Jesus

[MrBlobby]

So, I guess what I want to ask you is this - during the time in your life when you followed Jesus, what experiences did you have with Him?  What were the manifestations of your having a relationship with Him?  Was there ever an experience where you just knew that the Lord had ministered or revealed Himself to you?

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I had experiences that I felt were from god. I wanted to have them so eventually a situation would arise that I would attribute to god. Some people claim all sorts of weird and wonderful messages from god. I believe they are deluding themselves. It's amazing what we can convince ourselves to be true, just because we want it to be so.

MrB

[MrBlobby]

Grace to you,

I invested over 8 years of my life and money in christianity

This statement is very telling my friend.

What investment did you make in your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Peace,

Dave

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I'm not sure what you're getting at here. In the 8 years as a christian I surrounded myself only with christian books and music (Bible, Yancey, Hillsongs etc etc) I literally brainwashed myself in order to submerge myself in Jesus, to get to know him intimately. It's a one sided relationship though. We didn't even go out for a cup of coffee together!

MrB

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

I also find it telling that the Title of your thread is,"Jesus".

You wanted to know if He was hero? Like a comic book? Yet you deny He exists.

Somehow He has been on your mind. Yet, you have Peace about your decision?

I want you to know that the Bible says the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. That seperation from God is death and hell.

I want you to know that everything you have sought which clearly seems to be Peace. Is wrapped up in the central theme of all Creation. The personhood of Jesus Christ.

Have you really known Him? Or has your money, time, and life for the past 8 years been wrapped up in a system designed to make you feel better about yourself? I am simply putting to you that you are never going to be good enough and neither will your offering be.

Your moneys not good enough, your times not good enough, nor is your life. No offering will suffice. It will leave you hollow on the inside seeking yet another experience. Until the experience runs dry and then all you have is Jesus.

The question is, will you dare to look upon Him in His Beauty and even when He appears not so lovely? Simply because He has born all of your sin.

Because I want you to know. What He desires most is to Love you and you to Love Him. When everyone else has turned the other way cause He's over there with spittle hanging out of His mouth and a crown of thorns on His head. Will you embrace Him? Will you lovingly wash His feet? Will you wipe the sweat from His brow and say,"It's just you and me Jesus. I really don't care cause where I was keeping time prior was just so hollow!" Will you weep with Him? Will you wait by the phone for that call when everyone else has gone to bed? When the others say,"Why's He got to go there? You know He's always over there Bleeding and all. That stuff is just so messy."

Have you tried picking up the phone and calling Him? Silly right? Pick up the phone and listen to the dial tone. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Then tell Him, Tell Him. "Jesus Oh' Jesus, My God I Love You! I've missed You so! It's my fault, It's all my fault! I've been living on experience when all I really wanted was You. I shoulda done this earlier. People are gonna think I'm a crazy fool. I don't care anymore, I just don't care. I need You Jesus. Let em talk, let em rave. I've got to tell ya I Love You. I'm breaking down here. I spent all I had on Religion and found out the enemy was out to kill me. I followed other men and found out the enemy was out to kill me again. Your all I got Jesus. Your everything I ever wanted. Your everything I ever needed. I'm sorry for the thing I've made it. I bought You some flowers today, I wanted to give You something. I wanted You to know I Love and appreciate You. All You really wanted was me to call You and it's breaking my heart just to know that You Love me. What's that Jesus? You Love me? You Love me!"

Come on friend? Who ya keeping company with? Is it the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Majesty and Beauty Himself? Everyone and thing else just ain't cutting it.

Take a look at Him, a long hard look. Isn't He Lovely? I know He's slowly killing me. I wish He'd hurry up and finish me off. It's just because He's so Good, Merciful, and Loving.

Peace,

Dave

[nebula]

I had experiences that I felt were from god. I wanted to have them so eventually a situation would arise that I would attribute to god. Some people claim all sorts of weird and wonderful messages from god. I believe they are deluding themselves. It's amazing what we can convince ourselves to be true, just because we want it to be so.

Would you please describe one of these experiences?

Why did you believe this was God at the time (beyond "wanting")?

And what do you have now to replace this? (Not what else to explain this - but what you have now to replace what you found then.)

[EricH]

Jesus had twelve companions. He was hardly a loner.

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Companions, you say? Did he ever refer to any of them as a friend? He was more like a teacher to them.

MrB

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Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

John 15:13-15 NASB

[yomotalking]

Could you expand your question? are you interested if Jesus is fictional or not, or if what He did was substantially different than a fictional character like Super-man

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I do not believe Jesus is God. I am sure there were many men named Jesus living at that time, but I do not believe that the Jesus in the bible is a factual person. I asked my question because fictional heroes tend to have similar attributes. Eg. Heroes tend to be loners who operate outside of society, like Jesus.

MrB

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There were many people called Jesus at that time.

In fact, the famous Jackie Pullinger met a guy called "Jesus".

But this Jesus stood out.

Of course he did.

He is the Son Of God!!!

Would you categorize Jesus as a hero? Many fictional stories are based on a character who saves the day. Is Jesus just another of these characters?

MrBlobby:

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No

Amazing how many people join this forum just to state their anti-Christian views, dontyathink?

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I think they do, friend.

Jesus didn't have claws made of adamantium that he could extend and retract from the ends of his fists.

[MrBlobby]

Would you please describe one of these experiences?

Why did you believe this was God at the time (beyond "wanting")?

And what do you have now to replace this? (Not what else to explain this - but what you have now to replace what you found then.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have asthma. I prayed that this would be taken away so that I would not have to keep on taking my meds every day. One night I felt a strong urge not to take my meds, I felt this message was from god who was answering my prayer. I did not take anything that night. It felt weird and I was in some discomfort, but I managed through the night, and for the next few months. I took this to be an answer to my prayer, and gave god the praise etc. I was having problems breathing but I was determined not to take anything for it. After a few more weeks though I was really having breathing problems, and reluctantly had to go back to my meds. I think it's clear that I was deluding myself at the time. I wanted to be healed so I convinced myself that I was.

MrB

[nebula]

I am sorry you have an asthma struggle. I'm chronically ill, too, so I can appreciate the struggle of reaching the Lord for healing and wondring why it just isn't coming.

But what you described isn't exactly what I was looking for . . . I mean a time where you had a true encounter with the Lord, something where at the time there was no room for doubt.

For instance, I was going through a clinically confirmed massive depressive episode, and the counselor set me up with an apointment with a psychiatrist to be prescribed some anti-depression medication. I was crying out to the Lord about this, because I did not want to go on such meds if at all possible (they scared me, actually). Well, a friend invited me to a meeting she was helping to put together. By this time, I'd gotten discouraged by church metings, but for whatever reason I went anyway. While there, to make a long story short, several people prayed over me concerning my struggle. By the time they were done - the depressive episode had completely disappeared! I mean, I could literally feel the differance - like the difference between being stuck in a thick fog and then suddenly being surrounded by clear skies and sunshine.

So, that's what I mean - not something you tried to achieve because you wanted it, but something that actually happened.

Another example was when I was in a worship service, and the preacher gave a very convicting message, so convicting that I felt like I'd been carved ot pieces. But then the band began to lead us in a worship song: "Worthy is the Lamb . . . Behold the Lamb of God who takes away our sin . . . ." As they sang, I felt like a parched dry ground would when a cool, gentle rain begins to fall upon it. As they sang more, every part of me that felt like it had ben cut to pieces began to feel healed. I went from feeling sad and horrible to feeling happy and wonderful, as if I had just stepped into Heaven!

Have you ever known an experience like that? Again, it wasn't anything I tried, it just was. Have you ever known that?

This is what I would like to know - if you have ever had an experience where there was no question in your heart that the Lord had met you in some way.

[Mongo]

I have asthma. I prayed that this would be taken away so that I would not have to keep on taking my meds every day. One night I felt a strong urge not to take my meds, I felt this message was from god who was answering my prayer. I did not take anything that night. It felt weird and I was in some discomfort, but I managed through the night, and for the next few months. I took this to be an answer to my prayer, and gave god the praise etc. I was having problems breathing but I was determined not to take anything for it. After a few more weeks though I was really having breathing problems, and reluctantly had to go back to my meds. I think it's clear that I was deluding myself at the time. I wanted to be healed so I convinced myself that I was.

MrB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess the question then becomes whether when you prayed you prayed out loud or if you prayed silently, at any time, or whether you vocalized your desire to have God help you with your asthma. Because I know for a fact, without any doubt, that Satan will mess with you if he knows your desires. He has an army of minions who do nothing but work at us all the time. People always want to attribute every bad thing that happens to us as something God did to them, but its just not true. God doesn't do bad things to you. Though He might allow them to happen, its usually that we are in the domain of Satan that is why we have to suffer so greatly. One thing I know is that the further away from God you are, the less you suffer. Satan doesn't want what he already has, he wants what he doesn't have. When you turn faithfully to God things will get tougher and you might have a lot of issues hit you at once, but if you ride them through you find the truth of God's love and promise.

Then the next thing would be that you should take comfort in knowing that God will never give you a burden that you can't handle. The stronger you are in faith, the more severe the issues are that you can deal with and eventually they lessen and good things begin to come in abundance. You will never not have problems, but they become a lot easier to deal with.

Edited for typos

Edited October 7, 2005 by Mongo

[Mikeyjay]

Would you categorize Jesus as a hero? Many fictional stories are based on a character who saves the day. Is Jesus just another of these characters?

MrBlobby:

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Jesus is the ultimate hero...He has the supremacy to heal the blind and the lame,

He has the authority to cast out sickness and demons with His words

He has the command to call upon twelve legions of angels to come to His aid

He even has the power to save your soul from eternal damnation

not only is Jesus our hero He is our Lord and God !!!