It's like I'm watching a movie...

BELIEVE ME, I've done that.

In fact, a few months back, as I was driving to work at about 2:30 a.m., I literally looked up towards heaven and SHOUTED:

ENOUGH!

Anyhow, God's Word says that He'll not allow us to be tempted above what we're able to bear, but with the temptation He'll also provide a way to escape that we might be able to bear it.

Well, I must be able to bear a lot...lol.

Believe me, my situation isn't the least bit humorous, but I often think back to something that happened about 12 years ago which still makes me laugh up until today. I was working at a VA Hospital in NY and a man approached me who was a bit "off". I don't say that in a mocking or disrespectful way, but he had some issues, yet he seemed like a decent man. Anyhow, this one day (I'd seen him before so I knew who he was), he just walks up to me, out of the blue, and asks me if he could pray for me. I'm normally not the type of guy who lets just anybody pray for him, but I said, "Sure, go ahead." So, he puts his hand upon my shoulder, looks upward towards heaven, and prays the following (in a loud voice):

"C'MON, GOD...JUST GIVE THIS GUY A BREAK! HE'S NOT A BAD GUY!"

...and then he just walked away.

I don't know, maybe I'm crazy or something, but that still makes me laugh.

Anyhow, I could most certainly use a break...

I got a chuckle out of it lol

No worries, Brother, I am only here to pray for you after all. =]

My point was if we as man could achieve righteousness, Jesus wouldn't need to die right? As Christians we all want to be holy and righteous, I just want to recognise that I can only achieve it through my Christ, because I could never do it on my own.

I hope you see that prayer in a more loving light, brother. I will keep praying.

Hi, DyingToSelf.

I wasn't doubting the loving part of it, but only questioning what you meant and that primarily because I've recently been engaged in several discussions pertaining to righteousness elsewhere on this forum and I was wondering if you might have been referring to any of those discussions. Anyhow, we cannot do anything on our own and I would never seek to even suggest otherwise. I do believe, however, that as we abide in Christ Who is the Ultimate "good tree", so to speak, that we ought to be producing good fruit via our union with Him and/or via the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Anyhow, thanks for your prayers.

It looks like I'm getting snowed in today, so I'm probably heading back to bed. Thanks.

No worries, brother. I have to say this- I didn't sign on to this forum to discuss nor argue doctrine. I came on purely because I felt the need to pray for our brothers and sisters regardless of differences. We are all God's children and it is not my place to judge anyone. I am here purely to pray for all who need prayer.

Father GOD,

I pray for this brother of ours in his time of need. Let him rest in Your word to find the assurances he needs at this time. I believe and confess that You are the only one who has seen our future and I declare that my GOD is able and willing to bless us with all our needs according to Your riches in heaven.

Look upon JITC with favour and shine Your light upon his face that he may keep in constant reminder that You, above all else, are his door of Hope in his valley of Achor.

I pray this in the name of our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ,

Amen

Thanks for clarifying and thanks for your prayers.

Zech 9;12
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
1peter5:10

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Psalm 23:5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

The same Peter who said "after you have suffered a little while" reminded us that "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day"...



lol.

Well, we got buried in snow and ice here, so I'm home today.

Thanks for the verses.

Was hoping you wouldn't notice that.

I notice everything...in case you hadn't noticed...lol.

LOL! That was good!

You can be annoying in that but useful in that, it really depends, I have a love/hate thing going on with that quality LOL!

(By the way my post that fell under yours was at you noticing what Peter said about a thousand years as a day in relation to the other)

Many years ago (probably about 25 years ago), I heard a sermon preached from the following text:

I Samuel chapter 17

[12] Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
[13] And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
[14] And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
[15] But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
[16] And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
[17] And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
[18] And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
[19] Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
[20] And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
[21] For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
[22] And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

I have no idea what the title of that sermon was, but I do recall that the theme of the message was how David meticulously took care of whatever had been entrusted to him in that he made sure that even his sheep and carriage were looked after in his absence.

Anyhow, I've pretty much been meticulous ever since (blame the preacher...lol)...

Hey, Mommy dearest was meticulous in many things, as was my own mother (when it come to the home) some are better at keeping a house meticulously while driving their children crazy being so.

Do you know, I was so bothered by my own mothers criticism in that area of my life that I would literally spend (as God knows it) like two weeks day and night before her visit making the house as meticulous as I could (taking the weirdest and usually the most extreme measures too). Because I dont care (as she does) I only do when she would come.

But she would find a fault (no matter what) and as soon as she stepped inside the house. The smallest faults would draw her eye, and it seemed as if the smaller it was the more she would pride herself in having an eye for detail (and in a positive way).

She come in through our front door into this huge atrium area where there is white tile throughout (nevermind I had 5 big black dogs and there wasnt a single black hair on it) but she's and pick out a 1/2 a dime size chip in one of them, squints at she walks curiously up to it, while saying, "wait... what is this here"? Oh my... its a chip dear, you might want to get that fixed. (LOL!)

My mothers meticulousness drove me bonkers (one of the reasons I moved as far away as I could)

I never told her that at the time, I have sinced done so, had to, I say if your coming here you will hate it I cannot clean as I used to and theres no hiding the fact anymore (well, because you know, with my back and all).

But you know... I wanted to kick myself because I so knew that fault was there, but I didnt think she would stoop that low, but she always did. And nutty me? I was going to change it out and I thought the grout would differ too much (in shade) and that she'd pick that out faster LOL

I would be a slave to her opinions, and her irks and I did nothing but subject myself to a fault finder who had no other purpose in life then picking out the most inconsequential crap, and I was the stupid one doing backflips to appease what could never be apeased, she was miserable and wanted me for company I think

Anyway I might have little irks myself when it comes to the same, because I would have no problem leaving my home in my mothers care (I just might get a more perfect one back) however I didnt want my daughter growing up around that being subject to the same my whole life (even after I was married and out of her house) I would let her control me in those things, which is my dumb fault.

And this, has nothing to do with you per se' but that whole meticulous thing, which is often well and good, for many things but definitely not all if it comes at the expense of more importance things, I believe the same can be true of clean houses as is true with being overly perfect in other things I think.

But I was just busting on your inability (which is often the case) to overlook an imperfection (as you might regard it).

And I laugh as I write just that because Im thinking (in the back of my mind) oh you so shouldnt have put it that way, a what? An INABILITY? You so know that will not go unnoticed! (ROFL!)

But I couldnt help myself, because I like to pull on your chain sometimes LOL

I didn't mean meticulous in the manner in which you just described in relation to your mother, but rather in the sense of just being responsible or in the sense of being a good steward and watching over whatever is entrusted to my care. IOW, when it comes to natural things like being a neat freak and all that then I'm basically like "whatever". However, when it comes to spiritual matters (first and foremost in relation to my own spiritual walk) and when it comes to anything which I deem to be potentially harmful to people, then I not only take notice, but speak up as well. You need to remember something about me...

Over a 22 year period of my life, I helped out intermittently at my friend's pizzeria. EVERY DAY, I watched my friend, at least once, pour a bunch of flour into a huge mixing bowl, pour in some water and add A PIECE OF LEAVEN only about the size of a clenched fist and that LITTLE BIT OF LEAVEN did its job every single time in that IT LEAVENED THE WHOLE LUMP.

I don't take "leaven" lightly...not even "a little bit" of it. Certainly not in my own life and if I truly love others as I love myself, then not in the lives of others either.

That's about it...

Oh I know you didnt mean it the same, I was going back as far as post #130 after which I was spoofing on what you later called (after that) as being "meticulous" but in respects to combing through words and setting them out correctly, you do that alot, even if its not the word of God but ME... like, whadidya mean by that here? and here...and here..and here again...?

Somethings in the natural can very much remind you of something other, I know you know that.

I know what you have said before that its about good communication (I get that) although I am typically a "hows it going" kind of person (without much depth to what I say in any basic back and forth deal between us). I typically dont check regularly (let alone have memorized) the etym-ononline like, or any basic dictionary (on the lowest level of things) before conversing. I am just not all that articulate in my speaking as you might be. When I speak to others (less so then myself) which is actually rare, I will say (to myself) "Okay, I get the jist of what that person is trying to say" (minus a thing or two)

You? forget that, it will be labourous because you are so meticulous, and I will need to explain myself very well (cause you dont miss a thing) ie like why my t's arent crossed (so to speak) but not after the letters (themselves ie punctuation) but in the words I have chosen.

I added all of that so I am clearer (or so I hope) because if I dont, you might come back and tell me you do not correct punctuation (to which I would have to agree) and need to re explain better what I meant... see?

Sometimes I am just plain lazy and pretty much assume you will grant me the same, "I get the jist of what your saying". You are getting so much better at that by the way (just encouraging ya) ...although I also know you dont need it (lol, Im just sayin')

I was sitting here thinking, Oh, man, he is likely stewing in the back because of how I worded that, I know how nuts you are about being clear (whether for yourself, or whether I understood you wrong) that seems to irk you until you say something. Case in point, the recent prayer and I was like, oh no.... he so wont be able to leave that alone (and Im laughing my head off because of that). EVEN if you are correct its like impossible to let that slide in under the radar (lol).

Then if you post a smiley face (which you just did, but you never do) I will naturally perceive that as you grinning and bearing it or something like that rofl!

I am jossling ya a bit because I sorta find that humorous about you.

Thats what SISTERS do dont they?

(lol!)

You know, if there were one scripture that I could say isn't true (and I don't), it'd be that one (and I'll caveat that temptation and attack aren't always the same thing). And the one about satan fleeing if you resist him. I resist till I'm gritting my teeth in the fetal position calling upon the Lord, and satan just flings another poo upon my plate. So many times I've looked up into heaven shouting to (or more like at) the Lord, enough my Lord, jeez, enough! Yet it falls on deaf ears and the torment goes on. I've had so much consistent failure that there's no way I'd ever try suicide. I'm just the idiot who'd take a swan dive off the Empire State building, face plant into the sidewalk, and live to tell about it. And have yet one more thing to suffer from. It's funny, how in circumstances God can use me to free others of demons and work miracles. Yet (or maybe because of it) they swarm around me like mosquitoes, on the attack and sucking more blood at every d*mn chance they get. Man, I try to armor up against them, I come here just to have another place to put my mind on God. But even if they can't afflict me, they'll still go out and afflict those I'm about to be in contact with. I mean, I watch 100 people get in a situation, take a course of action, and get a certain result. I get into that situation, take that course of action, and what results can only be described as pure insanity. As I told my Dr once, what prayer covering can I be under that's going to make others stop being satan's tools? That's why I'm leaving LA for a small farm town of only 2,000. I can't stop satan from using others to get to me. But I can limit the number of others he has access to around me.

The one word I've ever received in answer to this is that I'm of the line of John the Baptist, destined to be gawked at as the crazy guy wandering the desert eating bugs, until I have my one defining moment where God uses me in some grand way and then my head is severed for the entertainment of others. I don't know if this is the answer to your trials, but know that there is at least one person here who understands when you talk about merciless attacks that just don't stop.

And I see so many others coming under the same attack... the prayer forums are full of good saints under various attacks, meant to break the elect and drive them apostate. Yeah we've come to that time in the timeline. But God's words of persevere, persevere... I try to take the position when I'm under attack because of Him that I wouldn't have it any other way, but really, I wish I could. Perseverance is all I got left. Until such time as God looks down and says, oh, hey, he's had enough. satan stop that!

I do have one blessing from God, that being a (for now) stable and plentiful retirement. I've kinda made it my thing that I won't just hand strangers cash, but I'll buy them food and groceries. I hate to see people go hungry. If it comes down to that for you let me know, I'll help you out. And I'll keep praying for you, that your trial be ended soon. Even Job got a break, we have some claim to that don't we?

Father God for both of us I kneel before Your alter and cry out, how long???

Hey, Ricky.

Thanks (sincerely) for sharing some of your own trials and tribulations here. I was just telling "ISeeYou" in a PM last night that I feel bad even opening up as I have in that I'm fully aware that EVERYBODY has their own trials and tribulations to overcome. In fact, I told her the old adage that my mother used to tell me and my siblings as children:

"I had no shoes and complained...until I met a man who had no feet."

I've literally met people with no feet and all sorts of other missing limbs in that I'm regularly working in different VA Hospitals across the country and I know that a lot of other people have it REAL BAD, too. Anyhow, your prayers aren't truly falling upon deaf ears. I'm not sure exactly what type of demonic attacks you're referring to (outward or inward), but if there's one area where I have a lot of experience, then it's the area of spiritual warfare. As such, if I can ever potentially be of any assistance to you, whether via public or private conversation, then please let me know.

Although your comments aren't the least bit funny, I must confess that one thing that you said literally did make me laugh...because I've basically said the same exact thing so many times myself in the past. IOW, whereas you spoke of surviving a leap from the Empire State building, I've often told people that if I jumped off of the George Washington Bridge (which is also in NY), then I'd land in a ferry boat carrying mattresses and live to suffer another day.

I also TOTALLY hear you in relation to that whole John the Baptist thing and, again, I've often felt that God may be preparing me for a very brief public ministry which may very well end in my execution. Remember, I had that fear of being beheaded for many years as a child and now that I'm older and I have an understanding of the Bible and what is transpiring currently in this world, that very well may be my end.

Anyhow, again, although I'm low on natural provisions at the moment, I do most definitely have a heart for people and a lot of experience in the things of God so if I can ever be of any assistance to you at all, then please don't ever hesitate to ask.

Once more, thanks for sharing. If it helps at all, then I know exactly where you're coming from.

I think you two are related LOL

Hey, we've got the same Father...