Just plain confused..

[cannot find name]

I have believed that Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven, for a long long time. Yet, it seems to me that has never been enough. Just knowing that doesn't feel like enough.

Recently - and I don't remember the exact moment this happened - I got a "revelation". It almost stated to me that I should "Quit everything - or perish. Become more in the Holy Spirit, forget about your material possessions."

First of all, I have a hard time letting go of things. I often reminise about the past. However, I came across another thing - "Why ponder things from the past when you are totally "new" right now??!!"

I see all the "video game magazines" that I made with my brother, and comics that he and I made - it seems like that isn't the work of God! Should I burn those things? But they are my memories! Yet, they are also memories of an old self. Then again, what if it isn't totally bad?

I have leaned more towards the Holy Spirit. But somehow, I feel like I'm missing out on things. What I'm confused about is - does God want us to get rid of all of our material things? What if we don't lust after them (not putting those things ahead of Him?) That is still endangering our spiritual side, though, by still letting things through.

I know that I have to decide either good or bad, but then I ask myself - if I'm supposed to be in the spirit, then why do people say - experience life (still obeying the Word), God wants you to live!?

Since I have felt more spirit-driven, I am beginning to ask questions.

Do I feel bad when other people make fun of me, because they don't like what I've done, or should I feel bad that people make fun of me because I have the Holy Spirit within me?

Do I want to go to Heaven to stay away from the Physical torture (well, there may be more pain with longing for God) in Hell, or do I want to go to Heaven just to be with God?

I also came across a "revelation" about marriage. It seems like I have been focused too much on wanting an attractive girl, instead of a spiritual girl. I do want an attractive girl (at least someone who is attractive to me), but it should be based more on spirituality. No?

God commands husbands and wives to love each other. If I am spiritually minded in Christ, then I'm not going to love my future wife because I want to - but because God commands me to.

But see, that's where I am confused? I have prayed a lot about this subject recently, and I hope God will reveal some things through the posts on all of these message boards within this site.

Yet, where does God draw the line between material and spiritual matters? Are we to become just "brainwashed" (Maybe that's not the best word to use) in the spirit and ignore everything, and go to church everyday? But what about associating with everyday people like Christ did? Then again, if we do that - we are just exposing ourselves to Satanic attacks!

That's another reason why I am confused, because it seems like there are a lot of verses on staying away from material things, and focusing on the Holy Spirit.

 

[Kakadu]

wow man, thats some radical thick stuff....I LOVE IT!!!!!!
i am encouraged by your trials my brother, you keep the faith. let me share with you a piece of my testimony, and if you have aim, your more then welcome to click my little buddy icon and send me a message, i would enjoy chatting about Jesus with you.
i am 22, and i became a Christian when i was 21, i lived a great deal of sin in my life, i was a hard core athiest, wore all black every day, had my room painted black, wore steel toed boots, got the sculls and stuff on the walls. i even took a model of a scull, made it, and melted a candle on the top of it. really really morbid stuff. i also listened to some really heavy music, really mean too. anyway, let me cut to the chase. i had 300 cd's all secular, and i sacrificed them all to the Lord, it was like in Acts when all those guys burned there scrolls man, it was awesome. anyway,when i did it, i was wondering what in the world was i thinking, this was the stuff i listened to and loved. and there wasn't any 'heavy' Christian music.
Phil 4:8 kept me strong man, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things."
and i also went home and cleared out all my dark stuff so to say. just threw it all away. i knew i had to.
but Jesus will take that void you just made, and He will fill it with something godly, i swear it to you. i found some awesome heavy Christian music, that is praiseworthy. and i can head bang and priase God at the same time.
anyway, by no means am i saying that you should take drastic messures like i did, all i know is that i knew there were 2 things in my heart, the world, and the Holy Spirit. and i needed to downsize one. can it been 100% i would like to say yes, but for me, i can't yet. but i think thats on of the points of life...
where was i going...oh ya, but man, if all that stuff on the old you causes you to stumble or want to recap that stuff, i say fire it up baby! you don't want to worship any other idols...another example, i was HOOKED on video games, never would admit it though, finnaly it took my own filthy flesh to show it to me. i got so bad, that i actually flipped out on my Brother in Christ, cause i was playing a game and he wanted me to go out and hang out with him. im sad that it had to get to that point to see it. but i deleted all my game from my comp. FIRE IT UP, the games were taking a big spot in my life, and i say, if what you are doing is not Glorifying God, then i would ask you, why are you doing it?
im trying to see if i get all your topics here, about the warfare....we aren't Christians to be in a little happy Holy huddle. oh no, GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND MAKE DECIPILES. Jesus told us Himself that we would be attacked, and that the world would hate us cause we love Him. and Paul talks a lot about how we should praise God when we suffer for Him, be it spiritually or emotionally, or physically.
OHOHOH, another great one, woman....
what a wonderful, yet dreadfull creation. read Pro 31:10-31, and see where it talks about what she looks like...
and 1Pet 3:3-5
"3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful"

about the heaven stuff, really tough, but for me, i started my life as a Christian cause i wanted to go to heave. but now i see that im a Christian, because i know how beautiful God is, and loving and how deserving He is of so much more then what i could ever give Him. and for that, i must praise Him to the best of my ability, because i owe it (and so much more) to Him.
let me know what you think
Keep the faith comrad! and walk in Truth

 

[cannot find name]

Thank you!

I have another question, though..

Being turned off to things of the world...It's scary - and it's fascinating at the same time...I, for one, love video games, but it's not controlling my life as much as it used to. I still love the old video game music from the Super Nintendo days.

I grew up on some of that music. Some of it brings a tear to my eye, and other songs make me want to dance!

On one hand, I want to "give up certain things of the world" and on the other I don't want to become like the people who go to church every single day, because, to me - that seems like overkill...But you can't praise God too much, right?

And the people who go to church every single day - are they the only ones who will be in Heaven? If so, what about the Believers who don't go every day? Will they go to Hell?

Yet, being saved is not based on how many times you go to church!

Okay...Then why do some "Christians" go every day? And for those that don't (not talking about the ones who have a busy nightly schedule), why aren't they in church every day?

You might say - well, some Christians have a bigger need for God than others. If that's true, then do the people who don't go to church every day (including people like me) don't seem to love God as much?

What about the Bible talking about getting "rid" of evil things - it's hard to do that these days! (Which is why I think we're near the "end", there's more stuff than ever to control our lives...)

If people don't go to church everyday - then are they not getting rid of evil things? Praising God is important!

In the end, I think it all comes down to God and what He wants to do - just because someone may say they are "spirit-filled", doesn't mean they are.

 

[Kakadu]

see i think you just talked your way into your own answer buddy...God doesn't have a big book making a tick for every time you go to Church...i think you need to do some soul searching and see what 'Church' really means to you...to me, Chruch is a congrigation, or assembely of God. im almost positive that in the book of Thes, when Paul writes to the 'church of thes', the actually traslation is the assembely of...so for me, its fellowship, thats where i go to see other Christians and practice my faith with other believers. also, Church is where i go for Bible studys and such...but you know what? i don't think 'Church' has to be in a Church. me and my buddies all use to get together and go to one guys house and read the Bible together and just talk about how awesome God is. and i really believe that, that was Church. in Matt, i forget exactly where, but it says where 2 or 3 are gathered in my Name, there I am in there midst.
Once again i will say it, if the things that you hold dear to you, are affecting your relationship with God, then cast them to the fire. and don't let yourself be so deceived and think that they aren't. because you are having all these problems with them for some reason. The Bible doesn't have a formula that is a exact to be a perfect Christian. thats what is so wonderfull, each one of us are unique in our own way, but to go the next level up, each one of us shares a special spot with God. He knows you personally and intamitly...
there is a song, im sure its a famous one, but i know it from a Third Day album...and he sings, 'Turn your eyes, upon Jesus, look full in His wonderfull face...and the things, of the world, with grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.'
the world has nothing to offer, only temporary things, now does that mean you can't enjoy the things of the world? by no means! God created those mountains so you can go climb them brother! but when you get to the top, look around you and think, how AWESOME is my God....

 

[Blessed-one]

i think you're misunderstanding the meaning of attending church. It rather looks like as if an atheist is standing there, saying, how christian are you? aren't you supposed to go to church? isn't that what christians do?

Kakadu did very well on explaining the meaning of going to church. ok, why do we have to go to church, and what does it mean for those who Don't attend church?

The bible encourages believers to come together (i.e fellowship, hence, church) because we as christians are not of this world. Consequently, we suffer from worldly attacks, that is, sin. In order to overcome this, we have to come closer to God and rely on Him. Coming together as believers in Christ has an advantage in that we can encourage and support each other, since no one outside would understand the sufferings we're going through, because they Don't believe in Christ. (thus, their values are different, and the way they see things is also different from us).

In church, we learn to share our things, our feelings, and we learn to serve each other. You can say, it's like setting up and running a nursury through to high school stage, a place to prepare christians. Prepare them for what? right, how can people know that you're christian? and how do we spread the gospel? by the way you live your life.

Some people don't go to church out of many reasons.... simply being lazy, working.. special reasons: disability, working on a ministry....

many people go to church, but what they hear on the sunday morning quickly leaks out of their brains the moment the sermon ends. Some find it a burden, and a ministry becomes a job.

I think it all comes down to your heart and your sincerity in knowing God. You can serve God and have a good relationship with Him by reaching out to those who have yet to hear the gospel, by simply showing your friends and family how your life has been changed in Christ. But sometimes this can be a bit hard to do if you did not have a good solid understanding in the biblical truth. The timing of realisation and action comes differently for everyone. A person can sit and listen every sunday for 10 years and suddenly come to believe in Christ for real and start changing his life...
and since God gifts us with different gifts, it is understandable why some people spend more time at church because the area they are working in (like children ministry for example) demands more time.

so there's no set formula.. if i went to church more, then i will be able to resist sin more easily, and i can know for sure (sounds more like grading oneself by worldly standard) that i love God 98%.

uh.. sorry if this all sounds a bit confusing.. i'll come back later to address some other issues.

 

[snowgirl]

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE VERSE BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER MEAN?

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE VERSE BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER MEAN?

It's not in the Bible.

 

[oneiric]

lol^

 

[cyberwing]

Dear Precious One (Cannot Find a Name)!
You are looking for affirmation from man. All men are sinful and fall short of the glory of God. ALL. Even the big famous preachers and the big men of God, we have seen some of them come falling down in a heap. What you must do is keep your eyes on Jesus. Read HIS Word and learn. Stop worrying about the small things and listen to HIM with your heart. Jesus may ask you to get rid of something or lots of things but read, meditate on His love and goodness, then let His Holy Spirit guide you. Jesus will not ask the same things of everyone! HE also will not ask you to give up everything at once unless you are strong enough to do that. EX. I've seen several folks that Jesus did not worry about them smoking. HE first worried about getting them saved and grown up a bit in HIM. Years later HE might ask them to quit smoking. Now people will harp at them and tell them to quit for Jesus and place guilt and condemnation on them for that. BUT I read in my Bible that is NOT our place. We are NOT to condemn our brothers and sisters. We are to lift them up and encourage them, gently admonish them if they are heading for trouble not CONDEMN.
Too many folks want you to go from beginning to end in one fell swoop! Jesus doesn't do that. HE lets us take a step at a time.
My point is precious lamb, stop listening to the condemnation of man!!! From the book of Job comes one of my favorite verses, "who is man that thou art mindful of him??" Wow, see? The Lord said it best!
There is therefore now NO condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus!
I'm not acceptable at the churches in my area, they don't like someone that believes in the Holy Spirit healing, speaking prophetically, etc. You know what? That's OKAY! I know God will use me anyway and HE does. When the locals made it plain I was not welcome, HE widened my ministry to include MANY more people!
So you stop taking condemnation on yourself and relax. Jesus came and fulfilled the law and SET US FREE. Just keep thanking Him for taking you one step deeper into the LIVING WATER!!!
~DJ