there are so many christian groups but..
NWCountryGal
Posts: 1,992 Member
I picked this one because I think for me, it is most important to focus on scripture. Although I do need my fellow believers especially now.
I have struggled with my faith for, well, many years. I was born-again in 93. I read a devotional by Ray Stedman this a.m. that really described it to a tee. It sounded like me, especially this part, well, I think it's all pertinent and it is me. I haven't leaned on God, not completely and so, I still try to get by with "worldly" fixes. I am almost 60 and I so want to let go and let God. I feel ashamed for all the past failures but yet, here I am, trying once more. I have become attached to mfp and many christian ladies here, not that I see in the group but I know there are sisters in Christ here too. I am not going to church, but just might go tomorrow. I still have friends there that will welcome me back.
I won't post these all the time, it is just to sort of introduce myself and hope to let you know me. I want to search scripture as well and look for verses that will not only help us improve our physical well-being but the whole package, all of God's Temple:)
a somewhat wandering sister in Christ, Denise
Here is what I read, and, I even prayed the prayer at the end:
raystedman.org Daily Devotional
Read the Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-7
close
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
The words, trouble and comfort, stand out repeatedly in this passage, and the two always go together. Trouble is what we today would probably call pressure or stress. It is what many of you, perhaps, are feeling right now when you think about going to work. It is whatever ties knots in your stomach and makes you feel anxious or frightened about what lies ahead. It is what makes for hectic days and sleepless nights. It gnaws continually at your mind and threatens your well-being; it refuses to go away and leave you alone; it depresses you and darkens the future with forebodings of disaster.
Comfort is more than just a little cheer or friendly word of encouragement. The word basically means "to strengthen." What Paul experienced was the strengthening of God to give him a peaceful, restful spirit to meet the pressure and stress with which he lived. It is amazing to me how many Christians dread facing their daily lives because they feel pressured and stressful and tied up in knots, and yet they never avail themselves of God's provision for that kind of pressure. These words are not addressed to us merely to be used for religious problems. They are to be used for any kind of stress, any kind of problems. God's comfort, God's strengthening, is available for whatever creates stress in your life.
I say that many do not avail themselves of it. The reason I say that is because they give every evidence that they behave just like anybody else who is not a Christian—they try to escape their pressures. Or, if they are Christian, they are praying that they will be rescued from their pressures, that the problems will be taken away. You can always tell how ill-taught Christians really are when you hear their prayers. Invariably they pray to have their problems taken away or to be completely shielded from them. All their hopes are for escape somehow, and all their reactions are either worry; a murmuring, complaining spirit; anger; or fear. This is not Christianity in action.
Listen to Paul: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He praises God for the circumstances of his life even though there are afflictions. He calls God the "Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." He sees God's hand as having sent these things into his life; therefore, he doesn't pray to have them removed so that he might escape from them. He sees them as opportunities for the release of the strength of God.
Father, I confess to You that I am often truculent about my difficulties. I resent them. I do not want to accept them. I want them removed or I become rebellious, and I complain. Help me to trust and be at peace.
I have struggled with my faith for, well, many years. I was born-again in 93. I read a devotional by Ray Stedman this a.m. that really described it to a tee. It sounded like me, especially this part, well, I think it's all pertinent and it is me. I haven't leaned on God, not completely and so, I still try to get by with "worldly" fixes. I am almost 60 and I so want to let go and let God. I feel ashamed for all the past failures but yet, here I am, trying once more. I have become attached to mfp and many christian ladies here, not that I see in the group but I know there are sisters in Christ here too. I am not going to church, but just might go tomorrow. I still have friends there that will welcome me back.
I won't post these all the time, it is just to sort of introduce myself and hope to let you know me. I want to search scripture as well and look for verses that will not only help us improve our physical well-being but the whole package, all of God's Temple:)
a somewhat wandering sister in Christ, Denise
Here is what I read, and, I even prayed the prayer at the end:
raystedman.org Daily Devotional
Read the Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-7
close
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
The words, trouble and comfort, stand out repeatedly in this passage, and the two always go together. Trouble is what we today would probably call pressure or stress. It is what many of you, perhaps, are feeling right now when you think about going to work. It is whatever ties knots in your stomach and makes you feel anxious or frightened about what lies ahead. It is what makes for hectic days and sleepless nights. It gnaws continually at your mind and threatens your well-being; it refuses to go away and leave you alone; it depresses you and darkens the future with forebodings of disaster.
Comfort is more than just a little cheer or friendly word of encouragement. The word basically means "to strengthen." What Paul experienced was the strengthening of God to give him a peaceful, restful spirit to meet the pressure and stress with which he lived. It is amazing to me how many Christians dread facing their daily lives because they feel pressured and stressful and tied up in knots, and yet they never avail themselves of God's provision for that kind of pressure. These words are not addressed to us merely to be used for religious problems. They are to be used for any kind of stress, any kind of problems. God's comfort, God's strengthening, is available for whatever creates stress in your life.
I say that many do not avail themselves of it. The reason I say that is because they give every evidence that they behave just like anybody else who is not a Christian—they try to escape their pressures. Or, if they are Christian, they are praying that they will be rescued from their pressures, that the problems will be taken away. You can always tell how ill-taught Christians really are when you hear their prayers. Invariably they pray to have their problems taken away or to be completely shielded from them. All their hopes are for escape somehow, and all their reactions are either worry; a murmuring, complaining spirit; anger; or fear. This is not Christianity in action.
Listen to Paul: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He praises God for the circumstances of his life even though there are afflictions. He calls God the "Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." He sees God's hand as having sent these things into his life; therefore, he doesn't pray to have them removed so that he might escape from them. He sees them as opportunities for the release of the strength of God.
Father, I confess to You that I am often truculent about my difficulties. I resent them. I do not want to accept them. I want them removed or I become rebellious, and I complain. Help me to trust and be at peace.
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Replies
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Sister,
I feel your heart in this! This is a deeply moving time for you and I encourage you to continue to press into Him as He opens your eyes to His Will in your journey.
He is reaching out to you and replacing the food and the other "junk" in life with what you truly crave, and what we were really MADE to crave, HIM. Yes, we were made to crave HIM!
We just fill in the emptiness with food, people, relationships, stuff, etc. when what we deeply and truly need is a truly intimate relationship with our Creator.
This change is happening in you now and the quickening or awakening is HAPPENING!!!! how exciting!!!!!
This song has been a true "ballad": to what I have been feeling as God has been walking me through this journey of restoring this temple to health and vitality, as He had originally planned. Please listen to this, my precious sister.
http://youtu.be/ShByahX-VFA
I believe it will bring you to tears as it did me.
I love you SOOOO MUCh, and I haven't even touched your hand. But you are God's own, and therefore, you are my sister and friend. I share your heart for Our Father and you writing this today makes me feel comforted. I am not alone in this world. He is speaking through you and to the many others of us who know His Truth is REAL.
Love you,
Kimi0 -
Wow, this is confirmation that I picked a good group, you are here Kimi:) I feel really blessed by your words and I feel I am being pulled in by Him, He's reached down for me and all I had to do was take His hand, He offers but never forces us, I am in tears just writing this. I will go check out the link as well darlin.
I knew we shared a lot of common things but to know we are sisters in Christ goes without saying, He is the best thing we have in common,
May God bless your day and especially bless you for helping me along that road less traveled, huge hugs, ysic, denise:flowerforyou:0 -
I love Chris Tomlin and hadn't heard this one yet, hadn't been listening to any of my christian tunes. Thank you soooooooooo much!
Wow, that was powerful stuff and so my cry! Yep, God-sent, through you Kimi:) ysic, Denise:flowerforyou:0 -
Denise:
It is like I have been "asleep" for soooo long... just surviving in this life. Now, my soul has been stirred and AWAKENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The call has been answered! I cannot go back to the old me, ever. Just like you, my sister.
Oh and the reason I am here in this group, is because I saw YOUR post here!
I followed YOU here!
Our God is so faithful and so gentle... even as we begin to awaken to the real lives that He has for us, after all these years.. He comforts us with friends for the journey. How awesome is that?!
I am so pleased to call you friend!
God Bless YOU!
Kimi 0 -
You both are an inspiration to me...keep up the good work my sisters...you are doing well....ttyl
~Melanie~0 -
Wow, God is working isn't He, I just have to choose to believe that today. I didn't know you weren't already here Kimi, how amazing you followed this prodigal here, LOL! And Melanie, so glad you are here too honey.
I am taking baby-steps but Kimi sent me 4 different scriptures to print out and put around my place so I see them all the time. They were all about "living water" because she had got on me about not drinking enough water and then, she started sharing about "living water". It just all meshed together:)
I am starting a book today that may help get me back on course (always keeping the bible first, for me anyway)but it's called The Bondage Breakers. I think I have allowed myself to become bound up by satans lies, bought into them all over again after many years of walking faithfully with the Lord. Some may read this and think "wow, fat chance she is a christian after some of her posts" and I wouldn't blame them for thinking that. I didn't want to "play christian" anymore because that's what I felt I was doing, just playing a part. If I can't get close to Him and truly know He is my best friend then I don't want to ever have anyone think I am a christian. I am convinced it isn't about anything else, unless it is about a true relationship with my Creator. One on one and then I will have something to share with others.
I heard it said once that you can't give away something you don't have and I may have it but it is shoved way back in some storage area where it is doing no one any good.
Someone who wants true relationship with Christ, denise 0 -
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
This one came to mind when I read the above posts.0 -
Interesting how God brings to mind the things we've read. Usually just when I think I can't remember anything I've read in the bible, something will come back to me:) Thanks for this
During my walk today I thought of a few but the one that hit me most was :
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
I've been trying hard to figure out many things, my workout plan, school, an internet affiliate marketing niche, where I want to live, blablabla and this verse popped into my head and once more I thought "duh":embarassed:1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
This one came to mind when I read the above posts.0
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