Reasons for questioning

[billie]

(((((((((((((((System))))))))))))))))))

[systemstrike_7]

(((((((((((((((System))))))))))))))))))

Thank you!!! You have no idea how much your encouragement helps me right now... I don't know what happened, but I became really fragile for some reason. I'm usually pretty stubborn, but I became very vulnerable. And no doubt, I'm still a little vulnerable, but I will trust in God, and only God.

Again thank you very very very very much....

[Akiko]

Ok, my sister helped me out yet again. She is an amazing soul, and I love her very very very much. She has helped save me. I want to explain what I have come to learn. I will repeat myself, but I'm too lazy to go back and look at my earlier post so just please bare with me.

To sum it up, she basically made me realize that I was trying to have a RELIGIOUS relationship with God. I need to have a PERSONAL relationship with God. I missed this because I was so wrapped up in this stupid town. This town doesn't enjoy change. Here in this beautiful city, we are encouraged to "live for God". We shouldn't be living for God, we should be living WITH God. I grew up getting God shoved into my head. God cannot be shoved into our head, we have to let him into our hearts. I believe that God is my Creator, and Jesus Christ is my saviour. Is the Bible infallible? I don't know, probably not. Is God infallible? YES!!! The bible was divinely INSPIRED, not divinely WRITTEN. God sought over the plan and direction of the bible, but men wrote it. Men prone to mistake, men with their own agenda, men with sloppy handwriting. The point is that, God is still revealed to us through this imperfect, but divinely inspired book. We become so caught up with living like the Christians around us, that we no longer try to imitate Christ. We try to imitate eachother, and this is where we fall. When we look to men/women for answers, we will only be disappointed. Christ said that He is the one and only way to the Father. I believe Him. But what about those in the African jungle that have never heard his name, much less read a bible? Will God cast them into hell just because these people didn't even have an oppurtunity to become saved? I would hate to think so. I believe we try to limit God to the bible. We cannot do this. God is bigger and greater than any book on earth could even try to explain. God's love cannot even be imagined by our sinful, black hearts. Why should we be so arrogant as to think that we can limit God to pages on a book written by men? The majority of the world has heard his word and will be held accountable, but I believe that for those who haven't heard his word, God will judge them on some other basis. I don't know, I can't comprehend his love and I'm going to stop trying. I will only accept His love. My sister, bless her beautiful soul, helped me realize this.

I was so caught up with "proving" the existence of God, that I completely missed Him!! I don't need to prove the existance of something that created my existence. That would be arrogant and foolish. I'm starting a new journey with God. I'm going to listen instead of speak. I'm going to admire instead of seek.

P.S. I know many of ya'll will not agree with me about the bible not being infallible and will say that I cannot be a Christian without believing this. Well I believe that my relationship with Him is much more important. I understand that none of the doctrines or important characteristics of God were changed or miscopied. These documents were copied by men prone to mistakes and there may be some mistakes here and there, but none of them challenge God or His personage. None of them contradict instruction or doctrine.

I hope ya'll understand where I am coming from. I know I seem very undecided and it seems like I flipflop in between beliefs, but I have just hit a rough spot in my life and I am the type of person to openly express my current point of view. I cannot live a lie, and will not live a lie. I can hide my problems from people, but not something this big. I needed help, and thanks to ya'll, my sister, and my beloved girlfriend(and of course GOD!!!) I have come to the point where I am confident in my faith. I am taking this in a different approach.

If ya'll don't agree with me, thats fine. If ya'll think I'm being fake, think what you want. I will stop relying on man to decide who I am.

In love,

system

Luke 15:10-- "There is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents!" Angels are partying for you, System!! I'm so glad you were able to talk to your sister. God won't hide himself from you; you've just gotta see him. Congratulations!

[systemstrike_7]

Ok, my sister helped me out yet again. She is an amazing soul, and I love her very very very much. She has helped save me. I want to explain what I have come to learn. I will repeat myself, but I'm too lazy to go back and look at my earlier post so just please bare with me.

To sum it up, she basically made me realize that I was trying to have a RELIGIOUS relationship with God. I need to have a PERSONAL relationship with God. I missed this because I was so wrapped up in this stupid town. This town doesn't enjoy change. Here in this beautiful city, we are encouraged to "live for God". We shouldn't be living for God, we should be living WITH God. I grew up getting God shoved into my head. God cannot be shoved into our head, we have to let him into our hearts. I believe that God is my Creator, and Jesus Christ is my saviour. Is the Bible infallible? I don't know, probably not. Is God infallible? YES!!! The bible was divinely INSPIRED, not divinely WRITTEN. God sought over the plan and direction of the bible, but men wrote it. Men prone to mistake, men with their own agenda, men with sloppy handwriting. The point is that, God is still revealed to us through this imperfect, but divinely inspired book. We become so caught up with living like the Christians around us, that we no longer try to imitate Christ. We try to imitate eachother, and this is where we fall. When we look to men/women for answers, we will only be disappointed. Christ said that He is the one and only way to the Father. I believe Him. But what about those in the African jungle that have never heard his name, much less read a bible? Will God cast them into hell just because these people didn't even have an oppurtunity to become saved? I would hate to think so. I believe we try to limit God to the bible. We cannot do this. God is bigger and greater than any book on earth could even try to explain. God's love cannot even be imagined by our sinful, black hearts. Why should we be so arrogant as to think that we can limit God to pages on a book written by men? The majority of the world has heard his word and will be held accountable, but I believe that for those who haven't heard his word, God will judge them on some other basis. I don't know, I can't comprehend his love and I'm going to stop trying. I will only accept His love. My sister, bless her beautiful soul, helped me realize this.

I was so caught up with "proving" the existence of God, that I completely missed Him!! I don't need to prove the existance of something that created my existence. That would be arrogant and foolish. I'm starting a new journey with God. I'm going to listen instead of speak. I'm going to admire instead of seek.

P.S. I know many of ya'll will not agree with me about the bible not being infallible and will say that I cannot be a Christian without believing this. Well I believe that my relationship with Him is much more important. I understand that none of the doctrines or important characteristics of God were changed or miscopied. These documents were copied by men prone to mistakes and there may be some mistakes here and there, but none of them challenge God or His personage. None of them contradict instruction or doctrine.

I hope ya'll understand where I am coming from. I know I seem very undecided and it seems like I flipflop in between beliefs, but I have just hit a rough spot in my life and I am the type of person to openly express my current point of view. I cannot live a lie, and will not live a lie. I can hide my problems from people, but not something this big. I needed help, and thanks to ya'll, my sister, and my beloved girlfriend(and of course GOD!!!) I have come to the point where I am confident in my faith. I am taking this in a different approach.

If ya'll don't agree with me, thats fine. If ya'll think I'm being fake, think what you want. I will stop relying on man to decide who I am.

In love,

system

Luke 15:10-- "There is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents!" Angels are partying for you, System!! I'm so glad you were able to talk to your sister. God won't hide himself from you; you've just gotta see him. Congratulations!

I bet parties in heaven are goofin awesome too!!! I wonder if they can dance????

Thank you, and I'm already seeing God in such a gloriously new fasion now!!

Early today I was feeling really down in the dumps about recent events and thought that everything sucked. I was in a horrible mood and really ticked off. Well I went to work and my supervisor had shaved his head!! He use to have pretty long hair and he looked really funny!! It instantly got me in a great mood and i've been smiling since!!! God does have a sense of humor!!!

[Joshua-777]

I think it's fair to say that I frustrate a lot of people here sometimes. But I do try to be respectful, and I have made friends - and the thing is, I do really want to understand, and I get a lot intellectually from being allowed to ask questions. So thanks to everyone who puts up with me.

Ya got my respect

[Joshua-777]

Ok, my sister helped me out yet again. She is an amazing soul, and I love her very very very much. She has helped save me. I want to explain what I have come to learn. I will repeat myself, but I'm too lazy to go back and look at my earlier post so just please bare with me.

To sum it up, she basically made me realize that I was trying to have a RELIGIOUS relationship with God. I need to have a PERSONAL relationship with God. I missed this because I was so wrapped up in this stupid town. This town doesn't enjoy change. Here in this beautiful city, we are encouraged to "live for God". We shouldn't be living for God, we should be living WITH God. I grew up getting God shoved into my head. God cannot be shoved into our head, we have to let him into our hearts. I believe that God is my Creator, and Jesus Christ is my saviour. Is the Bible infallible? I don't know, probably not. Is God infallible? YES!!! The bible was divinely INSPIRED, not divinely WRITTEN. God sought over the plan and direction of the bible, but men wrote it. Men prone to mistake, men with their own agenda, men with sloppy handwriting. The point is that, God is still revealed to us through this imperfect, but divinely inspired book. We become so caught up with living like the Christians around us, that we no longer try to imitate Christ. We try to imitate eachother, and this is where we fall. When we look to men/women for answers, we will only be disappointed. Christ said that He is the one and only way to the Father. I believe Him. But what about those in the African jungle that have never heard his name, much less read a bible? Will God cast them into hell just because these people didn't even have an oppurtunity to become saved? I would hate to think so. I believe we try to limit God to the bible. We cannot do this. God is bigger and greater than any book on earth could even try to explain. God's love cannot even be imagined by our sinful, black hearts. Why should we be so arrogant as to think that we can limit God to pages on a book written by men? The majority of the world has heard his word and will be held accountable, but I believe that for those who haven't heard his word, God will judge them on some other basis. I don't know, I can't comprehend his love and I'm going to stop trying. I will only accept His love. My sister, bless her beautiful soul, helped me realize this.

I was so caught up with "proving" the existence of God, that I completely missed Him!! I don't need to prove the existance of something that created my existence. That would be arrogant and foolish. I'm starting a new journey with God. I'm going to listen instead of speak. I'm going to admire instead of seek.

P.S. I know many of ya'll will not agree with me about the bible not being infallible and will say that I cannot be a Christian without believing this. Well I believe that my relationship with Him is much more important. I understand that none of the doctrines or important characteristics of God were changed or miscopied. These documents were copied by men prone to mistakes and there may be some mistakes here and there, but none of them challenge God or His personage. None of them contradict instruction or doctrine.

I hope ya'll understand where I am coming from. I know I seem very undecided and it seems like I flipflop in between beliefs, but I have just hit a rough spot in my life and I am the type of person to openly express my current point of view. I cannot live a lie, and will not live a lie. I can hide my problems from people, but not something this big. I needed help, and thanks to ya'll, my sister, and my beloved girlfriend(and of course GOD!!!) I have come to the point where I am confident in my faith. I am taking this in a different approach.

If ya'll don't agree with me, thats fine. If ya'll think I'm being fake, think what you want. I will stop relying on man to decide who I am.

In love,

system

Luke 15:10-- "There is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents!" Angels are partying for you, System!! I'm so glad you were able to talk to your sister. God won't hide himself from you; you've just gotta see him. Congratulations!

I bet parties in heaven are goofin awesome too!!! I wonder if they can dance????

Thank you, and I'm already seeing God in such a gloriously new fasion now!!

Early today I was feeling really down in the dumps about recent events and thought that everything sucked. I was in a horrible mood and really ticked off. Well I went to work and my supervisor had shaved his head!! He use to have pretty long hair and he looked really funny!! It instantly got me in a great mood and i've been smiling since!!! God does have a sense of humor!!!

Hahaha thats awesome

[Smalcald]

System,

I don't know that question you asked your minister is a common one people ask, I think he should have taken a shot at it.

[systemstrike_7]

System,

I don't know that question you asked your minister is a common one people ask, I think he should have taken a shot at it.

Well he isn't use to people asking these kind of questions. I live in a town that has been nicknamed, "the bible-belt of the panhandle". Just about everyone is a believer, which is great, but bad for the few nonbelievers out there. People just stare at the wide-eyed if they have questions. Here is one response i once got, "How can you not believe the bible is the word of God?" and that is where it ended. They just walked away, with a strut too. No fault to them, but its hard for a nonbeliever to get questions answered.

[systemstrike_7]

And I have a question.

Am I considered a believer? Or a Christian?

I don't really care what people label me, but I was just wondering what ya'll thought.

[Giaour]

answer your question yourself.

what do you believe