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Author Topic: Unequally yolked  (Read 21456 times)

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hillsbororiver

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #20 on: November 01, 2006, 10:33:09 PM »

Hi Michele,

Hopefully I can help with a couple things, 

Unbelievers; those who do not know or know of Jesus Christ our Saviour,


G571
ἄπιστος
apistos
ap'-is-tos
From G1 (as a negative particle) and G4103; (actively) disbelieving, that is, without Christian faith (specifically a heathen); (passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing): - that believeth not, faithless, incredible thing, infidel, unbeliever (-ing).


The Called; those who have a knowledge of Jesus Christ but have lost and left their first love;

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

The Elect; those who have been chosen by God to be a part of His Son's work in bringing the unbelievers and the called to Him in the age(s) to come. Those who have the Spirit of Christ within, a member of His Body who He will keep from deception, guide and inspire to the culmination of Sonship.

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

As far as bringing others to Christ, He is the One who does the calling and choosing;


Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.


Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
 
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
 
Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
 
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Michele, if we live our lives displaying the fruit of the spirit (brotherly love, charity) in all situations we will be given the opportunity to bear witness of Him.


1Pe 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

His peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

 
 
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Michele

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yoked
« Reply #21 on: November 03, 2006, 07:04:54 AM »

Thank you for the partial reply, I think I understand that part now. But  I still need help.  If anyone knows the answers to this please let me know.

I think a clear difinitive answer to the question for those who are IN relationships/marriage and for those who are thinking about gettting into a relationship with a non-believer.  The Bible says "be not unequally yoked", Ray says stay away from them also.  Right?  But I think people should know THe Right way to think about this situation!  There are a great many Believers or trying to-be-believers (those of us who Want to know or who are being called or whyever we are here seeking the Truth) the Truth/God/Jesus/etc... and those who are non-believers.........and the Bible says to not be yoked with non-believers and we need to know  WHY did God say that?  There are two possible answers:

1.Because He knew how hard it would be on the believer to be with someone who doesn't share their faith...since you've been Called or are being called  and they have Not, yet, then they are unable to see/feel what you do and it does cause strife in a marriage...likened to an oxen and a mule pulling together, unevenly, causing troubles.
OR
2..Most people who have been raised in a "typical christian church/upbrining" will be taught that if you do marry a unbeliever YOU have broken one of Gods Laws and are being Punished here on earth because you married an unbeliever and will be punished even more later!   

 Those two scenarios are two Totally different ways of thinking about this subject which is all important to those of us who are in this situation!  So let's get the correct answer on this for those who are in this stressful situation and need the good answer to their questions.  I used to think the bad answer, because that's what I was incorrectly taught, but now I believe it's because God loves us and doesn't want us to have strife with our non-believing spouse.  The Bible passage that states that if you are married to a non-believer that you are to stay with them if they want to stay with you and that your relationship is sanctified because one of you is a believer and for those that worry about the children of the unequally yoked marriage the Bible says that God is Not Willing for any of them to be Lost.
WHAT does LOST mean anyway?

I'm having to revamp everything I knew before.  Traditional Christians think that Lost means burining in "hell" for eternity.  What does it truly mean?

Same answer for the unequally yoked friendships?  Many of the people I love are unbelievers. 
What if you marry into a whole family of unbelievers?  What if your spouses whole family are unbelievers, and the other half of your family are "traditional christians" and they all think your Nuts?  Wow!  What's the answer to how to live happily in  that situation?!

There are a great many out there who are living in sickening terror over what tortures God has in store for their unbelieving loved ones and spouses and they deserve to know what the TRUTH IS! Just Google it and you'll find many pages of poor spouses waiting out their lives in terror because they are afraid their spouses are going to burn in hell for all eternity.   I can't tell you how many tortured hours I spent  worrying about it myself...and I'm still trying to rid myself of it all, all the negative emotions that came with what I am learning to believe were the untruths I was incorrectly taught as a youngster.  People write in asking questions about what to do and Ray answers them correctly I believe, but there needs to be more explanation and detail, that's what this area is good for.




And the Bible states that if you are already in an Unequally yoked marriage that you are to stay if the unbelieving spouse wants to stay with you and that your relationship is sanctified because one of you is a believer and for those that worry about their children the Bible says that God is Not Willing for any of them to be Lost.
WHAT does LOST mean anyway?

I'm having to revamp everything I knew before.  Traditional Christians think that Lost means burining in "hell" for eternity.  What does it truly mean?


Jesus spent a most of his time with non-believers and sinners just trying to love them, .. aren't we supposed to follow his example?  I am a bit confused about that. 
 I was reading up some stuff here and there were two members who were talking about visiting an athiest website i believe, and one said to another to "get out of there it's dangerous"....WHAT does that mean?  Why is that dangerous?  If God has already spoken to your heart and now you know him, aren't you SAFE from any type of spiritual dangers?   "Regular christians' are always going around talking about how you are supposed to be out there gathering souls for God, and then also saying that Satan is out there waiting to "harvest" all the lost souls!!!!  What on earth?  What I"m getting at is if God has called you, what spiritual dangers are there for you?  Is Satan out there trying to trip you up?  If God's in leading us then will he allow our own actions to mess us up spiritually?

ANd furthermore, what are the DANGERS that can happen anyway.  IF it is never to late for anyone on this planet...since Jesus died for ALL and we ar e all going to be in Heaven with God REGUARDLESS and God is not going to torture us in  a fabled "hell" for eternity...........WHAT exactly are  the terrible things that everyone talks baout trying to avoid????....the Dangers that believers worry about for thier non-beliving loved ones facing? Huh??   And why should we worry anyway?  God's gonna handle it for the non-belivers, RIght?  IT isn't up to US to save anybody? 

I'm still trying to piece the puzzle together.

Please help me with these questions.  I seem to be misunderstanding or picking up some contradicting information....or perhaps i just don't understand it all yet.

All help is appreciated.

Thanks!
Michele
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hillsbororiver

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #22 on: November 03, 2006, 10:00:26 AM »

Hello Michele,

Forget the man made doctrines and stick with His Word, reading the articles on Bible Truths will help you to sort out the doctrines of men and clarify what scripture is really saying. It is a day by day process.

Don't try debating or arguing your beliefs, just treat your family, friends and even strangers in a brotherly, charitable way as you continue studying, when someone asks you a question, give them an honest answer, relax, take up His yoke.

Being lost is having your salvation after the White Throne Judgement rather than before it, Ray covers this in many of his articles, this is a good place to start;

The 2 Judgements By Fire

http://bible-truths.com/lake6.html

His Peace and Wisdom to you Sister,

Joe



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Kat

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #23 on: November 03, 2006, 03:21:21 PM »

Hi Michele,

This is my opinion on this subject.

2Co 6:13  Do us a favor-I ask you as my children-and open wide your hearts.
v.14  Stop becoming unevenly yoked with unbelievers. What partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? What fellowship can light have with darkness? (ISV)

Paul is talking to these believers as a father talking to his children.
What he is trying to say, I believe, is that a person who is a believer, is following a certain path.
They are seeking Christ and living there life that way.
Unbelievers are on a different path, they do not know Christ and are not seeking Him.

This is a small excerpt from Ray's LoF series no. 4, there is much more about this at the bottom of that article.

 http://bible-truths.com/lake4.html  -------------------------------------

The spring harvest (this is those in the first resurrection) is the harvest of those firstfruits who have entered into the strait and narrow gate. The fall harvest (this is all of humanity, that were not in the first resurrection, that come up at the great white throne judgment) is the harvest of all those who went the wide and broad way into destruction. Destruction is not the final destiny of the nonbeliever. Being DESTROYED, PERISHED, and LOST are all conditions awaiting SALVATION, and are not conditions to be eternally punished! All, absolutely ALL, who are not in the first resurrection are in a condition likened to: "lost," "perished," or "destroyed." Contrary to orthodoxy these conditions are NOT hopeless:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If we are yolked (joined) with unbelievers, whether in marriage, friendship, or business,
anything that would join us to someone.
In that unequally yolked relationship, we would be going in different directions, to some degree,
and this would cause problems.
When you are in a close relationship with someone, who does not agree with you on the basic ideas of belief,
there are going to be many things that come up that you will disagree on, and that is not a good situation to be in.
If you are yolked to this person, partially in marriage, it is not easy to leave that relationship,
if things become worse.
Now I realize that everybodies situation is different, and there is no easy answer to this.
Everybodies situation would have to be considered separately and what value there is to it.

What I would say to you, is seek the truth, which you are doing here, and let God guide you in what He wants for you in your life.
Study and pray, and do the best you can, that's all you can do.

Pro 20:24  Man's steps are of Jehovah; how can a man then understand his own way?

1Co 12:6  And there are differences of workings, but it is the same God working all things in all.

Eph 1:11  in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will;

As for all your concerns, you are being overwhemed with it all.
Let God lead you into His truth as He chooses to reveal things, you are in the right place here  :)

Phi 4:6  Never worry about anything, but in every situation let your petitions be made known to God in prayers and requests, with thanksgiving.

I hope this will help you some, I am in an unequally yolked marriage.
We were both raised in church, as an adult I continued in church, my husband never did.
I was never able to discuss religion with him, which was a big part of my life.
There have been many problems, but I have learned many valuable lessons.

You have to come to the place where you know God is in control, and all things are by Him.

Rom 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

mercy, peace, and love
Kat



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Nancy

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Aren't our lives Gods' or not?
« Reply #24 on: November 03, 2006, 06:57:48 PM »

Hi there all,

I may be wrong but aren't our lives directed by God? St. Paul tells us to do lots of things but if God has an intention for our life, aren't we going to walk in it?  Can we do anything that God hasn't already purposed for our life? I thought that there is no such thing as free will.  Ray has a brilliant article on this subject.
To know that God has purposed our lifes for a reason must be a comfort to all.
God bless
Nancy
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hillsbororiver

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #25 on: November 03, 2006, 07:32:05 PM »

Hi there all,

I may be wrong but aren't our lives directed by God? St. Paul tells us to do lots of things but if God has an intention for our life, aren't we going to walk in it?  Can we do anything that God hasn't already purposed for our life? I thought that there is no such thing as free will.  Ray has a brilliant article on this subject.
To know that God has purposed our lifes for a reason must be a comfort to all.
God bless
Nancy

So true Nancy,

Here is an excerpt from;


http://bible-truths.com/lake15.html

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE HEART

ALL have sinned because it takes SPIRITUAL POWER not to sin. And God did not give our first parents that kind of spiritual power. They were spiritually weak as water.

We read in Jer. 17:9:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

We know from Scripture that God "…creates EVIL…" (Isa. 45:7), but did He also create man’s heart in a "desperately wicked" state? No, He did not. God did not FORCE upon man, at creation, a "desperately WICKED" heart. Let’s read this verse from the Jewish Publication Society,

"The heart is deceitful above all things, And it is EXCEEDING WEAK—who can know it."

God did not create man’s heart "desperately wicked" as the KJV suggest, but rather He did create the human heart, "exceeding WEAK."

The seat of emotions and desires is the HEART. And God made the heart "exceeding WEAK." Man did not sin because he "freely willed" to sin, but because his heart was so exceedingly WEAK. That is why it takes next to nothing to persuade the heart of man to DESIRE SIN.

Jesus Christ Himself taught us that EVIL THOUGHTS, MURDERS, BLASPHEMIES, ADULTERIES, etc., all start, begin, originate, proceed, out from THE HEART.

Once the heart senses a feeling or emotion, it begins to desire something. These very thoughts of desire emanate out from the heart, seeking fulfillment. At this point in the process the will is manifested. It now becomes the driving force within you to accomplish the thoughts and emotions of the heart. The will is not the original instigator in this chain of events; it is not even the second in line, but rather the third.

The will of man has no power until first his heart DESIRES,

Second these desires are formed into actual THOUGHTS,

Then at this third stage the will purposes to find fulfillment for all that is coming out of the heart.

The heart played a huge role in Adam’s decision to also partake of the forbidden fruit. In I Tim. 2:14 we read this:

"And Adam was NOT deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Why did Adam sin if he was NOT deceived as his wife was? Again, the answer goes back to THE HEART.

Adam LOVED his wife dearly. He never wanted to be separated from her. But he knew that the wages of eating the forbidden tree was to be death. But did he fully comprehend all that death entailed? Probably not. But whatever the penalty would be or how it would be carried out, Adam knew that he did not want to be separated from his wife. Notice what He said to God:

"And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be WITH ME, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." (Gen. 3:12).

Isn’t that interesting. Adam did not say: "The woman whom you gave TO ME." Or, "The woman whom you gave FOR ME." But rather, "The woman whom you gave to be WITH ME." Adam reminded God that He created Eve to be ‘WITH’ him, not apart from him. And if Adam had obeyed God, whereas his wife did not, he feared being SEPARATED from Eve. And so he also ate of the fruit and sinned, not because he was deceived as Eve was, but because he loved her in his heart so much that he couldn’t bear the thought of not being "WITH" her.

And so, did Adam "freely" WITHOUT A CAUSE choose to eat the forbidden fruit? What nonsense. Adam had the BIGGEST REASON in the world that CAUSED him to sin and remain with his wife!

So if you are looking for "free" will in the Garden at the time of our first parents' creation, forget it, 'cause it ain’t there!

Nancy, yes is the short answer, it is our desire from the heart to sin that makes us guilty. When we begin to truly despise our carnal nature rather than embrace it, it is then that His work in us begins to bear fruit.

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe




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Deborah-Leigh

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #26 on: November 04, 2006, 09:44:34 AM »

....after reading this tread I thought that too often we place the emphasis on US and THEM ie friends, enemies, family ties and commitments rather than us and Christ in HIS yolk. What I began to see is this. On the one hand 2 John 1:9 ANYONE who runs on ahead of God and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ who is not content with what He taught, does not have God"......WELL! so much for running on ahead! :D....Then on the other hand....what about staying behind ;D...Matt 24:24 He who had received one talent also came forward saying Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed the grain. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent, in the ground. Here you have what is your own.......We know what happened to him! :-[ 

The above two scriptures for me show two extreems and the bulls eye for me (and I might be playing Archery or simply darts here!)
but anyway, here it goes......Bulls eye for me is this....John 15: 9,10....abide in MY love....and live on it... and Mtt 11 :29....take MY yolk upon you and LEARN...OF ME.....

Are we (me included) giving too much emphasis on OUR yolks with humankind and perhaps insufficient attention to our yolk with Christ......?

I have recognised that this error has been concealed within me and now made visible through this thread.....

May His  Mercy and Grace be to us all!

Arcturus :)



« Last Edit: November 04, 2006, 09:46:58 AM by Arcturus »
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buddyjc

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #27 on: November 04, 2006, 03:56:43 PM »

Amen Arcturus.  I was just thinking along the same lines.  Being 'unequally yoked' is a hard thing to go through.  When oxen were yoked side by side, they should be the same, but if one is shorter, it makes it difficult for the other to pull.  It is difficult when one finds themselves in this situation, but as my signature says, If you don't know what to do, do what you know to do.  Michele, all you have to do is focus on your relationship with Christ.  Be submissive and obedient to your husband.  Love him as Christ loves him.  You know the saying, 'I would rather SEE a sermon, then hear one any day.'  Show Christ to your husband by how you live your life. 

1Co 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

This works for your children as well.  Your husband is in the place God wants him right now, but what about you?  Perhaps God is teaching you something too?  I have a wife who believes in Christ but is carnal.  I am persecuted almost daily for my beliefs, so I just try to be the best husband I can be.  Don't try to push, just live a life that will show him Christ.

Your Brother,
Brian
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Deborah-Leigh

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #28 on: November 04, 2006, 04:34:41 PM »

Beautiful words Brian....they speak to me too!

Thank you

 :)
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andrevan

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #29 on: November 05, 2006, 07:28:19 AM »

I really appreciate everyones answers, I have only found comfort here so far and I hope I continue to learn God's Truth.
I have a lot of rants I hope you can help me with...years of anxiety, frustration, and fear to put in it's proper place.

I need help still though.  My husband is completely into Carl Sagan and his Cosmos series, Ayn Rand and  some guy named Gould who basically says that Jesus was maybe delusional in thinking that he was the son of God and how all of his prophesies didn't come true......  Each and everyone of these authors stands by the concept of  "You are Your own and owe noone anything, you happened by chance/evolution, you are your own God) , whatever...and no need for any "Creator"...and people that believe in "God" are those who have no ability to direct their own lives  and can't cope with the thought of not having an afterlife and on and on and on.....Is anyone here familiar
OH I am SO CONFUSED!

. When my husband who also loves my daughter very much sits down to share carl sagans "Cosmos" series with her.....and how we all popped up out of a quagmire of chemicals, just add water, no God needed, what am I to do?  I feel sick to my stomach and flushed like I"m going to die on the spot because I have nothing that I can say to refute that... except when I told my daughter later that I had no problem with those dvds because I don't know how God created everything and I have no problem really with evolution or not evolution as long as God is given the credit for it all..except God was apparently Not involved in any way and I  DO have a big problem with that.  ANd I asked my husband (and it took all my courage to do so) I asked him if sagan was an atheist and he replied "Oh yes" in a definate positive as if anything otherwise was unspeakably ridiculous....and I said "I think he's a very smart, nice man and I won't hold his being an athiest against him if he won't hold me Not being an athiest against me".   Feels stupid now but it's like I have a terror of anyone thinking that I don't believe in God....and I don't know WHY exactly?  Why do I care what Anyone thinks?
It's because I've been lectured/read somewhere in the Bible that it's MY JOB to tell others about God and to speak up when they say god doesn't exist?
Dear Michele, the ones that are delusional are Carl Sagan and Steven j. Gould. The religion & hypothesis of evolution is nothing but smoke and mirrors! Gould and Sagan CANNOT empirically (by experiment/observation) show that evolution has ever occured, they have not a clue!

Secular scientists CANNOT create life from dead matter, they've tried and they cannot do it! To top it off, they are using their intelligence in a controlled environment to try and create life ...WRONG! Life needs to come about by itself by pure random chance from  DEAD matter. Furthermore, no one was present at the beginning of "evolutionary life", so they have NO IDEA what earth's environment was, so how can scientists ever recreate the situation? They can't!

Furthermore, they have not one scrap of empirical scientific evidence that shows ALL life desended from a common primordial cell, they CANNOT scientifically show it!
There is NO empirical scientific evidence that life descended from a common cell, and that life spontaneously came about from dead matter.

Evolution NEVER happened. In fact, random genetic mutations and natural selection go AGAINST evolution!
We most certainly did NOT come from a primordial pond of slime!!! NO child should be exposed to the soul destroying religion of evolution. Evolution justifies atheism, it is their RELIGION.

Atheists are REQUIRED by default to BELIEVE in the story of evolution.

Feel free to email me at andrevan808@yahoo.com and I will point you to some excellent articles that will completely destroy the ridiculous STORY of evolution.

God bless you!
Andrevan.
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pstrevnglstchrls

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #30 on: November 12, 2006, 12:05:34 AM »

I am truly amazed at the use of scripture and forgetting the rules of grammar. When I was in grammar school, the idea in language was kinda like algebra, if you put two negatives together they make a positive. in the king james version the scripture starts Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers the not and unequally in this sentence is negative which make it a positive which allows the scripture to read Be ye equally yoked together with unbelievers cause I knda think that  this is what Jesus did when he came down here. He got equal with a bunch of unbelievers, If I am wrong please correct me thanks
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Deborah-Leigh

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #31 on: November 12, 2006, 06:50:44 AM »

Here is the part I see..................

2 Tim 4:3  For the time is coming when people will not tolerate, endure sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying, they will gather to themselves one teacher (ONE YOLK) after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors (YOLKS) they hold. 4. And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths (OTHER YOLKS) and man-made fictions (SOME MORE YOLKS). As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinghingly.......

The true yolk is Christ. .......The yolks of bondage and blindness  is mamon,  the world, the carnal,  the flesh,  the Beast!

I believe we are all yolked unequally with Christ. Who is equal with Jesus Christ? Who has equality with the Spirit of God that is Christ? Christ is the believer. He is faithful. We are still learning, being tried, tested, purified.  Christ IS NOW, WAS THEN AND FOREVER WILL BE the righteousness of God. This same Christ is dwelling in us, through unmerited favor, unequalled blessing and incomparable goodness of God towards us.

 It is God who loves us. It is God who sent Christ to us. It is God who loves us as He loves Christ. John 17:21..I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and definitely recognize that You sent Me and that YOU HAVE LOVED THEM (US!) AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME(CHRIST) It is God who calls and chooses us and drags us to His Son Christ. It is Christ's work in us that He will complete only when He comes again to complete in us the salvation He has won and works in us. Heb 9:28 Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon HIMSELF and bear as a burden the sins of many once and once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to FULL SALVATION those who are eagerly, constantly, and patiently waiting for and expecting Him." 

We are all unequally yolked to Christ. Who is Christ among us? It is us who will be perfected in the end when He makes right what is wrong,  He will make dark into light, unblief into belief, unfaithfulness into faithfulness, the  unjust will be made just and the unrighteousness will be made righteous and every knee will bow. We are united in mind here in this Forum, that ALL will be saved and NON lost and that God's WILL, will be done.

We will be like Him but not AS HIM. He will make our diversity unitiy. He is yesterday, today and tomorrow the first fruites. There will always be inequality with that and God makes it equal by sharing with us His inheritance  AFTER  His Son perfects His image in us that is given to us through the Spirit of God that is Christ  through the love of God that drags us, chooses, us selects us and calls us to Christ. Christ works HIS image in us. All things are created for Christ.

OUR oneness between one another is unified through Love. God is Love. The work is Christ. the Spirit of God at work in us. He, Christ is our yolk.He Christ is unequally yolked to us. This, as I see it, will be made equal when He comes again and every yolk is destroyed. This yolk that is Christ is our hope for salvation now. False yolks of bondage will be destroyed.  Of course Christ our yolk will not be destroyed. HE will be lifted up as on the cross on earth He was lifted up,  so too shall we see Him lifted up in His Glory when He comes and we will see Him face to face and behold His glory.This experience is something to really anticipate, expect and get excited about seeing and witnessing. We are invited to this grand entry of Christ when He comes for us.....1 Cor 13:12...but then, when perfection comes we shall see in relaity and face to face!......."

What an amaizing thing to look ahead towards. .... His is the light. His is the Glory. He is the yolk placed on us through the love of God for us working in us now. Everything else is...mamon, of the world, carnal, of the flesh, the Beast......unequal, irreconcilable.....unequally yolked!

We do not come to Christ. He call us and God drags us. His yolk is light and easy for He is meek and humble and we are unequal, but blessed,........ being purified unto hope and salvation...and under His yolk, we are being made free, like He is,  through His gift to us...being transformed into eagerly, constantly, patiently and expectantly waiting for HIM!....as we learn to live under His yolk, His call, His love and His blessing towards us :).......This is the part I see....in part

Peace to you

Arcturus

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Michele

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #32 on: November 12, 2006, 08:17:40 AM »

THank you All for your thoughtful replies.

So what scripture says to do in this situation IS:
*Keep on worshiping and learning about God no matter what anyone says or thinks...this is a good example.
*Don't worry about your child's or anyone else's salvation cause it's God who chooses You and Not the other way around, therefore non of us who are seeking God could ever "Bring" someone to God unless God has already Chosen them to become a believer.  This fact should render "worry" for those of us her were taught that it's our job and responcibility to "win" souls for God and "Save" people from "eternal hellfire damnation"...Should render the worry Nonexistant!  Should!
*Be like Jesus, loving, forgiving, kind, nonhypocritical, Non judgemental....
*Do Not worry what others think about you, continue loving God even if your criticized.
*You do not have to shove God down anyones throat and you don't have to discuss God with them unless they ask, then try to give a good anwer?

When I get terrified for my non believing loved ones, and worry about what my child will believe, I try to keep telling myself what the scriptures truly say (what i am now re-learning they truly say anyway) That God's in control.  Even if everyone you love decides to be athiest, it's because God hasn't called them yet? Yes?  And you just keep on loving them and worshipping your heart out.

When I get lost in my old thoughts and the old bad things the "church"taught me about eternal damnation/torture, etc......I keep saying to myself that that's NOT what the Bible says, never did say that and just knowing THAT one thing helps me more than anything else to quit the worry and fear..............Now if only I could retrain my mind to KNOW this.  When I feel any fear I know it's because I still have not yet let go of the old False teachings that all Fundamental Christians are brought up to believe.

How can I KNOW that "HEllfire" is BULL!?  Can I convince myself?  Can you convince Me?  I want nothing more than to believe that.  If I can LEARN that down to every fiber of my being, then I can say truthfully that if "worst comes to worst" that there is NOOO  Eternal Torment awaiting ANYone I love, NO MATTER what they do, say or believe in this lifetime.......................

I appreciate any help in this matter!  I need the name of the Bible and the other book where it shows how "Hell" is mistranslated/misinterpreted or whatever and only means "Grave/Death"....I think if i could see it with my own eyes it'd help it sink in for me.  Can somebody help me out with knowing what to buy?

After I get that ALL Important Fact through my head once and for all, maybe I could contine my research on how to be a better person/true  christian and do the research on how to help others on their own journeys with God.


To answer the person here who said they have articles that disprove evolution etc.....please post them here if you don't mind.

PERsonally, I do not have a problem with evolution.  WE do NOt know how God Created the world do we?  Science and everything that gets discovered Should lead us closer to the "Mind of God".  My problem with science as is stands today is how people try to use it to "disprove" God....that is certainly something that cannot be done anyway, but they try!  That's my problem with evolutionists who try to say we popped up spontaneously from slime....I have no problem if we did occur that way, it's just that they try to say that it "just happened" and had nothing to do with a "Creator".  And then I think "so where did the atoms and minerals and etc....come from that the first life was supposedly formed from" and They say "The Big Bang" and I say "What Made the Big Bang Occur" and They say "nobody knows for certain' and I say "God" and they say "So who created God" !!!!


I dont know if i want to spend my life debating with people who are Looking for reasons not to believe, because God hasn't called them yet?  Seems like a time/life waster doesn't it?  But if God wants me to gather as much "evidence" of Him as possible to help others on their way to Him..then I want to do that. 
The problem is most of the time I don't know what exactly to do.

I know I am so very Tired of worrying about everyone I love's "Salvation" and I am ready to try to learn to let God handle it for me.  But I'm thinking I have to learn how to do this also....which is why I"m here....
So if you can offer me helpful advice, point me to scriptures, proofs, anything, I so appreciate it!
Thanks!
Michele
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hillsbororiver

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #33 on: November 12, 2006, 08:31:49 AM »

How can I KNOW that "HEllfire" is BULL!?  Can I convince myself?  Can you convince Me?  I want nothing more than to believe that.  If I can LEARN that down to every fiber of my being, then I can say truthfully that if "worst comes to worst" that there is NOOO  Eternal Torment awaiting ANYone I love, NO MATTER what they do, say or believe in this lifetime.......................

I appreciate any help in this matter!  I need the name of the Bible and the other book where it shows how "Hell" is mistranslated/misinterpreted or whatever and only means "Grave/Death"....I think if i could see it with my own eyes it'd help it sink in for me.  Can somebody help me out with knowing what to buy?


Hello Michele,

Have you studied these articles yet?

http://bible-truths.com/lake16-A.html

http://bible-truths.com/lake16-B.html

http://bible-truths.com/lake16-C.html

There is a wealth of scriptural authority contained within these papers.

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.


Study and pray for understanding, don't stress about things that are in His hands, He is more than capable.

His Peace and Wisdom to you Sister,

Joe 
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Beloved

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #34 on: November 12, 2006, 03:03:47 PM »

 Arcturus

I really loved what you guys are writing in this thread.. It is really wonderful but I tried to point out My faux pas in the above post. I am the one who started this post and inadvertently named it (Unequally Yolked) It should be Unequally Yoked.  (the center part of the egg is not the topic)

2 Tim 4:3  For the time is coming when people will not tolerate, endure sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying, they will gather to themselves one teacher  (ONE YOLK) after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors   (YOLKS)  they hold. 4. And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths   (OTHER YOLKS) and man-made fictions SOME MORE YOLKS

 As for you, be calm and cool and
steady, accept and suffer unflinghingly.......The  true yolks     Christ. .......The yolks of bondage and blindness  is mamon,  the world, the carnal,  the flesh,  the Beast!

I believe we are   all yolked  unequally with Christ. Who is equal with Jesus Christ? Who has equality with the Spirit of God that is Christ? Christ is the believer. He is faithful. We are still learning, being tried, tested, purified.  Christ IS NOW, WAS THEN AND FOREVER WILL BE the righteousness of God. This same Christ is dwelling in us, through unmerited favor, unequalled blessing and incomparable goodness of God towards us.

What you said Arturus was very nteresting and as you said when the believer has Chrst in them then the unbelivers are in the unequal position ....at least for this age. 

I know many readers have overlooked this mis-spelling of this word. I really apologise again and hope that all of you out there can take this Yolk (Joke)...I know another stupid pun. We are all...still ...marred vessels and some of us have more cracks and dings.

Beloved


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orion77

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Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #35 on: November 12, 2006, 03:50:15 PM »

(Isa 58:1)  Call out with the throat! Do not spare. Lift up your voice like the ram's horn! And declare to My people their rebellion, and their sins to the house of Jacob.

(Isa 58:2)  Yet they seek Me day by day, and desire knowledge of My ways. As a nation that has done right, and not forsaking the judgment of their God, they ask Me about judgments of righteousness; they desire to draw near to God.

(Isa 58:3)  They say, Why have we fasted, and You did not see? We have afflicted our soul, and You did not acknowledge. Behold, on the day of your fast you find pleasure; and you drive all your laborers hard.

(Isa 58:4)  Look! You fast for strife, and for debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. Do not fast as today, to sound your voice in the high place.

(Isa 58:5)  Is this like the fast I will choose, a day for a man to afflict his soul? To bow his head down like a bulrush, and he spreads sackcloth and ashes? Will you call to this as a fast and a day of delight to Jehovah?

(Isa 58:6)  Is this not the fast I have chosen: to open bands of wickedness, to undo thongs of the yoke, and to send out the oppressed ones free; even that you pull off every yoke?

(Isa 58:7)  Is it not to break your bread to the hungry, that you should bring the wandering poor home? When will you see the naked and cover him, and you will not hide yourself from your flesh?

(Isa 58:8)  Then your light shall break as the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Jehovah shall gather you.

(Isa 58:9)  Then you shall call, and Jehovah will answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If you put the yoke away from among you, the sending out of the finger, and the speaking of iniquity;

(Isa 58:10)  and if you let out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom shall be as the noonday.

(Isa 58:11)  And Jehovah shall always guide you, and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

(Isa 58:12)  And those who come of you shall build the old ruins; you shall rear the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, The repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to live in.

(Isa 58:13)  If you turn your foot away because of the sabbath, from doing what you please on My holy days, and call the sabbath a delight, to the holiness of Jehovah, glorified; and shall glorify Him, to the holiness of not doing your own ways, from finding your own pleasure or speaking your word;

(Isa 58:14)  then you shall delight yourself in Jehovah. And I will cause you to ride on the heights of the earth, and make you eat with the inheritance of your father Jacob. For the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.


His yoke, His sabbath, His rest. 


(Heb 4:1)  Therefore, let us fear lest perhaps a promise having been left to enter into His rest, that any of you may seem to come short.

(Heb 4:2)  For, indeed, we have had the gospel preached to us, even as they also; but the Word did not profit those hearing it, not having been mixed with faith in the ones who heard.

(Heb 4:3)  For we, the ones believing, enter into the rest, even as He said, "As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest," though the works had come into being from the foundation of the world. LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11

(Heb 4:4)  For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day this way, "And God rested from all His works in the seventh day." Gen. 2:2

(Heb 4:5)  And in this again, "They shall not enter into My rest." MT-Psalm 95:11

(Heb 4:6)  Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly had the gospel preached did not enter in on account of disobedience,

(Heb 4:7)  He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today (after so long a time, according as He has said), "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." MT-Psalm 95:7, 8

(Heb 4:8)  For if Joshua gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day.

(Heb 4:9)  So, then, there remains a sabbath rest to the people of God.

(Heb 4:10)  For he entering into His rest, he himself also rested from his works, as God had rested from His own. LXX-Psa. 95:11; Gen. 2:2

(Heb 4:11)  Therefore, let us exert ourselves to enter into that rest, that not anyone fall in the same example of disobedience.


Example of disobedience and workers of lawlessness:


(Mat 7:23)  And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; "depart from Me, those working lawlessness!" Psa. 6:8

(Mat 23:28)  So you also indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

(2Th 2:7)  For the mystery of lawlessness already is working, only he is holding back now, until it comes out of the midst.

(1Jo 3:4)  Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.


Notice in all these verses, its by their own works they practice lawlessness.  Entering His rest is being obedient, following Christ, and considered holy by not doing our own ways, our own pleasure or by speaking our own words.


(Joh 5:30)  I am able to do nothing from Myself; just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, for I do not seek My will, but the will of the One sending Me, the Father.


The perfect example of entering His rest.

God bless,

Gary
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Deborah-Leigh

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #36 on: November 12, 2006, 04:52:37 PM »

Hello Beloved

Your post reads.....you said when the believer has Chrst in them then the unbelivers are in the unequal position ....at least for this age.

That is not actually what I meant. This is what I said: We are all unequally yolked to Christ.  I should have written as follows....We believers are all unequally yoked to Christ.  We are not equal to Christ. As I understand this...a yoke is a form of harness that connects two animals together like two horses to pull a carriage or two cows to pull a plough. As I understand this, we are the one side of the yoke and Jesus puts himself into the other side to guide lead and direct us. This belief may be incorrect. It is for now how I see this only. With Jesus next to us in this yoke that is His, we are guided and directed by His presence beside us. His yoke is easy and light. He is not equal to us. We are not equal to Him. He interceeds for us by coming up next to us and putting His yoke upon us. Unbelievers are not yoked to Christ at all! The yoke they are under are as is presented via Gary in Gods word ....(Isa 58:6)  Is this not the fast I have chosen: to open bands of wickedness, to undo thongs of the yoke, and to send out the oppressed ones free; even that you pull off every yoke?

I like what Gary brings forward for us to contemplate regarding the yoke of Christ....

His yoke, His sabbath, His rest. 


(Heb 4:1)  Therefore, let us fear lest perhaps a promise having been left to enter into His rest, that any of you may seem to come short.

(Heb 4:2)  For, indeed, we have had the gospel preached to us, even as they also; but the Word did not profit those hearing it, not having been mixed with faith in the ones who heard.

(Heb 4:3)  For we, the ones believing, enter into the rest, even as He said, "As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest," though the works had come into being from the foundation of the world. LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11

(Heb 4:4)  For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day this way, "And God rested from all His works in the seventh day." Gen. 2:2

(Heb 4:5)  And in this again, "They shall not enter into My rest." MT-Psalm 95:11

(Heb 4:6)  Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly had the gospel preached did not enter in on account of disobedience,

(Heb 4:7)  He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today (after so long a time, according as He has said), "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." MT-Psalm 95:7, 8

(Heb 4:  For if Joshua gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day.

(Heb 4:9)  So, then, there remains a sabbath rest to the people of God.

(Heb 4:10)  For he entering into His rest, he himself also rested from his works, as God had rested from His own. LXX-Psa. 95:11; Gen. 2:2

(Heb 4:11)  Therefore, let us exert ourselves to enter into that rest, that not anyone fall in the same example of disobedience.



Is it the yoke of Christ that connects us believers all together with He as our head and we as His body?

Peace to you all

Arcturus.... :)

P S.... I love when these kind of things happen because they show me my family :D
« Last Edit: November 12, 2006, 05:16:18 PM by Arcturus »
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Deborah-Leigh

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #37 on: November 13, 2006, 01:40:54 AM »

Hi Beloved

I appreciate the effort.......I too spend much time pondering, contemplating and I agree, it can be trecherous to write and convey what we mean through written communication :D...I believe that is our opportunity however to hone our sight and understanding to be more concise and focused ......as difficult as it is :D

I too am not arguing or debating or trying to convince. I only give what I see and share as I see it.

I have no problem with what you have communicated and agree fully with how you see things. All I was expressing and sharing was the view that the believer too, is unequally yoked with Christ with the accent on Christ being perfect and the believer being called to perfection. "Be thou Holy as I am holy.".....is a call not a conclusion yet....I know we could find scriptures to say the opposite here. I listed several in another post....eg you are the light....you are a holy priesthood etc....

As I was exsperiencing the thoughts throughthis thread I began to see that the end result is not yet for me. I have not completed the race set before me.  So being holy as God is Holy.... is the race we run.....the prize we reach towards don't you think? To be as Christ, in his image who is our prize.

 My perspective in this thread  was to offer how I see it from what Christ is and not from where the believer is. In this, I prepose that the believer too is unequally yoked because we can not have equallity with Christ and neither should equality be something we grasp at.

I am not arguing at all here. I am not in any disagreement at all. I am in a different perspective comingfrom a different angle that is not in contradiction with the Scriptures....and I agree, the scriptures you present do show very clearly what the believer is. From where I stand they show even more clearly our inequality with the living Christ and this is not a bad thing for me. It inspires hope and gratitude that He gives us His yoke that is easy and light.

The will of God for me is...Be Holy.....am I holy?....I am on my way....not there yet.... Is Christ in me Holy. Yes. Therein the inequality. Is this unbelief? ???...I will have to think....pray....ask....search some more :-\

Peace to you

Arcturus
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andrevan

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #38 on: November 16, 2006, 05:26:00 AM »

THank you All for your thoughtful replies.

To answer the person here who said they have articles that disprove evolution etc.....please post them here if you don't mind.

PERsonally, I do not have a problem with evolution.  WE do NOt know how God Created the world do we?  Science and everything that gets discovered Should lead us closer to the "Mind of God".  My problem with science as is stands today is how people try to use it to "disprove" God....that is certainly something that cannot be done anyway, but they try!  That's my problem with evolutionists who try to say we popped up spontaneously from slime....I have no problem if we did occur that way, it's just that they try to say that it "just happened" and had nothing to do with a "Creator".  And then I think "so where did the atoms and minerals and etc....come from that the first life was supposedly formed from" and They say "The Big Bang" and I say "What Made the Big Bang Occur" and They say "nobody knows for certain' and I say "God" and they say "So who created God" !!!!

Hi Michele

A belief that God used evolution to create life, is called theistic evolution (theist=belief in a god, a god). I do not recommend this approach in uniting the Creator Jesus to the story of evolution (everything made itself), as it has many contradictions, and is a compromise that isn’t necessary, because evolution (of all life from an primordial cell) has not occurred.

Some problems:
If we came from an ape like ancestor, what happens with “Let us be making man in our image”, at what point did we move from an animal to human? God said Adam was made from the dust of the ground, Eve was made from Adam's side.

Jesus said (speaking of marriage): “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female’”, Mark 10:6

“That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.” Luke 11:50-51. Adel was a son of Adam and Eve, his blood was shed at the foundation of the world (at the beginning). If humans arrived billions of years after the beginning (formation) of the world, what is Jesus talking about?

These are just a few issues, as you can imagine we’ll eventually run into theological problems, like the reasoning of Apostle Paul, with “as in Adam all die so in Christ…”, etc, etc.

We know how God created (through Jesus), it is recorded in Genesis 1, “And God SAID”. Every creature was created to reproduce after itself. This is contradicted by evolution that states everything diverged from an ancestral cell (one creature lead to another). Which one does empirical biology confirm? Well God’s creation of course  :), creatures do only reproduce after themselves, even in bacteria that reproduce extremely quickly while undergoing huge amount of mutations. The bacteria always remains bacteria.

The reason why many Christians have a problem with the earth being “billions” of years old is that evolution requires MASSIVE amounts of deep time, because everything is supposed to happen by random chance and time. Destroy the deep time (billions of yrs) model, and you destroy the evolutionary hypothesis once and for all. This is the reason some scientists (on a shoe string budget) who are Christians are researching the various flaws in the earth dating methods, with promising results so far.

Science uses empirical evidence, evolution relies on circumstantial evidence, interpretation & philosophy. For example like the fossil record, sedimentary layers and paleontology. Evolution is not science, it is a BELIEF in our origins. This same circumstantial evidence is just as equally used to support God’s creation. For example, evolutionists claim the sedimentary layers were laid down over billions of years, while those believing in creation claim that most of those layers were laid down during the global flood of Noah’s day. All scientists know that sedimentary layers are formed by a water/chemical process. How we interpret this circumstantial evidence depends on our pre-beliefs (presuppositions) in our historical past. The same goes with fossils: one group claims they were formed over billions of years as creatures died and were buried, the other group claims that the creatures were buried rapidly (fossilized) in sediment during the global flood in Genesis.

As I touched on previously in this thread, no one has been able to create life from dead matter. All that was made were a few amino acids that were eventually destroyed anyway… whoops! No life there.
No one has been able to show a simple life form evolving into something higher and more complex by random mutations or any other method, the case with bacteria is a good example. What did the bacteria evolve into? Nothing, they remained bacteria… whoops again! When you hear of viruses evolving resistance to something this is nothing but smoke and mirrors, the bacteria actually adapted, but remained bacteria… always. The bacteria that did not have the genes to fight the invader eventually died out, therefore a loss of genetic code, the OPPOSITE of what evolution requires.

Sorry if this is too long, but I feel this is important in getting a basic understanding of this subject. After all God uses the “foolishness of preaching/teaching” to call the many.

“I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign--
preach the word; be earnest in season, out of season, convict, rebuke, exhort, in all long-suffering and teaching,
for there shall be a season when the sound teaching they will not suffer, but according to their own desires to themselves they shall heap up teachers--itching in the hearing,
and indeed, from the truth the hearing they shall turn away, and to the fables they shall be turned aside”. Timothy 4:1-4. This also goes for those who would prefer to hear that there is no God.

Quote
I dont know if i want to spend my life debating with people who are Looking for reasons not to believe, because God hasn't called them yet?  Seems like a time/life waster doesn't it?  But if God wants me to gather as much "evidence" of Him as possible to help others on their way to Him..then I want to do that. 
The problem is most of the time I don't know what exactly to do.

We’ve all received different gifts from God; the Apostle Paul debated with the Jews in their synagogues and baffled them by his reasoning and debate. Not all of us have this gift of debating, but with a few key truths you can at least stand your ground if ever confronted.

“And all those hearing were amazed, and said, `Is not this he who laid waist in Jerusalem those calling on this name, and hither to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?'
And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.” Acts 9:21-22

“And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem,
and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, he was both speaking and disputing [debating] with the Hellenists, and they were taking in hand to kill him,” Acts 9:28-29

God be with you and bless you as you pursue the truth.
Andrevan.

Origin of Life (the first living cell):
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3028/
 
Natural Selection:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3035/
 
Speciation:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3036/
 
Mutations:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3026/
 
Genetics:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3005/
 
Information Theory:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3012/
 
Fossils:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3001
 
Other Topics:
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/21/65/
 
Another excellent website is the Institute for Creation Research:
http://www.icr.org
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Michele

  • Guest
Re: Unequally yolked
« Reply #39 on: November 17, 2006, 03:52:28 AM »

 Thanks I'll check out the links.  I don't think anything that has to do with "creationism" will have any effect whatsoever on persons who are already adverse to the whole idea of God.  Or otherwise known as non-believers.....which they are because God hasn't "dragged" them to him yet, Yes? 

I am Still trying so very hard to let go of  the thoughts that was pounded into me as a child about having to "save" others from hellfire. It's hard to stop the fear.

One side of my family that I married into is nearly all athiest and the other side of my blood family is traditional fundamental christian.  One side believes that God/Bible and everything associated with it is a myth, the christian side believes that everyone but the few who "believe through faith" are going to burn in "hell" for eternity.

And in the midst of this all i have a daughter to raise.

I feel very scared and alone a lot.  I'm trying very hard to wrap God's truth around me but it's hard letting go of the fear even though I want to with all my heart.

I thought if I keep researching and "gathering" information that I'll have some good info for my child as she grows up and I can say I truly did everything that I could to help her on her way to God.

I keep telling myself that it's God that does the choosing and if he doesn't call you and you are Not a believer then that is what God meant to happen and it's all under control.  Thje christian side thinks everyone is doomed and that all of revelations is literal and that hell is a place of torture for eternity and everyone can Choose to be saved and if you do not Choose to be saved in this lifetime that youre doomed to eternal damnation in "fire" and you deserve it because you didn't Choose to have Faith and believe in God/Jesus.

I thought all this time that I was looking for THE Correct answers for all of my loved ones, but maybe I'm here as much for myself, to help drive out all of the Lies, or what I believe are the False teachings I"ve had drummed into my head that have caused me so much anguish...and still are yet.

In the meantime, what do you do with this type of thing?
 http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/lnx.html


I'm wanting to the information clear back to the earliest versions/most accurate versions of the bible translations.  I want to have the book that you use to translate the old words into english.  I want to see with my own eyes where the translators mistranslated the word sheol into a word that most "christians" have been taught means "hellfire"but really means death/grave.  After that I want to try to tackle all the other things that I have no idea how to deal with now (Please see the above link).
I cannot answer all of those questions.  How can you even answer the basic question of your own faith?  Can't.  You are going towards God because he's dragging you to him...that's not an answer that stands up well with non-believers who obviously have not been called...yet.

I'm still struggling up the mountain.  I feel inadequate to the task but feel i must try in order to keep my own sanity.


Can I make a blatant statement and see what you think.  After 30 something years of being told Otherwise, I'd like to see if a basic statement that I woke up thinking the other morning is full of God's truth and accurate:

God is dragging to him those who he wants to know him.  We did Not have anything to do with this. We did not choose him he chose us then we felt the need to come to search for Him?  Most of the people in this world are Not chosen and do not know him.  God meant for there to be Believers and NON believers.  Why? I cannot answer that one..to teach us all some lesson?  To show how merciful he is at the judgement to the non-believers?  Anyway, being a NON believer is Not the athiests or non-christians fault because this is part of God's plan.  If your spouse, friend, or child is a non-believer, despite you doing your best to show them what you know of God, then that's the way God wants it to be, for now, and you do Not have to worry about their eternal fate because God will fix it for everyone.

Is that accurate?

I have a list of 64 questions that non-believers ask "Christians".  I cannot answer them and I don't know if anyone has ever tried.  The non-believers seem to use them to poke fun at believers, or perhaps they are perfectly legitimate questions.  Can Anyone here answer them?  If someone could help answer them we could post them here for those searching for answers.

What about Richard Dawkins and all those like him who has a new book out about (God being bogus)? Non believers love that stuff.
While we cannot deny anything that is scientific "proof" about Creation, and why would we,  it's the way they catagorically state that God is a myth, an old creation myth that always gets my goat.   Despite every doubt I've ever had I've never been able to figure out how alll the athiestic scientists (definately not all are) say that everything could happen without a creator.  They can make these fantastical leaps to how the Big bang started it all and on and on...but where did matter come from? Atoms, protons, neutrons?  All the basic elements.  ANything physical that exists, how did it come to be? People are always on about "Nature" is wonderful, power of Nature.  Well, where does Nature and the Universe get it's power from?  IT's God.  That's what I think.  And then they always say Well then miss smarty pants, where did GOD come from?  ANd that's the  end of that discussion because "God was always here" just don't cut it in the nonbelieving human mind.  It's funny or sad to me how the nonbelieving scientists are so confidant about God not existing cause "nature just happened to develop by chance all on it's own", yet despite all the technology we have today and all the knowledge about the human genome etc....man has never ever been able to create life from non-life.  What about that?

Should we spend out lives only in pursuit of getting closer to God?  Or how much time do you spend on trying to show others?
I"ve been told to be humble and only try to answer when someone asks something, otherwise just keep on keeping on for yourself.  And then you have this:
I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign--
preach the word; be earnest in season, out of season, convict, rebuke, exhort, in all long-suffering and teaching,
for there shall be a season when the sound teaching they will not suffer, but according to their own desires to themselves they shall heap up teachers--itching in the hearing,
and indeed, from the truth the hearing they shall turn away, and to the fables they shall be turned aside”. Timothy 4:1-4. This also goes for those who would prefer to hear that there is no God.

I am Not knowledgeable enough about the Bible to tell anyone anything other than what I'm learning, except in my case nobody asks me because they think what I'm learning here is bologna, both sides of my family think that. 

It all leaves me feeling extremely overwhelmed and completely uncertain what to do next.
I truly need a life plan, and a life plan that will help me live in as much peace and harmony as is possible being married to a nonbeliver, having a fundamental christian family on the other side, and worrying about my child all at the same time.

Can I just keep studying about the Truth of God and let everything else go?  Can I find it inside my skeptical, fearsome self to just let God have it all and stop worrying? I"m terrified of doing or saying the wrong things.

HOW do you keep others from hurting you on this journey when you believe something so different to what they think?
How do you go on when you feel so alone and persecuted...even silent persecution hurts terribly.
What do you do when you tell your child one thing and your spouse another..how's it going to know what to follow and if they don't follow what you think is True, how do you stop liiving in fear?

Thanks for your help.

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