5 replies to this topic

[Kevin Blankenship]

But I am taking this one in another direction. And please bear in mind, that I have to look at things from my perspective. Just like each one of you. We can only share things from our own perspective.
Here lately, I have had a very difficult time cracking open my Bible and studying it. And praying. The oter night, while praying to God, I got frustrated because I knew that I hadn't been fervent in the duties that I KNOW always make my spirit strong. I said to God: "God.....I need YOU!!!!!!...to talk back to ME!!!!!!!....sometimes. God, I feel that this is a one-sided relationship!!!!"
And I feel that the answer came back to me, maybe not immediately because I wasn't at peace and therefore was not receptive to that still small word from the Lord......that voice of Reason......that Wisdom that, from time to time....will burst into thought in my mind sometime. He seemed to be saying, "a physical voice/relationship will come from a physical aspect of Me. The Body of Christ"
Brothers....Sisters....why do I persist in shutting myself off from fellowshipping with fellow Christians. On Sunday Morning, I will generally pray, study the Scripture, listen to some television preaching. Come in here and read this forum and see if there are any fresh replies or threads.
The fault lies with me and not God. Peter told the scattered Church in First Peter 1: "⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Am I filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy? (I am now deviating away from the original intent of my thread....lol) But give me some latitude. The above scripture seems to connect "inexpressible and glorious joy" with "receiving the end of your faith: the salvation of your souls"
So logically, if my faith in Jesus is producing an "inexpressible and glorious joy".......then I am saved. But is the reverse true?? If I am sitting around, bored, ....not wanting to read my Bible.....not wanting to pray as much......just feeling "blah-zay" about life. Does that mean that my faith is shallow and my lamp has run dry of Oil? Or!!! Am I just being a human being. A believer in Christ, stuck in a wicked world. I don't know. I just feel that I could do more for Him since he did SO MUCH to secure my reconciliation with God. I suppose that I need a season of "counting my blessings". But guess what I do instead? I get online and order a new toy. Now I have reason to look forward to the UPS or Fed Ex truck coming wednesday. But I find that even THAT has lost it's zest. It use to REALLY excite me to have a new toy coming. But I prayed and asked God to remove from me any and every..thing that wants to jump up on the Throne of my heart where only Jesus has a right to be. Only Jesus has a right to be there. Only HE has a right to my undivided affections. And yet, when I try to love Him in the flesh.....I find that it is unfulfilling.
Okay....I'm stopping right there. I am not going to keep rambling about my WOES when there are a number of you who are going through some intense strugglings. I just felt a WAVE of hard conviction come across me that declares that there are others of our number who are actually in SUFFER-mode.
If anyone needs prayer.....I need something to pray about. If you are going through some hard stuff.....tell us about it. Tell us only as much as you wish. And we will pray for you. Sincerely. We will come into God's presence, since He has invited us there, and went through alot of pain and trouble to make sure that we could GO there, and we will mention your name to Him and aks Him if He will work on your behalf, and that His Will, and ONLY His Will, will be done in your life. If you'll do that, you'll help me get out of my SELF today, and you will also know that there are fellow believers who are talking to God about you. We need each other. We need each other. We need each other. Like it or not, we need each other.

[Candice]

Hi Kevin,

Here lately, I have had a very difficult time cracking open my Bible and studying it. And praying. The oter night, while praying to God, I got frustrated because I knew that I hadn't been fervent in the duties that I KNOW always make my spirit strong.
Brothers....Sisters....why do I persist in shutting myself off from fellowshipping with fellow Christians. On Sunday Morning, I will generally pray, study the Scripture, listen to some television preaching. Come in here and read this forum and see if there are any fresh replies or threads.
The fault lies with me and not God. So logically, if my faith in Jesus is producing an "inexpressible and glorious joy".......then I am saved. But is the reverse true?? If I am sitting around, bored, ....not wanting to read my Bible.....not wanting to pray as much......just feeling "blah-zay" about life. Does that mean that my faith is shallow and my lamp has run dry of Oil? Or!!! Am I just being a human being.

If you'll do that, you'll help me get out of my SELF today, and you will also know that there are fellow believers who are talking to God about you. We need each other. We need each other. We need each other. Like it or not, we need each other.

Kevin,
There's a whole lot of wonder here. Maybe you can just call churches in your town to see if men meet on a regular basis, even not a denominational thing, like Charlie replied on the other post, and get into meeting with men regularly. Maybe just a couple even. Can you post something in the paper, like forming a men's prayer group or something that meets at a local café?? My husband isn't into reading the bible or anything like that, but he does meet with three Christian guys on Friday morning for breakfast. They started off at a church with about 10 men and quickly dwindled down to four. No one seemed to be able to tolerate real study of the word. But, that's ok. They just meet and share and pray. And, my husband never shares with me what they talk about...never! I would not want him to. Those three guys are solid and not gossipy. I believe you need to meet face-to-face in fellowship. Here, on the forum, it's just not the same, as Charlie said.

You are not in any different position with Christ, no matter the world around you. YOu know that of course. It just isn't healthy, if it can be different (and I know it's difficult to produce something in the flesh and make it then turn spiritual - believe me). But, there has to be a way to find even just a couple of guys - usually older ones are more mature. But, then again...

Love, Candice

[Kevin Blankenship]

That's not a bad idea Candice!!! Not bad at all!!! I have not been FERVENTLY looking for this fellowship that God's Spirit within me craves. But that's my fault. Time to buckle down and do something that I don't want to do, in the name of GROWTH in grace and knowledge of Jesus.

[radar]

Kevin, I went through a period of time feeling the way you do. In my opinion, it would seem that satan has created a stronghold in your mind which prevents you from seeking the fellowship of others in a face to face manner. Your heart is telling you that you need the fellowship, hence the turmoil and anguish that is tormenting you. Since you are praying to God to take away any and everything that is a distraction and hinderance in your walk, could it be that God is answering your prayer by allowing these things which are stealing your peace and joy to happen to get you to move toward what you know in your heart is right?

God uses His written word mainly to communicate with us. He sometimes uses people. Your prayer of God where are you is the same way King David felt at times as reflected in his psalms. David was also quick to get back on track by expressing his faith and trust in God in those same writings.

I have observed that "inexpressible and glorious joy" about you in what you have posted at other times in this forum. Do you still believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior? If you do, and I do not see any evidence that you don't, you have faith and it is by faith you are saved, not emotions, but knowledge of the truth that is in Jesus Christ. That is your inexpressible joy, you having a realtionship with the living God. James said to count it all joy when you fall into various temptations (troubles), knowing that the TRYING of you faith (what you are experiencing now) works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. It is an opportunity for us to stand on the word of God when we face difficulties and prove our faith by knowledge rather than submitting to our emotions. Remember, our enemy the devil, works in our emotional realm.

Final thought, who better to ramble to about our burdens but each other here. At the present time, it would seem the only two way communication with other believers for you at the moment is with us here. I am praying that God will lead you into a good local fellowship and send Godly men into your life. We are all members of one body and when one is hurting, we all should feel the pain. I pray that your faith will not fail you, and when you have successfully gone through this trial, you will have knowledge to share of how to strenghten other brethren in the same situation. I also pray that God would fill you completely with His Spirit. May His Mercy, Grace, and Peace be upon you my friend.

[Candice]

Kevin,
Thinking a bit further on this...
My friend and I decided to start a Moms' weekly prayer group down in our local town. So, we decided on how to go about it and put a notice out (flyers) to local church bodies to advertise. We did select some bodies over others for reasons you can imagine. We had a preset Moms in Touch format so we didn't have to come up with anything since that overarching ministry provided materials, help, etc. This tiny ministry is still going on in town although my dear, dear friend moved to Fort Collins, about five hours from here last summer. We still keep in touch regularly though - thank God because she "gets it".

One of the moms took it over after my friend moved, and it's been going on for four years now. A very small group about four to five women show up on average each week. I don't go since my son told me he did not want me to share anything about him with friends or anyone else. So, I honored his request; of course, also telling him as gently as possible that when believers cease praying for him, he falls into enemy territory. He tells me to pray for him!! He definitely does not want to stray so far as to not want his mother to pray for him.

Anyway Kevin, I think you could do something along this line. Maybe determine how you see this type of men's get together. Moms in Touch was nice because we had a specific word that we took from the Scriptures, read several scriptures that had that word focused in it, i.e. hope or glory, etc.. Then, we prayed silently to the Lord to come before Him with purity before sharing our prayer requests. We provided something to write prayer requests that was prepared by Moms In Touch - just one page. And, then we prayed out loud, interceding for one another. Although I believed the group to be safe, that is something that has to be made clear up front - no gossiping!

I don't know if this is something the Lord is leading you to do, and as a woman, I ought not be leading you to anything! So, I hope I'm not being too forward (hope I'm not an Eve). But, do we need to hear a "Word" for everything we do?? I don't think you should just step out with no prayer or a plan beforehand, but I'm PRAYING FOR YOU to move into fellowship according to God's will for you. Just a couple of guys - really - the fewer the better sometimes.

He has given you a hope and a future! And, what's nice too is that He goes before you.
Love,
Candice

[Kevin Blankenship]

Thanks to the both of you Candice and Radar, for you feedback. Yes, the thought has occurred to me that God is causing the things that once brought me fulfilment and added zest to my life to now become droll and lifeless. (my hobbies.....which I have spent FAR too much time with, at the expense, even, of my normal Christian duty). But yes, I simply MUST break out of this shell. It is likely to be hard-wired into me, as my father was the very same way. We are just more comfortable when nobody is around. But God didn't make us like that. It is yet another flaw in the original intent of God for man. And I won't find satisfaction until i overcome it. Ya know, it just seems like it's always something. lol I mean....really! Just when things are starting to make sense......BAM!!!! I slip back into that funk. I will be SO GLAD when all of this is over. I mean that with every fiber of my being. But I CERTAINLY want to accomplish God's plan for my life first. I surely want to drag as many people UP as I possibly can. But sometimes, I get SO tired. I just wanna lie down, and not get back up. At least, the physical me. For all I care, it can lay there til the flies start blowing it. As long as I'm with the One Who has occupied my mind and heart for the last many years. (This is a passing phase....please.....no need to take me too seriously, although I am being VERY candid......this too,.......shall pass.)