It's a funny thing...

[Johann]

I dont know. It was at a Christian forum that I was at, one that was good until a bunch of hardliners took over and ruined the place. It used to be place where people could talk freely. We didn't have to agree on everything, but we respected each other.

Probably BAM-I was treated like scum there and banned, un-banned, and banned again so I can empathize with you brother.

J.

 

[Matthias]

No. In fact, I've been spending my time getting drunk.

Jesus isn’t found in the bottle; he’s found in the Bible. We should also hear and see him in the words and deeds of his disciples.

I do appreciate you thinking of me, however.

Thinking about you, praying for you and about you.

Christians have treated me very poorly and I don't particularly care for it.

Christians are people who treat others the way that Jesus himself would. Those who have mistreated you aren’t what they claim to be.

Not you, but others. It's just made me reconsider my positions on things. I don't want to be treated like yesterday's garbage just because I have my opinions and thoughts.

My hope is that you will consider this: The devil doesn’t want you to hear and see Jesus. His disciples, masquerading as Jesus’ followers, deceived and deceiving, have diverted you away from Jesus.

True followers of the Messiah don’t divert people away from Jesus; they carefully guide and direct people to Jesus.

My advice. Stop listening to those who mistreat you in the name of Jesus. Disengage from them. Put down the bottle and pick up the Bible. Seek him and you will find him. You will discover that he is nothing like the people who came to you falsely in his name.

 

[Lambano]

It goes both ways. I've known Christians that have read the bible and become atheist. Anyways, I'm still feeling under the weather, so I've been watching movies. One of those movies is, The Greatest Story Ever Told. I think it was made in 1965. It's very good so far.

That one sticks pretty close to the Biblical account. Personally, I thought Von Sydow's portrayal of Jesus was a little wooden, though.

 

[Lambano]

Christians have treated me very poorly and I don't particularly care for it.

For that, I might have to ask your forgiveness on behalf of Jesus's people. We're not (yet) what we're called to be, and worse, we're not what we pretend to be.

 

[Lambano]

No. In fact, I've been spending my time getting drunk.

Don't do that. You're not going to find any answers trying to dive down the neck of a bottle. Got a friend at church who tried that. After wrecking 4 marriages, one car, his health, and his relationships with his kids, he finally got sober. He just celebrated 20 years alcohol-free.

Well, lately I've been watching what's happening out there in the world, while simultaneously looking inward and towards this character of Jesus Christ. The funny thing is, the more time I spend learning about him and listening to what he had to say, the more real he seems relative to the world.

Hold on to this. Think about what you saw and heard and felt and learned. Remember!

 

[MA2444]

For the longest time, I've had this feeling of dread. Like the rug was about to get pulled out from beneath my feet. I've never known what it was, so I would always try to ignore it. Well, I've had a few things happen recently that have changed me as a person. I guess you could say I was always kind of on a high horse.

Well, lately I've been watching what's happening out there in the world, while simultaneously looking inward and towards this character of Jesus Christ. The funny thing is, the more time I spend learning about him and listening to what he had to say, the more real he seems relative to the world.

You better listen to your conscience and your intuition. Ask me how I know. I had the rug jerked out from under me and it wasnt pretty. Your being warned!

 

[Riven]

Jesus isn’t found in the bottle; he’s found in the Bible. We should also hear and see him in the words and deeds of his disciples.



Thinking about you, praying for you and about you.



Christians are people who treat others the way that Jesus himself would. Those who have mistreated you aren’t what they claim to be.



My hope is that you will consider this: The devil doesn’t want you to hear and see Jesus. His disciples, masquerading as Jesus’ followers, deceived and deceiving, have diverted you away from Jesus.

True followers of the Messiah don’t divert people away from Jesus; they carefully guide and direct people to Jesus.

My advice. Stop listening to those who mistreat you in the name of Jesus. Disengage from them. Put down the bottle and pick up the Bible. Seek him and you will find him. You will discover that he is nothing like the people who came to you falsely in his name.

I'm no longer interested.

 

[Debp]

I'm no longer interested.

When you reach the end of your rope you will call out to the Lord then...and He will answer. It's happened to many people that way.

 

[Matthias]

I'm no longer interested.

I’m sorry to hear that but not surprised. If I were in your place and observing what you’re observing, I might also no longer be interested.

The thing people in your position must do in order to become interested is to focus on Jesus - what he said, what he did, and what he says he will do in the future - and not on others.

 

[Finis Fidei]

Probably BAM-I was treated like scum there and banned, un-banned, and banned again so I can empathize with you brother.

J.

When I was a Christian, I never posted on Christian media websites. I recognized them as highly controlling and intolerant... of dissenting (what I regarded as Bible-believing) Christian speech. My personal experiences with Christians has always been very good, as long as they don't talk about religion or politics, then the ugly hits the fan. I really believe - no hyperbole - that Jesus wouldn't be welcome in most churches. Go ahead and paraphrase some of his less popular verses in your church and see what happens. You need to paraphrase so they don't recognize it as a Jesus quote. They've immunized themselves from understanding the things they know Jesus said which they don't like. But, they'll understand and hate you, if they don't realize you're just repeating Jesus.

 

[IronMaiden]

Riven, I hear you. Life here on earth is hard. …but it’s only temporary, and it won’t last forever. 70 years here ain’t nothing when you consider eternity—an eternity of no pain and no tears, where there will be living water that brings perfect healing. Please stick with Jesus. He really cares and loves you and will never leave you. The best is yet to come.

 

[Finis Fidei]

Riven, I hear you. Life here on earth is hard. …but it’s only temporary, and it won’t last forever. 70 years here ain’t nothing when you consider eternity—an eternity of no pain and no tears, where there will be living water that brings perfect healing. Please stick with Jesus. He really cares and loves you and will never leave you. The best is yet to come.

An easy life is miserable and not worth living. One of the many "sins" of Evangelical churches, especially the name-it-claim-it variety, is that life is suppose to be easy... if only you'd get right with God.

A redeeming quality of Christianity, and other religions, is that suffering on Earth can be mitigated with the right frame of mind (e.g. focusing on Christ and thinking about eternity). In the pig picture, the only redeeming thing Atheism offers is that after you die, you won't exist to care.

 

[GRACE ambassador]

I'm no longer interested.

Precious friend, sorry to hear that; will be praying for you. I hope you forgive all who have mistreated and disappointed you { make a Great change in my life when I did! }, and give God's Word Of Truth 'one last chance', then if you are 'no longer interested' in God's Wonderful Love for us, then 'so be it', eh?:

Grace, Peace, Mercy, And Love!
+
God's GRACE Word for our infirmities!

Amen.

 

[IronMaiden]

Precious friend, sorry to hear that; will be praying for you. I hope you forgive all who have mistreated and disappointed you { make a Great change in my life when I did! }, and give God's Word Of Truth 'one last chance', then if you are 'no longer interested' in God's Wonderful Love for us, then 'so be it', eh?:

Grace, Peace, Mercy, And Love!
+
God's GRACE Word for our infirmities!

Amen.

Amen.

 

[Matthias]

Christians have treated me very poorly and I don't particularly care for it.

This may be of small comfort to you but neither does Christ.

The day is approaching when he may say to them, “I never knew you.”

Christians have also treated you very well.

If those who have treated you very poorly have put you off from interest in Christ, is it not possible that those who have treated you very well may help rekindle your interest in Christ?

 

[Matthias]

In the pig picture …

Perhaps just a typo or autocorrect but nevertheless profound. Atheism does offer the “pig picture” perspective on life.

…. the only redeeming thing Atheism offers is that after you die, you won't exist to care.

There’s nothing redeeming about atheism.

Atheism offers only death. God and the Messiah offer abundant life.

 

[Behold]

For the longest time, I've had this feeling of dread. Like the rug was about to get pulled out from beneath my feet. I've never known what it was,

@Riven

You are describing hopelessness and despair.

This is the eventual natural state of a human being.. , As everyone who is on this earth......is .stuck here.........like this..

"what's the point"..
"nothing gets better, until it gets worse, and then when that ends, its seems better, but its really just as bad as it always was".

See.....This world is not our friend, and its owes us nothing.

Its been described as a "vail of tears" and a "constant Thorn".

What happens to almost everyone, given time, is..>>>they finally land here......= "is this all there is" = "just the same old same ole going around a hard track, in a race with rats, and everyone is going nowhere and everyone is in a hurry to get there".

"Why do i have NO PEACE"..
"Why is nothing ever right".....
."How can people stand this"....

See all that, @Riven ?

There is only one solution and He said this..>>>"Come to me when you are so tired of Life, and just dont want any more of it, and i will show you what its like to have a brand new heart and peace inside".

See that?

That is Jesus.
And only Jesus can do that. And once He does that, you'll know He's Real, as noone else can take the heavy heavy burden of existence off your back, and give you Peace, except for Jesus.

See, this world is HOPELESS, and Jesus is HOPE.. and once you come to Him, you will find the Answer to it all.

 

[Matthias]

… after you die, you won't exist to care.

Resurrection is the means by which the dead are brought back into existence.

Atheism doesn't deny death. Atheism denies resurrection, judgement, the life of the coming age and the second death.

All of the dead - including atheists - will be resurrected. Death isn’t the end; it’s an interval - a pause or break from conscious activity. The second death is the end.

Unless you change the path you’re presently on, you will die and then later, briefly, exist again.

 

[Riven]

This may be of small comfort to you but neither does Christ.

The day is approaching when he may say to them, “I never knew you.”

Christians have also treated you very well.

If those who have treated you very poorly have put you off from interest in Christ, is it not possible that those who have treated you very well may help rekindle your interest in Christ?

That's true. I have been treated well by Christians as well. I wouldn't rule it out. Honestly, times when I don't even need proof. I just know.

Things happen. I notice patterns. It's like someone's removing things from my life and trying to get my attention. Easiest way is through music. It's about the on my thing that truly gets my attention. The beautiful kind of music. The kind that sings to your soul, know what I mean?

 

[Riven]

@Riven

You are describing hopelessness and despair.

This is the eventual natural state of a human being.. , As everyone who is on this earth......is .stuck here.........like this..

"what's the point"..
"nothing gets better, until it gets worse, and then when that ends, its seems better, but its really just as bad as it always was".

See.....This world is not our friend, and its owes us nothing.

Its been described as a "vail of tears" and a "constant Thorn".

What happens to almost everyone, given time, is..>>>they finally land here......= "is this all there is" = "just the same old same ole going around a hard track, in a race with rats, and everyone is going nowhere and everyone is in a hurry to get there".

"Why do i have NO PEACE"..
"Why is nothing ever right".....
."How can people stand this"....

See all that, @Riven ?

There is only one solution and He said this..>>>"Come to me when you are so tired of Life, and just dont want any more of it, and i will show you what its like to have a brand new heart and peace inside".

See that?

That is Jesus.
And only Jesus can do that. And once He does that, you'll know He's Real, as noone else can take the heavy heavy burden of existence off your back, and give you Peace, except for Jesus.

See, this world is HOPELESS, and Jesus is HOPE.. and once you come to Him, you will find the Answer to it all.

Its nihilism. It's the most logical conclusion if God doesn't exist. Atheists that say "make your own meaning" are fooling themselves. There is no meaning to any of it without there being something more.