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Struggling Christian

JackB03

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I have in the past and will continue to recommend:

"Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness: Living as a Christian in a non-Christian World" by Jerry Cook; and,

"Tired of Trying to Measure Up" by Jeff VanVonderen.

They are both available as used books on the net. Google them. You can pick up a copy for about 5 to 10 dollars-US.

They are not fiction. They even have study guides available to use them in Christian Bible studies and Sunday School classes. They are very straight-forward, thought provoking, catalysts of self examination, and examination of one's Christian walk. They are meant to be read WITH the Bible.

They had a very profound effect on my life when I really needed to become grounded in Christ and my faith in Him. Together, they helped open the Scriptures to my feeble understanding skills.

Be blessed,
Lee52


Hey Lee,

Thanks alot for the recommendation. I will check them both out.

Jack
 
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Migdala

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A lot of people may not agree with me on this recommendation, but the Bible is very clear that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us...BUT, it is very easy for us to stop following Him, fall back into sin, become lukewarm, stop bearing fruit and be cut off the vine, etc...so it is very clear that we can lose our salvation if we don't cling tightly to Jesus, study the Word, and pray continuously. I'm reading an awesome book called "The Believer's conditional security" by Dan Corner that tells (with scripture) that we can lose our salvation. Satan has blinded the eyes of so many Christians, making them think that they can get saved as a small kid, go into the world and sin over and over, and still make it to Heaven. Anyway, great book!

Another one is "Battlefield of the Mind".....when we are saved, the battle for our soul is tremendous, and many lose the battle. Satan is very tricky. When I got saved, I failed so many battles because I did not know who I was in Christ and did not understand about spiritual warfare.

Anyway, those are my two recommendations! God bless!
 
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Lee52

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A lot of people may not agree with me on this recommendation, but the Bible is very clear that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us...BUT, it is very easy for us to stop following Him, fall back into sin, become lukewarm, stop bearing fruit and be cut off the vine, etc...so it is very clear that we can lose our salvation if we don't cling tightly to Jesus, study the Word, and pray continuously. I'm reading an awesome book called "The Believer's conditional security" by Dan Corner that tells (with scripture) that we can lose our salvation. Satan has blinded the eyes of so many Christians, making them think that they can get saved as a small kid, go into the world and sin over and over, and still make it to Heaven. Anyway, great book!

Another one is "Battlefield of the Mind".....when we are saved, the battle for our soul is tremendous, and many lose the battle. Satan is very tricky. When I got saved, I failed so many battles because I did not know who I was in Christ and did not understand about spiritual warfare.

Anyway, those are my two recommendations! God bless!

I think I know of Dan Corner! Has a ministry in Washington, PA I believe. I have read some of his stuff. Seems to be right on top of things Scripturally from what I have read. But I haven't read all of his stuff.

Be blessed,
Lee52
 
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JackB03

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Migdala- Thanks for the book ideas. I believe i have the Battlefield Of The Mind. By Joyce Meyers? Anyways, Ill look at that book.

Again, I want to thank everyone for the insight and recommendations and warm welcome back. The past couple of days have been a struggle for me. I still feel that "dull" feeling in my chest. Especially when I pray. I honestly feel like Im disconnected from God. I havent felt that explosion of life from him yet. I keep praying and asking him to come to me and make my life worth something.

I hope someday soon this comes true and believe in my heart that I am saved and a true agent for God. Pray for me.

Thank You,
Jack
 
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Lee52

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Migdala- Thanks for the book ideas. I believe i have the Battlefield Of The Mind. By Joyce Meyers? Anyways, Ill look at that book.

Again, I want to thank everyone for the insight and recommendations and warm welcome back. The past couple of days have been a struggle for me. I still feel that "dull" feeling in my chest. Especially when I pray. I honestly feel like Im disconnected from God. I havent felt that explosion of life from him yet. I keep praying and asking him to come to me and make my life worth something.

I hope someday soon this comes true and believe in my heart that I am saved and a true agent for God. Pray for me.

Thank You,
Jack

Jack,
Please remember that salvation is not about feelings or thoughts. Feelings and thoughts are man's territory on earth. GOD operates in the spiritual realm where it is about faith. We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus does not make sense to our thought processes. Faith in Jesus does not stimulate our senses with which we feel, nor our emotions with which we also "feel". No, it is a matter of trust. Trust transcends thoughts and feelings. Trust is knowing without evidence of thoughts and feelings. Trust is knowing when our thoughts tell us it is irrational to do so. Trust is knowing when our feelings fail to grasp the unconditional love of GOD to us, for us, and toward us. If you are a father, think about the look you got from your babies when they were oh so tiny in your arms. Or the looks they gave to their mommy.
These tiny little humans trust mommy and daddy without reservation because they must. It is inbred in them to do so. They know mommy. They know daddy. When they are hungry daddy can only comfort them until he produces no milk for them. Then, only mommy can satisfy their need. When they are wet or soiled, either mommy or daddy can meet their need and comfort them. They cry out to alert mommy and daddy to a need, not yet wants. Little babies only have needs. They rely upon their parents to supply those needs. They cry out and the needs are met. They begin to know that their needs will be met when they alert their parents. Soon, their needs are met before they cry out, because their parents know that it is time to meet the baby's need on schedule. Sometimes though, the baby still cries out, just to be close to mommy and daddy. It has a need to be close; to be held; to be loved physically through cuddle, even though its diaper is dry and clean and its tummy is full of mommy's milk, and they are fully rested. Even though mommy and daddy are just in the other room and they love them unconditionally from the other room, the baby wants to be reassured by touch. They cannot see mommy and daddy, so they want to be reassured that they are still close at hand.

As adult children of GOD, we cry out at times to make GOD aware of our needs. Sometimes we cry out to GOD, even though our needs are met. We just want to be spiritually cuddled by our Father in Heaven. We want to feel His presence and know that He is there. Not that He is in the other room, but our spiritual eyes, even though we know He is everywhere at all times, want to see Him at work. We want to be comforted and cuddled by Him, just for reassurance. As we grow up in His family as Christians and allow sanctification to take place in our lives, we, like our own children, begin to just know that He loves us unconditionally, even though we cannot necessarily see Him. We know, that if we fall down and scrape our knees and hands, He is going to come to us and meet our needs when we cry out.

It is a matter of trust. Not feelings. Not thoughts. TRUST which springs from FAITH.

Brother Jack, right now, I am praying that Jesus will comfort you with His Holy Spirit. I pray that the Holy Spirit will instill in you more faith, more trust, more understanding and more knowledge that GOD loves you unconditionally and will always be there to meet your needs. I pray that GOD will give you the ability to set aside your emotions and trust HIM. That you can set aside your thoughts and trust HIM. That even when GOD seems so far away, you KNOW that HE is and that HE is there to cuddle you spiritually. I pray that as you step out in faith, that GOD will provide the invisible stepping stones that appear at just the right moment to hold you up, as His disciple learned when he stepped out of the boat onto the water to meet Jesus on the lake instead of in the lake. And Father, I pray that just as Jesus grabbed His beloved disciple in his moment of doubt, that YOU oh LORD, would reach out and take Jack's hand and lift him up out of the world of feelings and thoughts, and bring him solidly into the spiritual world of faith and trust in YOU.
I pray this in Jesus' holy and precious Name, that Name that is above all other names,
Let it be so Father,
Amen

Be blessed,
Lee52
 
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