My daughter

[octoberose]

 How does a family that has always acknowledged God now have a son with same sex attraction and a beautiful daughter who has been committing adultery? That is where we are and I am stunned and grieved and I barely know what to think. I'm not really sure I know how to live through this. Our middle daughter is just crushed that her siblings have strayed so far. Please pray for my family. Please pray God uses this time to bring repentance and a new heart. Please pray that I will be sustained so I can minister to them. Part of me just wants to give up- the rest of me knows that I am here to show them God's love and speak His Truth. And I have to give him praise that I have been able to do that. I surely feel the Lord's discipline in our lives. I feel such anguish.

[Stacey]

Hi Octoberrose,

Sorry for your trials and troubles. 

I am here to show them God's love and speak His Truth

Amen! THAT is one thing for sure to hold on to and do.

[Marky Mark]

I surely feel the Lord's discipline in our lives.

Which of course, was Gods plan from the start...

John 6:44 No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him. And I shall be raising him in the last day.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

2Tim 1:9 Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian


Hello octoberose 

  As much as we all would like for our loved ones to come to the point that we, as humans,may think that point should be,well,our loving Father in Heaven, in His all knowing and sovereign ways, does of His own good will. There have been many,many times in my own life that I have lost sleep over something that I would have liked to have been of a better condition. But no human can do of themselves,all is of God,the good and the bad.

Now I trust the will of the Father in all things, because I know that He loves me very deeply and the things that we all have to go through in this earthly realm of ours is for our own Spiritual growth, in the plan and purpose of Our God.


Here is a great little story to think about. Even though we may think for the moment all is horrible,God is way ahead of the condition.  AMEN...
Thanks Dave in PA.

There was a king in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an unsafe area. Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way. As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.

"You were right" he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "this is good!"

"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you!"

Peace...Mark

[Deborah-Leigh]

How does a family that has always acknowledged God now have a son with same sex attraction and a beautiful daughter who has been committing adultery?

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, THINK IT NOT STRANGE concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:...its "the norm."

Acknowledging God does not award Diplomatic immunity to evil or the experiences of evil that God authors for our lives. We learn by direct experience, the difference between good and evil. We can morally and intellectually know the difference between right and wrong. We have all to  experience, first hand, the starkness of evil and blessing, by contrast, of good, The deeper the suffering of evil, the greater the contrast of good.

Luk 7:47  This is the reason why I tell you that her sins, her many sins, are forgiven--because she has loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

That is where we are and I am stunned and grieved and I barely know what to think.

I had a very strict Catholic upbringing. I knew right from wrong and good from bad and it did not help me in my personal choices and preferences that took me into a very inappropriate marriage where I suffered beyond what I would like to say. My parents weren't to blame for how my life, 30 years ago, had "turned out". It is what God appointed. I am re-married now and much happier though both my parents died before I became pregnant. It seems like yesterday yet that life yesterday is so different and I am different to who I was then and it was, is and shall ever be because of, God. I have found that God uses deep suffering to do his deepest work.   

I'm not really sure I know how to live through this. Our middle daughter is just crushed that her siblings have strayed so far. Please pray for my family. Please pray God uses this time to bring repentance and a new heart.

Be assured, God will bring repentance perhaps not as we would require or in our prefered time, yet God will bring repentance to us all. 

.
Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Please pray that I will be sustained so I can minister to them. Part of me just wants to give up- the rest of me knows that I am here to show them God's love and speak His Truth. And I have to give him praise that I have been able to do that. I surely feel the Lord's discipline in our lives. I feel such anguish

.

It does hurt when God brings Grace to chastise, purge, purify and repent us of our flesh. Knowing, acknowledging, understanding, accepting and recognizing our dependence on God in the face of evil that we can't  escape requires of us the deep burning off of our carnality where in and by the Spirit of God alone, we shall all obey and accomplish the words of Christ Who says. Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Perhaps what you want to know is HOW are we to resist NOT evil?  How are we to NOT resist, oppose, disapprove, judge, condemn, turn against, destroy or exact our vengeance on evil ? I believe that  the reason we are to resist not evil, is because evil is God's profound way that He deals with us. Evil happens to us and God reveals to us that we are evil and we need to realize it, before we can really acknowledge God. We may be keeping every commandment, observing every moral  issue of conscience and observing every law, yet God says this is not sufficient to enter it into the Kingdom of God. We enter the Kingdom through trials and tribulations the HURT. Is this not where you are, in pain and trial and deep suffering tribulation? I believe it is.

Mat 21:31  Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

No matter how many tributes, praize songs, prayers and curtsies we make to God, we cannot know God unless He reveals Himself to us through the decision of His Son who makes Him known to us. This occurs through the Spirit of Christ who causes us to become obedient to Him. God uses the most difficult circumstances, just like the one you are facing, to do His Work.

Perhaps you and your children are in the trial of your lives and you are in deep anxiety, that is not unusual for a caring mother.


Jesus Himself dealt with what happened to Him by not resisting the evil that led Him to being unfairly, unjustly and criminally executed. He looked with contempt, and patiently endured His Cross. We cannot do the same without His Spirit. Only He has accomplished the success of such Patience and Endurance that is a Fruit of His Spirit.

Heb 12:2  simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, our Prince Leader in the faith, who will also award us the prize. He, for the sake of the joy which lay before Him, patiently endured the cross, looking with contempt upon its shame, and afterwards seated Himself-- where He still sits--at the right hand of the throne of God.

God knows our weaknesses, our liabilities and only He can strengthen us and bring us to that conclusion He designs for us. His Will, will exact the Plan He authors for each of our lives.  His Will,  HIs Spirit, His Faith, His uncompromising Truth and Holiness, will be done. Perhaps you may find, God willing, some peace, assurance and comfort in God's Timing and His Work knowing that we all need His Spirit of Endurance, Patience and Faith to sustain us in our agonizing trials. I know it is painful, overwhelming and deeply perplexing.  Only God can heal, restore and make any sense to you about what He is doing. Know this though, it is God who is in control and God is not ever out of control in anything, anytime or anywhere.

I feel for your suffering and know God is good to do a perfect work in you as you rest in Him and trust Him. 

Arc

[octoberose]

 I sit here reading all of your replies and just cry. Thank you so much for the time it took to write, the comfort in your words and your prayers.  This has given me a chance to speak with other family members who are not believers and share with them my hope and my faith and to tell them I can only lean on God. They are not believers but they too are very hurt and in pain over my daughter. She is in pain also, but not pain that is bringing her to repentance. She is sorry for hurting everyone, especially her husband but she cannot turn from what she's done.  There is no sacrifice I can bring because Jesus has paid it all. I wonder if the act of sacrifice, or sack cloth and ashes didn't bring some comfort to God's people. But now there is no sacrifice I can bring with the exception of my willing heart, my living sacrifice, to speak His words  and love with His truth. I just have nothing else.
I pray for you also that those trials and those times of anguish in your life are met with His comfort and mercy.

[Dennis Vogel]

Part of me just wants to give up

That would be good start.

[octoberose]

Dennis, that may be exactly what I need to do. I didn't even see it.

[soberxp]

Dennis, that may be exactly what I need to do. I didn't even see it.

http://bible-truths.com/email5.htm ----------

                                              [Ray Replies]

Adam and Eve ALREADY had lust and disobedience in their hearts BEFORE the serpent approached them. Eve LUSTED BEFORE she ever actually ate of the fruit. Small technicality for our Christian friends.


Romans -  5:18
kjv:Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
niv:Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men

don't worry too much,it's our Lesson from the beginning.no one is perfect in god's sight.

just my point,let your daughter feel more love and joy from family than she could feel more from any other one.