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What God Do You Worship?
Posted Saturday, July 11, 2009, at 1:27 PM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
The phrase"I believe in God" has to be the most meaningless phrase used today, don't get the wrong ideal my format is not changing.
The word GOD has become a blank canvas free for him or her to paint their on portrait of the divine while forgetting what the Word says about the God of all. The Swiss theologian Karl Barth once said there are only two ways to attain knowledge of God:one was to begin with man and reason upward: the other is to begin with God and accept his relation to us. I agree! In the Old Testament the psalmist contrasted idols witrh the God he came to know through a personal revelation.Notice the difference: 115:3 But our God [is] in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. 115:4 Their idols [are] silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 115:5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 115:6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 115:7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 115:8 They that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them. Psalms 115:3-8 We create our own ideal of God to fit our needs, some even change the Holy Word to give their God clout, change condemnation of a sin to make them feel less guilty, change the gender of God to give them better feelings. People want a God who is more tolerant and less demanding and less judgmental here is a example:a man leaves his wife to live with another woman[very common today] he withdraws from his church friends, forms new ones in bars and sports complexes, he feels better associating with people who accepts his choices. He wants to be affirmed rather than rebuked for the courage to leave his wife, People want a God who will not mess with the core of their lives. The God of my health and wealth has become the God of the West as that has become the common message in today's churches. Gloria Copeland wrote"The Word of God simply reaveals that lack and poverty are not in line with God's will for the obedient....Allow the Holy Spirit to minister the truth to your Spirit until you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God's will is prosperity" she means worldy riches, not spiritual riches! Try preaching this to the third world countries, or even in the poor areas of our own town, and with the way the country is going financially, the whole country in the near future. How can we believe this God when Jesus himself said in the following 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head. Matthew 8:20 or as Paul so well said in: 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. Philippians 4:11 C.S Lewis once said" The bible says that God created man in his image now man attempts to return the favor" God told Moses at the bush "I AM WHO I AM" NOT we could add the phrase " not who you want me to be". To begin your journey for the God that created everything not the creation who created God the following verses start the jorney: 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. James 4:8 There was astory of a farmer who kept asking a friend to taste his fruit, but the friend stated he had tasted the fruit that fell out by the fence and it was sour, the farmer repied that he had planted those on purpose to deter boys from getting the good fruit on the insideof the fence. On the outside there are some sour apples, conviction of sin, self denial, and purity, to keep off the hypocrites and mere religionist. but in the middle is the sweet fruit of God's love. 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Isaiah 55:6 The best verse to start your journey for the one true God, not all the idols that people call God, such as money, possessions and even people for as we have seen all too many times man will fail every time but God does not and will not. 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where [is] thy God? 42:4 When I remember these [things], I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and [why] art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him [for] the help of his countenance. 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 42:8 [Yet] the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song [shall be] with me, [and] my prayer unto the God of my life. 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 42:10 [As] with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where [is] thy God? 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalms 42:1-11 Either start your journey today or retrace your steps and get back on the right path. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
A man getting to the roots of his faith.
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God may reach out to us in forms we can understand and accept but He must be amused and chagrined to see how much we limit Him.
One person's God could be an old,white male with long whiskers.
Another's might be a burning bush,a glowing stampede of thunderclouds or a tawny baby with big,brown eyes and tight,dark curls "akin to wool."
Who knows?
The kitten snoozing in the corner might know a God that looks like a shrunk down version of Aslan.
We tend to have an "anthropocentric" view of the Almighty that creates God in our image.
(I confess that the Shekinah I talk to sometimes sounds like a tough,savvy and cheerful matron instead of the wispy robot some others are familiar with.)
But,do God's friends have their doubts about His "theocentric" view of us?
As absurd as it might seem for me to have a Deity with a drawl and puppies asleep beside the throne,it could make more sense than for our Maker to conceive of us as being just like Him and belonging in His world.
If we imagine God to be a certain way,then,for all intents and purposes,that's who and what He will be to us.
I've had moments when the God I saw was distant or angry,scary or petulant.
But,most of the time,that felt as false as a vision of God as the operator of a celestial form of e-Bay.
("Hit PrayPal and get your every whim gratified.")
When I could be honest with myself,God was more logical,more just,more loving and more solid than my pipedreams.
But,whenever I cast God in a certain role,that form was real to me until my perspective changed.
I hope that,in that respect,I am created in God's image.
I hope that,when He created me,He envisioned someone wise and strong,caring and creative.
I hope He looked at us,His creation and declared us good.
For what He thinks and sees is reality.
The words He speaks are made manifest.
So,if HE believes in US,if He retains hope in us,if He has faith in our existence and our worth,then it doesn't matter what we look like.
We could be young,old,male,female,black,white,red,yellow,a star,an ocean,an eagle or a tree...
So long as we live in His mind and heart,we can reflect the nature of our Creator.
Because He has given us a free spirit,we can separate ourselves from Him .
But even our attempts to deny His existence,imagine Him as a monster or be hypocritical enough to try to whitewash our sins reveal that we want Him to affirm us-even if we try to insure His approval by re-inventing Him instead of ourselves.
We can doubt our ability to be authentic enough to manufacture a plastic Jesus or a Sky Bully worthy of our dismissal.
Or,we can trust that our God "don't make no junk" and that the very fact that He insists on our doing justice,loving kindness and walking His path at His side means we can do just that.
We can accomplish all things through Him-or so He thinks.
It's not that important who we think God is and if our concepts of Him are accurate.
What matters is whether we're willing for His vision of us to be genuine.
He can look past the distortions His creations have suffered and see how they can be restored to what they were meant to be.
Who are we to tell Him He puts too much stock in figments of His imagination?
Let's see if we can't help make HIS dreams come true,for a change.
Seems to me, the main problem with some people of faith is that they spend far too much time trampling upon other people's beliefs.
So, which God is the right one Mr. Bell?
The God of the Bible that will judge you unless you accept his Son!
People think that God has become less tolerant of sin therefore they hace the liberty and freedom to do what they want without penalty.
Yes I believe once you are saved , you are saved, but look at what reawards will be lost by staying in a sinless life.
I compare it to looking in a window at a great feast or party and all can do is look and wonder how good the food and drink are, like in "A Christmas Carol" looking but not being seen.
People say many paths lead to God, well my bible says only one, so if yours ays another, you are still lost so get the right map and follow directions.
Like Elijah done in the Old Testament let those who want to call all their Gods and idols and I will keep mine and see who stands in the end.
I am not perfect, but He is and He is in me so I am a heir to the thronem and will live eternally.
Let people have their riches while alive and their expensive funerals, when I die I will go walking on streets of Gold forever, that is enough for me to hold to.
should be throne, sorry!
'People say many paths lead to God, well my bible says only one, so if yours ays another, you are still lost so get the right map and follow directions.' Michael Bell
Dude, this just smacks of 'my god is better than your god', I can just hear an implied 'na-na-na-boo-boo' in your remark.
Elijah called out the Gods of the people to start the fire and when they could not he called his and the fire started, I am not saying God's Word does!
A very interesting question that undoubtably will recieve a large variety of answers from the world community. The diversity comes from the followers of various religions and what they have been able to persuade people into believing. I personally believe in a creator, however, I cannot prove to anyone his/her or thier existence as I have not been priviledged enough to have had a two way conversation with any diety. I pray, talk to, thank, and praise, a creator that I call God. Why, because like most humans I feel there is something on a higher level than man, who created the universe and its inhabitants.
I should hope after death that I will see the creator, but, really doubt that will occur. I know of no one who knows of an afterlife, other than our return to that from which we came, the earth. However, I like many others will continue to hope and have faith that an afterlife exist of which I may be a part.
Death is a big motivator, no one really wants to die, except to escape suffering or some form of mental anguish. Without doubt the day will come when we die. This realization alone is the basis of all religions. We want to live and they all offer some type or form of an afterlife. It really doesn't matter which you pick, since they all offer some form of redemption and a set of ethics to live by.
In this country we are blessed by a seperation of church and state. You may chose to worship the God of your choice or no God at all. It makes you no less of a citizen of the human race.
You asked and time will tell. Peace
It helps to be on the right path (and facing in the right direction) but,if you're like me,(I'd need an escort to get from the Presbyterian church to the Post Office) the best way to avoid being lost is having someone from your destination meet you where you are and hold onto you for dear life as they say: "Follow me."
I figure that,as long as we rely on a Guide who knows where we need to go and wants to get us there safely,we can start our journey in an out-of-the-way spot and even take the scenic tour on our pilgrimage.
After all,the whole point of making the reservation is getting to spend time with loved ones and work alongside them.
If the Heavenly Host starts extending hospitality while we're still on the road,then we don't have to worry about wasting time,finding our way Home,etc.
The reunion begins when the Family gets together-not just when folks arrive at a certain time or place.
(If we were to follow the map given but fail to meet the Family,what have we accomplished?)
The only ways we can get lost on the way to God is to refuse to make the journey,fail to recognize our Family and latch onto them when they try to claim and direct us and think that wearing the clan t-shirt counts more than bonding with those who love us.
We may be surprised by who our kith and kin might be.
Ties of blood and law and love can make strangers and even enemies family.
But,if we have one Patriarch,then His people are our people.
Yes,sometimes,He will introduce us to folks we would never have guessed were joint-heirs the same as we are.
Other times,we might never find Him or our way to His home on our own but we see someone who resembles Him so closely that we say: " Watch where they're headed. They'll take us right to Him"
(And they do.)
We have a GPS (Gospel Preservation System?) that insures that we can get to the right place.
The catch is we have to know we can't just stay where we are.
We have to be willing to move,we have to be willing to follow instructions and we have to equip ourselves with what the Guide says we need for the trip rather than staying in our rut,wandering wherever we have a mind to or lugging around a lifetimes' worth of toxic baggage.
The world may tell us "You can't get there from here" but God says: "You want to get to My place?
I'll take you Home. I'll move in with you. Whatever it takes,we WILL be together. You have My Word."
His Word and His Presence are all we will ever really need.
"An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard only one side of the case; God has written all the books."
-- Samuel Butler (1835-1902), English satirist. Dictionary of Humorous Quotations edited by Evan Esar
Mr. Bell, it would appear that for your purposes, you do believe that you have a belief system regarding God that works real well for you and that's wonderful. I too have a belief system regarding my God and it works real well for me. I won't try to convince you that your beliefs are incorrect and I wish you would offer me the same courtesy. (Somehow I just know you won't) As far as I'm concerned, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I realize that those of you that consider yourselves "holier than thou" have an extremely hard time doing this.
Good day sir.
The God of the Bible that will judge you unless you accept his Son!
-- Posted by michaelbell on Sun, Jul 12, 2009, at 7:08 AM
Whats this about? What makes you think this is called for?
I wonder Mr Bell what your opinions are on the varoius denominations(Baptist,Catholic, Methodist, Church of Christ,etc)? Are following the right God?
I think God judges us whether we have accepted His Son or not.
His judgement may sometimes be that we need to "get a life."
The one He offers has purpose,meaning and joy even in the worst of times.
It draws people by its very energy and the spiritual health that comes from it.
It teaches even without dogma and proselytizes even when it is silent.
It erases fear and spite as readily as truth overcomes ignorance and hope trumps despair.
When we see that life in action,we are hardwired to want it for ourselves.
We can discover the details *about* God later.
The reality of God we experience in the now through His Creation.
Those who carry His name can be beacons that illuminate and guide or a source of blinding glare that impairs others' ability to see.
(If one is coming out of darkness,even a little light can be painful and hinder more than it helps.)
Sometimes,a voice and a touch can beckon us toward the source of light and let us feel its warmth long before we think it safe to open our eyes.
But,once we risk that first glimpse,we can take in more and more light until we can see clearly and completely.
Our vision works for us even when there are people around us trying to douse the lights or some of the linkmen carrying the lamps appear to be blind.
Without minimizing the necessity of preserving and presenting sound doctrine,perhaps we need to remember that the keepers of the faith don't have to do their job all by themselves.
The Holy Spirit works with and through people of faith.
It is everywhere at every moment.
Its power is such that we don't have to WORK so hard to serve God and deliver His message.
We can exist as more than humans doing.
We can each thrive as as a human being.
Our having a just,rational,peaceful and abundant life can preach a wonderful sermon even when we aren't aware of what we do.
We can rely on God's efforts more than our own and know that we needn't struggle to earn His love by our deeds on His behalf but just reveal who He is by the impact He has made on our hearts.
There AIN"T but ONE GOD Nothing else said...
I have no problems with denominations, if the believe in Jesus as the only way, the death and resurrection, and he is coming back. Faith and Grace are the only merits, not work.
As far as church doctrines and beliefs, if you can back it up with scripture, great if not, the God will judge that not me.
Don't change God to suit gender, don't make God less tolerant to ease your conscience on your lifestyle.
Like Oprah and the ones who follow her believe, many paths DO NOT! LEAD TO GOD, ONLY ONE AND HIS NAME IS JESUS!
God is not obligated to save people of other faiths or of no faith either.
AMEN!!!!!!
I have no problems with denominations, if the believe in Jesus as the only way, the death and resurrection, and he is coming back. Faith and Grace are the only merits, not work.
Posted by michaelbell on Mon, Jul 13, 2009, at 5:08 PM
Michael,
No one can change God's gender.
God is neither male nor female. I don't think spiritual beings are affected by estrogen or testosterone or by X or Y chromosomes.
Mr. Bell if I'm understanding you correctly, anyone who believes differently than you is wrong. No doubt you believe that you have the self appointed "right" to stand in judgement of others. I do believe your precious bible commands you to "judge not, lest you be judged". From where I sit, you obviously and very conveniently skipped over that verse to suit your own hyper-inflated opinion of yourself.
I'll pray for you that God might give you victory over your selfishness and self-centerdness.
If you would read "my precious bible" as you call it, the judging of the bible and today judging is not the same.
all I am saying is people make God fit their opinion even if it is opposite of what the Word says.
by gender changing, some feminist groups get offended by the bable when it says Father God and in their service they use the term Mother instead.
To make God's Word fit your sinful lifestyle as to remove guilt is wrong, no sin is worse than the other and I am far from as I was called above:
From where I sit, you obviously and very conveniently skipped over that verse to suit your own hyper-inflated opinion of yourself.
I'll pray for you that God might give you victory over your selfishness and self-centerdness.
Posted by Tattoos & Scars on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 2:07 AM
I have victory and that victory is Christ Jesus when he died on the Cross and when he rose again!
I am nothing in myself but with him I am everything!
The only accurate description of God is the one in the Bible, not our own opinions.
There is NOTHING that you can not be forgiven for, anyone can be saved, but to change what the Bible says about God to accommodate a sinful lifestyle or to just change God's nature is wrong and very dangerous!
Mr. Bell,
You have a wonderful opportunity to give your testimony for our Lord. You don't have to know every verse in the Bible, just tell what the Lord has done for you.
Praying for YOU....
Well As for Which God I choose is the one in the BIBLE and this my God and he gave his only beggoten son for me to save me from hell( John 3:16) and I accepted the free eternal gift of Jesus Christ for he is the only way to Heaven.
Keep up the great work Mike
So those that do not ever get to hear the word, where do they go?
I don't believe anyone gets through life being totally ignorant.
They may not know the details or even be that aware of the Person but they are given some sense of right and wrong,good and evil,a sense of awe or *some* knowledge of there being something MORE than the obvious and tangible.
Even the skeptic can value Truth but what makes a thought based in reality any different from any other combination of chemicals and electrical impulses?
What makes life more than the behavior of amino acids?
The very fact we have minds to assign meaning is a glimpse of what many come to know as God.
We may not all have it straight about the whats and hows but stopping to think about why we ask why can take us to the Who.
Some people will never hear a sermon or read Holy Writ.
Some may never know anyone whose life was a living testimony.
Some people may have their perceptions impaired by a life of disinformation or by some organic damage.
The God of Love and Reason knows who we are and how to reach us.
He knows that each person has to make contact with him in their own way.
The sociopath,the autistic,the Down's syndrome or Altzheimer's patient is going to experience God in a different way from someone with mainstream thought processes.
God wouldn't expect a blind person to know Him through color or a deaf person to comprehend Him through sound.
Instead,He reveals Himself in the contexts that work for us.
Whatever our backgrounds,whatever our physical,mental or spiritual limitations might be,He offers Himself and sets us free to respond to Him with revulsion,eager joy,wistfulness or whatever is valid for us.
What He can't do is ignore us,lie to us or force Himself upon us.
He gives us the Truth and if we show any signs of wanting Him (or even rejecting all that is His antithesis),then He gives us the Love,the Justice,the Order,the Creativity,etc. that we seek plus all the rest that we don't even know to crave.
Because He is fair and wants the best for us,we will never be without His Word nor will we ever be held accountable for what we can't help nor co-erced into a relationship we don't want.
Do we need the books,the hymns,the artwork,the sermons,the rituals and dogma that have given us religion rather than faith?
Do we need other people to describe and interpret God for us?
That might be as optional as lessons on light and perspective for appreciating art,lessons on instrument making for enjoying music,a Cordon Bleau education for having a good meal or studies in sociology for loving one's friends,family or country.
Yes,telling people about God serves a legitimate purpose.
SHOWING people the Lord in our lives is a more important task.
But,letting God express Himself through us might be more for our benefit than His or the nonbelievers'.
He will speak to his children's hearts whether we are there to add our voices or not.
But our actions,our sharing of the Good News,our dispelling that which confuses and corrupts can make it easier for a questing soul to listen.
Where do the souls that don't hear the word go?
They can choose the same places as anyone else.
Even people who don't get the word get the Word.
Whether they elect to live with the Word or cut themselves off from it is something they have to decide with informed consent.
All we can do is aid and influence that free and competent choice.
Death is a big motivator, no one really wants to die, except to escape suffering or some form of mental anguish. Without doubt the day will come when we die. This realization alone is the basis of all religions. We want to live and they all offer some type or form of an afterlife. It really doesn't matter which you pick, since they all offer some form of redemption and a set of ethics to live by.
-- Posted by dipperdan on Sun, Jul 12, 2009, at 10:05 AM
I absolutely agree. Fear of death is the biggest factor, and not only our own mortality, but the death of our loved ones. When someone dies, especially tragically or at a young age, religious faith is often the only thing that gives people comfort, and helps then cope with the loss. I can't even imagine a funeral without the religious talk of the person being in a better place, reuniting with them in heaven, etc. I wonder what an atheist funeral would be like? Well.........he's dead.
Personally, I reached a point in my life where I realized that belief in an afterlife is nothing more than wishful thinking. I wish there was an afterlife, and I still hope that somehow there is, but deep down I know there probably isn't.
michaelbell, you have written several times on these blogs that if you're wrong you haven't lost anything, but if you're right a non-believer will lose everything, or something along those lines. I disagree, because if this life is the only one you are ever going to have, how can you live it to the fullest if you are just waiting for the next life to begin. This world means nothing to you. By your writings, you are just waiting, almost hoping it seems, for an apocalypse to occur. And it's a scary thought that we have world leaders who believe the same way. How can there ever be any progress, how can we ever make a real effort to make this world a better place for future generations if people really believe that this world is just waiting room until our real life begins?
I was just wondering Mr. Bell if you have visited your former benefactor Marvin Parker? At least you will know where to find him now.
There's something sad and disturbing about going through one day after another waiting to grow up...fall in love...make a mark...go to heaven...
That's how so much of our our time is spent but,in reality,hitting those milestones *does* make life richer.
The catch is the time we spend before we hit the highspots counts.
It is what defines us and helps or hinders our journey.
One mistake we make as humans is thinking the clock starts when we achieve our goals or that we fade to black once we get our "happily ever after."
We aren't idling with no purpose during our formative time and we don't get to coast after any particular achievement.
We have to extract all the potential we can from today to give confirmation to our past and reality to our future.
(Outside of science fiction,today is the only time we get to live in.)
One reason we aren't told the time of our death or the day the Lord returns is so we we'll be forced to live in the now.
We'll cherish our planet,take care of our bodies,nurture our relationships,keep witnessing,keep giving and keep growing because we don't know if we'll be gone an hour from now or still going in decades to come.
We have life doled out one day at a time so we can savor the experience fully without being too unfulfilled or taking on more than we can handle.
Living for the end can be scary and exciting but investing in today to make the most of tomorrow is the only true choice we have.
When we accept today as our focus,we can have the confident bliss of the lilies of the field,know we have put more than a little dash between our birth and death dates and not feel cheated for having exchanged a day of our lives for the 24 hour units we have spent.
Too often,we think that what we have now and who we are today isn't enough to make a difference.
Other times,we become smug and complacent.
Both of these assumptions are in error.
The very fact we exist proves that we are able to make unique and important contributions to our world.
None of us is so strong or perfect that he can stay uninvolved or handle things without a struggle.
None of us is so flawed or weak that God can't use him or her as an instrument of mass construction.
In Frank Capra's famous film "It's a Wonderful Life",George Bailey thinks himself a failure because he never got around to doing grand and glorious things.
He despairs over how he can't prevent the ordinary details of his life from falling apart.
He decides that,if he couldn't have storybook triumphs,it would be better if he'd never been born at all.
A glimpse of an alternate timeline shows him how dismal life would have been without him but he recognizes his true worth when those he supported and protected return the favor.
No,George Bailey wasn't given thrilling adventures.
His angel didn't erase all his problems and mundane challenges.
But,the seeds he sowed while "doing nothing" and waiting for future opportunities reaped him a harvest of true success.
George didn't need to jump into a phonebooth and emerge a caped Everyman to be a hero.
We don't need fiery swords or holy water to defeat evil.
Small,daily doses of kindness and common sense applied by regular folks will suffice.
We needn't wait for a call-to-arms to begin,either.
Because our power would come from God,even the least of us can begin to "be the change we want to see in the world"-starting today.
When I was a child, God was painted with the brush of vengeance, given the color of anger and a heart painted black and cold with retribution. The well meaning people wielding those brushes also said that God was a God of love, peace and tolerance. I was lierally taught to "fear" God. Yet somehow I was supposed to attempt to get to know this hate-filled, vengeful, dark God through his son Jesus. The hypocrisy involved in that journey made the road to your "type" of salvation impossible to travel.
I'm still praying for you!
Chef Boy R.D.
Those that do not ever get to hear the word, die right along with the rest of us. When everyone is Resurrected we will all get one more chance to except Jesus Christ or join Satan's army. If they don't accept Christ and join Satan's army instead, they will be killed again (this time by Christ) and judged at the second death.
You have to understand that Satan is released from the pit at the same time as we are resurrected, so he can go out once again deceiving the newly resurrected people. Those who follow him will be destroyed by Christ. No Eternal Life with Christ for them.
dipperdan,
Death is a big factor in our lives because we are told that we have to live and pay taxes until we die. Death is the end to all this madness.
Not really! Because we have to do it all over again after we are resurrected, according to the bible.
Most people who go to church have been taught that they will be Raptured up and not have to die or be tortured by the anti-Christ.
This is a false teaching.
Only a handful of people will not die, but remain here on the earth to help in the first resurrection. These people will be Kings and Priests to God and Jesus. All the redemption and set of ethics to live by only apply to those who have been saved "by the Grace of God".
Richard,
The so called religious faith and religious talk you speak of when people die are lies.
People want to hear soothing things about their loved ones, not the truth, so preacher tell them what they want to hear so they will stay with the church.
The devil has the power of death.(Hebrews 2:14) Yes, Satan is the one who comes and takes you from this earth. That is why we must pray for our loved ones when they are near death or sick. We must ask God to intervene and take them out of the power of Satan and let them live.
GOD DOES NOT take people HOME to be with Him! No one goes to heaven when they die.(John 3:13)
As proof, King David died but never went to heaven according to the bible.(Acts 2:34-35)
We have never been to heaven so that is not our home. Our home is here on the earth. God created the heavens for God and the Earth for Man.(Psalm 115:15-16)
God does not kill innocent children or adults. He doesn't torture people to death either. No, that is Satan doing the horrible killings. Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, cancer, incurable diseases etc. and even death by auto accidents.
Yes, there is an afterlife and an Eternal Life after the next afterlife. It is written in the King James Bible. As for the other religions???????????
The King James Holy Bible has all the answers in it. Some say that the King James has been changed so much that it isn't trustworthy. I have read from it and find it to be a complete source of information about the past, present and future.
Unique-lies;
You could be right it may just all be lies or mis-information. The truth is no one knows.
Believing "writings" of any type requires laying aside factual knowledge and taking up a belief system in which one personally believes.
God is not human, on any level, unless you make God so in your own mind. God does not exist unless you believe existence in a supernatural or spiritual world in you own mind.
There is no afterlife, resurrection, heaven or hell, unless you believe in these concepts in your own mind.
What my beliefs are/is based on my own concepts from my studies of others works (including the bible), with hope and faith, that "I" have mentally put together for "myself", from what I believe to be facts or common sense evaluations of life, rather than just the human manipulations/fabrications presented by religious sects.
I only can hope what I believe is correct because like everyone else, I CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING!
Peace
dipperdan;
Good answer!
Even my King James Bible mentions some of these other Gods and religions, so they have existed since the beginning of time, weather your bible explains the existence of time and how all things came about or not.
My God is a jealous God but He has never destroyed any of these other Gods, so they do exist.
It all comes down to which God is the Alpha and the Omega in the end.
My Bible says that God created everything. Nothing was created unless it was created by God, so God even created these other Gods which He hates. Ironic!
I suppose that is why we all must be resurrected to live here on the earth for another short time so we can be deceived by Satan again after the angels preach the gospel to everyone who is resurrected.
These other Gods are not mentioned in the hereafter, only Satan and his new followers. Even the beast and the false prophet are not resurrected, but thrown into the lake of fire.