Question 1, yes I have a personal relationship with the Father because of the Son. I am very thankful that the Lord has sent out messangers into the world so that I might know about Jesus. So that I too could know the truth that has been given since the beginning of time. That Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life, and that no man can come unto the Father except through the Son.
Question 2, the Lord has been very kind to me. I have not known an earthly father. But the Lord has been faithful to me, and been a Father to me. When scriptures say that we may go to the Lord and ask anything of him and he will give it to us, the Lord has always been there for me. There are things way too numerous to mention. But I can give a few instance of a child at least, when the Lord rescued me from danger.
I was with one of my relatives helping my aunt she had a hysterectomy. And I was sleeping on the couch. I was young about ten I think. And my uncle came into the room and crawled on top of me while I was sleeping. I woke up and saw him, it scared him enough and he got off of me. I said I would scream if he didnt get off. Well I ran to the bathroom and locked the door. I put on my clothes and prayed. I watched out the window and I saw him walking by. I waited til I thought he was gone. But when I came out he was sitting in the living room with a gun. He was playing with it and he had bullets in it and was spinning the chamber thingy. I was scared so I went back into the bathroom. I waited what seemed forever. Finally I came back out and he wasnt there. I ran as fast as I could across the highway to my great uncles house and never told anyone. I was so afraid. But amazingly God protected me. Nothing ever happened again. (And do you know, that man was a preacher).
Another time God protected me from danger, I was told to go with my cousin to help him, I didnt think anything of it. He was married with kids and we were going to get his wife. Well he pulled off into the woods in the middle of nowhere. I was scared, but had no idea where we were. The car was so close, if I were to try and get out he would have grabbed me, and I was pretty small and weakly, I didnt know what to do. I didnt want to cry cuz I didnt want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was afraid of him. So I just sat there and prayed. I didnt move or look at him and prayed. And you know what God did? He made that man start the car up. He started the car up and he drove back to the city. He stopped the car just short of the house, but I knew where I was there. And I for sure could get out there. But something odd happened, he began to confess his sins to me. I didnt really want to hear them, but I just sat there, silent, and prayed. I still didnt look at him. I just prayed and listened. He was a horrible man. He was a rapist and molester. Of his own children and my cousins! I didnt want to hear this! But I sat there and listened and prayed. He started the car back up and drove me to the house. I got out and never went near him again.
God has done some amazing things in my life too. Things that defy imagination. He has given me dreams, to help me learn. He has taught me from the scriptures. He has taught me through my life. He has given me visions. He gives me songs and poetry. There are times when he calms me down when things in my life seem overwhelming. He talks to me with scriptures.
I had gotten into this fight with my brother over a stupid phone. He wanted more minutes, and I didnt want to get them for him. I thought I was right and he thought he was right. So I went out of the house in a storm. I was out walking in the woods, alone. And God spoke to me. Its one of those things like all the sudden you just know why, you are given clarity and vision. Scriptures says eyes to see and ears to hear are both gifts from God. Well God let me see the truth, he let me see why. All at once I knew. I was all right
, you are right, I am wrong, I am sorry. So I turned around, went back in the house, told my brother God told me why you wanted the phone card, come on lets go get it. He looked at me, his mouth I think hit the floor, he got his coat and we went, lol. God is amazing what can I say.
I dont think you got enough room for me to do all ten of these
. I m a talker.
Question 3, Signs, wonders, miracles. See the thing is, I dont think God needs to prove himself. You either believe or you dont. Faith is something that is inside of you, it isnt external, it is internal. The pharasees had that little argument with Jesus one day, they kept wanting him to give them a sign to prove who he was, to prove he was God. Jesus said, it was a wicked and perverse generation that asked for a sign. Not to mention, look around you! Jesus was healing the sick, raising the dead, and all manor of miracles. It isnt any different for us. Things happen all around us, just because you dont see God doesnt mean he doenst exhist. You just havent accepted it.
I dont need a miracle to believe or a sign, or a wonder. Jesus once said blessed are you because you have seen and believe, but more blessed are those who believe and have not seen. (Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God).
Question 4, Interfere. I wish He would, there are a lot of events in my life I wish he would have butted his nose into. Tell me, Hey dont do that, this and this will happen. Hey that there that will be the worst mistake of your life, you better not do that. Or hey why not do this or this. But noooo He has to let me make fifty million mistakes all on my own, to learn from. Like it will make me a better person or something. Now where have I heard that kind of teaching from?
God said his people are a hard headed and stubborn people, even when he does warn them they dont listen. Look at the bible, it is chucked full of places where his people didnt listen to his warnings. They were forever getting punished. God didnt interfere with their decisions, he let them go ahead and do what they wanted to do, but their punishment was that they had to live with the consequenses of their actions, which was what his warnings were.
Which is exactly what he tells us.
Question 5, Now that one there is just judging. And I aint going to do it. Scriptures say you know people by their fruits. Which means: are they living how Jesus taught them to live? or are they living in sin which leads to death?
I do my best to pick up my cross daily, which means I have to die daily, and follow what Jesus taught me every single day. It is not an easy thing to do. Things of this world try to suck you back in. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. But you know what, we can do all things through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Question 6, The only way for Satan to have power over you, is for you to stray into his territory. And that is in the shadows of death. You know the scripture that says: Ye, tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for though art with me.
Satan lerks there. He lays traps and snares and pits. His kingdom is death and grave, the very place Jesus went to set the captives free from. And he has the keys to. That is why Jesus is called the resurrection and the life. When we have Jesus living in us, Satan has no power over us. Because now we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. The only way for him to have power over us is to stray off the path of righteousness. Scriptures say: I will lead you down paths of righteousness for my names sake. And: I am the way the truth and the life. And: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. And: In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
(And by the way, for that person who thinks Satan is a fictional character or a boogy man. He isnt. Satan was cursed back in the garden. Man was cursed to return to the dust or earth from which he was created. The serpent/satan was cursed to the dust to glide on his belly in it for ever. Well Adam, Eve and Jesus are the only ones I know of from scriptures to have ever seen satan. I think that is why. He was cursed to dwell in death and grave/earth).
Question 7, bible interpretation? Well mmmm. Scriptures say no private interpretations. I believe scriptures were given by the Holy Spirit so interpretation should be by the Holy Spirit.
So then I guess you next question would be how would you know if it was interpreted by the Holy Spirit? Well then dont interprete it, let the scripture speak for themselves. Then you know it was the Spirit
.
Question 8, Yes I believe in an eternal Spirit, the Holy Spirit when we are born again.
Question 9, Heaven. There is the Kingdom of Heaven where God dwells.
The heavens, where the stars of the sky are and the planets.
I even think at one time just looking up into the sky was considered heaven I dont know, like the heavens being rolled back like a scroll- may be our sky being rolled back for example??? (And I believe Paul talked about him or someone else being taken to one of the heavens???)
Question 10, Hell. I believe this is a holding place til judgement day. Then it is thrown into the lake of fire with the false prophet, and the beast, and death and grave. Not a wonderful place to be. And I think it is in the earth, spiritually. (Jesus told the pharasee's it was in the belly of the whale - earth. So just because you cant see it doesnt mean it isnt there).
There is a whole nother world right beneath our noses. A spiritual world, both good and evil. Just imagine if you could see it what you would see.
. Praying togeather in such agreement is so important.
