Billiards Ball

What have you tried to do to remain positive so far?

There is a balance between overcoming your circumstances and letting Jesus Christ heal your wounds. Ask Jesus for healing!

THANK YOU. Blessings!

EVERYONE has to put more trust in Him. YOUR trust isn't salvation, trusting Jesus, is.

Five minutes reading the insanity here will REFRESH your Bible study, guaranteed! http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/

1) Ask if you have to do a straight teaching or use your gifts to facilitate discussion 2) Tell about your fears and ask the teacher for advice 3) Ask if you can poll the students anonymously to see what's bothering them and talk about those things in the context of the Bible

I could chat with you, but best would be for to find a new fellowship--you can hardly grow as a Christian where you're uncomfortable with the leadership.

I think it's time for some Christian counseling, have you spoken with your church pastors about this issue?

He'd been saved maybe three weeks prior. I knew where I was going with my leading questions: 1) How do you feel now about what you did yesterday? 2) How did you used to feel when you did this sin? He then exclaimed, "I'M SAVED!" since the Spirit in him showed him truth. He was saved weeks prior and had assurance.

Before this fellow was born again, he fully enjoyed sinning. After he was born again, he fell into the same sin, and hated his sin even as he did it. He realized the Spirit was in him, had changed his mind and attitudes. He realized he was truly saved because his response to sin had changed. Now he was free to serve the Lord and fight sin instead of wallowing in it.

Jesus said you can do different things but if you do the unforgivable sin, it's over! The Bible is clear that the ONLY way to miss Heaven is to reject Jesus for salvation. The unforgivable sin = not trusting Jesus for salvation.

You can escape Satan's trap in three ways: 1) Realize that fear of losing salvation is a VERY strong indicator you're saved! 2) Meditate on the love of Jesus--God isn't some abusive, angry punisher of CHRISTIANS 3) Make sure you're saved. Are you trusting YOU for salvation or Jesus?

How does being a nominal anything (nominal means "exists in name only") indicate they "used to believe" something? The question is whether the cousins are born again or no: Which of the following is part of the gospel/salvation (sin debt paid: I Corinthians 15:1-3)? + admitting sinfulness + asking forgiveness for sins + attending confession + attending mass + baptism + belief + Bible study + charitable acts + Christian family living + church attendance + confessing with one’s mouth* + faith + faithfulness + following the sermon on the mount + following the “golden rule”(Do Unto Others...) + following the ten commandments + giving Jesus one’s life + good works + good behavior + infant baptism + Jesus in the heart + making Jesus Lord + obeying pastor/priest + observing the law + prayer + promising to not sin + repentance + reciting the Lord’s prayer + sorrow for sin + telling God “sorry” + telling God one’s sins + the “sinner’s prayer” + tithing + “trying hard” + “turning from sin” *Saying Jesus is Lord, (confessing) refers to Jewish people testifying that Jesus is Messiah. Romans 10:8-9, in context, refers to Jewish people confronted with the gospel.

1) Ephesians 1 - each born again person receives the Spirit, as a guarantor of salvation 2) He is our unearned gift--Jesus earned this gift for us 3) Yes, some people become born again without realizing the promise of Ephesians 1 has been fulfilled in them 4) Yes, some insane people say they have the Spirit, and some false teachers who lie, mostly to earn money and prestige

Sentencing comes under law. Forgiveness is from the heart. It would be inappropriate to say a machine gunman should be acquitted--which would require the church members to lie and they did not see him do the shootings. Prison is a chance for not only rehabilitation, but for people to not fear a machine gun killer. But it goes a LONG way to hear appeals for clemency in sentencing. For Christians to look the killer in the eye and say, "You killed my family, but I hold no ill will towards you, Christ died for us both." Many wicked people in prison have gotten saved through just this sort of thing. When I disciplined my young children, I forgave them, showed no sign of anger--but they were disciplined.

If you are called to be executed, and I'm your identical twin, I can slip into prison, make the switch, and die for your sin. 1 = 1. Jesus, being God, infinite, died for everyone's sin.

"Paid". "Satisfied an angry God, calmed an angry God down".

Paul actually commands Timothy to not just drink water, but a little wine for a digestive aid. It's not a sin to drink alcohol, it is a sin to drink until drunk, passed out, getting into fights with strangers, slipping morals and behaving like a drunk. Do you really need scriptures from me on this? I bet you can think of some that apply here!

Your worry may be a strong indicator that it's NOT you. A guy tells me he lost salvation masturbating to porn. I asked, "How did you feel?" He said, "Dirty, ashamed, guilty". I asked, "How did you USED to feel about this, before you were born again?" He said, "I loved it! ... wait a minute, I'M SAVED!" 1) Check your salvation. Are you trusting YOU for Heaven or did you place your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation instead? 2) Check your boredom, go read Matthew on http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/mt/1.html and see what THOSE people say--and how stupid/uninformed/evil most of their commentary is. It will change your Bible reading from zero to 100!

They were asked/told to leave church fellowship--it was inappropriate for their former fellow church members to interact with them, when they were teaching very bad doctrines. Like other backsliders/false teachers, Satan and the world would eat at them some, until hopefully--and this is why Paul's action was a mercy from God--they hit bottom and repent.

All, 1) Why is this a "difficult teaching to comprehend"? God is echad just like my wife and I are echad (Genesis 2:24). Anyone who knows us can say, "You're one mind, one direction, clearly two people." BB and BB's wife are carbon life forms with invisible spirits inside them. 2) Before posting what is "just my interpretation" you should know what is commonly considered a gross heresy on this subject. Any kind of modalism or monotheism or "two of three are kind of God" is really wrong.

It's like "preaching" which means "Don't preach at me/too me." Preaching the gospel is a highest good.

Shame = identity = "I'm bad" Guilt = repentance for something you did I feel guilt, I sinned today, I prayed about it, but I matter to God. I need feel no shame.

Yet we are not ignorant of the devil's devices, and Jesus gave us a simple, effective root-fruit principle.

Facts first. Faith second. Feelings third. This order is KEY to growing as a believer. What is the fruit of your tongues. Are horrible things happening? Then how can it be from Satan.