Willa

My suggestion would be to find a photo of the gem stone. 55 years ago I made some jewelry from it. It has a grain like wood that can kick the stone off the dop stick, so it is very difficult to work with. Golden plus brown or reddish is the natural color but it is often heat treated to create other colors. My dad made one that is blue and gold. The superstitions about crystals and tigars eye are abominable. God alone is our healer. He is our ever present help in time of need. He gives us a sound mind as well as wisdom. He is our source. So ignore the old wives tales and enjoy it for its inherent beauty. God has blessed us with many things of beauty on the earth, His creation. It is for us to be thankful for them and give glory to Him.

I have heard all of that in Daniel explained perfectly, but my 70 year old mind fails to remember. It has to do with the 7 year tribulation, and that the antichrist will dessecrate the Jewish temple after 3.5 years, demanding to be worshipped as God and sitting. The only place to sit would be on the Arc of the Covenant! At this point the Jewish people will realize he is not the Messiah and everything breaks loose, including the wrath of God--the bowls of His wrath as explained in Revelations. The first 3.5 years consists of war, and everything evil that war produces. Some think it is the war of Ezekiel 38. The last 3.5 years consists of "natural" and demonic destruction that will be poured out or loosed by God. This is just my understanding. [Aside, I thought it amazing the the guy in charge of ISIL, Al-Baghdadi, had declaired himself a caliph, and calls on ALL muslims to bow to him. I saw on the news in the last few days that it is so to allign all sects. It is something like appointing himself as pope over all Christians--Roman, Orthodox and protestant, and claiming he has descended from Jesus. Some call him a heritic and not even a muslim.] So the 2300 days is the 7 years and half that is the 3.5 years.. I believe that their calander was used which was not 365 days but it was a lunar calander. I just can't remember what accounted for the difference between the 1290 and 1335--45 days. There was a good explanation which totally satisfied me. Blessings, Willa

Bill, I don't believe any prophecy is wrong. Many are as yet only partly fulfilled or unfulfilled. All will be fullfilled. Reading prophecy can be like seeing mountian tops but not seeing the miles between them, and sometimes they occur in the same sentence but not even in chronological order. I don't believe there is any contradiction in Scripture. In most cases all or both are true. In some cases humans are incapable of comprehending all of it, or will someday comprehend it. Over 55 years I have seen much fulfilled prophecy and a better comprehension of other prophecy due to changing events. All scripture is true and none contradict when interpreted correctly.. If you find a good relationship with Jesus, praying and reading the Bible, just search for a church that preaches and expounds on the Bible. It may be expository but there should be life applications. I had not read all the posts above. I also believe the Athanasian Creed with the understanding the catholic mean universal in this case. The Greek church split over the proceeding issue, believing that the Spirit only proceeds or is sent from the Father. But Jn 16:7èamong other also say that Jesus would send Him to us. That is why we say that He proceeds from the Father and the Son. But I don't believe that the Greek church is going to hell for this difference. However, all of the Trinity took part in Creation. The Spirit was moving over the waters in Gen. 1. Col. 1:15-16 says all things were made by and through Christ. I have been trying to explain some of these things to one poster who believes that Jesus was no longer God while He was on earth. The poster is not fluent in english and is a new Christian, so he has difficulties. But he maintains that God can't die so Jesus could not have been God when he died on the cross. These matters still come up, and I am grateful to those who spelled them out in such detail, searching the Scriptures in past centuries. Of more importance is the belief that we are saved by grace through faith, a gift from God, not of works so no one can boast.. That we were created before hand for good works that we should walk in them. Our works are the result of faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life when we surrender our lives to Him and are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the down payment and guarantee of our salvation. My contention with the Roman church lies in the prayers to Mary and the saints. Christ is the only intercessor and intermediary between God and man.. Nor do I believe in her immaculatte conception or ascension into heaven, or that any tradition is a basis for doctrine that is not found in Scripture. The curses at the end of the Athanasian Creed are a little severe. The pope obviously in not infallible since he delared that athiests can go to heaven, which brought a curse on him since that was not the gospel that Paul preached., although he retracted that when he was corrected. Blessings, Willa.

" To believe in the 'water' is to believe in his water baptism he received from John, taking up the worlds sin. Wildstar I agree with most of what you stated and you answered the question very well. However, as to the above statement, I do not believe in the water. I believe in the CHRIST, and the Trinity. As we discussed in a pm, I do not believe that Christ took upon Himself the sin of the whole world at His baptism. I believe He did that at the cross. Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't think that the church at large embraces your idea, nor do I find it clearly stated in scripture. The Holy Spirit descended upon him at his baptism, not the sin of the world. Nor do I find that John laid hands on Jesus as a priest would a scapegoat. So nowhere do I find that we must believe in "the water" I simply believe that He was baptized by John in the Jordan to fulfill all righteousness. Matt. 3:13-14 But no scripture is of private interpretation. Both of our interpretations need to be weighed by the body of Christ. Blessings, Willa

Focus on loving and forgiving others. The more we focus on ourselves, the more depressed we become. You say that you have a social phobia. But finding others to serve can help you. We are to love God and others. Try visiting people in a nursing home or in jails. Visit orphans. Don't expect love from them. Ask God to fill you with love for them even if it is never returned. You must determine in your own mind to do this. It is an act of the will. If you are looking for love, get a dog. Owning a caring for a pet can be very theraputic. As a child I was filled with a lot of self pity. God freed me from that. I found people in hospitials who were worse off than I was. Serving them became a great joy.

I know that you are going through the grieving process. Such betrayel is very hard. We can't have a good marriage without trust. But in today's world with untreatable STDs, especially heppatius C and aides, a person must divorse to protect ones self. My friend's son in law had been seeing a prostitute who notified him she had aides. Her daughter learned that she and her two younger children also had it. Divorse is the only option when your husband had multiple partners and was likely to reoffend. I admire your courage. Blessings, Willa

Many people feel the need to not leave the house without a gun... How can one live in peace when the subconscious knows that guns can promote violence... Interestingly, if you look over history, in this country as people start to carry guns violent crime goes down. They are finally starting to experience that in Chicago as has happened in many places across the US. Our grandson cited this in his pro-gun arguements in highschool--speech I believe. They also have been trained in gun safety and marksmanship since grade school. Our son served in high level security for many years and after terrorist threats was trained in automatic weapons. Now grandson wants to go into law envorcement. Now days gun control is accomplished by ammunition control. They cant afford target practice. We are proud of our pastor for bagging his first elk last year, even though he announced from the alter that he would not share. (He has always opened his home to the homeless but won't give hand outs) I argue that shooting a person is not the only reason to carry a weapon. In some places in this country you carry a gun every time you go the out house in fear of startling a bear or moose. David defended himself and his flocks with a sling. I have to say that since it throws a projectile, it is closer to a gun than a sword. Probably the only time I could shoot someone is should someone assault one of my grand kids. Defending familly brings out the mama bear (or moose) in me. We have both of these critters in our area as well as mountain lion, by the way.

I suspect that superstition and coincidence have something to do with it all.

Our son just saw it and reccomended we see it today. He said it was very inspirational.

Not moving for 3 weeks? here women who have implants or reductions can be back at work in a couple of days. I am curious about what meds you were on after the surgery. Sometimes we can have adverse reactions to a med. I was put on neurontin for fibromyalgia that affected me like a hallucinogen--like LSD is discribed. I felt detatched like that and like I was floating. It scared the socks off me and in spite of my doctor telling me that the effects would wear off and to keep taking it, I refused. But it is very effective for nerve pain for most people. One daughter in law could not take it either, but the other one swears by it.

I had to look up the AHA. It seems that they are another like ACLU, defending the "rights" of athiests. When did the word "progressive" come to be associated with freedom FROM judeo-christian influence? The online dictionary mentions more enlightened, liberal ideals. HOGWASH!! They love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.

So true. One of my spiritual mentors used to say, "I may be poor, but I sure am rich."

Ok, I have been a Christian over 50 years and am relatively mature in the Lord. During the 80s I walked 5+ miles a day to relieve stress, lose weight, and for good health. I started looking for music to pace to so carried a radio with me. Listening to seculare hard rock and metal was making me angry and depressed. I started listening more closely to the lyrics and was outraged. Meanwhile our sons were bringing me Stryper tapes to listen to--a Christian pop metal? band. I didn't so much care for them but did go to our Christian book store and picked out a wide variety of metal and hard rock to walk to. Some of what was called metal then is called hard rock now. One, Bloodgood, had an ordained minister as part of the band--Michael Bloodgood. He would preach between sessions and give an alter call. But I ran into kids at the Christian book store who used their music to witness like handing out tracts. Kids were getting saved through the lyrics and going to church regularly. I have to add that I always felt uplifted and full of praise listening to them. Others, like Rez, or Ressurection Band, spoke more about Christians needing to minister to the homeless poor and the drug addicts. They were sermons as well, but it was things we needed to hear and did not always want to hear. King's X used CS Lewis as the basis of their lyrics. Out of the Silent Planet was a favorite. They used to plead, don't be criticle, please pray for us. Isn't that the thing that we need to do most? Each of us must give our own account to our Master. I should not allow others to call evil what I consider to be good, but neither should my freedom cause others to stumble. This is especially true of a pastor. He should keep his enjoyment of secular music to himself if it doesn't affect him adversely. If the lyrics glorify God I cannot in any way call it satanic. Some lyrics are neutral, and are fine. If God judges us by our words, we should judge music the same way. I can't stand country music that is lurid or has to do with some guy crying in his beer because his woman done him wrong. I don't listen to much pop or rap today. Just give me pop from the 50s and 60s--the Brothers Four, the Righteous Brothers, Yesterday by Beetles, Unchained Melody. Or the clasical romantics such as Scherazade , Die Moldeau, Peter & the Wolf.

The 1 Cor. 7:15-16 passage is the basis of my thought. If the spouse has left you and married another, was that person a believer and have they continued in the faith (he who endures to the end shall be saved). It would seem to me that if they were an unbeliever, you are free to remarry. (In such case the believing spouse is no longer bound to the other.) The problem is that a person who has been so deeply wronged has a lot of baggage to bring into the next marriage, and will need Christian counseling quite often. Our baptist pastor married a woman who had been divorsed under such circustances. They went through years of counseling to work it all out. He also was having trouble being ordained because he had married a divorsed woman. But it was decided in favor of ordination on the basis of her innocence in the situation leaving her free to remarry. Willa

Put to sleep? we used to just flush it. But knowing how chlorinated water affects them, I did shed a tear the first few times.

Rely on His character, His word-- scriptures, His life within me which is directing me and directing my words. It starts with a total surrender of our lives to Him. We have a deep understanding of our own inability, and complete reliance on Him to help us, defend us, and enable us. We rest in God's love.

I also agree in the verbal plenery God-breathed Scriptures when in their original texts. I also believe that they are understood most fully by the work of the Holy Spirit, explaining spiritual to spiritual.. 1 Cor 2:13-14. But I always interpret literally whenever possible, which does not negate the lesson learned from it. Normally parables were set forth as such, and an explanation was given by Christ. EZ 37 In the valley of dry bones, it does speak of life coming back into the nation of Israel, first physical and then spiritual. This imagery is poetic but verse 11 clearly explains it. So I believe that if the Bible says the bear devoured the children, it probably did just that. But it is more important to understand the lesson. So I am not sure what your point of discussion is. Probably most of us agree with you. But we have some here who think that KJV is the bible that Paul wrote. lol

The Sabbath day is from friday evening to saturday evening. But Jesus is the true Sabbath. When I got saved, I entered into His rest. I don't need the sabbath day when I have Jesus.So you also agree that the Sabbath is from Friday evening to Saturday evening. I do not understand how you can say Jesus is the true Sabbath. The Sabbath is God's rest. How can Jesus be God's rest? Jesus is God's son. If we need to rest on the Sabbath like God, then we should rest on the Saturday, right?Jesus is also God. He also was our Creator, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are one God. Jesus rested from His work when He said "it is finished and died on the cross. He had obeyed our Father perfectly and He had kept all the commandments perfectly on our behalf.. He had paid for our sin on the cross and had put His righteousness on our account sheet. He had purchased us back from Satan with His blood. He also ratified the new covenant with His blood. The new covenant is all about what Jesus did for us, and not about anything we can do. By grace you have saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a GIFT of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 When we believe in Christ we trust Him and rely on Him. When we turn from our sinful life to God for forgiveness, He gives us His own Spirit and His own life to live in us. We are born again. He gives us new desires to want to live a life that brings Him praise. We are adopted into His family. No one has to keep the commandments to be saved. We want to keep them because we are already saved. God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Most Christians celebrate resurrection Sunday, First Fruits in the Jewish calandar and Easter Sunday in ours, and make Sunday our day of worship and rest for that reason. But there is nothing wrong in keeping Saturday. Paul spoke frequently of speaking to the Jews on Saturday mornings and speaking to the gentiles saturday afternoon and evening after sunset till midnight. Saturday evening was considered the first day to the Jews. He spoke of taking up an offering for the poor on the first day of the week when they were gathered together. I hope this helps to clear up your confusion. Willa I Peter 3:18 For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, That He might bring us to God, being PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH BUT MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT, BY WHOM HE WENT AND PREACHED TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON, WHO FORMERLY WERE DISOBEDIENT---- Jesus Christ died according to His flesh, His human nature and was buried. But after commiting his Spirit into Father God's hands while on the cross, he was made alive in the Spirit and went to preach to the dead in prison --. Eph. 4:8-10 When He ascended on high He LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, and gave gifts to men. (Now this: He ascended---what does it mean but that He FIRST DESCENDED INTO THE LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. Rom. 9:5 of whom are the fathers and FROM WHOM ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, CHRIST CAME, WHO IS OVER ALL, THE ETERNALY BLESSED GOD. AMEN Col 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. God the Word dwelt in the human body of Jesus. He was 100% God in 100% man. HIS BODY DID SUFFER AND DIE. He was MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT and preached to the dead. It is said that He preached the triumph of the Messiah over death and the disarming of satan's strongest weapon. We need no longer fear death, knowing that we, our souls, shall not die but shall always be with Him. 1 Cor. 15:54b-56 Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your sting? O Hades where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Blessings, Willa

The NewKJV reads G 22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, J 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God. Young's litteral translation reads Now it came to pass after these things that God hath tried Abraham, Let no one say, being tempted----from God I am tempted Vine says the Greek word peirazo mean to try or attempt; or to test, try, prove. It is in the latter sense that God proves us through trials meant to test and prove our faith. They are also sent to reveal to us our own helplessness and need to rely on God. This was Abraham's case when God tried him. His faith (reliance upon God) was accredited to him as righteousness. However, satan also tries us to trip us up as he did Christ in the wilderness. These temptations are to allure us away from trusting in God and to use our inward weakness to cause us to fail. The inward sins are exposed. There were no inward sins in Christ. Those found in us must be confessed so God will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God can even use the work of satan to strenthen and purify us by removing the dross. Blessings, Willa

We have a human spirit, but we are not part of God's family till we are born again of the Holy Spirit. To have this we need to repent and receive Christ as Savior and Lord. God then starts changing our attitudes to conform to His own---more and more so as we read and apply His Word to our lives. Even this can affect the way we look by softening our features as the facial muscles relax due to God's peace and joy. All Christians should have this beauty. When I was a teen I was ridiculed by co workers who spitefully called me "miss merry sunshine". At the time I didn't realize what a compliment that was. I just felt their scorn. But genes are also damaged by radiation and by chemicals. These can be natural, such as radon or living near the poles or the thinning of the ozone layer. Some natural foods contain harmful chemicals and when eaten in large amounts can cause genetic damage. Over centuries the lifespan of man has shortened for this reason. So our appearace has been directed by our inherited genetic composition as well as in utero damage. God created us to be perfect. Our chromosomes are no longer perfect.

When I was 3 I stole a piece of gum from the grocery store. My mom made me take it back and apologize. So when I was 5 and my neighbor tried to force me to steal candy from the store for her, I refused and got beat up for refusing. My mom stood by and watched this older, larger girl do this, saying that "we let her solve her own problems". I felt betrayed because I was trying to do what was right and she did not support me. I lost a tooth in that battle. We have to learn that we have to hold our ground and do what is right even if we stand alone. It is a hard lesson. But I am glad I learned it early in life. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will received the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

The lost sheep. That the Good Shepherd would leave the 99 to find and rescue the one that is lost. I always remember this when I pray for the lost. Jesus is in the business of finding these. I was told in a sermon that when one that is prone to wondering off, the shepherds would break a leg and then carry the injured one.

I agree with Rusty that Satan is the accuser of the brethern. The Holy Spirit points out our sin so that it can be removed and we can be healed. It is Saten who condemns us. So you simply do not have to listen to the accusations and the condemning spirit. Jesus is your lawyer and God has given you a full pardon. I used to kick myself for having fallen on my face and sinned, even after asking for forgiveness. Then God spoke to my heart and asked me who I thought I was to disregard His pardon and condemn myself. Was my judgement a higher court than His? No. God is the highest court and I was given a full pardon because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. I needed to accept that judgement as final.

If you reject Christ's love for you and His death on the cross as being for your sins until you die, you will have committed the unpardonable sin. It has to do with the hardness of your heart against God. If you are worried about this it is unlikely that your heart is so hardened that you have committed the unpardonable sin.

People who don't God talks just have never listened. Having ears that do not hear.