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A
I feel His presence in the night. A few times, when its been warm enough in the fall, I would lay out on the grass on campus at midnight and look at the stars and the clouds cover the moon and talk with God. We have deer that like to stop by the campus a lot to eat grass and frolic and do whatever else deer enjoy doing... one night I guess I went undetected, cus I noticed two deer standing about seven feet away from me. It was pretty neat.
Attachments
J
Wow...so many times have I felt Him with me...
He was there with me when my son was born and it appeared that either I or my son might not make it. I was talking with the Lord in my mind the entire time and felt His perfect peace. As the mask went down over my face in surgery, I gave my son into the loving hands of my God, as well as myself. Both of us are more than fine btw.
When my stepfather lay dying of cancer, I slept on the floor beside him on a mattress. I prayed that I (not my mother) would be the one to find him when he passed, as I knew it would be more than my mother could handle. I also prayed that he would not die on Father's Day, as I knew Father's Days would be difficult enough from that point on. My mom and I sang his favorite praise songs to him as he went to sleep Father's Day night. The morning AFTER, I was awakened very gently by someone/something I could not see to find that my stepfather had gone to be with the Lord.
When my mother passed away, I sat silently holding her hand while we waited for the Lord to come and get her. The love in that room was overwhelming. The same was true when my husband passed, but that is something I cannot yet bring myself to share here.
At the age of 19, He spoke to me STERNLY (the only time I have heard Him audibly) and prevented me from making a tragic mistake.
When I was first married and alone one night, He gave me step by step instructions on what to do as someone tried to break into my home.
He truly is as close as the mention of His Name. He is with me always. I think I feel His presence most when I am playing or singing to Him, especially when I can't sleep and go sit at the piano in the middle of the night.
He was there with me when my son was born and it appeared that either I or my son might not make it. I was talking with the Lord in my mind the entire time and felt His perfect peace. As the mask went down over my face in surgery, I gave my son into the loving hands of my God, as well as myself. Both of us are more than fine btw.
When my stepfather lay dying of cancer, I slept on the floor beside him on a mattress. I prayed that I (not my mother) would be the one to find him when he passed, as I knew it would be more than my mother could handle. I also prayed that he would not die on Father's Day, as I knew Father's Days would be difficult enough from that point on. My mom and I sang his favorite praise songs to him as he went to sleep Father's Day night. The morning AFTER, I was awakened very gently by someone/something I could not see to find that my stepfather had gone to be with the Lord.
When my mother passed away, I sat silently holding her hand while we waited for the Lord to come and get her. The love in that room was overwhelming. The same was true when my husband passed, but that is something I cannot yet bring myself to share here.
At the age of 19, He spoke to me STERNLY (the only time I have heard Him audibly) and prevented me from making a tragic mistake.
When I was first married and alone one night, He gave me step by step instructions on what to do as someone tried to break into my home.
He truly is as close as the mention of His Name. He is with me always. I think I feel His presence most when I am playing or singing to Him, especially when I can't sleep and go sit at the piano in the middle of the night.
Z
I feel close to Him most times when I pray or read my bible. A couple of times I probably felt His presence the heaviest was once when I was taking communion and I could almost audibly hear Him say "I love you", another time when I was about 16 and this girl and me had both gotten interested in each other and I was praying and God told me no (which I later found out He told the girl as well, but we remained good friends for a while without romantic feelings). A third time, again when I was 16, and I felt a call put on me.
Great thread Arwen!
Great thread Arwen!
A
Wow...so many times have I felt Him with me...
He was there with me when my son was born and it appeared that either I or my son might not make it. I was talking with the Lord in my mind the entire time and felt His perfect peace. As the mask went down over my face in surgery, I gave my son into the loving hands of my God, as well as myself. Both of us are more than fine btw.
When my stepfather lay dying of cancer, I slept on the floor beside him on a mattress. I prayed that I (not my mother) would be the one to find him when he passed, as I knew it would be more than my mother could handle. I also prayed that he would not die on Father's Day, as I knew Father's Days would be difficult enough from that point on. My mom and I sang his favorite praise songs to him as he went to sleep Father's Day night. The morning AFTER, I was awakened very gently by someone/something I could not see to find that my stepfather had gone to be with the Lord.
When my mother passed away, I sat silently holding her hand while we waited for the Lord to come and get her. The love in that room was overwhelming. The same was true when my husband passed, but that is something I cannot yet bring myself to share here.
At the age of 19, He spoke to me STERNLY (the only time I have heard Him audibly) and prevented me from making a tragic mistake.
When I was first married and alone one night, He gave me step by step instructions on what to do as someone tried to break into my home.
He truly is as close as the mention of His Name. He is with me always. I think I feel His presence most when I am playing or singing to Him, especially when I can't sleep and go sit at the piano in the middle of the night.
He was there with me when my son was born and it appeared that either I or my son might not make it. I was talking with the Lord in my mind the entire time and felt His perfect peace. As the mask went down over my face in surgery, I gave my son into the loving hands of my God, as well as myself. Both of us are more than fine btw.
When my stepfather lay dying of cancer, I slept on the floor beside him on a mattress. I prayed that I (not my mother) would be the one to find him when he passed, as I knew it would be more than my mother could handle. I also prayed that he would not die on Father's Day, as I knew Father's Days would be difficult enough from that point on. My mom and I sang his favorite praise songs to him as he went to sleep Father's Day night. The morning AFTER, I was awakened very gently by someone/something I could not see to find that my stepfather had gone to be with the Lord.
When my mother passed away, I sat silently holding her hand while we waited for the Lord to come and get her. The love in that room was overwhelming. The same was true when my husband passed, but that is something I cannot yet bring myself to share here.
At the age of 19, He spoke to me STERNLY (the only time I have heard Him audibly) and prevented me from making a tragic mistake.
When I was first married and alone one night, He gave me step by step instructions on what to do as someone tried to break into my home.
He truly is as close as the mention of His Name. He is with me always. I think I feel His presence most when I am playing or singing to Him, especially when I can't sleep and go sit at the piano in the middle of the night.
Thanks for that.
I never felt connected to God while I was living a double life, walkingin the darkness and the light at the same time. I struggled with many sins of the flesh as a professing Christian, loving my pet sins and the worlds attractions over an obedient faith in God.
If you are still in bondage to sin and wonder why you feel so distant from God then this is why!
The crucified life and what it looks like!
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.
Gal 5:24 But those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let also walk in the Spirit.
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.
When it comes to a true saving faith (obedience) there is no point going further until you understand what it means to be crucified with Christ!
You can argue night and day about the Sabbath, Baptism, Pagan holidays, the rapture, head coverings etc., and miss the most important issue of all, and that is have you actually crucified your flesh with Christ, through real repentance and faith(obedience)once and for all in reality?
Or have you bought into the great lie of deception being taught today by the army of false teachers who have either been duped themselves, or are under the great delusion sent by God!
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.
IF you are still in bondage to sins of the flesh, and I am talking about willful rebellious sin, done presumptuously in hate, guile, malice, anger, or lust, then you did not crucify your flesh with Christ.
This is not a process, that takes place over time, or a symbolic occurrence that took place when you said the sinner’s prayer and then trusted Jesus did it all, and in Him you are crucified in position, because He obeyed for you, because you cannot possible crucify your flesh in your own ability.
Apart from real repentance, and a working faith in love, where you must crucify your flesh with Christ, then you are in danger and must do your first works, repent, and come to a saving faith.
Thus a real crucified convert will look like this:
Walking in newness of life!
Departed from iniquity!
Obedient to the truth!
Loving not the world!
Loving neighbor as self!
Putting God first and foremost!
Abstaining from all forms of evil!
Lover of the truth!
Contending earnestly for the pure word!(truth)
Keeping himself undefiled and unspotted from the world!
Guarding his heart above all things!
An overcomer through the blood of Christ!
Living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age!
Having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness!
Departing or departed from the lukewarm church who promotes the lie! (Saved IN sin, Romans wretch, chief of sinners, faith alone, substitution aka imputation, OSAS, etc).
A doer of God’s word and not a hearer only!
Jesus said,
Joh 8:51 Truly, truly, I say to you, If a man keeps My Word, he shall never see death.
Joh 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
To be crucified with Christ as you can see is a very serious matter, you cannot be IN sin and IN Christ at the same time, they don’t mix, and not getting this right will make the difference between heaven or hell, God has given all mankind a choice, and a way out of bondage to sin, and the world.
2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to God, so that you might suffer loss by nothing in us.
2Co 7:10 For the grief according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the grief of the world works out death.
2Co 7:11 For behold this same thing (you being grieved according to God); how much it worked out earnestness in you; but also defense; but also indignation; but also fear; but also desire; but also zeal; but also vengeance! In everything you approved yourselves to be clear(PURE) in the matter.
Jesus came to set mankind free, see John 8-32, but He didn’t come to be your substitute, in any way, shape or form, or to crucify Himself for you, He came to save us from our sins, through repentance and faith (obedience) where we crucify the flesh once and for all!
It’s not about perfection, it’s not about not needing Jesus, it’s not about being self-righteous or bragging I did it myself, etc.,, but it’s about, humility, brokenness, sacrifice, and a passion and zeal to count the cost, and come before the mercy seat in complete surrender and with a crisis of conviction, that leads to real godly sorrow, where the sin stops, and the flesh is crucified and put to death once and for all!
The crucified life then is a life on the narrow road, following Jesus as He commanded by denying self-daily, and taking up your cross and living a life pleasing to Him, walking IN the spirit, where you will not give any provision for the flesh!
Gal 5:16 I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another; lest whatever you may will, these things you do.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The crucified life is living a dynamic life of faith (obedience) to the truth, doing what is right by choice and also a healthy fear of an all Holy God, who is very patient and longsuffering toward us all, not wanting any to die, but all to come to repentance! 2 Peter 3-9.
The Crucified life is more about obedience, than perfection, sin is missing the mark, which we all do every day, BUT, does missing the mark mean we miss by falling into porn occasionally, fornication on occasion, getting drunk in a weak moment?
Many will say yes, we all fall short, which means everything we do is as a filthy rag before God, but is this honest? Is this the truth? Does a true follower of Christ, make His or her life a life of continued hate, evil and lust?
If your life consists of a pattern of falling into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye’s, and the pride of life, either on occasion, or on a daily basis, then you have NOT crucified your flesh with Christ, and you may be waiting for the Lord to do this for you in due time, but God is waiting for you to humble yourself, and make the right God given choice, to crucify your flesh once and for all with Him as outlined above!
PS. I get tired of professing Christians who say they cannot stop sinning (fornication, lying, cheating, hating, drunkenness, homosexuality, porn watching, idolatry, love OF the world, etc.)
Because all sin is the same, which is just a scapegoat for them to avoid the commands of God to repent, stop sinning, crucify their flesh with Him, and follow Him on the narrow road!
Remember a truly crucified heart does NOT live a life of falling occasionally into vile sins that lead to death, yes many mighty men and women of God have fallen, some found repentance some did not, BUT to say this is the normal Christian experience is a lie, and used as an excuse to feed the flesh, and not use all the tools God has given us to resist temptation, overcome sins of the flesh, and put the flesh to death in repentance.
We all will be judged just how God finds us, not in perfection, but in living a life above the flesh and its evil desires, walking in purity, sincerity, and love and faith (obedience). Faults, mistakes, poor judgments, sins of ignorance, misplaced zeal, missing the mark in these areas are not sins leading to death, but can be when they lead us into any guile, hate, envy, lust and pride, that is why we must walk the crucified life, and be very sensitive to all our faults and mistakes, confess them to God, and grow more in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
One is willful presumptuous sin that is total rebellion towards God, a mental decision to disobey Him, and ignore His warnings and power to find a way of escape. This leads to death, but the other does not, and will not lead to death, unless we allow it to lead to rebellion against God, and lust of the flesh, lust of the eye’s and the pride of life!
It’s simple either you are living a sincere, pure life before God, guarding your heart against willful sin and temptation, or you are not, Jesus isn't asking His followers to be as perfect and spotless as He is, BUT IS asking His followers to obey His most un burdensome commands, and stop making excuses for sin and worldliness, He wants all our attention and love, not a divided heart between the world and Him, and most importantly, a heart made pure through repentance and faith proven by deeds, where the crucified life is the abundant life unto Him! Not a life filled with self, lust, and evil thoughts and ways!
Rev 22:11 He acting unjustly, let him still act unjustly. And the filthy, let him be filthy still. And the righteous, let him be righteous still. And the holy, let him be holy still.
We will be judged on how Jesus finds us when He returns or when we die, not in perfection or living a self-righteous life, but either the crucified life in purity, sincerity, and love, OR the un crucified life of self, lust, pride, and bondage to sin and disobedience!
Tommy
If you are still in bondage to sin and wonder why you feel so distant from God then this is why!
The crucified life and what it looks like!
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.
Gal 5:24 But those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let also walk in the Spirit.
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.
When it comes to a true saving faith (obedience) there is no point going further until you understand what it means to be crucified with Christ!
You can argue night and day about the Sabbath, Baptism, Pagan holidays, the rapture, head coverings etc., and miss the most important issue of all, and that is have you actually crucified your flesh with Christ, through real repentance and faith(obedience)once and for all in reality?
Or have you bought into the great lie of deception being taught today by the army of false teachers who have either been duped themselves, or are under the great delusion sent by God!
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.
IF you are still in bondage to sins of the flesh, and I am talking about willful rebellious sin, done presumptuously in hate, guile, malice, anger, or lust, then you did not crucify your flesh with Christ.
This is not a process, that takes place over time, or a symbolic occurrence that took place when you said the sinner’s prayer and then trusted Jesus did it all, and in Him you are crucified in position, because He obeyed for you, because you cannot possible crucify your flesh in your own ability.
Apart from real repentance, and a working faith in love, where you must crucify your flesh with Christ, then you are in danger and must do your first works, repent, and come to a saving faith.
Thus a real crucified convert will look like this:
Walking in newness of life!
Departed from iniquity!
Obedient to the truth!
Loving not the world!
Loving neighbor as self!
Putting God first and foremost!
Abstaining from all forms of evil!
Lover of the truth!
Contending earnestly for the pure word!(truth)
Keeping himself undefiled and unspotted from the world!
Guarding his heart above all things!
An overcomer through the blood of Christ!
Living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age!
Having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness!
Departing or departed from the lukewarm church who promotes the lie! (Saved IN sin, Romans wretch, chief of sinners, faith alone, substitution aka imputation, OSAS, etc).
A doer of God’s word and not a hearer only!
Jesus said,
Joh 8:51 Truly, truly, I say to you, If a man keeps My Word, he shall never see death.
Joh 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
To be crucified with Christ as you can see is a very serious matter, you cannot be IN sin and IN Christ at the same time, they don’t mix, and not getting this right will make the difference between heaven or hell, God has given all mankind a choice, and a way out of bondage to sin, and the world.
2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to God, so that you might suffer loss by nothing in us.
2Co 7:10 For the grief according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the grief of the world works out death.
2Co 7:11 For behold this same thing (you being grieved according to God); how much it worked out earnestness in you; but also defense; but also indignation; but also fear; but also desire; but also zeal; but also vengeance! In everything you approved yourselves to be clear(PURE) in the matter.
Jesus came to set mankind free, see John 8-32, but He didn’t come to be your substitute, in any way, shape or form, or to crucify Himself for you, He came to save us from our sins, through repentance and faith (obedience) where we crucify the flesh once and for all!
It’s not about perfection, it’s not about not needing Jesus, it’s not about being self-righteous or bragging I did it myself, etc.,, but it’s about, humility, brokenness, sacrifice, and a passion and zeal to count the cost, and come before the mercy seat in complete surrender and with a crisis of conviction, that leads to real godly sorrow, where the sin stops, and the flesh is crucified and put to death once and for all!
The crucified life then is a life on the narrow road, following Jesus as He commanded by denying self-daily, and taking up your cross and living a life pleasing to Him, walking IN the spirit, where you will not give any provision for the flesh!
Gal 5:16 I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another; lest whatever you may will, these things you do.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The crucified life is living a dynamic life of faith (obedience) to the truth, doing what is right by choice and also a healthy fear of an all Holy God, who is very patient and longsuffering toward us all, not wanting any to die, but all to come to repentance! 2 Peter 3-9.
The Crucified life is more about obedience, than perfection, sin is missing the mark, which we all do every day, BUT, does missing the mark mean we miss by falling into porn occasionally, fornication on occasion, getting drunk in a weak moment?
Many will say yes, we all fall short, which means everything we do is as a filthy rag before God, but is this honest? Is this the truth? Does a true follower of Christ, make His or her life a life of continued hate, evil and lust?
If your life consists of a pattern of falling into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye’s, and the pride of life, either on occasion, or on a daily basis, then you have NOT crucified your flesh with Christ, and you may be waiting for the Lord to do this for you in due time, but God is waiting for you to humble yourself, and make the right God given choice, to crucify your flesh once and for all with Him as outlined above!
PS. I get tired of professing Christians who say they cannot stop sinning (fornication, lying, cheating, hating, drunkenness, homosexuality, porn watching, idolatry, love OF the world, etc.)
Because all sin is the same, which is just a scapegoat for them to avoid the commands of God to repent, stop sinning, crucify their flesh with Him, and follow Him on the narrow road!
Remember a truly crucified heart does NOT live a life of falling occasionally into vile sins that lead to death, yes many mighty men and women of God have fallen, some found repentance some did not, BUT to say this is the normal Christian experience is a lie, and used as an excuse to feed the flesh, and not use all the tools God has given us to resist temptation, overcome sins of the flesh, and put the flesh to death in repentance.
We all will be judged just how God finds us, not in perfection, but in living a life above the flesh and its evil desires, walking in purity, sincerity, and love and faith (obedience). Faults, mistakes, poor judgments, sins of ignorance, misplaced zeal, missing the mark in these areas are not sins leading to death, but can be when they lead us into any guile, hate, envy, lust and pride, that is why we must walk the crucified life, and be very sensitive to all our faults and mistakes, confess them to God, and grow more in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
One is willful presumptuous sin that is total rebellion towards God, a mental decision to disobey Him, and ignore His warnings and power to find a way of escape. This leads to death, but the other does not, and will not lead to death, unless we allow it to lead to rebellion against God, and lust of the flesh, lust of the eye’s and the pride of life!
It’s simple either you are living a sincere, pure life before God, guarding your heart against willful sin and temptation, or you are not, Jesus isn't asking His followers to be as perfect and spotless as He is, BUT IS asking His followers to obey His most un burdensome commands, and stop making excuses for sin and worldliness, He wants all our attention and love, not a divided heart between the world and Him, and most importantly, a heart made pure through repentance and faith proven by deeds, where the crucified life is the abundant life unto Him! Not a life filled with self, lust, and evil thoughts and ways!
Rev 22:11 He acting unjustly, let him still act unjustly. And the filthy, let him be filthy still. And the righteous, let him be righteous still. And the holy, let him be holy still.
We will be judged on how Jesus finds us when He returns or when we die, not in perfection or living a self-righteous life, but either the crucified life in purity, sincerity, and love, OR the un crucified life of self, lust, pride, and bondage to sin and disobedience!
Tommy
I feel the most connected with Him when I'm alone.
The most obvious time He moved in my life was when He healed me of a really painful condition. That was over 10 years ago, and I'm still free from that pain.
The most obvious time He moved in my life was when He healed me of a really painful condition. That was over 10 years ago, and I'm still free from that pain.