I’ve spent a good portion of my ministry sitting with people who had more questions than answers. Often during desperate times, all I can do is point to a God who has answers I don’t yet have.
What questions do you have to do, for which you wish you had better answers?
Yes, I find it very frustrating. She made need to be brought under conviction as was I, but the downside to that is that I have to wait as well 🙂
I feel like a dam holding back all this love and she has her hand on the sluice control; wishing she would crank it open. 🙂
Good illustration
My biggest question is this: When I was being a poor husband to my wife, I understand the reason for "punishment" or things just not going right because along with that I was also not trusting in Him and my relationship to Him was poor as well. But He reached into my life and turned me around totally – 180 degrees. It's not that it's perfect, but I can see where my relationship to HIm is soooo much better and deeper and more meaningful. I can also see how much better I treat my wife and how much more in love with her I am than I have ever been. But even after this wonderful turn around, I feel as lost and forsaken in my marriage as I did before, probably more so. Makes me question if I am still missing something, although I truly don't see it; again not that I'm perfect, but this is so much better from my perspective. If "punishment" or correction or "education" comes during a time of disobedience, shouldn't the opposite be true during times of obedience? I pray constantly for His support and for even some small part of my wife's heart… but …I just don't understand.
Yea, I question that too….the part about how God can turn a life. I'm sorry the other part of your life hasn't turned around. I suspect that has more to do with her heart than yours at this point, based on the desire you seem to have. Praying for you
Pastor Ron I have never understood the first part of this scripture: "It is the Glory of God to conceal a matter" – huh? Why?
Laurinda, I think it simply means it gives Him glory because He knows everything and we don't…not that He's hiding anything, just that His ways are not our ways…His thoughts not our thoughts…as high as the heavens are from the earth…
Read also Deut 29:29…
God bless!
PS. Another way to look at it…when my boys were young, they thought I knew everything. Really, I just knew things they didn't know, but to them, I was a genius….
They've since learned otherwise, but the illustration still holds for God!
That's a great analogy! I'll check out the scripture.
A friend just asked me to pray about questions about whether she should be baptized again since she has so much more knowledge than she had when she was 12 years and was baptized. I am looking for revelation to share
I don't know that there is a specific verse I would reference here. 12 year olds are baptized all the time and know completely what they are doing. Others discover later that they didn't know. Both my parents were baptized later in life, in their 60's, after having made decisions as a child. I think the key here is that if her heart is unsure about that decision at 12, and she wants to be baptized again, then go for it. There is certainly no Scripture I know that would say not to do that. Why not be certain the baptism clearly does what it is supposed to do, which in my interpretation of Scripture means it's a symbol of a heart change, a recognition and public display of a faith in the person of Jesus Christ. I do believe baptism is a once in a life experience, but it does follow the heart's decision to follow Christ, so why not make sure she's done it in that order?
I also know that some doctrinal beliefs include baptism as part of the salvation experience and not as a symbol of the experience. In that case, it would even make more sense to be sure. It sounds like your friend has no question about her faith now. If I were her, I'd eliminate any question of the baptism.
I don't know if that helps, but that's what I would share with her if she was talking to me.