Newbie looking to learn

Scorponok · Sep 6, 2010

I've been a Christian for at least 8 years now, prior to that I've attended Catholic Church and had a confirmation. But I'm sad to say that I only know about God, Jesus and everything else from what I've been told, remember, or may have discovered on my own. In short, I don't know a lot. And it's really starting to bother me. A long time ago someone from another forum offered to do a bible study with me via email/instant messenger and through the forum pm system sadly our paths stopped crossing and it never happened. Just recently I found a posting online that offered for a In home bible study group that is in my same city sadly the times they want to do the study don't work for me. The study is from 8-10:30 at night. I start work at 10pm.

I've also sought out churches to join. A few months back I found one by going through the Angel Food Ministries that I really liked. I never knew people could be that open to you and nice! Sadly, the church is too far from me as I have no car nor reliable transportation that would be willing to take me out there. And the churches nearby I haven't really checked out due to social anxieties and other fears. So for the moment this is the only place I feel I can learn about things I don't know about God/Jesus.

So hopefully some here won't mind my extremely newbie of questions.

I'll use this thread for all my questions if that's okay, and one question at a time so I can fully understand what is being told to me. If I had more questions that hopefully you all don't mind answering I don't want them to get confused with other topics.

If that is okay with everyone the first question I have is going to seem like a no brainer to some but to me I'm really confused.

From my understanding Jesus is the son of God. And Jesus died for our sins. I get that. What I don't get is aside from that information who is GOD? Who is Jesus to us? When we pray do we pray to God or to Jesus?

This question is one I've had for a while but was just sparked again this morning after a question was posted on another forum about why people would rather burn themselves by not going to Jesus and repenting to find comfort and relief. I started to answer the question but found myself unable to word it correctly. Because I've always repented to God. Am I wrong? Should I be repenting to Jesus instead? Is Jesus the one who is walking through my life with me or is it God?

Again, I realize these may seem like easy questions but in the past I've always been embarrassed to ask but I no longer feel embarrassed because I want to know the answers and I need to know the answers to fully understand what it means when I say I'm a Christian and to be able to fully walk the life of a Christian. Ignorance hasn't saved me before and it won't save me now.

Thank you to every one and anyone willing to help me out with this.

mcswan · Sep 6, 2010

Scorponok said:
I've been a Christian for at least 8 years now, prior to that I've attended Catholic Church and had a confirmation. But I'm sad to say that I only know about God, Jesus and everything else from what I've been told, remember, or may have discovered on my own.

Thank you to every one and anyone willing to help me out with this.

God bless you, and welcome to this site. I hope there will be folks to help you on your journey. I can offer the perspective from the Methodist church. Others will be able to offer the perspectives from different denominations.

The truth is that much of the theology of Christianity is wrapped in mystery, and that's why faith is so important to us. We can call on God for guidance, and we can study the scriptures, and we can think through what we've learned, but it comes down to faith.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Faith is more than just wishful thinking. We understand that God, who created the universe, exists outside time and space, and outside our ability to completely understand. We are literally unable to completely understand or describe God: thus we have the word ineffable.

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

But we can make sense of our world, and our relationship to God through - as we Methodists do - scripture, tradition, experience, and reason, the Wesleyan quadrilateral. And the evidence from these authorities directs us to the divinity of Christ.

The best way, in my opinion, to learn about God, Christ, and Christian theology in general, is in a bible study group. You're working to find a group for yourself, and eventually will. In the meantime I recommend reading the works of some of our great Christian apologists, men of great intelligence who came to God after lifetimes of contemplation.

St. Agustine of Hippo, Confessions
C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity
G.K.Chesterton, The Everlasting Man

If you have specific questions, I'll be glad to help as best I can.

DrFrank · Sep 6, 2010

In basic terms:

GOD = Creator of the universe

JESUS = His Son,your Savior

Pray to both,they will love to hear from you!

salida · Sep 6, 2010

Pray to Jesus.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all God-and are three distinct persons. More references to visit and help answer questions in general if you like to browse:

www.equip.org, http://www.gotquestions.org/

Jesus created the universe-Ephesians 3:9,
http://www.godandscience.org/love/sld045.html
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

Re 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

In Revelation this ties Jehovah and Jesus being the same:
Go to Rev 1:8-Who said I'm the first and the last? Jehovah did.
Now read Rev 22:12-16. In 16-I'm Jesus it states.
　

Feel free to ask also anytime.

salida · Sep 6, 2010

More info-

Visit: www.TheBibleProofBook.com, (you will need acrobat reader for this), read The Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell a former agnostic- (its overwhelming circumstantial evidence of bible) and Examine the Evidence by Muncaster a former athiest/The Case for Christ and The Real Jesus by Lee Strobel a former athiest.
http://christiananswers.net/

childofGod31 · Sep 6, 2010

Scorponok said:
I

From my understanding Jesus is the son of God. And Jesus died for our sins. I get that. What I don't get is aside from that information who is GOD? Who is Jesus to us? When we pray do we pray to God or to Jesus?

God and Jesus are working together to save you. As a company. So you can talk to either one of them, or both of them, or one at one time and the other at the other time.

God created the universe. And it also says that He did it through Jesus. God plans things, and then carries them out through Jesus. So they are both "in" on this thing. They are both interested in it. They are as one unit. Some people need a closeness of a Father relationship. So they pray to God as the Father and find their comfort in that.

Other people need Jesus as a friend (because people usually see Jesus more as a friend than a father). So they talk to Jesus.

And it's ok either way. They are both your GOD. They are like two faces of God.

heymikey80 · Sep 6, 2010

Scorponok said:
This question is one I've had for a while but was just sparked again this morning after a question was posted on another forum about why people would rather burn themselves by not going to Jesus and repenting to find comfort and relief. I started to answer the question but found myself unable to word it correctly. Because I've always repented to God. Am I wrong? Should I be repenting to Jesus instead? Is Jesus the one who is walking through my life with me or is it God?

Interesting. "Repent" is really a word-picture. It means "change your mind" or "turn around" in Greek; it means "turn" in Hebrew.

You're turning to the Godhead -- Jesus and the Father. They're God.

When you repent, the way you think and want things, that changes.

When you express that repentance to God, that's "confession". Believe it or not, "confess" is a translation of a word which means you express your agreement with the one you're confessing to: you're reflecting on your attitude and sin and agreeing with God about His attitude and judgment of your sin.

And generally people don't go to Jesus or God and confess because they want to hide from their own sin; or they don't want to believe that it's sin; or they don't believe Jesus can do something about their sin.

chilehed · Sep 6, 2010

Scorponok said:
I've been a Christian for at least 8 years now, prior to that I've attended Catholic Church and had a confirmation. But I'm sad to say that I only know about God, Jesus and everything else from what I've been told, remember, or may have discovered on my own. In short, I don't know a lot. ...

Scorponok,
Thanks for posting. I'm really sorry that you were raised a Christian and were confirmed in the Church, and yet find yourself having to ask these excellent questions. I'm ashamed that you were so poorly catechised; it's as if you were starved as you sat at a table loaded with an emporer's feast of spiritual and intellectual riches.

Scorponok said:
From my understanding Jesus is the son of God. And Jesus died for our sins. I get that. What I don't get is aside from that information who is GOD? Who is Jesus to us? When we pray do we pray to God or to Jesus?...Because I've always repented to God. Am I wrong? Should I be repenting to Jesus instead? Is Jesus the one who is walking through my life with me or is it God?...

Honestly, the best way for you to start is to get a copy of the Catechism and study it. Here are some links to an online version, in the areas that you're asking about. The bottom line is that Jesus is God, he's the Second Person of the Trinity, consubstancial with the Father. If you repent to Jesus, then you are repenting to God.
USCCB - Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 1
USCCB - Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 2

Your story reminds me of what Dorothy realised just before Glinda the Good told her to tap her heels together. My God richly bless you on your journey home.

singpeace · Sep 7, 2010

Dear Skorinappropriate contentok,

It is frustrating when we cannot explain something we feel should be simple, but it happens to me, as well. My answer seems clever to me right now, but it may just be lame. Let me know if my answer makes any real sense, okay?

Here is my attempt at something:

If we associate our Heavenly Father with that of an earthly dad, it seems simple that Dad is the go-to guy for our needs, wants, and safety. Jesus can be associated with a very cool big Brother.

The Father sends big Brother on a special mission; to rescue the rest of the His children as they are kidnapped by a villain and held for ransom. Big Brother exchanges his life for his siblings' and this satisfies the ransom. Our beloved Teacher, the Holy Spirit, comforts us until the Father sends Word that it’s time to come home.

My answer does seem lame.

Finally, I associate the riddle of “Who is God? Who is Christ to me?” with God IN Christ IN us IN Christ In God. . .

Before a little boy is conceived, he is already living inside his father as seed. When the boy is born, he contains the father’s life in his blood, blood type, and DNA. (Father IN son IN father)

A child of God lives in the Father before the foundation of the world. Nothing is made that He did not make. A child of God can be born again. God’s Word (seed) and the blood of the Lamb create new life in the spirit of man. The child of God now lives with the life of God in him. If God's Word abides in the child, then the child abides also in the Son who is in the Father and so on .

Who walks with us day by day? TheHoly Spirit.

Aibrean · Sep 9, 2010

I think you would do really well at getting a Bible reading plan together. Youversion has a bunch that you can also track on your smartphone. This is the place to ask these kinds of questions but depending on the denomination - you might get a whole melting pot of answers.

God is Jesus. Jesus is God.I remember going into a Christian bookstore and one of the clerks asked me who I prayed to and I said God and he said wrong - you should pray to Jesus. But God IS Jesus. Even so, Jesus told us to pray to "Our Father". Jesus is our intermediary. If God is the three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), then it doesn't matter if we pray to God. We should pray to the true God only, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If it makes you feel better, you can pray to the Lord, or end your prayer "in Jesus' name". Luther would say "through Jesus Christ" when praying to the Father. You can also begin a prayer "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Scorponok · Sep 15, 2010

Thanks to everyone for the answers to my first question. I'm still doing some of my own research to learn and grasp the answers but I do have a new question and figured to just ask it here without starting a new thread.

I'm just wondering if there is a version of the bible out there that is almost like in story form? I did a google search and all I got was links for children's bibles and the sort. I've tried various times to read the different bibles that I have even some that are made for beginner teens and I just get lost in the way it's written and think if it was written out like a novel is I'd have a better chance. Does that exist out there anywhere?

Hiroyuki · Sep 16, 2010

Scorponok said:
I've been a Christian for at least 8 years now, prior to that I've attended Catholic Church and had a confirmation. But I'm sad to say that I only know about God, Jesus and everything else from what I've been told, remember, or may have discovered on my own. In short, I don't know a lot. And it's really starting to bother me. A long time ago someone from another forum offered to do a bible study with me via email/instant messenger and through the forum pm system sadly our paths stopped crossing and it never happened. Just recently I found a posting online that offered for a In home bible study group that is in my same city sadly the times they want to do the study don't work for me. The study is from 8-10:30 at night. I start work at 10pm.

I've also sought out churches to join. A few months back I found one by going through the Angel Food Ministries that I really liked. I never knew people could be that open to you and nice! Sadly, the church is too far from me as I have no car nor reliable transportation that would be willing to take me out there. And the churches nearby I haven't really checked out due to social anxieties and other fears. So for the moment this is the only place I feel I can learn about things I don't know about God/Jesus.

So hopefully some here won't mind my extremely newbie of questions.

I'll use this thread for all my questions if that's okay, and one question at a time so I can fully understand what is being told to me. If I had more questions that hopefully you all don't mind answering I don't want them to get confused with other topics.

If that is okay with everyone the first question I have is going to seem like a no brainer to some but to me I'm really confused.

From my understanding Jesus is the son of God. And Jesus died for our sins. I get that. What I don't get is aside from that information who is GOD? Who is Jesus to us? When we pray do we pray to God or to Jesus?

This question is one I've had for a while but was just sparked again this morning after a question was posted on another forum about why people would rather burn themselves by not going to Jesus and repenting to find comfort and relief. I started to answer the question but found myself unable to word it correctly. Because I've always repented to God. Am I wrong? Should I be repenting to Jesus instead? Is Jesus the one who is walking through my life with me or is it God?

Again, I realize these may seem like easy questions but in the past I've always been embarrassed to ask but I no longer feel embarrassed because I want to know the answers and I need to know the answers to fully understand what it means when I say I'm a Christian and to be able to fully walk the life of a Christian. Ignorance hasn't saved me before and it won't save me now.

Thank you to every one and anyone willing to help me out with this.

All you should be doing is believing in Jesus, sticking to his teachings.

Elevate others who would lead you from this and you aid those who teach people NOT to believe in Jesus.

Live your normal life and there is plenty of places to do this.

These sorts of diversions can be extremely evil.

You have way enough evil to deal with yourself then to worry about all this other stuff.

If you want satisfaction and assurance, simply stick to those teachings.

Many, many ways to tell people not to.

razeontherock · Sep 16, 2010

I say attend that Bible study that isn't over til 10. Leave early so you'll be on time for work. Bible translation I suggest is The Message; it really opens things up.

Aibrean · Sep 16, 2010

The Message is the only one I know of but I would never suggest it. It's a dumbed down Bible to the point it's water.

heymikey80 · Sep 17, 2010

Scorponok said:
Thanks to everyone for the answers to my first question. I'm still doing some of my own research to learn and grasp the answers but I do have a new question and figured to just ask it here without starting a new thread.

I'm just wondering if there is a version of the bible out there that is almost like in story form? I did a google search and all I got was links for children's bibles and the sort. I've tried various times to read the different bibles that I have even some that are made for beginner teens and I just get lost in the way it's written and think if it was written out like a novel is I'd have a better chance. Does that exist out there anywhere?

The Message is probably the most interpreted/translated into modern English.
New Living Translation is next.

Keep in mind most of the letters in the New Testament aren't storybook documents.

The Bible itself isn't arranged in historical order, either, so that could be a challenge on its own.

razeontherock · Sep 17, 2010

And the Message is quite Faithful to the original manuscripts. Far moreso than anything else I've read. I'd be curious to hear what's "watery" about it?

Aibrean · Sep 18, 2010

After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

to

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

--------------

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

to

But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.

that's faithful?

Scorponok · Sep 19, 2010

It's easier to understand..at least for someone like me.

insurchoftruth · Sep 19, 2010

We can make our petitions to the Father, and ask the Father to give us, or do something for us, in the name of Jesus. The Father is the source of all things, and all things come from him. But things come through Jesus, because it is through Jesus that the Father made the Universe. The Holy Spirit is the one, who brings us, and performs the answer of our prayers from the Father. So ask, the Father with your petitions. You can ask Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but according to the New Testament, most of the prayers and petitions are addressed to the Father, very little are to Jesus, and non to the Holy Spirit.

Now, we can worship the Father, we can worship Jesus, and we can worship the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Almighty God, it means that he himself is God, and can be worshiped....

Godspiritlivesinyou · Oct 25, 2010

DrFrank said:
In basic terms:

GOD = Creator of the universe

JESUS = His Son,your Savior

Pray to both,they will love to hear from you!

thats the way i tlearned it but i forgot that. i think of god jesus and lord and the holy spirit as the same person i am praying too.

Newbie looking to learn

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