Why is it so hard to beileve in Jesus Christ?????????

Countryangel707 said:

How do I quit making it about personal gain? I have been praying that God would humble me.

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You have to want God more than you want heaven. He is the source of everything you want, so it's a matter of changing your mindset and in that, changing your heart.

Let me see if this helps you understand. 1. you need to be willing, which sounds like you are.
2. discover who He is through study, prayer, etc.

Some of the many things HE is...light, life, salvation, Love, peace, joy, treasure, strength, guidance, teacher, advocate, intercessor, refuge, comfort, righteousness, power, faithfulness....He is everything you are seeking, you are just seeking it for the wrong reason. Change your vision, your understanding. For example, you are seeking heaven, but scripture tells us that heaven is about our being in His presence because He is light, He is Life. So instead of looking to heaven for the peace and joy and light and life, look to God and in that, allow Him to remove the scales from your eyes. He is in the healing business, let Him heal you. Change your perspective.

Every time you think of heaven or hell, take that thought captive and turn it into a thought of the purity of Christ. When you feel doubts, ask God to remove the scales from your eyes so that you can see HIm. Right now, your vision is that of the flesh, you need to change that vision to that of the spirit. Like cleaning your dirty windows so that you can see better.

Another way to say the same thing....from the moment you are born, you are taught to see your world through the 5 senses of the flesh. But God is not flesh and blood, rather He is spirit. As such, it is your spirit that perceives Him. You have to teach yourself through study of the word and prayer, to see God with the eyes of the spirit rather than the eyes of the flesh. It takes practice, but your biggest help is the God HImself. Ask Him to change your vision, to open your eyes to see Him.

May you receive your sight, may the Lord of Hosts reveal Himself to you as He promises to all who seek HIm.

Countryangel707 said:

because it is the only way to Heaven. He came to earth so that He could free sinners.

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It is very valuable understanding too when you consider that He freed us to worship properly (in spirit rather than appearance, and truth rather than vanity). For an idea of the contrasting superficial, showy, untrue way the religious leaders had instituted, have a good look at various translations of the few verses around Mark 7:8. We also see the corrupt robbery of the institution of God's covenant with Israel when it is evidenced that twice He cleared the temple of 'thieves', who extorted on account of faithful people's genuine need of forgiveness and the belief that only the most perfect sacrifice will do. This is why now, having just one mediator between God and man and no further need for blood sacrifice, we are totally free to worship in spirit and in truth in His name, and to be vindicated from the accusations of religious legalists on the basis of the confidence we receive when we allow Him to be our Lord and King. It is because we know that we actively repent every time He teaches us of our sin, that we have confidence knowing that no man can accuse us because we are assured by God that we are living holy, blameless lives.

This is the meaning behind the following statements:

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus said that He had chosen to lay down His life on behalf of His friends. We are considered His friends if we serve Him. He said that He does not call His disciples slaves, because a master does not confide in slaves. So He calls us friends. He also says that if we love Him we will keep His commandments and feed His sheep.

Further evidence that Jesus' ransom sacrifice was to free us from obligation to corrupt religious leaders is found in Matthew 21:33-45 especially 43:

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Do you remember that Jesus said a thief comes to steal, kill and destroy? Do you remember that He said anyone entering the sheepfold not by the gate must be a thief or a robber? This describes what naturally happens in earthly institutions where mankind has among it the tares that were sown by the enemy, the ones who accept bribery, despise righteousness and justice, are swift to shed blood. Prophecies state that one day the world will be redeemed from these corruptions, we will look to where they were (governments, schools, churches, courts, corporations etc) and we will not be able to find them. This is the meaning in The Lord's prayer: let your kingdom come so that your will shall be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.

So taking the view of the parable in Matthew 21:33-45 and other scriptures that go along to support the view that the religious leaders had been refusing to give the fruit of God's kingdom to Jehovah, and instead they were using the religion as an institution for their own interests (financial, political), then you can see the fullest meaning of Mark 10:45 is to certainly set the captives free not only from their own personal sin, but from the sin that had enslaved those who had assumed roles of God's representatives, yet refused to serve Him. In this way, Jesus' sacrifice was for the purpose of establishing a new, everlasting covenant between God and man.

God believes in you more than you'll ever believe in Him. Rest in that truth and let God set you free.

Your actions prove that you are a child of God you just haven't fully realized it yet. Rest in that truth.

In Jesus' name, amen!

Countryangel707 said:

What do you mean?

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I mean the fact that you're seeking means you will find.

Matthew 7:7
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Just don't expect things to happen on your timeline. God has a perfect timeline and He will see you through to the end.

Chriliman said:

I mean the fact that you're seeking means you will find.

Matthew 7:7
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Just don't expect things to happen on your timeline. God has a perfect timeline and He will see you through to the end.

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but also remember that scripture says, today is the day of salvation....II Corinthians 6:2

As I understand the poster, something is keeping her from the assurance of salvation. There are two options here that I see, 1. sin is keeping the poster from fellowship with God, 2. the poster is not living in the HS power, a HS that is our guarantee of salvation.

Both are pretty easy to reconcile. Sin is a matter of confession and repentance and HS is wisdom to see the working through the fruit of the HS in Gal. 5 and righteousness, aka obedience in HIs power not our own. It requires spiritual vision to see what the flesh cannot see. Again, pretty easy to reconcile, seek God's healing of our sight, wisdom to see what the flesh cannot see, and the HS Himself, dwelling within, making HIs home in us, revealing Himself through us.

Countryangel707 said:

im not sure which it is

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"Fixing" both is pretty easy, so start with making sure there is no sin standing between you and God. From there, ask God for wisdom and vision to see who He is in you.

Both are done through yielding yourself to Him completely, holding nothing back, seeking Him over all the "things" He can give you.

I suggest you to watch this short movie about a father who sacrifice his son
a train make a mistake passing a red light, this train speaks about the world, filled with people good and bad. Father has sacrificed his Son Jesus to save those sinful people.
He has been put to shame, agony and brutal torture to death in the cross
but Father let it happen so he can raise him and defeat death for mankind.

Countryangel707 said:

Ok so a little background on me, I am 18 will soon be 19 and I thought that I was saved at the age of 6 I remember getting on my knees and begging God to protect me from satan and hell. Well about a month after turning 18 I began to have incredibly serious doubts and depression that followed those doubts. Its like all of a sudden it was impossible for me to believe. Now I am in the situation where every now in then I get a little boost of trust in Jesus. I tell myself just trust that He really did die for you and really did rise again on the third day. Even as I type this I feel like deep down inside I know that is true but it's like something in my head is just not agreeing. I pray everyday since this all started that God would just open my heart and allow me to just have true Biblical saving faith in Him. I started multiple Bible reading plans and have been trying everything I know to do. It's like when I'm trying to do stuff I just keep getting like this feeling of what if my belief is not truly genuine then I go into the I can't believe then a few minutes later I'm like I think I trust but I really don't know. Please help I want to go to Heaven I really do. I want to serve God but I'm having trouble. My Boyfriend(He's 16) has told me he is also having these troubles. I'm not sure if it affects it or not but I have OCD and I have depersonalization disorder. Please help me. God Bless!

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It's true, an imballance can really distort things, but it also can work to your favor, I have capitalized on three deficiencies with the grace of heaven, and have transformed disabilities into gifts, so you hang in there!

What made it easy for me, was realizing that, I really do not have a choice, if I'm going to be proper and know the truth with all certainty, then I need our heavenly Father to take me by the hand, and personally walk me through every bit of it;

What makes it hard? Listening to anyone but Him!, Thinking you actually have an option!

I'm not saying, do not listen to any one, I'm saying only pay attention to the Father & Son as you hear them speak through us, ignore the rest;

Ultimately we believe what appears to be real in our minds eye, this is an actual part of our psyche that a hypnotist attempts to reach in order to Convince them
something is true, or real that they otherwise do not believe;

Thus we continue in the word to literally brain wash the filth of lies, fears, and foolishness away, to reprogram ourselves, and be born into new beings, I am living proof, and you can be too!

Of course every good faith needs a solid foundation, therefore heaven provides us with the Word of our Divine Author, and the Holy Spirit to guide us through it, therefore a bible reading plan would be like telling the Holy Spirit what we should read today, instead of the otherway around;

Reading plans can help, however they can also be like riding a bike with training wheels, which is appropriate if that is where one is best fitted;

Those who are the hungriest, eat more, so have no shame, be a complete pig, act like you can't get enough of your personal study....you just need one magical ingredient!

You need to amplify your awareness of our Father, the more real He is to You, the More you will be inclined to ask, and rely on Him, instead of trying to figure something out on your own, or rely on someone else;

All of us here are aware of our Father and the Love that He has for us, but strangely, not all of us believe, for if we truly believed that He is, what could we possibly put before Him, and say this is more important than you?

The Author of heaven & earth has a hotline, all we have to do is use it and trust, and rely on the response, even when the response is silence!

Our Father requires us to trust and rely on Him as if He were a competant, and loving being that knows what He is doing, otherwise we are accusing Him of being less;

We are all in the Fathers hand, and everyone who continues in His Word is in the Hand of His Son, His Saving Hand, thus who can touch you without their explicit permission?

If you stay in the saftey of His Word, then you will remain in the saftey of His Hand!

Of course, we all Love you, but He Loves you more!

Countryangel707 said:

everytime that it seems my doubts are gone they come back all of a sudden and they are worse than before.

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every time you doubt go through the above steps...confess and repent of any sins including but not limited to taking extreme measures to avoid sin.

Ask God for vision to see Him and wisdom to know what He is saying and doing in you. Remember the story of the foot washing? Sometimes we need cleansed, but it isn't our entire body that needs a bath, but rather just your feet. IOW's renew your covenant and your vision.

Something else that might help. Long story and I don't want to take a lot of time, but I came to Christ because I needed the power to thrive in a situation that should have killed me. It wasn't until years later that I was able to look back and see where God had done just that, allowed me to thrive when I should have died. Sometimes, we have to look back and remember what God has done before we are able to fully understand that He has been working in our lives all along. Remember what God has done in your life. There are lots of passages that tell us to remember.

Countryangel707 said:

*UPDATE* So I was getting better this past week for about 2 or 3 days and know it has all came back and hit me hard. I have a sudden feeling of carelessness but I want to care and I want this problem to just stop. I want to just be able to praise and worship Jesus. I want to just be able to trust in Him for my every need.

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Review the steps each time doubt arises...don't rely on emotions, and seek God not the things He can give you. You are growing, just keep practicing.

Countryangel707 said:

*UPDATE* So I was getting better this past week for about 2 or 3 days and know it has all came back and hit me hard. I have a sudden feeling of carelessness but I want to care and I want this problem to just stop. I want to just be able to praise and worship Jesus. I want to just be able to trust in Him for my every need.

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I keep thinking bad thoughts about the Bible but quickly asks for forgivness because I know that it is not things that I really mean. I want out of this torment. I want the doubts to just stop.

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God knows your heart and that you don't want the bad things. He knows your torment as well, and is on your side! Take a careful read of Romans 7, and then 8. Paul, speaking theologically, says that the things he wants to do, he doesn't do, and the things he doesn't want to do, he does. Boldly he concludes that it is not him that is making this mess, it is another law, that is, sin, that is working within him. By implication he is proclaiming himself innocent of it! Yet, he still suffers the torment. So what is the way out of that?

The answer is supplied in chapter 8 - "There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh." He already said he has no power over the bad thoughts, so what does "walking" mean there? It cannot be performance-based. Instead it means to be mindful of, to focus on. He goes on:


It's like riding a motorcycle. The bike is going to go wherever you plant your eyes. The first discipline in riding a motorcycle is eye control.

This is an incredibly powerful dynamic. Christ has set us free from our sin nature (see Rom 6.14). Therefore, according to Hebrews, we do not have to walk in perpetual sin consciousness, worrying about every little infraction. How many really understand this? When you get it, the downward pull of condemnation loses its power over you, and instead the updraft of grace, purchased for you on the Cross, lifts you to heavenly places, where you are victoriously seated with Christ Jesus (Eph 1). This is how to set your faith loose and win the victory.

Give a viewing to this video by Dan Mohler about resisting the devil. Sometimes the more attention we give the enemy, the more power we give him over us.

Countryangel707 said:

Would you say this is a spiritual warfare? I keep thinking bad thoughts about the Bible but quickly asks for forgivness because I know that it is not things that I really mean. I want out of this torment. I want the doubts to just stop.

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Someone once told me that the only real tool Satan has against the believer is their thoughts. I would say without doubt you are having some demonic whispers, not sure how far it would go and would be really hesitant to tackle that topic on line. I have in the past had demonic attacks....any time I feel like demons might be taunting me, I tell them to get lost, that they don't belong here because I belong to God.

If you think it might be demonic, I would recommend
Bondage Breaker by Neal T. Anderson (I think I got his name right) It is an excellent book, worth the read no matter and would help you break any demonic hold in your life.

If you want to talk more about the demonic side of things, I would encourage you to PM me, it really isn't easily talked about on the boards, too many people get freaked out and defiant as to what scripture says.

Countryangel707 said:

I may sound dumb, But how do I pm you?

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start a conversation....I have to search for it under this new system but if I remember right, click my name then start a conversation.