shepherdsgrace

Praise God for your humble spirit Oakleaf. Such a spirit always brings great reward. Many blessings

Greetings Oakleaf, People are trying to encourage you to realize that all dreams must be judged by the Word of God. If the Word of God teaches something different than what your dream says then it is the Word of God that is truth and not your dream. Just because you were in a state of fasting and prayer does not make your dream from God. It does not make the voice you heard from God. The fasting opened you to the spiritual realm, no doubt. But there is much to the spiritual realm. There is more than the voice of God in the Spiritual realm. There are many deceptions. All of us have thought something was God before and then later realized it was not. We have to learn to line up every experience to the truth. And the truth is that the Word does not teach us that special Christians will be chosen to stay behind and preach. May you be encouraged to want the truth more than anything else concerning this dream. Blessings

But money is NOT the root of all evil. Rather the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. A big difference there. Money itself is simply a neutral. I think the point of the discussion is that we will spend ourselves, including our money and any other advantage we have, on what and whom is important to us.

That is the way it works Afal. Don't be discouraged. Just keep pressing on. Do the spiritual work that you need to do. Keep trusting in Jesus. One day it will be gone completely. It takes time. This is a battle you are in. You will win. We are praying for you.

Praise God! I am so happy for you. We are praying for you. And we know you are seeking the LORD. Be encouraged and keep posting so that we can stick with you. Better days are ahead.

Dear Afal, Sometimes when we are in such misery and feel so hopeless we need something that we can DO to help ourselves. It is NOT God that is opening this deep hole of misery and grief before you. You are in a battle for your very life and mind. You must win. Winning brings glory to God. There are some things you can actually DO that will help you in mind and spirit. You have to make the choice to Do them. As you make that choice God WILL come through and give you strength in mind and spirit. First of all you need to know that you are not different. There is nothing that you have experienced that is beyond God's healing person. Satan is making you feel that your past is different and so horrible and that you are so alone that nothing can be done. That is simply NOT true. Afal, make the choice to say outloud to God all through the day that you are trusting him. That no matter what happens you are trusting him to come through for you. Just keep saying through your tears and sobs, I am trusting in you LORD. I am trusting in you God. If nothing works out I am still trusting in you. Next Afal, Praise God. Tell him how wonderful He is that He is PRESENT with you. Thank HIM for angels all about you protecting you. Thank Him for yourself and your belief in HIM. Thank Him for anything you can think of. Then Praise HIM. Come out of yourself and LOOK to HIm and PRaise HIM. We receive all things from God through faith. As you look to him and trust him and thank him and praise him........all out loud, you are going to get relief. I pray that you begin even now. Only you can choose this freedom. Come on Afal. Come on with Jesus. We are believing with you. We are in agreement with you that God is coming through for YOU! Blessings.........

I thought of Luke 11: 5-8 when I read your comments on the scripture. 5And He said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread], 6For a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him; 7And he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you [with anything]? 8I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Jesus is telling us here that God answers the cry of his people not because of anything but the fact that we have the heart to cry out to him. Of course in that heart will be the faith and belief that is required. It is faith that prays and cries out to God. It is faith that perseveres and persists. It is faith that has the courage to call out to the Great I AM and say "give out of your abundance to me". It is faith that knows He will answer.

Thank you so much Avin for the education you are giving us. I really appreciate it. I have dealt only with fine pharmacists and pharmacy. I have noticed before how hard they work. Now I know they do and I am thankful.

To all of us the following scripture is so full of hope. 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. II corinthians 1:3-7 I am so thankful that no bad or evil memory is a waste. It drives me to God in prayer and I find that if I keep thanking God that He turns even this to my good I am given relief immediately from the torment of the bad memory. May all of us be encouraged in the truth that God is infinite. No matter how tormenting what happened to us or to those we love, God is bigger and takes it and turns it to our good. If nothing else it drives us to total dependence upon Him.

I understand that this drug is supposed to be used for positive reasons. But the ways that it (and the drugs that will continue to be developed along these lines) could be used for purposes manipulative are overwhelming to contemplate.

There may be no words. But there is the Spirit of God. And He expresses himself with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And there are tears of love. And there is the Word of God itself which we can pour back out to Him in his presence. The Word of God gives us the words to express what we are feeling and thinking. Praying through some of the rich Psalms opens the door for expression of deep feelings of love and thanksgiving. You by no means should be left feeling frustrated and estranged but rather you should be brought closer to God through these times of prayer and worship. These are foundational times that will cause your relationship with the Heavenly Father to strengthen. These times open the door to the closeness of Our God. So I hope that you will use these methods for expression and be able to go forward in your times of worship.

Hey DC, This is so good. It is wonderful when things of the earth cause us to think on spiritual truths. And most of us need that reminder to be ready for the return of Christ. Be blessed!

Hello Lass, Just got to put my thoughts down on this one. I am thinking that reaching past middle years into older middle years and more is such a challenge spiritually and emotionally. That is when we all begin to look back and see how our lives line up with our earlier dreams and desires and beliefs for our lives. This is what I have learned. God was more interested in changing me than using me as I desired to be used. He took all the ills and trials and pains and griefs and disappointments and used them to show me who I am without him and who He is all the time towards me. And therefore I cannot judge my life. I know what I feel. The feelings of failure want to consume me at times. But I do not trust those feelings. I have found that I turn to God, my heavenly Father, consistently and steadfastly during all trial and tribulation and during all seasons of joy and peace. That is basically all I know. I lean on HIM. His are the undergirding arms. He is my life, my peace, my all. I have learned that He is an absolutely wonderful Father, loving me and helping me and keeping me through all my sorrow and disappointment, terrible trial and tribulation. I have failed to such an extent that I go numb when I consider it all. BUT He has grown Big in my life. And that is happening for you also. You are leaning on Him. You are seeking Him. You are being faithful to what you know to do and be. I have learned that being a Christian is far different than what I thought it was years ago when full of ministry desires and taking care of a growing family. It is about who God is. As far as prayers being answered. I think many have been answered but often not in the fullness that I desired. In fact hardly ever in the fullness I desired. I think that always God was more interested in me maturing and changing, changing, changing than in giving me what I so wanted .....even when what I wanted lined up with his word. It all can be so frustrating. Thus perseverance is born and generated as we continue on dealing and being dealt with by our God. And as the Old Timers used to say, this place can be a veil of tears. But God is Good always. That we know. And often that has to be enough. As far as your children are concerned, they are ADULTS. You simply are not responsible for their choices at the present time. And children have a way of perceiving parents different than what was truly presented. Lay it all down Lass. Lay it at the Saviours feet and let him give you peace. There is no need for you to carry the load when He is so willing. You did not do everything wrong. You made mistakes like the rest of us. But you loved and you cared and you provided. Your children are now having to find their own way. Loose them to God and ask God to change you and care for you so that you can grow and be who He wants you to be. Trust them to Him. Blessings.......

Hello Dan, God is your only hope. Don't turn against the One who loves you. There is not only today. But there is an eternity awaiting us all. Disappointment, pain, and grief touches and even consumes the lives of many. But this does not negate the love of God. Lean on him Dan. He will hold you up. I have been thinking about you and have prayed. Every single one of us reaches the point of decision at some time or other. You can decide to believe, regardless of what evidence you see that seems to say otherwise, that God is good. Not only that, but God is who He says He is to you. Lay your torment at his feet. He bore it all for you. And one day you are going to see Him face to face. Thinking of you

Thank you for reminding us of her again. Bless her dear precious heart. Our God knows it all. May His love and merciful power intervene.

REally good. Just get up there and read it. But no need to say a word about you being nervous and them praying for you. They need to be relaxed also and just enjoy you. You have prayed. God has heard. That is enough prayer. Just lean on him. Take for granted He is coming through and read that beautiful paper.

Hello, I find that love takes care of the whole bundle. If I remember to look out at my audience and look at particular persons and love them and smile at them. Then from on it is just a sharing of what is to be said. And although you really could just say "no" and no one be hurt by it and you be more comfortable, it truly is not a good thing to be ruled by fear. And certainly you do not want your fear to rule you to such an extent that you just do not show up. Bless you. We all have a fear somewhere that we have to deal with. You are not alone.

There is room in truth for wisdom and tact.

We do have to hate our sin. When we are in that place we can go to God and hate our sin before HIM asking and receiving forgiveness. We accept his word that He cleanses us from all sin. Then we get up and truly it is as Leonard says. We MUST make decision. DECISION making on a constant basis. It may not be easy because you have an addiction. But it is your addiction. You can now turn against it and walk against it. That is repentance. If we were not able to do this then God would not tell us to. And the marvelous part is that once we are firmly into the decision and lay something utterly down THEN the power of God moves in to FREE us. He will never fail you or forsake you. As for preachers, there are all kinds out there. Simply go by the route of LOVING JESUS more than YOUR ADDICTION. And you will find much grace. MUCH Grace. Now I say Grace Grace To You in the Name of Jesus Christ.

The Word of God speaks as a whole and entirety. Scripture is to be compared to scripture to understand the full meaning of an individual verse. One of the major problems in choosing just one verse to examine is that it is then not considered with other scripture on the same subject or that involves the same subject. A true student will always study background, surrounding scripture, and other teachings in the Word on the same subject. That way the teaching is rounded out. It becomes whole, instead of projecting only one aspect of a truth.

I just want to agree completely with Leonard's reply. Was going to post along the same lines but he got here first and did a full reply. All I want to add is that there is a great difference between the blood of an animal and what we would term juices. All of the beef here in America is hung and drained before butchering and selling. That drainage removes the life blood. What is left is termed juices. As Leonard said, you would never get rid of all the blood. Many unchristian tribes actually drink blood in a container. If there is disease in that blood then it will be absorbed into the body of the person drinking. The life indeed is in the blood.

I would think that forty days of prayer with fasting as the individual is led and able is more reasonable and very powerful. Demanding and requiring all to fast 40 days or not to be counted in the spiritual outreach is leaving out many who simply cannot do such. Many believers are unable physically or mentally or emotionally to go without food for forty days. To fast forty days calls for a real conviction that God is calling the person to do such. The body does respond to such fasting even though it is done for spiritual reasons. God does not always keep the person from feeling the effects of such fasting! There are people who work outside in the heat, people who are required to keep the mind alert for their work etc. I think a call for 40 days of fasting to the general congregation is an unrealistic call. However a call for 40 days of prayer and seeking the Lord with some fasting during that forty days could be a reality.

Hello Babyroses, Your nickname is beautiful. Little roses that are growing to maturity. You are doing that also. It will help you perhaps to know that Paul tells us in Philippians 4 that we can come to God and tell him everything and He will keep us in peace. He will give us peace in our hearts and in our minds. And Paul tells us in that same chapter that we are to think on the good things in life. We are not to think so much on the bad. But if there is something good in our lives we are to think on that. We are NOT responsible for all the bad in the world. We are responsible for our own lives and what we do with them. So think on the good and beautiful things in your life. Think on the good people who love you just as you are. Think on the goodness of Jesus Christ who loves you. And you will be encouraged and helped. There will be plenty of times that God will give you opportunity to bless others. But first THINK on that which is lovely and beautiful, and kind and good. May the peace of God fill your heart and mind this day......

Unless someone has tolerated the noise of neighbors he just does not know how terribly invading it can be. BY ALL MEANS, go and talk to them and then do what is necessary afterwards if they do not listen.............And of course take your concerns to the LORD and ask him for his help in the matter.