I really want a Christian to answer this...not a troll thread.

Lets do a test for you OP.
Go read Ecclesiastes chapter 12:all of it.

Tell us all what you think it is being said there in that chapter.

I am sure if you took the test we would know your level of understanding in what you think the bible is saying.

Does the bible have mistakes in it?
Sure does. The book of Isaiah chapter 34 that you mentioned earlier has errors in that chapter. What error?
Verse 7 talks about unicorns. Well it is not unicorns in the originals, it is wild ox.

The original King James bible scribes wrote two letters in put them in the front of the book.
One of the letters were to the King.
The other letter was to us the reader.
And the translators told us they know they made mistakes and that we must take each word back to its prime to the original because they could not translate Hebrew and etc. words into English, so they substituted words, like unicorn.

Look at verse 16 of that same chapter 34. What does it say there?

Peace!

Finding God in a book?
Does it stand to reason then that if I wish to find Tinkerbelle that I should read Peter Pan? Sorry for the blatant example but......

The idea of God is spirit - does it not reason then we should find spirit in spirit? I do understand that you consider a book the word of God, but history has proven that it is the word of man.

Kismet

This is why it is futile to even talk with an unbeliever who constantly refuses to listen.

An unbeliever's heart must first be READY to hear God's Word or he will never understand no hear.

God must first bring the heart of an unbeliever near so that he or she is ready to accept the Truth.

The Word of God is in SCRIPTURE.
It was given us so that we might have a written reference for what the Lord has said as a guide, just as the Holy Spirit in us lets us interpret the Truth of these words.

For some people though reading it, never understands.
One must first BELIEVE and then they will KNOW by the Holy Spirit that ministers in our heart.

In Jesus Christ!

thread.





The fundamental problem with your question is that you are asking Christians for real answers; and they (corporately), cannot give you real answers, for they have NO clue.....and no real answers....

The next question from "them" will be; ok, smartass, "do you"?

And the short answer, for today, is yes.....First, Jesus did not teach a "Doctrine of resurrection", he taught a Doctrine of "rebirth" (not reincarnation, don't confuse the two)..

Start here.....

Quoting: christopherM

No, the fundamental problem is that he's asking Christians about their faith while also forbidding them to use their sacred text.

And what's funny is you declaring with authority what Jesus did or did not declare after telling Christians they have no clue.
Quoting: Keep2theCode



You both are wrong. If I were questioning the Christian faith I'd where Cains wife came from...or the city of Ur for that matter. I'd ask why in Genesis are there two seperate stories pertaining to the creation of the first man and who exactly Lilith is. I may also ask how it is that angels, who are neither man nor woman, can come and have children with humans.
Perhaps I would also ask why when Josephs lineage is traced in the gospels why theres generations of difference between them. Or maybe why if God knows and sees all, why was it necessary to kill every living thing on Earth....twice.
I dont ask those things because Im willing to believe them on faith alone. Alot of time has passed and things get confused or people lose parts of stories and add other parts in their place. Any number of things can explain much of the above, some things cant.

The question I asked was HOW do YOU as a Christian get beyond not having the same proof our ancestors had. PROOF of something does not lie within its own doctrine or book.
How personally have you overcome, what I see as, the biggest elephant in the room? Does it make sense to show so few some miracles when the many are dying for it? We want to have faith...as much as we want true love, but love is a two way street. How do you love someone that is emotionally unavailable and thwarts every attempt of yours to try?
If I were chasing some girl I was in love with and she ignored my phone calls, said she would not show that SHE love ME, and told me to just take her word for it, I wouldnt be chasing her for long.

Free will aside, God knows we think this way. To make matters worse, he even says those of us living in the end times are screwed cuz the Devil runs shit. I cant see how in any realm, spiritual or physical, where that makes any sense is all.




Those answers are not in the canon bible. However those answers are easily found in apocryphas. The lost book of Adam and Eve 1,2 , The book of Enoch. all those questions can easily be answered in these books

Nice - now you want to judge me as a non-believer? What did I say that bothered you so? I said that as God is spirit, should we not seek God in sprit?

Kismet

Lilith

The Dead Sea Scrolls contains one indisputable reference to Lilith in Songs of the Sage (4Q510-511)[43] fragment 1:


And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers…] and those which fall upon men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and to make their heart and their […] desolate during the present dominion of wickedness and predetermined time of humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity – not for eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression.[44]

Lilith (Hebrew: לילית‎; lilit, or lilith) is a Hebrew name for a figure in Jewish mythology, developed earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be in part derived from a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts.

Evidence in later Jewish materials is plentiful, but little information has been found relating to the original Akkadian and Babylonian view of these demons. The relevance of two sources previously used to connect the Jewish Lilith to an Akkadian Lilitu – the Gilgamesh appendix and the Arslan Tash amulets – are now both disputed by recent scholarship.[1] The two problematic sources are discussed below.[2]

The Hebrew term Lilith first occurs in Isaiah 34:14, either singular or plural according to variations in the earliest manuscripts, though in a list of animals. In the Dead Sea Scrolls Songs of the Sage the term first occurs in a list of monsters. In Jewish magical inscriptions, on bowls and amulets from the 6th century CE onwards, Lilith is identified as a female demon and the first visual depictions appear The resulting Lilith legend is still commonly used as source material in modern Western culture, literature, occultism, fantasy, and horror.

The Bible is like viewing a movie in 3d you need a pair of glasses. When you put on these glasses you see the 3d the way it's supposed to be seen. But without it you see blurred. When a person reads the bible they can't understand bc it makes no sense. However when one comes to God in privacy and asks for Jesus for forgiveness and accepts him as savior, something happens within a person supernaturally, spiritually. When you do this you open yourself up to receive not only his gift of salvation but his spirit within you. You are receiving the glasses then when you read the scripture all of a sudden you understand and you don't know how. The reason is because his word is spirit. When you ask for forgiveness he fills you with his spirit and that is the term born again, or born in spirit. You are spiritually awakened and you can see what before you coul not.

Hello OP

I am a new Christian and I know how you feel. I am 47 years old and just came into the faith 2 years ago. I was brought up in a Church and knew all about the miracles that were done in the Bible. I wondered the same thing about how the miracles aren't as evident today as was back in the past.

I studied history and read books in order to find proof of a God or devil. You may think that God was showing people miracles all the time to millions of people in the past but that is somewhat untrue. He showed Himself and His miracles to a few and they expounded on this event, except when it came to the miracles that He performed for the Jews in Egypt. Most of those were evident by His people and some of the lucky Egyptians that survived.

People in that olden time still didn't believe in Him as much even with all the miracles people heard about. That is why in the Bible it mentions that you are doubly blessed if you have faith and believe without seeing the miracles.

My path had me experimenting with the Ouija board and that started the true path towards Him even though it lead to the other side. This was when I was in my 20s. I found that there was a devil and so there must be a God. But at that time I still didn't give my life to Him.

Sure I would explain away all the little miracles in my life that happen through the years and sure you can put a humanistic twist to it instead of a supernatural one. It took Him to whisper in my ear before I fully understood and I committed my life to Him. ASfterwards, I found through faith that He was with me all the time. He was with me through all my screw ups and guided me right back to where I am now.

How do you get close to Him? It is no secret but it is like a read from one of the Lord of the Rings books. There is a journey that you have to do and just like in those books/movies, you must have faith that you will reach your destination.

The first part of the trip is the hardest but as they say the first step is always the hardest to start with. The rest come easy. The first step is to really be sincere and ask Jesus Christ into your life. How do you do it you say? By getting on your knees and asking Him to forgive you of your sins and to know in your heart that He is your savior through His blood that He has spilt on the cross.

The second step is to pray fervently and daily and to live your life as He would. Treat everyone fairly and follow the 10 commandments. He knows that we will never get to His level of purity but we must try. With prayer, He will show you things that You will not believe but it must start with faith....

Faith of a mustard seed can move a mountain...

Sure, there will be pressure all around you. They are there for a reason. They are people and situations that whittle down your faith. The devil doesn't want you to succeed because he knows that the only way to strike out at God is through people that are trying to get close to Him.

Beware of distractions....Again, this is no easy path and if it were so many more people would join you. It states in the Bible that the path to Him is very narrow yet the path to the lake of fire is very wide. I didn't fully get that statement until I became saved and started to see all the distractions, attacks, etc that commenced when I began my journey.

Are you strong enough????

GOD Bless

Perhaps Im beating a dead horse, but okay, we'll do it your way.

Genesis 1:26,27

Then God said," Let us make mankind in our image, our likeness..." 27. So God created man in his image...male and female, he created them both "

This story is told again in the following chapter, but this time, God does not create both man and woman. Only after Adam complains he doesnt have a mate does God then make Eve.

So which is true? The first instance where God created man and woman at the same time from dirt or the second story?

Also, Christianity is based on the teachings of the Jewish faith up until the new testament. Well, orthodox Jews wrote the Alphabet of Ben Sira long before Christianity was recognized. Its part or Jewish belief that Adam did indeed have more than one wife. So if Christians and ews share similar views of the old testament, why differ on this one critical point so much if its inconsequetial??

Answer me this please. Are we to dismiss new findings based solely on the fact they were not included in a book because they were found a millenia after the book was written?

Many Christians point to the Shroud of Turin as tangible proof of Jesus. While I dont know much about the shroud, Id much rather take writings proven to be of similar time period as proof rather than some vague figure on a piece of cloth.

Doesnt Jesus tell us to ask questions?

In John 4:1 it states "Do not believe every spirit, but test whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone into the world"

In 1st Thessalonians it says," Test all things, hold fast what is good"

In a verse after that it says to have patients with seekers and do not cast judgement. Your JOB as a Christian is to answer or attempt to answer these exact types of questions.

I may also direct you to the following:

Mathew 7:7-11

"Ask and ye shall find" "For what man is there among you, if his son asks for bread you give him a stone or he asks for a fish and you give him a serpent instead?"
That seems pretty straightforward to me. Im asking for spiritual bread, and instead recieving a serpent.

Mathew 21:22

"And whatever asked in prayer, you shall recieve"

In context of the chapter, Im guessing that doesnt mean I get a Ferrari if I ask. Im only asking for guidence and to have my eyes opened, seems easy.

SAW

Revelation

Odinson

I know that walk. I'm 30 I came to God when I was 20. Taking the Cross and following him is no easy task. One thing he says cast your burdens upon me, he will give you rest. Also your relationship don't let it be religious but a relationship. When you get a chance and in prayer speak from the heart and say i cast my troubles and my burdens upon you Jesus. You give him your struggles and removes them from you, that you feel like it's not hard you feel light. The weight that you have will be lifted It has taken ten years to figure that out. The more people want to try with their own strength you won'succeed. Give him everything and you will see what I'm talking about. I hope this helpful in your walk

God Bless Brother

Wow...great catch there dude! Holy crap, Im managing some grammar, puntuation, and perhaps some runon sentence mistakes!

Its all so clear now! Youve truly opened my eyes with your awesome reply which was filled with facts and even references!

Im not here to compare brain pans because most of you would flat out lose. Im also not going to stoop to your level of stupidity because you'll obviously beat me with experience.

I appreciate the corrections, but if youve nothing concrete to add, why not troll another thread or perhaps make your own about grammar and punctuation?

I usually dont name call for the sake of doing it, but you are an asshole dude. Plain and simple.

If you don't even know the title of the book,
how much should I assume that you actually know aboutthe book, you dumbshit?

and I'm the whole ass, motherfucker...

You are the one what, dumbfuck?

Bring it, shit for brains...

Nice reply, and perhaps for some reason Im not asking the right questions or maybe I shouldnt tempt the Lord lol.

I will do as you say and see what unfolds. Although, I dont know how to ask the same question differently.

Ive been ready,willing,and able for a decade but nothing seems different whatsoever. A relationship should be a two way street.

Ive done my part. I accept on faith what the Bible teaches. I only ask of God to show me. Doesnt have to be a burning bush or anything. Perhaps this feeling of overwhelming love Ive heard Christians have when God touches them. Or even just a voice in my head telling me He is there. But theres nothing...at all.
If God wants a relationship and all I have to do is "seek and ye shall find", it seems He is renegging on His own words.

I am tired of speaking with you.
The Spirit in me grows weary and more weary of those of you who does not believe but rather argue with God.

Continue arguing with God until the day you are thrown into the Fire.

This is your CHOICE.

In Jesus Christ.

I’ve been through some really bad things in my life. For some reason, even as a child, I believed in God, but after one bad experience after another, I began to doubt him, eventually I thought he did not care. So one night on a clear night, when all the stars where out, and it was freezing cold outside, I told God I did not want him in my life, I remember it distinctly as though yesterday.

From that moment I spiraled into the deepest darkest depression… it was like all light had left my life, and there was nothing to escape from it, it even endured in dreams, and even if I tried to drink it away with alcohol. There was no escape. My whole being was like a black hole, there was no happiness.

My life became a disaster, eventually I became suicidal.

He had respected my freewill and obliged my request, I had not realized that the whole time he had sustained me through my trials for all those years. By asking him to leave I was able to experience the effect of God with you, and God not with you. He really is light.

The truth is this world would be hell without God. He is everything that is good, without it we literally are in hell, but we have to make that choice to reach him. He knows what’s in your heart, if he knows you secretly wish to know him, he will reach out to you, but you have to be earnest. You have to really want to know.

I started reading NDE’s, after years of suffering depression, they were the only things that brought comfort. I’d read one story after another, and a new picture of God emerged, not the judging angry one I’d been raised up with. Thinking God was that way was one of the reasons why I had denied him in the first place, but still that did not stop the pain.

I started having these dreams, a series of dreams, the first one God was on this earth, all things in the dream yearned to be with him, even the clouds, trees, bugs, and all reality bent towards its creator, meaning that reality itself was alive, and sentient. I believed God was unreachable, as millions of people from around the world had gathered to scream and call out to him. Even the God haters came to scream their profanities at him. In the dream I could feel all their emotions, their hatred, love, confusion, and I thought them more worthy of him than me, so I left.

Along the road, I saw a little boy lost from his parents crying in the rain. Feeling concerned, I took him, and held him, and asked if he was ok, he just cried in my arms, so I rocked him. As I did that, I noticed the storm stopped dead above, the winds high in the sky swirled around us, the bugs crawled to the rock we sat on, and the trees tilted towards us. I realized who I was with…

All I will say is that he knew everything there was about me. God is life. A series of dreams afterwards revealed that our thoughts are important, how we are influences reality! I was shown how my own thinking had affected my own life and being, how my own beliefs had hurt me. If we do not believe in anything we become caught in cause and effect. This is where mankind is at now. We have used our freewill to believe in our slavery as the ultimate reality! God meant more for us! I realized the whole bible is about the freeing of mankind. Like I had done, mankind had walked away from God, his beliefs changed his reality, and now to be free again, we must return.

What is happening in the world now is because the majority of the world chooses not believe in God. Because of that, our reality rules over us. If one has faith, change is possible in impossible circumstances, that is why faith is important. Faith is part of freedom, and an exercise in freewill.

Eventually God did heal me of the depression within a dream, the love was so powerful and overwhelming that when I awoke I was tingling from head to toe. I had believed after all those years he would heal me and he did. He was light/life (positive). Light affects the darkness, like the sun lights the solar system, we have to be like that, and have faith to sustain it. We have to commune with him, because bad events diminish us, and he replenishes us, because he is life. Looking and focusing onto the darkness, takes away.

A final word, I did not attend churches during those times, or commune with other Christians, but I do know Christians. So God can reach you anywhere, anytime, if you truly seek him.

Yep, Ishtar !
Yep Eze. chapter 8:14 is one of several places where we can see Ishtar... Tammuz, Lilith...

Good going sarge !

Punk.

Really? Some people spell tomatoe like that, some spell it tomato. Regardless of which way its spelled, you know what someone means when its written.

If you cant tell I know the Bible, perhaps you havent actually taken the time to read the exact thread you are hijacking.

You have offered nothing besides a clip of Bush flipping me off and some random name calling. Are we to assume thay YOU know anything about the discussion when you have offered nothing on the topic at all?

Im not sure what it is you're tyring to prove with your wisdom of embedding video clips and name calling so Im not sure how I should respond.

Perhaps read this reply, then post all the grammatical errors in it?

What is the title of the book, Mr. One?

No he aint.

He said "Seek and ye shal find"

He didnt say "Seek and ye shall find ALMOST IMMEDIATLEY"

Ya just gotta keep looking.

The deeper the looking..the deeper the answers you will eventually find.

Its not about feelings either.

Its about faith..if someone is happy to stop looking just because they got a religious thrill..so much the sadder for them..for they stop seeking THIKING they have found..when all they found was some feelings..but NO facts.

You want a face to face with God?

You have to keep looking..because when it happens..it will be so far beyond some "FEELING" that you will be glad you didnt settle for a thrill..cause you ended up with the REAL DEAL..and not a passing fad or thrill.

OP, don't look for miracles, those are exceptions and not rules. Christianity is simple, not complicated. God is near you, just talk to him in your prayers, sincere and opened mind like a child and you will find what you seek.