Willa

I sometimes read that as meaning the kingdom is within you, as well as in the midst of born again Christians who receives Him as their LORD. Christ dwells within us. Where 2 or 3 are gathered He is in our midst. In that day Christ physically was in their midst or among them.

Today I have chronic bronchitis due to smoking for 3 years back in the 60s. It wasn't pot, but it ruined my health and affected my baby's as well.

There are several Pentecostal pastors that I have greatly admired. They had seen miracles that most would not believe. It was when I heard them saying to each other that the greatest miracle is the salvation of souls that I became convinced that they were authentic. Sam Sassar was a missionary to the Pacific islands, from the New Hebrides to Bikini atoll and had been ship wrecked and had plane crashes. He traveled by tramp steamers in which everything on board had been sea sick and vomited, including the livestock. One plane crash left him walking on a coral reef that poisoned him. It caused him to lose an eye. When he returned to the States he became the principal of a Christian School. Once some little boys asked if they could see his glass eye. He popped it out and handed it to them. They ran out the door and chased some girls around the halls holding it up to them. These people were real, down to earth and very humble. Sam's travels sounded like Paul's. "Dr. Sam Sasser In Loving Memory. Dr. Sam Sasser. July 31, 1937 - September 27, 1995. Dr. Sam Sasser was greatly loved by many thousands of Pacific Islanders. Since 1960 he served as a missionary in the Marshall Islands and Samoa, helped establish 26 churches, and pastored in Honolulu, California, and Texas."

The problem with this is that they often focus on the miraculous and not on the God of the miraculous. This can cause grave errors like the "Toranto Experience".

Meekness should be our attitude toward God. It was a trait of Jesus and is the fruit of power under control. There is no good English translation of the Greek word so it causes confusion in our minds. It is an attitude of submission to God and not resisting His will. It accepts things that are occurring to us as possibly being God's will to created fruit in us or to chastise us, but always for our good. Possibly we should see the things happening in our nation in the same way. I agree that meekness is not weakness. Meekness permits anger toward evil, such as those harming or threatening to harm one's family. G4236 (Word Study Dictionary). Meekness πραότης praótēs; gen. praótētos, fem. noun from práos (G4235), meek. Meekness, mildness, forbearance (1Co 4:21; 2Co 10:1; Gal 5:23; Gal 6:1; Eph 4:2; Col 3:12; 1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 2:25; Tit 3:2; Sept.: Psa 45:6). Primarily it does not denote outward expression of feeling, but an inward grace of the soul, calmness toward God in particular. It is the acceptance of God's dealings with us considering them as good in that they enhance the closeness of our relationship with Him. However, praótēsencompasses expressing wrath toward the sin of man as demonstrated by the Lord Jesus (who indeed was called meek but expressed His anger toward those who were chiding Him because He had done good on the Sabbath day [Mar 3:5]). This meekness does not blame God for the persecutions and evil doings of men. It is not the result of weakness, and in the third Beatitude it expresses not the passivity of the second Beatitude, but the activity of the blessedness that exists in one's heart from being actively angry at evil. VINE: 1. prautes, or praotes, an earlier form, (G4240) denotes "meekness." In its use in Scripture, in which it has a fuller, deeper significance than in nonscriptural Greek writings, it consists not in a person's "outward behavior only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men; as little in his mere natural disposition. Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God. It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting; it is closely linked with the word tapeinophrosune [humility], and follows directly upon it, Eph 4:2; Col 3:12; cf. the adjectives in the Sept. of Zep 3:12, "meek and lowly";...it is only the humble heart which is also the meek, and which, as such, does not fight against God and more or less struggle and contend with Him., also such in the face of men, even of evil men, out of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may inflict, are permitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying of His elect" (Trench, Syn. Sec.xlii). In Gal 5:23 it is associated with enkrateia, "self-control." The meaning of prautes "is not readily expressed in English, for the terms meekness, mildness, commonly used, suggest weakness and pusillanimity to a greater or less extent, whereas prautes does nothing of the kind. Nevertheless, it is difficult to find a rendering less open to objection than 'meekness'; 'gentleness' has been suggested, but as prautes describes a condition of mind and heart, and as 'gentleness' is appropriate rather to actions, this word is no better than that used in both English Versions. It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself; but the Lord was 'meek' because he had the infinite resources of God at His command. Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all. "In 2Co 10:1 the apostle appeals to the 'meekness...of Christ.' Christians are charged to show 'all meekness toward all men,' Tit 3:2, for meekness becomes 'God's elect,' Col 3:12. To this virtue the 'man of God' is urged; he is to 'follow after meekness' for his own sake, 1Ti 6:11 (the best texts have No. 2 here however), and in his service, and more especially in his dealings with the 'ignorant and erring,' he is to exhibit 'a spirit of meekness,' 1Co 4:21, and Gal 6:1; even 'they that oppose themselves' are to be corrected in meekness, 2Ti 2:25. James exhorts his 'beloved brethren' to 'receive with meekness the implanted word,' Jas 1:21. Peter enjoins 'meekness' in setting forth the grounds of the Christian hope, 3:15."* * From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine pp. 294 2. praupathia, "a meek disposition, meekness" (praus, "meek," pascho, "to suffer"), is found in the best texts in 1Ti 6:11.

Retrobyter is SDA.

We consist of body, soul and spirit according to the New Testament formula. Our spirits were dead till Christ breathed on the disciples and instructed them to receive the Holy Spirit. It is the part of us that can communicate with the Holy Spirit--God. It resides in our soul. Soul is self. It is all that makes up our personality and makes us unique. It resides in our body till our death when it immediately is with Jesus. The body will be resurrected when Jesus comes back for it and it arises to meet Him in the air. It will be transformed into a spiritual body at that time. We shall be like Christ. I don't plan to reply to any posts concerning this because it is useless to argue with your Seventh Day Adventist indoctrination.

You have made a wise choice to remain celibate till you are married. Now take steps to not encourage boys to notice you. Dress conservatively. It is hard when the only swimming suits and summer clothes are provocative. Just do the best you can to cover up as much as possible and not wear skin tight clothes that don't leave anything to the imagination. It is OK to be a friend to a guy but stay with a group or other Christian friends. Talk on the phone or text. I agree with others that have encouraged you to read your New Testament daily. The Psalms are also great. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit which will produce godly Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and self-control. He will also help you to understand the Scriptures. I copy or underline the verses that are especially meaningful to me. Jesus wants to be your best friend. He is there to comfort, guide and encourage you through the Bible. As others have said, God doesn't condemn or accuse you. That is what satan does, so those thoughts are his lies. Philippeans says Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Php 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Php 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Php 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Php 4:9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

It is solely by God's grace that I will stay faithful to Him. I lean on and depend completely on Him; so I can't make such a claim that you seek. Nobody knows the trials that are ahead. However, I do know that life is not worth living without Him and my heart yearns to be in His presence. Psa 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. As the deer panteth for the water So my soul longs after You You alone are my hearts desire And I long to worship You [Refrain] You alone are my strength, my shield To You alone may my spirit yield You alone are my hearts desire And I long to worship You [Verse 2] I want You more than gold or silver Only You can satisfy You alone are the real joy giver And the apple of my eye [Refrain] You alone are my strength, my shield To You alone may my spirit yield You alone are my hearts desire And I long to worship You [Verse 3] You're my friend and You're my brother Even though you are a King I love You more than any other So much more than anything

When I first started attending our Calvary Chapel the pastor had a word of knowledge concerning me. He started by saying "someone here". It was quite long and described several events from my childhood and later. He gave my age when these occurred and details that few knew. There are things like when God first revealed Himself to me that I had not shared with many people prior to that time. The Baptist church's pastor where I had previously attended also spoke up about another person in attendance about details of her life. While I have attended each church for some 15 years, I have not heard either pastor do that before or after that time. Both have prayed for the sick and they have recovered, but they don't have "healing services" or advertise themselves a faith healers. These things are done quietly, privately, and often the pastors were amazed at God's faithfulness. They were simply obedient to God to pray for the people. Our hearts should be filled with awe and thanksgiving when God does these things. When people are boastful or proud, or seek the attention and praise for themselves, I sometimes seriously doubt it all. Yet I have known people who attended a healing service who saw a club foot straightened and healed right before their eyes. The person was not on stage but was seated accross the isle from them. They were Presbyterian and attending a Katherine Kuhlman meeting in the early 70s, and she didn't even have the best reputation. My friends were amazed. quiet and in awe. Perhaps it was the prayers of other people in the audience that God heard and answered.

I had my sons baptized in the Lutheran Church considering that it was a dedication and that they can always be immersed as believers later. When you are asked to raise them a Catholic, I would substitute the word Christian or think of the meaning of catholic as being universal. Then proceed to teach the child The Our Father, but not the prayer to Mary after the Hail Mary. Teach them the creeds, that the Bible is God's word, and that salvation is by grace through faith and trusting God. These things can be learned ages 4-7 as much by your example as by what you testify to them. Seeing you read the Bible, and hearing you tell them how much you love God's word, how comforting and helpful it is, how God speaks to you through it will go far. Help them to memorize verses.

Love fore the world looks like wanting the things advertised on TV--a new car, a remodeled or new house, new furniture, jewelry, motor cycles, boats, a new rifle, anything that is stylish like clothes, the latest fad etc. It may include wanting power and influence as well.

Zephaniah wrote one of the books of the Old Testament, so I think he was a good priest. Many of the people in the OT were killed because they were good, just as evil people today hate people who are godly. Jesus said we would be treated the way people treated Him. That is one of those exceedingly great and precious promises that most of us would like to forget.

The liberal Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) I grew up in denied both the trinity and the divinity of Christ. It renounced creeds as well. I didn't learn the basics like these and salvation by grace through faith until I took adult confirmation lessons in the Lutheran Church when I was in high school. Some basics like these and knowing the Bible is God's word are a needed framework for correctly understanding the Bible.

When you are aware that He is with you and watching you it probably helps a lot, but most people intent on doing sinful things aren't thinking of Him.

Fellowship of people who are physically present does help because you are less likely to join in drunken carousing, doing drugs or watching sinful movies when having several committed Christians with you. Their language will probably be better than ungodly friends as well. Memories of Christian fellowship are partly responsible for my returning to the Lord after back sliding. It was great to have an outing boating, water skiing and inner tubing on the river with hotdogs around a camp fire at the end of the day. There was no feeling guilty or sick the day after--just good memories of clean fun. I would hope that fellowship here would be a positive influence but we don't follow you to other activities that you might engage in. You are less likely to be transparent when we can't see your face or how you dress, and you can't see us.

The water was often bad, carrying pathogens. They didn't have water treatment plants so they used weak wine instead of water to drink. It would be like going to Mexico or elsewhere where the water is not good. People get intestinal "flu". We have other options like soda pop today but wine is still used in many European countries. They also have high rates of alcoholism

Look to the Son means to depend on and rely on Him, to remember His example and emulate Him, Trust in Him to solve your problems, keep your eyes on and your thoughts on Him. It means to search God's word for the answers you need and apply them or do what they advise. What God wants you to do is to love others and be kind to them. Have compassion on others. Be an expression of Christ to your family, allowing them to see Him in you. That means caring for them and disciplining children in a manner that instructs them in the ways of righteousness. It means loving others enough to tell them about how much Jesus loves them that He died in their place for their mistakes and bad attitudes, and arose from the dead. I used to wonder what God wanted me to do. He really just wants me to stay where I am and be all of that to those around me. If I do that well enough maybe He will find me fit to serve Him elsewhere but so far that hasn't happened. I wanted to serve in my church more after I retired but physical disabilities have prevented me from doing much with children. When I was asked to be on the prayer team My husband said no to one hour a month for that. So I pray here and for things on the churches prayer chain. Now with covid most of my prayers have been for family and I have been even less involved with church and unbelievers. Last year my router went kaput and I wan't even on Worthy for many months. That was really hard. There was still opportunity to minister to God in praise, worship and thanksgiving. That may be what He wanted most. It is one way in which we keep our eyes on God.

I joined searching for Christian fellowship but had a hard time learning to use this forum. So I found another one but the other members were extremely abusive and unChristlike. So I came back here and soon found that I had to dig into the Scriptures to answer many of the questions people were asking. I had to be sure I quoted them correctly. This was a very good exercise because I really Love God's word and applying it to my own life. In addition, this forum was monitored well enough that very few have been abusive toward me. That is probably why I stayed. I like what someone said quoting 1 Cor. 1 1Co 1:26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 1Co 1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 1Co 1:28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 1Co 1:29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1Co 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 1Co 1:31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." Those who are pedantic and proud about their education and positions may be short on the greatest gift--LOVE. They may be wanting in allowing the Holy Spirit to minister through them. But they still need OUR compassion and prayers. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And even though I hate to be humbled, I pray that God keep me that way. It is only in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

If the voice tells me to do something that is scriptural and the peace of God has ruled in my heart that it is something I should do, I do it. One time I was asking Jesus to heal my young son's foot when he was in much pain and couldn't sleep. The voice spoke to me and told me to ask the Father. I did and told Him that I would rather bear the pain myself than to watch him suffer so at age 4. Father told me "That is how much I want to heal you". I wept.

Sometimes it is throwing our pearls to the swine. If an atheist is truly looking for answers it is possible to witness on a one to one basis. We have won several people to the Lord in Chat. It took one to one witnessing to them in addition to chat members engaging them. Sometimes there was follow up after the enemy again hurled doubts at them. In addition many more were praying for them. God is so Good.

I have heard him and was not impressed. Not doctrinally sound in my opinion.

Only 3 counties in WA are moving back to phase 2. Pierce, Cowlitz and Whitman counties are moving back. We are down to 2 deaths a month in Benton County.

the slaughter of the innocents was one of the reasons God destroyed all in the Promised Land and allowed the descendants of Abraham to possess it. The practice was for all women to become temple prostitutes and to have all the babies that come from that to be burned alive in the arms of Baal.

We will have to agree to disagree. I do believe in the thousand year reign of Christ in Israel after the great tribulation. Not all of the boundaries of the Promised Land have ever been fulfilled. I also believe in progressive revelation as mentioned in Daniel. Dan 12:9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Some early Christians did believe in the literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth. Eusebius recorded that Papias taught: Here is another translation of the above: Papias taught that it would be a time of great abundance: Thus Irenaeus clearly taught that after 6,000 years of human reign that there was to be a physical kingdom of God on the earth and that resurrected saints would reign in that kingdom. He also objected to those that allegorize it away, which is officially what the Greco-Roman faiths teach. Irenaeus also taught: Here Irenaeus is teaching that the seventh one thousand years begins after the final Antichrist has reigned for 3 1/2 years. Even though he held some odd ideas, even Justin Martyr had learned about the millennium: Thus, Justin is condemning any who do not believe in a literal thousand year reign as not “right-minded Christians” or non-believers. The second century leaders who professed Christ, including some heretical ones, clearly believed in the teaching that Christ would return and reign for a thousand years on the earth. Around the year 800 there were some who believed in the future Millennium occurring after the great tribulation and that Christ shall reign on earth. By the way, excessively long posts are rarely read.