faithink

when you feel the holy spirit, there will be no mistaking it. you'll just know. that being said, some people feel the holy spirit more often that others, some people have a stronger experiance than others, and in my experiance, it happens you need it. just because you havent felt it yet, does not mean that you are not a christian. Luke 9:49-50 49 John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you." if you are for for christ, then is a good bet that you are christian. also 1 Corinthians 12;1-3 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. but everyone in the body of christ has a measure of faith, also in 1 Coritnthians 12 4-31 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized byone Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. the lord has given to each of us a measure of faith and a part in the body of christ. Romans 12;13 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. hope this helps

complete heart felt honesty would be best, and like onelight said, lying or holding something back can always be felt, especially by your wife. also this is something that she will need to understand that is a great struggle for men, especially christian men who are trying to follow the lord. and that your not just simply being a pig lol. i went through this from your wife's perspective, i remember really wanting to understand what was going on and asking about it. i was feeling like i wasn't good enough, and started picking myself apart until it just ate me up inside, i wanted to know that it wasn't my fault or that maybe there was something i could do to help. but i never got a straight answer, so nothing was ever resolved. i felt like the marriage was already over and i was just getting in the way of his happiness, and there was nothing i could do about it. i developed an eating disorder trying to get skinnier than i already was, i became obsessed with how i looked hoping that if i looked better. it would fix everything. nothing i tried worked, and he just got more and more closed and distant from me. maybe this is an extreme reaction, but i didn't understand what was going on or what i could do. many many years later i was listening to a pastor who talked about this a lot in his sermons, and understanding it better from those sermons relieved a lot of the anxiety and stress i was going through. i am unmarried now, and have been for quite some time, but i had carried much of that inadequate view of myself long after it was over. so learning that it wasn't my fault because i wasn't a supermodel helped a lot lol. i wish i had known back then.