Im new to christ. About a year in. This has been without a doubt the worst year of my life. The inner turmoil, suicidal thoughts, self sabatoge loss of self respect self identity is all just awful. I cant lagh without bursting into tears. Ive lost friends, made poor choices and i cant help but think it was so much easier when i only answered to myself. I try to bury my mind in the gospels, i listen to christian music, christian podcasts, i pray, ive even heard god talking to me and i feel hes saved me at least twice now. I beleive but certainly dont feel the peace people talk about.
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I thought god brought peace?
- Thread starter ksmith
- Start date
I do actually. The bible is filled with metaphor and parables. To me the big bang is "let there be light" adam and eve is a metaphore for when mankind lost their innocence. Noahs flood is a story about a wise man who prepared his family to survive disaster, a powerful lesson to survive this life.
Not yet you don't, but you will.
Let me explain what's happening here, brother, and you need to have the attitude of an overcomer now:
Satan is trying to sift you like wheat (Luke 22:31). The Lord has plans to grow you into a great spiritual tree that will give shade and protection to many. But a seed is at its weakest when it is still just sprouting out of the ground. It is still susceptible to things like excessive heat (Mark 4, the Parable of the Sower). What you simply need to do is keep growing in the word and don't let the distractions of the enemy keep you from doing so. Eventually you will get to the place where there is nothing he can do about you anymore. Just continue praying to God to let the Holy Spirit water the seed and cause it to grow. The fact that you have survived this long means you have the metal to go the distance, and also the wisdom to ask for help, so I congratulate you on your determination. I can testify from my own life that eventually he will just leave you alone unless he has absolutely no choice, because he will realize getting you to turn is just a waste of his time.
Blessings in Christ, and keep going. You will start to see these things coming to pass if you do.
Hidden
How much filled?
Most of it is factual history, which has been proven countless times.
Like the hittites. Were they real or parable? We got evidence later that they were real.
Sure. But the athiests have made up a model of an explosion which cooled and magically made all the planets stars etc. by chance.
Cosmic microwave background is proof of the first day in Creation Week. not athiest's story.
They were real thats why we are here. There is no Biblical warrant to think it was a metaphor. They actually did sin and thus creation is corrupt. God is not to blame for the bad state of creation, we are!
But there is hope! And if you doubt, remember, the Noah skeptics doubted a flood, but lo and behold the flood really came.
And Jesus skeptics will ask "wheres the promise of His coming" but guess what, He will debunk their argument!
An account from history. Judgment on sinners! Saving of the righteous.
Yup, thats why we have oil. Mass fossilization on large scale can only occur with rapid burial. Flood was perfect for reshaping earths crust and making tons of fossils and fossil fuels.There definitely was a real flood, ive seen tons of evidence for a mass global flood. Ill not argue that point. A 650 year old man with 2 of every animal......not so much. I dont think it takes away from the lesson of the story though. I see the bible as a collection of stories passed down by god in a way we can understand on how to live a good life and get close to him. I beleive jesus was the son of god who lived a sinless life died for our sins and was resurrected.
Cool :D
Well, humans were made very good by God. So He would have humans live long since He loves us. It is logical that even after the Fall of man the long life genes would still stick around. But genes degrade over time now.
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2 of every animal is not hard, considering that animal kinds were Much More genetically condensed back then than they are now.
And baby animals, and eggs were bought on the ark. Expect to have seen dino eggs, not hatched dinoes, and bird eggs, and newborn mammals.
The ark was big, the animals small.
Those "bathtub arks" in small kids' Bibles are just for cuteness, not accuracy. The ark looked more like a giant box with seaworthy ship features. Ark Encounter in Kentucky is a good model.
answersingenesis.org
Water breathers could survive the Flood.
Also, uppercase Jesus and God wherever possible, and uppercase the pronouns ""He, Him, His"", when referring to God, Jesus, to God the Father, and when referring to the Holy Spirit.
Doing this avoids confusion and exalts God.
I guess the problem isnt their size its that we know what happens with inbreeding in animals, they simply wouldnt thrive with that much inbreeding. And things like kangaroos only being in certain areas, elephants only in certain regions. When the flood receeded did noah go around and drop these animals off? Ive always heard the flood receeded and he washed up on mount ararat? Im sorry if i come off as condescending i certainty dont mean to be. Trying to understand and explain myself is all
Animals genes were much richer and had more information back then. Now, their genes have decayed so much.
Inbreeding is less and less of a problem the further back in time you go because DNA was rich enough for there to be little or no problems.
This actually applies to all genes. This relatively rapid decay is why we dont live for centuries on end anymore.
Genetic entropy is a wonderful argument against kind-to kind evolution.
Perfectly ok!ksmith
My apologies, brother. I thought you were a sister, possibly because we had a woman member here by virtually the same name for awhile. I have corrected my posts accordingly, and my apologies again. Oops!
journeymanisnothing
Member
Hello ksmith.
Never listen to anyone who cuts you to ribbons. The accuser is always anti - Jesus,
Dragging up your past or what you are doing wrong now. Jesus never did that to condemn anyone.Jesus did warn Everyone about what our Father in Heaven would do if we didn’t forgive other sinners like ourselves, but he told them to go sin no more to show His mercy.
He didn’t tell people to sin no more knowing we can’t do that, so He sent His spirit for us to follow. That’s why Paul said,
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Gal.5:13 KJV
Paul could eat pork if he wanted to, but in the early church many Jews believed they still couldn’t eat pork so he chose not to when in their company.
It was because he didn’t want Jews to think they were displeasing God by not living by faith. Or try to believe this “new” religion and then regret it thinking they’ve sinned and bringing damnation on themselves.
The only people who would bring damnation on themselves are those who falsely accused the Jew, because eating pork isn’t “really” a sin for anyone anymore.journeymanisnothing
MemberGod corrects sinners until we die.deepfaithpraise
Member
Your heartfelt words touch me deeply. I hear your pain, your struggles, and your longing for peace. Please know that you are not alone in this journey. Many who come to Christ experience a period of transformation that can be deeply challenging.
Remember that our Lord Jesus himself said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Your struggles are not a sign of failure or lack of faith, but rather a testament to the profound changes happening within you as you grow in Christ.
The path of faith is not always easy. It is a journey of transformation, of dying to our old selves and being reborn in Christ. This process can be painful, confusing, and at times overwhelming. But it is also a journey of hope, of renewal, and of deep, abiding love.
I am heartened to hear that you are immersing yourself in the Gospels, in prayer, and in Christian community. Continue to do so, for these are the wellsprings of our faith. Even when you don't feel it, know that God is with you, working in you, molding you more into the image of His Son.
The peace that Christ offers is not always a feeling of tranquility, but rather a deep assurance of God's presence and love, even in the midst of turmoil. As St. Paul reminds us, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Do not lose heart. Your struggles are not in vain. Each tear, each moment of doubt, each cry for help is heard by our loving Father. He is faithful, and He will complete the good work He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6).
Remember, the Christian life is not about perfection, but about progress. It's about getting up each time we fall, knowing that God's grace is sufficient for us, and His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
I encourage you to seek support from your local Christian community. Share your struggles with trusted believers who can pray with you and for you. Consider speaking with a Christian counselor who can help you navigate this challenging time.
Above all, know that you are deeply loved by God. Nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Keep pressing on, keep seeking Him, and trust that He is working all things for your good (Romans 8:28).
May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind. May you feel the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit, and may you grow ever stronger in faith, hope, and love.Hi ksmith
I second those godly words that deepfaithpraise has offered you.
Are you able to define 'what' it is that you're not finding peace with in your life?
Do you not have enough money to meet your needs? Are you struggling with not feeling like hanging with old friends? Has your life become a nightmare in some way? What is it that you're experiencing in your feelings and emotions that causes you to believe that your soul is not at peace? As mentioned above, sanctification is a process and there are things that God tries to chip away from us that can hurt. I think we all experience some form of that as we begin the walk that Jesus exampled for us.
But if you're able further define this unease that you seem to be feeling about not having peace, I think that would help. I also wouldn't be too concerned with working on other theological issues until you resolve the question you presented in your OP. The flood truth will likely come to you as you grow and mature in your knowledge and wisdom of God's testimony to you. How it all began, while the Scriptures seem to be pretty clear about it, has certainly muddied the waters and isn't really addressing your concern.
But in reading some of your responses on those matters, I think there is still some learning to be had.
God bless you and I look forward to further discussion. BTW I also came to faith in Jesus at the ripe old age of about 40.
Ted
I found God at 41. Basically i made some poor choices and lost myself. I lost my self respect, self esteem my happiness. I feel a war in my heart and i am unable to be genuinely happy anymore. I began drinking heavily, more than ever, fighting with my wife, i lost my relationship with my daughter. I hate my job, i hate my home life, im broke, i have no skills, ive realized the people i care about dont care about me at all. I truly beleive god saved my life thursday morning. I was staying with a friend after a fight with my wife. I ended up drinking all night on an empty stomach and i completely blacked out. I dont remember about 6 hours. Mostly what i remember is arguing with my friend, the truck bouncing off a couple curbs, and waking up at work with someone banging on my window to wake me up. That was 6 days ago and i havent drank since. Im 6 days sober for the first time in probably 10 years.
Tenchi
Member
What do you mean by "new to Christ"?
Every adult guy I've known who trusted in Christ as their Savior and submitted to him as Lord, immediately got "beat up" in all sorts of ways. Most lost some - if not all - of their friends; others, lost family; all of them began to struggle with sinful stuff in their life they'd never seen as sin before; stresses about all the do's and do not's of Christian living pressed down on them. It got pretty miserable!
Have you ever floated down a river on an inner tube, effortlessly swept along by the current? It's great, on a sunny, summer day! You just lie there on the tube, and enjoy the cool water below and the hot sun above, twirling slowly in the river's current. It's very relaxing. Imagine, though, that there's suddenly a shout of warning from the shore. Some guy is yelling at you that you're headed for a huge waterfall. You've got to stop going with the current or you'll be killed!
When you slide off your inner tube in alarm and drop your feet down to the riverbed - Wow! - suddenly that nice, powerful current that was sweeping you along so comfortably starts pushing on you with all of its force and its really hard to stay on your feet! Getting out of the current is just as difficult, the weight of the rushing water opposing you rather than carrying you along.
Well, this is a lot like what happens when you become a disciple of Jesus and stop going with the currents of your self-centered life. Those currents of selfishness and sin immediately oppose the life Jesus wants to take you into with himself. And they can feel very powerful, if you've been in them for a long time.
You've also got an Enemy, the devil, who usually ignores those he's got "going with the flow." When you step out of his kingdom of darkness and into God's light, though, he doesn't take it well and will begin to give you his unwanted attention. He'll start messing with your feelings and thoughts, causing you to doubt God, and to condemn yourself, and to feel fear and despair. And the devil will work really hard to keep you out of God's word, so that you never understand what it is to walk with God and how properly to do it. He'll also do all he can to isolate you from the Church, the community of believers. If he succeeds in these things, walking with God gets very miserable very quickly.
Just from what you've written, it's clear no one is discipling you. So, check out this website:
www.ttb.org
And remember: God doesn't save you only if you feel that He has. And He doesn't save you because you've shown Him enough faith, or sincerity, or enthusiasm. No, God only saves sinners because of their trust in Jesus, however small, and their genuine, though not necessarily large, desire to be changed by Him.
Also, God's peace is not first and foremost a feeling but is Himself. He is the Christian's Peace, not a feeling of inner calm which any Buddhist, or Hindu, or New Age Wiccan might feel. The more you know and enjoy God, the more of Himself will fill your life and flow out of it, including the peace that He is. So don't chase after a feeling; chase after God.