I’m not sure if I believe God is merciful or would help me

[TommySoda]

So when I was younger I made a promise with God concerning me taking trips on planes (I’ve never been on one due to this experience). I was unable to fulfill this promise and I even went as far as to say “give me one final chance” (in prayer of course) that however didn’t work. I still kept doing the thing I promised not to. Anyway I’m a firm believer in temporal punishment and believe if I do get on a plane I’ll probably die. I’d love to travel one day but just thoroughly reading through the Bible, I don’t think even repentance could help me. There has been countless of biblical examples of God ignoring people’s prayers (David praying for his son to live) despite believing he’ll help them. I don’t feel any different. The promise went on saying “God please don’t kill me on a plane if....” or “please kill me on a plane if I....”.

 

[Not David]

So when I was younger I made a promise with God concerning me taking trips on planes (I’ve never been on one due to this experience). I was unable to fulfill this promise and I even went as far as to say “give me one final chance” (in prayer of course) that however didn’t work. I still kept doing the thing I promised not to. Anyway I’m a firm believer in temporal punishment and believe if I do get on a plane I’ll probably die. I’d love to travel one day but just thoroughly reading through the Bible, I don’t think even repentance could help me. There has been countless of biblical examples of God ignoring people’s prayers (David praying for his son to live) despite believing he’ll help them. I don’t feel any different. The promise went on saying “God please don’t kill me on a plane if....” or “please kill me on a plane if I....”.

Have you made this thread before? It sounds familiar.

 

[Blade]

If you believe repenting wont even help... you don't trust Him? Like slapping Him in the face..so to speak One of the MANY endless wonders of God is.. He keeps His word. He loves you.. no matter what you do. He will never leave you. He is NOT against you. He IS for you. The moment you said sorry.. good as rain.. I LOVE RAIN! Your all good.

Satan comes to kill steal and destroy. He came to give you life. When you said sorry.. and then keep talking about it.. He already forgave you.. you just don't TRUST HIM! is GOD a man that He should lie? Do you feel FEAR WORRY DOUBT? <---all three never come from God. God has not given you the spirit of fear. And if you feel like this then its clear who is talking to you.. NOT GOD but the enemy.

 

[TommySoda]

If you believe repenting wont even help... you don't trust Him? Like slapping Him in the face..so to speak One of the MANY endless wonders of God is.. He keeps His word. He loves you.. no matter what you do. He will never leave you. He is NOT against you. He IS for you. The moment you said sorry.. good as rain.. I LOVE RAIN! Your all good.

Satan comes to kill steal and destroy. He came to give you life. When you said sorry.. and then keep talking about it.. He already forgave you.. you just don't TRUST HIM! is GOD a man that He should lie? Do you feel FEAR WORRY DOUBT? <---all three never come from God. God has not given you the spirit of fear. And if you feel like this then its clear who is talking to you.. NOT GOD but the enemy.

I believe repenting won’t stop the inevitable from happening

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I believe repenting won’t stop the inevitable from happening

If I believed that, I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning! I wonder if just reading the Bible would enable you to find out? You've heard of the saying, "If all else fails, read the instructions"? Well then. Try reading the Bible to see if it agrees with your notions.

Anyhow, why do you think that God should take the time to answer your prayers, unless you take the time to read His Word and talk things over with Him, instead of treating Him like a vending machine to give you what you want, instead of the sovereign God that He is?

I have been in the faith for 53 years, and I can't tell you that I have had one answered prayer in the way that you are expecting of God. But I have spent much time in His Word and talking things over with Him, and then I feel free to use my judgment and common sense about the decisions I need to make and what I should be doing day by day. But there have been times when the Holy Spirit has said, "Don't to that; do this", and when I have followed that prompting, I have avoided a problem.

When we walk with the Lord, we don't disconnect our brain. We use it, and through use and experience, we develop the right kind of discernment to know what is beneficial to us and what is not.

 

[TommySoda]

If I believed that, I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning! I wonder if just reading the Bible would enable you to find out? You've heard of the saying, "If all else fails, read the instructions"? Well then. Try reading the Bible to see if it agrees with your notions.

Anyhow, why do you think that God should take the time to answer your prayers, unless you take the time to read His Word and talk things over with Him, instead of treating Him like a vending machine to give you what you want, instead of the sovereign God that He is?

I have been in the faith for 53 years, and I can't tell you that I have had one answered prayer in the way that you are expecting of God. But I have spent much time in His Word and talking things over with Him, and then I feel free to use my judgment and common sense about the decisions I need to make and what I should be doing day by day. But there have been times when the Holy Spirit has said, "Don't to that; do this", and when I have followed that prompting, I have avoided a problem.

When we walk with the Lord, we don't disconnect our brain. We use it, and through use and experience, we develop the right kind of discernment to know what is beneficial to us and what is not.

In the Bible plenty of people have repented and judgment still came. David repented for his ill son, dead... Ahab repented and God used a lying spirit to trick him etc. The Bible supports repentance not doing much.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

In the Bible plenty of people have repented and judgment still came. David repented for his ill son, dead... Ahab repented and God used a lying spirit to trick him etc. The Bible supports repentance not doing much.

There are parts of the Bible that are written for our education and information, and do not necessary apply directly to us. Then there are parts that are written directly to us to give us wisdom on how to find Christ as Saviour and Lord, and to live a holy life.

If you read the story of Ahab carefully, you would see that he was an idol worshiper and not right with God. God does not send lying spirits to trick genuine believers in Christ, because genuine believers have the spirit of truth in them.

 

[TommySoda]

There are parts of the Bible that are written for our education and information, and do not necessary apply directly to us. Then there are parts that are written directly to us to give us wisdom on how to find Christ as Saviour and Lord, and to live a holy life.

If you read the story of Ahab carefully, you would see that he was an idol worshiper and not right with God. God does not send lying spirits to trick genuine believers in Christ, because genuine believers have the spirit of truth in them.

So David praying for his son (and being ignored) didn’t happen and was just a teaching lesson? I’m saying if his prayer can be ignored (god still carried the punishment) why can’t mine?

 

[Not David]

So David praying for his son (and being ignored) didn’t happen and was just a teaching lesson? I’m saying if his prayer can be ignored (god still carried the punishment) why can’t mine?

You are not King David

 

[TommySoda]

You are not King David

Yes but that means it’s in God’s character to ignore prayers concerning judgment, which means he can ignore mine. How am I suppose to trust that?

 

[Not David]

Yes but that means it’s in God’s character to ignore prayers concerning judgment, which means he can ignore mine. How am I suppose to trust that?

Did he send you a prophet to tell you about your judgment?

 

[TommySoda]

Did he send you a prophet to tell you about your judgment?

No...?

 

[Not David]

No...?

So don't assume that something will happen to you.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

So when I was younger I made a promise with God concerning me taking trips on planes (I’ve never been on one due to this experience). I was unable to fulfill this promise and I even went as far as to say “give me one final chance” (in prayer of course) that however didn’t work. I still kept doing the thing I promised not to. Anyway I’m a firm believer in temporal punishment and believe if I do get on a plane I’ll probably die. I’d love to travel one day but just thoroughly reading through the Bible, I don’t think even repentance could help me. There has been countless of biblical examples of God ignoring people’s prayers (David praying for his son to live) despite believing he’ll help them. I don’t feel any different. The promise went on saying “God please don’t kill me on a plane if....” or “please kill me on a plane if I....”.

Explain what led you to the conclusion that if you got on an airplane you would die?

 

[TommySoda]

Explain what led you to the conclusion that if you got on an airplane you would die?

I made a promise with god as stated in the first post.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

I made a promise with god as stated in the first post.

And how did you conclude that if you broke your promise that God would kill you via plane crash? Do you believe that God is somehow bound to the promise you made to Him?

 

[TommySoda]

And how did you conclude that if you broke your promise that God would kill you via plane crash? Do you believe that God is somehow bound to the promise you made to Him?

No but the Bible speaks of breaking vows

 

[Aldebaran]

No but the Bible speaks of breaking vows

I don't see anything in your first post that indicates that God would kill you for not keeping a promise--which would also mean killing everyone else on the plane, assuming you think it would crash.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

No but the Bible speaks of breaking vows

Yes, it is a sin to break a vow. However, just because you told God "If I do this may you kill me in a plane crash", God is not in anyway obligated to kill you via plane crash just because you said so. Furthermore, the hundreds of people on the aircraft doesn't deserve to die with you because you failed to keep a promise you made to God. Yes, you sinned. But you are only punishing yourself for absolutely no reason. Last, if God was set on killing you, do you think that you can somehow thwart His plan if you avoid airplanes? The omnipotent sovereign Lord God almighty somehow met His match because the only way He can kill someone is by airplane crash and that person is refusing to jump in the airplane?

 

[Strong in Him]

So when I was younger I made a promise with God concerning me taking trips on planes (I’ve never been on one due to this experience).

Do you believe that God asked you to make this promise to never travel on a plane, or did you have a bad experience and then say "God, if you get me through this, I promise that I won't travel on a plane again"?
One is from the Lord, asking you not to do something or saying it is not his plan for your life; the other is you bargaining, or making up your mind that this is what God wants for your life - big difference.

I was unable to fulfill this promise and I even went as far as to say “give me one final chance” (in prayer of course) that however didn’t work.

How didn't "it work"?

Anyway I’m a firm believer in temporal punishment and believe if I do get on a plane I’ll probably die.

Jesus died for your sins. If God was going to punish us every time we sinned, there'd be no need for Jesus to have come and suffered the cross.

I’d love to travel one day but just thoroughly reading through the Bible, I don’t think even repentance could help me.

Sorry, but I don't think you can have read the Bible that thoroughly.
All through the OT God told the nation of Israel that they would be punished unless they turned from their sins and turned back to him.
Ahab was a wicked king, but God spared him when he repented.
Peter denied Jesus and was given another chance - he wasn't even perfect after that.
Jesus taught us to forgive 70x7; he would not ask us to do something that even God was unable to do.
Jesus taught us to pray, "forgive us our trespasses".
John said that if we sin we have someone who speaks to the Father in our defence, 1 John 2:1-2. And that if we confess our sins he is faithful and will forgive us, 1 John 1:9.

There has been countless of biblical examples of God ignoring people’s prayers

God answers prayers; it's just that the answer might not be what we were hoping for.

I don’t feel any different. The promise went on saying “God please don’t kill me on a plane if....” or “please kill me on a plane if I....”.

Like I said, was the "promise" something which the Lord asked you to make, or something that you just decided would be a good idea?
Why not ask God? Why not say, "look, I'm sorry I made this promise; it was me trying to bargain with you and was wrong. If you clearly tell/show me that you never want me/it would be a sin for me to get on a plane again; I won't. Otherwise, I repent of this promise that I made, and pray that you release me from it"?
Then listen to him; be guided by God, his word and his Spirit. He hasn't killed you yet, so what's making you believe that he will?