could anyone help me here please?

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bunnydrop Apr 21, 2009

Hello all.You will probally get to know me well.Im the new girl.New here,New to my faith.can one get a pocket size bible an a kids bible.can you buy them online as i dont get out much due to disability.Also im having trouble in what to say to some friends an family about my faith.They are of the idea that im extreme maybe.In the fact that i have stopped alcohol,bad tv an music.i had to let my partner go a it was a def sin an they dont agree with the word of God.Its as if they are saying,greta,good on you,but live in the real world.I am .im ok with my changes.im have trouble Pack up the nicotine but God when im ready will help .i just want to be honest to God an myself.Do the thing God asks.And this is what he is asking me to do.Im still normal,i still sin ,i always have an no doubt always will.im just trying to repent them.an that to me means aviodibg an stoping as many sins as i can easily an than deal with the addictive ones like fags later.I guess i just feel alone ,an want them to be happy for me,but they are woried.i dont think having my bipolar helps.as this makes them say also am i ill.Im not ill.Far from it.I never felt so a peace an so content.i dont feel i have to battle alone anymore.what would you suggest i say.as its upsetting me an makes me feel im abnormal but im not.im just me.i have found God atlsat and i want to stay as close as i can,if that means sacrifice im prepared for that.my son is doing ok an he can have my guidance but in the end he has to follow his path himself.so we have no conflict.its mainly with friends an my parents.im am 43 by the way.rachael

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LoveGodsWay2 Apr 21, 2009

Rachael,

Welcome to Sermon Index!

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White_Stone Apr 21, 2009

Hello bunnydrop,

Welcome to Sermon Index. Praying for you in your walk with the Lord Jesus.

As for buying a Bible on-line. No one can point you to the one to buy. It depends on which translation you prefer; King James Version or another. Most Thrift Shops give away any Bibles they have on hand, that is the way to go if you are on limited funds. eBay has many pocket sized Bibles in many translations, again a personal selection is needed. If you enter the phrase - pocket sized Bible - in Google you will find many many sites that have them available. Happy shopping.

Be careful, it is hard to stop collecting Bibles. I have collected a leaning tower of different Bibles that sit next to my bed. What a thought to think of them all falling on me some night. People would ask my husband, 'And how did your dear wife pass away?' He would have to say, She was buried in the Word.' What a way to go.

Kind regards & prayer offered,
white stone

sermonindex Apr 21, 2009

Whitestone... too funny! My wife laughs at me because on my side of the bed is my nightstand... with a stack of books (commentaries, devotional books and various Bibles), but our littl'er boys use the night stand to climb up into the bed with her in the morning. Invariably I come to bed at night to discover said books all over the floor from where the boys knocked them off on their way up to see mommy! I don't always share my wife's humor in this... but I guess it's cute.

Welcome, Bunnydrop!

Krispy

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Ravenbrook Apr 22, 2009

Hi Rachael,

I went through the same thing thirty years ago. It cost me my friends and my family to follow Christ. I would do it all over again and never blink. Many of them just started avoiding me because I wouldn't excuse their sins. Others slandered me terrible, you might not believe what a mother can say about her son (she later repented and is now in heaven). Yes the cost is high. Jesus said in Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. We must die to our selves and live to God.

God bless you little sister in your search for truth.
kenny

sermonindex Apr 22, 2009

I was at a weekend "firearms" retreat this weekend for some training. I am a certified firearms instructor. We were at a summer camp out in the middle of nowhere in north-central NC.

On Saturday night after dark a lot of us guys congregated on the front porch of this old building, and the porch was lined with rocking chairs. Stories began to be swapped because most of us there were veterans and/or law enforcement. There were Vietnam vets, WWII vets, Gulf War I vets like me. There were even some current special forces guys there from Fort Bragg. There were also a lot of hunters too.

It was fun for awhile... but as the night wore on the jokes got cruder, the language filthier, the racist jokes began... guys who were even wearing Christian t-shirts joined in. Guys who made sure they said grace before each meal served there were laughing at every joke.

This used to be my crowd. I used to fit right in. But it took only a matter of minutes for me to feel completely out of place. So I started off the porch and someone asked where I was going... I turned around and said "I'm sorry guys, but 10 years ago this would have been the highlight of the weekend for me... but that was 10 years ago. Now I follow the Lord, and this is not at all pleasing to Him." And they all got a big laugh out of it, and at me. I could hear them hootin' and hollerin' over that all the way back to my cabin.

But ya know what? Sunday morning 2 of the guys who were acting the Christian, but participating in the events of the evening before... sat down next to me at breakfast and I could tell immediately that they were under intense conviction. We talked for a long time. I offered no condemnation at all... but I did challenge them to stop being spineless.

We have to count the cost in following Jesus. It will cost us everything, but in the end we gain everything!

Krispy

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run2win Apr 22, 2009

Krispy, you just demonstrated what it is to be salt and light. I've had similar experiences; I can say I've been the salt and I've been the saltee. It's all the work of the Holy Spirit. You did not quench Him, and He used your obedience to convict those others of His children.

Once, I was sitting with a group of parents; our children were all participating in an activity together. The conversation turned to a subject offensive to God. I had a choice: be silent and thereby "agree" with the position, or speak out (in a spirit of love). I knew God was putting upon my heart to speak. I carefully measured my words and said, "I cannot remain silent. I am a Christian..." I owned my position in Christ and spoke truth in a gentle spirit. Many cast down their eyes, and there was an uncomfortable silence. I never "judged" them, just spoke the truth regarding the subject. It was like a high powered light entered the room, and the darkness scattered, the conversation turned away from the ugliness.

I am not the boldest by nature, but God is my strength. I have to see past the carnal and look at the spiritual. All souls belong to God, and it is for Him to work in the hearts of people. But how will they respond if they do not hear??

As to you, Bunnydrop, He will carry you on His shoulders, He will hold you next to His bosom, and He will let you scamper near His feet in green fields. I pray He will use you and all of the victories of your life to draw others to Himself and to speak hope and life to the lost.

May the Lord encourage you in your walk with Him. Here is a passage of scripture to bless you today:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2Pet1:23

sermonindex Apr 22, 2009

I am not the boldest by nature, but God is my strength.

I am usually bolder than what I think God intends me to be... yet, to be honest I didnt feel very bold the other night. Those were my people, we all share a common bond in our pasts. We're all outdoorsmen. Testosterone levels run high in that crowd.

But... to obey is better than sacrifice. In my heart I could hear a still small voice asking "are you going to be obedient?".

It's not easy to follow the Lord. Forget all the techniques used today to convince people to follow Christ. His "wonderful plan" may not seem too wonderful to you!

Krispy

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run2win Apr 22, 2009

Bro. Krispy, this change in you was bound to garner the attention of these associates. I am praying that God would stir their hearts.

Peer pressure never goes away, no matter what age we are, and these are the times of extreme testing, because we have to make a choice, and we don't have much time to mull it over: "Do I please man/self, or do I please God? Do I take the hard road by myself, or go the broad way with the crowd?"

To God be the glory for your obedience in the face of difficulty. You had to stand alone in this one. I'm sure your boys will benefit from this testimony of your obedience. May you see fruit from this besides what God has allowed you to see already.

sermonindex Apr 22, 2009

Yea, I was kinda taken by surprise by the struggle I had with this because I've never been bashful about my faith. And here I was with a bunch of guys who I had just met, but for all intents and purposes we all viewed each other as "brothers"... kinda like foxhole buddies. It's hard to explain the comraderie to people who have not been in the military.

And then to have the Holy Spirit tell me to walk away... it was like turning my back on my brothers... and then be ridiculed for it. I told my wife that in my head I was like "wow... where are these feelings coming from? I've never been tempted to forsake what I believe!"

It was wierd.

The nice thing was that Sunday morning, other than the two guys that ate breakfast with me in the mess, it was as if it had never happened. All those guys talked to me and treated me as a brother. I dont know, maybe they respected me for what I did.

But you're right about my kids... one thing that kept coming to mind as I walked down to the cabin that night was that this is EXACTLY what I want my boys to do when they find themselves in such a situation as this.

Krispy