is it just me

[Jubilea]

9 hours ago, Hntr said:

i feel like i am so close but so fare from him. i need help getting to know him better and i have this longing to know him. i want to feel him in my heart and life.

Your "longing to know Him" makes me think you are not as far from Him as you might think. Longing from the LORD doesn't come from our fleshly nature. It comes from being drawn by the Spirit of God. When we long for the LORD, it often means He has us right in His holy crosshairs. Absolutely pray, read your Bible, and drop off anything that you know separates you from fellowship with Him-- just don't count these things "works" that earn His Presence. He is a gracious loving Father Who desires our fellowship more than we desire His.

As @Justin Adams said, TRUST. Rest in God's love for you, and let Him know that you desire to cooperate with the work He is doing in you. Remember, Philippians 2:13: "For it is GOD Who works IN YOU both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Your longing indicates that He is working in you, Hntr.

God bless you. I continue to pray for you also in the passing of your friend, Nick.

[unworthyservant]

10 hours ago, missmuffet said:

You may want to find a good Bible believing Church

I agree with all of missmuffet's advice, Just remember that it's this one, finding a "good Bible believing church" that might turn out to be the toughest. The Bible tells us that there are many false teachers, so my advice is follow all her advice but just take your time and read first the words of Christ so you'll be grounded enough to know if a church is really a "good Bible believing church". Samson slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, unfortunately way too many modern preachers are guilty of using the same weapon to lead people away from the true gospel. And one more thing, I think it's a brilliant idea to start with the Gospel of John. John, more than any Gospel goes to great length to show Christ's authority and goes more into depth about His deity. Then once you know that it's so much easier to accept all the rest of His teachings.

Edited August 24, 2019 by unworthyservant
big typos

[Tea Cup]

Huntr:

You are young.  You are 16.  Might I suggest you find a local Youth group to attend?  You can call around your area see what Christian churches have Youth Group meetings.  Make sure it is a Bible Believing Church.  A few that come to mind are a Baptist, Methodist, Church of God, Assembly of God, New Life Church, and I'm sure there are others.  These types of Churches usually have Youth Groups for Teenagers to get together to learn about Christ and be with others their age (peers) who can learn together, suppport each other, and Fellowship with one another in a safe setting usually led by Mature Christian Adults.

Youth leaders there will also gladly help you with recommitting your life to Christ.  Since you have said you want to recommit, I am assuming you have been to church before.  The best way to grow in Christ is to fellowship with other believers, in person, not just online.   Online is great as a supplemental tool but with your ability to get out of your house, going in person would be more beneficial and healthier and then use the Chat and forums as a supplement.  It is imperative that we fellowship physically, eye to eye, with other believers. 

As for feeling close to God, a relationship with God isn't really about feelings.  It is about Faith.  It is about having His joy within us and the faith that He is always there even when we don't "feel" Him there.  A Youth Group can help you understand this better, too.

If you need help finding a church near you, I'm sure you could give someone here you feel comfortable with the city and state you are in and they would be willing to help you find one that has a Youth Group for you to attend.

TC

[GandalfTheWise]

10 hours ago, Hntr said:

ok so i just have one question thats been nagging me. i really want to have a good relationship with god but it seems that i cannot. i feel like i am so close but so fare from him. i need help getting to know him better and i have this longing to know him. i want to feel him in my heart and life. I want to rededicate my life to Jesus but i dont know how to or where to start. any advice

One thing to remember is that the Christian life is one of growth.  An apt analogy is that of a garden.  It is something that needs to be tended both in the sense of providing sunshine, water, and fertilizer as well as the sense of pulling out weeds and keeping out pests.  You can plant an apple tree today, but it's going to take time before it becomes a full fledged large tree bearing apples.   Galatians 5:22-23 lists fruit of the Spirit which are things that grow in our lives over time.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self-control.  Gal 5:22-23 NIV 

Our trust and confidence in God is not about trying to eliminate intellectual doubts.  It is about acquiring trust and confidence in God Himself over months, and years, and decades of walking with God and seeing His hand in our lives and and in other Christians around us.  Holiness is not something we achieve exclusively by trying hard through our own willpower and efforts but is rather a result of being a new creation in Christ.  There are some things we can simply change by deciding to but there are things that require God healing and changing us.

The main piece of advice I'd give is to learn to walk with God on a daily basis as the person He created you to be.  Learn what works best for you for devotional times including prayer, Bible reading, and meditation.  For some Christians this might be in the morning, others at night before bed, some over lunch.   For some Christians this might be sitting alone outside, or in their bedroom, or on their porch.  God created us all to be different and what works well for one Christian might not work for another.  I had a pastor who for over 20 years would grab a cup of coffee in the morning, grab his One-year Bible, read the chapters for the day, and spend time in meditation and prayer.  He did this every day and it worked well for him.  I'm the opposite and go through seasons where something works well for perhaps 3 to 6 months and then I need to do something different.   Along with this is learning how to fit into the body of Christ with other Christians.  This is a part of walking with God as well.

[missmuffet]

1 hour ago, unworthyservant said:

I agree with all of missmuffet's advice, Just remember that it's this one, finding a "good Bible believing church" that might turn out to be the toughest. The Bible tells us that there are many false teachers, so my advice is follow all her advice but just take your time and read first the words of Christ so you'll be grounded enough to know if a church is really a "good Bible believing church". Samson slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, unfortunately way too many modern preachers are guilty of using the same weapon to lead people away from the true gospel. And one more thing, I think it's a brilliant idea to start with the Gospel of John. John, more than any Gospel goes to great length to show Christ's authority and goes more into depth about His deity. Then once you know that it's so much easier to accept all the rest of His teachings.

That is my concern. It is hard to find a good Bible believing Church. A new Christian may not be able to know what is false teaching. That can be damaging.