What A Mighty God we Serve!

[ropegg]

Yes, it is a great title. Thank you Sofia!!!!

Ropegg, I'm anxious to hear your thoughts about our discussion. It does take some absorbing because everytime you think of one thing, something else also comes to mind. I'm still mulling it all over and will be for a long time to come.

Iron sharpens iron and it's important to talk so we can "sharpen" each other!

Hi Luvintage,

I have been a little slow getting back and I do need the sharpening.

God allowed satan to put Job through extreme mental torture and physical pain. He allowed the temptation of his three friends and his wife to curse God and die but He also knew Job had the strength and courage from his relationship with God to stand the test -- and Job did stand the test. When it was all over Job had all he needed and more and God was triumphant.

God will allow satan to attack and tempt us but if we stay true to God as Job did He will bring us through it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

[luvintage]

Hi Ropegg,

Yes, very good point and, I think, after reading the prayer requests, it's a timely point too.

Thank you for bringing this scripture up to us-it is definitely an "upper" and a great thing to meditate about throughout the day.

I know that this is a promise that we can bring before God and it is a great comfort.

We don't always get the answer we want, but we do get the help to bear the trial. Some trials are just so very, very hard. Yet, if we ask for the Comforter, He will come.

I Cor. 10:13 is our promise of hope.

Praise God for being so faithful to us and for loving us so much and for being so aware of us that He even knows the things that are so deep inside of us that we can't even express it.-that is yet another lesson from Job. God was aware of what needed to be brought up and out when Job didn't even know himself.

God knows what that thing is that keeps us from growing-the thing that holds us back-the thing that won't let us move forward.
In His faithfulness, He doesn't give up on us. He loves us, as individuals, as we are, unconditionally and has made the commitment to work with us if we truly want that.

I have to say it again, Praise God for His faithfulness!

[burgyeb]

Thank you Ropegg and Luvintage for helping me to see more clearly just how faithful God really is. He knows what each of us can bare, and he knows the very moment when to open & release the pressure valve. Thank God!

[youmeus]

Thank you Ropegg and Luvintage for helping me to see more clearly just how faithful God really is. He knows what each of us can bare, and he knows the very moment when to open & release the pressure valve. Thank God!

I have found this to be TRUE. God is good ALL of the time, we see it in the good times and have to have faith in the bad times. But we must always remember HE is in charge and HE wants the best for us.

The test on Lynette's kidney yesterday shows the surgery was a success and there is no leakage from the bladder or ueter but they won't test for kidney function until December. She is back teaching full time as well as being a full time mother to 13 and 16 year old boys and helping her husband as much as possible. She has a positive outlook and knows how blessed she is. Thank you so much for all who have been faithful to pray for her and our family.

[luvintage]

Yes, that is very true. He is faithful all of the time. But when we are hurting it's not always there at the front of our minds.

When going through a particular trial I remember just honestly being too sick and too tired to care. A friend said, "don't worry, I will pray on your behalf(not just pray for you-but as if I'm you)". At the time I thought, "how on earth can you do that?" and I dismissed it as just a courteous jesture. But, she did and I made it through. Since then I have done the same for others. But it is a very draining experience and requires commitment. A person doesn't even have to know that you are doing it for them.

I only mention this because I know there are times in our lives when we want to help someone so badly and we don't know how. I know in, dealing with so many people, there does come a point when they simply can't "go" anymore. That is the time they need someone to "pick up the slack".

I'm so glad that Lynette's surgery was a success. Will keep a positive thought about the kidney function and pray that it will function optimally.

Does the Dr. have her on any kind of special diet? My husband is in end stage renal failure and takes dialysis 3 times a week. We have learned a lot about the foods and minerals that are very harmful to the kidneys. He's not supposed to improve-but guess what? We've seen a tiny bit of improvement(better than going a tiny bit backwards).

Also, he should be totally blind by now but over the last several years they too have been slowly improving. Dr. said no way but we know better.

We are very thankful for the knowledge that God has made available to us.

[youmeus]

The doctors have not put her on any sort of diet since the problem was due to a collapsed ueter not a kidney problem. The collapsed ueter was the result of a dead bone in her spine that was removed. At least that is what they tell us, Lynette's feeling is that a kidney stone caused the collapse and the failure to fix it right away caused the problem with the bone in the spine. Of course we don't really know and the doctors sure aren't going to admit anything since it was 23 days from the time she went to an ememgency room until they finally fixed it!

I used to be the unit clerk at a dialysis clinic so we have made use of the information I remember. I hope your husband will keep improving. Dialysis is so hard on the heart and body. They always say a treatment is equal to a hard days labor.

I know a few months back I was so exhausted that prayer was difficult but believing never has been. I know that is why we need to bear one anothers burdens.

[luvintage]

I'm glad to hear that it is not the kidney itself that is bad.

What a trial for you all. I'm really glad that things are getting better.

Thank you for your thoughts about my husband. He had a heart attack back in Feb. -honestly, they say growing old is not for the faint of heart!!!!! But, he is doing well overall.

We have seen much intervention and we have been spared what "should have been" and what "could have been". We are very grateful for that.

I'm sorry about the last post-It may have sounded like I was tying Lynette's problems into the "being too exhausted and sick to pray" category but I wasn't thinking that.

The first part of your post trigerred some thoughts and I was just thinking about my own experiences and of people that I have watched go through terminal illnesses. I lost eight family members in a year. I had to hospice two in their homes. They were Christians and I know what they went through and the stuggles they faced.

If there was a motto that I could plaster across my forehead, it would be "God is the God of the impoosible"!

[burgyeb]

I have found this to be TRUE. God is good ALL of the time, we see it in the good times and have to have faith in the bad times. But we must always remember HE is in charge and HE wants the best for us.

The test on Lynette's kidney yesterday shows the surgery was a success and there is no leakage from the bladder or ueter but they won't test for kidney function until December. She is back teaching full time as well as being a full time mother to 13 and 16 year old boys and helping her husband as much as possible. She has a positive outlook and knows how blessed she is. Thank you so much for all who have been faithful to pray for her and our family.

That is great news about Lynette's bladder & ureter report from her doctor. Will continue to pray that her kidney function will be completely restored; and that God will continue to strengthen Lynette as she takes care of her family & work responsibilities.

Yes, that is very true. He is faithful all of the time. But when we are hurting it's not always there at the front of our minds.

When going through a particular trial I remember just honestly being too sick and too tired to care. A friend said, "don't worry, I will pray on your behalf(not just pray for you-but as if I'm you)". At the time I thought, "how on earth can you do that?" and I dismissed it as just a courteous jesture. But, she did and I made it through. Since then I have done the same for others. But it is a very draining experience and requires commitment. A person doesn't even have to know that you are doing it for them.

I only mention this because I know there are times in our lives when we want to help someone so badly and we don't know how. I know in, dealing with so many people, there does come a point when they simply can't "go" anymore. That is the time they need someone to "pick up the slack".

I'm so glad that Lynette's surgery was a success. Will keep a positive thought about the kidney function and pray that it will function optimally.

Does the Dr. have her on any kind of special diet? My husband is in end stage renal failure and takes dialysis 3 times a week. We have learned a lot about the foods and minerals that are very harmful to the kidneys. He's not supposed to improve-but guess what? We've seen a tiny bit of improvement(better than going a tiny bit backwards).

Also, he should be totally blind by now but over the last several years they too have been slowly improving. Dr. said no way but we know better.

We are very thankful for the knowledge that God has made available to us.

Luvintage, you have made several points that are so true. We know that God is good and He is faithful at all times; but pain, suffering, and personal trials can keep us from seeing that. Having someone to stand in the gap & pray when we want to, but can't; is a gift from God that is priceless.

Healing (wholeness, health) is a process that can occur through various pathways. The process of healing includes prevention, restoration maintenance, as well as miracles of healing. When you shared about your husband I could see various pathways of healing at work. You mentioned your's & your husband's learning about renal diet and applying it to his life style (prevention/restoration/maintenance). The dialysis itself restores his body to a more complete state; maintains a more complete state of health; and prevents complications. The improvements (restoration) that you both have witnessed in his health are a result of God at work in your husband's life.

Jesus utilized multiple pathways to bring healing into the lives of those He encountered in His earthly ministry. Healing involved the whole person (spirit, mind, body), through His ministry of teaching, preaching, healing with power and authority. Jesus valued the contributions of medicine and physicians so much, that He even had a physician on His healing team (the Apostle Luke).

I will be praying for your husband that God will continue to bless him and restore him in The Name of Jesus. Amen.

[luvintage]

Thank you so much Burgyeb.

Healing is an amazing gift. But, you are right, we do have responsibilities too. Prevention-restoration maintenance are so important. We can't just sit back and say, "O.K. God-heal me!".

When we have done all that we can do, then I think we can look to Jesus and ask that we be healed by his stripes.

If we don't practice the things that you have outlined, then I think that we are taking this amazing gift of healing for granted and not understanding the magnitude of the beating that Christ took on our behalf.

I know that there are different paths a person can take to facilitate the things that you outlined above and we all have to ask for guidance and ask that God will lead us to the path that is right for us.

Thank you for bringing up those important points.

Thank you for your prayers. God has given us all different gifts and I do believe that one of yours is the gift of prayer.

[burgyeb]

Luvintage, I often ask God to deepen my prayer life............to give me an increased desire to pray and the discipline to consistently pray. Prayer for me is talking to God and building a relationship with God. I really admire "closet prayer warriors" and "closet intercessors" because they are before The LORD. Although seen or unseen in their prayer activity, they are full of the Spirit of God, covered with His presence, and when they do pray openly it is with the power and authority that Jesus promised.

I wish that I was "gifted" in the area of prayer, because it would bring me into closer relationship to God. Strangely though I do feel as if I'm in prayer even when I don't pray out loud publically or privately, because I usually have God on my mind. We are instructed in The Word of God to ......"pray without ceasing". I can't think of any other way to do that, except thinking on God no matter where we are or what we are doing. I just feel like He is with me; no matter where I'm at or what I'm doing, even if I mess up, even if I put my foot in my mouth, even if I'm not "politically correct". LOL! It's just nice to be "a kid of The King".