So Confused.

Ic3 said:

First off, I KNOW that there is a God, there is no denying that, no matter how hard someone tries, but how can I be sure that Jesus is real? You're supposed to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but how am I supposed to have a RELATIONSHIP when I can't even talk to him, it's more like talking to myself. I know people say that I should read the Bible because that's how Jesus talks, but how is that a Relationship? I want a real relationship where I can talk to my maker and He to me, where I can truly fellowship with Him... I get so excited when I think of such a thing, but yet I have never ever had this experience, that is something I truly desire.

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Well, right now it's going to be ... different. Jesus isn't here physically right now. And God is inside people who believe. Western Christianity kinda focused on "the God inside you" but that's only half the story. The Holy Spirit is inside many people, those who are relying on Him everywhere.

We all look into His words to try to understand. But we're getting part of the picture. We're intended to get the rest of the picture by listening, encouraging, supporting, teaching and learning with one another.

It isn't going to be this way all the time. But it may be this way all the time you're alive.

If you'd like to read why this happened, I think it's explained pretty well in John 17. If you'd like to read how this happened in history, the book of Acts has it, but you can read like Acts 1 & 2 for how it looked at first.

Ic3 said:

Is the Bible supposed to be taken literally? If not, I am so lost. How does God intend for me to live out His will, if I don't even know what His will is? How am I supposed to follow his commandments, when his commandments include things such as "You shall not eat shrimp" (paraphrasing)... What am I supposed to do? How do I know how to please God...

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The Law was written to the nation of Israel; some of it was fulfilled by Jesus Christ or strictly ceremonial separation, strictly for Israelites. For instance, eating shrimp: try reading Mark 7 for Jesus' understanding of ceremonial uncleanness.

Probably the *best* way to understand what God is about today -- read the New Testament. Paul is teaching Gentile Christians how to behave, what's important now and what's not important.

But keep this first in your mind: what you do or how well you do it, that isn't going to save you. Who you rely on -- He's going to save you. Faith is first. The rest is ... second.

Ic3 said:

I feel so lost, and I feel like God is so far away. I don't understand why God doesn't talk to us like he did in the Bible... Why did he stop?

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He stops many times. The Bible doesn't always record those times. But realize, when He's too close or too present -- we get burned. We're not innocent little creatures, we're defiant little sinners. Next time He comes back, it's gonna be a bonfire. =shiver=

Ic3 said:

The Bible is starting to sound like a bunch of fairytales. AHHHH... I'm so confused, and so lost, I simply want to find the truth. I want to find my purpose in life, I want to LIVE my life, and I don't want to follow something that isn't true.

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I know. It's easy for skeptics to make all ancient books sound like they're all imaginary.

Once the city of Troy was a Greek fairy tale. No longer.

Can you get a copy of Thomas a Kempis, "The Imitation of Christ"? It might help to some extent here. It's short devotional chapters.

There are also intro. chapters to an insightful book here:
http://www.seejesus.net/resources_lovewalked.html

Further out -- how healthy is your church? Can you connect well with the people there? More than worship -- are they sharing their faith with you? (Rom 1:17) That will help much more.

Hi There,

You asked a lot of really good questions! Let me try to take them one at a time...

The first thing I would like to note is that it is good that you are not blindly following your parents' beliefs. It is important for children of Christians to really believe for themselves and not just simply call themselves Christians because they were born Christians. (I grew up in a Christian home, too, and had a lot of the same questions as you.) We can't get into heaven because our parents are Christians, there is only one way to get to heaven, through Jesus Christ-- the door.

You are off to a great start because you said you KNOW that there is a God. You wonder if Jesus is real. There is a whole lot of historical documentation proving that Jesus existed. We don't doubt that Alexandar the Great or Julius Caesar existed. And yet, the existance of Jesus is more certain than Alexandar the Great and just as sure as Julius Caesar.

Here is a webpage showing the proofs that Jesus existed:
http://www.knowwhatyoubelieve.com/believe/evidence/did_jesus_exist.htm

Read the evidence. Save the information so you can read it again if you start doubting again. It really helps me if I start having doubts, to go look at the evidence again.

You said that you want to have a relationship with Jesus, but you don't know how to hear Him. It is such an exciting thing and it is great that you desire it because that is what God desires for you! He wants to have a relationship with You! It is true that God speaks to you through the Bible, but that is not the only way God speaks to you. Jesus said that when He went to heaven, He left the Holy Spirit with us to be our helper, comfortor, guide, etc. He said that the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance all that He said. So one way God speaks to you is when you are praying and asking Him to guide you or help you and you remember a Scripture that gives you your answer. You will probably not hear God speak to you audibly, because He doesn't usually speak to us that way. In the Old Testament, He spoke to people audibly, but now He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. He speaks to our hearts. You don't have to feel like you are speaking to yourself. I know that sometimes it can feel that way, but it helps me to think of Jesus there listening to me, because I know that He is even when I can't see Him. Remember that we are supposed to live by faith, so we will not always feel something but we know that God is there listening to us even when we don't feel Him.

I am listening to music as I write this. I just realized that these lyrics are playing: "I know You're always there, to hear my every prayer inside; I'm clinging to the promise of a lifetime." That is His promise-- that He will NEVER leave you. You can be certain that He is always there listening to you, helping you, and loving you. As with anything you want to learn, it will take time to learn to hear God's voice clearly. You can do that by worshipping Him, spending time with Him, and meditating on His Word. I think we need to learn to be sensitive to what He is saying because we have learned to listen too much to the world that is blaring into our ears. His voice is a still, small voice.

Now for your question about whether or not the Bible should be taken literally... The first thing you need to know is that when Jesus came, He got rid of the old set of rules. Now, we live by the new covenant (The New Testament). We are not saved by a set of rules, we are saved because Jesus suffered and died to take the place for our sins. We are saved by confessing our sins, repenting (turning from our sins), and believing (entrusting our beings to the Lord). God gave the Israelites those laws about what to eat, etc. for their own good. (As you know, shrimp is not good for you ) But we are not going to hell if we eat shrimp. What is most important is having a heart that loves and serves God.

You also asked about God's will for your life... There are two parts to God's will for each one of us. First, there is the general will of God for the church. God's will is for us to serve and love Him. I am paraphrasing, but the Bible says that the two most important things that God wants us to do is to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said that these two commandments sum up all the law and prophets. Think about it, if you love God and others, you will not murder, steal, or do anything wrong to your neighbor. Like Jesus said- Love is the fulfillment of the law. Read I Corinthians 13 to find out what true love is. So loving God and others is the general will of God for every person. Ecclesiastes says that the conclusion is to fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.")

There is also the individual will of God for each person. The way you will find out your individual calling is to spend time with God worshipping and serving Him and He will make it clear to you what He has for you to do. A great place to start is to do whatever you find to do. Serve God however you can and He will lead you in the right direction. It is easier to steer a car that is moving! Ask yourself what you like to do. What desires do you have in your heart? God puts those desires there so they can be fulfilled. As you serve God and seek His face, it will become more and more clear to you what God has for you to do. He will make known to you the path of life; in His presence is fullness of joy; in His right hand there are pleasures forever. (Proverbs 16:11)

You want purpose in your life. That is excellent, we need to live for a reason and not just simply exist. God has a great plan for you. He loves you and will lead you in the right direction if you seek Him. The one who comes to Him, He will by no means cast out. (That scripture uses a Greek word that has a double negative. He will NOT, by ANY means cast you out.)


Something cool...
The Bible says:

Ask and it will be given to you
Seek and you will find
Knock and the door will be opened to you

See how the first letters all spell ASK!

I hope all this helps you. I pray that God speaks to you and reveals Himself to you.

By the way, something that was really encouraging to me was a book called My Descent into Death by Howard Storm. He died and saw Jesus. It is fascinating and it really gives perspective to everything. I recommend that you read it.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope."

(If you have any more questions... fire away! If you need Scripture references to anything I said, please don't hesitate to ask. I am typing quickly, so I didn't include the references to the Scriptures.)

Ic3 said:

I grew up in a Christian home, so we always went to church on Sundays. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was about 10, but the thing is, I've been so confused lately. I have so many questions!

First off, I KNOW that there is a God, there is no denying that, no matter how hard someone tries, but how can I be sure that Jesus is real? You're supposed to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but how am I supposed to have a RELATIONSHIP when I can't even talk to him, it's more like talking to myself. I know people say that I should read the Bible because that's how Jesus talks, but how is that a Relationship? I want a real relationship where I can talk to my maker and He to me, where I can truly fellowship with Him... I get so excited when I think of such a thing, but yet I have never ever had this experience, that is something I truly desire.

Is the Bible supposed to be taken literally? If not, I am so lost. How does God intend for me to live out His will, if I don't even know what His will is? How am I supposed to follow his commandments, when his commandments include things such as "You shall not eat shrimp" (paraphrasing)... What am I supposed to do? How do I know how to please God...

I feel so lost, and I feel like God is so far away. I don't understand why God doesn't talk to us like he did in the Bible... Why did he stop? The Bible is starting to sound like a bunch of fairytales. AHHHH... I'm so confused, and so lost, I simply want to find the truth. I want to find my purpose in life, I want to LIVE my life, and I don't want to follow something that isn't true.

It's not a solid belief unless you are able to poke holes in it and it still stands firm...

Someone please help...

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matthew 6:33,Isaiah 26:3,Isaiah 41:13

Hi,
I agree with the advice others have given here.
I just want to add that for a long time, I felt like I was praying to myself ...but then, one day I clearly felt God's presence, and I knew that He was listening to me and understood me completely. This has greatly encouraged me in my faith and it happens again sometimes. It's unmistakeable once you feel it. I don't know when God decides to reveal Himself to people, but keep on seeking Him and have faith. Even if you feel nothing, keep on believing, and He will show you He's real..maybe this is a test of your faith, if you would choose God over all your feelings and doubts. Try to seek Him, not experiences, and then you'll have experiences. God wants us to choose Him first, because then our faith is stronger. And remember that one day we'll actually get to meet God 'face to face', but we have the Holy Spirit now. Read the Bible and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. If you ask this in faith, you would receive it, when He wants you to. Trust Him

God bless


monica

You read in Corinthians how Paul tell you that you are the Temple of God. Take that as real.

Open up your mind and invited God in. Le Him cleanse you of all your sins. Let Him read the scriptures to you. What you will find that while you are reading portions of scripture you are drawn to a text and it is like the words lift right off the page and are to be applied to your heart. Thank the Lord for those moments and treasuer His Words.

Keep studying and praying for clearer and clearer understanding of the Word. DO not be afraid that the Lord leads you away from the world around you and into the world that He created at Mount Sinai. Trust Him He knows what He is doing.

Challenge God, ask Him to meet with you, Just like it is promised in Rev 3:20... That He come and sup with you and you with Him. He will come.

Be prepared. HAve you any idea what it is like to be in the presence of God. God is so Holy that sin can not dwell in His Holy Presence. Holy is not just a term posted on doors, altars, books and such. It is a description of pure perfect power of the almighty awesome God. Even after you have repented of all your sins, if you find yourself in His Presence, you will still feel like Isaiah , saying "Woe is me for I am unclean". Fear not, Jesus will place His Robe of Righteousness upon your shoulders so that you can be in His presence and talk with Him.

May you have the courage to let go of all your sins, including your favorite secret ones. May you have the courage to stand in the presence of God.

Ic3 said:

I am continually taken to the question of why we are here. Why I was made. I continually think, perhaps life is meaningless... How am I supposed to believe in someone else's God? I honestly hunger for a God that is personal.

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I'm sure He also wants you to have a personal relationship with Him! That's how it's meant to be. As to the 'meaning of life', well if God decided to make the world, and us, then He must have a purpose..even if we can't see it right now. It might be too big for us to see at this moment. I think that it's impossible to answer this question "why do I exist?" apart from knowing God, because He is the one who created you, and only He really knows. Instead of letting this question be a stumbling block to you, turn to God with faith so that it would be answered...maybe not right away, but when you're ready. Remember the essence of our faith is trust...

How can I ignore some of the facts that perhaps evolution is real?

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Well there are some Christians who believe in what is called 'creative evolution'...I guess it's possible to believe in both.. have you taken any courses on evolution? I've taken biology and it seems to me that even though there is evidence for micro evolution (which is perfectly acceptable from a creationist perspective), there are few facts to support macro evolution..it hasn't actually been directly observed...and you never know if the scientists are interpreting the evidence in the right way.

How can I see so many people dying and going to hell, SUFFERING FOR ETERNITY, simply because they have, perhaps, never heard the word of God...

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Keep in mind that in the Bible, it says that people who will go to hell are those who have rejected God and live in sin and darkness...those who love darkness instead of His light.we do not know what will happen to those who have never heard of Him. I even think that they will get a chance to hear the gospel after death, to accept or reject it...but I don't know, only God knows. Keep in mind that we don't know who exactly is going to hell, although we do know that those who love God will be in heaven.

The concept of salvation is just weird to me. Why would God make someone who would ultimately betray him. Why would he create people, only to go through suffering for them?

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I think it's probably free will...He would rather have free followers, instead of a colony of ants. If He took this risk, I guess it was a risk worth taking (paraphrase from CS Lewis...who by the way is a really good Christian author, and if you are struggling with some questions, you might want to check out his books).

There are so many beliefs in the world, how do I know that Christianity is the truth? The Bible says it is the truth, but so do the other books of religion.

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Christianity is the only religion that is based on a specific historical event...the Resurrection....most other religions are based on visions, etc. Think of it this way..there were people like Thomas and Stephen who were pretty skeptical about Christ before the Resurrection..but became really strong followers afterwards. If He had never risen, they would not have changed their minds about Him after His death..

WHY!? Why!? WHY is the truth so hard to find?

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Maybe because the human race is separated from God, and are relying on our wisdom and knowledge instead of the Holy Spirit's wisdom...it says in the Bible that only spiritual people can understand spiritual truths. I have found this for myself, since I couldn't understand Christianity at all when I was an agnostic, and even as a new Christian. The truth is there, but people do not see it because they are living in darkness.

I don't know what to do, I feel like I'm falling in a pit of no answers.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

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don't despair! Try to give your questions and problems all to Him...instead of trying to get answers first and then believe, try to believe first so that you can hear the answers.

Someone please help. I don't understand how I'm supposed to believe in something that I've never felt, something that I've never seen, or heard. I don't understand how people can be firm in what they believe and criticize others and call them wrong. How do I know who's right?

Help, please...

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St. Augustine once said, "faith is to believe, on the Word of God, what we do not see, and its reward is to see and enjoy what we believe". What do you think of this? I have found it to be true.... I think that maybe God wants to get you past your feelings, so that you would rely on Him more than on your own mind..maybe He is waiting for you to let go. And once you do, He might show you that He's real.

God bless you.


monica

Ic3 said:

I've tried to follow your words, I've tried to believe, but yet doubt rises up again...

I am continually taken to the question of why we are here. Why I was made. I continually think, perhaps life is meaningless... How am I supposed to believe in someone else's God? I honestly hunger for a God that is personal.

How can I ignore some of the facts that perhaps evolution is real? How can I see so many people dying and going to hell, SUFFERING FOR ETERNITY, simply because they have, perhaps, never heard the word of God...

FOR FEW FIND THE TRUTH, that is what the bible says... So many people die and suffer in the eternal pits of hell.

The concept of salvation is just weird to me. Why would God make someone who would ultimately betray him. Why would he create people, only to go through suffering for them?

There are so many beliefs in the world, how do I know that Christianity is the truth? The Bible says it is the truth, but so do the other books of religion.

WHY!? Why!? WHY is the truth so hard to find?

I don't know what to do, I feel like I'm falling in a pit of no answers.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Someone please help. I don't understand how I'm supposed to believe in something that I've never felt, something that I've never seen, or heard. I don't understand how people can be firm in what they believe and criticize others and call them wrong. How do I know who's right?

Help, please...

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I would strongly recommend Kent Hovind's DVD's. They helped me immensely in overcoming my doubts. His seven-part creation seminar series is full of proofs for creation and my faith was greatly strengthened after watching them. I think it would be very helpful for the doubts you are having.

You can watch all the seminars on Google Video. Here is a link to the first seminar...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...172&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2