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Willa

Worthy Ministers
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Everything posted by Willa

  1. Rev. 7:9-17 shows saints in heaven that had been beheaded for their testamony. John 14:2-3 promise of Jesus that He is preparing a place for us with the Father "that where I am, there you may be also". 1 Cor. 15:40-52 concerning our new spiritual, heavenly bodies 2 Cor:5:1 , 8 concerning our eternal home in the heavens Ph. 1:23 better to be with Christ (in heaven) Col. 3:4 When Christ Who is our life shall appear, then we shall appear with Him in Glory. I also believe that when Christ returns to rule and reign in Israel, that we shall be with Him. --For thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thess 4:17, 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
  2. One lady promised to raise their daughter as a catholic, but she also made sure that she was saved and had received Jesus as her Savior and Lord. She taught her the Bible from the time she was very young. There are many born again catholics that I have known who really love the Lord. But there are many things that I could never do in a catholic church. And it always puzzles me when people depart from it , are saved, and then later return to it. There seems to be a grip that the church has on people almost like a cult. I have baptized our sons in the Lutheran church, believing that to me it was a dedication and that they can be baptized as believers later in life. They were. So I have figured that no church would be perfect and believe exactly as I did. But the Catholic church has a few big ones. Believing that tradition is a basis for doctrine. Not believing that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. Not Praying to God alone. Bowing down before statues. Repititious prayers to repent or pay for sins. Prayer for the dead. Purgatory Moreover, in some countries their faith is further perverted by worship of the dead or of ancesters. So for me the gulf would be too wide to bridge. I would have to ask the other person to attend a protestant church with me, be married in a protestant church and raise children as protestants. Between many protestant churches there is not so much difference. As long as they believe that the Bible alone is God's Word--God breathed by the Holy Spirit, they have a worship service with genuine worship, and the sermons are being used by the Holy Spirit, I have felt at home in many different denominations.
  3. It does hurt when our friends reject us. I had one call me "more holy than thou" because I didn't laugh at her dirty jokes. But I really missed her and had real love for her in Christ. On the other hand a couple of old friends I had lost contact with later renewed our friendship and are now saved. They live hundreds of miles away now but we call and email occasionally.. And I found friends in bible studies. One had just been saved that I had preiously known. We became prayer partners and grew in the Lord together. Hubby was not yet saved, my mom died, and it was a tough time. But sometimes being a friend to someone is the answer, instead of looking for a person to fill the hole in our lives. I no longer hope for certain people to be my friend. Instead I look for opportunities to serve someone else. Sometimes I have determined to be a better friend to them should they ever have a need, then they have been to me. There is deep lonliness and even depression when we grieve over the loss of friends. There is no shortcut it seems. Even the disciples mourned deeply over the loss of Stephen when he was stoned to death. But it can turn into a growing experience for us; God can use even this so that we can help others going through it with the same help we were given. Just being someone who understands and listens can help so much. We normally just wish He would find some other way to grow us. They say suffering builds character. I asked God concerning one friend who was going through really tough times, that since he was already a character, so did he really need more? But that is my wry sense of humor.
  4. I saw a lot of self effort in what the article was saying. He was busy being busy with out listening to God for guidance in what was needed for him to do. He just ticked off a list of things he was expected to do, appointments to keep and routines but was he leaving Christ behind in all of this?. My last missions board leader was a pastor who had burned out. In the past we would meet and discuss candidates, take a couple of weeks to pray about pending discisions and meet again to read correnspondance of our missionaries and their prayer request. Suddenly under this new leader we were assigned reading and discussing a book each week, and doing a lot of "busy work". He once let us know all his degrèes, then told us a decision he had made, and told us if we disagreed we should come with scripture the next week to explain why, and have it in writing.. I see this man in the article. Gone was the prayer for decidions pending and prayer for missionaries. In its place were time consuming assignments that led nowhere. I could easily see why he burned out. He left out the priorities of our relationship with God in prayer, of listening to Him for direction, and of praying for our missionaries in the field. (We had requested quarterly correspondance from them to be able to pray for them intelligently.) The ex pastor was trying to make a name for himself somehow by changing our board, and he was relying on books for inspiration as to what new program to try next. It was his board and ideas that he promoted, but he somehow was leaving God out of the equation as well as our supportive relationship with our missionaries. Jesus said My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meak and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. To do this we need to lay aside our ambitions and plod along with Jesus, taking one step at a time, not sure of where we are going but just being content to walk with God. We drink in His love for the lost and His priorities of the widows, orphans and the least in this world.
  5. The woman is Israel. The Child is Jesus, The dragon is satan. 1260 days also = 3 1/2 years, or the last portion of the tribulation in which she will be protected. First satan persecuted the Jews, the Woman, and then he mad war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of CHRIST. THE CHURCH, both jews and gentiles.
  6. What sort of music, Logan? instruments? Composition? tell us more. Congrats, by the way. Really excited for you. Willa
  7. Not that Kennewick Man himself was Polynesian. This is not Kon-Tiki in reverse; humans had not reached the Pacific Islands in his time period. Rather, he was descended from the same group of people who would later spread out over the Pacific and give rise to modern-day Polynesians. These people were maritime hunter-gatherers of the north Pacific coast; among them were the ancient Jōmon, the original inhabitants of the Japanese Islands. The present-day Ainu people of Japan are thought to be descendants of the Jōmon. Nineteenth-century photographs of the Ainu show individuals with light skin, heavy beards and sometimes light-colored eyes. Jōmon culture first arose in Japan at least 12,000 years ago and perhaps as early as 16,000 years ago, when the landmasses were still connected to the mainland. These seafarers built boats out of sewn planks of wood. Outstanding mariners and deep-water fishermen, they were among the first people to make fired pottery. The discovery of Kennewick Man adds a major piece of evidence to an alternative view of the peopling of North America. It, along with other evidence, suggests that the Jōmon or related peoples were the original settlers of the New World. If correct, the conclusion upends the traditional view that the first Americans came through central Asia and walked across the Bering Land Bridge and down through an ice-free corridor into North America. Sometime around 15,000 years ago, the new theory goes, coastal Asian groups began working their way along the shoreline of ancient Beringia—the sea was much lower then—from Japan and Kamchatka Peninsula to Alaska and beyond. This is not as crazy a journey as it sounds. As long as the voyagers were hugging the coast, they would have plenty of fresh water and food. Cold-climate coasts furnish a variety of animals, from seals and birds to fish and shellfish, as well as driftwood, to make fires. The thousands of islands and their inlets would have provided security and shelter. To show that such a sea journey was possible, in 1999 and 2000 an American named Jon Turk paddled a kayak from Japan to Alaska following the route of the presumed Jōmon migration. Anthropologists have nicknamed this route the “Kelp Highway.” “I believe these Asian coastal migrations were the first,” said Owsley. “Then you’ve got a later wave of the people who give rise to Indians as we know them today Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/kennewick-man-finally-freed-share-his-secrets-180952462/#g0H7PELLsL68lEyS.99 **link removed"" I remember reading that Jomon (Ainu) pottery had been discovered in Chili causing some to suspect a relationship to these peoples. They seem as good as suspects to migrate here as any peoples. Kennewick Man was found to have normally eaten a diet of marine mammals such as seal, and was not from the inland Columbia basin area of Kennewick. The tribes now claiming the remains are probably not his descendants. The remains of the Mexican girl in the underwater caves bear a resemblance to Kennewick Man but has DNA more like native Americans.
  8. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dna-12000-year-old-skeleton-helps-answer-question-who-were-first-americans-180951469/?no-ist This was an illuminating article concerning early inhabitants. There is general disagreement. Some say she and Kennewick Man resemble the Ainu of Japan, who appear caucasian but whose genetics are purely Mongolian like the Tibetan and Taiwan peoples. Others say they resemble the polynesian and others the native Australians. No one knows and no one agrees. I tend to go with the idea that just as different people arrived here from Europe at different times, different migrations from Asia occurred at different times and different ways.. But the Ainu fascinate me and could be a likely candidate for at least some of the earliest peoples here. There could have even been other islands in the Pacific in earlier eras that were swallowed by earthquakes or changes in the sea floor that facilitated migration. Who knows... Native American, Australian and the Ainu all believe that they were in their lands from the beginning of time. That I doubt.
  9. When by the power of Jesus the wife takes an obedient role by choice--not by fear-- and is RESPECTFUL to her husband, loving and quiet, prayerful, displaying the peace of God, things can change. She is uncompromising in her relationship with God. And abuse can disappear when the husband is honored in the home, becomes a loving born again Christian who leads the family in prayer and becomes an example to his children in godliness. God can change homes. I have seen it happen. Christ humbled Himself and became a servent. He came from a position of greatest power and could have called 10,000 angels to defend Himself, but used restraint. This is meekness--power and authority under restraint for the loving benefit of others. Both men and women need to learn godly meekness. A woman needs to realize that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in her as a Christian. She is not a doormat. She serves her husband and family out of choice and strength as unto the Lord. And the husband needs to know that the children will follow his example--do what he does not what he says. It is a sign of weakness to be a tyrant. A man of strength is a humble, Christlike, godly man but not a wimp. He is soft spoken, kind and loving to his family but still in charge. He disciplines fairly and not harshly. He is reasonable but firm. To the world he stands tall and holds his ground firmly against evil. He is never a bully. He is respected and admired by those who know him best for his willingness to serve and help others whether it is to remove snow from the neighbors driveway or sweep the floors at church, or help friends and strangers repair cars. Our church held sunday school classes for men on what it meant to be a man in Christ. I never read the book, but one called Tough and Tender by Joyce Landorf had a great impact on my husband as a new Christian.
  10. We believe that Father God is Spirit, eternally God, without beginning or end. Mormans believe Father God had a beginning, and has a flesh and blood body that had physical sex with Mary to conceive Jesus. We believe that when we trust that Christ died for our sin and confess that He is our Lord and King whom we follow and serve, that God adopts us as children and gives us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee. If we are not indwelt by God the Holy Spirit we don't belong to God. Romans 8:9 Mormons don't know the Holy Spirit but usually say He is "something else". Therefore they don't belong to God. Christians rely on Christ's righteousness imputed to our accounts when He exchanged it for our sin, which He took upon Himself when He died on the cross. Rom 4:20-25 We believe only Christ fulfiled the law perfectly and is worthy of heaven. Mormons believe that by not drinking alcohol or caffine and by tithing and doing other church requirements the men can become gods. They then call their preferred wife or wives to heaven to be impregnated with spirit children for the rest of eternity, and they will inhabit other planets. I know men who pimped their children who did not drink caffine or alcohol, so they were still considered candidates for being gods by the mormons. Mormons claim they believe the same as Christians and claim they are the church of Jesus Christ, but it is a fictional god that they have created for themselves and not the one in the bible. Their beliefs about God the Father, Christ, the Holy Spirit (One God) and salvation are fundamentally different from Christianity. Their religion agrees more with Scottish Rite Masonry than with Christianity. They preach a different gospel and serve a different god.
  11. We are bird watchers, but all nature is entertaining. Watching the squirrels in our back yard can also be fun. Hubby likes photographing the things we see. We love to travel. I also injoy growing house plants. Right now we have several moth orchids, hoya and miniature jade plant. Hubby calls it my jungle. I also enjoy music, especially folk music. But anthropology is a hobby as well. I have an interest in rock collecting and in paleontology. Mostly curiousity and a desire to learn and research takes me often to the net. Most of all I hunger for God's word.
  12. Our son engaged in friendship evangelism. He lead his wife to the Lord when she was 20. Her ears had not been open to hear it--she was amazed to listen to Christmas carols and to learn they spoke of Jesus. Her mother had not been in a church prior to their wedding. While the bride asked for pastor to preach a salvation message at their wedding, still her mom's ears were not open to hear.. She did receive Christ 20 years later while sitting in a pew and saying "I want what that guy is talking about". Son led her through the sinner's prayer right there. He has been able to restore several backsliders in the same way. He offers to help them with projects whether building or mechanical. He prays for them, befriends them, and then moves on when God seems to urge him to do so. It seems to me that the people have their ears closed and are blinded to the gospel. So whether they really hear what is being said is the big question. I think, as we move into the end times it is the gentile nations that are traditionally christian that are having their ears closed. So I continually pray for the ears of friends and loved ones to be open to hear the gospel and that their hearts be softened. Muslim, Hindu, buddhist and athiest nations seem more open to hearing right now. Campus Crusade has more requests for information and discipling from muslim nations than any other right now but is desperate for interpreters. Many muslims are also repulsed by the violence of extremists and are looking elsewhere for answers.
  13. We are only stewards of God's riches. We are meant to share both the world's goods and God's grace with others. There is great godliness in contentment--being content with what we have whether we are rich or poor. Some of us share out of our poverty due to compassion for others and thankfulness to God. Our pastor also held down a full time job in construction untill he could no longer do justice to both. Our congregation had grown to about 300. He lives in a very modest old house on 5 acres and has often opened his home to the destitute as well. They raise livestock and work a garden for food so everyone is expected to work. His wife also superintends our christian school. There are still times that he has problems paying his bills, so he lays them all out on his bed and asks the Lord to take care of them. Our God is always faithful.
  14. Marilyn, I don't completely agree with you or retro at this time. While you both offer interesting ideas I will explore more, I also have been taught for some 45 years and the teaching I previously held concurs with what I find in Scripture. The bride of Christ is composed of both Jew and Gentile, the marriage feast of the Lamb will be in heaven, that all saints will return with Christ at His second coming to rule and reign with Him for 1000 years, and that we will never be separated from Him. At this time we shall agree to disagree. Blessings, Willa
  15. The Didache also contained a lot of that information. But it was written more like a book of basic instruction for new converts of the first century; it was written by someone other than an apostle, and it included a lot about the customs of the time--like instructions how baptism and the Lord's supper should be conducted. It was good stuff but not inspired by the Holy Spirit to be canon. That is also true of the Maccabees, a history of Israel in the OT Apochrapha. Some stuff like Bell and the Dragon are ok literature but not inspired by the Holy Spirit. George our founder, also likes some of those books. Even Luther said they were OK to read but seperated them from Canon. It was not politics that validated some books and not others. Each district had their own collection of books they considered to be canon and most agreed from one end of the empire to the other. But some books had more validation in some areas than others due to circulation and the knowledge of the author by the church fathers in that particular area. When proper backing was given they were accepted. But people who are Spirit filled are able recognize the hand of God in a book from dribble. The first time I read the book of Mormon I was puzzled because some sentences seemed inspired and others were nonsence. Then I realized that they had interspersed quotation from the King James Bible between their additions of fiction. So some nuggets of truth are included to imply the rest is true. Others have done this as well. Most new testament "additions" that you mentioned had gnostic mystical cult origens that were definitely not by the Spirit of God. There was no validation by the apostles or even the disciples of the apostles. Most were written after their times by heratics. You might study more about the beliefs of Christian gnostic cults. It might help you to recognize the fake gospels. I posses a collection of early pseudo Christian writing. So far I have found very little that is truth or faith affirming about Christianity on the History Channel or NatGeo. Tragicly that is where some people get their information. Even satan told perverted truth and half truth. I once told a Jehovah's Witness that I don't know why they included Lamantations in the Bible. It was written by Solomon while he was backslidden. She said it was the only book in the Bible that made sense to her!. Unbelievers cannot understand the Bible because they don't have the Holy Spirit to enlighten them. So a book that is from man's view when living without God in his life was all she could understand. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. That is the life of an unbeliever.
  16. God offers us all faith to believe. But some deny the light given them and resist the knowledge of God because their deeds are evil. All can see God in His creation but some choose not to believe and don't come to God. They harden their hearts. That I why I keep praying for loved ones that God will keep calling them, soften their hearts and take the blindness from their eyes that they might know His wondrous love for us all. John 3:19-21 Romans 1:19-22
  17. Psm 131 Lord, my heart is not haughty, not my eyes lofty, neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Matt 11:28-29 Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Psm 37:5, 7a Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psm 62:1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation! Eph. 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places. NKJV The stillness here is a confident trust in God. It grows out of receiving a heart like that of Jesus--gentle and lowly. Our heart and will are surrendered to Him. It is a quietness within, a peaceful stillness, a ceasing from our own turmoil, struggles and efforts in total confidence that God is working on our behalf. And our God is mighty. We rest in Him.
  18. I have no idea how long I will be in heaven. I only know that I will be with Jesus, whether in heaven or serving Him as priests and kings in His earthly kingdom. Some obscure spot, just a voice praising Him and worshipping Father God is all I want. Just let me extoll His faithfulness and His wonderful works.
  19. I found a site explaining the Jewish wedding that is much the way I was taught. I don't know how to ask for permission to post it so I will do so and hope for the best. Mods, please remove if this is unacceptable. http://messianicfellowship.50webs.com/wedding.html So I was confused by other interpretations given on Worthy as well as the misunderstanding cleared up by Daniel. Thank you Marylyn and all. Blessings, Willa
  20. Thank you Daniel. In Rev 19:7 she is call His WIFE for the first time, and that the marriage feast of the Lamb has come. Does that mean that the wedding feast takes place in heaven?
  21. Eph 5:26-33 speaks of Christ preparing the church for Himself as a mystery concerning Christ and the church being joined as a husband and wife. I had always thought that the church is the bride. I understand the nation of Israel being called Jehovah's wife in the old testament and how He took her back again and again inspite of her spiritual adultry. But I never saw that as being limited to the promises concerning the land. Now that we gentiles are included in the family of God by faith, I saw both believing Jews and gentiles making up the bride of Christ. Rom: 7:4 Therefore, my brethern, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another---to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 11 Cor. 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.. Are you saying there are two brides? I see that there is now no division between Jew and Greek, male and female, but all are one in the church, the bride of Christ. I agree that the feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated during the millinium. But in other discussions some have said that we will also celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb during the millinium. This was a new concept to me that I have yet to find in Scripture.
  22. I have a question about the Bride of Christ. Rev. 19:7 takes place in heaven prior the Christ's return. " Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His WIFE has made herself ready." She is no longer the betrothed but is already His WIFE. Does this mean that the wedding feast took place in heaven before the throne of Father God? It seems appropriate. But I hear most of you saying that this feast will occur on earth during the thousand year reign. So does it begin in heaven and continue on earth? I understand that Jewish wedding feasts lasted for a week or so. Will it be a continuous celebration? Then in Rev. 21: 9: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE." v. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the GREAT CITY, THE HOLY JERUSELEM, DESCENDING OUT OF HEAVEN FROM GOD, 11. having the glory of God. 22. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. This seems to say that the future New Jeruselem will itself be the Bride of Christ, indwelt by our Father God and the Lamb our Redeemer, as well as all of us whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We are already corporately the temple of the Holy Spirit, with Christ being our head. My spirit embraces this but my mind is sort of bewildered and blown away by it all. Just where does the marriage feast of the Lamb take place? In Heaven? On earth during the 1000 year reign as many have said? In the New Jeruselem? Or is the New Jeruselem the Bride? Please give scriptures where your answers may be found. Also, Rev. 19:8 And to her (the wife) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. 19:14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Does this mean the the Wife returns with Christ? The two discriptions of wearing white linen clean and bright are found one following the other in the same chapter but in a following view of heaven. It is promised that we always be with Him so it makes sense that we might return to earth with Him and with the armies of angels as well. 2 Cor. 5:8 Phil 1:23, 1 Thess 4:17 My thoughts are whirling. Blessings, Willa
  23. Our youth pastors refrained from all but holding hands. No kissing even prior to marriage. They were not alone till after they were engaged but met publicly in groups of strong Christians and with family. No sneaking off to an empty room to be alone or closing doors. I told our sons it is not being respectful to each other to do those things. Not an easy task these days. One thing that our sons wives remember is that they had never been treated so respectfully by guys before. But they learned most of that from their dad's example, by the way he treated me. Having said that, our older son would walk in the back door after college and yell, "woman, where's my food!" just to get a reaction from me. He loves to "pull my strings". He would get the routine lecture about honoring his father and mother. But we both knew what he was up to. It was a playful if mischievous challange.
  24. Amen! I am not so legalistic that I have to be there every time the church doors are open. Neither do I think it is a sin to be lazy and stay home once a year. But I love meeting in the local church and find strength there. I love to hear the preaching of the word that keeps me rivitted as I try to take it all in---truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. I love corporate worship and singing praise and thanksgiving. Psalms 84 is still my favorite: How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. v.10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. Amen!
  25. Perhaps stories like these are what was causing people to kill the medical and aide workers, causing us to send in troups to help??
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