Born Again Christians Thread-No Bashing please

[Grandma Bear]

You are in my prayers!
Live4christpt That was a beautiful thing1

 

[luvthatduke]

Shelly, I continue to pray for you.
I have been down the path you are now walking,
please PM me anytime.


I thought I'd share this here, I was touched to read it:

Rev. Billy Graham Helps Homeless New Orleans Family by Giving Spare Home
Agape Press, Crosswalk.com

The Reverend Billy Graham and his wife have loaned a spare home they own in Montreat, North Carolina, to a New Orleans family left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. The family of five expects to stay in the small house where the Grahams first lived when they were married for a few months while they try to get their lives back to normal. The Grahams often use the empty house to accommodate visiting missionaries or members of their large family. Graham says he wept and prayed as he watched scenes of devastation on television. The evangelist said he felt that he had to help Jose Medrano and his family after they met Graham's son Franklin at a shelter in Shreveport, Lousiana. Billy Graham says that if every church in American adopted a family, "it would solve the problem of how to house and help so many evacuees."

 

[shelly3girls]

I just wanted everyone to know that although I have not been posting on the DIS I have been lurking. Your love is felt and your prayers mean the world to me. Thank you again.

 

[Albertan mom]

Billy Graham is a great Godly man who practices what he preaches.

 

[ead79]

I totally agree Albertan Mom, Billy Graham is indeed a truly Godly man. My mom told me that she saw an interview with him on TV, and the reporter asked him what the first thing he wanted to ask God when he met Him was. Billy Graham responded, “Why me?” He went on to say that he was just an ordinary man and he wanted to ask God why He selected him to be His minister to so many people. He certainly seems to be a humble man who realizes that God does the work and he is the mouthpiece. What an opportunity to have shared the love of Christ with so many people!

 

[live4christp1]

Has anybody heard this song yet? WOW! I'd heard it several times the last couple of weeks but this morning was the first time my mind had been quiet enough to actually focus on the words, had to look up the lyrics as soon as I got to my desk. What a powerful song.

Cry Out To Jesus
Words by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

 

[shelly3girls]

That is a beautiful song!

 

[ead79]

Cristy, I heard that song on the radio here in Atlanta 2 weeks ago. They wrote it for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. What a moving song! The best part of all is that it was played on Atlanta’s biggest radio station, which is not a Christian station. What a wonderful witness! You can download the song for free off of Third Day’s website (www.thirdday.com). When our radio station interviewed them about the song, they mentioned how they planned to match donations and had given gifts to hurricane relief themselves. What a great bunch of men!

 

[live4christp1]

Cristy, I heard that song on the radio here in Atlanta 2 weeks ago. They wrote it for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. What a moving song! The best part of all is that it was played on Atlanta’s biggest radio station, which is not a Christian station. What a wonderful witness! You can download the song for free off of Third Day’s website (www.thirdday.com). When our radio station interviewed them about the song, they mentioned how they planned to match donations and had given gifts to hurricane relief themselves. What a great bunch of men!

Thanks for the info Elisabeth. I'll have to definately go check it out. I totally agree with your above statement!

We have seen them once in concert. Though I like just about all of the Christian artists, it sometimes bothers me that they try so hard to fit into the "world's culture" as far as fashion, etc. Sometimes really bothers me to see the guys with multiple ear piercings etc. and NO I DON'T WISH TO DEBATE WITH ANYONE whether this is right or wrong, I just don't like it personally and have my views on that topic. Just think that some of them should more closely look at that verse that says we are supposed to be set apart and not conform to this world. Anyways back to what I was trying to say, look at these Third Day guys, they have had great success without buying into that whole bit. We watched the Dove awards on TV and they were some of the only ones not trying so hard to fit into the mainstream music scenes code of dress and I thought they looked really sharp!!!!!

So hats off to you guys in Third Day - keep on singing for the Lord!

 

[live4christp1]

Clay Crosse will be here locally this weekend 25-28 for IMPACT 2005 which is a youth outreach event held at a local high school that area churches put on each year. Hope to get a chance to go see him.

Big Daddy Weave and Ginny Owens will be at Tennessee Temple University next month.

I am so ready to see some great concerts. We used to have something every month or two either here or down at Lee University in Cleveland. Those concerts seem to have gotten fewer and farer between the last few years though......hope there is a change coming.

Just checked DMI concerts here and next month Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman will be in Knoxville (about 2 hours from us) and then in November Jars of Clay and Sara Groves will be here in Chattanooga.

YEAH!!!!!

 

[luvthatduke]

I love Third Day!
I saw them live a couple of times
and they truly lead worship - it's amazing.
The first time I saw them was at Hope96
- a tent revival organized by several denominations near my home.
I remember sitting there on an end seat,
and I felt led to just bow my head and pray for the 5,000 youths
there that night (it was the Youth Night but some of us adults
were asked to be there from various churches).
Anyways, I was praying silently, not trying to draw attention to myself,
and everyone was yelling and singing and praising,
when all of a sudden the lead singer (Mac, right?)
hushed the tone of the band and he began to talk about Jesus
and his relationship with him.
I just kept my head down and mouthed my prayers silently
and I heard him say something like, "Look around you, there are
ladies here tonight praying for you. They're talking with the Lord
in the midst of our noise, our music, and they're asking the Lord
to bring you to Himself. Their hearts are broken for you..."
It's been a while so I'm paraphrashing from memory,
but when I heard the "ladies are praying" part I looked up slightly
and Mac was looking right at me while he talked,
and at first I was self-conscious but he nodded gently to me
and his Spirit spoke to my Spirit and it was one of the best moments
in my early walk with the Lord.
I bowed my head and continued to pray...


My favorite song is still "Thief" - I sing along
as a personal confession/praise to the Lord.

 

[Albertan mom]

I agree-Third Day is great

luvthatduke-your story gave me chills!

 

[live4christp1]

luvthatduke - WOW! What a wonderful story to share. It brought tears to my eyes.

It is amazing to me how worship and praise through song can reach across so many generational barriers and unite us all.

God is good!

 

[live4christp1]

Sorry, this is long but it was such a great program I couldn't resist posting it. Dr Stowell has been teaching on prayer this week and this one was an excellent message. Got me thinking.......maybe there is somebody here on the DIS I need to choose and pray for them daily.

September 22, 2005
Persistent Prayer - 3 (#2474)
#2474 – September 22, 2005 – “Persistent Prayer” – 3
[Shepherd:] This is Proclaim! with Joe Stowell. I’m Wayne Shepherd. Our theme from Luke 18 again today, Joe, is persistent prayer.

[Stowell:] You know, I’m really loving being in this text. Can you believe we get paid to teach the Word of God?

[Shepherd:] You get paid for this?

[Stowell:] Well, I don’t know. I don’t get paid for Proclaim! but you know, that’s how we put food on the table anyway, by teaching the Word of God. The disciples come to Jesus and they say to Him, “Teach us to pray.” And He gives “The Lord’s Prayer,” tells two stories and in the second story that we’re studying this week, the whole issue is persistence. Are you willing to be patient in prayer? Are you willing to not let that gap between the prayer and the answer destroy your prayer life?

[Shepherd:] And your confidence in the Lord, sure.

[Stowell:] So, we’ve been learning that He is a capable and caring God. Sometimes we have to persist in prayer because we do believe that he is a capable and a caring God and He will answer our prayers. It’s that widow, Wayne, at the door of the loser judge in Luke 18.

[Shepherd:] Wait, it didn’t say loser judge.

[Stowell:] Well, he is a loser judge because as we have learned, he doesn’t care about man and he doesn’t care about his reputation. It is all about him.

[Shepherd:] That’s in the “Stowell Study Bible,” I know.

[Stowell:] By contrast, if a loser judge will respond to persistence, how much more our Almighty God will respond to persistence. We have a great killer story about that today, not out of Luke 18, but out of a situation that I had the joy of participating in way up in the Lake District of England that is going to capsulize this point.

[Shepherd:] We’ll get to that in just a moment, Joe. But we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s broadcast on Proclaim!

[Stowell:] I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s program.

[Shepherd:] You seem to have a lot of confidence about that.

[Stowell:] Because I’ve already heard it. We cut it before we cut this program.

[Shepherd:] Don’t give away our secrets!

[Stowell:] Dr. Michael Easley, the new President of Moody and the next voice of Proclaim! in just a few days is going to be with us and out of his life as pastor and parent, is going to talk to us about what prayer has meant to him. He is going to talk to us a little bit about being in the “Lonely Place.” I think it is good periodically to step aside from the teaching and have some interaction with real people who really pray and what that means to them. So, tomorrow we will spend a little time with Moody’s President, Dr. Michael Easley.

[Shepherd:] I thought maybe you had learned to tell the future there for just a moment.

[Stowell:] No.

[Shepherd:] Let’s get to our message today as we talk about our capable and caring God and then that story today from Dr. Joe Stowell.

[Stowell:] So do you believe that God is your capable, caring friend who will meet your need for the honor and glory of His Name even though there is a season of delay? Will He find that you still have faith? Or has the delay damaged either faith in yourself, which isn’t what the text means but it’s like parenthetical, “I guess I’m not worthy. I guess there’s something wrong with my life.” This is not about faith in yourself. It’s about faith in the fact that God is a just God and that He will, as you persist in prayer though there is a delay, he will meet your prayer. All He asks you is to persist in faith in prayer.

I don’t know why that persistent prayer plays into the scheme of answering it. I don’t know. I’m here to tell you that I don’t know everything about God. All I know is the Word He has given to me and I believe Him. There is something about persistent prayer that is important in terms of triggering, as it triggered the unjust judge to eventually do something, how much more our God who is just and good and caring. He is a winning judge. How much more and persistent prayer.

A year and a half ago I had the pleasure of speaking at the Keswick Bible Conference which is maybe the oldest Bible conference on this planet. Well over a hundred years in the Lake District of the UK. Believers from all over the UK have come for three different weeks of Bible conference in the summer to a little town called Keswick. This little town called Keswick is tucked right in the mountains of the Lake District in the north end of one of those beautiful lakes, if you’ve ever been to the Lake District. There are 3,000 people who live in that town and every summer 3,000 Christians descend on those 3,000 people who live in that town for a huge Bible conference. I had the great privilege of being asked to be a part of that not this past summer, but the summer before.

For those of us who are on the speaking team, they asked us on the Sunday before the Monday of the beginning of the conference, they assigned us to preach in the local churches around. I was assigned to an Anglican church out on the edge of town. Beautiful church tucked up a lane as so many of those British churches are. I remember going in and the singing was full, obviously full of some people who had come for the conference. It was a wonderful Bible believing church.

It was a great experience, but the highlight of that morning for me was when the rector said, “I’ve asked sister so-and-so,” I don’t remember her name, “to come and do the church prayers and then say something about her life.” So she came and she prayed and then she said, “Our pastor has asked me to give a little word about my life. I work at a gift and deli store down in the town and several years ago during the Keswick Conference a lady by the name of Winnie came in everyday. She and I struck up this wonderful friendship. I looked forward everyday to have Winnie come in. I sensed there was something different about her. The last day of the conference Winnie came in and gave me a big hug and said goodbye. The next summer I was hoping to see this Winnie show up again. But she didn’t show up. The next summer I was hoping she would show up and she didn’t show up. The next summer… There came a time after a season of years when I began to feel an irresistible drawing of my heart to Jesus Christ. It was so strong it was almost physical. It was relentless. I just thought it would go away, but it became stronger. One day, I was walking by this church and the doors were open. I didn’t know anything about religion, so I just walked into the church and the pastor was here. I told the pastor, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, I just feel this sense of drawing to Jesus. I don’t even know what that means.’ The pastor said, ‘I can tell you what it means. It means that He is relentlessly pursuing you.’ That day I accepted Christ as my Savior. A couple of years later somebody walked into the deli where I worked during the Keswick Convention week. This lady said to me, ‘By the way, are you (and she used her name)? Do you remember Winnie?’ And I said, ‘Yes! Yes!’ She said, ‘I am Winnie’s friend and Winnie wanted me to come in and just see if you still worked here and to tell you hello.’” She said, “I am so glad that you are here. Will you tell Winnie? Will you please tell Winnie because I think what I saw in her and what these Keswick people have I have found? Would you tell Winnie that I have come to know Christ as my Savior?” The lady just said, “Really?” “Yes!” She said, “Do you know what? Winnie has prayed for you every single day without fail since she left this conference that you would come to know Christ as your Savior.” Then she said, “And Winnie is with us here this morning. Let’s have Winnie stand.”

I’m balling like a baby. I’m telling you, I’m feeling challenged and convicted all at the same time. Like, “Could you persist in prayer that long and not give up, until finally the angels just invaded?”

They were walking out of the church afterwards and I saw Winnie and this lady walking together and I ran to catch up with them. I said, “Winnie, I just have to tell you. Today what I heard about you has convicted me so deeply about my prayer life because I could give you a list of the people that I have started praying for and then bailed on the project because nothing has happened and it seems impossible. Winnie, I am so challenged. Thank you for the example of persistent prayer.” Then I said to this other lady, “Wow! It took so long.” Then all of a sudden I could feel myself swallowing my foot! How do you recover from like, “You are so a hardheaded kind of woman”? She stopped me and she looked at me and said, “I cannot tell you the grip that Satan had on my life. I don’t even want to go into it. The deep bondage that I was in to Satan.”

Get the point? Prayer works. Sometimes it’s about what? Persistent prayer. Don’t be APD (Attention Prayer Deficit) when it comes to praying. God has a time schedule. Pray persistently. Don’t ever give up! By faith, you have a really winner judge who is ready to intercede in His time for you.

One thing I notice about both of these prayer stories that Jesus told is that both in the needy host and in the widow whose only hope was with a loser judge is that immediately upon sensing the need, there was an immediate flight to the solution. If I could just underscore what we said yesterday – God is not impressed when He’s your last resort. He is your only hope. Everything else that you lean on in a time of desperate need will fail you, disappoint you and discourage you, ultimately. So I think what we need to learn is that in the moment of desperate need which will pop up periodically all day long, it is an immediate flight to our capable and caring Friend and Father, who for the honor and glory of His Name will respond. You can count on it. An immediate flight to persistent prayer.

 

[Grandma Bear]

Thanks for sharing! Payer is a powerful tool when we choose to use it. Our
women's retreat this year was also on prayer. Many people have said their churches are speaking on this subject. I believe God is trying to tell us something!

 

[live4christp1]

Thanks for sharing! Payer is a powerful tool when we choose to use it. Our
women's retreat this year was also on prayer. Many people have said their churches are speaking on this subject. I believe God is trying to tell us something!

I so agree Grandma Bear!


2 Chronichles 7
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

[Grandma Bear]

I so agree Grandma Bear!


2 Chronichles 7
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We had special prayer day for the people who were hit by Katrina. This scripture was given to many of us. God does not cause disasters but I believe he allows them to happen for a purpose. We know that things happen to the just and the unjust. Many times these situations unite us and makes us and our faith grow. More people are now open to God and his word just as after 9/11. Too bad it takes a disaster to get this! I strongly believe God has heard the call of many of us for revival to break out in America and
is now raising up the church to show his love and compassion and to draw many unto Him.

 

[live4christp1]

Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Let's be people who stand in the gap and intercede for others and on behalf of our country.


James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

[llyolf]

check this link out, Hilton Sutton has been studying prohpecy for 50-60 years...

http://www.hilton-sutton.org/09072005_katrina.html

“Nature's Upheaval – Katrina”
Dr. Hilton Sutton Th.D.
September 7, 2005

Hurricane Katrina has devastated New Orleans, Biloxi, and the surrounding area.

It may be months before the final count of those who lost their lives and destruction costs are know. Rumors are everywhere. Some declare Katrina to be the judgment of God on a wicked city, referring to New Orleans. Others state, Wrath of God!

The Truth, based on the Holy Scripture is;
Katrina was neither Judgment nor Wrath of God.

God convinced Abraham, in Genesis 19, that He has no wish Judge. Remember, Sodom was a wicked and immoral city. But God was willing to spare the city if there were only ten righteous people in the city.

Nahum 1:2 clearly states “God reserves His wrath for His enemies.” Genesis 6:19 reveal the removal of the righteous prior to the Wrath of God. May I remind you, God is perfect (Matt. 5:48) and His ways are perfect (II Samuel 22:31). Therefore whenever God acts it is always within His perfection. Notice when God used His wrath it brought total destruction.

Katrina was an act of nature. Jesus covers such events in Matthew 24:4-8. Notice verse seven “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” This verse covers UPHEAVALS OF NATURE. Nature is generally the cause of famine and earthquakes. Had not Jesus rebuked the waves and the wind, storms on the Sea of Galilee would have capsized their boat and drowned the Apostles.

Verse eight of Matthew 24 is key to understanding Upheavals of Nature and other destructive events. Jesus introduces “Sorrows.” He speaks of the beginning of sorrows and connects the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70 A.D., by Roman Legions.

There have been many events of Sorrows recorded in history. In fact, the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York by terrorist was a sorrow. Katrina was an act of nature and falls perfectly into the category of a sorrow. One must be a reasonably good student of the Holy Scripture in order to distinguish between wrath, judgment, or a sorrow.

The question has arisen, “Who is to blame?” If one has been a student of the Bible, he or she knows the answer. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God created man and gave him dominion over this planet. When Adam disobeyed God, fallen Lucifer usurped much of Adam's authority and became the “Prince of the power of the air.” (See Ephesians 2:2) Lucifer is better known as the Serpent of old, the Devil, and Satan. (Revelation 12:9)

Satan, the Devil, was the cause of hurricane Katrina. Jesus tells us Satan came to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10) Katrina, Satan's work, certainly produced death, theft, and destruction.

Much blame is being cast upon President Bush and his administration, by his opponents and the media. I am amazed at the negative leadership of my former political party, the Democrats. What a bunch of sore looser and cry babies.

I am disgusted with the majority of the media as they lack intestinal fortitude to say anything except what their liberal owners allow.

Now you know the Truth!

P.S. Many ministers and teachers are calling this upheaval of nature, a direct response by God due to the recent extraction of Jewish settlers in Gaza and the West Bank. Such a statement only shows ignorance of the Word and history.

 

[luvthatduke]

Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Let's be people who stand in the gap and intercede for others and on behalf of our country...

AMEN, Cristy!!!


llyolf, the article is interesting & thought-provoking.
Even tho I'm not a student of the Bible, per se,
all Christians should be students of the Bible


I've actually been thinking about the Tribulation as
I watch the people before/during/after Katrina, and now pre-Rita.
I believe the Lord is pressing my heart fervently to
take notice of this little blip on the human timeline,
(that's taking into perspective the Bible's warning).
I'm not being heartless, believe me!
I have wept countless times during the past several weeks.
But, it's been in recent days that I've become aware in
my heart of the realization that this is nothing
compared to what will happen during the Great Tribulation!
I am pre-Trib, BTW, but I don't mean to start another discussion about it.

Watching the human drama, sadness, heroics, blunders,
and yes the evil influence since Katrina made landfall
has shown me much more than "human nature"
or the results of that evil influence.
It's spoken to me deeply that if we think this was bad
- and it was - how much more terrible will it be for those that are left behind.
I think of the children, particularly. God have mercy!
The despicable things that were done to some,
the fear & trauma they will live with for the rest of their lives,
the young babies and children that died in horrible conditions,
the mothers and fathers who were drawn to desperate measures
to protect their children - and that was in response to one event,
causing only one other event (Katrina, then the levees failing).
Not to mention that it was "only" one week compared to three years!

I shudder now when I think of the comparison,
how most of this nation and others around the world
watched in horror at what was shown, how seasoned reporters reacted, etc.
Can any of us imagine what the entire world will be like after
that first week of the Tribulation?
After the first month? The first year?

Sorry to ramble, but it's been on my mind for a day or two.