naive – La Vista Church of Christ https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:39:04 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cropped-LaVistaBanner-Copy-1-32x32.png naive – La Vista Church of Christ https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms 32 32 157465916 Am I able to return to God? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/am-i-able-to-return-to-god/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:39:04 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=87835

Question:

I'm in my 30s. Last year, I decided to become a Christian. I'm in the "doctrine," but I haven't been baptized yet. When I decided to become a Christian, my family turned their backs on me. I only had the support of a sister and her husband, who preached the word of God to me.

At work, I met a non-Christian. I moved in with her shortly after I decided to become a Christian. A car hit me and broke my ankle. God saved me from death. I'm still recovering from that incident. Being disabled for a month, I stopped attending church. Then the husband of my friend, whom I was living with, raped me. A medical examiner confirmed that I was raped.

After the rape, I told the brothers who preached the word of God to me what happened. They told me that I could stay and live with them. Shortly after I moved in, I decided to fast because I sought healing. I have epilepsy, and I know that God is the only one who can heal me because He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins and illnesses. On the second day of fasting, I had intense seizures. My face was bruised, and my vision turned red. I began to feel nauseous and vomited blood. I was afraid of being pregnant because of the rape that had happened less than two weeks prior.

I was unable to continue attending my church. I rested and recovered. When I decided to return to my church, I twisted my ankle, and I couldn't walk. The pastor advised me to rest for a month until I had fully recovered. I feel like I got cold and moved away from God during my absence from worship.

A few days ago, I had nowhere to stay, and a friend paid for a room in a hostel for me. He approached me and kissed me. I fell quickly and returned his kiss. We ended up having sex.

Now I'm unsure if I'll be able to return to God's path, if God will forgive me for what I've done, or what I need to do to be able to return to His path.

Answer:

It sounds like life has been really difficult for you. I'm sure there are numerous details that you left out, but what I notice is that you seem to be too trusting of men. I assume that the woman's husband took advantage of you being on pain medication. He should be turned over to the police, though I understand that in some countries, the police are not helpful in rape cases.

It wasn't proper to move in with some men from the church, even though they had your best interests in mind.

It is late to say this, but fasting is not recommended for people with epilepsy. The lack of food and the probable reduction in fluids can affect the dosage of the medication you are supposed to be taking. See "Fasting and Epilepsy."

I don't know why you no longer had a place to stay, but clearly, the man who got you a room was doing so to have sex with you. I'm sorry that you couldn't resist the temptation.

With God, it doesn't matter what your past was like. He is interested in who you are. "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:21-23). However, this means you need to take responsibility for your choices and change your behavior. You need to think through situations and consider where certain situations might lead. But most of all, you need to submit to God's will and be baptized (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-7; I Peter 3:21). Where you came from doesn't matter, it is where you are going that is important.

]]> 87835 When Wisdom Calls https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/when-wisdom-calls/ Sun, 10 Apr 2022 18:32:10 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=46142

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Proverbs 1:20-33

 

I.         Will Rogers once said, “Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees.”

            A.        I’m sure those in politics get frustrated when it seems no one listens.

            B.        But then we all do. We might not be the deepest thinkers in the nation, but sometimes we have something that is worth listening to.

                        1.         Thus, parents complain their children don’t listen, while children complain their parents don’t listen.

            C.        Have you thought about what it is like for God, to have a world full of people who for the most part don’t listen to Him?

                        1.         How many times did God tell people not to do something, and then they proceed to do that very thing?

                        2.         Israel, like others, just would not listen - Jeremiah 6:10

                        3.         God sent his Son, yet the world couldn’t comprehend - John 3:19-20

            D.        Solomon depicts wisdom as a woman walking through a noisy street, through crowded market places and at busy intersections trying to get people’s attention - Proverbs 1:20-21

                        1.         But no one pays her any attention. There are too many other distractions.

                        2.         Interestingly, the word used here is in the plural though it is treated as singular

                                    a.         Manifold wisdom of God - Ephesians 3:10

                                    b.         Wisdom isn’t a single thing. It is a variety of things working together as one.

II.        It is dangerous to listen to evil - Proverbs 1:10-19

            A.        Don’t focus on the lure. See the end results.

III.       Godly wisdom is readily available, but no one listens. Why? - Proverbs 1:22

            A.        They prefer a simple view of the world

                        1.         You see this in many groups. Rather than treating each as individuals, there is a preference to make broad generalizations:

                                    a.         Blacks are ..., Jews are ..., White people are ..., or even Government is ...

                                    b.         We find the world easier to deal with by just lumping everyone into the same bucket.

                        2.         People don’t want wisdom because it complicates this simplistic view. It makes people think. It means handling each person differently because you have to face the fact that each person is different.

            B.        They enjoy belittling things

                        1.         I heard a song on NPR a while ago belittling people who listen to talk radio.

                                    a.         No reasoning. Clear falsehoods with small sound bites of phrases pulled out of context.

                        2.         Scorn comes from pride. I’m right and, therefore, you are wrong if you don’t agree with me.

                        3.         Reasoning isn’t there because it isn’t based on reason. Instead, mocking is used as if taunts prove points.

            C.        They don’t want to know they are wrong

                        1.         Being wrong makes a person feel bad.

                        2.         Being wrong means having to make changes.

IV.      It is dangerous not to listen to wisdom - Proverbs 1:23-32

            A.        The problem is when you are told you are wrong, the gut reaction is to dig in - Proverbs 29:1

                        1.         In the end it destroys you because you become inflexible.

            B.        Fear when trouble comes - Isaiah 66:4

            C.        You can’t wait until you need wisdom to gain wisdom

                        1.         Wisdom takes time to learn

                        2.         You can’t expect to change at the last minute. There are limits - Isaiah 55:6

            D.        You get what you sowed - Galatians 6:7-8

            E.        It will destroy you - Romans 6:21

V.        The gains of wisdom - Proverbs 1:33

            A.        Safety - Isaiah 3:10

            B.        Security, a lack of fear - Psalms 112:7

            C.        Wisdom is calling. Will you listen?

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