Very Toubled

[Willowbirch]

Wonderful, Brother!  

[Ambassador4Christ]

From: Two Minutes With The Bible, in which I post Daily here on this forum.

THE BLESSINGS OF CRISIS

The Apostle Paul, who had been through one desperate
crisis after another, wrote as follows:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

How many people have found life going along smoothly
for years when, all of a sudden, they have found themselves
in the middle of some serious crisis!

Perhaps the sudden death of a loved one changed life
completely and presented serious problems wholly unantic-
ipated. Perhaps it was the sudden loss of wealth, so that life
had to be completely readjusted. There are hundreds of
unexpected incidents that can suddenly bring one face to
face with stark and stern realities completely unforeseen.

For believers in the Lord Jesus Christ such crises can
prove great spiritual blessings. They tend to draw us closer
to our heavenly Father, to cause us to pray more and to
lean harder upon Him. They show us the insecurity of all
that is temporal and give us a greater appreciation of our
eternal security in Christ. They give deeper meaning to the
Scriptures we study and even to the hymns we sing. They
sanctify and enrich our fellowships.

To those -- and only those -- who truly love God and are
"the called according to His purpose," all things do indeed
"work together for good" -- caused by God, of course, to
"work together for good."
         
This is why God’s Word to the Christian is:
         
"Be careful [care full] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7).

Written by Pastor Stam

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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
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P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
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Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:  262-255-4750

[Symphony]

Yep, that pretty much says it.  Thanks, A4C...

[peachykeen]

I love you all so much...you have no idea how wonderful this has made me feel.  I come home everyday hurting and looking for the sympathy I never can find in my friends.  The only relief I get is with God and you beautiful people.  I think my faith is finally begining to harden.  I'm past a point where I've stopped trying to fight God and I'm actually surrendering to him.  Hearing all of the wonderful things you all have shown me have made me feel SO much better.  To know that people are actually praying for me and asking about how I feel is just.......an incredible feeling.  God really did direct me to this site randomly and mysteriously.  I was scanning a research page on some random website and I scrolled down to the very bottom, and in the tiny right hand corner in very small font were the words: christians unite.  I click on it and before I know it, I'm a Newbie and talking to great folks like you. It's amazing, complete strangers who I've never seen before in my life are helping me in so many incredible ways.  It's seriously like God placed me on this site for a reason.  

However, while my faith is getting stronger, my body is growing weaker.  I saw a neurologist today (the same one who diagnosed my mother with fibromyalgia), and we're still struggling to pinpoint the culprit.  Right now, I really am praying for an answer.  Just to know that I'm not crazy and this entire thing isn't in my head would be a miracle in itself.  I would love to try some of those natural drugs, my mother has a lot of organic herbs/pills that work wonders for the human body.  Sorry, I didn't mean to cause a dispute (I have PLENTY of my "peevish" moments too Willowbirch-lol).  Thank you all again, and I'll try to keep you updated.  Things still seem a tad hopeless, but I think the answer is coming.  

[Symphony]

Just keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, Peachy--the "author and perfector of our faith..."


   

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to PeachKeen,

You didn't cause any dispute, so please don't worry about that.

It is nice many times to shut the door, turn off everything that could bother you, get quiet, shut your eyes, and talk to Jesus.

Many are praying for you.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Willowbirch]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause a dispute (I have PLENTY of my "peevish" moments too Willowbirch-lol).  Thank you all again, and I'll try to keep you updated.  Things still seem a tad hopeless, but I think the answer is coming.  

You didn't cause a dispute, Peachy!   I must've took something the wrong way, I guess.

So you don't have chronic fatigue?   Or perhaps you do, unless they discover something else?

[Whitehorse]

Amen-keep your eyes on Jesus, Peachy; we're praying for you.

[peachykeen]

Hi all, sorry I haven't been on in a while.  I've been spending the last week (Thanksgiving holiday) in Ixtapa, Mexico, and its really given me a chance to relax and breathe.  This week has been wonderful, but I'm begining to feel the school stress come back upon me.  Right now, I'm really spiritually confounded.  If you could pray for spiritual clarity, I would greatly appreciate it.  I'm praying very hard and frequently nowdays, but I still have a problem of feeling God.  Its kinda making me go, "where are you?"  Also, I feel like God has really directed me to Isaiah 54-58 and 60 and the promise of Jerusalem/Zion.  I really feel like God is compairing me to Jerusalem.  On this trip I recently went on, I feel like God wrote out a sort of...table of contents for me.  Kind of like, 18 steps to get me out of this spiritual rut and back into God's arms, deeper than I've ever gone before.  My point is, basically, if BEP would allow me...I would really like to turn this topic into a kind of journal for what God is telling me.  It could help a lot of people, plus it might even be a miracle written out, recorded, and proven.  It would just basically what I feel is happening in me, like the re-awakening of Christ in my heart (if he was ever dorment-but I cetrainly drowned him out plenty a time).  I'm really hoping that (if it were allowed) that it could hold a figurative, or literal meaning to all christians who are suffering, sick, wandering, or dying.  I'm just really excited to spread what God has told me over the holiday, as well as wondering if my test could help the tests of others.  well, thanks for reading!

[Willowbirch]

Welcome back, Peachy! I hope your stay in Mexico was refreshing! I almost understand why you feel that God has called you to certain Biblical passages, and yet wonder if He is there. I have never been in such troublesome valleys as you have, but I can almost relate. I am glad that you seem to have found a "table of contents", that can be so useful!

It would be wonderful if you could make a journal here! There are so many people who want to help and can't, and would love to be able to look into the thoughts of someone who is going through what you are. And yes, it would be a wonderful testimony to the love of God, and the love Christians need to give back. We're cheering for you, Peachy!

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to  Peachykeen,

Sure it's allowed! We would love to hear your testimony and what God is doing in your life. I've been praying for you and will continue like many others here on Christians Unite.

Peachy, you never have to ask permission to post a testimony. Christians bear burdens together, and it's uplifting to hear about what God is doing in a person's life. We need to pray together and encourage each other in Christ. I've been within hours of death twice. I sometimes think it might have been better to go home with Jesus, but HE obviously has a purpose for me.

Peachy, I'm encouraged to hear about young people like you who are studying HIS WORD and seeking the will of God. We all have troubles and illness to deal with from time to time, but God's children don't face problems alone. Having Christian friends and family members is nice, but having JESUS is great.

Our problems in this short life are nothing in comparison to eternal life in GLORY with our LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. Pray and KEEP LOOKING UP!  Put your concerns and health problems at the feet of Jesus.

Love In Christ,
Tom  

[peachykeen]

Thank you so much BEP!  I cannot wait to tell you all the message God has given me, and amazing by how much has already happened. I feel change on the wind and I'm ready to breathe it in and embrace it.  I promise I'll spill everything but it'll have to wait until this weekend......

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to PeachyKeen,

You are most welcome. You really sound upbeat and positive. I give thanks that things are going better for you, and I look forward to hearing about what God is doing in your life.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[peachykeen]

Hello All, sorry I haven't been on in a while--it's been one epic battle after the next.  I still feel physically tortured, but my soul is a different story.  For the first time in a very long time, I feel on top of things and in control.  I feel close to God, and I'm begining to remember what kind of person I was and want to be.  While my body isn't improving much in health means, for the first time EVER I feel okay with it, like I can deal with it.  But theres a bit more than that.  Okay, let's start at the begining.  Thanksgiving week.  My parents had the brilliant idea of vacationing in Ixtapa, Mexico, just the three of us, instead of all the holiday stress of making turkey and pie and the begining of christmas sales, etc.  Before leaving, I made a secret promise with myself that somehow I would go on this trip and talk to God again.  Somehow, I was going to get better.  And somehow, I was going to be alright again.  Of course, I had made these promises to myself countless times before, but I was begining to get really fed up with the way I felt.  The way I felt meaning--completley isolated from God to a point where I could not feel him anymore, not even in prayer; physically worn out, exhausted, and streched "like butter spread over too much bread"-billbo baggins; and emotionally sick and alone and pretty darn annoyed with myself.  So anyways, I leave for the trip, have some fun splashing in beautiful blue water, shopping in a village across the street, and reading junk books by the pool.  But somewhere around midday I find myself wandering into a shadded area with hammocks, holding my bible.  I guess you could say I knew what I had to face.  Before opening my bible, I prayed that God would show me everything I needed to know--why was I sick, why was he doing this, why did he leave me (so pretty much why), what was I sick with, was there going to be a cure, and how come he is making me feel so alone?  So I do one of those things where you just open up your bible and read what wants to be read.  

Let me just say right now, it was the most amazing thing I have ever done.  What God told me that day has not left my memory once since I opened that book.  Not only did God answer all my questions, he told me what he was doing, why he was doing it, and whats going to happen.  He gave me every bit of information I could've ever wanted to know.  He expanded my heart, my mind, and my soul.  And then, something woke up inside of me.  The happy, healthy, I-know-what-I-want someone I once was jumped out of the depths of my heart and began to speak up again.  It began to shout out instructions and ideas that had never occured to me before.  And in the end, it was myself that grabbed the reigns out of my sickness' hands and began to steer my own life again.  What happened that day has only been the begining of a reverse spiral effect--instead of spiraling down into this unavoidable, deadly darkness, I am spiraling up, gaining more and more speed, getting closer and closer into the light I once dwelled in.  But the best part is that I know I'm not going to stop at the happy place I once was at, but I am going to keep spiraling up and up and up until my life has reached this ultimate happy place that I have never been able to reach before.  What is my happy place, you might ask?  I didn't know either, until about  a week ago I sat down and wrote it out.  I wrote out what I wanted and who I wanted to be.  I sat for an hour and enscribed a peice of paper with my emotional goals, physical goals, mental goals, and spiritual goals, and then how to join these 4 parts of me together.  So my happy place?  Turns out my happy place is becoming a woman of God.  Turns out that all I ever wanted and all I ever want is not to make the best algebra grade in the school, or become a Seventeen Cover Model, but to become someone who can make her immortal father happy.  Turns out, I just want to serve God, every single day of my life until I die.  Suddenly, this sickness doesn't seem so bad.  Suddenly, my life isn't so hard.  And suddenly, I don't hate myself anymore.  When you realize what you want, and you realize how easily it can be obtained, life immediatley stops being this 6 ring circus and starts becoming one big show.  It's not about my mom's sickness, nor my own.  It's not about how cool Pirates of the Carribean is, or how bad your chem grade may be.  It's not about your spouse, or your job, or your dog, or your house.  It's honestly about you and God.  Its about spending each day on Earth like its the best day you've ever had, and every person like the best friend you've had for years.  It's about being happy, and knowing that God's idea of sucess is the happiest, easiest, greatest definition of success.  And it's about knowing yourself.  It's about conquering your fears and becoming the person you were born to be.  This is my meaning of life, and I have learned it all from a few lucky chapters from the Bible.  and while my life is going to continue to be hard, and I will have to constisantly be reminding myself of what I'm working towards, I know that in the end, I will be happy.  In the end, I will be working for God in whatever way he needs me.  In the end, I WANT to be a servant of God, beause that is when I truly know myself the best and when I truly know what I want to become.  And maybe, just maybe, in the end, I will have accomplished all of these goals and all my other goals, and God will say to me "Well done, my good and faithful servant."  

So now I want to challenge you.  Please read my testimony, and rest assured there will probobly be MANY more, and think about your life.  Are you happy?  Are you making God happy?  And what are you working towards--a better life, or a better after-life?  And just remember--God is the most important thing in your life, so just make sure he makes the A-list  

well, i hope someone made it thro this long peice, and if you're reading this, thanks!!!

i'll put in more about the chapters i read later, for now, its Isaiah 54-58, 60

<3

[Sower]

Why is God trying to destroy a follower that was once so healthy and strong?  What's his purpose if he's hurting someone who just wanted to help people?  What do I do when theres no medication to stop the sickness, no friends to stand by, and no answer from God?  Does anyone know???

Brother:

If this is any comfort to you, many other Christians [including myself] have gone through tremendous trials and testings. There are Christians praying for you right now, I will also be praying for your recovery, and if not, then strength through the pain and sickness, but keep this thought always before you -- God always has a good ultimate purpose and that He is in you and with you through all of this, and will not put you through anything beyond what you can bear [by His grace].  Also remember Job.  His end was better than his beginning.

Lord Jesus, we pray for this brother who is hurting so badly that it is driving him to despair. Please reach down at this very moment and lift him up, strengthen him, and comfort him with thy comfort.  Amen.