I Wish I Was a Better Discerner (Any Advice is Welcome)

Rescued One · Jul 9, 2018

joshua 1 9 said:
The discussion has to do with our priesthood. WE read about this in Peter and Moses talks about the Priesthood.

Mormonism isn't our priesthood.

cfyahoo08 · Jul 10, 2018

Kajiki said:
I keep leaving and returning and leaving and returning to this Forum. This time however, I don't want to get advice from only one specific group at a time. I am very open to advice from any Christian who could help me here. I don't know what I am doing and have honestly been having an identity crisis as of late. Now allow me to explain, some of you already may know bits of my story so I'm gonna condense it some.
Spring 2017 (19 Years Old)
I was a solder in the Salvation Army and was on the path to go to Officer's Training (Seminary for TSA). I was happy and yet didn't realize how little of my faith I knew. I had been raised in a Southern Baptist (Free Will kind) and in the Salvation Army and my family had been attending TSA for the past two years despite having hopped back and forth in my youth.

Summer 2017 (19-20 YO)
I worked at a summer camp and started dating a girl I thought I'd marry. She also felt called into TSA officership (The salvation Army ordains women and men together as couples) and we, like the children we are, sinned out of our lusts of the flesh. Oh God forgive me! After the summer camp we continued our relationship as a long distance relationship but we still sinned throughout. The end of summer I became my TSA church's high school Sunday school teacher. I still felt like everything was going fine.

Fall 2017 (20 YO)
My Junior year of my undergraduate degree in International Studies began and I had to take a course in World Religions. I was ready to defend my faith in debates and papers I thought to myself. I had to purchase a new Bible, the Buddhist Scriptures, one of the Hindu Scripture books, and a Quran. I had an opportunity to truly study other people's beliefs. Little did I know I'd need to study my own. My teacher announced himself as a Roman Catholic (it's a secular university) and he promised not to try and convert people. I scoffed in my mind. No one would ever do that. The RCC is a dead relic of the past full of nonsense is what I pictured. I was also learning Japanese and was the Treasurer of a brand new organization (new to my campus) called Bridges International. I was very excited but we didn't quite start giving them the Gospel at this point. By November my World Religions class made it to Christianity where I had heard about Eastern Orthodoxy for the first time. I noticed similar claims from them that I did the RCC but I got intrigued by the similarity and immediately started to read the book of Acts. I was living in an Apartment up by my University but would go home for church with my family so I could still follow my goals as an officer of the TSA. Studying Acts however, gave me doubts. So much talk of Baptism but TSA doesn't practice any sacraments. Not even communion let alone Baptism. That was the first time I ever saw an issue with what I was teaching. I started a new study in my Sunday school class on Church History to mirror what I was learning. I started with Christians in general and gave a choppy overview of Acts and then went on to explain John Wesley a bit and then William Booth (the Methodist pastor who started TSA). That WR class further challenged my long held beliefs by telling me the Apostles Creed. I didn't know what Creeds were let alone that they existed. I immediately did some quick research and picked up a book from the library on the Nicean Council. I was sold. I emailed the nearest EO church (an hour away and I can't drive) about my various questions. Then came the assignment that fully shattered my identity as a Protestant and future Officer in TSA. We were told in the end of November that if we attended a religious service other than our own and wrote a one page paper on it we could get extra credit. I tried to find a way to the EO Church but couldn't get one. So I gave in. I still hated the RCC, or what I thought it was, but I went to a Saturday Night Mass anyway and was in awestruck wonder. They read more scripture than I had ever heard. They recited the Nicean Creed. They (I think I remember right) recited the Our Father prayer. I did the paper and initially said I would never go again. I went to the Tuesday Morning Mass the very next week of course and that same day had my first of many two hour+ long meetings with the Priest. He was very liberal (I'm pretty conservative on most things asides from the Death Penalty) but his ability to teach was profound. I was hooked.

Winter 2017-2018
I continued being the Sunday School teacher at the TSA but I was also regularly attending Weekday Masses. Me and my girlfriend were still dating and we met up after Christmas for a week and sinned yet again. I wasn't fully convicted of said sin. January 2018 however I would tell the Priest (who had become a great friend) of my sins and while he said I couldn't get the sacrament of confession's grace since I wasn't baptized he would bless me and try to help me out. December through January I was attending Weekday Masses and being a sunday school teacher at a very protestant church and I dropped the title protestant from myself. Then came February. My priest revealed to me his belief that any person who follows their religion, no matter what it was, if they are good they are saved regardless of Jesus Christ being their personal savior. I was shaken to the core yet again. I stopped talking to him and stopped attending Mass. I thought the RCC held to Truth at this point.

Spring 2018
I could subtitle this past semester in two words "Why, God?" My position within Bridges International changed this semester to Vice President and we were finally going to have real Bible Studies with the students. We did just that and I started to feel better about my Protestant life. I was still very much an anti-Calvinist kinda Christian and thought Calvinists were pure wrong despite the majority of my protestant friends being reformed Baptist. Well I was still a Sunday School Teacher and started attending Cru prayer meetings as well as my Bridges meeting and regular Cru meetings. I had to iron out any bit of remaining Catholicism and I would regularly talk down on the beliefs throughout the semester. Despite THIS God brought a new friend into my life. We met in a Biology Lab and hung out every Thursday and were fast friends. She was Catholic. I pretended to my other friends that she didn't exist and would just shush away the rumors that grew that I was dating a new girl (we would walk up to town and buy a donut together and walk to the bookstore discussing so may different things. Plus we were both in relationships so there wasn't any worry of us slipping up and we both stayed completely platonic and clean around each other. I then went to Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday Mass with her. The priest recognized me and was very kind to me but I still never went back. Not long afterwards my girlfriend and I broke up (April). My family had been kicked out of the local TSA church and me and her realized we had nothing in common other than TSA. When this happened I stopped going with my family to church almost completely. I'd still go to church but they'd be random churches. I almost grew complacent and just attended a nice congregation that didn't go deep into God's Word and let me feel good. That break up ruined me. Towards the end of the semester (May 20-something) I realized that my Catholic friend and I hadn't met up for a few weeks and since it was finals week I messaged her to see how she was one evening and she invited me to her dorm since her friend had left for home already. We found out that both of us had broken up with out SO's on the exact same day without even realizing it. We talked for a couple hours before realizing that a storm had started outside. She offered to let me sleep on her friends bed for the night. I thanked her profusely but we stayed up even longer and listened to Disney songs. (DON'T DO THIS WITH A PRETTY GIRL). I don't know why, but I kissed her She kissed me back and we admitted that we liked each other but we both knew/know that it can't work. She's a practicing Catholic and I'm sorta kinda a Protestant. We talked until we fell asleep, fully clothed, but woke up realizing that I was holding her in my arms. I woke her up and apologized and swore that I didn't mean to fall asleep with her but she just smiled and said she fell asleep after I did. That next day I felt horrible. We talked a bit before I went back to my apartment. I prayed for forgiveness and felt the need to talk to my closest friend, the worship leader for Cru. I told him that me and a catholic girl liked each other but I didn't go into detail. He explained to me the whole unequally yoked stuff and I agreed. At this point I thought I knew RCC was wrong. I started going to a PCA Presbyterian Church the next Sunday (I've grown to appreciate Calvinism a lot more) and have been going since then. I love the Church family there and have been asked to go through membership classes. This brings me to my Summer troubles.

I want to be Baptized. So I took the membership notebook study guide and began to pour over it. Of course now is the time when all my Catholic thoughts get pushed into my mind. I had to be honest to a new friend from my new church by telling him that had I gone to a conservative parish I would be a catechumen right now. I know God is calling me to further study His Word and Him. I delight now in reading everyday from the Bible and listening to sermons all the time for my free time

I just don't know what God wants me to do. I love the Lord my God with all my Heart Mind and Soul and want to devote every fiber of my being to me but does He intend for me to cross the Tiber or uphold the Westminster.

If I became Catholic I'd lose all of my friends and possibly my Family. I'd lose the ministry I have with Bridges. And that Catholic girl has not talked to me since that day and she never leaves my mind. I have another two months before I go back to University for my senior year. I want to go to Seminary afterwards to study Theology. But am I really a Protestant? Or am I a closet Catholic?

Thank you for reading my long post and may God bless you!
Soli Deo Gloria!

If you want to know, what God wants you to do, talk to God.

John the Ex-Baptist · Jul 10, 2018

@Kajiki you mentioned earlier in the thread that you want to be baptized, which I believe is true wisdom of the Spirit, as the Scripture so clearly and so often connects baptism directly with the authentic Christian life. I would personally recommend that you consider this with the same sense of urgency that was displayed in the New Testament accounts, because it is impossible to deny the importance that Christ Jesus Himself attached to that which He instituted.

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) — 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15–16 (ESV) — 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

As far as your other points, I understand where you're coming from completely. I became a Christian in 1991, and spent almost 16 years in various hyper charismatic type churches. I left due to the fact I saw so often how much of our practices seemed in utter contradiction to the Bible, the shenanigans at Lakeland with Todd Bentley being the straw that broke the camels back. At the time I was a senior worship leader, and also a homegroup Bible study leader too. Whilst it was true that when I turned away in pursuit of what I believed to be a more Biblically sound church, I did lose my ministry also, it wasn't long before I realised that in my ministry itself I had actually been leading many away from Christ rather than to Him.

My journey from there to the Lutheran church came via Calvary Chapel, then when I encountered a crisis due to my rejection of dispensationalism, on through to the reformed church. I spent a good few years in the reformed congregation I joined, and still have good relationships with them. However over time, and after doing some church history study from the reformation period, I began to realise that the main thing that remained an issue for me was the importance attached to the sacraments in the Bible, seemed to be absent in my own church.

Over a period of time and a fair amount of study, I realised that if I were to compare what I believed to any particular section of the church, it was probably Lutheran, rather than the Calvinist views of many in my congregation. It took a while finding a confessional Lutheran church, as they are as common as diamonds on the street here in the U.K., but I am so thankful to God that He provided such a place for me. And within 10 miles of where I live too!

From the moment I first attended, although it was a completely foreign style of worship than I had ever encountered before, I could not deny its effect upon me. I had never really knew what a liturgical church really was before, but instantly I recognised its benefits. Just as you have mentioned regarding the RCC.

In all honesty, much of the liturgy that you encounter in a Roman Catholic church service, would be present in a Lutheran service also, at least in a more traditional congregation such as LCMS or WELS. In most, you would also encounter distribution of communion on most services, and a great emphasis upon the forgiveness of sins. In fact, the most sincere worship in Lutheran congregations, is to first and foremost be served by God rather than the emphasis being on our service to Him. We come into His presence, we confess our sins before Him, we hear the absolution given by His called and ordained minister of the Word, we hear His Word expounded, and we feed upon His Body and Blood given for us, for the forgiveness of sins. Our part in this service is in response to the wonderful gifts He gladly serves to us on account of His Son, in that we are mindful and thankful for His grace and favour.

In your post you seem to think it's a Presbytarian vs Roman Catholic two horse race really, but that doesn't have to be the case. What you will find in a Lutheran church (not including the liberal variety), is doctrine that holds strongly to that held by most Protestant churches, at least with regard to salvation. And coupled with that, you will find a liturgy that is truly ancient, and more akin to RCC and EO churches.

That's my tuppenny worth anyway, and I hope you would find the time to have a look through what Lutherans believe, teach and confess here:
http://bookofconcord.org/

Inkfingers · Jul 10, 2018

Kajiki said:
We talked until we fell asleep, fully clothed, but woke up realizing that I was holding her in my arms. I woke her up and apologized and swore that I didn't mean to fall asleep with her but she just smiled and said she fell asleep after I did. That next day I felt horrible.

Why? Did you not sleep well?

Yes, I'm kidding there, but you have to understand that two single people, fully clothed, falling asleep next to each other, even in each others arms, is not sinful. Seriously, anyone who tells you otherwise was probably toilet-trained at the point of a shotgun.

If I became Catholic I'd lose all of my friends and possibly my Family. I'd lose the ministry I have with Bridges. And that Catholic girl has not talked to me since that day and she never leaves my mind. I have another two months before I go back to University for my senior year. I want to go to Seminary afterwards to study Theology. But am I really a Protestant? Or am I a closet Catholic?

Do you believe in a priesthood of all believers or a celibate specialist ordained priesthood?

StillGods · Jul 10, 2018

to be honest i think Catholicism has quite a bit wrong with it. i'd steer clear of it.

StillGods · Jul 10, 2018

https://carm.org/list-of-roman-catholic-false-teachings

discipler7 · Jul 10, 2018

Kajiki said:
But am I really a Protestant? Or am I a closet Catholic?

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After some years of study and practice, here below is my Protestant Christian summary of the Bible or Word of God. You should avoid the TSA, RCC and liberal Protestant Churches, eg UMC, PCUSA, the Episcopal Church(= US Anglican Church).
....... Check if my summary jives with your beliefs/opinions. Maybe, they can help lay a solid rock foundation(MATTHEW.7:24) for your future studies in Christian Theology. God bless. ...

0. God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. God has His throne in heaven.(EZE.1, REV.4) Satan and his demons rebelled against God.(ISA.14:12, EZE.28:17, REV.12:4-9)
....... God-in-heaven desired to replace the spiritual rebels with S'piritual humans. Earth is like a test-bed for this purpose.

1. On earth, all humans are born sinful/evil/satanic because of Adam's Original Sin = unclean/dirty/unholy = bound for hell when they die.(ROM.5:12)

2. Because of 1. , no humans on earth can see the true face of God and live or qualify to be in heaven.(EXO.33:20, JOHN.1:18 & 5:37)

3. To save fallen humans, God-in-heaven endeavoured to come down to earth in lesser forms as the invisible Spirit or as the visible human(= Angel of God or Jesus Christ). (JOHN.8:58/EXO.3:14, JOHN.1:1 & 14, 1TIM.3:16, 2COR.3:17, ISA.9:6)
....... As the Spirit in the yet-to-be-revealed Jesus Christ, God-in-heaven gave His Law to Moses and the Jews, in order to curb humans' inborn tendency to commit sins/evil-deeds/satanic-deeds.(DEUT.28)
....... As Jesus Christ, God-in-heaven gave the apostles and Christians the sacrificial Lamb of God on the Cross(JOHN.1:29), in order to save them from hell when they die = the free gift of salvation or the kingdom of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ/God.(JOHN.3:14-18, LEV.17:11, HEB.9:22, MATT.4:17, GAL.2:16)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _

A good analogy of our One and Only God is our one and only sun.
... God-the-Father-in-heaven sends His invisible Spirit and His visible Son-Jesus to earth to sustain immortal life = the sun-in-outer-space sends her invisible warmth/heat and her visible light to earth to sustain mortal life.
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The Bible or Word of God can be broken down into 2 parts, the Old and New Testaments/Covenants, ie,

(i) if you wanna have a good n long life on earth, you need to keep the Law/Word of God.(DEUT.28, MATT.19:21, ACTS.15:24-29, cf; 1COR.5:1-5 & 11:30, 1JOHN.5:16-19),

(ii) if you wanna go to heaven when you die, you need to be saved from hell by Jesus the Christ/Messiah/Savior.(MATT.5:27-30, ROM.5:12, LEV.17:11, HEB.9:22, JOHN.3:16, 1COR.6:9-11, REV.22:12-15)

Christians should aim to achieve both, ie to gain both blessings from God, eg MATT.19:23. Both blessings require faith in God/Jesus, ie believe that He will bless them accordingly.(HEB.11:1-6) Cf; obey or follow like a robot, like a pack of dogs.
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Bc of our inherited Adam's Original Sin, we have the dual problems of INVOLUNTARY satanic/evil/sinful thoughts, eg immoral lust, hate, anger, greed, selfishness, jealousy, fear/worries, doubts, etc, ...and VOLUNTARY satanic/evil/sinful deeds, eg blasphemy, idolatry, murder, adultery/fornication/rape, stealing, lying/cheating/defrauding, etc.
....... The former resulted in being cursed/sent to hell when we die(GEN.3:14-16) and the latter resulted in being cursed by God with a sad and short life on earth. God's Law solved the latter and God's Son solved the former.
....... Usually, before someone committed murder, he/she had originally harbored hate or greed or lust or jealousy or etc in his/her heart and mind.(source is spiritually from Satan - JOHN.8:44, MATT.16:23 & 23:27, MARK.7:21, 1JOHN.3:8)) IOW, all humans are born satanic/evil/sinful/unclean, from their hearts to their feet.
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At ACTS.15:24-29, God/Jesus requires Gentile Christians to begin their born-again lives of the Spirit by keeping 4 easy or non-burdensome laws of Moses, ie avoid eating blood, strangled animals, foods sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality = minimum legal requirement. They r then given time to learn to gradually keep the other laws of Moses which are not a burden, esp morality laws, eg the Ten Commandments at EXODUS.20, LEVITICUS.10:9, DEUTERONOMY.18:9-14, etc.
....... In comparison, Jewish Christians are required by God/Jesus to continue to keep Moses Law, as many as possible, because it is not a burden to them.
....... Eg, Gentile Christians should still avoid homosexuality and continue to eat non-kosher foods because the former is not a burden but the latter is a burden(ie it's a burden for them to keep the food laws).
... Faith in God's Son, Jesus = faith in God's Word/Law/commandments because JOHN.1:1 says the Son is the Word and is also God = justified for salvation by faith in Jesus Christ/God alone, and not by the works of the Law/commandments or faith+works.

We need to properly differentiate between involuntary satanic/evil/sinful thoughts and voluntary sins/evil deeds, and between involuntary or inborn Gentile and Jewish Christians.
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P S - Stop sinful fornication unless you are very sure you will be marrying your Christian gf. But as long as the sexual immoral sin was unintentional, it can be forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ = no need to suffer the curse of God. Most intentional sins cannot be forgiven = the curse of God will follow.(LEV.4, 1JOHN.2:1-3 & 5:16-17, HEB.10:26-31)

vinsight4u · Jul 10, 2018

Richard T · Jul 10, 2018

Sorry to hear of your struggles of faith and temptations. I would caste the burden on the Lord about what church to follow and concentrate on being chaste. Follow God where you are at and try to quit being tossed around by every new impression. Make spiritual changes as needed but only after contemplation and peace of God. God bless

dqhall · Jul 10, 2018

Kajiki said:
I keep leaving and returning and leaving and returning to this Forum. This time however, I don't want to get advice from only one specific group at a time. I am very open to advice from any Christian who could help me here. I don't know what I am doing and have honestly been having an identity crisis as of late. Now allow me to explain, some of you already may know bits of my story so I'm gonna condense it some.
Spring 2017 (19 Years Old)
I was a solder in the Salvation Army and was on the path to go to Officer's Training (Seminary for TSA). I was happy and yet didn't realize how little of my faith I knew. I had been raised in a Southern Baptist (Free Will kind) and in the Salvation Army and my family had been attending TSA for the past two years despite having hopped back and forth in my youth.

Summer 2017 (19-20 YO)
I worked at a summer camp and started dating a girl I thought I'd marry. She also felt called into TSA officership (The salvation Army ordains women and men together as couples) and we, like the children we are, sinned out of our lusts of the flesh. Oh God forgive me! After the summer camp we continued our relationship as a long distance relationship but we still sinned throughout. The end of summer I became my TSA church's high school Sunday school teacher. I still felt like everything was going fine.

Fall 2017 (20 YO)
My Junior year of my undergraduate degree in International Studies began and I had to take a course in World Religions. I was ready to defend my faith in debates and papers I thought to myself. I had to purchase a new Bible, the Buddhist Scriptures, one of the Hindu Scripture books, and a Quran. I had an opportunity to truly study other people's beliefs. Little did I know I'd need to study my own. My teacher announced himself as a Roman Catholic (it's a secular university) and he promised not to try and convert people. I scoffed in my mind. No one would ever do that. The RCC is a dead relic of the past full of nonsense is what I pictured. I was also learning Japanese and was the Treasurer of a brand new organization (new to my campus) called Bridges International. I was very excited but we didn't quite start giving them the Gospel at this point. By November my World Religions class made it to Christianity where I had heard about Eastern Orthodoxy for the first time. I noticed similar claims from them that I did the RCC but I got intrigued by the similarity and immediately started to read the book of Acts. I was living in an Apartment up by my University but would go home for church with my family so I could still follow my goals as an officer of the TSA. Studying Acts however, gave me doubts. So much talk of Baptism but TSA doesn't practice any sacraments. Not even communion let alone Baptism. That was the first time I ever saw an issue with what I was teaching. I started a new study in my Sunday school class on Church History to mirror what I was learning. I started with Christians in general and gave a choppy overview of Acts and then went on to explain John Wesley a bit and then William Booth (the Methodist pastor who started TSA). That WR class further challenged my long held beliefs by telling me the Apostles Creed. I didn't know what Creeds were let alone that they existed. I immediately did some quick research and picked up a book from the library on the Nicean Council. I was sold. I emailed the nearest EO church (an hour away and I can't drive) about my various questions. Then came the assignment that fully shattered my identity as a Protestant and future Officer in TSA. We were told in the end of November that if we attended a religious service other than our own and wrote a one page paper on it we could get extra credit. I tried to find a way to the EO Church but couldn't get one. So I gave in. I still hated the RCC, or what I thought it was, but I went to a Saturday Night Mass anyway and was in awestruck wonder. They read more scripture than I had ever heard. They recited the Nicean Creed. They (I think I remember right) recited the Our Father prayer. I did the paper and initially said I would never go again. I went to the Tuesday Morning Mass the very next week of course and that same day had my first of many two hour+ long meetings with the Priest. He was very liberal (I'm pretty conservative on most things asides from the Death Penalty) but his ability to teach was profound. I was hooked.

Winter 2017-2018
I continued being the Sunday School teacher at the TSA but I was also regularly attending Weekday Masses. Me and my girlfriend were still dating and we met up after Christmas for a week and sinned yet again. I wasn't fully convicted of said sin. January 2018 however I would tell the Priest (who had become a great friend) of my sins and while he said I couldn't get the sacrament of confession's grace since I wasn't baptized he would bless me and try to help me out. December through January I was attending Weekday Masses and being a sunday school teacher at a very protestant church and I dropped the title protestant from myself. Then came February. My priest revealed to me his belief that any person who follows their religion, no matter what it was, if they are good they are saved regardless of Jesus Christ being their personal savior. I was shaken to the core yet again. I stopped talking to him and stopped attending Mass. I thought the RCC held to Truth at this point.

Spring 2018
I could subtitle this past semester in two words "Why, God?" My position within Bridges International changed this semester to Vice President and we were finally going to have real Bible Studies with the students. We did just that and I started to feel better about my Protestant life. I was still very much an anti-Calvinist kinda Christian and thought Calvinists were pure wrong despite the majority of my protestant friends being reformed Baptist. Well I was still a Sunday School Teacher and started attending Cru prayer meetings as well as my Bridges meeting and regular Cru meetings. I had to iron out any bit of remaining Catholicism and I would regularly talk down on the beliefs throughout the semester. Despite THIS God brought a new friend into my life. We met in a Biology Lab and hung out every Thursday and were fast friends. She was Catholic. I pretended to my other friends that she didn't exist and would just shush away the rumors that grew that I was dating a new girl (we would walk up to town and buy a donut together and walk to the bookstore discussing so may different things. Plus we were both in relationships so there wasn't any worry of us slipping up and we both stayed completely platonic and clean around each other. I then went to Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday Mass with her. The priest recognized me and was very kind to me but I still never went back. Not long afterwards my girlfriend and I broke up (April). My family had been kicked out of the local TSA church and me and her realized we had nothing in common other than TSA. When this happened I stopped going with my family to church almost completely. I'd still go to church but they'd be random churches. I almost grew complacent and just attended a nice congregation that didn't go deep into God's Word and let me feel good. That break up ruined me. Towards the end of the semester (May 20-something) I realized that my Catholic friend and I hadn't met up for a few weeks and since it was finals week I messaged her to see how she was one evening and she invited me to her dorm since her friend had left for home already. We found out that both of us had broken up with out SO's on the exact same day without even realizing it. We talked for a couple hours before realizing that a storm had started outside. She offered to let me sleep on her friends bed for the night. I thanked her profusely but we stayed up even longer and listened to Disney songs. (DON'T DO THIS WITH A PRETTY GIRL). I don't know why, but I kissed her She kissed me back and we admitted that we liked each other but we both knew/know that it can't work. She's a practicing Catholic and I'm sorta kinda a Protestant. We talked until we fell asleep, fully clothed, but woke up realizing that I was holding her in my arms. I woke her up and apologized and swore that I didn't mean to fall asleep with her but she just smiled and said she fell asleep after I did. That next day I felt horrible. We talked a bit before I went back to my apartment. I prayed for forgiveness and felt the need to talk to my closest friend, the worship leader for Cru. I told him that me and a catholic girl liked each other but I didn't go into detail. He explained to me the whole unequally yoked stuff and I agreed. At this point I thought I knew RCC was wrong. I started going to a PCA Presbyterian Church the next Sunday (I've grown to appreciate Calvinism a lot more) and have been going since then. I love the Church family there and have been asked to go through membership classes. This brings me to my Summer troubles.

I want to be Baptized. So I took the membership notebook study guide and began to pour over it. Of course now is the time when all my Catholic thoughts get pushed into my mind. I had to be honest to a new friend from my new church by telling him that had I gone to a conservative parish I would be a catechumen right now. I know God is calling me to further study His Word and Him. I delight now in reading everyday from the Bible and listening to sermons all the time for my free time

I just don't know what God wants me to do. I love the Lord my God with all my Heart Mind and Soul and want to devote every fiber of my being to me but does He intend for me to cross the Tiber or uphold the Westminster.

If I became Catholic I'd lose all of my friends and possibly my Family. I'd lose the ministry I have with Bridges. And that Catholic girl has not talked to me since that day and she never leaves my mind. I have another two months before I go back to University for my senior year. I want to go to Seminary afterwards to study Theology. But am I really a Protestant? Or am I a closet Catholic?

Thank you for reading my long post and may God bless you!
Soli Deo Gloria!

I do not go along with the Catholics praying to deceased saints. A study of Protestant denominations may find problems as well. If you are going into the salaried ministry and want to start a family, the RCC may not be for you.

My dad is Protestant. My mother is Catholic. My mother's parish priest had his own house and a housekeeper. Mom was told if she went to mass, she would go to heaven. I did not believe it is that easy. My mother provided financial assistance to the priest's housekeeper after she retired as the elderly housekeeper could not scrape enough money together to pay her bills. On the other hand, the RCC was a place where mom found friends and volunteer activities. My mother practiced praying the Rosary for years. It may be better to read the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles than the Rosary. Not possible to memorize it all, but the more you study, the more likely you will be able to recall verses.

Kajiki · Jul 10, 2018

Richard T said:
Sorry to hear of your struggles of faith and temptations. I would caste the burden on the Lord about what church to follow and concentrate on being chaste. Follow God where you are at and try to quit being tossed around by every new impression. Make spiritual changes as needed but only after contemplation and peace of God. God bless

I truly do understand what you are saying and all but U would like to point out that it was a whim of mine to leave the Catholic Church all together due to just one issue with one priest. Going to a Calvinist kinda church was the truly new impression tbh. RCC wasn't that different from my start

Apologetic_Warrior · Jul 10, 2018

Kajiki said:
I keep leaving and returning and leaving and returning to this Forum. This time however, I don't want to get advice from only one specific group at a time. I am very open to advice from any Christian who could help me here. I don't know what I am doing and have honestly been having an identity crisis as of late. Now allow me to explain, some of you already may know bits of my story so I'm gonna condense it some.
Spring 2017 (19 Years Old)
I was a solder in the Salvation Army and was on the path to go to Officer's Training (Seminary for TSA). I was happy and yet didn't realize how little of my faith I knew. I had been raised in a Southern Baptist (Free Will kind) and in the Salvation Army and my family had been attending TSA for the past two years despite having hopped back and forth in my youth.

Summer 2017 (19-20 YO)
I worked at a summer camp and started dating a girl I thought I'd marry. She also felt called into TSA officership (The salvation Army ordains women and men together as couples) and we, like the children we are, sinned out of our lusts of the flesh. Oh God forgive me! After the summer camp we continued our relationship as a long distance relationship but we still sinned throughout. The end of summer I became my TSA church's high school Sunday school teacher. I still felt like everything was going fine.

Fall 2017 (20 YO)
My Junior year of my undergraduate degree in International Studies began and I had to take a course in World Religions. I was ready to defend my faith in debates and papers I thought to myself. I had to purchase a new Bible, the Buddhist Scriptures, one of the Hindu Scripture books, and a Quran. I had an opportunity to truly study other people's beliefs. Little did I know I'd need to study my own. My teacher announced himself as a Roman Catholic (it's a secular university) and he promised not to try and convert people. I scoffed in my mind. No one would ever do that. The RCC is a dead relic of the past full of nonsense is what I pictured. I was also learning Japanese and was the Treasurer of a brand new organization (new to my campus) called Bridges International. I was very excited but we didn't quite start giving them the Gospel at this point. By November my World Religions class made it to Christianity where I had heard about Eastern Orthodoxy for the first time. I noticed similar claims from them that I did the RCC but I got intrigued by the similarity and immediately started to read the book of Acts. I was living in an Apartment up by my University but would go home for church with my family so I could still follow my goals as an officer of the TSA. Studying Acts however, gave me doubts. So much talk of Baptism but TSA doesn't practice any sacraments. Not even communion let alone Baptism. That was the first time I ever saw an issue with what I was teaching. I started a new study in my Sunday school class on Church History to mirror what I was learning. I started with Christians in general and gave a choppy overview of Acts and then went on to explain John Wesley a bit and then William Booth (the Methodist pastor who started TSA). That WR class further challenged my long held beliefs by telling me the Apostles Creed. I didn't know what Creeds were let alone that they existed. I immediately did some quick research and picked up a book from the library on the Nicean Council. I was sold. I emailed the nearest EO church (an hour away and I can't drive) about my various questions. Then came the assignment that fully shattered my identity as a Protestant and future Officer in TSA. We were told in the end of November that if we attended a religious service other than our own and wrote a one page paper on it we could get extra credit. I tried to find a way to the EO Church but couldn't get one. So I gave in. I still hated the RCC, or what I thought it was, but I went to a Saturday Night Mass anyway and was in awestruck wonder. They read more scripture than I had ever heard. They recited the Nicean Creed. They (I think I remember right) recited the Our Father prayer. I did the paper and initially said I would never go again. I went to the Tuesday Morning Mass the very next week of course and that same day had my first of many two hour+ long meetings with the Priest. He was very liberal (I'm pretty conservative on most things asides from the Death Penalty) but his ability to teach was profound. I was hooked.

Winter 2017-2018
I continued being the Sunday School teacher at the TSA but I was also regularly attending Weekday Masses. Me and my girlfriend were still dating and we met up after Christmas for a week and sinned yet again. I wasn't fully convicted of said sin. January 2018 however I would tell the Priest (who had become a great friend) of my sins and while he said I couldn't get the sacrament of confession's grace since I wasn't baptized he would bless me and try to help me out. December through January I was attending Weekday Masses and being a sunday school teacher at a very protestant church and I dropped the title protestant from myself. Then came February. My priest revealed to me his belief that any person who follows their religion, no matter what it was, if they are good they are saved regardless of Jesus Christ being their personal savior. I was shaken to the core yet again. I stopped talking to him and stopped attending Mass. I thought the RCC held to Truth at this point.

Spring 2018
I could subtitle this past semester in two words "Why, God?" My position within Bridges International changed this semester to Vice President and we were finally going to have real Bible Studies with the students. We did just that and I started to feel better about my Protestant life. I was still very much an anti-Calvinist kinda Christian and thought Calvinists were pure wrong despite the majority of my protestant friends being reformed Baptist. Well I was still a Sunday School Teacher and started attending Cru prayer meetings as well as my Bridges meeting and regular Cru meetings. I had to iron out any bit of remaining Catholicism and I would regularly talk down on the beliefs throughout the semester. Despite THIS God brought a new friend into my life. We met in a Biology Lab and hung out every Thursday and were fast friends. She was Catholic. I pretended to my other friends that she didn't exist and would just shush away the rumors that grew that I was dating a new girl (we would walk up to town and buy a donut together and walk to the bookstore discussing so may different things. Plus we were both in relationships so there wasn't any worry of us slipping up and we both stayed completely platonic and clean around each other. I then went to Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday Mass with her. The priest recognized me and was very kind to me but I still never went back. Not long afterwards my girlfriend and I broke up (April). My family had been kicked out of the local TSA church and me and her realized we had nothing in common other than TSA. When this happened I stopped going with my family to church almost completely. I'd still go to church but they'd be random churches. I almost grew complacent and just attended a nice congregation that didn't go deep into God's Word and let me feel good. That break up ruined me. Towards the end of the semester (May 20-something) I realized that my Catholic friend and I hadn't met up for a few weeks and since it was finals week I messaged her to see how she was one evening and she invited me to her dorm since her friend had left for home already. We found out that both of us had broken up with out SO's on the exact same day without even realizing it. We talked for a couple hours before realizing that a storm had started outside. She offered to let me sleep on her friends bed for the night. I thanked her profusely but we stayed up even longer and listened to Disney songs. (DON'T DO THIS WITH A PRETTY GIRL). I don't know why, but I kissed her She kissed me back and we admitted that we liked each other but we both knew/know that it can't work. She's a practicing Catholic and I'm sorta kinda a Protestant. We talked until we fell asleep, fully clothed, but woke up realizing that I was holding her in my arms. I woke her up and apologized and swore that I didn't mean to fall asleep with her but she just smiled and said she fell asleep after I did. That next day I felt horrible. We talked a bit before I went back to my apartment. I prayed for forgiveness and felt the need to talk to my closest friend, the worship leader for Cru. I told him that me and a catholic girl liked each other but I didn't go into detail. He explained to me the whole unequally yoked stuff and I agreed. At this point I thought I knew RCC was wrong. I started going to a PCA Presbyterian Church the next Sunday (I've grown to appreciate Calvinism a lot more) and have been going since then. I love the Church family there and have been asked to go through membership classes. This brings me to my Summer troubles.

I want to be Baptized. So I took the membership notebook study guide and began to pour over it. Of course now is the time when all my Catholic thoughts get pushed into my mind. I had to be honest to a new friend from my new church by telling him that had I gone to a conservative parish I would be a catechumen right now. I know God is calling me to further study His Word and Him. I delight now in reading everyday from the Bible and listening to sermons all the time for my free time

I just don't know what God wants me to do. I love the Lord my God with all my Heart Mind and Soul and want to devote every fiber of my being to me but does He intend for me to cross the Tiber or uphold the Westminster.

If I became Catholic I'd lose all of my friends and possibly my Family. I'd lose the ministry I have with Bridges. And that Catholic girl has not talked to me since that day and she never leaves my mind. I have another two months before I go back to University for my senior year. I want to go to Seminary afterwards to study Theology. But am I really a Protestant? Or am I a closet Catholic?

Thank you for reading my long post and may God bless you!
Soli Deo Gloria!

I would stay in the PCA Church, and rather than talking and teaching, listen and learn, read and study. There really are oceans of learning, and the more you can learn, the better and more equipped you will be for later on in life. Basically, slow down and take some time to smell the roses, rejoice in the blessings of God. I think of myself as a Reformed Catholic, btw. Perhaps it would help if you dive into Reformation history and at the same time read from ECF, especially Augustine, and it might give a clearer broader perspective, idk, but I do know what little I have studied has helped me immensely.

Pat4Jesus · Jul 10, 2018

Kajiki said:
I keep leaving and returning and leaving and returning to this Forum. This time however, I don't want to get advice from only one specific group at a time. I am very open to advice from any Christian who could help me here. I don't know what I am doing and have honestly been having an identity crisis as of late. Now allow me to explain, some of you already may know bits of my story so I'm gonna condense it some.

My friend; has it maybe occurred to you that it is the Holy Spirit who keeps calling YOU?

What your seeking and seem a bit reluctant to embrace is TRUTH
"Truth" by any logical definition can only be singular per defined issue.
Logically and morally there can be only One:

One True God
One True Faith
And through just One True Church who alone can teach the Fullness of God's Truths. {all of which is biblically provable}

Here is WHY your struggling; please prayerfully think about it:

Father John Hardon {may he now rest in peace} taught this about God's TRUTH. He was one of the most respected Theologians of the 20th. Century.

Truth is the condition of grace; it is the source of grace; it is the channel of grace; it is the Divinely ordained requirement of grace.

Truth can be only singular per defined issue.

Now as to the issue you raised about losing your friends if you became Catholic:

WOULD YOU rather have God as you friend; or settle for far- less?

If my friend YOU will permit God to be in charge; your uncertainties will with His graces, over time dissipate.

The LORDS prayer teaches {or at least try' to} "THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN"

So how then is it done IN HEAVEN? According to to GOD's WILL. If its good enough for the Angels and saints; ought it not be good enough for US?

Pray much; Lord you're will, not mine be done. Lead me to where YOU want me to be. Amen!

May God's grace guide your path,
Patrick

Dorothy Mae · Jul 12, 2018

Kajiki said:
I just don't know what God wants me to do. I love the Lord my God with all my Heart Mind and Soul and want to devote every fiber of my being to me but does He intend for me to cross the Tiber or uphold the Westminster.

What that a typo or was it sublty telling the truth? You want to devote every fiber of your being to you? One thing this is pretty clear, you do not love God with all your heart and mind and soul. One cannot love God with all of oneself and continue to participate in sin. That sin, btw, is preventing you from hearing anything from God. Sin separates us from God so if you want to know what God wants you to do on matters that are more difficult, you need to start doing what you know He wants you to do on the obvious stuff.

You could be rather worried that after a time, you did not feel bad after sleeping with your girlfriend (sinning.) It has become a sin that did not bother you. This inidcates a hardness of heart. If you loved God, you would not be so casual about it. And you do not hate the sin as God hates it. You do not view it as God views it. Your sins have separated you from Him.

So if you want to hear from Him, you need to repent and ask forgiveness. You might need to ask the girl's forgiveness for what you did. The Catholic Protestant bit is not as worrisome as open sin.

So do not fool yourself as to the state of your devotion to God. You should try to tell yourself the truth. The sin was pleasurable and so you continued. Now there are broken hearts as a result.

Kajiki · Jul 12, 2018

[QUOTE="Dorothy Mae, post: 72934523, member: 409954"[/QUOTE]
Excuse me? Did you not see where I said I didn't care for a time? And yes I made a typo. My apologies. I have begged for forgiveness more th@n you know. Don't attack my love for God like this. Please read more carefully before you act in such a vile manner. And at the time I didn't see it as sin. I'm sorry I didn't devote more time to explaining the nights I cried to God for forgiveness, before me and that girl broke up btw, and how many days I'd lay in bed feeling how worthless and undeserving I am. The FACT that God has saved me out of that is the reason I MUST devote my mind heart and soul to the Lord. Yes I know I hurt her, but the fact I offended God hurts much worse.

Now I'm sorry if I sound upset or angry. I hope you can forgive me if I offended you.
May God Bless you

Lybrah · Jul 13, 2018

Kajiki said:
I keep leaving and returning and leaving and returning to this Forum. This time however, I don't want to get advice from only one specific group at a time. I am very open to advice from any Christian who could help me here. I don't know what I am doing and have honestly been having an identity crisis as of late. Now allow me to explain, some of you already may know bits of my story so I'm gonna condense it some.
Spring 2017 (19 Years Old)
I was a solder in the Salvation Army and was on the path to go to Officer's Training (Seminary for TSA). I was happy and yet didn't realize how little of my faith I knew. I had been raised in a Southern Baptist (Free Will kind) and in the Salvation Army and my family had been attending TSA for the past two years despite having hopped back and forth in my youth.

Summer 2017 (19-20 YO)
I worked at a summer camp and started dating a girl I thought I'd marry. She also felt called into TSA officership (The salvation Army ordains women and men together as couples) and we, like the children we are, sinned out of our lusts of the flesh. Oh God forgive me! After the summer camp we continued our relationship as a long distance relationship but we still sinned throughout. The end of summer I became my TSA church's high school Sunday school teacher. I still felt like everything was going fine.

Fall 2017 (20 YO)
My Junior year of my undergraduate degree in International Studies began and I had to take a course in World Religions. I was ready to defend my faith in debates and papers I thought to myself. I had to purchase a new Bible, the Buddhist Scriptures, one of the Hindu Scripture books, and a Quran. I had an opportunity to truly study other people's beliefs. Little did I know I'd need to study my own. My teacher announced himself as a Roman Catholic (it's a secular university) and he promised not to try and convert people. I scoffed in my mind. No one would ever do that. The RCC is a dead relic of the past full of nonsense is what I pictured. I was also learning Japanese and was the Treasurer of a brand new organization (new to my campus) called Bridges International. I was very excited but we didn't quite start giving them the Gospel at this point. By November my World Religions class made it to Christianity where I had heard about Eastern Orthodoxy for the first time. I noticed similar claims from them that I did the RCC but I got intrigued by the similarity and immediately started to read the book of Acts. I was living in an Apartment up by my University but would go home for church with my family so I could still follow my goals as an officer of the TSA. Studying Acts however, gave me doubts. So much talk of Baptism but TSA doesn't practice any sacraments. Not even communion let alone Baptism. That was the first time I ever saw an issue with what I was teaching. I started a new study in my Sunday school class on Church History to mirror what I was learning. I started with Christians in general and gave a choppy overview of Acts and then went on to explain John Wesley a bit and then William Booth (the Methodist pastor who started TSA). That WR class further challenged my long held beliefs by telling me the Apostles Creed. I didn't know what Creeds were let alone that they existed. I immediately did some quick research and picked up a book from the library on the Nicean Council. I was sold. I emailed the nearest EO church (an hour away and I can't drive) about my various questions. Then came the assignment that fully shattered my identity as a Protestant and future Officer in TSA. We were told in the end of November that if we attended a religious service other than our own and wrote a one page paper on it we could get extra credit. I tried to find a way to the EO Church but couldn't get one. So I gave in. I still hated the RCC, or what I thought it was, but I went to a Saturday Night Mass anyway and was in awestruck wonder. They read more scripture than I had ever heard. They recited the Nicean Creed. They (I think I remember right) recited the Our Father prayer. I did the paper and initially said I would never go again. I went to the Tuesday Morning Mass the very next week of course and that same day had my first of many two hour+ long meetings with the Priest. He was very liberal (I'm pretty conservative on most things asides from the Death Penalty) but his ability to teach was profound. I was hooked.

Winter 2017-2018
I continued being the Sunday School teacher at the TSA but I was also regularly attending Weekday Masses. Me and my girlfriend were still dating and we met up after Christmas for a week and sinned yet again. I wasn't fully convicted of said sin. January 2018 however I would tell the Priest (who had become a great friend) of my sins and while he said I couldn't get the sacrament of confession's grace since I wasn't baptized he would bless me and try to help me out. December through January I was attending Weekday Masses and being a sunday school teacher at a very protestant church and I dropped the title protestant from myself. Then came February. My priest revealed to me his belief that any person who follows their religion, no matter what it was, if they are good they are saved regardless of Jesus Christ being their personal savior. I was shaken to the core yet again. I stopped talking to him and stopped attending Mass. I thought the RCC held to Truth at this point.

Spring 2018
I could subtitle this past semester in two words "Why, God?" My position within Bridges International changed this semester to Vice President and we were finally going to have real Bible Studies with the students. We did just that and I started to feel better about my Protestant life. I was still very much an anti-Calvinist kinda Christian and thought Calvinists were pure wrong despite the majority of my protestant friends being reformed Baptist. Well I was still a Sunday School Teacher and started attending Cru prayer meetings as well as my Bridges meeting and regular Cru meetings. I had to iron out any bit of remaining Catholicism and I would regularly talk down on the beliefs throughout the semester. Despite THIS God brought a new friend into my life. We met in a Biology Lab and hung out every Thursday and were fast friends. She was Catholic. I pretended to my other friends that she didn't exist and would just shush away the rumors that grew that I was dating a new girl (we would walk up to town and buy a donut together and walk to the bookstore discussing so may different things. Plus we were both in relationships so there wasn't any worry of us slipping up and we both stayed completely platonic and clean around each other. I then went to Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday Mass with her. The priest recognized me and was very kind to me but I still never went back. Not long afterwards my girlfriend and I broke up (April). My family had been kicked out of the local TSA church and me and her realized we had nothing in common other than TSA. When this happened I stopped going with my family to church almost completely. I'd still go to church but they'd be random churches. I almost grew complacent and just attended a nice congregation that didn't go deep into God's Word and let me feel good. That break up ruined me. Towards the end of the semester (May 20-something) I realized that my Catholic friend and I hadn't met up for a few weeks and since it was finals week I messaged her to see how she was one evening and she invited me to her dorm since her friend had left for home already. We found out that both of us had broken up with out SO's on the exact same day without even realizing it. We talked for a couple hours before realizing that a storm had started outside. She offered to let me sleep on her friends bed for the night. I thanked her profusely but we stayed up even longer and listened to Disney songs. (DON'T DO THIS WITH A PRETTY GIRL). I don't know why, but I kissed her She kissed me back and we admitted that we liked each other but we both knew/know that it can't work. She's a practicing Catholic and I'm sorta kinda a Protestant. We talked until we fell asleep, fully clothed, but woke up realizing that I was holding her in my arms. I woke her up and apologized and swore that I didn't mean to fall asleep with her but she just smiled and said she fell asleep after I did. That next day I felt horrible. We talked a bit before I went back to my apartment. I prayed for forgiveness and felt the need to talk to my closest friend, the worship leader for Cru. I told him that me and a catholic girl liked each other but I didn't go into detail. He explained to me the whole unequally yoked stuff and I agreed. At this point I thought I knew RCC was wrong. I started going to a PCA Presbyterian Church the next Sunday (I've grown to appreciate Calvinism a lot more) and have been going since then. I love the Church family there and have been asked to go through membership classes. This brings me to my Summer troubles.

I want to be Baptized. So I took the membership notebook study guide and began to pour over it. Of course now is the time when all my Catholic thoughts get pushed into my mind. I had to be honest to a new friend from my new church by telling him that had I gone to a conservative parish I would be a catechumen right now. I know God is calling me to further study His Word and Him. I delight now in reading everyday from the Bible and listening to sermons all the time for my free time

I just don't know what God wants me to do. I love the Lord my God with all my Heart Mind and Soul and want to devote every fiber of my being to me but does He intend for me to cross the Tiber or uphold the Westminster.

If I became Catholic I'd lose all of my friends and possibly my Family. I'd lose the ministry I have with Bridges. And that Catholic girl has not talked to me since that day and she never leaves my mind. I have another two months before I go back to University for my senior year. I want to go to Seminary afterwards to study Theology. But am I really a Protestant? Or am I a closet Catholic?

Thank you for reading my long post and may God bless you!
Soli Deo Gloria!

Pray about it, but go with what God calls you to do. Do not derail anything for a girl, or a bunch of people. People will always let you down. They cannot save you, they will not be there in the end for you. I was raised RC but I have become a Prostentant. I respect the RCC but I have issues with the worship of Mary, the saints, and the fact that you have to confess to a priest every week or you lose your salvation. Also, the way they rank sins like mortal and venial. However, I think RC people are saved if they still believe that Jesus died for them and they do their best to be like Him.

Dorothy Mae · Jul 13, 2018

Kajiki said:
Excuse me? Did you not see where I said I didn't care for a time? And yes I made a typo. My apologies. I have begged for forgiveness more th@n you know. Don't attack my love for God like this. Please read more carefully before you act in such a vile manner. And at the time I didn't see it as sin. I'm sorry I didn't devote more time to explaining the nights I cried to God for forgiveness, before me and that girl broke up btw, and how many days I'd lay in bed feeling how worthless and undeserving I am. The FACT that God has saved me out of that is the reason I MUST devote my mind heart and soul to the Lord. Yes I know I hurt her, but the fact I offended God hurts much worse.

Now I'm sorry if I sound upset or angry. I hope you can forgive me if I offended you.
May God Bless you

Have you considered asking for forgiveness for sinning against her? Don’t apologize for hurting her? Hurting people’s feelings is not a sin per se. Fornication is. And you didn’t hurt God’s feelings either. You sinned against Him. You did what the Devil wanted and now he has some power over you. Repentance is asking for forgiveness for sin, not “hurting “ others.

Asking forgiveness of man is humbling but brings freedom. I recommend it.

StillGods · Jul 13, 2018

Dorothy Mae said:
Have you considered asking for forgiveness for sinning against her? Don’t apologize for hurting her? Hurting people’s feelings is not a sin per se. Fornication is. And you didn’t hurt God’s feelings either. You sinned against Him. You did what the Devil wanted and now he has some power over you. Repentance is asking for forgiveness for sin, not “hurting “ others.

Asking forgiveness of man is humbling but brings freedom. I recommend it.

From everything he's said i would say he has done that.
You are very very hard on him - way more than he deserves imho. Especially given how he has replied and then you attack him again! wow..maybe consider how you word and approach your posts because they lack grace which would go a long way.

Dorothy Mae · Jul 13, 2018

StillGods said:
From everything he's said i would say he has done that.
You are very very hard on him - way more than he deserves imho. Especially given how he has replied and then you attack him again! wow..maybe consider how you word and approach your posts because they lack grace which would go a long way.

If he would ask her forgiveness he might find peace and grace. By his posts it looks like he doesn’t have either. God gives grace to those who humble themselves. But I can leave him alone.

Sunshinee777 · Jan 27, 2021

BabyToe said:
Understand what baptism really is:
When you fully surrender your life to Christ and you pray to Jesus to forgive you of all your sins, that you lay your life down at his feet as a living sacrifice, and that you give him your past, present and future, and you ask him to write your name in the Lambs book of life, and to fill you with His Holy Spirit and to refine you with his fire, then you become born again. You are baptized in His Holy Spirit, you are sealed by the Blood of the Lamb. That is what it means to be baptized. You have become reconnected to God in the Spirit. You have been anointed. You are now a Saint. Every single disciple is a saint. You are cleansed of your all your sin. Then sanctification begins, the refining process. It will be the most brutal time in your life. Taking every thought captive, learning to kill the old man, the old way of life and to walk in newness of life as the new man. You will have massive spiritual warfare. It all starts in the mind, when you win there, you will win in your members, and your body can be used as an instrument of righteousness. You are a vessel of God to do His will and not your own. You will give testimony that Jesus is Lord and Saviour and not love your life to the very death. Thats what it means to surrender fully to God.

Water baptism is usually the next step a disciple takes to simply show to other people that they are now a follower of Jesus.

You need the Holy Spirit to Lead you,

John 14:26 25
All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

2Peter 1:21 21For no prophecy was ever brought about through human initiative, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

You simply cannot understand any scripture without the Lords Anointing.
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

I would suggest, first and foremost, take everything to the Word of God, his word is unfailing, and absolute truth. Study to Shew yourself approved.
Next,
1) learn your identity in Christ Jesus.
2) What you have been saved from (read debt 28:which list every curse he has taken from you, when you understand what you have been saved from, you will see miracles healing). By the strips of Jesus you have been saved.
3)And Understand that you are made in Gods image and how you give glory to Jesus.

In the beginning Elohim (God) created the heaven and the earth. Get 1:1

Elohim is singular plural.
The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
3 Persons, but 1 God

Man is made in Gods image, we too have 3 parts but are one, we have a mind/soul, a body, and a spirit. When man fell in sin his spirit died, and we lost connection to God. But when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, and ask to be filled with his Spirit, we become born again.

I am in the Lord, and my Father is in me.
Jesus is the GREAT I AM, and I am (you and me) a servant of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A man gives glory to Jesus by representing Jesus,
A woman gives glory to Jesus by representing Jerusalem, the Church, the body of Christ.

Jesus is the head of the man, and the man is the head of the woman.

Next, pray to the Lord to ask what his will is for you and the woman you have desired to have a relationship with. I would not do anything further without knowing Gods will. Pray, and wait for His Response.

Well said sister! God bless you. And yes, it's a great battle sometimes. But God has equipped us all He won't ask anything more from us than we can give.

I Wish I Was a Better Discerner (Any Advice is Welcome)

...yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me

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