If you are one who would say God is faithful

[Guest kitkat]

If it is true that throwing yourself into a committment for God makes you a target for Satan (which would seem true to me), why throw yourself into a committment for God? My friends who are happy to be "basic Christians" (for lack of a better description) aren't going through the major heartaches, so why not just be one of those?

emeraldgirl, you don't know how many times I have said or thought the same thing during my life. It's true Satan leaves you alone and you're not targeted as much when you're not trying to live for God, but at the same time, when you have God in your life, you have the assurance that HE will protect you when Satan does decide to target you. Satan eventually targets everyone, whether they are living for God or not and those without God in their lives don't have His protection when Satan does attack. Satan would like to have you believe that there will only be battles, struggles and heartaches, because he doesn't want you to be saved. Why throw yourself into a committment for God? So you can be in heaven with Jesus for all eternity.

Everybody that is a Christian has been in the valley, gone through trials and been targeted by Satan and it isn't fun at all, but eventually the valleys pass and things get better with each valley. Jesus loves you. He doesn't want to see you hurting, or in a valley. For all the trials and valleys Christians do go through, in the end, it's worth it emeraldgirl to have a place in the kingdom of heaven and not be lost forever where there is absolutely no hope for anyone.

In Christ's love,

Kat

:hug:

[Guest koppen]

"He gives power to the weak ,to those who have no might He increases strength."(Is.40:29)

There is no such thing as defeat for the child of God

[wordsower]

Emeraldgirl,

The problem with most churches today is they want to tell you that God is all about you, making your life easy and great and making you rich and comfortable.

Girl, we signed up for the army. We gotta go through the trenches and wear what the Commander tells us and go where He tells us and eat what He gives us to eat and fight the fight. It's not about sitting up in the mansion and driving a Mercedes. We are slaves of Jesus Christ, we gave up everything to follow Him and we have to remember that He is in charge and He is sovereign and "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him".

He is faithful to work it all out for your good, you might not see it in this life, you might. No matter what, He is all-knowing and we are dust. He sees all and we see in part.

:hug:

Trust Him!!

[Guest Called]

Emeraldgirl,

The problem with most churches today is they want to tell you that God is all about you, making your life easy and great and making you rich and comfortable.

Girl, we signed up for the army. We gotta go through the trenches and wear what the Commander tells us and go where He tells us and eat what He gives us to eat and fight the fight. It's not about sitting up in the mansion and driving a Mercedes. We are slaves of Jesus Christ, we gave up everything to follow Him and we have to remember that He is in charge and He is sovereign and "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him".

He is faithful to work it all out for your good, you might not see it in this life, you might. No matter what, He is all-knowing and we are dust. He sees all and we see in part.

:hug:

Trust Him!!

Amen!

[other one]

FOOTPRINTS...A New Version

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For

much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently,

rarely varying the pace.

But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops,

turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.

For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your

footprints

come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently.

You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints

that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His

steps.

Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are

becoming one.

This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The

footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.

Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints

they have become one.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is

back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops.

Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints.

You are amazed and shocked.

Your dream ends. Now you pray:

"Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new

Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and

helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct."

"And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually

learning to walk in Your steps , following You very closely."

"Very good.. You have understood everything so far."

When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was

becoming like You in every way."

"Precisely."

"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated,

and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.

"You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A

time to weep, a time to laugh, A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.

As our walk goes throught life it changes, sometimes the walk is down hill, and sometimes it is not. I don't believe he has come to carry us, but to pick us up when we fall. We need to do the walking at his side and following in his footsteps, but if he carries us, we will not grow strong ourselves.

So, when things are not going easy, remember that the walk uphill is but for exercise to make us stronger, but never forget He is always there to pick us up if we stumble or fall. That is if we stay close to His side, or walk in his footsetps.

[stillwaters]

Thank you brethren...a wonderful discussion.

[sachi]

Yes- - thanks for raising the topic.

We as Christians do not often talk about the 'dark night of the soul' which we all at some point in our faith journey are called to walk through - many times, actually.

It is a lonely walk and it is a walk where we can FEEL entirely abandoned by God.

But HE is there.

Currently, the Lord has entrusted me to this walk once again. It is bitter and hard.

But I keep my eyes ever fixed on Him and HIS WORD IN my HEART.

That is what keeps me going.

The answers will come later

May you be blessed Emeraldgirl and stay true in this time of trial. You are not alone

[sachi]

other one:

That is a really beautiful new version of 'Footprints"

did you write it - its lovely and inspiring.

Here is something someone send me recently - it fit what God is doing with me in this huge challeneg I am facing:

When you come to the edge of the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen:

There will be something solid to stand on

or you will learn how to fly.

Once again the Lord is teaching me to fly - resting on His wings.

[sachi]

other one:

That is a really beautiful new version of 'Footprints"

Did you write it - its lovely and inspiring.

Here is something someone send me recently - it fits what God is doing with me in this huge challenge I am facing currently:

When you come to the edge of the light you know,

and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown,

faith is knowing one of two things will happen:

There will be something solid to stand on

or you will learn how to fly.

Once again the Lord is teaching me to fly - resting on His wings.

[Guest californialamb]

E-Girl,

Your opinions are even gentler and kinder than mine were, before I surrendered.

I am a input person, a perciver, an analyzer, a skeptic and runner so I understand what you are feeling. Let me help you see how much I understand.

(This is from my journel of my journy to understand God)

If the wage of sin is death, how come all the prisons are so overcrowded?

:suspect: If God won't give you anything you can't handle, why is there suicide?

:x: If God has everything planned out, maybe he needs a Day Planner!

If God loves me, where has he been all my life?

The list goes on...

Truth is you need to study, go to your church or a church that offers OPEN discussions of these topics, pray. Know the reasons how God answers prayers. Keep looking for th epost on here that will answer the questions, but above all read it for yourself. Get a Life application Study Bible, God loves it when you learn about His nature.

Truth is God doesn't really leave us in the sense you are speaking of, WE LEAVE HIM. God desire to have a relationship with you, you have to make sure wht you are or are not doing allows him to do so.

If you don't understand Private message me and we'll talk.

My realtionship with my Lord is strong and I am offended a the things I use to think. Even though I was the one who said them. My journel is about 85 pages all concentrated on before and the year after I became a born-again christian.

Be Blessed. :hug:

Edited September 19, 2004 by californialamb