I want to become a Christian
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KingJ
Loyal
We can find many contradictions with any text if we cherry pick, ignore context, ignore history of the time and grammar of the time.
As for documented, yes it is. As well as it could be. There are many who say it is not as there was a time when the devil, Romans and Jews wanted to remove Jesus from the history books. But they failed. Christianity spread very early despite heavy persecution. The early disciples who were literally with Jesus, spread it with Paul and those he chose to run churches. So outside of their contributions found in the NT we have a church teaching and agreement on key issues that has really not changed that much since Jesus.
amadeus2
Loyal
Be careful not to jump into the pot on the fire with both feet unnecessarily, but then I believe you understand the danger of your situation better than we do.
"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." John 15:20
Many Christians, especially those in the United States and other "western" countries haven't suffered much, if any, persecution yet, but I believe that our time is coming. When it really hits us where we live, many will deny their faith rather than suffer and die, but there will be some who really love God who will hold on no matter the pain.
You are "alarmed" and as a Kafir, you certainly should be, but I see you still here, still listening or reading and asking questions. Something has drawn you here and although you may not yet be prepared to acknowledge it, I see it as God. Consider the following verse written by the Apostle Paul and its application you and your situation:
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." I Cor. 10:13
The verse means that God will stand by us in our difficult times and situations. It does not mean He will take away all of the pain and suffering although He might do that. It does mean that if you do have to go through pain and suffering He will give you the strength and courage needed to bear it rather than to deny the Lord.
The verse is not to unbelievers, but to believers. You must find in yourself the faith in God that He will provide and stand with Him even though your own flesh will want to surrender to a way without pain, without difficulty.
The source of faith is found in these words also written by the Apostle Paul:
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom 10:17
The "hearing" mentioned is not speaking of hearing with the natural ears of flesh found on the sides of our heads, but of an understanding that comes to us as we listen to what God is saying to our hearts. Yes, God speaks to us, but often He will use a human vessel and mouth to convey his words.
The "word of God" is commonly referred to as the Bible, but it is more than that. Any atheist or heathen or unbeliever can read a Bible and NOT hear from God. Our heart must be open to really "hear" from God or to "see" God's meaning for us by the words written in the Book.
The differences in beliefs and doctrines Christian believers belonging to different denominations is due the individual ability to "hear" or "see" what God hears or sees.
Again the Apostle Paul clarifies this for us:
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." I Cor 13:12
People need to grow spiritually so that they are able to see God's meaning more clearly. Some Christian believers have stopped along the Way to God and took hold of the set beliefs of one of these denominational groups. We must move... with God's help... from seeing through a glass "darkly" to seeing "face to face".
@Saeed Gholami Z
I thought of you as one seeking as I read this. May it help you in moving closer to finding Him whose blood was shed for you on the Cross.
It was written by one named John Newton who has since gone home. May it bless you as it has me.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
Nick
<><
Seeking God
'...If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.'
1 Chronicles 28:9
This leads to the encouragement: if you seek him he will be found. It is his own promise--Seek and him ye shall find. Come and he will receive you. But do you ask, What is it to come or to seek? To come to Christ is to venture yourselves as poor, perishing creatures upon his blood and promise; and to seek him is to wait upon him according to his word for grace and power to do so. Though you are not sufficient in yourselves to come to Christ, yet you cannot, without stifling and rebelling against the light he has given you, put off seeking him a day longer. Seek him by prayer. Entreat him to make you truly sensible of these things, to soften your hearts, to give you the knowledge of himself. Search the Scriptures. Attend upon the ministry of the gospel. Be found in the way. If you are sincere in your desires, you will break off from sinful and ensnaring company and the things which you yourselves know are contrary and displeasing to him. Thus he will be found of you. And he says, He that findeth me findeth life [Proverbs 8:35]. O blessed shall ye be of the Lord, if you thus seek him. When you receive faith you will receive pardon, peace; you will find access to a communion with the great God. Heaven will begin in your soul while upon earth. He will guide you by his counsel and afterwards receive you to his glory. O that I could tell you the sweetness of the hidden manna, but it can only be known by tasting--some of you I trust have tasted that he is gracious.
John Newton
I thought of you as one seeking as I read this. May it help you in moving closer to finding Him whose blood was shed for you on the Cross.
It was written by one named John Newton who has since gone home. May it bless you as it has me.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
Nick
<><
Seeking God
'...If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.'
1 Chronicles 28:9
This leads to the encouragement: if you seek him he will be found. It is his own promise--Seek and him ye shall find. Come and he will receive you. But do you ask, What is it to come or to seek? To come to Christ is to venture yourselves as poor, perishing creatures upon his blood and promise; and to seek him is to wait upon him according to his word for grace and power to do so. Though you are not sufficient in yourselves to come to Christ, yet you cannot, without stifling and rebelling against the light he has given you, put off seeking him a day longer. Seek him by prayer. Entreat him to make you truly sensible of these things, to soften your hearts, to give you the knowledge of himself. Search the Scriptures. Attend upon the ministry of the gospel. Be found in the way. If you are sincere in your desires, you will break off from sinful and ensnaring company and the things which you yourselves know are contrary and displeasing to him. Thus he will be found of you. And he says, He that findeth me findeth life [Proverbs 8:35]. O blessed shall ye be of the Lord, if you thus seek him. When you receive faith you will receive pardon, peace; you will find access to a communion with the great God. Heaven will begin in your soul while upon earth. He will guide you by his counsel and afterwards receive you to his glory. O that I could tell you the sweetness of the hidden manna, but it can only be known by tasting--some of you I trust have tasted that he is gracious.
John Newton
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sorry brothers
i Had any problems
PLEASE #PRAYFORTEHRAN
#PrayforTehran: Messages of solidarity after attacks - BBC News
i Had any problems
PLEASE #PRAYFORTEHRAN
#PrayforTehran: Messages of solidarity after attacks - BBC News
amadeus2
Loyal
I see that you have changed your name on the forum.
I am praying for you and those close to in Iran. Hopefully things will improve in your situation.
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yes, its right
I feared that someone abuse from my info or government's spies observed me
I like back to discuss and continue
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I do not want to be strict but When the Muslims thinks themselves and Allah and the Koran are perfect I can not ignore contradictions.
when you listen to Akhund (mullah) , they say the Islam is the Best and is the Perfect. but is it? i tell you is not
so when i saw these and lived with them it is hard to convert my faith. in other words I'm obsessed about it
amadeus2
Loyal
I do sincerely respect your situation even if I cannot fully understand it as I am without comparable experiences. Please keep us advised as you are able. We continue to pray for you.
amadeus2
Loyal
Be obsessed with what God has to offer through Jesus and remain so while there is hope remaining. There is certainly hope remaining while we have breath and can see even if it is still through a "glass darkly" [I Cor 13:12]. Yes, our vision may be blurry, but it is what God has given us to see. If we remain true to Him seeking continuously what He really does have for us, will we not finally brought to the "face to face" [I Cor 13:12]?
The "best" as you put it is to come to us in the "face to face" as the Apostle Paul put it. It is the seemingly impossible but remember here also the words of Jesus:
"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27
We must see now and eventually see even better:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." Prov 29:18.
The question we may ask is, Who are the people? The Jews in their time [Old Testament] might have said correctly, We are, but what is it that God would say?
Those who really believe Him and always act like they do believe are His people, without regard to the label they display before other people or the time or place in which they spend their natural lives.
Give God the glory!
KingJ
Loyal
It is ''human'' to say ''my'' religion is better then yours :smile:. The difference is that the bible is ''alive''. All other religions are dead. If they did not force you to pray 5 times a day, you would not do it. If they did not force you to fast, you would not do it. If they did not force you to not drink, you would not do it. There is no compulsion in the bible outside of love for God. The Jews had it a bit different before Jesus, but they too were grafted in to the new covenant, which was always God's plan for mankind.
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How you can say Bible is still Alive and others are dead?!!!
I cannot accept these forces and this is one of problems.
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do you know, when you have my experience you have to change your look to every things
I am obsessed in every religion, at first I forced to be muslim without any choice but now this is my decision
What do you mean "are we"?Who?and Finally,Who are the people?
amadeus2
Loyal
You are obsessed in every religion because you are hungry for something and do not know what it is and where to find it. Jesus said,
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matt 5:6
What he means of course is that God will fill the empty place. God will fill the person who is hungry and thirsty for the right things. You, like everyone coming to God with questions and no answers, want to be filled, but simply do not know how to be filled.
A new born baby is hungry, but doesn't know how to feed itself, so its mother and its father will see to that the child is nourished and that the child eventually learns how to feed itself. Ideally, good parents will always supply the needs and teach the child the right way. That is the natural child and the natural parents.
Spiritually, likewise a new born baby is hungry. Before it is born it is hungry if the mother has nothing to feed it. The spiritual Mother is the Church, the people of God. I won't get into who they are, but the baby doesn't concern himself with that at first either. He is simply hungry and hungrily consumes that which is offered. There are lots of offerings, which will at least satisfy the baby for moment by filling up the empty space. Some of them may be poison, but the baby cannot know that if they taste good.
When the baby grows to the point where it can ask questions, will it not do so? Who is available to answer and how correct will the answers be?
I leave this for the moment. If you have questions, please ask. Either myself or others here will try to answer.
Give God the glory!
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Really Really You Right
I'm really hungry and thirsty but don't find anythings and really Confused
Who can feed me?!!!
Please don't leave, stay and discuss and advise
I need to find true way
amadeus2
Loyal
Again Jesus does provide a more specific answer but sometimes it confuses people. Many of his followers left him [deserted him] because they could not understand what he was saying to them.
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." John 6:27
In other words work for the things of this world [meat and bread and potatoes and money to buy all the other things] will all be left behind in any case when our time here in this flesh is finished. Jesus speaks to us of something more enduring, something that will last beyond the natural grave. In Christianity and in other religions, men may speak in this manner regarding an after-life called heaven or paradise or nirvana or any number of other names.
Jesus does offer something after natural death, but he also offers something for the here and now.
People ask him what he means and he answers them:
"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. " John 6:28-29
His answer was quite simple: "believe on him whom he [God] ... sent". The one God sent was Jesus, himself, as he makes clear in another place:
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?John 11:25-26
It is so simple and yet so difficult. How does a person who does not really believe become a believer? To believe something means to have faith that it is true. Faith is the key and the Apostle Paul clarifies this for us here:
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom 10:17
The "hearing" is not the hearing that a man does with the two natural ears attached to the sides of his head. It is a spiritual hearing. The verse says that this kind of hearing comes to a person by the "word of God". Just what is that? Some people say that it is simply the Bible, itself, but it is not so simple as that. It is actually what God speaks or has spoken. Has what God spoke been written down in a book? How would we know if it really had or not? If God were to speak directly to a man's heart, would that not also be the Word of God?
Why those things with regard to the Word of God are pertinent, let us see what the Apostle John wrote concerning his vision of the Word of God in the book of Revelation describing the Jesus he saw in that vision:
" And he [Jesus] was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." Rev 19:13
Forget for the moment the "vesture dipped in blood". We can come back to that later if you like.
Notice that the writer calls Jesus the "Word of God".
[A little necessary background is inserted here to help you understand before continuing on the Word of God.]
While there is only One God, He has wrapped up the whole redemption of lost men in Jesus, His Son. All men were "lost" [spiritually dead in the eyes of God] from the time of natural birth because they were born to lost [dead] parents. Our first parents [ancestors] died spiritually when they disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. [Gen 2:16-17 and Gen 3:6 ]
From that point they were dead [spiritually]. Actually they had a glimmer of life, I believe, which enabled them to walk around and do all of the things that men do, but to God, they were dead.
Back now to the one who in verse 19:13 of the book of Revelation is called the Word of God. In the following verse we see described simply the real arrival of Jesus as a man. Before that he was something else. Now he becomes what he often called himself: the "son of man". But God caused something very unique to happen which the verse describes:
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14
What it in effect says is that Jesus, the Son of God, the Word of God, became a man. Something Divine became human, but a very unusual and one of a kind human. This transformation can be very controversial to some believers even here on this forum, so I won't provide those details or even my take on those details here as my purpose and God's purpose is certainly not to cause unnecessarily controversy or confusion where there is so much of it already. [I will if you wish further details and my own belief (take) on it in a PM (Private Message) to you if you like.]
I will continue with this subject in my next post to you. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask them.
Some questions I may not be able to answer.
Some questions I will answer only in a PM rather than on this open public forum. I won't answers some questions on the open forum, because they might cause disagreements to arise among believing Christians on this thread. The purpose of this thread is to help you. You already know that Christians do disagree among themselves about some things. You can worry about those disagreements and pursue an understanding of them on another thread once you are ready to go that way...