missing love, harmony, and deceased loved ones about everyday

lutherangerman

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Things are not looking so good here for me. Since I was baptized in 2008 I had been a very believing christian and it seemed to have been a very good idea to follow Jesus. But in 2010 my dad died and since about that time I am struggling. I do believe in Jesus but I also search through other religions like Islam to find meaning and spiritual proofs in life. I often hope and believe that God is deeper and higher than how some people have made him out to be in history and presence.

I really love religion and its attempts to integrate and reconcile man with God. So I am often listening to spiritual music, usually old christian music.

I have found that in the 60's, 70's and 80's we rested more on the commandment to love your neighbor than on all the legalistic bible things we emphasize now. So I am mostly living in the past now even though I am not old myself. I have trouble understanding the rivalry, the mindblindness towards other faiths, the general lack of charity between us human people.

We always seem to think, God must hate us for what we do. But is God love or is God hate? What is our true image of God like? Do we have a dangerous cutthroat as our divine Father or do we have, instead, a wise and friendly king who is famous because He himself bore the pains of rejection and hatred up unto the cross? I think we had a weak Jesus and since we started to abhor weakness again especially in the very difficult 2000th years, we have issues.

I know that life can be a blessing if you have family, are not dirt-poor, have friends and if the times are good. Why do we not create that for ourselves and the others again? Why do we shiver in fear of the almighty God when He is our strength to rely on? This is really puzzling me because I cannot recognize the american protestant church anymore and instead can only trust in the catholic church even though I am a baptized lutheran.

What is still keeping us from loving each other, from helping each other, especially when we are needy?
 
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com7fy8

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Possibly, your father talked with you about being ready for when he would be gone. However he was good for you, now this can still be good for you :)

You say you feel more and more comfortable with the Catholic group. While I was a Catholic, I was thoroughly warned that at any time any of us can die and then there will be judgment; and so we always need to be ready. And we need to not be afraid of dying, but understand and trust that dying can bring us to all the better good which God has for us. So, I grew up not fearing death; and that helped me to be able to go into potentially dangerous situations in order to help people.

After I was a Catholic, I have learned and developed in more. Jesus says, "if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" in Matthew 5:46. And I see how ones can mainly or only love certain people and make them idols. Then, when things happen to their love idols, they can be broken and suffer much more than they would if they were loving any and all people in God's love which would keep them strong and stable in there character, for hard things (Hebrews 2:14-15, Hebrews 12:4-11, 1 John 4:17-18). But, yes, the Bible says to weep with those who suffer loss, I understand (Romans 12:15) - - - to have compassion; but God's love can make us more able to keep from suffering so much about hard things in our lives.

When I have a very special person in my life, at times I pray about how she or he could die. And in prayer I handle it like it could have already happened since I have seen the person, and I give the person to God and thank Him for sharing that special one with me. So, it is like doing a fire drill . . . as if it is really happening, and I prayerfully exercise in being with God and how He has me be.

And it is so important, I consider, that we Christians become able to graciously handle the deaths and problems of anyone close to us > because as we in Jesus adopt more and more people into very deep and special relationships, there will be more and more people who could die before we do and will have problems which we will feel and share with them. So, we need to become strong in God's love and grace and peace and mercy, so we will not become basket cases as our different very specially loved people die and go through hard things :)

So, I advise that you grow in relating with your father's death, so then you can enjoy adopting more and more special Jesus people into your spiritual family life. Grow so you are more and more ready to be strong while you go through things with one another. And when ones die, God will have more people for you to enjoy loving :)

But because we are not perfect in our nature, we still can suffer about things in ways we would not be suffering in the strength and safety of God's love with His almighty power and sweetly soul-soothing immunity > plus, we can be comforting others with this > please consider 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. And I understand we can't just quick-fix ourselves with a change of ideas and attitudes, but we grow in God's grace, and then more and more we even take "pleasure" in troubles, like Paul says he learned and grew to do > 2 Corinthians 12:7-15.

For us Jesus people, I understand, there will be more and harder things to deal with, as we grow . . . not less > but these items could be in the lives of our other special Jesus family people; but we care for them as ourselves; so whatever happens to them is the same as it happening to us :)
 
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aiki

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Things are not looking so good here for me. Since I was baptized in 2008 I had been a very believing christian and it seemed to have been a very good idea to follow Jesus. But in 2010 my dad died and since about that time I am struggling. I do believe in Jesus but I also search through other religions like Islam to find meaning and spiritual proofs in life. I often hope and believe that God is deeper and higher than how some people have made him out to be in history and presence.

John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Acts 4:10-12
10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."


If Jesus is the Truth, why are you searching in other religions for truth?
If Jesus is the Way, why are looking to false religions for the path to God?
If Jesus is the Life, why should you not expect to find death in religions that deny him?

The revelation of God in Scripture is higher and deeper than anything you will find in any other counterfeit religion. Stop your wandering in the wilderness and return to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I have found that in the 60's, 70's and 80's we rested more on the commandment to love your neighbor than on all the legalistic bible things we emphasize now. So I am mostly living in the past now even though I am not old myself. I have trouble understanding the rivalry, the mindblindness towards other faiths, the general lack of charity between us human people.

Truth, by its very nature, is exclusivistic. If 1+1=2, then the sum of this equation excludes all other numbers as the correct sum. If the ball is totally blue, then all other colors are excluded as the color of the ball. If a fellow is riding a bike, then he is not at the moment riding a horse, or an elephant, or a camel, or anything else. The more the truth is understood, the more exclusive it becomes. This exclusivity can look like a lack of love sometimes - especially within the popular post-modern "there is no absolute truth" trend of thinking.

We always seem to think, God must hate us for what we do. But is God love or is God hate? What is our true image of God like? Do we have a dangerous cutthroat as our divine Father or do we have, instead, a wise and friendly king who is famous because He himself bore the pains of rejection and hatred up unto the cross? I think we had a weak Jesus and since we started to abhor weakness again especially in the very difficult 2000th years, we have issues.

Does God ever hate us? Well, what does the Bible say?

Psalms 1:4-6
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.


Proverbs 6:16-19
16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.


Does this mean God cannot be loving? No. Love that does not hate evil is not really love. It is a false dilemma, then, to assert that in order for God to be truly loving He cannot hate anything. God does both; and He must if He is to be truly loving, holy and just.

I know that life can be a blessing if you have family, are not dirt-poor, have friends and if the times are good.

Oh? Life cannot be a blessing without these things? That's not what the apostle Paul thought:

Philippians 4:11-13
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

King David wrote,

Psalms 119:71
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

Hardship and difficulty are often the means by which God develops, strengthens and deepens us. And inasmuch as this is so, the hard things in life are a blessing.

Isaiah 1:25
25 I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy.

Malachi 3:2-3
2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.


Why do we shiver in fear of the almighty God when He is our strength to rely on? This is really puzzling me because I cannot recognize the american protestant church anymore and instead can only trust in the catholic church even though I am a baptized lutheran.

I have been in the Protestant denomination since I was born and have no idea what you're talking about here. I deeply respect and honor God and stand in awe of His greatness and power but this doesn't mean I don't understand that God is my loving, and gracious, and patient Heavenly Father. You have taken a very distorted view of North American protestantism.

Selah.




 
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FutureAndAHope

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Things are not looking so good here for me. Since I was baptized in 2008 I had been a very believing christian and it seemed to have been a very good idea to follow Jesus. But in 2010 my dad died and since about that time I am struggling. I do believe in Jesus but I also search through other religions like Islam to find meaning and spiritual proofs in life. I often hope and believe that God is deeper and higher than how some people have made him out to be in history and presence.

I really love religion and its attempts to integrate and reconcile man with God. So I am often listening to spiritual music, usually old christian music.

I have found that in the 60's, 70's and 80's we rested more on the commandment to love your neighbor than on all the legalistic bible things we emphasize now. So I am mostly living in the past now even though I am not old myself. I have trouble understanding the rivalry, the mindblindness towards other faiths, the general lack of charity between us human people.

We always seem to think, God must hate us for what we do. But is God love or is God hate? What is our true image of God like? Do we have a dangerous cutthroat as our divine Father or do we have, instead, a wise and friendly king who is famous because He himself bore the pains of rejection and hatred up unto the cross? I think we had a weak Jesus and since we started to abhor weakness again especially in the very difficult 2000th years, we have issues.

I know that life can be a blessing if you have family, are not dirt-poor, have friends and if the times are good. Why do we not create that for ourselves and the others again? Why do we shiver in fear of the almighty God when He is our strength to rely on? This is really puzzling me because I cannot recognize the american protestant church anymore and instead can only trust in the catholic church even though I am a baptized lutheran.

What is still keeping us from loving each other, from helping each other, especially when we are needy?

Jas 4:1-2 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you. You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.

The fact is we are all human, and our human desires fight against God's perfect will for us. The Spirits will is opposed to the flesh.

As an example of what I am going through at the moment. I used to buy a lot of computer games, and played them, yes. But God recently began to tell me, take my word for it, that I needed to consider the poor. And a part of this was to give the money I use to by games to give to the poor, I have an allowence for pleasure, DVD's, games etc. Why, well if we discuss it, "is giving a person sight more important than buying a game?" it sure is. I could give 3 people sight for the price I buy a game.

Now why do I say all this? Well my inner desire says, "I wish I could buy that $60 game", my human, flesh craves pleasure. As the verse says above, the internal conflict in me is with my flesh.

The bible says that "you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight"

There are many people in the world, all quarreling and fighting, not ideas, but God's will. If we could all truely surrender to God, the real God, Jesus. Wars would cease. To fight a true war against humanity, you must be truely godless. It is true that Christian's get up in arms about Islam, etc. But the reality is that the religion of Islam and the spirit behind it is killing people literally. A wise person will not stand up for Islam, but promote Christ.

It is our job not to worry about how much people are resisting the Spirit of God, desiring their own things, but to live our lives in submission to God. Whether we prosper in the natural, whether God is promoted rightly or wrongly, we must yield to that inner desire God has put in all of us for truth.
 
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lutherangerman

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I'm not sure how I can get my point across here, but I am persuaded that christianity in some parts of it at least is really taking the wrong route through life. Life is full of hardships, even if we have enough money, even if we have our family. People die because of accidents or old age, and that alone, for me anyway, points to the need of love.

I find it shameful that we take the bible and make a show out of our belief in it. It's not THAT important that I love other humans but it is important that I venerate Jesus. As if you could unmesh the two.

And other religions are also important because since the dawn of the human times there have been attempts to live with the spirit and to make sense of the divine things. We cannot simply take our christianity, wrap it in a flag and that was it already. Instead christianity should be a religion clinging to Christ's cross and being an outpost of God's love in the world. The everpertinent question should be, what can we do for the sake of God's love? It's never really been about judgment, going to hell or heaven, escaping God's wrath, pacifiying him, etc. It's always been about refreshing our faith in God's love.

What we know in the spirit should finally enter our tongues and then become a reality. The kingdom of God on Earth!
 
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Thir7ySev3n

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I'm not sure how I can get my point across here, but I am persuaded that christianity in some parts of it at least is really taking the wrong route through life. Life is full of hardships, even if we have enough money, even if we have our family. People die because of accidents or old age, and that alone, for me anyway, points to the need of love.

I find it shameful that we take the bible and make a show out of our belief in it. It's not THAT important that I love other humans but it is important that I venerate Jesus. As if you could unmesh the two.

And other religions are also important because since the dawn of the human times there have been attempts to live with the spirit and to make sense of the divine things. We cannot simply take our christianity, wrap it in a flag and that was it already. Instead christianity should be a religion clinging to Christ's cross and being an outpost of God's love in the world. The everpertinent question should be, what can we do for the sake of God's love? It's never really been about judgment, going to hell or heaven, escaping God's wrath, pacifiying him, etc. It's always been about refreshing our faith in God's love.

What we know in the spirit should finally enter our tongues and then become a reality. The kingdom of God on Earth!

The prior responses you have been given are excellent, and should have been sufficient to at least demonstrate to you the fact that you can not coherently combine the Christian faith with any other, even if you are not convinced of the truth of that faith itself. You demonstrate that you are immensely ignorant of this subject and are more opinionated and emotionally driven than you are concerned about actual truth. You are using your personal satisfaction (however that is defined) as a compass and that will only lead you blindly into a cesspool of nonsense and satanic misdirection. As the prophet Jeremiah rightly said, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:9)?"

Using your darkened heart (which is what it is exposed to be in its present condition) as the compass for truth places you within your own mind in the seat of God, whether you admit that notion or not. If you deny the truth of divine revelation as provided by Christ (unadulterated from Scripture) based on some kind of ostensible defeater for that revelation, that is something we can work with; however, if you deny the Christian faith based upon the premises of your personal distastes for certain revelations then you are simply assigning yourself the esteem of believing you are in a position to decide what divine truth is or is not, and thus have been convinced of the lie of Satan that you can be like God. To this the Proverbs rightly declares, "Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them (Proverbs 26:12)." Again, Isaiah concurs, "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight (Isaiah 5:21)."

As Aiki designated above, Jesus declares that He is the exclusive way, the exclusive truth and the exclusive life, and no one comes to the Father except by Him (John 14:6). If this is a heart problem, the Holy Spirit will have to have His way with you to restore you to the knowledge of Christ. If it advances into the intellectual arena, and you doubt the testimony of the Holy Spirit (for some reason some people think this is impossible, as though we are literally forced to believe what He reveals), then there are an abundance of arguments and evidence that exist and even I myself am informed in to reinforce the central truth claims of the Christian faith and consequently and exclusively Christian theism. So I would be happy to address some of those issues for you if necessary.

I have to admonish the use of your reason in regarding other claims to divine revelation as important because "other religions are also important because since the dawn of the human times there have been attempts to live with the spirit and to make sense of the divine things." The mere attempt at something does not substantiate it with intrinsic worth. In fact, the more significant the subject for which information is attempting to be discovered, the more worthless or even dangerous a claim would be that is made contrary to the truth regarding that subject (e.g. think of all of the medical disasters that occurred throughout history as a result of attempts to discover information about functions of anatomy and cures; these were not valuable but often permanently damaging or lethal, and spiritual consequences would be far more severe than medical ones). So in the plethora of world religions, which do in fact exist mutually exclusive of each other, we must refer to some source that can confirm or negate the claims within any given comprehensive claim to divine revelation. For this we have two appropriate references, the first being the Holy Spirit's testimony regarding the person of Christ, and the second (for those who think the first is "biased" or insufficient) being arguments and evidence. You will find both of these in agreement concerning the person of Jesus, for which there exists an abundance of historical evidence and testimony concerning the ultimate fate of Jesus of Nazareth.

Where you are now, what you are doing is flirting with adultery against God, which is exactly what He declares assent to and service in counterfeit theologies to be. It is dangerous ground, and is especially deceptive when you are using your heart to guide yourself, untethered by reason and a resourcefulness to diligently investigate and discover the truth concernings these matters when they exist distinct from your desire. Christ has revealed Himself to you as the exclusive way to and truth of the Father, and only in Him will we have life. Do not resist the Holy Spirit who has revealed the truth of this to you; "do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)."

Keep in mind the admonishment of Christ to any who would seek after Him:

"And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.'" (Luke 14:27-30)
 
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DiscipleHeLovesToo

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Things are not looking so good here for me. Since I was baptized in 2008 I had been a very believing christian and it seemed to have been a very good idea to follow Jesus. But in 2010 my dad died and since about that time I am struggling. I do believe in Jesus but I also search through other religions like Islam to find meaning and spiritual proofs in life. I often hope and believe that God is deeper and higher than how some people have made him out to be in history and presence.

I really love religion and its attempts to integrate and reconcile man with God. So I am often listening to spiritual music, usually old christian music.

I have found that in the 60's, 70's and 80's we rested more on the commandment to love your neighbor than on all the legalistic bible things we emphasize now. So I am mostly living in the past now even though I am not old myself. I have trouble understanding the rivalry, the mindblindness towards other faiths, the general lack of charity between us human people.

We always seem to think, God must hate us for what we do. But is God love or is God hate? What is our true image of God like? Do we have a dangerous cutthroat as our divine Father or do we have, instead, a wise and friendly king who is famous because He himself bore the pains of rejection and hatred up unto the cross? I think we had a weak Jesus and since we started to abhor weakness again especially in the very difficult 2000th years, we have issues.

I know that life can be a blessing if you have family, are not dirt-poor, have friends and if the times are good. Why do we not create that for ourselves and the others again? Why do we shiver in fear of the almighty God when He is our strength to rely on? This is really puzzling me because I cannot recognize the american protestant church anymore and instead can only trust in the catholic church even though I am a baptized lutheran.

What is still keeping us from loving each other, from helping each other, especially when we are needy?

the main difference between Christianity and every other 'religion' is that all other religions link one's performance to God's laws to one's eternal salvation (eternity of course includes 'this' life as well as the 'next'); whereas Christianity links performance of a substitute (Jesus) to one's eternal salvation [salvation of course includes deliverance from lack, sickness, depression, oppression, and all other forms of the curse of the law that people suffer while walking the earth in flesh bodies ('this' life), as well as in the 'next' life]. all other religions are imitations of Christianity with this one exception. self love and self respect (pride) drive us to seek to please God through our own performance, rather than please God by placing faith in our substitute's (Jesus') performance instead; the former actually glorifies us and feeds self, while the latter glorifies God and starves self. so as you study these other 'religions', you feed your pride - the same pride that Christianity starves - and this results in confusion.

Mat 22:32 KJV
(32) I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

your Dad did not die in 2010, he moved on to the 'next' life - he is just as much alive now as he ever was - and more so. the vast majority of people in the world are hurtling toward eternal death, and you are striving for eternal life - therefore your travel through this life will be 'against the flow' - it will be a struggle.

look at most celebrities; they have wealth, friends, enjoy good times - but yet are never satisfied with these things; but constantly struggle for more - it's not your circumstances that keep you 'down', it's what you focus on - and as long as you feed your pride by focusing on other religions where your performance counts, while also seeking Jesus as your substitute where your performance does not count, you will be struggling - not because of lack, or loss of contact with loved ones who still live (albeit not in flesh bodies on this earth), or insufficient amount of good times, but because you are divided in your thinking.

what is keeping us from loving each other? it is being preoccupied with our love for our selves (flesh). from helping each other? it is being preoccupied with helping our selves (flesh). from surplus? it is being preoccupied with with what our flesh wants that we don't yet have.

in heaven, there are no american protestant camps, no catholic camps, no lutheran camps - there is only one camp - the Christian camp. as long as you focus on the divisions in the body of Christ in this life, you will not find peace in 'religion'
 
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Razare

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I have trouble understanding the rivalry, the mindblindness towards other faiths, the general lack of charity between us human people.

Other faiths are false, but they are not completely false, CS Lewis describes this the best. "The Rival Conceptions of God" :


Where this goes wrong is people want to edify other people's beliefs through acceptance, which opposes love in 1 Corinthians 13. Acceptance is never love, it opposes the nature of love.

And so people who believe acceptance is love, and they like the idea of creating consensus and agreement, will try to mish-mash various religions into one grand religion where we are all spiritual.

The best example of this are the Bahai. Their religion is all religions, and once you join, it's basically cherry-picking what other religion you agree with, and want to practice as a Bahai, but ultimately all religions fold into the grand religion.

The problem with this is math. Or logic. If we believe that a true thing means there is also a false thing, which is the "law of non-contradiction", then that precludes every person from being right.

Either I have 1 apple or 3 apples in my basket, or some other number, but certainly, I do not have only 1 apple and only 3 apples in my basket, unless I'm playing on words to deceive.

And this tendency toward acceptance, ultimately stunts our growth as a Christian, and we will end up struggling. We will struggle with God, with other Christians, with other religions, with death and eternity and so on.

Jesus is not accepting, he is loving. Love does not turn others away (John 6:37), but it never compromises when they came near:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. - Matthew 16:25

I know that life can be a blessing if you have family, are not dirt-poor, have friends and if the times are good. Why do we not create that for ourselves and the others again? Why do we shiver in fear of the almighty God when He is our strength to rely on? This is really puzzling me because I cannot recognize the american protestant church anymore and instead can only trust in the catholic church even though I am a baptized lutheran.

What is still keeping us from loving each other, from helping each other, especially when we are needy?

I get what you mean. I think what you're identifying is a flaw in how protestants minister.

The true ministry of love is harder than most would imagine.

In my view Joel Osteen does it the best, and he does it so well a lot of protestants hate him for it. While primarily, his ministry is hope, it is associated with love because you can't love unless you can hope.
 
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aiki

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I'm not sure how I can get my point across here, but I am persuaded that christianity in some parts of it at least is really taking the wrong route through life.

Oh? Can you be more specific?

Life is full of hardships, even if we have enough money, even if we have our family. People die because of accidents or old age, and that alone, for me anyway, points to the need of love.

Yes, life is full of hardship. "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward," the Bible says. (Job 5:7) And I also agree: love ought to be a paramount concern. Many times, though, love gets placed above all else and when that happens, love can get very distorted and can become evil. Love - godly love, at least - must be bounded by holiness and truth; it must answer to these things in order to be agape love. In any case, love is crucially important.

I find it shameful that we take the bible and make a show out of our belief in it. It's not THAT important that I love other humans but it is important that I venerate Jesus. As if you could unmesh the two.

What does it mean "to make a show out of our belief in it"? How does a person do that, exactly? Who is saying you shouldn't love others? The Bible makes it very clear that if we claim to love God, our love for Him must be shown in our love for others.

Matthew 22:36-40
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."


1 John 3:14-18
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.


And other religions are also important because since the dawn of the human times there have been attempts to live with the spirit and to make sense of the divine things.

How are they important? If they are leading people into false belief and away from God, they are evil and ought to be rejected. As Jesus said,

John 14:6
6 ..."I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

We cannot simply take our christianity, wrap it in a flag and that was it already.

I don't know what you mean by "wrap it in a flag." If you're suggesting that Christian living entails more than just words, that it must love in an active way, then I agree, it should. Are you loving this way?

Instead christianity should be a religion clinging to Christ's cross and being an outpost of God's love in the world.

Amen!

The everpertinent question should be, what can we do for the sake of God's love?

Well, it may be one of the important questions but it is by no means the only one. "What is true?" is equally important, I think. So is "What is just and holy?"

It's never really been about judgment, going to hell or heaven, escaping God's wrath, pacifiying him, etc. It's always been about refreshing our faith in God's love.

How do you know this? Because this is what the Bible says? The Bible also speaks of God's judgment, wrath, sovereignty, holiness and a host of other things. In fact, the Bible has more to say about God's holiness than it does His love. "Holy, holy, holy!" the cherubim before God's throne cry out (Rev. 4:8), not "Love, love, love!"

What we know in the spirit should finally enter our tongues and then become a reality. The kingdom of God on Earth!

Have you been listening to Andrew Wommack? I hope not. The guy's a Word/Faith false teacher. Steer clear.

Our words do not have divine, creative power. The only One with such power is God Himself. What did Jesus say about his kingdom?

John 18:36
36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

Selah.
 
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