I am seeking the truth... Help me

[John Pearce]

Hi.

I have been an atheist for my entire life, but after the reading bible alot recently I am unssure if God exsists or if Jesus is the son of God. Please help me to come to the right conclusions! I want to belive but its hard.

Thanx.

John.

 

[Emmy]

Dear John,perhaps I can help you find the Truth by telling you how I found God to be who He is.I have been searching like you,I just could not believe that life was so without a purpose,so empty and meaningless.I started to pray and ask questions,and now I know that it was God who found the right Christians to help me. A real help was also,that so many,many men and women,quite intelligent to just simply trusting,believed that there is a God.The bible helped,a nearby church helped,and I just believed;seek and you shall find.Sincere greetings to you John and may the Lord guide you and keep you.Emmy a sister in Christ.

 

[caitlincares]

Welcome to CF
Hopefully you can get a lot of good answers from reading and communicating with others on the board.

 

[John Pearce]

Dear John,perhaps I can help you find the Truth by telling you how I found God to be who He is.I have been searching like you,I just could not believe that life was so without a purpose,so empty and meaningless.I started to pray and ask questions,and now I know that it was God who found the right Christians to help me. A real help was also,that so many,many men and women,quite intelligent to just simply trusting,believed that there is a God.The bible helped,a nearby church helped,and I just believed;seek and you shall find.Sincere greetings to you John and may the Lord guide you and keep you.Emmy a sister in Christ.

Thanks. That does help. Tonight I have been searching through a website I found linked from this one, and I am starting to have Faith. I just pray it doesnt falter. I only have 1 friend who is a Christain and he's moving away to University. I am not ready to talk to my parents about it becasue they are hardline athesiets, as I was, and I know few people that go to my local churches... Idid do aid work in Namibia last year. I met many poor black christians there. And I am going to Mexico next year and the baptist church are going to help me with sum money, maybe I can tlak to them then? I don't want my life to be another pointless waste. I want to be part of something special. Thankfully I'm blessed with the 2 best parents in the world, but something is missing. Out of curiousity, I am not a virgin, so would that change anything? How do you pray everyday and what about? Have you read the bible? By sheer luck I read and am reading the Gospel of John first, but apparantly thats the best one to start with. lol. Sorry for talking so much, but this is important.

 

[TJoelChris]

Thanks. That does help. Tonight I have been searching through a website I found linked from this one, and I am starting to have Faith. I just pray it doesnt falter. I only have 1 friend who is a Christain and he's moving away to University. I am not ready to talk to my parents about it becasue they are hardline athesiets, as I was, and I know few people that go to my local churches... Idid do aid work in Namibia last year. I met many poor black christians there. And I am going to Mexico next year and the baptist church are going to help me with sum money, maybe I can tlak to them then? I don't want my life to be another pointless waste. I want to be part of something special. Thankfully I'm blessed with the 2 best parents in the world, but something is missing. Out of curiousity, I am not a virgin, so would that change anything? How do you pray everyday and what about? Have you read the bible? By sheer luck I read and am reading the Gospel of John first, but apparantly thats the best one to start with. lol. Sorry for talking so much, but this is important.

Well, you're right, this is important. There's no greater decision. To answer some of your questions, when you pray, you talk to God about whats on your heart. If you need help, ask God; If you're feeling down, talk to God, and so on. It's great that you actually are reading the Bible. That's the first step. If you have more questions, send me a pm. May God bless you in your journey, and guide you to Himself.
Joel

 

[BT]

Sorry for talking so much, but this is important.

There is nothing more important John. The Gospel of John is one of my favorite books. I would suggest that you talk to the people at the Baptist church (not because I'm a Baptist..just because you know them). You should ask them what it means to be saved and most importantly why you need to be saved. The salvation that is offered is salvation from sin. Search for the truth. Read that Bible!!! If you have questions I'm more than willing to help you find the answers.

 

[LADY DI]

Welcome to CF!!!

Its a blessing to have you here!!!
I hope and pray you find the answers your looking for.

 

[Kilted Stranger]

Hey There! Welcome to CF! Happy Posting!

Keep praying and reading the Bible! Faith is Spelled R.I.S.K. u no!

God Bless <><

Kilted

 

[John Pearce]

Thanks all of you. You know, Christians are the nicest people in the world! I found this great website, don't know if any of you have been to it, but its really interesting! www .divineintervention. ws - It's worth a look! (My blessing count isnt high enough to post a link, soz!) I might PM some of you, I still have a few unanswered questions to ask...

Thanks again!

(I'm still gona look on this thread, so if anyone else has some more info/advice I'm happy to listen!)

 

[Night Rain]

Dear John,
Others advice is more than I can offer, but this is what I have to say to you, before you decide at last what is real and what isn't.
Being an atheist is nothing to be wary of, but also, the atheist point is extremely well made. The ideas of christian, or, rather any belief in which a entity is credited with the various events taken, it seems superfulous. Only you can decide you believe in the love of God and Jesus Christ, our holy saviour. John, only you can. I suggest you go to a church seminar, and see what you believe afterwards

 

[John Pearce]

OK, I will. I do believe that Jesus died on the cross for the things that he said he did, but is it all real? God, please help me... I want to embrace God and our Lord Jesus... I am slowly having more Faith, but it IS HARD.

 

[OracleX]

Welcome to CF John!

Reading the Word and prayer is number one. The more you seek out God, the more you will find Him.

God bless.

 

[Jeff.Krahn]

way to go john, proud to here that your willing to fight the good fight! I will be praying for you and I am certain that many others will be too!

 

[John Pearce]

way to go john, proud to here that your willing to fight the good fight! I will be praying for you and I am certain that many others will be too!

I appreciate that more than I can say. To think of other people in different places around the world praying for me is an honour! I will pray for u also, I will tell God how you people help me to find Him.

 

[Addaperle]

Welcome John! for you!

 

[Filia Mariae]

Welcome John!

 

[Ben johnson]

Hi, John! It is such a blessing and an honor to us to have you here!!!

I came from a "Scientific bent"; I could not believe God was "sittin' on a cloud somewhere"; so I had to have the idea of "extradimensional phsyics" explained to me --- IE, "where are Heaven and Hell". The best way to describe it, is "between"; in other words, if you're a Star Trek fan, "hyperspace" or "subspace"...

Paul says in Rom1:20, "God's invisible attributes, His divine nature and eternal power can be clearly seen through what He has made". Atheists as a rule believe in evolution; ever looked into the dynamics of that? There is a "barrier" called "irreducible complexity"; one single cell of your body functions as a HUGE CITY. There are MANY manufacturing areas inside, there is inventory, shipping and receiving, transportation, even gates with LOCKS and KEYS. There are secondary bodies called "mitochondrea" (said to have evolved SEPARATELY!) that do many functions, including provide power. How could such a machine have had all its parts put together by chance? How could DNA exist without a cell wall, how could a cell wall form without DNA to build it? Which came first, amino acids or polypeptides??? Case after case after case of "irreducible complexty" exists; one thing cannot exist without another, and the other cannot exist without the one. Irreducible both on the molecular level, and on the macroscopic level --- how can a bird develop hollow bones, air foiled wings, aerodymaic profile, steerable tail, all together? None of those things benefit until the beast actually FLIES. And FEATHERS --- they are TERRIBLY complex, the perfectly formed little barbs locking together air-tight just like a clothes zipper!!!

I also have never seen fossil evidence of "mutative advance between KINDS" --- there may be some variations to produce a few SPECIES, but evolving from one KIND to ANOTHER? It's not there.

OK --- if you struggled through all of that, what I am saying is that "it takes MORE faith to NOT believe in God, than it does to believe in Him. And "you don't hafta set your brain and intellect aside to beliee in Him".

If God created everything, then He is an excellent biological engineer, astrophysicist, chemical engineer, quantum physicist, etcetera...

If Christianity is real, it is real on all levels...

Which brings us to a QUESTION: Why Christianity rather than any other religion?

Because --- no other "religious founder" claimed to BE God (mainstream founders, anyway). Not Joseph Smith, not Mary Baker Eddy, not Mohammed, not Buddha. In a legal sense, we can prove that the Bible is an accurate recording of Jesus' words; if we were in COURT, we would have enough documentation to prove the Bible records His words. SO --- He claimed to be God.

1. He WAS God.
2. He was NOT God, and KNEW it; He was a flaming liar, died for a lie, and his apostles pulled the biggest con of all time, His resurrection.
3. He was NOT God, did not know it --- He was a deranged lunatic, His ministry came from an INSANE MAN, and His apostles pulled the biggest con of all time with His resurrection.

These three choices, asserted by author C. S. Lewis, are really our only choices...

There are two founational differences between RELIGION (all of them), and Christianity:

1. Religion says "Jesus isn't God
2. Religion says "the path to GOD or NIRVANAH or ETERNITY is through GOOD DEEDS"

Christianity says "it is NOT by deeds, but by FAITH (the deeds come as a consequence to faith)".

Religion: "You are what you do".
Christianity: "You do what you are"...

More in part 2; stay tuned, same channel, same time next week...

 

[Ben johnson]

Just teasing about the "NEXT WEEK" thing..

So --- you come to a point where you know there MUST be a God, there is physical evidence, there is the historical accuracy and legal credibility of the Bible; what do you do? What does it MEAN to be SAVED?

Salvation is NOT A BELIEF. It is not a doctrine, not a lifestyle, not a dogma; it is not a list of "do's and don'ts". What is it then?

Have you ever heard the term, "BORN AGAIN"? Of course you have; everyone has; but do you know what it MEANS? It seems to be important, Jesus said "unless you are born again you cannot see Heaven" (Jn3:3).

I recommend you read the book of John, then all of Romans; Romans explains much about Christianity. The idea of "Born Again" is in ch6; you see, John, when Adam sinned, he bequeathed to us his sinful and rebellious nature. And we are born inclined to sin. In Romans 6 it says "immersed in Jesus, united and buried and crucified in His death" --- our old sinful nature DIES; then it says "we are united in His resurrection also" --- we are "BORN AGAIN".

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old passes (is passing) away, behold all has become new". 2Cor5:17

Pragmatically, the "new creation" instantly has a problem; in Romans chapter 7, the "old-dead-sin-nature" is not GONE; and sometimes it seems ALIVE. We find a WAR inside between the OLD, and the NEW. Paul laments, "Oh wretched man that I am, who will SAVE me from this WAR within my members?"

The solution is in ch8; it presents a choice to (daily) walk in SIN (which is death), or "by the Spirit putting to death the things of the flesh, that you live".

Now --- the essence of salvation --- is Jesus IN YOU. The real, conscious, thinking, laughing and crying PERSON, actually INDWELLS the believer. "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the One who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Gal2:20 That's why it's FAR MORE than a "belief". It is "crucified to sin, raised with Him, and INDWELT by Jesus".

Salvation is also "indwelt by the Holy Spirit" --- immersed in the Spirit (Matt3:11), immersed in Jesus (Rom6:3); not "immersed by water", but "immersed in Him".

TRINITY --- no one really understands it, but Scripture says one God exists in three persons; separate distinct persons, but one Being in essence. The Father cannot become the Son, cannot become the Spirit, cannot become the Father; three persons, co-existing, one Being; that's about as much as we understand...

So --- the Spirit and the Son indwell the believer; salvation is, fully described, FELLOWSHIP with God. Please read 1Jn1:3, 6-7. Fellowship. Daily spending time with Him, delighting in His presence as He delights in yours...

To be saved is not simply to believe; it's praying something like:
Jesus, I believe in You; I understand the idea of salvation, of being BORN AGAIN, of inviting You into my heart. Come into my heart, Dear Jesus! I receive the sacrifice You made for me on that cross! Such pain and suffering I cannot understand --- but I know You did it for me, from LOVE; You died because it was the only way I could live. Dwell in me, work through me; take the broken and shattered pieces of my life and mix them with the water of life. Forsaking pride and arrogance, I humbly give myself to You --- completely and without reservation. I confess my sins to You, forgive me and cleanse me from all iniquity with Your blood. I know You are the Creator, You know what will make me truly happy; fill me with joy that I must sing, with happiness that I must overflow onto the world. I do not ask for a sorrow-free life --- this world is evil, there will be sorrows. I know there will also be persecution, and still death and disease. But I believe in You, Jesus, and I believe in FOREVER. Mold me and shape me as Thou wilt; take me, I am Yours. Forever.

Sweet, gentle, Holy Spirit --- indwell me also. Teach me how to love people, even my enemies --- knowing that _I_ have been forgiven, teach me to forgive them, or at least release them to YOU. Guide me in the paths of righteousness and the joy of not sinning. Walk with me, guide me, mature me in Christ.

Father-God --- never have I stood here before; but here I am. The veil has torn, the moment Jesus died --- and I am standing here in the HOLY OF HOLY PLACES! In Your very presence. I bow before You, I worship You; I was unclean and you could not bear my stench; but Jesus' blood has washed me WHITE AS SNOW; humbled and in awe I kneel before You; and my heart shall fairly burst with the joy of truly belonging to You! Be Thou my God, this day forth, now and FOREVER!

Oh God, three-in-one and one-in-three, indwell me, fill me, take my life and make it yours. I leave behind empty struggling, shallow materialism; eternity begins TODAY, God, and it begins with me. I am with You NOW, in my spirit, just as much as when I die; yet I shall NEVER die but LIVE FOREVER! Forever with You. I love you with all that I am, and I worship You in spirit and in truth; for You are worthy! Praise Your holy name forever!!!

Thank You for saving me, Jesus; walk with me from now on --- Your hand in mine. I belong to You now. Now, tomorrow, forever.

Salvation is FELLOWSHIP, John; communion between Creator and creature. Read the Bible, a thirst will awaken in your heart for it; read Matthew Mark Luke and John, through Revelation. It was written for common people like you and me; meant to be understood by us. Read 1Jn4-5, read it all!

Pray to Him! Structure your prayer:
1. Praise, worship --- God craves this, it's why we were made.
2. Repentance --- we know that He forgives those who repent. 1Jn1:9
3. Fellowship --- as we delignt in His presence, so He delights in ours; He really does!
4. Thanksgiving --- arguably all of sin comes from unthankfulness; grattitude is the foundation of humbleness, without which we cannot inherit Heaven (Matt18:3-4).
5. Intercession --- prayer moves God, and it focuses us off of SELF --- increasing our love for others.
6. Pettition --- how often prayer only begins and ends with this! He's not SANTA CLAUS, He's our DAD!!! He has promised to fill our needs; and He will meet our desires. The secret to Psalm 37:4 ("Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart"), is that if you are delightin in Him, then your desires will be HIS.

And that, Sir John, is really all there is to salvation; it is fellowship with Him, indwelling our hearts, guiding and maturing us. The deeds we do, are but HIM doing them THROUGH us (see Philippians 2:12-13); so we are not saved by deeds, but He prepared good deeds beforehand for us to walk in (Eph2:8-10).

God bless you and keep you, John; and use you to set the world on fire for Him.

Beginning, we pray, with your parents. But don't PRESSURE them, let love and your changed heart be their greatest witness...

 

[John Pearce]

Wow. Thankyou for writting such an indepth post for me! I hope that I can take everything in. Since I have opened my heart and literally asked Jesus to to come in, thngs have been getting better. I feel great, and I alwasy have this sort of, really nice feeling in my body... I don't know if u know what i mean? I will praise and worship God more. If He is the creator, and based on the facts u have given me, He is, He deserves our blessings. You will be in my prayers.

Adding to the proff o f God's exsistance, if the Big Bang did happen, how? I mean how was matter and energy created to begin with? Something mst have made it! And the only answer is God.

 

[John Pearce]

Just curious John, how did you arrive at the conclusion that "...the only answer is God."?

nemesis855

What else could it be? Giant, intergallactic spaceflies with magic powers?