MorpheusJS

I have recently joined the military so the nature of my job has taken me away from my home church. I was raised a Baptist, but later became a member of a non-denominational church. Now that I am on my own I have been looking for a new church to consider my own. One of my friends has invited me to a Pentacostal Church and I have been going there for a few months now. In general I don't really have a problem with the church, I mean they are all pretty much the same. However, one thing that I was introduced to in attending this church is speaking in tongues. This is something that I didn't even know anything about growing up, so it is a very new concept to me. There have been a few occasions when I have not felt completely comfortable in the church. In fact I would go as far as to say that I have felt uncomfortable. I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this topic, and perhaps quote some relevent scripture. A lot of times when we are confused about something in our religion it is hard to find someone to turn to. Any views would be greatly appreciated. Jon

Ice: I dated my ex-girlfriend for about 5-6 months and after we broke up I told her I didn't want to see her anymore. It wasn't because I hated her, it was because being with her reminded me too much of what we had. That relationship moved way too quick too. A quote from a movie comes to mind when I think of that experience. "A clean break is easier. You can reset it... and it heals, and you move on. But if you leave things messy or things don't get put right... then it just hurts. Forever." -Litlle Black Book (2004) This was so true, because the way we broke up was very complicated too. And that experience festered in my heart for a very long time, but not forever. You may not believe this but there will be a morning that you will wake up and it won't hurt anymore. Something to keep in mind is that the whole point of dating is to get to know someone you eventually may want to marry. So anything you learn throughout the dating process is something positive that adds to your experience in the dating world. The only thing that truly heals wounds like this is time. Take your life one day at a time, and do whatever makes you happy. I also encourage you to read Luke. The bible is always comforting for me to read for some reason, and Luke tells the story of Jesus. If you are already a believer, this book just reminds us of everything Jesus said and did for us. And it is comforting to be reminded of where you are ultimatly going. Sometimes it feels better when you share what is bothering you, and I am curious as to more details of what happened with your friend. But if you don't want to then I understand. Here are a few versus: 1 Thessalonians 4:16 "The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first." Revelation 22:7 "Listen! I am coming soon! Happy is the one who obeys the words of prophecy in this book." I will be praying for you. Your Brother in Christ, Jon

Simply2nice: A year and 7 months is a very long time to be with someone. I think instead of dumping Derek you should have perhaps talked with him about how you were feeling. Obviously you loved him, and it is my belief that that is all you need have a working relationship. I think you should talk with him about getting back together, because you both shared something very special. Don't look at it like you are running back to him, look at it as if you are righting a wrong. I know personally that I would be very hurt if that happened to me, and I personally would take you back if you explained everything to me. It doesn't really sound like Daniel has very good motives with you. Any guy that takes a girls virginity that soon can only be seeking the physical side of the relationship, and that NOT the basis for a healthy relationship. Consider Derek, he sounds like a really great guy.

Cutiepie: I understand how you feel. Human relationships are crucial to being happy in every day life. Something that you should remember is that God is always in control. For whatever reason (which is obviously unknown to you) you are experiencing these feelings. I have found that there are many times where I go through something tough, but everything ends up better afterwards. There have been several times when I was depressed for example breaking up with g/f or moving away from my home after joining the military. This is actually something that occurs in the bible too. Jesus was depressed about his upcoming fate on thr cross. Matthew 26:37-38 says He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to be very sad and troubled. He said to them, "My heard is full of sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me." I think sometimes God intentionally abandons us to perhaps teach us to be self-sufficient or to teach us to share a closer relationship with him. I remember when I was feeling depressed about leaving my friends at home that I would always pray and began reading my bible ever since. That was something I did not do as much before I became depressed, therefore my depressed feelings caused me to move closer to God. Now as a result I am much happier than I was before. Keep up your faith and pray because your feelings are just a phase, it will pass. I encourage you to read the Bible when you are feeling sad, but do whatever you think God is telling you to do. I will be praying for you. Your Brother in Christ, Jon

That's cool, my cousin was the bass player, I was wondering how popular they actually were.

If marilyn manson has more of an influence on the minds of your children than you do, he is the LEAST of your problems. - Yogimus, under MorpheusJS's log-on

Has anyone ever heard of a ska band called the W's? Just curious...

When God created man he gave us free will. It is our decision to follow God and his teachings, and to accept him into our hearts. On the flipside, for those who do not believe that is their decision. Not believing is a choice; God has provided us with everything we need to become a believer. What kind of world would this be if God created Earth populated by a bunch of humans and forced them to love him? What kind of love would that be? It is far more satisfying to allow people to have the choice.

I agree that many christians tend to alienate homosexuals. Sin is sin, no one sin is any worse than any other. Therefore, you should not treat any sinner any different from another, because we are all sinners! Luke 6:27-36 teaches us to love our enemies. In the same way, we need to accept all sinners into our church, for that is what God does with all of his children.

I was chatting with my friend and we started talking about spiritual gifts. She made the comment that she wished she could find hers. At first I was surprised because of the way she said it, but then I realized that I didn't really know what mine was either. So I did some research and found out that I one of my top gifts is the gift of faith. I have a lot of faith that God will provide whatever I need whenever I need it, and that no matter what happens he is in charge of the big picture. But then I started to wonder, is this something that I can apply to every day life or is it just the way I am? Should I have to do something to utilize this gift? Or is having faith the gift itself? I'm starting to think that just having faith is a gift in itself because I have seen how watching someone with strong faith can help someone else's faith. What do you guys think?