I Just Don't Seem To Understand "God"?

[DaughterofEve]

 

[Ephesians4]

Father in Heaven, please be with GuitarHero. Give him wisdom and knowledge. Reveal Yourself to him. Show him Truth. Keep him close to You always. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

[vangelicmonk]

Has anyone sent Guitarhero a message to see how he is doing? Guitarhero I'd like to hear an update on you are dong. I am praying for you. I didn't want to send him a message if people have been checking in on him.

-Ted.

 

[Revelation1217]

If you want to start to understand Christianity, here is a great place to begin:

http://christianforums.com/t6757915...en-it-comes-to-christianity.html#post42856773

 

[jimtem]

I really don't know if there is a god, or what is right or wrong. I just though hope if there is a "god' or higher being I pray for a better understanding of his will, or in what way he'd want me to serve him. I would really like to know what's right or wrong, and what he wants. I'm just so unsure, lost, sad, lonely, and I need help. I'm uncertain about everything and it's just really hard for me to believe. Thanks for your support!

I feel your pain man. Please take a little comfort in knowing that even while you are lost you are not alone. I'm just like you. I'm lost and trying to either find faith or accept the alternative.

 

[ThankUJesus]

Don't worry, I prayed for you! =D
Everything will be fine now...just make the first step and read the bible to understand Him better to grow in His wisdom and knowledge. You will eventually see Him, but ONLY if you make this first step...he won't do it for you. This is a test of your own faith to see how much you really want Him in your life. If you choose to ignore these feelings, you really don't want Him, and you should not ask this question anymore, but if you truly long for Him (which it sounds like you do) than He will eventually deliver you into salvation and your soul will be saved...it just takes time, don't worry
God bless!
I'll keep you in my prayers. If you want to talk, u can always ask too!

 

[jimtem]

I have never thought of that,,,,,,,,,, It may be unbelievable but I have never thought about reading the bible. I have searched for God in ways in which I like to. I began by talking to people. I read around in books written by believers and by atheists. I read around on the Internet...... All this,,,,, they are all things I like to do. I have never read the bible because I didn't want to read such a boring, hard to understand book. If I have been tested,,,,, If God has been waiting for me to search for him in was that are not easy then so far I have failed. I don't have a bible. I read something about Solomon in a friends bible because he said it was a good place to start. I'm a smart guy and all but isn't the bible very difficult to read. Again, should I even seek a modern translation? Would I be avoiding a test then.

Can anyone tell me which bible I should buy to read. Should I read a bible that is rewritten to be extremely easy to read,,,,, would that negate the whole "test" part. But I don't want to be lost the whole time I read it.

By the way, the Solomon part was awesome! It is a basic truth and it is good to live by. It is true that there is nothing new under the sun and that all is vanity and striving for the wind.

 

[ThankUJesus]

Jimtem,
Get a New Believers Bible. They make these bibles for people like you. It is VERY easy to understand and there is no "thy thou" stuff in it . Even some hard to understand phrases and metaphors will be translated to make things easier.

God bless!

 

[wonderwoman]

I really don't know if there is a god, or what is right or wrong. I just though hope if there is a "god' or higher being I pray for a better understanding of his will, or in what way he'd want me to serve him. I would really like to know what's right or wrong, and what he wants. I'm just so unsure, lost, sad, lonely, and I need help. I'm uncertain about everything and it's just really hard for me to believe. Thanks for your support!

Though you may have intellectual doubts that there really is god, it sounds to me that there is a part of you that longs for god and longs for god to reveal himself to you. The fact that you recognize this desire tells me that he is drawing you to himself. I believe your desire (all of our desires) for god is indicative that there is an innate need for him. Why would we be hungry if there were no food to be gotten? Or rather, just as our physical bodies crave nourishment, so our spiritual "bodies" craves spiritual food. Jesus is a good cook and once you begin to taste his food, nothing else will satisfy you again. Here is a beautiful verse that i always have found comfort in.

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Thirsty

1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.



Guitarhero, you say you want to find out what god's will is.....his will, quite simply, is that you would say "yes" to his invitation to become his dear son.....His will is that you find rest and peace in him. His will is that you be found, not lost, that you be healed from your pain, that you be forgiven for your sins, that you be protected from evil and come to know his mercy and grace. He wants to adopt you as a son and make you his heir. His will is to bless you, not use you like a drone servant. He wants you because he loves you not because he wants to merely make use of you. We serve him because we love him and we love him because he first loved us. We serve him by serving others, by loving others as he's loves us, but you can't come to know him by simply doing "good works" and thereby earn his favor. He wants you now as you are: broken and doubtful and alienated from him. He wants to forgive, heal, restore and help you to become the person you were born to become. Coming to know him isn't a matter of memorizing a list of rules to follow and then your "in".....no, the fact is that christ paid the penalty of sin for us all and the gift of forgiveness and justification is granted freely to those who simply ask. It's free for the giving....no strings attached. This is why the gospel story is referred to as the good news....it is good news because the burden of attaining righteousness is removed from our shoulders and placed on those of christ jesus the son of god who was sent to this earth for that very purpose----to reunite mankind to god once and for all. It is because of what christ did that we can be justified to now approach the holy presence of god. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14)
Do you understand what this means? Do you understand what getting to God through christ means? Perhaps you already know about this...what the purpose of christ's death is.....i don't know, but if you don't and you want to know more or have questions, i will be happy and honored to explain it. Please feel free to pm me if you want to discuss this further. I will be praying that you may come to find what you are looking for and not stop until you do. St. Augustine once wrote: "our hearts are restless until it finds rest in god"
May your restlessness be stilled by the brilliant warmth of his loving heart.
Just open the door and let him come in.....he has been desiring to show you his love more than you could ever imagine. Don't take my word for it, but let him prove to you how trustworthy he really is.

 

[wonderwoman]

I have never thought of that,,,,,,,,,, It may be unbelievable but I have never thought about reading the bible. I have searched for God in ways in which I like to. I began by talking to people. I read around in books written by believers and by atheists. I read around on the Internet...... All this,,,,, they are all things I like to do. I have never read the bible because I didn't want to read such a boring, hard to understand book. If I have been tested,,,,, If God has been waiting for me to search for him in was that are not easy then so far I have failed. I don't have a bible. I read something about Solomon in a friends bible because he said it was a good place to start. I'm a smart guy and all but isn't the bible very difficult to read. Again, should I even seek a modern translation? Would I be avoiding a test then.

Can anyone tell me which bible I should buy to read. Should I read a bible that is rewritten to be extremely easy to read,,,,, would that negate the whole "test" part. But I don't want to be lost the whole time I read it.

By the way, the Solomon part was awesome! It is a basic truth and it is good to live by. It is true that there is nothing new under the sun and that all is vanity and striving for the wind.

i disagree with who ever put this idea in your head that you are being tested. God is not a God that is sitting around with a big red marker waiting to grade us with a pass or fail. Put that "test" idea out of your head. His nature is merciful, patient and loving not the tyrant who is just waiting for you to mess up or fail his test so he could turn around and say:"oh sorry, you missed your chance....you failed the test....i'm outta here"
He can't possibly be testing your faith if you haven't yet come to know him. He is calling out to you....he is attempting to reveal himself to you in big and small ways. God seems to be stirring your heart to search out for him and that tells me that he already has his foot in the door of your heart sort of speak. Keep following his voice where it leads. Also keep in mind that not everything people say is exactly correct just because they are christians....we are still human and have faulty thinking.
There are all kinds of things or ways that God uses to get our attention. He may use people, he may use a sermon, a book, a miraculous experience, a simple prayer or or may reveal himself and his truths through the bible. We as christians believe that the bible is the revelation of himself to humanity. I know that it may seem difficult to understand this book if you are reading an older translation like the ones that use words like "thees" and "thous".

Perhaps in order to make more sense of the bible, you first may need an introduction of what each book in the bible is. The bible is basically made up of 2 sections: The new testament and the old testament. Testament is another way of saying promise or covenant. The old promise and the new promise. The old promise is a compilation of books written by different jewish authors. These books are the stories of God's revelation to his chosen people who were the jews. In that revelation a promise was made that a messiah or a savior was to come from among them to save the world. When Jesus came, who was the promised messiah, the new testament was written. The old testament was written in Hebrew and aramaic. and the new testament was written in an old Greek language that is no longer spoken. I suggest that you begin reading the new testament before getting into the old testament...i think this way you wouldn't find it so boring. There are some books in the old testament that can be hard to get through. Anyway, the first book in the new testament is "matthew". The first 4 books of the new testament were written by Matthew, mark, luke and john. These 4 books are called the gospel books because they are written by 4 eyewitnesses of jesus's life. Matthew, mark and John were 3 of the 12 apostles and Luke was a disciple of jesus. They each are writing their account as they experienced it and each account is a little different because they are addressing different audiences so some things about jesus's life is more emphasized according to who they are addressing. These books were written after jesus's death and resurection, but all written by men who had first hand experiences with jesus. The fact that some of this stuff is boring is a good sign of truth to me...why? because it's a work of history and not fiction. It's not a flowery tale meant to entertain like myths do. This is one reason that makes the bible more credible to me....don't get me wrong....there are some beautiful things written and poetic uses of language etc....but it is primarily a work of history and revelation, not a mythic tale invented for entertainment purposes. In these pages, you will come to learn about the nature of man, the nature of god and understand who he really is and what he wants for our lives. The new testament also tells about how the early church started and how christ's message came to be known to the rest of the world outside the jewish community. One main guy responsible for bringing the message of christ to the non-jews (aka gentiles) is Apostle Paul. You can find out about his conversion story in the book of acts. Many of the books in the new testament were actually letters written by him to the churches he started through out that area. There are also other letters written by other apostles and disciples. Anyway, i hope this basic outline or explanation helps to clear up some confusion you may have in understanding what you are reading and why it was written.

Perhaps you found it confusing because you were probably reading an older translation called "the king james version" ....this version of english is no longer spoken and is from the time of shakespeare. This translation was done at that time and the people reading it had no problem understanding it. There are many modern versions you can find that will be a lot easier to understand. One version i can recommend is the NIV which is an abbreviation for the "new international version". An older version doesn't mean a more authentic version so don't think that difficulty is a factor here or a way god is "testing" you.

If you want to learn about God and jesus, then simply go to the source---the bible. This ancient book tells all about man searching for god and god showing himself to man.

Godspeed .....and may your journey bring you to the source of Truth and Love.
Please pm me if you have any confusion or questions about what you are reading. I'll do my best to answer.

 

[RyanLeeParis]

There is a God. God came before space, time, etc, and the physical world as you see it. We don't really know what God wants from it all, at least we don't know while we're in a physical form. To understand God and communicate with him, you'd have to be in the Spirit, at God's own level.

 

[jimtem]

Thanks WonderWoman. Another poster mentioned the faith test. I learned those basics in a college religion class. I have been reading the bible at bibleontheweb.com Its not boring or hard to understand. Thanks for your help.

 

[EileenDover]

Hi Jimtem.

I have to say, I feel as though I am in the same boat as you with this one.

I feel as though I have this inner turmoil going on inside me at times. I believe God exists, I believe he answers prayer and I also believe he can live in the hearts of his believers. But, there is something that is holding me back from opening myself up to him and I just wish I knew what it was : ( There are times when I crave that relationship with God so much. But I am still too afraid to take that leap of faith.

I grew up in the church, we weren't a sit around the table and pray kind of family and we never really discussed God at all, but still and all I did grow up with the knowledge that God exists. A large part of my fear is the worry that I will fail him. I already feel I have done that time and time again. In fact, I am sure I do it on a daily basis. And when you think about it, I probably do fail him dismally simply because I am not close with him. So how is that for logic, I am too afraid to open up to him for fear I will fail him, when I am already failing him because I don't open up to him.

Sometimes I wonder whether growing up in the church was an advantage or not. I got to see many, many christians. Those who were Sunday christians, those who were everyday christians with conditions and those who were genuine bonafide believers and followers of Christ all the time. The latter, unfortunately, were few and far between as far as I was concerned, although I did become very close with my youth leader and his wife as a result of their 100% dedication to God. Maybe I am too judgemental of other christians when the reason I am here is because I am nothing even remotely like those I criticise!! There's more logic for you. But it is the christians whose faith is so strong, those that I admire so much, they are the ones that I find myself yearning to have the relationship with God that they have. Perhaps I expect too much from myself? I don't think so though. I want that look they have in their eyes, the gentle nature they have, but most of all, I want the joy that comes from the belief and the unshakable faith that they have. Why can't I allow myself to be open to God so that I too can have that wonderful relationship with him?

That site you mentioned, bible on the web, is great. Thank you for posting that. Even though you posted it to let others know what you are reading, I have found it to be of some help.

I guess, in short, I know God exists, I know he listens, I know he watches and I know he knows my heart. So why do I allow myself to be tormented by my lack of courage at just letting him take over my life?

I don't know.

I sincerely hope Jimtem, that you find what it is you are looking for and I truly do hope you find eternal happiness.

 

[KatyAnne]

Yeah,

you know, I sometimes can't understand him either. I did something reather foolish the other day and I felt lead to open my bible and found this part in it, speaking about two men and a concubine. This guy invited them to stay there for the night. Then the people in the town came to his house and said "who are the strangers staying in your house, open the door so we can have sex with them". So they took the wormen that was with them and shoved her out the frunt door. She was raped repeatedly all through out the night. The next morning they found her laying at the threshhold of the door. She wouldn't wake up, so the guy that was with her, took her body and threw it over her donkey....he later cut her body into twelve peaces and barried her in different parts of the land.

I was just so shocked
you can't emagion...you might be thinking "why would you go to, and serve a God like this?"
I can't tell you, I'm not in my best mind right now.

God Bless,
Katy

 

[EternalSummer]

Those are things that human beings did, Katy, not God. They are recorded in the Bible, I believe anyway, in part in order to give us who live thousands of years later and in a completely different culture a glimpse of the standard mind-set of these people that God was up against when He undertook to bring them a revelation of Himself. Seeing how completely barbaric, violent, and confused they were can help us make sense of some of the ways God used to reach them which may look disturbing to our modern and far more civilized eyes. Many aspects of their culture back then were brutal and harsh, and the Bible records it all in its startling detail without glossing it over or trying to pretty it up. I think thats pretty bold and honest, right there.

 

[blueskye]

The world isn't always pretty or fair. The Bible just reflects that. Try reading it again, in the New Testament (nearer the back)this time!

 

[liftmeup]

I haven't read all this thread but I thought your post was lovely. We've all had major doubts and we always will have. It's part of our condition. What I like most is that you are only 17 and you're looking for the answers already. That's great! Remember also that age is a major time of confusion for everyone and things do sort themselves out with increasing age. Don't worry, keep asking "God", the "supreme being", "the divine", whatever you can conceive of, to reveal his will to you and he will. God loves a seeker. If you can, keep saying "Father, thy will be done". Fake it till you make it!

 

[bluwaterz]

Praying for you Guitarhero2 *smiles*

 

[RockofPeace]

I'm praying for you. And I can assure you, if you haven't found him already, there is a god, and he's a merciful god, a gracious god, and he wants you to know him. Seek for him, and you will find him. He's our god, the living god, the only god, and he wants you to know him.