Why does God make it so hard to worship?

[heads or tails]

By the way, how do you quote your own posts when quoting someone else's? I see the "quote" button, but when you press it to quote another poster, it is not available on the other posts while you write yours.

 

[norswede]

That's helpful... I hadn't thought of prophecy as being a means that God could be found through. I'll read through the list. That brings up a question though. What about other religions' prophets? What if prophets of other religions have prophesied things which have come to pass? Wouldn't that make the god of those religions the true god as well?

Both God and Satan are able to predict the future. The Bible tells us that if even one prophecy doesn't come to pass the prophet is not from God. All religions have some prophecies that have come true but God's prophecies will all come to pass. There are more than 200 prophecies concerning Jesus in the Old Testament that he fulfilled. Every one of them came true with the exception of those that were about his second coming which prophecy said will come to pass after all the end time prophecies are fulfilled. The prophecies all have to take place in one generation. The first prophecy being when Israel became a nation in 1948. This means that there will still be people alive when Christ returns that were alive in 1948. This would make the end of the generation not likely any later than 2058 considering not many people live past 110 years. But Jesus said that no one will know the day or the hour of his return except God. We can only know the period of time that it will happen in. Every Prophecy concerning the end times has to come to pass before he can return. So it could happen at anytime. There are still some prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled but most of those are being talked about in the news. I have yet to find any other religion who's prophecies are as accurate as those in the Bible.

 

[heads or tails]

Both God and Satan are able to predict the future.

The devil can see the future? Really? I didn't know that Christians believed that.

The Bible tells us that if even one prophecy doesn't come to pass the prophet is not from God.

Could you give me a reference for that idea. It sounds logical to me, but I'd like to see where you all get the idea.

All religions have some prophecies that have come true but God's prophecies will all come to pass.

So are you saying that those prophecies that do not come true are from the devil? That's what it sounds like you are saying.

There are more than 200 prophecies concerning Jesus in the Old Testament that he fulfilled. Every one of them came true with the exception of those that were about his second coming which prophecy said will come to pass after all the end time prophecies are fulfilled. The prophecies all have to take place in one generation. The first prophecy being when Israel became a nation in 1948. This means that there will still be people alive when Christ returns that were alive in 1948. This would make the end of the generation not likely any later than 2058 considering not many people live past 110 years. But Jesus said that no one will know the day or the hour of his return except God. We can only know the period of time that it will happen in. Every Prophecy concerning the end times has to come to pass before he can return. So it could happen at anytime. There are still some prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled but most of those are being talked about in the news. I have yet to find any other religion who's prophecies are as accurate as those in the Bible.

Thanks. This is helpful. The more I think about the idea of prophecy, the more it makes sense that it would be a good indicator of god's existence, and of his activity with men. I've read some on the list that you provided. I need to read more of them.

 

[heads or tails]

By the way, how do you quote your own posts when quoting someone else's? I see the "quote" button, but when you press it to quote another poster, it is not available on the other posts while you write yours.

I think I figured it out. Thank you, me.

 

[Soothfish]

After you have studied these religions for a sufficient amount of time you will come to realize that some are better than others. Some offer more meaning and clarity to our existence than others. If you make a list of positive attributes, the absolute best religions on the list are Christianity and Judaism. The others don't even come close. It goes without saying that a free gift of eternal life, the certain opportunity to live in the presence of an intimately personal God, and ultimate justice against all evil in the universe is light-years above the religions that offer nothing but conditional pleasant feelings and emotional control. Islam is similar in some ways to Christianity and Judaism but is plagued by serious theological and moral problems.

The real questions is: are the best ones true?

I can't answer that one for you.

 

[oi_antz]

After you have studied these religions for a sufficient amount of time you will come to realize that some are better than others. Some offer more meaning and clarity to our existence than others. If you make a list of positive attributes, the absolute best religions on the list are Christianity and Judaism. The others don't even come close. It goes without saying that a free gift of eternal life, the certain opportunity to live in the presence of an intimately personal God, and ultimate justice against all evil in the universe is light-years above the religions that offer nothing but conditional pleasant feelings and emotional control. Islam is similar in some ways to Christianity and Judaism but is plagued by serious theological and moral problems.

The real questions is: are the best ones true?

I can't answer that one for you.

According to Jesus it is the fruit of the spirit which is important. This is one way He said it:

John 15:16
[...]I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit[...]

What is this "lasting fruit" that we are appointed to produce? I think it is the virtues that we observe in Christ's nature, so we produce these positive virtues by growing into the likeness of Christ and helping each other to grow. I think this is the ultimate goal of any religion which promotes righteousness. Jesus happens to be the one person who is Christ incarnate, God in flesh while the rest of us are made of dust.