justme7

that verse was the one that came to my mind as well. rightly said. also, "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." --Col. 4:5-6

seems like good reasoning to me. it was on this basis exactly that my heart disgarded the theory of evolution entirely. if men used to be monkeys, why then, are there monkeys still...who by the way do not seem to be turnining into men. that completely discredits the whole theory in my eyes. i suppose men will always try to explain away comfortably the things that are and have been so that they do not have to struggle with those things they cannot understand.

very interesting. i've got to admit that everytime i have read that portion of Revelations, i also have thought of America... to the point that i could see no other possible fit. the first time i read it i was scared to death by it (i was not then a believer). in my own heart i have always held that thought. i never thought about the statue of liberty at all though. i did no research. simply reading the Word i came away with the U.S. since coming to the LORD, i have always heard that it would be Rome and the revival of its empire. i have never been convinced, but have come to this conclusion: i do not know! if it is indeed the U.S., i would not be surprised in the least. if it was Rome, i'd figure everyone else was right. i also came to the conclusion that if it was not the U.S., our blatant sin as a country will not stand ultimately. in the name of liberty, we (as a country and not each separate person) have disregarded the truth again and again. we have sold the lie and many of us have bought the lie as well. that was the very first time i have heard any one say it could be us. whether your theory and insight is correct or not, i applaud your bravery. it is the thing no one wants to hear and we are usually careful not to say. it is a weird thing to feel as though your nation is a contender for such a position. time will tell. thanx for the statue of liberty thought. amber

It is not for us to judge who is and isn't a believer, however some churches just don't stand on Truth. The Trinity is a solid Christian principle, if your Church doesn't know who GOD is, then how can they be a believer? It is important to study the Bible and build your relationship with GOD through His Word. If a doctrine or belief does not directly line up with the Bible then it is not Truth. There are some organizations that seem to want to attach themselves to Christianity, but arent necessarily genuine. I hope you take the time to truly learn the Truth. God Bless You, and dont count on any man when it comes to your walk with the LORD.

crystal, i don't think i have any good advice except to pray for these girls that you have known and cared about. tolerance should mean that we do not fight over our differences...not that we ignore them. obviously you disagree and rightly so. i don't think you have to hide your beliefs. i do think that we ought to treat others respectfully and love our neighbors. it is GOD Himself that draws us to Himself. unfortunately we cannot change or save our friends. the power of prayer however, is huge. if you hold these girls up to the Father and leave it in His hands, you have done no wrong. you can probably talk with them and tell them your concerns, but be careful if it turns into arguing. try to love them while you hate what they are doing. again, that may be completely unhelpful, but it seems realistic. i hope they come around. amber.

twilight....are you a believer?? just wondering!

this is all very interesting. my knowledge of economical affairs is smaller than small for the most part. whatever happens and however it happens, i know for certain that this world is headed for trouble. when the oil hits the fan so to speak, i pray that we as believers are girded up and can see the lines clearly drawn. i plan to keep my eyes open. i don't think i could figure all of this out if i tried with all i've got. but, i know for sure that the LORD has got is and us covered. hallelujauh!!! the thing that most interests me is that either way we go, it would seem as though by some means or another America will experience depression level devistation. whatever happens the LORD's hands are more than capable i know. i appreciate the fact that there are believers on the watchtower looking out and reporting what they see. thanx for the interesting info. amber

i agree with the previous posters...if GOD is calling you to do a specific thing, eventually you will know it clearly and without doubt. perhaps the seed has been planted already, but for sure when it grows to fruition you will be certain.

dito...what i know about global warming could not fill a thimble!!

it seems to me that there are points when life gets pretty busy. lately my every day seems filled with obligations and to-do's. i found myself feeling pretty drained. then, i looked around at people whose lives are even busier-- women who work three jobs and have kids, nurses who are on call 24 hours a day and still find time to volunteer and maintain their homes. i began to feel like a drained and whiny weenie. in the last month i have taken a new job, kept the old one, and began a new relationship. needless to say all the new additions left me whirling in circles; rushing here and there. i realized though that in all my rushing i was leaving out the most precious parts of the day...study, prayer, quiet time. i got so busy keeping up and trying to hold on that i let go of the one thing that strengthens and energizes me. i asked myself how these other people make it. how do they find the time and strength? Duh!!! the LORD! i realized that it was only when i let those most precious parts of the day slip by that i found myself drained. on the other hand, when i make the time/take the time, i find that i have boundless energy and enduring peace. imagine that! i was focused on keeping up and holding on to the wrong things all together. the real work...the real appointment is always with the LORD and isn't it neat that HE has a way of working all the rest out! praise GOD, who continually sets us free! just thought i'd share. surely someone out there can relate. amber

yomo i have often times wondered that myself...i came to the conclusion that it is my ultimate responsibility to be challenged in the Word. there are times when sermons become redundant, but the Bible has never left me feeling uninterested or unchallenged. it is unfortunate that sometimes Church is redundant and boring. i don't know all the why's but i'm sure we all know a few. we can fall into catering to the crowd. we can fall into only trying to win new members. we can fall into believing we've got it all figured out and don't need any more. all of this can lead to boring, redundant and unchallenging sermons. it is for this reason that i prefer Sunday school to the actual service sometimes. either way, i still really believe that the Word is completely alive. if the preacher never brings a new word, the LORD is most definately always speaking a fresh and living Word if we lean in to hear it.

Daughter, for the most part i am usually content. i love this experience of life. i don't wake up every single morning with a spring in my step and there are moments in life that i absolutely hate. i suppose that is life and humanity...the growing experience. like i said though for the most part i am truly content and amazed. to be honest, when i find myself discontent and dreading the day; when life becomes heavy and i am out of sorts, it's usually due in the end to some self imposed distance between me and the Father. i truly notice a huge difference in my disposition and mood when i am not as studious or prayerful as i should be. nothing can steal the joy of a believer like distance from the LORD. if you have no smile to wear and no joy for the day...ask why not. ask the LORD. believers hit slumps and seasons of sorrow for sure. the cool part is that every slump and season is for the glory of GOD, that we might learn still more and more to lean on HIM.

Dennis how right you are!!! how many of us prefer the lie over the truth. i think we don't hear this enough in our Churches because it is truly a hard thing...hard to hear that is. i have often wondered how it is that a road so straight and so narrow can become so generalized. i have to admit though, that in my own life i go through seasons of severe stiffneckedness. there are times when i neglect that chastisement...times when i get so comfortable that i seem to forget that i continually need HIS grace. it is easy for man, including believers, to fall into comfort zones. you have spoken a fresh and neccesary word! may we who know, never forget and never stop sharing that reproofs of instruction are the way of life. GOD bless you! amber

I read somewhere here that most Christians aren't Christians--meaning, most people who claim to be Christians and followers of Christ actually reject a lot of (what at least some people here would call) the basic tenets of Christianity (like the notion that the universe was created in a week, or that anyone ever rose from the dead, etc.). How does this happen? I think it happens by (1) people either believing the Bible is flawed or that it is mostly figurative or just plain not reading the Bible at all. A lot of "Christians" just read what their pastor asks them to read during his/her sermons, and pastors tend to avoid "hard passages" (like God asking people to slaughter little babies) in favor of nice and flowery scriptures (like "God is love" and passages about heaven and how to get there)... which brings us to (2) Every Christian has heard that God is love and that God is just and that God is gracious and forgiving. They have also heard that God is holy, but I don't think how this concept plays out in reality is really understood by most "Christians". If they took a closer look, they might see that God's holiness seems to compromise expression of other attributes like love, grace, and forgiveness. They might also see that God's holiness would seem to reinforce a completely different idea of justice than the one we tend to carry around. So the ultimate question is: Are the people being misled by the notion that God is love and that God is just? copper scroll...i have a question that incidentally goes along with an opinion. in what way do you think that the holiness of GOD compromises expressions of love, grace, or forgiveness?? i do not believe that the fact that GOD is holy in any way compromises love or grace or forgiveness....conversly i think it is in HIS holiness that love and grace and forgivenss are full. i guess i really don't understand what you mean. also, (i suppose i have 2 questions) exactly what different type of justice do you think that the holiness of the LORD reinforces & what idea of justice do you think that we tend to carry around?? as to your question: for all who seek to know the LORD, HE is there to be known. i think that there is nothing misleading about the LORD. men and women can teach amiss, but the LORD does not. from where and whom a person seeks to learn often determines their understanding.