. It wore down his resistance. However, the more I prayed that God change him, the more God changed me and enabled me to love and accept him just as he was.