What's Wrong with this Picture?

[Crusader4Christ]

Thanks for the clarification, brother.

[Guest prodigaldaughter]

Thank you Zeb. I know that we have been given all the power and have just waiting for us all that we ask....but ...I ...still am timid when it comes to God. Could be because I was not raised with an earthly father.. still just a Babe. but like I said...when I grow up..... I am just thankful that He saw fit to allow Grace and am still in awe. but He knows my heart and my needs and has not failed me yet, even though I have stumbled a few times.

Praise God, I love Him so.

[Crusader4Christ]

I always ask the Lord as meekly as I can. I don't want to sound condescending towards the Lord.

I love the Lord, and I would never act like a jerk towards Him ( when I ask

for things for my family and myself ie. forgiveness, faith, etc.) I just can't boldly

ask Him of things.

Just like with my dad, I can't ask him boldly either. I ask meekly.

God bless you brothers and sisters.

[Guest zebulon]

Crusader

I know whatchoo mean. I think boldly means something today perhaps it didn't mean in Paul's day. I interpret it to mean 'with complete confidence that all is well.'

I don't approach the throne as if I'm a sinner, because in Christ I'm not, remembering that

he doesn't see me in the flesh, but my heart which belongs to the Lord. He sees Jesus. He

desires a father/son relationship, with warmth and trust and respect.

Boldly -- without worry or concern, without fear of rejection, confident of his love

"If God be for us, who can be against us?"

This may sound really strange, but, when the Lord taught me how to approach him about matters, while I was still wallowing in the worst curse you could imagine (financially, emotionally, spiritually), he told me a joke in order to break through my thick skull. I know that sounds strange, but... hey, he showed Moses his backside, so, we know he has a sense of humor The joke he told me was by way of running across a silly rip off preacher out of NY named "Reverend Ike." He's been around forever, one of those name it and claim it preachers, but mixes voodoo-like stuff into his services, all oriented around getting money (for himself). I was flipping channels on TV and landed on Rev. Ike and he, like most preachers of this ilk, mix truth with lies. And I was noticing how he was mixing the truth with lies, and had just been praying for many months about my situation and had just been talking to the Lord about it. And I started to laugh because God was basically showing me what a joke this guy was, and yet, he wanted me to recognize one truth he had which I apparently was too apprehensive to explore or recieve or accept. This Rev. Ike said, "Loose my money, Lord! Loose my money," after having explained that we are joint-heirs with Christ in all things. Well, I started laughing, but it was a laugh of faith because it finally dawned on me, I was cursing myself! I was letting the devil has his way with me up one side and back down the other. God wasn't witholding anything from me, I was witholding things from me because I didn't see myself as a child of God, a joint-heir with Christ. I saw myself as a lowly sinner undeserving of anything and was just blessed the Lord hadn't squished me yet!

Ever since then I just say, like a private joke between the Lord and myself, "Loose my money, Lord!" and he does. One time, a baptist friend of mine who really struggles a lot with the supernatural element of his walk with Christ (he's a firm believer, but doesn't exercise his faith very much beyond that and doesn't believe in the gifts of the spirit and such), was present when a "loose my money, Lord" moment was called for, and he just hissed with disapproval and rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't joke about that," he said, "You can't talk to God like that." About 3 seconds later my email made its usual alert sound ... and there was the money. Via paypal. The exact amount I needed for the situation at hand. I couldn't stop laughing (with joy, and, a mutual laugh with the Lord). My friend asked me, "Why did this person send you this amount of money just NOW?" I didn't have a clue. I didn't even recognize the sender as related to any business matter I had. So I emailed the person and it turned out to be someone who more than a year ago had opted out of a particular opportunity and said "It just came over me to change my mind and take a chance."

Suffice it to say, my Baptist friend was left with his jaw hanging open and speechless for several minutes while my wife and I laughed until tears were spurting. The unfortunate thing is, he refuses to entreat God without lamentations... and that can just get you so far.

The Lord is Good

Or maybe that should be The Lord Sho Am Some Good!

[refugepsa91]

Just came out of one of "those church's"...and I tell you it isnt fun at all...to realize all of a sudden that you have been following doctrine that is just plain false....wrong...twisted...etc... the church that I attended gave to copeland and the pastor went to Rhema bible college....need I say more?

Praise God he opened my eyes and ears to hear ... I am so grateful and humbled to tears that He lead me to leave that place and never look back.

although I do have friends who are still there...I have tried to talk to them about it...but one just told me if what I had to say was gonna turn her away from the church then she didn't want to hear it....I just hope that I got in enough to her to make her think...I pray Jesus will do the rest.

Shadow...did you have friends who stayed after you and yours were lead out?....some advice would be helpful on how to handle them....from anyone....there is a camp outing this weekend and all of my friends who attend this church still want me and my family to go and stay there with them...I don't know what to do...do I go?...and risk being attacked because of our decsion....ahhhhhh so confused.

Love and Blessings

Angel H.

ps. there is a good chance that the pastor of the church will stop in for a visit also...I don't think I am ready to answer any questions from him or his wife.

[Guest Calamity]

Angel H, I'm SOOOO thankful that the Lord led you out of there!!! We have some family members that are in a church that we left about 8-9 months ago. They rarely even talk to us anymore. It wasn't the type you're talking about, but it wasn't right in some of the teachings. It can be a hard time, but remember God opened your eyes for a reason...

[Crusader4Christ]

Well, I was in the same situation as you were Refugepsa91. I was once a

catholic, but I praise God for showing me the right way. I got out of its pagan

traditions.

I was a professing catholic, I was born catholic, I went to a catholic elementary school, and my family ( my mom's side ) was, and still is, catholic.

But since they are portuguese, they are very Marian, nay, Fatimian ( Of Fatima). However, I got out of it.

Thank goodness I was saved by the Lord.

[Guest zebulon]

What a lot of people don't know is these churches are part of an enormous, multi-billion $ pyramid scheme, which tithes the tithes and offerings back to the top, which is Oral Roberts. There are some operating outside of that particular pyramid, but his is the largest... Copeland, Creflo A. Dollar (Creflo is creole for "Gimmie" I think ), most of the TBN crowd, etc.

Independent operators like Robert Tilton or Popoff and EV Grant are starting to compete pretty powerfully with the "old boy" network, now.

[Catsmeow]

Creflo A. Dollar (Creflo is creole for "Gimmie" I think 

I hope you were just kidding...surely this guy wouldn't give himself such a name...

But oh, geez...if that's true...wouldn't his congregation be horrified...

"Gimme" A. Dollar... :x:

[Crusader4Christ]

Catsmeow...

where do you get those smileys?

Anyways, oh yes, Zebulon, you're right. Oral Roberts is of the top. He has

many that do what he did: John Hagee, Robert Schuller, Jack Van Impe, etc.

They do the selling after the show is finished. That's where they make the

big $ ka-chings.

They might be teaching scripture, but they are like what Matthew 7:15-20

describes.

God bless you brothers and sisters.