So Christ's blood washes away everything EXCEPT a FAILED MARRIAGE ?
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Posted:Mar 31, 2008 12:18 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2024 8:57 am 1452 Views
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The preacher today preached on adultery.
One of the things he said was that if we get married, then get divorced for any reason other than adultery, then get remarried, we are committing adultery.
I spoke to him after church.
I was married for ten years to an abusive man.
I tried therapy---both joint and personal.
I tried trial separation.
Ten years can be a long time.
The physical abuse stopped, but the mental and emotional abuse continued.
I left.
My ex is now remarried.
The preacher says that if I ever remarry, I am committing adultery.
I've been divorced for 21 years.
I have always felt that the blood of Christ washes away our past.
Was I wrong?
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CHRISTIANS----SENSITIVE PEOPLE?
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Posted:Mar 30, 2008 8:39 pm
Last Updated:Apr 9, 2008 12:26 am 1594 Views
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I got an email over the week-end.
An email.
The leaders of the band---who happen to be married---dropped me.
I'm out.
Why?
My "inconsistencies".
I asked "What inconsistencies?"
They wouldn't explain.
I have since discovered that they have a problem being slowed down by a person who walks with a cane.
Of all the people in that particular group, I was able to compose the most, along with lyrics.
I was the only one able to harmonize.
I could also sing lead.
I could play three instruments.
But I'm crippled.
So I'm out.
This was a CHRISTIAN rock band, mind you.
And they refuse to have a sit-down. They told me by email.
Nice.
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IS THERE A WAY TO FIND OUT?
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Posted:Mar 29, 2008 1:59 am
Last Updated:Mar 29, 2008 4:09 pm 1426 Views
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I love being in the band.
I hate being crippled. Well, I call it crippled. Since the car accident, I don't walk as fast or as far as I once could, and I can't drive. It has crippled my independence more than anything, I suppose.
When the doctors first saw me after the accident, my right leg was barely still attached, and I had somewhere between 15 and 20 broken bones. I kept flat-lining. I had to be "brought back" five times. Those are the ones that I was told about.
After the hospital, came the nursing home. After the nursing home, I was in a wheelchair. I fought my way out of the chair. I walk part-time with a cane.
So what does all this have to do with being in a band?
I'm afraid they'll get tired of having a cripple in the band. Someone who needs to have a ride to practice half the time, and who walks slower than the rest of them.
Sure, I play keyboard, piano and congas. I sing lead or back-up vocals. Yeah, I compose music and write lyrics. And if you need someone to learn another instrument, I can read instructions off the internet and begin playing. I'm also an artist, so I can paint pictures of anything you need. I'm a seamstress, so I can make outfits. I'm also a writer, so I can write for/about the band, if necessary.
But is that enough to outweigh the impatience I feel from people sometimes when my one bad leg doesn't move as fast as they wish it would? Will they still want me in the band this time next year, even if, while we tour, I need to take a nap between shows?
Something inside of me keeps telling me the rest of the band is going to drop me as soon as they begin to make it. I haven't had anyone really act like that. In fact, the leaders have told me that I contribute a lot to the band.
So why am I concerned?
Is this satan whispering in my ear, trying to make me draw back from a promising ministry?
It might seem like I'm crazy for even wondering, but you'd be amazed how many people look at a person who doesn't walk well, and assume that person can't do anything else well, either. I can't think of a way to bring this up without sounding like I need stroking.
So do I just keep on in the band, wondering what they think about me? Or is there a subtle way to find out?
I wish I knew...
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SATAN, GET READY
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Posted:Mar 25, 2008 11:51 pm
Last Updated:Mar 27, 2008 1:42 pm 1437 Views
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Interestingly enough, the women's Bible study had a question that brought it around to whether we find it hard to believe in a Savior we can't see. I said my answer is yes and no. Because I totally believe, but for some reason that makes no sense, some voice inside me keeps trying to make me doubt.
And I finally got an explanation that makes sense.
I am in the beginning stages of a new ministry.
Most of the women in the Bible study have known ministers.
Many have been married to them.
They explained to me that satan attacks ministers with all of his guns---and doubt is one of his main weapons. They said they've seen it time and again. Whether it's doubt about whether Christ is really God, or doubt in one's own abilities, satan loves using the weapon that causes a person to question whether they're on the right track. He loves to make us go backward, and confuse the facts. Well, that's what he did with Eve.
The women also reminded me that satan doesn't bother with floundering Christians as much...after all, they're already sliding. He attacks strong Christians because they are dangerous to him. They will be bringing others to Christ. So it's a backhanded compliment.
And they told me to visualize satan, and ask God to pick him up and throw him into the sea. To tell satan to get behind me in the name of Jesus. Pretty close, actually, to the advice I got from people in my blog a couple days ago.
Cool.
So----
Satan, prepare for a nosebleed through God's power. You might want to sit down, 'cause this is gonna hurt---I hope it hurts a lot.
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C'MON RALLY!
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Posted:Mar 25, 2008 12:34 am
Last Updated:Mar 25, 2008 11:25 pm 1605 Views
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Tomorrow is dress rehearsal for the youth rally.
The band that I'm part of, Lost and Found, is playing, along with Chosen.
One of our band members was a little worried about mistakes. I told her not to worry. One Cool thing about teens is they love it when a person makes a mistake, then jokes about it.
I love teens.
Yeah, sometimes they can be a pain in the neck.
But then, so can I.
Teens can also be very straight across. If you want to talk to them without games, you can.
I can't wait 'til Wednesday.
Well, I guess I have to, don't I?
We are gonna blow the roof off that church building, praising God!
Ready...set...c'mon Wednesday, c'mon...
 ......
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HOW DO I SHAKE THIS DOUBT?
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Posted:Mar 24, 2008 2:27 am
Last Updated:Mar 25, 2008 3:19 pm 1787 Views
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I have all the proof I need that there is a God, and that Jesus is God.
I have researched. I have proven, logically, that God definitely exists. I have found proof---beyond a doubt---that God came in the flesh.
Christianity is a solid belief. It isn't some bunch of wishful thinkers who believe in something that couldn't possibly be true.
And beyond all the logic, I have, yes, the feeling. When I was baptized and came up out of the water, I had never felt a feeling like that before! I thought they might have to tie me down, I felt so light. Also, the ways I have changed---I could never have done them without the Holy Spirit.
And I haven't even begun to talk about all the answered prayers...like the time I had lymphoma and it mysteriously disappeared before I had to have treatments. The doctors had given me less than a year to live.
Then, why do I keep finding myself arguing with myself? Why does a part of me keep saying that Jesus was a deluded weirdo? Why does some voice keep whispering out of the dark recesses of the back of my mind that all this sacrifice stuff is, at best, silly, and at worst, just plain sick?
And when I try to talk to someone at church about my doubts, why do they just brush it off with, "Oh, dear, you shouldn't doubt."? THAT doesn't help me at all!
And now that I have already done the research and intellectually I am convinced, and emotionally I am convinced, and spiritually I am convinced, WHY do I find myself doubting??
No one knows I doubt as much as I do. I'm considered one of the pillars. If you want to learn about evidences and be convinced of God's existence, and Jesus' mission, I'm a person people send you to.
So what's WRONG with me?
I've identified one thing. It might sound silly, but here it is: when we pray in the congregation, and they play "mood music" in the background, I find that shakes my faith. Because if we're really praying to the Creator of all things, wouldn't we be more reverent, rather than trying to be commercial? That probably sounds ridiculous, huh? Ah, well.....
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happy Easter
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Posted:Mar 23, 2008 12:05 am
Last Updated:Mar 25, 2008 3:18 pm 1426 Views
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HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!
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THE QUICKEST WAY TO KILL YOURSELF
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Posted:Mar 18, 2008 12:31 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2008 1:17 pm 1677 Views
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The quickest way to commit suicide.
Ooo, such a fun topic!
I'm not talking about the kind of suicide that kills the body, though---physical.
Nope. I'm talking about spiritual suicide.
Some of us, in our more macabre moments, have discussed the quickest way to depart this earth. But have you ever considered what would be the quickest way to separate yourself from God?
I'll tell you.
Here's what you do:
Go to church every Sunday
Go to prayer meeting
Read your Bible every day
Pray every day
Go to Retreats
Teach class at church
Stay busy doing good deeds
And you will die.
So now, you might be thinking one of two things.
Either you're thinking, "If doing those things means I'll DIE spiritually, how do I stay alive?"
Or you're thinking, "If I do all those things and die any way, what's the use of trying?"
(Or you could be thinking that I'm crazy, I suppose...)
But bear with me for a moment. In John 15, when Jesus was having one of the most important talks with His disciples, what did He stress? Church attendance? Being busy? No. He stressed abiding. Abiding in Him. Being close to Him. Intimate with Him. And being there, not for a day or two, but for the long haul. Staying with Him.
Because Christ didn't come and die so we could be busy. He came so we could be His companions. . Friends.
So--- all we have to do is follow religious rituals, and we will die. Fast.
But if we simply remember that God is next to us all the time, and treat God as a friend and Father, we will discover what abiding is: A branch connected to the vine, with nothing obstructing the flow of life from one to the other. We will see God's power working in our life in ways we never expected, and watch His Spirit move like never before!
So should we stop going to church and all that other stuff?
Of course not! We enjoy pleasing God, and they please Him. But intimacy with God---abiding in Him---is what will keep us alive.
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WHAT
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Posted:Mar 15, 2008 2:59 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2008 10:51 pm 1379 Views
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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD. He was on His throne, high above, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Flaming creatures with six wings were flying over Him. They covered their faces with two of the wings, and their bodies with two more. With the other two wings they flew, and they shouted,
"Holy, holy, holy,
LORD all-powerful,
The whole earth is full
Of your glory."
When they shouted, the doorposts of the temple shook, and the temple filled with smoke.
Then I cried out, "I'm doomed! For I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I dwell among a people with filthy lips! Yet I have seen the King, the LORD all-powerful.
One of the flaming creatures took a hot coal from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. He touched the coal to my lips and said, "I have touched your lips with this coal. Your sin is forgiven.
You are no longer guilty.
Then the LORD said whom shall I send to this people? Who will go for us?
And I said, "Here I am. Send me!
I'm reading this before a song our band will be singing at the end of this month. Well, I'll MIGHT be reading it. I don't know what the light level will be like, so I've memorized it. I figure that between memorizing it and having it front of me, even if the lights are bad and my mind blanks out (which happens more often than I like), one way or another, I should get through it.
But I love this scripture.(Isaiah 6) Imagine seeing God and the creatures. Of course, having a hot coal applied to your lips can't be too pleasant, but I bet the forgiveness felt great! And then Isaiah's excitement coming through at the end...here I am. Send me! That's how I feel about my music ministry..."I'm ready God!Thanks for letting me be used by you!"
I bet a lot of us have ministries we feel that way about. I'd love to hear about them!
Would any of you care to share?
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HEROES AMONG MY PEOPLE
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Posted:Mar 12, 2008 11:35 pm
Last Updated:Mar 13, 2008 11:38 am 1351 Views
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Satan was laughing one day as he came before God.
"Oh, God, your people are scattered to the winds. Your church is divided into wedges they choose to call denominations. And I am winning!"he shouted. "Where," satan asked, "Is the love? I thought you said that even if they had enough faith to move mountains, it was useless without love."
With a sneer on his lips, satan looked out at the world and said, "I see no love."
The Creator of all things looked down upon satan. God began to speak, and as He spoke, His voice, though soft, made the universe tremble. "Satan, you are a fool. Do you see those people? Those normal, every day Christians? Have you been lying for so long that you can no longer see the truth?"
"I, God, have chosen champions. They are my elect. Infused with my Spirit. Cleansed with my blood. This is my new generation of priests. We will spend eternity together, and I will celebrate with them.
With these people who stand up for what is right, and don't back down.
These heroes among my people."
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