TRUE BELIEVERS - Religious beliefs, verses, poems and prayers...

[always2late]

I have a few questions to start a discussion for anyone who wishes to answer. How did you come by your faith? Is it a part of your upbringing? Or was it some other circumstance, or moment in your life that brought you to it? Do you still follow the faith you were raised with? Or have you chosen another path?

[Kent]

YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way I designed just for you. Therefore, it is a lonely way, humanly speaking. But I go before you as well as alongside you, so you are never alone. Do not expect anyone to understand fully My ways with you, any more than you can comprehend My dealings with others. I am revealing to you the path of Life day by day, and moment by moment. As I said to My disciple Peter, so I repeat to you: Follow Me.

PSALM 119:105; JOHN 21:22

[Kent]

Originally Posted by always2late

I have a few questions to start a discussion for anyone who wishes to answer. How did you come by your faith? Is it a part of your upbringing? Or was it some other circumstance, or moment in your life that brought you to it? Do you still follow the faith you were raised with? Or have you chosen another path?

Always,

I remember being a small child standing and sitting between my father and mother in Sacred Heart Catholic Church here in Wichita Falls, Texas. Church was definitely a part of my upbringing. After my parents split up and divorced, my grandmother, Mama Lou, would take me and my cousins to Sunday school and when it was over, we met her in the church and sat through the Sunday service with her. We all felt so proud to be sitting with Mama Lou in church. She was such a great woman, a stand up woman. We'd all pile up in her old car and we usually fought over who got shotgun. *smile...

I continue to believe what I was taught as a child and what I have learned as an adult. I do not necessarily follow the Catholic church anymore. But, I have it ingrained in my memory and my soul, so it is always with me. In the last several years, I have attended a few different churches. I've been to a few non-denominational churches, Pentecostal and my old Catholic church.

When I go to church, I always look for signs from the Pastor, Preacher or Priest that let me know that he is a good man and he believes in what he is preaching. I cannot sit in a church and listen to just anyone preach. I have to have a connection and feel that the pastor is really into what he is preaching.

I've been to two different churches here in town over the last month. I have been to the MCC church and to a non-denominational church. Tomorrow, I am visiting a Lutheran church after I go to the 9:15 a.m. service at the non-denominational church. I met a guy, Steve, the other day and he invited me to his Lutheran church.

I really like the non-denominational church because the Pastor is phenomenal and he always gives me plenty of notes to take. This church helps people who need help with recovery from drugs and they help the homeless. Last week, they gave the homeless people coats and jeans and a good dinner after the 3:00 p.m. Saturday service. I enjoyed that Saturday service more than any of the other services I've attended since being here. I've been to church service 7 or 8 times and a few more times for different functions in the month of February. I am still searching for my church home.

I still say my prayers most nights that Mama Lou taught me from my Catholic church. I still have my Dad's prayer book that he had when he was a child. It is one of my most prized possessions.

I hope that I was able to answer the questions you posed, Always. Now, it's time for my brothers and sisters to join in this discussion. I am so happy that justanolecowboy suggested this thread and he helped me to get it started. This thread has given me strength when I have needed it most. Thank all of you for posting and please continue to post your thoughts, feelings, ideas, prayers and verses and whatever you want to add to this thread. It is good to praise the Lord and we honor Him by participating in this thread.

[Cailin]

Seven woman hooded and cloaked
Six men also ready to invoke
a whirl of the wind rustles the leaves
a gathering of old among the trees
an ancient spirit forgotten by most
nothing but a fairytale nothing but a ghost
but a goddess remains through distant tolls
a chanting soon thus will unfold
a beautiful woman from the moon she will fall
a transparent aura seen different by all
middle of the circle a goddess doth stand
a naked splendor holding out her hands
Pagan words out from her lips
soon a magical glow from her finger tips
an enchanting smile upon her face
opening her arms to this mystical place
a single rose was given to the Lady
white in its color for pure divinity
she kissed the messenger on her cheek
stepping back she started to speak
"Bide within the Law you must,
in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
These Eight words the Rede fulfill:
"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
with her words she ascended
back to the moon as the gathering ended
away they walk in pagan stride
remembering her words and to abide
28 days a full moon soon to be
and again they will gather underneath a clearing in the trees

-ccl feb 13 2005

[Kent]

March 7


LET ME HELP YOU through this day. The challenges you face are far too great for you to handle alone. You are keenly aware of your helplessness in the scheme of events you face. This awareness opens up a choice: to doggedly go it alone or to walk with Me in humble steps of dependence. Actually, this choice is continually before you, but difficulties highlight the decision-making process. So, consider it all joy whenever you are enveloped in various trials. These are gifts from Me, reminding you to rely on Me alone.

PSALM 63:7-8; JAMES 1:2-3

[Blade]

Originally Posted by always2late

I have a few questions to start a discussion for anyone who wishes to answer. How did you come by your faith? Is it a part of your upbringing? Or was it some other circumstance, or moment in your life that brought you to it? Do you still follow the faith you were raised with? Or have you chosen another path?

I was thinking of posting this question a few days ago, glad you did A2L. Several years ago a guy I work with ask me what happened that brought me to the Lord. I said nothing, He's just always been there. He said, no I mean what happened to you that made you call on God.....I realized that he thought you had to have some event to happen in your life for you to be saved, be a Christian, recieve Christ whatever. I told him I call on God daily, praying for many things, rarely praying for myself, which I have since learned to do.

I was raised in church from birth. My family is rich in faith and has had many pastors, deacons, Sunday school teachers, youth directors, board members and various other positions in religion based rolls, both men and women. I was raised Lutheran. I have strayed from that and currently attend a non-denominational chuch that has a Penecostal bass. I have attended a variety of denominational churches over the years. Mostly just visiting them or going with a friend or going to a singing or some kind of benefit.

I go to church where I feel God is present and where I feel the pastor is a good teacher not a preacher and where I feel the people in the congregation are good teachers as well, because I feel that we all have an occasion at some point to cultivate others spiritually.

[thedivahrrrself]

"God is a presence that I can never define but I could never deny."
Bishop John Shelby Spong

"We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low."


"God is not upset that Gandhi was not a Christian, because God is not a Christian! All of God's children and their different faiths help us to realize the immensity of God."

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.


Bishop Desmond Tutu

[Talon]

Do Not judge and criticize and condemn others,
so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.


For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others,
you will be judged and criticized and condemned,
and in accordance with the measure you use to deal towards others,
it will be delt out again to you.

Why do you stare at the speck in your brother's eye but do not
become aware of the beam of timber within your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the speck out of your eye, when there is a beam of timber in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to take out the speck from your brother's eye.

[Blade]

Look Out For Others Interest
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4

WORDS OF CHRIST
'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them,

'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.
Matthew 25:35-40

Reward for Giving
"Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."Luke 6:34

[Jesse]

Romans: 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh request for us with sighs, which cannot be expressed.

[Kent]

March 3


I LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE, not for what you do. Many voices vie for control of your mind, especially when you sit in silence. You must learn to discern what is My voice and what is not. Ask My Spirit to give you this discernment. Many of My children run around in circles, trying to obey the various voices directing their lives. This results in fragmented, frustrating patterns of living. Do not fall into this trap. Walk closely with Me each moment, listening for My directives and enjoying My Companionship. Refuse to let other voices tie you up in knots. My sheep know My voice and follow Me wherever I lead.

EPHESIANS 4:1-6; JOHN 10:4

[Talon]

John 15: 1-8 tells us that if we stay connected to God, we will bear much fruit.In order to stay spiritually strong, you and I need to protect the habits that keep us connected to God.
We may even be led to form a few new ones.

God is always with us helping us along.
And when we take the necessary steps to let Him into our life, we can expect to hear His still, small voice. More often than not, He'll lead us to do one thing: stretch.

When we're fearful, He'll stretch us to be bold. When we fall on our face, He'll stretch us to persist. When we're confused and struggling for control, He will stretch us to trust Him more completely.

In the end it's a great comfort to know that however God may stretch us,
we'll always end up finding our rest in Him.

[Luv]

Originally Posted by always2late

I have a few questions to start a discussion for anyone who wishes to answer. How did you come by your faith? Is it a part of your upbringing? Or was it some other circumstance, or moment in your life that brought you to it? Do you still follow the faith you were raised with? Or have you chosen another path?

I was dedicated in a Pentecostal church when I was a few months old. I later as a young child went to sunday school at a Plymouth Bretherin Church on a bus ministry. I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at 9 yrs old at church camp. I was baptized at 19 yrs of age and at 22 attended Bible College. And yes, now that I am back in California I am back in the church assemblies I was raised in. Very evangelical,many are involved in the Billy Graham Crusades and the Harvest Festivals. I am ordained and will soon have my California license. The most important thing to me in my life is my Faith. I have many relatives that are sunday school teachers and preachers and several friends that are missionaries. They know my past,we dont talk about it cause there really is nothing to discuss. My private life is exactly that..private,and they respect that. My Faith make's it easier to live because it offer's hope,and easier to accept death because we have hope. My 1st love will always be the Lord.

[Glenn]

I never knew that this U2 song was about Judas and Christ. I always thought it was about an innocent girl and her ex-boyfriend until recently. What it is really about, is the awesome love of God for us. It is one thing to read about, or intellectually acknowledge God's love, another to actually feel God's raw, redemptive, power, in the face of those dark, relentless, mega-storms we get lost in.

Have'nt seen you in quite awhile
I was down the hole just passing time
Last time we met was a low-lit room
We were as close together as a bride and groom
We ate the food, we drank the wine
Except You
You were talking about the end of the world

I took the money
I spiked your drink
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You led me on with those innocent eyes
You know I love the element of surprise
In the garden I was playing the tart
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
You...You were acting like it was
The end of the world

In my dream, I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim
Words of regret and waves of joy
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You...You said you'd wait
'til the end of the world

[Luv]

A very good friend of mine asked me the other day if I was "happy". I told her that spending time with my friend's make's me happy. I am "content". I have a roof over my head,food to eat,clothing,my dog Gypsy (helps with depression), I have a job andd am able to afford a luxery like a car. I have life and for every day that I wake it is a good day ! Id hate to be one of those people who is never happy and is always negative and unkind. I appreciate this one life that God has given me..I am Blessed.