I'm Hello sister!
I know exactly how you feel, about the back and forth, your feelings fluctuating, doubt creeping in. Because I feel that way too. But every day, He makes me stronger. Not because He just "does" either, but because I've heeded His Warnings and so I am doing exactly as silentknight has said in his posts and I am after Christ pretty much each and every waking moment (of course we all have things that take us away... children, work, family situations, and it goes on and on).
What I think, really it is what I KNOW... He sees our hearts, our motivations behind all we do, our intentions. And if we are truly seeking Him, have a heart that is truly after His; don't you worry because HE WILL stay close to us. I know it. I'm experiencingit.
My doubt lately has been ZERO. I need to explain that statement better though. It is my doubt in HIM that is ZERO. And that is how it should be.
I still get the doubt about "signs", about messages from man (including Scottie and including EVERYONE who fits the qualification of "man"; including myself lol). But I don't doubt Him.
I'm not sharing that with you, with everyone here, to talk about how great I am for feeling uthis way, for reaching this point, because I AM NOT great. Not even a little bit. And not at all. He who lives in me though, is Great .
Now, for most of us, me included even though haven't had these kinds of thoughts lately (I used to though and guarantee the moment anyone even gets a hair away from God, neglects their spiritual needs for even one moment, and so it can and will most likely happen to me again; doubt creeps in. Again, talking about doubt of Him here and this is... no matter what... the ONLY THING we should not ever have doubt in). We are human though, fallen, and so it happens (for right now and praise God it won't always). It is my opinion that thoughts that cause one to doubt The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit; that they are placed in the mind by that which is of Satan and not by The Holy Spirit. And so, it is my belief that the thoughts you list in your post are not from The Holy Spirit but are Satanic spiritual attack against you. And that voice inside telling you, "HAVE FAITH".
That voice sister, is the Holy Spirit. Please know that I'm not trying to correct you, to say oh I'm so better because I haven't had thoughts like that lately, not passing judgement upon you. I and I'll bet every Believer alive either
is currently or
has been attacked like this. So please don't think you are unworthy, or that there is something you are doing wrong, that you are not close enough to Jesus, and NONE OF THAT. Because if thinking that... it is more of Satan... taking advantage of the situation, of your doubt, trying to use it against you, trying to use your own brothers and sisters in Christ against you. NO. Either tell Him that directly. Or pray and ask Jesus to tell satan that on your behalf. And also ask Jesus all the questions you posted here. It is ok to ask them here. Just as it is ok for us to go to "other men", "big names", "fellow believers", it's ok. But it is most important that you yourself go before the Throne of Jesus. After all, that is partly WHY Jesus died for us!
Don't get me started on how many people absolutely end up mistaking and thinking they go to their pastor first, or to their more mature brother or sister in Christ, or to Scottie Clarke, or to
whoever! We who are not Catholic absolutely LOVE to go after the Catholics about this, about how they ask Mary to intercede for them, about how they go to priests and popes and statues of Christ and Rosary Beads and whatever else they do. It's all of it wrong
but it is not only them doing it.
We do it too and just as bad as they do. I've absolutely done it before. Probably everyone has. You hear "so and so" speak, or you really like the message of "Scottie Clarke" (just an example).
Be careful because before you know it instead of thinking "what does Jesus have to say about this", one is thinking "what does Scottie have to say about this". Now, that is ok, to get the opinion of another man. What is not ok though, is to value the opinion of that "man" or to put more trust in what that "man" has to say; more trust in the man
than in what God Has To Say. Because the very second we mess up and start confusing what is in The Bible with what a man says, and place more emphasis on what the man says instead of placing the MOST emphasis on what the Bible says... just that is called or really close to anyways... Idol Worship (as the Bible is UNQUESTIONABLE and TRUE and is the ONLY THING that is). The Bible, and that which one is 100% positive comes from The Holy Spirit (got to be VERY CAREFUL there also; as those of satan try to cause confusion, use emotions and feelings, twist scripture, on and on).
What I do, I trust the Bible 100%. It's true. I may not understand all of it, but it IS TRUE. I pray constantly and ask for understanding, for discernment, for clarification, for knowledge. Another thing I've been doing lately, is praying that all the aforementioned, that God gives me those things according to AS HE WILLS IT. And to fulfill HIS PURPOSE FOR ME, and His Plan for me (and I am, as we all are, only a part of His Body, definitely can't function AT ALL on our own, and need each other to function as God Wills). This is probably dumb, but think of the body of a human being. Maybe that human being has the best most efficient most perfect heart there ever was. It runs optimally and it is the greatest most healthy heart ever. The person's liver though, not so great, hardly functional at all. Well, that person is going to die. Because they need all their body parts to function and not just one.
Comparing that to The Body of Christ, we each should pray specifically for that which Christ has created us for, and for us to accomplish; to pray that we do it and do it well exactly as He would have us to. We don't need to know "everything". Our puny little brains couldn't even handle it. And so that is why God doesn't tell us everything. And also why through The Holy Spirit He reveals different things to each of us. That is so we can complete our purpose here. Because no one person can do it alone (except Jesus, He Did). We need each other and we need our brothers and sisters to be functioning well like the heart in the example. And definitely not like the liver lol!
Also, the heart doesn't worship the liver nor vice versa. They all just "need to be" in order for the occupier of that body to be physically alive. The heart doesn't ask the liver how to do the job of the heart. The heart asks the head (the brain). And the brain is in charge of all going on.
That's kind of how I think of things anyway. Please don't think I'm picking on you, and this is not only for you but for anyone whom might benefit from it (keeping in mind that anyone who does benefit from it, if they do because I don't want to be prideful or presumptuous; does not have me to thank, but God is the ONLY ONE to thank). Pride is a big thing for me, as probably is for most of us; and I ask Jesus TO KILL IT every single day. Miss even one day, or if not paying attention even for an hour... it starts rearing it's head. It's a nasty thing, pride. And I don't want it winning or taking over any part of me. And only way it won't is to trust Jesus.
Even people like Scottie, especially people like Scottie, have to be careful of this and pay much attention to this. It is so, so easy for a person to start believing it when all these other sinful and fallen people are gathered around them, praising every word that comes out of their mouth, like they can say or do no wrong. To clarify, I love Scottie, I do. And I'm thankful for him fulfilling his part and purpose (or part of it anyway because there could be more) that God had for him. The one to really thank though, is God. The one to give all the credit to, is God.
Remember, everyone, that September 23, 2017 is merely a date; a date that is not specifically stated in the Bible. It is a date that a man with a heart for Jesus, a servant of God, a part of The Body of Christ... a date "a man" came up with.
Please, please, please do not be disheartened, confused, draw away from Jesus, or worse than all that blame Jesus/call God a liar; if we don't go Home exactly on September 23. Or if no other physical type of event that is major and that we can see happens on that date (so much happens that is not in the physical, but spiritual side of the sea/the veil). I love silentknight's posts in this thread because he expresses really well what I think which is: That "sign" is in the sky already and right now. That sign
has already caused so much to happen that is very important, has brought many people to a relationship with Jesus, has brought other's who know Jesus but had fallen asleep... has woken them up and drawn them close again to their Lord, has us ALL opening our Bibles, here on this forum talking about HIM, drawing closer and closer to Him, forsaking all the old junk that used to occupy the majority of our time and was fruitless yet we still spent all our time doing it and now instead we are doing what matters which is yielding to Him, following Him, watching for Him.
If NOTHING else were to happen, except what already has... I consider it still a great miracle!
Think about it: social media, the internet, television, MSM, our lives revolving around like you said... a constant stream/feed of information that we expect to be fed so that we don't have to even lift a finger to know what truly is going on in the world and so we can go posting pictures of our sexy selves in our latest new outfit or of that plate of absolutely delicious and to die for Indian food as our smart phone tells the entire world we are currently at "X's Indian Restaurant at 555 5th Avenue in Somewhere, USA. This world is ONE BIG DISTRACTION. Yet God has gotten our attention. Pretty amazing feat, if you ask me. And not only us, but this is making waves in the secular world also.
Definitely not nothing. Definitely something and I don't know about exact dates but I do know there is more to come.
For everyone (including myself): Don't put trust in dates. Don't put trust in signs. Yes, signs exist and God does give them to us. But He doesn't want us to trust "the sign"; He wants us to Trust HIM. Trust always only in Him and regardless of what happens, I promise it WILL BE as it says in the Bible. It will be no other way. Might not be exactly as
we think the Bible says. But it will be EXACTLY as the Bible says.
Like socalexile said, we don't go Home till verse 5. What we are looking for right now is 1 and 2. After 1 and 2 happen, then 3 and 4 will happen (and The Holy Spirit WILL let us know when it does and we will see it; we won't be questioning did it happen or not and He will let us know; trust Him). Then verse 5 and HOME! No one knows for sure the timing, if it will all happen at once, or within a matter of hours, days, weeks, months. We just don't know. Which is why we don't trust the sign, but we trust God.
What I've learned through all this, as much as man thinks they know and this includes us and includes me... we know nothing. Chances are, it is not going to be exactly as we think or predict. It's great to think about it, to study, to speculate, because God does reveal things to us and He does draw us closer and closer to Him. Don't put all your eggs in that basket though, in the basket of "what man thinks". If ya do, you will be disappointed every single time. Because man WILL disappoint every single time. So, put your eggs, all of them, in His Basket. Trust Him. Only Him.
Love you sister and love everyone here so much! Also, this went off track somewhere like it always does and so isn't meant for only MissusMack but for all of us and me too. Any "yous" do not mean YOU. And I am sorry if at any point I come across as preachy, judgmental, or any other negative thing as truly that is not what I intend and "I" know nothing and am nothing; only thing that makes me something is Jesus. I love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love Him so much!!!!
