kiwi Posted February 12, 2002 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 37 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 270 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 29 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/22/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted February 12, 2002 Hello all,I am struggling-BIG TIME!...some have tried to "guess" at why I've said that phrase before--funny, I am ready to say why now. First, though, in one of the threads, someone said "Sin is always the cause of our pain and anguish." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steward George Posted February 12, 2002 Group: Steward Followers: 110 Topic Count: 10,465 Topics Per Day: 1.26 Content Count: 27,774 Content Per Day: 3.33 Reputation: 15,466 Days Won: 129 Joined: 06/30/2001 Status: Online Birthday: 09/21/1971 Steward Share Posted February 12, 2002 Kiwi,Ask the Lord for spiritual discernment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest c josse Posted February 17, 2002 Share Posted February 17, 2002 Dear Kiwi,Let me share this verse with you : "In repentance and rest you shall be saved ; in quietness and trust is your strength " (Isaiah 30:15) Now I understand all your struggles and self-doubts. You need to focus on Christ and not on your own real or imagined short-comings. You need (well, we all need) to learn to trust Him more and more not just for our material well-being but also in every detail of our lives. If He leads you to meet spiritually needy people then He will also enable you to help them. Sometimes "witnessing" may not be what is needed but simply to remember those persons when you pray and to intercede for them. Anyway remember you were saved by grace through faith and it's by grace through faith that you must live your Christian life not through works. You need to stop struggling and simply trust your Heavenly Father like a child. Finally are you familiar with the 4th chapter of Paul's 2nd letter to the Corinthians ? Verse 7 : But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. you will find comfort in the whole chapter and I often find the Bible the best help in defeating those depressing thoughts. Love in Christ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boblandis Posted February 19, 2002 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 252 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 1,859 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 27 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/04/2001 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/16/1963 Author Share Posted February 19, 2002 Kiwi, You have a bunch of good advise in the posts before me. The very first thing you need to do before anthing else is to pray hard and ask for the Lord's guidence. He will answer in due time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted February 20, 2002 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 37 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 270 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 29 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/22/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted February 20, 2002 Thanks to ALL of you for your thoughts, advice and verses!! I think the REAL question for me, is: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanakila Posted February 20, 2002 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 400 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 15 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2001 Status: Offline Share Posted February 20, 2002 Kiwi, you can not force anyone to accept Christ so I don't think its possible that God will judge you for them not being lead to Him. If you are as you said trying to be a positive influence then, you should just pray for opportunities to witness. I undertand where you are coming from in this (I think). My family is mostly unsaved and I have friends and neighbors that are unsaved. I try my best to be a good example of what a true Christian should be, and pray for opportunities to share with them the true gospel. The most important thing is staying right with God and following the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. Christ will give you boldness when necessary to share either your testimony, or a word of wisdom, or even the entire gospel. You should know how to witness, the Romans Road is a good place to start, and walk with God so as to have an answer for the hope that lies within you. From there God will give you opportunities to be "salt"and "light" in this world. You can email me or message me if you have any questions about what I have posted. I am not an expert on witnessing and sometimes feel guilt for not taking opportunities that are there to witness. So, I am far from perfect at this (just forgiven), I have been involved in evangelistic teams though and can share some of my training/experience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted February 21, 2002 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 37 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 270 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 29 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/22/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted February 21, 2002 Thanks, Lana...I think it all comes down to this: there just "seems" to be more and more people who are not "in Christ" and I am feeling a sense of urgency (well, 'almost felt'a sense of urgency)-I have been praying about it. I know God will never steer me wrong!! :biggrin: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Lamps Posted September 30, 2002 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 8 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 109 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/24/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/13/1973 Share Posted September 30, 2002 Kiwi, If these people are repeatedly being put in your path, then I would assume that God is calling you to minister to them. You are trying to answer that call by seeking help on how to witness to them. You are on the right track for sure! :thumb: Something I have been slowing learning (something other online friends have been telling me for some time but is only now sinking in) is that "when we feel un-able, God en-ables". I know it sounds like a cute little cliche, but it is actually true. George is right. The first thing to do is pray. Pray hard. Pray everyday. If you get in tune with the Spirit everyday and read His Word everyday, amazing things will start to happen. I can vouch for this personally. As for being responsible for these people.... very simply.... you are not. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples as He commissioned them to go out in two's to preach the gospel. He told them that if the town would not receive them or listen to them when they offered the Good News, they were to shake the dust of the town off their sandals and move on. At first, this sounds really callous, but it isn't. We cannot forcibly convert anyone because God gave us all the gift of free will. All we are supposed to do is plant the seed. God will make it grow if the soil of their heart is fertile. It is God's job, God's responsibility, not ours to turn their hearts. So, don't worry about the numbers. Just do your job, what you are called to do. You might see the fruits of your labors and you might not. And, that's okay. May God richly bless the ministry He is beginning in you. And, may He richly bless you, His servant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtahfarr4 Posted October 13, 2002 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 9 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 108 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 13 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/21/2001 Status: Offline Share Posted October 13, 2002 Kiwi- my first question would be, how long have you been a christian? If you are a new christian, you are a target for Satan to try and make you "give up" on the faith and quit. What you need to do for these people is PRAY. Get down on your knees and pray that GOD would reach these people. It is not always your call to "make them right" for all fall short of the Glory of GOD. We are all sinners saved by GOD's grace. None of us are perfect. Jesus is the only perfect "one". GOD does not always want you to minister to everyone you come in contact with. When you do come in contact with someone, seek the Holy Spirit and find out if that person is "open". Over time you will be able to discern who is truly seeking GOD and who is there just to try and make you loose your faith. You will be held accountable if you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were to minister to someone, and didn't (see Jonah who tried to get away from GOD). Keep your eyes on Jesus and stay in the WORD of GOD. Ask GOD to write his words on your heart and give you a hunger and thirst for righteousness.. Don't give up. GOD is with you and loves you very much. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest C.D. Light Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Kiwi--I'll add my 2 cents for whatever you may get out of it. First of all you are worrying too much. You are putting burdens on YOU, I believe. God does not put work in front of you to do, and then not prepare you for it in advance. He just doesnt work that way. He FIRST enables you, then puts you to work. Lets not forget that satan can also put these people in your midst, knowing you dont have the answers yet, just to frustrate and upset you, as you are. When God sends someone to you, you will have blurted out the right response and you wont even realize it till its over with. In my 28 plus years in this, THAT is the ONLY way it has ever happened to me. As I was reading your post, I could not help but think this is the work of satan, bombarding you with questions and requests, just to overwhelm you. Dont play his game. I would suggest you just be honest with all these people and tell them you dont quite know how to answer their question, but what you CAN tell them is that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and that THAT is what you attribute everything to. That He is alive and works in your life daily. You are NOT responsible for not doing what you are not able to do. Actually, I believe your presence speaks for itself, and for now I believe that will suffice. Meanwhile, tell the Lord you'd like to be enabled to do more and ask Him to teach you and equip you to do so. It is only satan trying to make you feel all this guilt and frustration. Call his bluff, and use Matt 16:19 against him and BIND the little sucker and COMMAND him to stop it in the name of Jesus. Then try to spend a little time away from it all so you can catch your breath and regroup your former stance. Dont let it get the upper hand over you. God never sends us without first equiping us for the job. Sometimes our "job" is just nothing more than to plant a seed, and for somebody else who has a watering can, to water it. This is not you This is you Hope this helps. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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