vintje

I think that indeed first you have to be taught that our Lord and JC exist. Even if you are not taught there is a chance that you'd find out for yourself, but it would take some time, surely. But once you ar taught, and that you are ready to believe, then you have to do what is asked of you: just ask and our Lord will give. I do not mean by this a Nintendo or so, however ... Ask for the things that mean something in life, and you will notice that they will be given to you. I experienced this o so many times in my lifetim, even since I was a young boy ! You cannot get around the experience of JC and the living Lord. Just ask, and be ready to see. Then JC also says: they have eyes but do not see... We have indeed a heavenly father, and he is not a person we only find in books. He is living and guiding us. There you will learn more about Him, experience Him and then you will know how to follow Him.

The Lord listens in al so many ways. Some times he even listens to his children using others of his children, to be his ear. Can we be the ear of the Lord to hear what is your grief? Or do you simply want us to pray for you so that your pain can be relieved ? Anyway the Lord is our Shepherd. We will not perish !

I think we have to be very careful about China. They're selling themselves to a very cheap price all over the world and they have the means to it, for the individual does not count for them. The chinese state is not christian in itself, and I think we ought to prepare us against this, not in violence, but searching the means to stay a christian in a very quickly changing world that does not like non commercial feelings.

and we talk a lot about it, but little do we read it like we ought to do

Of course one should first look at what it meens to get baptized. Baptism is merely a sign and a symbol. It is a mark God puts on you to show you that he has accepted you, as a member of his people, that he has forgiven your sins through Christ and that he has renewed his New Alliance with you. That does not mean that something has happened that cannot be changed. No, you have to, starting with that moment of baptism, live like one could ask of a christian. And God will foloow you all the way. This mark is thus given to you and it cannot be removed again, even if you choose to be the anti-chist. It only has no valour then. So you see you cannot be baptized a second time. The sign is given and more than that cannot be done. With this first given sign you have become another being, a christian being. You cannot be changed a second time to a christian, you are already christian. Being christian we must live to the highest standards and that is a hard bargain ! So there is something yo say against the baptizing of young children, but that I think is another question.

Hallo there. I think you're missing the whole point of being christian. Like Jesus said in his time indeed, he did not come to change even a iota from the law of Moses, but added that for a worthy christian believer there are sole two commandments: love God and your neighbour as yourself. In there you find the whole law. Jesus added that Moses gave some laws to his people that where not quite the purpose of God himself, but where given because of the thickness of the heart of the people. The law strangled people in itsself. We are through Jesus freed from the law, but not of his commandments, which are few, but nevertheless heavy and serious.