Christian in need of reassurance

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

Christianity isn't based in fear... it is a release from fear. We are never told perfection is required, only that we need to attempt it. We are also told we will fail.

I'm not saying you have license to do whatever you want. We should try everything we can not to err, but we know that as long as we are faithful in our attempts at perfection and our love of God we have a father who loves us and will forgive us.

Amen to that. I agree.

 

[Renji]

Brothers and Sisters I am terrified

I stumbled upon a website called Divine Revelations (divinerevelations.info) just be chance looking up the 10 commandments and in return I was told anyways that people have had visions of Christ and Christians going to hell, for things like not keeping the Sabbath Holy, I'm scared, terrified, for my soul and for my friends and family, they offer terrifying visions of eternal punishment and punishment for those who are ignorant

IS THIS TRUE? I can't tell and don't want to risk being wrong

We are not based only on our deeds but also in faith, so I guess the article isn't true, because if we accept that as true, then it would seem that God would judge us solely on our actions and not also according to our faith...

 

[Renji]

Also, we must remember that our God is a loving God. He won't just punish anyone without a fair judgment.

 

[Mister Emu]

This will help you develop a healthy fear of God

If anyone ever says this you can just go ahead and ignore them. There is no such thing as a healthy fear of God.

"There is no fear in love". None. If someone is prompting fear, they aren't promoting love. They aren't promoting God, for "God is love".

I don't want to say it is, but is Jesus a friendly neighbor our a King who requires more of us

That isn't the question. God is our King. The question is what kind of king He is. Is He a despot who rules through fear, or a father who rules in love? The Good News of Jesus Christ is that God rules in love not fear.

I'm not tiring to be stubborn I'm just scared

I understand that. The whole goal of their tactics is to make you so. It is the only way you will listen to them.

if something I am doing is causing that without me knowing I'm afraid

God is love. Every time you are fearful remember that. God isn't tricky and looking for ways to condemn you, just the opposite, He will take any opportunity to save.

 

[ForeverFaithful]

can you test the 'rapture' teaching against the teachings of Gods word?

Yes you can. And if you do so, you'll find that the rapture is not a teaching found in the bible...therefore you are reading information from 'false prophets' and are being mislead.

What does the Matthew 24:40-41 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. mean then?

and can we be so sure about death and no hell when Peter said "After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water" in his first letter.

 

[Pegg]

What does the Matthew 24:40-41 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. mean then?

If you look at the passage in context you'll see that Jesus was speaking about the timing of the heavenly kingdom. He likened that time to the days of Noah when people were ignoring Noahs preaching and then the flood came and swept them away.
Matthew 24:36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming"

He is basically saying that people will be going about their everyday lives and not taking notice of what was about to come upon the earth... God will act, and when he does, some people will not be ready for it because they will ignore the signs and the warning that the day was approaching. that is basically what Jesus was getting at. He wasnt saying that people will be disappearing.

and can we be so sure about death when Peter said "After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water" in his first letter.

We can be 100% certain that Gods word is truth. Jesus was Jew who beleived in the teaching of the Hebrew scritpures and refered to them as 'truth'... so he did not believe that when we die we have some inner spirit or 'soul' which lives on. He believed in what the scriptures taught. That at death, mankind cease to exist.

So if mankind do not exist at death as the hebrew scriptures state, who are the 'spirits' that Jesus preached to after he had been resurrected?

They obviously cannot be the people who died in the flood because when man dies, he ceases to exist, has no consciousness and is unable to communicate with anyone. So the only spirits that do exist are the angelic spirits and satan the devil. They are called 'the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places' at Ephesians 6:12 and they are mentioned by Jude at Jude 1:6
"And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day"

So it was to those rebellious angels to whom Jesus preached....not people.

 

[ForeverFaithful]

Hosanna in the Highest, at church this morning I felt as though I was the prodigal son returning to his father, I humbly thank the Christians who responded to this crisis in my faith

I know how foolish I was, I know I didn't seem to be a Christian, but I tell you I have felt the Holy Spirit, even if I fail and falter I know the Lord will forever be with me.

Even in the heart of all fear, I clung to the belief that Christ was resurrected, that never left my heart, and then it hit me

God SO Loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever shall BELIEVE in him shall have eternal life

Yes the gate is narrow, but I fear no evil, for the Lord is my Shepard

The Grace and Peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be upon all of you, HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST

 

[gdemoss]

I went and visited the website that you posted. I don't consider that website to be a credible place for divine understanding.

I used to be a Baptist. I was taught that salvation came by believing that Jesus died for me and that nothing else was necessary for salvation. Over time as I continued to read the bible for myself, I started to understand that the bible wasn't saying what I was taught. I left the church.

What I have learned since is that we live in a scary world. Spiritual blindness is a very real thing. The Pharisee's and Sadducee's both had it and neither group were on their way to heaven although the Pharisee's thought they were. Much of the nation of Israel was blinded as we are told in Romans. Paul said if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost. The lost don't know that they are lost.

When I learned the truth I thought that it would be easy to help others see it. I was really wrong. I learned real quick that those who are willing to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Being a Christian isn't a life filled with wonder and comfort.

"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28)."

In today's world people don't fear God. If they did they would depart from evil. Instead people have been led to believe that you can't be without sin in your life because your a sinner. Much of what is truly evil, people accept as being good because they don't know God, nor his ways.

It is because I feared God that I turned to him for understanding and was led to the truth by him. He has shown me that it truly is a narrow path. And that I can leave the path and go on to destruction. He has admonished me not to be deceived by others.

Today I am on the narrow path because I fear God. And because I am on that narrow path my fears have been relieved.

If you are ever in doubt, cry out to God. Don't seek answers from others first. Be like Jesus and offer up prayers to the one who is able to save you from death with strong crying and tears and be heard because you fear. (see Heb 5:7).

Hell is real no matter what anyone tells you and fear of it is a legitimate biblical tool to bring people to repentance. "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.(Jude 1:23)"

Always remember Jesus wasn't welcomed, he was hated. The same holds true in our world today. Beware of false brethren.

If you want to go to heaven, just follow Jesus...

 

[JacobEzra.]

Brothers and Sisters I am terrified

I stumbled upon a website called Divine Revelations (divinerevelations.info) just be chance looking up the 10 commandments and in return I was told anyways that people have had visions of Christ and Christians going to hell, for things like not keeping the Sabbath Holy, I'm scared, terrified, for my soul and for my friends and family, they offer terrifying visions of eternal punishment and punishment for those who are ignorant

IS THIS TRUE? I can't tell and don't want to risk being wrong

Eh


Vision of Hell - Saint John Bosco

Plenty of people say they have seen Hell. What matters is if you believe them or not.

 

[dance-above]

this is when a person sins against Gods holy spirit...it is called the 'unforgivable sin'
It is the sort of sin Satan is guilty of. It is the sin of willful deliberate calculated opposition to Gods holy spirit. If you committ that sin, you would be an apostate who seeks to destroy the faith of Gods people..

You said it.....And he appears as an Angel of light.

Just curious do Jw's ever use Fear tactics?

 

[ForeverFaithful]

I might as well bring this forum Back
:C Not feeling too hot about my faith right now anyways

 

[JacobEzra.]

I might as well bring this forum Back
:C Not feeling too hot about my faith right now anyways

Join the club. I feel the same way.

Whats wrong with ya? If you feel like it, you can PM me

 

[Pegg]

You said it.....And he appears as an Angel of light.

Just curious do Jw's ever use Fear tactics?

no. It would be pointless for us because we dont teach in an afterlife. So we cant tell someone that Gods wrath will mean suffering to them.

Death is not something to be feared. Its not a state of existence, its complete unconsciousness. So those who do not inherit salvation will become unconscious and thus they will simply be put to sleep forever.

 

[dance-above]

no. It would be pointless for us because we dont teach in an afterlife. So we cant tell someone that Gods wrath will mean suffering to them.

Death is not something to be feared. Its not a state of existence, its complete unconsciousness. So those who do not inherit salvation will become unconscious and thus they will simply be put to sleep forever.

How do you inherit salvation?

 

[Pegg]

How do you inherit salvation?

by loving God and doing his will.

 

[Jensen]

no. It would be pointless for us because we dont teach in an afterlife. So we cant tell someone that Gods wrath will mean suffering to them.

Death is not something to be feared. Its not a state of existence, its complete unconsciousness. So those who do not inherit salvation will become unconscious and thus they will simply be put to sleep forever.

Hi Pegg, I'm not sure I understand what you mean.:sorry1: Do you mean that you don't teach in an afterlife, meaning you literally don't teach in your afterlife? that is after your death; or do you mean you do not teach there is an afterlife?

Jensen

 

[Reverend Rick]

Brother, fear not. Our best works are nothing but filthy rags before God. Very few of us have kept the sabbath perfect every week.

We Christians are far from perfect. Thank God we are forgiven. I don't believe God to be an Indian giver. The gift of salvation is ours to keep and save us from our sins.

None of us are perfect. Even if we could control ourselves perfectly, our thoughts would still condem us without the saving grace of God.

 

[Pegg]

Hi Pegg, I'm not sure I understand what you mean.:sorry1: Do you mean that you don't teach in an afterlife, meaning you literally don't teach in your afterlife? that is after your death; or do you mean you do not teach there is an afterlife?

Jensen

yes, we literally do not teach in an afterlife.

We dont believe the soul is immortal or the spirit exists on after we die. This is because the scriptures dont teach that we have an immortal soul. The scriptures teach that at death, the person ceases to exist in any form.

Any chance we have for life after death is in the hands of God. He can recreate us if he chooses and that is what the bible teaches. That the dead are to be raised to life in the flesh by means of the 'resurrection'

 

[Jensen]

Thanks Peg for clearing that up for me.

Jensen

 

[Vger]

What about Lazarus and the Rich man or the lake of Fire in Revelation

what about them?