How do you keep from doubting?

[bluesea112]

I need some help guys, so I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.

I was brought up in a Christian home. I attended Kindergarden - 6th grade at a Baptist school. I was Baptised when I was 12 years old. I was active in my Baptist church my entire life, and rarely missed a Sunday or Wednesday night service.
Being a Christian was easy when I was a kid, because I did not have the education or wisdom to be able to think rationally. I never questioned what I was told in Sunday School or by my parents, and I did not have a single doubt that I would go to heaven when I died.
Now that I am older, I find myself questioning many of the things I was brought up to believe. Not to long ago I was driving down the road and realised that there is a difference between wanting to believe something, and actually believing something to be true. Do I WANT to believe everything I was taught growing up, and do I WANT to go to Heaven when I die. Answer: Absolutely Yes. But as an intelligent and rational thinking person, I cannot honestly say that I do believe....and that scares me. It really scares me. I don't want to spend an eternity in Hell.
What really made me start questioning whether I truly believed or just wanted to believe was when I started wondering why God has an ego. God loves us so much that he will let us burn in the depths of Hell for all of eternity if we don't buff his ego and tell him how great he is? Something else that bothers me is why would God allow his son to suffer and die a barbaric death like crusifiction to wash us of our sins, when God is the one who makes the rules in the first place? He can let anybody he wants to into Heaven if he is truly the Almighty Creator. The sacrificial lamb concept seems suspiciously humanistic, and completely unnecessary for an all mighty God to participate in.
To make things even worse, we now have scientific proof that many of the stories in the Bible were exagerated tales written down by barbarians. We think Middle Eastern terrorists from Aphghanistan are un-civilized in the present day; well just think what they must have been like 2000 years ago. Science has taught us that the star over Bethlehem was actually Haley's Comet. Moses' burning bush has turned out to be nothing more than a species of plant that grows on that mountain that has leaves that turn red early in the season. We now know that Jesus did not miraculously feed thousands of people with a single fish...he used the fish as bait to catch more fish, and then those were used as bait to catch even more.
I feel like a hypocryte, because if someone asks if I am a believer and a Christian I tell them yes. I tell them yes because I WANT to believe. Unfortunately, God does not say that you get in to heaven if you WANT to believe that Jesus died on the cross; He says you MUST believe. There is a HUGE difference.

Have you guys ever questioned your faith and/or beliefs? If so, how did you move from just wanting to believe to actually and honestly knowing your faith and beliefs were absolute truth?

[Juker]

They are good, valid points, and I think they are something that a lot of Christians ask themselves.

I have to remind myself (daily, it seems) that I am just a creation. He is the Creator. He is perfect, and infinite, and all-knowing, and it is beyond the limits of our minds to comprehend His ways.

A verse I reflect upon often is Job 38, when God responds to Job and his "friends":

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

That's just the first four verses; the entire chapter is, well, chilling.

I have faith because I have seen miracles, because I have seen prayers answered, because I know I am led by the Holy Spirit within me. I don't have all the answers to my questions, or yours; but I take great comfort in KNOWING I am saved, and have an eternal home waiting for me. I know He leads me; I know I often stumble in following Him, but I know my life is comprised of more than just a moral sense of right and wrong.

As for the science aspect, well, I say leave that behind you. Atheists and evolutionists want everything tied up in a nice package of made-up data. I'll take the Bible, co-authored by the Holy Spirit, over any man's data and observations and statements of supposed 'fact'. What some may call scientific proof, I call hooey. "Faith is the evidence of things not seen" - which is why we don't need Biblical artifacts to support what God tells us is true.

Christ was sent to earth for us. Long ago I heard it put this way, and it has always stuck with me: "He came to pay a debt He did not owe, for we owed a debt we could not pay." He lived a perfect life, sent to teach man of our Heavenly Father, and asked only that we believe in Him. And because our mortal bodies could not possibly bear the punishment for our sins, He took the punishment for us. All of us, even unbelievers. Even those whom He knew would never believe. His death served many purposes, including our sanctification and redemption. His sacrifice allowed us to enter the Heavenly kingdom. God in Heaven will not allow the unclean to dwell alongside Him, so a way was devised for us to become purified, and that was done by Christ.

I also believe His death served as a timeless example of how we are to live our lives. Selflessly, putting others first.

The evidence of God is all around us. He will come to anyone who seeks the truth, regardless of whether they ever see a Bible or meet a missionary. Every human has the opportunity to receive the free gift of salvation. I don't know anyone in this country who doesn't know the way, hasn't heard the message - but I know plenty whose OWN egos won't allow them to accept that a greater Being than them exists, and created them. They know the truth, they've rejected it, and all too soon will face the reality of eternal damnation.

Billy Graham once said something along the lines of, "I don't understand my digestive system, but I eat. I don't understand how my lungs work, but I continue to breathe. So it is with faith. I cannot, and do not need to, understand God."

[Pistol Preacher]

There is the heart thing and there is the head thing.

Believing is from the heart while understanding is from the head.

If you are like me, one plus one always must equal two.

But with the Lord this is not always so.

If I ask you: "If you would hop in the car or truck and head out and you would get into an accident, if you would die then and there, where do you believe you would end up, heaven or hell?"

Now, so to speak, eliminate your head and what you think is right.

You would be trying to use human thoughts to describe a God who is not human - but God!

So many of us do this.

What would the your answer to that question I brought up?

God bless!!

Pistol Packin Preacher

[jack404]

Charles , take a look about , Creation , then think about your life , you worked hard at doing good raising your family and done ok , but along the way who's help did you ask for ?

and do you think you got help ? , now take a look at the world , not creation,

you a part of that ? ,

these you answer to yourself

Me , i've had no whirlwind speak to me , but i know that when i look at creation and at the world thats not of creation i know which i prefer and know my creator , and the part he made and the part that man's created .. cause the part mans created is flawed ..

and i see that divide , that gap , and know which side i want to be on ..

the rest , hard to answer , but done the same way , we know , but its the non creation world that puts doubts in us , and personally i'm glad to get away from it all and to get to places like here , where i dont see much but what The Good Lord Created ,

Charles , I wish you Our Lords Peace and Wisdom

cheers to you

[One Shot]

I spent 33 years in supposed "Christian" churches but had never heard the Gospel. When I did hear it and finally became a follower of Christ I started asking why it took so long to hear the Truth. That led to a long learning process of what was really going on in those churches.

The bottom line is: what helped me make the decision about the Truth of God was to learn more about what the opposing view is. God's opponents are very crafty and they promote teaching that sounds good to our ears. If what the Bible teaches doesn't quite ring true to you yet, then compare it to the opposite teaching and see what you think. For me, it makes the Truth of the Bible very clear.

This site compares the two fairly well. Which do you agree with?

http://www.foundationsforliving.org/...orldview1.html

God Bless your quest. Asking questions and searching for Truth is a good thing.

By the way, I no longer believe in God... I know Him.

[Pistol Preacher]

This, too, is what I was getting at.

Thoughts can be planted in your head that will make you doubt.

But if you know in your heart you have been forgiven by the Lord's blood redemption and have accepted His free gift to you, you have no worries.

Like it was said, there are churches out there that will not tell you this.

And there are those that will.

But you are not there for the social life but to to get close to the Lord and have a relationship with Him.

Yes, it might sound odd, getting to heaven by accepting that Jesus died for you also.

But this is the way God says it is to be.

The hardest thing in the world - we must humble ourselves and come to Him and say it is Your way.

But it is the easiest thing in the world since it is a free gift and all we must do is accept it.

Have you actually accepted His gift, or have you not done so yet?

All it takes to know you are going to heaven is to go to the Lord and say:
"Jesus, I open my heart to you.
Come on in!
Come into my heart and be my Lord and be my Savior.
I now receive your free gift of eternal life with you in heaven.
Fill me with your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus holy name.
Amen."

The actual words are not the important thing.

The important thing is that you mean it.

People can say words and not mean them.

Have any brothers or sisters?

When you were children you would kind of fight with each other.

Mom or Dad would tell you to stop and say you are sorry to each other.

But did you mean it?

No way (waited for them to leave the room so you could finish what was started!!)

This is saying something and not meaning it.

Trust your heart and just say it with sincerity.

You may not really know what you have done for awhile.

But believe me, your name will be written down in heaven at that very moment!!

Like jack404 said, look around at the awesome world the Lord has created - that will be the ultimate proof in our Great Big God!!

God bless!!

PP (Michael)

[ksbohuntr]

Originally Posted by bluesea112

I need some help guys, so I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.

I was brought up in a Christian home. I attended Kindergarden - 6th grade at a Baptist school. I was Baptised when I was 12 years old. I was active in my Baptist church my entire life, and rarely missed a Sunday or Wednesday night service.
Being a Christian was easy when I was a kid, because I did not have the education or wisdom to be able to think rationally. I never questioned what I was told in Sunday School or by my parents, and I did not have a single doubt that I would go to heaven when I died.
Now that I am older, I find myself questioning many of the things I was brought up to believe. Not to long ago I was driving down the road and realised that there is a difference between wanting to believe something, and actually believing something to be true. Do I WANT to believe everything I was taught growing up, and do I WANT to go to Heaven when I die. Answer: Absolutely Yes. But as an intelligent and rational thinking person, I cannot honestly say that I do believe....and that scares me. It really scares me. I don't want to spend an eternity in Hell.
What really made me start questioning whether I truly believed or just wanted to believe was when I started wondering why God has an ego. God loves us so much that he will let us burn in the depths of Hell for all of eternity if we don't buff his ego and tell him how great he is? Something else that bothers me is why would God allow his son to suffer and die a barbaric death like crusifiction to wash us of our sins, when God is the one who makes the rules in the first place? He can let anybody he wants to into Heaven if he is truly the Almighty Creator. The sacrificial lamb concept seems suspiciously humanistic, and completely unnecessary for an all mighty God to participate in.
To make things even worse, we now have scientific proof that many of the stories in the Bible were exagerated tales written down by barbarians. We think Middle Eastern terrorists from Aphghanistan are un-civilized in the present day; well just think what they must have been like 2000 years ago. Science has taught us that the star over Bethlehem was actually Haley's Comet. Moses' burning bush has turned out to be nothing more than a species of plant that grows on that mountain that has leaves that turn red early in the season. We now know that Jesus did not miraculously feed thousands of people with a single fish...he used the fish as bait to catch more fish, and then those were used as bait to catch even more.
I feel like a hypocryte, because if someone asks if I am a believer and a Christian I tell them yes. I tell them yes because I WANT to believe. Unfortunately, God does not say that you get in to heaven if you WANT to believe that Jesus died on the cross; He says you MUST believe. There is a HUGE difference.

Have you guys ever questioned your faith and/or beliefs? If so, how did you move from just wanting to believe to actually and honestly knowing your faith and beliefs were absolute truth?

[BlackEagle]

bluesea112, my 2 cents' worth. It'll take me more than one post to respond.

I'm sure Job had his minutes of doubts after all his bad times; his wife only spoke once in the entire book; her contribution was "Curse God and Die". Yet Job was able to say, maybe through gritted teeth, "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; " (Job 19:25-26) His circumstances could change (he lost his health, his wealth, everything was gone) but God would stay true. God was his anchor that held him steady in the storms that assaulted him.

I don't know if you have done much flying; Dad did some during WW2. There are times when cloud cover or other weather conditions obscure the ground and you lose perspective. That's when you need to depend on instruments. They give you the hard facts that you need to keep the plane flying true: altitude, direction, whether you are flying level or banking, etc. A pilot who disregards his instruments or doesn't know how to read them will get lost or lose his orientation and crash.

The Bible is our "instrument cluster". Regardless of how or what we feel, the Bible stays true, just as the stars and the North Pole stay true.

I suggest just reading the Bible, starting with John, to get the record of who Christ is, why He came, and what He did (and does).

That's a start. I'll be back. (promise, threat or fair warning, your choice )

[REPEATER]

Death is scarey. the peace in death to me is just that. I dont believe in hell or so much heaven. Id have an easier time believing in heaven though. life is barbaric. then we die. must we live on? even so, without the ones we love, or things that would make an afterlife even desirable? when nature kills nature for food, or territory, do they choose by beliefs where or whats after death? why are we different when all was created just the same? My spirit will be gone the day my heart stops. I accept and believe that. Only I can make the memories that will keep "me" alive. Live live life and your afterlife is for the ones that live on to remember you. I dont say this to discourage, but to explain my view. I may have not been forced into a religioun but I was given opportunities throughout childhood. and even now as an adult. reading the first 20 pages of the bible is beyond a fairytale to me. I cant accept that truth. evolution.... that happens every day. new creatures, bugs, dieing breeds. my mind is open to facts contradicting texts wrote through how many years and different books? I hope often, even prey, but I dont lose sleep over it when im let down. odds are odss. but death is inevitable. in this life, all I seek is health and happiness.

[jack404]

Repeater , take a good look at science , how the planets form and how they die and realise that all that is like a pre programmed result to get the universe to this place and time that God's last creation , man , can survive in this state as weak and ill prepared we are we are here not too far from a gaseous star , and not too close

just right ...

coincidence?

take a look at DNA , amazing eh

but take those same bits rearrainge em and we get a cow , or a horse or one of us

then look again at planets and stars and how materials are formed and heck !! its the same process , rearrainge it and you get other materials different stars , planets and other things forming

the more i learn of science the more i see the hand of creation

i too dobt genesis a bit but not really

but i do see where words in there that may mean longer time periods are called a day

and folks accept that as face , but i also read other documents of the same period when they talk about a mans day ( his whole life ) the day of a empire ( Centuries)

whats a day to God ?

I wish you peace enough to find your answers

and Pray you find what helps you be at peace

[REPEATER]

Originally Posted by jack404

Repeater , take a good look at science , how the planets form and how they die and realise that all that is like a pre programmed result to get the universe to this place and time that God's last creation , man , can survive in this state as weak and ill prepared we are we are here not too far from a gaseous star , and not too close

just right ...

coincidence?

take a look at DNA , amazing eh

but take those same bits rearrainge em and we get a cow , or a horse or one of us

then look again at planets and stars and how materials are formed and heck !! its the same process , rearrainge it and you get other materials different stars , planets and other things forming

the more i learn of science the more i see the hand of creation

i too dobt genesis a bit but not really

but i do see where words in there that may mean longer time periods are called a day

and folks accept that as face , but i also read other documents of the same period when they talk about a mans day ( his whole life ) the day of a empire ( Centuries)

whats a day to God ?

I wish you peace enough to find your answers

and Pray you find what helps you be at peace

even with all that, our entire universe could be as small as a drop of water in a mud puddle, undisturbed by anything else giving us stable life. time relativity being different, our years is a day in anothers life. all things possible I stay hopeful, more so towards what makes sense to me. belief I have, just like others. faith, a bit low it seems. but without faith I know achieving the impossible is really just that. they say god works in mysterious ways and id be a liar to say I wasn't stumped like many others. when my day comes I will have hoped to find my truths. until then, Ill take it all in and keep trying to make sense of it. peace is in understanding

[ksbohuntr]

For God so loved the worid (people) that he gave his only begotten and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:17 This how much he LOVES us all. Unless we Repent of our sin (turn away from) there is no remission of sin. It took a virgin birth a sinless substitute for our sins to be covered, and that is why God gave his begotten son to be beaten with a cat of nine tails ,acrown of thorns placed on his head and nailed to an old rugged cross, so that you and I could go free(if we repent of or sins an denie ourselves and follow him). If that isn't Love Then what is? And he did this willing. When he looked down off that cross you and I and everyone else that beleives, we were in his eyes. We will not be perfect we will stumble and fall, but we need to get back up and ask for forgivness and carry on the fight of FAITH. Rember( FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING COMES BY THE WORD OF GOD). Roman 10:17 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put there trust in him. Prov.30:5 Forget what the scientist are saying and get in the word of God for his word is infalable and is inspired by God. One mediator between GOD AND MAN AND THAT IS JESUS CHRIST my lord and saviour. We must repent of our sins, we mustask for forgiveness and ask him into or heart. When we have done this he is faithful and just to forgive no matter what are sins are. Thereforeif any manbe in Christ he is a new creature: old things passaway: behold, all things become new. 2 Corin.5:17. That is the born again experience. Stay in the word and Keep Praying Daily.






















































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[REPEATER]

Originally Posted by ksbohuntr

For God so loved the worid (people) that he gave his only begotten and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:17 This how much he LOVES us all. Unless we Repent of our sin (turn away from) there is no remission of sin. It took a virgin birth a sinless substitute for our sins to be covered, and that is why God gave his begotten son to be beaten with a cat of nine tails ,acrown of thorns placed on his head and nailed to an old rugged cross, so that you and I could go free(if we repent of or sins an denie ourselves and follow him). If that isn't Love Then what is? And he did this willing. When he looked down off that cross you and I and everyone else that beleives, we were in his eyes. We will not be perfect we will stumble and fall, but we need to get back up and ask for forgivness and carry on the fight of FAITH. Rember( FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING COMES BY THE WORD OF GOD). Roman 10:17 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put there trust in him. Prov.30:5 Forget what the scientist are saying and get in the word of God for his word is infalable and is inspired by God. One mediator between GOD AND MAN AND THAT IS JESUS CHRIST my lord and saviour. We must repent of our sins, we mustask for forgiveness and ask him into or heart. When we have done this he is faithful and just to forgive no matter what are sins are. Thereforeif any manbe in Christ he is a new creature: old things passaway: behold, all things become new. 2 Corin.5:17. That is the born again experience. Stay in the word and Keep Praying Daily. ;

I could explain myself further, but simple q and a's turn into a debate. although it makes sense, Im faithless due too misunderstanding the need of forgiveness and acceptance. I was taught, it doesn't matter what others think of you and only offer forgiveness when you know for certain that you can. and trust is earned

[LyleLovett666]

How do I keep from doubting?For one the bible says that at a certain point god will do away with the devil.So who runs hell for the rest of eternity after that?Also what kind of just god punishes Ghandi or Einstein,or you the same way he punishes hitler?And yes,god has an ego.Who else but an ego maniac creates an entire universe devoted to his worship?I don't want to come off crass but well...what else can be gleaned from life.Be a good person.You inherently know right from wrong.Follow that and live a long and happy life.

[LyleLovett666]

Forgot to mention that I saw this on a tv sermon about ten years ago.First time I ever considered the actual reality of god.The gist of the sermon was that God does not want robots nor does he want you to worship him out out of fear.God wants to have an actual relationship with you based on a mutual love and respect.The same that should be afforded to every other worthy human on the planet.

[LyleLovett666]

The best summation.My doubt is in the word of man.

[Juker]

We are told in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

So much love for us that He gave His Son on our behalf. So much love that He wishes for us to spend eternity with Him. So much love that He offers that incredible free gift of salvation. Free. Nothing we do can earn or deserve it, no amount of good deeds, no amount of straight living. We have only to believe.

The gift is for all. God doesn't want us in hell for eternity ("not willing that any should perish"); but gives man the free will to choose. The truth is there, the entire story laid out for us, the ending certain - and still He gives us free will to choose.

We are the creatures, the creations. All too often men have tried to rationalize God, saying in effect, "I'm not perfect, I'm a sinner, I do a lot of things wrong; but if I was God, I'd do it this way." Which is why I go back to Job so often, and cannot imagine the power He has, to create the universe, and life, and us. Sit back, and try to whip up a quick solar system, or make the sun rise.

I know many who have lost their faith, or lost their way, or decried God. They have fallen into the trap of humanizing God, or leaning on their own understanding, or listening to one of the thousands of false pastors and prophets who teach material prosperity, or can't-we-all-just-get-along theology. They lose their way not because of God, but because they have chosen to listen to the ways of the world.

We lose loved ones. We all die. Our days here are numbered. But no one who now dwells with God is looking back with regret.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

[rosierita]

bluesea ~ your perception of God is skewed. i dont mean that in a negative way, but i say that to give you HOPE. you have a real enemy to your soul & he has an entire army dedicated to your destruction. right now you're listening to the wrong voices... (i do NOT mean that as a criticism, trust me, i fall into this trap far more than i care to admit!! its VERY EASY to slip into an wrong perception, because the enemy never rests.)

the best way to combat this wrong perception is to read God's Word. God's perception isnt the same as ours. He sees things we cannot see. He created us with a purpose & He knows the end from the beginning... so He not only knows where we've been & what we've been through, He knows what's around the corner, too. NOTHING takes Him by surprise.

an illustration came to my mind while i was reading this thread... we have chicken houses & each chicken house has feed bins & 1 of those bins is a weigh bin that has a set of scales. the scales are housed in a galvanized box. every spring we have birds trying to nest in those boxes. daily i have to go through there & tear out their nests.

those boxes are not there for the purpose of birds nesting & raising their young. them nesting there & raising their young can actually mess up the purpose of those scales & keep them from performing properly! in addition to that, these are galvanized boxes that are not very big, those birds do not have the foresight to see that once the temps get warmer, that they will become ovens!!!

so, part of my purpose for ripping them out is to preserve the purpose of the scales, another part is for the protection of the birds.

but, i wonder how that bird sees it... ya know?

God does not lie. He does not contradict Himself. if something appears to contradict or lie, it is NOT of God. ask God to help you to see things as He sees things. ask Him to show you His perspective, but do this with openness to Him, not holding onto a preconceived notion.

[ampaterry]

How do I keep from doubting?

Excellent question.

I use my memory - memory of a time in my life when I DID doubt. When I was in the public educational system and was taught that everything my mom believed, everything taught me in Sunday School and church, everything I had read in the Bible, was all false. Like you, I was taught Science had proof that all of this was a fairy tale.

But after about a decade of this secular teaching, I began to notice something remarkable! The FACTS that were PROVEN just a few years before were now changed. The dates that were SOLID a few years ago were now different. The PROOF that the earth was a billion years old was replaced by PROOF that it was four billion years old. The fossil evidence that Man had evolved from monkeys as Darwin said, changed. Evidence like Piltdown Man was shown to be a hoax, evidence like Nebraska man was shown to be a mistake, evidence like Peking Man simply vanished.
The solid PROOF that the horse evolved from a creature like a dog, the long line of neatly arranged fossil remains, completely unraveled when I investigated it and found that the various stages had been found on different continents, and had been found buried in the wrong order! Solid evidence like radiometric dating vanished when I investigated it and found numerous instances where it had been absolutely proven to be completely unreliable.

All of this, and enough more to fill volumes, caused me to re-think my turning my back on God. Then, I accepted Him - COMPLETELY accepted Him - for the first time in my adult reasoning life. IMMEDIATELY I found myself witness to a series of miracles, things which can NOT be explained by naturalistic science. These 'proofs' were given to me by God in order for me to never, ever, for any reason whatsoever, doubt his existance again.

I believe that God provides every person with proof sufficient for them that He exists.
I am a complete bone-head, so that proof was HUGE for me. But everyone is presented with proof sufficient for them, then left to decide for themselves what they want to believe.

Like the old 'cola nuts vs uncola nuts' TV commercial, I leave you with this question:
Can you choose wisely?

[carver]

We all doubt from time to time, no matter how close our walk with God is. To me it's simple, if the Word of God states that there was a buning bush, then there was a burning bush!

"Science has taught us that the star over Bethlehem was actually Haley's Comet. Moses' burning bush has turned out to be nothing more than a species of plant that grows on that mountain that has leaves that turn red early in the season. We now know that Jesus did not miraculously feed thousands of people with a single fish".

Man kind wants to be the "God" of the Universe, our fallen nature, so man kind comes up with their own answers to creation, and the record of events in the Bible. We lean on our own understanding, and not on the Word of God, and this leads to conflict.
Ephesians 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
If man kind can convience themselves that there is no God, then we think that we don't have to answer to a higher power, and we become our own "God". The only price we pay for the things we do wrong is found in this live only. So if we do good...........!
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
If the Word of God says there was a star over Bethlehem that guided the Wise Men, then I believe that there was a star, not a comet! If the word of God says that God parted the Red Sea, then I believe he did it! We all have a choice! We can listen to the still small voice within us, or we can listen to the word of man! We can read the Word of God, and understand true Godliness, or we can listen to the word of man, and be led away form Godliness. For all of us there are times when believing in the Word of God, instead of the word of man, becomes a real chore! I suggest that you stop listening to the word of man, and start listening to the Word of God! It is what makes us all strong in our faith!

[bobski]

doubt is mostly caused by unknowns.

the closer you get to someone,the more you trust them.

its time to check and see if youre abiding.

'if you abide in HIM, HE will abide in you....ask whatever it is, and it will be given to you.'

its a two way street. you do his will, and youll know him well enough to crush any doubts with faith.

not abiding? might want to look there first. the rest will fall into place.

[76Highboy]

BlueSea112,

I have been following your thread and I want you to know that I too used to have the same questions. First off, what I say in response to your thread is out of complete respect to you and I'm glad you asked this. I will begin by addressing your question of going to either heaven or hell.

Here is an illustration. One day a student fearfully entered their new math class. They were fearful because over the years they had heard how mean and terrible this math teacher was. In fact, this very math teacher was the teacher that had failed this student's older siblings. The students quietly took their seats in class and the teacher patiently waited as the students filed in one by one. Once the students were all seated, the teacher walked over and closed the door and returned to the front of the classroom. At that point, the teacher introduced themself to the class and began going over the rules. However, the first thing the teacher began talking about was the failing curve of the class. The teacher explained that many students had failed his class in the past. However, the teacher joyfully reassured everyone that he would make sure that he would make himself available to help all the students that desired help. In fact, this teacher told the students that every lunch hour he spent in the classroom so, therefore, if a student needed help, he would be there for them. Also, the teacher told the students that every morning he would be there early before school started and every day he would stay until 5:00 in case there were any students needing further tutoring. This teacher reassured the students that his primary goal was to make certain that every student would pass his class and that he would make no hesitation to do whatever he could do within his means to help every student who desired his help. The teacher then informed the students that if you fail my class, it isn't I who have failed you it is YOU that has failed you.

Take a God fearing man that owns a business and that is in charge of hiring and firing all employees. Technically the owner of the company never really fires anybody because those that have been fired, fired themselves (I am not including people that are unjustly fired).

God does not send people to hell. It's our choice whether we go to heaven or hell. Just like God doesn't send us to heaven. It's just a choice that we've made whether we go to heaven or hell. This choice is placed before every man that God has created and it was placed before me many years ago. Because I accepted the truth, I realized that if I went to hell it was because I was the one that refused God; God never refused me.

In response to Moses and the burning bush, you say science has proven this wrong, but I beg to differ. Modern day man has discovered a bright reflective bush that appears to be that of fire and has accepted that as a burning bush. However, I might bring it to one's attention that the days that Moses lived on this earth, his eyes saw more in his lifetime than any man in our present scientific lifetime has seen. Since modern day science has proven those bushes were present back then, then I'm sure that Moses throughout his life was aware of them and possibly even facinated by them. So with that said, one can assume that what Moses saw was truley a burning bush because if it had been a light reflecting bush he would have stated that specifically. Modern day science can never prove the assumption of what someone else saw during a different period in time, but what modern day science does prove to us is that we are capable of seeing these bushes today and we were capable of seeing them thousands of years ago. Therefore, Moses could make a distinct observation and decipher the difference between a burning bush and a bright reflective bush.

In my life I too have been sceptical, but what I learned about doubting is this, God has made it evident to me through His word that doubting is a lack of faith, but our faith in Christ and seeking the truth in Christ is what sets us free of our sins. Doubt, however, only opens our ears to the pathetic advice from the men of the world.

I hope this helps you and everything I have said is in the deepest respect to you. Like I have said before, many times in my life, whether you are a saved Christian or not, you are my friend and brother and I respect these questions that you have asked.

I hope this helps.

Jim

[ampaterry]

Jim, those are excellent points.

SOME scientists are hell-bent on explaining away the miracles of God.
There is a Prof. at the University of Florida that has 'explained' the red sea crossing in one paper, then promptly set to work to 'explain' Christ walking on water.
Both explanations are preposterous from a realistic viewpoint, but that second one still makes me laugh.
He postulated that a freak weather pattern hit the area and froze the surface of the water sufficiently for Jesus to walk out on the ice.
But these are speculations only, and the only thing they PROVE is the length to which an atheist will go to get around the clear miracles of God.

As for Haley's Comet -
Some scientist screwed up REAL bad claiming this was the Christmas star, as it appeared in October of 12 BC and in January of 66 AD, but never during the time of Christ's birth.

[Krogen]

Bluesea112,

Your post rang a bell with me. Could have been me posting the very same thing. I am an engineer - I analyze things - that's my job. It's hard to take things without proof. Where I get into trouble is trying to analyze and understand God. But you know what? We can't understand. It's beyond our capabilities. That's what faith is all about. I have Hebrews 11.1 on the opening screen of my phone. The meaning of faith bops me on the head every time I look at my phone:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I can't see God. I can't understand God or His ways. When I falter and then He answers a prayer, I wonder "how did He do that?" DING DING DING Cause and effect. He answered my prayer! THAT satisfies my analytical mind. He must exist or there would be no link between my prayer and His response. This eases my mind, but then of course sooner or later I start doubting again - and the cycle repeats. For me, it's a constant struggle. I know God exists, but then I start asking "what if..., what if....."

Try it! Pray to God and ask Him to help you believe. Tell Him what you told us in your opening post. It's OK to be honest with Him because He already knows your thoughts. Just place your fears and doubts in front of Him and ask for help.

Let us know how it goes.

Krogen

[carver]

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.