Willa

This is very offensive to God and to all believers. It is you who are calling God such blasphamous things. Our God is a holy and righteous God. He does all things well. We are not God that we can stand in judgement of Him. You can be kicked off this forum for repeating what you said.

God can see the future and the past all at the same time because He is eternal. He is always in the "now". His name is I AM . He can see the beginning and the end at the same time. He said: I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Rev. 1:8 Since he can see the end of the movie and knows how we will turn out, He has prepared heaven for all who at the end of the movie have chosen Christ. If someone doesn't want to go to heaven at the end of the movie He does not choose them. But God watches the end of the movie before the people are even created. He can do that because He is God. From God's point of view, He chooses. From our point of view we receive Him. God's grace is offered to everyone, but those who actively resist saving faith won't go to heaven. Those who passively receive the gift of saving faith will be saved. For by grace are you saved through faith, and not of yourselves;. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph. 2:9 NKJV

I have rewritten your post as a way of replying. I believe that God so loves the World, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. NKJV

God is outside of our time and even created time He wants us to choose to be with Him for eternity. He does not want to force us to be with Him against our wills. So He chose all who will desire salvation in His Son. Since He is outside of time, he can forsee those who will choose Him, and He predestins them to salvation. It is His will that all should receive Him, but He leaves the choice to us. 1 Peter 1:1-5 To those---who are CHOSEN ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:---Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an (imperishable and undefiled inheritance that) will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. NASB. God leaves the choice to us. But He chooses those whom He can forsee will Choose Him. He predestins them to salvation. Since everyone is bound for hell by default, only those who choose Christ escape hell. Their names are written in the Lambs Book of Life.

You shall know that they are Christians if they have love for one another. I think most of us agree on the basic doctrines of our faith listed above. Other things really don't matter much. I hate to get involved in some of the controversial issues. Most people have their minds made up and won't budge, anyhow. But occasionally I put in my 2 cents. I do disagree slightly with the salvation issue. The verse says we are saved by GRACE through faith. But that is a small detail. Yet I am so thankful for God's unmerited favor. However, I still hear people insist that works are necessary for salvation instead of a byproduct of salvation. So if we enter the other discussions, we should have the first part firmly in our minds. These people are truly our brothers and sisters and I love them deeply. I just need to convey that in such a way that the people I disagree with are also convinced of my love for them, and that unbelievers also are convinced of God's love for them should I reply to them. But there are times that I fail. For instance, I can't understand why people fail to understand that a mother's first responsibiling is to the needs of her helpless screaming infant, whether it is to change a diaper to prevent a painful rash, or if it is to feed it as soon and as appropriately as possible. Yes, we should do so with a sense of propriety, but God has entrusted that life to us to care for and to nurture in love. It is a fact that even helps us to understand God's loving care for us. While we need to be mindful of and have a concern for others, the care for that helpless infant remains our first and instinctive priority. Since your brought it up.

Do you mean that all those times I stood in front of the TV to frustrate hubby when the underware adds came on were futile attempts to control Him? I would agree with you but it was our game. Our pastor once repremanded us that those of you who stop people in the foyer and tell them that they are not dressed appropriately are NOT doing him any favors!! It is for us to especially extend God's love to those people, realizing that they are either not believers or else they are new believers. God loves them as they are and will guide their taste in clothing as they mature in Christ. He is more concerned about their hearts than what they wear. Once He meets those needs I am sure He will modify their clothing, in His time. And you better believe I hate those women that can go through 2 pregnancies and hardly gain a pound! It makes me angry. No woman should be able to do that. I envy them, yes. And then there was my mother who struggled all her life to gain weight, while I have had the opposit problem. I don't hate her. But it does cause me to ask God why. Why did You give me the fat genes, Lord? Maybe it is supposed to make me more compassionate toward fat people and keep me from becoming proud. I hope God can bring some good out of it. Please, just don't talk to me about my attitude toward naturally skinny and healthy athletic women. It makes me pout.

My favorites are books penned by Corrie tenBoom. Her simple illustrations of faith,, love and forgiveness are really great. John Sherrill may have made her known, but the ones penned by Corrie herself are really precious. Amazing Love and Not Good if Detatched are two that come to mind. Let Go, by Fenelon, is a Christian classic that should be read as a devotional and absorbed slowly. It is very soul searching. Fenelon was archbishop to the court of Louis the 14th and a close cousin of Madame Guionne. Another devotional, Streams in the Dessert, was also written by a Christian missionary while in a Japanese prison camp. It did a lot to encourage me to trust God in trials. Faith is very simple. It is something that even a small child can have. We tend to make it difficult by allowing it to be destroyed by intellectual arguements or the ugliness of life, or unrepentant sin or temptations.. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We take our eyes off Jesus. He sent us into this world and then prayed that God would keep us from the evil one. Luke 22:31-32 Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you , that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strangthen your brethern.. NKJV

My wi-fi pad is supposed to be able to do some of this now. I haven't set it up and keep my GPS off. But there are several other features on it that also tracks the location of the pad. This is supposed to help you find it should it become lost or stolen. It is supposed to be able to control our TV. There are other hubs sold that can control home appliances. My philosophy has been that the more a machine can do, the more stuff there is that can go wrong. But our new car also has a tracking device and gps built into it. They always promote how good this is should it get stolen, or should you get stranded in bad weather somewhere. But they rarely expose how it can be used to our harm. Now I wonder why that is!!!!

Amen, my brother and sister. And when frightened or worried, a good prayer is "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!' Mark 9:24 And every time the Lord did something great for the old testament Jews, they would build a monument there out of a pile of stones so they would remember all God has done for them in that place. It is good to write down all that God has done for us and keep it somewhere safe so that we too will remember when we start to be afraid and doubt. It is our little "pile of stones" to help us remember all the prayers He has answered for us and the great things He has done. It fills our hearts with thanksgiving and praise and helps to build our faith. Trials are for the proving of our faith. But I ask God for a lot of little things, too. I pray for God to help me find the keys to my car, to help me find my glasses (which I sometimes forget are on top of my head), and for my old car to even start. I ask Him to help me to be a good witness to unbelievers, and to give me a chance to tell them about Him. And most of all I ask Him to save my friends and family. I remind him of the Scriptures in which He says that it is His not His will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9. I ask Him to heal those who are in pain because one of His Names in the Old Testament is The Lord Who Heals. Exodus 15:26. He is so good and so faithful to us, and has given us so many exceedingly great and precious promises. 2 Peter 1:4. God is our refuge and strength, an abundantly available help in time of trouble" Psalms 46:1 And I am so thankful that He is our God. It is good to pray God's promises back to Him like Moses did. It also increases my faith to know I am praying according to His will. I use the New King James Verson of the Bible most of the time. Blessings, Willa

John 3:19-20 explain why they did not believe. Their deeds were evil. They did not want their sins exposed so they did not repent. After all, they were pharisees who were known to be very rightous and orthodox. Then, as now, their pride and perhaps fear prevented them from publicly acknowledging that they needed to be cleansed of sin and forgiven. So they rejected the testamony of Christ to avoid dealing with it all and exposing their sin. They plugged their ears and discounted Him.

You have to remember that abortion is the medical term used for all accidental miscarriages within the first? trimester, as well as those that are induced.

Facts of life. When egg and sperm unite they form a unique DNA It is not canine or feline, it is human. The cells immediately begin to divide. Dividing cells =life. Therefore we have a unique human life. When does the spirit of the man form it him? At conception. The Hebrew people even counted their age from conception instead of from birth as we do. Babies recognize and respond to the voices of their parents that that they heard while in the womb. The problem is that government is deciding at what state of development an infant can be considered human. If a mother and fetus are killed in an assult the perpratrator can be charged with both crimes. But if an abortion is performed at the same stage of life, it is legal. It is convenience, not logic. And if the fetus is not considered human while in the womb they feel justified in torturing the child by tearing him limb from limb to remove him from the womb or else burning him to death with acid! I only wish you could see the untrasound of that. The baby definitely feels pain. Then they have to search for body parts to be sure they have removed all of the child. There is even talk of not considering a young child human and extending the age of which you can dispose of the child till up to 2 years!! I wish I had saved the documentation for that. I have seen all the specimans of pickled babies and the ultrasounds of developmental processes while taking anatomy and physiology.-- All the things they don't tell mothers who are seeking abortions. They used to have jars of babies on display in the hospitals, too. Human life is no loger considered sacred and something to be prserved and valued. We are disposable units. So when are you planning to declare me non human because instead of being in a developmental state I am now in a declining state? This is actually the next step of the "lifeboat plan". When you consider me non productive when I retire, am I then no longer human? Obama is following this model, saying he is for the working poor. He is now limiting the benefits for the disabled but extending them to illegal aliens. Alf, if you say yes, that I am no longer human, I will take you off my friends list and chase you down with a frying pan!!!!! Notice that I am losing my cool. This is not so funny to me because it is a harsh reality in the world we are facing, which is why I choose to go to Catholic hospitals.

'Reads like Ecclesiastics to me. The state of the lost. The Hollow Man. The disenchanted "beatnics". They are pseudo intellects who perhaps enjoy the sound of their own complaining trumpets? But where is the one who might demonstrate God's love to them? Who will lead them out of their introspection and into the world of people with greater needs than their own? But the self consumed have nothing to give.

Cut it with decaf or get a good quality decaf. Try consumer reports to find a good tasting one. I have been useing 8 o'clock Columbian shipped to me from amazon because it is not bitter, and I can't tell it from their decaf. For a while I mixed them. They also sell one in the grocery stores that is supposed to be good. But I don't drink real coffee after noon. I have more trouble with decaf. It seems to enhance my pain.

When I have severe bronchitis I am sometimes sick for a month. I have never developed headaches or any other symptom during that time during or after that time.. I rarely get headaches but getting one every few years is enough to cause me to have great empathy for those who do get them.

There used to be 2 methodist churches in our town. One folded. The other one preached the Gospel about 8 years ago. A friend attended it in memory of her best friend, and then she comes to our service afterward. But since their pastors are rotated, I have not heard about the current one. Just saying that God has left a remnant among them. Personally, if I had to walk to church, I am between the Episcopal and its female priestess, and the Word of Faith. Feel like being between the devil and the deep blue sea since I do not agree with the teaching of either one.

Hubby learned quickly that I am good for nothing till I get a cup of black java. Without one I just drift back to sleep, and have done so since my early teens. This means that I never woke completely up before 10 AM without that 1-2 cups of coffee that I began consuming at age 19. I don't usually want any when I am sick, so I just sleep most of the day. Have never had an side effects or withdrawal symptoms.

My kids and grandkids use a bible app almost exclusively. Now our son is challanging them to learn to look the verses up in a bound Bible. I gave them highlighters to highlight favorite verses, which I see them doing. However, he texts them verses every morning to look up and he sends them an application to their lives. They return in kind, but the verses of the 9 year old don't always apply to the subject. But she trys and is learning to read a Bible. They also text prayer requests. It may not be as good as family devotions but they like it and continue to do it. The probably may be worse in churches that are boring, in which the Holy Spirit is not working, such as in mormon services.

God first time revealed Himself to me was when I was around 13. Then He showed me the sin in my life. I turned away from my sin and determined to follow Jesus Christ. I told my friends that I had asked God to forgive me of my sins. HAS GOD SHOWED YOU YOUR SINS AND HAVE YOU ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS? I believe that aliens and ghosts are probably demons and evil spirits. I also believe that they are seducing spirits that want to lead us away from Jesus. I also believe that the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwells in me. He shall lead me into all truth. The next thing that God led me to do was to buy a New Testament in a language I could understand. I was hungry to read the Bible and read the whole New Testament. No one told me to do this but God. HAS GOD TOLD YOU TO READ THE NEW TESTAMENT OR THE BIBLE? The only way I am sure that what God has said to me is really from Him is from what the Bible says. If I ask who is Lord and the still, small voice cannot say that Jesus is Lord, the spirit is not from God. This is in 1 Corinthians 12. It also must confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. That is in 1 John. When God speaks to me the words are also repeated to me many times and in different ways. A long established Christian might tell me the same thing without my asking. Or I may find the same thing in a Bible passage. Sometimes the same thing is repeated in a hymn or Christian song. I never go to someone else to ask what God is speaking to me or what i should do. I ask God in prayer. Then I wait for Him to answer me. Because we are warned "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4;1. Is English your native language? If not, you may not understand the Bible very well. Some people who have had God speak His message to them without the Bible repeating the same thing have formed false teachings with evil fruit in their lives.

God is able to use even our contentions. Barnabus and Paul disagreed about taking Mark with them. As a result twice as much was accomplished by splitting their ministries. And they all became very close having weathered this. Mark was very useful to Paul when he was in prison. Barnabus also had a ministry that was blessed. Christian love does bind us together unless pride gets in the way. And pride does go before a fall. It makes us unteachable and causes us to become unable to back down from our positions. But God has ways of humbling us. He does chasten and discipline those He loves.. God does use our differences. We just need to appreciate each other for those differences as being different parts of the body of Christ, or at least respect the reasons for our differences. We also need to recognize those who are not genuine Christians. By this all men shall know you are My disciples, if you have love one for another. John 13:35

I am so glad to hear you say that, Paul. I feel the same way. The only church that I could not worship in had absolutely no worship. There were no hymns of worhip or praise. There were some hymns of service, but nothing was directed toward God. There was no thanksgiving even. I had to visit some other church where I could express adoration and exultating of God in the congregation before I shriveled up. Didn't care if it was a ritual or a holy roller.

As said, Ice tea is good, hot tea is good, luke warm tea is insipid. However this passage is used for believers and not churches, while in fact it is about churches. The thing that hit me was that Jesus is OUTSIDE of the church and asking to come in! So perhaps this is referring to a church that quenches the Holy Spirit, does not encourage repentance, no longer loves God's Word, but that thinks they have it all together because the numbers are increasing.. After all, they have soup kitchens, play bingo and bridge, go caroling at Christmas, have self help groups and day cares. There are quilting groups and golf groups, antique car groups and fellowship groups for any hobby. But they have left Christ at the door knocking to come in. They no longer have alter calls or invitations for prayer. They read books on how to grow a church instead of leaving that up to the Holy Spirit. They no longer pray about supporting missionaries or about the direction the church should take. They read books. People are invited to become members but are not invited to become Christians. In short, they have become a great social organization. So perhaps a luke warm Christian is backslidden and without a relationship with Christ but doesn't even know it because they are active church attenders. They are busy in church but God is no longer at the center of their activities. Matt. 24:12 speaks of the love of many will grow cold because lawlessness will abound. I have walked into many cold curches with cold, frowning, unfriendly Christians. They are most solomn. They ask people to leave if their hair is uncut or they aren't wearing a tie, or slacks or a dress or a hat. They give special recognition to those who have given the pastor the best gifts or have contributed the most money to the building fund so they name it after them. But I don't know why God would prefer an unloving church to one that luke warm. There is nothing refreshing about a cold Christian. And I don't know how they might be more unaware of their need than the luke warm one except that the luke warm one has filled their lives with fun activities and busyness. Ususally cold Christians are convinced that they are right and everyone else is wrong. The cold church is more apt to be dying and might be more likely to remember how it was in the beginning. My best guess.

I can only repeat what others have said. Even though you can't see it right now, ther is light at the end of the tunnel. And life does go on. I still miss my parents desperately, too. But each time you work through the grieving process it gets a little easier and you resolve it a little faster. Right now you are angry at God and angry at yourself. You might even be angry at your dad for leaving you. Then you go into the depression part. Finally you will get to the resolution, accepting that life does go on but it will never be the same. Helping at the church is good because it gets you out of the house so you don't wind up in bed with the covers pulled over your head. And like I said, each time you go through the grieving process it gets a tiny bit easier to get to the end of that tunnel. I don't have bipolar, but I did gieve in double time when I went through post partum blues without my mom. She had died one month before her grandson was born. Then 2 more close family members died and finally my dad. It was a very lonely time, and it seamed like no one understood. But Jesus does, and He is at the right hand of the Father praying for us. I still don't understand how God can use it for good. But I trust that His Word is true. God is not capable of lying because He IS truth and love. God has awfully big shoulders to cry on. And even when you can't feel His presence, He has not left you or forsaken you. When you get through all of this you will be able to help others who have been hurt the way you are hurting. That ìs what the first chapter of 2 Corinthians is about. But all I can say right now is that we care, and we are here for you. Like others have said, we may not grieve the way that unbelievers do, but we still grieve. Perhaps it is worse because we are capable of much deeper love than unbelievers so we miss them even more. The apostles mourned deeply when Stephen was martyred. Acts 8:2 You have permission to grieve. Lord, I do ask You to come along side of my sister. Please send your Comforter, Your Holy Spirit, to wrap His arms around her and hold her close to Yourself. Please walk beside her through this time, and help her to know that this, too, shall pass. And that you will bring her through this victoriously because You said that You will never give us more than we can bear, even though it seems that way at this time. Thank you Lord, for telling us that we should cast all our cares on You because You care for us. Please pour your soothing, healing warm oil into my sister's heart, and mind, and soul. Give her peace, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I'd save the shock and outrage for something that you actually see (and there are plenty of things that would warrant shock and outrage). In the 40's, even here in the South - I would have had to see this situation to have believed it. It simply seems like some distant urban legend... I would tend to agree Believer1997... urban legend? I knew the elderly lady who told me this and she had seen it herself. She was including it in a local history she was writing about the area. l tend to believe her. She was not known for tall tales and she was very alert, not it the least mentally impaired.. She is now dead.

Personally, I don't think you should keep in touch while he is being abusive. The government will demand the whole thing if you default on that, I had them do it because I did not get an annual letter asking for my current address, so it was not sent in as required, even though I was still making full payments. They are getting even tougher now. If he asks for money, I would repay him in food, and keep the sales slips and deduct it from what you owe him. Never give a drunk or an addict money is a good motto, and it would also fulfill the requirement to not allow your parents to go hungry. I definitely would not take him into my home under the circumstances. You need to protect yourself and any children. Sometimes tough love is the best way to honor your father. Do what is best for him and don't be an enabler. Paying for a cheap apartment for him could also be deducted from what you owe him. Or, if you make his house payments for him, send it directly to the mortgage company. Or, help him by making payments on his behalf to your mom for what he owes her. Again, keep records and keep a good paper trail. And let him know that your husband now makes the decisions in your family and he is not in control. I had a father in law who was very controlling through his temper, threats, and money (although he never gave us any he did threaten to disinherit us because we were Christians.) I don't know what your major was, but working in that area will help to pay it off. So if you can look for a job in your field while working your present job, it may also increase your income to help pay off your debt. Obamacare and state aide may help with his medical expenses. Cross that bridge when you come to it. I know you hope for a home. But that can be deferred due to your debt. I don't know what your payment arrangements are to repay your dad, but sending him $5. per month should at least show some intent to pay. And what is the interest rate that he is charging? Do what you have to do to avoid his sueing your for the balance. Keep records. I am no lawyer but you may have to contact one for advice on how to handle this and do show him any paper work you signed when you borrowed from your dad.. I do know that you don't want to default on government backed loans. They are getting nasty about this. I do hope for the best for you and pray that God will lead you to a better paying job in your field. Blessings, Willa Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust the Lord with all of your heart, and lead not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknoledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.