For those of us that believe in God.

[Love Hurts]

In these times; when our Lord Jesus Christ is not desired.

When many strive to… X ….him out of existence.

We whom believe; unite in heart, mind, and spirit.

We in numbers make up the body of Christ.

 

In these times; when Christ is desired to be banned from acknowledgement amongst men, it is still a joy to hear; a Merry Christmas, to see and hear the Halleluiah Chorus sung by a choir.

 

It is still a joy to see decorations that light up our homes reminding ourselves as well as others what time it is, as we gain in the spirit, inviting and welcoming the celebrational birth of all births; the son of God; our Jesus to earth.

 

For those of us that believe in God we have much to be thankful for... Jesus came to tell the world;

' For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3:16)

 

For those of us that believe in God

The greatest gift of all is eternal life with Jesus.

Life without end.

 

And lastly for those of us that believe,

No matter what men on earth may do to strip away from Christ and the celebration of Christmas.

 

No matter how many X bans the name of Christ takes on,

no matter how many Christmas trees may be banned,

no matter how many disguises that will be and are; put upon Christmas; renaming it Sparkle Season or Light Up Time or skipping past the Merry Christmas…… moving right along into Happy Holidays.

 

Man cannot and will not stop Christmas from coming.

Mans futile attempts to cause Christ to simply disperse into

non- existence… and just simply fade away into oblivion is laughable at the least.

 

Christ Lives on eternally because; He lives; within our hearts.

 

Though the Grinch may appear for a time; to succeed in his exterior quest of removal of…

In the end.......... Christ will always prove to be.... the greater God.

 

The Grinch is stealing Christmas… is he really?

 

God Bless

[pureinheart]

Wow....this is really cool Love Hurts!

 

God is sooo good!

[Love Hurts]

Wow....this is really cool Love Hurts!

 

God is sooo good!

 

High Five! Amen Pureinheart.

[pureinheart]

Well it is quite evident what your anointing is....am in intercession for you right now...thank you Jesus.

[Love Hurts]

Luke 15: Jesus is searching for his lost sheep (children)

 

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

 

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

 

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

 

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

 

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

 

9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

 

10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

 

In this parable of the lost sheep; verse seven……… all heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents……more than over the niney nine saved persons which the Lord already has.

 

 

from a sinner saved by grace.

[pureinheart]

Wow, Love Hurts....it's so interesting that the Lord gave you that particular parable as a reply....I really needed that and thank you for being obedient....I was in a relationship that was meant for my destruction. Have been out of it for several months now, but have not recovered spiritually, in fact am spiritually dry.

 

May God hold back no good thing from you and may you be blessed beyond all comprehension, in Jesus name. (((((((((Hugs))))))))))

[Love Hurts]

Pureinheart,

I appreciate that.. God moves in mysterious ways.

I hear your heart. I too like you have gone astray.

And the Lord was there for me;

I don’t like to talk about this.

But I have a story to tell and you are bringing it forth.

It’s long so bear with me.

In the end, I hope it makes what you went through seem more tolerable.

 

Well here goes.

 

My story of attempted murder;

 

I was in a wrong relationship with a man that wasn’t saved.

(He said he was saved and he prayed but the more I got to know him I realized something wasn’t right. I heard the name of Satan so often it was eerie, by this point I knew it was not the place to be but I had promised to attend this party … so one last date.)

 

I was invited to a party at a lodge in a wooded hill area.

a beautiful desolate place.

In preparation I did something I never do; I took a leather saddlebag purse to use as a means to carry a few small gifts I had intended to offer. As well as my regular purse. So I had two purses..

 

When we got there we were alone; no one but us, ok???? We were early and his people permitted him access (naturally because he had a key to the place) to the lodge so he began to cook wings.

During the brief cook time of the wings 18-20 min., he and I were getting into a heated argument.

 

Agitated, I grabbed my things to leave; he followed me outside

and this man beat the living daylights out of me.

 

I kept trying to run, I kicked my high heels off to get speed. I do not consider myself weak. But next to him, I felt like a baby kitten, totally powerless. He caught me, at one point and pushed me to the ground picked me up squeezed me. I tried all the female defense tricks…what a joke. Nothing worked he pushed me to the ground again, then he was trying to stuff me inside his truck, at one point he ripped my pierced earring out of ear and handed to me. I quickly grasped it and began to use the tip of it like a micro knife to pierce his skin and slice him as much as possible.

 

Now forced back on the bench seat of his truck I was kicking the door and pushing against it to keep it open, his opposing weight was on the outside forcing it closed.

 

The purse the leather saddlebag I took…

Thank God I took it. It saved my bare feet, my heels were on the glass of the passenger side window, my toes were above the metal door jam.

He almost had the door completely closed shut on my feet… But that leather saddlebag I had never left go of during this physical confrontation was wedged in the door jam on the floorboard. It kept the door from completely closing. Praise Jesus for that.

 

He became so frustrated …He opened the truck door and kept beating my face off the steering wheel using my hair to pull me away from it and his fist to punch the back of my head back into the wheel. Pain shot through one side of my face and I screamed.

 

He pulled me out of the vehicle and I was in body squeeze so tight I thought my kidneys would burst, then he slammed me to the pavement, head first. I heard my skull crack and the pain this time was unbearable I couldn’t fight him or move. He picked me up and squeezed me again I thought my spine was going to snap. My head was facing the ground my arms tied to my waist and my feet up in air. As I looked down I knew if he lets me go. My head can’t take another crack. He left me go.. Just as he did I managed to twist in the air and hit the ground on my side. I couldn’t get up. I saw blackness and stars my eyes had no real vision…………….. All I could do was cry out…Jesus help me.

 

When I could see … I saw him standing over me seemingly frozen in place.

He began to walk back to the lodge.

My heart raced again. I got up and staggered into the woods. God only knows what I was crawling in. Not a lover of bugs or snakes. I found a place to hide. I lay there trying to collect myself. I had no shoes, no purses just the clothes on my back. I heard his truck door and the engine start up.

 

His headlights coming down the drive- way (it’s almost a mile long driveway wooded on both sides) he had a spotlight, shining it through the woods as he slowly crept along and calling my name…saying; I’m not going to murder you. Laughing some sinister laugh. Then telling me he planned this night to a T.

 

You better not go to the police. I’ll tell them it was self defense, look at the blood all over me. You attacked me. You crazy B…(his blood was from the scratches I managed to get in)… He grew quiet and searched with his light, I stayed still in my position, wondering if I should get up and run but felt frozen and couldn’t move.

 

My heart was thumping so loud I thought he could hear it; he had the light on a patch of ground right next to where I was laying. He began to climb up into the wooded area. I still couldn’t move and held my breath.

He climbed until he stopped… standing now only ‘four feet’ away from me

to shine his light around…… and still he didn’t see me…….still trying not to breath looking up at him with one eye. I was pressed to the ground as if trying to disappear into the earth itself.

 

He turned around, I watched him make his way back to his vehicle continuing to shine his light through the woods looking for me.

I still couldn’t move. That road was the only road out of there and he was on it. I couldn’t walk through the wooded area with no shoes or light, the briers were so dense.

 

Up and down the road he went on, for what seemed like an hour calling me and taunting me. Searching for me.

Finally he gave up, I could hear his truck return to the lodge and engine turn off. When I heard the lodge door close.. My heart jumped and I was up. I ran and ran and ran and ran.

 

In my ears I could hear the thumping of my heels hitting the pavement, mingled with the racy pounding of my heart. I was running on pure Fear.

Now add the sound of his engine again coming from a distance. I made it down to the end of the driveway. The engine bellowing at its highest speed towards me; I dove and slid into a ravine just as his headlights passed over my head and lit up the hole I landed in. Nothing but mud and rocks thank God.

He turned onto the main road at this point and kept driving away from me.

I would have to walk in the same direction he went to head home and I knew he would be back.

 

I couldn’t risk it. So I started to go the opposite direction.

Two vehicles passed me. I waved for help. They didn’t stop. I was alone and had nowhere to go. I walked a mile in the wrong direction, my feet getting cut up on roadside debris.

Long story short……… I eventually turned my direction and went back towards home.

 

Just before the crack of dawn, God and my feet got me back home without running into him again.

When I looked in the mirror the side of my face was huge and wouldn’t move, it was numb. I was covered in mud and dirt, torn clothing and blood in my hair. I was not thinking clearly. I plunked down in a chair and didn’t think anything I didn’t know what to do. I passed out from exhaustion or trauma I don’t know which.

 

When I woke a patrol car was passing by I ran out to speak to the officer and the best I could get since I didn’t “call the police immediately” was a PFA.

 

I know Jesus was with me. I got myself into it and God got me out of it.

It took me many months to heal, including emotionally… but thankfully today I can say; my partial facial paralyzation from nerve damage is miraculously gone. The bruises are gone and the broken pelvic bone healed. I survived the concussion. I have scars on my feet to remind me: What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, I believe if it were not for the divine intervention of Jesus many times over in my life, I wouldn’t be here today.

 

When I look back on that night I see a man possessed by pure evil in his heart, to be able to do those things to a defenseless, female. Never in my life has a man raised his hand to brutalize me. That to me was shocking in its self.

 

When I called on Jesus to help me. He did and instantly my circumstances changed.

From that moment on, it was just about getting home and He got me home.

 

Miracles happen every day.

 

God Bless

[JLO22]

Amen God Is Good!!!!

[pureinheart]

OMG LH....what came to mind is "Do not touch My anointed, do My prophets no harm"...

 

Thank you so much for sharing a story such as this....that while typing is causing a "reliving of the experience". I speak healing over this encounter...

 

We thank God that our circumstances do not define "US", but God defines us.

 

What the enemy meant for your destruction, will be turned to Gods glory....love you LN and am lifting you up...

[Love Hurts]

Oh Pureinheart you are such a sweetie, I just love you. You know the song, Love Lifted Me.. I read your post and started to hum it.

 

I claim the Blessing of healing in Jesus name in all areas of my life.

Your welcome for the story you somehow caused me to share. lol

 

God moves in mysterious ways I was meant to post it for some reason.

My hope is its purpose is to help someone in his or her life to realize that

freewill can get us in bad place, a place that requires God to get us out of.

 

We just need to trust in Him and continually strive to do the right thing.

When I look back I could have prevented that. I already knew I

felt eerie and uncomfortable around him.

 

But it was that one last date I promised. That got me.

 

"What the enemy meant for your destruction will be turned to Gods glory."

 

Amen… Sometimes quickly; sometimes slowly.

 

Who is like our Lord? Who is worthy of our Praise?

Only our KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.

 

Praise the Father.. Praise Jesus the Son.....Praise the Holy Spirit ... Praise the three in one

Our Blessed Trinity.

 

Hugs and kisses your way PIH and Happy New Year!

I pray the New Year is a Blessed one in every aspect of your life.

[Love Hurts]

Amen God Is Good!!!!

 

Amen JLO22; God Bless and Happy Blessed New Year

[pureinheart]

Father , we praise Your perfect name, and ask for forgiveness and mercy for sins of omission, co-mission and lack of knowledge. We seek Your will in all things and ask for acceptance concerning the things we cannot change.

 

I speak peace over Your people and ask that You move our enemies. Let no weapon formed prosper and Lord we ask that You shut the mouth of the enemy on our behalf.

 

Let this new year bring forth Your perfection, and let the old things pass away quickly Lord. Give us the strength to let go of all things, giving them freely to You, never to take them back....

 

His Spirit is falling.....gonna pm you LH.....

[Love Hurts]

Father , we praise Your perfect name, and ask for forgiveness and mercy for sins of omission, co-mission and lack of knowledge. We seek Your will in all things and ask for acceptance concerning the things we cannot change.

 

I speak peace over Your people and ask that You move our enemies. Let no weapon formed prosper and Lord we ask that You shut the mouth of the enemy on our behalf.

 

Let this new year bring forth Your perfection, and let the old things pass away quickly Lord. Give us the strength to let go of all things, giving them freely to You, never to take them back....

 

His Spirit is falling.....gonna pm you LH.....

 

Praise Jeus and thank you for your prayer PIH.

 

 

A lesson I am learning over an over again is one I pray I get better at

in 07.... is learning to Praise Jesus in all things good and bad. Amen

 

The bad things in life that have been difficult to go through and or difficult to understand why they happened or happen…

 

To recall Something good comes out of the bad.

Not to forget its why we need to Praise Jesus in the good things and the bad things.

 

Did you ever read the story of The Hiding Place?

It was originally written by Corrie ten Boom.

 

She and her family were taken into the holocaust... They ended up in a concentration camp called Ravens brook < or > Ravens burg.

Betsie, Corries sister, kept praying and thanking God for everything.

All of it, AND THANK YOU FOR THE FLEAS LORD.

Corrie after one prayer said, to her sister.

 

How can you thank God for the fleas?

 

We have sores from scratching ...they are so annoying?

Betsie said; thank God for everything good and bad.

He has a reason for all things.

 

Well it took some time and they found out much later that the women and young girls in other barracks were being beaten and raped and humiliated by the guards.

 

The only reason the women in this barracks were Not attacked by the guards is.

 

BECAUSE OF THE FLEAS

 

This new year I pray I am stronger in my ability to thank God for all things good and bad, knowing a bad thing can be a good thing, in disguise.

 

God Bless

[Green]

I believe in god but not Jesus what ever paradoxical meaning that may have for u, but for some time Ive probably wanted to be christian but for all the wrong reasons really. I think its a powerful story to hear about how jesus helped you through you ordeal and very inspirational thanks for sharing it.

[pureinheart]

((((((((((hugs KMT))))))))))))))

[pureinheart]

Hey LH....

 

No haven't read the book, but it sounds powerful....the Lord gave me this vision last night and if you have an interpretation please share it...

 

[COLOR=black]I heard...gateway to the future...and am seeing a rod iron gate painted black (God chose it to be black for the purpose of it not standing out), this gate is here on earth. The gate doors open and we walk through it to be greeted with a "host" of angels.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]Heard we are intermingling with angels, as if we have crossed something, crossed some line, crossed over.....this is something to do with on earth.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][/COLOR]

[Love Hurts]

Dear God I pray it’s a sign that the rapture is very, very, very soon.

I am so ready to go home.

 

It could be a mixed sign …

The black gate signifying the revealing of the Antichrist

and the host of angels greeting us could signify the Rapture.

 

I believe in the pre trib rapture. I do not believe we are going through the seven years of tribulation. Are you pre or post?

That’s a good thread starter…Pre and Post Trib.

 

These are exciting times.

[pureinheart]

Hey LH....

 

Pre-tribber...did a major study and it's the only logical explanation. God did not mean His wrath for His people, even though mid-tribbers say the first 3 1/2 aren't that bad, don't agree, all of it will be bad and is Gods wrath.

 

Wow....that interpretaion sounds very accurate, I too am soooo ready!!!!! The "black gate" threw me as I prefer cars, furnature in the black color, although when seeing this in the natural, like white for fences, gates....I thought, "a black gate Lord"?

[Love Hurts]

Pre-tribber...did a major study and it's the only logical explanation. God did not mean His wrath for His people, even though mid-tribbers say the first 3 1/2 aren't that bad, don't agree, all of it will be bad and is Gods wrath.

 

Same page; Trump- it.

The indecisive of, and the adamantly against Jesus must go through.

 

Wow....that interpretaion sounds very accurate, I too am soooo ready!!!!! The "black gate" threw me as I prefer cars, furnature in the black color, although when seeing this in the natural, like white for fences, gates....I thought, "a black gate Lord"?

 

Hey so do I. I love black furniture, black clothes and black stones.

But Angels and Black Gates… hmmm Not Pearly White…

Ya that’s a great dream…. Coming Soon. Praise Jesus! Torches high!

[pureinheart]

Hey Love Hurts....would you lift me up, my situation is getting as bad as yours was...God knows what it is.....

[bluetuesday]

there is not going to be a rapture, i thought you should know.

 

chance of rapture - 0%

[Love Hurts]

Hey Love Hurts....would you lift me up, my situation is getting as bad as yours was...God knows what it is.....

 

Father in Jesus name we pray you protect, and guide PIH In her walk.

Watch over her each day, comfort her in her hour of need. Sustain her in her weakness, refresh her spirit and strengthen her. Arm her with the sword of the spirit.

 

Let no profit come to the enemy at PIH s expense. We pray no measure of iniquity against PIH shall prevail in Jesus name. Thank you Jesus for the privilege of carrying everything to you in prayer. Praise you Jesus

 

PIH you may weaken you may stumble and fall.

But by the hand of the Lord you shall rise again.

For there is no hold the devour has upon you,

saved you are sealed by God.

 

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him

 

PIH…use the good sense God gave you and do the right thing. You will come through this.

 

Above all do Not live in Fear…. Fear Not…

Fear is defeat before the battle has begun.

There is Victory in Jesus.

 

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may

be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 

God Bless you PIH

 

 

 

PS. Recall the story I told you? Jesus protected me and got me through

that was the first step and I Praise Jesus for that.

The second step was... a PFA..I have another law on my side.

Get your basis covered. Stay Strong.

[Love Hurts]

there is not going to be a rapture, i thought you should know.

 

chance of rapture - 0%

That’s a good one Bluetuesday very funny.

I’m looking forward to it. Seven years sooner than the post tribers

[Moose]

there is not going to be a rapture, i thought you should know.

 

chance of rapture - 0%

How did you come to this conclusion?

[bluetuesday]

How did you come to this conclusion?

 

slowly and thoughtfully and through prayer and a longing to know the truth, as i try to come to all my conclusions.

 

i looked at the scripture from paul's first letter to the thessalonians, which is generally translated literally to suggest that there will be an imminent physical meeting 'in the air' between jesus and the righteous. paul believed that the second coming would happen in his lifetime. throughout his writings he speaks with an eschatological slant - with the expectation that the end times were right around the corner. in 1 corinthians ch 7 vs29-31 he says the time is so short that believers should drastically change the way they live.

 

now clearly, the second coming didn't happen in the way the bible-writers imagined. now you can say that the letters were misinterpreted, but if you believe that the word of god in the bible is complete and always right, that puts you in a tough spot. even jesus (luke ch 21 v32 is a good example) described the time he was living in as the 'days of vengeance', spoke of himself 'coming in a cloud of glory' and promised that the current generation would not pass away until this had been fulfilled. yet... those things didn't happen then and they have consistently failed to happen for 2,000 years.

 

how can we explain that? well, one way is to NOT do what other people have done and wait their whole lives for something that never happens. i don't think god wants us to hope for something that doesn't arrive. i think god wants the kingdom of god to be manifest on earth right now, but he won't do it for us. our job on earth is to manifest the kingdom. we do this by living in the way jesus described.

 

so there is something not right about the belief in rapture. either the words of jesus have been misinterpreted or minsunderstood, or he lied. or perhaps he has been quoted correctly and the fact that 2,000 years and many generations have passed shows that even jesus doesn't know god's time scale.

 

but armed with these thoughts, i started wondering (asking god), if there was another way to read the scriptures that spoke about the second coming. and i believe there is. jesus came to raise the consciousness of humankind. he came to tell people that the kingdom of god is within them (his statement that the kingdom of god comes NOT through observation would also seem to back up the fact there will be no rapture). so i believe that the second coming of christ will be a raising in consciousness of people. it will be an internal coming. it will be a mass awakening to jesus' true teachings and it will be us, working on earth for god, his power flowing through us, building the kingdom of god on earth.

 

the idea of rapture is, to me, against the spirit of the teachings of jesus and of the god i know in my heart. the idea that if we are 'saved' we can just sit around and wait for our reward is out of line with those teachings. i believe jesus came to be an example we need to follow and there are numerous references in scripture that back this up. john ch 14 v12 is a prime example of jesus saying he that believes in me, the works that i do he too will do.

 

so if we believe in christ, if we truly embody those teachings, we too can perform the works that he did. and what were those works? raising the dead. walking on water. healing the sick. can we do that yet? no?? then we're not fully believing in him. we're not fully absorbing those teachings yet. if we say we are, well, we're making jesus out to be a liar.

 

it's interesting to me to put the realisation that we clearly do not believe in jesus fully, with the statement that jesus is 'the way, the truth and the life'. if true belief in jesus will cause us to be able to do the works that he did, and we can't do those works yet, are we fully christian? jesus doesn't say 'accept me and you will be saved' anywhere in scripture. jesus says 'i am the way' and i believe that means 'being like me is the way'. he also says that believing in him means being able to do miracles. if you take that literally, no one is a true christian, no one is a believer in christ and in that case you'd better hope the rapture doesn't come yet.

 

it seems to me that the central tenet of jesus' teachings is a need to change our hearts, to change the way we see and treat each other and to become like him. it just doesn't then make sense to me that god will one day, without warning, effectively save people who have not become like jesus, who will save people who do not believe in jesus - since as jesus told us himself the mark of believing in him is to be able to do the works that he did, and even greater works.

 

so, to conclude, if you take the bible literally, none of us are true believers in him because by jesus' definition of the word believer, we can't do what he did. so since we have not progressed to the state yet where we can truly be like jesus, ending the world would be pointless if only because everyone would be left behind.

 

mostly, i don't believe in the rapture because god is no respecter of persons. just because people think the rapture is going to happen, it doesn't mean it is. if a powerful and godly man like st paul couldn't make it happen by believing in it, no one can. and history tells me that there MUST be another way to interpret the second coming of christ since the literal 'cloud' version hasn't happened yet.

 

to hold out for some reward, for some event to take you away and to magic you into the kingdom of god is in no way constructive to building the kingdom of god on earth, which is what we are supposed to be doing with our lives. personally, i don't want to waste mine waiting for neverland. i want to help god out practically by being like jesus, helping to build the kingdom of god on earth NOW through my actions and through allowing god to work through me.

 

the opportunity to do that is heaven enough and reward enough for me.