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Hi Thomas. I'm new too but welcome. You are very intelligent and quite deep. I don't think I'm as smart as you but I'll do my best to discuss this with you. For me, I know that but the cares of this world do keep us from looking beyond what's before us each day. I hope this isn't straying from what you're trying to say but I think that our todays are preparations for the beyond. I think this journey is about tests, growth and how bad do we want to be with Jesus beyond this lifetime. Does this make sense or have I completely missed the choo choo train here?

Tell him "I'm sorry, I'm just not interested in talking to a guy that'll look for a girlfriend while going out with someone he doesn't really like." He'll probably argue a little but it's no problem, just tell him what you're thinking and how you feel and he'll eventually get it or you'll just have to say "Look I'm done talking to you" and ignore him after. Does he know where you live? I agree that he is not a nice man and I'm concerned that he has some stalking qualities. You're giving him any attention will just keep him hanging on. I don't understand texting but if he tries to email you, you could spam him. He's not being appropriate and is un-Christ like in his behaviour so I agree with other writers. If you are safe and he doesn't know where you live, then just ignore him and being nice will not work. God bless you.

No - it wasn't the entire congregation speaking to the entire congregation - it was done in pairs. My brother and another spoke in tongues to each other. After the pastor encouraged them to pray for interpretation and they did, my brother gave a prophetic word to the one he was sharing with. He said something to the effect of, "I don't know if it was an interpretation or not, but it was a good word!" Honestly, there would be a lot less abuses of tongues if more pastors gave training like this. I still disagree because it's forcing people to do something they may not have the gift of. John MacAurther brings up a very good and valid point; tongues didn't really make its apperance as it is until after the turn of the 20th century. Prior to that, it was merely thought to be the gift of, well, tongues. Such as, a person could go to a Spanish speaking nation, know nothing of the Spanish language, and yet communicate in Spanish to these people. The gift of interpretation was thought to be someone who could hear a foriegn language and understand what was being said. It wasn't until the early 20th century that we began to see it used as a prayer language, baptism of the Holy Spirit, or anything like that. Even historically we don't see it used as a prayer language or anything like that. I still hold that what the pastor did is not biblical, and Island Rose brings up a very good point. Was it an interpretation or a word? If he didn't get the interpretation but instead gave a word, then tongues was spoken without the interpretation and thus violated the Bible. I used to belong to a church that spoke in tongues and I eventually did too. I found that when someone spoke out in tongues, someone else was to give an interpretation. I just couldn't accept either as being valid. Who could prove anything and I often found that the interpreter's personal beliefs influenced the interpretation. My ex used to pray for hours in tongues but there was alot of bad fruit in his life. At one point he gave me an album to listen to and on it the singer sang in tongues. The hair on the back of my neck stood up because my ex was singing exactly the same thing this man sang on the album when we were instructed to sing in the spirit/tongues in church. Then I found that he used alot of the same words that the pastor used when speaking in tongues. I don't speak in tongues anymore and I do not feel the Holy Spirit isn't with me because I don't. I pray on a conscious level whereas I found my ex didn't really have to deal with what was in his heart if he just kept repeating the same words over and over again. I'm Greek and I have never heard anyone speak it in tongues. I only hear it when people try to explain agape love, etc. Unfortunately, I saw way too much tongues and very little fruit of the Spirit. So check the fruit is what I say.

Thanks for explaining all that. It seems so complicated. I have a 7 year old son who has some from his friends. I've been frustrated with Christians declaring this or that is demonic and it's just about everything and everyone. I told my son that Yu-Gi-O is a game that is based on lies. I told him there is only One real power and that is God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I told him to know the truth and his response was a segment of the roadrunner doing some outrageous antics. He said that's a lie. So, we grew up with Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, etc and God set us straight. His father, my ex, is so demon conscience that it's downright scary. He's also an abusive Christian. He is more spiritually dangerous than those cards. I don't think it's humanly possible to avoid the evils of this world including what's in our churches, but it is spiritually possible through the grace of God and our will to keep our eyes on Jesus. The Holy Spirit is in us to be our teacher and cousellor. That is what I would like my son to know and learn to listen to only Him. He told his teacher at Christmas that it was Jesus's birthday. She tried to shut him down and told him it was about family and friends spending time together. She tried to teach about Mother Earth. He told her there wasn't any Mother Earth, but God. I trust God with my children and will tell them what He wants them to know.

I'm new here incase you can't tell that I don't know what I'm doing. I think that just as Jesus was always mindful of His/our Father's presence and will as a lifestyle, we are to be heavenly minded in the same way by the grace of God if it's our will (the key). But He went about doing His Father's work on earth which really wasn't very glamorous. He kept company with the sinners, the sick, the brokenheated and rejected. When we refuse to associate with these individuals, then we become no earthly good. We aren't here to form cliques. We're here to love people and not reject them because they are sinners. I mean who of us is without sin cast the first stone. Unfortunately, where I've seen individuals who deviate from this, I find that they have lost common sense and run off into flakiness. Sorry if I came on too strong right out of the gate. I've watched people with real physical needs be cast aside so that person can go and pray. I like your perspective, its different from what I was thinking mike2 Hi mike2. Thanks. I think that if we don't have a personal, very intimate relationship with Jesus which will be in line with His word, then we become no earthly good and what we have is mere religion. We can't have Christianity without Christ. And I think this comment can apply to people who have said the sinner's prayer but infact haven't accepted Christ in the hearts and are allowing Him to live through them. They run off doing churchy things and avoiding the "sinners". My experience is that I have to accept God's entire word as my opinion and not the other way around. If we reject scriptures we don't like, then we've kept parts of our hearts from Him. It's like locking a door and telling Him don't go in there and mess with that area. I like it as it is. But it's a life long process. If we have intimacy with Christ (which is another bunch of words that we all apply our own meaning to) we can be heavenly minded and earthly good just our Saviour was and still is through us if we are willing.

Hi jckduboise and Mike. It's nice to be here.

Hi Craka Zac. I'm new here too. I'm actually headed off to bed but wanted you to know someone noticed you. Wish I could stay up and chat, next time I hope.

I've watched all season and I see some kids with God given talents who are brave enough to go out and use them. Last year's winner won an award for her song "Jesus Take The Wheel". When I heard the song it was so inspiring and she's reaching such a large audience. Clay Aiken is a Christian. Several of the contestants on this season professed their faith in Christ not just in word but in song too. I'm from Canada and 2 years ago, our winner was a Christian who professed his faith in song. Yes, I voted for him. The judges weren't impressed with his choice in song but alot of people, especially young teens heard it and found out where this young man stood in his belief and love of Jesus. I like to see where God sends His kids to reach the people.

Are we talking about other things such as cancer, ms, that too or is this just about addictions?

I'm new here incase you can't tell that I don't know what I'm doing. I think that just as Jesus was always mindful of His/our Father's presence and will as a lifestyle, we are to be heavenly minded in the same way by the grace of God if it's our will (the key). But He went about doing His Father's work on earth which really wasn't very glamorous. He kept company with the sinners, the sick, the brokenheated and rejected. When we refuse to associate with these individuals, then we become no earthly good. We aren't here to form cliques. We're here to love people and not reject them because they are sinners. I mean who of us is without sin cast the first stone. Unfortunately, where I've seen individuals who deviate from this, I find that they have lost common sense and run off into flakiness. Sorry if I came on too strong right out of the gate. I've watched people with real physical needs be cast aside so that person can go and pray.