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Please pray for me. With me. For my head is hung in shame as I ask for help. 3 months of bad luck has turned my world upside down. I am just a few short steps away from being homeless and in debt with 2 kids. I need a loan. i have started campaigns for it but I'd much rather borrow and pay back than be given a handout. But I am in desperation and at this Moment, there is little I won't do to keep food in my children's stomachs and a roof over their heads. I have no credit. I've always bought everything up front. No payday loans. No short term loans with 800% interest. Just a loan to be paid off over say a year or so. Or a personal lender to set their own deadlines. I'm desperate at the moment. I've never had to borrow from anybody before. So this is a horrible feeling for me and I'm humiliated by it. More details that won't fit in this. im in need of prayers. I'm in need of advice. And I am desperate for help. I know that I must hold onto faith, but I feel it slipping away. Once prideful, my humility has my head hung in shame as I beg for help and pray I have the strength to hold on to my faith.

I had started the topic "James -2 What did James Mean", but apparently after just a few replies that topic was shut down. Perhaps that the case for all these threads. But I would like to respond to Shiloh and "By Faith" concerning their input to that topic. So I'll continue here. Please read that original thread so I don't have to repeat myself, like concerning Luther's view of James. To continue on, so far in this discussion "Shiloh" and "By Faith" have provided perfect examples of the kind of arm-waving arguments typical of those who try to reconcile Paul and James. "By Faith", ironically, interprets Paul in light of James, taking the "Catholic" approach, though this view is found among Catholics, Orthodox and anti-OSAS non-Catholic Christians. This is to say that the requirement for salvation is FAITH + WORKS, which is much along the line of the theology found in the Church at Jerusalem, led by James, where "believers" claimed, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses". (Acts 15:5) This was in contrast to Paul's gospel who came down to that church to confront the leadership concerning men who had come to Galatia claiming, "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1) Paul says of such theology in the church there, "This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ and to make us slaves." Gal 2:4 Yet this same FAITH + WORKS soteriology among the anti-OSAS Christians has been present from this inception till today both among Catholic and non-Catholic sects, being support largely by the epistle of James. Interesting to note that James' solution in Acts 15 was not to embrace Paul's gospel, but rather to cherry pick regulations from the Law and impose allegedly "easy" regulations on the Gentiles as a condition for salvation. And evidence affirming his legalism can further been seen early in James 2 concerning his emphasis on "law". "Shiloh", in contrast, interprets James in light of Paul. There are two standard gloss readings of James for those who take this approach to preserve Paul's gospel whereby the requirement for salvation is FAITH ALONE. One gloss reading of James I pointed out in the orignal post. The other is the one Shiloh expresses. The first gloss I had written about associates "by works" not with justification but with "see", which as I pointed out has to be inserted in a number of verses and the words manipulated. The other is to say that "by works" does indeed go with "justified", but "justified" should be translated "vindicated", and "vindicated" should then go with the phase "claim of faith", which again has to be inserted in many verses. Like in James 2:21a "Was not Abraham our faith justified by works". The "vindication" interpretation would read, "Was not Abraham's claim of faith vindicated by works". And likewise with verse 24 and 25 "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" becomes, "You see than that a man's claim of faith is vindicated by works and not by faith only" "Was not Rahab justified by works" becomes "Was not Rahab's claim of faith vindicated by works". So the idea to come up with this interpretation one must insert words that aren't there in all three cases, and propose that it is not Abraham, a man, or Rahab who were vindicated or more literally "justified", but rather what was vindicated was their claim of faith. Besides trying make James say what he's not ACTUALLY and LITERALLY saying, what "claim of faith" would he be referring to? Perhaps the easiest way to point out the folly of such an interpretation is to point out that which Martin Luther also took note of. Namely the contrast between Paul's and James' interpretation of Gen 15:6 "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" Both quote this verse. In Romans 4 Paul uses it as proof that Abraham was justified by faith alone, apart from works, Gen 15:6 being interpreted as being fulfilled right then in Gen 15:6. In contrast James' use of Gen 15:6 in James 2:23 sandwiched in between between all his "justified by works" propositions, indicates that he viewed Gen 15:6 as a prediction, not being fulfilled until Gen 22, prior to which Abraham had faith but no works, of which James indicates in James 2:17 as dead faith. And by "dead faith" according to James 2:14 he's referring to faith that doesn't save. Thus James doesn't believe Abraham was saved until Gen 22. But why does he bring up Gen 15:6 as it doesn't support his argument? He brings it up to propose an interpretation of that verse intentionally in opposition to Paul's interpretation of Gen 15:6. If we accept James' interpretation of Gen 15:6, then Paul cannot use it as proof that Abraham was justified apart from works. With regards to the "vindication" theory, the fact that Gen 15:6, according to Paul is referring to justification - that is, the point at which at person is saved, their sins have been forgiven, and James also quotes Gen 15:6 in the middle of his "justified by works" propositions, both James and Paul are talking about the same concept of justification, for they reference the same verse talking about justification. James means what he says, and Paul means what he says. The two views are irreconcilable.

Hello everyone, I recently moved to a new city for work and I have been attending this church for quite some time and I help them with the music by playing the piano. Every week they have practice for 2 hours but they spend the whole first hour praying! It annoys me because in my heart I feel like we're there to practice to sing and play well for the lord during practice and on Sunday's, but we're spending half of practice time praying to God. Trust me, I love prayer, I pray whenever I have a chance to but I believe that there's a time and place for everything and taking up half of MUSIC practice to pray is a bit ridiculous and overboard. We pray asking God to bless our voices and bless the music and yada yada yada but then when it comes to practice, we rush everything because time is running out. I don't feel like it's right. I feel as though if you're going to do something for the lord you should do it right and do it to the best of your ability and if you only have 2 hours to make it right that week then I believe you should utilize most of the time instead of half. My dad always told me that Faith without action is meaningless. How can we ask God to bless our voices and the music if we don't even take the time to practice? How can we ask God for us to do our best when we rush through every song because of time constraints? Idk, I may be wrong but I believe that the devil can take something that can be good and use it for evil and I believe that prayer is distracting us from the main goal of us being there. Am I wrong? If so please tell me. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Check out my new blog post:

http://youtu.be/ayiRN2hcxlg

I recently heard a good explanation of having unity of faith with other Believers. The idea was to differentiate non-negotiable and non-essential in viewing doctrines. A non-negotiable would be God is the creator of all the universe. A non-essential would be where people land on the whole Armenianism and Calvinism spectrum of the free will vs predestination argument. For example I can be leaning towards the whole Armenian view and still have fellowship with someone who is more leaning toward a Calvinistic ideology. We still agree on the non-negotiable that God is the creator of all the universe so we are united in the same faith. (Not saying I lean either way for reference this is just an example). What else can we agree upon to be non-negotiable to the Christian faith? What can we agree are non-essentials? God bless, GE

http://nypost.com/2014/12/12/christian-leader-isis-savages-behead-four-children/ All of them under the age of 15, God Bless them for their moral courage and unwaivering faith. I pray that all Christians will have the moral courage these children had. “The children, all under 15, four of them, they said, ‘No, we love Yeshua [Jesus], we have always loved Yeshua.’

Years ago someone posted this on a different site after someone demanded proof of God's existence. I liked it so much that I copied it so I could share it with others. - not only is there no proof, faith demands no proof. It is not science. Faith by nature and definition is destroyed by proof, for then it is something different: fact. So, in effect,you want a Christian to give you something he or she cannot if they are true to God or if they do, simply prove that they are not true to their God.-

Just a little something to think about today. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/faith-isn’t-about-finding-answers

Chapter 1 Book Excerpt: Understanding the Benefits of Mankind Understanding the Principles of Money You should not like money more than yourself and you must not LOVE yourself more than GOD. This also means you shall not love money more than God. The “love of money” is likened to a habit or addiction that hooks you and takes control over your thoughts, behaviors and actions. Most times there is a correlation between the “love of money” and greed or stinginess. Money can be seen as a tool for good or evil. That is, GOD designed money for man’s benefit, but the enemy has deceived man into the “love of money”. As it states in 1 Timothy 6:10 (KNJV) - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Also, this is one reason why Paul prayed in the following Scripture: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, (Philippians 1: 9-10, KNJV) What this means is we should pray for “moral discernment” in order to maintain our Christian morals and values. In this present era, many people go through the challenge called “security for tomorrow” or “uncertainty of tomorrow”…the author is referring to one’s financial standpoint. In this scenario, individuals try to hoard or multiply their money at any cost, whether it is legal or illegal because of the uncertainty of one’s financial standing in the future. This single act causes greed, embezzlement, stealing, stinginess, cheating, killing and so on. Let me shed some more light. Imagine you currently have a net worth of $400,000 and do not know what tomorrow holds for you. For example, you may lose your job, business, royalties, investments, properties and more. Each of these scenarios is robbing many people of their TRUE Blessings and Prosperity from GOD. For example, if you identify with one of the above scenarios and I ask you to loan me $10,000, you may have reservation honoring this request because you fear that your source of money can cease at anytime. However, when you make GOD your financial source by depending on Him rather than on your job, business, royalties, education, investments, position…He will terminate every fear and uncertainty of where the next dollar will come from. Moreover, it is written in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) – “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Of further importance, you will see in the following scripture where Jesus says, “Why do you worry about tomorrow?” “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6: 25-34, NKJV) A person who is a hundred percent dependent on GOD would not be concerned about the next day because GOD alone holds the future. We can see in the following verses how Isaac depended on GOD during a terrible famine in the land. Follow me closely…Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundred fold. He became very prosperous even during a season of famine as seen in the scripture below: There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26: 1-14, NKJV) One reason for GOD’s GRACE upon Isaac is because of the obedience of his father “Abraham” to GOD. As you can see “giving not taking” is the key to financial security…when you “give sparingly, you also receive sparingly”. There was a profound sermon once preached by my Pastor. In the message he likened “giving” to “restrooms and food”. That is, “food” is the money and its’ excretion is “giving”. Let me expound on this: When you eat “food” and get full, do you not need to excrete the food in order to empty your stomach, so you may have room to eat more food? In the same manner, you need to visit the “financial restroom” in order for more money to flow into your hands. That is, as you amass money, riches and wealth and do not give a part of it to GOD and the needy therefore allowing one’s “self” to be obstructing the flow of money you will have what the author calls “financial constipation”. This will continue until you offload by “giving”. Is it not logical to say that when you feel constipated…you are not only full of food, but also uncomfortable? Likewise, a person who keeps on amassing money without giving will at some point not only have no space for more, but will also experience an unfulfilled life. Yes, you can be the wealthiest person here on earth and still be empty. JOY brings genuine happiness, not money. Note: GOD says in His Word…there is JOY in “giving” not in hoarding. Let us look at some Scriptures on “Giving and Receiving”: There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. (Proverbs 11: 24-25, NKJV) Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6: 38, NKJV) I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”(Acts 20: 35, NKJV) But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13: 16, NKJV) “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. (Matthew 6: 1-4, NKJV) Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? (James 4: 1-5, NKJV) Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight. Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered. Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath. One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. (Proverbs 11: 20-26, NKJV) Let us look at a worldly scenario which validates the Biblical messages. I have heard of many celebrities and superstars amassing several hundreds of millions of dollars, only to lose it all in a matter of a few years and file bankruptcy. Perhaps, they hardly or never gave of one’s finances. You can see in the following Bible verse that money has wings and can fly away if not used appropriately: Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23: 5, NKJV) The same way companies and organizations have their financial principles; GOD has His own principles for man’s money management. You can find some in the above verses. When you follow GOD’s principles concerning money, He gives you uncommon favor and wisdom. For example, He will teach you how and where to invest your money. And when God leads you… the sky is your limit. One last note: If you seek money before seeking GOD, you may experience riches followed by challenges; but if you seek GOD before seeking money, you will experience challenges followed by riches. Which scenario do you prefer? I hope the second! When you follow GOD’s principles of money; your latter shall be GREATER than your past!!! *** From the Term of Service - "No “spamming” allowed. Spamming is flooding the forums, mass PMs or emailing multiple members of this forum with unsolicited messages. It also includes links in posts or Sigs to sites that sell or solicits funds. No solicitation of any form will be allowed." ***

We went to go see the “God's Not Dead” matinee movie today, rated PG, thought it fairly well done. So passing along that thought here! Synopsis of movie: http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/synopsis “How far would you go…to defend your belief in God? Present-day college freshman and devout Christian, Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), finds his faith challenged on his first day of Philosophy class by the dogmatic and argumentative Professor Radisson (Kevin Sorbo). Radisson begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade. As other students in the class begin scribbling the words “God Is Dead” on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh find himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future. Josh offers a nervous refusal, provoking an irate reaction from his smug professor. Radisson assigns him a daunting task: if Josh will not admit that “God Is Dead,” he must prove God’s existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. If Josh fails to convince his classmates of God’s existence, he will fail the course and hinder his lofty academic goals. With almost no one in his corner, Josh wonders if he can really fight for what he believes. Can he actually prove the existence of God? Wouldn’t it just be easier just to write “God Is Dead” and put the whole incident behind him? GOD’S NOT DEAD weaves together multiple stories of faith, doubt and disbelief, culminating in a dramatic call to action. The film will educate, entertain, and inspire moviegoers to explore what they really believe about God, igniting important conversations and life-changing decisions.”

I AM GOING TO ISRAEL!!! So blessed to have this opportunity! This is going to be an experience of a lifetime! Praying that Jesus will show me things I have never seen before! This will literally take the bible from Black and White to color! This almost seems unreal to me. Just being able to walk where Jesus walked. (Except over water) June 16 – 24, 2014.

UNFAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS She stood still in the midst of darkness. All of a sudden, the walls began to close in around her, but she could not move. She just stood there helpless, with no way out. She thought to herself, "This place is lonely, dark, cold, and miserable. How could anyone survive in a place like this?" She cried out for help, but no one answered. She cried out again saying, "God help me! Where am I?" She started to weep; and as her tears fell to the floor of this cold, dark, and lonely place, she saw a glimpse of light from above. Finally the Lord answered her saying, "This place that you said was so cold, dark, lonely, and miserable was the inside of your heart. You said you loved me with all of your heart, but it was only when the tears fell from your eyes that I believed you."- Ms. Kaye *Just a little something from my imagination*-Peace & blessings!

God's love revealed through Prophecy and Healing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnyt5yLORoA

"The winds of God are always blowing, but you must set the sails" - Author, Unknown - Luke 8:22-26 22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. (Set sail) 23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. 26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. Even when called by God will we go out against great storms! But, by the name of the Mighty Lord Jesus, and by Him are the seas calmed! We have been called to be the light on the hill, we have been told that DESPITE, our trials and tribulations to fear not, for the Lord has overcome! (Hallelujah!) Isaiah 24:4 "4For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall." We also have to learn and take to heart that God does not always heal, does not always "calm the storms" immediately. What He DOES promise is to be our Jehovah Ma'oz- a named revealed to David in Psalms 91:9 depicting this very thing declared in Isaiah 24:4. Be our stronghold, someone to lean on- to be there for us, a shelter from the storm- meaning be our peace, our righteousness! God offers this lavished love forevermore, but it must be YOU, who accepts it, it must be YOU, who sets the sails. God bless you in the name of our Mighty God!

This verse that I'm about to share with you is pertaining to the word of God through the Holy Bible who had either rejected God's word, refrained from God's word, or retained God's word. My 3 question are: 1) Do you believe in the word of God which is the Holy Bible? 2) Do you hold fast to Jesus Christ's teachings? 3) Do you obey and keep God's commandments? Well, lets see. Read "The Parable of the Sower:" Luke 8:4-15. This verse will answer your question for you. Cross reference Luke 8:4-8 with verse Luke 8:11-15 to get a clear understanding of the parable. Choose A, B, C, or D as your answer. Make sure to state why you had either rejected God's word, refrained from God's word, or retained God's word. Also make sure to answer my 3 questions as well. INTRODUCTION: Luke 8:4-5 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed." Cross Reference: (Luke 8:11 The seed is the word of God). A) Luke 8:5 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved). B) Luke 8:6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away). C) Luke 8:7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature). D) Luke 8:8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop). ===================================================================================== Roman 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Remember, you have to bear good fruit >>> (Matthew 7:16-19). Everybody is more than welcome to answer.