My belief

[chester-blowfold]

My belief is personal to me as it is to all.

Do I believe in God? Damn yes I do.
Do I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord? Damn right I've no idea. I've looked into it for years and tbh you can find as much evidence he didn't exist as nothing more than a special man as you can that he was son of God.
Part of me would definitely love to believe that there was this man, a great man, greater than any other man as he wasn't sinful and was the son of God (aren't we all son/daughters of God). But I have so much doubt.

It's an interesting thing religion.
Those that really believe can't quiet understand why others don't believe and vice versa for those that don't believe.
Sort of leaves those that are in the middle (me and countless others) in a pickle. Which way do we swing?
well I'll be honest I was brought up a catholic but haven't been to church bar funerals and weddings  for years (35ish).
I've always believed in God though, talk to God everyday and can assure you when anything goes wrong in my life God does get some crap off me.....it's always Gods fault you know?

I've made it to 50 and tbh I've been hooked on hell and damnation all 45 years of it. Weird that you can have such a fixation for so long on something so evil that surely it can't be true? But then plenty of very (far more than I'll ever be) intelligent people are out there telling you it is........ sorry I've had a drink and I'm peeved as well as slightly pissed......I ask God for help all the time amd boy he doesn't answer.

[darryl]

does He answer in an audible voice to any of us ?..i know have felt His love in the midst of prayer...nobody says faith is easy...think of a little African child going blind with worms infecting her eyes and still say there's a loving God ?...well, I must because the alternative is dispair...Jesus suffers along with that little African child..or that little Syrian girl with her leg blown off....they will have eternal life....if not, if theres nothing..life is an empty hideous travesty

[darryl]

My belief is personal to me as it is to all.



It's an interesting thing religion.
Those that really believe can't quiet understand why others don't believe and vice versa for those that don't believe.

i CAN understand why some don't believe in a loving God..there's so much horror in the world...nature itself can be hideously cruel n brutal..plus, u have the church telling folks there's an eternal hell, on top of all this other horror...of course there's much good in the world too...it pretty much only makes sense to me if Jesus SAVES ALL...as He's said He will do....just have to trust Jesus at His word.

[jabcat]

just have to trust Jesus at His word.

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

[darryl]

just have to trust Jesus at His word.

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

yes..and all will enter through Jesus, in the end...that is our Blessed Hope.

[rosered]

The glory of God is in the earth and so are His judgments   they are corrective and  fair as a good parent would be   in the Spirit as the flesh weakens  from the elements , That we submit to His care .

in the midst of troubles and suffering we are to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved .

  Your physical life can be  horrid , but your Light shining is a great attitude  , with love and praise for God  despite   your suffering and personal pain ,  the mental state   of being content is everything

  I have a  precious nephew    whom has been battling   bone  cancer since  he was 15 years old .  he  has lost his leg and  tumors in his spine and lungs and liver now at 19  He is  such a light and glory to God , never wavering  , always a positive attitude and    still praises God for everything   , makes   everyone whom knows him love him  more and more .
To be able to glorify God in the face of such adversity    is  amazing grace   to me ...

and ask Him , so many do not realize that suffering and confusion make a soul bitter without Him or so much better with Him in your life ,cling to Him ask Him , let Jesus show you .  wait in  quiet   content he will answer  , without murmuring and complaint , focus on His goodness , it is there if you can just see it .

when you ask Him , you begin your narrow path that leads to Life and His peace , it seems the broad path is where everyone runs to destruction and ruin , too many voices .
Today if you hear His Voice !   and not harden and become bitter , you will get better   and be healed   from sin sickness  ,  you can rest in HIS  PEACE   now  and the good works will glorify God in the earth as it is in heaven   .

  God bless   

[darryl]

  I have a  precious nephew    whom has been battling   bone  cancer since  he was 15 years old .  he  has lost his leg and  tumors in his spine and lungs and liver now at 19  He is  such a light and glory to God , never wavering  , always a positive attitude and    still praises God for everything   , makes   everyone whom knows him love him  more and more .
To be able to glorify God in the face of such adversity    is  amazing grace   to me ...

yes !...that is amazing...what a wonderful inspiration and witness your nephew is !  :dsunny:

[Dandelion]

In my mind, Jesus is the only answer to the fall of Adam and Eve.

The only one who could be the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit. Yet, the only one who could represent mankind, born in a manger to a young mother, in Bethlehem.

Foretold by the prophets over and over again in the Old Testament.

Who else could have been chosen to be our Savior?

Isaiah 53:

1Who has believed our message?
            And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
      2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
            And like a root out of parched ground;
            He has no stately form or majesty
            That we should look upon Him,
            Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

      3He was despised and forsaken of men,
            A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
            And like one from whom men hide their face
            He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

      4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
            And our sorrows He carried;
            Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
            Smitten of God, and afflicted.

      5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
            He was crushed for our iniquities;
            The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
            And by His scourging we are healed.

      6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
            Each of us has turned to his own way;
            But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
            To fall on Him.

      7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
            Yet He did not open His mouth;
            Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
            And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
            So He did not open His mouth.

      8By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
            And as for His generation, who considered
            That He was cut off out of the land of the living
            For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

      9His grave was assigned with wicked men,
            Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
            Because He had done no violence,
            Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

      10But the LORD was pleased
            To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
            If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
            He will see His offspring,
            He will prolong His days,
            And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

      11As a result of the anguish of His soul,
            He will see it and be satisfied;
            By His knowledge the Righteous One,
            My Servant, will justify the many,
            As He will bear their iniquities.

      12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
            And He will divide the booty with the strong;
            Because He poured out Himself to death,
            And was numbered with the transgressors;
            Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
            And interceded for the transgressors.

And, He taught us how to live, and how to die, not merely a physical death, but, more importantly, our death to ourselves.

I believe, as did C.S. Lewis, the great theologian:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

D.

[darryl]

In my mind, Jesus is the only answer to the fall of Adam and Eve.

The only one who could be the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit. Yet, the only one who could represent mankind, born in a manger to a young mother, in Bethlehem.

Foretold by the prophets over and over again in the Old Testament.

Who else could have been chosen to be our Savior?

Isaiah 53:

1Who has believed our message?
            And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
      2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
            And like a root out of parched ground;
            He has no stately form or majesty
            That we should look upon Him,
            Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

      3He was despised and forsaken of men,
            A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
            And like one from whom men hide their face
            He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

      4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
            And our sorrows He carried;
            Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
            Smitten of God, and afflicted.

      5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
            He was crushed for our iniquities;
            The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
            And by His scourging we are healed.

      6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
            Each of us has turned to his own way;
            But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
            To fall on Him.

      7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
            Yet He did not open His mouth;
            Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
            And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
            So He did not open His mouth.

      8By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
            And as for His generation, who considered
            That He was cut off out of the land of the living
            For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

      9His grave was assigned with wicked men,
            Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
            Because He had done no violence,
            Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

      10But the LORD was pleased
            To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
            If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
            He will see His offspring,
            He will prolong His days,
            And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

      11As a result of the anguish of His soul,
            He will see it and be satisfied;
            By His knowledge the Righteous One,
            My Servant, will justify the many,
            As He will bear their iniquities.

      12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
            And He will divide the booty with the strong;
            Because He poured out Himself to death,
            And was numbered with the transgressors;
            Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
            And interceded for the transgressors.

And, He taught us how to live, and how to die, not merely a physical death, but, more importantly, our death to ourselves.

I believe, as did C.S. Lewis, the great theologian:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

D.

:thumbsup:  :dsunny: :banana: :dsunny:

[rosered]

  I have a  precious nephew    whom has been battling   bone  cancer since  he was 15 years old .  he  has lost his leg and  tumors in his spine and lungs and liver now at 19  He is  such a light and glory to God , never wavering  , always a positive attitude and    still praises God for everything   , makes   everyone whom knows him love him  more and more .
To be able to glorify God in the face of such adversity    is  amazing grace   to me ...

yes !...that is amazing...what a wonderful inspiration and witness your nephew is !  :dsunny:

  Blessings Bro ! God is good  :HeartThrob:


AMEN  DANDELION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dsunny:     :thumbsup: :HeartThrob:

And, He taught us how to live, and how to die, not merely a physical death, but, more importantly, our death to ourselves.

I believe, as did C.S. Lewis, the great theologian:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

D.

  HE IS THE WORD OF GOD MADE FLESH AND BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD    ONE and the SAME,''  POWERFUL  TRUTH ''!!EVERYTHING
That will will succumb [fail to resist  ] too   in the end ....

[marie glen]

I know there has to be some really good replies in this thread. And I'll likely repeat some of what's already been said.. but I just had to stop and put out my two cents worth as well.

I often wonder how things may have been different if I'd been brought up and taught to believe as a child. But I wasn't, not really.. maybe a tiny bit, but it was more implied than spelled out. I never knew who Jesus was. And came of age in the 70's when acceptable and unacceptable were all being questioned.. I had no idea the Bible was God's Word, as I do now.

I didn't meet God, or Jesus, in church. I met God in the mountains, and a little later Jesus via a bible tract called "God's Great Plan of Salvation" someone had left laying around in the Post Office. I really do think i experienced (witnessed?) a couple of (very) minor miracles involved in my conversion.

Like you, at the time I had come to believe there is God.. [A lot of evidence of design all around us, and also in natural law.] I was studying up on world religions and was practicing 'meditation' at the time.. But I still had no idea who Yahweh was, nor Jesus. More of an idea of God.. and (the) Great Spirit.. Higher Power, as He is sometimes referred to..

But by His grace, i've been studying the Bible for many years.. and prayerfully pondering (asking Him questions).. the bible being such an awesome book.. written by a number of authors over the course of at least a couple of thousand years.. yet all tied together by prophecies of Jesus, life of Jesus, and prophecies in Old and New testaments of Jesus' long second advent.. and the church age as we await Him.. then the falling away due to the false prophet/teaching/Darwin.. the world shaping up into a global empire which can only crash (and be "fallen! fallen!", along with the gathering sentiment against Israel toward an armageddon around her.. all as prophesied..)

But what MOST convinces me of Jesus and all the truth of God's Word is their (quiet) Presence.. Knowing them. I strongly believe most folks who believe, believe because of an experience or experiences they've had with the Lord.

Since you are 'yearning'.. looking for, seeking Him.. I believe He is calling.. yearning for.. seeking you.. Are you able to experience/meet with Him? ..Remember the man who said to Jesus "Lord I believe! Help my unbelief!"
:Peace2: :HeartThrob:

[marie glen]

  I have a  precious nephew    whom has been battling   bone  cancer since  he was 15 years old .  he  has lost his leg and  tumors in his spine and lungs and liver now at 19  He is  such a light and glory to God , never wavering  , always a positive attitude and    still praises God for everything   , makes   everyone whom knows him love him  more and more .
To be able to glorify God in the face of such adversity    is  amazing grace   to me ...

yes !...that is amazing...what a wonderful inspiration and witness your nephew is !  :dsunny:

  Blessings Bro ! God is good  :HeartThrob:

You're very right Rose.. The Lord's Presence is with your nephew giving him peace and even joy.. and making him "such a light and glory to God" ...bless you both Rose! :Pray: :HeartThrob:


And Amen, Dandelion!! the great verses you posted!!!

[rosered]

  I have a  precious nephew    whom has been battling   bone  cancer since  he was 15 years old .  he  has lost his leg and  tumors in his spine and lungs and liver now at 19  He is  such a light and glory to God , never wavering  , always a positive attitude and    still praises God for everything   , makes   everyone whom knows him love him  more and more .
To be able to glorify God in the face of such adversity    is  amazing grace   to me ...

yes !...that is amazing...what a wonderful inspiration and witness your nephew is !  :dsunny:

  Blessings Bro ! God is good  :HeartThrob:

You're very right Rose.. The Lord's Presence is with your nephew giving him peace and even joy.. and making him "such a light and glory to God" ...bless you both Rose! :Pray: :HeartThrob:


And Amen, Dandelion!! the great verses you posted!!!

   Thanks sis ,   AMEN !!    God bless you   ,       love you   and all  here   :HeartThrob:

[eaglesway]

My belief is personal to me as it is to all.

Do I believe in God? Damn yes I do.
Do I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord? Damn right I've no idea. I've looked into it for years and tbh you can find as much evidence he didn't exist as nothing more than a special man as you can that he was son of God.
Part of me would definitely love to believe that there was this man, a great man, greater than any other man as he wasn't sinful and was the son of God (aren't we all son/daughters of God). But I have so much doubt.

It's an interesting thing religion.
Those that really believe can't quiet understand why others don't believe and vice versa for those that don't believe.
Sort of leaves those that are in the middle (me and countless others) in a pickle. Which way do we swing?
well I'll be honest I was brought up a catholic but haven't been to church bar funerals and weddings  for years (35ish).
I've always believed in God though, talk to God everyday and can assure you when anything goes wrong in my life God does get some crap off me.....it's always Gods fault you know?

I've made it to 50 and tbh I've been hooked on hell and damnation all 45 years of it. Weird that you can have such a fixation for so long on something so evil that surely it can't be true? But then plenty of very (far more than I'll ever be) intelligent people are out there telling you it is........ sorry I've had a drink and I'm peeved as well as slightly pissed......I ask God for help all the time amd boy he doesn't answer.

Well, it may seem like He doesnt answer sometimes, but yet...... here you are, learning new things maybe.... sharing your heart with people you dont kno.... :o) Certainly being prayed for by people who care(because I kno the folks on this forum pray, from past experience having reaped the benefit of that myself).

So maybe God loves you even when you are peeved and pissed, and is answering in more ways than you presently see ;o)

[Dandelion]

My belief is personal to me as it is to all.

Do I believe in God? Damn yes I do.
Do I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord? Damn right I've no idea. I've looked into it for years and tbh you can find as much evidence he didn't exist as nothing more than a special man as you can that he was son of God.
Part of me would definitely love to believe that there was this man, a great man, greater than any other man as he wasn't sinful and was the son of God (aren't we all son/daughters of God). But I have so much doubt.

It's an interesting thing religion.
Those that really believe can't quiet understand why others don't believe and vice versa for those that don't believe.
Sort of leaves those that are in the middle (me and countless others) in a pickle. Which way do we swing?
well I'll be honest I was brought up a catholic but haven't been to church bar funerals and weddings  for years (35ish).
I've always believed in God though, talk to God everyday and can assure you when anything goes wrong in my life God does get some crap off me.....it's always Gods fault you know?

I've made it to 50 and tbh I've been hooked on hell and damnation all 45 years of it. Weird that you can have such a fixation for so long on something so evil that surely it can't be true? But then plenty of very (far more than I'll ever be) intelligent people are out there telling you it is........ sorry I've had a drink and I'm peeved as well as slightly pissed......I ask God for help all the time amd boy he doesn't answer.

Well, it may seem like He doesnt answer sometimes, but yet...... here you are, learning new things maybe.... sharing your heart with people you dont kno.... :o) Certainly being prayed for by people who care(because I kno the folks on this forum pray, from past experience having reaped the benefit of that myself).

So maybe God loves you even when you are peeved and pissed, and is answering in more ways than you presently see ;o)

That's a great point, EW.  I agree. I will keep you in my prayers, Chester. Be blessed to be a blessing!      :iagree:

D. 

[marie glen]

 :thumbsup: :dsunny: :cloud9:

[rosered]

Amen ,,,, Brothers and Sisters in Christ  :icon_flower:


    How do we put the carnal mind to death  as it is death    ? and what becomes yours ?  what   do you get to inherit.

For me , and sharing     what they are ,  these thoughts  are   always anger fueled and self serving  , the outer man is carnal and can never understand   the ways of God nor hears the Spirit speaking , you must be hearing , or you would not be here ,  many leave because they  are still empty inside   , impatient   , but  this empty inside is God planting the seed WORD OF GOD in your heart    and making room   for all things new    and living ways to come   working in you .

  Only by the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT BEING  the WORD OF GOD , and TRUTH    setting you free from the   carnal corruption,  being deaths hold  on our hearts   :HeartThrob:

JESUS CHRIST    TAKING  Our own thoughts CAPTIVE    and become obedient   to HIM /  GIVING LIFE AND PEACE  , This  must rise up out of death /worldly thinking . [body of death  under the law of  sin and death ]..

Focus on the things above    that are lovely and pure  , for sure holy  and above   the world   as the Body of Christ is rising up into LIFE and peace .

  Our joy is in the LORD only  and should be enough to keep the inner man  of the heart  content  with what working of the Holy Spirit is doing on your behalf and all called  out of the world  according to His own purpose .

     The one whom is forgiven much  sins  ,,,loves much more ,as some  understand  this  to mean .



http://biblehub.com/ylt/romans/8.htm