Your Turn: "Mistakes Backsliders Make" - Page 20

meBNme · #**191** 11-25-2007, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steadfast

(I told you folks that I think this one is a 'keeper'!)

I don't think the forum has to be 'all work and no play' but I have to admit... it's threads like this that keep me hanging around.

I would have left a long time ago had it not been for that random spark of genuine substance. It just needs to 'spark' more often!

It seems like a moped right now, one cylinder, one spark plug, and it sometimes misfires.

Can we trade it in on a V12 hotrod with 12 platinum, "dual spark" spark plugs?

Rhoni · #**192** 11-25-2007, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

Rhoni,

I have been attending the same church for 2 years, so I'm kind of shaking my head here, wondering where this came from??

ILG,

Forgive me...I have been so far removed from the forum for the past few months or so that I forgot. I am just being concerned. But if you have found a home church I am sure you're fine. I know you have a heart for God.

Love & Blessings, Rhoni

ILG · #**193** 11-25-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhoni

ILG,

Forgive me...I have been so far removed from the forum for the past few months or so that I forgot. I am just being concerned. But if you have found a home church I am sure you're fine. I know you have a heart for God.

Love & Blessings, Rhoni

Rhoni,

I forgive you. We never quit going to church. We kept going for our own spiritual benefit and because we thought it would be an awful example to our children not to go. We have not been involved much though. We felt and still do feel for the most part that after giving so much (too much) for too long, it was time for a break. We looked at different churches for about 7 months before settling in to where we are now. We really like it there. We don't agree with everything but it has been a great healing place.

Rhoni · #**194** 11-25-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meBNme

Thought so!!!
His brother, Brian, is our pastor. (WH senior pastor)

Now, we just had a Balestero come from florida to one of our daughter works here in NC. I'm thinking it is the same Balestero?

Theres only like 400 million of them right? LOL

Aint that the truth. There are lots of Ballestero's. Pastor's father and mother are from California by way of Indiana. He always teased me about my red hair! LOL. His Mother is so nice. Bro. Anthony has two brothers that work in ministry leadership also. Three of them are in Florida so I am sure you must have gotten one of them to help in your daughter work. They are all good workers.

I love the family..they are good people.

Blessigns, Rhoni

Rhoni · #**195** 11-25-2007, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

Rhoni,

I forgive you. We never quit going to church. We kept going for our own spiritual benefit and because we thought it would be an awful example to our children not to go. We have not been involved much though. We felt and still do feel for the most part that after giving so much (too much) for too long, it was time for a break. We looked at different churches for about 7 months before settling in to where we are now. We really like it there. We don't agree with everything but it has been a great healing place.

ILG,

I know what you mean about wanting to be a good example to your children. I kept them in a UPCI church as long as they were with me. My daughter married a man from an ALJC church and both my kids go to the same one. They are living more conservatively than I brought them up as I was pretty moderate, but I am proud they are all in church.

The church they go to has a Pastor and his wife that love my children and that makes things better. My daughter reminds me of myself...she is in many leadership positions and is very capable. My son loves God and eventually he will come into his calling but he still has 'issues' related to his parent's divorce. But I raised them right and they will end up on the right side of things. God promised that.

There is no perfect church, nor are there any perfect people, but thankfully we have a perfect God.

Love & Blessings, Rhoni

#**196** 11-25-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meBNme

I dont care about limbs. If its right, its right, and deserves acknowledgement.
Hey, Ive even commended ol Dan Alecia on a few posts!!

Look outside quick! is it snowing?

Dan likes to, by his own admission, stir things up from time to time but - honestly - the man posted some good quality stuff last night.

He is one of those that you just know has it 'in him' but it gets lost sometimes in the verbal jousting.

dizzyde · #**197** 11-25-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meBNme

This confirms what I have said on the issue.
It will not be the same.

And you wouldn't want it to be.

BUT, It can be Far better, or far worse. And that depends soley on you.

You weren't restored to the same as you were, you were brought further, deeper, and stronger. Because you didn't let the enemy convince you it couldnt happen.

You aren't the same as you were, you are better.

This SO true! I think that I have a much deeper walk with God then I did before, and let me clarify, when I say I was backslid, I am not necessarily talking about engaging in a sinful lifestlye, ( although for a season I did do that) but more a state of the heart. I felt as though if there was a God, He had abandoned me completely, so I chose to question his existence. My faith left me completely, I had given up all hope.

But when God restored me, I knew that there would always be those who questioned my life and the decisions that I had made, and things that I had done. This was horrible for me, because I was raised in an environment where having a good name and good reputation were very important. So knowing that I had forever lost that was not a easy thing for me to deal with.

The amazing thing is, it actually turned out to be a gift, because when I was able to let all of that go, and focus only on relationship with Him, I found a deeper, more real relationship than I had ever had. In a strange way, I am actually thankful for some of the events that led to this stage in my life, and trust me, it hasn't been a pretty road.

Rhoni · #**198** 11-25-2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizzyde

This SO true! I think that I have a much deeper walk with God then I did before, and let me clarify, when I say I was backslid, I am not necessarily talking about engaging in a sinful lifestlye, ( although for a season I did do that) but more a state of the heart. I felt as though if there was a God, He had abandoned me completely, so I chose to question his existence. My faith left me completely, I had given up all hope.

But when God restored me, I knew that there would always be those who questioned my life and the decisions that I had made, and things that I had done. This was horrible for me, because I was raised in an environment where having a good name and good reputation were very important. So knowing that I had forever lost that was not a easy thing for me to deal with.

The amazing thing is, it actually turned out to be a gift, because when I was able to let all of that go, and focus only on relationship with Him, I found a deeper, more real relationship than I had ever had. In a strange way, I am actually thankful for some of the events that led to this stage in my life, and trust me, it hasn't been a pretty road.

Dizzyde;

Thinking about what you said and I have to agree: When I let go of the illusion that I was perfect and had no reputation to live up to...I was then free to focus on relationship with God and am less concerned with appearances and living up to a standard that I never truly measured up to anyway.

Vanity of vanities saith the preacher, all is vanity.

As much as I regret some past decisons in my life; I am more fully aware of how they have helped me to be able to separate the facade from the real in my life and that of others.

All that the devil meant to destroy me...has only made me stronger and enabled me to fight back and give the devil a black eye on many occasions.

Great post Dizzyde

Blessings, Rhoni

dizzyde · #**199** 11-25-2007, 03:50 PM

This a little bit of a thread-jacking but I thought of this when I was reading these posts. We have a little bit of a strange phenomenon going on right now at our church.

We have had a surge of people praying through who are the boyfriends and girlfriends of back-sliders. The backsliders aren't coming in, They don't want anything to do with it, just their partners.

It is just amazing to watch because these people don't want anything to do with church, and now the people that they are dating are coming to church and getting baptised and recieving the Holy Ghost! I've never seen anything like it.

#**200** 11-25-2007, 03:51 PM

Steadfast,

This may have already been mentioned but many backsliders think they DIED when they backslid instead of just losing their inheritance. It is critical that backsliders know and understand that they are still sons and daughters of God... simply disinherited. They can no more be born again again than a man in the moon. They simply need to come back into right relationship with the father.