A few months ago, I started to doubt that the God potrayed in the bible is the creator of the universe (and everything in it). I started to doubt the very existence of God and His son. Soon enough, I started drifting back into sin (lieing, cheating, masturbating, immoral thoughts, envy, worrying about meaningless things). I feel like I have lost direction in life. The truth is, I still have my doubts but I'm ready place my trust in God and follow Christ the way I used to do (I was at peace with myself and the world) & hopefully someday I will get answers to all my questions. This free-thinking stuff isn't for me. I just have this conviction that CHRIST is the only person that can give my life a meaning. I want to build a better relationship with Christ, so today I will ask for forgiveness and ask for the grace to never backslide again. I humbly ask every believer on this forum to remember me in prayers (and I mean serious prayers). Also I need steps on how to live a life devoid of sin.

Good morning Inspired,

Remember what I told you in your other thread?...that you do need to discover God!!! If you are a Christian without being convinced then there is no need being one. The struggles life brings is not just peculiar to you. The life of a Christian is synonymous with the struggles you described...the flesh and the spirit are constantly at war but success will depend on you.

Being moral is not just the prerogative of Christians...even those who are not religious can be morally upright. The difference between Christian morality and that of one who is not religious has more to do with the intent. Your decision to remain a Christian and your desire to please God is great! I will advice that you discover God...being convinced that God is real and true has a lot to do with a personal experience of him. Seek him diligently and you will find him!


Thank you!

@Stricktlymi, Thanks for your contribution.
*What is it like to experience God?

inspiredbyGOD:.:
^^^ Thanks for your contribution.
*What is it like to experience God?

Experiencing God is very great and leaves one feeling alive and wanting to do good things for him but doing those good things is entirely subject to your free will. Very few persons have had the opportunity of experiencing God 'directly' and for others the experience had to come indirectly via his creation. There are a lot of persons who have been on the path to self discovery. This is the path that you are on right now...this stage of your life is very crucial and it is important that you give it the importance that it deserves.

The path to discovering God can be met with some internal struggles but this is perfectly normal, what is needed on your part is a true desire to know him. I am yet to see one who is truly open to discovering God without getting his thirst quenched. Prayer, sincerity, actions and patience are very key on this journey. Read good books, be open to what is true...science is a good way of discovering the wonders of God's creation...be open to God's spirit! Whoever seek diligently MUST find him!

alfaman2: I agree. You need serious psychological help. However you are seeking it in the wrong area.

You also need to get out more and interact with real humans.

How do you explain the fact that these things started happening to me when I started to doubt the existence of God? And ummm, where can I meet real humans? (since the ones I interact with are all figments of my imagination)

striktlymi:

Experiencing God is very great and leaves one feeling alive and wanting to do good things for him but doing those good things is entirely subject to your free will. Very few persons have had the opportunity of experiencing God 'directly' and for others the experience had to come indirectly via his creation. There are a lot of persons who have been on the path to self discovery. This is the path that you are on right now...this stage of your life is very crucial and it is important that you give it the importance that it deserves.

The path to discovering God can be met with some internal struggles but this is perfectly normal, what is needed on your part is a true desire to know him. I am yet to see one who is truly open to discovering God without getting his thirst quenched. Prayer, sincerity, actions and patience are very key on this journey. Read good books, be open to what is true...science is a good way of discovering the wonders of God's creation...be open to God's spirit! Whoever seek diligently MUST find him!

Thanks once again. You really are a blessing. May your light keep shining!

Like I said on another thread, you remind me of someone..

Anyways, not all who wander are lost. Wherever you end up, please don't be a cuunt.

Goodluck in your journey. Remember that you're the only one that can convince yourself.

@striktlymi:
How lyf?

musKeeto: @striktlymi:
How lyf?

Good morning muskeeto,

I am cool! Hope you are fine boss?

Read Mark 4:1-32.Something in that passage aptly describes your situation.
Also in John6:66-69,some of the disciples of Jesus turned back and chose not to follow Him again.He turned to the twelve disciples and asked if they also will go away,Simon Peter said,'Lord to whom shall we go?Thou hast the words of eternal life'.
If a man turns from God and His Christ,to whom or what shall they go.They become like wanderers in the desert,looking for what they will never find.A thirst in their souls that will never be quenched.
Jesus has words of eternal life.No prophet or philosopher ever did.

striktlymi:

Good morning muskeeto,

I am cool! Hope you are fine boss?

I'm fine Boss.

musKeeto:
I'm fine Boss.

striktlymi:

inspiredbyGOD:.:
How do you explain the fact that these things started happening to me when I started to doubt the existence of God? And ummm, where can I meet real humans? (since the ones I interact with are all figments of my imagination)

Go through this thread. It could help you make sense of a few things..

My best post from that thread

akered: I have an interesting article I wrote about my journey to being an agnostic. It might help you along your journey. I tell you, it can be quite rough. but once you are rid of all the shackles of religion, life becomes so easy to live. I wish you well. One advice, always be honest with yourself.


MY IMAGINARY CITY
By Akered

Once upon a time, a long time ago, my world view was deeply religious. I was devoted to my religion and holy book. I felt well protected with the armour of God. My world appeared to be a city, meticulously constructed with beautiful engravings and huge halls. The walls were deep and strong, to keep us all safe from the corruption and sin of the outside world, and they were guarded by God to prevent Satan intruding. All in all, a very comfortable and safe place to live.

One day I wanted to just look up close at one of the engravings on a wall. It didn’t quite look right, and I just wanted to check that it wasn’t my eyesight. When I reached out to touch the engraving, to my horror my hand went right through. There was nothing but dust left of that engraving. I went to my preacher, as he would have to know about this. I showed him the hole, guiltily expecting him to berate me for it. Instead he acted as if he couldn’t see it. He commented upon how beautiful the engraving was, how neatly it fit in with the rest of the decorations, and how his father, and his father’s father had also admired this engraving.

As you can imagine this caught me a bit off guard, but I accepted that maybe it was me who was wrong. After all, he was expected to be much more intelligent that I was in matters like this, not to mention wiser. In a spirit of interest however, I went and had a look at some of the other sections of the city.
To my amazement I could knock down whole walls and rooms with hardly any effort. After a while I was pulling down the buildings just for the pleasure of being able to. Whenever I pulled down a structure I could see that people were still walking around in it as if nothing had happened. This confused me and scared me.

After a while I knocked down the outer wall, the one that protected me from all of the evil in the world. What I saw was a collection of similar cities and small towns. I went and had a look at a few of them, but I didn’t seem to be able to inhabit them, because again I could easily knock holes in the buildings, and find myself unwelcome.

Eventually from my standpoint all that I was left with was a huge flat plain. There was nothing left that could stand up to even the most simple investigation. Nothing was certain, everything crumbled. I could still see my family walking in the air as if their city was still there, but I could not talk to them because they were so far away.

The flat plain was definitely the most intimidating time for me. I could not talk to anybody. I had no shelter, no rules, no group. I spent many hours shouting for people to hear me in their imaginary cities, but to no avail. Perhaps this is what hell is like? No certainty, no authority, no faith, no deity. I tried everything.

Eventually I worked out that the only option available to me if I wanted somewhere to live was to build it myself. I started out with some building blocks that I knew couldn’t be knocked down. “Treat people the way you like to be treated”, “Learn before believing”, “Understand before judging”,
”Be honest with yourself”. These are plain and simple bricks, not the fancy marble
sculpturing that my old home had, but at least they are verifiably solid. They withstand the most rigorous scrutiny. The house is simple and I started to enjoy every day I spent in it.

My neighbours now look at me with a mixture of envy, fear and curiosity because I didn’t build my new house with any of the ‘usual materials’ that is commonplace in all the cities I visited. How could this house stand? Hmmm! How could it protect against all the dangers lurking in every corner, the principalities and powers, and rulers of darkness? No engravings or sculptures, just simple solid bricks, but they suffice for my home. I included a garden for contemplation, and I considered myself lucky to have such a large plain to build on. Now my house is how I want it, shape, size and décor. I few neighbours have come over to see how they could build a house like this. Some have started building, others are consumed with fear. I wish them well, in their journey to the real world.

^^^ Thanks' I'll go through the link.

^{Seven-months pregnant Raizy Glauber, 21, and her husband Nachman, 21}

[size=26pt]Baby born alive after parents killed[/size]

[size=20pt]Jewish couple
expecting first
child die after
hit-and-run on
way to hospital[/size]

[size=14pt]Unborn baby which survived Brooklyn car crash dies

Baby was delivered by emergency Caesarean section but later died[/size]

______________________________

'It's very hard for me . . .
whatever God does is right
even if I do not understand'
______________________________
Yitzchok Siberstein
^{________________________________________}

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/unborn-baby-which-survived-brooklyn-car-crash-dies-8519005.html?origin=internalSearch

# inspiredbyGOD, keep the faith. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Conquer and defeat the thief thoroughly.

musKeeto:



Go through this thread. It could help you make sense of a few things..

"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." (Luke 4:5-6).

"And we know that we originate from God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).

"And this is life eternal, that they might take in knowledge of you the only true God, and of Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. " (John 17:3).