I'm not really sure if this is the right place to put this, so bare with me, because I'm new here...
Basically, I just wanted to see if anyone here had any answers I haven't heard, or any new views to help...
I want to be Christain, I really do, but for some reason I can not have faith in religion at all, and I really wish that I did. I do feel that there is something missing from my life, and even more then that I have this overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety, especially about death, all the time. I am completly preoccupied by it. I often see my Christian friends and think of how comforting it would be to be able to really believe in a higher power or in heaven... The thing is that everyone says if you open your heart to God then you will see him, but I have tried, and I don't. I guess I'm open to the idea that there may be a God, but I don't see any real proof in it. I have heard all the usual- "How else could everything have been created?" "Look at the beauty of nature." None of it convinces me, and I don't know why. I just have so much doubt in religion. I think I am the kind of person who needs proof, and with this there is none, you know?
It's also not like I don't know anything about Christianity. In fact, I was raised a Luthren. I went thrugh conformation. I was forced to study the bible (and I say forced because back then I had no belief in God, nor a desire to believe in him.) I went to Church every single Sunday for years, and still, nothing. Even now that I truly want to have to faith, when ever I stop into a church, I don't feel his presence, I just feel empty.
I guess a part of me believes- or wants to believe- that God exists, but I just can't have faith it, as much as I DESPERATELY want to. I don't feel like I can connect to him at all, despite prayers, church, or reading the bible. I have been praying for quite sometime to just have faith, but it doesn't work, and I keep waiting for some experince to make me feel his presence like everyone else does, but it has yet to come to me...
I was just wondering if anyone here had any similar experiences, or any new advice beyone the norm that I hear in church and from the pastors... Thank you in advance for any replies.

Hi Stephanie, this thread will probably be moved to Christian Answers shortly, but in the mean time... I think(know) you will find many, many people here(including me) who know exactly where you are coming from. As far as advice, it's a tough situation because you seem to get the same old answers, and we seem to give the same as well but if you stick around long enough you WILL hear something you haven't heard before, I promise you that.

Let's start with this: You say you are waiting for something to 'happen' and that you 'need proof'...can you give an idea of what that might be?

Do you need to witness a miracle? Do you need to actually see His face? Do you need to actually hear His voice? What would it take for Him to get your attention? What if He took you out to lunch?;)

The reason I ask is that a lot of the time our preconceived notions of who God is and what it should feel like to know Him can really get in the way of finding Him...or of Him finding you.

I hope you stick around here for awhile, this is a great place full of wonderful people who are willing to listen, to advise, to comfort, to laugh with, people who really love God and want nothing more than for you to love Him as well, and will be forever patient with your questions and gentle as they help you along.

Everyone is on their own path to Him, and we all move at a different pace. It's ALL part of the journey/process and the fact that you have this desire to know Him means that you are a lot closer than you might think.

Good to have you here!

Keep knockin'!

And since this is your first post, I will welcome you with the dancing monkey!
:monkeyd:

Salvation being a gift Stephanie, is received by faith, which is also a gift.
It's quite unfortunate these days that so many are being to led believe that there must be a feeling or something akin to elation, before one can truly believe...that there must be some kind of supernatural experience before salvation can happen.

I was very moved by your post, because you stated that you sincerely want to be right with God and have the true gift of salvation, and be assured of His presence in your life.

When I was pretty young, I told the Lord that I could not believe in Him, but if He truly was God, He would be able to give me the ability to believe in Him. That was my only demand from Him, and He answered my prayer in grand fashion. I suffer from many things, but unbelief is not one of them...ever since that day.

I hope we can convince you to look first and foremost to the scriptures for your answers, because everything else is subject to human interpretation and can be confusing.

In full affirmation and agreement with Gulah, in the excellent post above:

I would highly recommend that you ask this unseen God to give you what you need to believe and come to Him, and then wait only upon Him. I would also be very careful about being led into the philosophical and intellectual arguments which are so popular today about the existence of God. I recommend the simplicity of faith.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Jn 5:24

Lord Bless, Stephen

Another question I would ask is not what don't you bellieve about Jesus, but what DO you bellieve about Jesus? Prophet, good and wise teacher, fictional character, Son of God...etc.

Also, here is something I stole from another thread that might give you an idea of another way to approach your search.

http://snapshotsofgod.com/magiceye.htm

Sometimes we get so fucussed(or is it fucused?) on certain images and ideas that they end up becoming obstacles blocking our view of God's Glory.

Keep your truth quest honest and it WILL, eventually, end up at the foot of the cross.:yes:

Hello Stephanie , God bless you and once again welcome to the Ministry.

If you would bear with me I have a question and before you answer that question I want u to just stop and think about it for a few minutes and give the most honest answer you can.

Lets say you are walking down a train track and for some odd reason your foot gets caught in the track and you cannot free it no matter how hard you try..then almost as quickly as you were caught in this deadly trap you hear a loud whistle...You look down the track and see a train barreling straight at you with speeds up to 80 miles per hour your best guess.You know in your heart this train cannot stop..It cannot stop.

Stephanie in all honesty who would you cry out to for help

your mother, your father, sister, brother

or would you cry out God help me , help me?

In His Service
Evang.dare

Stephanie, forgive me if this post appears irrelevant at first, do bear with me.

When you get inoculated against a disease, you're given a small dose of the disease itself. Your immune system responds to the disease by producing antibodies, so that if it ever sees the disease again (in its real form, rather than a massively weakened form) it can mobilise the troops to fight the invader right away, rather than suffering while it figures out what this new invader is.

In the same way, it's easy for people to become "inoculated" against Christianity. I've been forced to go to church as a child myself - in my case because I was too young to be left home alone. You know what - in that situation church is boring, the Bible is boring, and God is boring. The reason they are boring is because you'd rather be doing something - anything - except sitting listening to someone droning on at length about things that don't make sense.

The trouble is that it can then turn you away from actually experiencing God for yourself, because you've come to regard anything to do with God as dull. God isn't dull, but listening to someone else's interpretation of something you have never experienced usually is.

Listening to someone else talking about God when you have never experienced God would be a bit like hearing this:


Play three F# notes, then a single D-note lasting about twice as long. Then after a slight pause play three E notes, followed by a longer C# note.

Unless you're far more musical than I am that will mean very little to you. But if I played you the first few bars of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony you'd know exactly what I meant.

The thing with looking for God is that we have to be prepared to find him in a way that isn't what we originally expected. People often have ideas that God will speak to them in a thunderstorm or some other dramatic fashion, but in many cases what you need to do is be still and listen. Elijah was one of the greatest prophets, and God spoke to him in a small voice:


1Ki 19:11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
1Ki 19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
1Ki 19:13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

I want to be Christain, I really do, but for some reason I can not have faith in religion at all, and I really wish that I did. .

You SHOULDN'T have any faith in religion. Religion cannot save you, or give you the peace of mind you so desperately crave. You don't need religion - you need a relationship.

Here's the thing about faith....it's not based on how you feel. Faith is taking God's Word over your own, no matter how you feel. God's Word tells us that we are sinners at birth, by nature and by practice. We inherit the sin nature from Adam, and prove that we have it when we sin. Because of our sinfulness, we are separated from God and headed to hell. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us - to pay our sin debt for us. Jesus, the second person of the triune Godhead, purposely stepped out of eternity and into time to pay your sin debt. What you need to do to re-establish the relationship with God that was broken by your sin is to trust in what Jesus did for you. Just like you would trust a parachute to save you if you jumped out of a plane, you must trust Jesus to save you from your sins. Once you do this, your relationship with God is restored and your sins are no longer counted against you. Plus, you get to go to heaven when you die and be with God for all eternity.

First I wanted to say thank you all so much for your answers. It really does make me feel better to talk to people who have strong faith. I'll try and reply to everyone. Before you all read this I just want to make sure you know that I do state my doubts, and why I doubt them, but I don't mean to argue with the Christian faith at all. I feel like a lot of the things are almost attacking religion, and I promise I am not trying to do that- it's just my concerns, really. And, I also want to mention that it's not like I absolutely do not believe in God, it's more that I'm somewhere in the middle, and not convinced one way or another. I just want to really be sure.


Tango- Yes! Exactly. That is exactly how I felt. The problem is getting over that, now. I do find the stories of the bible interesting at times, but church really still doesn't do anything for me, besides frustrate me even more. So, maybe church just isn't my way to connect to Christ? But then, how else could I worship, or become close to him?




Gulah- I'm actually not quite sure what exactly it is I expect to happen. I guess a lot of this came from a documentary I was watching about a bunch of kids who went to a Christian Camp, and they were SO strong in their faith. One of them mentioned something about an epiphany he had where he felt the spirit of God and he knew from that point on, without a doubt, that he was his savior. Then he said that he thinks most people have a time like that- they come to a point when they just know. I suppose I have been waiting for a time like that- not necessarily a miracle or anything (I actually may have seen those, I'll post one at the bottom because it will be long), just, as they often say, a moment when I feel I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I have always felt that either there wasn't a God or that if there is I can not, for some reason, connect to him.
Yes, certainly, if I saw God in person I would believe he was real; I would hope anyway. And lunch with God would be great! Haha!
As for what I believe, I'm really not sure. I know that something had to create existence because it had to have a starting point somewhere, right? That's the main piece of information that keeps me at least hanging on to hope of God. In all the science classes I have taken, nothing could account for the beginning of creation. With that, logically, there must be some higher power- or something to spark it all. As for Jesus, I do believe that he existed at least as a great man and a teacher. Whether or not he was son of God... I want to believe that, and IF I firmly believed in God, at least in the sense that we all think we know him, Jesus could very well be his son. Another thing that has always confused me though, is back then there were so many visible things- Jesus, Noah's Arc, all the classical stories that could be nothing less then the works of God... Why isn't there really anything like that now? That's part of what me doubt the bible as much as I do- it all seems like a fantasy world- so much different then the reality we all know today.


SFASH- If you don't mind answering, how did he make you believe in him? Or did you start believing after that?


Evangelist Smith- I would call to God if I were in a situation like that, actually, even though I'm not sure what I believe. I have been faced with situations when I do call for his help, and I do pray all the time- not really because I trust in it though, just on the chance that it is all real, it couldn't hurt to try a prayer. That's how I see it.


Sold Out- That is what I am trying to do, but it's not like I can just say I trust in God, and then I do. I wish it were that simple, but for me at least, it does not seem to be. IF I could believe that all of that happened, then I would have faith, but the problem is believing that in the first place. Telling me to have faith in God because he is real... I see where you are coming from, and to someone who really believes that would be helpful but since I'm not sure I do, the same doubt is still there. What you said about being separated from God because of sin makes a lot of sense though.




And here is the miracle I was talking about:
I have seen what people could call miracles I suppose, but for some reason, the cynical side of me always attributes it to other factors... For instance, I had my daughter when I was 19. I didn't think I had it in me to be a good mother, but I rose to the occasion, surprisingly. Like all mothers, she was the center of my life, and about two years ago, when she was a year old, she started having seizures all of a sudden, completely out of nowhere. I thought she was dying when it happened. We called 911 and they took her to the hospital of course. In the period of 24 hours she had three terrible seizures, and they scared me to death. They couldn't find out what was wrong with her, and I was sure she was going to die (another thing about me, I am very pessimistic.) Then, for what seems like no reason, they just stopped. It's been two years and she hasn't had any since. They still aren't sure what happened. They said it was possible it could have been a reaction to a medicine given to her two days earlier, but that it was highly unlikely. It seems like a miracle, but the cynical side of me is convinced that it was the medicine that gave them to her, and that the prayers weren't the reason she pulled out of it. I'm probably being frustrating here, because believe me, I frustrate myself. I want to believe it was God who did it, but I guess it seems so far fetched to me...

Tango- Yes! Exactly. That is exactly how I felt. The problem is getting over that, now. I do find the stories of the bible interesting at times, but church really still doesn't do anything for me, besides frustrate me even more. So, maybe church just isn't my way to connect to Christ? But then, how else could I worship, or become close to him?


The key thing is that you need to seek God because it's what you want. It's only relatively recently that I really sought God because I wanted to know for myself what it was all about - previously I'd been involved in the church for a long time because I thought it was expected of me, and didn't have the heart to tell people I wanted nothing to do with it.

But now I've made the decision for myself that I want to be one of God's children it's a totally different dynamic. Imagine the difference between living with someone because you were somehow forced to - perhaps the only way you could afford to pay the rent was to take in a lodger even if you didn't like them much, and living with someone because you chose to, perhaps because you were married to them.

[SFASH- If you don't mind answering, how did he make you believe in him? Or did you start believing after that? ] quote

Oh Hi Stephanie! Yes, I began to believe after I had prayed. There were no signs or events that triggered my faith. My prayer was answered in that I found the ability to believe where I could not believe before.

And, if it helps: My prayer seemed to have been answered right on time because my young life was to get very traumatic soon after.

Lord Bless! Stephen

The good thing about God is that He is everywhere, and not tied to church buildings.

Any believer you meet can provide you with the Gospel and with a touch of His presence, as is true here on these forums, as it is in the "real world."

I would encourage you to continue pursuing the Lord as set forth by the Bible. I personally came to Jesus via reading a book about Heaven, and there was a prayer at the end that I prayed because my heart was yearning to know such a God as portrayed there. And, He heard me. I, too, grew up in a traditional Lutheran church that left me cold and disinterested because I couldn't see the connection between God and my real life struggles, and nobody seemed to have any real answers for me, so I walked away. But He used my fear of death and my many anxieties to draw me to Himself in the end. God promised that He would reveal Himself to those who earnestly seek Him. Not for who other people in ignorance portray Him to be, but for who He really is. And He is completely awesome! :)

Gulah- I'm actually not quite sure what exactly it is I expect to happen. I guess a lot of this came from a documentary I was watching about a bunch of kids who went to a Christian Camp, and they were SO strong in their faith. One of them mentioned something about an epiphany he had where he felt the spirit of God and he knew from that point on, without a doubt, that he was his savior. Then he said that he thinks most people have a time like that- they come to a point when they just know. I suppose I have been waiting for a time like that- not necessarily a miracle or anything (I actually may have seen those, I'll post one at the bottom because it will be long), just, as they often say, a moment when I feel I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I have always felt that either there wasn't a God or that if there is I can not, for some reason, connect to him.
Yes, certainly, if I saw God in person I would believe he was real; I would hope anyway. And lunch with God would be great! Haha!
As for what I believe, I'm really not sure. I know that something had to create existence because it had to have a starting point somewhere, right? That's the main piece of information that keeps me at least hanging on to hope of God. In all the science classes I have taken, nothing could account for the beginning of creation. With that, logically, there must be some higher power- or something to spark it all. As for Jesus, I do believe that he existed at least as a great man and a teacher. Whether or not he was son of God... I want to believe that, and IF I firmly believed in God, at least in the sense that we all think we know him, Jesus could very well be his son. Another thing that has always confused me though, is back then there were so many visible things- Jesus, Noah's Arc, all the classical stories that could be nothing less then the works of God... Why isn't there really anything like that now? That's part of what me doubt the bible as much as I do- it all seems like a fantasy world- so much different then the reality we all know today.
Stephanie, my first suggestion would be to research and investigate the proof of the resurrection. That might sound kinda silly at first, but if you put a little time and effort into it you will find that there is plenty of proof(take your time and read this very carefully http://www.resurrectionism.com/ ) that Jesus was indeed raised. This is what really tipped the scale for me. Once I understood that this event really did happen, everything else started to fall into place.

The next thing I would suggest would be a book by Ravi Zacharias called Can Man Live Without God. This book should help you better understand the nature of God and the how's and why's of faith...why God requires faith instead of just making himself known beyond a shadow of a doubt. Of course you will want to have your Bible close by as you do your research, but this book is awesome.

As for the miracles, here is a thread that is going on in the CA Forum right now that you could look through http://bibleforums.org/showthread.php?p=1829313#post1829313 . Also, you might just want to flip through a few pages of that forum as you should find a lot of threads dealing with the questions you haven't thought of asking yet.:D

Remember, the more you learn about Him, the easier the faith will come. And that doesn't mean knowing the Bible, though that is the best way to get to know Him, but there are pepole who know everything there is to know about the Bible yet still don't know God. Get to know Him and your faith will come.

Peace.

Another thing that has always confused me though, is back then there were so many visible things- Jesus, Noah's Arc, all the classical stories that could be nothing less then the works of God... Why isn't there really anything like that now?

Hey Stephanie, my name's David and I hope I can help in some way.

In Hebrews chaper 1 the writer says from verse 1 - 4....


God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Jesus is the way to God and the truth of God and as said here IS God. This is what I believe and all those who call themselves Christians do. Jesus was either God in human form or he was a liar. If he was a liar, I wouldn't follow him.
We don't need sea parting or plagues of locusts or huge signs to show God anymore. He has been shown completely and finally in Jesus Christ.

So the question is, was Jesus who he said he was?

I really hope you find an answer, but don't rush it, or fret unduely. I would suggest reading the gospel of John. It was originally written by one of Jesus' own inner circle, who witnessed what he did with his own eyes.

God bless you.

David.

Steph you said
Evangelist Smith- I would call to God if I were in a situation like that, actually, even though I'm not sure what I believe. I have been faced with situations when I do call for his help, and I do pray all the time- not really because I trust in it though, just on the chance that it is all real, it couldn't hurt to try a prayer. That's how I see it.

Of course you would and so would anyone else

why is that you suppose?

Because God Almighty put the knowledge of Himself into all and He also put the knowledge into all that He was their Creator

Thats why because in your heart you already have that knowledge that He is God and that He is your Creator

and that is why the first thing out of anyone's mouth when something bad happens it

O GOD

GOD HELP ME

O LORD

Even the professing athiests

you may have heard the saying

There are no athiests in fox holes

meaning when man is faced with life and death situations the first thing commonly said is like I told you above

O GOD

GOD HELP ME
O LORD

Because they know in their heart there is a God

Romans chapter one

They just choose not to serve Him

thats what the Lord says

and the Lord says they will stand without excuse

without excuse

because they knew and chose not to serve Him

but to do wickedly

They knew

and you know

now the choice is yours my friend...You can choose the ways of the good Lord and be saved,or you can stay dead in sin and perish

Is it God's wish that you perish?

No

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life

For God so loved!

Jesus died for your sins that you would be forgiven
arose that you would be justified
clean and whole and innocent in His sight

Justified

and the decision is yours to make whether you want to serve the good Lord or continue serving satan

The Word of God says

Choose this day whom you will serve

why today?

Boast not thyself of tomorrow for you know not what a day may bring forth

Not one of us have a promise of tomorrow
and hell is full of those who believed they would see one

put your trust in the Lord, not in any tomorrows

For it is APPOINTED unto man once to die and after this the Judgment

It is appointed my friend

I have one, you have one and so does everyone else have an appointment

now the question is

are you ready should the Lord call you today

are you prepared to meet Him as you are right now

If not , I pray that you make preparations for that appointed time

because you do not know when God will call you out of this world, and neither do I or anyone else

and if I were lost and undone in the Lord's sight I would not want to risk losing my own soul in hopes of one more day on this earth

Friend the Lord is calling you to repentance today for you have heard the way and now He earnestly and tenderly calls

I will post a prayer for a guideline in hopes that it might help u in some way

Dear Heavenly Father, I recognize that I am a sinner and I ask Lord that you would forgive me of all of my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness, I believe Lord Jesus that you died on the cross for my sins and I believe that you arose the third day according to the scriptures, please come into my heart and live and be my Saviour, in this your name I do pray amen

He who hath the Son of God, hath life and he who hath not the Son of God hath not life...

Come while the Spirit of God calls

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely..Rev..22

Want u obey that call on your heart and be saved

Merciful Father touch this precious soul's heart and help her Lord to obey your Word ,bring her to the full and everlasting knowledge of your saving and sustaining grace in Christ' Mighty name do accordingly we do humbly and earnestly pray amen and amen


God bless you friend
In His service:bible:
Evang.dare

I'm not really sure if this is the right place to put this, so bare with me, because I'm new here...
Basically, I just wanted to see if anyone here had any answers I haven't heard, or any new views to help...
I want to be Christain, I really do, but for some reason I can not have faith in religion at all, and I really wish that I did. I do feel that there is something missing from my life, and even more then that I have this overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety, especially about death, all the time. I am completly preoccupied by it. I often see my Christian friends and think of how comforting it would be to be able to really believe in a higher power or in heaven... The thing is that everyone says if you open your heart to God then you will see him, but I have tried, and I don't. I guess I'm open to the idea that there may be a God, but I don't see any real proof in it. I have heard all the usual- "How else could everything have been created?" "Look at the beauty of nature." None of it convinces me, and I don't know why. I just have so much doubt in religion. I think I am the kind of person who needs proof, and with this there is none, you know?
It's also not like I don't know anything about Christianity. In fact, I was raised a Luthren. I went thrugh conformation. I was forced to study the bible (and I say forced because back then I had no belief in God, nor a desire to believe in him.) I went to Church every single Sunday for years, and still, nothing. Even now that I truly want to have to faith, when ever I stop into a church, I don't feel his presence, I just feel empty.
I guess a part of me believes- or wants to believe- that God exists, but I just can't have faith it, as much as I DESPERATELY want to. I don't feel like I can connect to him at all, despite prayers, church, or reading the bible. I have been praying for quite sometime to just have faith, but it doesn't work, and I keep waiting for some experince to make me feel his presence like everyone else does, but it has yet to come to me...
I was just wondering if anyone here had any similar experiences, or any new advice beyone the norm that I hear in church and from the pastors... Thank you in advance for any replies.

Hi Stephanie,

I also was raised in a religious setting. My family is catholic (very similiar to lutheran). Looking back, it was just "religion" - very detatched - almost business-like. For me, the priest was doing a job, like being a baker or a plumber. I heard someone on the radio say "Religion is what man does for God, christianity is what God DID for man". I wasn't saved until I was in college - away from the religious sphere of influence. I told my family who just responded "that's nice". I found a good church when I graduated - that was key because I didn't have many christian friends. I don't recall how or why but the bible wasn't just a book anymore. There is an experience some will call "rhema" where God reveals in His Word a truth you never saw previously. I guess you might call this a "spoiler".

I had read Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? maybe 100 times and thinking "why doesn't God answer ?" I was just sitting down one day during service. The pastor was teaching on a topic completely unrelated to the crucifixion. Quite literally out of nowhere "because at this one point in time, Jesus became my sin and God cannot look upon sin".

There have been a few more experiences like this - some would make your hair stand on end. It never would have happened if I didn't respond to Gods "knock,knock" and answer the door. I think you're at the same point. You hear him knocking but maybe you have yet to answer the door. The experience with your daughter - I love it when God confounds doctor - is God knocking at the door. Have you ever visited the church your christian friends attend ? Most services end with an altar call - maybe its your turn.

The forums here are a great starting point but I think you need a face-to-face - something more personal. You have the beginnings of a great testimony. Christians get all fired up with testimonies - its just their thing. :cool: