Guest crystalbean19 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 OK here's the scoop. I am 19 years old. All my life I have grown up in a christian household. When I was little I used to get in a lot of trouble if I didn't go to church or if i didn't pray or so on. Anyways up till I was 17 I guess you could say I really had the religion forced on me. I always got severe punishments if I didn't follow the religion. But when I reached 18, my parents said"It's your life, do what you want". For a while I went to church I guess out of habit. I have been studing on my religion and other religions and I'm starting to really question my faith. I feel like something in the back of my head is telling me that I have been forced to believe all my life these facts that are not true. I can't find any truth in the bible, and I can't find any comfort in prayer. I feel like there is a higher power, but it may not be the "christian" god. And the weirdest thing is that I don't feel empty knowing that I'm not including god in my life. I still do in fact believe in hell. So am I hellbound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad Ernie Posted June 20, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,802 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 46 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/29/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 06/01/1945 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I still do in fact believe in hell. So am I hellbound? Greetngs Crystalbean, To put it simply, if you continue on the road you are on, YES, you are hellbound. Not because God hasn't tried, nor has He given up on you, as attested by your posting here. The Holy Spirit is urging you to seek God, but you haven't come to the right road yet. God gave Adam and Eve the "right to choose", the same as He gives everyone of us. He tells us: Deut 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. God is not a taskmaster, forcing you to do such and such, or to believe such and such. Your parents have tried within their ability to acquaint you with the God of the Bible. You are very fortunate, much more so than many children today, even myself when I was younger. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, therefore, it behooves us to "get right" with the Lord TODAY. You may not get another chance. God loves you too much to demand that you love Him, YOU MUST CHOOSE to do so. He will not force you to take the high road to Heaven. You have to voluntarily take that road. He is standing at the door of your heart right now and is asking you to "seek His Kingdom first and His righteousness", which it appears you are doing. Ask of Him and He will give you wisdom, which is Christ, whom He will reveal to you. But when He reveals His Son to you, then do not be like the waves of the sea tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. That man will NEVER receive ANYTHING from God. So keep seeking, keep praying, and find some TRUE believers around you whom you can trust and that have the WHOLE Word of God. Find a mentor, a loving one, and ask for his help in your search. I pray God blesses you and helps you to find your place in HIM! Blessings, Dad Ernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trust & Obey Posted June 20, 2005 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 16 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,091 Content Per Day: 0.16 Reputation: 14 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/23/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hello, crystalbean. You are at the age that I was when I got saved! I had a completely godless childhood. I had zero knowledge of God or the Bible. And, when I was 19 God came to me personally. My parents were amazed when I got saved! They could see the power of God in my life as I was yielded to Him. One by one my entire family (almost) got saved! Jesus is real and He wants you to know Him in a personal way. He wants to have a relationship with you, but one thing stands in the way... SIN. Your sin. Sin is a wall between us and a holy God. You must recognize that you are not perfect. You are a sinner. And you must be willing to turn from your sin and turn to Jesus. I think everyone will agree with me that "Jesus will take it from there!" Once you repent and turn to Jesus in faith your life will never be the same again. Following Jesus will be the joy of your heart. You will finally experience the righteousness, peace, and joy that you are searching for. You will never find these things by searching for them. Why? Because they are only found in God! Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. We all owe an immense debt to God for our sin. We cannot pay it. So, Jesus came and paid it for us. It has been said: Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. If you would like to receive Christ right now you can do so. Pray this and mean it from your heart and God will hear you. Dear God, I confess to you that I am a sinner. I thank you for sending Jesus to pay the penalty for my sin. I believe that He died on the cross for me, personally, and I ask that you apply His blood to my account. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and is now at your right hand. Jesus, come into my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and enable me to live a life that is pleasing to you from this day forward. Give me the power to resist sin. Give me a hunger for your word and help me to follow you all the days of my life. In Jesus' name I pray! If you prayed that and meant it then the Bible says that you ARE SAVED! Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now you need to get to know God better by reading the Bible on a daily basis and seeking His face in prayer. Find a good Bible-teaching church and get involved there. And, don't forget to tell others about your faith in Christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Posted June 21, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 115 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 8,281 Content Per Day: 1.13 Reputation: 249 Days Won: 3 Joined: 03/03/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/30/1955 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Well, Chrystalbean; I say 'good on you!' C.S. Lewis said: "The Christian life entered into unexamined has no more particular merit than any other kind of life entered into unexamined." Examine away my good fellow!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted June 21, 2005 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 3 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 80 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/27/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2005 Now you are on the journey of your own spiritual life. Do not let your parent's religion become yours. [i do not like the word "religion" because of so many living the ritual and not the reality of the truth] You should want yours to be real. I believe what you want is to receive the Holy Spirit like the apostles and be real. Read the Bible, not for anyone but your own salvation. Search the scriptures for God. Prayerfully asking God to show you how to meet Him. Prepare yourself to meet the same God that Moses did on Mount Sinai. Desire to walk with God in the cool of the evening like Adam and Eve. Hopefully not feeling as naked as they did when they sinned. That is why it is always good to ask God to forgive you before He comes. Isaiah was caught a little unprepared one time, and said "Woe is me, for I am unlcean" and wished that he could just bury himself in the dirt in shame. That is why I want you to be prepared to meet the Holy One of Israel. God is real and you need to meet Him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted June 21, 2005 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.88 Content Count: 43,795 Content Per Day: 6.22 Reputation: 11,242 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2005 All my life I have grown up in a christian household. Do not let your parent's religion become yours. What exactly are you trying to say visionary? Im confused on your intent. Being a Christian (believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior) is the only way to salvation. Seek the Lord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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