Don’t think I can hold on much longer

[JordanL103]

Hello everyone,
I have been a faithful Christian ever since I was 4 or 5. And I always believed that God had a will and plan for everyone and he is always there for us. Most importantly, I always believed that he will never give us more than we can handle. But recently, I am starting to collapse.

Everyday I’m getting near the end and I don’t think I can hang in there much longer. Life has been hell for me, today I finally let go and cried so painfully because I just cannot hold it in much longer. My relationship has fallen apart. The girl I loved so dearly for 6 years has left me, and I always thought she was the one. In fact I still do, I don’t mean to sound obsessive or opinionated l, but I still just have that gut feel that she’s the one that’s meant to be. I know in the past I’ve hurt her a bunch of times, but I was young and I love her. But this time I tried to save this relationship but it was no good. Friends say I wasn’t trying hard enough but there’s nothing more that I can do. Everyday I live in nightmares and live like a zombie because I just cannot think. Just a few days ago, for the first time in my entire life I woke up crying. I guess I finally just had it. And life is just... I don’t know how to say this but I know that this life I’m currently living is not aligned with who I really am or for the real purpose of me being in this world.

Everyday I feel like I’m further off from what I truly should be living. I don’t know how I can describe it to you guys but I just know this is not the kind of life I should be living and I have absolutely no power to change that. I am not who I really am and I’m just not in sync with this current life. I know you all say that God has a purpose and plan for all of us but I really cannot see it. And I cannot feel the love and presence of God at all. I’m so close to renouncing my faith, I don’t wanna donthat but it has became to a point where I’m near giving up. And I know you all say that a better life awaits if we just be patient and hang on, but what you don’t understand is I am suffering right “now” and I cannot hold on much longer.

Suicide has once again popped into my head quite a few times today. I don’t know where God is. I am close to losing it and be still has not given me any hope or let me see any way out. I am so tired of this life I lm thinking maybe I should just end the pain myself because I’ve waited and waited and God has not changed a thing. So from now on there is no hope in me. I don’t know where God is and I cannot deal with this anymore. I pray and pray but nothing ever happened. And so I give up. Don’t know how much longer it takes to give up my life but it’s heading in that direction. I cannot suffer any longer. Maybe I’ll go to hell but what’s the difference. I’m living in hell right now. I used to be the most outgoing, positive and optimistic person ever. I always bring joy to other people. But maybe God doesn’t like that because I am close to losing it.

Everyone talks about God miraculously healing them. Why won’t He do that for me? Why won’t He take away even a little of the pain? Why won’t He give me even a little relief? How does He expect me to believe that He is real and He is good when He treats me like crap?

and I refuse to just sit around and wait for our “loving” God to decide I’ve been tormented enough. I’d rather end the pain myself.

 

[Hekuran]

Everyday I feel like I’m further off from what I truly should be living. I don’t know how I can describe it to you guys but I just know this is not the kind of life I should be living and I have absolutely no power to change that. I am not who I really am and I’m just not in sync with this current life. I know you all say that God has a purpose and plan for all of us but I really cannot see it. And I cannot feel the love and presence of God at all. I’m so close to renouncing my faith, I don’t wanna donthat but it has became to a point where I’m near giving up. And I know you all say that a better life awaits if we just be patient and hang on, but what you don’t understand is I am suffering right “now” and I cannot hold on much longer.

Praying for you right now. Praying that in time you will live out your true identity, that who you really are and how you live will be in harmony.

Keeping holding on. Allow God to hold you too.

 

[Dave M]

Praying for you dont loose hope below are some tough questions that help me stay the course hopefully they may help you

you say God treats you like crap, how do you treat him?? are you in his word everyday?? are you on you knees everyday several times a day?? are fasting ?? are you serving him?? where is your heart?? do you give thanks when things are good? or do you just go to him when things are bad?


________________________________________________
under the Lords Grace

 

[Fragrant Grace]

Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.
Matthew 26:36-38

Greetings @JordanL103

Jesus knows what you are going through Jordon
He endured deep deep sorrow and pain

Suicide, the taking of a life is very serious sin, grievous to the Lord......Your pain and despair do not need to end in death.....thats what the devil wants.

Your life is precious to Jesus and He the Good Shepherd keeps His sheep.

Please write again, let us know how you are....let us seek out some help for you.
Pm if you need to.

 

[Brad Huber]

Wherever you place your heart will tie you deeply emotionally to that person/entity. God is not physical that we can hug him and just do friend stuff with Him. So when you look to comfort the physical, people look to another person and thats what you had done with your girlfriend. But she is human and like you faulty. She herself looks for comfort in people/entities. She found it for awhile with you, but she didnt place her heart with you, she simply liked some of the things you provided her, probably made her feel good for a time. But she is human and faulty and has decided that something else was better for her to place her heart with, instead of you. The reasons for this are hers and she may not even tell you the truth of those reasons, either to hurt you less, or to be less embarrassed by her own actions. Accept both of yourselves faultiness and be more careful where you place what is left of your heart. Good news is that your heart is truly not destroyed, it is broken but able to be healed. It will take time, but it will heal. The heart is capable great love and healing, God made it this way to help overcome our own lack of ability to choose wisely in whom we give it to. God is certainly trustworthy to give our heart to Him mainly. Then its still big enough (our heart) to give it to our brothers and sisters of this earth, as long as its not the primary placement of our heart. Be sad for a time, but understand that pity overextended hurts yourself and those around you that care about you. Get yourself up, go through the motions that life demands, speak to others, tell others who ask, that you prefer not to talk about your ex girlfriend. You will grow less sad with time, but dont be impatient, the heart takes time to heal. And learn from this experience to make yourself wiser when you start to think about caring deeply for another again, which you will in time.

 

[KingJ]

and I refuse to just sit around and wait for our “loving” God to decide I’ve been tormented enough. I’d rather end the pain myself.

You are not thinking straight in your state.

God gets involved in who we date and marry if we are His, because it is a decision that effects our whole lives. It could be God removing her from you so that you can get prepared for the right person. What it seems like to me is the devil at work. Trying to destroy you.

I have been where you are before. Many of us have. The advice for you is as you said, to just hang in there. Re-kindle your relationship with God. Was your relationship with this girl a God fearing relationship? Did you exclude God from it? In the past I did. Looking back I am glad that things went the way they did. Today I am happily married with a God fearing wife and two beautiful children.

We so quick to blame God. God ties His hands to allow us free will to do as we please. This is love. You will better understand it when you get over this.

I do propose you get on your knees and make right with God. Stop making assumptions about Him. Wait on Him in prayer. His peace surpasses all understanding. Don't try put Him in your box. Just wait on Him in prayer. Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Praying for you bud. I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery.

 

[amadeus2]

@JordanL103
It is NOT this life in the flesh that is most important thing. It is NOT even the ideal spouse that is the most important thing. It is rather as Jesus put it:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matt 6:33-34

The things of the flesh including even a good spouse may be among the "all these things shall be added"

To think otherwise is a childish and selfish attitude. God does want us to enjoy this natural life, but with Him it is still all secondary. If we truly strive to put first things first, then He may add some of your selfish desires, but always remember that until you get your priorities straight, God is unlikely to give you that which you desire:

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." James 4:3

I am praying for you and your situation. Ask as Jesus asked when he prayed:

"...nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matt 26:39

 

[Sue D.]

@JordonL103 -- have you sought out Biblical counseling -- talked with a Bible preacher. Do you have a pastor? I was in counseling for about 2 yrs. The counselor, himself, had been through a divorce that was devistating to him. He was on anti-depressants for a few months. His goal in counseling is to keep couples Together if at all possible. He had contemplated suicide once and used the tools he had given others to help himself. Our significance to God. We are Very important to Him.

As hard as it is at times -- reading the Psalms helps. The Prison Epistles -- Philippians, Colossians are two of them. Journalize your thoughts, feelings -- getting exercise -- eating nutritious food. Getting sleep at night. Listening to up-lifting music.

You Can get through this dark time in your life. Do things that get you around people.

 

[UncleD]

Gods purpose and plan for everyone from Adam to now has been salvation through His Son. This is the first and foremost concern of God for all human beings. One cannot come to God with an idea that He will accept them because He has a plan and purpose for them and they want to know that plan and purpose. In Genesis 3 we see the fall of man who rebelled against Gods command and the judgement of God because of it. That sinful act of Adam caused him to be separated from His relationship with God ... he had died spiritually . The only tree they could eat from was the Tree of Life who is Jesus Christ the Word of God. The sin committed now prevented them from this and God put them out of fellowship with Himself (Genesis 3:17-24). God says in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. There is much to be said and taught in this verse but for the sake of brevity I will give you the basics. The woman's seed would be Jesus Christ who would come later in History but will be shown through out the Old Testament in pictures, prophecies, feasts and sacrifices of the Jews, the first of these being in Genesis 3:21 where God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Note here death came for the first time and an animal was sacrificed so God could cover them. This points one to the fact that the Son of God, the Word, would come and His death on the cross would bring forgiveness of sin and His Blood shed on that cross for our justification. God would be the only one who could provide for us salvation from rebellion. Because of Adams sin that sin would be passed down to all his descendants ... us too. We see this everywhere in world today sinfulness is running rampant. Someone who was perfect and without sin would have to die in our place (read Romans 5). Now when we read John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. We see from this text that the Word was with God in the beginning ... Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God .... God here is Elohim which is plural denoting that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were involved in the creation of the heavens and the earth. Then God said let there be light and there was light and God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness and God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. This light was not the sun, moon or stars but the Lord Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life, the Word of God through whom all things would be made. Genesis 1:14-19 gives the account where the sun, moon and stars were created. We continue ... later in John 1 we see that in John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Now we see that which was promised in Genesis 3:15 and 21 the seed of the woman had come and the fulfilment of Gods provision for salvation because the blood of animals could not take away the sins of the world Hebrews 10.

Now because of this fall God provided His Son to come as a living sacrifice to die in our stead. Note Jesus was the fulness of the Godhead in bodily form (colossians 2:9) therefore God Himself became a man and paid the price for our sin something we could never do for ourselves because none were prefect and sinless. Only Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin, the seed was planted in her by God Himself supernaturally, was perfect in every way and was therefore the perfect sacrifice. So we see in the Gospels how Jesus Christ was crucified, a horrible death, for us. Death for those crucified prevented them from breathing and in order to breath they had to lift themselves on the nails in their ankles. It was extremely painful and this lasted for days until such time as the soldiers would come and break their legs so that they could die. When they came to Jesus to break His legs He was already dead fulfilling the prophecy that none of His bones would be broken. In John 19:31 we read: When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (emphasis on It is finished - mine). He said note.. He said it is finished! What is finished? The work of salvation God who became a man died as a perfect sacrifice for our sins from the time of Adam until the end of all things His Blood would be sufficient to justify us before God ... we must repent (that is to turn away from our sins) and believe on the Lord Jesus and we will be saved. Baptism must follow this and what this symbolises is our death with Christ to the sinful nature, we are buried with Him in His death and we are raised with Him in His resurrection Romans 6:1-6. Anyone who does this has eternal life. Let me give you John 3:16 in an expanded form: for God so loved the world (that is you and I) that He (God Himself) gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) (to be given up to death on a cross (a type of the altar) becoming a curse for us (taking away the curse God put in place in Genesis 3) so that we may be saved from hell and the lake of fire; that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We would not be eternally separated from God.

My dear friends Jesus Himself said that in order to come to the Father we must be BORN AGAIN John 3:3. This means that we must be reunited with God, who is Spirit, made possible because the Blood of Jesus Christ would reverse the judgement handed down in Genesis 3. Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Note: God Himself drove out the man from His presence and blocked the way to the Tree of Life with the flaming sword. We read in Ephesians 6 that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Fire in the bible points to judgement. Therefore only through the preaching of the Gospel in the power of Gods Spirit brings conviction of sin to the heart of the sinner and hopefully he or she repents and believes in Gods provision for salvation and is born again to eternal life. All this because of the outward going love of God towards us. Therefore today if you hear the voice of the Spirit of God calling you to repentance do not harden your hearts but humbly submit yourselves to His care and love.

If you want help in your troubles in this life, especially with broken relationships know that one should first be reconciled to God as mentioned above and once that relationship is restored God will assist in keeping our relationships in order as long as those relationships are in line with provisions of His Word, which is the final authority on all things relating to this world and heaven above. The world is the way it is because of sin and not only that the authorities have moved away from the principles of marriage, family, salvation though Christ alone and so we see what happens when society moves away from the perfect Word of God to follow a lie as in Genesis 3. God is not the author of confusion but rebellion is.

I hope you will understand that God is not the problem we are and unless we face the reality of our own condition and see ourselves in the light of His Word, sinners in need of salvation, we will not find peace in our hearts. Jesus is the Prince of Peace in Him we find peace in a world full of hate and with a loveless society. The only true love is the love of God towards man and only the love of God emanating from the heart of a believer towards others is showing real love towards man who seeks it but rejects it. I leave you with 1 John 4:7-21
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

 

[FinalPrime]

Hello everyone,
I have been a faithful Christian ever since I was 4 or 5. And I always believed that God had a will and plan for everyone and he is always there for us. Most importantly, I always believed that he will never give us more than we can handle. But recently, I am starting to collapse.

Everyday I’m getting near the end and I don’t think I can hang in there much longer. Life has been hell for me, today I finally let go and cried so painfully because I just cannot hold it in much longer. My relationship has fallen apart. The girl I loved so dearly for 6 years has left me, and I always thought she was the one. In fact I still do, I don’t mean to sound obsessive or opinionated l, but I still just have that gut feel that she’s the one that’s meant to be. I know in the past I’ve hurt her a bunch of times, but I was young and I love her. But this time I tried to save this relationship but it was no good. Friends say I wasn’t trying hard enough but there’s nothing more that I can do. Everyday I live in nightmares and live like a zombie because I just cannot think. Just a few days ago, for the first time in my entire life I woke up crying. I guess I finally just had it. And life is just... I don’t know how to say this but I know that this life I’m currently living is not aligned with who I really am or for the real purpose of me being in this world.

Everyday I feel like I’m further off from what I truly should be living. I don’t know how I can describe it to you guys but I just know this is not the kind of life I should be living and I have absolutely no power to change that. I am not who I really am and I’m just not in sync with this current life. I know you all say that God has a purpose and plan for all of us but I really cannot see it. And I cannot feel the love and presence of God at all. I’m so close to renouncing my faith, I don’t wanna donthat but it has became to a point where I’m near giving up. And I know you all say that a better life awaits if we just be patient and hang on, but what you don’t understand is I am suffering right “now” and I cannot hold on much longer.

Suicide has once again popped into my head quite a few times today. I don’t know where God is. I am close to losing it and be still has not given me any hope or let me see any way out. I am so tired of this life I lm thinking maybe I should just end the pain myself because I’ve waited and waited and God has not changed a thing. So from now on there is no hope in me. I don’t know where God is and I cannot deal with this anymore. I pray and pray but nothing ever happened. And so I give up. Don’t know how much longer it takes to give up my life but it’s heading in that direction. I cannot suffer any longer. Maybe I’ll go to hell but what’s the difference. I’m living in hell right now. I used to be the most outgoing, positive and optimistic person ever. I always bring joy to other people. But maybe God doesn’t like that because I am close to losing it.

Everyone talks about God miraculously healing them. Why won’t He do that for me? Why won’t He take away even a little of the pain? Why won’t He give me even a little relief? How does He expect me to believe that He is real and He is good when He treats me like crap?

and I refuse to just sit around and wait for our “loving” God to decide I’ve been tormented enough. I’d rather end the pain myself.

There are desires that are wrong, such desires cause suffering. Let go of wrong desires & you'll see a life worth living.

 

[Sue D.]

@Jordan 103 -- you said you've been a faithful Christian since the age of 4 or 5 -- if I may ask -- on what Basis do you say that.

 

[Ivar]

Hello everyone,
I have been a faithful Christian ever since I was 4 or 5. And I always believed that God had a will and plan for everyone and he is always there for us. Most importantly, I always believed that he will never give us more than we can handle. But recently, I am starting to collapse.

Everyday I’m getting near the end and I don’t think I can hang in there much longer. Life has been hell for me, today I finally let go and cried so painfully because I just cannot hold it in much longer. My relationship has fallen apart. The girl I loved so dearly for 6 years has left me, and I always thought she was the one. In fact I still do, I don’t mean to sound obsessive or opinionated l, but I still just have that gut feel that she’s the one that’s meant to be. I know in the past I’ve hurt her a bunch of times, but I was young and I love her. But this time I tried to save this relationship but it was no good. Friends say I wasn’t trying hard enough but there’s nothing more that I can do. Everyday I live in nightmares and live like a zombie because I just cannot think. Just a few days ago, for the first time in my entire life I woke up crying. I guess I finally just had it. And life is just... I don’t know how to say this but I know that this life I’m currently living is not aligned with who I really am or for the real purpose of me being in this world.

Everyday I feel like I’m further off from what I truly should be living. I don’t know how I can describe it to you guys but I just know this is not the kind of life I should be living and I have absolutely no power to change that. I am not who I really am and I’m just not in sync with this current life. I know you all say that God has a purpose and plan for all of us but I really cannot see it. And I cannot feel the love and presence of God at all. I’m so close to renouncing my faith, I don’t wanna donthat but it has became to a point where I’m near giving up. And I know you all say that a better life awaits if we just be patient and hang on, but what you don’t understand is I am suffering right “now” and I cannot hold on much longer.

Suicide has once again popped into my head quite a few times today. I don’t know where God is. I am close to losing it and be still has not given me any hope or let me see any way out. I am so tired of this life I lm thinking maybe I should just end the pain myself because I’ve waited and waited and God has not changed a thing. So from now on there is no hope in me. I don’t know where God is and I cannot deal with this anymore. I pray and pray but nothing ever happened. And so I give up. Don’t know how much longer it takes to give up my life but it’s heading in that direction. I cannot suffer any longer. Maybe I’ll go to hell but what’s the difference. I’m living in hell right now. I used to be the most outgoing, positive and optimistic person ever. I always bring joy to other people. But maybe God doesn’t like that because I am close to losing it.

Everyone talks about God miraculously healing them. Why won’t He do that for me? Why won’t He take away even a little of the pain? Why won’t He give me even a little relief? How does He expect me to believe that He is real and He is good when He treats me like crap?

and I refuse to just sit around and wait for our “loving” God to decide I’ve been tormented enough. I’d rather end the pain myself.

@JordanL103
if your still active i may need to PM you. Besides tempting the Creator their are several instances where your words are unlawful or go against wisdom.

 

[Dovegiven]

Not many Christian believers have matured spiritually enough to know when God actually is directly involved in one of our personal life choices. That is evident mostly when we lack prayer asking God to help even whom to date or just hang out with. He knows the perfect friends and mate for you, while without His input many end up in divorce, unthinkable in the beginning. Our own plans often go bad because of our own very natural though misguided desires.

One thing you mentioned that could be deeply misguiding you is the popular belief God has a plan for you, but you must seek to learn it. Scriptures don't teach that God or any commander of people indicates there is a plan while requiring participants to figure it out. Plans are revealed clearly, else there is no plan at all. Many people lead frustrated lives because they can't discover what "the plan" for their life is. God had a plan/preference for Israel and the prophets sent to warn the nation to return to God. There is no specific plan in scripture God expects of you individually. Belief that any prophecy of God in scriptures applies personally is a major error mostly among us Westerners. Promises are for the Church at large, of which you have been part of. Stay in Him, for your plan so far would be a tragic eternal solution to a short-term problem.

The plan for all humanity is that all may hear the gospel preached, believe it, then live by faith according to the scriptures and leadership of the Holy Spirit in each believer. The rest of the world, by far the great majority, tends to finish their lives without anything to do with God, especially Jesus his Son. Pray asking God to help you map out the day, and live by faith a day at a time. Listen in quietness for His help.

Since you are confessing you believed, continue to actively believe, receive, and obey the Word. In a nutshell this sums up my prayer for you of what you should be up to every day all day with all your strength, mind, and spirit:
2 Peter 1:1-11 (Darby)
1 Simon Peter, bondman and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have received like precious faith with us through [the] righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in [the] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 As his divine power has given to us all things which relate to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us by glory and virtue,
4 through which he has given to us the greatest and precious promises, that through these ye may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But for this very reason also, using therewith all diligence, in your faith have also virtue, in virtue knowledge,
6 in knowledge temperance, in temperance endurance, in endurance godliness,
7 in godliness brotherly love, in brotherly love love:
8 for these things existing and abounding in you make [you] to be neither idle nor unfruitful as regards the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ;
9 for he with whom these things are not present is blind, short-sighted, and has forgotten the purging of his former sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, use diligence to make your calling and election sure, for doing these things ye will never fall;
11 for thus shall the entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be richly furnished unto you.

 

[Sue D.]

Dovegiven -- you apparently believe that not many Christian believers -- what other kind Are there -- are sufficiently mature to know when God is actually directly involved in our personal life choices. And you feel that everyone needs to actively pray about who we hang out with or whom to date. And apparently you feel that we can avoid hurt or bad choices by simply always praying for God's guidance. That He will never allow us to make poor choices. Thus - a 'true' believer will never experience any pain as a result of relationships or divorce. But - we Do live in a fallen world. No person on this earth is perfect -- even born-again believers get married and end up in divorce. And sometimes non-believers get married and have very good marriages all their lives. As a counselor said -- even he had been divorced years ago -- we live in a fallen world. And there are Lots of Christian marriages that are wonderful and stay together for their entire lives.

And God Does have a plan for every person's life. God does lead us one step at a time. He leads Me differently than He leads You. He might lead Me to be a housewife and gives me 5 children to raise. He will probably lead another woman to be a nurse and marry a doctor -- or to be a teacher in a college and remain single. He led one young lady to salvation and to missions. Her family was Not supportive --thought she was wasting her time and money trying to get through college. Her intense struggling was - no doubt- preparing her for the struggling she would experience on the mission field.

God had a plan for the Children of Israel --they were rescued from slavery in Egypt and the Promised Land was waiting for them. They wanted a king like the other nations -- God granted them kings some good and some bad kings. They are still waiting for their King Jesus to come. They won't accept the Jesus in baby form who grew up to die on the cross for them and rise up again on the 3rd day. Providing their salvation and everyone's salvation -- we only need to accept it.

Some promises are for Israel and some are for the Church.

God has provided salvation for Everyone -- including you and JordanL103. A person does need to accept that salvation personally because it's Meant to be personal. God wants personal relationship with everyone. But He Also knows that not everyone will accept His gift of salvation.

Sometimes a child as young as 4 - 5 Can understand right from wrong. Can understand their personal need For salvation. But often times an adult will have them 'pray a prayer' which ends up meaning nothing to the child. Or the parents had them baptized as infants to safeguard them until they are older and can accept on their own. A child will be trusting in the prayer they prayed for a parent or Sunday School teacher -- but they aren't trusting in the right thing. And that's why I asked JordanL103 what he based his salvation on when he was 4 -5 yrs. old.

The Wonderful truth is that right now -- where ever you are -- you Can accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Your belief takes place in your heart -- believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for Your sins -- and that nothing more is needed -- Jesus paid it all. He died on the cross with your sins, died with them, went to hell For you and came back 'here' as our risen Savior. Your part is believing and accepting -- in your heart -- confessing to God first and then to others of your decision. God will give you an inner peace. The Holy Spirit has come to indwell you and won't ever leave you. You are 'safe' until you are with Jesus Christ in person.

 

[Dovegiven]

Sue wrote: Dovegiven -- you apparently believe that not many Christian believers -- what other kind Are there -- are sufficiently mature to know when God is actually directly involved in our personal life choices. And you feel that everyone needs to actively pray about who we hang out with or whom to date.

You offer many thoughts to ponder. I'll get as far as time permits for now. There is no easy telling how many people in the world believe everything about Jesus and His gospel sufficiently to follow Him into glory. I suspect most that believe anything about Jesus only believe some things of Him, not enough to be born again, or to get answers from prayer to the Father God through the name of Jesus. Even many Muslims are believers, but not Christian believers. They are supposed to believe he was a good prophet. Buddhists I know believe Jesus lived and was a holy man, but they stop there. It isn't enough.

A huge issue in the American churches is unanswered prayers. Jesus and disciples answer why, chiefly because of unbelief. James 4 adds many obvious reasons folks don't get what they want. The eventual solution for many denominations is to stop imposing on God. As a Gideon for many years I asked congregations a few simple questions to get around the policy of our not preaching doctrines like a preacher does. Can I have a show of hands of those who have received an answer from God in the past month. Rarely will even one hand show among most. Among charismatics a few will show. That led to telling some Gideon ministry testimonies. That then always results in a few inquiring why people in other nations tend to see miracles. It's just a mystery to us Americans. Again, the issue is one of unbelief enough for many to abandon prayer altogether even in church services other than a very generic one such as for the offering. I teach that God responds to prayers of faith centered around promises to the living Church (Christian believers). God is pleased only by our faith. I doubt He hears a thing from a congregation that resembles my favorite scenario for fishing for bass. It will be a patch of rotting stumps still sticking out of the water, There are no limbs, no leaves waving. Just rotting wood with algae. That's a fish magnet. They are easily captured there. Congregations often look like that. Guy Penrod can visit them singing a concert hoped to start a revival, the people set like stumps. I and half a dozen other visitors among 1,000 seated jumped, shouted, cried, sang along with gusto, disturbing their peace. Revival of the Church is desperately needed.

As for what to pray about:
Philippians 4:4-9 (KJV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

A deacon in a church where I told about an African village being delivered from idol worship and idol worship upon ministry of some Gideons visiting chastised me. He warned that people who believe in demons and casting them out are in danger of losing their salvation. The passage he referred to follows. Still talking about "Christian believers", I must stop for now with this possibly the most sobering lesson from Jesus to folks that are "somewhat" believers:
Matthew 7:21-29 (KJV)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Know the Word of God!

 

[Sue D.]

@Dovegiven -- It's what a person Believes about Jesus Christ that makes the difference. Does a person believe that He was simply a great teacher of that day in history? Does a person believe that He died a martyr?

God's Word tells us that Jesus Christ Is the Son of God -- 2nd person of the trinity / Godhead.

1 Corinthians 15:1-3 "... by this Gospel you are saved..... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Prayer -- God Does hear our prayers and does answer them -- simply not always the way we Want Him to answer. Sometimes healing comes here on earth and sometimes in heaven. Sometimes He says to Wait and Sometimes He says No.

Prayer is our talking with God. He wants relationship with us. We Are to take our cares/ burdens/ worries to Him because He Does care for us.

Unfortunately -- lots of churches do not preach/ teach God's Word anymore. People don't seem to want to follow Biblical morality / ethics. We tend to want to do our own thing, in our own way, in our own timing. We leave God out of the picture and then wonder why life is so messed up. And it's mainly because 'we' have allowed prayer to be taken out of schools, no one wants to read the Ten Commandments. Evolution is taught as fact rather than man's theory. God's Word in Genesis tells us exactly how everything got here. In 6 / 24hr days. And evolution tells us that everything evolved from animals. That people are simply the apparent last step in development.

Well -- no one really is taught the importance Of reading their Bible.

The demon worship -- we tend to not take that seriously because pastors don't teach about hell -- or the spirit world. People Need to be delivered from the demonic world. I don't understand why anyone would loose their salvation because of it.
But I Can see why -- in African nations -- the leader of tribes is often a witch doctor. People earn their living by fortune telling / soothsaying. Voodoo is practiced in some areas. In the New Testament, Jesus was casting out evil spirits from people. Scripture tells us to Not mess around with the spirit world. So -- it would seem to be that 'In the name of Jesus Christ' a person Can be saved. The Holy Spirit comes to indwell the person -- the demon leaves. The Holy Spirit stays with the believer until the person is safe with Jesus Christ. Scripture promises us that.

Yes, very sobering thoughts / ideas.

 

[Trevor]

Hello everyone,
I have been a faithful Christian ever since I was 4 or 5. And I always believed that God had a will and plan for everyone and he is always there for us. Most importantly, I always believed that he will never give us more than we can handle. But recently, I am starting to collapse.

Everyday I’m getting near the end and I don’t think I can hang in there much longer. Life has been hell for me, today I finally let go and cried so painfully because I just cannot hold it in much longer. My relationship has fallen apart. The girl I loved so dearly for 6 years has left me, and I always thought she was the one. In fact I still do, I don’t mean to sound obsessive or opinionated l, but I still just have that gut feel that she’s the one that’s meant to be. I know in the past I’ve hurt her a bunch of times, but I was young and I love her. But this time I tried to save this relationship but it was no good. Friends say I wasn’t trying hard enough but there’s nothing more that I can do. Everyday I live in nightmares and live like a zombie because I just cannot think. Just a few days ago, for the first time in my entire life I woke up crying. I guess I finally just had it. And life is just... I don’t know how to say this but I know that this life I’m currently living is not aligned with who I really am or for the real purpose of me being in this world.

Everyday I feel like I’m further off from what I truly should be living. I don’t know how I can describe it to you guys but I just know this is not the kind of life I should be living and I have absolutely no power to change that. I am not who I really am and I’m just not in sync with this current life. I know you all say that God has a purpose and plan for all of us but I really cannot see it. And I cannot feel the love and presence of God at all. I’m so close to renouncing my faith, I don’t wanna donthat but it has became to a point where I’m near giving up. And I know you all say that a better life awaits if we just be patient and hang on, but what you don’t understand is I am suffering right “now” and I cannot hold on much longer.

Suicide has once again popped into my head quite a few times today. I don’t know where God is. I am close to losing it and be still has not given me any hope or let me see any way out. I am so tired of this life I lm thinking maybe I should just end the pain myself because I’ve waited and waited and God has not changed a thing. So from now on there is no hope in me. I don’t know where God is and I cannot deal with this anymore. I pray and pray but nothing ever happened. And so I give up. Don’t know how much longer it takes to give up my life but it’s heading in that direction. I cannot suffer any longer. Maybe I’ll go to hell but what’s the difference. I’m living in hell right now. I used to be the most outgoing, positive and optimistic person ever. I always bring joy to other people. But maybe God doesn’t like that because I am close to losing it.

Everyone talks about God miraculously healing them. Why won’t He do that for me? Why won’t He take away even a little of the pain? Why won’t He give me even a little relief? How does He expect me to believe that He is real and He is good when He treats me like crap?

and I refuse to just sit around and wait for our “loving” God to decide I’ve been tormented enough. I’d rather end the pain myself.

There is a way to get some relief Jordan, People are badly needed to help others, maybe, taking on the needs of others will alleviate your pain, when you see the pain they have to bare. As for your faith, you say that you've believed since you were a young lad, but have you ever got to your knees, confessed your sin and actually asked Jesus into your heart. If not, maybe you should. There was a time when I, and I wouldn't be surprised if many others also, screamed at God to take our lives, I should think he is quite used to it by now. Your not alone in experiencing despair. There's two things you can do. You can sucome to it, which would be such a waste, or you can join your brothers in the battle. I pray that you put on the full armour of God, take up the sword of the Spirit and join us in thr fight. Bless you.