Hi Michele, your post reminds me in certain ways of how I was some years ago, I can understand where you're coming from. i'll try to answer most of your points raised, as i'm still learning myself, forgive me if I make some mistakes, my forum friends please correct me if i'm out of line
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?
Here's the thing: we do not know who or
when God is going to drag someone to Jesus Christ. We preach the message of reconciliation if prompted, and leave the rest to God's spirit to do His will in that person. Many atheists have been dragged to God through many different methods, this is the awesome thing I find about how God works. We should never underestimate what God can use, whether it's "creationism", preaching, TBN, Bible tracts or whatever. I used to be a "Sunday" Christian [unconverted/apathetic] for many years, because I used to believe in alien life and parts of evolution, until God placed a few people in my path. He completely destroyed the idols of my heart, I came out of confusion and intense fustration and into the Truth, but it took years.
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.
Remember that all of us here on the forum are with you every step of the way in spirit and in pray, so stand firm in the Truth, God is working out His plan and intention, we have nothing to fear.
In the meantime, what do you do with this type of thing?
http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/lnx.html
I wouldn't worry about this site, there are many theories & opinions out there in the world, however they count for nothing, as God's will is always done. If you have a gift for debunking that which stands against Jesus Christ, God will have put the will in you to do it.
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).
My own advise to you would be to rest in God's plan, His will. We know that we can do nothing of ourselves, but it is God who inspires us by circumstances to do things. Come to a place of peace with your new found truths, when hell is no longer an issue, then take it from there one step at a time.
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.
Remember that God uses various methods to drag us to Him. Those God calls have in them a true desire for the truth, when they find the truth they accept it, they are the called. We know that Jesus IS the truth, there can only be one truth. Those who don't want the truth will look for things their "itching ears" want to hear, they are not the called, simple.
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?
Close enough for me. Ray's conference in Mobile covers almost all of your questions. The audio files of the conference can be found under the announcements category, if you have not already listened to them may I recommend you do, as it helped my wife and I a great deal. I've listened to the conference about 5 times now and every time more and more parts of the false doctrines of Christendom disappear.
i admire your perseverance, you can ony give it your best shot [even that's from God
], after this you can do no more, God's perfect will prevails, we leave it in His capable hands.
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.
Of course they love that stuff, Dawkins [and others] gives them what their
itching ears want to hear! God however is in control not Dawkins or anyone else. I feel God is even using Dawkins [as well as others] to "sift" people.
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?
Many atheists are really not interested in the truth [they just pretend to be], if they were they would have rejected evolution long ago and become one of the called. In reality they care not for the truth [God has not given them the desire YET], again "itching ears". Evoluton
justifies their atheism. They will only let it go if/when God calles them.
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.
If God wants to use you to call someone to Jesus by preaching/teaching, He will bring the situation about. Not all of us are designated preachers or teachers, but we have this,
"
Yet if you may be suffering also because of righteousness, happy are you. Now you may not be afraid with their fear, nor yet be disturbed, yet hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts, ever ready with a defense [answer] for everyone who is demanding from you an account concerning the expectation in you, but with meekness and fear," 1 Peter 3:14-15
If a person rejects your reason for the hope that's in you, well that's their problem, not yours
God isn't calling them at that time. Just let them be, God will save them in the end because He loves every single one of us. None will be lost.
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.
"James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion.
Rejoice!"
All joy deem it, my brethren,
whenever you should be falling into various trials,
knowing that the
testing of your faith is
producing endurance.
Now let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and unimpaired, lacking in nothing."
Now
if anyone of you is lacking wisdom,
let him be requesting it from God, Who is giving to all generously and is not reproaching, and it shall be given to him."
James 1:1-5
and
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His vast mercy, regenerates us into
a living expectation, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead,
for the
enjoyment of an allotment incorruptible and undefiled and unfading,
kept in the heavens for you,
who are
garrisoned by the power of God, through faith, for salvation ready to be revealed in the last era,
in which you are exulting;
briefly at present, if it must be,
being sorrowed by various trials,
that the
testing of your faith, much more precious than gold which is perishing, yet,
being tested by fire, may
be found for applause and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ"
1 Peter 1:3-7
God bless you,
Andrevan.