lola21st

Amen Virtuous!! Thank you that you pray for this site! We all have a responsibility whether we interpreting dreams or we are posting dreams to be interpreted. Prophecy is an area that can be too often misused, sometimes deliberately but more often just due to using bad judgement. I appreciate what you said about receiving a prophetic word, it's so true. Ultimately, God is the final answer. Trust Him, seek Him, and look to him for the final confirmation.

That's happened to me on occasion as well...if it was removed, you would've received a pm...chances are it was just a glitch so if you can, repost it....

Kimmee, thanks for sharing your praise report! God is awesome and worthy to be praised!! Another example of what happens when one is obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.... Psalm 37 is one of my favorite psalms for that reason! It reminds me to catch myself and stop doing what is easy to do (fret, get angry, act/think in a way that is ungodly) and it reminds me about what to do that's not always so easy to do (trust in the Lord, delight yourself in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, rest in the Lord, wait on the Lord). I love David's observation as he looks back on his life - 25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Sometimes in times of struggle and trials the best thing to do is to get next to a more mature senior Christian who has seen some things over the years and has a testimony (or several...lol!). Their wisdom can help us keep our right minds.

It takes time to grieve a loss. Just when you think you're come to terms with it, something happens that makes the loss seem like it was just yesterday. I agree with Daph and Butterfly, allow yourself time to grieve it and continue to pray for healing from the loss. Talking with someone about it can help as well (informally or formally). I understand that this may not be helpful when you're in the middle of grieving but know that we care and support you!

give the child up for adoption???? wow...were these issues known when he was receiving the "counseling"? Why would they counsel him to make a bad situation worse? The thing I dislike the most is when Christians "counsel" legalistically....sorry to rant but it saddens me when the cause of injury to a person is the church...I can understand what you're saying and agree, it makes no sense that they were made to marry in the first place....

My quick answer (more thorough response will follow) is that no, not everyone is meant to be married. Paul talked about that in 1 Corinthians 7 - that it would be good if everyone were like him but for those who are burning with desire, they should marry. Also that those who are unmarried serve things of the Lord while those who are married serve things of the world, i.e., their spouse (these are my words, not exact scripture) The example you gave is a tough one but you handle it through prayer and support. Why hasn't the man married his girlfriend? Is it because he has the worldly view that living together is ok? If so, perhaps the Holy Spirit will convict him as he gets to know the Lord more and he will want to marry his girlfriend. That has happened at my church on more than one occasion. most recently last year (that I know of). My pastor was preaching about marriage and started preaching about living together. The Holy Spirit convicted the two and they asked my pastor to marry them in his office a few of days later. Certainly not suggesting that it's this simple (though sometimes it can be), because I know there are often factors that make the decision more challenging. But ultimately, trust God to take the scales off of his eyes and reveal His truth to him. Through the renewing of his mind, the new believer will make a Godly decision regarding the matter.

Seeker3 - I will touch and agree with you... Father God, we come to you today thanking You that You are our stronghold in times of trouble. We lift Seeker3 up to You Lord. Thank You Lord, for Seeker3. Father, as You know Seeker3 is suffering from several ailments. We thank You Lord that You have not despised nor abhorred the affliction of Seeker3; nor have You hidden Your face from her, Thank You that when she cries to You, You hear. We thank You Lord that You are our Creator, that You created our inward parts. As such, we declare in Jesus’ name that every part of Seeker3’s must fall into order and function as You created them to function. We speak health into Seeker3, we speak life into Seeker3’s body in the name of Jesus. We know that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but we thank You Lord that You will deliver Seeker3 out of them all. And we give You all the glory, now and forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Blessings, Lurdys

Thanks Judy! And amen, Laura and Rnestseekr!!

Praise the Lord, that's wonderful news!!

I agree with all of the above. I held off from commenting because I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep this to 25 words or less as this is an area that I feel burdened about, so be warned that this is long! I think that people are lonely and impatient and allow those feelings to drive them to make poor decisions. They don't put in enough homework to ensure that the potential mate is really the one, and the right one for them. People move based on infatuation - when dating, people are enamored by how wonderful the person is instead of using dating as an interview/investigation period (I know it sounds too business like) to learn about the other person and reality test what they're hearing. It doesn't have to be an interrogation but you can find out a lot about another person when you're talking to them if you really listen. And you can learn a lot about a person by the way they interact with others and how they handle situations. Blinders are put on, and signs that surface that show the person's real side are ignored. People forget that they're usually in a false advertising stage for the first 6-8 months of a relationship. Both parties are putting out their best efforts to present themselves in a certain way but that can't be sustained over time. At some point, the "real" person starts to surface and unfortunately, this sometimes occurs after the vows are exchanged. My pastor jokingly tells us that until we see Jack/Jill out of the box, to move cautiously. It’s important to see the good, the bad and the ugly before making a long term commitment so that you really know who you’re dealing with. And see the person operate in different settings with different people under different circumstances – meet their friends, their family, see how they treat people in service positions like waitresses, cashiers, etc. See how they deal with adversity – people cutting you off on the highway, rude people you encounter in your day to day. Have a disagreement or two and see how they handle it, etc. Within the Christian community, I think sometimes we move too quickly because we get driven by a desire to have legal sex and/or we get a “Word” from a prophet or that we think is directly from the Lord. We don’t confirm the “Word” and/or we move on it before we’re supposed to, etc. I know of someone who met her “Boaz” on the internet and after two months they decided they would marry. She just knew that he was the man that the Lord sent for her. They married four months later. After a few months he stopped going to church and wasn’t acting like her “Bo”. Turns out “Bo” was into child porn and would go online when she was gone to church and work. Very disturbing since she had three pre-teen and teenage girls. Needless to say, they’re no longer together. But a marriage partner doesn’t have to be dysfunctional to be a bad match. Too many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, don’t really think about what they are looking for in a spouse, don’t exercise a spirit of discernment when they have a potential candidate, don’t see themselves as worthy of a good spouse, etc. Many people due to their own issues, have a “Settle for” mentality so they take the first thing that comes around, often because of their own self-esteem issues. Others choose someone who fills a specific need but is ineffective at meeting others so they either talk themselves into the relationship or let others talk themselves into the relationship. Still others are straight up predators – they want something that the other person can offer – financial security, status, affiliation, etc. and they go after it like a barracuda or gold digger. And some are too pragmatic – the person does meet the qualities on their list but there is no chemistry, no passion, but they go ahead and marry anyway. And while I’ve touched on it before, I think that too many people operate in their own power, not the power of the Holy Spirit. People who are not in the Word, and aren’t really developing their relationship with the Lord can’t operate in the Spirit, i.e., be Spirit-led. The Holy Spirit will guide you and give you information about a potential partner if you let Him. Another example that my pastor gives from time to time: A member of the church met a man who she thought was her Boaz. He was a Christian man actively involved in the church, had a good job, had a home, had all the personality attributes that she wanted and of course was very attractive. They had courted, met each others friends and families, everything seemed right. He proposed, she excitedly accepted. As they were planning the wedding, the Holy Spirit started telling her that this is not the man that she should marry. She at first ignored the promptings, but they got louder, more burdensome. So she told her fiancé that she couldn’t go through with it because she felt that the Lord wasn’t in agreement. Her fiance said ok. About a year or so later, she found out that he had full blown AIDS – he had led a dual lifestyle and contracted HIV. He died within a year after that. And all of the above only covers one aspect of why Christian marriages fail – sad to say but a lot of Christian marriages should never have taken place in the first place. I really believe that more scrutiny at the front end pre-marriage would decrease the divorce rate by a third if not cut it in half. But the other piece is that now that a couple is married, how do they stay married? Too many couples give up after the first disagreement, bitterness develops, bad relational patterns resurface, poor communication is a part of it, spouses are held accountable to meet needs that can only be filled by the Lord, etc. And last but most important, couples forget that marriage is a covenant with the Lord, so they don’t let the Holy Spirit participate as a full partner in the covenant. Marriage isn’t a two person assignment, it’s a three spirit assignment. People forget that even when a marriage is of the Lord, it doesn’t mean that life is going to be a rose garden (look at Isaac and Rebekah) but it does mean that the Lord has paired two people who will complement each other and are equipped to be strong where one is weak, etc. Furthermore, a lot of people don’t realize (or don’t understand the full implication) that marriage is a ministry unto itself. It is a lifelong act of service. The key is finding two people who serve each other, where each person is looking out for their spouses interests and not concerned about payback, not keeping score, not feeling bitter/resentful because they didn’t get their way, etc. – of course, they wouldn’t be feeling this way because there is reciprocation. Sorry, if I rambled, just a lot of thoughts to get down in a short period of time. And if I had more time, I'd talk about the need to enter a relationship as a whole person, not look for something in a person that only the Lord can provide, do things that allow you to grow to become the person that will complement a Boaz/Ruth (in general terms, not specific terms)...Iok, I'll stop!! I’ll step off of my soapbox/pulpit now!

psalm 37:4

Praise the Lord, Dreamster!! He is faithful and will continue to provide all that you need!

Hi Laura - Oh, praise the Lord for His goodness! Congratulations on your move and it is so great to have you back!!! Blessings, Lurdys

LovetoworshipJesus - I will stand in agreement with you. Heavenly Father, we give you all the honor and glory and and praise because you're more than worthy to be praised. Holy and awesome is your name, Father, and we submit to Your authority. Father, after you created Adam you said that it is not good for man to be alone which means it is not good for a woman to be alone. Father, I pray in Jesus' name that you would let LovetoworshipJesus know more about her helpmate's arrival. Give her the wisdom and understanding that she so earnestly seeks Father. Thank You Father that Your timing is always the perfect timing and that you work all things together for our good. Give LovetoworshipJesus an encouragement regarding this matter Father that she knows could only come from You. Thank You Father that as You are preparing and grooming LovetoworshipJesus and her helpmate to enter into a marriage covenant together, that You will continue to guide their steps and teach them Your ways so that they become the person that You need them to be for each other. We thank You Father that You will be the cement that holds them together, that what You join together, no man can separate. We give You all the glory now and forever. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Desiree - that was a WONDERFUL word!!! And you KNOW you spoke to my heart with that! Amen!

Amen! I had a similar experience yesterday while in prayer - I had much to petition about but I was just so filled with joy that all I wanted to do was praise Him and give Him thanks for His faithfulness. Thank you Lord for all that you do in our lives! We love you and exalt Your Holy Name! :PTL:

Amen Connie!

Thank you all, you're too kind! Blessings, Lurdys

Ephesians 3:20-21 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen! Hallelujah!!!

Hi Friends - There is a tornado watch for Oklahoma and it has touched down a few minutes ago in Edmond which from the article is near Oklahoma City. Let's lift up our sister in Christ, Connie, other members on the site from that area (I know of one or two but can't remember their member names) as well as the people there. Father God, we lift up our friends to you right now as we know You are their refuge at this time. We plead the blood of Jesus over them, their families, and all that they hold dear. Just as you calmed the storms of the sea, we're believing you to calm this tornado so that no lives are taken and there are no injuries. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Hi Mia - Great to hear from you! We miss you too!! Hope you're enjoying NY! Will definitely keep you and your family in prayer and look forward to your praise report! Blessings, Lurdys

Baby steps Halo, baby steps... Let the hula wait until Wednesday... Glad to hear that you're feeling better...Praise the Lord!!!

good advice, Butterfly! Halo, please do go...if it's lingering, it could lead to bronchitis if not pneumonia...neither one is good...

Vile - Thanks for your "iron sharpening iron" post... And don't pull punches, we need exhortations to keep us grounded in Christ and not get too full of ourselves into thinking that we're so wonderfully Christian...this is how we grow...when we think that we're "there" that's when we're of no use to Christ and are ripe for the enemy to get a foothold - "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." - 1Corinthians 10:12. My only request is that you never forget who you are in Christ - be direct and do so with the love of Christ - be respectful. You've not been disrespectful and you've not done anything that would cause anyone to ban your account - provocative thought/discussion is really welcome. Where we draw the line is with personal attacks, belittling, etc. - anything that will give Satan an entry in this community. What we try to strive for is written in Ephesians 4:29-5:2: "4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." That's not to say we don't fall short at times but it is the standard to which we aim... Anyway, it is this same type of hypocrisy that in part kept me from the church in my younger years...people who played the role in church but as soon as they entered the parking lot were back in the world and were some of the world's worst offenders. Even when I started attending church and joined a church, I became disillusioned because I couldn't understand how these people upon hearing the Word, were still so unhappy. What they were happy about is that they fulfilled their obligation to attend church, but they didn't know the Lord. Sure, they knew the Word, but the Word wasn't in them. And sure Jesus was their savior but He wasn't Lord of their lives. So after a few years, I left that church because I was led to another (short version). In one sense I'm blessed. My church is Heaven on earth. I don't mean to sound self-righteous or prideful when I say that but that is really what visitors often say when they come to my church because it is the most diverse church body I've ever seen or been a part of. Every race/ethnicity is represented, people from every part of the socio-economic spectrum attend, all educational levels, all ages, etc. And yes, we have goth, punk, gangsta's, sk8ters, techno geek, jocks, people whose bodies is a canvas, bikers, etc., both real and wannabees...We know the Holy Spirit does move there, because man couldn't create this fellowship on his own..this is a God thing... From what I've observed, there is genuine fellowship and caring for one another, it's not just different groups of people going to the same church but keeping to themselves. A friend of mine recently was having problems with his car and needed transportation to take care of his son and get to/from work, church, etc. Another member heard his story and was led by the Holy Spirit to give him her van, a 2000 Toyota Sienna...permanently. He had just taken the van to the DMV to change the registration when he told me the story. But this isn't really what your post is about. I mean it is on one level, but I think your exhortation is focused on the individual - so let me put myself on the hot seat...what am I doing to promote people that I don't really want to see in church? I want to see everyone in church, it's your next question that really convicted me - what type of people would I hate to sit next to in church? I won't say what type but the fact that there is a type convicts me that it's time to do a check up from the neck up... I'm going to pray about this today and carry it out tomorrow at church. When I go into the sanctuary to find a seat, I'm going to find that type of person and sit next to them...and see what the Holy Spirit does in that situation...it's a small step but the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Hi Halo - I will stand in the gap for you!