“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
Hey I haven't been on in a while but I felt I had to tell you guys. I got baptised yesterday and I feel so alive! I haven't felt like this in years! Also I managed to get my Dad to come along he hates the idea of god and churches but he was there even though he didn't want me to get baptised and it's a small step but a big one at the same time! God works in mysterious ways and i'm hoping that my Dad got something out of being there last night =)
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
I'm a Villager (I mean a member of The Village Church) myself, so of course we're strongly tied to MH...
:)
yay for churches with good theology!
i know they're hard to find! driscoll's sermons have convicted me before so i have tried to find fault, but it's usually god convicting me. i am a pretty big fan.
totally looking into it, if he's like driscoll. so, this may not show pure motives, but i totally said today that mark driscoll 'makes calvinism sound sexy' hahaha. jokkinnnggg.
^how is that guy salanna? [if am thinking of right person]
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
Does your happiness depend on everything in your life being just right? If you think you can't be happy until all your circumstances are right, you will never be happy. We all experience times in life when we feel down for various reasons, but we can't allow our circumstances to control our emotions. Satan seeks to fill our minds with negative thoughts and emotions that cause us to feel down. He is a discourager, and he pulls us down emotionally, spiritually, financially, and in every way he can. But Jesus is our Encourager, and He came to lift us up. He came to give us righteousness, peace and joy, and all these things cause us to feel up!
Everyone experiences times of frustration and distress over unfulfilled hopes and dreams. When things don't go according to our plans, it is normal to feel disappointment. But we must be careful how we deal with that feeling, because disappointment is the beginning stage of depression. If we remain in a state of disappointment for too long, it can turn into discouragement, despair, and finally depression. Psalm 30:5 tells us that ...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Things may make us feel sad temporarily, but we must not stay sad. Just as we cannot afford to stay mad very long, neither can we stay sad very long. If we do, Satan takes advantage of the open door and pushes his way further into our lives, bringing more serious problems with him.
DON'T TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS
Our number one enemy is emotions. We tend to be led by how we feel, but we must realize that feelings are fickle; they change from day to day! We should be careful not to follow every thought that comes to our mind because our thoughts and feelings don't dictate truth to us. For many years of my life, I experienced regular depression. I would awaken many mornings with a little voice in my head saying, "I feel depressed." I believed this was my own thought, not realizing that it was Satan making suggestions to me through my mind. Later, when God drew me into a closer walk with Him and I began seriously studying His Word, I learned that I didn't have to follow every feeling and thought that I had. I began to speak aloud and say, "I will not be depressed." I learned to put on the garment of praise spoken of in Isaiah 61:3. We may not always feel like praising, but a victorious person does not have the luxury of living by feelings.
I've learned that staying disappointed can cause me to start feeling discouraged, which is a deeper problem than disappointment. But I've also learned that you can't be hopeful and discouraged at the same time. So as soon as the devil attacks us with disappointment and we start feeling discouraged, we need to turn to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to fill us with hope. A brief period of discouragement may not have a devastating effect, but long-term discouragement can lead to depression—a very serious problem.
RESIST THE DEVIL AND REJOICE IN THE LORD!
Depression is defined in part as "a hollow; being in a low state; a state of sadness; dejection." The real cause of depression is not where we are, but our attitude about where we find ourselves. It is possible to learn to live on the other side of your feelings. We will always have feelings; they will never go away, but we can make our feelings line up with our decisions. That's why God gives us the fruit of self-control. James 4:7 tells us to resist the devil, and we must also resist depression, and anything that resembles it, because it is of the devil. Philippians 4:4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! If we stay filled with the right thing, the wrong thing has no place.
If you don't let the devil impress you with what he does, then he can't oppress you; and if he can't oppress you, then he can't depress you. So choose to be led by the Holy Spirit and you can have victory over depression. We can choose to keep a hopeful attitude by renewing our minds with the promises found in God's Word. We can claim the promises as our own and stand in faith, believing God to help us overcome our feelings and move forward into better things. We can't control all of our circumstances, but we don't have to let what happens today ruin tomorrow. We can actually turn things around by making a decision to let go of the situations that caused the disappointment and discouragement, and move toward the good things God has planned for our future.
Many people are depressed because they can't face truth, but the Holy Spirit came to reveal truth to us. We can't get past depression until we quit making excuses and blaming everyone else. We must face the truth and take responsibility for our actions. When we do that and ask God to help us, the spirit of heaviness leaves us and we feel light and free. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:30, ...My burden is light and easy to be borne. Being depressed about circumstances does not change them, and it is a total waste of time and a thief of joy. So we must stop letting our feelings, mind, body, and past experiences rule us and allow God to give us a fresh plan, a new idea, a new goal! You can experience victory over your emotions by being led, guided, controlled, and ruled by the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to us as our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby to remain with us forever (see John 14:16). Thank God, we don't have to be disappointed, discouraged, despondent, depressed, or in despair. Jesus is not only the Way, but He is also the way out! Jesus is our healer, our glory, and the lifter of our heads.
It inspired me heaps to push into the Lord, even through the hard times, something that I have always struggled with.
I found this on a website. Thought I would share, as I am sure I am not the only member who goes on this thread that wonders, what does the bible say about self harm and why is it so bad in God's eyes? I have also wondered about what verses say, so there are some that have been explained here.
Scripture and Self-Injury
Note: It can be daunting to realize how much God requires of us! As we look at what is commanded, though, we need to remember something important and wonderful: God never commands Christians to do anything that he doesn’t give them the strength to do. This strength comes through relationship with him by means of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives (Philippians 2:12-13). Look to that strength for help as you read the information below. Old Testament
In the Old Testament, one of Israel's major problems was that they picked up the religious habits and practices of other nations. Think of it like ancient peer pressure; instead of getting drunk or doing drugs, they worshipped other nations' gods. The problem was that God, the One True God, had told them how to worship him and had forbidden them from being loyal to any other gods. That's the factor at play in many of these verses.
<A id=law>The Law
In his commentary, Wenham says, "The underlying principles of the law, not specific application, should bind the Christian."1 Let's keep that in mind as we look at these verses. Leviticus 19:28
Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. Leviticus 21:5
Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. Deuteronomy 14:1-2
You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession. What's going on here?
Since God created man in his image (Genesis 1:27), man shouldn't harm that image by scarring his body.2 Shaving the head, tattooing, and cutting the skin were pagan mourning practices,3 but since those were part of pagan religion and since they didn't show respect for God's creation,4 God wanted Israel to stay away from them. What can we learn?
We should take care of our bodies and not deface God's creation. This principle is upheld and even strengthened in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 6. History
1 Kings 18:28
So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until the blood flowed. What's going on here?
Prophets of Baal (a false god) are desperately trying to get their deity to listen to them.5 (You can read the whole story in 1 Kings 18:16-40.) Note that despite all the prophets' efforts, Baal never responds. What can we learn?
We don't have to do anything special or extra to get God to listen to us. Actually, God is the one who seeks us, and all we need to do is respond. Self-injury is not a way that God has opened for us to be closer to him. In fact, anything that we need to do to be right with God can be found in Scripture.6 The Prophets
Jeremiah 16:6
Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut himself or shave his head for them. Jeremiah 41:4-5
The day after Gedaliah's assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD. Jeremiah 47:5
Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant on the plain, how long will you cut yourselves? What's going on here?
All three of these verses are talking about mourning. Verse 16:6 is part of a prophecy about mourning, verses 41:4-5 are about mourning for the destroyed temple,7 and verse 47:5 refers to the mourning that the Philistines will do because of an impending catastrophe.8 The mourning rites of self-cutting and head shaving, which were associated with pagan practices, were forbidden in the Torah.9 Unfortunately, since self-cutting and head shaving were common mourning practices in the ancient world at large, the Israelites picked them up somewhere along the way.10 What can we learn?
We need avoid picking up culturally accepted practices that are not allowed in the Bible. God doesn't want us to worship or serve him by doing things that he's forbidden. The New Testament
The Gospels
Mark 5:2-5
When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
(Read the whole story in Mark 5:1-20) What's going on here?
Some have said that Mark 5:5 means that all self-injurers are demon-possessed. It's pretty clear that this is a classic case of demon possession, but is it a classic case of self-injury? No. A look at this man's story shows that it's much different from the misguided pilgrims in Jeremiah 41:4-5. Even in Scripture, self-injury happens in different ways and different forms. What can we learn?
About this man, Cole writes, "It was also probably part of his 'treatment' to drive him away from inhabited areas, to find in graveyards on desolate hillsides his 'isolation block.' But isolation, whether self-chosen or enforced by others...meant only that the destructive force of evil, instead of turning outwards in outbreaks of violence, vented itself on the patient, in acts of senseless self-torture, as stated here."11 Although most people left this man alone, Jesus came to him and showed compassion towards him. There is certainly something to be said for the ministry of presence, of being with people who are hurting. Whereas many people would rather leave hurting people alone, Christians are called to walk in Jesus' steps, bringing light to places of darkness. The Letters
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. What's going on here?
In this passage, Paul tells the Corinthians why sexual immorality is improper for believers. Morris makes clear, however, that verses 19-20 apply to much more than sexual conduct.12 We used to be slaves to sin, Barrett remarks, but now we have been bought by Christ's sacrifice and have become his slaves:13 Romans 6:15-18 shows us that slavery to Christ is true freedom. This verse also emphasizes that not only the spirit but also the body is called to honor God.14 Since the body will one day be resurrected, it is important,15 so we should not abuse or mistreat it. What can we learn?
This verse sets a very high standard for life and conduct: believers are to act in a way that would not dishonor the temple of God.16 We are called, by the help of the Spirit, to honor God with all that we are. Conclusion
God made our bodies (Genesis 1:27), and if we are Christians, the Holy Spirit lives in them. Therefore, a proper Christian life involves care not only for the soul but also for the body--even while the body must be kept under control and used to serve the Lord (see comments on 1 Corinthians 9:27). Self-injury, then, is prohibited for Christians because it violates the principle explained here: that the Lord's holy people are not allowed to deface God's image in themselves.
Does this mean that Christians never self-injure? Of course not. Both Christians and non-Christians struggle with self-injury. The wonderful and glorious truth, however, is that Christians believe and trust that Jesus' death on the cross has already paid the penalty for all the sins they will ever commit. Moreover, they have died with Christ and are dead to sin. The life they now live here on earth they live by faith in order to please God (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:1-13). Does that mean ending self-injury? Yes, it does. But because of the Spirit's help, the Christian won't be doing it alone.
Footnotes
Gordon J. Wenham, "The Book of Leviticus." The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, R.K. Harrison, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1979), 36.
Wenham, "The Book of Leviticus," 272.
R.K. Harrison, "Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary." The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, D.J. Wiseman, ed. (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity, 1980), 201.
Harrison, "Leviticus," 210; J.A. Thompson, "Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary." The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, D.J. Wiseman, ed. (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity, 1974), 177.
Donald J. Wiseman, "1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary." The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, D.J. Wiseman, ed. (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity, 1993), 169-170. Wiseman discusses this ancient practice in his commentary.
See, for instance, Chapter I, section 6, of the Westminster Confession of Faith, also found in Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), The Book of Confessions (New York: Office of the General Assembly, 1983).
J.A. Thompson, "The Book of Jeremiah." The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, R.K. Harrison, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1980), 659-660.
Gerald L. Keown, Pamela J. Scalise, and Thomas G. Smothers, "Jeremiah 26-52." Word Biblical Commentary, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker, eds. (Dallas, TX: Word, 1995), 301.
Thompson, "The Book of Jeremiah," 405. The verses to which Thompson refers are discussed above: Leviticus 19:28, Leviticus 21:5, and Deuteronomy 14:1-2.
John H. Walton, interview by author, 2 November 2004.
R. Alan Cole, "The Gospel According to Mark: An Introduction and Commentary." The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Leon Morris, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1989), 156.
Leon Morris, "The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary." The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Leon Morris, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1985), 99.
C.K. Barrett, "The First Epistle to the Corinthians." Black's New Testament Commentaries, Henry Chadwick, ed. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1968), 152.
Barrett, "The First Epistle to the Corinthians," 152-153.
Gordon D. Fee, "The 1st Epistle to the Corinthians." The New International Commentary on the New Testament, F.F. Bruce, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1987), 263.
totally looking into it, if he's like driscoll. so, this may not show pure motives, but i totally said today that mark driscoll 'makes calvinism sound sexy' hahaha. jokkinnnggg.
hahaha. We definitely follow the same theology as Driscoll. Matt is... let's just say "nicer" than Driscoll. But Driscoll's a jerk, so that's not saying much.
Matt definitely yells at us a lot though... but it's good. I'm so thankful for his ministry!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HorseRidinBbe07
^how is that guy salanna? [if am thinking of right person]
He did like 12 weeks of daily simultaneous chemo & radiation, then took a couple months off, & now he's having 12 months of chemo, but it's higher doses, and it's not every day. It's like 5 days on, 23 days off.
By the grace of God he's doing well. Still preaching every Sunday, still his good old fiery in your face self.
one of the most viscious lies perpetrated is that it's our fault. whatever it is, we could've done something differently, and they wouldn't have stopped. you could have cleaned your room. you shouldn't have said that. you need to be a respectful child. because then we try and we try and we try and are spent from exhaustion and some of us attempt or complete suicide just to escape, JUST to be somewhere where lectures don't happen, where emotional scars can finally have some time to heal, where there ARE no more attacks.
church leaders misunderstand 'honor thy father and mother' and instead enable sin by enabling abuse and not condemning it when Jesus does. friends tell you what you did wrong and how to make it NOT HAPPEN again. but it does. and you feel selfish and ungrateful and you're exhausted- you can barely recover between these attacks so why are you the bad guy for wanting to escape? oh poor mom. poor, poor mom, without a punching bag.
hopefully someday there will be such a place where abusers hold no more power, where it finally comes to an end, where escape is possible. the only escape from my mom i can imagine is death, and i've already tried that. there has to be something. the only thing i can imagine is moving to a country with no phone or internet, where it's difficult to get to, and moving there without telling her.
come august, that is, actually, my plan. there will finally be glorious escape because i won't have to talk to her again, ever. and when she implores people why i left someone will say (and because its' not me, she will finally listen) that escape from her was the only chance for survival and how dare she anyhow? and she'll bear the weight. she'll feel it in full. she'll feel every time i couldn't get of bed for the shame. she'll feel every time i gave up.
every time i tried in vain to escape. she will be scorned by those who know and who loved me. she'll get no relief, just like i didn't. she'll cry out for escape, too. but i will get that escape, because i'll finally have some time to heal away from her, where she can't get me.
I let her ruin my day, again.
i'm just glad i have a god who is an avenger and an advocate and he IS on the side of the abused and he is angry about it and it's not okay.
i'm just looking forward to sweet relief. it keeps almost happening. someday i will, in all actuality, be free of this. be free of her (without dying.) i do wish for her to die quite a bit. i know that's messed up but it would finally, finally be relief.
This is getting out of hand. I was doing really, really, REALLY well up until a few days ago; then, I just-- lost control. Not sure where to go from here.
We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin. ~André Berthiaume
Hi, I'm Salanna. and I have a wicked heart (as do you, fyi). Sometimes I just want to tell people that they're idiots instead of loving them and having intelligent discussions with them.
