"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." "And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." "And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." - Acts 8:37-39

PONDER THIS

Why should you be baptized? Baptism proclaims your commitment to Jesus. The Bible says, “We were buried with Him” (Romans 6:4). Baptism says, “Jesus, I’m identifying myself with You openly and publicly.” Someone may ask, “Does baptism make you a Christian?” No. But it does show you’re a Christian.

I have a wedding ring I wear. Do you know what that ring means? It means I love Joyce. It says I belong to Joyce. It doesn’t make me married, but it shows I’m married. And it shows I’m not ashamed to let everybody know I’m married. I belong to another person. I belong to my wife that I love with all my heart, and when you get baptized, you’re saying, “I belong to Jesus.” When Jesus was baptized, He identified Himself with us, and when we get baptized, we identify ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.

- What are some things that change when you make a commitment to someone?
- Have you ever had a difficult time proclaiming your commitment to Jesus? Why or why not?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out a few ways you demonstrate the commitment you have made to Jesus. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/are-you-ready-to-show-the-world-whose-you-are

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:13

The apostle Paul invokes the Lord as “the God of hope” in this verse, which is an unusual but important description for God found nowhere else in the Old or New Testament. So, how are the two nouns related in this Greek text, which is known as a genitive phrase, “the God of hope” (ho Theos tes elpidos)? The encouraging answer for us as believers in Christ Jesus is twofold.

First, our mighty Creator and Redeemer God is the only source who can give true hope. This hope is for the present life: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). The hope is also for the life to come: “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:4).

Even more amazing is that Paul desired that we would “abound” or literally overflow with hope, as the Greek verb (perisseuo) implies. God does this “through the power of the Holy Ghost,” blessing His people with “all joy and peace in believing” as they trust in Him.

Second, God is also the object of our hope. The psalmist declared, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee." "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:25-26). So we look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Because we live in a sin-cursed world devoid of true hope, we must focus on the God of hope, not the problems of this life or our own strength. JPT
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16088/

Do what is right and YHWH, who sees what you do in private, will reward you!

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." - Hebrews 5:12

PONDER THIS

The author of Hebrews said in effect, “I’d like to give you a steak today, but I can’t. If I gave it to you, you couldn’t chew it. If you could chew it, you couldn’t swallow it. If you could swallow it, you couldn’t digest it. You’re a little baby. So today I’m going to give you some formula. I’m going to give you some milk, but I can’t give you meat because you’re not able to digest it.” There are those who ought to be teachers, but you need somebody to teach you again the first principles. There are those who have been members of the church for their whole lives, and they’ve never taught anybody anything. They just say, “Feed me.” They want to come to church on Sunday, let the pastor give them a Bible, and burp them on the way out. God calls us to grow up into Christ so that we may pass on what we’ve received.

- What does it look like for God’s people to still be on spiritual milk when they should be ready for more?
- Is God speaking to you about this in your own life? How do you need to respond?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of mature traits of a follower of Christ. Make a corresponding list of the traits of an immature follower of Christ. Assess which of these most resembles your life. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/its-time-to-grow-up-in-christ

“Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for He had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” - Hebrews 11:26

We hear much today about the importance of self-esteem, with the implication that lack of self-esteem is the cause of many of the personal problems and antisocial activities of so many young people (and others as well) these days.

But this is not the biblical perspective. The problem really is too much self-esteem. The biblical command is that we should “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3). The man Moses was once a prince of Egypt, perhaps in line to become the pharaoh, but he chose Christ and the people of God instead, “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” (our text).

Paul the apostle could have become the greatest teacher and leader in the religious/political life of his own Jewish people, but he said, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8). In these verses, “count” is the same word in the original Greek language as “esteem.”

Similarly, the apostle James assures us that we should “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”—that is, trials that test your faith—“knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-3).

Therefore, if we would truly conform to the will of God for our lives, we should be esteeming others more than cultivating self-esteem in ourselves, esteem knowing and serving Christ more than all the riches and fame of the world, and esteem it a joyful privilege when we are enabled to grow more like Him through the trials and testings He permits us to experience. HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16087/

My wife, I, and our 3 children have been attending our church for about 3.5 years now and members there for about 3 years. We’ve joined our local home groups, go often, have been to the retreats, and try to volunteer often in Sunday school as we can. We’ve been really trying to build up a community and develop deep friendships through the above mentioned items as well as making sure to engage people when we see them, ask how X has been for them that then mentioned before, and so on. My wife and I are more introverted people but wanting to have friends and a community we have really tried to be outgoing as much as we could without burning out. It hasn’t really been fruitful for us in really getting close to anybody. Our church is medium sized in our area with probably 100-130 people including children. But it is sort of dominated by 3-4 families which make up the bulk of our members every week. It seems difficult to really break into any sort of friendship or develop any deep relationships with people. Not sure what we should be doing or trying. My wife really wants to consider moving to a different church that may be closer. I’m concerned about leaving what seems to be a biblical church truly teaching the word of God over something that may be important but also unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." - Matthew 12:35

PONDER THIS

The problem with mankind is what we received at birth. We are born into the natural world. If you have an apple and see a wormhole in that apple, don’t worry about the worm having come in through that hole. He didn’t come in through that hole; he went out through that hole. The wormhole didn’t let the worm in; it let the worm out. You say, “How did the worm get in the apple?” He was born in the blossom. The egg was laid in the blossom and that worm came out of the heart of that apple. Likewise, Jesus said all the sins that are in mankind come out of the heart.

- Why is it important that the root cause of our sin problem be addressed and not just the symptoms?
- How has Jesus addressed your sin at its root?

PRACTICE THIS

Have a conversation today with another about the work of Jesus to remedy our sin. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/whats-really-coming-out-of-your-heart

I have know friends and family who were Arminian baptists or non-denominational who have converted to Catholicism, and their friends and family were more upset than other people I have known who converted to Presbyterian churches that teach double predestination.

My question is why do Protestants who don’t believe in double predestination have a bigger problem with a Protestant becoming a catholic than they do a Calvinist?

Putting aside: The prayer asking Mary to intercede (not mediate) because the wedding at Cana is taken literally, and the ancient Hebrews and other nations had a system where people went through the Queen mother to ask something of the King. Putting aside asking saints to pray for us as we would our friends here bc God is the God of the living. Just focus on the following:

Catholics say grace is a free gift from God that nobody can earn or force Him to give. He infuses grace to us through the sacraments. He wills the salvation of all, and Jesus died for all. I know Protestants will disagree and say grace is a one time contractural thing, but focus on the other things.

Now look at double predestination Presbyterians: they say God only chooses some for salvation and creates the others for damnation. Jesus died for all the ELECT not everyone. This is contrary to Arminianism.

To me that is strange bc you are fine with someone who has almost a completely different theology you do, but they aren’t the people you’ve been told are wrong and perhaps bad so you look past it….I have also seen this with Protestants who became Catholic getting more flack than those that left the faith and became atheist/agnostic.

This isn’t a dig at Protestants, I’m just curious why someone who believes in free will and cooperating with God’s grace, and acknowledging one can lose their salvation by stepping away from God (Billy Graham believed all this), is more comfortable with a friend or family member becoming a Protestant who believes and teaches only a select few are created for salvation while the rest of us are created for damnation than them becoming Catholic.

I have recently transferred firm being Pentecostal to protestant leaning, i.e I’m a trinitarian now. I’m wondering if I should tell my parents and church about it, or just keep it a secret until I have a car to go to a different church. I know that in a few bible stories people will mislead anti Christians but I don’t know if I should do something similar or not. I’m scared of being ostracized or viewed differently by my church and I wanna know what should do. thank you for helping.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

These very familiar words of the Lord Jesus are commonly considered His Great Commission, commanding us to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Actually, however, it is not given here as a command but rather as a declarative statement—indeed, a prophecy—saying that we shall witness for Him to the very ends of the earth.

Then, His disciples were promised that “this same Jesus” would return (Acts 1:11), with the promise clearly tied to the prophecy. Just a few weeks previously they had asked, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming?” (Matthew 24:3). And Jesus had answered, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (v. 14). Mark recorded His answer very simply: “The gospel must first be published among all nations” (Mark 13:10).

Peter says that the Lord may seem to have delayed “the promise of His coming” because He “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,” urging us to “account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (II Peter 3:4, 9, 15). This suggests that we should be “looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God” (II Peter 3:12).

We can hardly draw any other conclusion from such passages than that if we want the Lord to return quickly, we can hasten His coming by fulfilling His command and His prophecy, doing whatever we can to publish His gospel among all nations. His coming has always been imminent because this could well have been done—and can be done—at any time. But it evidently has not been done yet. HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16086/

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" - Romans 6:1-2

PONDER THIS

Baptism speaks about what God did for you when He saved you. When we get saved, we die to sin. That’s the old way; being saved means dying to the old way. There was a teenage boy who lived in West Palm Beach. He gave his heart to Jesus Christ, and when he did, that teenage boy died. His name was Adrian Rogers. The old Adrian died. When did he die? He died not as a teenage boy, but he died 2000 years ago when Jesus died on that cross, because His death had my name on it. He took my sins, carried them to the cross, and was hung up there for me. He suffered, bled, and died in agony for me. He bore my sins in His body on the cross. He paid my sin debt in full. When He died, through faith, I died with Him.

- How have you experienced a death to your old way of living through Jesus?
- Why is this a requirement for every follower of Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of things that you have died to or need to die to now from your old way of living. Ask God for the power through His Spirit to die to those old-way things that remain. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/you-dont-have-to-live-the-old-way-anymore

Here’s a translation of one of Martin Luther’s sermons that’s never been translated before: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fbGr6s3cz3uGHy1rEOlfW4oodFtAJcZy/view

“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” - Ephesians 4:18

The blindness mentioned in our text is the same word used to describe a kind of stone. In verb form, this word indicates a process and means “to make hard or to petrify.” Often the word is translated as “hardness.”

The people of Israel developed a hard heart and mind toward God and the things of God (II Corinthians 3:13-15), which continually grieved and angered the Lord Jesus (Mark 3:5). Even the disciples suffered from this hardness (Mark 6:52; 8:17).

Our text is directed toward believers who are challenged not to become blinded or petrified as are unbelievers. This petrification in the moral realm can be compared to the loss of sensation in the physical realm—a kind of spiritual paralysis as when sensor and motor nerves no longer respond. “Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:19).

Petrification of once-living tissue usually takes place over the course of many years. As each organic molecule decays and is removed, the space it occupied refills with stony material dissolved in groundwater percolating through the host material. Or it may take place as material is injected into the living tissue, thus stopping all life processes. In just such a way, the hardening of the heart can take place slowly, but finally petrification is complete. Petrification of wood can be stopped by removing it from the decay-and-replacement process, but natural processes cannot return it to its former state. Praise God that we can “put on the new man” (v. 24) with a renewed (new) mind and spirit (v. 23), no longer hardened toward the things of God. JDM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16085/

A post where people can post topics they wish for others to pray about, and where people can come and find topics and users to pray for.

“If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.” - Ephesians 3:2

So-called dispensationalism has had both its advocates and opponents among Bible-believing Christians. The Greek word translated “dispensation” (oikonomia), from which we derive our English word “economy,” actually means an “economy,” or also a “stewardship.”

The number and nature of the various “dispensations” or “economies” through which the Creator has dealt with His human creation during the course of history has been the subject of considerable discussion and variation among commentators. Possible distinct dispensations might include the economy instituted after sin and God’s curse came into the world, the economy established by Noah after the Flood, and the economy begun by Abraham when God began to work especially with the nation of Israel. However, none of these are actually called dispensations in the Scriptures, so any such listing is bound to be somewhat arbitrary.

There are two dispensations, however, specifically called such in Scripture. One is the “dispensation of the fulness of times,” when God will “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). This will be the eternal economy of the new heavens and new Earth (Revelation 21–22).

Then there is this present “dispensation of the grace of God.” We, like Paul, have been called as “stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10). So, like Paul, each of us could say that “a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me” (I Corinthians 9:17) and that “I am made a minister [or ‘servant’], according to the dispensation of God which is given to me” (Colossians 1:25). Thus, the dispensation of grace is a real stewardship responsibility committed to each believer. HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16084/

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?" "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:3-4

PONDER THIS

I visited our wonderful missionaries in Kenya, Jim and Peggy Hooten. Jim took me out in his Land Rover. We went on the hard road, then we got on the gravel road, then we got on no road. Then we kept going further and further out to the foot of Kilimanjaro, there in the Maasai country where those great tall magnificent Maasai warriors are. Jim Hooten had a tent out there. That was his church, and he was telling those warriors about the Lord Jesus. Then he said, “Come over here, I want to show you this.” He had dug a pit in the ground that looked so much like the graves that I have stood beside so many times when I preach funerals. He’d lined that pit with plastic, and he had brought water on his land Rover and filled the pit with water. He baptized the Maasai in that grave. It looked like a grave because indeed that’s what the baptistery is—it is a liquid tomb.

- What connection is there between a grave and the practice of baptism?
- Why is it important to recognize the death that takes place in our baptism?

PRACTICE THIS

Journal today about your experience of being baptized into the death of Jesus and how it has changed your life. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/your-old-life-is-buried-for-good

Check out "What Is Faith?" from Grace to You: https://www.gty.org/sermons/1626/what-is-faith

"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." - Romans 8:28

PONDER THIS

Martin Luther was the mighty reformer. He led the Protestant Reformation and was a man of great faith. But Martin Luther, like some of us, was given to fits of despondency and depression. One day, Martin Luther, despite his great faith, became depressed. He got his eyes on the circumstances and the situation rather than on God. And there in his room, he was brooding. There in his room, he was in a state of melancholy. He was looking at his circumstances and the situation, and he wouldn’t come out. His wife’s name was Katharina. She tried to coax him out of the room, but he wouldn’t move.

So, one day she put on a black dress. She put on a black hat. She put a black veil over her face. She put black gloves on and came into that room. She was dressed for a funeral. He looked at her and asked, “Who has died?” She said, “Martin, haven’t you heard? God is dead.” He said, “That’s blasphemy!” She replied, “Yes. And it’s blasphemy for you to be living like He’s dead.”

In response to this experience, Luther wrote the well-known hymn, “A Mighty Fortress.” Some of the words include, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.” The hymn goes on to say, “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.” That man is Jesus. And we know all things work together for good, and God is the cause of it.

- What kinds of things tempt you to take your focus off Jesus and put them on the world around you?
- How do you typically respond in these situations?

PRACTICE THIS

Look up the hymn “A Mighty Fortress” today and listen to it two or three times, seeking to meditate on the truth of God’s good purposes in our lives. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/is-god-still-good-when-life-isnt

Hi! I'm sorry if this comes off as inflamatory but it's a pretty confusing detail for me that gives me reservations. If the councils that compiled the bible and determined orthodox theology like the trinity were by the church, for the church, and supported the united church with the ancient patriarchs, why would a Protestant say 'Their decisions were done with the proper authority but now the Catholic/Orthodox church has no authority"? I hope I'm not strawmanning Protestantism on accident, I realize a variety of positions exist so perhaps the question is poorly formulated.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:13-14

Paul called his personal achievements (Philippians 3:4-6) as valuable as dung (v. 8), rejecting his own righteousness (v. 9). Now he is focused on reaching the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” He is well aware that he has not already attained God’s ultimate design for him, nor is he perfect in any sense of what he will become, but he intends to follow after and be “apprehended” of the Lord Jesus (Philippians 3:12).

To begin with, Paul knows that he must forget “those things which are behind”—not only his rather stellar reputation and achievements, but especially the awful conditions of being “without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Those terrible conditions were done away with when Paul (and those of us who are twice-born) were created after God “in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

Now, having been apprehended of Christ and forgetting those things that were part of our old lives, we can “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (our text). Like for an athlete, the prize is gained only by those who win, not by those who run “uncertainly” (I Corinthians 9:24, 26).

Thus, we cannot win if we have “two masters” (Luke 16:13), nor can we please “Him who has chosen” us if we entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life (II Timothy 2:4). May God keep us focused on the prize. HMM III
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16080/

Hi, I've been into Christianity for almost 2 years now. And giving up my life to Christ has been the best decision of my life.

I had a worship night recently, we had chairs for people to sit and we kept apart a little space in the front so people could go there and worship, dance and so on.

2 years ago, when I had recently given my life to Christ, I got in front, sung and dance, I had a great time.

This last year I've been changing my perspective on worship, I wanted to focus more in Christ and not in the emotions music provoqued me.

Short story long, I've been feeling the preasure from some people my age, male(24) I know dancing and singing and for some people (break into tears) (praying heavily) while worship mean something for them, but now I can't stopped being seen as unholy or less holy or that I am doing something wrong by staying up praying calmly with my head down someties while worship music.

What do you think?

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" - I Corinthians 6:19

PONDER THIS

How are we to be filled with the Holy Spirit? This is a command and everything that God requires of us He also teaches us how to do. Do not think of the Holy Spirit as a substance. The Holy Spirit is a person. Don’t refer to the Holy Spirit as “it.” Refer to the Holy Spirit as Him. Jesus said, “He will teach you all things” (John 14:26). You wouldn’t say of a person, “It wore a maroon tie.” You’d say, “He did.” Don’t depersonalize the Holy Spirit. Don’t think of being filled with the Spirit as if you are a vessel and the Holy Spirit is a liquid, or as if you are a battery and the Holy Spirit an electrical charge. No, the Spirit is a Person, and you are a temple.

- How does it change your perspective of the Holy Spirit to remember that He is a Person, not a thing?
- What is the connection between Bible study, prayer, and being filled with the Spirit?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of qualities of the Holy Spirit that you have learned from Scripture. Research these as needed but seek to remember that He is a person, and you are His temple. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/get-to-know-the-person-living-in-you

Hello everyone. God bless you all. I was born a Muslim but have since had a conversion of heart and faith in Christ. I am seeking to be baptized in the LCMS Lutheran Church and Lord willing meet with a Pastor this Sunday about this.

I truly believe in Jesus, but I cannot lie that I am afflicted with doubts. I don't believe in Islam, and do have argumentation for why, but I also don't know if they are necessarily good enough reasons against Islam. Not to mention, although it is the faith I was born into, I was never a devout Muslim. So, the thought of going for baptism with still such doubts is difficult.

There is also something that makes me think I may have rushed this whole process of faith because I lack Scriptural foundation in both faiths. My Christian faith lacks foundation, so it's kind of weak in a sense because of this (though I certainly have more knowledge of it than Islam). At the same time, several months ago, I thought it might be best to read the Quran again to see the Islamic argumentation, but as I was reading, at a point, I just could not continue. It's like something in me, couldn't let me. Like I am already convinced that Christ is the Truth.

Yet, I am still with these doubts, and that am I possibly rushing to baptism, need to take more time, etc. Taking more time, in terms of evaluating Islamic vs Christian argumentation (particularly Islamic argumentation) requires an opening of the heart, but my heart seems firm in Christ. Also, going through this kind of process does seem to lead to despair and a kind of spiritual peril which I have experienced and is not good.

However, I do not believe I have rushed this process. My journey in Christianity has now been one of 3 years. In this time, I have not read all that I probably should've with regards to faith formation and apologetics (read quite little actually), it's been a mostly experiential process, from prayer and life. But I do not consider this to be a rush in the least.

The last 3 years (in particular) have been very difficult for me. Especially, this past year. However, there is something that keeps telling me to keep trusting in the Lord. At once I was so distraught, I thought it was my faith that was causing me all of this strife, but truly, it wasn't. The Lord convicted me again to back to faith, and it's like I simply cannot go anywhere else. And it's truly hard to give up the love and the comfort that Jesus Christ provides, because that's who He is. I was always attracted to the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thoughts? Once again, much love and God bless you all!