Goodbye my previous brothers and sisters

[Dreamer]

The scriptures that Pixie provided are wonderful. Look how she puts all of her heart into ministering to you. She knows, like many of us know, that if you walk away from the Lord, you are walking away from many true blessings. You are literally cursing yourself if you leave God behind.

Some more scriptures for you to pray about and ponder::lightbulb

Jesus told him, "It is also written: 'Do not test the Lord your God.' (Jesus' retort to the devil when the devil was tempting him.) Matthew 4:7

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing."

I Peter 4:12,3, & 16 "Dear friends, when the fiery ordeal arises among you to test you don't be surprised by it, as if something unusal were happening to you."

"Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory." (v. 3)

"But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he should not be ashamed, but should glorify God with that name." (v.16)

Jculver, if you can't see that we love you, then you are blind, brother. Jesus loves you so much more, and His arms are open. Just say the word, and He'll catch you as you fall into His strong arms.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

As it turns out my faith was never genuine. I thought it was, but my actions show otherwise. I don't want any prayer from anyone, though I i post this here because this is where I did see many a good person help another. A community I was part of even for a short time. I know the truth as I have seen it with my own eyes, but I detest what Christianity does to human beings. I still love you all and I will miss you all dearly. This is my final farewell and I shall miss you all, but I am nothing more than an apostate. You all know what should be done with the likes of me, and you know I share in this knowledge with you. I will miss you all, and I am sorry. I never counted the cost as the parable in Luke said I should. The cost was too high and I refuse to pay it any longer. Good bye my friends.

Maybe right now you feel that you are not ready yet, or good enough to serve GOD, to give your all to The Almighty GOD & follow your Beloved Savior, Christ Jesus.

And perhaps GOD realizes this.

Has it been a consolation to you, that we all go through these feelings evey now & then?

Your feeling you need to abandoned faith in GOD, is a very BIG mistake.

All I can say is if your going to do this, then never forget HIM.

Always keep a place for HIM in your heart - never give up totally!

For GOD & Jesus could be leading the way for you, with out you even realizing it.

If you LOVE GOD and HIS Son Christ Jesus tell HM. Even when you're sinning.
Let HIM know how you feel. But always be respectable to HIM.

If you have any questions unanswered ask GOD & don't stop until your sure of HIS answer to you. Never stop comunicating with HIM, for this tells HIM that your interrested in life & in what HE has to say about it.

It also tells HIM that you care, and therefore you want answers!

Also, remember GOD has a name, though we hadly ever hear it. HIS NAME is Jehovah & I called out HIS name many times & HE saved my life many times from death itself, before I ever realized that I was going to have a calling. {Exodus 6:3, Psalms 83:18}- From the OLD King James Holy Bible.

And out of the {Old} American Standard - ASV Bible is this;" I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images. "

 

[jculver]

I have to say I feel a bit different today then when I wrote those things. Which means some of you must not have listened when I said I didn't want prayer haha. It's strange because I have always hated valentines day. To feel at peace on such a day is surely divine intervention. Can't say I have really "patched things up" with God. At least not completely. I did repent of saying those horrible things about him, and I truly do regret it now. I'm sorry I said those things in front of you all. Really I don't feel very good about it at all. My life is kind of out of control though at the moment. When you loose sight of God it's very easy to fall into sin, and I'm honestly not sure I'm ready to come out. I have however lost my anger toward God. It has subsided and I hope not temporarily. I know I never really had a reason to be angry at him, I guess I just lost control. I don't really know if I can call myself a Christian, but at least I don't hate my maker. Thank you all for your replies and prayers, I assure you, you will have no more outbursts like that from me.

 

[Chad]

I say amen brother! Good news and GOD has grace on those who repent.

By the way, don't even feel bad about Valentine's Day. Three years ago, after 5 months of dealing with a young lady who deceived me about having spinal cancer, after I sent her expensive flowers week after week, 5 months straight - I fount exactly on Valentine's Day that she was deceiving me the whole time. So, don't feel bad.

GOD bless, I hope your heart leans towards Jesus more each day.

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Praise the Lord Jculver. He answers our prayers but His ways are not our ways. His timing is always perfect.

At least you shared your feelings and did not bottle it all up inside you.

God can do a healing work and restore you. He is God and more than able.

May your faith grow more and more and your walk with Jesus be strong.

He never ever lets us down.

God bless you :rainbow: :rose:

 

[Dreamer]

I agree with Lady, it was good for you to trust us enough to share your feelings openly. This allowed us to be able to have the privilege to pray for you.

I am so glad you are starting to feel better, jculver!

The only way to go now.....is up!

...can't find the verse...so I'll paraphrase it from memory: "I look up to the mountaintop, to the skies, for that is where my help cometh from."

 

[pixie]

Hey jculer

Amen, Amen and Amen. Praise the Lord. I am glad you are coming out of the pit. Oh Praise Him so much. Jesus is with you jculver. I am sure that everyone will continue to pray for you. I am rejoicing that some of your negative thinking is going away. Your last post actually lifted my heart. The Holy Spirit in me rejoiced with my spirit. I am so glad you are beginning to feel better.

I like this passage for you jculver.

2 Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

With all this outpouring of love for you jculver, you must recognize that it is Christ working with the Holy Spirit, to bring you back to Him.

Acts 2:33
Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

I hope you are renewed in the faith of Jesus Christ. Let your spirit pray with you. Jesus want you, please want Him too. May the Lord lift you up in His tender arms and heal the pain of your hurts.

Lord Jesus, bring back jculver to you. He fell and went astray, but he is now wanting to come back to the flock. Please encourage him with Your joyous Heart as You did while You walked in this world.

Luke 10:21
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

Hoping jculver that you are realizing that you are feeling the joy of Christ.
Amenixie:lightning :rainbow:

 

[ladylovesJesus]

...can't find the verse...so I'll paraphrase it from memory: "I look up to the mountaintop, to the skies, for that is where my help cometh from."

As soon as I saw what you typed dreamer I thought that is from
Psalm 121. sure enough I checked it out and here it is.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—

where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.



3 He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

I think this is another beautiful psalm of David.

God bless :rainbow: :rose:

 

[Jonah2005bt]

Awesome!!!!!!!!

I have to say I feel a bit different today then when I wrote those things. Which means some of you must not have listened when I said I didn't want prayer haha. It's strange because I have always hated valentines day. To feel at peace on such a day is surely divine intervention. Can't say I have really "patched things up" with God. At least not completely. I did repent of saying those horrible things about him, and I truly do regret it now. I'm sorry I said those things in front of you all. Really I don't feel very good about it at all. My life is kind of out of control though at the moment. When you loose sight of God it's very easy to fall into sin, and I'm honestly not sure I'm ready to come out. I have however lost my anger toward God. It has subsided and I hope not temporarily. I know I never really had a reason to be angry at him, I guess I just lost control. I don't really know if I can call myself a Christian, but at least I don't hate my maker. Thank you all for your replies and prayers, I assure you, you will have no more outbursts like that from me.

I am glad to see your feeling better about yourself & about GOD.

You had us worried.

I too, hope {and pray} that it's not temporary.

I to know for a fact that life can be hard. And with society, being the way it is these days
it's no wonder life becomes unfair.

But I also know, with out a doubt that GOD looks after HIS loved ones.

And I do believe HE Loves you!

If you are going through hard times now, then rest assure, GOD is there with you, watching you, seeing the pain you're in & feeling it too.

Ezekiel 33:11
11. "Say to them: `As I live,' says the Lord God, `I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!
For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

 

[Faithin1]

Reading this thread after being away for a few days is confirmation that I must visit TJ daily, if only for a brief period. Brother, I am so thankful that you received the prayers and encouragement to help you. This is such a wonderful forum, full of genuinely caring brothers and sisters in Christ. I truly feel blessed to have been led here. I really don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said. I just want to let you know that I too will be praying for you. May God send a special blessing to you.

 

[Firstborn]

I am deeply touch by this thread, I realize that as God needs us to spread the gospel, He also need us to be spiritual fathers and mothers to the newly spirit born babies. I think every time some one acccepts the lord, the more spiritual mature must take their name and address, start praying for them and visit them at least twice a month, no more than 3 for one father. And for at least 3 years caring and love them until they can walk on their own and also become a spiritual parent. WHY ? because Jesus said Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Christianity is not all about going to church on a Sunday, but it is a matter of a family, if you want God to care for you 24/7, you must do the same to your spiritual family.
Be blessed
Niel.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

Psalm 69 : 1 - 21, 29 - 36

Here is a prayer that I discovered {some years back} in The Bible, in The Book of Psalms Chapter 69.
It is a pray that brought me closer to GOD, because it was similar to what I was going through or feeling {in the past}.

And it's my hope that it will do the same for anyone through such trouble in their life.

Psalm 69:1-21,29-36
For the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of David.
1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.

3 I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.

4 Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

5 You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

6 May those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, The LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me,
O God of Israel.

7 For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face.

8 I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;

9 for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10 When I weep and fast,
I must endure scorn;

11 when I put on sackcloth,
people make sport of me.

12 Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But I pray to you, O LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.

14 Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.

15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.

17 Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

18 Come near and rescue me;
redeem me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.

20 Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.

21 They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.



29 I am in pain and distress;
may your salvation, O God, protect me.

30 I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

32 The poor will see and be glad—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33 The LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and all that move in them,

35 for God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will dwell there.

Remember too, GOD forgives all those who wants to turn away from their sins & humbles them. {Ezekiel 33:11}

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Re: Goodbye my previous friends.....

As it turns out my faith was never genuine. I thought it was, but my actions show otherwise. I don't want any prayer from anyone, though I i post this here because this is where I did see many a good person help another. A community I was part of even for a short time. I know the truth as I have seen it with my own eyes, but I detest what Christianity does to human beings. I still love you all and I will miss you all dearly. This is my final farewell and I shall miss you all, but I am nothing more than an apostate. You all know what should be done with the likes of me, and you know I share in this knowledge with you. I will miss you all, and I am sorry. I never counted the cost as the parable in Luke said I should. The cost was too high and I refuse to pay it any longer. Good bye my friends.

What is it that Christianity does to human beings that you detest? Would you truly give up eternal happiness in heaven because of this issue? What you are doing is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Think about it!

SLE

 

[Janette]

I have been where you are...

Dearest brother,

I can only pray that someday you will return to this thread, moved by curiosity about why it continues in your absence.

Your absence is *felt* -- I never knew you, but I feel it. When a child of God stumbles in the darkness all of his brothers and sisters feel it. We can't name the feeling but it is real. There is the briefest sense of alarm, the barest hint of danger, and it doesn't ever really go away. We all feel it. That wrongness and disharmony pervade our myths and legends. It colors even modern science fiction in tales of a false reality bent over our lives. It creates phony religions full of lost sheep.

"The Church" is not God. Jesus is not "Christianity."

There are many people who call themselves "Christian" who defile the word in the process. There are many churches and organizations that teach a "Christianity" that is hurtful and unforgiving and simply not in accord with anything Jesus ever revealed to man. There are hypocrite fools who pound Bibles on pulpits and scream about the Law, then go home to sin and debauchery. Do not let these horrible liars and fakes take from you the genuine relationship with God that is your promised *right* upon accepting true Salvation. Do not blame Jesus for those who smear evil and call it religion. These people are Satan's strongest agents. Don't let them win you. Don't let them embitter you. Don't let them own you.

You belong with God. You have always known this.

You feel in your heart that God exists. You have tried to ignore Him and you have tried to deny Him. You've played with giving God other names born of pagan imaginations. You've attempted to bind God in the impersonal ramblings of logic and philosophy. You keep searching and scratching from one path to another and every new ride on this cycle just cuts a little deeper.

You can live a Godly life.

You've moved back and forth, up and down, "passed" and "failed" through all of the things in your life that you are afraid you cannot give up for God's sake. You've cried in despair and laughed in rebellion and even shaken an angry fist at Heaven in desperation. You've stalwartly given up everything "bad" in an effort to "Get right with Jesus" ... only to feel shame and horror when you realized after a while that you *want* those things you gave up because they were sinful. And then you were upset that God wouldn't just fix you so you didn't want it anymore. You felt abandoned and betrayed by a God who couldn't or wouldn't just "make it all better."

You are not broken or dirty or evil. Sin is about acts, not identity.

The wanting isn't the sin. It's not a sin to want to be happy. It's not a sin to want to feel good. Everything you want, everything you think right now that you will never be able to put aside, is nothing but a bunch of unhealthy methods to lead you to being happy and feeling good. The trouble is that the happiness is false and the good feeling goes away leaving you worse than before.

God knows this and He understands.

God knows Sin is appealing. God knows Sin is addictive. God undertands all of this and forgives you for succumbing to it. No matter what you have done, no matter what you are doing, and no matter what you may yet do, God has poured out His Grace -- and His blood -- to wash it all away. All you have to do is believe. All you have to do is accept the Salvation that He so freely -- FREELY -- offers. Even if you think you can't understand and aren't sure you believe, ask the Lord to help you with your unbelief and your undertanding will flourish in time.

You will sin again. And again.

God knows this too. It is inevitable until we are made perfect through Him that we will falter and fail on occasion. When He died for you, He took up every sin that you would ever commit from the day of your birth to the day of your death and ended them. They are undone. Paid. Removed. You are washed clean. You don't need to apologize, you just need to believe.

Repentance will come though love...not fear...not pain...not effort or shame.

There will never be enough tears from your eyes to pay for your sins. There is no act you can perform, no thing you can do or no longer do to "balance the books." There isn't even anything to pay. You are already forgiven. Undone. Paid. Removed. Washed clean.

I know it's hard to resist sin. I have fallen back into immorality. Others here have struggled and continue to fight. I know that the more you came to understand God's love, the more unworthy you felt to receive it. How can any of us bare His trust? How can we endure the pain of knowing how we have hurt and defied Someone who loves us so very completely?

The ONLY thing we can do now is love Him back. The ONLY thing we have left, when all our actions are made worthless and all our efforts are refused as currency, is to accept the Grace He offers us and requite the love He pours out to us.

When you allow yourself to feel His love, when you allow yourself to return that love, you will be inspired to be less sinful. Slowly. Falteringly. But it will happen.

If you believe.

If you accept.

It is not too late. It was never too late.

 

[Chad]

What is it that Christianity does to human beings that you detest? Would you truly give up eternal happiness in heaven because of this issue? What you are doing is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Think about it!

SLE

This deserves quote of the year award! I agree wholeheartedly on this because it makes no sense to throw away Christ's relationship with us over what man has done. And do we know all men's heart that we must assume all the same (Christians)?

Prayer is key, Christ is the door to the Father in Heaven

Sister Janette posted something tremendously awesome as well. I encourage you to post that separately in the Help & Counsel forum as well sister. Its very valuable and encouraging.

 

[Janette]

Um...gee *blush* okay, I'll do that

 

[gladstone]

This thread has, I think, raised many issues that many 'new' Christians feel and face, (myself being one of them)

It is so encouraging and refreshing to see all the wonderful responses.

I think it's important for jculver to know that he's not alone, and not the only one to think on these things and wonder.

I've walked away from God before, and it's taken about 5 years to come back, and I'm so glad I did. And through all that time, I still felt God's hand on my life, even though I was denying him, and doing my own thing. He is patient, and He is kind. He will wait for you.

You'll be in my prayers jculver. I hope things become more clear for you.

xXx

 

[jculver]

Thank you all very much for your posts. All of them were well thought out, and I did take the time to read each one. I have tried to return to God, and I am struggling to come out of all of the sin I let into my life. It is common practice now for me to sin everyday in numerous ways, and blaspheme and not care, and not even think twice about any of it. I have definitely drifted very far from my once good relationship with God.

Last night I think for the first time I started to understand God, and how he was trying to work in my life before I blew everything and began to be angry with him. We had a small conversation, and I believe God has been chastening me with sicknesses since I have left him. I have experienced several, each worse than the previous, and I just get that idea, that feeling, that they are God's way of punishing me (which is fine).

So my friends, I ask for your prayer, that God mends what only he can, our relationship. That he not hold his anger on me for too long, as I genuinely am sorry, and trying my best to repent. Any prayer is appreciated, and thank you all for your prayers so far, and your reading, and posts on this thread.

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Father I thank you that You are a forgiving Father and when we confess our sins to You that You forgive us our sins and remember them no more. I pray that you help this dear brother to mend his relationship with You. Help him to truly be repentant and move away from the sins and not go back to them. I pray that he will come back to his first love. You welcome him back with open arms as You love him but hate the sin. I thank you that you hear the cries of Your people. Thank you that You are our healer too and I pray for his health and honesty before You in Jesus' name amen.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Re: Goodbye............

:lightbulb "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave (you) all your sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulation, that was against (you) and that stood opposed to (you); he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

(Col 2:13-14)

Your forgiveness and mine has already been arranged. Our sins were paid for by Jesus' blood. From God's angle its a "done deal", we don't have to crawl and beg to receive it. It's already there for us to accept. He has prepared a table for you; he is anointing your head with oil; he is set to make your cup overflow (see Ps 23:5). Your role is simply to receive and to press into him.

I love you, my friend, and I'm praying for you.

SLE