Hidden In Him

The Lord is now allowing these things to happen in your life to reveal to you that the faith you are rededicating yourself to is indeed real, as is the spiritual war that the written word of God talks about. He is now granting you an understanding of how real your spiritual enemy is, so that you can begin to arm yourself with spiritual strength against Him. As other posters have already stated, you have authority in Christ, so the Lord apparently now wants to see you move into that authority, and walk closer than ever to Him now. God bless, and welcome to Worthy Christian Forums!

Then I'm glad I was ready for a pop quiz, LoL. If you had caught me in one of my "at the end of my rope" spells, I might have gotten expelled from school entirely!

Oh! I see. Yeah, I tend to study the original first. I don't think there's really much of anything wrong with the translations you cited, although technically the word is χαριτόω, which is the verb form of the word χαρις, which is translated "grace" in the vast majority of places in the NT. Yeah. I'm cool. I wouldn't get upset about something like that. I'm a firm believer in abiding by James 3:18 (although every once in a while I still goof it up, LoL).

I was referring to the expression in Luke 1:28, which mentions how Mary was endowed with grace. Frankly, my head is starting to spin at this point, so how about if we call it a draw, LoL.

You mean this?

No, I think you're confusing things. I'm saying the expression "full of grace" is clearly not used in reference to Mary, at least not in the Greek New Testament anyway. I was saying the exacting translation of Luke 1:28 would be "endowed with grace," which is a different thing, and does not carry nearly the same weight of meaning.

The verse is a reference to Jesus. What was your question exactly?

LoL. Yes, I think He did. But the expression isn't used in reference to Jesus. It's used in reference to Mary, is it not?

I didn't read this post until after I had searched it out for myself, but it appears I'm in agreement with Vincent's. He came to the same conclusion.

And I would add that the phrase "full of grace" in reference to Mary is a bit unscriptural. Was she endowed with an amazing form of grace in being chosen to bear the Christ-child? Yes, but the expression "full of grace" more technically refers to someone upon whom the Holy Spirit has descended in great power and fullness, and that is something entirely different.

Some nice work. The Greek word used in reference to Mary in Luke 1:28 is χαριτόω, "to endow with grace," the same word used by Paul in reference to the saints in Ephesians 1:6, "In love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ unto Himself... to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He bestowed upon us in the Beloved (i.e. in Christ)." The word simply means Mary had been endowed with grace in the sense that she had been chosen to bear the Christ-child. The perfect participle middle or passive refers to a state brought about by the finished results of an action, with the "action" being that God had chosen her for this, and the angel was now coming to announce it. About the phrase "full of grace," the actual wording in reference to Stephen is πλήρης χάριτος καὶ δυνάμεως, "full of grace and power," which makes it a reference to his being full of the Holy Spirit, bestowed upon him by God's grace.

For the record, are you the same "Freindof ThaLord" that is/ was a friend of Solomon's Porch over at Christian Forums, or are you someone who coincidently just uses a similar site name?

I checked, LoL. I would have been astonished to see a child be quite that eloquent. But yeah, unless she's rich, most children don't list "traveling" as something they enjoy either, LoL.

Greetings, Kiwi. About bible versions, the best way to look at it is that every translation will occasionally have something that others don't. Some KJV verses are not included in later versions because they are not present in the more authoritative Greek texts. But this does not necessarily mean they are not inspired. Discernment from the Holy Spirit is beneficial in such cases. It should also be pointed out that there are places where the text behind the KJV is clearly a corruption. Does that mean you throw out the KJV? Not at all. I still use it quite often, especially the KJV study Bibles, because the language is poetic and memorable, and I can find verses easier if I search for them online or in Strong's using KJV wording. The cross-referencing in my KJVs is also far superior to anything I have in any other Bibles as well. So try not to get caught up in one Bible or the other too much. Until you can study scripture from the original language, you will be at a bit of a disadvantage anyway, but the Lord will teach you regardless. You just have to ask Him to, and trust that the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth if you keep seeking Him for it God bless, Hidden.

You seem like a wonderful soul, BibleBunny. And rest assured that making it through this will add to your testimony in Heaven as well. You will go into eternity with a record that you stood strong in faith during a very tough time, and be remembered for it forever, just like the saints of old are remembered for the things they remained steadfast through.

I agree. When I first started believing in Christ, I still had questions about things like how evolution meshed with the Biblical account. But while I kept a fully open mind about things, it wasn't long before the Lord showed me the weaknesses in the evolutionist case. Long story short, taking a few upper level courses in paleontology and reading through a couple of well-written books by creationist authors, and I found out Christianity has no problems with real science whatsoever. Only false science presents a problem.

Greetings, BibleBunny. My sense is that maybe the cancer thing has him so discouraged that he's afraid he would be a burden on you instead of a husband, and the rest is just a cover. I could be wrong, but that would seem to make sense of it all. But I wouldn't consider it as a "test from God." A test, most certainly, but not one your Heavenly Father wanted you to go through, just one that you may have to. He always wants to bless His children with all good things in Christ Jesus, so here is what I suggest: Every time your heart and mind thinks about anything that would bring you down, cast that care on the Lord Jesus Christ, even if it means doing it a hundred times a day for a while. Trust your fiancé to the Lord, that whatever he is doing and thinking will come under submission to God, and live by Philippians 4:8 where your own thinking is concerned. Coming from a 54-year old, 42 is still young in my opinion, LoL. Tell Him in prayer that you trust Him to provide for you, and put food on your plate, and tell Him repeatedly. This is a step of faith, but it will calm your own nerves as well as remind Him of His promises. And if you trust Him you will see Him begin moving in your life as never before. What I mean is this: View this is an opportunity, not a test. It is an opportunity to trust God in situations you've never been in before, and watch Him go to work on your behalf miraculously, which will bring joy to your heart and greatly increase your faith. But again, cast your cares upon Him; ALL of it, and trust in Him that He will take care of you; your heart, your mind, your welfare, all of it. As for the UK, I have other Christian friends in the UK, so I know how it is. The spiritual climate is a little tougher over there, and they don't take your faith very seriously. But let what God is about to do in your life become a testimony of why they should, in that He provided for you in a situation that might have been more than others could have recovered from, and you came through it stronger than ever. I know doing these things is harder than saying them, but this is what the good fight of faith is about; it will require a strong effort. But seeing the victory at the end of it all will make it all worth it. God bless you in Christ Jesus, and if today wasn't a good day then you treat yourself to something nice for your birthday tomorrow, or next week, when you're back in the mindset to celebrate the wonderful person God made you and everything you have going for you, and everything He is going to do in your life in the future.

You may mean well, Pillar, but I think you go too far. I also wish more ministers emulated Paul's example where finances were concerned, in that I think his example was more self-sacrificing. I think his humility and selflessness are reasons why he was entrusted with greater authority in Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6). He provided for not only himself but Silas and Timothy, and because his teaching was that it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:34-35), he abstained from giving and receiving (in most cases. See Philippians 4:15). And yes, if an apostle could support himself and others with him then surely some pastors could, especially younger ones. But as others have stated, to say NO man should be supported in ministry is to go beyond even the clear teachings of Paul himself. This was clearly not what he was teaching, as Yowm's post makes abundantly clear. Suppose a man has great spiritual gifts, such that he can heal the sick, cast out devils, prophecy, and confirm the word with great signs and wonders, yet he has become too old to support himself financially while still engaging in ministry. Should he stop ministry altogether, or receive financial support so he can continue?

I should point out, too, TechEnthusiast, that the closer you get to God the more He transforms you into someone who is of great benefit to others, and this attracts others to you. So try not to let yourself continue to focus on your loneliness. It has the opposite effect. Not that you would not be cared for by true Christians, but they will care for you even more if you focus on being a blessing to them as they are to you. There will still be times of loneliness along the way, but in time you "fill out" in Christ to such an extent that you are always needed somewhere, because you can always be a blessing to someone.

I was thinking about this again this afternoon while walking in the park. Somehow the topic came up about growing older, and I commented that the above is why you invest yourself in the things of God. People who invest in the things of this world start feeling like everything is passing them by by the time they reach their mid-fifties, whereas as I still feel like I have my whole life ahead of me because all my goals have been and still are spiritual. All they have to encourage themselves with are things like grandkids, and even then the grandkids may not be able to spend a lot of time with them. What next? Grow old in a nursing home, with family members who are still chasing their own lives and don't have time to come see you? Better to invest yourself in Christ and have purpose in Him until the day you die. You can still be a blessing to people everyday, and have a true reason for being that gives your life joy and meaning, both now and forever.

Wow... If I didn't know I was ok dying, I'd be seeking the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer constantly to be allowed to live so I can have the chance to do everything possible to live for Him. I know many say to simply trust Jesus and pray a prayer of faith, but your conscience may be desiring to prove your love for Him is more than just words... In fact, in prayer I would tell him that I outright refuse to die until He allows me to show my true love for Him, whether it be in going back to that church, or in witnessing to people at the hospital, or in telling loved ones how much I care for them, etc. You hold on to Jesus, tigger, and refuse to let Him go until you know for certain where you are going, regardless of whatever visions you are having or not.

Greetings, guys. I'm still new, and trying to figure out how the site works. I noticed I'm not allowed to post on either of the Worthy Q & A boards. Is that because there is a minimum requirement of posts made a member before they can participate in these areas or no? Thanks in advance for the help.

Well, the first thing I would have to say is that Christianity is definitely NOT all smiles and roses for everyone, no matter what age group. Even in marriage there can be a loneliness there you don't see, including among those whom you currently think may have it all together. Loneliness can be characteristic of even the greatest servants of God on occasion, so what you want is to let that loneliness drive you into even closer relationship with the Lord. And certainly don't view yourself as some sort of outcast from the Lord's servants, because I can promise you that's not the case. If anything, it means you are in very good company. Here. I found a brief article that might help. I won't cite the entire thing, but the beginning reads as follows: "Every now and again in times like these, I think of the prophet Elijah, anxious and fretting in a cave, so depressed he could barely eat. He was fleeing from Queen Jezebel, who sought his life. As Elijah looked to his beloved Israel, he saw a rather discouraging portrait of fellow Jews who were either too confused or too fearful to resist the religion of the Baals required by Jezebel. He seems to have felt quite alone. Perhaps he was the last of those who held the true religion, or so he thought and felt. In the cave, Elijah pours out his lament: And there he came to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Ki 19:9–10). And But God will have none of this despair or complaining, and says to Elijah: And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And him who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have seven thousand in Israel, that have never bent the knee to nor bowed to Baal, nor kissed him with the mouth” (1 Ki 19:15–18).

Greetings, Melissa! I think the misunderstanding of this passage comes from the rendering of “impossible” for the Greek word Ἀδύνατον, which should more properly be translated as “unrealizable” (Liddell-Scott, P.25). The passage has to do with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and how if the "rain" of the Holy Spirit is poured out upon a believer yet produces only "thorns and thistles" (Hebrews 6:7-8), then they "crucify unto themselves the Son of God again.” In other words, they kill off the work of the Holy Spirit within themselves, which thereby makes it impossible for them to repent, for which reason they are "near to a curse." What he’s saying is that if someone quenches the Spirit of God from their life entirely then they have no power left to “realize” repentance in turning from sin. The reason is because the Holy Spirit was sent to empower us to do this. This is confirmed by verse 7, where he says that any spiritual ground that produced good fruit would receive even more blessing from God (in the form of spiritual “light” and “rain”), whereas any ground that produced only thorns and thistles would not receive any more such blessings. In other words, he means “impossible,” not in the sense that God would never take them back, but in the sense that by quenching the Holy Spirit they extinguish the very power He provides to repent from sin and produce good fruit. You are apparently still seeking the Holy Spirit’s empowerment in your life, so you are not someone he would have been referring to here. Hope that encourages you.