It really make me wonder...

emsquishi · #1 15th March 2010, 08:57 PM

Hi, I am an 'old' Christian you could say, returning to God after tuning away for some time. I have been reading up on so much and putting my faith and trust back in the Lord. I have come across some teaching on the judgements of God in the end times. And as I understand from the bible and from my reading that the final, powerful, judgements that Gods pours onto the earth and to prove to all the unbelievers and sinners that he is real and true and the almighty.That he truly loves them and wants them to share in the eternal life that he offers, and it is like a final 'second' chance to truly believe in and follow God.
Would I be correct in this? What makes me wonder is, with these very horrible, powerful events, some people will still not believe that God is real. They will still turn away from him. I find this hard to believe, not in the sense that it's not true but in the sense that how can you not believe? Even in the past and today you see miracles that have no explanation apart from they are from God.
One story sticks in my mind the most. I don't know every detail, but the story is that there was a very intense hurricane in U.S somewhere and husband, wife and 2? children where in their house when it was about to be upon them. The mother we to get the baby (a few months old I think) but the hurricane hit, she didn't make it to get the baby and the house was destroyed. They couldn't find the baby and then heard a noise. They went quiet and heard it again and they found the baby. Amongst the rubble of the destroyed house, still in the cot with a mattress on top of the cot so that the debris on top didn't fall on the baby. The baby wasn't even crying, the noise they heard was the baby laughing/making happy noises. I can't understand how ANYONE can hear this story or hear or witness something like it and not say that God exists and is truly powerful and great.
Also if anyone can help me with my return to God and sharing it with my partner and children, I would really appreciate it. Any advice, websites, reading that will help me in my journey and also understanding the 7 seals and revelations. Thank you.

Christsdaughter · #2 15th March 2010, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by emsquishi

Hi, I am an 'old' Christian you could say, returning to God after tuning away for some time. I have been reading up on so much and putting my faith and trust back in the Lord. I have come across some teaching on the judgements of God in the end times. And as I understand from the bible and from my reading that the final, powerful, judgements that Gods pours onto the earth and to prove to all the unbelievers and sinners that he is real and true and the almighty.That he truly loves them and wants them to share in the eternal life that he offers, and it is like a final 'second' chance to truly believe in and follow God. Would I be correct in this? What makes me wonder is, with these very horrible, powerful events, some people will still not believe that God is real. They will still turn away from him. I find this hard to believe, not in the sense that it's not true but in the sense that how can you not believe? Even in the past and today you see miracles that have no explanation apart from they are from God. One story sticks in my mind the most. I don't know every detail, but the story is that there was a very intense hurricane in U.S somewhere and husband, wife and 2? children where in their house when it was about to be upon them. The mother we to get the baby (a few months old I think) but the hurricane hit, she didn't make it to get the baby and the house was destroyed. They couldn't find the baby and then heard a noise. They went quiet and heard it again and they found the baby. Amongst the rubble of the destroyed house, still in the cot with a mattress on top of the cot so that the debris on top didn't fall on the baby. The baby wasn't even crying, the noise they heard was the baby laughing/making happy noises. I can't understand how ANYONE can hear this story or hear or witness something like it and not say that God exists and is truly powerful and great.
Also if anyone can help me with my return to God and sharing it with my partner and children, I would really appreciate it. Any advice, websites, reading that will help me in my journey and also understanding the 7 seals and revelations. Thank you.

You don't need to perform a series of rituals in order to return to God. You simply need to spend time with Him; you do this by praying often throughout each day making him part of everything and depending on Him, reading His Word, obeying Him by turning from sin and serving others, etc. This is what builds a truly intimate relationship with God. You feel like you need to do all sorts of things (believe me I know..I struggle with that, too), but what you really need to concentrate on is spending time with Him and obeying Him as He reveals things to you. You don't have to try to be "perfect" right away. You gain more and more victory over sin and do more and more acts of love the closer you get to Him! Just relax and just spend some time with Him and He will lead you! God bless!

childofGod31 · #3 16th March 2010, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by emsquishi

Hi, I am an 'old' Christian you could say, returning to God after tuning away for some time. I have been reading up on so much and putting my faith and trust back in the Lord. I have come across some teaching on the judgements of God in the end times. And as I understand from the bible and from my reading that the final, powerful, judgements that Gods pours onto the earth and to prove to all the unbelievers and sinners that he is real and true and the almighty.That he truly loves them and wants them to share in the eternal life that he offers, and it is like a final 'second' chance to truly believe in and follow God.
Would I be correct in this? What makes me wonder is, with these very horrible, powerful events, some people will still not believe that God is real. They will still turn away from him. I find this hard to believe, not in the sense that it's not true but in the sense that how can you not believe? Even in the past and today you see miracles that have no explanation apart from they are from God.
One story sticks in my mind the most. I don't know every detail, but the story is that there was a very intense hurricane in U.S somewhere and husband, wife and 2? children where in their house when it was about to be upon them. The mother we to get the baby (a few months old I think) but the hurricane hit, she didn't make it to get the baby and the house was destroyed. They couldn't find the baby and then heard a noise. They went quiet and heard it again and they found the baby. Amongst the rubble of the destroyed house, still in the cot with a mattress on top of the cot so that the debris on top didn't fall on the baby. The baby wasn't even crying, the noise they heard was the baby laughing/making happy noises. I can't understand how ANYONE can hear this story or hear or witness something like it and not say that God exists and is truly powerful and great.
Also if anyone can help me with my return to God and sharing it with my partner and children, I would really appreciate it. Any advice, websites, reading that will help me in my journey and also understanding the 7 seals and revelations. Thank you.

There are plenty of material with DIFFERENT ideas on those. It's hard to say which ones are true and which ones are just made up ideas... The true ones could only be by a revelation from God. It's best to seek a revelation from God...

Some people just don't have the ability to believe. They are called sceptics, agnostics...and such. The more knowledge one had, the harder it is to believe. The simple minded people find it easiest to believe. Some smart people can believe, but those are a minority...
But basically, we are born with either an ability to believe or inability to believe. Someone close to me struggles with believing. No matter how many things have happened. To me they are 100% proof. To him they are just POSSIBLE coincidences... It's hard to convince that person. But the thing is: he really WANTS TO Believe. He is praying for God to help him believe. And I believe it will happen. But it's going to take a miracle to make this person believe.
Even if somebody said: I was just healed of cancer, he would say: the body has the ability to heal itself. And in some cases, even if it's under 1%, it's possible to be healed by your body, so how can you be sure it was a miracle and not your body acting in that 1% category, healing itself?

ezeric · #4 16th March 2010, 10:20 AM

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets,
they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:31

The point you make is right.

Its impossible not to believe, with creation exploding all around us.
Miracles abound.

As I have started to see its only GRACE and trust HIS Unconditional LOVE
then the miracle world opens up to us!

But the heart, wants, lusts, for everything thinking it will get its fill
without GOD, because I am an independent person (I can do what I want).

Just lies from the enemy.

Only broken, can we see how 'sick' in fact 'dead' we are
barely existing until we receive HIS LIFE

LIFE is a person, and if you believe HE is your life!

-Eric

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
John 6:28-29

capnator · #5 17th March 2010, 06:32 PM

Studies, with video or audio to go with them.

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ChildOfGod97 · #6 17th March 2010, 06:47 PM

God knows how man works and can persuade him as He will.

Look at Jonah and Nineveh.

God turned their heart. Jonah had the faith to believe God could do that, and God so used Jonah as a conduit, even a very unwilling one.

Turning of the heart comes from within. God's whispers to the soul.

The Bible speaks of a day when men will no longer wonder about God. No longer. And when the knowledge of God will cover the earth as water does the oceans.

Everything that happens is ultimately by God, or God allows it, but one can get lost in trying to understand such things. Look at your own life and try and keep it there. Have *you* ever felt too much pain or been tested beyond *your* limits.

Good example: my daughter, 11. She can take some hard core falls and such. But get a tiny, tiny little prickler on her feet and she screams like it is holy murder. Go figure.

I have heard of some guys getting shot and not feeling it. Others get shot and feel it as much as the body can take.

God controls the pain and experience people feel in their heart. He has absolute, minute control of people's experiences.

wayfaring man · #7 20th March 2010, 01:04 AM

The reason why some will not believe even though there is compelling testimony all around them is because their minds are being largely controlled by the adversary of salvation .

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. <-----> 2nd Timothy 2:24-26

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. <-----> Revelation 12:9

Faith is both a gift and a fruit of The Spirit . ( 1st Cor. 12:9 + Gal. 5:22 )

Faith is refused or ignored when one is grossly contrary to the Nature of The Spirit which conveys it .

And being grossly contrary to The Nature of God's Spirit , leaves one in line with Satan's spirit .

The fundamental difference is that one is centered upon Truth & Love , while the other is deviated upon lies and selfish pursuits .

Wherefore , if our inward leanings are predominately honest and considerate , then our spirit merges with God's Spirit more than with Satan's , and the faith of Christ is implanted as a viable seed within . But if our inward leanings are predominately devious and inconsiderate , then our spirit lines up more with Satan's and his sowing of disbelief sprouts up as a hedge of thorns , as it were , against perceiving the grace to believe .

This is how the process of separating the willing to be " good " from the willing to be " evil " is carried out ... and it's not always obvious as to who's who , because as Scripture states - the human heart can be highly deceptive and desperately wicked . ( Jer. 17:9 )

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. <-----> Matthew 12:33

The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. <-----> Proverbs 16:4

What makes things really interesting and exciting is the possibility that those of us with the gift / fruit of faith may , as an instrument of Christ , be used to help alter the course of non-believers , by demonstrating the blessedness of being in sync with Christ's Spirit of Love & Truth , unto their change of heart / mind , and God granting repentance and the ability to acknowledge the truth .

Talk about having a vital role and a meaningful purpose !!!

May The Lord Be Pleased to Bless & Confirm His Truth & Love , To The Glory of God . Amen .

wm

heron · #8 20th March 2010, 01:40 AM

Also if anyone can help me with my return to God and sharing it with my partner and children, I would really appreciate it. Any advice, websites, reading that will help me in my journey and also understanding the 7 seals and revelations.

Include them in your discovery process. It will mean a lot to them. Watch some of the shows together.
Perry Stone has a logical approach to prophecy, and pulls in a lot of insights from Hebrew language and culture.

Home - Voice of Evangelism - Perry Stone Ministries

Studylight.org can help tremendously with word and topic searches. If you use their KJV or NASB version for searching, you can also get the Greek and Hebrew definitions.

Search for 'antichrist' - NAS - Include Resources - Study Desk