Seeking Guidance on Common Law Marriage

[FeministWhoLovesABeliever]

On 4/26/2020 at 2:56 PM, Coliseum said:

1 John 5:13
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

Jesus is speaking to John by His Spirit:
Revelation 1:11
"Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

"The epistles, or letters, of Paul include letters to several congregations (the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians), a few personal letters (to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) and a letter to his Hebrew brothers and sisters throughout the realm."

Just of few. Everything in the Bible is ultimately from Jesus. He is the Author, but men, as they were led by the Spirit, wrote them down.

So Jesus, in his life, did was not heard to say these things. Instead they were written by people who were led by his spirit. To me, this just circles back to human fallibility. Christianity, Catholicism, LDS, JW, all make different determinations about what was ultimately from God.

The "We know that the cannon that we hold is the full, complete, clear, and only words of Christ because it says that it is." approach isn't going to work for me. If I come to the conclusion that it is, it will be from a different angle. Maybe because scripture will start to resonate with me or I'll have a personal experience of Christ.  

I am finding that, for the most part, this forum isn't increasing my desire to know Christ. (This is a general statement. It isn't directed at you, Coliseum) I suspect that a good number of you will think it's because I'm not getting the answers that I want. But I'm not here for social proof or other people's opinions of what my answers should be. I'm looking for inspiration and questions that will engage my mind, heart, intuition, and experiences and bring me closer to Christ.   

The Faith and Feminism podcast is doing this for me, so I'm going to turn most of my time and attention there and slow down my responses here.  Insofar as we all share the same goal of my coming closer to Christ, perhaps those of you who can't meet me someplace besides "it is true because it says it's true" might be so kind as to drop out of the conversation? 

I think that if I do come to accept Christ as my savior, it won't be from a place of fear, but from one of joy and wonder.  It won't be from finding the right answers but from finding the right questions. I hope that those of you who are interested in engaging in such conversations with me will be patient in waiting for responses. This single response has taken me 2 hours and I'm super-behind with work. 

Thank you all for engaging with me this far. I've learned a lot. <3 

 

 

 

 

 

[Justin Adams]

20 minutes ago, FeministWhoLovesABeliever said:

Thank you all for engaging with me this far. I've learned a lot.

If you have time, go to Job Martin's videos on "Amazing creatures that defy evolution". (YouTube) The kids love them and they are really amazing. Job Martin was an atheist until some students challenged him. I am pretty sure you will find it a fascinating thing to think about. Blessings in your search.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Justin Adams

[FeministWhoLovesABeliever]

On 4/26/2020 at 3:50 PM, Behold said:

. .It's Jesus, who Himself declared that He IS Truth.  John 14:6.    So, thats a bit different then just considering that truth is perhaps a set of moral evaluations, and each has their own idea of what that means..  A dictionary has its idea.  The 10 Commandments have their say.....  The Buddha has his.     YET....Jesus The Christ  said He IS THE Truth.  He said that all learning that is related to  trying to find truth, if it does not lead to Him, is "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth".  

I might be able to get to the above. 

On 4/26/2020 at 3:50 PM, Behold said:

God is LOVE.   And that word is not truly defined by the simple human idea of a sweet feeling inside, but its much more.  Its found in the Heart of Jesus, who, when He was nearly dead and hanging by spikes on the Cross nearly bled out, looked down from that horrible Cross into the eyes of ALL who hated Him and were enjoying His suffering, and He spoke words of LOVE to them, saying..."Father forgive them".  

I aspire to be like this. I want God to forgive those who have harmed me. I want God to save those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior. 

On 4/26/2020 at 3:50 PM, Behold said:

So, regarding women's role in existence, and in the Bible.  Well, we should look to Jesus or Paul as they certainly defined it.  And in both cases, they show us plainly that many women played an important and integral  part in their ministry.  

I'm seeing that, with Jesus. 

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!""Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40)

Not so much with Paul:

"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says." (1 Corinthians 14:34)

"I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." (1 Timothy 2:12) 

 

On 4/26/2020 at 3:50 PM, Behold said:

As a matter of fact it was actually a woman who gave birth to The Son of God,.... and that would seem to ME, to be pretty a pretty profound role in the Bible that the word of God celebrates.  The True Biblical account of God choosing the  virgin Mary in Israel to be the person who birthed the Holy Christ The LORD into this dark world to save us from our sin and restore us into God's eternal family, is not found to be of tiny significance regarding the history of "famous woman in the world".@FeministWhoLovesABeliever.... wouldn't you agree?

I do! This is what I love about the Faith in Feminism podcast. It talks about things that I can relate to, things that help make scripture relevant to me :-) 

 

On 4/26/2020 at 3:50 PM, Behold said:

So, i dont want to keep you too long here, but, if i could speak a bit more regarding an  idea that the bible is only a book, man made, ... Well, its really not.  One of the ways you can know the bible is not just a fictitious story line, starts by realizing  that the Old Testament is about 4000 yrs in the making.  And what makes it so utterly amazing is that it predicted and prophesied so many literal points of reality concerning Jesus before He was born.  In other words, one of the ways you know that the Bible is REAL, is a TRUE Spiritual Book, that is  God inspired and is a sort of spiritual dictation recorded by men who are the vessels of God...(they are the transmission devices of God), is because so many verses in the OLD TESTAMENT = foretold specific details about Jesus, thousands of years before He was Born.   Including where he would be born, and How He would die.  So, its impossible to guess over 50 perfect details about Jesus that happened, and Him not be born yet. YET the Old Testament did this more then 50 times,.. more then 60 times....  You can research that.  and if a colleague of yours, such as a female theologian translates from the original Hebrew an OT and from the extant Koine Greek Texts they create a NT, then she will be translating the same bible that you can buy from Walmart.  And in it, hers or that one,  are may literal details regarding the Lord Jesus, that were given 500 t0 3500 YEARS before He was born, and every one of the specific detail happened exactly as She would translate them into a new Version of the word of God.

 

I'm not saying that is only a man-made book. I'm saying that if my husband welcomes me as Jesus did Mary than I want to be part of that. But if he or any other teacher thinks that I am not to speak in church and that I shouldn't be allowed to teach or assume authority over a man, than I want no part of that. 

(My beloved is very much the former instead of the latter. But the bible that he wants me to embrace contains the latter.)

[FeministWhoLovesABeliever]

 

On 4/26/2020 at 4:14 PM, Michael37 said:

Ironically you seem to be judging me, Feminist.

It is true. I'm judging you. But I've kept those thoughts to myself. Instead I only wrote of the way you treated me. 

On 4/26/2020 at 4:14 PM, Michael37 said:

True, you are outside the ekklesia and maybe unaware that the watchman warns the flock against the wiles of the wicked.

you justify your treatment of me with the Old Testament. In contrast, the new testament says: 

 

³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you  (Matthew 5:38-48) 

And the Pharisees and ^gtheir scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, ^h“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 ⁱI have not come to call the righteous ^jbut sinners ^kto repentance.” (Luke 5) 

 

On 4/26/2020 at 4:14 PM, Michael37 said:

In your case you seem to be pushing for a compromise that will ease your conscience and excuse your bondage to immorality. There is no such compromise in Scripture. Also, Christians must judge between right and wrong, whilst expecting to be judged with the same measure. Sure, congregations are rife with de facto couples who bend and shape Scripture every which way to suit themselves, but why?

Why are choosing scripture that suits your stance?   

Thank you, Michael, for serving as an example of many of the things that I've been saying.  

 

 

[FeministWhoLovesABeliever]

On 4/26/2020 at 5:21 PM, Godismyloveforever said:

Sorry.  However, the point is that you need to just move on when someone says something you don't like.  I have been attacked by members here for things I believe.  Attacked extremely more seriously than anything said to you in this thread.  Leaving it behind and going forward is the only way I have ever dealt successfully with such things. 

I just was passing on that advice to you in a cute way to soften the situation. 

God bless 

               

Thank you for the apology.

I assure you that I'm not at all concerned about what Michael said. I think it is important to stand up to bullying. I hope that when you were attacked people stood up for you. 

 

 

 

[FeministWhoLovesABeliever]

On 4/26/2020 at 10:57 PM, Blood Bought 1953 said:

Congratulations! You are half-way Home......farther along the Path than a lot of people who “ think” they are Christians , but in reality are nothing more than  Religious Tares Who “ APE” the behaviors of the Christian, but lack the Power That is behind those behaviors — The Holy Spirit . You May be lacking that Spirit and that is the Absolute , Vital Thing that you must have to be saved.....forever . You can get this Spirit and be saved simply by Believing the Gospel Of 1 Cor15:1-4....... those sins you are wisely aware of and freely admit were  ALL paid for by Jesus at the Cross......Believe  that and also Believe that He rose from the dead three days later and you are Saved.....it’s a Promise from God and it is impossible for God to break a Promise.....May God  Grant  you “ eyes to see” the Truths I have sent your way..May God  Bless you in your understanding of these things ....you remain in my prayers....

 

Thanks. I'll read Gospel Of 1 Cor15:1-4 tonight. And also thank you, so much, for praying for me. tears. 

[Blood Bought 1953]

11 minutes ago, FeministWhoLovesABeliever said:

Thanks. I'll read Gospel Of 1 Cor15:1-4 tonight. And also thank you, so much, for praying for me. tears. 

 

Fem.....Trust me when I say that it is an honor and a blessing to pray for you......It is  not my Nature to brag, but I must reveal to you that my Track Record when it comes to answered prayers is Amazing....When you discover what REAL CHRIsTIANITY is, you are going to kick yourself in the rear-end like I did.....” Why didn’t I turn  to  God Sooner?” I can guarantee you that is not what you have been told! If you come to understand what the Gospel is......it is also to learn what it is NOT!  Please do yourself an all- important favor......get started out on the right path .....Google this—- Harry Ironside Gospel

Please let me know how things go.....PM me if you wish......always remember this: “ ANYBODY that ASKS to be Saved WILL be Saved”. May God Bless you, fine woman.......I Believe He already has! 

 

  

 

[Michael37]

5 hours ago, FeministWhoLovesABeliever said:

Why are choosing scripture that suits your stance?   

Seems to be you doing that, Feminist, ironically so, given your particular prejudice against the Bible as being out of whack due to it being received, written, and translated by fallible humans. 

On 4/27/2020 at 4:21 AM, FeministWhoLovesABeliever said:

I'm saying that it was received, written and translated by fallible humans. My searching here, instead of in a non-denominational community, indicates my desire to better understand and consider the Christian perspective. 

The Christian perspective or worldview has a theistic theology, a supernatural philosophy, an absolutist ethicality, a creationist biology, a dualistic mind/ body God-trusting psychology,  a traditionalist home, ekklesia, and state sociology, a biblical and natural law, a justice, freedom, and order politic, a property stewardship economic, and a resurrectionist history, all of which are under attack from the likes of humanism and marxism. [David A. Noebel devotes 42 chapters to a comparison of the Christian worldview with those of secular humanism, marxism/leninism, and cosmic humanism in his book "The Battle For Truth"]

5 hours ago, FeministWhoLovesABeliever said:

you justify your treatment of me with the Old Testament

With reference to watching over the flock, it is not just an Old Testament concept as these NT verses show:

Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
1Co 16:13  Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
2Ti 4:5  But watch you in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry.
Heb 13:17  Obey them that have the guide you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be you therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

[Behold]

9 hours ago, FeministWhoLovesABeliever said:

I might be able to get to the above. 

I aspire to be like this. I want God to forgive those who have harmed me. I want God to save those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior. 

I'm seeing that, with Jesus. 

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!""Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40)

Not so much with Paul:

"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says." (1 Corinthians 14:34)

"I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." (1 Timothy 2:12) 

 

I do! This is what I love about the Faith in Feminism podcast. It talks about things that I can relate to, things that help make scripture relevant to me :-) 

 

I'm not saying that is only a man-made book. I'm saying that if my husband welcomes me as Jesus did Mary than I want to be part of that. But if he or any other teacher thinks that I am not to speak in church and that I shouldn't be allowed to teach or assume authority over a man, than I want no part of that. 

(My beloved is very much the former instead of the latter. But the bible that he wants me to embrace contains the latter.)

 

Do you believe there is such a thing as "Divinely created human nature"?  That there is an innate complexity within the 2 genders whereby they are uniquely  different, mentally, psychologically,... and that this plays out naturally in LIFE?

We can see by our bodies that God made them different.. so, is the only difference between you and your fella?  Your body vs his body?  We can understand that estrogen and other chemicals creates the woman's anatomy to be  curvy and soft and that testosterone essentially makes me "manly" and designed to lift weights and fight.   So even chemically God has designed us as "different".... naturally.

In a marriage is there a male and a female?   Is there a "head of the household"?  Should the woman "wear the pants" and the man wear the bra and the lipstick?

Is it possible for a feminist to recognize that in nature there is a divine order, regarding the magnitude of how the sexes relate naturally.... that is sometimes misrepresented as "keeping the woman down"?

So, let me explain that verse to you...>"women keep silent in the church"........ Get in your time machine, and fly back to 30ad. Nineteen Hundred and Seventy years ago..   Now go in someone's house, that has a lot of people in it, sitting on a floor, as thats the "church building"...   Now, put women in there with men.    Who is going to be doing most of the talking?     Or, you have this..   The women are on one side of the living room, and then men on the other side, and the preacher is trying to teach, and has no microphone, just his voice, and you have women talking across the room loudly to their man about who is going to get the fish and the bread on the way home.   So, Paul is trying to get this NOISE to stop.    He is not trying to put a muzzle on women, he is trying to get the room to be QUIET so that the teacher can be heard.     See, Paul is also the person who gives the church the rules and regulations regarding ministry and ministers.(New Testament)   And he says this....a PASTOR, has to be "Husband of ONE WIFE"....that's a man.     So, setting aside gay rights, and the twisted idea of all that has become legalized.....sorry if i stepped on you there, but, just because something is legal does not make it moral, according to how GOD SEES it......... So, im not here to validate CNN or MSNBC's daily push back against anything related to morality, and im not here to redefine morality according to how one culture separates it from another's in the world.   But what i can tell you, is that according to Paul.... A woman can PREACH, TEACH, be an Apostle, a Prophet, a Missionary, translate a BIBLE,  and any other thing in the "church", but she can't play the role of a man because she's not one.  And many Feminist's would argue that there is no such difference, and i would argue that that is just not reality or real life or common sense.  It seems to me that many  hyper feminist's want to see " ALL COLOR" as "grey", and i dont buy it.  I dont believe that everything is equal, as Life and Nature and prove thats its not.   Common sense proves that its not.   LOGIC proves that its not..  Differences exist....so, being angry that they do, is just being ridiculous. 
Men, often, OFTEN,=  take advantage of these difference and try to control and manipulate, and that is WRONG on every level and should be pointed out and highlighted and stopped.....yes.  

In our society and in our world at large,  there is absolutely  a "glass ceiling" regarding so many situations that women face in life....= Absolutely.

Im some middle eastern Quran loving countries they will murder you just for being a feminist.   They will tie you up in a sheet, pour gas on this sheet, soak it,  & light it,  and leave you to burn  in the street.  And im not kidding.

Listen @FeministWhoLovesABeliever.. Paul never reduces the woman's role.  He instead demands that the MAN Love the woman as He love's himself, as Christ loved the Church.   And  the man is to be her security, her provider, her nurturer,  and to also provide her with physical intimacy  whenever she requires it...... Yeah, really.  Thats BIBLE.. That's PAUL Teaching...   So, don't let people who have as their only agenda, to teach this phony idea that the bible hates women and Paul is hoping its true, be your truth.  Its not true.  What is true is that God took a rib that was next to Adam's heart and made him a heart partner, a 2nd half, a helper who is to be that support system and that respect giver,  as well as be considered his equal.  See, a woman is co-equal to the male, but she is not to play the ROLE of the man.....and many feminist climb walls and shout at Stop-Signs only because they can't stand this situation.   Paul understood it perfectly, and God designed it that way...... So, accept it or not.   Thats up to you.  But either way, God loves you, and wants you to be a part of His eternal family, and does not require you to stop being yourself to be so..   And if you want to be a part of His eternal family, then you become this the same way you became a part of your family. You have to be BORN into it.  And so, you have to be BORN AGAIN into God's family , and you can't do that for yourself.   If you could, then Jesus would not have had to die on that Cross FOR YOU.

 

God answers Prayer.

 

 

B

Edited April 29, 2020 by Behold

[FeministWhoLovesABeliever]

On 4/27/2020 at 1:02 AM, Michael37 said:

It's a matter of choosing who and what you want to believe. If you want to believe "another gospel" which is a counterfeit from a deceiving spirit, that is your prerogative. 

I don't want to turn my beliefs over to any gospel, person, or group. For me, belief isn't a choice. It's a result of knowledge, experience, and inner-knowing. I don't think that these things are separate from God, nor do I think that, in spite of my diligent efforts, these components that lead to belief are safe from the unconscious influence of my desires. This is why it's so important to seek the guidance of those I respect.

Slavery was once widely justified by Paul's words:  

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”  (Ephesians, VI, 5-7)

God's wishes haven't changed since slavery was an institution. Our collective interpretation of the bible did. I suspect that, long ago, people who were interested in accepting Christ experienced reluctance that is similar to mine because the bible they were being told to accept as the word of God was used to promote slavery and that they too were dismissed by many Christians for being under the influence of "deceiving spirit." 

God doesn't want slavery. God doesn't want misogyny.