Prayer request

[learning]

Hi, just a short one, as I am struggling with some things in the Bible I'm discussing with an agnostic, and I really don't see an answer. I KNOW my Redeemer lives, but I'm not sure how to handle this problem I've come across. Please pray that I'll still have 'the peace that passes all understanding'

also, I have really desired a holiness like I've read in John Wesley's day, of the absolute assurance in one's heart of holiness. I have no doubt as to the redeeming power of God, but see too much wrong in how I look at others or myself at times. Please pray for this. (and for yourselves for this if it concerns you too)

[Xmansmommy]

:pray:

[mossrose]

:pray:

[learning]

Thank you sisters.
?
who here is a strong christian apologetic that I could ask a ? of. I've asked jpholding, and he's helped with some, but I have a ? that I need help with, and I don't even want to put it on the board, in case it might hurt some other christian. There's probably a simple explanation I'm missing, but until then, I need some help.

[RumTumTugger]

:pray: for you learning

[mossrose]

Thank you sisters.
?
who here is a strong christian apologetic that I could ask a ? of. I've asked jpholding, and he's helped with some, but I have a ? that I need help with, and I don't even want to put it on the board, in case it might hurt some other christian. There's probably a simple explanation I'm missing, but until then, I need some help.
Learning, perhaps you could pm Dee Dee Warren. She might be able to help you with your question, and since she is a site owner, she will also be able to advise you whether it is something for the general population or not.....

:hug:

[geebob]

also, I have really desired a holiness like I've read in John Wesley's day, of the absolute assurance in one's heart of holiness. I have no doubt as to the redeeming power of God, but see too much wrong in how I look at others or myself at times. Please pray for this. (and for yourselves for this if it concerns you too)

I have sympathy's with wesley's notion of holyness, but I don't know that it is a sign that you are on the right path or that there is a path to take that will never have doubts and challenges on the way. ups and downs in spirituality are a normal part of the christian life and it is in fact in times when you don't know where God is and when you can't see him that you have a chance for spritual growth, to persevere. You can see that it is normal in the life of faith by reading the psalms when the psalmist crys out to God and says "where are you? what is going on...where did your guidance and presence go?" And yet the psalmist continues to remain in the coarse.

You're going to have questions that you don't know the answers to and you're going to face periods of time when you might not get an answer, and perhaps you won't get the answer you were looking for, but if you persevere and continue to seek God, you will come through it.

But you should do a few things. Remember. Remember what God has done for you. And don't be an autonomous individual. Remember what God has done for the church and what he is doing for the church today. If you don't know what he is doing for the church today, then you need to find out.

2ndly, continue to fellowship with christians of strong faith and don't consider your spiritual lows to be a liability. pray with others and have them pray for you just as you are doing here. But don't be content with the anonomous internet. Find some Christians in person and real time.

3rd, what you are doing now is of course the right thing. Ask others for help. You'll probably get a lot of answers and you may even have to sift through bad ones. But that's not as bad as it may seem. And also realize that you may not be ready for the answer. The questions of scripture and of knowledge can get very complicated and a really good answer may not seem right to you. And that is further reason for patience.

[elysian]

:pray:
I'm praying that by the Holy Spirit's power He will grant you the right words, the discernment to know when to stay quiet, and at all times that He would grant you God's peace.

[learning]

Hey el, I have been 'hearing ' "Be still and know... that I am God"

Well, jpholding answered my ?, and if anyone wishes to know, they can go to him.

I don't really want to bring it up, as it is not still cut and dried, so it could still cause doubts for some.
But God is good, I sense the need to be in prayer, spiritual warfare even. Not sure why, but will lay low for a while.
I have to laugh, in a way, cause if God can use me, no matter how gullible and easily down I can get, He can use anyone. I believe my innocence protects me sometimes, not knowing the 'skeptical ?'s' that are out there, but God is Faithful. And like Job says, though we look to the left, and look to the right, and can't find God,
Job 23:8-10
"HE knows the way that I go, and when He has tried me, I'll come out as gold."

Thanks again for your prayers. I'm sure they are what brought me peace in my sadness.

[geebob]

I don't really want to bring it up, as it is not still cut and dried, so it could still cause doubts for some.

I really don't think you have anything to worry about on our behalf. I'm geussing that there's a 90 percent chance that somewhere around half of us have already heard about it at least once.

You should avoid leading others into temptation, but as for a problem that you don't know how to deal with, that isn't the same thing. For many of us who don't know the answer and who don't like the answers out given so far, well it's actually a healthy thing for Chrsitians to wrestle with these things and even humbly recognize that every now and then, we won't have all the answers and that's okay.

[learning]

Well, it was to do with Luke 6:1-5, and the other gospels about it in Mark and Matthew. The problem I had was that we didn't have 'proof' that David had companions with him, so how could Jesus say that he gave the bread to them?
In fact, it looked as though David made up a lie about them, but, now after reading jpholdings' article about it, I realize there likely were companions with him, otherwise, how could David's family find out where David was hiding in a cave later on? There had to be someone to go and take the message, right? :)
So..., here's a link to this. I guess, I could deal with some things being unexplainable, like numbers etc. in the Bible, but to have it look as though Jesus said something wrong, that hurt! But, if you read jpholding's article, it does make sense what Jesus said. It would be unusual for someone to travel alone, without a few companions. It was just that David likely had them hid, and made up the story about being on a King's secret mission to get bread. Otherwise, why would he ask for five loaves of bread? Even today, home made bread gets moldy within a day or two. Five loaves wouldn't keep for just one man. (It doesn't say how much David got, but that is what he originally asked for)
www.tektonics.org/markmen.html
He also has a good explanation about the priests names, etc.
I guess this has been already discussed here before even, it just was new to me. That is why I thought it OK to share this.