This may be getting too personal, but are you one of the people who has been blessed, or are you one of the people who has not been blessed?
John & Paul Sanford make a bold statement that whatever area of your life you honored your parents in, life will go well for you. Whatever area you didn't honor your parents.....
So you are basically saying what if the Bible were different? We do have examples of those who pleased God and met with an untimely end. From Abel to Jesus to Zechariah. No true follower of God looks for earthly blessings. You can notice that Joseph and Job were faithful to God, extremely and perfectly faithful, long before they knew they would be rewarded for being so.
The point of both stories is God is on trial.
Man judges Him ,angels judge Him .
Satan says "why did you make man he only serves You for what he gets out of You".
Man says "God you are no good because there is bad in the world".
Do not these things get us looking up to Him???
God is after true love.
Will we love God even if only bad comes upon us?
If we will that is what the Lords answer to satan is "see man will love me even if I allow evil in his life".
In Christ we can serve Him like this.
The three hebrew children did, they thought it might be the end but that was fine with them.
So what I'm really getting at is (I just realized this), How do you know God loves you? If you can share a mini-testimony, that would be the best.
I just feel like I've been lied to all my life about God and had all these false expectations so I just need to find out how some of you guys do it. Cause of course none of my prayers of healing etc, were answered, never saw a healing in my life, etc. I haven't seen anything at all.
Because if you really ask me, God seems like the most powerful, etc but He's just seems really stingy.
Why not have a bible and get rid of all the miraculous things if it's not gonna happen. Please tell me if you had these miraculous things happen to you. And please don't share stories of fake healings, I was involved in those ministries for a bit, I know all the tricks.
you sound very angry with God.
It takes a certain amount of faith to believe in the love of God Codek. As you see God at work in your life over time, you will have a better understanding of His faithfulness and love.
You will make a horrendously wrong decision to come to the conclusion that God doesn't love you or doesn't want to bless anyone. The opposite is true. Don't believe the lies of Satan and his demons. They want to destroy people--and especially young people.
The answer to one of your questions is found in Romans 9:14-24:
.What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
You also made the statement that you do not know anyone who God has truly blessed.
Blessed according to who? Are you breathing today? Did you have anything to eat? Did you sleep out in the rain last night?
I'm sorry, but that is a completely arrogant thing to say. I dont say that to be mean, on the contrary.
I died in the ER last summer from a heart attack. I was revived and here I am. I KNOW how God blesses...
The blessing, my friend, is that even though you deserve to be judged and thrown straight into hell TODAY (as we all do!), God has been merciful to you in that while you were yet a sinner His Son died in your place.
God has not blessed you?? You're not in hell right now! If you are saved then He has blessed you, and if you are not saved... He has blessed you by showing patience with you!
You get mad at me when I speak the truth, but here it is anyway: Get your eyes off yourself and get over the pity party. God has blessed you abundantly and you're so caught up in yourself that you cant even see it.
Go live in Calcutta or some slum like that. You are RICH compared to many in this world.
Stop basing your measurement of God's blessing by what you're told on TBN.
Read about what Paul went thru... shipwrecks, hunger, beatings, left for dead, prison... and he considered himself blessed.
Seriously, and I mean this as truth, and I say it because I do love you... your main problem is selfishness. You need to repent.
Krispy
codek,
You have not read the entire Bible, have you?
Let us take a look at Hebrews 11:32-39: (NASB)
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
And what about John the Baptist? Consider him: he challenged a king for him taking someone elses' wife and she in turn had him beheaded. Or, read Lamentations, penned by Jeremiah. Or, how about David: he was anointed by Samuel to be king when Saul was still on the throne. This event marked the beginning of a life of trial, some severe for David.
Codek, you can sit down and read in less then an hour about the life of any Bible character, a life that may span 60+ years. What you do not pick up is the ordinary, the mundane, routine of living these characters did. So it is with many of today's Christians. We can see the leading of the LORD in our lives, but we also experience the routine, the mundane, the ordinary. The supernatural could become mundane if it were active at all levels. God has to allow us to experience pain, suffering in order for us feel a grave discontent with life. Unless we experience this we will never get a longing for heaven. This is just human nature.
If God would protect us from afflictions many would want to be Christians for the earthy benefits inherent in that decision. They would never learn to stand against evil, the devil. We need to learn to say "NO!", to resist temptations so we can live with Him in heaven someday. If you do not learn that now, you will not be fit for God's heaven.
Consider Lucifer. He was the top angel in heaven. He was beautiful, a master musician. But he wanted to be like God so he worked to this end and got thrown out. In God's heaven, he wants submission, obedience - that is the only way a heaven can be a heaven or a haven. Now, we live here on earth and are in a school to determine whether we will be fit subjects to live in God's heaven. If you do not pass that test, you are not fit. If you fail it and get to God's heaven you will likely create conflict, disorder - just like Lucifer did and like you are doing now. God wants people in his heaven who will be obedient, kind, loving who will make heaven a haven from any kind of rebellion there is. That is why we need afflictions, encounter temptations. We need to grow strong, develop character for heaven. AND if God sees you will benefit from an act of the miraculous, you can be sure he will reward you with that.
Codek, I suspect you have been reading too much literature that is feeding your questions instead of answering them. I suggest you go on a fast of reading other lit, or listening to TV or radio preachers and totally immerse yourself in the WORD, asking God to reveal to you what He wants you to know. If you do this, I promise you you will experience God in a fresh way.
Hope this helps....
Blessings.
Thanks for the post, Ginnyrose. Yes, I have read the complete bible but only once. or twice. The new testament a couple of more times. As you know, being in the modern church for decades, we are not encouraged to read the bible, there is not time for the bible, they fill your time by making you do "service" in church.
Yeah, actually this is not the forum for a newbie guy like me. Actually, you need to be a berean before you ever come to this forum. They should never allow any newbie christian here or someone in the process of getting saved here period.
Thanks for the passage, ah the faith chapter, someone on here pointed those verses out awhile back, they
KrispyKritter, thank you for the post but I think you have it wrong. I respect your honesty and you can say what you want, it won't offend me. By your reasoning all of us are selfish. All of us have a pity party, the guy in Calcutta and even YOU. I'm not feeling any love. The genereal feeling I get from you is this. Lets say you were a millionaire and you saw a beggar. He was suffering, you would tell the beggar to stop suffering and quit his pity party. Well if you were the beggar, and I was the millionaire, I would feed you, clothe you, give you the money you needed to get on your feet and do what Jesus did.
In all honesty, Krispy, Do you have compassion on anyone?
So if I found you lying on the ground, bleeding to death and you were pleading for you help, should I let you die and tell you to "stop having a pity party" Where does it say in the bible that we should do that. I only see Jesus telling us to love. And seriously brother, I don't see you loving anyone period. You're just a pharisee spitting out scripture, you act just like a pharisee.
There are many like you here, so brother, how have you feed the poor and when do you actually show compassion?
What I'm saying is if all I see is the painful side of God while I'm giving up everything for Him, it's kinda hard to believe He has a good side, that's all. He seems more like a dictator, than a loving God, that's all.
Thank you for the advice and the verses.
Some view compassion in different ways.
I actually DO minister to the down trodden regularly. The difference between them and you is they dont ask me to have pity on them.
My idea of compassion is to take someone like that, feed them... and then teach them to feed themselves.
I do in fact have a lot of compassion for you, but at the same time your posts and the threads you start have a common theme: Why does God hate me so much?
After a while you are going to have to accept God at His Word or call Him a liar and move on.
More people need to just stand up and say "Just stop it. Knock it off and follow God." Obey His Word. Thats the bottom line. No matter what comes your way... obey His Word. Period. Stop talking about it, stop complaining and whining... and either follow Him, or curse Him and move on.
I've spoken the plain truth to you... and you call me mean spirited. I question if you have read the Bible all the way thru because the Bible is much more plain, bold and offensive than I have been. Or maybe you have; and thats the problem.
Fair enough. From now on I shall hide the truth from you, and maybe even sometimes lie to you. That would be more compassionate... would it not?
Krispy
Job did not die without being restored.
Joseph did not die without being blessed by his family.
You will see God. It is up to you, when you decide to give up your will, and seek His. If you don't believe in Jesus and His cross and what He did to save you, why are so condeming of Gods Plan? EPh 1: 4
In the love of Christ: Phillip
How appropriate that i have just received this email from a friend! - it can be offered as a blessing to you, bro, cause of the words you say:
"There's a scripture that says: Verily I say to you, that whosoever shall SAY to this mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but believe that what he SAYS will take place, whatever he shall SAY shall come to pass for him. Mark 11:23
The Lord gave me a revelation about this scripture. He showed me that people are building mountains with their negative words, instead of saying His word over their situation,they are speaking words of doubt, not words of faith, building demonic strongholds(mountains). They are seeing things with the natural eye, instead of seeing through the eyes of faith. These mountains become so full of doubt and unbelief, and with their words people have so magnified the devil and what he's doing, that the Lord will not tear them down. We always need to magnify the Lord, negativity builds the devil a throne, and if you do not change your way of speaking, the devil will reign in your situation.
Speak God's Word against those mountains, tear them down with faithfilled words, and watch the miraculous intervention of God mow down those mountains into testimonies to the glory of God. GLORIFY GOD with your words, make Him bigger and bigger and bigger, until the devil, along with that mountain, is under your feet, and you become seated with Christ in heavenly places, seeing with heavenly vision and speaking with heavenly words, living in the righteousness peace and joy of the kidgdom of God."
Only Father can comfort you in this trial, if you were only to ask Him in childlike way...not in anger.
Blessings.
dude you make some of the most outrageous statements on this entire site. You must have forgotten Galatians 5:22. You sound like you have never truly handeled The Christ. For you to be Chris-like should you not put down your stones first??? Your lack of LOVE is very evident "brother!" Codek, remember this, No one who has ever truly sought God, has not found Him... Seek His face friend... I will pray that my Father will show you His love...
Krispy,
You are mean spirited.
There is a reason why you say this about yourself
"well everybody hates me anyway"
other people speak truth but you do not do it in love, do you not get that?
And you judge me without really knowing me.
So I'm getting what I needed, I don't dislike you but you
are mean spirited.
I don't have a problem with most people here. You're the type of person that would rebuke a person who just lost his mother and tell them you have no right to be angry at God, you're selfish. Yeah, technically you are right but I don't see Jesus doing that.
That's why I call you pharisee and I'm not saying I know you at all. But you know the scriptures but you are incapable of love,
And I'm not expecting this forum to help me out.
So if you can, unless you learn how to be compassionate, can you just not comment?
and I am the type of person that helps myself, so don't give me that either. all these assumptions. do you really know me?
Gators,
You say that as you cast stones at me...
Be nice if you'd get to know people before you pick up your own rocks, friend.
Krispy
gator52,
actually I have not, I'm not saved. I've been through decades of torture with the modern church which is like 99% of so called professed christians. I'm just expressing what most modern christians feel. And i don't do it to offend, I speak the truth because I don't want to give off a false impression that the people of the modern are doing ok.
THEY ARE ALL GOING TO HELL. They have been lied to all their life and I'm very angry about that.
i never mentioned your name... hmmmm how do you know I was talking about you Krispy???
I've read PLENTY of your posts....
I don't have a problem with most people here. You're the type of person that would rebuke a person who just lost his mother and tell them you have no right to be angry at God, you're selfish. Yeah, technically you are right but I don't see Jesus doing that.
Well... He did teach some harsh things:
Luke 9:59-60 "And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60But He said to him, “Let the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
It always amuses me when someone like yourself accuses me of being judgemental... all the while not seeing that they are setting themselves up as judge and jury and executioner over me.
You are a hypocrite.
Krispy
Gators... You know nothing about me.
By the way, it's nice to know you're a fan! :-)
Love ya, my friend.
Krispy
"You say that as you cast stones at me...
Be nice if you'd get to know people before you pick up your own rocks, friend."
What a hyprocrite, you're doing the same thing to me?
You know all about the bible and you have no love. That's the kind of person I hate on SI. I'm not lying to you. You can tell me I'm selfish but you really don't care about me as a brother at all. That's why I get mad at you.
"Gators... You know nothing about me.
By the way, it's nice to know you're a fan! :-)
Love ya, my friend.
Krispy"
wow what a hypocrite. what do you know about me Krispy?
This is why I can't take you seriously
What a hyprocrite, you're doing the same thing to me?
No I'm not, and sadly thats the point you dont get. YOU come and ask questions. I have answered to the best of my ability according to my limited knowledge of God’s Word. Are my opinions in there? Yes, of course they are. If my answers to your questions don’t fit what you’re looking for then ignore them. Instead you call me judgemental and unloving and other sundry names. You cast questions upon my character, etc… all because you don’t like my answers.
Instead of challenging me on my answers… you attack. Why? If you have an issue with my answer why can you not be thoughtful and respond instead of assuming a bunch of lies about me and what you’re dreamed up in your head about what you think I am like?
Others have noted on here to you about your hostility toward God. I’m not the only one. But whats interesting is how easily you turn that hostility toward me.
Disgrace me publicly if you wish. Make accusations toward me. Call me a Pharisee. I don’t care. I’m a nobody. All I have is God and His Word. When you ask a question my answer will be based on His Word. And it will be plain and truthful.
It’s sad that you seem to enjoy drawing the wrong conclusions about someone, but that’s ok. I still feel compassion for you. If I didn’t I wouldn’t even pay attention to you. Believe me, if I did not I have better things to do with my time than respond to you.
Krispy
wow what a hypocrite. what do you know about me Krispy?This is why I can't take you seriously
It's called humor... lighten up.
Krispy
I fully understand the desperate feelings of loss we all sometimes feel in difficult times. Dont misunderstand, we have all experienced times of doubt and discouragement. We have all wondered, does God love me? Am I truly His? And fellow believers can help us, reminding us of His faithfulnes, His enduring mercy.
Codek, when I read your post, I wonder if they are designed to seek that comfort and reassurance? Do you desire to draw near to the Holy one, the merciful one? Do you desre Him?
I pray that He will touch your thigh, and bless you.
Well, actually... folks that have been here for awhile and have gotten to know me have seen me admit to much wrong in my life.
I will say this, one fault I have is that I tend to breeze thru threads sometimes and miss things that shouldnt be missed. You may recall I did that recently and I think it was you who called me on it. I did not post again on that thread because after looking at it... you were right.
Man, I am wrong all the time in my life. If people stopped being bold because they screw up sometimes then no one would boldly proclaim the truth.
Thats the point of grace! And truthfully... I think thats the things you have missed. God's grace. I dont know what you'r looking for from God, but His grace is sufficient for you.
I've told you to "just do it"... but it's God who gives you the grace "to do it".
You and I need to call a truce. Enough with the name calling. I apologize for getting drawn into that. I hate that when I allow myself to do that.
By the way, dont call me "sir". I'm not as old as you apparently think I am.
Krispy
Leeza
thank you. Well, this is the best I can do now. I used to have a nice tone with God but after decades of never really hearing from God, my anger just comes out.
My sister once told me, "I don't know why you always suffer so much. things are always hard for you."
It's a curse I tell you. Somehow, I always get the short end of the stick. I'm not saying this so you can pity me. I'm just trying to explain why I'm doing certain things. People mistake my honesty sometimes as a pity party. Maybe it is a pity party sometimes but not all the time.
As I said before... Your expectations of what "blessings" are may need to be shifted.
Gotta run for now. I'll check in later.
Krispy
You will not hear the voice of God like the o.t. You will not prophecy.
Most people aren't healed. There are virtually no miraculous wonders.
God holds every man's breathe in His hands. The fact that you are still breathing is a miracle and a blessing. The fact that you have a family is a blessing. The fact that you have access to the internet and can come here is a blessing. Your life is FULL of blessings, but you refuse to see it.
You're (Krispy) the type of person that would rebuke a person who just lost his mother and tell them you have no right to be angry at God, you're selfish. Yeah, technically you are right but I don't see Jesus doing that.
You know all about the bible and you have no love. That's the kind of person I hate on SI.
I've been through decades of torture with the modern church which is like 99% of so called professed christians. I'm just expressing what most modern christians feel. And i don't do it to offend, I speak the truth because I don't want to give off a false impression that the people of the modern are doing ok.THEY ARE ALL GOING TO HELL. They have been lied to all their life and I'm very angry about that.
God says "You will seek Me and find Me IF you seek for me with your whole heart." Have you sought Him with all your heart? The Bible says that "God is not a man that He should lie." And that it "is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie." So if you say you have sought God with all your heart (which you have said in other threads) and you haven't found Him, then either YOU are a liar, or GOD is a liar.
If you are a liar then you need to repent and truly seek God with your WHOLE heart. If GOD is a liar, then He isn't worthy to be followed or worshiped and you need to quit trying to become a Christian.
So make a decision: are you a liar or is God?
I agree with Krispy, you need to repent. (Or decide God is a liar and move on.)
"Go live in Calcutta or some slum like that. You are RICH compared to many in this world.
Stop basing your measurement of God's blessing by what you're told on TBN."
Unless you live in calcutta, you really shouldn't say that. When you move there, you can say all that you want.
Did I ask for TBN preaching? What about the last 10 pastors in at my churches, I didn't even know what false preaching was. What about the churches I was dragged to as a kid. I only began seeing the false teaching on sermonindex, less than two years ago.
So I was suppose to be a superchristian who knows everything about false preaching when all I was show was the false gospel?
Are you dense? or just mean spirited?
"As I said before... Your expectations of what "blessings" are may need to be shifted.
Gotta run for now. I'll check in later.
Krispy"
you are a piece of work, Mr. Righteous Pharisee. I'm here at your convenience sir.
Unless you live in calcutta, you really shouldn't say that. When you move there, you can say all that you want.
And again, you may not have known then, but you know better now, right? So stop making excuses.
"No I'm not, and sadly thats the point you dont get. YOU come and ask questions. I have answered to the best of my ability according to my limited knowledge of God’s Word. Are my opinions in there? Yes, of course they are. If my answers to your questions don’t fit what you’re looking for then ignore them. Instead you call me judgemental and unloving and other sundry names. You cast questions upon my character, etc… all because you don’t like my answers.
Instead of challenging me on my answers… you attack. Why? If you have an issue with my answer why can you not be thoughtful and respond instead of assuming a bunch of lies about me and what you’re dreamed up in your head about what you think I am like?
Others have noted on here to you about your hostility toward God. I’m not the only one. But whats interesting is how easily you turn that hostility toward me.
Disgrace me publicly if you wish. Make accusations toward me. Call me a Pharisee. I don’t care. I’m a nobody. All I have is God and His Word. When you ask a question my answer will be based on His Word. And it will be plain and truthful.
It’s sad that you seem to enjoy drawing the wrong conclusions about someone, but that’s ok. I still feel compassion for you. If I didn’t I wouldn’t even pay attention to you. Believe me, if I did not I have better things to do with my time than respond to you.
Krispy
"
You are a hypocrite, it's so obvious and you can't even see it. Just admit it and repent. You really need to learn how to post with love, brother. YOU HAVE NO LOVE. Look at the way you handled not me, but Gator, comon man it's so obvious.
I'm not saying the content of your posts have no bearing, they do at times but you're misreading the situation. It's your arrogance in how you know everything about me that annoys me.
and i love the arrogance in the last paragraph of your response.
also dude, this has nothing with the answers but everything in the way you deliver your posts and the know it all attitude. and I know you really don't care about me. how many times do i have to say this.
"All I have is God and His Word."
yes it about the word and God, then why do you not love your brothers, doesn't the bible talk about the first and second commandment? i can't honestly say you really don't care if I do get saved or not, answering posts is some exercise for you.
I never asked for your help. Even now, I don't dislike you. Just stop posting with that righteous attitude.
I'm not saying the content of your posts have no bearing, they do at times but you're misreading the situation.
also dude, this has nothing with the answers but everything in the way you deliver your posts and the know it all attitude.
If this was actually true you would quite picking on the attitude of his posts and actually take them to heart and DO what he's told you to do. But instead you divert the attention back to his attitude and don't actually take his advice. THAT is pride and deflection in it's purest form. Telling him ONCE that he was arrogant was enough, especially because he admitted it.
Now drop it and take his advice or not.
You're making this way more complicated than it should be.
"I do in fact have a lot of compassion for you, but at the same time your posts and the threads you start have a common theme: Why does God hate me so much?
After a while you are going to have to accept God at His Word or call Him a liar and move on.
More people need to just stand up and say "Just stop it. Knock it off and follow God." Obey His Word. Thats the bottom line. No matter what comes your way... obey His Word. Period. Stop talking about it, stop complaining and whining... and either follow Him, or curse Him and move on.:
This is wrong. It's a good thing you are not God. Everyone has different experiences and timing. If God was like you, you already be in hell. Do you not get that, Mr. Compassion?
"After a while you are going to have to accept God at His Word or call Him a liar and move on."
This is not compassion, you don't know compassion. You really don't get it, do you?
God is not annoyed with me but I know you are. The reason why you post in all my threads is because you are annoyed, you want me to shut my mouth, not God. And you really don't care if i get saved or not. You never really did.
I don't think He is annoyed with me right now. He understands where I'm coming from.
Isn't this in the word to? Does your posts reflect what is said here?
Romans 9
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race
Love your brothers Krispy, and stop being a hypocrite, then maybe they would read your posts.
And people are really nice to you. You really need to show compassion in your posts. You write posts for you not other people. People here are too nice to tell you this but I will cause it'll really help you.
you can always email me codek1424@yahoo.com if you really want to know from my point of view or whatever. no more posts here.
I suppose that depends on how you define "compassion."
Was God compassionate when He had the Babylonians kill some in Israel and take others as slaves? Was He compassionate when He wiped Israel, His beloved, chosen people, off the world map for nearly 2,000 years? Yes, He was. Why? Because if a father is truly compassionate he will punish his children when they do wrong. If a father truly loves you he will PUNISH you through discipline for your wrong actions.
In the same way, you can't always encourage someone. Sometimes a strong rebuke is needed. If Krispy didn't rebuke you it would prove that he doesn't love you. And don't tell me that every post you've received is a rebuke. I've read your other posts, there are many encouraging posts.
P.S. love how you have been picking on Krispy and ignoring everyone else.
Codek not sure what it is your looking for at this point. No matter how anyone has tried to help you reject it. You do offend me because you call my GOD a liar, GOD is not a liar. HIS promises are true, if you can not see that its because you choose not to see it. I do not know you, I do not know your situation but I do know that you continue to call GOD a lair and say other offensive things and for that you need to repent. I will keep praying for you because it is clear you need it...
MJ
It's rebuke with love. not rebuke cause he's sick of hearing it. Do you really think I want to be in this situation.
MJ,
You are probably right about God. But I am not choosing myself to not see it. I'm not rejecting other people. After being told I'm choosing this so many times. I am very frustrated because this is what I see. I didn't choose this. When God is silent ,he is silent. It's gonna take time and this is just coming out of me cause I'm being pushed to my limits.
Even in Krispy's testimony, he knew the love of God because of his surgery. He experienced it or something was shown to him. I'm not saying he would not believe if not for the surgery but reading through testimonies, there was always this turning point. You can't just read the bible and believe. There were many people who read the bible and who still don't believe. And these people are just trying to reject Christ. It's a moment something clicks. You could read the bible everyday for 40 years and it won't click maybe until the 40th year.
I haven't had my turning point. And I get offended when people say I choose not see this side of God. Would a guy that deliberately put himself in such a financial situation not believe if he could. That is my point with a lot of people including Krispy, He thinks I'm deliberately not choosing on purpose. If it was that easy, I would have done it. But guys like Krispy, tell me this at every chance they get. After many people doing this and being in my current state, I just start snapping at these people.
Trekker and Leeza know what I'm talking about. I am not lying to you MJ, there is no way I would sacrifice so much for so long to lie to you here.
Thank you for your prayers.
Codek
What do you want God to do for you?
I just keep hearing that God is unfair, so
i really want to know what could God do so that HE could look fair and good in your eyes?
please be safe
andy
Codek your focus is so on self you are blinded to all that GOD does for you every day. God has placed it on the hearts of HIS children to pray for you, to share with you and you ignore this and chose instead to continue on in your anger. HE has answered your prayers by using others here on this forum to share with you and intercede in prayer for you but it seems that just not enough. There is nothing anyone here can say to you. You see yourself as a victim, feel justified in your anger toward GOD with each one of the threads you write. Everyone of us has had to go through things in life, and all we can do is share with you that GOD is faithful and HE is true. IF you seek HIM, HE will respond. If you reach out to HIM, HE will answer your plea. GOD does not play games with the lives of men, HIS love is proven through out time over and over again to be true and faithful. Stop contemplating "what ifs" The Bible tells of GODS faithfulness... there is nothing more to say.
I will continue to pray for you
mj
Scripture trumps experiences period. The Bible says that if you seek God with all your heart you WILL find Him. Since you haven't found Him, either HE is a liar or YOU are.
You do realize that in almost every post you have called God a liar?
You need to make your choice. Either God is a liar or He is not. Scripture says GOD CAN NOT LIE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE. And HE says that if you seek for Him with all your heart YOU WILL FIND HIM. If you don't find Him, IT'S NOT HIS FAULT IT'S YOURS. Because GOD DOESN'T LIE.
If you don't like that, then don't come to Christianity for your answers! Because that's what Christianity says! That's what GOD says about HIMSELF.
Seriously, listen to this message: http://ellerslie.com/Eric_Ludy_Sermons/Entries/2010/1/3_The_Mighty_Intercessor.html
And do a study on the attributes of God. That's the only way you can trust Him.
codek wrote:That why the sign of people praying for me is not an answered prayer in my book, and I don't see the fruits of this prayer.
_____________
You do not see because you choose not to or do not want...
codek wrote:I can't agree with this because of my situation with prayer. And I'm not talking about stupid prosperity prayers about making me rich. I'm talking about any type of prayer. That 's why I love testimonies but I don't trust a lot of them cause a lot of people just make up stuff.
____________
again there is nothing left to say then. GOD has given you HIS WORD, HE has given you HIS only son to die for your sins and still that is not enough. I say this with all love, "What more do you need?" JESUS suffered and died for you. Your sins nailed HIM to that cross and HE suffered for you just as HE did for me, if that is not enough then what ever will be???
GOD is not a liar. Stop looking to men then and seek GOD. Let go of yesterday and seek HIM today. All you have is here and now, this moment, if you really want to know HIM, let go of the past leave it behind and go to GOD. Have you cried out, "GOD in my weakness, in my sin I can't find a way to believe YOU are all that Your words says about You but some part of me longs to know You, please FATHER help me in my weakness to believe. Help me to get past self and see YOU!"
"I need to feel his love. I need to be able to trust him. I never asked for a prosperity gospel.
If he wants me to give up EVERYTHING for Him, I need to know I can trust Him. He's not asking for $10 or 5 minutes of your time. HE ASKS FOR EVERYTHING. It's a very serious decision. "
Codek, you are right. this is a very serious decision, and it is good that you know that.
Romans 8 says that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
The prosperity Gospel has so distorted this verse, that it has lost all of its original meaning.
What is good? what actually is His purpose for us? You are being drawn towards that reality, not the counterfiet delusions of this present darkness.
MJ
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26
by codek on 2011/9/27 13:19:11
MJ
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26
________________
Yes Codek with GOD all things are possible, even helping you over come your unbelief and anger, if you really desire to.
mj
codek,
HEAR THIS!
...a living dog is better than a dead lion.
codek,
you said,
"yes it about the word and God"
YES, IT IS!
Ecc 9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Solomon, in a fret, had praised the dead more than the living (Ecc 4:2); but here, considering the advantages of life to prepare for death and make sure the hope of a better life, he seems to be of another mind.
I. He shows the advantages which the living have above those that are dead, Ecc 9:4-6.
1. While there is life there is hope.
While I breathe, I hope. It is the privilege of the living that they are joined to the living, in relation, commerce, and conversation, and, while they are so, there is hope.
If a man's condition be, upon any account, bad, there is hope it will be amended. If the heart be full of evil, and madness be in it, yet while there is life there is hope that by the grace of God there may be a blessed change wrought; but after men go to the dead (Ecc 9:3) it is too late then; he that is then filthy will be filthy still, for ever filthy.
If men be thrown aside as useless, yet, while they are joined to the living, there is hope that they may yet again take root and bear fruit; he that is alive is, or may be, good for something, but he that is dead, as to this world, is not capable of being any further serviceable.
Therefore a living dog is better than a dead lion; the meanest beggar alive has that comfort of this world and does that service to it which the greatest prince, when he is dead, is utterly incapable of.
2. While there is life there is an opportunity of preparing for death: The living know that which the dead have no knowledge of, particularly they know that they shall die, and are, or may be, thereby influenced to prepare for that great change which will come certainly, and may come suddenly.
Note, The living cannot but know that they shall die, that they must needs die. They know they are under a sentence of death; they are already taken into custody by its messengers, and feel themselves declining. This is a needful useful knowledge; for what is our business, while we live, but to get ready to die: The living know they shall die; it is a thing yet to come, and therefore provision may be made for it. The dead know they are dead, and it is too late; they are on the other side the great gulf fixed.
3. When life is gone all this world is gone with it, as to us.
1. There is an end of all our acquaintance with this world and the things of it: The dead know not any thing of that which, while they lived, they were intimately conversant with. It does not appear that they know any thing of what is done by those they leave behind. Abraham is ignorant of us; they are removed into darkness, Job_10:22.
2. There is an end of all our enjoyments in this world: They have no more a reward for their toils about the world, but all they got must be left to others; they have a reward for their holy actions, but not for their worldly ones. The meats and the belly will be destroyed together, John 6:27; 1 Cor 6:13.
It is explained Ecc 9:6. Neither have they any more a portion for ever, none of that which they imagined would be a portion for ever, of that which is done and got under the sun. The things of this world will not be a portion for the soul because they will not be a portion for ever; those that choose them, and have them for their good things, have only a portion in this life, Psa_17:14. The world can only be an annuity for life, not a portion for ever.
3. There is an end of their name. There are but few whose names survive them long; the grave is a land of forgetfulness, for the memory of those that are laid there is soon forgotten; their place knows them no more, nor the lands they called by their own names.
4. There is an end of their affections, their friendships and enmities: Their love, and their hatred, and their envy have now perished; the good things they loved, the evil things they hated, the prosperity of others, which they envied, are now all at an end with them. Death parts those that loved one another, and puts an end to their friendship, and those that hated one another too, and puts an end to their quarrels.
The person and his actions die together. There we shall be never the better for our friends (their love can do us no kindness), nor ever the worse for our enemies - their hatred and envy can do us no damage. There the wicked cease from troubling. Those things which now so affect us and fill us, which we are so concerned about and so jealous of, will there be at an end. - Matt H.
Ecc 9:5-10 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
codek,
From reading your lamentations as posted here on this thread, I suspect you may be harboring some sin you do not want to let go, hence your inability to see God for who and what he is.
Every last person who wants to see God must come to him on his terms, not ours.
God is absolute - he is not some cute, fuzzy teddy bear up in the sky who resorts to the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" to win people to himself.
There are a lot of things about God I do not understand: why did he choose to take our 25 YO daughter, a victim of glioblastoma, who was a mother of two very young children? I could keep belaboring this question until doomsday and still not know. And who would benefit? Not me. I would be like Paul who was kicking against the pricks - it ouches with every kick! But I chose to leave this question with the LORD, knowing full well He knows something I do not and may never know. But one thing I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt: Regina is with the LORD AND she does not have to deal with the crazy messes we are faced with every day! PRAISE THE LORD! I also know something else: whenever I think of heaven I think of her being there and I am looking forward to seeing her again someday.
So God called Regina HOME. In doing so He comforted me in a way that was entirely supernatural. God is GOOD. BUT codek, before I could experience his supernatural grace and comfort I had to surrender my claim to my daughter: she belonged to God and He had the right to reclaim her at his will. Simple. But not possible without submission. Can't do that? Then ask the LORD to help you do it! I do and He answers. Every time. He will do the same for others....I am not unusual or spectacular at all.
God bless.
You want to talk about blessings? Check this out.
Over the past couple years I have watched several friends suffer and die from cancer. One at the age of 42 from stomache cancer, another at the age of 52 from lung cancer. Before they died they told everyone that the cancer was a blessing from God.
Wanna know why? Because if they had not gotten cancer they both admit that they probably never would have taken the condition of their soul seriously. They both were saved after their diagnosis... and God changed both these men dramatically, and blessed them abundantly by being able to spend their last days comforting their wives, children, family & friends. One was divorced and was able to make things right with his ex-wife.
Cancer a blessing? You bet!
I suffered a heart attack last summer (in my early 40's)... and it was a blessing! I can not tell you how many people I've been able to minister to because of it. In fact, last night I was at the hospital visiting a man in our church who had a heart attack on friday and bypass surgery ovr the weekend. I can minister to him in a way no one can who has not gone thru that experience.
I thank the Lord for the suffering in my life. God allows it and uses it to make us more like Jesus... if we are saved. If we are not, He can use it to bring us to salvation.
Krispy
Krispy wrote:
"I thank the Lord for the suffering in my life. God allows it and uses it to make us more like Jesus... if we are saved. If we are not, He can use it to bring us to salvation."
Scripture reaffirms this concept in Hebrews 12:5-11: NASB
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
It is essential for us human to experience our inability to save ourselves before God can do ANYTHING.
Appreciate your testimony, Krispy.
ginnyrose
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