l33tspock said:
I would truely love to believe in some power greater than me that truely had some plan for me. And I have been to pleanty of sermons, and have had pleanty of thoughts on the matter.
Rafael- What do you mean when you say that all men know god at some point in their lives. What if I say I never have known the god you know, and I am not just decieving myself believing this. I know a personal "god" that I am almost certain none, or very few of you know.
First, please don't be offended by me just quoting what I have learned in the Bible. Quoting the Bible verses pertaining to any subject isn't meant to be an offense by me, but the scriptures often wounds the pride in mankind. The word of God wounds the ego and pride of men by puting the finger of truth on the condition of mankind's nature of sin and death, but it brings light, truth, and healing if we humble ourselves to it and the process of life it brings. Before I could fully come to belief, I had to let those wounds of truth bring me and my pride to its knees where I would cry out for help in a world where none seemed available.
My eyes are weak, so I write in big letters just so I can read easier. So, they are not to imply yelling, as I have seen that used on the internet as a device to show emotion - but that is not my intent.
You said earlier that you would "love to believe in a greater power that truly had a plan for you". Well, the One that gives us our conscious being and the creation we stand within does have a plan of true love for our lives. The plan is for us to give up our selfish lives that lead to death for a new life where we live after the example He gave by giving His life for ours - showing us true love has a cost in giving, but is eternal. If the world would have true love for its brother and loosen the hands of greed and lust for power, there would be no poverty along with starvation, nakedness, loneliness, and homelessness. Mankind, as a race of beings, has not shown itself to be very loving, in truth, and only capable of the selfish, egotistical love that produces war and the fruit of the flesh; instead of the fruit of the Spirit of God which gives us love, patience, faith, kindness, longsuffering and self-control. God promises us a new nature that leads us into God's Agape love; if we ask for it, humbly, as He resists the proud and gives grace to those who are humble. The Bible says that He is as near as the next words that come from our mouths - either those of disbelief or those humbly asking for and receiving in life. What is more profound a language than life? And He has spoken to each man, initially, by giving that gift of life to us. It is ours to live as we please, either acknowledging Him and giving thanks for the continued life we enjoy by His hand or denying that He even exists by pushing away the truth, as that scripture I gave you from Romans does say. As a man, I had to give up my own foolish and selfish pride in order to receive the life God asks of me - to learn and practice true love as proper thanks for the life He gives - that of love; and our old nature fights against this knowledge and is offended by it till the day we receive new bodies to fit the new nature we have, as promised by God. What knowledge do we, as mankind, really have that keeps us from belieiving the truth about God and the existence we enjoy by His hand? Can we prove anything against the intelligent design of God's complex and beautiful creation or produce any life on our own that would compare to the intellect and power that He has made evident in the creation we exist in? No we can not, and if that offends the pride of man it just will have to be. Jesus is known as the "rock of offense" bringing with Him light and the sword that seperates the light from the darkenss.
The call goes out to all men and we are not forced to accept and follow. God gives us the power to believe even when we think that we cannot. I remember my first prayer said that very thing - that I did not know if I knew how to believe in Him, but I was honest when I prayed and somehow made it to this day where I am firmer in my faith, although I would not invite testing or boast in myself at all. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He gives us faith when we ask in humility. Faith in God, in Jesus, is not just another possession to be had, but is to be desired because He is the truth and the way and the life.
As Christians, we want to share, but know that it takes more than mere words to give another person a real knowledge and relationship with God. I try and share as best I can, but know that only God can give the increase. I hope you can come to know God even better than I know Him. That is my prayer for you.
I JOHN 3:16-19 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with ACTIONS and TRUTH. This then is how we KNOW that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.
Ro 10:8 Salvation that comes from trusting Christwhich is the message we preachis already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."
1Pe 2:8 And the Scriptures also say, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that will make them fall." They stumble because they do not listen to Gods word or obey it,
