No124get1952

No, I don't believe Jesus had tatoos. I have never really heard a Christian with tattoos ever testify how their tattoos helped them witness. It has probably happened, I just haven't heard of it. Besides, what us under the blood, including tattoos, stays there...

Since the discussion up to this point has been the justification of the Protestant canon of Scripture, how about we apply the same standards to the Catholic canon of scripture? I submit that there is knowledge to be gained by learning how the Catholic Bible came into existence. I am curious. Because I find the topic to diffuse the primary focus of the Bible, which is the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, his subsequent burial and resurrection. It smacks of the effort to prove one group of Christians wrong and another group of Christians right. When considered in the eternal perspective, both Catholics and Protestants have largely spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world....as Jesus commanded.

You have asked a question for there is no scriptural answer. That means that there is no Bible verse that says He did not. However, Jesus was a Jew and followed all the Jewish traditions of faith. As a matter of growing up as a Jewish boy, he would have been required to memorize the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible (also called the Torah), generally believed to be Genesis, Exodus. Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers (all written by Moses). Since the laws were all contained in these 5 books, Jesus would have read and studied the one about tattoos. One other thing needs to be noted here. Jesus' mission in life was to be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of all mankind. Hebrew tradition says that a sacrifice for sin must be perfect, without blemish. I believe (my opinion) is that Jesus did NOT have any tattoos or other markings on His body because the Bible says in Hebrews that He was tempted in ALL ways like we are, yet without sin. When I was in the Navy, I was temped to get a tattoo. But I resisted because in those days nearly all the tattoos were black and green and involved snakes, skulls, MOM and other UGLY stuff. So my resistance was not spiritual at all. Personally, even though I have seen many tattoo masterpieces, my question is why? If you decorate your body, who is really getting the glory? Even if you cover yourself with Jesus tattoos, you are still drawing attention to YOUR body. I would only do that if I knew absolutely that was how God wanted me to witness. Of greater beauty are those rare Christians who have love, joy, peace, patience....etc. you know, the fruits of the Spirit. These flow from the inside out and are more miraculous and beautiful because they are exhibited even in the midst of great trial and tribulation, when people need to experience the "real" Jesus and not a 2-D beautiful tattoo. What God has highlighted in your heart is a desire to represent Him. You are a treasure to God and He wants you to be pure, powerful, prophic, peaceful and proactive in reaching lost and hurting souls for Jesus!!! Blessings

Dear Lizam, I am a man, and even I am shocked that another man could do something so hateful, hypocritical and nasty. Please know that I am interceding for you to receive comfort and love from the Holy Spirit and for him to receive his reward (or cursing as necessary) from God. I have been through the divorce process with a cheating spouse. The bad news is that it hurts more than one can describe; the good news is that God's grace and love overcomes it every time. First, please recognize that according to I Corinthians 7:14, you sanctify your husband and child...no matter what they have done. That means you have held them as holy unto the Lord. It also means, practically, that you have offered them up to God to deal with and have no more responsibility for them (other than the basic maintenance functions of life). At this juncture, when you are betrayed, abused, accused, etc. it is hard to discuss forgiveness...the pain is fresh and on-going and it is going to get much worse. However, forgiveness is NOT for him...it is for you so that God may begin to heal you and lift you up and restore you. What you are experiencing is NOT the abundant life promised in John 10. However, forgiveness is a process and God will honor your choice to forgive him. The process is like this: first, choose to forgive him for his sins against you; second, do this despite your inner hurts and wounds; you don't have to "feel" forgiveness; third, recognize that forgiveness may have to be extended 70 x 7 times before your heart feels forgiveness. Forgiveness is complete when you can truly bless him without regret in your heart. Sometimes this takes years. But again, forgiveness is NOT about him...it is about YOU!!! Now, that does not mean you let him walk all over you with his infidelity. You have biblical grounds for divorce. You have all the evidence you need to justify it. My recommendation is that you get with your Pastor and counselor and make them aware of what you have found. Let them help you confront him because it is certain.....for some time he has NOT been honoring his covenant with you, whether or not he has actually had sex with other women. It is vital for you to stop this relationship and its toxic results. From what you have related, he is a a serial womanizer. He will not change. If you "forgive and forget", how much more damage will you suffer when he goes back on his word. It is obvious that his Christianity is suspect because the conversations and pictures on his phone are inappropriate....no matter what explanation he gives. Pictures of breasts, clothed are not, saved on his phone indicate something in his heart other than Agape love. While he may well be praying for another woman, the fact that he does not pray for you or minister to your needs indicates he is involved in spiritual adultery, so not only has he violated you, he has violated God. That is why he must be confronted by whomever he respects in spiritual authority. Now, for your safety and well-being, you must locate a source of assistance to provide you with emotional and spiritual support. In addition, you must consider legal counsel, fiscal counsel and any other form of support you can quickly arrange. You will need a network of people who support and love you in order to survive the long, nasty, painful time ahead. I do not know whether divorce is what God wants for you, but it is clear that your husband has continually violated the sanctity of his marriage and flaunted it in front of you. What most likely will happen if you confront him, is that he will (misguidedly) blame it on you and judge himself to be the victim. This is why you need third parties who can speak "truth" to both of you. My heart grieves because your child is going to suffer through this and be torn. This should not be. However, having been through this myself (it took 11 years to be totally healed), I can recommend the counsel of your Pastor and the love of your local church. Please continue to pray and trust in Jesus. I will intercede for you and will be interested for updates.

Leviticus 19:28Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) 28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord. Now that the scripture is out of the way, let me explain. While it is true that this verse comes right out of the Mosaic Law, we must look at why God would require such restraint. In the first half of the verse, he mentions a practice that ancient heathen cultures had of cutting themselves with knives during funerals in an effort to appease whatever god they worshiped. God clearly wanted to distinguish Himself from false gods. Yahweh only required animal sacrifice for peoples' sins. Second, God enjoined His people from "printing" or tatooing their flesh. Part of this goes back to the commandment that says not to have any graven image. If you understand the tattoo process, you understand that they are engraved into the skin and are supposed to be permanent markings. God's desire was that His laws be graven upon the hearts and minds of His children. Don't get me wrong. I am nearly 65 years and I have seen some AWESOME tattoos. I have also seen some that I would put on my worst enemy. But that is not the question. The question is about Christians getting tattoos. Again, I have seen some lovely ones and I have seen some that I am not too sure about. I do NOT mean to be judgmental. There are those who were tattooed prior to accepting Christ....that is one group. However, one of the reasons I have personally NOT gotten a tattoo is that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (that comes from a New Testament scripture). God created me in His image. Why would I want to deface His image? I am certainly no "handsome" man. But God created ALL of us in His image. Is it not at least presumptuous to mark up His temple. The Bible also says that we were bought with a price, so technically we don't even belong to ourselves. In this frame of mind, I do not even claim the right to judge. If you want to get a tattoo as a Christian, my advice is to choose something that glorifies God....then seriously pray for at least a month to see if God approves. I say a month only because I was in the Navy and watched unbelievers get tattoos they regretted because they were drunk when the got them and after a month at sea, they changed their minds (it was always too late). On a personal note, the best tattoo I have ever seen is one my son recently got. If I weren't saved, I would consider getting it. It is my father's brand (for branding cows) on a background of what looks like riveted steel sheets like you find on the side of a Navy ship (my father was in the Navy during the Korean war). So I am not totally against tattoos; I am just not sure they are the best way of expressing glory to God...even if they are Christian tattoos. All of that being said, this is why we have Grace.

You have totally misread my statements. I also said that I participated in the miracle. I am taking no glory, nor am I like you, denying the miraculous power of Jesus Christ. Jesus said we would do the "same" things that He did. There is no need to parse or justify the words of Jesus. If He said it, it is available to us. And, by the way, one "greater thing" that we can do is to bear and raise children. Did Jesus ever do that? I have been IN the deliverance ministry for many years and God still DOES use human ministers to cast out demons under the authority of scripture. While God gives the words, I am the one that speaks them in obedience. God honors my obedience and the demon is cast out. To the one being delivered, it doesn't really matter...they are now delivered when they weren't before. Jesus himself said He could do nothing of Himself but only said what the Father in Heaven said and did what He saw the Father in Heaven doing. For you to be the self righteous arbiter of what God can and cannot do is not only wrong, but heretical.

There was only one person who really tried to teach me and I'm sorry for wasting her time. At one point I think she even defended me to something I didn't understand. Yes I'm a let down but I.....tried.the worst part is that I screwed someone else over by telling him about god. And telling him the prayer. I will find a way out I have one heart ach already. I can't take another. Sir, you think way too much of yourself. You telling someone else about God cannot mess them up. First, you were doing a good deed, something the Scripture encourages...sharing your faith. No matter how well or how poorly you did the sharing, you were obedient to God. The other person does not now, nor ever did depend upon you for their salvation...that responsibility is on Jesus Christ alone. Whatever their decision does not reflect upon you. If you, in your opinion screwed up, their condition still does not depend upon you. You seem to be taking responsibility where you have none. If that is the basis of your faith, then perhaps you really do NOT have any faith...and THAT answers your original question....how do I get out? You already are!!!

Azizrasul, I defer to the Greek scholars here concerning the transliteration. In the big picture, there are not always direct translations between the original Greek and Hebrew texts. Having gone to Bible Gateway and searched in the RSV, you are correct, the word "begotten" does not appear in any of the 4 gospels. However, it DOES appear in the King James and the Amplified translations. From this, I deduce that the appearance of the word "begotten" is more dependent upon what translation you read than on any intentional error or mistranslation At this point, let me speak a bit about the King James Translation. While I am not a KJV only believer, as some are, I do know the history of that translation and for nearly 400 years it was the "best" translation available. When the English King James commissioned this translation, he gave directions that he wanted the best and most accurate translation possible. It took 47 Bible scholars a total of 7 years to develop the translation. The New Testament was translated from the original Greek and the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew and Aramaic. Any disagreements concerning translation went through an exhaustive review and rebuttal process that included translation issues but also context and Bible eschatology considerations based upon their understanding of Christian doctrines at the time. This process was so exhaustive that when we consider the quality of the results, there are very few places (this being one of them) where there is any disagreement at all. To consider that in 1600, Church of England scholars spent 7 years working on this translation of 66 books plus the Apocrypha, to come up with so few errors is purely miraculous and speaks to divine favor on the result. As others have said, most of us agree with the idea that Jesus was the Only Son of God. The fact that He was born of a woman, means that, in layman's terms, he was begotten. What we need to focus on is the fact that, along with the resurrection, the virgin birth is one of the most legally provable events in all of recorded history. That should cause our faith to leap and should cause us to rejoice that God has given His best for us!!!!!

Dear notsolostsoul, You are asking very good questions. I am not sure I can answer to your satisfaction, but as I have extensively studied the book of Job, I will make an attempt. First, there are some scholars that deem the Book of Job just an allegorical story. If that is true, that means the book is a morality play. But even if it IS true, it is still a morality play and your questions remain. Second, a careful reading of the first couple of chapters indicate very clearly that Job is a righteous man and is very concerned about the spiritual condition of his children....so he sacrifices for them to maintain favor with God. Right there is a problem with Job's faith. Though a man of great faith and prayer, in the final analysis, God requires sacrifice from the individual on his own behalf. Since this is before Christ, God expected Job's children to sacrifice for their own spiritual well-being. We are not told of their spiritual state, so their deaths, inspired by Satan left them to stand before God based upon their own faith. One hopes they all served God and that God took them home with him...but we cannot know for sure. God was proud of Job because of Job's faith and loyalty. Satan was not impressed and accused God of favoritism and basically implied that true faith was not possible from humans. He did have evidence, after all, that humans would not obey God. That evidence was Adam and Eve. When they sinned, it cost them something that God had given them....dominion over the earth. In this case, Satan did not care about Job. What he was after was to invalidate ANYONE from having faith in God. If Satan was able to do that, then no other human would ever serve God as a result. Thus Satan would gain reputation and God would be discredited as the Supreme Creator. As a point of order, it was not God who made the bet, but Satan. God accepted the wager, not because He had anything to win, but because He knew Job's heart and He knew Job would stand up under what was to come. Later on, in the Epistles, James tells us that the trial of our faith works patience and other good qualities in us, so we should not faint. At this point, let me stand up for God for a moment. He IS the Creator. If we truly believe that, then we must believe that He has the right to Create or Destroy as HE sees fit. He has the right to test us because He created us. The Bible is the written record of many results of God's tests of humans. Many failed those tests. David failed many of his tests, but God still called him a man after His own heart. Why? Because David prayed and allowed God to change him. David was consistently asking God for help and consistently depended upon God. So when David failed, David repented to God, sacrificed to God and was reconciled to God. David got it! God wants us to be continually reconciled to Himself. Now, to continue with Job. In accepting Satan's wager, God place limits on what Satan could do. This is an important point, because God always places limits on what Satan can do....especially to us. When Job began to suffer, even Job's wife told him to curse God and die. Job maintained his faith in spite of all the horrific circumstances that Satan visited upon him. Please note, God did not do any of these things to Job. We can question why God allowed this, but we have to remember what was at stake: whether any man could have true, unshakeable faith in God. If Satan wins the wager, he gains standing. If God wins, Satan remains a defeated foe. From Job's perspective, there was no eternal consideration at first. But later on, after things got much worth, Job states his faith in that he knows that his redeemer lives and basically says he will never deny him. So Job never really knows what a crucial part he plays in this story. But, as God knew, Job ultimately comes through. Yes, Job makes some errors based upon the false comfort of his friends. But, in the end, after a face to face confrontation with God, Job is restored. God's blessing on Job's life was not meant to "replace" what he had lost. But IT WAS intended to indicate that no man who has lost anything in the service of God will go unrewarded. Job just happened to receive it while he was still alive. Yes, this is a difficult book. Yes, there are still questions that can be asked of God. For my part, I am willing to ask God to help me achieve the same kind of faith that Job had. Though I am curious about God's motives, I have determined that I will take Job at face value and defer the discussion of motives until I can talk with both God and Job in heaven.

Jeremiah 29:11-14New International Version (NIV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” For all of you Bible scholars, please allow me to state that I understand this verse to be applying to the Hebrew exiles, but since we have been grafted into "Abraham's lineage" according to Romans, please allow me the liberty of applying this passage to our own lives. While I agree in principle that the Church has grown lax in its teachings about destiny. This passage should prove that God has a destiny for each of us. That it is different for each of us should be easily understood, since we each have to come to faith through Jesus by own own confession. It is not too hard for me to believe that God is Sovereign and powerful enough to have a specific destiny for each of us. Ezra quoted Isaiah 61, which lays out a pretty exciting destiny for each of us. But I think that each of us, while pursuing that Isaiah 61 destiny, needs to work out his own salvation (apostle Paul's words) and seek the specific application for that. I will be 65 this year and I have spent most of my life serving God. The longer I serve Him, the more I realize that I am walking out my destiny by serving Him to the best of my ability. Have I realize that "ministry" that I believe He called me to? Yes and no. Yes, in that I have studied, learned and applied along the way. I raised 9 children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Was that MY destiny? Yes, but only a part of it. Because now that they are all grown, God has shown me that there are more people that need ministry (the fields are white unto harvest). So, no I have not yet fulfilled my destiny, but by the time I die or Jesus raptures me, I will have fulfilled it. While I realize we need to guard against error, we have lost at least two generations of young people because we have not "made real and living" the life that Christ has for us. Though Christ has given us abundant life, we have a) not lived in the abundance of what He promised and b) not demonstrated that abundance to our children. I am not a rich man in finances, but I AM living the abundant life because I have the abundance of His presence.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” While it is true that the word "trinity" does not appear in scripture. I offer this SCRIPTURAL account of the Baptism of Jesus. At the momet after His baptism, Jesus was still in the water right here on Earth. At that same moment, the Spirit of God was descending like a dove. At that very same moment, a voice comes out of Heaven. What that voice says, indicates the speaker is God the Father. Now, for those who maintain there is NOT a Trinity, how do you scientifically (or any other way), explain three separate manifestations of God in three different physical locations at the same time. Now that is directly from SCRIPTURE. Arguments? The best analogy of the trinity that I have is from the world of geometry (since I am a math professor). Consider the simple equilateral triangle. It has 3 separate sides and 3 separate but equal angles. It IS only one triangle, yet it has 3 separate sides and 3 separate angles. Since it is equilateral, the sides are all equal and the angles happen to be equal as well. How does this apply to the trinity? Well, there IS only one God (which complies with Scripture), BUT, there are 3 separate functions and ministries (sides and angles). And with all of this explanation, I agree with those who have classified this as a mystery. So while I understand the illustration, I am willing to just be thankful that Jesus died for me and is now my advocate with the Father. I am overjoyed that the Holy Spirit's function is to guide me into all truth. I am also very glad that the Holy Spirit lives within me as a spiritual force for good in my life. According to scripture, believing in the trinity is NOT the test for getting into heaven....believing in and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior meets that requirement. But I find it comforting to my own personal spirit to know and think of God as my Father, who loves me and is interested in my life. For those who consider me a heretic or an idolater, please be Christ-like and forgive me. You cannot see, nor know the peace that I have in my heart.

John 14:12New International Version (NIV) 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. For those who say the "gift" of casting out demons was only given during the ancient days, I offer the above verse. That "whoever" is all inclusive. And, it was spoken by Jesus, Himself. That means whatever works He did, we will do (please note the "will do"; it did not say might do). Furthermore, Jesus even said we would do greater works than He did. I am NOT saying WE do them, but that we do them IN His name and By His power...but we are the hands, feet, etc. of Jesus on earth in THIS day. It is not arrogant for me to say that I cast out a demon, because at the direction of the Holy Spirit, and by the power of Christ (under his authority), I spoke words that carried the authority and power of Jesus, so the demons listened and obeyed. When the scripture says to resist the devil and he will flee, just what constitutes resistance? Those who believe the gifts of the Spirit passed away, have some serious explaining to do because the Scriptures do not say they passed away. This one verse alone provides me with all I need to ask God to help me participate in miracles. And do you know what? I HAVE!!!! I have seen medical miracles, confirmed by doctors. I have seen marriages miraculously healed by the Grace and power of Jesus Christ and like Shake and Bake....I helped. So Heavenunlimited, just keep on daily seeking Jesus and follow His Spirit and study His word. The Holy Spirit, according to Jesus in the Book of John, will guide you into ALL TRUTH. Praise the Lord!!!!

I think it's time for me to put my 2 cents in. First, it IS possible to be a part of the scientific community without denying your Christian faith. Every serious, scientific investigation conducted has affirmed scripture in some fashion. Now to the REAL issue..that of the scientific method, as others have referred to. The scientific method was developed in order that researchers (i.e. scientists) could standardize the presentation, the accomplishment and the interpretation of their research. In other words, if scientist A discovered gravity through an experiment, the scientific method provided procedures and guidelines whereby scientist B could repeat the experiment and duplicate the first results. In scientific eras prior to the late 20th century and early 21st century, the scientific method was held to be very holy and inviolable. You could not gain scientific credibility unless your discovery had been verified by your peers. What we have devolved into is that science is now scientific if the "majority" of scientists reach consensus. Now the scientific definition of consensus is not readily available, but it is roughly when "most" of scientists agree to some degree with a concept. There are no mathematical or statistical guidelines here so the exact moment consensus is reached is hard to quantify. Also unquantifiable is the amount of consensus (presumably on a scale of 0-100%). The problem, of course, is that sticky old-fashion concept of the "scientific method" because suddenly we can no longer duplicate the results....and we have no standard method to achieve results....and we have no scientific controls over the "experiments"(also known as scientific assertions)....and alas we really have no science either. But, because the topics are about science, those who revel in scientific consensus are granted "gravitas" when speaking on scientific subjects they may even know about but cannot back up with scientific evidence. In other words, most scientific pontification these days is "bullspit". That moves us to the debate over global warming/climate change and who causes it. Of all of the information I have gathered over the last 40 years of my adult life, nobody has mentioned how much the sun affects global climate. While there may be some information out there, I have not seen nor heard of any scientific study that attempts to quantify the amount of climate change caused by the sun. This is strange because we pretty much know how much light, heat, radiation, etc. the sun puts out. The distance between earth and sun has been established for several hundred years and we have satellites now that can verify that information and even average it out for the changes in distance due to our orbit around the sun. That should be quantifiable and verifiable. Nor have I seen anyone attempt to establish a baseline as to where we begin analysis of global climate change. How much is normal? How much is acceptable? How do we establish proof that a certain source (mankind, sun, comets, etc.) is responsible? How do we quantify that? Under the terms of that old "scientific method", we need procedures and rules to allow experiments that can be duplicated and results that can be verified by multiple studies. Too bad that science has devolved to consensus. Consensus is NOT scientific fact. While the topic of global climate change is important, it is NOT Christian. Deep research into the sources for global climate change consensus reveal that there are marxist and even communist sources for this new "religion". It takes more faith to believe that mankind has caused global climate change than to believe in Jesus. I would even go so far (stirring the pot here) as to say that you cannot be a Christian and believe in manmade global warming. Notice I said manmade. There is NO scientific (reputable and repeatable) evidence that proves man has significantly changed the global climate. We DO, however, know, that in small, specific regions (not worldwide), local ecosystems and local climate systems have been changed; in some cases they have also been changed back by environmental cleanup efforts. However, to assert that these "local" examples can be extended to global climate is neither logical nor scientifically supportable....however, they DO give us facts for doing more global research (if unbiased, scientific research is even still possible). After the revelations of the data manipulation of the East Anglia global temperature data, ALL global warming/climate change assertions must be re-evaluated and reconsidered because of scientific malfeasance...that means wrong doing. We cannot support the spending of billions of dollars in taxpayer money on efforts that might make a 0.0001% difference in 100 years. We should spend that money on determining better ways to feed the hungry...or even heal the sick. Sorry, but I come down on the side of global climate change deniers....and you cannot provide me scientific proof that I am wrong.

There is so much information available to us today that no one person can assimilate it all. I often listen to broadcasts or watch tv programming that discusses certain aspects of the Bible or of faith. HOWEVER, I listen and watch based upon my own knowledge and study of scripture. Most of what I hear IS interesting information, but facts do NOT equal TRUTH. Interesting facts only become truth when you can verify them against Scripture and other known and trusted sources. I do not discourage people from listening to "other" things, because when we truly study the Scriptures and seek truth, we get more than a two-dimensional view of things and for me at least, I always come away believing more firmly in the Scriptures. The problem comes when we listen to "other" information and it creates doubt. That is not so much of a problem IF we are committed to our own research to verify or deny a specific topic. If we do not do our due diligence, however, we become lazy and that doubt grows into disbelief and THAT is dangerous. So, we must continually examine our own hearts. The Bible says to "search the Scriptures daily". I have done that for nearly 50 years. I would love to confess that I am free from deception, but alas, I am still a sinner saved by grace and it is possible for me to be deceived. I find this attitude represents a "healthy scepticism" that allows God's Holy Spirit to guide me into Truth. Blessings

Thank you for your very transparent and touching post. I think it is a part of our American society to look at others and compare ourselves up or down on how they are doing. I think this tends to be a "normal" human hobby. However, God called us out to be peculiar people, which basically means we are not supposed to be like other people. It boils down to this: how is my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ? If I am seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt.6:32), THEN God will add to me all "these other things"....such as health, prosperity, happiness, etc. The point is that Jesus and my relationship with Him needs to be my primary priority. If I compare myself to others now and then, I must return to what Jesus is doing in me and with me. Our purpose in serving Jesus is to become as much like Him as we can. Because if we truly become like Him, then we will do and say the same things that He did and said (John 14:12). And THAT is huge!!!! My own personal experience is that, as I have grown closer to Jesus, my needs have changed. I have found a satisfaction in how much He loves me and I have learned to be satisfied with the physical provisions that He provides (money, marriage, possessions, etc.) I have become very grateful for what God has provided me, because it is enough to meet my needs and a little more to give away. Now I no longer strive to climb the corporate ladder because that is NOT God's plan for my life (it may be yours). I now live as close to a stress-free life as possible because I have developed my relationship with God to trust Him to provide. As James says, our personal trials are used by God to develop higher functions of faith in us. The trial that you are currently going through, pride vs. envy, is God working in your spirit. As you come to realize how much God loves you, you will be able to say with Paul, "that I have learned how to abound and how to be abased". Knowing how to prosper and how to eke things out are two skills that every Christian needs, because it is not the prosperity or lack that is important: we count ALL things joy. As a Hurricane Katrina survivor, who literally lost everything (including a car) in that storm, I had the opportunity to operate in pride, envy, bitterness and skepticism. But instead, I chose to be thankful for God for preserving me and thankful to God for every believer who prayed for me and sacrificed to provide me with food, clothing and lodging when I had nothing. Because I took refuge in God and relied upon Him to give me joy in the face of overwhelming devastation, I can now rejoice and be radical when God provides me more than enough. My problem now is that I have to watch out for pride because I am proud of how much and how often my God provides me with. I am not better than anyone, but I am seriously convinced that God loves me so much that I am His favorite. Know what? You are His favorite too and probably don't know it yet. But He IS a BIIIIIIIIIG God and He has enough love to love us all as His favorites....and I am kinda cool with that. :)))

I am a senior citizen, so along with ousting the Ouija board, I would include the Twister game. My bones and joints don't bend that way anymore. And playfully, I am not too sure about Monopoly either. Do we really want our children learning about capitalism and money?(wink, wink). But I agree that we do NOT need Ouija in our homes. Our children need more games like Bible Trivia and others to instill spiritual values.

Loving your enemies is often viewed (incorrectly) as letting unbelievers walk all over you. In truth, loving your enemies is asking God to show you how He sees them and how He feels about them. God loves ALL sinners....the caveat is that He hates and He judges their sin. As believers, Jesus told us to love our enemies. So we need to ask God to give us His love so that we can love them properly. Sometimes our love must be from afar. We are estranged from those we love; we love those who would harm us from afar until God shows us how to minister to them. Jesus died as a martyr because His mission was to die for the sins of mankind. He went to the cross and completed His mission because He loved us enough to do so. Not all of us are called to that kind of sacrifice, but if we allow Christ's love to grow in us, when that sacrifice is needed, we show our love of God and of all people by our martyrdom. The key is, to ask God how to love the unloveable. If we presume to know how to love, apart from God, we are going to end up hurt and maybe even dead when that was not God's intent. Giving a pair of gloves to a person without hands, is NOT love. So we must ask God for appropriate ways to love people...especially enemies. It takes practice because we are not always going to be correct. Thank God for His grace and His Holy Spirit which will guide us into all truth.

You have asked the $60-$70,000 question. As you have posed it, no, the pastor should not have said anything. However, your spirit is sensitive to the criticism, so I am perceiving that you are in a different place spiritually than you were then. Actually, I have no problem with purchasing the car you desire. The real issue here is whether your spiritual growth is leading you to consider your own motive for purchasing an expensive car. I have had relationships with pastors in the past where we were so close that we knew each others' finances and we held each other accountable for those types of issues. Since we were so close and had given permission to each other to give opinions, my pastor had the right to comment on my spending if he thought something was out of order. In fact, he encouraged me to spend money on a vacation for my family when I thought I couldn't afford it ( I had 9 children, so it WAS expensive). Turns out, he was right....my family enjoyed it and we grew spiritually as a result. But this was a special relationship my pastor and I had. I do not blindly assert that a pastor has a right to comment on everyone's spending habits. However, if a person comes to the pastor for counsel which includes financial matters, that pastor takes on a very serious responsibility because he is now literally commenting on the substance of a believer's life and any inadvertent comment can cause real devastation. This is why most pastors I know, have financial counselors trained or available by referral for those who need that kind of help. In your case, the pastor was probably inappropriate. But in this new decision, I ask only that you pray and ask God about the issue. Is there something else that God wants you to do with a portion of the money? Perhaps a slightly less expensive care and the remainder can go to a charity cause (church or otherwise) of your choice. At any rate, I am glad you posted. The good news is that your spirit is growing as evidence by your asking questions.

While baptism does NOT get you into heaven, it DOES affect your spiritual life. As others have commented, it allows you to grow spiritually. Here is why: 1) When Jesus was ready to begin His ministry, He got baptized. John the Baptist rightly said that Jesus did not need to be baptized, but Jesus responded that it was necessary for obedience purposes. The result of that baptism was that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. Point is that Jesus got baptized to publicly declare that one phase of His life was finished and the next phase was beginning. 2) Baptism is simply a ceremony that publicly tells the world that we have chosen to believe in Jesus and that our old life is passed. It is an allegory where we put our old life to death; we are washed clean; and we are resurrected to a new life. 3) The public nature of baptism is important because it tells other believers that we are joining in their Christian life. By witnessing our baptism, they are now responsible for us.....for praying....for encouraging...for suffering with us when necessary. So while our faith is personal, our Christian walk through life was never intended to be alone. We gather strength from others who have publicly announced their faith through baptism. While it may seem a "religious" ceremony, I rejoice when others get baptized because it means my Christian family is growing. To be honest, I really need all of you guys (and gals) who believe in Jesus. Your faith inspires me to grow in my faith. Your public testimony, inspires me to grow closer to Jesus. When I come to church, I am fed as much by other believers as I am by the preaching of the Word. I am glad that Jesus encouraged us to gather together because sometimes when I am troubled, I feel all alone. Being with other believers (who are suffering aloneness just like me), answers the need to be "with" someone of faith. It helps me receive the peace that Jesus wants me to have. So to all of you believers out there, baptized or not, thank you.

You ask a very interesting and timely question. Does God actively curse people in this day and age? You have obviously read the Bible and picked up on the blessings and curses God laid out in the Book of the Law that was passed down to the Hebrews (which we know as the Old Testament). God placed those blessings and curses in the Word for the purpose of outlining what would happen IF people obeyed God or disobeyed God. So, in advance, with forethought, God laid out His expectations, His rewards and His punishments for those who obeyed or disobeyed Him. This is important to understand because it does NOT mean that God is actively cursing people today or throwing thunderbolts at those who sin. WE access either blessings or curses based solely upon our obedience or disobedience to God's laws. Now that Christ has come, we have an advocate with the Father and someone who paid the penalty for our sins by His death on the Cross. THEN, Jesus arose from the dead, thus breaking the link between life and death. No longer are we REQUIRED to die for our sins. Now, through Jesus, we have access to eternal life, even though we are mostly broken down sinners. But, if we sin and do not repent, we activate the curses laid out in the Book of the Law. God laid them down a long time ago and gave us a choice of which kind of reward we wanted....blessing or cursing. If we want to be blessed, we obey God as best we can and ask Jesus to forgive us our sin. If we sin, don't repent or change our ways, we set in motion the curses God already laid down, so right now, in this day and age, God's curses become active and we suffer mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The GOOD NEWS is, that even though we activate God's curses through disobedience, His Grace is applied when we repent and we CAN be forgiven. We may not be able to avoid all the consequences (mainly physical) of our disobedience, but we can still qualify for our eternal rewards in Christ. Curses are very real and they have devastating effects on the lives of people....even Christians who are unaware they have activated a curse. There are generational curses (according to Deut.5:9,10) that have effects on us until we learn how to break them and walk in blessings instead of curses. Blessings

Spark, I am sure there is a very long story behind your wanting to leave Christianity. I would love to hear it because yours is not the norm of people who come to Christ. However, there IS a way out, IF you really want to take it. You simply renounce your faith in Jesus Christ and renounce your belief in Him as your Savior. That prayer should give you some small comfort, but there are a few things you should know. 1) Just because you renounce Christ as your Savior, does not change the fact that He IS the Savior of the entire world. Your renunciation is merely your opinion and your decision...it will not affect the Christian faith, nor will it do anything about the true fact that Jesus still loves you NO matter how broken your are. 2) In the book of Hebrews it warns us about those "who were once of the faith and now are not". It speaks of it being much harder for them to re-enter the faith later on. When I say much harder, please read "almost impossible". Those decisions are entirely up to God's grace and mercy and it is much more difficult for a "backslider" to know the peace of God. Paul, the Apostle, began as one who persecuted Christians and wrote most of the New Testament Epistles. Even he, late in his life, considered himself to be chief of sinners. The only difference between Paul and you is that he KNEW God was the only one who could fix him...even if it took a lifetime. 3) Leaving the faith means you will no longer have an "advocate" with the Father. That means you are "on your own" and there is nobody to stand up for you when troubles come. Believe me, you think now that you will be better off, but when troubles come (and they will), you will have NO help. Then, on judgment day, instead of having Jesus intervene before the Great Throne, you will have no one to speak up for you. Of course, then it will be too late and God will ask you to explain why you once believed and then renounce His Son. You should begin now to work on your answer. Perhaps you can craft an answer that will be acceptible...but from all accounts I have read in the Word of God, so far, nobody has been able to save themselves. 4) Just because you leave the faith, does NOT mean God is going to leave you alone. The Bible says that God is not willing that even one should fall sort....so leaving the faith will put you at the top of His list for evangelism. You see, his children, imperfect and flawed as they are (broken, if you will), try to love others with a God kind of love and they take His commission to preach the Gospel to ALL creatures very seriously. Do not be surprised if the contact from God INCREASES after you renounce Him. I am praying for you and so are many others. I hope you do not leave the faith, but at least I have told you how you can do it as you requested. Blessing my brother

One thing is painfully obvious in all this discussion....evil is rising all over the world. If you look at the violence in Chicago, IL you will find that it is increasing (whether anything is really being done about it is another question). We hear almost daily of Islamic atrocities every single day being visited on ANYONE not of the proper Islamic faith. And they do not seem to discriminate between adults and children or male and female. One thing we must view correctly (factually at least) is who it is that commits these atrocities. While there may be some Christians in Africa that are committing current atrocities, I am willing to walk in grace with them because they have been mercilessly hunted and executed by Islamic forces. Nearly all of the current terrorist violence in the world is sponsored (in some fashion) by Islam or some sect of Islam. Do I judge Islam...no. There are many Muslims who do NOT practice violence. And Jesus died for ALL. The large majority of violence is being committed by those who claim Allah as their justification in THIS PRESENT TIME. I see virtually NO Christians justifying horrific murders in the name of Jesus. That is a huge difference. Whether the evil behind Islam is THE antichrist, I do not know. But I DO know the spirit of antichrist is behind the evil. And that evil spreads even into the church when people do not read and obey the Bible. Therefore, ANY sect, Christian or Muslim, that does not obey the Bible, is of the spirit of antichrist and they are aiding the forces of evil currently attempting to establish the Enemy kingdom. What I do know is that we ARE in the last days. Whether we have entered into the tribulation is questionable. We are very close, if the wars and rumors of wars is any indication. What Jesus wants us to do is NOT to sit around and worry about who the antichrist is or when Jesus is coming. He wants us winning souls and making disciples right up until the trumpet that says we get to go home. What I have discerned is, that though things are bad now, a quick reading of the tribulation scriptures indicates a very real estimate of a million people dying every single day during that period. Not even the United Nations has the capability to handle that kind of loss. And it is going to be happening in EVERY nation on earth. Unless Jesus "catches away" the church, we are going to see some of this and experience it. The Antichrist cannot take away my soul; nor can he do anything more than kill my body. If that is the way it has to be for me, then so be it. Jesus is My Lord and Savior. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I am not going to quote a whole bunch of Scripture AT you. You have my continued prayers because I have been through the divorce thing...I have the merit badge AND all of the scars. What you are going through IS "Hell on earth". Each day probably seems like an emotional roller coaster with mostly downs and very few ups. When I was going through this, I thought I was going insane....and relatives DID NOT help, even if I wasn't married to them. If you are not a Christian, do what feels right to you right now. At some point though, you need to reconcile with God because He is the ONLY one who has all the answers. And He is the ONLY one who can give you true peace. Others in this forum will disagree with me, but for now, IF you are not a Christian, do what you need to do to get to a better, more peaceful state. Your son is manifesting what is known as a "generational curse". In other words, he is exhibiting the same behavior that his father because he inherited it from his father. There are ways to pray that can stop that from continuing. For yourself, you need to find some caring friends to just love you until you can feel you are in your right mind again. Yes, God hates divorce and divorce IS a sin. But you instinctively know that. You made a lifetime covenant with your husband and breaking that covenant has consequences. But, in business, when a contract/covenant is signed and subsequent disclosures are made that indicate one of the parties had issues, that had they been known at the time of the contract, the contract would not have been signed or executed. It sounds like I am advocating for divorce, but in reality, with marriage, you have the choice. If you are a Christian, you are encouraged to sanctify the unbelieving spouse unless they choose to leave (then you are under no obligation to remain married). Your decision is this, do I stay and suffer or do I allow him to leave? Scripturally, you should stay. BUT (and it is a big but), you have to live, survive and raise your son. Living in and under the kind of persecution you are experiencing presents a huge question. Do you have enough faith to hold out and live in joy? If your faith is not strong, perhaps you should exit the marriage and then dedicate yourself to seeking forgiveness and healing until your faith IS strong. If you are of strong faith, you will understand that the entire husband's side of the family are people who need Christ and God just may have called you to win them all.....a very long and contentious call though it may be. Whatever you do, please understand that the basic litmus test for what to do next is, "does this give God glory?" Many times you will face decisions where you must choose the lesser of two evils. Please understand that God's grace is able to cover all of these...as long as you are honest with yourself and God that you ARE trying to live for Him. Now, practically what you need to do? First, find a Christian prayer partner. I mean someone who will love you and pray for you and comfort you even when you are at your most "ugly" (meaning emotionally drained, bad attitude, bitter, hurting and nose running). Find as many of these as you can because you will need every prayer you can lay your hands on. Next, find a church that knows how to love people in need. This would be a church that can help raise your son; a church that knows how to provide comfort for people in trials and NOT judgment. You are and have been having the life squeezed out of you; instead of happiness, you have found sadness. You need to be loved back to life. Ideally, this is your husband's joyful responsibility. But if he is showing signs of abuse or other instability, you must protect your heart and your son's heart by whatever means necessary. Realistically, I am sure there are areas in your own life that need to be dealt with. That is why many in this forum recommend marriage counseling. If he is willing to go, then go and make an effort. For your own sanity, set a "date certain". That means set a date to decide definitely what you are going to do. If things work out, you stay together, If they don't, you have a deadline and can be planning your other options The whole concept of divorce is a slow-motion disaster occurring every day forever until it's finally done. That means that it will take a long time to execute and even longer to get over because of the spiritual, physical and emotional damage that it does. It is so devastating that going it alone guarantees failure. You need success and only the Body of Christ and Jesus can insure that you will come out of this situation successfully. Now, please know that I love you in Christ. Because I have suffered the devastation of divorce, I can empathize with you and hope you will keep us informed so we can pray without ceasing until God rescues this situation. Blessings

A BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGG CAN OF WORMS!!!!! I am going to add some historical information to this discussion, though clarity may NOT result. But it is important to attempt to get ALL of the information available from which to make one's personal judgment. 400 years earlier, when the Jewish people came back to Jerusalem from Babylon, there were two main leaders, Nehemiah and Ezra, who were in authority. The actual historical facts are recorded in Nehemiah and Ezra, but the bottom line was that there were significant numbers of people who could not prove their lineage as pure Jewish. Furthermore, there were a significant number of people (both men and women) who had married outside the faith (and Jewish race) and had children who couldn't even speak Hebrew. In Ezra 9,10, this situation is addressed and God accepted a covenant made to allow the foreign wives to be put away. The best we can say is that God "allowed" these divorce actions to "purify" the priesthood, since the indication was that only the priests were involved in this covenant. However, until the time of Christ, it became a custom that all a man had to do was issue a bill of divorce to dissolve his marriage. From the time of Ezra until the time of Christ, that had not been overturned. This scripture, Matt. 5:33 is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus placed the entire law and the prophets on notice that things were not going to operate as usual. Jesus laid down some very strict guidelines for divorce and remarriage. But then came Paul in I Corinthians speaking directly about believing spouses and unbelieving spouses. Then, centuries later came extreme spousal abuse/torture, etc. If we apply Scriptures "according to the letter", then we must counsel abuses spouses that they have no hope because they are not allowed to divorce. While strictly scriptural, how could a minister of the gospel give such counsel, representing a loving God as a judgmental God with no grace or understanding. Most of us would recognize these extremes as opportunities for grace and walk in grace with an abused spouse. At this point, the argument splits into divorce and remarriage. We have already covered the allowance of divorce for "infidelity" of several types (including sexual, spiritual, torture, etc.). Now what is the answer concerning re-marriage. This is even thornier because the text of the scripture indicates that the overwhelming result is adultery. Again, technically, marriage is eternal and what God puts together let not man tear asunder. At the very outset here, everyone must acknowledge, that according to scripture, at some point, re-marriage involves the sin of adultery. IF we hold the line on this sin, we automatically condemn a LOT of people to hell for that sin....but wait....is adultery the unforgiveable sin? What about people who get saved before a second marriage? What about people who are saved who remarry and serve God faithfully the rest of their lives? What about.....? The questions abound. Fortunately, so does grace. Bottom line, divorce is ugly. But divorce (and remarriage) are not the unforgiveable sin...so IF you have to commit these acts, please do so with a LOT of counsel, a LOT of prayer, and a LOT of dependence upon God to cover you. Your eternal destination is between you and God.

The basic issue here is that God created us to be "eternal" beings. Eternal means without end. So the doctrine of hell as a place for everlasting torment is a logical one. We must remember, however, that Scripture says that hell was not designed for humans but for the devil and his fallen angels. So, for anyone to WANT to go there means they are truly deceived...it's not going to be a place where we can meet up with our fallen friends and party.... That being said, heaven is not like we think it may be either. It's going to be better than any representation that we have ever seen, no matter how good. The point is, that for eternity in heaven, we are going to be WITH God and Jesus. Now THAT's a reason to party!!! But though God is a God of grace, not everyone is going to be given entrance into heaven. Jesus very clearly set the bar for that. So everyone that believes that "everyone" is going to heaven clearly has not read the entire record of the entrance requirements or they have "stretched" the meaning of scriptures to include everyone based upon a flawed understanding of God's grace, etc. Those who believe in annihilation are heretical because they deny the existence of what God created. They are bordering on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit because they deny the substitutionary death of Jesus on the Cross as the entry requirement for heaven. Their argument is intellectually lazy because though they recognize everyone does not get saved, they just "erase" them to avoid difficult theological reasoning. But, if human souls are truly eternal, annihilation doesn't even make sense. In one aspect, we can agree with Universalism...everyone will be saved...some for eternal life with God and some saved for eternal damnation without God...in either case one is saved for eternity......