What is your short story or one sentence, Why Do You love God?

[RestlessSoul]

There's a lot of things in life that I can consider rotten in my life, but I find a lot of comfort and thankfulness for my ability to see in color, My ability to walk, my ability to taste all kinds of drinks and foods, My ability to feel the sunshine, my ability to feel the kindness others give me and I can give to others.

I feel you are a kind individual, I appreciate your kindness you have given me and I love the opportunity to share kindness in return.

It’s good to be grateful. A heart full of gratitude is a heart full of love, and a heart full of love can’t help but serve God

 

[walt]

It’s good to be grateful. A heart full of gratitude is a heart full of love, and a heart full of love can’t help but serve God

RestlessSoul​

Trailblazer​

Ben Dhyan​

Spice, is there anything we could talk about on this thread that you think would help someone?​

What if we started with something small, Does anyone like pictures of cats?​

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[walt]

 

[Spice]

RestlessSoul​

Trailblazer​

Ben Dhyan​

Spice, is there anything we could talk about on this thread that you think would help someone?​

What if we started with something small, Does anyone like pictures of cats?​

Does anyone have any ideas?

The way my quote journals and inspirational screenshot files grow, I can always come up with something. Hang on and let me scan over a few and see what inspires me.

 

[Spice]

We always need a bit of humor in our lives, so how about this for a prayer after one of my student gatherings:

 

[Spice]

 

[walt]

 

[Spice]

 

[walt]

 

[walt]

 

[walt]

The Bible explains that a day is almost every time a 24 hour period of time, is every word to be understood literally? day and die?

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. 2:17 KJV

Could the Bible be talking about your whole life as a day? And when it says you will surely die, is that a physical death or does it mean something else? Maybe we can look at other scriptures to get a broader understanding of these words "day" and "die"

 

[Kathryn]

Everyone has favorite scriptures to support their beliefs, if we only use favorite scriptures alone, could it be possible that our belief might be missing some valuable information from another scripture?

You pick the belief, we could give it a try?

I'm not trying to start debates, I just really enjoy engaging with others about subjects people feel is important.

I believe that a good case can be made, using scripture, for both predestination and free will. Therefore they must work together, and I don't know how exactly but so what? I have a limited mind/brain.

 

[walt]

I believe that a good case can be made, using scripture, for both predestination and free will. Therefore they must work together, and I don't know how exactly but so what? I have a limited mind/brain.

I copied this off jw.org, it made sense and if you like read the scriptures in your own Bible.

Is Your Future Predestined?​

The Bible's Viewpoint—Is Your Future Predestined?
The Bible’s Viewpoint
Is Your Future Predestined?
Many people believe that their life and future are predestined by a higher power. They feel that from conception to death, we all follow a script already written in the mind of God. ‘After all,’ they say, ‘God is all-powerful and all-knowing, or omniscient, so surely he must know every detail about the past, the present, and the future.’
WHAT do you think? Does God foreordain our life course and ultimate destiny? In other words, is free will genuine or just an illusion? What does the Bible say?
Total or Selective Foreknowledge?
The Bible leaves us in no doubt as to God’s having foreknowledge. He knows “from the beginning the finale,” says Isaiah 46:10. He even used human secretaries to record many prophecies. (2 Peter 1:21) What is more, those prophecies always come true because God has both the wisdom and the power to fulfill them in every detail. Hence, God can not only foreknow but also foreordain events whenever he chooses to do so. However, does God foreordain the destiny of every human or even the total number who will gain salvation? Not according to the Bible.
The Bible teaches that God is selective when it comes to foreordaining the future. For example, God foretold that “a great crowd” of righteous humans would survive the destruction of the wicked at the end of the present system of things. (Revelation 7:9, 14) Note, though, that God did not give a specific number for that great crowd. The reason? He does not predestinate individuals. God is like the loving father of a large family. He knows that at least some of His children will reciprocate His love, but He does not predetermine the number.
Compare God’s use of foreordination with the way he uses his power. As the Almighty, God has absolute power. (Psalm 91:1; Isaiah 40:26, 28) But does he use his power in an uncontrolled manner? No. For instance, he held back from acting against Babylon, an enemy of ancient Israel, until the time was right. “I kept exercising self-control,” God said. (Isaiah 42:14) The same principle applies to his use of foreknowledge and foreordination. Jehovah exercises self-control in order to respect the free will that he gave us.
God’s control of his powers does not limit him or render him imperfect. In fact, it magnifies his greatness, and it endears him to us, for it shows that his sovereignty truly is exercised not only with omniscience and power but also with love and respect for the free will of his intelligent creation.
On the other hand, if God predetermines everything, including every nasty accident and vile deed that has ever happened, could we not rightly blame him for all the misery and suffering in the world? Thus, upon closer inspection, the teaching of predestination does not honor God, but casts a pall over him. It paints him as cruel, unjust, and unloving—the very opposite of what the Bible says about him.—Deuteronomy 32:4.
The Choice Is Yours
By means of his servant Moses, God said to the nation of Israel: “I have put life and death before you, . . . and you must choose life . . . by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and by sticking to him; for he is your life and the length of your days.” (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20) Had God predestinated each Israelite either to love him and gain life or to disregard him and merit death, His words would have been both meaningless and insincere. Do you believe that God, “a lover of justice” and the very personification of love, would act in such an arbitrary way?—Psalm 37:28; 1 John 4:8.
God’s appeal to his servants to choose life applies even more so to us today, for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that we are rapidly approaching the end of the present system of things. (Matthew 24:3-9; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) How do we choose life? We do so in essentially the same way as the ancient Israelites did.
How Can You “Choose Life”?
We choose life by “loving Jehovah,” by “listening to his voice,” and by “sticking to him.” Of course, we can only do these things when we know God as a person and understand his requirements for us. In prayer to God, Jesus Christ said: “This is eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and him whom you have sent—Jesus Christ.”—Italics ours; John 17:3, Phillips.
That precious knowledge can be found in the pages of the Holy Bible, rightly called the Word of God. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16) Indeed, this spiritual gift is a tangible evidence that God has not predestined our future but wants us to make informed choices based on information he has provided.—Isaiah 48:17, 18.
By means of the Bible, God is, in effect, saying to us: ‘This is my purpose for mankind and the earth, and this is what you should do to gain everlasting life. It is now up to you to decide whether to listen to me or disregard me.’ Yes, how perfectly God balances his powers of foreordination with his respect for our free will! Will you choose life “by listening to [God’s] voice and by sticking to him”?
HAVE YOU WONDERED?
▪ To what extent does God exercise foreknowledge?—Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; Isaiah 46:10.
▪ Why would God not predetermine everything, including the bad things that happen to people?—Deuteronomy 32:4.
▪ What will ultimately determine our future?—John 17:3.

 

[Kathryn]

I copied this off jw.org, it made sense and if you like read the scriptures in your own Bible.

Is Your Future Predestined?​

The Bible's Viewpoint—Is Your Future Predestined?
The Bible’s Viewpoint
Is Your Future Predestined?
Many people believe that their life and future are predestined by a higher power. They feel that from conception to death, we all follow a script already written in the mind of God. ‘After all,’ they say, ‘God is all-powerful and all-knowing, or omniscient, so surely he must know every detail about the past, the present, and the future.’
WHAT do you think? Does God foreordain our life course and ultimate destiny? In other words, is free will genuine or just an illusion? What does the Bible say?
Total or Selective Foreknowledge?
The Bible leaves us in no doubt as to God’s having foreknowledge. He knows “from the beginning the finale,” says Isaiah 46:10. He even used human secretaries to record many prophecies. (2 Peter 1:21) What is more, those prophecies always come true because God has both the wisdom and the power to fulfill them in every detail. Hence, God can not only foreknow but also foreordain events whenever he chooses to do so. However, does God foreordain the destiny of every human or even the total number who will gain salvation? Not according to the Bible.
The Bible teaches that God is selective when it comes to foreordaining the future. For example, God foretold that “a great crowd” of righteous humans would survive the destruction of the wicked at the end of the present system of things. (Revelation 7:9, 14) Note, though, that God did not give a specific number for that great crowd. The reason? He does not predestinate individuals. God is like the loving father of a large family. He knows that at least some of His children will reciprocate His love, but He does not predetermine the number.
Compare God’s use of foreordination with the way he uses his power. As the Almighty, God has absolute power. (Psalm 91:1; Isaiah 40:26, 28) But does he use his power in an uncontrolled manner? No. For instance, he held back from acting against Babylon, an enemy of ancient Israel, until the time was right. “I kept exercising self-control,” God said. (Isaiah 42:14) The same principle applies to his use of foreknowledge and foreordination. Jehovah exercises self-control in order to respect the free will that he gave us.
God’s control of his powers does not limit him or render him imperfect. In fact, it magnifies his greatness, and it endears him to us, for it shows that his sovereignty truly is exercised not only with omniscience and power but also with love and respect for the free will of his intelligent creation.
On the other hand, if God predetermines everything, including every nasty accident and vile deed that has ever happened, could we not rightly blame him for all the misery and suffering in the world? Thus, upon closer inspection, the teaching of predestination does not honor God, but casts a pall over him. It paints him as cruel, unjust, and unloving—the very opposite of what the Bible says about him.—Deuteronomy 32:4.
The Choice Is Yours
By means of his servant Moses, God said to the nation of Israel: “I have put life and death before you, . . . and you must choose life . . . by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and by sticking to him; for he is your life and the length of your days.” (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20) Had God predestinated each Israelite either to love him and gain life or to disregard him and merit death, His words would have been both meaningless and insincere. Do you believe that God, “a lover of justice” and the very personification of love, would act in such an arbitrary way?—Psalm 37:28; 1 John 4:8.
God’s appeal to his servants to choose life applies even more so to us today, for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that we are rapidly approaching the end of the present system of things. (Matthew 24:3-9; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) How do we choose life? We do so in essentially the same way as the ancient Israelites did.
How Can You “Choose Life”?
We choose life by “loving Jehovah,” by “listening to his voice,” and by “sticking to him.” Of course, we can only do these things when we know God as a person and understand his requirements for us. In prayer to God, Jesus Christ said: “This is eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and him whom you have sent—Jesus Christ.”—Italics ours; John 17:3, Phillips.
That precious knowledge can be found in the pages of the Holy Bible, rightly called the Word of God. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16) Indeed, this spiritual gift is a tangible evidence that God has not predestined our future but wants us to make informed choices based on information he has provided.—Isaiah 48:17, 18.
By means of the Bible, God is, in effect, saying to us: ‘This is my purpose for mankind and the earth, and this is what you should do to gain everlasting life. It is now up to you to decide whether to listen to me or disregard me.’ Yes, how perfectly God balances his powers of foreordination with his respect for our free will! Will you choose life “by listening to [God’s] voice and by sticking to him”?
HAVE YOU WONDERED?
▪ To what extent does God exercise foreknowledge?—Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; Isaiah 46:10.
▪ Why would God not predetermine everything, including the bad things that happen to people?—Deuteronomy 32:4.
▪ What will ultimately determine our future?—John 17:3.

OK.

 

[YoursTrue]

I believe that a good case can be made, using scripture, for both predestination and free will. Therefore they must work together, and I don't know how exactly but so what? I have a limited mind/brain.

I think we all do...

 

[YoursTrue]

View attachment 91389View attachment 91390View attachment 91391

love it. and I look forward to the time my husband won't be allergic to cats.

 

[Spice]

The Bible explains that a day is almost every time a 24 hour period of time, is every word to be understood literally? day and die?

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. 2:17 KJV

Could the Bible be talking about your whole life as a day? And when it says you will surely die, is that a physical death or does it mean something else? Maybe we can look at other scriptures to get a broader understanding of these words "day" and "die"

How about the death of innocence?

 

[YoursTrue]

How about the death of innocence?

Insofar as I understand it, the death of innocence came basically when Eve and Adam ate from the tree of knowledge of good and bad. It is to be considered that if they had stayed away from that tree, and more likely eating of it, they would have been counseled by the Almighty God in reference to their actions or plans. God would have helped them make decent decisions in harmony with righteousness. But since they decided to be on their own, so to speak, in a way they were autonomous, leaning on their own recognizance and they were not created to do that.

 

[Spice]

Insofar as I understand it, the death of innocence came basically when Eve and Adam ate from the tree of knowledge of good and bad. It is to be considered that if they had stayed away from that tree, and more likely eating of it, they would have been counseled by the Almighty God in reference to their actions or plans. God would have helped them make decent decisions in harmony with righteousness. But since they decided to be on their own, so to speak, in a way they were autonomous, leaning on their own recognizance and they were not created to do that.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. 2:17 KJV

So it was their "innocence" that died the day that they ate of it.

So both God and the serpent told the truth.

 

[YoursTrue]

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. 2:17 KJV

So it was their "innocence" that died the day that they ate of it.

So both God and the serpent told the truth.

I guess in a way we have to define the word "innocence." If a person is said to be innocent, that usually means not guilty of doing some wrong. The serpent told Eve she would not die. But she would die if she did what God told her not to do. She was guilty in God's eyes when she did what she was told not to do. As far as her guilt on the day she ate from the tree, yes, she was guilty on that day. And from that moment forward. Now how do you feel that the serpent told the truth to Eve?