Baptised Easter Sunday but having words of doubt!

[built on the rock]

Hey everyone,

I was baptised on Easter Sunday and it was a wonderful ceremony! I was born-again and was spirit filled before the water baptism so I know Christ has his hand on me, but I think the enemy has started placing stumbling blocks into my mind. I need some Christian guidance.

I came across this post today which has made me doubt the love of my Savior. I know he is real because he saved me from mental illness and homosexuality but this following post on Facebook has scared me...

"I heard recently about a happening that is probably old news, but it's new to me, and it raises some questions. A girl at the age of 12 or so, was held captive by a brutal man who kept her locked up in his basement...little more than a modern day dungeon essentially. Not only did he control when she ate, drank, etc...he also raped and sodomized her multiple times daily. This lasted for 24 years, until his capture, which was purely accidental, and at the age of 73, he was sentenced to life in prison. Here is my question. Can you imagine what her prayers must have been like? Can you imagine how she pleaded with God to help her, to save her, even if it meant death? Yet for 24 years, this supposed loving, caring God, watched from heaven with arms folded, with complete indifference, and did nothing. Her life is ruined. I can only imagine what her dreams, her nightmares must be like, living in a constant state of fear. I hear so many call God, "Father." If your earthly father knew that you were experiencing this travesty, and has the power to stop it at any moment, but chose not to. Would you still call him Daddy? Would you still curl up next to him and feel safe? Or would you run as far away as you could? How can one say that this, is a loving God?"

What would you say to this person? This was on a Christian Group page on Facebook

 

[chapmic]

God does care, remember Jesus said those who mourn and cry out to him will be blessed with Eternal blessings. There are people who are going to face difficult challenges in this life and everytime she endured and cried out to God she received more eternal blessings. All the riches and blessings in this world are temporary and fleeting and will not match up to the blessings that we receive in Heaven. People show their strength and the power of love thru their constant faith that the Lord loves them and when it is all said and done he will provide for us in the end. People may take and harm our bodies in this lifetime but they can not harm our soul and we can receive the peace and comfort in that despite our situation. To answer your question if the girl had died it is possible she would have went to heaven.

 

[Albion]

IMO, there are two answers to this question.

1. We do not know everything that God has in mind and we make a mistake to feel that unless we have every answer to every question that the mind of man can come up with, that God has somehow failed.

2. God could, of course, intervene. But then he'd logically have to intervene in the daily lives of billions of ordinary people all over the world suffering from terrible illnesses, war, oppression or the like. He would have to run the world and everything we do on a direct and nonstop basis.

If that were his intention, there would be no point in him having created beings who are somewhat between the angels and the animals, neither of which has the freedom of choice that we have, the ability to do good as well as the opposite. Human existence is wonderful but it's also steeped in sin. It's the eternal outcome that is our hope and promise.

Hey everyone,

I was baptised on Easter Sunday and it was a wonderful ceremony! I was born-again and was spirit filled before the water baptism so I know Christ has his hand on me, but I think the enemy has started placing stumbling blocks into my mind. I need some Christian guidance.

I came across this post today which has made me doubt the love of my Savior. I know he is real because he saved me from mental illness and homosexuality but this following post on Facebook has scared me...

"I heard recently about a happening that is probably old news, but it's new to me, and it raises some questions. A girl at the age of 12 or so, was held captive by a brutal man who kept her locked up in his basement...little more than a modern day dungeon essentially. Not only did he control when she ate, drank, etc...he also raped and sodomized her multiple times daily. This lasted for 24 years, until his capture, which was purely accidental, and at the age of 73, he was sentenced to life in prison. Here is my question. Can you imagine what her prayers must have been like? Can you imagine how she pleaded with God to help her, to save her, even if it meant death? Yet for 24 years, this supposed loving, caring God, watched from heaven with arms folded, with complete indifference, and did nothing. Her life is ruined. I can only imagine what her dreams, her nightmares must be like, living in a constant state of fear. I hear so many call God, "Father." If your earthly father knew that you were experiencing this travesty, and has the power to stop it at any moment, but chose not to. Would you still call him Daddy? Would you still curl up next to him and feel safe? Or would you run as far away as you could? How can one say that this, is a loving God?"

I then started searching Google for why God would let this happen to a vulnerable child all the way through to adulthood and came across this from Gotquestions.com

"Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire."

According to this, if this girl had died not knowing God's love since she had been raised in the hand's of her monstrous father, would she go to hell? Does she deserve Hell? Would God show mercy onto her if she did not ever get to read a Bible as she was raised in captivity and sodomised by her father all through her life?

What God has done in my life cannot be put into words, he is amazing, but at the same time I fear for all those who do not know Jesus even if they appear to be moral people. My mother, father and sister for instance, they don't know Jesus Christ so I fear for them as well!

Please can someone help me understand my question?

 

[parsley]

came across this

That was a really insensitive answer to the person's question. It sounds like declaring humans might as well ignore justice and abuse because there's so much injustice and abuse.

We all say a lot of hurtful things to each other, sometimes without realizing it. It's too bad when it happens within the church, but it's throughout society.

Congratulations on your baptism!

 

[paul1149]

at the age of 73, he was sentenced to life in prison.

There is no shortage of evil in the world. It is broken and getting worse rapidly. But evildoers will be punished. Some men's sins are revealed here, others' sins follow them to judgment. But everything will be revealed and no one will get away with anything.

Yet for 24 years, this supposed loving, caring God, watched from heaven with arms folded, with complete indifference, and did nothing.

That is a radical assumption on the writer's part. Was it indifference that drove Christ to the cross? No, it was the Father's will, based on proactive love for us.

Her life is ruined.

I wouldn't say that. Yet, it is a brutal thing to go through, and much time has passed. But I make it a habit never to condemn anyone to fatalism. Look at Elizabeth Smart, for instance, who underwent this sort of thing for a couple of years, and has come out a fine young woman.

If your earthly father knew that you were experiencing this travesty, and has the power to stop it at any moment, but chose not to. Would you still call him Daddy? Would you still curl up next to him and feel safe? Or would you run as far away as you could? How can one say that this, is a loving God?"

Earthly fathers are not the heavenly Father. God has reasons for letting the world go its own way during this age, one being to populate heaven fully, another being to let mankind make its choices unimpeded. Again, this does not mean He doesn't care.

"Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire."

That's one way to look at it. Another is that we have been held hostage by Adam's choice, which we had no part in making. And while we in no way could ever earn heaven, that doesn't mean we deserve hell, just that without Christ we're captive to sin and headed there anyway.

According to this, if this girl had died not knowing God's love since she had been raised in the hand's of her monstrous father, would she go to hell? Does she deserve Hell? Would God show mercy onto her if she did not ever get to read a Bible as she was raised in captivity and sodomised by her father all through her life?

The NT teaches that God looks on the heart, not superficials, and takes sincere lack of knowledge into consideration when He judges.

 

[pdudgeon]

Hey everyone,

I was baptised on Easter Sunday and it was a wonderful ceremony! I was born-again and was spirit filled before the water baptism so I know Christ has his hand on me, but I think the enemy has started placing stumbling blocks into my mind. I need some Christian guidance.

I came across this post today which has made me doubt the love of my Savior. I know he is real because he saved me from mental illness and homosexuality but this following post on Facebook has scared me...

first of all you're looking in the wrong place. Facebook is not the place to get support or information on Christian beliefs.

Secondly it's not unusual to be spiritually attacked by satan and filled with doubts after you've committed your life to Christ. What you need is to seek out Christian resources (and especially your church) to build you up in the faith so that you can withstand these attacks, and come back with confident answers from the Bible to demolish the attacks.

"I heard recently about a happening that is probably old news, but it's new to me, and it raises some questions. A girl at the age of 12 or so, was held captive by a brutal man who kept her locked up in his basement...little more than a modern day dungeon essentially. Not only did he control when she ate, drank, etc...he also raped and sodomized her multiple times daily. This lasted for 24 years, until his capture, which was purely accidental, and at the age of 73, he was sentenced to life in prison. Here is my question. Can you imagine what her prayers must have been like? Can you imagine how she pleaded with God to help her, to save her, even if it meant death? Yet for 24 years, this supposed loving, caring God, watched from heaven with arms folded, with complete indifference, and did nothing. Her life is ruined. I can only imagine what her dreams, her nightmares must be like, living in a constant state of fear. I hear so many call God, "Father." If your earthly father knew that you were experiencing this travesty, and has the power to stop it at any moment, but chose not to. Would you still call him Daddy? Would you still curl up next to him and feel safe? Or would you run as far away as you could? How can one say that this, is a loving God?"

this is almost surely a 'plant', and not true.
there are too many familiar canned arguments against God in here for it not to have originated from an atheistic site. All of those arguments are designed to cast doubt on the character of God, which is one of satan's primary tactics when assaulting a Christian. It's as old as the conversation between satan and eve in the book of Genesis.

I then started searching Google for why God would let this happen to a vulnerable child all the way through to adulthood and came across this from Gotquestions.com

again a wrong tactic.
your first source should be the bible. Don't rely on the same information sources that you used to use before your baptism. Just because you have been changed, that you have been baptized in Christ, doesn't mean that those sources have also changed.

"Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire."

The problem with this quote is that it assumes that no one on the planet has ever been baptized and has taken on Christ. Christ changes everything! Yes, God is just, but God is also Love.

According to this, if this girl had died not knowing God's love since she had been raised in the hand's of her monstrous father, would she go to hell? Does she deserve Hell? Would God show mercy onto her if she did not ever get to read a Bible as she was raised in captivity and sodomized by her father all through her life?

the most important thing here is that God knows what has happened. The second thing is that it ended, and that she is still alive. The third important thing is that God is in the business of redeeming lives, and He does it every day. He is fully capable of restoring her body and soul, and of repairing the physical and mental damage that was done to her.

I would suggest that you read the book of Job in the bible and see for yourself how God restores what has been taken away.

What God has done in my life cannot be put into words, he is amazing, but at the same time I fear for all those who do not know Jesus even if they appear to be moral people. My mother, father and sister for instance, they don't know Jesus Christ so I fear for them as well!

Please can someone help me understand my question?

but now that you do know God you can pray for your family, and you can also witness to them of your new life. They will be able to see Christ and His influence in you, and there is no more powerful and authentic witness than that.

Congratulations and best wishes to you.

 

[bottledwater]

Hey everyone,

I was baptised on Easter Sunday and it was a wonderful ceremony! I was born-again and was spirit filled before the water baptism so I know Christ has his hand on me, but I think the enemy has started placing stumbling blocks into my mind. I need some Christian guidance.

I came across this post today which has made me doubt the love of my Savior. I know he is real because he saved me from mental illness and homosexuality but this following post on Facebook has scared me...

"I heard recently about a happening that is probably old news, but it's new to me, and it raises some questions. A girl at the age of 12 or so, was held captive by a brutal man who kept her locked up in his basement...little more than a modern day dungeon essentially. Not only did he control when she ate, drank, etc...he also raped and sodomized her multiple times daily. This lasted for 24 years, until his capture, which was purely accidental, and at the age of 73, he was sentenced to life in prison. Here is my question. Can you imagine what her prayers must have been like? Can you imagine how she pleaded with God to help her, to save her, even if it meant death? Yet for 24 years, this supposed loving, caring God, watched from heaven with arms folded, with complete indifference, and did nothing. Her life is ruined. I can only imagine what her dreams, her nightmares must be like, living in a constant state of fear. I hear so many call God, "Father." If your earthly father knew that you were experiencing this travesty, and has the power to stop it at any moment, but chose not to. Would you still call him Daddy? Would you still curl up next to him and feel safe? Or would you run as far away as you could? How can one say that this, is a loving God?"

I then started searching Google for why God would let this happen to a vulnerable child all the way through to adulthood and came across this from Gotquestions.com

"Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire."

According to this, if this girl had died not knowing God's love since she had been raised in the hand's of her monstrous father, would she go to hell? Does she deserve Hell? Would God show mercy onto her if she did not ever get to read a Bible as she was raised in captivity and sodomised by her father all through her life?

What God has done in my life cannot be put into words, he is amazing, but at the same time I fear for all those who do not know Jesus even if they appear to be moral people. My mother, father and sister for instance, they don't know Jesus Christ so I fear for them as well!

Please can someone help me understand my question?

Well, to start you cannot equate God the Creator to our earthly fathers that are created. They are no more than dust, just like our self. God is so much higher than us that we cannot even conceive Him. So what you are asking us to do is wicked.
Look, you seem to have an axe to grind when it comes to how God deals with things in this world. That is between you and Him. Don't try and drag others into the hole that you are digging for yourself.
You are becoming a snare and you either don't know it, or don't care.
But, telling us to compare God the Creator, to a created man, our fathers, well that is bringing God down and making Him in the image of man.
Not to mention that you are implying that we can know the mind of God.
You are a mere breath or two, and then you will be dust again. I think that I will trust in God, with the realization that I cannot possibly understand His ways.
There is no way that anyone can know why God let that happen. I have a hunch that her horrific ordeal was the by-product of sin. How is God the bad guy for letting her, or anybody for that fact, suffer because of the sins of man.
I find it pathetic that people will live how ever they like with no regard for God's righteous laws. Then when there are repercussions, they line up to point their fingers at God. Is it not enough that He put on skin and came into the world as a man, and then dies for our sins. Do we still need to persecute Him some more.
You can turn from God, but that would reveal your true colors, because the saved man can never turn away from their God.
I know that I certainly do not question God's love, or mercy, or His righteousness, and certainly not any sovereign decision that God makes.
You need to look beyond the sufferings of this life, and focus on the glory that the Lord has prepared for His bride.
Paul has told us to keep our eyes on the finish line, The goal. So stop looking to get your back up against the Most High, because I promise that you cannot win.
If you are a christian, then maybe ask yourself why you are trying to turn others against the One that showed you undeserved mercy. When you deserve wrath, just like the rest of us.

 

[ezeric]

Its the same argument I 've heard over the years and even challenged a local newspaper reporter that was questioning the integrity of GOD with the poor people starving in the world on a daily basis.

But GOD who loves unconditionally will not be mocked.

HE created this world with more than enough food, but we Westerner's don't share well.
HE created this world with super abundance everywhere (like water, stars and sand and leaves etc..)
There is actually an abundance in the world (even financially) but we choose to believe its otherwise, but that is for another topic and time.

There is tons of love and grace that HE continually pours out, but man has developed religion which suffocates believers and lets love grow cold.

What if the problem wasn't either the girl or the perverted man but rather those around these 2 never showed the love and protection that would have loosened the chains they both found themselves in? Thank GOD that she was found, we rejoice at everything good.

and don't ever doubt the power of forgiveness and grace which always triumphs over judgement and sin…and have full confidence in a love that never fails (even if you can't see it).

Lastly, you and I were not there. We think in our internet lives of instant information that we have the complete story, but we do not. We really don't know much, if we think about it.

So don't doubt for a second the power of the SPIRIT who changed you in ways that nobody could do, and gave you such a sweet peace (shalom) and joy that you can't even explain it. (the bible calls that 'joy that is unspeakable', see 1 Peter 1:8).

Hold unto your testimony and that peace that is beyond understanding.

-eric

 

[built on the rock]

Well, to start you cannot equate God the Creator to our earthly fathers that are created. They are no more than dust, just like our self. God is so much higher than us that we cannot even conceive Him. So what you are asking us to do is wicked.
Look, you seem to have an axe to grind when it comes to how God deals with things in this world. That is between you and Him. Don't try and drag others into the hole that you are digging for yourself.
You are becoming a snare and you either don't know it, or don't care.
But, telling us to compare God the Creator, to a created man, our fathers, well that is bringing God down and making Him in the image of man.
Not to mention that you are implying that we can know the mind of God.
You are a mere breath or two, and then you will be dust again. I think that I will trust in God, with the realization that I cannot possibly understand His ways.
There is no way that anyone can know why God let that happen. I have a hunch that her horrific ordeal was the by-product of sin. How is God the bad guy for letting her, or anybody for that fact, suffer because of the sins of man.
I find it pathetic that people will live how ever they like with no regard for God's righteous laws. Then when there are repercussions, they line up to point their fingers at God. Is it not enough that He put on skin and came into the world as a man, and then dies for our sins. Do we still need to persecute Him some more.
You can turn from God, but that would reveal your true colors, because the saved man can never turn away from their God.
I know that I certainly do not question God's love, or mercy, or His righteousness, and certainly not any sovereign decision that God makes.
You need to look beyond the sufferings of this life, and focus on the glory that the Lord has prepared for His bride.
Paul has told us to keep our eyes on the finish line, The goal. So stop looking to get your back up against the Most High, because I promise that you cannot win.
If you are a christian, then maybe ask yourself why you are trying to turn others against the One that showed you undeserved mercy. When you deserve wrath, just like the rest of us.

Bottled Water,

Please forgive me I did not mean to or intentionally tear down someone’s faith! All I was asking for was some encouragement and sound Christian advice, I did not seek to plant doubt in anyone’s mind that is the last thing I would want! I cannot deny God’s amazing healing attributes but like I already stated I was only baptised on Easter Sunday so I’m very young in my walk with Christ! I’ve been a Christian for less than a year.

I was merely enquiring about someone else’s post on a Christian Group on Facebook, it was not even my post and I certainly do not have an axe to grind with God.

My fellowship had told me that the enemy will seek to attack you the week or two after giving your life to God.

I have had my questions answered though, I have asked for forgiveness of my doubt and have rebuked the plants of Satan. I trust in God alone.

I'm so sorry if I offended you and I'm sorry if I made you stumble in anyway, I only wanted an answer from an experience Christian so I could reply to this Facebook post with the truth and I didn't want to give false information

 

[parsley]

It is still an extremely valid question. I think our answer lies in trying to be more alert to each others' needs.

If we see abuse, do we walk away or try to help the abused? One might wonder if the girl's prayers led all sorts of neighbors to have a funny hunch that they should check on things; but squelched hunches because didn't want to look silly or suspicious.

I am not saying it's all in people's hands, or all in the girl's hands, or God's. We need to be better at standing up against wrongs in our society.

My first thought is all parents we've seen shopping with their kids and screaming at them. It is not our business to intrude, but we could say a prayer, or see if anyone needs help. Offer to run down the aisle to get the missing item. Show people that there are alternatives to treating their kids poorly.

 

[NewUser777]

What would you say to this person? This was on a Christian Group page on Facebook

Such and such happened, so therefore God is horrible!

I've heard that argument a thousand times before. If you remain a Christian for very long, you will too.

It's a statement made by people who have no idea who God is, or what is going on on Earth.

A lot of what goes on ... we don't know why it happens. We don't know the end from the beginning or the beginning from the end. Some things just happen. We have to live with it.

We live in a degenerate world. We will all have something bad happen to us at some point in our lives, but how will we react afterward? Are we supposed to throw our hands up and say oh well, God hates me? It's very easy to do. I've done that myself a few times. Later, I repented and came back to the Lord. You want to know why? The Holy Spirit has a hold on me. I can't get away. Through God's strength alone I have remained a Christian.

My advice to you is to stay away from such arguments, which have no clear answer. Stay in an area where God's love can reach you and you have communion with other Christians.

Bad things like you describe happen every single day on this planet. Your job is to have faith in God. Look to your own life and don't try to figure out why things happen to other people.

 

[Mister_Al]

Remember this the next time you read something like that:

Who is there in the whole world that is so righteous that he can judge God?

Alan

 

[built on the rock]

Thanks fellow brothers and sisters! You've been so encouraging and I realised I was being seriously silly and OTT

Blessings abound

 

[parsley]

It's a question everyone has to ask.

Joseph had to wonder why his own brothers stole the shirt off his back, threw him in a pit, and sold him into slavery, and then told his father he was mauled by wild animals.

What people did to him was confusing, oppressive, and certainly not right. But things turned out better than expected, with God's help. Not immediate delivery, but eventually more than a shepherd boy would have expected.

There's nothing good about being held against your will and abused for many years.


http://www.studylight.org/desk/inte...1=genesis+37&ot=bhs&nt=wh&s=0&t3=str_nas&ns=0http://www.studylight.org/desk/inte...ar&q1=joseph&ot=bhs&nt=wh&s=0&t3=str_nas&ns=0