DarkNebulaWelder

I just love astronomy. That's a gorgeous picture. Thanks

No one is more or less deserving of Christ's grace, and not one of us deserves hell less than any other person. It's because of God's grace that we are even saved -- not because of our own self-worth.

I agree. That was awesome, believer!!! To the OP...Thank you so much for that reminder. It is shameful how often we forget the enormity of this aesome sacrifice, or the depth and breadth of Christ's love for us. I am convinced that, even now, it is impossible for our finite minds to truly comprehend the magnitude of God's love for us. Our minds are finite, and His love is infinite. We can sit and contemplate all we want, but even with the knowledge of all He went through, we still have a limited understanding of the sheer magnitude of His love. Our love for Him is so miniscule compared to His love for us, yet He continues to love us, eternally and faithfully. What a beautiful Saviour we serve, and how unworthy we are of His love.

Thanks so much, everyone. Well, I've been pretty much avoiding and ignoring him. I also told someone else what is going on. Her input was pretty much that he is desperate for a woman in his life, and this I need to go tell the singles pastor (who is also a chaplain in the state prison, so he knows how to handle people). Anyhow, I'm just going to continue in this way, and hope that he backs off. I haven't spoken to him in a few days, and he hasn't really bothered me (he called last night to ask me to pray for his cousin, but I wasn't home, and I didn't return his call). If he starts to get weird again, I'm going to the pastor. Anyhow, I pray that things will continue to die down, and if they don't, well, I'll take it from there. I'm just giving him every chance to avoid embarassment -- but he's on his last chance right now. Thanks again, everyone.....and I appreciate all of the male perpectives, too. At least I know that I'm not the one at fault. Love in Christ April

Thanks for the advice, everyone; Okay, well, here's what went down since I posted all of this. He ended up bringing me another gift and putting it on my doorstep while I was at work, and I finally figured that enough is enough. I felt so bad, because I was finding myself getting pretty aggravated at all of this, and I ended up seeing him at church that night. He said hello, and I looked him in the eye and said "Look, you need to stop sending me gifts. It is highly inappropriate." Then, I just walked off. Well, after that, I felt really bad, so I ended up calling him and letting him know that I was sorry for getting angry, but that he really needed to cool it. He basically said "Look, I know you think that I have intentions other than friendship, and you're wrong. All I wanted to do was be a good friend." Then I told him that if he really wanted to be a good friend, that he would just treat me like any other brother in Christ and back off. Then, he completely broke down over the phone, and started crying, and said that he was sorry, and that he was just trying to be a good friend, and how much I had done for him, he was just trying to bless me ( p.s. He said that I opened his eyes to a lot with a lot of our talks), and I wanted to be sympathetic to him -- I really did -- but I was just afraid that if I had tried to reach out to him and lovingly console him, that it would have just defeated the purpose, so I told him that I was truly sorry if I misconstrued his intentions, but that I could no longer accept his gifts. Then, he said that he hoped that we could still go out and do things as friends. I talked to someone else about this, and she said if he were being a true friend, he would not continue to press the issue like this, knowing how uncomfortable it's making me. If his intentions were really friendship, that he wouldn't be trying to get me to go out with him at this point -- and to a point this makes sense, because he would respect my wishes. I'm thinking that perhaps he was trying to be a friend, but that he was being very selfish.....like, caring more about what he can get out of the relationship than my feelings. So, I managed to hurt a brother in Christ, and once again, he is starting to skip Bible studies, like he did last time I told him to stop. Man, the next day, I felt so guilty. It seems like I am always ruining things wherever I go, and once again, I have managed to screw something else up. The next day, I was really depressed, because of the guilt, and I was seriously contemplating leaving the church, but after talking with another female, and her assuring me that it wasn't my fault, I really feel that the Lord has given me peace about this. What do you guys think?

Absolutely, I believe that humanism is a cult.....It is a system of thought that binds people together, and their goal is the total eradication of God in society. It's not really a religious cult, per se, but I do believe that it is a cult. Jesus warned us about this line of thinking, that it would come about in the last days, when men would become lovers of themselves, of pleasure, and of money....BOASTING IN AND OF THEMSELVES (2 Tim. 3:1-4). You look at the modern historical movements towards taking God out of our schools and our government, and of postmodern thought, which basically declares that there is no truth, and you will see humanism in full swing. I do believe that humanism is a cult, and it is dangerous. It is dangerous because the Bible warns that people are naturally inclined towards pride and self-fulfillment, and humanism totally feeds off of that, by making mankind think that he can govern his own affairs without any help from God. It will continue until the rise of the anti-Christ -- the ultimate humanist -- and everyone will worship him, because he will be the embodiment of humanism.

No...You're not wrong. You're referring to the account of Annanias and Saphirra, in the book of Acts. They sold a piece of property, and told everyone that they gave all of the money to God, when in actuality, they held some back for themselves.

That's awesome, Believer. I know that right now, some of my needs are not being completely met, but you know what, God is good, and I know that something is becoming of this. I do have faith in the Lord, everyone -- please don't get me wrong -- It's just that when I'm talking to a non-believer, and I say "God provides for all my needs," I just feel like I'm not being entirely truthful. The thing is, whgat I'm going through right now -- I know that this isn't permanent, and that the Lord is trying to teach me something....but the thing is, for those who are not saved, they don't really comprehend this. So, then, am I safe to assume that God is providing for my needs, and I don't need to feel hypocritical telling others this, even though sometimes I have trouble putting food on the table?

Hey, there, givennewname; I think that many Christians have struggled with the same dillemma. I know that I've gone through many dry times when it seemed like the Lord was so far away. I still have periods like that, but I have found that God used those to foster my faith, and perhaps He is doing the same for you. The Bible says that the Lord never changes, and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. There are times when it may seem that the Lord is so far away, but the Bible assures us that God is closer than we think. It is not good to rely on feelings, because so often, our feelings can deceive us. Satan will also use our feelings in order to invoke fear or doubt in our minds. What we need to do is rely upon God's word. Even when it seems that God has withdrawn His presence from us (which He hasn't because God never changes), we must rely on His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Many times, God will restrain His voice so that we enter into a deeper search for Him. It also reminds us of our incredible need for Him. It is during these silent periods that god can teach us so much, if we continue with perserverence and trust in His promises. Let me share a personal example from my own life. There was a period of time when I felt that God was witholding His presence from me. I had become very emotionally-attached to God, and the thought of Him withdrawing His presence from me frightened and grieved me. It got to the point where one day, I just broke down and begged God to show me why I wasn;t able to rest in His promises, and why I was so afraid. He showed me that the reason I was unable to do this was because of a deep-seeded fear of abandonment that I had carried around with me, since I was a child. I had allowed myself to get attached to the Lord, and the thought of Him withdrawing His presence from me struck great fear in me, but I wasn't sure why these fears always surfaced, or where they came from. God used that period of silence as a catalyst for learning, and to bring me to a place of brokenness. He showed me that I needed to address these fears, and completely trust in Him, that He is my heavenly Father, and that He would never abandon me, as all the others had. If the Lord had not kept silent, I never would have realized this, but by Him showing me this, I was able to experience a deeper understanding of myself, and of my relationship with Him. Phil. 1:6 tells us that Jesus has begun a good work in us, and will be faithful to complete that work until the day of Jesus Christ. The Lord wants us to enjoy complete depth of fellowship with Him, but it takes work. Those periods of silence that you have described -- just know that they don't necessarily mean that God is angry with you, and certainly not that He is busy. On the contrary, rather than not having anything to say, God has much to say, and we have much to learn. Those times when God sems distant -- God does nothing in vain. God works in our lives in different ways, and it is always for a reason. Ask the Lord to show you just why it is that you cannot hear His voice. God will not leave you hanging. The Bible says that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works -- not works that we ourselves do, but works that He is doing in and through us. God is working on us so that he can work thorugh us, and even in those periods of silence, rest assured that God is working something in you. Don't let Satan deceive you into thinking that God is too busy, or has nothing to say to you. He has not abandoned you!!! He wants you to learn to walk by faith. Do not get discouraged, my friend. God bless you, and press on towards the goal.

so how did it go? was he there? did you give the gift back? did you confront him? do tell! First of all, for those of you who don't know, let me please clarify that I am a female. I am thinking that my screenname might have misled a lot of you, and I apologize. As for last night...well, I ended up not even going. This whole situation is wearing me out. I wasn't much in the mood to see him, but I will have to on Sunday. It's just awkward, because he works in the prayer room with me.

I'm sorry...I don't understand. Was that sarcasm? You know, I would appreciate any advice you can offer, even if it's corrective on your part, but please, I'm not looking for sarcasm. This is a real struggle for me -- I've never been good at confrontation, and that is why I have let people walk all over me for all of my life. I really think that God is trying to teach me something here, and I need advice and encouragement -- not sarcasm. I am a female....I doubt he's homosexual. I appreciate all of your advice. Thank you.

Hello....and thank you for your reply. Let me just start by saying that I will not send you my E-Mail address, because this was not was this thread was intended for. I was not trying to get a hand-out here, but I do appreciate your kindness and concern, thank you, and God bless you for that. I know what you're saying, also. I am just trying to find a way to use this situation to bring glory to God. The thing is, I am well-aware that He has provided for my needs, and that I have much more than many other people in this world, who praise the Lord daily, despite their poverty. The truth is, we are all rich in Christ, and the Spiritual blessings he has given me far outweigh the physical. I realize that praising the Lord through hard times is a sacrifice, but His word says that if we offer this sacrifice of praise, that God will bless us. I know that it pleases God when we praise Him through the hard times, and I guess that is what I am trying to do. I love God, and am grateful for what He has given me. I know that the enemy has also used my situation to try and shake my faith in the Lord, and like I said, I know that if I continue to abide in Christ, even through the hard times, that God will eventually bless me. All of this being said, I am really trying to figure out how to glorify God through my circumstances to other people. I really want them to see how good and loving the Lord is, but you know as well as me that, to the unsaved, it would not appear that God is blessing me. For example, a few months ago, someone broke into my car at church, and I had to get the window replaced. A friend of mine, who is also a Christian, let me store my car in his garage until I was able to get it fixed. Well, when I went to pick up the car, I was talking with his wife (who is a non-believer), and she basically said "If God is so good, how could He have let this happen? Isn't He supposed to watching out for you?" I explained that even Christians have trials, and that he was good by providing the money for me to get it fixed, but even so, her reasoning was that because I was a child of God, He should not have let that happen. This is the kind of mentality I am talking about. If people were aware of my real financial situation, and how much of the time I go hungry a lot, they would assume that my basic needs aren't being met, and they would question the goodness of God. Now, we all know this not to be the case, because as most of you said, we live in a very wealthy nation, and have much more than many could even dream of...but the thing is, most non-Christians just do not have this mindset. They would assume that if God is allowing one of His children to go hungry, that He either doesn't care, or is not real. How does a person address this mindset, in a completely open manner, while not making it appear as though God is not coming through?

Hey, you guys, I'm curious...have any of you ever lied in order to make God look good, or not blown your witness? Here's the deal....for the past 3 years, since I have been walking with God, I have had a lot of financial troubles, and it seems like they have increased rather than decreased. There have been plenty of times (more than I can count) where I have gone days without eating because I just didn't have the $$$ for food. I would ask, literally beg, God to provide for me, so that I can eat, but most of the time, I still go hungry. I am not complaining...I know that there must be a reason for this, and I have never really starved to death. But here's the deal. I have talked to people about my faith, and sometimes, God's provision comes up. I find myself telling people that God has provided for all of my needs, when in actuality, He really has not. The thing is, I don't want people to know that I have gone hungry many times, and that financially, things just seem to be completely chaotic, because I don't want to make people think that God is unloving. I don;t want to lie about my situation, but I also don't want to make God look bad, either. I want to be a good witness for Him, but I also feel like I'm sort of being untruthful in order to protect Him. I'm just afraid if I tell someone that they need to trust God, then turn around and tell them that He is not providing for my needs, I will look like a complete fool, so I usually just say "God has always provided for my needs," which is not really true. So, then, what am I to do? Should I just avoid the issue altogether about trusting God? I know I am sinning by lying, but I'm afraid if I'm truthful, that I'll turn people off to the Lord. Maybe I am being truthful, but just not seeing it....maybe the fact that I have not starved to death means that He is providing for me, but it doesn't feel like it. There have been days when I've struggled to make it through the work day, because I have no fuel to feed off of. I really don't know what God's up to, but I can't help but believe that I have a blessing ahead...but in the meantime, when I am talking about faith, what should I do?! How should I approach it in order to be truthful while putting God in the best possible light? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Man...You are so right!!! Wouldn't getting up and moving as soon as someone sits down be considered rude? I would think that is the epitome of rude. Doesn't the Bible tell us that love is not rude? How is this showing Christian love? Although, I do agree that sitting in the middle of others would be a good solution. For a while, I was purposely coming in late to church to avoid him, but I really don't like doing that!!!!

Thank you, everyone. I am seeing him tonight at Bible study. He brought me a gift earlier....I'm going to have to give it back to him and confront him. Please pray for me!!! The worst part is....he knows I am still married....albeit separated, but married, nonetheless.