At the end of my rope!

Be(you)tiful Girls · May 26, 2019

Notmyname said:
So I’m honestly tired of being a Christian I have zero energy to pursue God anymore. When I wasn’t in my walk with Christ my life was so much better I was happy I had fun I had great friends but now it’s all gone.

I don’t say my prayers anymore because they don’t get answered and even when I do pray my life seems to get worse I don’t read my bible anymore because I have no energy to do so and I don’t want to throw away my relationship with god I really don’t but I’m just sick of living like how I am and I want to just give up.

I look around and the people who don’t follow god seem to be blessed financially and in other areas and they have so much fun like why does everyone else around me seem to have such great lives even other Christians and I’m here struggling.

Any advice

I totally understand where you are coming from, i have struggled with that in the past.and yes it is a lonely walk at times when we are following Christ, I am only 18 and i have one friend, yes i run a girls group but that doesnt mean they are friends, i do really understand, i found that yes i did have a lot more fun when i wasnt having anything to do with God but then i would feel empty again so id go out for some more fun then the cycle would reapeat its self... its because the devil tempts us and blinds us and makes the stuff that are Godless seem far more fun, I can only give so much advice as i am still young and learning, but my advice is this..... start praying again and reading the bible for a month, during that month it may not seem to change much but when you get to the last day of that month you make the choice (based on what you experienced during that month) whether it is worth sticking with Jesus, during that month keep track of the good days and even the smallest blessings.... then tell us what your choice is. i will pray for you that you are able to find peace in the matter, i hope this helps.... Katie

Presbyterian Continuist · May 26, 2019

Be(you)tiful Girls said:
I totally understand where you are coming from, i have struggled with that in the past.and yes it is a lonely walk at times when we are following Christ, I am only 18 and i have one friend, yes i run a girls group but that doesnt mean they are friends, i do really understand, i found that yes i did have a lot more fun when i wasnt having anything to do with God but then i would feel empty again so id go out for some more fun then the cycle would reapeat its self... its because the devil tempts us and blinds us and makes the stuff that are Godless seem far more fun, I can only give so much advice as i am still young and learning, but my advice is this..... start praying again and reading the bible for a month, during that month it may not seem to change much but when you get to the last day of that month you make the choice (based on what you experienced during that month) whether it is worth sticking with Jesus, during that month keep track of the good days and even the smallest blessings.... then tell us what your choice is. i will pray for you that you are able to find peace in the matter, i hope this helps.... Katie

I think that when we realise that we are nothing and that Christ is everything, we get things into the right perspective when we have struggles and trials of our faith. Looking inward and thinking "poor me" is a form of pride and is a belief that we could have done this in our own strength, and are feeling sorry for ourselves and full of self-pity because we cannot be what we want to be. But this is not God's way. His way is that we are to be who God wants us to be and it is Christ in us the hope of glory. Paul said, "There is nothing good in me", that's why he never had self-pity when life turned to custard for him and he ended up in prison facing execution. He told the Philippians, "Count it all joy". Only a person who has their full trust in Christ can have that attitude.

basilbear76 · May 26, 2019

Notmyname said:
So I’m honestly tired of being a Christian I have zero energy to pursue God anymore. When I wasn’t in my walk with Christ my life was so much better I was happy I had fun I had great friends but now it’s all gone.

I don’t say my prayers anymore because they don’t get answered and even when I do pray my life seems to get worse I don’t read my bible anymore because I have no energy to do so and I don’t want to throw away my relationship with god I really don’t but I’m just sick of living like how I am and I want to just give up.

I look around and the people who don’t follow god seem to be blessed financially and in other areas and they have so much fun like why does everyone else around me seem to have such great lives even other Christians and I’m here struggling.

Any advice

ST. Paul has some trenchant words about those who preach that God blesses people with riches if they just have faith and say the magic words.

To paraphrase the words of Jesus, "You follow me not out of love, but for the goodies you think you'll get."

Right now do three things:

1. Make an audible act of faith in what you know is the truth.

2. Pray that your emotions will catch up with what you know.

3. Say the Jesus Prayer frequently: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.

C. S. Lewis said through the mouth of Screwtape that the demons are never more frightened than when a Christian looks out over a landscape with no sign of God, asks why he has been abandoned, but still intends to obey Him.

JustRachel · May 26, 2019

Notmyname said:
I want to be a Christian, I want to serve God and lead others to the grace of God but I also want earthly riches because I feel like being wealthy and having cool stuff will elevate my self esteem.

This is not what being a Christian is about. It is not about our self esteem. It is about God's glory. God will provide what we need which won't necessarily mean we are wealthy in earthly terms. Worry about your salvation above all.

Presbyterian Continuist · May 26, 2019

basilbear76 said:
ST. Paul has some trenchant words about those who preach that God blesses people with riches if they just have faith and say the magic words.

To paraphrase the words of Jesus, "You follow me not out of love, but for the goodies you think you'll get."

Right now do three things:

1. Make an audible act of faith in what you know is the truth.

2. Pray that your emotions will catch up with what you know.

3. Say the Jesus Prayer frequently: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.

C. S. Lewis said through the mouth of Screwtape that the demons are never more frightened than when a Christian looks out over a landscape with no sign of God, asks why he has been abandoned, but still intends to obey Him.

The problem is when someone thinks they are something when they are nothing.

Presbyterian Continuist · May 26, 2019

JustRachel said:
This is not what being a Christian is about. It is not about our self esteem. It is about God's glory. God will provide what we need which won't necessarily mean we are wealthy in earthly terms. Worry about your salvation above all.

I agree. The teaching that Christians need wealth and self-esteem is one of the false teachings that Jesus and Paul warned believers about. Self-esteem is a form of pride and hell is full of people with self-esteem. The path of righteousness in Christ is to reckon self as dead and nothing, and Christ is everything. Jesus tells us to build up treasure in heaven, not on earth. If He, according to His purpose gives wealth to a person, then He will, but if He doesn't, then that person is no better off in Christ than the person with wealth. Wealth is not a gauge of how a person walks in the Spirit. Jesus said according to his story about the guy who built up wealth, that the guy was a fool, because on the day he gets all the wealth, his soul may be required of him. There have been instances where successful businessmen have worked for years to gain wealth and as soon as they had it, they had a heart attack and died! Jesus said, "What will it gain a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul?"

Strange (or is it?) that the church does not teach that a lot these days?

True self-esteem is to see yourself as dead, and therefore nothing, and that it is Christ in you, the hope of glory. I think that those who don't learn that lesson will be taken through the wilderness, and around and around the mountain of barrenness until they learn that they are just poor sinners and nothing at all, and that Jesus Christ is their all in all.

Be(you)tiful Girls · May 26, 2019

Oscarr said:
I think that when we realise that we are nothing and that Christ is everything, we get things into the right perspective when we have struggles and trials of our faith. Looking inward and thinking "poor me" is a form of pride and is a belief that we could have done this in our own strength, and are feeling sorry for ourselves and full of self-pity because we cannot be what we want to be. But this is not God's way. His way is that we are to be who God wants us to be and it is Christ in us the hope of glory. Paul said, "There is nothing good in me", that's why he never had self-pity when life turned to custard for him and he ended up in prison facing execution. He told the Philippians, "Count it all joy". Only a person who has their full trust in Christ can have that attitude.

So true, thanks for putting that into a new perspective.. i have seen God move in miraculous ways and i do agree with you, when we begin to think on ourselves and how we feel about situations and how we dont look to who is driving and holding the wheel we actually end up victims of pride and self pitty.. where as when we count all joy and blessings we slowly come to relize hew he has it all in perfect control
in Isaiah 41:10, it states,
“So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” why do we need to fear or to even begin to say he doesnt answer prayers... he has it all in control. when you hop on a train and it goes through a dark tunnel, do you all of a sudden throw away your ticket and demand to hop off, or do you wait it out knowing that there is always light at the end of every tunnel......

Presbyterian Continuist · May 26, 2019

Be(you)tiful Girls said:
So true, thanks for putting that into a new perspective.. i have seen God move in miraculous ways and i do agree with you, when we begin to think on ourselves and how we feel about situations and how we dont look to who is driving and holding the wheel we actually end up victims of pride and self pitty.. where as when we count all joy and blessings we slowly come to relize hew he has it all in perfect control
in Isaiah 41:10, it states,
“So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” why do we need to fear or to even begin to say he doesnt answer prayers... he has it all in control. when you hop on a train and it goes through a dark tunnel, do you all of a sudden throw away your ticket and demand to hop off, or do you wait it out knowing that there is always light at the end of every tunnel......

It is not how we begin or even run the race. It is how we finish it!

Be(you)tiful Girls · May 26, 2019

s

Oscarr said:
It is not how we begin or even run the race. It is how we finish it!

so true!

Calvin_1985 · May 26, 2019

Notmyname said:
So I’m honestly tired of being a Christian I have zero energy to pursue God anymore. When I wasn’t in my walk with Christ my life was so much better I was happy I had fun I had great friends but now it’s all gone.

I don’t say my prayers anymore because they don’t get answered and even when I do pray my life seems to get worse I don’t read my bible anymore because I have no energy to do so and I don’t want to throw away my relationship with god I really don’t but I’m just sick of living like how I am and I want to just give up.

I look around and the people who don’t follow god seem to be blessed financially and in other areas and they have so much fun like why does everyone else around me seem to have such great lives even other Christians and I’m here struggling.

Any advice

You may not want to hear this, but you need to read Jesus. You need to go to him. He is the bread of life and without it, your soul starves and you cannot live. You want eternal Life but are looking back to what He saved you from and are glorifying it because of some of the things and relationships you had. You're soul, Heart and mind are starving and you're thirsty. Jesus is the one that holds eternal life for you and for us all. Eternal Life is not just something we go into when we die but Eternal Life is the substance of life. It's the quality and you don't have it because you don't go to His words or Life. Don't you Believe Jesus when He says it is He that Holds Eternal Life? He says that all who come to him, will never thirst and never go hungry. He will fil you with the core desires you want out of life. He will give you rest. What you've known as the Bible, has grown stale so now you desire to retake control of your life so that you can gain the Life Eternal that you want so badly through your own means. But there, in your heart, remains the seed of Jesus Christ. There the Shepard waits for you to turn around. When all the layers become stripped away by the Spirit that led you to reach out, hoping that maybe there is one strand of hope to hold eternal Life, eternal Joy, eternal peace, eternal love and an abundance of the good things in life you want so greatly to come to your world. You see many around you havering what seems to be everything you want, but Child of our Mighty God, I ask you, to lay burdens down at your Saviors feet and seek to hear Him speak so that he can comfort you in your broken Spirit. May the Love Christ show what Great things He has awaiting for the Returning prodigal child you have become. It's not too late, and Father is not Angry with you, He has something's to show you.

I don't get too much response often, but I truly hope that you read this and it helps you, I Love you.

Chris35 · May 27, 2019

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

In this instance God didn't give Jesus what he prayed for.

Does that mean that just because God doesn't give us what we ask for, or that he doesn't hear our prayers, or perhaps that God didnt love Jesus because God put him through suffering? No, it doesnt mean any of that.

If God hasnt answered it usually means no, instead of accepting the answer, we tend to throw a tauntrum and keep asking God for the same thing, falling into a cycle. Why isnt God answering me? Maybe God didnt hear me? Maybe God doesnt really exist? Ect. Ect.

When what we should be doing is accepting the answer, trusting that God's answer is the best thing for you, because God loves you so much, and keep moving forward in your relationship with him.

Be(you)tiful Girls · May 27, 2019

trust me when you get back on track with God its like you never left, he just fills all void and empty places, he makes you feel whole... i cant describe to peace of mind i get by it all.

Chris35 · May 27, 2019

Why cant we just be honest with ourselves, most have been at this point, asking God for earthly riches. I sure was at one point, it is a sign that a part of our heart is seeking after wordly things.

In the end what is riches really good for?
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Try praying instead, "God apart of my heart seeks riches, please change that part of me and align it with yours".

When God starts answering that prayer, you will realize that money is nothing, and that God is worth more then anything on this earth.

Chris35 · May 27, 2019

On a side note. I do think you have been under attack. Satan is showing you with one hand how happy everyone is with their life without God and with the other hand, whats the point of God if he is not going to give you what you want.

Calvin_1985 · May 27, 2019

Chris35 said:
Why cant we just be honest with ourselves, most have been at this point, asking God for earthly riches. I sure was at one point, it is a sign that a part of our heart is seeking after wordly things.

In the end what is riches really good for?
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Try praying instead, "God apart of my heart seeks riches, please change that part of me and align it with yours".

When God starts answering that prayer, you will realize that money is nothing, and that God is worth more then anything on this earth.

Not everyone. I've never asked Father to be wealthy. I do ask and trust him to provide and He does. But I've never been a person that cared much about money to begin with.

Carolmariev11 · May 27, 2019

Oscarr said:
You are actually in a good place, because then you will have no option but to get your dependence off yourself and your ability to live the Christian life, and to put it totally on Christ to live it through you. It is only when we come to the end of ourselves that we find the strength and the power of the Holy Spirit to win through.

The Scripture says that when we are weak, then He is strong, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. The main blockage in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit working through us is our own self dependence. So what God does is that He holds back until you run out of steam, start to depend on His strength instead of your own, and then He can start working with you.

The problem is that many areas of the church have taught the opposite - that when we come to the point where we don't have the strength to continue, there is something wrong with our faith, and that we have to somehow recharge our batteries so we can continue in our own strength. There is a teaching about positive thinking, positive confession and faith as a power in itself in which we can name it and claim it. But this is false teaching.

If you read through the book of Psalms you will see that the psalmist is constantly sensing his own weakness and physical, emotional, mental bankruptcy and he cries out to God for strength. Then he gets the promise: "They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall rise up as eagles. They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint".

It is the very moment when we feel like giving up, that we discover God's strength and support. What modern religious teachers don't teach us is that God deliberately does this so that we stop depending on ourselves but on God. Paul discovered this in Asia when he got so depressed about what was happening to him, that he despaired of live itself. Then he got the point: "We have the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead." That's why he could write to the Philippians while in prison facing execution for them to "count it all joy".

If you decide to give up your Christian faith because things are not going right for you, then you are grievously sinning because of your own pride,in that you have trusted in yourself and thought that you could live the Christian life by yourself and to treat God as some sort of vending machine to hand you what you want, and so when things fall apart, and God is not supplying you with what you think He should, then you are going to give Him the "flick".

The psalmist in Psalm 42, asked, "Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God" (Psalm 42:11).

A Christian brother once told me one day when I was moaning about things, "Who told you that you were born again worse than anyone else?" That woke me up to myself and I asked, "Who do I think I am to tell God how to run my life and what I should have or not have from Him?" What! Am I going to divorce Him like a selfish wife divorcing her husband because he won't supply the things she wants in life? How selfish is that???

I'm not being easy on you because you need to get wise to yourself. You can't be the Christian you want to be by yourself. You will fail every time. This is a good time to learn to put your life in God's hands. I think He would tell you, "I have observed what you have tried to do in your life; now that you are giving up, just sit down, do nothing and observe what I can do with your life!"

Blade · May 27, 2019

Your Father has streets of Gold.. made for? And the foundations are made of? And then.. what about all those THOUSANDS of promises God gives to those that LOVE HIM? Read just here.. verses taken out of context. Gotta wonder about poor ol Jesus. Family had 3 kings (so to speak) give them what? Was worth how much? How many times did Jesus return home? What back to the streets? They see 5000 coming.. Jesus knows what going to happen. But.. He says to Philip.. a..where we going to by bread for all these people? Oops.. guess Jesus forgot Hes no in heaven and how poor they are.

And .. who has 12 people with you.. and then puts one in charge of the money? All that money they dont have. As if thats not enough..they didnt even know one of them was stealing all the time.. from all that money they dont have. Lets make it real. How do PEOPLE today treat SOME preachers when they want a HEALING or PRAYER? What do they to this very day give TONS of? Ok.. now lets walk with JESUS.. this guy is doing the healing RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! What ..your not going to give these guys everything? Holy JESUS I would... just to bless them...

Anyway.. there are tons of rich believers out there that LOVE Christ that GOD still keeps blessing.. one they love HIM 1st.. not this world. And they keep blessing people. There are Churches out there that give more then they take in... strange you dont READ HEAR that part in the news. Well go watch CNN ABC CBS NBC MSNBC and tell me of just watching them for a week of all the great things or any good thing Trump does. But this is what some believers do.. they listen to what others say...never talk to the source..dont pray FOR.. they speak against.. not words of life.

See we forget.. there are none righteous not one. See were not here to please man. You dont answer to one person here. So nothing wrong what so ever to want to be rich.. all that money that world has? Its been laid up for the righteous.. thats you and me. People that are not rich.. they give till it hurts.. some do.. some dont.. so what? Me? Going to take that BEAM out of my eye 1st.. then help my family with that speck out of there eye.

Man.. if we listen to others 1st... when I was young.. just DANCING was of the devil.. raise your hands? Your not of God.. Speak in new tongues? Duh thats of the devil because all those gifts are dead and gone.. Granted no one told GOD yet. Theres a reason we watch where we cast our pearls. There are desires that a GOD gives... some.. and there are many.. that if had money.. would not live for God at all.. so.. they dont see it.. they can.. others God knows.. will live for Him.

You live your life to please Him.. and that comes by FAITH! He is FOR YOU! Not against you.. and HE never once told you ..you cant be rich.. you look in to all those promises.. GOD gave! Was it to ONLY Jewish people? Was it to all that LOVE HIM? Ask HIM not man

Carolmariev11 · May 27, 2019

Hello, My name is Carol and this is my first post and I hope that I am putting it in the right place! I have known the Lord for 42 years and most of that time my relationship with Him has been wonderful. I won't get into all of the wonderful times that I heard His voice in many ways, His awesome blessings on my life and the Miraculous things that He has done for me, great deliverances. My situation now is one of great sorrow. About 5 years or so ago I stopped hearing His Voice. In the beginning I was not to upset because I know that He sometimes withdraws or doesn't make Himself quite known or available and I always believed that was to test our faith. After a year or so I started getting upset because not only was I not hearing His Voice, I did and still do not have any leading or guidance from Him even though I pray and pray for it. I do not see any of the fruit of the Spirit in my life, Love, Peace, Joy. My life seems dead void of God entirerly In the past year or so, I have stopped praying as often since I never get any answers and when I go into my prayer closet to read His Word, it feels like just words on a page when it used to jump off at me and I saw so much in His Word before. I have gone back over my life to examine what could have happened or what I had done to cause this. The only things that I see that I have done, and they are not good were once, I thought I heard Him warn me about remarrying my EX husband and I didn't listen. I only figured this out looking back and I wasn't sure at the time if it was Him or my own thoughts. The next time I heard Him and I am totally sure, is when I was asking His forgiveness for not praying enough and I heard Him say, "Redeem the time, for the days are evil" At that time I was wasting a lot of time on my computer playing stupid games...just killing time. Then, like I said from then till now, nothing. I was smoking after He totally took that bad habit away from me in the early 80's but when I married my 2nd husband, I started again, like slapping Him in the Face. I did finally stop smoking about 3 or 4 months ago and I thought this was the reason He wasn't speaking but I wasn't sure of this either. I have prayed and asked Him to tell me or let me know what it is but He doesn't let me know ..total silence! It feels to me as if I have grieved the Holy Spirit and He has withdrawn from me. I have listened to sermons on this topic and I am so scared that I will not be able to get the Holy Spirit back into my life since I spurned Him and what He was telling me to do. I am at my wits end and so very scared. Is there any advice that anyone can give me. I know that in His Word Jesus says "I will never leave you or forsake you" But there are scriptures that say the Holy Spirit departs Judges 16:20 and David prayed in Psalm 51:11, take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Please, can someone help me? Thanks, Carol

Presbyterian Continuist · May 27, 2019

Blade said:
Your Father has streets of Gold.. made for? And the foundations are made of? And then.. what about all those THOUSANDS of promises God gives to those that LOVE HIM? Read just here.. verses taken out of context. Gotta wonder about poor ol Jesus. Family had 3 kings (so to speak) give them what? Was worth how much? How many times did Jesus return home? What back to the streets? They see 5000 coming.. Jesus knows what going to happen. But.. He says to Philip.. a..where we going to by bread for all these people? Oops.. guess Jesus forgot Hes no in heaven and how poor they are.

And .. who has 12 people with you.. and then puts one in charge of the money? All that money they dont have. As if thats not enough..they didnt even know one of them was stealing all the time.. from all that money they dont have. Lets make it real. How do PEOPLE today treat SOME preachers when they want a HEALING or PRAYER? What do they to this very day give TONS of? Ok.. now lets walk with JESUS.. this guy is doing the healing RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! What ..your not going to give these guys everything? Holy JESUS I would... just to bless them...

Anyway.. there are tons of rich believers out there that LOVE Christ that GOD still keeps blessing.. one they love HIM 1st.. not this world. And they keep blessing people. There are Churches out there that give more then they take in... strange you dont READ HEAR that part in the news. Well go watch CNN ABC CBS NBC MSNBC and tell me of just watching them for a week of all the great things or any good thing Trump does. But this is what some believers do.. they listen to what others say...never talk to the source..dont pray FOR.. they speak against.. not words of life.

See we forget.. there are none righteous not one. See were not here to please man. You dont answer to one person here. So nothing wrong what so ever to want to be rich.. all that money that world has? Its been laid up for the righteous.. thats you and me. People that are not rich.. they give till it hurts.. some do.. some dont.. so what? Me? Going to take that BEAM out of my eye 1st.. then help my family with that speck out of there eye.

Man.. if we listen to others 1st... when I was young.. just DANCING was of the devil.. raise your hands? Your not of God.. Speak in new tongues? Duh thats of the devil because all those gifts are dead and gone.. Granted no one told GOD yet. Theres a reason we watch where we cast our pearls. There are desires that a GOD gives... some.. and there are many.. that if had money.. would not live for God at all.. so.. they dont see it.. they can.. others God knows.. will live for Him.

You live your life to please Him.. and that comes by FAITH! He is FOR YOU! Not against you.. and HE never once told you ..you cant be rich.. you look in to all those promises.. GOD gave! Was it to ONLY Jewish people? Was it to all that LOVE HIM? Ask HIM not man

The attitude that a genuine convert to Christ should have is not, "Is it right to do [whatever]" but, "Is it beneficial and expedient?" Paul says that all things are lawful to him, but not all things are expedient. The true believer is not into what is right or wrong, but what is the most appropriate, loving, and beneficial to himself in the Lord and for others around him.

Presbyterian Continuist · May 27, 2019

Carolmariev11 said:
Hello, My name is Carol and this is my first post and I hope that I am putting it in the right place! I have known the Lord for 42 years and most of that time my relationship with Him has been wonderful. I won't get into all of the wonderful times that I heard His voice in many ways, His awesome blessings on my life and the Miraculous things that He has done for me, great deliverances. My situation now is one of great sorrow. About 5 years or so ago I stopped hearing His Voice. In the beginning I was not to upset because I know that He sometimes withdraws or doesn't make Himself quite known or available and I always believed that was to test our faith. After a year or so I started getting upset because not only was I not hearing His Voice, I did and still do not have any leading or guidance from Him even though I pray and pray for it. I do not see any of the fruit of the Spirit in my life, Love, Peace, Joy. My life seems dead void of God entirerly In the past year or so, I have stopped praying as often since I never get any answers and when I go into my prayer closet to read His Word, it feels like just words on a page when it used to jump off at me and I saw so much in His Word before. I have gone back over my life to examine what could have happened or what I had done to cause this. The only things that I see that I have done, and they are not good were once, I thought I heard Him warn me about remarrying my EX husband and I didn't listen. I only figured this out looking back and I wasn't sure at the time if it was Him or my own thoughts. The next time I heard Him and I am totally sure, is when I was asking His forgiveness for not praying enough and I heard Him say, "Redeem the time, for the days are evil" At that time I was wasting a lot of time on my computer playing stupid games...just killing time. Then, like I said from then till now, nothing. I was smoking after He totally took that bad habit away from me in the early 80's but when I married my 2nd husband, I started again, like slapping Him in the Face. I did finally stop smoking about 3 or 4 months ago and I thought this was the reason He wasn't speaking but I wasn't sure of this either. I have prayed and asked Him to tell me or let me know what it is but He doesn't let me know ..total silence! It feels to me as if I have grieved the Holy Spirit and He has withdrawn from me. I have listened to sermons on this topic and I am so scared that I will not be able to get the Holy Spirit back into my life since I spurned Him and what He was telling me to do. I am at my wits end and so very scared. Is there any advice that anyone can give me. I know that in His Word Jesus says "I will never leave you or forsake you" But there are scriptures that say the Holy Spirit departs Judges 16:20 and David prayed in Psalm 51:11, take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Please, can someone help me? Thanks, Carol

The first thing to consider is "Blessed are they who have seen and believed, but blessed are they who have not seen and believed." There are many who have never had an experience, a vision, a visitation from an angel, or a dream, but they continue to believe on what is written in the Bible.

A person either has the Holy Spirit or doesn't. A person who has the Holy Spirit is converted to Christ, because Peter and Paul understood it that way. Someone at the turn of the 20th Century decided that there were Christians who did not have the Holy Spirit and who needed a second blessing, but that did not come from the New Testament.

Now, because conversion to Christ and having the Holy Spirit are one and the same, as long as you are believing on Christ, you will have the Holy Spirit. David prayed for the Holy Spirit not to leave him because the Holy Spirit, who came and went, was on him and not in him. There is a big difference.

Jesus said that none will pluck them out of His hand, and He will be faithful to all those who believe on Him and He will bring them to glory. All we have to do is to rest in Him and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as we gain insights into His written Word.

So, welcome to the world of being just a poor sinner and nothing at all, like all the rest of us, although some don't realise it and think they are still worth something to God when they are actually worthless. This is the great love of Jesus that He gave Himself, threatened to break up the Trinity, because He loved us, not because we are worthy, but that God is love.

It is hard for someone's self-esteem to accept that they are a worthless sinner, not worth saving in themselves, but only good enough to be cast into the fire like trash. But some churches teach the importance of self-esteem and self-worth, but it is false and leads to sinful pride and treading Christ and the cross underfoot.

It is Christ in us the hope of glory. There is no other way. We are worth nothing, and have absolutely nothing we can offer God, and He doesn't need what we have to offer Him anyway. All our righteousness is as filthy rags before Him, and our works end up with us being unprofitable servants at the end of everything.

So, our attitude is: "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I". In other words, point me to Jesus who has the words of eternal life that I may rest, and put my full trust in Him as my all in all.

At the end of my rope!

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He welcomed me back! <3

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