| Author | Message | ||
| Denisegilmore (Denisegilmore) |
My prayers are also going up for this website, that God will protect it and that it reach many more people (enlargement of territory). In Jesus Christ Name. amen. Denise | ||
| Denisegilmore (Denisegilmore) |
African and Speakeasy again, My prayers, for there are many, are going up to God for both of you. May our God, Jesus the Christ, keep you both from all deceptions by giving you such sight into HIS Truth, that nothing will stop you from seeing HIM. In Jesus Christ Name, our God. amen. Denise | ||
| Susan_2 (Susan_2) |
I have a prayer request, for me. I am 51 years old and an only child. I have been suffering for several days now with asthma and broncitis. I feel worn out. My eldery mother is having health problems and relies on me for providing transportation as well as most of her conpanionship. My dad died several months ago. They were married 55 years. My husband has cancer and is all messed up from a big, awful battle in 1970 in the Vietnam Conflict (ha! it was a WAR!). He's in misery. My child is on home detention and I have to run him to at least two AA meetngs per week and try to keep him out of trouble (judges orders). I'm trying to keep myself from becomming too worn down but I feel like I'm about to collaspe. At this point please pray that I can maintain so I can take care of everyone elses needs. Thanks so much. | ||
| Denisegilmore (Denisegilmore) |
Susan, My prayers will be many in behalf of your entire family! I'll begin tonight that the Lord strengthen you all and give all of you some Peace. In Jesus Christs Mighty Name. amen. your sister, denise | ||
| Susan_2 (Susan_2) |
Thank-you. | ||
| Terryk (Terryk) |
Dear Susan2 wow it sounds like you have a lot on your plate. In a time like this it is very important to keep up your health. I have already lifted you up in prayer and your loved ones. I pray that the peace of Christ comfort you. It is great knowing that we have so many praying for us. God Bless Terryk | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Susan, I will be praying that you will feel sustained and strengthened and that you will experience the peace and comfort of Jesus. I will also pray for peace and healing, physical and spiritual, for your family and you. And I'll also pray that you will be able to love them for God. Many years ago when I was drowning in some overwhelming family responsibilites, a friend of mine said something to me that forever changed the way I looked at my responsibility to others. She said this, "You have to remember that you're not loving them for YOUR sake or even for their sakes. You are loving them for God." I realized at that moment that I did not have to know WHAT to do, and I did not have to have to have feelings of affection or satisfaction about my responsibilites and the people I had to care for. All I had to be was WILLING. I merely had to be present for those people and stand before God willing to allow Him to love them through me. If I was willing to allow Him to minister to those people, he could use me even when I wasn't aware that he was loving through me. He had the answers; I didn't. Being available and willing to be God's hands and feet meant God could direct what I did instead of me having to figure out the best and wisest things to do. It also meant that God could protect my own heart and strength, and that he might even provide some methods or responses I would never have thought up on my own. You are handling a lot. I will pray for God to be your strength and your refuge. Colleen | ||
| Speakeasy (Speakeasy) |
How do I know that if God through prayer has told me somethings. And if he is guiding me on some things. How do I know it is not of Satan. How do you test it? And if I do test it and I have a little. The things are found in the bible. And if I act on them. I will be a man on an island of my own. That does not sound write. Thanks Speakeasy | ||
| Lydell (Lydell) |
Speakeasy, can you give some examples or explain a bit better what you are talking about? Are you talking about doctrinal things or something like everyday decisions? The Lord has definitely given us the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. For now, I would say that the number one criteria for judging if something is from the Lord is that it will agree with scripture. | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
I agree with Lydell. Scripture is the #1 measure of whether or not something is from the Lord. But can you be more specific? Also, Speakeasy, have you ever prayed the sinner's prayer, admitting to God that you are hopelessly flawed by sin and lost and need a Savior? If not, tell Jesus that you know you are lost and need a Savior. Ask him to be the Lord of you life, and accept his sacrifice for you. Thank him for his forgiveness which he accomplished by dying for you and by rising from the dead to give you new life. Let go of your defenses and fears before him, and accept the Holy Spirit's witness in your heart that you have now become God's true child. When we turn our focus solely on Jesus and allow him to clarify our need of his salvation and cleansing, when we accept his death FOR US, we are literally made into new creations. We literally receive the Holy Spirit, and He begins to witness to us about the truth and power and love of Jesus. He begins to help us read the Bible with new eyes and to understand spiritual things which we could not understand before. I will be praying for you. By the way, Hannah, how did church go with your mother-in-law today? Colleen | ||
| Speakeasy (Speakeasy) |
Yes I have said the sinners prayer! Speakeasy | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Then, Speakeasy, you can trust Jesus to teach you with his Spirit and to reveal truth as you seek it! I continue to pray for you. Colleen | ||
| Denisegilmore (Denisegilmore) |
SpeakEasy, Shalom! I understand where you are coming from. For I too, came from the same Jewish Customs as yourself. Many years ago though. Still, once you have Believed that the Promised Messiah has already come and died for us then the Holy Spirit will come into you and from there, He will lead you to ALL Truth. It doesn't happen overnight, trust me when I say that. BUT, keep reading God's Word...especially the New Testament and get to know Jesus Christ. Pray always and ALL Things will begin to get very clear for you and by and by, here a little, there a little, (Isaiah), you will have HIS PEACE that only our Messiah can give to you! Anything that does NOT match the Word of God, is NOT Truth. Pray for discernment, perhaps God will grant this gift to you. Believe HIM, you know He will not lie to you. My prayers go up for you, May God's Face Shine Upon you and Forever give you HIS PEACE!. In Jesus Christ Name, this I pray. amen. Love to you, IN Christ Jesus, our God. denise | ||
| Speakeasy (Speakeasy) |
How do I know that God will not change his way for Salvation again? There are 5 different ways that God changed his way for salvation. So can I trust the word would be better than asking do I trust in Jesus Christ. Speakeasy | ||
| Lydell (Lydell) |
Speakeasy, you are mistaken when you say that God has changed His way of salvation 5 times! Salvation has always been as a matter of faith resting on His promises. In the Old Testament it was always looking forward to the future Messiah. Even with the sacrifices of the Old Testament, he says that it was not the blood of the sacrifices that pleased Him, but a broken heart and a contrite spirit. It was a matter of turning from what man thought was right or that would suffice (as in any sacrifice I decide to give will do, or going thru a ritual, or giving up something, etc.) and doing things God's way (by faith believing that sin's penalty really was death and couldn't be attoned for in the sinners power). That has never ever changed. | ||
| Speakeasy (Speakeasy) |
Let me restate what I said. Why would God have changed his mind and saying change is not really what I want to say. But why would there be written in the bible around 5 different ways throughout the age of being justified? Don't get me wrong. The only way at this time to be save is what Paul said in Romans 10:9-10 and 1 Corinthians 15;1-4 these are the only ways that we know of that we can be saved at this time. But God does change! Am I wrong? I have from a kid have been told that he does not change and the more I read the bible and compare text from one writer to the other. It sure seams to me God does change. I at this time of my life. I Should have the confidence that comes with the knowledge that I can trust the fact that I am saved and forgiven. But why do I not have that confidence? I don't have the calming Fact that I am okay with him. Something in my life is missing. Or I would not have all the doubting questions and big time fears I have of God, that I am doomed. Anybody out there understand me. I don't question salvation but why would God put so many different ways that are recorded in how a person can be justified? Even Jesus says to have eternal life you must believe that I am the Messiah and KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. And even that is different than what Paul says to be saved! Am I wrong. I am so confused and mixed up. All help is greatly needed.Thanks for putting up with me guys and gals. I should have made my mind up on this subject many many years ago. Should becoming a believer give you that confidence? Sometimes it's there and then it will go away for months at a time. Speakeasy | ||
| Speakeasy (Speakeasy) |
Lydell Then if sacrifices would not have atoned the Israel people when the Law was given. Then why would God put that in his word? Not arguing but just asking questions. Speakeasy | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Speakeasy, God gave Israel the law and the sacrifices and the temple service as a living symbol of the salvation that he had promised them. The sacrifices did not save them; if they had, they would have had no need for a Day of Atonement every year. They were always merely symbolsóshadowsóof the reality that was to come in Jesus. If, however, an Israelite refused to participate in the sacrifices, he was removing himself from participating in God's promises, and he was refusing to act in faith. When he stepped away from faith in God's promises, he was essentially refusing God's cleansing and salvation. The book of Hebrews is a wonderful book explaining how Jesus is better than the angels, the prophets, Moses, the lawóand it even says that when there is a change in the priesthood (Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of Aaron), there is a change in the law. (Hebrews 7:12) Why don't you spend some time in Hebrews? When Jesus said to keep his commandments, the Greek work he used is not Torah; it was Nomos--a word meaning not LAW but TEACHINGS. Jesus explained himself even more fully in John 15:12, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." That's hugeóJesus loved us enought to die! Throughout his life Jesus systematically broke the Mosaic law. He touched lepers and healed them (it was against the law to touch an unclean person without going through ritual purification before re-entering community); he healed the woman with a 12-year issue of bloodóa massive uncleanness; he touched and raised the deadóanother ritual taboo requiring ritual purification; he plucked grain with his disciples and ate it on Sabbathóa major departure from the law; and he healed on the Sabbathóto name a few of his legal gaffes. By doing these things, Jesus was demonstrating that HE was greater than the law. In Him the law resides; the Messiah was finally here! All the law, including Sabbath rest, resided IN HIM. No longer did people have to look to tables of stone and written documents. Now Jesus was here, the living embodiment of the law, and he was also to become the perfect sacrifice who died on the Day of Atonement, negating any future days of atonement. God has not changed his way of salvation. From the beginning of sin, salvation has been by faith in God and his mercy. The Jewish laws were given to bring God's plan of atonement into focus for the world. Before Israel, the world was without any codified explanation of salvation. Israel became part of a living symbol of what God would do through the Messiah. When Jesus came, he came not only as the perfect sacrifice. He came also as the perfect Israel, the perfect Jew, the perfect high priest, the perfect sanctuary, the perfect law. Everything in the system of Judaism pointed to Jesus, and he fulfilled it all. The book of Hebrews systematically explains this fact. Now, the main thing that has changed is what Paul called the mystery hidden through the ages: the mystery of God in us. With Jesus' perfect sacrifice, we can, for the first time since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, be one with God. Our spirits can be brought to life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because Jesus mended the rip in the universe that is sin, we can now, by means of the Holy Spirit in us, span the previously uncrossable chasm that separated humanity from God. No, God has not changed. Rather, he has been steadily revealing more and more of reality as the ages have passed. From the time of the patriarchs when the only revelation was personal communication with a few saints including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God moved to the time of Israel when he orgnaized a nation and established an entire system of laws and rituals that visually, materially represented what He was going to do through the Messiah. When Jesus came, God revealed the central plan of salvation in real time: the perfect sacrifice for sin. Now, in the "church age", for want of a better term, God is revealing the next stage of reality: God dwells in his people, and it is the Holy Spirit who makes us one, not genetics. Throughout every age of humanity, people have been saved by faith in God's promises. Nothing has changed. Only God's revelation of himself has become increasingly clear. Speakeasy, I know it's hard for you to trust the New Testament. But if you have accepted Jesus, as I know you have, then you need to trust Himn to guard your heart and mind as you choose to begin to study the New Testatment. These questions that you have will be amazingly answered as you read it. The New Testament does NOT negate the Old. Rather, it explains and expands it. The Bible is an amazing, seamless whole that completely makes sense when we study it all as the inspired and inerrant word of God. My prayers for you continue. Colleen | ||
| Sabra (Sabra) |
Speakeasy, We all go through times where God seems more distant than other times. It seems everytime this happens with me He is trying to promote me to a new level with Him. I'm sure the devil tries to use these times to make us feel unsaved and confused. Your salvation is not an emotion. You're not saved 'cause you feel saved. You're saved if you've accepted the gift of salvation. You know this and you are letting emotions, which are dangerously close to our flesh, get in the way of that knowledge. I believe God tests us too in these times to see if we are going to continue seeking Him or just give up. If we are seekers He can promote us, if we give up, we just stay where we are. I encourage you to spend some extra time in prayer. I'm guilty of not spending enough time myself with 3 kids, but when I do it makes a world of difference. I'll be praying for you too. Don't forget who you are in Christ! | ||
| Windmotion (Windmotion) |
As a corollary to my prayer request. My mother-in-law did end up going to our church, and she did tell my husband she didn't see anything terribly bad about it. Hes still not sure if she thinks he's going to Hell though for leaving Adventism. Anyways he did talk to her about Adventism while she was here, and she agreed to discuss the Investigative Judgment with us. Some fun, huh? David's whole argument is that even if he left Adventism, he is still living up to the light he has since he isn't consciously disobeying God by leaving the church, which indirectly follows what Ellen White says about nonAdventists. Anyways, please continue to pray for her. She is a very sincere person and loves her son and her new granddaughter. --Hannah |
