All Discussion PAGE 586

Pray God heals my hands and immediately strengthens them to normal. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2020 I had hip replacement surgery and my hands got weak. I need to bathe, dress, wash clothes, drive and get food.

Those who vehemently oppose "women wearing pants", usually quote Deuteronomy 22:5: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God."

Not much else is given to support this command, so it is open to all types of interpretation. With that added phrase, "neither shall a man put on a woman's garment", I think we could assume that any type of cross-dressing (as it's referred to now), must be rejected as abnormal & unbecoming of a child of God. Why God had stipulated this, whether there was such evidence amongst the Israelites at that time, or as a warning of a future situation whether within the tribe or when they would one day be confronted with the wickednesses of the gentiles & their temple worship, I can't be sure.

What we see today (such women wearing pants, or even kilts by the Scots) are the accepted cultural norms that, at the least, are decent & unprovocative. And of course, even though an outfit might be considered male-centric, the patterns on or cut of the garment would clearly reveal the gender to which they belong. I wonder if the same opponents to pant-wearing women are then quite accepting of those women who visit the beach with next to nothing on....and then say, 'well, at least they're not wearing pants'.

For me, I think there are far more important & immoral matters to deal with in society than what is generally considered normal clothing for the genders.

My understanding from 1 Timothy 2:11,12 is that women are not permitted "to teach or usurp authority over the man". And this I believe applies in a Church congregational setting where the Body of Christ is to abide by the clear biblical guidelines given & to conduct themselves in worship & in the Word, with all seriousness & godly fear. So this solemn duty of ministering God's Word is to be carried out by the Elders of the Church, but in the Church today, the pastor's position has been redefined as one primarily of leading & teaching and a little less of pastoring.

However, if the pastoral position is correctly understood, i.e. shepherding Christ's flock, then I think that women, alongwith men, could certainly fulfil that role as they get alongside others that need guidance & help in their Christian walk. And certainly, women can contribute much in mixed study groups & amongst other women & children. But in the Church meeting, I believe the roles are clearly defined, just as the correct use of spiritual gifts.

Hi Catherine. I'm unsure where you got that detail from, as my study of the chronology of events during this period show differently. If I might share my gleanings.

In the Kingdom of Judah: King Jehoshapat reigned from 873-848 ( 1 Kings 22:41) and then his son Jehoram was co-regent with him from 853 ( 2 Kings 8:16). After his father died, he continued in his reign (i.e. from 853 & then continued on from 848-841).

In the Kingdom of Israel: King Ahab reigned from 874-853 ( 1 Kings 16:29) & the Prophet Elijah was alive at that time ( 1 Kings 17:1). Elijah also lived & ministered under the next king, King Ahaziah's reign (853-852; 1 Kings 22:51) and then into the reign of King Jehoram (852-841; 2 Kings 1:17). This king was also known as Joram. By the way, it is a coincidence that we see the two Jehorams reigning side-by-side in the two kingdoms; unfortunately, both were bad kings.

When that "writing" (mentioned in 2 Chronicles 21:12) came to Jehoram, the King of JUDAH, (NOT Israel); though Elijah was actually a prophet to the Kingdom of Israel), Elijah would still have been alive. We're not told which year the 'letter' was sent, or received by Jehoram. The 'letter' might even have been delivered to Jehoram some time after Elijah's translation into Heaven, if Elijah wrote it just prior to his departure. So the way I understand it, is that Elijah was well & truly on Earth at this time, though possibly his age & distance may have prevented him from actually making that journey to Jerusalem in the southern kingdom.

As a footnote, I should say that the reigning years of the various kings are taken from reliable sources that have done the calculations going back into biblical history & from other historical documents; i.e. I've not guesstimated those dates.

I want to comment on this narrator.

Excellent style of reading & variations in voice making the Bible seen to come alive! Almost as if you were there when U close your eyes. !!!

God's will in decisons. Part 3

I would be remiss here if I didn't include financial decisions in this discussion. When we consider the egregious debts that I am certain many professing believers have saddled themselves with it saddens me to think of how our "rugged individualism" in the USA has seemingly made asking advice on such matters something that doesn't come across the radar of many who otherwise may be involved in the church. Again; I speak from experience when much of the inheritance from my deceased grandmother was spent on frivolous vacations and other things in my early years of marriage. Needless to say such a stressor wasn't helpful in my situation and also is a major source of contention in many marriages.

Most churches have others who can give us wise counsel on that subject; and in fact usually there are more than one person who can help us out skilled as carpenters or laborers who we can bless in doing work for our homes by payment for their services; and who often are willing to give us a break in the bill. It does seem that there are times especially in large churches where those in need the most for a small financial assistance are drowned out effectively by whatever cause is the biggest selling point of interest.

It would be nice to see a church such as the one in the Book of Acts who would sell things when needed so that no one lacked anything ( Acts 4:34). This was a church; of course in its infancy and just after the dramatic Pentecost experience and the 1st Century persecution just starting to ramp up. We should consider as God's people not having to borrow under usery.

Deuteronomy 23 and Psalm 15:5 mention that it applies to us lending to others expecting interest in return as well as being prohibited. In the early church; of course we had a healthy fear of God so that the event with Ananias and Saphira occured ( Acts 5:1-11). Lord willing we can find resources for our needs in our local Body or others of faith.

God's will in decisions; part 2. Focusing on the mission field

I have said recently and it bears repeating for this subject matter the basic idea that whatever we do we should do it for the glory of the Lord ( 1 Cor. 10:31). My point had been that we needn't always think something mundane isn't just as effective being "spiritual". Extending that idea to something such as the mission field; there is no reason why the Lord can't be proclaimed while one does whatever labor is necessary. Faith without works; of course is dead ( James 2:14-26). Any Pastor in an impoverished nation (who himself isn't a "prosperity gospel" preacher) has to do the menial labor to keep the tent up; or the church roof from leaking. Of course as Paul did in his ministry; one can have a vocation (in his case tent making) while doing ministry work as well or on the side. Going back to what I said before; if we are sponsored by a church and they have a history of being (to put it polite paltry) in their budget towards missions; I would seriously consider if that is a good option since it will involve not just our own welfare but that of those we are shepherding. Of course there is also a problem if too much money is funneled into fancy buildings or activities (such as fancy stages and lights for music or youth ministry). That may be more of a "stateside" issue.

We also need to make sure that wherever we go there is church discipline being administered. The same issues; more or less occur overseas as do here; the one missionary in S.E. Asia that I support states that there is a trend to worldliness over there with one individual that had to be removed from the ministry; and there are false doctrines in many African nations as well.

One very good method for breaking new ground has for a long time been teaching English classes in many countries as it is mandatory for many countries to learn it. Such opportunities may be limited as perecution ramps up in the near future.

You need to pray and lean completely upon God. If this one wants to take you with him, where is it going to lead to? He needs help and you could be in an unsafe situation. Pray and trust the Lord. ASK Jesus for direction. Don't be miss lead by anyone. Stay safe where ever you are. Praying for you.

How to determine God's will in life.

There needs to be a trust in God with people in your life; whether saved or unsaved to bring insight based on how well they understand you when it comes to particular career choices. Ultimately an unsaved friend or family member may not be the one to determine when you should step out in faith if they have selfish reasoning or are against proselyting. Whatever decisions we make we should take time first to invest time in a local church Body as Proverbs 15:22 states it is wise to have the "counsel of many". Knowing our weaknesses is probably as important as knowing our strengths; both spiritually and with our natural talents. If we are NOT in a fellowship that is actively exhorting growth by those who are ministering effectively in both leadership and among laypersons who are personally investing in the lives of others and actively pursuing fulfillment of the Great Commission in some capacity then of course difficult to consider any mission opportunities locally or within that denomination. Whether that means you need to go elsewhere is not the main focus of this discussion; but such relationships make it easier to maintain communication when moving to a foreign country or just to another city to maintain accountability partners at least until we are established in a new location. At the very least we should seek out brothers to pray with (or sisters in the case of women) before making any major life changes as I did before moving back with my aging parents.

Marriage; of course should be something which allows not only personal needs to be met; but it should be something that benefits the local Body in Christ in particular. Any relationships that tend to pull either or both party away from regular church attendance and close friendships with believers in general is fated for disaster. Such was the case of my own situation when first married. I am certainly not absolving my own faults; but warning others.

Please pray for me that god will step in and fight this difficult battle for me

Challenges In life?

Are women allowed to be Pastors ?

Hi Paisley.

I agree with Gigi.

You shouldn't go with him! And don't take chances with this and tell your family and perhaps his about this.

Keep your line open for him so he will have someone to talk to but stay away from him for your safety.

what are your bibial view on women wearing pants ? Plz include bible verse

How could Elijah write to this king when he went up to heaven in a fiery chariot in like 200 years before??

The Husband's Role in a Christian Marriage

Leadership

The bible makes it very clear that the responsibility of leadership in marriage falls squarely on the husband's shoulders. 1 Corinthians 11:3 says that "Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ."

The scripture states that the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. A good husband loves his wife unconditionally and is a servant leader just like Christ.

Unconditional Love

In Ephesians 5:25 the bible commands husbands to love their wives just as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself up for her." A husband's love for his wife should not be based on her actions. He should respect, affirm and love her at all times.

Sacrifice

Sacrificial action is an integral part of the husband's role as the head of the home. Again, Christ is a wonderful example of this. He demonstrated servant leadership by washing his disciple's feet. In marriage, being a servant leader means ensuring that the wife's material, emotional and spiritual needs are met.

Proverbs 3:7, Psalms 37, Psalms 34:6-19, Proverbs 18:13-21, Proverbs 16, Proverbs 5,

If this in regards to a wife : Ephesians 5:25-31,

Hopefully these are helpful

1Timothy 6:6-12, 1John 2:15, John 10, Proverbs 29:23-27, Luke 12:33-59, 1Peter 4, James 5, Luke 9:3, John 2:13-16, Psalms 15:5, Acts 3,

Isaiah 55, = John 6, Matthew 6, Luke 16:13,

Please prayerfully consider these scriptures,

Laureate If you experience a sexual harassment at work , you should contact your HR department.. Are you experiencing this in school contacted administrator and report it You can also reported to the police department contacting the non-emergency number also speaking to your family or friends or church members we can help you and support you during these difficult time .. May the Lord protect you and guide you in Jesus name amen

Paisley Please contact his parents , get him some help , let your parents know so they can also help .. do not fall into the trap of running away it's not gonna solve anything Please seek help from adult for your boyfriend or call suicide hotline

Psalms 37, Psalms 139, Psalms 10,

Hopefully these are helpful

Proverbs 16:29, Proverbs 19:2,19,

Paisley, Please pray for wisdom in this situation & moment: James 1:5,

Dear Paisley, I do not think you should go with your boyfriend. He is employing a manipulation tactic that will not solve his problem of being suicidal. And if you were to leave with him, you could be placed in situation that endangers both him and you. Also, if you are not married, you should not be living together, as it is sinful to be in a sexual relationship if not married.

Please get counsel from a pastor or mature Christian, especially your parents, if you are underage. Your boyfriend needs help that you cannot give to him. Running away with him is not the answer that will prevent him from carrying out a suicide. Please, do not go with him. But, rather, emphasize to him his need to get treated for his mental anguish and that you will support him in doing so.

Psalm 80.

Lamentations 2:11 and associated passages discuss tears when the Babylonian captivity and it's horrors of stervation and destruction by fire of Jerusalem occur which is much like the theme here.

In terms of being as a vine (v. 8) we see such depictions of Israel in John 15:8 as well as Ezekiel and apparently Psalm 88 as well. Verses 10 to 12 also describe great branches such as a cedar (v. 10) which is also descriptive of other nations such as Lebanon which is compared to a cedar in no less than 100 verses in scripture. Trees also describe Egypt ( Ezekiel 31:18) as well as Assyria as ( Isaiah 10:24) which was "planted" in Lebanon.

Once again as in the previous Psalm; we see evidence of a prophetic mention of the city being burned (verse 16) signifying the Babylonian captivity. Verse 17 seems to indicate Christ as a possible man at the "man of thy right hand" made strong. Quickening the people in verse 18 could signify the Resurrection; or restoration at the end of the Tribulation. The idea of God awakening reminds us of Isaiah 54:7-9 where God briefly turns away; again possibly signifying Jacob's trouble.

your welcome.

Yes, there are some that just say the words and think their saved but really they aren't. But those that, from the heart confession was made unto salvation, really did get saved and were filled with the Spirit; they will never lose it. In other words: them that have it (salvation) can never lose it. But them that never had it (salvation) can't lose something they never had. I'm thinking you go to the Church of God, because they believe you can lose their salvation. I'm of a baptist church myself. KJV (only) bible believing, Fundamental, Independent. Anyway, good luck to you. Not that I believe in luck!

my boyfriend wants me to run away with them and says if i do he won't commit suicide.

Should i do it ti save his life or stay bc my life is here?

Dear Gmmoore.

I am sorry that you have been turned down for something you had hoped to attain. may God uplift you and guide you in the next steps you are to take.

Hello, Ruth, Cancer treatment has come a long way in the past decade. I am glad that radiation is the way you will be going. i will continue to pray that it will be very effective, as God using it to heal you. I will get results early next week. Not a long wait.

I am sorry that they are having health problems and I hope all of them feel better.