The struggle of the spirit

I struggle with this every day, and I've been a Christian for years.
Your transformation is a process, my friend. It can take awhile, and the only way to get through it is to trust God and forgive yourself after you repent.

A lot of people make it seem like when one becomes a Christian, there's this immediate transformation and all of a sudden they're this sanctified holy person. It doesn't work like that. We have to be refined, and that does mean putting fleshly desires away.

I'm here with you, and I'm here for you, if you need someone to chat and pray with. I won't judge you because I'm crappy so I don't have a right to lol

I can't offer you much in the way of telling you HOW to get through this, but I want you to know there's someone else going through this same process

Ace99 said:

In case the last message, wasn't clear it was for mother prayer, thankyou for your reply God Bless You.

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Aw I got it! Thank you, and bless you! I will PM you a bit later

I am struggling everyday with the flesh. I feel condemned all the time because of it. My problem is dwelling in the past, the mistakes I made and the wrong decisions I took and suffering the consequences of those wrong decisions. Also comments made by other people to me and their actions caused me pain and wounds and I keep going back to that and dwelling on those things. I know its a sin to dwell in the past but continue to do this. Can you suggest to me some tips on how to stop this? Thanks.
I don't see anything wrong in you getting married unless the Lord has told you not to.

Oh, and, can you please change the colour of your post Ace99? Its a bit straining to read it. Thanks again.

Ace99 said:

I am struggling at the moment, because I want to walk in the spirit with my loving lord but the fleshly desires tear me away from him, you see my greatest desire is to gods will but I really desire a wife and child, every day I think about it and many times it tears me away from god. I have surrended this to god and moved on thinking everything is ok, but god has shown me twice that I haven't fully surrended it to him, Both times were upsetting because i thought I had finally let go, I thought what more do you want god I have nothing left to give, I want to let go and leave everything behind and run the race but I still think about a relationship. I guess I'm trying to control this, wether I marry someone or not is in gods hands but I don't know how to let go, I can feel the battle going on, anyone ever felt like this or is it just me.

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You have an unhelpful dualism it seems. Marriage originated with God. We are not being 'fleshly' or 'out of the Spirit' by either wanting marriage or getting married and having children.

John
NZ

Shulamite7 said:

I am struggling everyday with the flesh. I feel condemned all the time because of it. My problem is dwelling in the past, the mistakes I made and the wrong decisions I took and suffering the consequences of those wrong decisions. Also comments made by other people to me and their actions caused me pain and wounds and I keep going back to that and dwelling on those things. I know its a sin to dwell in the past but continue to do this. Can you suggest to me some tips on how to stop this? Thanks.
I don't see anything wrong in you getting married unless the Lord has told you not to.

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Most of us would do better second time around, but we only get one shot at life.

It's not necessarily a sin to look back of the past, as sometimes there are things to face up to, reflect on, or need healing. What is important is to see who you are in Christ. Look at this:

[FONT=&quot]“I am nots.” I am not loveable. I am not good enough. I am not worthy, not special, not wanted. We all have them, and they debilitate us, poisoning our freedom to live life. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I think Jesus’ own “I Am” is the answer to all of our “I am nots.”

I Am there, and you are in me. So you are there too.
I Am worthy, and you are in me. So you are worthy too.
I Am loved, and you are in me. So you are loved too.
I Am important, and you are in me. So you are important too.
I Am wanted, and you are in me. So you are wanted too.

Blessed are the ones who have the freedom to be, for they shall see glory everywhere. Baxter Kruger blog

Bless you
John
NZ[/FONT]

Hopefully the Welcome Centre has sorted out your blessing and no curse nonsence.

The only advice to your situation I can give is patience, take it slowly. Things will work out fine and Johnnz gives good advice. Not to be so hard on ourselves as your friends text advises. All will sort itself in time.

Ace99 said:

Could someone please tell me why it says bless but do not curse in
My messages, there is nothing upsetting in them and its really doing my head in, when I send a message, does anyone know, could it be in my settings.

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Its a spacing issue. It happened to me when I copied and pasted a blog post of mine over. Here I'm talking about Godly things and every third word it says bless and do not curse. Someone said it was because the site sometimes misrecognizes spacing for people trying to get around the filter.
Drove me crazy too :-/

Ace99 said:

To Johnn Z, the trouble for me really isnt about marriage it's about fear that if I don't get married some how I wouldn't be able to cope, god wants me to be his all in all and I want that too and in doing it I want to lay it at his feet but I get scared in case if I let fully go I will never marry, that some how he will take my dream away, but I know it's all very unhealthy and if god did ever want me to be married all this would have to go because when someone Is fearful they bring lots of things in like lack of trust, paranoia, e.t.c. In a past relationship I really hurt one of gods daughters and I would never want to do it again.

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That reflects an all too common understanding of God that places God against His own creation. We live in a wonderful world - God's world. Creation was pronounced 'good'. We were instructed to be fruitful. Adam was delighted when he first saw Eve, because it was not good for man to be alone. Why do we see God's will as opposing his blueprints at creation? The great men of the OT were married. The apostles were married, apart from Paul, and he may have been widowed.

C S Lewis wrote:
[FONT=&quot]"The New Testament has lots to say about denial, but not about self denial as an end in itself. We[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ; and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire. If there lurks in most modem minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of, it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant, and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak."

[/FONT]John
NZ

Ace99 said:

for johnnz I have just two points I'm not sure what you think of them first the apostles were married but then they were chosen to leave everything and follow Jesus, ( I hope I've hot this right) 2nd this world although created by god is not gods, it belongs to satan, I can't remember where it says that Satan is the father of this world, maybe god allows Satan to take control of this world, I am a new Christian so I don't know too much but you are right god does delight in marriage and I do pray that god allows me to marry but I know that isn't set in stone his will be done. I do hope you don't think I'm being rude by the way I'm speaking because that's not my intention at all. God bless you Johnnz

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Hi,

The apostles did leave their previous occupations, community standing, and for many their own country. But most Christians in NT times just got on with living within society as Christ followers, working, marrying, eating, the normal things of life. Jesus was no less Divine during his years working as a carpenter in a small village.

This world remains God's. He created it, and Jesus is there within His creation too. Satan is the prince of this world i.e. the one who holds sway over many people who chose not to follow God. But he cannot take the earth away from its Creator and Lord, Jesus.

Here are some scriptures.
The Earth belongs to God.
Ps 24:1-2 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. NIV
Ps 33:5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. NIV
Ps 47:2 How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! NIV
Isa 54:5 For your Maker is your husband — the Lord Almighty is his name —
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. NIV

Jesus is present in His Creation
Col 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. NIV

God's kingship over the earth

Acts 7:49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. NIV
Footstool represents royal authority. The earth is God's palace/temple.

Jesus saw Satan being usurped.
Luke 10:18-19 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. NIV
John 12:30-31 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. NIV
John 14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, NIV
John 16:11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. NIV

Hope you find this encouraging.

John
NZ

A wife and family are a good thing and God puts His desires in our heart. Sometimes He removes things we desire that are not of Him, but He often puts these desires within us. They are not to be "overcome", but rather, submitted to Him to bring about. We wait with patience. There is often a preparatory work done in us and our wife to be and there is nothing like prayer to help bring this about. We must be patient because we don't know God's timetable, but it is not good for man to be alone and if you've found a godly wife, you've found a good thing.

Just don't get ahead of God. You might speed up the process by finding that place of contentment because God wants this of all of us. Also, go ahead and pray for your wife right now. Consider it a sacred duty and you could even keep a journal. Don't become obsessed about it, but consider that God wants you to have a family and be at peace. You can rejoice that God has such things for His people and be at peace knowing that God is your provider, matchmaker, revelator, appointer of times and seasons, etc.

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psalms 37:4-6