~ THE INNER ROOM ~ A Place to Withdraw To - WELCOME! (please read the OP) (2)

[foreveramanda]

You know BG you can actually use this as a way to teach others and to show them that being a christian doesn't make you any less human. I have noticed that a lot of times people who are not Christian or do not want to become Christian is because many times we 'Christians' try to be something we aren't and that is perfect. Yes, I know that we are to do our best to be Christ like but often times we put on this fake front that we are perfect and never face the temptations of life. We act as if because we are Christian we don't have body issues, we don't do things 'normal' people do. There is a Christian comedian that I adore his name is Brad Stine and he is always at the Promise Keeper conventions we own two of his videos and he talks about this too - we are people prick us and we bleed as does the person sitting across from you.

Be honest with these people - tell them the truth yes I have issues that I struggle with just like you but what I do is turn them over to God. You would be amazed at how much that helps. Be honest. I know sometimes I TRY to hand things over to God but they impact me so much that I have to try and try and try before I am really ready to say okay Lord I give this to you -Your will as you will.

It is okay to struggle BG. Ask Jesus to guide you he said he would help us with our trials. Don't feel as if you have let God down because you have fallen short - take the hand Jesus is offering when you slip and fall and get back up and keep going.

Be real - show who you are - give God the glory for your blessings - show you have faults but you are working with God to overcome them. You would be amazed at how nonChristians react to Christians being what they are - human.

*ahem* *steps of mini soap box*

This is something I feel very passionate about and I feel God is trying to get across to so many of us. We are human and trying to hide the fact that we have faults and make mistakes drives others away. We fear being imperfect - so we pretend to be something we are not - others can see through that and then they want nothing to do with a religion that forces others to be what they aren't. All God asks is that we do our best in Him. He knows our faults and our weaknesses trust Him to USE THEM FOR HIS GLORY.

~amanda

 

[spiritfilledwoman]

Worship Him in this way.
1. Exclusively.
Let all your affections be turned to him. Find pleasure in Him alone, not any other source. Don't turn to anything else for comfort.
2. Passionately.
Worship Him with all that is in you. Be fervent. Bring the sacrifice of praise to Him.
3. Courageously.
It's going to show. Others will notice when you adore Jesus above all. Some will be blessed, and join you, and others may ridicule you Be strong and courageous. Worship Him, hold fast to Him, in the face of anything. He will support you. He will be your strength.

Good post. This is something to meditate on, for sure.

 

[J4Jesus]

Hi everyone
I finally go on here! I haven't been able to get on here it was offline today

Hope everyone is having a good day.

 

[spiritfilledwoman]

Hi J! Good to see you today. Hope all is well with you.

 

[blankgirl]

You know BG you can actually use this as a way to teach others and to show them that being a christian doesn't make you any less human. I have noticed that a lot of times people who are not Christian or do not want to become Christian is because many times we 'Christians' try to be something we aren't and that is perfect. Yes, I know that we are to do our best to be Christ like but often times we put on this fake front that we are perfect and never face the temptations of life. We act as if because we are Christian we don't have body issues, we don't do things 'normal' people do. There is a Christian comedian that I adore his name is Brad Stine and he is always at the Promise Keeper conventions we own two of his videos and he talks about this too - we are people prick us and we bleed as does the person sitting across from you.

Be honest with these people - tell them the truth yes I have issues that I struggle with just like you but what I do is turn them over to God. You would be amazed at how much that helps. Be honest. I know sometimes I TRY to hand things over to God but they impact me so much that I have to try and try and try before I am really ready to say okay Lord I give this to you -Your will as you will.

It is okay to struggle BG. Ask Jesus to guide you he said he would help us with our trials. Don't feel as if you have let God down because you have fallen short - take the hand Jesus is offering when you slip and fall and get back up and keep going.

Be real - show who you are - give God the glory for your blessings - show you have faults but you are working with God to overcome them. You would be amazed at how nonChristians react to Christians being what they are - human.

*ahem* *steps of mini soap box*

This is something I feel very passionate about and I feel God is trying to get across to so many of us. We are human and trying to hide the fact that we have faults and make mistakes drives others away. We fear being imperfect - so we pretend to be something we are not - others can see through that and then they want nothing to do with a religion that forces others to be what they aren't. All God asks is that we do our best in Him. He knows our faults and our weaknesses trust Him to USE THEM FOR HIS GLORY.

~amanda

Thank you for that.. what u wrote really touched me deeply.. i was tearing after reading your post. thank you amanda..

 

[AllForJesus]

Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

--Psalm 112:5

Loving Father, I know I will meet people today who need me to be generous with my love, time, forgiveness and everything. Please help me to treat them fairly and with love, just as you have treated me. May my life reflect your grace to others who need your love. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

[blankgirl]

hey BM's here...Hi BM! we missed u.

 

[CindyisHis]

sigh... right..

Hey bg, what's this in reference to, dear?

 

[CindyisHis]

It is okay to struggle. Ask Jesus to guide you he said he would help us with our trials. Don't feel as if you have let God down because you have fallen short - take the hand Jesus is offering when you slip and fall and get back up and keep going.

~amanda

I liked much more, but this part.....

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
8 Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

 

[blankgirl]

Hey bg, what's this in reference to, dear?

nothing.. im just really tired. ah, watever.. i mean, we need to be strong as well.. so yea i ll try.

 

[foreveramanda]

Thank you for that.. what u wrote really touched me deeply.. i was tearing after reading your post. thank you amanda..

I'm glad that it helped you sweetie
I hope and pray that today is a better day for you <3

 

[foreveramanda]

I liked much more, but this part.....

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
8 Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

=) I was worried there for a little bit after I posted thinking I run everyone off because it seemed no one was posting in the IR

I

 

[Bondman]

Hi to everyone!

I am feeling somewhat better than when I had to leave here for a time. It's been mighty hard being away from you all I can tell you!!!

I've just been reading posts to catch up a bit. I guess only really silly people read them backwards, but I've now got as far back as page 30, and will proceed to page 29 next...

I may be able to do just a little back here now. We'll see.


Hey, I'm so THRILLED at the wonderful job everyone has been doing while I've been recuperating! We surely do have a Christian family here who care about each other, and will not let the IR collapse.

I have to say a big BIG thankyou to Criada who took over from me, and now Cindy who's done wonderfully, with great help from GreenThumb, and... and... well, I won't try to mention everyone, but wow, great job you guys! I've already read some amazing posts from some of you who I could mention! Also a BIG Welcome to new membes who I've not met before. God bless you heaps here at the IR!

LOVE YOU ALL! Thankyou SO much to those who prayed for us AND the thread.

Please don't stop! Every day is a day we must bring our petitions to the Lord Who simply loves 'to hear from us'!!!

I've been in a couple of other places too and below is what came together from that.

Much love to each one of you!

- Bondman and his Lady

 

[Bondman]

.

​

I was really struck by the mention of how difficult at times the Sacrifice of Praise can be - which then tied in with another quote I saw of this rather amazing verse:


[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2 Corinthians[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, [/FONT]


Just for 'a moment', huh? And doncha just gotta love Paul's 'light affliction'!

Yeah, sure!! In 2 Corinthians 6 he records just some of what his life in Christ had brought: tribulations, needs, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labours, sleepnesses, fastings, in dishonour, in deceivings, being chastened, sorrowful, poor, even having nothing.

But these and more he virtually dismissed as being irrelevant in his life and walk with the Lord Jesus!! Now I reckon that deserves a WOW!!!

We have hard times too. We struggle, maybe grizzle and feel sorry for ourselves, and feel like it's all just too much. But lift up your hearts and rejoice, dear hearts, because these hardships - which please note we MUST experience if we are to be true to our Lord, so please do not be SURPRISED by them! - why, these things really are only momentary compared to our life which is to come... with God... in eternity... when all these things will be gone forever!!!

Now please do NOT think I am making light of hardships we experience. Not at all. I understand what you're feeling or have felt. I've been there too! Pretty rotten, hey! No, what I am doing is looking at what the Word of God says about all this, so that we may be able to do SO much better during our hard times!!

Because in the same passage, Paul mentioned just a couple of things that enable the Christian to be an OVERCOMER:

by the armour of righteousness (you CAN become, and BE righteous - I'm not kidding!)

by the power of God (we all have access to His power!)

by the Word of Truth (ditto)

by the Holy Spirit! (so important, so essential, and we all have HIM in us also)

Oh, yeah!!!!


Would you like to now read with me - direct from the Lord to us, straight into our hearts and minds! - the three verses concerning this so very important matter of BECOMING AN OVERCOMER:

2 Corinthians
4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

and Hallelujah!!

- Bondman and his Lady

_________________​

The Inner Room - INDEX of Bondman Messages! ​

THE VERSE of OUR Inner Room FAMILY:
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11​

 

[CindyisHis]

=) I was worried there for a little bit after I posted thinking I run everyone off because it seemed no one was posting in the IR

I

If anything it would be me running everybody off, I'm the one who's been posting away!

Amanda, I love your fellowship here. Don't you dare think you're running anybody off. Certainly not me!!!

 

[CindyisHis]

.


4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

_________________​

The Inner Room - INDEX of Bondman Messages! ​

THE VERSE of OUR Inner Room FAMILY:
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11​

Heeyyyy!!!!!!

So good to see you! But don't you over-do it, you here? Is my southern twang coming out? Sometimes it is there and sometimes it isn't. That's because we have everybody from every state and most English speaking nations here in FL, and I talk like them all!

This scripture above, Bondman, was a prophetic word given in our church Sunday. It was greatly paraphrased by the vessel the Lord spoke through, but this is what the Lord was saying. It began like this...."See through your spiritual eyes, not your natural eyes...." Immediately, this is the verse that came to mind.

Yes, though we all go through some terrible hardships, we must put it all into perspective. It is amazing Paul said what he said. Paul had a revelation of something. We need to catch a hold of it too.

Paul was suffering for the sake of the gospel. As he preached the truth, it was mostly the religious folks that stirred things up against him. What a list of suffering! All because he was upsetting their traditions in preaching the truth of Jesus. His willingness in laying down his life was indeed working a great eternal reward of glory.

Sometimes I have suffered hardship in poor choices I've made in life. I don't think there is any reward for me in that. But if I'm wise, I'll give heed to instruction and correction, and allow that to train me. No one likes discipline, but afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

But that's an altogether different message.

Bondman, that was a good word, as always. And by the way, I sometimes read backwards too!

 

[CindyisHis]

nothing.. im just really tired. ah, watever.. i mean, we need to be strong as well.. so yea i ll try.

Oh, got it. Now I understand.

I pray you are strengthened today, and always.

Hey, did I ever tell you how much I like your being here?

 

[AllForJesus]

Thank you so so much M.B for the GREAT post!
Thank you also CindyisHis!
Amanda blankgirl carida and all

 

[AllForJesus]

 

[foreveramanda]

I don't talk very often about what it is like to be an army wife and the fears and things that go with it. I mainly avoid talking about it because of precautions we have to take not to share information that could potentially lead to problems for our troops.

The last week or so things have been falling into place and it is beginning to look like my husband will not be leaving the army in Feb like he was supposed but will be serving our country overseas again. At this time it is only guessing that he will go but the hints are leaning towards a deployment.

Pray for us both please.

~amanda