[Welcome to the family of God! PRAISE THE LORD! Aint He good to us all?]

Welcome to the family of God! PRAISE THE LORD! Aint He good to us all?

before you read this poem i just want you all to understand where im comming from in this poem. Im not in any way going against God here, in fact when and where i wrote this poem, i was just being openly honest in front of the Lord about how i felt on the specific issue that i had to go face to face w/ in the past so many times and still continue to face it. So yes there is a racist name in here but I will block it off using symbols. Other than that, its all clean.

God sometimes I wonder,
Why did you make me a Jew?
Why did you make me, a child of the world's most oppressed nation?
And in number so few?

Sometimes I wonder God,
Why am I the apple of your eye?
Do you ever hear our plea?
Do you ever hear our cry?

Sometimes I wonder
What the view is like from up there?
What does it feel like to sit and just watch?
Busloads of people blown up into thin air?

I wonder God, how did you feel
When we were being shot at, burned, and gassed?
What was going through your mind God?
When 6 million of us passed?

And what hurts me the most God,
Is that my own hate me too,
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE GOD!?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH!?

Do you think I like to be called a traitor and a k**e?
All at the same time?
Have it enbedded into my head that,
Being Jewish is a crime?

And have it enbedded into my head
That I'm a betrayer
Just because I love Jesus, your Son
Then that makes me a "God Hater"?

When will this stop?
God, when will it all go away?
When will your people, us Jews
Wake up one day?

So this is my cry
From me to you
Why am I chosen?
Why did you make me a Jew?

there's a second part to this poem that is comming up and that is gonna be God's response. The whole message of the poem is finding your identity and what it really is.

Last month has been truely a blessing for me God has answered so many prayers, and even taught me how i need to be praying as well. I feel like i have become a  lot more closer not only to him but more closer to my girls in my bible study group. During my time of fasting, it was nothing but continuous blessings and revelations. what a month it truely was! i dont want to even stop, the Holy Spirit is just working in me like crazy guys!

[There's a secret i must tellof all the love i've foundand its hidden in my heartthe day you tore my world apartHallelujah, King forever, Friend and SaviourJesus' blood never fails meJesus' blood never fails meJesus' blood, Jesus' bloodand this secret, it will runto the corners of the earthwhere every women, every sonwill carry high their chains undoneHallelujah King forever, Friend and SaviourJesus' blood never fails meJesus' blood never fails meJesus' blood, Jesus' bloodsing your songs of freedompraise the God of HeavenLove that never fails meJesus' blood, Jesus' blood.]

Here is another good one that got me to choke up during communion one time at my church. when i sing this song now i always know that His blood NEVER fails me.

There's a secret i must tell
of all the love i've found
and its hidden in my heart
the day you tore my world apart
Hallelujah, King forever, Friend and Saviour

Jesus' blood never fails me
Jesus' blood never fails me
Jesus' blood, Jesus' blood

and this secret, it will run
to the corners of the earth
where every women, every son
will carry high their chains undone
Hallelujah King forever, Friend and Saviour
Jesus' blood never fails me
Jesus' blood never fails me
Jesus' blood, Jesus' blood

sing your songs of freedom
praise the God of Heaven
Love that never fails me
Jesus' blood, Jesus' blood.

SavedByGrace02, red letters, Pixie, Luke O, and 2nd Timothy, and all our brothers and sisters...

     What an excellent issue for debate!  I’d like to add my two cents here, I’ll try to be brief, but still attempt make a relevant contribution to the discussion.
     SavedByGrace02, your position is the position accepted by the majority of Christian denominations and with minimal effort, a person will more than likely find that this position was agreed upon throughout most of Salvation history.  
     That is not to say that this is the only position that is valid and worth consideration… and more importantly, there are other positions that can be presented well in light of Scripture.
     My denominational roots are widespread and my point of view is reflected in my upbringing.  My Mother was a Presbyterian; my Father was both a Southern Baptist and a Pentecostal.  As a young man, I was mostly taught and I have believed in the “Once Saved, Always Saved,” rule to salvation.  Almost all Presbyterians and Baptists generally believe in this theosophy (or at least are taught to), but this is not true within the Pentecostal community.  “Once saved, always saved,” was introduced (largely) to Christianity by John Calvin and his contemporaries – I recommend you read Calvin’s Institutes for an impressive and extremely thoughtful point of view on the Christian Church from this early reformer and leader of a great deal of modern-day Christian thought.
     The classic interpretation of 1John 5:16 is about repentance and asking God for forgiveness for a sin that will not “lead to death.”  In this passage, many believe that John is writing to Christians (so logic would dictate that they have already been saved) and teaching them the difference between sin that does not lead to death (eternal death, or damnation to Hell) and sin that does lead to eternal death.  He is not explicit, in fact the entire New Testament does not specifically give us a list of sins that would fall into the category of “sins that lead to death.”  Some people believe that unabashed breaking of what are universally held to be sins of a “grave” nature can cause us to loose our salvation if we do not regret and pray for forgiveness at His mercy.  Murder is a good example – some view this as a grave sin because it is taking a life… that does not belong to you.  All human life (all life in fact) belongs to God; therefore we have no right to take life from His children, we cannot make that decision for him – “Though Shall Not Kill.”  Intentionally taking ones OWN life would fall into the same category, it would be a rejection of the Truth that our lives belong to God… it is a vain notion indeed to believe that we do not belong to God – that we love and can claim ownership of our souls more so than God.  He loves us more than we could possibly ever love ourselves.  “God is love.” (Underline added)
     Of course, many view Mathew 12:32 as an example of the only unforgivable sin – “blasphemy” against the Holy Spirit.  Try reading and reflecting on this passage as our Lord Jesus Himself tells us that there IS a sin that will not be forgiven “in this age or the age to come.”  Does this passage imply that this is the only sin that will not be forgiven?
     In truth, your individual belief on this issue may depend a lot on different things: what school of thought you belong to for the “once saved always saved” doctrine, what church you belong to, what church you were raised in, or what your family and people close to you believe.  This issue is not a clear-cut case of reading Scripture for a definite answer, if it was… there would be no debate on this issue!
     The following (mainstream) Christian denominations (in alphabetical order) hold to the belief that salvation can be lost through grievous sin if forgiveness for that sin is not sought out:  Anglicans, Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, all Orthodox Christians, and Pentecostals.  There are many other smaller denominations that hold to this understanding as well.  Presbyterians, Baptists, and those many denominations that have been influenced by these two large Christian denominations – reject the idea of different levels of the nature and seriousness of any sin.
     For an answer, for any person, I believe we must turn to His Word… and listen with an open heart to what the Holy Spirit whispers to our quiet mind.  Truth is not subjective… no matter what we, as individuals, believe - Truth is Truth.  We are always free (and always have been free) to believe whatever we wish… but believing strongly in something does not make that thing “true.”  The answer is in God.  

     Pray my brothers and sisters, pray for an answer… and most importantly, pray for the people who are so troubled in this life – that they wish to end their precious, precious lives - before the time and circumstances that God wills.

May the Peace of Christ be with you.

Jaime
   

That is a lot of stuff you put there, that punched me (not in a bad way though.) Thank you so much for your answer on this, WOW!! thats deep right there, i enjoyed reading it and im gonna make sure that i copy and paste this because i not only want to look at the verses but also be able to meditate on them myself and see what i can dig out of it. Its sad to know that suicide happens more often in Christian families. at least thats what i hear.

Should we as believers engage in politics even though we know what is going to happen w/ this world?

Really does that, then will they still go to heaven? This is something that I got into a passionate debate w/ a good friend of mine from church.

Here is where I stand in this: I believe that suicide is a sin that cannot be repented of because of the lack of time that person has to repent off of it.

I usually dont really ask people to pray for me first, usually it comes out that I ask people to pray for others, but this time I really need it. (In the future times i'll need it too i guess   )

Anyways next Sunday im leading our study in the book of Hebrews, please pray that God gives me the wisdom of what to say and what kind of questions to have and all that.

I never done this in my life so im kind of excited but also kind of scared.

Our church sent out a missionary team down to the islands of Fiji, they were over there building a medical clinic. They just got back a few weeks ago and were able to share some heart-touching testimonies about their trip.

One of my best friends who went on that mission, her mother is a midwife. On the mission she was told that there was a pregnant women there. Appearently what happened is that she check her and all of that stuff. She met this women a year before God planted in her heart to build a medical clinic.

This story kind of started out funny and hilarious and ended very tragically, when one day someone called my friends mom to come in quick because the pragnent lady was having a fever and really bad side cramps for some reason.

My friends mom went down w/ her stethiscope and she discovered that the women need to be lifted to the hospital asap. So because there was no hospital on the island they were staying at doing mission work, she had to deliver the baby and the thing that happened is that baby came out dead  

What i really want to say is that if you can really keep that Fijian family who lost their child in your prayers, that would be greatly appreciated. I totally believe that prayer even works over-sea's, and so PLEASE keep this family in your prayers that God will continue to shine His blessings on them and that He will guide them in this time.

Can i get some modern examples of those churches? Monday night we are studying the book of Revelation. it is really interesting.

Along w/ a question like that usually comes the question concerning what is the TRUTH? because here we have good and evil only and that (im sure you already heard) is either God or the devil. you have to ask yourself many other questions that tie to why so many believe in God, questions about other world religions, then you have to ask yourself the question concerning Jesus Christ, is he really real? or is he fake? did people make up that story? could it really happen that a women who has never slept w/ anyone all of a sudden become pregnant w/ the Son of God? to the very last question Where is Christs flesh and bones? are they in his tomb? why is the tomb open to this very day? why are all of the other prophets you can dig up their bones by Christ's cannot be found? is this really just a made up story? all of this should boil down to this: Well if this is all true, then WHO is the truth?

But first and foremost ask yourself these questions: Who am I, Why am I here? (is there a purpose to life?) And where am I going? (heaven or hell?)

[It was AWESOME! I really felt touched and the room and the group of people that I was w/ last night we really got to sense Him hoovering around after Bible study. Im still flying on cloud 9 even today.]

It was AWESOME! I really felt touched and the room and the group of people that I was w/ last night we really got to sense Him hoovering around after Bible study. Im still flying on cloud 9 even today.  

I had a very strong discussion about this topic concerning what i saw on Jack Van Impi one time. the lady said that Christians who commit suicide will go to heaven. I dont think so because I see it as a sin that cannot be repented of. what do you guys think?

[Here's the song lyrics to those that dont know it.]

Here's the song lyrics to those that dont know it.

(Verse 1)
How do you explain, how do you describe
A love that goes from the east to west
And runs as deep as it is ride
You know all our hopes
Lord, you know all our fears
And words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for You to hear

(Chorus)
So listen to our hearts
Here our spirit sing
A song of praise that flows
From those you have redeemed
We will use the words we know
To tell you what an awesome God You are
But words are not enough
To tell you of our love
So listen to our hearts

(Verse 2)
If words could fall like rain
From these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
I would still run out of time
So if You'll listen to my heart
Every beat will say
Thank You for the life, Thank You for the truth,
Thank You for the way

www.Higherpraise.com has some pretty good stuff.