pattygreen

If you are a godly person, if you believe in Jesus and try to live as he did by using him as an example to follow, even though you know you could never be perfect as he was perfect, and if you read the bible and pray and if you know right from wrong because of God's word to us which teaches righteousness, you will be persecuted by those who are unbelievers. Sarah Palin is a godly woman of good character. She's not perfect for noone is, and she doesn't claim to be. But, she is honest, sincere, and has values that are upright. She is wise , gifted,and has virtue.The bible teaches that God lives within the believer. He dwells within them. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. Because you are my child, the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they would obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name. For they do not know the one who sent me. "John 15:18-21 I hope she is planning a run for the presidency. She will have my vote if she does.

So, are you happy with Obama and how he's been running things? Hope and change. We certainly got that, but not for the better.

Hi Bob, It's good to talk to you again. I've been doing good, how about you? I'm a new grandma (she'll be one this month) and in Nov. I'll be having my 3rd grandchild. It's so exciting.I can assure you that I'm not airiscus99, nor have I ever been. I'm not happy with Romney, but in politics I usually vote for the lesser of 2 evils and he's the lesser one. So, he'll have my vote in November. Obama has been a sad case for America. I'm totally disappointed in all his failures as CIC. I don't understand the lines on your post either, but let's hope you can get that fixed.LOL

Hi everyone. I've missed talking with all of you. Since I've been away, God has given me some new insights into his truths that I felt I needed to bring back to all of you. In the past, I shared with some about what happens to unbelievers when they die. I shared that unbelievers would spend their eternity in a place called hell that was an eternal seperation from God and the believers in Heaven. I've been doing alot of studying in the scriptures and digging deeper into the words of God and praying for wisdom on the topic of Hell. I've since learned that I was not accurate about what happens to those who die and don't trust Jesus for their salvation. I want to correct my past stand on the issue. God has shown me that all men are born mortal. (they don't have the ability to live forever) They can become immortal (have the ability to live forever) if they seek after it. Immortality can be found in Jesus Christ. If a person believes in Jesus and trusts him to bring them into Heaven when they die, then they will be given (by God) the ability to live forever. God alone is immortal. No man has seen God as of yet. All who have died in the past are at rest (sleeping) until the return of Jesus to this earth. At that time,(and no man knows the day nor the hour of His return) all the believers in Jesus from Adam to the present will be resurrected from their sleep. (awakened) They will be brought into God's presence at that time. Then, about 7 years later they will return to this earth once again to rule and reign with Jesus on the earth. Jesus will rule for 1000 years more (a millinium) and after this time is over, the earth will end. All the unbelievers since Adam's time to the present will be resurrected (as mortals, for they did not seek after immortality and can not receive it) from their sleep of death and be judged according to their deeds. Since they didn't trust in Jesus for their salvation, they are cast into a place called Hell (which I believe is the earth we are on right now) and die a second death and are destroyed. They perish along with the present earth in a great fire. (thus why people say hell is a firey place) Then God will make a new Heaven and Earth for those who believed in Him to live on for all eternity. Where I was wrong was in my telling you that those who go to Hell live there forever and suffer for their decision to live without God. Since unbelievers in Jesus can not receive immortality unless they seek after it and become children of God through believing in Jesus, then they can not have "life" in Hell. They don't get life, they get death. The famous verse most people know from the bible, John 3:16 says that there are 2 options in life. Believe and have eternal life or don't believe and perish. (Perish: to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist) So, I'm sorry for giving you the wrong information the last time I was here. God has opened my eyes to the truth and shared it with me in his word. The death sentence is one of the worse sentences that man can receive from the hand of a jury and judge. It is also the worse sentence that one can receive from God. If you wouldn't like to receive the death sentence in this life, then you surely won't like receiving it from God when you awaken from your sleep of death to be judged before Him, especially when you awaken from that sleep and view what you could be getting instead; eternal life in Heaven. So, please take some time to talk to God right now and ask Jesus to be your savior and to give you immortality. Thanks for reading. I know it's long. Please comment back. Love, Patty

Your welcome. I enjoy sharing. Hope your day is great.

The problem is with the government and their big spending. Congress gives themselves full salary for life, even after just a 4 year term. (Our troops don't even get that.)The people need to demand term limits and figure out a way to get congress to stop favoring themselves financially and politically. I must admit that I haven't read but only a few of the comments on this thread, but this is a topic I like to debate. Hi Cleo's mom and loser bob.

While the word "trinity" can not be found in scripture, the concept is there.

This forum (rants and raves) is really the only one to post on because the topics you choose to post don't have to relate to WLS. That's why I'm here in this forum. I would never post something like this in any other forum. Yes, I do believe in ONE God, who is in 3 persons. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. You and I live in a three-dimensional world. All physical objects have a certain height, width, and depth. One person can look like someone else, or behave like someone else, or even sound like someone else. But a person cannot actually be the same as another person. They are distinct individuals. God, however, lives without the limitations of a three-dimensional universe. He is spirit. And he is infinitely more complex than we are. That is why Jesus the Son can be different from the Father. And, yet the same. The Bible clearly speaks of: God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. But emphasizes that there is only ONE God. If we were to use math, it would not be, 1+1+1=3. It would be 1x1x1=1. God is a triune God. Thus the term: "Tri" meaning three, and "Unity" meaning one, Tri+Unity = Trinity. It is a way of acknowledging what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is yet three "Persons" who have the same essence of deity. Some have tried to give human illustrations for the Trinity, such as H2O being Water, ice and steam (all different forms, but all are H2O). Another illustration is an egg having a shell, egg yolk and egg white, but this egg illustration shows that there would be "parts" to God, which isn't the case. God the Son (Jesus) is fully, completely God. God the Father is fully, completely God. And God the Holy Spirit is fully, completely God. Yet there is only one God. In our world, with our limited human experience, it's tough to understand the Trinity. But from the beginning we see God this way in Scripture. Notice the plural pronouns "us" and "our" in Genesis 1:26 -- Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Though not a complete list, here is some other Scripture that shows God is one, in Trinity: "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" (Deut. 6:4) "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God." (Isa. 45:5) There is no God but one. (1Cor. 8:4) And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matt. 3:16-17) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19) Jesus said: "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9) "He who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me." (John 12:45) If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Rom. 8:9) "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 1:20) And the angel answered and said to her [Mary], "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) [Jesus speaking to His disciples] "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you." ... "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him." (John 14:16-17, 23) The best illustration I have seen comes from C.S. Lewis: • The three dimensions of space: Length, width and height. All coincide in the same place, yet are distinct.

Hi Tym4me, The book of Revelations, in chapter 7, speaks of 144,000 people from the tribe of Israel (Jewish people) whom God places a seal upon their foreheads. He seals them to protect them from his coming wrath upon the people on the earth during that time. They are Jewish believers in Jesus during the tribulation period, which is 7 years of terrible times of suffering and it will happen after Jesus returns to take the Christians off the earth. In Chapter 14 it speaks again of the 144,000 when they stand in Zion with Jesus. Zion is Jeruselum, here on the earth. It never mentions that they go to Heaven. People will live on the earth for 1000 years after the return of Jesus. Those 144,000 will live with them also. After the 1000 years are over, God destroys this earth with fire and makes a new heaven and a new earth where believers will live forever. It's never called Paradise, It's called a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1) You mentioned Psalm 83:18 "That men may know that you, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, are the most high over all the earth." This verse tells of the name of God. God has many names. Jehovah, Jesus, I am, Lord, etc.

Hi bigenuff, I'm sorry that what I posted wasn't pleasant to you. See, I was on this site back in 2010 for about two years and really got to know alot of people personally who posted here. We used to discuss everything about God and many, many different controversial issues and their relationship to scripture. I stopped posting because I felt God asked me to. When I posted this post,in my mind, it was really meant for those whom I used to converse with back then. They would understand more my meaning for posting what I did. So, I apologize for the abruptness of my topic. I am always willing to talk about God's love and mercy and grace towards mankind, or His wonderful desire to heal us and help us through difficult situations. Here's one: My son was recently diagnosed with lymphoma cancer back in November last year. He was prayed for by thousands and thousands of people for healing and 2 months ago, half way through his treatments, he had a PET scan that declared he was healed and is now free from the cancer. I give the Glory for that healing to God and Him alone! It's nice to meet you, and God bless you, too. Patty

Cheri, Would you like to talk about what ponts you disagree with me on? I've been doing some deeper reading, praying and studying of the word lately.

Cheri, It's nice to be back. You're right, and since this is the rants and raves section of lap band, no one can say I can't talk about the things I choose to. Hope your day is great!

Hi elcee! Thanks for the warm welcome!

Hummingbird, The last time I had a fill was about early 09. I was pretty much at my capacity then and I don't think I can tolerate eating any less than I already do. I will reconsider it though. I weigh 220, but I don't eat much at all. If I make a sandwich for lunch, I can only take about 3-4 bites of it,

I weighed 220 when I was 19. I stayed that weight till I was 44. I was very comfortable at that weight all my life. I was 281 lbs at my heaviest at age 48. I had developed diabetes and was taking Actos medication. It caused me to put on over 50 pounds in 4 years. I chose the lap band because I was not used to weighing that much and I was sooooo uncomfortable. After the lap band, I lost 60 lbs. Then no more. I currently weigh 220. I had the lapband in 2008. So,for the last 4 years, I've been at 220 which is the weight I have been used to all my life. The good thing is that I don't have diabetes anymore. So, the lap band got rid of that, as well as 60 unwanted pounds. I'm happy with those results. I would love it if it could help me lose more, but I'm an icecream kind of girl, and I don't get any exercise. I know what I need to do to continue to lose, but just like before the band, I don't do it. Oh well.

Hummingbird, I just wanted to say that you look terrific, and you're at your goal weight. I'm glad you're happy. Thanks for the nice welcome.

Thank you, Hummingbird. Happy to be back. I see you're still chatting. How are things going with you.... and with this site?

A little boy wanted $100.00 very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened . Then he decided to write God a letter requesting the $100.00. WhenThe postal authorities received the letter addressed to God , USA . they decided to send it to President Obama. Obama was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $ 5.00 bill. He thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5.00 bill and sat down to write a thank-you note to God, which read: Dear God: Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, D.C. and those idiots took $95.00 in taxes. Hi All. (I'm not back for good) I just wanted to tell a funny joke and wish you all A Very Merry Christmas as well. God bless you and have a nice Christmas and A Very Happy New Year!

I was on my way to work today and as always, I was talking to God in prayer. I prayed for each of you who talk with me on this forum and even for those who read the posts, but don't chime in. I asked God if I was doing his will by continuing to talk to others about Him and His word. I wondered if I should cease discussing the scriptures and the issues with those here, because many are offended by my beliefs and the truths in the bible. And also, I asked if I was reaching anyone with the truths of God's word. I asked Him to show me if I should continue on LBT. I specifically asked him to keep my computer from linking up to the forums if He wanted me to stop talking for Him, or about Him, to you all. I only want to do His will. I asked Him to someway, somehow show me what to do. Well, when I got home and logged on, there was my answer from Him. The forums were closed. So, since God always hears and answers prayers, and I will never go against what He wants from me, I am sending this Good-bye to all of you here. I will miss talking with you very much. I have enjoyed it. I believe God has other things for me to do for Him now, and He will let me know what that is. I love you and will continue to lift you all up to God in my prayers. I hope that one day, you will find Jesus and know that He is the way and the truth and the life and that no man comes to the Father but through Him. He is your Savior and He loves you very much. He sent His Son to take your sins away so that you will never have to die and so that you can live eternally with Him in Heaven. I hope to see you there one day! God Bless all of you. My love goes out to you all. Patty Green :biggrin:

Obama has never gone to welcome any troops home. He is a coward! Bush is not the president any more. He didn't have to do such a thing. He went out of his own gratefulness like the other people there. A real American! Unlike Obama who is too busy being corrupt and spending the cash flow on all his vacations and spending splurges!

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Former President Bush didn't go with a photo op.:thumbup: He went on his own with his wife and someone video taped it and took pictures. And, why do you feel the need to "one up"? I wasn't posting that story so you could come back and tell me something even more wonderful about Obama. Even though it wasn't more wonderful, IMO. Grow up! What is meeting dead people going to accomplish? Could he encourage them now that they're gone? NO. I suppose it is a source of support for the families. But meeting those that are alive and thanking them for their service and welcoming them home was a great source of encouragement and support for them. He did a nice thing, and they weren't doing it for money or recognition.

Watch a video of former Pres. Bush welcoming Home the troops in a surprise visit to the airport. It's very heartwarming. Former President Bush welcomes military home in surprise visit

bjean, You speak of christians as people who believe what they do out of fear. You say that they think much about fear and evil. I don't agree. I am a Christian, and have never been fearful of anything. I never think about fear or evil. I do, however, have a healthy "fear" of God. But that is not the kind of fear that you speak of, as in frightened by Him. I have respect and awe for God. I know who He is and understand His awesome power and I revere Him as my God and Father. I worship Him and love Him. The following is a better way of understanding a Christians "fear" of God. Question: "What does it mean to have the fear of God?" Answer: For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God (Luke 12:5; Hebrews 10:31). For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The believer's fear is reverence of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ’God is a consuming fire.’” This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the Creator of the Universe. Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous. Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21 records, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes, loving Him. Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. While respect is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is more to it than that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him. Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of Him. We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe.

Okay Llyra. God bless you.