questioning

[mandapanda445]

Hi-
So, here's the story. I was rasied agnostic and about a year and a half ago i dedicated my life to Jesus. But this year i just stopped believing. I feel like my whole christian life was a huge lie. I really don't know what I think anymore. I've been studying lots of different religions and tryingto find where I fit in, but I feel like I like and dislike parts of every religion! I just can't seem to find one to fit me. I would really like something to follow in my life, and I really would appreciate any advice on how you came to your religion or just some encouragement for while I'm learning. Also, my dad is Reform Jewish, and I've been feeling connected to that lately because he's gotten back into it. But I'm afraid to go to temple or anything becuase I'm scared that I'll automatically believe it like I did with Christianity. I'm just so confused! Any help and encouragement would be so appreciated. Thanks so very much!
-amanda

 

[bethdinsmore]

Hi-
So, here's the story. I was rasied agnostic and about a year and a half ago i dedicated my life to Jesus. But this year i just stopped believing. I feel like my whole christian life was a huge lie. I really don't know what I think anymore. I've been studying lots of different religions and tryingto find where I fit in, but I feel like I like and dislike parts of every religion! I just can't seem to find one to fit me. I would really like something to follow in my life, and I really would appreciate any advice on how you came to your religion or just some encouragement for while I'm learning. Also, my dad is Reform Jewish, and I've been feeling connected to that lately because he's gotten back into it. But I'm afraid to go to temple or anything becuase I'm scared that I'll automatically believe it like I did with Christianity. I'm just so confused! Any help and encouragement would be so appreciated. Thanks so very much!
-amanda

Hi manda - hope I can help unconfuse you . Your post reminded me of my testimony a lot, and I will post it in a bit, but first I want to clarify something according to my beliefs. I believe that a person becomes a Christian by trusting in Christ as their sinbearer, without any good works of their own. I do not believe that dedicating one's life has anything to do with becoming a Christian. This could be why you stopped believing and felt the life was a huge lie. At the end of my testimony I'll clarify that a bit.


Here's my testimony (from a previous post of mine), thought you might like hear about my search and where it led.

"I came to my beliefs not by a leap of faith but by the intellect. Here's how I arrived at the belief that the Bible is the absolute truth.

"I was raised in a liberal "Christian" church that taught there were mistakes in the Bible. I swallowed it whole, never asking them to show me the mistakes so I could check them out for myself. Instead, I became an atheist for about 12 years. Then I made the mistake of playing the Ouija Board, and became demon oppressed. I quickly realized the reality of the supernatural world. More than that, I would pray when the strange things would happen, and they would immediately stop for a time. That proved to me that there had to be a good supernatural being who had dominance over the evil.

As I was terrified, I started searching various religions to see where the truth was. The puzzle pieces finally fell into place when I read The Late Great Planet Earth, a book on Christian Evidences about Biblical prophecy. It showed that past prophecies had been fulfilled 100% of the time, and convinced me there had to be a God guiding the writing of the Bible.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." So that verse boils down to the famous question, "Is Jesus the Lord, a liar, or a lunatic?" The accuracy of the Scriptures convinced me that Jesus is who He says He is - the Lord. "In the Bible it says that the true God draws all people to Himself, and that the Holy Spirit convicts them of sin, righteousness, and judgment (in other words, of the need for a Savior).
There was a Gospel invitation in the book, and I accepted Christ as my sinbearer at that point.

I have been saved for 33 years now and it just gets better with time. The God of the Bible has never, ever let me down. He has changed me profoundly, and there have been many, many miracles, both small and large (but I am not using that as proof, as many religions have miracles, though they don't have the external proofs I have mentioned).

"I have come to realize that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. It is unique - we do not obtain Heaven by our own good works, contrary to the beliefs of all religions. Salvation is based on Christ's goodness, not our own. . We receive eternal life when we make the decision to trust in Christ alone to pay for all our sins on the cross, (past present and future), and trust in Him to take us to Heaven one day, without any good works of our own. (Rom. 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, I Peter 3:18, and John 3:16). The Bible says also that we cannot lose our salvation (see "gift" in Romans 6:23 and Romans 11:29 and also John 10:28-29 - we can't even take ourselves out of God's hand). The uniqueness of Christianity is that eternal life is a free gift, based on the decision of a person to trust in Christ as one’s sinbearer (without any good works of their own).


If you want to do more research, I recommend for starters:
www.rbc.org/questions/ for "Answers to Tough Questions" and click on the appropriate topic, and
www.rbc.org/ds/salvation.html and click on "Why we believe: Evidences for Christian Faith", for example."
End of previous post
Also, you mentioned the Jewish faith. If at some point you become convinced that Christianity alone has the way to salvation, you might like to check out Messianic Christian churches. I think that's how they are listed in the phone book. They are made up mostly of Jews who have come to Jesus, and their knowledge and worship can be very rich.

God bless you, friend. I'll pray for you. Aloha in Jesus.

 

[£amb]

Hi-
So, here's the story. I was rasied agnostic and about a year and a half ago i dedicated my life to Jesus. But this year i just stopped believing. I feel like my whole christian life was a huge lie. I really don't know what I think anymore. I've been studying lots of different religions and tryingto find where I fit in, but I feel like I like and dislike parts of every religion! I just can't seem to find one to fit me. I would really like something to follow in my life, and I really would appreciate any advice on how you came to your religion or just some encouragement for while I'm learning. Also, my dad is Reform Jewish, and I've been feeling connected to that lately because he's gotten back into it. But I'm afraid to go to temple or anything becuase I'm scared that I'll automatically believe it like I did with Christianity. I'm just so confused! Any help and encouragement would be so appreciated. Thanks so very much!
-amanda

I pray that you find you're way back to God. I'm not sure what you did as a christian or what was the thing that made you doubt. What was it that made you question your belief? What turned you off? You can't make christianity conform to your life-style. You have to conform to it by studying God's words, prayer and quiet time. I think people here may be able to help answer your questions and may be able to point you in a better direction.

 

[Marut]

Hi-
So, here's the story. I was rasied agnostic and about a year and a half ago i dedicated my life to Jesus. But this year i just stopped believing. I feel like my whole christian life was a huge lie. I really don't know what I think anymore. I've been studying lots of different religions and tryingto find where I fit in, but I feel like I like and dislike parts of every religion! I just can't seem to find one to fit me. I would really like something to follow in my life, and I really would appreciate any advice on how you came to your religion or just some encouragement for while I'm learning. Also, my dad is Reform Jewish, and I've been feeling connected to that lately because he's gotten back into it. But I'm afraid to go to temple or anything becuase I'm scared that I'll automatically believe it like I did with Christianity. I'm just so confused! Any help and encouragement would be so appreciated. Thanks so very much!
-amanda

Why not believe eclectically? Put different pieces of religion and philosophy together to make a whole that suits you and brings you happiness.

P.S. bethdinsmore, how did a Ouiji board make you demon oppressed?

 

[ALIgator]

I know it can be very hard not to doubt God, especially when you're constantly surrounded by people who you love and respect who follow a different religion, but I strongly encourage you to seriously consider putting your faith in Jesus. I don't know how good of a relationship you had with him, but he loves you so much more than you can imagine!!! If you're willing to take the time to get to know him, Jesus will be your best friend and the closer you get to him the harder it is to have doubts. I will pray for you and I hope things get a little easier for you!

 

[Alecto]

Im also curious about the Ouijia board thing.

But in response to the OP, faith is what you make it. It isnt healthy to stay in a relationship thats causing you un-due ammounts of distress. That extends beyond earthly relationships. You wouldnt stay with a man or woman who made you doubt yourself and the world constantly, would you? So why stay with a God who does? Im not saying to totally renounce religion, Im just saying that you might be happier in a different faith path.

Any decision you make will have to be preceeded by some SERIOUS introspection and personal thought time. Analyze it, dont just have blind faith. Blind faith is, atleast it has been in my experiences, seriously harmful to your mental state. You may decide that there is enough in you to warrant belief or worship of God, you may not.

 

[bethdinsmore]

A couple of you wanted to know how I became demon oppressed. I think it was just because I opened the door to the occult (Ouija Board). Please email me if you want a more detailed answer. I'll be happy to reply. Or see www.rbc.org/questions/answer/paranormal/ and click on "Demon Possession"
Aloha in Jesus.

 

[Marut]

Actually I was wondering how Ouiji Boards could be considered an item of the occult. I've used one before, and I think they just react to slight muscle twitching, and when people see or feel it moving in one direction, they think that they are on to something and keep gently moving it that way. Studies have shown that Ouiji Boards move more when people have not eaten in some time, making shaky and twitchy. How occultic can something be a demonic thing if it is mass-produced by Parker-Brothers (who have made Bible Trivia)?

I fully agree with Alecto that deep introspection is needed for deciding your faith.

 

[Stinker]

Hi-
So, here's the story. I was rasied agnostic and about a year and a half ago i dedicated my life to Jesus. But this year i just stopped believing. I feel like my whole christian life was a huge lie. I really don't know what I think anymore. I've been studying lots of different religions and tryingto find where I fit in, but I feel like I like and dislike parts of every religion! I just can't seem to find one to fit me. I would really like something to follow in my life, and I really would appreciate any advice on how you came to your religion or just some encouragement for while I'm learning. Also, my dad is Reform Jewish, and I've been feeling connected to that lately because he's gotten back into it. But I'm afraid to go to temple or anything becuase I'm scared that I'll automatically believe it like I did with Christianity. I'm just so confused! Any help and encouragement would be so appreciated. Thanks so very much!
-amanda

The Bible is the most historically reliable ancient document available. It shows how people before the Flood all had the same knowledge about God, and after the Flood. It shows why all the different religions gradually appeared among people after the Flood. (Romans 1:18-32)

God wants us to be molded into His likeness-not Him molded to our likeness.

To really get into the intimacy of Christ's love for us, the book of John tells the story best (in my opinion). With all the factual historical evidence for Christ, what really persuded me to become a Christian was what the book of John had to say about God.

 

[republican]

That is good that you know who the lord and savior is. All I have to say is pray and ask the lord to open you're heart and eyes to what he wants you to see and hear and ask him to show you the way back to him. Believe me I have been down that road as well to many times and I know how it feels. But be carefull on the religions you study becuase at times satan will disguise them as peacefull religions as in reality they are nothing but whorshiping him an all. so be carefull

 

[bethdinsmore]

Keeping this short, in reply to an earlier comment - for more (on a Christian site) on the Ouija Board as used in Satanism, see www.probe.org/content/view/854/65/ and scroll down to "The Games of Destruction". I am posting this publicly because I know it could affect how people (especially mandapanda) view my earlier post that was more germane to the original post. Thanx

 

[ChristianDude777]

Hi-
So, here's the story. I was rasied agnostic and about a year and a half ago i dedicated my life to Jesus. But this year i just stopped believing. I feel like my whole christian life was a huge lie. I really don't know what I think anymore. I've been studying lots of different religions and tryingto find where I fit in, but I feel like I like and dislike parts of every religion! I just can't seem to find one to fit me. I would really like something to follow in my life, and I really would appreciate any advice on how you came to your religion or just some encouragement for while I'm learning. Also, my dad is Reform Jewish, and I've been feeling connected to that lately because he's gotten back into it. But I'm afraid to go to temple or anything becuase I'm scared that I'll automatically believe it like I did with Christianity. I'm just so confused! Any help and encouragement would be so appreciated. Thanks so very much!
-amanda

Hi Manda,

One very simple question...Have you been born again..?

Tim L.

 

[Harlan Norris]

In my case there was a lot of pressure for me to believe. This came from my mother. For various reasons, all good in my view, I was not convinced. The years passed and I lived a secular life, without any spiritual views at all. I've had all kinds of problems, drinking drugs, ect. However I was able to get these things under control on my own. No Betty ford clinic,no psychiatrist, ect. But I noticed the world was appearantly headed for what looked like the biblical apocalypse. I had never read the bible, or attended church as a believer. I began to look for prophesy on the net, and stumbled across a site that dealt with biblical prophesy. I kept going back to it until finally, I said the sinners prayer, and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. That was two years ago. After my conversion I read the New tesament through three times. Then I began looking for a church, where I was baptised. My faith grows by the day. I never expected any of this, but its wonderful beyond any expectation I had at the begining. I suggest you spend an hour a day reading your bible. Start in Matt: and read four or five chapters a day all the way through Rev: Make this a quiet time, and listen for that still small voice as you read. You will hear it and your doubt will dissapate.

 

[ALIOSIAS]

You are a victim of bad Christian mentoring or no mentoring at all.

You need to understand the Christian life and how to apprenhend the promises that are due you as a believer.

If you are interested in being mentored in the Christian life please contact me through the forum.

Aliosias