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.

this was certainly an interesting read. it is unique that you have such a knowledge about debate. i had no idea. i have found myself in so many spontaneous debates and in my mind i thought it was all about being ready and able to answer for your faith. i never thought of it as an intricate dance at all. obviously you know what you are talking about. i for one am glad that you have come to know the LORD and can do your dance for HIM now. i am sure that by your testimony alone the LORD will use you to reach others who are now like you were. again, that is very interesting.

I wish all Christians could take elementary logic courses, but even that isn't for everyone. We all need to know our strengths and weaknesses, our gifts and callings, and not get distracted. That way, the logicians can do their thing and the prayer warriers can do theirs, etc. We need to act more like parts of the Body and less like a single-celled organism. Too often we defeat ourselves by reprimanding other believers for not doing what we think they should.

for those of us who have no jewish decent we are biologically gentile. the New Testament states that there is neither jew or gentile, male or female, slave or free...we who believe are all children of GOD, having become one in JESUS CHRIST (Galatians 3:28) and goes on to say that we are Abraham's heirs according to the promise (v29). the Word says that we have been grafted in with Israel (see Romans 11:11-27..all very interesting). also the Word says that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:7-9). *perhaps the woman at the well was a child of a mixed marriage, having one parent descended from Jacob and another of gentile blood. (no idea though). *from my understanding Pilate was not a Jew at all. i suppose you are neither jew or gentile, but a child of GOD grafted by faith into HIS family along with HIS people Israel.

great post!! there is nothing more strong and effective than the Word of GOD. in our tuesday morning Bible study we are just wrapping up "Living Free (learning to pray GOD's Word)" by Beth Moore. this has been a great study and really focuses on praying with scripture to break strong holds in our lives.

mr&mrs sealed eternal :"The entire point of the law is that we all fall short. That isn't a reason to throw out the law. If you were turned off by someones alledged legalism, either they did not share God's commandments out of love to exhort you to make yourself a better Christian, or there was a problem with your heart that you didn't want correction. Legalism is an unbiblical term, and each person defines it differently. According to the dictionary, it means to adhere strongly to God's moral laws, which every Christian should consider a virtue. It is the attitude of the Pharisees which caused them to sin, and not the fact that they tried too hard to adhere to God's commands. They didn't love God, and weren't keeping His laws to please Him. They were keeping them to impress men, and to glorify themselves." i think you may have misunderstood my feeling. i am in no way desirous that the law of GOD be done away with. on the contrary, as another person posted, the law and grace go hand in hand...praise the LORD. it is the law of men that i find offensive. if we as believers only listen to what men tell us is right and wrong, we'd be a constant mess since men tend to disagree on these topics. the Word is our discerner right?? if you tell me it is sin to dance and i find no biblical grounds for such restrictions than i will disregard what you have said. if you tell me that it is sin to fornicate, i can clearly see the truth of that in the Word. that's the difference. i advocate adherence to the law of GOD 100%. what i find troubling is the forcing of and teaching of the law of men as if it were the law of GOD. this in my book is and will be an area of concern for believers. there is nothing new under the sun right?? the attitude of the pharisees and scribes were wrong. while they did focus on strict adherance to the law (which is desirable and good), they went a step farther and wanted to make more laws, based on their own understanding. i do not discredit them for adherence at all. here are a few scriptures that i believe speak directly to the heart of this thread: woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithes of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy and faith. these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Matt 23:23-24 receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. for one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and leat not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for GOD has received him. who are you to judge another's servant? to his own master he stands or falls. indeed, he will be made to stand, for GOD is able to make him stand. Romans 14:1-4 your glorying is not good. do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. for indeed, CHRIST, our PASSOVER, was sacrificed for us. therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1Corinth 5:6-8 so let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of CHRIST. let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly nimd, and not holding fast to the HEAD, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from GOD. therefore, if you died with CHRIST from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations--'do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments and doctrines of men? these things indeed have the appearance of wisdom and self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Coloss 2:16-23 ...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Philip 2:12

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Let's stop beating ppl over the head about disputable matters and stop labeling what is sin for others. We should spend far more time talking about the goodness of God than we do the darkness of the world. right on sister!!!!!!!

the issue of legalism is one that concerns me as well. when i was a new believer it almost turned me off all together. while i do believe that we ought to obey the LORD in all things, i also know that each one of us fall terribly short. the Word asks us how we can judge another for not keeping the whole law, when we ourselves fall short as well. the Word also asks us who we are to judge anothers' servants. so often as believers we fall into being walk watchers. how is it that we feel confident enough to jurisdict others' behavior?? i do not believe that the opposite of legalism is liscence. it's simply not. that would be the same as saying the opposite of Pharisee is sinner. as believers we are made righteous by the blood of CHRIST alone. each one of us struggle with sin in both common and separate areas. so many of us struggle to look the part and harass others who may not. that is so wrong of us. better that our hearts be layed out before the LORD....better that we be broken and humble before HIM than that we have any confidence in our behavior. better also that we spread this Holy Gospel in love, teaching unbelievers that we are able to be honest with GOD, that HE meets us where we are at; that in our weakness HE is made strong. it's all HIM and none of us. the legalistic approach is damaging to unbelievers and believers alike. the pharisees and high priests detested JESUS in part because of their legalism. we want to recognize the LORD, not limit HIM with our laws. the Word tells us not to think beyond what is written so that we will not become puffed up against one another. this should speak to the heart of us all. why do we feel the need to pick apart every little behavior??? it is not Biblical. all that just to say...i completely agree....this is a huge and ugly problem

the way i have come to understand baptism is that it is not only an outward sign but also an act of obedience. the baptism itself is to signify one's dying to self and being raised again in CHRIST, just as HE died and was raised again. i completely agree with Other One, that if baptism had the power of forgiveness CHRIST would have died in vain. it is my belief that there is no healing or forgiving power in any water on earth but in CHRIST alone. as believers we want to be baptized, but i do not think that if one cannot be (ie. confesses CHRIST on their death bed) that they have lost the possibility of salvation. the theif on the cross is a great example. all and any salvation is found in JESUS CHRIST alone. amber

bgoalie35 i am sorry that you know the pain of losing a child. i cannot fathom it. my very closest friend just lost a baby that she had prayed to have. i have never seen her face covered in grief as it was that day. as for your questions i honestly think that we are not to know all things. i have no clue why some die young and some die old, or why some die before they even say hello to the world. i don't think we can know. sometimes the question why? can seem to be a blockage to acceptance. i know my friend must have asked atleast once inside herself, 'why LORD?'. i don't see how she couldn't have. i myself have asked why a billion times of hard or hurtful situations. i think the answer to these hard why questions is always...HE knows...HE has a plan...HE is still taking care of you. i know it seems cliche to say that sometimes things happen to strengthen our trust in GOD and cause us to lean on HIM alone. that may not be the answer to why in reality, but still the circumstance gives opportunity to be totally surrendered and reliant upon HIM. i hope that you find peace in this and a way to not be plagued by not knowing why. as for the biological aspect of your question, yes, scientifically there are xamount of sperm and only one makes the cut. that could seem like a lottery. the thing is that the LORD alone knows each life before the womb. no life comes to be without HIS having said so. science can help us understand the physical process of the body, but it cannot begin to touch on the miraculous and amazing workings of our CREATOR. i believe whole heartedly that not a soul living is alive by chance or lottery, but by the divine will of our LORD alone. i have no idea if you will find any comfort in this at all, but i hope that the HOLY SPIRIT does comfort you and quide you through this hardship. amber