prayer warriors (following Jesus Christ, everyone welcome)

[TheKindaFarmGal]

@shortgrass
  Your posts are such a Blessing to me these days!!  I just want you to know that God has been using you to speak to me...and most likely others!  You're a ray of sunshine in ways I cannot really explain yet!  lol!

I agree! Thank you, SG!

 

[cabincreations]

I think more people need to know this. Think about it, we are all Christians, and we all have a past...some more intense than others...
But when someone is looking for God, and they walk in to a church full of people who are all dressed up, acting their best...they must feel really out of place. Because they have no idea that most of us in there came from a mess...and God turned our lives around! We need to be more open to sharing...instead of hiding our pasts wondering "what will people think if they know where I came from?"

When I was young and had left home very young, I lived in a crackhouse for a while. The only furniture in there was an old dirty mattress on the floor where five or six of us at a time slept. There was a girl, an addict that used to come to buy drugs. She said to me one day "What are you doing here? you really don't belong here" And I didn't. I was not a drug user at all...but I needed shelter...a place to sleep, to get out of the cold.
That same girl tracked me down on Facebook many years later. She needed to know about God, and God led her to me...why? Because she had SEEN my mess, she had been there! She knew what I had done to survive and have my spot in that house...and it wasn't pretty. But that opened the door for her. She knew that God had brought me out of the ashes and Blessed my life. See...what I mean?
Share our stories! As shameful as we might think they are...everyone in the Bible has shame on them too...and thousands of years later their stories are still being told...because God meant us not to just clean up and never look back, but to share how He brought us out of the ashes.
How he made our mess into a message.
That doesn't mean we have to share it far and wide...it means God will prompt us when to tell it...He knows who needs to hear it and when. Follow the prompt. I think that is exactly what shortgrass did! Amazing God we serve, isn't He?

 

[lazy gardener]

The Atonement is intensely personal and uniquely crafted for our own individual circumstances and situations.

The risks of our becoming distant from our Father in Heaven and the Savior are significant and constantly around us. Happily, the Atonement was meant for all of these situations.

Jesus Christ was the only one capable of performing the magnificent Atonement because He was the only perfect man and the Only Begotten Son of God. His perfect mortal life..having no sin.. the shedding of His blood, His suffering in the garden and upon the cross, His voluntary death, and the Resurrection of His body from the tomb made possible a full Atonement for people of every generation and time.
The Atonement makes the Resurrection a reality for everyone. However, with our individual transgressions and sins, conditional aspects of the Atonement require our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our repentance, and our compliance with the laws.
Not always easy for us during our lifetime... we may make some decisions in life at times that isn't going to make it easy to want to repent. We think we are not loved by Him at times, how could He love such a sinner? He can! He does! It's because of that time in the Garden, that He knows us. He knows each and every one of us individually. He knows the very feelings we are feeling when we are ill, sad, feeling unloved.

There is a pattern for living that results in happiness, even with difficulties, challenges, and disappointments that come into all of our lives. We need to focus on the big picture of God’s plan for us and be able to avoid being brought down by frustrations or by the fact that life is not fair. It isn’t fair, but we can be happy anyway!

We also can’t and won’t know the meaning of all things, but we can and must know that the Lord loves us.. His children, and that we can be the benefit from Christ’s grace and Atonement in our lives and in our struggles. We should know and must remember the foolishness and danger of giving the evil one place in our hearts.
Even when we fully understand and commit to excluding evil and the evil one from our hearts and from our lives, we fall short because too often we are “natural” men and women. While we often speak of our repentance as an event, which it sometimes is, for most of us it is a constant, lifelong process.
Even when we aren't sinning in a big way, we find ourselves doing or saying something that isn't Christ like. We should repent of these things. We will be a happier person because of repenting often.

Excellent post, Cynthia.

@shortgrass I think my journey probably wasn't so long because I knew God before...I just had to know Him for myself...not from someone else cramming it down my throat lol! And I had NO IDEA what the world was all about as sheltered as my Brethren upbringing was. But I was a very curious child and had to learn it by experience...
God is a little different to a preachers kid...we grew up having to be perfect...having to have an outward 'face' so that we didn't shame our parents. And when you hit your teens running, the whole church shuns you because you 'should' know better, after all, you've been reciting all the verses your whole life, right? You're supposed to be part of the ministry from a child...a lot is expected of you...and being the oldest I had a double whammy going on there. I just gave up and ran away from God. Wanted nothing to do with Him and His expectations that i could never reach.
But He brought me back...not very gently...but He did. After I got mixed up in some deep occultist ways. That was scary, but the moment I was too terrified to do anything else...I got on my knees and repented and begged Him to save me. (I will not even go into what from, but it was really deep and dark) And He did, instantly! The shadows were removed, the demons stepped back, and I could see Him oh so very clearly then. In a way that I will never ever ever be able to deny there is a God and He saves us.

CC, welcome to this thread. Your testimony, as well as that of all the other posters on this thread is awesome.

I've been silent for a few days, but checking in here daily, if only to catch up on the reading. Caught up in a lot of spring stuff, including an incubator that is misbehaving. Trying to keep those little egglets alive, and not getting much sleep. The Peter study is on my mind. I intend to follow through with it until after the resurrection, but wondering if someone would like to pick up after that, or should we move on to an other study? Please post thoughts and ideas. Ocap has been coordinating some of the study. It's great that you are all chipping in with personal testimonies and devotionals. That's what breathes life into this thread. IMO, we need to keep a bit of a study going, as well as the music additions, and the personal devotions/testimonies. SG, love the valley's discussion that you have instigated. Our God is an awesome God. His word will not return void, and this thread is feeding His word into people's lives. So, rock on, Ladies and Gents. On Christ the solid Rock I stand. All other ground is shifting sand.

SG, thanks for your very powerful and well presented personal testimony. You touch a lot of lives with your candor. People can argue against the Bible. But they can't argue against the workings of God in an individual's life. And, all of those personal stories are not just stories. They are miracles.

 

[Flock Master64]

Excellent post, Cynthia.

CC, welcome to this thread.  Your testimony, as well as that of all the other posters on this thread is awesome.

I've been silent for a few days, but checking in here daily, if only to catch up on the reading.  Caught up in a lot of spring stuff, including an incubator that is misbehaving.  Trying to keep those little egglets alive, and not getting much sleep.  The Peter study is on my mind.  I intend to follow through with it until after the resurrection, but wondering if someone would like to pick up after that, or should we move on to an other study?  Please post thoughts and ideas.  Ocap has been coordinating some of the study.  It's great that you are all chipping in with personal testimonies and devotionals.  That's what breathes life into this thread.  IMO, we need to keep a bit of a study going, as well as the music additions, and the personal devotions/testimonies.  SG, love the valley's discussion that you have instigated.  Our God is an awesome God.  His word will not return void, and this thread is feeding His word into people's lives.  So, rock on, Ladies and Gents.  On Christ the solid Rock I stand.  All other ground is shifting sand.

SG, thanks for your very powerful and well presented personal testimony.  You touch a lot of lives with your candor.  People can argue against the Bible.  But they can't argue against the workings of God in an individual's life.  And, all of those personal stories are not just stories.  They are miracles.

*whispers: Peter studyyyy*

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: TY, Jake. I need to get on it, don't I!!!!

 

[Cynthia12]

@shortgrass I think my journey probably wasn't so long because I knew God before...I just had to know Him for myself...not from someone else cramming it down my throat lol! And I had NO IDEA what the world was all about as sheltered as my Brethren upbringing was. But I was a very curious child and had to learn it by experience...
God is a little different to a preachers kid...we grew up having to be perfect...having to have an outward 'face' so that we didn't shame our parents. And when you hit your teens running, the whole church shuns you because you 'should' know better, after all, you've been reciting all the verses your whole life, right? You're supposed to be part of the ministry from a child...a lot is expected of you...and being the oldest I had a double whammy going on there. I just gave up and ran away from God. Wanted nothing to do with Him and His expectations that i could never reach.
But He brought me back...not very gently...but He did. After I got mixed up in some deep occultist ways. That was scary, but the moment I was too terrified to do anything else...I got on my knees and repented and begged Him to save me. (I will not even go into what from, but it was really deep and dark) And He did, instantly! The shadows were removed, the demons stepped back, and I could see Him oh so very clearly then. In a way that I will never ever ever be able to deny there is a God and He saves us.

Wow, wonderful ...thank you for sharing.

 

[Cynthia12]

@shortgrass Your posts are such a Blessing to me these days!! I just want you to know that God has been using you to speak to me...and most likely others! You're a ray of sunshine in ways I cannot really explain yet! lol!

I so agree!

 

[ocap]

The Light In Me



My life before You
I was a flame burning down
I was burning out
But You knew me better
For You there was never a doubt
Not since You gave me life

Something was different
I knew it the instant
You put the light in me

The spark
The shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me
Out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world can see
You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me

You are the Maker
You tell the sun when to rise
I'm just a house on a hill
But You make me brighter
Than all the stars in the sky
Keep me from growing dim

‘Cause in Your perfection
I'm just a reflection
So pull me closer to You
I'll catch like a fire
And I'll hold You higher
‘Cause You put the light in me

I'll raise it high, I'll let it show
From the roof tops down to the streets below
In day and night, You will be known
And all will see
You put the light in me

 

[shortgrass]

Aww wow, thanks you guys, that means ALOT to me and is overwhelming sometimes how the Lord can pull us together and meet our needs if we just ask


That wasn't my normal operating procedure, in fact I almost went back and deleted the whole thing. All I was doing was following my heart, gut, instincts, whatever... Is that little voice in there the "spirit"? I just saw the word valley and thought it sounded like something fun to study... Or maybe that was the spirit too lol, I dunno


We all have a purpose for our valleys and a testimony of our faith, and I agree, the broken and shsttered spirits out there are too quickly chased away from our churches of worship because they don't feel like they "belong" there or will ever be able to meet these high expectations. It's just not true. There is a specific purpose for each and every creature under Gods care, and we play a huge part in each others lives. If one person can start a ripple that can affect hundreds in retrospect, than why are we so quiet? Why are we so scared to spread the Word? Why do we hide in our bible studies with our cronies and not bring a new friend to Bible study this week? They can't know the truth if there's nobody to tell them, and that someone may be YOU



Some great discussion; love the testimonies of how God can shape us and make us fit for His use!

 

[lazy gardener]

Tonight, we will look at the topic of forgiveness, as Peter continues to learn from Jesus. I've inclulded a study guide if you want to dig deeper. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/matthew-18.html

The text is Matthew 18:21-35.


The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Peter asks a question about forgiveness. He, in his humanity, with his human heart, considers that forgiving x 7 is a very generous thing, since the law requires forgiveness x 3. He was shocked with Jesus reply.
Then, Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant.
Questions:
Was the debt owed by the first servant a debt that was possible for him to pay?
The Master knew that he couldn't pay it. Why did he demand that it be paid?
Was the servant being honest when he asked for more time to pay the debt?
The Master could have given him more time, but the end result would have been the same... A servant who had a debt that he could never repay.
So, the Master cancelled the debt.
Does this remind you of a debt that you owe that you can not possibly pay? And what was done to cancel that debt? Can you share some verses that support these two thoughts?
The servant then goes to his neighbor. This neighbor owes money to the servant. The neighbor makes the very same request, even using the same words.
How does the servant respond?
How do the friends of the debtor who was thrown into debtors prison respond? Ever have a situation where you see someone being treated unfairly? How do you respond?
How would the Master have wished the unmerciful servant to respond?
How does this parable apply in our own lives?
It's fairly easy to forgive someone who insults us, causes financial hardship, or does other things that make our life difficult in the short term. But what about the big hurts? The ones that don't go away?
Does forgiving mean forgetting?

Now, I have a parable for you.
There was once a young girl who grew up and moved off to start a life of her own. She fell in love with a man who said all the right words, who was very attentive, calling her all the time, spending lots of time with her. They got married, and his attentiveness became obsessive. As time continued, she found herself isolated from her family and friends. He drove her to work, picked her up after work, and often came by to visit during her work day. Soon, he was accusing her of being unfaithful if she talked to her male co-workers. This escalated to beatings. He threatened to kill her if she ever left him. She did leave him several times, and he stalked her. Kept wooing her back with promises that things would be better. Told her that marriage is forever, and she was being disobedient to God if she left him. By now, there were children, and the children were also being beat for minor misbehaviors.
How would Jesus finish this parable?
Forgiveness? How far does forgiveness go? Forgiveness in the face of unrepentance? Forgiveness in the face of repeated harm? 490 times? Scripture to deal with this parable?