Needing a bit of prayer and encouragement...

[moxicarose]

I do hope I'm posting this in the appropriate place. I don't post very often, but I seem to end up needing correction by the moderators or lockdowns on my threads when I have posted in the past...I'm truly sorry for any problems I might have caused! 

  I'm not really sure anyone here really remembers me, since I don't post very often..but I am hoping that can change at some point. You see, I am really needing some of that "fellowship"...whatever it is. I don't know if I've ever truly experienced it. All I know is that my heart aches in yearning for real fellowship with even one person on a spiritual level. Not that I have to see totally eye to eye with them about everything. I just want to feel safe and to make others feels safe. So, I'm coming here to ask anyone at all who could and would, to pray for my heart. I am feeling so incredibly lonesome, as I think I have expressed before. I talk to God all the time. I know He is with me. I have actually felt 'hugged' by my Heavenly Father. But I'm not able to shake this yearning..this aching..to communicate with someone(s) earthly, about spiritual things and with a light heart. The lighthearted part may be better explained with this:

  Recently I met a young(er than me) girl who I believe is sincere (though sincerely mistaken) and who had expressed a desire to be good friends with me. I have in recent years learned not to count someone my very close friend until enough time has gone by, and enough humanity has been endured on both sides. Only then can I begin to 'count on' anyone..and even then, I only truly count on the Lord! Anyway, I have tried to find a way to remain loving this person at 'arms length' as I generally do. However, I am finding this incredibly difficult, because she is openly hateful to sinners. (especially on her Facebook account) She is so harsh and so, well, rude...I have only shared a little with her about my beliefs, and only because she asked. I don't feel hateful toward her..only very sad and at a complete loss as to how to even approach her anymore. One time she said something so mean that I actually privately asked her (gently) how that would call people to Christ if that is what she's aiming to do. She accused me of flaunting my supposed Biblical wisdom (I gave 2 scripture verses to promote love) and she was extremely offended. Then she told me that God expects His followers to be bold and call sin what it is, and not to tickle people's ears. We ended up resolving personal issues and I felt confident that we could move on...but recently she has amped up the bashing, and went on a rampage about cursing homosexuals and people who have abortions. (This is really hard for me, because I have gay friends and friends who have had abortions. According to her I am to SHUN them! Like their sin is worse than mine? I just feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I have just kept my mouth shut...but she is hurting so many people! She was the single solitary live person I might have had an opportunity to hang out with, and I don't want to...

  Well...I am deficient in expressing myself sometimes..can't seem to balance the details and the hard facts of the issue. I hope anyone who reads this can understand at least something of what I'm expressing. I want to be loving to everyone, because I believe with all my heart that is what I am called to do by the Lord. I find this hard to do when I'm not being loved, and so I just...withdraw.

  Thank you for reading...and thank you in advance for any prayers or encourgement anyone can offer.

~moxicarose

[Samson]

Hi Moxicarose,

The Heart is desperate, Treacherous & exceedingly weak, Who can know it, God can & does, so I'll pray that God spiritually strengthens & searches out Your Heart. I know what you speak of regarding the initial distrust of other Humans, especially ones outside of the Forum. At the Forum, there is a genuine level of comfort in this area. Humble yourself & in due time you will be exalted, you appear to be making efforts in that direction based on your first Posted sentence, not that you've never been Humble or your not humble, but you expressed the right attitude. I found the below statement by your Girl " Friend " of some interest and it brought to mind the Scripture: "Let He or she who thinks that they are standing, beware that they do not fall." Plus, "Pride is before a crash & a Haughty spirit is before a stumbling." Scriptures to consider mentioning to her if the opportunity arises, but if She has an air of superiority, She won't spiritually hear them, Read Below !

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.
Mat 21:32  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Tell Your friend what Jesus told Simon the Pharisee.

Luk 7:44  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45  Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Luk 7:47  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

Jesus came to save sinners & that which is lost, everyone is in a Lost condition at sometime in their Life.

Moxicarose, beware that you don't cast your spiritual pearls before swine that they trample upon them, this may be true in regards to Your "Friend." May God infuse in you the desire to apply this Scripture.

                        Your comment regarding this Friend below.

Recently I met a young(er than me) girl who I believe is sincere (though sincerely mistaken) and who had expressed a desire to be good friends with me. I have in recent years learned not to count someone my very close friend until enough time has gone by, and enough humanity has been endured on both sides. Only then can I begin to 'count on' anyone..and even then, I only truly count on the Lord! Anyway, I have tried to find a way to remain loving this person at 'arms length' as I generally do.

However, I am finding this incredibly difficult, because she is openly hateful to sinners. (especially on her Facebook account) She is so harsh and so, well, rude.

                       Kind Regards, Samson.

[hillsbororiver]

  ...but recently she has amped up the bashing, and went on a rampage about cursing homosexuals and people who have abortions. (This is really hard for me, because I have gay friends and friends who have had abortions. According to her I am to SHUN them! Like their sin is worse than mine? I just feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I have just kept my mouth shut...but she is hurting so many people! She was the single solitary live person I might have had an opportunity to hang out with, and I don't want to...

  Well...I am deficient in expressing myself sometimes..can't seem to balance the details and the hard facts of the issue. I hope anyone who reads this can understand at least something of what I'm expressing. I want to be loving to everyone, because I believe with all my heart that is what I am called to do by the Lord. I find this hard to do when I'm not being loved, and so I just...withdraw.

Hi Moxicarose,

John and Sampson both provided very good insights...

Let me attempt to do the same, below I have a few verses for you to consider, I am sure you already are quite familiar with them but sometimes we don't remember things or think quite clearly when we feel stressed about a situation.

Notice who are complaining about the company Jesus (and His disciples) kept, does this sound like your friend?

Mat 9:11  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

Mar 2:16  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

Luk 5:30  But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

You might want to read the entire chapters, below is one of my all time favorite verses, it is something we all need to remind ourselves of from time to time...

Joh 8:7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Peace,

Joe

[Samson]

  ...but recently she has amped up the bashing, and went on a rampage about cursing homosexuals and people who have abortions. (This is really hard for me, because I have gay friends and friends who have had abortions. According to her I am to SHUN them! Like their sin is worse than mine? I just feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I have just kept my mouth shut...but she is hurting so many people! She was the single solitary live person I might have had an opportunity to hang out with, and I don't want to...

  Well...I am deficient in expressing myself sometimes..can't seem to balance the details and the hard facts of the issue. I hope anyone who reads this can understand at least something of what I'm expressing. I want to be loving to everyone, because I believe with all my heart that is what I am called to do by the Lord. I find this hard to do when I'm not being loved, and so I just...withdraw.

Hi Moxicarose,

John and Sampson both provided very good insights...

Let me attempt to do the same, below I have a few verses for you to consider, I am sure you already are quite familiar with them but sometimes we don't remember things or think quite clearly when we feel stressed about a situation.

Notice who are complaining about the company Jesus (and His disciples) kept, does this sound like your friend?

Mat 9:11  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

Mar 2:16  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

Luk 5:30  But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

You might want to read the entire chapters, below is one of my all time favorite verses, it is something we all need to remind ourselves of from time to time...

Joh 8:7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Peace,

Joe

Thanks Joe,

Good admonition with John. 8:7 & Matthew. 9:11; I have to be careful with my inadvertent exposure to the Worldly people as of late, due to being tired & on edge, needing to be compassionate to those that are blind & don't know any better. That Girl Friend of Moxicarose, you feel sorry for her on some level, but like Nebuchenezzar, She will end up eating grass, figuratively speaking, like all of us have at some point in time.

                               Kind Regards, Samson.

[Kat]

Hi moxicarose,

I think I can remember you, Jessi, right? I hope you will try to join in the fellowship here again. I can not remember the problems you were having, but I think you can find that fellowshipping with the believers here might go a long way with helping you with your loneliness. It's not the same as having a face to face conversation, but you do get interaction with a like minded believers  

The friend you were speaking of reminds me of someone (dear to me) that had bitter hatred towards some other people I knew. I mainly had phone conversations with this person and after years of trying to tell her she should not feel that way, I began a different approach. So I began to explain to her that her anger and hatred was detrimental to her own well being, as it is a serious character flaw that would be judged. We all will have to give account and each will be judged. I also tried to get her to understand that everyone will give account to God and so there is no need that we should judge another.

Rom 14:12  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
v. 13  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

This did help her and she no longer is so bitter, but it did take time.

I would really be hesitant to develop a close relationship with someone that I felt has very different idea about how to treat other people than I do. As I no longer have anything in common with the church friends I once had, so I have lost all contact with them. But I feel it was necessary to separate from them as I would not be comfortable hearing their world views all the time.

2Cor 6:14  Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

James 4:4  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

I am not saying you should cut off all contact, but for me it needs to be very limited. It really is up to each how they choose to handle this, I'm just sharing my personal opinion  

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Deborah-Leigh]

(sorry Deb 

..."overly righteous"....?...YOU?...definitely not....nope...overly sweet yes, and that's the sweetest thing!

Arc

[Deborah-Leigh]

.....but...?...as in "but" erases all that comes before it?..... yeah....AND you were
always so SWEET.... ...counting the blessings of love joy and peace!


There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and
noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid
my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two
hairs on her head. "H-M-M, " she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle
today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only
one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a
pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a
single hair on her head....

"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
— Author Unknown

[moxicarose]

Hi Jessi.
I have been like that girlfriend, overly righteous. I knew it was wrong, hated being that way, but (sorry Deb  )
I always allowed my frustrations to take over.
Thankfully finding this unique site set me free from all that; it has centered and grounded me and brought wonderful
people into my life.
I am far from perfect but boy do things make sense these days. Everything has fallen into it's logical place.
It is easier to be forgiving and keep my tongue.
In fact it is easy to.
It is all of God.
There are so many good souls here who would hug you. Please don't feel you can't reach out to a
any given person. We are in this together.
I certainly will be praying for you.
Blessings

Yes, you're right! I'm Jessi.. Great job remembering! Thank you for your kindness and encouragement! (and that goes for all that replied to my original post in this thread)

   I seem to meet people with almost gigantic differences from myself in regard to the general attitude we should have towards others. Even had a close friend upset with me because I do not believe in suing another person. And another was angry that I don't jump up and down over the recent death of Osama BL. It's weird because I'm not angry that they don't agree with me, but my personal stance makes them squirm and get all red hot at me. I don't know why! If someone asks, I answer...I don't go around broadcasting my views. And, Kat is right...I can't spend very much time with any of them. Ironically, I can spend more time (though I actually don't) with completely 'secular' people and feel more loved when I come home than I ever did after a Sunday in church 'fellowship'..

  Anyway, I hope you can forgive my rather haphazard way of posting at times...I am living on very little, low quality sleep. It's been that way for over a year and a half... Been taking a toll on my brain cells!

  I will try to be 'around' here more often...i really should head in the direction of something that resembles bed for now though. Lol!