Midnight Confessions

[Ruby123]

Well its just past midnight here and I am wide awake. Probably a few things on my mind and some decisions to make with no clear direction.

Patience has never been my strong point. Do you just make a decision or do you wait on the Lord for his direction?

Yes I've prayed and for a while now. Maybe he has spoken but I have not heard. Maybe he spoke and I did not like the answer. I dont know. Time will tell I guess.

 

[Remington50]

Hi Ruby123, where are you that it's just past midnight? Just curious As for decision making process.... I try and not make quick decisions about important things. I pray and also try and frame whatever decision I have to make with what I know the Bible says. I know its not always that cut and dry though. The older I get, and hopefully a little wiser, I try and apply Biblical guidelines and life's lessons. Not sure if that helps any but just how I approach making big decisions.

 

[up]

fervent prayers for US all

 

[Lanolin]

confession
im trying to avoid gossip. I tend to do it if a friend calls me and she asks about other people when its none of her business and then it turns into a gossip session so I have been avoiding this friend for a while or cutting phone converations short. But I want to stop it once and for all of she even tries to say...well, or did you hear...or ohhhh

I am hoping my tactic of talking about all facsinating the books Im reading from the library will work and she will eventually get the message that im really not interested in sharing gossip with her or what so and so did on facebook.

 

[tourist]

Hi Ruby123, where are you that it's just past midnight? Just curious As for decision making process.... I try and not make quick decisions about important things. I pray and also try and frame whatever decision I have to make with what I know the Bible says. I know its not always that cut and dry though. The older I get, and hopefully a little wiser, I try and apply Biblical guidelines and life's lessons. Not sure if that helps any but just how I approach making big decisions.

Ruby lives in western Australia. You can ascertain a member's country and possibly city / state by clicking on their name. This will take you to a particular member's profile page. Click on the tab About and if the member chose the option to make their country public it will be listed. The age of the member will only be listed if they entered their whole birthdate including year.

 

[tourist]

Well its just past midnight here and I am wide awake. Probably a few things on my mind and some decisions to make with no clear direction.

Patience has never been my strong point. Do you just make a decision or do you wait on the Lord for his direction?

Yes I've prayed and for a while now. Maybe he has spoken but I have not heard. Maybe he spoke and I did not like the answer. I dont know. Time will tell I guess.

Patience is a hard virtue to develop but is critical as patience plays a part in making sound decisions. Developing patience is a prerequisite for developing other virtues too. God gives you knowledge and wisdom to help in the decision making process and sometimes that means taking decisive action and other times to just simply wait for the right opportunity.

 

[tourist]

OK. Midnite confessions on a Sunday morning. Sorry this is so long.

I quit going to my long time Catholic parish almost a year ago. Instead I've been going to a United Methodist Church. The methodist church seemed close, in terms of liturgy, method, etc. to the church I was used to. The Creed is the Apostles Creed, of which I accept and I appreciate their doctrinal perspective of worship and authoritarian approach to Pastoring.

As brief history, I could never accept the Immaculate Conception of Mary, mother of Christ. There was nothing in scripture supporting this. I did understand why the Catholic church adopted this belief, but I can also see why (sometimes) common sense or popular concensus approaches to supernatural phenomena can kind of take on a life of their own and lead people down a wrong path.

There was a lot more to this that I don't want to get into, like I still don't fully understand why Maccabees I and II and Book of Wisdom, so forth were removed from KJV, but that's another story. There's still the question of papal descendancy for me but that's not what's on my mind today.

What's on my mind is now the United Methodist Church has changed their Book of Discipline or doctrinal beliefs. While they've long held a ban on gay marriages and bans on practicing LBGT clergy, the World Methodist Council has decided that this practice is not inclusive to these groups and, thus, will lift these bans. This has caused a big split in the church and negotiations were ironed out, etc., bottom line being that many churches will not remain in the UMC. The church I go to will remain.

So, again, this leaves me with the question. CouldI remain in the Catholic Church if I didn't believe in many important parts of standing doctrine? And if I decide to leave (and I did) can I go to another church and not accept their standing doctrine?

To me, acceptance of souls in any church is a corner stone of witness, recognition, and growth. But acceptance is not inclusion. Inclusion involves incorporation and by incoporating the practice of gay marriage in the church, would we (again) not be taking a common sense or popular concensus approach to supernatural phenomena (the Word of God) that takes on a life of its own leading people down a wrong path?

Wouldn't I be back to square one? Hmmm.

It says in the bible to not forsake the assembling together of like-minded believers.

I was born and raised a Catholic and was in my early 30's when I stopped attending mass due to perceived conflicts of doctrine and scripture, very much like yourself.

I accept the Apostle's Creed that is recited each mass also as it affirms the Holy Trinity and salvation as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for remission of sins. No, you shouldn't pray to Mary because she is not God but I can understand why some people do. Maybe they believe that God is at times harsh so the pray to the mother of Jesus to intercede from them. Mary is a comfort for many and I can understand that as well.

I have attended many other denominations church service but always left feeling like something was missing. I found the mass to be of great comfort and always felt at peace during the mass but as I have mentioned, no longer attend mass.

I would leave the Methodist church immediately as they are more concerned about being politically correct than spiritually correct.

Square one sounds like a viable option, at least for the time being.

 

[tourist]

confession
I'm trying to avoid gossip. I tend to do it if a friend calls me and she asks about other people when its none of her business and then it turns into a gossip session so I have been avoiding this friend for a while or cutting phone converations short. But I want to stop it once and for all of she even tries to say...well, or did you hear...or ohhhh

I am hoping my tactic of talking about all fascinating the books I'm reading from the library will work and she will eventually get the message that I'm really not interested in sharing gossip with her or what so and so did on facebook.

I commend you for refusing to participate in the foolish and harmful practice of gossip. No good can ever come out of gossip but only harm.

 

[Gregoryp]

Mine is over thinking and questioning Gods answers to prayers, especially when I think it doesn't make sense when he tells me to do something or to have trust that things will work out. A bad habit hard to break

 

[tourist]

Mine is over thinking and questioning Gods answers to prayers, especially when I think it doesn't make sense when he tells me to do something or to have trust that things will work out. A bad habit hard to break

I know from experience how hard it can be at times to trust God and not to rely strictly on your own efforts to accomplish something in particular. I really don't take comfort anymore thinking that I'm actually in control in any situation that I find myself but do take comfort in giving God the whell and let Him drive.

 

[Ruby123]

Hi Ruby123, where are you that it's just past midnight? Just curious As for decision making process.... I try and not make quick decisions about important things. I pray and also try and frame whatever decision I have to make with what I know the Bible says. I know its not always that cut and dry though. The older I get, and hopefully a little wiser, I try and apply Biblical guidelines and life's lessons. Not sure if that helps any but just how I approach making big decisions.

Hi Remington50, I live in Aus. Thanks for the advice, I will pray about things some more and see what happens. Hope you enjoy your time on CC.

 

[Lanolin]

well so far God has me lips firmly sealed. Hooray.
I am not sure why some people have to be so nosy about other people, if someone wants to know about someone else why dont they just ask them directly?

I am sure God would rather have people talk TO Him in prayer than have people constantly complain that hes not listening. Highly rude to be spoken of in the third person when Hes here all the time, listening to everything you say anyway.

Another thing is when ppl complain about the govt. It is either doing or not doing what its supposed to. You either voted for it or you didnt. However, dont rely on govt to save peoples souls cos it cant. You have the ruler of the entire universe on call. if something is not right then take it up with Head honcho.

 

[up]

^^ very well said ^^

 

[tourist]

well so far God has me lips firmly sealed. Hooray.
I am not sure why some people have to be so nosy about other people, if someone wants to know about someone else why dont they just ask them directly?

I am sure God would rather have people talk TO Him in prayer than have people constantly complain that hes not listening. Highly rude to be spoken of in the third person when Hes here all the time, listening to everything you say anyway.

Another thing is when ppl complain about the govt. It is either doing or not doing what its supposed to. You either voted for it or you didnt. However, dont rely on govt to save peoples souls cos it cant. You have the ruler of the entire universe on call. if something is not right then take it up with Head honcho.

Some people are nosy about other people because they are busybodies with time on their hands and enjoy gossip.

In the bible it says that one day the government will be on the shoulders of Jesus. Even then, there will probably be complaints.

Interesting perception about being rude to God by talking by complaining in the third person about Him even though He is with you always.

I think that I learned something useful today and will remember what you have said. It's actually kind of profound.

 

[Magenta]

Psalm 142:1–2,

With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.”
​

To live in this age is to frequently experience trouble. We are troubled within and we are troubled without. Our troubles span the spectrum of trivial to traumatic. And these various kinds of troubles — James calls them trials (James 1:2) — are to be expected. We are not to be surprised by them (1 Peter 4:12).

And to help us faithfully endure these troubles, God gave us a very precious gift: psalms of lament. The Psalms are the prayers and hymns that God chose to teach us how to express ourselves to him in worship. They are God's word and the prayers of men, as Bonhoeffer says. And about one-third of them are laments.

In these laments the writer pours out to God his sorrow (Psalm 137), anger (Psalm 140), fear (Psalm 69), longing (Psalm 85), confusion (Psalm 102), desolation (Psalm 22), repentance (Psalm 51), disappointment (Psalm 74), or depression (Psalm 88) either because of external evil or internal evil or darkness.

One thing this implies is that God expects us to frequently experience pain and therefore frequently express our pain to him. God wants us to pour out our complaints to him and tell him our troubles (Psalm 142:2). He wants us to do it privately, like David did when he wrote Psalm 142 in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22). And he wants us to do it corporately, as when the people of Israel would sing Psalm 142 together. He wants us to tell him exactly what it feels like (“no one cares for my soul,” Psalm 142:4). And he wants us to remember that despite how things look and feel right now, because of his very great promises (2 Peter 1:4), someday these troubles will no longer afflict us (“you will deal bountifully with me,” Psalm 142:7).

The psalms of lament are treasures for the saints. They give inspired voice to our troubled souls. They model for us how to complain to God in a way that honors him. And they are themselves expressions of God’s care and compassion for us because in them we see that we are not as alone as we feel and that God indeed does understand.

And if we have ears to hear, the psalms of lament also guard us from an over-realized eschatology in this age. God does not always intend his saints to experience prosperity. As these psalms remind us, Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation.” So we can complain to him.

But learn from the psalmists how to be a faith-full complainer. Remember our great hope, as Jesus also said, “take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). source

 

[tourist]

Perhaps a certain measure of comfort could come from the laments.

Seems like a lot of the psalms were written from the perspective of pain, suffering, and sorrow. I read somewhere, don't know where exactly in the bible, that God stores all of our tears in a bottle. Sadly, I'm not sure if I have anymore tears in me because if I did there would be times that I would cry me a river.

Also, there are times that I believe that I have become numb and insensitive to the pains of those people that I don't even know. My wife was talking to me after a particular hard and stressful day about people dying from coronavirus. I replied "Who cares?" even though deep down I really don't want anybody to get sick and die from this virus. Those suffering from this virus in all regards have their laments too. Maybe I'm just getting burnt out.

Thank you for your post @Magenta as it helps to put things in perspective for me.

This is my lament for today.

 

[DBurrage]

Well its just past midnight here and I am wide awake. Probably a few things on my mind and some decisions to make with no clear direction.

Patience has never been my strong point. Do you just make a decision or do you wait on the Lord for his direction?

Yes I've prayed and for a while now. Maybe he has spoken but I have not heard. Maybe he spoke and I did not like the answer. I dont know. Time will tell I guess.

There was once a pastor who started to feel overwhelmed by all of the duties his work entailed; hosting various services at church, providing pastoral support, administration and balancing all this with his own family life.
The pastor prayed to God and asked for help.

The following day, the pastor had the idea to employ a secretary to help him with his time management and admin.
The pastor praised God for inspiring him to have this idea.

However, to the pastor's horror, he quickly realised that the secretary was of no help at all.
Whenever the pastor would dictate notes, the secretary would make errors, and mistakes were also made in the pastor's diary.
The pastor became angry and prayed to God, desperately asking God to grant him more patience.

As the weeks went by, the pastor and the secretary continued to work together. The secretary continued to make mistakes.

However, what happened over the successive weeks taught the pastor a valuable lesson, for under the proper tuition of the pastor, the secretary eventually ceased to make errors, and they went on to operate as a team.

The pastor realised that God did not ignore his prayers about granting him more patience, but that in order for the pastor to learn to be patient, the pastor must be put in situations where he is able to learn the art of patience for himself.

This is why God gave him this particular secretary.
Would the pastor have learned patience if the secretary knew exactly what to do from the first day and never made a mistake, or would the pastor have learned to be patient by having to provide the secretary with training?

The moral of the story: the challenges that life throws at us are designed to make us better people, so as crazy as this may sound, don't say "Thank God it's the weekend", but instead think about rising to every challenge and what you can learn from them.

 

[tourist]

The moral of the story: the challenges that life throws at us are designed to make us better people, so as crazy as this may sound, don't say "Thank God it's the weekend", but instead think about rising to every challenge and what you can learn from them.

Your post doesn't sound crazy to me at all. In difficult situations I often pray for God to allow me to turn such situations to my advantage and to His ultimate glory. Then again, there are times that I get mad at God. I understand about patience and try to exercise it but when my allotment of patience is used up for the day my attitude goes south.

 

[Magenta]

I read somewhere, don't know where exactly in the bible, that God stores all of our tears in a bottle.

Psalm 56:8
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears
into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? (KJV)

Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll —
are they not in your record? (NIV)

 

[tourist]

Psalm 56:8
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears
into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? (KJV)

Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll —
are they not in your record? (NIV)

Quite comforting to me. Thank you.