Unpardonable?

[Behold]

4 minutes ago, Chris0699 said:

 

I've been calling out for a year and a half and nothing. Either I am not calling out, though I think I am, or the Lord is refusing to hear. Either way, something is wrong with me.

What is He expected to do for you, so that you can believe?

What is your requirement, exactly?

[Coliseum]

40 minutes ago, Chris0699 said:

You have to already be willing before you call out.

Isaiah 59: 1-2

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear.
² But your iniquities have separated
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.

I've been calling out for a year and a half and nothing. Either I am not calling out, though I think I am, or the Lord is refusing to hear. Either way, something is wrong with me.

Friend, something is wrong with all of us, on more than many levels. 

Here was a shadow of the cross. The Israelites were grumbling and complaining in their trek through the wilderness (perhaps a place you are) and Moses had had enough. So God stepped in and caused snakes to be raised to bite them in the desert. When a snake bit them, they died. That got their attention, but God wanted to see who believed, so...

Numbers 21:8-9 (NIV)
⁸  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."
⁹  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

We look to the Cross, and also live. So they had to believe God. They couldn't do a doggone thing but rest in what God said. If they did, they lived. It didn't require them to feel a certain way, only to believe that what God said was true. 

When I was an atheist for twenty years, I was hardened, defiant, arrogant, uncaring, and without any empathy. I actually before ending my life, demanded that God---if He were real---save me in the next second, because in the one following, I would not be here. That infinitesimally small mustard seed was enough, and even before the words finished coming out of my mouth, I was stopped from carrying out my plan. I had no clue it was God; I was too stupid to understand what happened---until later. I had no feelings about it. I simply started hanging out with people I did not know, and did not understand, and I started reading some verses in the Bible. I had no clue where it would lead. But God did!

Edited December 19, 2019 by Coliseum

[Chris0699]

2 hours ago, Coliseum said:

Friend, something is wrong with all of us, on more than many levels. 

Here was a shadow of the cross. The Israelites were grumbling and complaining in their trek through the wilderness (perhaps a place you are) and Moses had had enough. So God stepped in and caused snakes to be raised to bite them in the desert. When a snake bit them, they died. That got their attention, but God wanted to see who believed, so...

Numbers 21:8-9 (NIV)
⁸  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."
⁹  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

We look to the Cross, and also live. So they had to believe God. They couldn't do a doggone thing but rest in what God said. If they did, they lived. It didn't require them to feel a certain way, only to believe that what God said was true. 

When I was an atheist for twenty years, I was hardened, defiant, arrogant, uncaring, and without any empathy. I actually before ending my life, demanded that God---if He were real---save me in the next second, because in the one following, I would not be here. That infinitesimally small mustard seed was enough, and even before the words finished coming out of my mouth, I was stopped from carrying out my plan. I had no clue it was God; I was too stupid to understand what happened---until later. I had no feelings about it. I simply started hanging out with people I did not know, and did not understand, and I started reading some verses in the Bible. I had no clue where it would lead. But God did!

At least you were an out and out atheist. I professed to believe. You didn't hear gospel sermon after gospel sermon.

[Chris0699]

2 hours ago, Coliseum said:

Friend, something is wrong with all of us, on more than many levels. 

Here was a shadow of the cross. The Israelites were grumbling and complaining in their trek through the wilderness (perhaps a place you are) and Moses had had enough. So God stepped in and caused snakes to be raised to bite them in the desert. When a snake bit them, they died. That got their attention, but God wanted to see who believed, so...

Numbers 21:8-9 (NIV)
⁸  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."
⁹  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

We look to the Cross, and also live. So they had to believe God. They couldn't do a doggone thing but rest in what God said. If they did, they lived. It didn't require them to feel a certain way, only to believe that what God said was true. 

When I was an atheist for twenty years, I was hardened, defiant, arrogant, uncaring, and without any empathy. I actually before ending my life, demanded that God---if He were real---save me in the next second, because in the one following, I would not be here. That infinitesimally small mustard seed was enough, and even before the words finished coming out of my mouth, I was stopped from carrying out my plan. I had no clue it was God; I was too stupid to understand what happened---until later. I had no feelings about it. I simply started hanging out with people I did not know, and did not understand, and I started reading some verses in the Bible. I had no clue where it would lead. But God did!

And at least that bronze snake was a visible object. Hopefully easy to find and look at.

[Chris0699]

2 hours ago, Behold said:

What is He expected to do for you, so that you can believe?

What is your requirement, exactly?

The signs of regeneration. Repentance, godly sorrow, an overwhelming sense of sin, the things people who are coming to Christ experience.

[Coliseum]

1 minute ago, Chris0699 said:

At least you were an out and out atheist. I professed to believe. You didn't hear gospel sermon after gospel sermon.

What's the difference? Both are not believers. Both need saving. Both can come to Christ regardless of how they feel. Jesus said he would not snuff out a smoldering wick. So believe a little bit. The man who brought his son to Jesus to be healed said, If you can heal...? Jesus said, "If I can"? Immediately the boy's father said he believed, but, "Would you help me with my unbelief"? Jesus said he wouldn't refuse anyone who came to him. So, go to him. Do you think you are the only one who sins? I sin. Paul sinned (calling himself the chief sinner). So go to Jesus and tell him you sin. Peter did ("Go away from me Lord. I am a sinful man.") Peter told Jesus to go away. You are afforded every possible opportunity. Take it.

[Chris0699]

1 minute ago, Coliseum said:

What's the difference? Both are not believers. Both need saving. Both can come to Christ regardless of how they feel. Jesus said he would not snuff out a smoldering wick. So believe a little bit. The man who brought his son to Jesus to be healed said, If you can heal...? Jesus said, "If I can"? Immediately the boy's father said he believed, but, "Would you help me with my unbelief"? Jesus said he wouldn't refuse anyone who came to him. So, go to him. Do you think you are the only one who sins? I sin. Paul sinned (calling himself the chief sinner). So go to Jesus and tell him you sin. Peter did ("Go away from me Lord. I am a sinful man.") Peter told Jesus to go away. You are afforded every possible opportunity. Take it.

I've told Him (or at least I think I have) about my sins over and over again. Still nothing.

[Coliseum]

1 minute ago, Chris0699 said:

I've told Him (or at least I think I have) about my sins over and over again. Still nothing.

Then reread the parable of the unjust judge and the widow---and keep reading it, and keep doing what Jesus said to do. The point of the parable was to not give up.

I once knew the greatest Physicist of all time---Richard Feynman. He told me that he studied Physics 15 hours a day, and never knew if he would ever get the Nobel Prize. Then he said, "But one thing is certain; the moment I stop studying is the moment there is a 100% chance I won't." Eventually he did. A more ruthless way of putting it is this: there are two ways to fail---by trying and by not trying. If I try, I may fail. If I don't, I will." That is obviously a human argument, and it breaks down because Jesus isn't even asking you to perform a thing. 

[Behold]

1 hour ago, Chris0699 said:

The signs of regeneration. Repentance, godly sorrow, an overwhelming sense of sin, the things people who are coming to Christ experience.

Some people feel nothing when they come to Christ.  

Some cry tears of Joy for a year.

Some people stand in a church pew for 60 months of Sundays in a row,  listening to an alter call every Sunday..... while sweating, white knuckling their bible, gritting their teeth, and do nothing.

Then one night, they watch some TV Special on "The Real Jesus", that is actually an atheistic  attack on the Faith, , and they believe on Jesus while watching this corrupted mess of a TV show.

Some people intellectually try all religions and they all fail them, and finally they decide to really try to see if "that Christian stuff" is real, and  YES IT IS !!!!!!!....= . born again.

The Brilliant person who wrote "The Case for Christ", was trying to prove that "all this Jesus stuff is nonsense", and he..... by looking deeply at the archeology, and the writings of the Church Fathers, and studying deeply all that could be counted as "evidence", found that there is so much evidence to support the Life and Resurrection of Jesus The Lord,  that He had no choice but to become a believer, or to knowingly ignore all the facts he had discovered.  So, he was sincere, even tho he was trying to disprove it, and ended up finding out the TRUTH........and Jesus is THE Truth.    Have you seen that Movie?   Came out in 2017 i think.

The best Christian I know, was a former Catholic.  And one night they are watching 6 Hrs of "Jesus Of Nazareth", and before that movie was over, they are born again.

---------

So, listen.. Stop trying to pre-conceive yourself out of it.  Ok?   God is real, Jesus is alive, and its a person to person Jesus to You, connection..  Its not about how i did it, or how anyone else does it, found it, ect.  We all have a different story, but, it all ends the same way.

You dont have to feel led to know the Truth.   See, knowing the Truth, realizing that Jesus is Alive, that He is Risen, That He is REAL......is the whole thing.    The rest is just learning more about it.

You have a newspaper in your City/Town and there is a date on it today...... and that Date had a beginning....It once stared at  "1"......and now its 2018 years since that "1", and that Day ONE, is based on The REAL JESUS.   So, there is an interesting proof.     Next Tuesday, you will be heading into the Wed that is going to Celebrate the Birth of God in a human Body.   So, that happened a while back, yet, all over the world, people are still putting Lights on a Tree, and Jesus is the Light of the World and He hung on a TREE.......So, that is an interesting Proof, over 2000 yrs after the Light of the World hung on a TREE.    There are a lot of those..

All believers come to Christ in their own way.  What does not change from person to person, is what is to be BELIEVED so that God will take you..  Thats the only requirement.  That is the constant.  And God does not require that you feel anything.   Faith is not a feeling.  Faith in Jesus is a specific recognition. Feelings are not required to believe  That Jesus died, rose again, took your sin, and welcomes you to be a part of God's family.

Its not math,  Its not theatrics.  Its not paint by the numbers.   Its you and God.  Its you and Jesus.  Its you 3, getting together, by  your Faith.

Edited December 19, 2019 by Behold

[Chris0699]

17 minutes ago, Behold said:

Some people feel nothing when they come to Christ.  

Some cry tears of Joy for a year.

Some people stand in a church pew for 60 months of Sundays in a row,  listening to an alter call every Sunday..... while sweating, white knuckling their bible, gritting their teeth, and do nothing.

Then one night, they watch some TV Special on "The Real Jesus", that is actually an atheistic  attack on the Faith, , and they believe on Jesus while watching this corrupted mess of a TV show.

Some people intellectually try all religions and they all fail them, and finally they decide to really try to see if "that Christian stuff" is real, and  YES IT IS !!!!!!!....= . born again.

The Brilliant person who wrote "The Case for Christ", was trying to prove that "all this Jesus stuff is nonsense", and he..... by looking deeply at the archeology, and the writings of the Church Fathers, and studying deeply all that could be counted as "evidence", found that there is so much evidence to support the Life and Resurrection of Jesus The Lord,  that He had no choice but to become a believer, or to knowingly ignore all the facts he had discovered.  So, he was sincere, even tho he was trying to disprove it, and ended up finding out the TRUTH........and Jesus is THE Truth.    Have you seen that Movie?   Came out in 2017 i think.

The best Christian I know, was a former Catholic.  And one night they are watching 6 Hrs of "Jesus Of Nazareth", and before that movie was over, they are born again.

---------

So, listen.. Stop trying to pre-conceive yourself out of it.  Ok?   God is real, Jesus is alive, and its a person to person Jesus to You, connection..  Its not about how i did it, or how anyone else does it, found it, ect.  We all have a different story, but, it all ends the same way.

You dont have to feel led to know the Truth.   See, knowing the Truth, realizing that Jesus is Alive, that He is Risen, That He is REAL......is the whole thing.    The rest is just learning more about it.

You have a newspaper in your City/Town and there is a date on it today...... and that Date had a beginning....It once stared at  "1"......and now its 2018 years since that "1", and that Day ONE, is based on The REAL JESUS.   So, there is an interesting proof.     Next Tuesday, you will be heading into the Wed that is going to Celebrate the Birth of God in a human Body.   So, that happened a while back, yet, all over the world, people are still putting Lights on a Tree, and Jesus is the Light of the World and He hung on a TREE.......So, that is an interesting Proof, over 2000 yrs after the Light of the World hung on a TREE.    There are a lot of those..

All believers come to Christ in their own way.  What does not change from person to person, is what is to be BELIEVED so that God will take you..  Thats the only requirement.  That is the constant.  And God does not require that you feel anything.   Faith is not a feeling.  Faith in Jesus is a specific recognition. Feelings are not required to believe  That Jesus died, rose again, took your sin, and welcomes you to be a part of God's family.

Its not math,  Its not theatrics.  Its not paint by the numbers.   Its you and God.  Its you and Jesus.  Its you 3, getting together, by  your Faith.

Well, I suppose there's only one reason why I am ruling myself out at every turn.