You are already forgiven for questioning I reckon.
I went through my own period of being agnostic, long long ago. I felt abandoned by Him because things were pretty bad. Things kids shouldn't go through. Therefor, He must not be real. Then after a few years there was that dark moment when one falls to their knees and prays that God is there and will hear, and He did.
That's when I understood that He cannot make everything unicorns and rainbows but He can give us the strength to make it through anything.
Remember that God is not in a church. To quote Maggie from TWD "God's house? No, it's just four walls and a roof." God walks within us everyday and even if you don't feel Him, He is there with you now. Merry Christmas fren. :)
It's kind of a tough paradigm because you have to give yourself to God to truly see the truth and be enlightened. Well versed pedes will probably explain it better but I hear repeatedly people say when they relinquished control of their lives to God's will they only then experienced true happiness and contentment
Yes. Forgiveness is like a check. You just have to cash it.
The check has already been given to you 1987 (2020-33AD) years ago. For those who haven't cashed it yet, it's just a piece of paper.
To cash it, just say I want the forgiveness, and I recognize that God did all the work to forgive me. Admit that you did nothing to earn it. That's it. That's as easy as it gets, except for pride getting in the way.
That's the difficult part as I understand it. If you don't take that step toward redemption you are unable to be enlightened enough to visualize and feel the gift of God.... a catch 22 that requires a leap of blind faith initially I suppose, but so many people I know who have done so say it transformed their lives
You already have Faith...” you see the demons... watching Evil Acts and seeing the Devil in these Politicians. “ The Faith is what leads you away from those and continue down the righteous road less traveled. The Faith is that light of Knowledge and LOVE that still flickers in the darkest of moments. That FAITH connects you to our interconnected web of all existence even in the face of Personal diverse ideologies. Faith is knowing that you are valued and loved ... for there’s no greater sacrifice than any Patriot’s life devoted to protecting and upholding our United States Constitution. Blessings to you and yours while you continue to look for and follow Good Orderly Direction. (While keeping the FAITH)🙏🐢✌️💚🇺🇸
Man, I said this about 5 months ago to a friend. These people, the tactics they use, they are pure evil. I kept typing up a huge paragraph about this, but you understand already. You've seen it. These people are so evil I seriously doubt there is a way to turn them around. It is an animalistic feeling I get watching these clowns on tv, lie through their teeth to try and destroy us, the people they see as their mortal enemies. They want to destroy our lives, destroy our minds, and abolish our way of life. They don't care what gets in their way, be it a child, the lives of millions of people, or literally any other thing of value.
That's marxism. It is fundamentally evil, it is some kind of psychological or spiritual illness. It is specifically anti-God because he is the antithesis to their world view.
I pray that you can come to the full realization that God is the only one truly on your side, and he does absolutely exist. This is coming from someone who has not lived a very traditional, Christian life. There is no other answer to what we are seeing. Merry Christmas, pede. Sorry for the rant.
Don't rely on a divine experience. Practicing Christianity (idk about other religions) is maintaining a relationship with God. It takes work, especially since you can't just have a conversation or whatever where you see Him in front of you. All it takes is faith and trust though.
Read the Bible. I never really considered myself religious but now with everything going on the past several years, I've found myself turning to and relying more on God. Just started reading the Bible, and if I've ever had a divine experience, it would simply be reading the New Testament.
You pray daily which is a great habit to have, and one I myself need to get into.
Updooted and agree. Reading the Bible is huge. Knowing God starts with knowing what stuff He has done.
When God is called "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" in the Old Testament, it's a cue to remember how God interacted with, led, protected, promised, and was faithful to those persons. Their lives took on incredible significance because of their commitment to God, why would it be any different with you?
"In all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Life can be a giant mess and evils all around, God is so solid he comes through in the darkest of times, always fulfilling His promises. The Bible awaits, where you can read about all those promises and the people who successfully leaned on them and weren't disappointed.
I don’t think it would be an “unpopular” post... but it could be an “uncomfortable” one for some people...
Often, those who disbelieve most are the best to confirm faith when it is found, for they have been most skeptical. I wish you nothing but the best on your journey of discovery.
I am on a similar journey. I see so much evil in this world. Therefore, I believe there must be a devil. I cant think of any other reason. So if the devil is really so is God. That's where I am on my journey. Take care and Merry Christmas!
Even if you don't believe and think it's all bullshit, just talk to God in your mind every night before you go to sleep as you lay in bed. Just try it for a couple weeks, thank God for protecting you and ask him to continue to protect you, the holy spirit will relay the message to our father in heaven. Ask him for strength and the ability to see through all the smoke being thrown up by the forces of evil and see what happens.
If you followed the struggles Trump went through during his presidency and how he walks out of those struggles, you would know there was a guiding hand on him.
The 4d chess stuff is nonsense. Yeah I think he has good instincts, but that alone isn't enough especially when it turns out you have close advisors trying to sabotage you while smiling until they're caught.
People would try to accredit it to luck then, well in my eyes luck is another form of divine protection. Maybe try to reflect on the events in your life when you thought to myself "wow I'm lucky, I could have gotten really hurt then".
Similar to you I lost my way years ago. Along the way I got strung out on heroin. I went to rehab and that didn't work, nothing really did. My preacher gave me a talk about god's promises and having faith. You have to believe in god's promises.
About 4 years ago, I had nothing left and just got on my knees and asked god to give me peace and take it from me. "Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for, declares the lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I asked god to fulfil that promise, and I believed for it, and I haven't looked back since. My life 4 years later is going great and I would have never imagined I would be able to turn it all around, but by the grace of god I was able to. I'm not the best christian in the world, you can see that by my post history, but I believe in god and his promises and try to be better every day. Try having some faith. Every man is dealt his own measure of faith, whatever that measure is, use it. Faith isn't waiting for something to reveal itself, faith is trusting before it does.
Merry Christmas pede. Hopefully all the blessings god has for you come to pass.
P.S. The apostle Paul, Jesus' most loyal servant, once persecuted christians and had them killed before he found his way.
I was raised Christian but was never really faithful until about two or three years ago. Growing up, I was (and still am) wildly interested in space. Naturally, that led me to creation theories like the Big Bang, primordial soup, and evolution. In the tradition I grew up, these issues were never really addressed, and so I was left with two distinct schools of thought which seemed to be at war with each other. Was the universe created in a week? Will I go to heaven when I die? Or am I an accidental anomaly in an infinite universe, doomed to an "afterlife" of nothingness? Do I trust a thousands of years old book or the work of modern day science? These conflicts caused me to question the basis of my faith.
It took me a long, long time to find an answer. I spent a lot of time in prayer, and much more away from God. I went through some particularly rough times in college, stemming from some personal issues and a failed relationship. Those were probably some of the lowest points in my life. I'd lie awake at night and contemplate the point of it all. I'd just lost the love of my life, and I was heading nowhere fast with a useless scrap of paper from an overpriced school. At that point, life didn't have any meaning. Looking back, I think it was because I had lost my faith and my purpose, that my state of being was so sour. What's the point of living in a shitty world if there is no reprieve, no better place, no higher purpose?
To give it to you straight, I don't think I've ever had any divine experiences or life changing events. I certainly can't recall anything now. For me, everything was gradual. I gradually became apathetic with my beliefs. I gradually fell into a pit of despair. And I was gradually lifted out of it by God.
I noticed God's influence on my life retrospectively at first. History is full of weird moments that surely have divine presence, and I think our lives are the same. It always seems to be little things; passing conversations, an act of kindness, coincidental meetings. I can look back at my life and see God's hands directing me in one way or another, sometimes towards good times, and at other times towards bad. But there was always a destination. Each shitty period always led to a better, brighter one.
I guess my point is similar to what others have said. Searching is okay. Questioning is okay. Those traits are characteristic of humans; it's hardwired into our brains to be curious. Faith isn't always an easy path. When it is most difficult, when it is most hopeless, is when faith should be held on to tightest.
I hope God shines his light on you this Christmas and into next year. If you have any questions or want to talk about other things, please feel free to message me. I'm far from a devout Christian, much less a scriptural scholar, but I'd be happy to talk more. Merry Christmas to you and yours, fellow pede.
WHEN I READ THIS POST IT BLEW MY MIND BECAUSE I AM AT THE VERY SAME PLACE. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN RIGHT FROM MY OWN HEART AND MIND. I TOO AM PRAYING TO FEEL GOD'S PRESENCE IN MY LIFE, I HAVEN'T YET, BUT I FEEL IT IS CLOSE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO BE IN THIS PLACE.
This post was written for OP but I feel like you could use it too.
I was raised a devote Catholic and for the longest time I didn't even think about it. In highschool I started to question but kept my faith. Then came college.
College, the place good traditional values go to die, was where I lost my faith. I went so far as to question his existence and if anything beyond humans existed. I wandered spiritually for awhile and slowly found myself drawn back to God but still not sure of what to believe.
My moment of revelation came in my greatest struggle. I was diagnosed with a major life altering illness. I then went through test after test, went on new medication and got two new doctor's to poke and prod. Care was fine but I was emotionally devestated by the thought that someday soon I may be nothing more than a leech off the system because I would be unable to work in any significant capacity.
I broke down when night and asked for anyone that was listening to give me any kind of sign. That night storm sirens went off, winds were blowing hard, rain driving against my house and me, my wife and my son went to our basement. We waited it out, and with my family surrounding me I felt another presence, that storm was with me, that storm was God's work giving me the sign I needed.
Look for God in the darkness and the light, God reveals himself in the worst of times and to those who are open. The mixture of my whole family being near and that storm made me know God was listening even if it didn't seem like it.
I hope you feel his presence in the storms that our society is about to experience.
I TOO HAVE BEEN ASKING GOD FOR SOME SIGN, SOME FEELING IN MY HEART AND MIND BUT HAVE YET TO FEEL OR SEE ANYTHING. BUT I STILL ASK, STILL LOOK OUT AND I AM STILL CONFIDENT HE WILL SHOW ME WHAT I NEED.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Your perspective of faith might be skewed. Faith isn't a feeling, it's a fact, so forget how you feel.
Circumstances are not the measure of faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Read your Bible.
May your heart be filled with joy today.
I am 53... a long time Christian. I really did not know what true Evil was until PRES Trump started shining his light on it! It is every where! It is terrible! We will never be a free nation until we get rid of this evil! God wants it gone, Trump is the tool. For the job! I am ready.... it’s going to be bloody....
I would encourage you to research and talk to a decently red pilled clergy member of pretty much any denomination you are able to find. Finding God isn't always a lightning bolt, I'm rooting for you.
I was once lost too! My cousin was molested by a philly priest and in turn did it to me. I hated God for allowing it especially a priest doing it! I gave up on God until I was 42. Another cousin of mine died of flesh eating bacteria (due to obanas weaponized IRS who audited him for mileage deduction on his taxes stressing him out until his immune system was weakened)leaving his wife...my first cousin w two babies. A family friend of ours who we didn't know was clairvoyant said he came to her. He told her our futures were bright and that heaven was amazing. Right then and there I started worshipping Jesus again! I'm now a recovering Catholic who loves Jesus! Without Jesus no way I could have gotten thru these last almost 11 years since Angel died!
For example, I was raised that way, because my folks came from (at the time) opposing religious backgrounds. Their intent was to give me the freedom to choose my path - however I saw fit.
In 4 years of Private Catholic School (with Marianists) who were very big on Vatican II and teaching all of the religions of the world, as well as the Bible - both Old and New, I decided they provided good to humanity and a canvas for art and architecture that created wholesale great works (and the technological advancements to make them).
Most of all, It provided a window into context, how it helps and guides people to good (in the western world at least). I don't look down on those who are faithful, and I've served in soup kitchens run by churches. I may not be a hard-core believer, but I admire those who are and the great things they do.
I've always tried to follow in their footsteps one way or another by helping those around me the best I can.
Whether this results in a life beyond this one, who knows - but it'll be just the last mile-marker on my life roadmap. It's not the reward that I seek, but the journey.
God has given us the formula to recognize truth. It has worked for me, and it will work for all those who diligently seek him:
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng
I am in the same boat as you pede! I was a liberal too before until maybe 3 years ago when I slowly started getting red pilled.
I am also recently having second thoughts about my lack of faith. I just hope that if there’s a god, he takes care of the people, the USA and Donald Trump and his family. But I also think that God won’t help those who don’t want to put the effort to help themselves.
Even Jesus questioned God. Most people point out that He did so on the cross: My God, why have you forsaken me?
I’d like to point you to the garden of Gethesmane. Jesus was genuinely distressed at what he knew was coming. He was also human, after all. He asked God if the cup could pass from him, but Jesus knew he was the only one who could make a way.
I’ve struggled with my faith for a decade, but I’ve come to realize that my struggle wasn’t with God. It’s with man. One of my favorite quotes is, ‘God is not a man that he would lie.’
As I see it, there is no good reason to think that something divine literally exists. Belief in a god or gods is just something you choose to put on to help put you in a helpful mental space.
As for the Founding Fathers, most were not Christian. They were deist.
So I made another post here about my own experience but this statement spoke about the same type of questions I had alot so I want to address it.
I also get it that without blind faith you can’t be faithful but I can’t help but holding on the reality the you can’t truly be faithful to something you don’t know to be true, which leads me to questioning any and everyone’s version of faith.
I propose the simplest answer. Our entire society runs on faith, much of it is blind. Beliefs and faith help guide our daily lives.
If you believe every time you go to the store they will have food you will have faith in them. If not you might stock up on food that will last.
If you believe America is the strongest most resilient country, you have faith that it will last. That America is something worth believing in.
Sometimes you have personal historical evidence to back up the belief and faith you have in different things, but think about all the things you accept on the words of others? It might be based on logic and reason, but ultimately that last step to believing them is faith that what they are saying is true.
Remember that God doesn't call the worthy (in your reference to Trump.) All of the prophets had some sort of severe issues, and many asked God to send someone else.
It sounds like you are already on your road back to salvation. I went through that about 15 years ago myself. I was about as far gone as one could get but God put me back on the path. Its rarely, if ever a "fun" journey, but it is definitely the only one worthwhile. I hope that you and God can reconcile and build a relationship once more. Praying for you and our nation. God bless and Merry Christmas pede!
Keep up the search, friend. I put my faith in God, not in what man says about God.
When you close your eyes and knock on the sky to listen to the sound, your heart will lead you. Be humble in not knowing and be open to the Universe showing you the path.
We are in God's mystery school, so pay attention and all will be revealed. God bless you, brother. We're all in this together.
Oh, and remember when it looks dark out... God wins. Always and forever.
Was a time when it was hard for me to believe in God too. I remember one night sitting outside and just looking at my hands. It dawned on me that no way could random mutation create them. So that started my journey towards believing again. What really solidified it for me was the book of Daniel, especially Daniel chapter 11.
Verses like:
“Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece" - Daniel 11:2
This prophecy was given to Daniel in the third year of king Cyrus. The fourth king after Cyrus was King Xerxes. Remember the movie 300? Xerxes sent a massive army to attack the Greeks.
"Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others." - Daniel 11:3-4
The prophecy skips ahead to Alexander the Great. His kingdom didn't go to his kids. His four generals Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy took control and the kingdom broke into four.
People claim Daniel had to be written after all these things occurred which doesn't line up. If that were true then it would have had to be written 500+ AD or after. It lines up perfect with history. I also believe we are about to see Daniel 11:40 happen.
I still struggled with the "angry God" and kept searching. I have learned that Satan couldn't destroy Christianity so he infiltrated it and twisted the character of God in the minds of His believers. The truth is, Gods wrath is Him simply letting people go when He can no longer do anything for them(see Romans 1:18-28). Love doesn't force it's way.
I also learned the concept of hell is illogical. Those that believe in it also believe the lie from Satan in the garden of Eden. God said they would die, Satan said they wouldn't die. Jesus showed how the sinner dies. The separation from God killed Jesus. Gods wrath. God's fire is truth. In the end when the wicked see God, His fire(truth) pierces their hearts and their guilt shames them into wanting death. They will off themselves in the end and cease to exist.
I also learned the death of Jesus wasn't a legal payment for sin. God designed the world to operate a certain way. Outside of that way is a natural result in death. Love is a circle. You breath out carbon dioxide, the world takes it and gives back oxygen. The ocean gives it's water to the skies, and the rivers return it. The bee collects nectar and pollenates the flower. The move you give, the more you receive. When the cycle is broken, the system breaks down and dies.
So i've learned that all God asks is for us to trust Him. That biblical perfection is simply perfect trust that God will heal the damage to our hearts and change our characters to be like His.
I'll post a video given by a doctor on God's design. It is really worth a watch.
The best salvation story i have for you is you OP, pede. You looked evil squarely in the eyes and rebuked it. You did so despite having a dislike of the other person. You didn't try to pretend the evil you saw wasn't as bad as Trump and therefore against Trump.
You hear him speak and you feel something within you. That, pede, is the spark. If I could give you some of the kindling within me to help that spark turn into a bonfire within, you i would. But faith is believing without seeing.
So pede, maybe I can. I am going to put my faith and trust into you. What faith and what trust? The faith and trust all men can put into another. That your words and deeds will match pace. That those hard questions are asked in earnest and the answers will be examined to see if they truly fit the query.
Romans:1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 10:17
There is but One God and his name is YAWEH. And this same YAWEH came in the flesh who is named Jesus.
If you are sincere about finding TRUTH, God will honor that by revealing himself to you through the reading of HIS WORD.
Read the Word. (The Bible)
Start with the Roman Road the Book of Romans.
Please read this book The Rational Faith by Jason Crook (on amazon) I really recommend it for someone who is an intelligent sceptical person searching for evidence for the truth in Christianity and the gospel message. I Will pray for you.
I was raised a devote Catholic and for the longest time I didn't even think about it. In highschool I started to question but kept my faith. Then came college.
College, the place good traditional values go to die, was where I lost my faith. I went so far as to question his existence and if anything beyond humans existed. I wandered spiritually for awhile and slowly found myself drawn back to God but still not sure of what to believe.
My moment of revelation came in my greatest struggle. I was diagnosed with a major life altering illness. I then went through test after test, went on new medication and got two new doctor's to poke and prod. Care was fine but I was emotionally devestated by the thought that someday soon I may be nothing more than a leech off the system because I would be unable to work in any significant capacity.
I broke down when night and asked for anyone that was listening to give me any kind of sign. That night storm sirens went off, winds were blowing hard, rain driving against my house and me, my wife and my son went to our basement. We waited it out, and with my family surrounding me I felt another presence, that storm was with me, that storm was God's work giving me the sign I needed.
Look for God in the darkness and the light, God reveals himself in the worst of times and to those who are open. The mixture of my whole family being near and that storm made me know God was listening even if it didn't seem like it.
I hope you feel his presence in the storms that our society is about to experience.
Jesus is a real person, and you can know him. Pursue that relationship, that friendship. The Church, its history and traditions, its moral teachings and disciplines are all important, but only insofar as they are designed to bring you into a personal friendship with and understanding of the person of Jesus.
Say the words “Jesus, I am asking for you to show yourself to me. Please enter my life and open my eyes.”
Then, open up your heart and soften your doubt. Look around for signs. Soon (like myself) there will be little clues. Next, you start to pray regularly. Once this happens you will notice your life start to get better, maybe a lot better (like mine!). I never stopped praying and now I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is fruitful and I find joy in speaking to Him daily. I present every trouble to Him and he heals me.
It all starts with asking Him to show Himself to you.
Nothing wrong with searching.
You are already forgiven for questioning I reckon.
I went through my own period of being agnostic, long long ago. I felt abandoned by Him because things were pretty bad. Things kids shouldn't go through. Therefor, He must not be real. Then after a few years there was that dark moment when one falls to their knees and prays that God is there and will hear, and He did.
That's when I understood that He cannot make everything unicorns and rainbows but He can give us the strength to make it through anything.
Remember that God is not in a church. To quote Maggie from TWD "God's house? No, it's just four walls and a roof." God walks within us everyday and even if you don't feel Him, He is there with you now. Merry Christmas fren. :)
Thanks for sharing fren, glad you found peace in Christ
Thank you. Me too. Merry Christmas ;>
It's kind of a tough paradigm because you have to give yourself to God to truly see the truth and be enlightened. Well versed pedes will probably explain it better but I hear repeatedly people say when they relinquished control of their lives to God's will they only then experienced true happiness and contentment
Yes. Forgiveness is like a check. You just have to cash it.
The check has already been given to you 1987 (2020-33AD) years ago. For those who haven't cashed it yet, it's just a piece of paper.
To cash it, just say I want the forgiveness, and I recognize that God did all the work to forgive me. Admit that you did nothing to earn it. That's it. That's as easy as it gets, except for pride getting in the way.
Why do you say you don't hold the check?
That's the difficult part as I understand it. If you don't take that step toward redemption you are unable to be enlightened enough to visualize and feel the gift of God.... a catch 22 that requires a leap of blind faith initially I suppose, but so many people I know who have done so say it transformed their lives
Here you go pede. I just made this video. Watch it all.
THE FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWR_ceSGPmE
You already have Faith...” you see the demons... watching Evil Acts and seeing the Devil in these Politicians. “ The Faith is what leads you away from those and continue down the righteous road less traveled. The Faith is that light of Knowledge and LOVE that still flickers in the darkest of moments. That FAITH connects you to our interconnected web of all existence even in the face of Personal diverse ideologies. Faith is knowing that you are valued and loved ... for there’s no greater sacrifice than any Patriot’s life devoted to protecting and upholding our United States Constitution. Blessings to you and yours while you continue to look for and follow Good Orderly Direction. (While keeping the FAITH)🙏🐢✌️💚🇺🇸
Man, I said this about 5 months ago to a friend. These people, the tactics they use, they are pure evil. I kept typing up a huge paragraph about this, but you understand already. You've seen it. These people are so evil I seriously doubt there is a way to turn them around. It is an animalistic feeling I get watching these clowns on tv, lie through their teeth to try and destroy us, the people they see as their mortal enemies. They want to destroy our lives, destroy our minds, and abolish our way of life. They don't care what gets in their way, be it a child, the lives of millions of people, or literally any other thing of value.
That's marxism. It is fundamentally evil, it is some kind of psychological or spiritual illness. It is specifically anti-God because he is the antithesis to their world view.
I pray that you can come to the full realization that God is the only one truly on your side, and he does absolutely exist. This is coming from someone who has not lived a very traditional, Christian life. There is no other answer to what we are seeing. Merry Christmas, pede. Sorry for the rant.
Don't rely on a divine experience. Practicing Christianity (idk about other religions) is maintaining a relationship with God. It takes work, especially since you can't just have a conversation or whatever where you see Him in front of you. All it takes is faith and trust though.
Read the Bible. I never really considered myself religious but now with everything going on the past several years, I've found myself turning to and relying more on God. Just started reading the Bible, and if I've ever had a divine experience, it would simply be reading the New Testament.
You pray daily which is a great habit to have, and one I myself need to get into.
Updooted and agree. Reading the Bible is huge. Knowing God starts with knowing what stuff He has done.
When God is called "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" in the Old Testament, it's a cue to remember how God interacted with, led, protected, promised, and was faithful to those persons. Their lives took on incredible significance because of their commitment to God, why would it be any different with you?
"In all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Life can be a giant mess and evils all around, God is so solid he comes through in the darkest of times, always fulfilling His promises. The Bible awaits, where you can read about all those promises and the people who successfully leaned on them and weren't disappointed.
Merry Christmas and cheers!
Merry Christmas!
Trump won this election. I firmly believe that the wrongs will be righted. Merry Christmas 🎄
I don’t think it would be an “unpopular” post... but it could be an “uncomfortable” one for some people...
Often, those who disbelieve most are the best to confirm faith when it is found, for they have been most skeptical. I wish you nothing but the best on your journey of discovery.
Happy Christmas!
I am on a similar journey. I see so much evil in this world. Therefore, I believe there must be a devil. I cant think of any other reason. So if the devil is really so is God. That's where I am on my journey. Take care and Merry Christmas!
Even if you don't believe and think it's all bullshit, just talk to God in your mind every night before you go to sleep as you lay in bed. Just try it for a couple weeks, thank God for protecting you and ask him to continue to protect you, the holy spirit will relay the message to our father in heaven. Ask him for strength and the ability to see through all the smoke being thrown up by the forces of evil and see what happens.
Fellow agnostic pede here.
Sometimes you realize how dynamic a place the earth is.
I'm still a spiritual person, and I definitely feel that there is a positive culmination approaching.
I hope you find your answer on 1/6.
If you followed the struggles Trump went through during his presidency and how he walks out of those struggles, you would know there was a guiding hand on him.
The 4d chess stuff is nonsense. Yeah I think he has good instincts, but that alone isn't enough especially when it turns out you have close advisors trying to sabotage you while smiling until they're caught.
People would try to accredit it to luck then, well in my eyes luck is another form of divine protection. Maybe try to reflect on the events in your life when you thought to myself "wow I'm lucky, I could have gotten really hurt then".
Similar to you I lost my way years ago. Along the way I got strung out on heroin. I went to rehab and that didn't work, nothing really did. My preacher gave me a talk about god's promises and having faith. You have to believe in god's promises. About 4 years ago, I had nothing left and just got on my knees and asked god to give me peace and take it from me. "Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for, declares the lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I asked god to fulfil that promise, and I believed for it, and I haven't looked back since. My life 4 years later is going great and I would have never imagined I would be able to turn it all around, but by the grace of god I was able to. I'm not the best christian in the world, you can see that by my post history, but I believe in god and his promises and try to be better every day. Try having some faith. Every man is dealt his own measure of faith, whatever that measure is, use it. Faith isn't waiting for something to reveal itself, faith is trusting before it does.
Merry Christmas pede. Hopefully all the blessings god has for you come to pass.
P.S. The apostle Paul, Jesus' most loyal servant, once persecuted christians and had them killed before he found his way.
Glad to hear you got your life back together! Proud of you! Stay clean!
you do the same ol' fishy pussy lmaoo
ex atheist turmed theist. youll find it dont worry
I was raised Christian but was never really faithful until about two or three years ago. Growing up, I was (and still am) wildly interested in space. Naturally, that led me to creation theories like the Big Bang, primordial soup, and evolution. In the tradition I grew up, these issues were never really addressed, and so I was left with two distinct schools of thought which seemed to be at war with each other. Was the universe created in a week? Will I go to heaven when I die? Or am I an accidental anomaly in an infinite universe, doomed to an "afterlife" of nothingness? Do I trust a thousands of years old book or the work of modern day science? These conflicts caused me to question the basis of my faith.
It took me a long, long time to find an answer. I spent a lot of time in prayer, and much more away from God. I went through some particularly rough times in college, stemming from some personal issues and a failed relationship. Those were probably some of the lowest points in my life. I'd lie awake at night and contemplate the point of it all. I'd just lost the love of my life, and I was heading nowhere fast with a useless scrap of paper from an overpriced school. At that point, life didn't have any meaning. Looking back, I think it was because I had lost my faith and my purpose, that my state of being was so sour. What's the point of living in a shitty world if there is no reprieve, no better place, no higher purpose?
To give it to you straight, I don't think I've ever had any divine experiences or life changing events. I certainly can't recall anything now. For me, everything was gradual. I gradually became apathetic with my beliefs. I gradually fell into a pit of despair. And I was gradually lifted out of it by God.
I noticed God's influence on my life retrospectively at first. History is full of weird moments that surely have divine presence, and I think our lives are the same. It always seems to be little things; passing conversations, an act of kindness, coincidental meetings. I can look back at my life and see God's hands directing me in one way or another, sometimes towards good times, and at other times towards bad. But there was always a destination. Each shitty period always led to a better, brighter one.
I guess my point is similar to what others have said. Searching is okay. Questioning is okay. Those traits are characteristic of humans; it's hardwired into our brains to be curious. Faith isn't always an easy path. When it is most difficult, when it is most hopeless, is when faith should be held on to tightest.
I hope God shines his light on you this Christmas and into next year. If you have any questions or want to talk about other things, please feel free to message me. I'm far from a devout Christian, much less a scriptural scholar, but I'd be happy to talk more. Merry Christmas to you and yours, fellow pede.
"Probably won't be popular post here" UPVOTES IMMEDIATELY!
WHEN I READ THIS POST IT BLEW MY MIND BECAUSE I AM AT THE VERY SAME PLACE. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN RIGHT FROM MY OWN HEART AND MIND. I TOO AM PRAYING TO FEEL GOD'S PRESENCE IN MY LIFE, I HAVEN'T YET, BUT I FEEL IT IS CLOSE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO BE IN THIS PLACE.
This post was written for OP but I feel like you could use it too.
I was raised a devote Catholic and for the longest time I didn't even think about it. In highschool I started to question but kept my faith. Then came college.
College, the place good traditional values go to die, was where I lost my faith. I went so far as to question his existence and if anything beyond humans existed. I wandered spiritually for awhile and slowly found myself drawn back to God but still not sure of what to believe.
My moment of revelation came in my greatest struggle. I was diagnosed with a major life altering illness. I then went through test after test, went on new medication and got two new doctor's to poke and prod. Care was fine but I was emotionally devestated by the thought that someday soon I may be nothing more than a leech off the system because I would be unable to work in any significant capacity.
I broke down when night and asked for anyone that was listening to give me any kind of sign. That night storm sirens went off, winds were blowing hard, rain driving against my house and me, my wife and my son went to our basement. We waited it out, and with my family surrounding me I felt another presence, that storm was with me, that storm was God's work giving me the sign I needed.
Look for God in the darkness and the light, God reveals himself in the worst of times and to those who are open. The mixture of my whole family being near and that storm made me know God was listening even if it didn't seem like it.
I hope you feel his presence in the storms that our society is about to experience.
I TOO HAVE BEEN ASKING GOD FOR SOME SIGN, SOME FEELING IN MY HEART AND MIND BUT HAVE YET TO FEEL OR SEE ANYTHING. BUT I STILL ASK, STILL LOOK OUT AND I AM STILL CONFIDENT HE WILL SHOW ME WHAT I NEED.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Your perspective of faith might be skewed. Faith isn't a feeling, it's a fact, so forget how you feel. Circumstances are not the measure of faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Read your Bible. May your heart be filled with joy today.
I am 53... a long time Christian. I really did not know what true Evil was until PRES Trump started shining his light on it! It is every where! It is terrible! We will never be a free nation until we get rid of this evil! God wants it gone, Trump is the tool. For the job! I am ready.... it’s going to be bloody....
I would encourage you to research and talk to a decently red pilled clergy member of pretty much any denomination you are able to find. Finding God isn't always a lightning bolt, I'm rooting for you.
Praying for you. Merry Christmas.
I was once lost too! My cousin was molested by a philly priest and in turn did it to me. I hated God for allowing it especially a priest doing it! I gave up on God until I was 42. Another cousin of mine died of flesh eating bacteria (due to obanas weaponized IRS who audited him for mileage deduction on his taxes stressing him out until his immune system was weakened)leaving his wife...my first cousin w two babies. A family friend of ours who we didn't know was clairvoyant said he came to her. He told her our futures were bright and that heaven was amazing. Right then and there I started worshipping Jesus again! I'm now a recovering Catholic who loves Jesus! Without Jesus no way I could have gotten thru these last almost 11 years since Angel died!
I believe 2021 is the start of that bright future!
There's no one path for agnosticism.
For example, I was raised that way, because my folks came from (at the time) opposing religious backgrounds. Their intent was to give me the freedom to choose my path - however I saw fit.
In 4 years of Private Catholic School (with Marianists) who were very big on Vatican II and teaching all of the religions of the world, as well as the Bible - both Old and New, I decided they provided good to humanity and a canvas for art and architecture that created wholesale great works (and the technological advancements to make them).
Most of all, It provided a window into context, how it helps and guides people to good (in the western world at least). I don't look down on those who are faithful, and I've served in soup kitchens run by churches. I may not be a hard-core believer, but I admire those who are and the great things they do.
I've always tried to follow in their footsteps one way or another by helping those around me the best I can.
Whether this results in a life beyond this one, who knows - but it'll be just the last mile-marker on my life roadmap. It's not the reward that I seek, but the journey.
God has given us the formula to recognize truth. It has worked for me, and it will work for all those who diligently seek him:
I’m having the same experience, friend! It’s a bit surreal.
If you are praying to God to give you faith, keep going. He will. Guaranteed. I'll keep you in my prayers, fren.
DMT is enlightening. Or trauma. DMT being the easier way to summon the higher levels of celestial consciousness and being.
Not trying to sound like a hippie or anything. But if you truly seek a divine understanding, it’ll do the trick.
Alex Jones is that you?
Hahah. No comment. ;)
Engine search my username.
Then realize it was written 685 years before Jesus arrived, when the people of Israel were waiting, and are still waiting, for a warrior Messiah.
Faith is a choice, not a feeling. Make up your mind.
I am in the same boat as you pede! I was a liberal too before until maybe 3 years ago when I slowly started getting red pilled.
I am also recently having second thoughts about my lack of faith. I just hope that if there’s a god, he takes care of the people, the USA and Donald Trump and his family. But I also think that God won’t help those who don’t want to put the effort to help themselves.
Even Jesus questioned God. Most people point out that He did so on the cross: My God, why have you forsaken me?
I’d like to point you to the garden of Gethesmane. Jesus was genuinely distressed at what he knew was coming. He was also human, after all. He asked God if the cup could pass from him, but Jesus knew he was the only one who could make a way.
I’ve struggled with my faith for a decade, but I’ve come to realize that my struggle wasn’t with God. It’s with man. One of my favorite quotes is, ‘God is not a man that he would lie.’
Requiring divine experience or evidence is the sensible approach.
As I see it, there is no good reason to think that something divine literally exists. Belief in a god or gods is just something you choose to put on to help put you in a helpful mental space.
As for the Founding Fathers, most were not Christian. They were deist.
So I made another post here about my own experience but this statement spoke about the same type of questions I had alot so I want to address it.
I propose the simplest answer. Our entire society runs on faith, much of it is blind. Beliefs and faith help guide our daily lives.
If you believe every time you go to the store they will have food you will have faith in them. If not you might stock up on food that will last.
If you believe America is the strongest most resilient country, you have faith that it will last. That America is something worth believing in.
Sometimes you have personal historical evidence to back up the belief and faith you have in different things, but think about all the things you accept on the words of others? It might be based on logic and reason, but ultimately that last step to believing them is faith that what they are saying is true.
Remember that God doesn't call the worthy (in your reference to Trump.) All of the prophets had some sort of severe issues, and many asked God to send someone else.
It sounds like you are already on your road back to salvation. I went through that about 15 years ago myself. I was about as far gone as one could get but God put me back on the path. Its rarely, if ever a "fun" journey, but it is definitely the only one worthwhile. I hope that you and God can reconcile and build a relationship once more. Praying for you and our nation. God bless and Merry Christmas pede!
Keep up the search, friend. I put my faith in God, not in what man says about God.
When you close your eyes and knock on the sky to listen to the sound, your heart will lead you. Be humble in not knowing and be open to the Universe showing you the path.
We are in God's mystery school, so pay attention and all will be revealed. God bless you, brother. We're all in this together.
Oh, and remember when it looks dark out... God wins. Always and forever.
Was a time when it was hard for me to believe in God too. I remember one night sitting outside and just looking at my hands. It dawned on me that no way could random mutation create them. So that started my journey towards believing again. What really solidified it for me was the book of Daniel, especially Daniel chapter 11.
Verses like:
“Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece" - Daniel 11:2
This prophecy was given to Daniel in the third year of king Cyrus. The fourth king after Cyrus was King Xerxes. Remember the movie 300? Xerxes sent a massive army to attack the Greeks.
"Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others." - Daniel 11:3-4
The prophecy skips ahead to Alexander the Great. His kingdom didn't go to his kids. His four generals Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy took control and the kingdom broke into four.
People claim Daniel had to be written after all these things occurred which doesn't line up. If that were true then it would have had to be written 500+ AD or after. It lines up perfect with history. I also believe we are about to see Daniel 11:40 happen.
I still struggled with the "angry God" and kept searching. I have learned that Satan couldn't destroy Christianity so he infiltrated it and twisted the character of God in the minds of His believers. The truth is, Gods wrath is Him simply letting people go when He can no longer do anything for them(see Romans 1:18-28). Love doesn't force it's way.
I also learned the concept of hell is illogical. Those that believe in it also believe the lie from Satan in the garden of Eden. God said they would die, Satan said they wouldn't die. Jesus showed how the sinner dies. The separation from God killed Jesus. Gods wrath. God's fire is truth. In the end when the wicked see God, His fire(truth) pierces their hearts and their guilt shames them into wanting death. They will off themselves in the end and cease to exist.
I also learned the death of Jesus wasn't a legal payment for sin. God designed the world to operate a certain way. Outside of that way is a natural result in death. Love is a circle. You breath out carbon dioxide, the world takes it and gives back oxygen. The ocean gives it's water to the skies, and the rivers return it. The bee collects nectar and pollenates the flower. The move you give, the more you receive. When the cycle is broken, the system breaks down and dies.
So i've learned that all God asks is for us to trust Him. That biblical perfection is simply perfect trust that God will heal the damage to our hearts and change our characters to be like His.
I'll post a video given by a doctor on God's design. It is really worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MKe9-6cgR8
The best salvation story i have for you is you OP, pede. You looked evil squarely in the eyes and rebuked it. You did so despite having a dislike of the other person. You didn't try to pretend the evil you saw wasn't as bad as Trump and therefore against Trump.
You hear him speak and you feel something within you. That, pede, is the spark. If I could give you some of the kindling within me to help that spark turn into a bonfire within, you i would. But faith is believing without seeing.
So pede, maybe I can. I am going to put my faith and trust into you. What faith and what trust? The faith and trust all men can put into another. That your words and deeds will match pace. That those hard questions are asked in earnest and the answers will be examined to see if they truly fit the query.
Good luck pede, God speed on your quest.
You'll not see GOD or heaven with JESUS.
Romans:1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 10:17
There is but One God and his name is YAWEH. And this same YAWEH came in the flesh who is named Jesus.
If you are sincere about finding TRUTH, God will honor that by revealing himself to you through the reading of HIS WORD.
Read the Word. (The Bible) Start with the Roman Road the Book of Romans.
Please read this book The Rational Faith by Jason Crook (on amazon) I really recommend it for someone who is an intelligent sceptical person searching for evidence for the truth in Christianity and the gospel message. I Will pray for you.
I was raised a devote Catholic and for the longest time I didn't even think about it. In highschool I started to question but kept my faith. Then came college.
College, the place good traditional values go to die, was where I lost my faith. I went so far as to question his existence and if anything beyond humans existed. I wandered spiritually for awhile and slowly found myself drawn back to God but still not sure of what to believe.
My moment of revelation came in my greatest struggle. I was diagnosed with a major life altering illness. I then went through test after test, went on new medication and got two new doctor's to poke and prod. Care was fine but I was emotionally devestated by the thought that someday soon I may be nothing more than a leech off the system because I would be unable to work in any significant capacity.
I broke down when night and asked for anyone that was listening to give me any kind of sign. That night storm sirens went off, winds were blowing hard, rain driving against my house and me, my wife and my son went to our basement. We waited it out, and with my family surrounding me I felt another presence, that storm was with me, that storm was God's work giving me the sign I needed.
Look for God in the darkness and the light, God reveals himself in the worst of times and to those who are open. The mixture of my whole family being near and that storm made me know God was listening even if it didn't seem like it.
I hope you feel his presence in the storms that our society is about to experience.
Jesus is a real person, and you can know him. Pursue that relationship, that friendship. The Church, its history and traditions, its moral teachings and disciplines are all important, but only insofar as they are designed to bring you into a personal friendship with and understanding of the person of Jesus.
Start by talking to him.
You must ask Him to reveal Himself to you
Say the words “Jesus, I am asking for you to show yourself to me. Please enter my life and open my eyes.”
Then, open up your heart and soften your doubt. Look around for signs. Soon (like myself) there will be little clues. Next, you start to pray regularly. Once this happens you will notice your life start to get better, maybe a lot better (like mine!). I never stopped praying and now I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is fruitful and I find joy in speaking to Him daily. I present every trouble to Him and he heals me.
It all starts with asking Him to show Himself to you.
Seek and you shall find.
Merry Christmas pede!
>Agnostic ... here
>wall of text
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