Willa

Corrie tenBoom. She was imprisoned in Auschwitz for sheltering Jews and helping them to escape. She also had to watch her sister being beaten, who later died there in the gas chambers. Corried was released due to a "typographical error." After her release she traveled by herself around the world to tell people in prisons and relocation camps about Jesus. She is also one of the people I hope to meet in heaven someday. Two of my favorite booklets that she wrote are "Amazing Love" and "Not Good if Detatched," Blessings, Willa

Thoughts that come to mind are that we are to make sure our calling and election according to 1 Peter 1:10-11. We are to bear fruit. Hebrews also states that he who endures to the end will be saved. But we do have the inward witness of the Holy Spirit crying Daddy, to reassure us of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee and earnest money-- our down payment. And His fruit in us is the evidence.. Without love we are a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Thinking of my husband, the first fruit he noticed was peace. Brotherly love followed closely, and it was a total change for him. These have been growing in him for 40 years and he as been walking in the good works created for him before the foundation of the world. He has made sure his calling and election. We are not saved by works but believers are elect (chosen) according to the forknowledge of God in sanctification of the Spirit FOR OBEDIENCE or good works. These will occur as we walk in the Spirit and they are the fruit of love.

You have given us much to think about, perhaps too much at one time.. The first thing I noticed is that when Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of Heaven, He is speaking about just that. The mustard seed denotes the Kingdom of Heaven, God's reign, not the visible church. It starts with one Man and the apostles, and grows by the power of the Holy Spirit into a mighty organism. The invisible body of Christ which will enter into heaven will be pure and without sin. The treasure is in earthen vessels. God redeemed mankind by hiding the life of Christ in each one of us. He must buy the whole field of clay, or our earthen bodies, to obtain the treasure, the life of Christ, the Holy Spirit within us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ. God is the treasure in us. This is speaking of the redemption of the Jews. The pearl is speaking of the redemption of the gentiles. Together we comprise the Kingdom of Heaven: Both unkosher, unclean gentiles that have been declaired clean by God, and the Hebrew people who have received this treasure, are the Kingdom of Heaven.. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven. You are saying that God's rightous pure Kingdom is like sin. I see it as a Kingdom that grows within us till it has all of us. Jesus is using leaven in a good way here. He is only speaking of the manner of growth in this case. But I do find your parallels of the 3 measures very interesting. Now I have no Idea what the prevalant interpretation is. I tend to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling me. Mens thoughts usually don't stick to me but I cling to that which is good. But I do know how to read a sentence. Jesus is speaking of the Kingdom of heaven in these parables. The Kingdom is like buried treasure, leaven, and a valuable pearl. He is discribing His invisible Kingdom which is not of the world using concrete things that earthly minds without the Holy Spirit can relate to. You must allow discussion of your interpretation or it is considered teaching and you not allowed to do that. No scripture is of private interpretation. Neither of our interpretations may be correct. But we respect the right of all to introduce their thoughts on the matter whether or not they agree with either of ours. Blessings, Willa

I really don't think a woman should be the main pastor and administrator. She may be the pastor over Christian early education and womans ministries. We need women pastors for counseling women in the scriptures. As pastors they have the added responsibility to not gossip but to be professionally confidential. (Even though everyone should not gossip) Older women should teach younger women to be effective wives and mothers, to honor their husbands. According to Prov. 31, we can also be good businesswomen and manage homes. But in church we are not to be in authority over men or to disrupt a service by chattering. We are allowed to speak when moved by the Holy Spirit to encourage the congregation in an orderly manner and under the authority of her husband.. That may be to share scripture, to sing a solo, share a testamony or to otherwise be a blessing. I don't see anything wrong with participating in Bible studies unless you dominate them. As for telling the world about Jesus, have you tried street ministry? We have teams that go to the parks during events and to the county fairs to share Jesus. They pass out tracts, try to engage people in conversation, and testafy as to what Jesus is doing in their lives , what He means to them and how He has changed them. Occasionally God has called a woman when no man was available. Judith served as a judge in Israel. I knew a woman who served as an interim pastor after her husband died. She resigned when they found a man to fill the pulpit. But I don't think it should be the normal practice for women to be in authority over men. Churches that are dominated by women rarely have a lot of men in attendance. We have women who are administrative secretaries that virtually run the church, but they serve under the authority of the pastors. About 45% of the people in attendance at our church are men. Even the lady who was the church janitor could answer the phone and lead people to the Lord. Lastly, you can always share Christ here. Only part of our forum is just for Christians. A large part is also for unbelievers. You are welcome to start conversations and share about Christ as long as you ask other people to weigh in their opinions.

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

Exodus 31:13, 16-17 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; NKJV This was a covenant between God and the Jewish people, the descendants of Jacob/Israel. It is not meant for gentiles or non Hebrew peoples. As a Christian I do not observe seventh day Sabbaths. Lev. 25:2-7, v4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solomn rest for the land, a Sabbath of solomn rest to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. NKJV This Sabbath was again for the children of Israel, and it is for breaking this Sabbath that they were sent into bondage in Babylon for 70 years. As a gentile I am not required to stop mowing my grass or trimming my fruit trees during the seventh year. Col. 2:16 Let no man judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festaval or a new moon or sabbaths, This means celebrating Christmas, First Fruits (Easter) Saturday or Sunday. We are not to judge each other about such matters. Rom. 14:5 One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day. Hebrews 4:9-10 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. NKJV Note that works is plural. It is not good works, works of the flesh or works of the law, it is any works. To me works means the self effort of trying to be good enough or worthy of heaven. When we cease from our own efforts and allow Christ to live in us, we have ceased from our works. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Gal 2:20 Only Christ will ever be worthy of heaven. Blessings, Willa

I see some merit it this in spite of the fact that I have never had much use for the Methodist traditions or the philosophy of Socrates. They did leave out the work of the Holy Spirit as well as how God seems to balance us out so that we each come to a more correct understanding in spite of those things. The most important things that I learned at home and in church is that God's Word is to be treated with awe: It is sacred and ministers to us personally. It is THE source of truth; it also explains itself. The first concept I learned from the example of Grandma Willamina; the second I learned in the Lutheran Church. The third important thing I learned was through Campus Crusade: the work of the Holy Spirit to lead me and enable Christ to live in me. Perhaps in leaving out the work of the Holy Spirit the teacher is fighting his greatest obstacle; it is God's work to overcome all those obstacles and to explain the truths to each individual. If the teacher is trying to do it in his own strength and wisdom he has an insurmountable task. We con't understand the things of the Spirit by human intellect or tradition. Nor can our salvation be inherited. It is God's work to sweep away the weeds and remove the rocks that impede the Word.

Wow! I didn't realize how short I came in understanding this culture. But it also gave me fresh insight into the work of Christ on the cross. Thank you for sharing. Willa.

Isaiah 53:4 is quoted in Matt. 8:17 to read "He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." Bless the name of our Savior, that He ever lives to make intercession for us, and is still the God Who Heals! Thank You, Jesus!

I can't imagine living without Christ. I backslid in the 60s and never want that again. Christ is more important to me even than my family in this case. It is never painless to die and it would be horrible to watch family being tortured and killed. I can only rely on God to give me strength and comfort in such a time and pray that God give my loved ones strength in Him as well. My prayer would be that they not deny Christ.

Oakwood explained it very well. It is a sin to try to contact the dead, even the dead in Christ. So it is a sin to pray to the dead or ask them to pray for you. We consider it an occult practice. There is one mediator between God and man, and that is the man Jesus Christ. He is seated at the right hand of the Father and is praying for us. Ask Jesus to pray for you. It is wrong to even have a statue of a saint and kneel down before them and pray to them. Exodus 20:4-5. This is the second of the 10 commandments. It is fine to ask a living godlly person to pray for you. Anyone who seeks to live a godly life in Christ Jesus is a saint, having seperated themselves from the way the world lives and thinks to become more like Jesus. This should include most genuine Christians. St. Paul repeatedly asked for living Christians to pray for him. Nowhere in the new testament do you find men of God praying to person who has died other than Jesus Christ. And He arose from the dead and ever lives to make intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25.

It is possible that someone in either Sarah's or Kelly's family caused such an offence that it has caused Kelly to withdraw to protect the integrity and safety of her own nuclear family. Our son and family stopped fellowshipping with his best friend and family because his friend's preschool child was beating up their 4 year old and the parents did nothing to control the behavior. Perhaps time will heal the situation. But bitterness destroys a person, and I am praying that Kelly may somehow forgive, and God may remedy the situation. Meanwhile see as much of each family as you can and reassure each of your love for them. Keep praying for both families that God's will be done in their lives. Blessings, Willa

1 Tim 3:1-9 But know that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphmeers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,----lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER. AND FROM SUCH PEOPLE TURN AWAY! To deny the power of God is to deny the Holy Spirit. We were to receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon us. Acts 1:8 Some people go through the rituals as though they were in a lodge but do not understand the Scriptures or believe they apply to today. They may also discard the Holy Spirit. Some religions tend to replace the Holy Spirit with Mary. Modern movements make church into self help groups or hobby groups and not about God and a personal salvation. Others make it about delivering people from poverty and oppression of races rather than about personal salvation. The Holy Spirit is about personal salvation and then building us into the body of Christ. We worship Father Son and Holy Spirit, 3 in one. The Holy Spirit enlightens us and helps us to understand the things of the Spirit. He also enables us to live a godly life and do God's will. He imparts the life of Christ to me, He is my Comfortor, my advocate, and my guide. He is always with me, He gives strength, He helps me to pray. He glorifies Christ. He sealed me as God's mark upon me. He is God Who took part in creation and moved upon the waters. He is the breath of life Who imparts new life when we are born again. Those who do not have the Holy Spirit or believe in Him do not belong to God.

Jesus knew their hearts and knew that they would be the very ones who would call for his crucifixion as well as his disciiples' deaths. Persuaded answered well.

Your friend is using this verse as a chiche, and may not understand the true meaning in context or even the full application. Those of us who have responded to God's call by allowing Him to set us apart from the world for His use are able to realize this promise. Not only is friendship with the world and the love of money being an enemy of God, but the works of the flesh and setting ones mind on them to walk in them brings death. We can't sit on the fence. A double minded person will receive nothing from God. No one who serves the devil can serve God. I know people who say they pray to God when they want something good and pray to satan when they wish someone harm or want something evil. Hogwash!

I don't think any of us is perfect in God's eyes. We all hold the treasure of the life of Christ in earthen vessels. His life in us is what makes us worthy of heaven and nothing else. Only Jesus Christ is perfect, and His perfction has been imputed on us. His blood continually cleanses us from unknown sin as we walk in fellowship with God and with other believers. This is just one reason why it is so important that we have the fellowship of a group of believers. We rub against each other and remove the sharp edges till we fit together in a building of living stones. Finally we are polished and transparent so that the life of Christ can be clearly seen in us. But I don't believe that perfection is obtained while on this earth. God isn't blind to our sin but the blood of Jesus covers it. We are the ones who are usually blind to our sin. A spouse can find a few imperfections since we see them daily. But our love for that person makes up for it all. We ignore them. God continues to gently remove them.

Had you committe the unpardonable sin, you wouldn't even be concerned about it. God is in the business of going after lost sheep. He is the Good Shepherd Who leaves the 99 to go after the one that is lost.

I honostly don't know the answer to this. The ways of the God Who created the universe are not my ways, and I don't understand why stuff happens. The one thing I know is that God loves me and Jesus died for me. Nothing will ever seperate me from His love. And He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Sometimes He has allowed my worst fears to come upon me so that He can walk with me through them and show me that He can make all things bearable through His strength. When the enemy could no longer terrify me, those problems left and other attacks began but now on my health. When you have your health you have everything? Nope! When you have close communion with God you have everything.

They worry about the time you were unemployed as if you had been in jail all that time. So if you can get any job, such as through an acquaintance, just to get back into the work force, it would help. I was hired as a part time TV camera person at a Christian station which helped me to eventually get a job with the school district. My sole qualification was that I used to draw and paint portraits so I could frame a person in a camera. However, It is easier to get a job while already employed. So put down the dates and names as best you can, but be willing to work at McDonalds or H & R Block for a year if necessary to get back into the work force. Blessings and prayers, Willa

That would be my reply as well. I don't get out as much as I once did. Most of my outreach is here. Since I can't really evaluate if anything I write is ministering to people to encourage them as believers or to help them to understand and observe the Word, I just try to reply the way the Lord has taught me through my own trials. It may or may not apply to another's situation. So what I write may serve to offend even. I hope not. It is a bit like the blind leading the blind; it is hard to get the whole story here. I can't look into their eyes but can only listen to the Holy Spirit the best I can. People can't always perceive my love and compassion. Worst of all they don't get my sense of humor which can be deadpan and slighty satryical. That was true once when you replied to my crack about American foreign policy being do the all those foreigners. I thought it was ludicrously hallarious but you took it seriously. My apologies.

Often people in this situation hear our attitudes more than our words. But when they hear gentleness and compassion and still react that way, it is as Fez said, they may have a guilty conscience but refuse to repent. They lash out with the judging line or the hypocrit line. If they hear disgust even if it is for the sin and not the person, they will feel rejected. The person should feel the compassionate demonstration of God's love, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I say that only because I have been corrected both ways. Only once in my life have I been corrected the right way. Most often I was accused wrongly or very slightly right. We always have sin in our lives that God has not revealed to us, that the blood of Jesus covers. So occasionaly I have replied that I am sure the sin must be present, but God has not revealed it to me and is not dealing with it. Most often the accusations were based on the log being in their own eye. However, I have also corrected others wrongly and with bad attitudes, which is why God spent some time showing me what it felt like. I have accused mormons with loathing and have behaved shamefully when I was a teenager. I have reacted to taunting false accusations by retaliating, While it was a long time ago, I still remember. God has taught me to not take it personally but that we wrestle not with flesh and blood but with wickedness in high places. Satan is the father of lies and the accuser of the brethern. It is wrong for us to accuse a brother when we correct them. Perhaps it might be better to ask them if they are having trouble in the area of lust or whatever. Then direct them to the verse in Job 31:1-4 I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young women? --Is not destruction for the wicked, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does He not see my ways and count all my steps? Galatians 6:1-2 Brethern, if a man is overtaken in a trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a SPIRIT OF GENTLENESS, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS AND SO FULFILL THE LAW OF CHRIST. To me this means that the person needs our prayers for strength to overcome, for help in placing their eyes on Christ so as to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Gal. 5:16

We are not to judge one another so as to condemn another to hell. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to restore a Christian that we see is sinning but we must do it in a spirit of compassionate meekness and gentleness. Christians whose lifestyles are in great error, who refuse to repent after many efforts to reason with them, should be reluctantly avoided. We should also judge ourselves so that we won't need to be chastened by God later. 1 Cor 11:31-32 We are supposed to renew our minds daily in the Word so that we may be able to prove by it what is God's will. Rom.12.:2 Someday we are to judge the angels. So we are to judge a lot of things. But we are to condemn no one. The world is already condemned.

I always understood this to mean to prepare our hearts for all the glory and joy of living in God's presence. When hubby was saved the change in him was overwhelming. I knew how to cope with an unglody hostile husband, but to suddenly have a warm loving husband was really hard to get used to. He was always underfoot. I actually asked God for the grace to appreciate my new hubby. Perhaps we also need to adjust our mindset to become more heavenly minded. On earth we learn to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousnes, and to set our treasures in heaven and minds on things above. That way when we get there will be comfortable with such a place of purity, worship and glorious praise.

Thank you, OneLight, that is what I was about to say as well. When people do not have the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to recognize the things of the Spirit even in scripture, having hardened their hearts, it is useless to argue with them. Sometimes they interpret scripture in light of their bad experiences or their prejudices. We can pray that they will be restrained from committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit by calling His work the work of satan. We can pray for them in the Spirit; and we can pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ , the Father of glory, may give to them the Spirit of widom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of their understanding being enlightened. Amen. And we can ask God to bless them. I also have groaned in prayer as if in travail that Christ might be formed in my husband, while praying for his salvation. This intercession was too deep to express in mere words. I thank God for all of His power tools, and especially those that build up or bless the body of Christ. In His love, Willa

My hairdresser likes him because he teaches good family relationships. Personally, I found no substance from him. It was a lot of positive thinking and positive speaking. Perhaps the greatest danger is in allowing people with no relationship with Christ to think they are saved.