Some Questions

[Radjenovic]

I have several questions, i am currenlty going through a developement of faith, basically ive allweays had faith and belief in god andJesus but recenlty ive had a drawing to go to church, i have decided to attend a church this coming sunday for the first time in my life (apart from weddings and funerals) i have some questions i would feel stupid asking a priests or anyone in the church as i feel embarresed at my lack of knoledge on certain issues, so please bear with me

• Honor thy mother and father, basically my family life was not great i never really knew my father and he is now dead, and my mother i have never felt any love for the only feelings i have is anger towards her for the way i was raised (it is very complicated, not the typical i never got bought X so i hate her, if you want any clarification feel free to PM me. I have never loved or honored either of my parents does this make me a bad person or should i learn to forgive and love them?
• Sex out of wedlock, i lost my virginity at 14 and have had a few sexual partners (not loads im 24 could count em on both hands) but i now regret it all, can this be forgiven?
• Tatoos, i have several tatoos and do not know the general Christian viewpoint on this, i do have a crucifix tatood on my arm it is a design that i have allways felt drawn too
• Turning the other cheek and forgiveness, i have never been a very forgiving person if someone does something to me that is wrong i tend to hold a grudge for a very long time and have sought revenge in the past, should i learn to forgive them and let it all lie.
• Makeing amends, i have no idea where to start i have done sevral bad things in my life i totaly regreat and have asked for forgiveness in my prayers, is there anything i should do to make amends?

Sorry for rambling i have recieved very good advice from here and for the first time in my life im starting to feel spiritual healing (sounds corny i know but its how i feel)

 

[snoochface]

Just remember that anything - absolutely anything - can be forgiven if you ask God for his forgiveness.

In God's eyes, there is no "good person" or "bad person". Every single one of us sins, and we all fall short. The good news is that once we accept Jesus into our hearts and lives, we ARE forgiven for all our sins. From that time on, God sees us through the fabric of Jesus surrounding us. He sees us as forgiven.

Everything you say you want - to forgive your mother, to be forgiven for premarital sex, for holding grudges - all of that will come from the Holy Spirit. It's not an overnight thing. We are all works in progress. The Holy Spirit begins to change us, begins to turn our hearts toward God, and God begins to perfect us. We won't reach perfection until we are with him in heaven, but if we stay on the right path (God's path) he will continually work on us and improve us.

Soon enough, you'll find that it's easier to forgive others, especially when you remember how much God forgave you. You'll find yourself thinking and feeling differently toward people or situations. You'll find yourself becoming more like Jesus.

All you have to do is ask. Ask God for forgiveness, ask him to give you the Holy Spirit and to begin working on your heart, ask Jesus into your life. You'll see things change in ways you never thought possible. And you will be forgiven. There is a lot of freedom in that.

 

[snoochface]

I meant to also commend you for taking this step. Finding a good church, where you can learn the Bible and hear what God has to say, get good teaching and fellowship, and mature as a Christian, is vital. I think it's great that you are going out and finding a church so you can begin down that road.

 

[£amb]

I will try to answer your questions as well as I can.. And don't feel embarassed about asking questions with people in your church. You never know who God will put in your life to give you godly wisdom.

I have several questions, i am currenlty going through a developement of faith, basically ive allweays had faith and belief in god andJesus but recenlty ive had a drawing to go to church, i have decided to attend a church this coming sunday for the first time in my life (apart from weddings and funerals) i have some questions i would feel stupid asking a priests or anyone in the church as i feel embarresed at my lack of knoledge on certain issues, so please bear with me

• Honor thy mother and father, basically my family life was not great i never really knew my father and he is now dead, and my mother i have never felt any love for the only feelings i have is anger towards her for the way i was raised (it is very complicated, not the typical i never got bought X so i hate her, if you want any clarification feel free to PM me. I have never loved or honored either of my parents does this make me a bad person or should i learn to forgive and love them?

I have heard from someone that you can honor the position and not the personality. What I mean is that you may not like your parents personality and such, but you are still to hold them in the regard of honoring that they are your parents. And if there is some forgiveness issues to deal with then you should do so. Forgiveness is not always so much for the person you're forgiving, but for yourself. You release yourself from any grudge or anger that you are holding in.

• Sex out of wedlock, i lost my virginity at 14 and have had a few sexual partners (not loads im 24 could count em on both hands) but i now regret it all, can this be forgiven?

Yes, God will forgive.

• Tatoos, i have several tatoos and do not know the general Christian viewpoint on this, i do have a crucifix tatood on my arm it is a design that i have allways felt drawn too

Well, there are always differing views on this. Obviously you can't just wipe them off to get rid of them. I think it depends on what kind of tatoos you have on. If you have tatoos that say Satan rules and you want to give your life to God..well.. that could be an issue.

• Turning the other cheek and forgiveness, i have never been a very forgiving person if someone does something to me that is wrong i tend to hold a grudge for a very long time and have sought revenge in the past, should i learn to forgive them and let it all lie.

As I said earlier, you do need to forgive as God has forgiven you. It's more for yourself than the person receiving it. You are going to run into stupid people all your life and they are going to say and do the stupidest things. You need to just let it go and not bottle up anger, resentment and bitterness.

Makeing amends, i have no idea where to start i have done sevral bad things in my life i totaly regreat and have asked for forgiveness in my prayers, is there anything i should do to make amends?

Have you asked forgiveness from the person? That could be a starting point. I'm not sure if you're wanting to make amends because of something you have done to someone so I'm answering as such. If you have made a wrong choice then you need to admit that you have done so. That's the hardest thing anybody can do is to humble themselves and admit what they have done.

Sorry for rambling i have recieved very good advice from here and for the first time in my life im starting to feel spiritual healing (sounds corny i know but its how i feel)

 

[JPPT1974]

Hey don't be afraid at all
As that is why were are here my friend
To help one another
God bless you!

 

[bethdinsmore]

My Bible College prof once said: "There are no stupid questions. And the wise man knows where to go to find the answers."

I am glad you have come here, and I pray that you will find a church with the right answers as well. A church that relies on the Bible as its final authority.

You have received good answers in this thread. In addition, if you're not in one already, Christian 12 step groups have a lot to offer a person with your background. Many can offer you their experience, strength and hope in the Lord to show you how to live a practical and successful Christian life. Most large churches have a group, or know of one.

You came to a good room. In addition, if you haven't already, you might want to check out rooms in the CF Recovery forum.

God bless you, friend. God can deliver you--He delivered me.

I believe this applies to you (as it did to Israel):
Jer 29:11-14
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [sincerely seek]
14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. . . .(NIV)

I'll pray for you friend.
Aloha in Jesus

 

[JPPT1974]

Praying for you my friend
Just know that God loves you
As well as cares for you

 

[jengoesup]

OK I am still learning things about my faith as well, so I'm not going to talk about those questions which I haven't a clue about; wouldn't want to give you the wrong ideas (though I'm sure someone here would correct me on it!)

It doesn't make you a bad person if you haven't loved or honored your parents--but you should learn to forgive them. I believe Christ taught us that we must forgive and love those who trespass against us.

And there is nothing wrong with tattoos at all; just as long as they aren't blasphemous!

Your sins can and always will be forgiven (now I forget if you have to ask...ah well, you might as well pray for forgiveness anyway!)

The best thing to do to make amends is to love all the people you've wronged and forgive everyone and most of all, forgive yourself for what you've done. This is very important--or else you'll never be able to live with yourself.

Best of luck,
~Jen

 

[Sketcher]

• 
  [*]Honor thy mother and father, basically my family life was not great i never really knew my father and he is now dead, and my mother i have never felt any love for the only feelings i have is anger towards her for the way i was raised (it is very complicated, not the typical i never got bought X so i hate her, if you want any clarification feel free to PM me. I have never loved or honored either of my parents does this make me a bad person or should i learn to forgive and love them?
  
  I'm afraid you'll have to love and forgive them. Pray to the Lord for help with this, that's your only shot.
  
  [*]Sex out of wedlock, i lost my virginity at 14 and have had a few sexual partners (not loads im 24 could count em on both hands) but i now regret it all, can this be forgiven?
  
  Yup. God won't hold that against you anymore. As for the next step, I don't know what that is for you.
  
  [*]Tatoos, i have several tatoos and do not know the general Christian viewpoint on this, i do have a crucifix tatood on my arm it is a design that i have allways felt drawn too
  
  Christians are generally divided on the subject, many are against it because of a Old Testament commandment against them. However, in the New Testament, many of those laws do not bind us (Acts 15:28-29). This is my position and the position of the "pro-tatoo" group. However, since you got those tats before you were saved, once you explain this I think most of the anti-tatoo people will get off your case.
  
  [*]Turning the other cheek and forgiveness, i have never been a very forgiving person if someone does something to me that is wrong i tend to hold a grudge for a very long time and have sought revenge in the past, should i learn to forgive them and let it all lie.
  
  I'm afraid so. This is the part of my walk that I suck at the most, and I've been following Jesus for years. I can't really offer advice as I need His power in this area of my life at least as much as you do.
  
  [*]Makeing amends, i have no idea where to start i have done sevral bad things in my life i totaly regreat and have asked for forgiveness in my prayers, is there anything i should do to make amends?
  
  Yeah. You'll have to go to God on the specifics on that one, as He knows what you did and what others feel about it and I do not. Making amends is petrifying, but rewarding.

 

[Dondi]

Welcome to the CF boards, Radjenovic.

I have several questions, i am currenlty going through a developement of faith, basically ive allweays had faith and belief in god andJesus but recenlty ive had a drawing to go to church, i have decided to attend a church this coming sunday for the first time in my life (apart from weddings and funerals) i have some questions i would feel stupid asking a priests or anyone in the church as i feel embarresed at my lack of knoledge on certain issues, so please bear with me

I want to encourage you and commend you on your desire to seek the Lord. Definitely find a bible-based church where the people love the Lord and that you can grow in the wisdom and stature of the Lord. No question is stupid if it is asked. You gain knowledge from reading and listening.

• Honor thy mother and father, basically my family life was not great i never really knew my father and he is now dead, and my mother i have never felt any love for the only feelings i have is anger towards her for the way i was raised (it is very complicated, not the typical i never got bought X so i hate her, if you want any clarification feel free to PM me. I have never loved or honored either of my parents does this make me a bad person or should i learn to forgive and love them?

There is a promise in scriptures that by honoring your parents, your days will be long. I believe this has to do with obedience to parents and honor the position in the fact that they are your parents. As far as your mother is concerned, the anger you harbor toward her will affect you healthwise as well as spiritually. You need to find forgiveness for both your parents, even your father. You will be surprise how much grace god gives in the ability to forgive others. When we immerse ourselves in the love of God, God's love overpours us and gives us that love to love others we on our own would never have thought of loving. You'll be able to see them as God see them and not just your view of them. yes, please seek forgiveness for your parents. "Love covers a multitude of sins"

Sex out of wedlock, i lost my virginity at 14 and have had a few sexual partners (not loads im 24 could count em on both hands) but i now regret it all, can this be forgiven?

Many here could probably say they are in the same situation. But God forgives all sin and can restore you to sense of purity. I believe He can restore you to spiritual virginity, if not physical.

• Tatoos, i have several tatoos and do not know the general Christian viewpoint on this, i do have a crucifix tatood on my arm it is a design that i have allways felt drawn too

This is one of those issues where common sense comes into play. If the tattoo is offensive to your Christian witness, I'd say try and remove it. Otherwise, I'd leave it. A crucifix in of itself is not offensive. If there are words or pictures with it that are suggestive, then it would be a problem. On the other hand, a crucufix could be a tool to lead another person in conversation that could be lead to a witness for the gospel.

• Turning the other cheek and forgiveness, i have never been a very forgiving person if someone does something to me that is wrong i tend to hold a grudge for a very long time and have sought revenge in the past, should i learn to forgive them and let it all lie.

Start learning to forgive. for me, there have been things done to me in the past from people that I'll probably never see again, yet I have forgiven them in my heart. God commands us to forgive because otherwise we would harbor much bitterness toward people. When you begin to forgive people, you'll see a change in your life and the love of God operating within you that will help you love those you forgive.

• Makeing amends, i have no idea where to start i have done sevral bad things in my life i totaly regreat and have asked for forgiveness in my prayers, is there anything i should do to make amends?

If you are able, sure, try to make amends. Seek forgiveness. Even if they don't forgive you, you have at least made an effort to set things right and your conscience will be clear. If they don't forgive you, that's their problem and they have to deal with it from God. Pray for those who have a hard time forgiving you.

Sorry for rambling i have recieved very good advice from here and for the first time in my life im starting to feel spiritual healing (sounds corny i know but its how i feel)

My prayer is that you will seek God with your whole heart and that you will learn to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loave you neighbor as yourself, thus fulfilling the royal law of love.

 

[tapero]

Dear Radjenovic,

As one poster wrote, these issues will clear up more as you walk with Christ. The Holy Spirit will put love in your heart and though you don't have to like you parents, there is a way to honor them by being respectful etc. Again the Holy Spirit will guide you and you will grow into this. It doesn't happen overnight.

Jesus paid the whole price for your sins, past present and future. As for making amends Idon't know that we all do that. Some things can and some things can't be amended. Again, it will be by teh HOly Spriit.

Your walk is to come to Christ and let him change you. Things will fall in place as you grow in Him. Don't let these things hinder your walk in anyway. There is a lot more sin that we all have other than the ones you listed.

We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

I just want you to know that God will change your heart. Certain things that you do you might just want to stop doing them because they are wrong. Forgivness takes a lot of healing. Again, it doesn't happen overnight though for some it could.

You don't have to clean up your act to come to Christ is really what I'm trying to say.

I hope your first service is wonderful. Be sure it is a Christ centered church, where Christ is central to all teaching.

God bless, Tapero

 

[leanne708]

This was intended to answer radjenovic but all your asnwers has really helped me as well. thanks a lot

 

[Jessica Lauren]

Honor thy mother and father, basically my family life was not great i never really knew my father and he is now dead, and my mother i have never felt any love for the only feelings i have is anger towards her for the way i was raised (it is very complicated, not the typical i never got bought X so i hate her, if you
want any clarification feel free to PM me. I have never loved or honored either of my parents does this make me a bad person or should i learn to forgive and love them?

Forgive them. That is all you can do.

Sex out of wedlock, i lost my virginity at 14 and have had a few sexual partners (not loads im 24 could count em on both hands) but i now regret it all, can this be forgiven?

Of course you can be forgiven! Jesus will forgive anything as long as you're truly sorry.

Tatoos, i have several tatoos and do not know the general Christian viewpoint on this, i do have a crucifix tatood on my arm it is a design that i have allways felt drawn too

I don't believe there's a problem with tattoos, except in the case of tattooing SATAN ROCKS! or something.

Turning the other cheek and forgiveness, i have never been a very forgiving person if someone does something to me that is wrong i tend to hold a grudge for a very long time and have sought revenge in the past, should i learn to forgive them and let it all lie

Yes... pray to God and he will help you forgive these people. Be strong. What's done is done, and as Jesus says: Turn the other cheek.

Makeing amends, i have no idea where to start i have done sevral bad things in my life i totaly regreat and have asked for forgiveness in my prayers, is there anything i should do to make amends?

You can't change the past. All you can do is take the right steps for the future, which you are already going. Good job! I'll be praying for you & good luck!