Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[gregorydc]

Hello everyone,
  Sorry if I ramble, but I need to pour my heart out here so, let me start by saying to everyone here I do love you all greatly!  I do not say this lightly I believe that when you tell someone you love them, you mean it. I have to again, regretably, come before you all to beg help of my brothers and sisters, in much needed prayer. I am quite fearful as of late, that I seem to be falling away from God. I do not want this to happen. It brings me to tears, and fills me full of fear to think of what will happen to me if I do fall away. I am so carnal, I still have problems focusing on God. I try my best to pray, some days are more fruitful than others, somedays I can't remember if I spoke with God or not. God has dragged me here for a reason, and I love what God has revealed to me through Rays teachings.
  I try to read Rays papers, I try to read the Bible, I try to focus on the good things of God, but it all seems in vain to me. I can't keep my concentration to do any of it for very long any more. I don't know why either. I know I seem to ask a lot about this problem but it is what eats at me the most of all my problems. So dear brothers and sisters with all love and mercy I ask that you pray for me to help me through these problems, and if by the Grace of God you have advice, and encouragement, it will be warmly welcomed here. Many thanks in advance.
relatively heartbroken,
Greg 

[Dennis Vogel]

I've heard Ray say more than once. If you are having mental problems then it's best not to get too involved with the bible and teachings. You do not need to add to your problems.

Part of you problem is you think you are in control and you are not. You cannot use your will to get close to God and thereby solve your problems. If anything you need to let go and simply ask God for help. You do not know when that help will come. Just be patient.

I suggest when you are unable to study, just put it down and don't worry about it.

BTW, there are times when I cannot study either. I know it's not going to happen. So, I just put it down for another day. I'll bet there are others on this forum who also do this.

[HoneyLamb56]

Greg:
will pray for you; you're not the first one to go down that path and you are never alone.  I, too get overwhelmed (information overload, confusion) and stop reading the bible, praying etc.;  eventually, I get back when God allows it ... Dennis has good advice. 

God willing you'll feel better about it sooner than later. 

[Rhys 🕊]

Hi Greg my friend

I will be praying for you in this difficult time. I back up with what Dennis said, you can't use your will to get close to God.

John 15:16 Not you choose Me, but I choose you, and I appoint you, that you may be going away and be bringing forth much fruit

It's of His doing in His time.

That's how he operates with me. It's not easy at times. I feel like He is rubbing sandpaper on me sometimes. It gets me annoyed saying why does it have to be this hard Lord. I don't study at times either it all gets too much for me and I get overwhelmed. Trust me often too tears. I have fallen away from God at various stages of my life but He has always drawn me back. He will do the same for you. I can tell this by your line:

God has dragged me here for a reason, and I love what God has revealed to me through Rays teachings.

That's me too and I'm sure many others, dragged and I might add for me kicking and screaming. Why are you doing this to me Lord is often what I would say. This is too much for me to bear, how could a God who loves me treat me this way. It's because He loves you that He does treat you this way and even I find that hard to understand.

2Co 4:16  wherefore, we faint not, but if also our outward man doth decay, yet the inward is renewed day by day;
2Co 4:17  for the momentary light matter of our tribulation, more and more exceedingly an age-during weight of glory doth work out for us--
2Co 4:18  we not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen are temporary, but the things not seen are age-during.

Deu 31:8  It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

Take each day as it comes Greg. Some will be hard but it won't always be that way. God loves you so much. He's just doing His work in you and me. We often don't like it but trust me joy cometh in the morning. Don't take it from me but take it from Jesus when He said:


Joh 16:33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Bless you my friend

Rhys

[Gina]

I second Dennis' words.      It's all...  good.

[Dennis Vogel]

Rhys, sometimes God puts us through a lot and those experiences help us help others. Like you just did.

[John from Kentucky]

Here is a great scripture:  Do Not Worry About Anything Philippians 4:6  (CLV)

We worship the Great Power in and beyond the universe.  He will save and heal everyone.  No one will be lost.  God does not worry about anything because He controls everything.

We are like a baby in a mother's arms.  We have nothing to worry about.  In His hands, everything will come out O.K.

[cjwood]

Deu 31:8  It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

John 16:33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

rhys, thank you for following the leading of the Holy Spirit in posting the above referenced Scriptures.  i add my voice to your prayer highlighted in blue above, for our brother greg. 

greg, i agree dennis has given some excellent advise.  forum members have voiced their genuine love for you as our dear brother in Christ.  our brother in suffering and in joy.  and in hope.  we are all reflections of each other at different stages as we go through our individual journeys, towards the Ultimate Image of our Father God and His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. 

i believe the drawing/dragging by God, the Father of all who believe in His Son as the Christ, and in the Truths of the Gospel of the Kingdom, can be an ongoing process.  we continue to live in a world that we are not part of spiritually.  the outside influences can become daunting, whether they be outside our front door, inside the world of the internet, or inside of our minds.

but God the Father is constant.  He still will not leave you nor forsake you greg.  He's got your back.

love in Christ,
claudia

[gregorydc]

Hello everyone and thank you for your encouraging words!  I have another request for some prayer though!  Thirty or so minutes after I posted my first request I was getting ready to leave my house and as I was bending down to put my shoe on my hip went out. I am stuck in my bed at the moment not being able to get up. I have a friend that is a homeopathic chiropractor he came buy yesterday and put me where I could walk a bit but since I have slept it has grown sore again and I cannot stand on it. So please if you could please pray for me.
Greg

[Rhys 🕊]

Hi Greg

Something else you just didn't need right now.

I am praying for you my friend and hope the pain will go away soon and you will be walking normally soon.

God bless you

Rhys

[Gina]

Here is a great scripture:  Do Not Worry About Anything Philippians 4:6  (CLV)

We worship the Great Power in and beyond the universe.  He will save and heal everyone.  No one will be lost.  God does not worry about anything because He controls everything.

We are like a baby in a mother's arms.  We have nothing to worry about.  In His hands, everything will come out O.K.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. 

[Gina]

Deu 31:8  It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

John 16:33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

rhys, thank you for following the leading of the Holy Spirit in posting the above referenced Scriptures.  i add my voice to your prayer highlighted in blue above, for our brother greg.
love in Christ,
claudia

 

Indeed.  Thank you Rhys. 

Greg,

Yes, we will all pray for you.    I'm sorry that your hip is out of place - but you know God!  He is so funny.  Now, I wonder why He caused that?  The first thing that comes to mind is that verse where Jacob wrestled with God.  That's not a laughing matter.

I think sometimes we feel guilty because we're thinking about things other than "God," like we were taught to "worship" Him in church.  Like if you're not "feeling" something, something's wrong withyou.  It's like, well, I'm sorry -- I'm just not feeling God sometimes.  It's like, we feel guilty because when you first come to these truths you're so ecstatic but then things happen (it's called God working in you that starts the process of becoming a "chosen" one) and we think Oh No!  This doesn't seem right -- I must be doing something wrong...  And we freak out - thinking we can do anything of ourselves.  Sure we want to be good for God, but it's God that makes us good.  We were taught to believe that God "needs" us to do something FOR HIM.   Psshh.  Ray once said, the teachings of Christendom are so screwed up that people can't even think straight!  And it's true!!  It's so true.

God bless you, Greg.  You'll be comin back around soon.  It's just a feeling.  God isn't scratching his head saying... "Where are you, Greg?"  As if He doesn't know.  But see, I say you DO have your mind on the things of God because otherwise, this thing you're worried about wouldn't even be bothering you... and that's God caused as well.

Whenever I need "me" time, I'm not gonna beat myself up over it any more.  I see what it's doing to you.    And you don't appear to me to be being "selfish."  Do you think you're taking something away from God? 

[thewatchman]

It is part of the process Greg. In our old church lives we were told we need to pray and read our word. Which we do, but not like we are ticking off points of wothiness. If I do this, this and this, God will find me worthy and he will love me. That is a lie. Our worthiness was decided before creation. Jesus standing in your place makes you worthy...full stop.
But we need to relearn, to have the spiitual weeds pulled. There is a time for everything under the sun...a time for sowing and a time for reaping. Not all of them feel fruitful, but they are part of the fruitfulness process. When we are tired or weary...we lose patience. The great thing is that if God is dealing with you then you are in the right place. I am not concerned for you.

[Gina]

Watchman, your reply was magnificent.  Yes, iIndeed, there is a time for every purpose under heaven.  Took the words right out of my mouth.

Janine,  Thanks for pulling out that excerpt from JH.  It was inspirational.

[Ian 155]

Hey Bro Greg,

Man all i want to say is "he never leaves or forsakes us" is proving so hard to believe, Duet 31/Heb 13 5 - 6,I get shown Jesus screaming "why have you forsaken Me" and do I think I escape that same scream, well next minute Jesus gave up his spirit willingly Luke 23v46 "Father into your hands I commit/entrust my spirit". I am thinking how do we do the same if not by being dragged to that place by the Father.

bless you Greg

praying

[thewatchman]

Watchman, your reply was magnificent.  Yes, iIndeed, there is a time for every purpose under heaven.  Took the words right out of my mouth.

Janine,  Thanks for pulling out that excerpt from JH.  It was inspirational.

I've been where he is Shorty,
Just sharing what I learnt through the other side.

[Heidi]

Here is a great scripture:  Do Not Worry About Anything Philippians 4:6  (CLV)

Thank you for the scripture John....it is a timely reminder to me as well.

[cjwood]

greg, i looked in the Scriptures to find the following verse to inspire you (and each of us) as you are entrenched in the shadow of the valley of death.

     acts 14:22  "confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."

as i read through this verse i decided to go back and read through the whole of chapter 14. 

a (semi)quick synopsis of this passage shows that paul and barnabas had gone to lystra, after fleeing from iconium because they found out that certain jews along with some of the gentiles were plotting to stone them.  in lystra paul healed a crippled man which was observed by the people.  some of these people were pagans who worshiped zeus.  a priest of zeus brought oxen and garlands to the gate of the city of lystra, and was preparing to do sacrifices to paul (and barnabas).  paul reproved the people confirming he and barnabas were just men, urging them to turn from the vanities (useless things) and to turn unto the living God.  after reminding the people that in past generations God had suffered (allowed) all the nations to walk in their own ways (of unbelief in God), but that witness of God's goodness was still apparent in the blessings He gave of rain and fruitful seasons, so the people could eat and be happy in their hearts.  after paul said these things he and barnabas could hardly restrain the people from (still) wanting to do sacrifices to them.  then some of the jews from antioch and iconium came on the scene and persuaded the people to stone paul, which they did.  after they stoned paul they dragged him outside the city to leave him because they thought he was dead.  (i cannot imagine how painful stoning must have been, especially to the point where you are believed to be dead after the stoning is over.)  however, as the believers started gathering around paul he stood up, and went back into the city of lystra.  but the next day he and barnabas went to the city of derbe where they preached the gospel and many people believed.  after this they left and returned to lystra, iconium, and on to antioch.  it is at this juncture that verse 22 comes in.  where the believers were exhorted to continue in the faith and that we must go through much tribulation to enter into the kingdom of God.

okay, i say all of this because as i read it through i realized for the first time how unbelievably hard it must have been for paul to have physically been stoned to the point that the people thought he was dead.  and then to be dragged through the unpaved streets to outside the city.  and then to go back to the same city and continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God's grace.  i just cannot fathom the degree of physical pain paul had to have experienced, not to mention the mental/emotional anguish, yet he still arose and went back to the same city where he had just been stoned.  (some people believe this stoning of paul, and his apparent death, was when he experienced the third heaven where he was given visions and revelations.)

this surely is written and recorded as an example of faith for all generations who would come under harsh physical and mental attacks from our adversary. 

don't give up hope greg.

love in Christ,
claudia




 

[chav]

Part of you problem is you think you are in control and you are not. You cannot use your will to get close to God and thereby solve your problems. If anything you need to let go and simply ask God for help. You do not know when that help will come. Just be patient.]

Thanks for that Dennis I'm feeling  cornered myself at the moment, and asking God for help is about all I can do. It just  seems such a long time coming.
Dave

[Dennis Vogel]

The fact that we are told to "endure to the end" says much.

There is a four-year-old in my house and he is willful and suborn. When I take away his TV shows for being bad he cries real tears but I sense he is grateful that I am disciplining him. Children need to feel like someone smarter than they are is in control. Gives them security.

Is it possible God looks on us as four-year-old's needing discipline?

I don't think "church people" are required to go what we go through in this life. Sometimes I envy their ignorance.