One who is lost and needs help

[DevanB]

So I was a christian and i felt no difference like i never "heard" him. so i strayed away and then i rededicated and once again the same feeling of hopelessness and i started cutting and thinking of suicide(but that is the past) I just moved and I went on my first youth trip with my new youth group(broom-hockey trip) and on the ride there I rode with people i didn't know(i only know the pastor's daughter because of band) and on the way there crystal(the driver of the car) asked us all to share our testomonies. I told her i had been a christian but i had strayed away because no prayer nor anything else helped. She then replied "Well it makes me sad to know that if i wreck tonight that I will not see you in heaven" she then said right after that you do know that you are going to hell don't you and i replied "It doesn't really bother me" and from that point on i haven't slept good(3 days) and its been bothering me to death. Then at school one day one of the seniors told me that she enjoyed me going with them and that i should come to wednesday night church. So now im on a quest to try to get to know him again but i don't know if he is talking to me or not and i don't know (this may sound weird) but how to pray. The bible dosen't appeal to me except revelations because it tells of the end of the earth. Im trying but its not working. Help

 

[Deb7777]

So I was a christian and i felt no difference like i never "heard" him. so i strayed away and then i rededicated and once again the same feeling of hopelessness and i started cutting and thinking of suicide(but that is the past) I just moved and I went on my first youth trip with my new youth group(broom-hockey trip) and on the ride there I rode with people i didn't know(i only know the pastor's daughter because of band) and on the way there crystal(the driver of the car) asked us all to share our testomonies. I told her i had been a christian but i had strayed away because no prayer nor anything else helped. She then replied "Well it makes me sad to know that if i wreck tonight that I will not see you in heaven" she then said right after that you do know that you are going to hell don't you and i replied "It doesn't really bother me" and from that point on i haven't slept good(3 days) and its been bothering me to death. Then at school one day one of the seniors told me that she enjoyed me going with them and that i should come to wednesday night church. So now im on a quest to try to get to know him again but i don't know if he is talking to me or not and i don't know (this may sound weird) but how to pray. The bible dosen't appeal to me except revelations because it tells of the end of the earth. Im trying but its not working. Help

Hi Devan, Welcome! I'm glad to hear you're in a youth group, it helps to be surrounded by those who love the Lord. Sometimes the Lord's ways are mysterious but without a doubt he loves you greatly and wants the best for you. He gives us his teachings to lead us on right paths. His teachings will always bring out the best of people and that itself is a great blessing. The life of a Christian blesses us with a generous heart, a loving heart, a thankful heart if we put Jesus words to action in our life. So , we are blessed in this life and saved by Jesus to be able to come into his kingdom at the end of our life. I am of a faith group not to take that for granted but to try to always live as Jesus would have us to and to ask for forgiveness if we fail. The Lord will always be there for you with his love and help. The Lord never stopped loving you, have no fear of him having shunning you, he just waits for you to accept him as your Lord and Savior and try to follow him in your daily walk. You really need to keep your eyes on Jesus to see past alot of the darkness in this world and the snares that enslave people with falsehood, especially in the area of morality. Just talk to Jesus as your friend for he calls us his friends who follow him. Everybody works on their relationship with the Lord by inviting him in at all times and sharing everything with him. Best wishes for you as you get to know the Lord more and more. God bless.

 

[BBgrey]

I'm so glad you decided to give this another try! While pursuing God is no easy road, it is a great adventure full of the most wonderful surprises -- you'll see what I mean.

Concerning prayer.... don't worry about saying the "right" words when you talk to God. God knows you are still learning to speak with him. Do good parents ridicule or criticize their toddlers as they awkwardly form their first sentences? No. They are overjoyed that their child is finally able to put words together. In the same way, God is overjoyed to hear you speaking to him (no matter how clumsy you think your prayers are). He loves you, and he loves it that you want to talk to him at all.

You mentioned that you have a hard time with the Bible. A lot of Christians do. I would suggest not starting at the beginning. You could start with the book of Mark (probably the simplest version of Jesus' life), the book of Proverbs (basically a book of really wise advice), or the book of 1 John (a very short book about God's love and our sin).

Another thing you could try would be to get "The Message" (a paraphrased version of the Bible). I know a lot of young Christians who had a hard time with the Bible but really liked reading this book.

One last idea would be to get in a study group. Study a particular passage during the week, try to figure it out on your own, and then get together to talk about what everybody learned from it and how the passage has an impact on your life.

Hope some of my advice helps. Trust me. I know that trying to chase after God can be a frustrating pursuitsometimes, but if you persevere, you'll find even more than what you've been searching for. It's great. I'm still chasing him -- its my whole life now, and my life rocks.

BBgrey

 

[hlaltimus]

Hi Devan, By way of illustration; Suppose that you were on a desert island which you have only recently discovered was sinking into the ocean, but which island also had a usable ship although you hadn't the slightest idea of how to use that ship? This is more than just a concocted story as we are all in that same perdictament now in this present world. OK...What problem are you going to concentrate on first; The sinking of the island or the Instructions of how to use the boat? I would start studying the operator's manual and in our case that is the Holy Bible. You really have no alternative but to notice the world around you, but you do have a choice as to whether you will let your troublesome environment dominate your entire thinking so as to deprive you of a real and effectual solution to your problems. You, the God of the Bible and the Bible of God can do it, but you must apply yourself in order to receive benefit from those assets. Convert your potential hope into a living and real hope by reading, believing and especially obeying that book and then just stand back and watch the fruit appear to reward your diligence.

 

[AndrewinIdaho]

Hi Devan,

You say you havent slept well since you heard what Crystal (right person correct?) said you wouldnt go to heaven, I think that right there shows you that God is talking with you. As for what Crystal (?) said it actually refers to a much debated passage in the NT let us take a look at it.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightend, who have tasted in the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the comming age, if they fall way, to be brought back to repentance because to their loos they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to piblic disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

now we dont know if the writer was refering to people who never were really Christians or not, but when we look at some of the NT passages that show how you can never lose your salvation.

"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12 quoting Jer31:31-34)

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and belives him who has sent me has eternal life and will not be comdemed; he has corssed over from death to life" (John 5:24)

"All that the Father gives me I will never drive away" (John 6:37)

I would say that if you truly accepted Christ into your heart one your in pretty good shape and that Jesus wont drive you away, but I urge you to seek a deeper relationship with him.

Please note that He will test your faith but those you can walk through Hell on Earth and keep there eyes on Him will be blessed, a good part of the Bible to read when you are worried are the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven,
Blessed are those who mourn
for they will be comforted
Blessed are the meek
for they shall inherit the world
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
for they will be filled
Blessed are the merciful
for the will be shown mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God
Blessed are the peacemakers
for they will be called sons of God.

and remember just becuase He doesnt awnser your prayers doesnt mean He isnt listening, it might be His greatest gift to you aside from his amazing Grace.

 

[AnarKiss]

...She then replied "Well it makes me sad to know that if i wreck tonight that I will not see you in heaven" she then said right after that you do know that you are going to hell don't you and i replied "It doesn't really bother me" and from that point on i haven't slept good(3 days) and its been bothering me to death... So now im on a quest to try to get to know him again but i don't know if he is talking to me or not and i don't know (this may sound weird) but how to pray. The bible dosen't appeal to me except revelations because it tells of the end of the earth. Im trying but its not working. Help

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear the readiness of the youth group girl to condemn you to hell. This sort of guilt-tripping has nothing to do with a God of love, and it is sad to hear such threats still being spread. A fear-fuelled faith is not faith at all.

My best wishes for you as you journey into God. You sound like someone who is willing to be honest to yourself and God. Don't accept doctrine or dogma as containing God, but use them to explore the Mystery of God. God has been the ultimate search of humankind for millenia - a search without completion, or guarantees of happiness.

If you like reading, here are a few books you could check out. Philip Yancey's "Soul Survivor: How my faith survived the church", John Shelby Spong "A New Christianity for a New World", Marcus Borg "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time", Gandhi's "My Experiments with Truth".

Go well!

 

[bethdinsmore]

I believe we are saved once we make the decision to rely upon Christ alone to pay for all our sins and to get us to Heaven one day, without relying at all on our own good works or promises.

And you posted under non-Christian yet said you had been a Christian in the past. I definitely agree with AndrewinIdaho that we cannot lose our salvation. I'd like to add an explanation to a verse he posted. Here's what he said:
QUOTE:
... As for what Crystal (?) said it actually refers to a much debated passage in the NT let us take a look at it.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightend, who have tasted in the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the comming age, if they fall way, to be brought back to repentance because to their loos they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to piblic disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6) END QUOTE

The above verse does not say we lose our salvation. If so, it would have said "to be brought back to salvation". But it says "to be brought back to repentance." Repentance in this context simply means "a change of mind" or "reversal of decision".

From Strong's definition in the Interlinear Bible:
3341 metanoia (met-an'-oy-ah);
from 3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another's] decision):
KJV-- repentance.

And here are some more verses that show we can't lose our salvation:

Rom 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(NIV)
Rom 11:29
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
(NIV)

John 10:28-29
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (NIV) (no one means any person - we can't even take ourselves out of God's hand)

If you see verses that seem to contradict these, just see which cannot be taken more than one way, as God never contradicts Himself.

Aloha in Jesus, friend

 

[Phospho]

Hey Devon, God does not always speak to us in a way that we "know that we know that we know" that it was Him speaking to us. Sometimes He speaks to us and we think that it just came from us...

But He is always listening as long as we have come to Him and have given our lives to Him.

this is not a forum for debating whether or not one can walk away from their salvation, but it is a possibility. We put ourselves in God's hands, and we can take ourselves out of His hands...the good news is that we can always put ourselves back into His hands again.

Until we put ourselves in God's hands the only prayer He hears from us is the prayer asking for salvation...after that, He listens to everything you say when you talk to Him. Sometimes He doesn't answer you by way of word, sometimes He answers by way of feelings.

Blessings!