A small part of me...

[Mr. Fields]

A small part of me wants to regain my faith in Jesus Christ.

There are some things I miss, like praying and feeling like someone is actually listening.

Logic tells me that the Bible has a lot of contradictions. My spirit tells me that God exists, but in what form, I question...

Christianity has been a struggle my whole life...

This morning my wife and I had a conversation and it got me thinking. She is trying to convince me that Jesus is who the Bible says he is. I'm the one who led her to Christ to begin with...

If I were to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ again, I would be a very liberal Christian...

More insight on where I am coming from on my website: http://www.yougothere.com/commentary

::

 

[EvanOnEarth]

well if you give me your IM i would be more than happy to talk to you

 

[mpshiel]

From your site it seems you have some problems with denominations - great, throw out denominations - seriously.

If you have a preconception about God or Jesus that is bothering you - throw out that too - it was likely something someone told you anyway.

Do you know what I like most about the bible - the way everyone who reads it finds it reflecting them - for lawyers and rule followers, it is a rule book; for finacial worriers it is a futures guide; for councillors it is an examination of the needs of humans, for architects it is about plans and structure. For me, I just study humans and the stories they tell, so for me the Bible is a story - kind of a story about a being who had everything He wanted, except He was lonely. So he made humans. Only thing is that humans didn't always act how he wanted, which is why he made them in the first place - except everything got complicated. Somehow, he couldn't talk to them and they couldn't talk to him. And the humans were lonely too - they had each other, but they wanted more. So he sent down a sort of translator - someone who was him but was a human too - so that he could understand humans and that hopefully humans could understand him.

I think for each person there is a different way to understand and make the bible and God real, and personal, if that's what you want. I suppose for a lot of people I'm not a "real" Christian or a "good" Christian because I don't care what St. Augustine said or someone in the 12th Century or even someone today unless I find it interesting. I have no problem disagreeing with all sorts of ideas Christians hold. But what I do have is MY relationship with Christ. I know that I don't understand God in all His/Her totality. But I can understand the part of God I talk with, and who talks back to me (not voices but rather within the ebb and flow of life).

I don't know if that helps. Doubting is not a problem, doubting is a beginning. (It's the ones the have no doubts at all that make me wonder when the loud pop is going to occur).

 

[LibertyChic]

A small part of me wants to regain my faith in Jesus Christ.

There are some things I miss, like praying and feeling like someone is actually listening.

Was someone listening before? Does it matter if that Someone answers to the name of Jesus or God or Holy Spirit or some other name? If that Someone is One that you trusted, why quit trusting Them?

Logic tells me that the Bible has a lot of contradictions. My spirit tells me that God exists, but in what form, I question...

I know exactly what you mean...

Christianity has been a struggle my whole life...

This morning my wife and I had a conversation and it got me thinking. She is trying to convince me that Jesus is who the Bible says he is. I'm the one who led her to Christ to begin with...

If I were to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ again, I would be a very liberal Christian...

More insight on where I am coming from on my website: http://www.yougothere.com/commentary

::

Taken from your website:

Early in my days outside my box I realized that balance was the key to a good life. When you examine balance in life, it is a natural thing, yet one of the hardest things in life to accomplish. It's easy to swing to one extreme or the other, for there are many people who gather at either side who will support you in your extreme. The most difficult thing in life is to maintain a good, healthy balance in everything you do. It's also the most rewarding.

You have a lot of truth wrapped up in these few, simple sentences.

 

[Bevlina]

Maybe you have lost faith in christianity through denominations. And therefore you are struggling with you faith in Jesus?
Believe me...God alway listens. Even to the smallest prayer. He never forsakes us. He watches you struggle and knows the reason why. And, He will lead you back to where He wants you to be. Take heart?

 

[TheThirdLink]

Anything that separates you from knowing God is an obstacle. You said you have doubt. There are obstacles somewhere causing that. What are these obstacles? If you can pinpoint them and get rid of them, then your doubt will be no more and faith will be restored. Remember, doubt is never good. Doubt is a tool the Devil uses to try and get us away from God.

Take care, and Godspeed.

 

[NJA]

Mr Fields - many people pray, but Jesus said we should pray for God's kingdom to come, that's his will.
The kingdom comes to us when we receive God's Spirit, then we can really know God and His perfect will for us, then you are a "christian" in the true sense.
Until then:-
" Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Cor 2v9-10)

So, if you want to be set free from this spiritual blindness / deafness, you need to receive the Holy Spirit, if/when you do He will lead u in prayer as you "speak in tongues", an unlearned prayer language that God leads His people in - Acts 2v4, 33, 39; 10v44-46, Romans 8v15-16, 26; 1 Cor. 14v2, 4, 14-18.

 

[bliz]

Do I hear you! I have many things to be thankful for in my Baptist upbringing... but also many things I had overcome - it's like you read my journals!

You need to go swimming in another branch of Christianity. There really and truly are Christians who are not fundamentalists who preach the Gospel loud and clear, who will not look at you in horror when you ask questions and admit to doubts. These folks do not think that Christian and Consevative must be attached at the hip. There is even a Christian Left!

It sounds to me as if you have spent a lot of energy sorting out what is essential in the faith and what are the trappings. Many Christians have a really hard time with other Christians who throw out the trappings... but it seems to me that Jesus majored in throwing out the trappings of religion.

There is a great Meatlof song on Bat out of Hell II in which he lists off various aspects of society "What about truth? IT'S DEFECTIVE.... What about Schools? THEY'RE DEFECTIVE... " "What about love? IT'S DEFECTIVE!" It is the perfect statement of what the world and life are like without God, everything and everyone in it will fail you. To that Christians should be saying "Amen!" but instead we shrink away in horror.

Check out www.sojo.net It's the online arm of Sorjourner Magazine. There's even a commentary on liberal Christians on the home page!

Somehow you've got to stop fighting with churches and Christians and start wrestling things out with God.

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

A small part of me wants to regain my faith in Jesus Christ.

There are some things I miss, like praying and feeling like someone is actually listening.

Logic tells me that the Bible has a lot of contradictions. My spirit tells me that God exists, but in what form, I question...

Christianity has been a struggle my whole life...

This morning my wife and I had a conversation and it got me thinking. She is trying to convince me that Jesus is who the Bible says he is. I'm the one who led her to Christ to begin with...

If I were to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ again, I would be a very liberal Christian...

More insight on where I am coming from on my website: http://www.yougothere.com/commentary

::

Actually, there aren't any contradictions in the Bible. Whenever it appears that way, there is something we're not seeing. I'm sure many of us would be pleased to help sort through these with you.

If you would like to regain your faith, there are a lot of ways to do this. It begins with the understanding and acceptance that we are here for God's purposes, not the other way around. This is the hill most people never get over. But if you can do this, the value of eternal riches will take away the disillusionment you've been wrestling with.

We're here to help you.

Blessings,
Whitehorse

 

[Faith In God]

th bible has no contradictions in it. if you think you've found one, take it to this site:

http://www.livingwaters.com/witnessingtool/browse.shtml

try this. prophecies in the bible have come true before.

there are others that have yet to be fulfilled. one is that there will be a day in which God will judge the world, and if you have not been justified in Christ through trust in Him, you will be judged in righteousness (ie by the law of Moses, the ten commandments) If you have ever broken one of those, then you will be judged guilty and spend eternity in hell. No one wants this, but God is just and must punish sin. Of course, Jesus already paid the price of sin, and if you trust in Him as your righteousness, ackowledging your own unrighteousness, then you will be saved. Of course then proof of this is obedience to God, ie prayer, reading God's word, etc.

you said you did this, and that is what you miss. You miss the routine. well, you were there for routine before. Go back for righteousness now.

 

[TheMainException]

Man, I'm just going to keep praying that you find what you seek.

 

[Bible2]

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

-- Matthew 7:7-8