Welcome to our forum. http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/index.php Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:48:40 -0500 Phorum 5.2.13 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,131,133#msg-133 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,131,133#msg-133 God always hears us. He has very good hearing :)

Sometimes God will remove us from adversity and sometimes the adversity is a form of purification of a soul and a person. Since we cannot be certain in any given situation which one is which, we pray for guidance, wisdom and the capacity to be long suffering along with the prayers to be removed from adversity. In all things, His Will be done.

Trust that God will let you know what to do when the time is right and when that day comes, have your sandals ready at the door and be prepared to act without hesitation.

He always hears us. Sometimes we have a hard time hearing Him, not because He is not speaking but sometimes He may say what we may not want to hear or that we are listening to everything else more than the still, small voice.

You in my prayers, Gary.

God bless]]> Ibrahim Needing Prayer Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:42:17 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,128,132#msg-132 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,128,132#msg-132
may the lord be with you

amen

Gary]]> Gary Cedeira Needing Prayer Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:33:25 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,131,131#msg-131 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,131,131#msg-131
thankyou to all who read, if not maybe god will hear me.

blessings

gary]]> Gary Cedeira Needing Prayer Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:19:59 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,126,130#msg-130 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,126,130#msg-130
I know this may be hard to do, but my opinion is that it's best to be as honest as possible. You can't outrun your past, and you definitely can't outrun God's Will.

I speak from experience. I have done plenty of things that I am ashamed of, and until I faced up to them and tried to make amends, my life was complete misery.

I highly suggest reading the Didache which is one of the areas of the Brethrens' site.

[brethrenofmessiah.com]

Also, please let me suggest Sections 11 and 15 of the Didache Study that the Brethen of Messiah offer.

[brethrenofmessiah.com]

[brethrenofmessiah.com]

May God bless you.]]> Kelfriend General Discussions Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:10:23 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,128,129#msg-129 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,128,129#msg-129 I hope it is okay for me to share a few thoughts on what you have written. If not, please forgive me.

I think everyone can relate to what you are saying. The world over the past few years has become very stressful espcially due to the global economic downturn. It has hit so many people right where they live. I cannot think of anyone I know that is not struggling because of it.

Jobs lost, homes lost, families under great stress. In each instance people are hurting in the same way you are hurting right now.

Please know you and your family are in my prayers that life becomes less stressful for all of you.

If I may, I would suggest sharing how your feeling with your wife and letting her know the current situation and your concerns. While it may not be easy to do, it would probably be wisest so both of you are prepared for whatever may come.

From what you have described, Joe. You have a loving family and that they love you as much as you love them. There is great strength in that love. The important thing to remember is they need you as much as you need them, not just as a provider but as husband and father.

A family may not have much in this world but if they have love, they can weather any storm.

Pray to God daily and listen for His guidance, Joe. No difficult situation remains. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Yeshua will see you through all adversity.

I hope it was okay to share these thoughts, Joe.

Please be well.

May God bless you]]> Ibrahim Needing Prayer Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:19:30 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,128,128#msg-128 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,128,128#msg-128 Joe L Needing Prayer Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:04:15 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,127,127#msg-127 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,127,127#msg-127 me Needing Prayer Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:23:00 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,126,126#msg-126 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,126,126#msg-126 witt General Discussions Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:29:34 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,124,125#msg-125 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,124,125#msg-125 I hope you are doing well!

As a friend, I can offer my thoughts on the matter, based on what little I know from what you have shared, and any person who responds can only do that, if things progress where you are not able to cope, I would suggest speaking to a professional counselor.

My thoughts on this, as someone who has been in a long term relationship for a number of years is that you can't make another person do anything they do not want to, especially in affairs of the heart.

The love we have for others, in its purest form, should manifest as an unselfish love. That we want those we love to be happy, whatever that entails (barring anything that would be self destructive, obviously). Sometimes what makes another person might be our company, and other times, it might be to move on to other experiences in life.

There is an old adage that goes something like ""If you love something set it free. If it comes back to you its yours. If not, it was never meant to be."

Right now, you have set someone free. If that person comes back to you, that is God's Will. If not, that too is also God's Will.

Since you can't control what another person thinks, feels or does, only your own thoughts, feelings and actions, then you shouldn't spend your time punishing yourself for what you cannot control.

Alex has his life to live and you have yours and if those roads happen to run parallel for a while that is what it is. If they diverge, that is what must be as well. In either case, Carmen, your primary focus should be living your life to the fullest regardless of who else is or is not part of your life.

It is great that the two of your are still friends as long as there are no expectations. Being friends with the hope that he will become more one day is a gamble.

Think of how you would advise one of your friends if they were in your situation. What would advise them to do? Would you advise them to be waiting on the guy till he changes his mind and possibly figures out he may have some feelings left? Or would you tell your friend that they should focus on living their lives and meeting other people?

If you would not advise your friend to stay in a situation that makes them suffer, then that advise also would work for you as well.

Another thing, and this is just my own observation so take it for what its worth, If a man or woman is really and truly interested in someone, it will be self evident: they will take any and every opportunity to be in touch, to be around, and when they are, their affection will be obvious in their conduct. Having deep emotions for another don't slip by them, people reveal how they are feeling, in their actions, whether they know it or not.

If your friend is very affectionate and wants to be around you and speak to you all the time, that may be a sign they want to reconcile. If they are distant or detached and are not available to be in contact, that is a sign they are in the process of moving on.

These are only opinions and if they are of no value, please disregard them.

Whatever happens, please take care of yourself and find value in your quiet time in worship, study and prayer. This is caring for the greatest relationship you have.

God bless,]]> Ibrahim General Discussions Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:30:04 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,124,124#msg-124 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,124,124#msg-124 Carmen General Discussions Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:12:47 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,120,122#msg-122 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,120,122#msg-122 j Needing Prayer Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:26:19 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,121,121#msg-121 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,121,121#msg-121 jose Needing Prayer Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:25:15 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,120,120#msg-120 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,120,120#msg-120 pat Needing Prayer Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:31:49 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,63,119#msg-119 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,63,119#msg-119 I lost my mother 3 yrs ago when I was 17 to cancerr....i'm 20 now...I grew up in an unbalanced household...my father and I bumped heads constantly...I found myself caught in between him and my mothers arguments...he verbally abused me my mother and brother and even other members of the family..I've had an extremely hard time coping with my mothers passing and i've tried to remain and gather up the strength to go on ...but to be honest i've lost myself..and everything seems cloudy and hard to bare...I just really need someone...it seems many times that its just me, by myself and alone....but lately the only one to come to my rescue and to feel my lonely void has been God...I pray for us all...and I love you ALL....please keep me in your prayers for I feel weak and discouraged but seek to have the heart of a lion and the purity of a lamb...with the relationship as a child of God.]]> Courtney Needing Prayer Sun, 11 Jul 2010 02:07:32 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,118,118#msg-118 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,118,118#msg-118 jose Needing Prayer Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:06:47 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,115,117#msg-117 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,115,117#msg-117 I would like to ask you another question: Who was Sadhu Sundar Singh? Was he a Bishop or a Rabbi of the Assembly of Jerusalem? This was not very clear at the link that you suggested me, if I am not wrong.

GOD bless you.
Dan]]> Dan General Discussions Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:29:23 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,115,116#msg-116 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,115,116#msg-116
In Hebrews 1:1-7 it says:
(New International Version)

Hebrews 1
The Son Superior to Angels
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father. Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son" And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him." In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire."


In the Book of Presence it states:

"For, the divine beings are ministering spirits who are sent to minister the truth of the Spirit and the prophecy to those who are to inherit eternal life."

In the book entitled The Visions of Sadhu Sundar Singh check out this link:

[yeshuans.org]

Hope this answers your question.

Br Chris]]> chris General Discussions Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:14:02 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,115,115#msg-115 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,115,115#msg-115
My brothers, I would like to know what the Scriptures say about the death and what happen with your soul after that.
Is it true that the saints and angels will teach the people who we not illuminated completely by the Light of Gospel?


Thank you.
Dan]]> Dan General Discussions Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:56:03 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,59,114#msg-114 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,59,114#msg-114
You did not say what you needed help with, but I believe the bare essentials of it is love! You want to be accepted for who you are, you want to be heard, and you feel as if no one is listening to you! But God IS! When you shed the lonely tears, God hears you! When you cry at night and you think no one knows, God hears you!

He said you were created in his image and his likeness and inspite of what you may have done that you think is so bad, in spite of what others may say, think or imply, God created you after Him. He also said that you were wonderfully and fearfully made, meaning that when He made you he broke the mode. God does not create junk, in spite of what anyone says. He knew what He was doing when He made you!!

Now here is the challange for you. To believe his word, to accept Him as your Lord & Saviour and to know that His wonderful life giving word says and I quote, " ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD", that means me, you, your friends and your family. But, he didn't stop there, He went on to say, and I quote, "BUT I COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY" Yes that means you too! When you look in the mirror, see yourself as God sees you! He sees you as "The apple of his eye". Everyday begin to say what you are and not what you are not! I am crazy enough to believe that when you do, things will change, maybe just a little at first, but it will change. Every thing I have typed to you, can be found in the Word of God. His promises are yea and Amen and they are true. Go outside, stand in the sun, strectch your arms wide, wrap them around yourself as tight as you can and know that as you wrap your arms around you, God is wrapping you tight in his.

As a sidebar: Even babies are a blessing from God, no matter how hard things may seem, they are and HE IS!

God Bless You!]]> WhenItHurts General Discussions Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:44:59 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,26,113#msg-113 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,26,113#msg-113
Though the second quote is not complete, it along with the first quote make a very basic point: God's judgement and values are very different then ours. God's ability to forgive and love is his very essence; yet, Jesus indicates that those who are spiritually impoverished - in other words, not like God - are worthy of the Kindgom of God. The second quote dovetails into the first quote: God decides who enters the kingdom, not us.

Remember the story of the poor sinner who dared not approach the front of the synagogue. All he could do was beat his breast and say "Have mercy, Lord, I am a poor sinner". Jesus said that this man was "justified". Why? In my opinion, because he looked truth in the face and did not deny it. We are what we are: poor sinners.

All seekers of Our Lord have to face the truth of our spiritual poverty. It is a dreadful thing to see. What is truly too bad, in my opinion, are the legion of Christians who are constantly preaching to other struggling souls that "they must be doing something wrong". Hmm. Where have I heard that one before? Oh, I remember: The Book of Job. Job's friends, unfortunately, were not his friends; they simply liked to hear themselves talk.

I too have struggled mightily for 32 years. I have asked all the same questions blogged here, and I have had the same experiences: doubt, betrayal, etc. All I can say is that I have learned that this is NOT abnormal, and, in fact, this is very normal. This life is a journey, and Christ's life too was marked by the same experiences. Pray. Pray. Pray. There are millions and billions of souls who share the same experiences. We don't call Jesus the Savior for no reason - He is the Savior!!!

Lastly, I want to thank all the persons who were humble and honest enough to share their inner selfs. This is truly a beautiful thing. This is exactly what is going to happen in the kingdom - there will be no secrets, just forgiveness and love.

R.W.]]> R.W. Schiller General Discussions Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:26:58 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,109,112#msg-112 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,109,112#msg-112
Let me start by saying congratulation on your graduation from community college, what strength and endurance it must have taken for you to complete all of your courses at the college. What determination, perseverance and courage to go on. I am sure there were times when you were in school, you worried about if you would pass a test, be able to get a course you needed and sometimes you even wondered if you would actually make it to graduation, BUT YOU DID!!!

Understand that just as our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ has plans and purposes for our lives, the enemy of God does to. The Bible says that Satan goes to and fro in the earth, seeking who he may devour. When we are excelling and moving towards the goals that God would have us to achieve, that is when the enemy will try to throw a wrench into things. Not just to confuse us, but to try and stop us, he wants to make us question our very existence. Are we really worth it? Can we really achieve? He whispers things in our ears to make us question anything and everything, and he always make it look very bad and bleak.

You stated that, it frightens me to think that one day one can be here and the next they can be gone" I believe that God is letting us all know that eventually we will need to make a decision about where our eternity will be. When things are going smoothly we rarely think about our eternal life, and some even question if there actually is one. What a loving God, who will look into time for us, and realize that this is the exact circumstance that must hapen to allow us us to seek him. Although the accident may seem bad, and I believe that the enemy wanted it to appear that way, that is the very thing that God allowed to happen to make you think about needing more in your life. He loved you enough wait until just the right time, because he knew you would seek him. This brings to mind the scripture that says, "What the enemy meant for bad, The Lord turned it around for good that you might come to an expected end; HIM".

It also brings to mind my daughter, when she was about one and a half, she would alway attempt to touch the stove, I would tell her it was hot, but she would laugh and run away, I would tell her over and over, but she would not listen. One day while I was baking, I bent down and explained to her that the stove was very hot and she shouldn't touch it, well as soon as I turned my back, what did she do, she touched the side of the oven! Her next words were, "HOT MOMMY, HOT! Needless to say, although it was a bad at the time, my waiting allowed her to know for sure that the oven was hot, and she didn't touch it again. "What was meant for bad turned good"

That is what the enemy is trying to do, but he will not succeed! He is trying to frighten you with the thoughts of death, dying and fear. But our Lord says, "I know the thoughts I have towards YOU, thoughts of good and not of evil that you might come to an expected end!", What is an expected end? Glad you asked.... One that is free of fear, on that allows you to call upon the name of the Lord, accept him, reject the enemy and all of his bad thoughts and ideas and live a wonderful, loving, life in Christ.

Esperanza, our Father says that you are wonderfully and fearfully made, you have the power to overcome any negative thing in your life and that power is found in him. Simply believe (is that really all it takes? YES). The Word of God says you have the power to overcome anything and no deadly thing will harm you. The thoughts that the enemy would put in your mind of death and dying, are just that thoughts. My Bible says two very important things (1)that if we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts that Jesus, died for our sins, confess Him as our Lord and Savior, if we renounce Satan and all of his rule over us, we are saved. What does that mean? IT MEANS THAT DEATH CAN'T HURT US... AND WHEN IT IS OUR TIME TO GO, WE WILL HAVE NO FEAR BECAUSE WE WILL SPEND ETERNITY WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!!!! and (2) Whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are kind, whatsoever things are of good report, think on these things! We don't have to be afraid and we don't have to dwell on thoughts that pull us down. We can think on things like:

No weapon formed against me shall prosper, (a weapon is anything that can harm you, weither thought or fear)
I am the righteousness of the Lord (I am created in His image and likeness)
I am wonderfully and fearfully make (God made me and He don't make no Junk!)
Death has no control over me, for my Savior paid the price (I am not afraid of death because my Lord died for me and if I die, I spend it with HIM!)
I am the son (not gender specific) of the Most High King (For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son (Jesus) for me!
The Lord is my rock and my salvation, of WHOM or What shall I be afraid ( I an't afraid of nothing cause I have a mighty army behind me)
I am the Head and not the tail (He made me just a LITTLE lower than the angels and gave me POWER!)
He came that I might have life and life more abundantly (He came to give me the desires of my heart, as long as I put Him first)

I can go on for awhile, so I will end here, but know that with the same diligence, power and effort you used to graduate, is the same diligence, power and effort you will defeat these thoughts with, but with a lot more power added to it, and that is the power of the Most High, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Be blessed and watch God move on your behalf, you have people praying for you and there is no greater power than prayer!]]> WhenItHurts Needing Prayer Tue, 25 May 2010 13:26:22 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,109,110#msg-110 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,109,110#msg-110
I hope you are alright, that you were not seriously injured in the accident? That you are here to share your story indicates God and his angels are watching over you.

Those feelings you are having are not something to fear or worry about. In fact, I would say, they are a good thing (Even if they do not appear so at the moment).

You went to community college to learn and in this one incident, you learned something very substantial and that is this life, as much as we worry and fret over it...will end for us all one day. Many sooner rather than later.

This may seem like something to mourn or lament but it is not.

We are all on a journey, a path. The path either leads us into the Light or into the darkness, and there is a great divide between these two paths as the Didache tells us.

Reflecting on the fleeting nature of physical existence, should not be a cause for sorrow but a cause for resolve to determine what does last, what does exist eternally.

That is the spirit. That is the soul.

Once a person stops living for a life that will pass away, then they can start focusing on living a life that will never pass away.

This is only my own opinion, Esperanza, so please only take it for what it is worth.

But thank God for this special moment to reflect on your mortality and more than this, the chance to examine your life and what is really important for you. Then moving forward from here to where you want to be.

Don't let the moment end in forgetting and going back to sleep but waking up to who and what you are and where you ultimately want to be one day.

God is calling, we only need to listen and follow.

God bless]]> Ibrahim Needing Prayer Sat, 22 May 2010 20:54:32 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,109,109#msg-109 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?3,109,109#msg-109 Esperanza Needing Prayer Sat, 22 May 2010 12:32:22 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,104,108#msg-108 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,104,108#msg-108
I was reading your message and I agree with Br Chris, God loves you so much! Scripture says that if we first seek the Lord, all other things will be added to us. God loves you so much, but since he is a jealous God, he wants your attention to be on him first.

The Word states, "That we are the apple of his eye, he desires that we live life abundantly and he will give to each of us the desires of our heart," if we will truely give him ours. Our job is to believe in Christ like never before, every time cirmcanstances would make us believe that that we will not achieve, we must say to ourselves, "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me". Then we must believe it!

Every time it seems like nothing will work, we must learn to laugh in the face of what appears to be negative circumstances and give the Lord praise, for his Word says, " Though the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord shall lift up a standarad against him". How wonderful we serve a God that will fight for us, all we need to do is praise him! (Example: Thank you Lord that you love me, thank you Lord that you will protect me from all hurt, harm and danger. I bless your name for being The Lord God Almighty and in spite of what my natural eyes may see, I know that you will work on my behalf because you say, no good thing will you withhold from those who love you and that includes me!)

I know these things because I, like you, had many things happen that just made it seem like God didn't care, but know that he does. He loves us so much that he gave his life for us. There will never be anyone on this earth who will love us that much!

M R understand that God is not a matchmaker, (I don't believe he will let us blame Him if it doesn't work), nor does he move in the one stop shopping area, but he will present to you, if you believe, trust and rely on him, women who believe in Him, love Him and therfore know how to love you. How can anyone love someone else, if they can't love love themselves and God? Remember, the Word of God says, "He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing", He present, you choose. One thing for sure, she will trust you because you trust the Lord, what better woman to have!

I pray that something I have said will encourage you. As your sister in Christ, I know that God loves you very much, now it is up to you to continue to love him back.

God Bless]]> WhenItHurts General Discussions Tue, 18 May 2010 21:28:34 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,107#msg-107 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,107#msg-107
Thank you for your prayers, hearing God and your swift response. Your words have been such an inspiration to me, I don't even know how to express how much. I will share your response with my husband, and yes he is a loving, wonderful man. I thank God for him every day! I will keep you abreast of our decision and I look forward to sharing more on the boards. Perhaps in time, as I hear more from God, he will use me to help someone else as you have helped me.

God Bless You and may he continue to allow his wisdom to rest upon your shoulders. The email address is different, because I can't seem to get my information correct, but I so wanted to thank you.]]> WhenItHurts General Discussions Mon, 17 May 2010 13:41:20 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,106#msg-106 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,106#msg-106
You said "Now I feel like I am worthless and forgotten about because I don't want to go back. I feel like I have let God himself down, I feel like I must not have anything to offer God because if my Pastors don't see anything in me and if the Word says I will give you Pastors after my own heart, then what happened to me."

After reading your post several times maybe you need to allow God to show you a new church home. It sounds like the gift God has given you is not desired by the pastors of the church you currently attend. The problem is with your church leadership and not you. Based on your statements it sounds like your church leadership feels threatened and possibly even alittle jealous of you.

Do not allow these people to decide God's Will for your life. Allow God to show you the way - even if it means leaving your current Church and going to a congregation He knows will listen to what He is saying through you and your husband.

It is sad but many churches today are not interested in what God's Will is for their congregations. Many churches feel they know better than God does - so they manipulate God's Word to meet their needs. How sad for those people who blindly sit in church pews week after week and have more faith in the man or women behind the pulpit instead of for the Person these "so called" leaders are suppose to be representing but do not.

It sounds like you have a very supportive husband. A man who knows when to step back and allow God to use you for a specific purpose. May I suggest the two of you ask God to show you His Will - even if it means going to a new church or maybe even a new denomination. All that matters is that you, your husband and family are firmly in His loving arms. In the end that is all that matters. As you know, when it comes time that each of us are standing before Almighty God, He will be the one who passes judgment not the world and their denominations.

All things are in Christ's Hands.
Br Chris]]> chris General Discussions Mon, 17 May 2010 08:47:10 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,104,105#msg-105 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,104,105#msg-105
God is not a short order cook who is available to cook up anything a person wants.

If you want to really feel God's presence in your life then stop figuring things out for God and just sit still and let God lead the way. Listen instead of talking so much to God. If a person is not quiet he/she will not hear what God has to say.

Maybe God has a better career for you but He is waiting for you to surrender to His will. Maybe God has a woman that is perfect for you but He is waiting on you to settle down and allow Him to show you what's best for you.

Patience is very hard for a person to learn especially when it comes to understanding God's Will. We want things instantly but that is not how God works. God is in no hurry. He wants what is best for His children but sometimes He makes them wait until they are ready to receive His blessings.

Do not give up on God. Give in to His Will for you. Do not stop praying - pray to Him now more than ever but be sure to listen more than you talk to Him. He has things He wants you to know but you are not being quiet long enough to hear what He is trying to tell you.

You will be in my prayers.

Br Chris]]> chris General Discussions Mon, 17 May 2010 08:08:34 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,104,104#msg-104 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,104,104#msg-104 M R General Discussions Mon, 17 May 2010 03:36:07 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,103#msg-103 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,103#msg-103
First I want to thank you for posting your message. I would like to take some time to pray about all you said and then see if we can discuss your message.

One thing I do know is Christ loves you very much!

All things are in Christ's Hands.

Br Chris]]> chris General Discussions Sun, 16 May 2010 19:46:25 -0500 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,101#msg-101 http://brethrenofmessiah.com/forum/read.php?2,101,101#msg-101
I attend my church, was licensed as a Minister, but I am never used. Our Pastor was praying for all of the Ministers in our congregation, when she got to my husband and I, she told me to step behind my husband, she proceeded to tell him about his gifting and stepped to the next Minister, she never even prayed with me or for me. She moved by the space as if I didn't even exist, she prayed for all of the other Ministers and continued with the service. When I spoke to her, she said she thought she had prayed for me, but I should understand praying for my husband was praying for me.

We had one of our members who was very sick and the Pastor requested that we pray for him, when myself and another Minister stepped up to pray, she paraphrased her statement to us by saying, "If you are not serious about prayer, don't pray."

We had a time when each Minister was to teach one session of Bible Class, I expressed to my husband I would be the last on to for this, he laughed at me and said no you won't, I was the last one in December before our break for the holiday season.

We, the Ministers of the church were asked to submit a brief of what we would like to do, I submitted a request for Intercessory Prayer, both Pastors acted as if they didn't receive the information, even though I sent it to them via email. The picked two people from our former church, when they left, the picked a young lady who didn't even attend church much, after that, I spoke with my Pastor direct, told her my passion was prayer, she acknowledged it, said we would discuss it further. The very next day, she announced another Minister over prayer. Her statement to me was, she did not want to let anyone know the other Minister was going to be over prayer until she announced it to the church.

My husband and I were Lead Servants over the Marriage Ministry, after much discussion between him and I we asked for a meeting with both of our Pastors, she asked if we could do a phone conference instead. When we spoke to her, I asked her if she had ever seen the movie the Abyss, when she told me she had, but she didn't remember it, I told her why we had asked. I told her, I believe God had showed me the marriages in our church on an cliff, and that if we were not careful they would fall into the Abyss. She said to me, "Marge, you can't take things you hear around or hear people talking about and express them openly. I explained to her, that I/we didn't talk to people about their marriages or for that matter anything else because we have also instructed our members that sensitive issues should be discussed with Pastors. Since that discussion almost 3 years ago, we have had at least 5 divorces in our church, and we only had about 8 marriages in total.

I have spent at least 5 years being judged for "overshadowing" my husband, but things I would say, outwardly were things we had spoken about and he himself would choose to have me speak it. It got so bad until they would not even acknowledge me, but look over my head (man I am short) right into his face and discuss the matter with him.

Now it seems like I am the outcast. All I want is to be accepted and appreciated for the person I am, not the Minister, just the person. It seems that loving God is not enough. I feel like such an outcast, and I don't know what else to do. Am I wrong for not wanting to go back there? Let me also say in their defense, I am in no ways perfect, I have missed Bible Classes because of school, I have missed service because of my job and a few times I have missed just because I wanted to spend a little time with my husband and my family.

Now I feel like I am worthless and forgotten about because I don't want to go back. I feel like I have let God himself down, I feel like I must not have anything to offer God because if my Pastors don't see anything in me and if the Word says I will give you Pastors after my own heart, then what happened to me.

Thanks for reading this,]]> WhenItHurts General Discussions Sun, 16 May 2010 17:08:12 -0500