Sideir

Oh, I have been working on mine since late August, and the L-rd has really been there for me. He has been so good, helping me to see my errors, my short-comings, etc. I want to definitely come nearer to Him Oops! Called in to work early. I will finish later.

clear error on that leaders part. Amein!

I consider myself to be mainly of the reformed persuasion. Personally, I believe that when and if G-d needs someone to use the gifts, He can cause that one to be gifted; however, I have seen people who claimed to have certain of the listed gifts, and they were way out in left field, to say the least: they were not only charlatans, but they broke several of the Commands to make their pretenses. I, personally, practice one of the gifts daily: that of helps. This is where my talents lie and this is what G-d created and gifted me to do. So yes, I believe that the gifts are extant, as Messiah deems them needed, for use to the glory of G-d and not to that of human beings.

Greetings Sideir! I come from a "Holiness" background, too. I'm curious to hear what your remaining reservations are. I struggle with OSAS. Just not sure. I do believe that salvation is not based on any works, so loss of salvation cannot be due to works, but I struggle with some of the Scriptures which appear to say that works can cause a loss of salvation I struggle a bit with predestination, although I see the evidence of it all through the Bible. Struggling with this idea makes me feel like I am questioning the wisdom of G-d, which is quite an uncomfortable thought.

Oh, my! Thank you for writing it!

My year went so fast that when it was spring, it was still winter for me; when it was summer, it was still spring; when it was autumn, it was still summer . . . . Where did it all go? I told someone at work yesterday that for me, it will still be 2006 in April of 2007! People say that as we age, time goes by so fast; indeed, it does. My year -- In late summer of 2005, I gave my husband of over 19 years the firm and final ultimatum. Certain habits went or he would: I want a godly home with him or I will have a godly home without him. He made his choice. He decided to learn what it was within him that made him what he was. He studied two books that were very beneficial. I locked him out of my computer and bought him one without Internet access at his request. I put locks on the TVs and set the limits at his request. He has changed tremendously over 2006. I am beginning to relax around him, but while I show him respect as best I can, I am still working on respecting him in reality. What I do respect is his admission that he has a problem and his application to changing. We started a new tradition at our house last year: with the children's agreement, we get to have all the family over for an Independence Day celebration! We had So Much Fun with July 4 this year! Major positive: I am closer to Messiah than I ever have been before and studying more than ever, excited about Him and the Word. I am taking classes again that have helped me to grow in Him as well. Great positive: we left our old HMO! YESSS! Finally, I can expect decent medical care! Great positive: we are having less arthritic pain since switching from electric to gas heat. G-d is good, and His mercy is everlasting -- His Truth endures forever! Amein!!!

For years, I was part of a holiness organization which saw Calvinism as (their term) "greasy grace." They had a lot of other choice terms for Calvinism and Calvinists, but this is the only one that comes to mind presently. They taught us that Calvinists all wallowed in their sin, celebrating it, loving it. But in time -- a long time -- I began to realize that the problem in that organization, which called itself Arminian, was that they sinned, too! However, the difference between them and the Calvinists was that Calvinists admitted their sin; the people in this organization neither admitted their sins nor sought forgivness for them. Scary thought. It wasn't long after I fully understood this before I was out of there. Now, I attend a place of worship in which the leaders/teachers teach Calvinism, but the congregation is of varying opinions with regard to this thought, as am I. While I accept most of Calvinism, I still have a few reservations.

While it is certainly true that Most of us, even in the world today, do not go about advertising and/or exposing our sexuality: most of us find that sexuality is a private issue. Why, then, must it be considered entertainment? As far as violence, most of us avoid that, too. Why, then, must it be the drawing card for certain segments of movie-attenders? What are they lacking, that they are so drawn to violence? Regarding language, the movie industry would have us believe that vulgar language is common -- rather, acceptable and commendable! It is none of these! As an older woman as well as an old movie buff, I have watched as the movie industry has led us down a trail of indecency and called it "entertainment." It started in the '20s, when the movies (to me) could be sickeningly shocking at times -- the stuff you would not watch under any circumstances. They have continued to throw this stuff a people ever since! My husband and I saw an ad for a couple movies on a DVD the other day. The movies they were advertising were rated PG-13. What did they show? Anything uplifting? Something funny? No. They showed sexual scened and foul language. THAT is the drawing card to the public. Manyy do not desire the pure, the lovely, the things of a good report, or THOSE things would have been the scenes they showed. That night, I told him, "PG-13. Hm-m-m. Looks more like R-rated to me." The things that are now PG-13 are what once were considered adult-only, by those of conscience, at one time.

New here, and first post for me, but movies have been problematic for me for years. I was a long-time member of a church that told us we could not attend theaters, then several years ago, I learned that the assistant pastor in that church was showing R-rated movies to the church teens, including my two and my husband's two. I had a royal cow and said they could not go to his home. Of course, I was told I was overreacting, but I most certainly was not. However, over time, I learned that was just the tip of the iceberg. For myself, I have been very adament about what was going to be on our TVs and what would not. I had to be with teens then and now that they are all grown with families of their own, even with just the two of us. It pains me to admit that I have had to put my foot down several times over this issue, and many prayers have been prayed as well as words exchanged over this and the Internet. As far as movies, I did not vote for reasons I will not go into, but we rarely go to movies because it is so difficult to find a decent movie. I wish it were not.