Riverwalker

this is a spot on answer Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

I do not dispute that, just the use of this particular scripture to support that

You are very correct in thinking that the best way in battling these doubts is Familiarity with God and His word Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. It is our responsibility to learn the word and will of God, to build it into the heart, so that a strong house stands on the strong foundation of Jesus Christ. So what is our response to such "fiery darts" from our enemy? When the enemy pushes...you push back 2nd Corinthians 10: 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, To keep the enemy from pushing you... Romans 12:12 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Adulting (aka) Self Accountability and responsibility So many narcissists flauling about blaming others for their problems

I am always taken aback by such sayings as "Authentic Christianity" or "True Christian" Because to my mind Christianity is 100% authentic or it is not Christianity, just a counterfeit. and every Christian is a "true Christian" or they are not a Christian But the desire to inspire us to make sure WE are part of that reality is very important! Thank you

The people who are dead to the word are the wayside, mentioned in Mark 4. The seed lands on them but nothing happens. In MY OPINION these are people who have utterly abandoned God in Favor of their own Way Much like the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel did when they split from Judah and built their own false temple away from Jerusalem.....and after a series of corrupt and unrepentant kings, were erased as a people by God. These old testament Scriptures that were quoted were given to the chosen people of God back when God was actively dealing with them (some of them who would be lost). When Jesus came it was 490 years since God had uttered a word to them. So many of them, including the Pharisees were lost and the narrative had changed to forgiveness and restoration...for those with an ear to hear. Oh and please never worry about coming back at me...I am often wrong and I need to be checked up on

But the Purpose of speaking in tongues is not to control our tongues, but to edify us and as a sign to others 1 Corinthians 15: 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; [a]for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. ------------------------- 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?

As is usually the case with the things of God it is sublimely simple and incredibly complex Simple: We are saved by Grace through Faith Complex: The definition of Faith. It takes but a minute to enter into the salvation of the Lord, but it takes a lifetime to realize it. A life full of grace and repentance , joy and tears, confidence and fears. When we come to Jesus the foundation is laid immediately. But we still have to build the house. So getting saved, is a simple as can be. Being saved, is a bit more complex

The Diaspora... or for the ones who stayed in the land Samaritans. And they received a much different treatment, until God opened the door

Its simple, but its not always easy. But I promise you if you reach out to God He WILL reach out to you. His desire is to see you restored, happy and peaceful...He's not waiting for you to come back with a baseball bat, but with Open arms I am sure you have heard this: 11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with [a]prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, [c]‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. 25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ 28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ” The Father saw his son when we was still far off, which meant the Father was looking for His return. As God does with us when we come back from our wanderings

And yet it all breaks down to one thing. Relationships

Salvation really isn't about church, religion, what people say. Its about you and God. Are you good with God? Have you submitted yourself humbly to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His word Is the Holy Spirit your constant companion Do you run everything in your life through the filter "Is this God wants me to do" Whether you are saved 1 year , 38 years (like me) or 43 (like you) If you can answer yes to the above, all is good

The one issue I have with this, is this is referring how to deal with fellow believers, (fellow Jews) and not presenting the Gospel to the Lost Love and truth must go hand in hand, by themselves they are profitless. The seed we plant today may be met with derision and scorn....but it is a seed planted. Such a seed brought me into the light when I was in the darkest place of all

I think God is the ultimate multi tasker. In Inspiring and Helping David through his problems, He also revealed the Messiah, for He is the ultimate answer to our problems David was by no means a perfect man but he had a heart after God, and both the imperfection and the godliness show throw in his psalms

Because we are, but you are not alone...God is with you

Do not confuse the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) for the power to minister which is given to some and the Presence of the Holy Spirit which is given to all

This is not about who is holier than someone else...we are all sinners some saved some in need of salvation This is about the truth of God that needs to be told, no matter how much they do not want to hear it

Lots of issues. 1. No one has it "right" except God. If you follow Him and His bible you will have it 2. People say lots of things, but one thing you can be very sure of is that the Holy Spirit will never tell you something that contradicts any other part of the bible THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY AUTHORITY and that should be your source. If you take your direction from people as you say we all have a different understanding of the same truth because we CANNOT KNOW IT ALL. So hear what people say, then take it to the bible 3. The reformation era occured when the Human directed power that be (the RCC) go so far off track from the bible that people (Including Luther) found that they could no longer follow the Church and the Bible. And after great effort to change the church from the inside failed, they created a new "Church" 4 Justification is to be made righteous, free from sin, back in good standing with God 5. Sanctification is the process of setting something up to including your life to the purpose of God, making it holy 6 OSAS . Once you are TRULY saved you are in God's hand and nothing can take you out of them except you. But you REALLY have to be saved. You have to have taken in the word of God into your heart, made room for and allow it to becaome a living reality in you, through submission to Jesus Christ our Lord 7 Keeping his commandments. Jesus simplified this for us Matthew 25: 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” So loving God and your fellow man fulfills this obedience in following commandments If you look at the ten command mens you will see the first few deal with our response to God and the remaining with how we treat others. 8 Abiding in Him.....Simply means keeping yourself in an attitude of prayer, being in touch with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you who will guide us into right and wrong Finally, I would tell you to stop sweating the small stuff, and its all small stuff. Just be with God, read the bible, pray and RELAX. Without any frantic searching or attempting to cross every t and dot every i...if you just trust in God, and let Him lead you all things will become clear TL|DR Read the Bible. Understand the bible will never contradict itself, Understand that you do not know it all, but God does. Trust in God, be with God and relax John 14:25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the [g]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. BTW we all have an ugly side, the ability to recognize it is a good thing Peace..and rest in God

Not sure how this applies....this is pretty rudimentary stuff 1 Corinthians 5:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor [c]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were [d]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Unfortunately in this day age, the truth of the God is pretty much getting up in the grill of those who oppose it and you have three Choices....Omit the truth, water down the truth or tell the truth How you get the truth across is not at issue, though it should be done in love and patience But for many of them you could sugar coat it in swiss Chocolate and they will still spit it out in your face.

I realistically expect should the Lord tarry, that I will at some point be considered an outlaw, because I will refuse to stop speaking the truth, Already we are vilified, scorned and oppressed, but this has been going on from the beginning Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Again thank you for posting

The truth will always land, it will not always plant And no matter how nicely you gift wrap it. Some people will always be offended by the truth The question here, do you shut up and avoid offending them, or do you speak the truth and risk offending them. A persons response to the things of God is more dependent on their attitude to God than to us

A Discussion on two differing philosphies do we A. sit down, shut up and stop telling people that there is a heaven to gain and a great many ways to miss it B Or do we speak the truth knowing that it will offend the sensibilites, despite the likely wood people who disagree with you call haters, misogynist racist homophobe. Because you cannot hope to speak the truth and not offend Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Luke 6:22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.

There is no question that how it is said is important. But more importantly is that it is said. Will the truth offend those who stand opposed to it? Of Course. But it is not our opinion we are speaking but God's truth 1 Peter 2: 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. And the spoken truth MUST be spoken even it it does offend. Romans 10: 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Israel Rejects the Gospel 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Because it is the WORD that saves our job is to merely put it in the ear of the hearer, to sow the seed, the sometimes hard truth (in love and not in condemnation. That there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun and that certain activities will lead to destruction 1 Corinthians 6: 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor [c]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. So let the word of God speak, in hard situation. Jesus had no problem speaking plainly to people. The bible has no problem speaking plainly to people....It will be salvation to those with ears to hear, and destruction to those who will not. But it will leave no doubt where one stands So you can speak and help to save souls, or you can save feelings. But if you are doing it right, you are going to offend some

Forcing yourself, or God's truth? and is it forcing to promote it?