I'd like to say goodbye to some of the people I have met on this forum, and who prayed for me.  I brought up a controversial topic about tares among the wheat, and was made fun of by Spock and Joshuatree.  It was a hard topic to post on; they made it harder, Spock poking fun and saying we should make a list of the members who are tares, and Joshuatree saying something to the effect of how I knew I was the wheat.  Any true believer knows who they are, and what happened to them, along with the corresponding verse.

It was disrespectful and rude.

It's a shame that this would be done on a Christian forum, and worse that a moderator would not correct those who would do this. It reminded me of a worldly church I was in, where preferential treatment was given to certain people in the church.  My husband laughed when I told him about the two hecklers - he said they're no different than worldly people.

I thought I had a lot of experience and wisdom to share, but I learned this Christian forum is worse than a non-Christian forum I had been on, sad to say.

I am hurt and saddened that Christians would act this way, and a moderator would permit it.  I have terminated my account. I wish you all the best in the coming times.

I'd like to say goodbye to some of the people I have met on this forum, and who prayed for me.  I brought up a controversial topic about tares among the wheat, and was made fun of.  It was a hard topic to post on; they made it harder saying we should make a list of the members who are tares, and saying something to the effect of how I knew I was the wheat.  Any true believer knows who they are, and what happened to them, along with the corresponding verse.

It was disrespectful and rude.

It's a shame that this would be done on a Christian forum, and worse that a moderator would not correct those who would do this. It reminded me of a worldly church I was in, where preferential treatment was given to certain people in the church.  My husband laughed when I told him about the two hecklers - he said Christians are no different than worldly people.  I guess he learned the lesson before I did.

I thought I had a lot of experience and wisdom to share, but I learned this Christian forum is worse than a non-Christian forum I had been on, sad to say.

I am hurt and saddened that Christians would act this way, and a moderator would permit it.  I have terminated my account. I wish you all the best in the coming times.

5 minutes ago, warrior12 said:

Yeh, spiritual discernment is a gift and it is to be used wisely.   The Lord knows that we would be tried and tested and we would need his strength to get us through.  We are to participate in our community affairs and as citizens of democratic constitution, we are to exercise our rights.  Spiritual matters are mainly not seen and often difficult to explain to others like to mentioned above. You try to convey things that you have gone through and many would label you.  That's why, i don't even mention episodes that can be shown as examples on forums like these.  They can be easily misconstrued and with writing that is the case in many situations.  verbally, you can correct or rephrase statements quickly to  the listener, but writing is another story.  Anyway, from the apostles days, there was tares amongst the wheat and i guess it will always be so.   When you have been through the battles and has the scars, you can reflect and know for sure, what it's all about.  Remember also, Paul said that those who would live Godly would be persecuted, how every Christian interprets that in his walk is to his own personal understanding.  Have a great day.

You too.  I appreciated bouncing off of you.  I don't get out anymore, so I need the iron that sharpens iron.

7 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings

  In this Christian Ministry,as in any other is where you will find  the enemy,where else would he go? ....to a satan worshipping club,he already has them!! Its not always the tares we have to pray Discernment for.....they are not so difficult to see and those pop up& get pulled out or as Shiloh says"they come & they go"

The enemy is subtle,insidious and relentless.....he roams about like a lion ,seeking who you MAY devour....his favorite prey,the Christian.....I'm not talking about the "people" who come against us here,I'm talking about the one enemy,the one that makes every attempt to steal,kill & destroy by putting thoughts in the Brother & Sister who is completely unaware and being used constantly but does not recognize principalities,  powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.(the devils playground-the mind/thoughts)   Its pretty easy to recognize the enemy in others,how about ourselves?

   When somebody says something less than loving,kind,gentle.....how do you respond? Do you "re-act" or do you reply? Who do you think gave you that  quick,snippy remark in your mind to come back with,the one that was really below the belt?And out the mouth it plopped!!!!   Resist the devil & he will fee ...take captive every thought,renew the mind......

       Just thought I might add that.......Ephesians 6

                                                                                                                                                          With love-in Christ,Kwik

Great point!!! I guess it would be his place of choice.  You have a good point, we should look within to search our heart to "see if there be any wicked way in me..."   I guess looking within would be the wisest first course of action.  I have seen satan use even Christians, and has probably used me at times.  I wonder how he gains access to our thoughts - I've never read any good books about it, although I have read a number of spiritual warfare books.  I know we are to take every thought captive.  

I think it's very hard to determine when it's wise to act and wise to not act.  When speaking with another believer, you don't know where they're at spiritually.  They may be leagues ahead of you in knowledge and wisdom, or leagues behind.  

I have a sister who told me with authority, that Christ already came back.  She's a preterist.  I never talk to her, but the last time I spoke with her, she had a well-laid-out argument, complete with bible verses, that Christ already came back.  I didn't believe in what she did, but told her that maybe God gave her knowledge in that area, that he hasn't given me yet.  

I think the evil on is so subtle though, that he makes use of Christian's desire to be good, loving people.  A lawyer we knew, made nasty cracks about other people's kids in the town we used to live in. I let it go, but finally told him it was known that his son was dealing drugs in the town.  He hurled that "Christian" club at me, accusing me of being "unchristian."  Yet not once did he face up to his pompous pointing the finger at everyone else's kid in the town. 

8 minutes ago, warrior12 said:

You are to stand for righteousness, whatever that may entail.  If someone accuses you for your stance , you outline what the word has declared.  The world, the flesh and  the devil are foes we face everyday and they come in a myriad of faces and situations. The Bible says, that when we are brought into situations that seems impossible, that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us in those situations.   Hope you have been there and seen the Spirit at work .  Sometimes, the results may not be the outcome that you wanted, but a lesson is always there to be had.   As you said, it's tough, but regardless, the Christian must press on with diligence.  Loving your brother and neighbor is a Biblical command  that if everyone is honest, does not come automatic, but as we grow in our Christian walk and grasp the meaning of forgiveness, only then its application becomes easier.  

Might add too, that we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Matthew 10  King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Yes - I hold to that verse at times- I had forgotten it.  I think that was given because we are walking around in a land mine of people controlled by the evil one.  I can usually discern someone in person pretty quickly.  It's harder on a forum.  I've been in the presence of evil people before.  One time my husband & I were in the city, and walked into a store that had knick knacks or something in the window.  When we walked in, I can't explain it, but I felt really uncomfortable.  A black cat walked around the counter, and I glanced up at this wall in the back, with all these mannequin legs, heads, and arms sticking out of the wall in this long hallway.  I looked around and saw several ungodly objects.   I got my husband and walked out.

So, as to those people, who were obviously involved in black arts, we should not be hateful to them, and I suppose prayer for their salvation would be in order.  But if they went to a school board meeting and tried to get a false religion taught to the classroom, I think as Christians, we should oppose it.  I see many Christians tripped up at this point, myself included.  I have a friend who doesn't take action on anything.  They just coast along and never speak up.  I don't think God meant us to do that.  

I'm still working out what I think God wants of us.  I see a lot of confusion among Christians on different issues.

1 minute ago, Wayne222 said:

well that's true too. Satan does plant the tares. But I really don't think we should judge who is or who's not. We cannot read a heart of someone.  We should treat anyone with the grace of God. Be a light to all. 

I don't know if that's a healthy stance to take.  My views are always evolving as I'm given more light, but this is how I see it now.  If you were in church, and knew someone who lived next door to you was involved in evil practices and they played up to and hoodwinked the pastor to teach the children's sunday school class, wouldn't you feel it your duty to tell the pastor what you know.

People are so afraid to be seen as judgmental, that positive harm can sometimes happen.

21 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

It says love even your enemies. 

The way I have interpreted it, and I don't know if my way is even right, but scripture states to love our enemies, but to what it extent we don't know. The false Christians who started their own church did a lot of damage to people's faith, the pastor told us.  So when everyone was busy loving them, maybe they should have been exposing them.  

29 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

It might be easy to misjudged a person. I think it's not hard to see who loves Jesus. If you don't love your brother you really don't love the Lord. If you love your brother then you love Jesus.

 

It's love our brother - I interpret that to mean fellow believers, not those from the evil one.  

1 hour ago, Wayne222 said:

I thought a tare was a person who lived a double life. Like they go to church and fellowship with believers but then live also like unbelievers living in sin without repentance. 

I never looked into the meaning, now that you mention it.  I just assumed at face value, they were satan's children, planted among God's.

2 hours ago, TheMatrixHasU71 said:

The tares have been amongst Christians forever on this board and everywhere

Yes, I'm learning that - I should have been more vigilant.  

3 hours ago, shiloh357 said:

That is kind of the nature of the beast on message boards.  We attract all kinds.    We used to have a guy on the boards who thought he was the reincarnation of the prophet Elijah.  That was an interesting experience to say the least. 

I have been here over 13 years and I cannot count the number of people who have come on here saying weird things.  One guy even claimed to be Jesus not long after I first joined the boards.     Gotta  take it all in stride.  They come and go.

Yes - I'm learning that.  I was never on a Christian forum before, even though I'm older.

5 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

In what way did they make you feel uncomfortable ?

I couldn't put my finger on it.  I just felt they were insincere. They did things that were worldly, such as on Christmas, everyone bought a gift, and a table would be called, and would go up and select a gift from the stage.  When their table was called, they almost knocked others down in their rush to get to the stage to grab all the big gifts.  I just put together things like that I saw them do.  I had also been warned about them by a friend - but my husband liked them.  I had been a believer longer than my husband, and he didn't have the same discernment.  The pastor finally left the church, and agreed to talk to us before he left.  What an earful - they were every bit the terrible people that I'd discerned they were.

1 minute ago, Wayne222 said:

It says love even your enemies. 

Yes it does, therein lies some discernment.  It also tells us to "shake the dust off our feet" when dealing with certain people.  I think we are to love them, but be very cautious with them.  It's a tough topic.  I think evil has a way of using our "Christian love" against us.  If you stand against evil, you are accused of being "unchristian"!   AARRGGHH!  Not that terrible word!  Forgive me, oh I'm so sorry!  I should have not questioned you when you told me Allah is the true God!  How unloving of me!!!

This is how I've seen evil overcome good people. We don't want to be accused of being unloving and unchristian.

9 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

It might be easy to misjudged a person. I think it's not hard to see who loves Jesus. If you don't love your brother you really don't love the Lord. If you love your brother then you love Jesus.

 

I agree with your point of view.  I learned this awhile back when a supposed "Christian family" started their own church.  I never felt comfortable around them.  Later, my discomfort was substantiated.

8 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

It might be easy to misjudged a person. I think it's not hard to see who loves Jesus. If you don't love your brother you really don't love the Lord. If you love your brother then you love Jesus.

 

But not everyone is "our brother."  Some are from the evil one.  

7 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

It might be easy to misjudged a person. I think it's not hard to see who loves Jesus. If you don't love your brother you really don't love the Lord. If you love your brother then you love Jesus.

 

I think people can be misjudged, but we're told to use discernment.  "By their fruits..."  and "...have their senses trained by reason of use..."

I have suspected twice there are tares among the wheat here. One person claimed to be the Holy Spirit, and another twisted scripture.  I believe it's imperative to exercise discernment, even here.  I started a post where an individual that I believe is a tare took scripture and twisted it to suit his interpretations. I asked the forum owner to remove the thread due to the topic getting too controversial with that person.  We need to be cognizant that even though this is a Christian forum, tares may be among us.  Remember, tares can quote scripture, but we need to exercise discernment to recognize the subtle misuse of scripture - "...Rightly dividing the Word of Truth..."  The good news is that there is an abundance of wheat here.

Never forget they there is a wily one, who has planted tares, in churches, in communities, on forums...

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

I have suspected twice there are tares among the wheat here. One person claimed to be the Holy Spirit, and another twisted scripture.  I believe it's imperative to exercise discernment, even here.  I started a post where an individual that I believe is a tare took scripture and twisted it to suit his interpretations. I asked the forum owner to remove the thread due to the topic getting too controversial with that person.  We need to be cognizant that even though this is a Christian forum, tares may be among us.  Remember, tares can quote scripture, but we need to exercise discernment to recognize the subtle misuse of scripture - "...Rightly dividing the Word of Truth..."  The good news is that there is an abundance of wheat here.

Never forget they there is a wily one, who has planted tares, in churches, in communities, on forums...

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

1 hour ago, worthy said:

I would suggest you look into the Conveyancing process. Sell the house yourself.

 

I've never heard of that, but will look it up.  I want to sell the house ourselves, but have to research it better.

I'm glad it worked out for you.  It's a hard thing - knowing God's Word is true, yet facing unanswered prayer.  I don't know what the right attitude to take is.  I guess time will tell.

39 minutes ago, worthy said:

I have never really had any problems.

Before you sell a flipped house,be sure a lawyer has checked that there are no legal problems with the transfer of ownership.

 

There are four key challenges that flippers face.

Finding a good house at a low enough price to make the deal work

Finding reliable contractors to do quality work at a reasonable price

Finding money to finance the deal

Selling the home at a price that will cover expenses and provide enough profit to compensate for the time invested

Your son has number 2 already.

You also should see the house yourself before you buy it.

Learn the history of the home.

Understanding the flipping process.

Hire a Certified home inspector.

 

Thank you - I'll pass that onto him.  Can you answer another question?  My husband is retiring at the end of summer, and we're going to try to relocate to FL for around 6 months to see if we like it there.  My husband wants to keep our house, and rent it, to try to get some income every month.  We live in a nice part of a bad city.  I'm concerned that the neighborhood, which is very nice now, may deteriorate, and we won't be able to get much money for it if we sell a few years from now, although the neighborhood is very nice now.

I also spoke with a few other's who have rented out their homes, and they were destroyed.  One lady told me she rented to friends who destroyed her home.

So, I'm unsure what to do.  We could use the little bit of income every month, but I don't want to wind up paying for repairs if they trash our house.  Another thing I was told is that our state favors the occupant, not the owner.  I was told if someone gets into your home and refuses to pay, it's hard to evict them.  

How can you make a judgment call on this?  I'd rather not have the headache.  If our house was a dump, I wouldn't care, but it's a small home, but nice.

I also thought that if we sold our house, we should sell it ourselves to keep the commission.  When we sold our last house, we lost our shirt because of the bad market, and then we had to pay for both realtors cut.  I was surprised that we had to pay our realtor and the buyer's realtor.

Can we handle the sale of our house using only a lawyer?  We tried using Foxtons, at 3% commission, but realtors blackballed them.  We did all the staging work and the realtors pocketed the commission.

45 minutes ago, ravindran said:

I think people misunderstand the parable of unjust judge. It is not to say we should keep praying to God until He answers the prayer the way we want. We need to keep praying until there is an answer to the prayer. It is not to remind God that He needs to take some action. It is a reminder for ourselves on our dependence on God. And without Him we can do nothing. Some times the wait is long or very long. Some times God says No.

For some the path in this side of life is a difficult one. Imagine lives of different prophets. God chose them and made them do things which would have made their life miserable! Imagine being Hosea? Marry a prostitute and keep paying to bring her back. He did not do anything wrong. Lord chose him to show Israel a lesson. Hosea was probably one of the very few God fearing people at that time. As per the theology of many faith preachers, Hosea should have lived a life of luxury and got everything he wanted. No, it was not the case. He suffered and all the evil people were living a life of pleasure.

Why? There is no answer to "why". At least not while we are in this world. We do not understand everything that's happening. We are only called to trust and have faith in Him, who knows everything. And Who does everything for our good. While it may not look like good in short term, it would all work out for good in long run.

That's an intelligent take on it.  I suppose God will make things clear in His time.  I hit times where I've prayed for things so many times, and the answer hasn't come, so I wonder if I should I keep praying, or decide that I've prayed enough?  It's a stumbling block, and I'm unsure of the answer.  Nothing jumps out at me as the right action to take.

29 minutes ago, worthy said:

Well I suggest you wait it out and see how his first flip goes.

Its good he can do his own repairs. But they must be professional. The purpose of a fix and flip is to sell it for more than you bought it for to get a ROI. So updating furniture,making sure the pipes,floors,the ceilings ect ect are good, making sure there is no leakage, ect ect

Location is always important for a fix and flip.

His repairs would be professional - he used to work for my husband as an electrician, although doesn't have a license.

Are there hidden legal traps involved?  I'm concerned because he is going into it rather blind.

14 minutes ago, worthy said:

OK. Real estate is one of the things I do. What does he want to do? Be a realtor, fix & flip,buy and resale ?

Really?  He is very good at SEO, and gets ranking on the first page.  He advertises to buy houses in foreclosure, and when a person is anxious to sell.  He buys the house, and then flips it - actually he just had his first flip.  He is mechanically talented like my husband, and can do repairs.  In fact, my husband is concerned we won't have enough money through retirement, and plans on helping my son renovate houses, although at a slower pace than he has now.

Do you think he should keep a lawyer on retainer?  He just jumped into this, and I'm concerned he can get burnt.  When he opened a business online, some slick talker got him to bring him in on his business.  I warned him that he was doing all the work, and this guy was doing nothing and collecting.  Sure enough, he pulled a fast one, but he didn't have the computer knowledge, and my son went in and shut the site down.

Do you have any advice?

1 minute ago, BacKaran said:

Why would anyone stop praying? God is doing miraculous things unknown to us at this time.

Please keep a prayer journal and list your prayers on one side and the date. On the other side write the date your order was answered and how it was answered.

God answered my prayers that I live another day, I have food, medicine and my Bibles along with the basic water, housing and friends and food.

Think positively not negatively. Ask God what he would have you do today for someone else. Write a letter, send a card, make a phone call or two. Take the ducks off yourself and place it back on God in thanks and praise.

My friends was a virgin and was married last year... She is 60! Did her life stop because she wanted to get married in her 20s? No, she continued to pray for a godly Man while she served the Lord they her job and church life. God was working for her in the backgrounds for decades getting the right Christian man just for her. Is 60 yrs along time to wait? Not if you're on Gods time.? Patience my friend, patience.

I do keep a journal, exactly as you stated - with a line for the date it was answered.  If God waits until my daughter is 60, she'll never have a child.  That is too hard for me to bear.  God knows this.