pattygreen

ebony rose, you should be a counselor. What do you do for a living? I compliment you on your wonderful way at giving guidance. Everything you advised was right on target IMO.

I could never understand why atheists have such strong enthusiasm about debating if God exists or not. I can understand why a christian would want to share their faith with others, because for people to reject God is to spend an eternity without him, but what is the atheists motive? Why do they desire others to join them? Could they secretly be working for the opposing team?(lol) For God does say that whoever is not for him is against him. There are only 2 sides.

I agree. baptism or any other work or deed is not required for entry to heaven. How can a baby "repent and be baptised."? For first, you must be able to understand what it means to repent, and then you need to make the choice to be baptised. Babies can't do that.

Then why did you even come on to this thread since I was the one to start it. Why not just stop following me around if you don't want to hear from me. I made this thread so I could speak freely about God without people like you (who supposedly don't want to talk about him,( yeah, right!:tt1:) ) getting upset about it.

How about this prayer? Dear God, The one who created all mankind, I am confused. I know there is a God who made me, but there are so many different religions and thoughts about you out there, so can you show me which one is right? Iam sincere and truly want to have a relationship with you. Thanks. To answer your last question, everyone trys so hard to put off going there cause they are fearful of the unknown. Once I found out the truth about God, all fear left. I am not afraid to die, for I know what awaits me. I still would like to live for as long as I can, cause I have children and family that will mourn me and whom I will miss, but knowing that if they believe as I do, I will see them in heaven one day makes dying not so bad.

You know, I have that book! I read it a while ago and thought it was great. I'll loan it to them. Thanks (My love language is words of affirmation, and quality time)

That's great advice, I'm going to share it with her. Although once she told me that because it's been sooo long, they have become bitter towards each other and she finds it hard to connect.

Actually, the Old Testament was written for all mankind. Its overall theme spoke of a future event (The death and resurection of God himself) that would save people from their sins. The New Testaments overall theme speaks of a past event that saved people from their sins (The death and resurection of God himself). That's why we use this date to comprehend time. (AD and BC) It is true that God has chosen the Jewish nation to be his people. But, He also reached out to all mankind and said, "whosoever will come to me, I will in no way cast out." For God loves all. He will adopt as sons those who are not Jewish. This is why it is so important for America to remain allies with Israel, for God says that those who go against his children, He will be against. He asked everyone to pray for the peace of Israel.

There is, and can only be, ONE God. People may believe that their are many Gods, but in the beginning, a higher power created it all. The pagens used to pray to hundreds of different Gods. They had statues for every God they could make up. There was even one there called 'The unknown God'. That one was the true God and they didn't even know it. Put all religions aside, and pray (talk) to the God who created you and ask that God to reveal himself to you. He will, if you are sincere and truly want the truth.

How dramatic.

I agree with this statement. But even though men do wrong, it does not excuse other men from turning to God and believing in him. Some people say, "I don't want to have anything to do with God, for all the churches are filled with hypocrites." To which I would answer,"This may be true, but what about you?" In other words, each persons salvation and relationship with God is a personal one between them and their creator. What 'others' are doing shouldn't get in the way. For there will always be those in the churches who use God for personal gain. They, too, will have to answer to God for those things someday.

Lose2, I like what you say here. But would you agree with me when I say that people who don't believe in Jesus as their Savior are not going to enter into heaven? There are many different 'denominations' of christian churches, and that's ok, but there are also many different 'religions' that exclude Jesus.

Jesus is God, who came to man in the flesh, purposely to take their punishment for them. All wrong doing must be punished. God gave us the punishment of 'death'. (for when he created the first man and woman, he intended for them to live forever) Since there can be no sin in heaven, God also provided a way for mankind to still go there. He, came to earth as a human (in the flesh)and he who had never sinned, took the punishment that should have been ours by giving his life in exchange for ours. Now we are free to enter. Our sins have been forgiven and by putting our faith in Jesus, God's Son, we are justified.(as if we never sinned)

Feelings have nothing to do with our destination. It's faith that truly matters.

Well, if that's true, it tells us alot about his character. Deceitful.

Living a good life and being good and doing good things for others is not the way to get into heaven. For no one can do that. If that were the criteria, heaven would be empty.

I believe that's called your conscience.

To Kartman, The bible is a revelation of God, man's fall, the way of salvation, and his plan and purpose in the ages. It was given to us in pieces. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit during a period of 1600 years. From BC1492-AD100. It consists of 66 Books written by 40 different authors. Kings, statesmen, herdsmen, physicians, fishermen. Some learned and some ignorant. The pages were penned in the wilderness of Sinai, the cliffs of Arabia, Palestine, even on the island of Patmos. Yet when all the books were put together to form one book, it makes perfect sense. Imagine another book compiled in a similar way. Take 66 medical books written by 40 different physicians and surgeons during a period of 1600 years, of various schools of medicine, as Allopathy, Homeopathy,Hydropathy,Osteopathy, Etc., and bind them all together and then undertake to doctor a man according to the book. What success would we have? And what accord? The bible is not a jumble of ancient myths, legends, superstitions, or religious speculation.There is progress of revelation and doctrine in it. The old and new testament are not seperate and distinct books, the new taking the place of the old, they are 2 halves of a whole. You can't understand daniel without revelations or Leviticus without Hebrews. God directed men, chosen by himself, to put into writing such messages, laws, doctrines, historical facts, and revelations, as he wished men to know. It is clear from the character of the bible that it is not the work of man, for man could not have written it if he would, and would not have written it if he could.

God doesn't torment you forever in Hell when you willingly choose to reject him as your father who created you. The torment will come from your own self. The torment that is spoken of in scripture is a personal torment that each individual will live with forever in a place where God does not exist. Everything that is Good on this earth comes from God. If His presence was removed from here, all that is good would disappear. The unbeliever, by his own choice, will get what he has chosen when he dies without accepting an eternity with their own Father. You may think that a life without God, all that is good and holy, will be what you want,(for then you can be your own boss) but when you actually see what life would be without any goodness, kindness, grace, mercy, love, etc., will be tormenting to your soul. To know that for all eternity, you will live without God's blessings and love will be torture to you. Especially since when you die, you will be put immediately into God's presence to account for all of your choices in life. When you witness his great love and those who will be spending their eternity with him,and see the wonders of Heaven, and then you are told that you have made your choice to deny him, and he sends you to a place called Hell to live with all those who rejected him, that will be torture and torment. So, God is just. He says that he has given all man the opportunity to accept his Son as their Savior while they are in the flesh.(their lifetime here on earth) So there will be no excuses for telling God you don't want him in your life , and he is not the one who torments you forever, you will do that yourself.

He wrote his laws in his book for all to read and obey them. Not subjective, quite clear, actually. A wrong action is anything that would displease God. Sin.

I,,too, have itchier skin. Don't understand why, though. Happy Spring. It's been a long, cold, freezing cold, winter here in CT, that I am sooooo looking forward to warmer weather. I have already pledged to never turn on the AC this summer, but I'm sure I will anyway when the time comes. lol

From the beginning, God has allowed things in life to happen and time to pass, all the while he is drawing men to Himself through the circumstances that happen in the world around them. So, when you see tornadoes that have destroyed cities, and disasters in our nation, and sickness, it is not God's doing. It is simply life happening. When a person eats fatty fried foods every day, a heart attack and death is sure to come. Then when it does, people cry out "Where was God?" Well, he was right there. His will is for all to be able to enter his home in heaven when they die. His will is for man to love him as he loves them, and to choose to be part of his family willingly. So, how would you like it if your kids were forced to love you? Would you want that? probably not. That's why it is our decision to love him or not, and he gives us this lifetime only to make that decision. Many people look at 'religion' as a whole and ignore God as their Father and personal savior. Religion is something that MAN has created. Religion wasn't in Gods plan. That was the devils plan to keep men from turning their hearts from God. He was very clever. I could just hear Satan saying..."Let's make so many differing religions and doctrines to follow, and mankind will be disgusted with it all and turn their backs on God altogether." It is working well. Satan has a plan, too. He desires to bring as many souls to Hell with him as he can.

IMO when men view porn, and they know their own wife would disapprove of it or be hurt by it, then it is simply a lack of respect for her. Some men like to look. to me it is wrong, but to some, it is ok. If women wouldn't degrade themselves and allow the world to see their nakedness, then these kinds of things wouldn't be an issue in marriages. I have a girlfriend who hasn't had sex with her husband in over 2 years because she feels like he is cheating on her with himself and porn. They are in a catch 22, cause she wont have sex with him so long as he continues to view naked women, and he wont stop viewing, cause he needs sex. It is destroying their marriage. If a wife feels cheated on by it, then it's the mans responsibility to make sure she doesn't feel that way by stopping. It's a mtter of respecting her wishes and feelings. Men should not give their wives any reason to feel inadequate, jealous, or self conscious of their own bodies. If it hurts their wife in any way, they should take her feelings into consideration. After all, most wives do that for their husbands, right?

Ideere, You should write poems. That was so beautiful. I, too, see God in creation. For if there is a painting, then there is an artist, and if there is a building, then there is an architect. Thanks for your post.