Sower Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,267 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,885 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted February 17, 2023 12 hours ago, Mije said: It is hard to remember sometimes the years between verses in scripture. ‘Darkness’ may last years but it is not an indication of rejection- It is an indication of something moving in God’s will perhaps- but it is so hard to bear at times without fearing the worst. Very timely posts @Sower and @Marathoner I remember many years back when our family was becoming committed to the Lords will yet going through the mean and lean yrs and was struggling in my business, trying to put beans on the table. I came across John 15, "I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser"( vine pruner) every branch (us) that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. I discovered that we as a branch the Father prunes off anything that disables/troubles bearing fruit, so then there is less branch, us, so more nutrients/life goes into bearing fruit, which glorifies the Father. Could be loss of a job or business, friends or church, home or possessions, etc that are compromising bearing fruit. He may have a better job, friends, home or church etc etc.. For me, this time was when I felt the big 'why' do you not hear me God, why so silent and not giving me direction for escape. My business needed customers, which were few. Our trailer house needed repair, un-affordable, vehicles breaking down. I did feel as if God was not listening, or I had some sin getting in the way, or maybe I wasn't even saved. Like said above, much condemnation from the enemy. I was definitely under the hand of the knife, in the Father's hands. Little did I know we were being pruned, and God was there all along, and as individuals and as a family, we changed. During this time of pruning we saw the hand of God orchestrating a need to show up at the last minute, over and over. Though being pruned from much we learned to trust, and our hands on faith grew, and God is faithful. (Oh ye of little faith) I have learned to accept those times when I 'feel' disconnected knowing now that I'm not. My fears, compounded by the enemies whispers, are another lesson to be learned for growth. (count it all joy) And then such great favor, the answers timed rightly. A new appreciation for; "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mije Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 22 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 162 Content Per Day: 0.31 Reputation: 95 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/26/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/28/1967 Author Share Posted February 17, 2023 1 hour ago, Sower said: A new appreciation for; "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" Things are disappointingly awry over here and I am somewhat awash in it and myself. Only God knows what He’s up to- I’m clinging to the promise, or at least trying too😅 but it is very hard. He is very silent and I know I am very wrong so things seem very hopeless. Lots of verys😆. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 72 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,240 Content Per Day: 7.08 Reputation: 13,252 Days Won: 99 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted February 17, 2023 2 minutes ago, Mije said: Things are disappointingly awry over here and I am somewhat awash in it and myself. Only God knows what He’s up to- I’m clinging to the promise, or at least trying too😅 but it is very hard. He is very silent and I know I am very wrong so things seem very hopeless. Lots of verys😆. As my old friend and brother in Christ said, "Enduring is good!" Endure! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 72 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,240 Content Per Day: 7.08 Reputation: 13,252 Days Won: 99 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted February 17, 2023 I didn't always have a relationship with my father. I'm what you might call a "Vietnam War baby" because I was conceived after my father's last tour in the theater. My early memories and experiences with my father were absolutely horrific; he was prone to terrifying outbursts of rage. He would beat us all but it didn't stop there. He would thrash other men as well and due to his connections in all the right places, never suffered any consequences for what he did. The MPs were his buddies and let him off the hook. There's never an excuse for the evil men do, but there came a time when he changed. I can point to one specific event when the Lord broke my father, and it involved me (I was a teenager at the time). From that point forward my father was a completely different man. I believe that whatever he experienced during the war destroyed him psychologically. He was never permitted to speak about what he did there and after my own experience in the Army following in his footsteps, I understood that it had something to do with "black ops." He had no one to lean upon or talk to. It explained why he was so volatile and dangerous. Ah, but my father belonged to the Lord as I discovered later in life (he was a musician for his church before joining the Army), so it all came together: the Lord showed my father what he was doing to his family. He used me as an example of us all. My father saw himself in me --- I'm his only son --- and the dark times ended. He became the bright spot of my family and the reason why I would visit long after my mother disowned me. When everyone I knew mocked me for following Jesus Christ, my father was proud on account of what I did. Dark times can fall upon us in different ways, and they can have an effect that might appear terrible or even horrible. They can be brief or last many years, but there's one thing I know: we who belong to the Lord are pruned and strengthened by them. Yep, endure. Enduring is good! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,267 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,885 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted February 17, 2023 1 hour ago, Mije said: Things are disappointingly awry over here and I am somewhat awash in it and myself. Only God knows what He’s up to- I’m clinging to the promise, or at least trying too😅 but it is very hard. He is very silent and I know I am very wrong so things seem very hopeless. Lots of verys😆. Try 'very' repentant (repentance = ('change of thinking' thoughts) He chastises the ones he loves. Faithful. Take any condemning-fearful thought as lies not from God. Your God does not condemn you, Mije. Only the enemy the devil will condemn you and remind you of your fears.. You are in a battle! For your mind. The Armor of God "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows (those fearful - condemning thoughts)of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. It works. It is a battle for the mind...But Jesus, your savior, is already victorious over the devil. It is finished! Believe it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mije Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 22 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 162 Content Per Day: 0.31 Reputation: 95 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/26/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/28/1967 Author Share Posted February 17, 2023 3 minutes ago, Sower said: Your God does not condemn you That’s the one, right there. That and ‘God loves you’, that I just cannot ‘get’. I know it, I feel it, I even believe it to be true, but it flies out the window at the first sign of trouble- from outside or of my own making. This should be it’s own thread- “How do you ___________ God?” The blank is for the verb I am lacking at the moment… Is faith like standing against a wind that is gentle and then fierce, that kisses you and then hurls shrapnel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted February 17, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,267 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,885 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted February 17, 2023 41 minutes ago, Mije said: That’s the one, right there. That and ‘God loves you’, that I just cannot ‘get’. I know it, I feel it, I even believe it to be true, but it flies out the window at the first sign of trouble- from outside or of my own making. This should be it’s own thread- “How do you ___________ God?” The blank is for the verb I am lacking at the moment… Is faith like standing against a wind that is gentle and then fierce, that kisses you and then hurls shrapnel? This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (God is light-truth-reality-creator) The Word! “How do you ___________ God?” Thank-Believe-trust-get mad at-not trust-curse-cry out to-love-have faith in-hope in and many more for me, at one time or another in the day. Pick one. Faith is when you get into your car, start it up, and get up to 70-80 mph before ever testing the brakes. You have faith in them. Why. Because you use them all the time. You learned to trust them. To have faith in God you have to start trusting Him and see the results, believing His best for you. But first; So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Read it, memorize it. Use it. Discuss it. It is the Light! It is the truth, and NOT feelings, nor lies. But you have to purpose to believe that. There is no magic. Well, there sorta like if you simply/humbly/courageously do what God says and wait for the results He promises, through obedience. Verses you can find in scripture, that you can purpose to believe, (and have faith in)appropriate I think. Given by God, compiled by another; "These verses help me in times of distress and emotional unrest. These verses keep me focused on God’s promises rather than my problems. I would encourage you to also memorize these. Keep them close to you. Put them on your phone background screen. Write them on sticky notes and hang them on your mirror so you can see them first thing in the morning. I pray they encourage your heart and lift your head today! Isaiah 30:20-21 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Philippians 4:5b-7 The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 2 Cor 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 1 Peter 1:6-7 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Psalm 30:5b Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Chronicles 16:9a For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Hosea 2:14-15 “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Putting truth, light, true data into the mind is like reprogramming our corrupted hard drive minds, which then exposes the false data (bad pre programmed data from years of dysfunctional imput), and enables to think differently(repenting), correctly, knowing the truth directly from God. And for me, it sure makes me FEEL better, trust more, and have confidence(faith) in the Word, which is God. Talking to us!.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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