PLEASE help me respond to this:

[chinacat]

I got a really heartbreaking email and I'm just not 100% sure how to respond to it and maybe you can help me.

basically my friend Jesse told me last week that he'd fallen out of love with God. I emailed him and told him how my belief is God was the most important thing in the world to me and how i'd really like to talk it over w/ him if he was willing to talk but I'd not push him as that would just make him more resistant and angrier.

This is what he emailed me back. Can you help me know what to write?



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You say "The most important" Why? How were you raised? Were you brought up with the same religion you hold so dear in your life?

If so, I can understand, thats all you've known. All you learned. We are products of our environment and only sometimes can we "break free" and discover other things in our world.

Too many contradictions in religion....all of them. "God loves all his children" for Christians or "God is love, in you and me and the tree" as a Rasta.

But yet, both will spew hate and meanness toward a person who is gay. A person, whom I think and know in my heart, can't help but be that way, its just who they are.

Thats just a lil bit....what really "set me off" was the Tsunami of 06 I think it was. It hit on my mothers Birthday, Dec 26th. The day after the "world celebrates Jesus"

What ****! No offense to you....but I can't think there is a God that would let **** like that happen to his people. Ya know? Some will say "well jesse god made us and gave us free will, and doesn't mess with the affiars of humans, thats our choice" ....."We choose to sin and to ask for forgiveness" and so on. But then turn around and pray for some bull****...."please god help me with my upcoming exam" "Please help me with this interview and help me get this job"

Or when someone wins the lotto they thank god. COME ON. If he isn't gonna mess with us then he isn't period.

But again, a god that lets hundreds of thousands of innocents, lots of them children, die and suffer......is no god of mine.

If you look at all the lives taken in the name of religion, all the worlds wars can't touch that number of people.

Religion is almost like a cancer of the people......we take from it what we need to feel better, to be at peace....just a crutch to lean on for those that are weak at times.

Not saying there aren't those few, very few who do "live like Jesus" and do good in the world, but the vast majority don't.

I have yet to find a religion that really is about loving everyone....not love everyone save "this list of people".


I hope this didn't make you hate me, or make you not want to be a friend of mine. If it did though, its cool I understand.

[Frances]

I would probably write something like the following -

For a start I do not consider Christianity to be a 'religion' but a relationship with Jesus Christ; it is a matter of trusting Him to be the Saviour, to have died in my place, paying my penalty, for my Sin and to have risen to Life again - enabling me to rise to New Life with Him. I access His Loving relationship with me by repeatedly doing my best to turn away from all He regards as Sin.

God is very concerned about His world and His people. Maybe the Tsunami was His 'wake-up' call to the nations that have disregarded Him for too long?

So you will only worship a 'god' who plucks you out of difficult situations but doesn't require obedience and loyalty or any change of the lifestyle you have chosen? I am so sad for you. . .

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does Love everyone who is willing to live to please Him instead of themselves, who accept that in this 'fallen' world sometimes 'bad' things happen to 'good' people.

[Sold Out]

I got a really heartbreaking email and I'm just not 100% sure how to respond to it and maybe you can help me.

basically my friend Jesse told me last week that he'd fallen out of love with God. I emailed him and told him how my belief is God was the most important thing in the world to me and how i'd really like to talk it over w/ him if he was willing to talk but I'd not push him as that would just make him more resistant and angrier.

This is what he emailed me back. Can you help me know what to write?


So at some point did he ever say he was a Christian, or just believed in God?

[Lesa]

Sweet one
Sometimes you don't need to "say" anything. Sometimes you just need to listen.

Proverbs 18:19
A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city: and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle.

None of us like to be convicted of our sin. Therefore we are apt to be offended when someone or something comes to our attention that causes the Holy spirit to convict us. We think it is very hard to support a friend that is living in sin and being convicted . But remember we are not the Lawyer nor judge..Jesus is. Our task is to LOVE, encourage and edify. The best thing in the world for your friend is prayer.

It could be that your friend is being sifted IF they have already accepted Christ in their life this could be the case.

Luke 22:31
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:

For now maybe just tell them that you love them and try to let them know that Jesus loves them and Jesus does not require a religion from them but he so willingly and lovingly desires a relationship. The only requirement is belief in God and the one whom he sent, admission and repentance as a sinner and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior.

As for his being hurt over the deaths and distruction of things that one is tough for anyone. Until we all truly see that God is just and fair no matter what we see, hear or go through. And that he only allows these things to happen so that all can see and have an opportunity to come to know HIM. Then this battle of the mind will continue.

Pray for him to see that in order for some people to come to Know Christ as savior that tragedy has to happen. and pray that he understand the power of a true christian is being able and willing to sacrifice all things including ones own life in order for even one to come to the true knowledge of Christ.

If you were to ask a true christian Would you die for me to come to know and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior? ( even in a Tsunami or a car wreck) the answer should be YES, I would die in order that NO ONE would spend eternity in hell. When you meet one of HIS that has been humbled by HIS presence this is the answer you should get. Not that we would have to because Jesus already did this for us all. But if one person who went to the funeral or heard of the tragady came to the knowledge of Christ and eternal life (woo hoo that's forever) then it would be worth it.
So in effect when we see tragady, if we know that HIS children were involved then we know that they are taken care of , we know that they would have willingly gone through what happened in order for others to see Christ. And as the greatest blessing we know they are on their way Home for eternity.

What a blessing that he has you as a friend.

Much love to you.

[mikeynash]

Tough one... i'll have a little pray and i'll respond later.

[Richard H]

Hi chinacat, :)
Lesa has some good wisdom there.

Your friend is venting his frustration. Respond in love and acceptance of him as a person and a friend. This would probably be the best witness you could show right now.

Perhaps later, he'll be more open to knowing your (our) God.

My first lesson - the one that brought me to the cross, was "realizing": (it was not my thought)
You can't see a perfect God, by looking at imperfect people.

Richard