Just registered (again)

[jhys06567]

Hi everyone, my name`s Jeff and I live in the UK. I`ve been a christian for about 30 years and have been lurkingin the tentmaker site for about 10 years. I have posted very occasionally.
I used to believe in endless punishment but do so no more. My faith has always been pretty nominal and I have strayed away from God many times but now I want to come back to him.  One problem I`ve always had (apart from ET which is not often preached here in England) is this talk of a "personal relationship with Jesus". I dont think I`ve ever had this...in fact I dont really understand what it means". One elderly baptist minister once said in a sermon that he had only ever been spoken to by god once or twice in his life. Am I missing something here? Some of the folk in our church seem to go into raptures during the worship songs but they leave me cold.
Thanks for all the hard work put in here at tentmaker. Universalist sites come and go and I read some of the stuff on other sites with some skepticism but you people seem to have got it right.
God bless you.
Jeff H

[SeekerSA]

Hi Jeff

:welcome: back to Tentmaker.

Ever wondered you have a relationship deeper than the folk in your church who seem to go into raptures?

IMO relationship is found in introspection and not focusing on the outward.  You are the temple so maybe you need not look futher than your own heart to find what you looking for.  Seems you have been around the block a few times.

Blessings

[arcticmonster2003]

Hello there.

[Loveroftruth]

Welcome Jeff  :HeartThrob:

Please make yourself comfortable and join in. You will find this is a safe and free place to speak those things that you have brewing up inside  :girlheart:

I believe God speaks to everyone, its that we aren't aware of it and miss it. We think its our own thoughts, yet once one is sensitive to it, you notice it more and more.

I think I am going to do a writing about it and post it  :icon_queen:

:welcome:

[hopeful]

I'm glad you signed up again, Jeff!  Welcome!   :dsunny:

[Dreamer]

Welcome Jeff.  :bigGrin:

I think I am going to do a writing about it and post it  :icon_queen:

:welcome:

I know I would love to read it!   :girlheart:

[jabcat]

Welcome Jeff...I'm really glad you are here...God's blessing, James.

[Pierac]

Welcome to the Tent Jeff  :thumbsup:

Paul

[adam]

Welcome Jeff,

You are missing something I guess, but we all missing something in one way or another.
My theory is that those people who sincerely pray to Christ but dont directly feel His prescence may well be among the most special.  He doesnt come too close to them as they dont need Him! But you never know when Jesus will decide the time is right to draw closer to you.

My own understanding of a personel relationship with Jesus is partly bound up in the sense of His prescence and love when I pray. And sometimes the sense of the Holy Spirit being with me in normal life.  Jesus has never talked to me in words though. 

Thats enough for now, will happilly talk more about this if youre interested.

[jhys06567]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!
It`s good to be able to share my concerns with you. I have never mentioned this aspect of my faith to anyone before as people always assure that I have "it".  I have prayed to God to reveal himself to me but as yet nothing has happened. I have become very skeptical about mystical experiences as I think we can manufacture these ourselves.
Something that I find very hard to understand is how people can love and worship a god who they believe will send the majority of humanity to endless misery whatever their sins may be. I am a teacher and can see the value of remedial punishment. However, if a kid swears at me or disobeys me I`m always ready to accept them back regardless of whether they apologise or not (forced apologies from children aren`t worth much anyway). Surely God must be better and kinder than me!
Jeff

[firstborn888]

Jeff, we all have different gifts and callings. The absolutes are: "ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you".

Your comments about 'experiences' made me think about the many people I interact with. Some of my comrades have expressed jealousy because of my mystical encounters. What they didn't see is when I was alone, hiding in the corner of my room, shaking from head to toe about some long forgotten childhood trauma, screaming in anguish. As they longed to be me, I longed to be them, I longed to be anyone who was halfway normal and able to function efficiently in society. 

I think the comment in a previous post on this thread about 'needing' Him spoke to levels of desperation. Before my conversion in '77 I had stopped speaking altogether (most say they can't IMAGINE that now :mshock:) and when that level of depression envelopes you it takes major supernatural power to break those chains and to prevent death, even physical death, from occurring.

So, I had an encounter with God and heard His voice. Still, I remained bitter for many many years about my lot in life - but I had the encounter. Something that neither neither life nor death, neither angels nor demons,
nor any powers, neither heigth nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can take away.

My point is that we all have our proper gift and set time.

Last night my precious 16 year old daughter expressed her disgust and tiredness related to worship services and trying to sense God's presence, so I asked her if she DID sense God's presence and she said not to the point that she could be positive that it was not just her emotions at work. So I asked her how she could be so enthusiastic and obviously on fire for God.

Her response touched me deeply. "Because of you Dad, because of what God did for you - I KNOW he's real, I believe He came into your room and sat down with you like you said - it's obvious that He did".

Now that's something worth being traumatized for, but getting there is not a path that anyone would purposely choose.

blessings,
  -Byron

[hopeful]

Now that's something worth being traumatized for, but getting there is not a path that anyone would purposely choose.

blessings,
  -Byron

I agree, Byron.   :HeartThrob:

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Welcome to the Tent!  :thumbsup: :bgdance: :girlheart: :dsunny: :hithere: :angel4: :love4: :welcome: :newb: :robinhood: :banana: :trampoline: :violin: :angelharp: