In Loving Memory
April 29, 1947 - September 5, 2020
Update: On Saturday, September 5th, 2020, the founder, administrator, and head moderator of this forum, Valerie S., went Home to be with the Lord. Her obituary can be found on https://memorials.demarcofuneralhomes.com/valerie-skrzyniak/4321619/index.php.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing .
"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"
Christians are leaving the faith in droves and the trend isn't slowing down
http://www.businessinsider.com/christians-are-leaving-the-faith-in-droves-2015-4
MY COMMENTS
Luke 18:8
8"I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
Jesus knew, that there would be this great falling away(apostasy) from the Christian faith, this is why it is written as such in Scripture. These are the end days, where are the Christians, are there many who are Christian in name only, and their hearts are far from God. Where are those that put their faith in God, and spread the Good News the Gospel, Jesus saves, Come to Jesus now? Where are those who were watching for Jesus' return, and left the watch to return back to their worldly lives and scoff at those who keep a faithful watch. It's time to make a difference, the hour is late.
Christians who are strong in their faith, faithful to the Lord and His ways; many of them are being slaughtered, and put to death throughout the world. They are scoff at, and called crazy/ dangerous fundamentalists and put on terror lists. They are ridiculed even by their so called brothers and sister who claim to be Christians, yet deny the power of God and His Holy Spirit dwells within true believers. These are those that didn't believe, when they proclaimed to receive the Lord into their lives,
they read or prayed the words, without any repentance, sincerity, of making Jesus their Lord and Savior. They did not fool God, they only fooled themselves. God knows what lies in your heart, and if a Christian is sincere, or not. No one can fool God,
they only think they can.
This great apostasy has arrived, this falling away from Jesus and my heart is filled with sadness for what good is it if one gains the whole world, and losses their soul, or spares his life and denies His faith in Jesus instead.
I see it with my own eyes, the falling away, there are those who can not part with their worldly life styles, possessions, and way of life.
The prophetic scriptures are coming to pass, and we have front row seats, as we keep the watch.
I'm pleading with my Brothers and Sisters in Christ here, please pray, pray without ceasing. The Lord has laid it on my heart to pray "The Lord's Prayer", the very one
Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Pray, that "God's will be done, here on Earth, as it is in Heaven". Lift up your voices to the Lord, fill the Heavens with your prayer
that Jesus taught. The sooner, we do, the sooner the Lord will move, Heaven and Earth for His own.
You may think of me as an old fool, I may be old, and yes, I'm a fool for Jesus, and I'll do anything the Lord asks me to do.
Will you join me, in the Lord's Prayer, at least twice a day minimum...Pray often, that God's will be done, here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
In Jesus' Love,
Valerie
Our Father Who Art In Heaven
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.]
Amen.
"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"
The Lord's Prayer
Christ said "This, then, is how you should pray:"
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matt. 6:9-13).
What does the Lord's Prayer contain?
It contains a short Preface and Seven Petitions.
What do you call its Preface?
These words: 'Our Father in heaven.'
What does the Father remind us of?
That God is our Father, so good and so worthy of veneration that there is no earthly father like Him; and that we, therefore, ought to pray to Him with a childlike reverence, love, and confidence.
Why do we say 'our Father', and not my Father?
Because, God being the Father of all men, we are all His children, and should therefore love one another as brothers, and pray for one another (cf. Mal. 2:10).
Why do we add these words: 'Who art in Heaven'?
To call to our mind, (1.) That God, though he is everywhere, dwells especially in Heaven, where we shall one day see Him face to face (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12) (see also the New Testament use of God and Heaven.) (2.) That we are but pilgrims upon earth, and that our true country is in Heaven; and (3.) That when we pray, we must detach our hearts from all earthly things, and raise them up to Heaven.
What do we ask for in the First Petition: 'Hallowed be Thy name'?
That the name of God may never be profaned or blasphemed, but that God may be rightly known, loved, and honored by us and by all men.
Why is this the First Petition?
Because we are to esteem the honor and glory of God more than all things else.
What do we ask for in the Second Petition:'Thy Kingdom come'?
(1.) That the kingdom of God, the Church, may be more and more extended upon earth; (2.) That the kingdom of divine, grace and love may now be established in our hearts, in order that, (3.) After this life, we may all be admitted into the kingdom of Heaven.
What is the meaning of the Third Petition:'Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven'?
We ask that we and all men may do the will of God on earth as faithfully and cheerfully as the Angels and Saints do it in Heaven; and We profess that, in all things, we submit ourselves to the holy will of God.
What do we ask for in the Fourth Petition: 'Give us this day our daily bread'?
We ask that God would give us all that is daily necessary for our soul and body.
Why does Christ bid us ask for our daily bread?
To teach us that we should wish only for necessaries, not for riches and abundance. "Having food and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content." (1 Tim. 6:8).
What do we ask for in the Fifth Petition:'Forgive us our trespasses, as We forgive them that trespass against us'?
That God would so forgive us all our sins as we forgive others who have offended us. (See Luke 6:37.)
May those who do not forgive expect forgiveness themselves?
No; on the contrary, they pass judgment upon themselves as often as they say the Lord's Prayer. "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (See Mark 11:25)
What do we ask for in the sixth Petition: 'Lead us not into temptation'?
We ask that God would remove from us all temptations and all the dangers of sin, or, at least, give us grace sufficient to resist them.
By whom are we tempted to sin?
(1.) By our own flesh or concupiscence; 'for the flesh lusts against the spirit' (Gal. 5:17) (2.) By the World, i.e., by its vain pomp, bad example, and wicked maxims; and (3.) By the Devil, 'who, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour' (1 Pet. 5:8).
Why does God permit us to be tempted?
(1.) To keep us humble; (2.) To try our faithfulness or to punish our unfaithfulness; and (3.) To increase our zeal for virtue, and our merits.
'Lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me' (2 Cor. 12:7). 2. "[F]or the Lord your God tries you, that it may appear whether you love him with all your heart, and with all your soul, or not." (Deut. 13:3). 'Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he bath been proved he shall receive the crown of life, which God bath promised to them that love him' (James 1:12).
Is temptation in itself a sin?
Temptation in itself is not a sin; but to expose ourselves heedlessly to temptation, or to yield to it, is a Sin. For our consolation and Instruction, Christ Himself allowed the Devil to tempt Him (See Matt. 4:1-11)
What must we do in order that we may not yield?
We must especially watch and pray, as Christ our Lord says: 'Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation' (Matt. 26:41).
What do we ask for in the Seventh Petition: 'But deliver us from evil'
That God would preserve us from all evil of soul and body, especially from sin and eternal d a m n a t i o n.
Why do we add the word 'Amen'?
To express by it our ardent desire, and also our confidence of being heard.
Always say the Lord's Prayer with reverential attention, remembering that we have received it from our Divine Redeemer Himself.
Read more:
http://healingscripture.com/LordsPrayer.shtml[/size]
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“Teach Us to Pray”
By Ed Wood
Luke 11:1-4 “And it came to pass, that, as he [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:7-3 “[Jesus said] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do:] for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Of all the things Jesus’ disciples asked Him, this strikes me as one of the most fundamental questions of all. It is one thing to know that God is the Creator and Source of all things but it does one little practical good if one is clueless as to how to get in touch with Him. Jesus, as always, provided the answer and gave them, and us, what I consider to be the “perfect prayer,” And it has no doubt been repeated more times by more people for nearly 2000 years than one could possibly count. But how often do we really take the time to think about all the things this simple, yet elegant petition to God contains and how it ties in with Scripture.
“Our Father which art in heaven.”
The Lord’s Prayer starts out to immediately telling us where God the Father resides—in heaven. But do you know there are actually three heavens depicted in the Bible? Paul tells us as much here:
2 Corinthians 12:2-3 “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth).”
So, this seems to be a good time to find out what and where they are.
The first is the region of Earth’s atmosphere:
Genesis 1:6, 8, 20 “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven... And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
The second is outer space:
Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”
Finally there is the “Third Heaven” and though God is indeed omnipresent, this is the heaven Jesus meant in the prayer:
Deuteronomy 10:14 “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens [is] the LORD’S thy
God, the earth [also,] with all that therein [is.]”
Revelation 4:2-3 “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”
“Hallowed be thy name.”
Isaiah 6:3 “And one cried unto another [the seraphim], and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.”
Revelation 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him;] and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.”
Daniel 7:13-14 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.”
Revelation 21:1-5 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”
This is finally the time when all traces of evil will be removed from existence and into this new universe God will literally bring heaven to Earth - and at long last, his will, WILL be done on earth.
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Luke 12:22-24 “And he [Jesus] said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body [is more] than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?”
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
Matthew 6:14 “[Jesus said] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
It should be pointed out here that this particular rendering of the original Greek unfortunately creates the impression that God willingly leads people into temptation. But as James said:
James 1:13-14 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
So, how do we deal with this contradiction? To be completely honest with you, and quite frankly to my disappointment, even a good study Bible I have on hand didn’t deal with this. Personally, I believe that the Good News Bible by the American Bible Society, copyright 1976, probably has the right idea in its rendering of this verse:
Matthew 6:13 “Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.” (Good News Bible)
If this is so, perhaps praying for God to “deliver us from temptation and evil (or the Evil One)” might be a good way to look at it.
“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Again, we can look back to the verses in “Thy Kingdom come” section as well as these when we consider the eternity of God’s Kingdom:
Psalm 145:13 “Thy kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endureth] throughout all generations.
Daniel 4:3 “How great [are] his [God’s] signs! and how mighty [are] his wonders! his kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion [is] from generation to generation.”
As to God’s eternal glory and power, we have:
Revelation 5:11-14 “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing and every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four [and] twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
So, the next time you pray the Lord’s Prayer, I hope you’ll reflect on just what a gift and just how this “perfect prayer” tells us about so many things!
All Scripture is taken from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.
http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/wood4.html
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Christianity Declines Sharply in US, Agnostics Growing: Pew
Christianity is in sharp decline in America, according to new research from the Pew Research Center, making for a significantly less Christian country than that of just seven years ago. The number of Christians dropped by almost 8 percentage points in seven years to 71 percent, and the trend holds across race, gender, education, and geographic dimensions, though Christianity still dominates American religious identity at 70 percent, USA Today said.
Read more:
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/christians-agnostics-millennials-pew/2015/05/12/id/644000/
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My Comment:
PRAY, PRAY, PRAY,...THE LORD'S PRAYER...!
Mark Twain said that there are lies, ****ed lies, and statistics. If one was to even believe the numbers in the claim, then the majority of Americans still actually believe Jesus is the Son of God and have accepted Him as saviour. (or else they would not identify themselves as Christian)
I don't even want to link it here, it is so unrighteous, but have a look at Breitbart tonight, there is a story on our President judging our Savior. What America has changed in, is that dishonour of the King of the Universe is openly spoken in our government at the highest levels.
Come quickly Lord Jesus, we rejoice that you don't need a survey or statistics to identify who are Yours, You have it all under control and know each one. You are our faithful and beloved Savior. Come soon please. We love You.
Regina,
I totally agree, I'm glad to see you speaking up. What is the truth, and how much of it are lies. I'm hoping that theses two articles are lies, that it's just the opposite. The opposite being more people are becoming Christians, not more leaving their Christian faith.
Remember Satan is the prince of the principalities of the air including airwaves, which we receive our news, radio, television, media information through the internet. Therefore, who and where is this information coming from, and how much of it is actual truth, and how much is fabricated as being the truth, when it could be outright lies.
I know there has been following away from the faith, especially those Christians who have embarrassed Chrislam, the new Christian and Islam religion and where the two worship together. One is so different from the other, that it's boggles the mind,
how these people came together in one unity.
One thing I'm very sure of, is that the Lord has impressed much prayer right now;
FOR MANY NOT KNOW HOW THEY "SHOULD" PRAY. This is why the Lord gave us this divine
Prayer straight from His lips to our hearts. "The Lord's Prayer" is how we should
pray, especially those that don't know "HOW THEY SHOULD PRAY.
Thanks for sharing!
Prayerfully,
Valerie
Caps for emphasis only