Struggling…

[JackB03]

Hey all! Happy Sunday.

I’m in my late 30’s and looking to really give my life over to Christ. About 10 years ago, I went down this road and read the Bible everyday, brought God into my daily life(or at least constantly thought about him), discussed with others, and watched sermons.

It became very overwhelming for me because I would hear different interpretations of the Bible, I learned the sermons I watched weren’t the right ones, etc… basically I feel it came down to outside interference.

Since then, I always thought there was a creator but I questioned a lot of things. Now, I’m trying to dive deep back in the Word and really have a relationship with God.

Unfortunately, I just feel dread, depression, anxiety, and worry. I think society today is even worse with so many people disagreeing with one another and there is sooo much information, I don’t know what to believe. I’ve been praying hard, begging for God to show me the truth and that I want a relationship. I’ve got nothing.

People say they hear God guide them and things like that, but I haven’t. I don’t even fully know what that means. I really think no one will ever no the full truth, but it’s something I’m looking for.

I feel like this is the biggest decision of my life, but I can’t seem to find the truth. What religion is the truth? Am I understanding the Bible correctly? These are the questions I constantly ask myself.

Regarding Bible interpretation, I always get told that I need to pray and ask for God to show me the truth. My question is - if many Christians do this and come up with different interpretations, then how does that make sense?

How can we believe the Bible? Looking at this from a historical factor, these books were written years later. How do they know EXACTLY what Jesus said? I can’t remember what I ate a week ago…

Sorry for the long post. This is more getting things off my chest. I just really want a relationship with God, know the truth, and live with God forever. I just feel like I’m never going to have it.

Thank you,
Jack

 

[Who Me]

Looking at this from a historical factor, these books were written years later. How do they know EXACTLY what Jesus said? I can’t remember what I ate a week ago…

Welcome to the forum.
I found it interesting you made no reference to attending church.
May I suggest that you look for a church, if you don't have one, with the christianityexplored.
Even sign up for a course to explore Christianity as well as to explore the church running the course.

2nd. About the bible.
May I suggest you read what sites like coldcasechristianity, winteryknight, reasonablefaith and answersingenesis have to say about the bible.

 

[JackB03]

Welcome to the forum.
I found it interesting you made no reference to attending church.
May I suggest that you look for a church, if you don't have one, with the christianityexplored.
Even sign up for a course to explore Christianity as well as to explore the church running the course.

2nd. About the bible.
May I suggest you read what sites like coldcasechristianity, winteryknight, reasonablefaith and answersingenesis have to say about the bible.

Hey! Thanks for the reply.

re: Church - I do attend church online (Lakepointe Church) and watch every Sunday on YouTube. So I am able to do that, but will check out ChristianityExplored.

re: Bible - Looking forward to checking out those sites.

Thanks again!

 

[Free]

Hey all! Happy Sunday.

Welcome to the forums!

I’m in my late 30’s and looking to really give my life over to Christ. About 10 years ago, I went down this road and read the Bible everyday, brought God into my daily life(or at least constantly thought about him), discussed with others, and watched sermons.

It became very overwhelming for me because I would hear different interpretations of the Bible, I learned the sermons I watched weren’t the right ones, etc… basically I feel it came down to outside interference.

Yes, there are good interpretations and sources--better and worse ones--and bad interpretations and sources.

Since then, I always thought there was a creator but I questioned a lot of things. Now, I’m trying to dive deep back in the Word and really have a relationship with God.

The only way to have a relationship with God is to repent of your sin and put your faith and trust in Jesus and his atoning work on the cross. But, you have to actually, truly understand and believe.

Unfortunately, I just feel dread, depression, anxiety, and worry. I think society today is even worse with so many people disagreeing with one another and there is sooo much information, I don’t know what to believe. I’ve been praying hard, begging for God to show me the truth and that I want a relationship. I’ve got nothing.

Do you truly believe you are a sinner in need of a Saviour? Or do you think you are basically a good person and that is good enough for a relationship with God?

People say they hear God guide them and things like that, but I haven’t. I don’t even fully know what that means. I really think no one will ever no the full truth, but it’s something I’m looking for.

I feel like this is the biggest decision of my life, but I can’t seem to find the truth. What religion is the truth? Am I understanding the Bible correctly? These are the questions I constantly ask myself.

There are very good reasons to reject other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. But, maybe start with understanding that Christianity is the only religion where a person cannot earn their salvation; one can never be good enough on their own.

Understanding the Bible correctly is more tricky, as it cannot be done without the help of the Holy Spirit, but there are a lot of good additional sources out there to help.

Regarding Bible interpretation, I always get told that I need to pray and ask for God to show me the truth. My question is - if many Christians do this and come up with different interpretations, then how does that make sense?

It is difficult, no doubt, but to simply "pray and ask for God to show [you] the truth," is inaccurate and naive. That is why those claim that is all that is needed contradict each other on various beliefs. Yes, we do need to ask God to help us understand what is written in the Bible when we read and study it, but that doesn't relieve us of the hard work of proper study, as God most often communicates to us through the Bible and through others.

How can we believe the Bible? Looking at this from a historical factor, these books were written years later. How do they know EXACTLY what Jesus said? I can’t remember what I ate a week ago…

Cultures largely passed things on orally. They were actually very good at remembering accurately. The NT was written years later, but all within about 65ish years of Jesus's resurrection. That is unheard of in ancient texts, where most were written hundreds of years later.

We can be certain that what we have is 99.5+% accurate, based on textual criticism.

Sorry for the long post. This is more getting things off my chest. I just really want a relationship with God, know the truth, and live with God forever. I just feel like I’m never going to have it.

Thank you,
Jack

Keep seeking and so with all your heart and God will answer.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Hey all! Happy Sunday.

I’m in my late 30’s and looking to really give my life over to Christ. About 10 years ago, I went down this road and read the Bible everyday, brought God into my daily life(or at least constantly thought about him), discussed with others, and watched sermons.

It became very overwhelming for me because I would hear different interpretations of the Bible, I learned the sermons I watched weren’t the right ones, etc… basically I feel it came down to outside interference.

Since then, I always thought there was a creator but I questioned a lot of things. Now, I’m trying to dive deep back in the Word and really have a relationship with God.

Unfortunately, I just feel dread, depression, anxiety, and worry. I think society today is even worse with so many people disagreeing with one another and there is sooo much information, I don’t know what to believe. I’ve been praying hard, begging for God to show me the truth and that I want a relationship. I’ve got nothing.

People say they hear God guide them and things like that, but I haven’t. I don’t even fully know what that means. I really think no one will ever no the full truth, but it’s something I’m looking for.

I feel like this is the biggest decision of my life, but I can’t seem to find the truth. What religion is the truth? Am I understanding the Bible correctly? These are the questions I constantly ask myself.

Regarding Bible interpretation, I always get told that I need to pray and ask for God to show me the truth. My question is - if many Christians do this and come up with different interpretations, then how does that make sense?

How can we believe the Bible? Looking at this from a historical factor, these books were written years later. How do they know EXACTLY what Jesus said? I can’t remember what I ate a week ago…

Sorry for the long post. This is more getting things off my chest. I just really want a relationship with God, know the truth, and live with God forever. I just feel like I’m never going to have it.

Thank you,
Jack

Greetings Jack, and welcome to the forum.

We decided to move your thread to Questions & Answers, since it is more interactive with the way you are presenting things. Maybe it will get more responses here.

Blessings in Christ, and glad you joined,
Hidden

 

[JackB03]

The only way to have a relationship with God is to repent of your sin and put your faith and trust in Jesus and his atoning work on the cross. But, you have to actually, truly understand and believe.

Hey there! I have done this. I’ve prayed to God and told him that I repent of my sins. I think what’s holding me back is “understand” and “believe”. I don’t understand everything in His word. Also, I would say that I don’t “fully” believe either since I still question a lot of things. But I’ve prayed for God to show me the truth. To show me how to have a relationship with Him.

Unfortunately, my mind wants proof, so it’s holding me back. It’s hard for me to blindly believe because of the questions I have.

One other thing people have told me is that I need to give my life over to Jesus. How does one do that? I feel like there has to be a deeper explanation to this instead of “just give your life over to Jesus”. I’d love to know how you do that.

Do you truly believe you are a sinner in need of a Saviour? Or do you think you are basically a good person and that is good enough for a relationship with God?

I’m fully aware that I am sinner. I’m not a good person at all and believe that I do need a Savior. This is where my doubt comes in for Jesus though and his Resurrection. Reading the gospels, it seems all over the place to me and hard to believe. My mind can’t comprehend someone being resurrected. Also, Luke’s gospel is a little strange. He just ends it on verse 8 with very little detail of proof of his resurrection. I know some bibles have a longer ending but it’s not in the earliest manuscript.

The resurrection is tough for me to believe.

It is difficult, no doubt, but to simply "pray and ask for God to show [you] the truth," is inaccurate and naive. That is why those claim that is all that is needed contradict each other on various beliefs. Yes, we do need to ask God to help us understand what is written in the Bible when we read and study it, but that doesn't relieve us of the hard work of proper study, as God most often communicates to us through the Bible and through others.

Thanks! I do need to study more and be in the Bible more, so it’s something I plan on doing.

Cultures largely passed things on orally. They were actually very good at remembering accurately. The NT was written years later, but all within about 65ish years of Jesus's resurrection. That is unheard of in ancient texts, where most were written hundreds of years later.

I’ve recently been watching Wes Huff as well. I love how he breaks it down and gives us perspective on the culture based on when the books were written. I was someone who listened to Billy Carson once and immediately got worried that Christianity was a lie. I was glad to see Wes point out a lot of his “misunderstandings” in that debate.

I appreciate the feedback and information! Thank you.

 

[WIP]

Hey all! Happy Sunday.

I’m in my late 30’s and looking to really give my life over to Christ. About 10 years ago, I went down this road and read the Bible everyday, brought God into my daily life(or at least constantly thought about him), discussed with others, and watched sermons.

It became very overwhelming for me because I would hear different interpretations of the Bible, I learned the sermons I watched weren’t the right ones, etc… basically I feel it came down to outside interference.

Since then, I always thought there was a creator but I questioned a lot of things. Now, I’m trying to dive deep back in the Word and really have a relationship with God.

Unfortunately, I just feel dread, depression, anxiety, and worry. I think society today is even worse with so many people disagreeing with one another and there is sooo much information, I don’t know what to believe. I’ve been praying hard, begging for God to show me the truth and that I want a relationship. I’ve got nothing.

People say they hear God guide them and things like that, but I haven’t. I don’t even fully know what that means. I really think no one will ever no the full truth, but it’s something I’m looking for.

I feel like this is the biggest decision of my life, but I can’t seem to find the truth. What religion is the truth? Am I understanding the Bible correctly? These are the questions I constantly ask myself.

Regarding Bible interpretation, I always get told that I need to pray and ask for God to show me the truth. My question is - if many Christians do this and come up with different interpretations, then how does that make sense?

How can we believe the Bible? Looking at this from a historical factor, these books were written years later. How do they know EXACTLY what Jesus said? I can’t remember what I ate a week ago…

Sorry for the long post. This is more getting things off my chest. I just really want a relationship with God, know the truth, and live with God forever. I just feel like I’m never going to have it.

Thank you,
Jack

You certainly have a lot of questions and maybe even doubts but that is not unusual. Even Jesus' disciples doubted, every one of them, and they spent three years side-by-side with Him witnessing his teaching, miracles, and so forth.

Jesus certainly did warn to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing so finding many variations in teaching is one way that happens. He also said we would know those wolves by their fruits. In other words, we would know them by their lifestyles, their habits, their actions, their speech, and so forth. Do they shine the light of Jesus in these things?

If you struggle to answer that question, I might suggest that you work on getting to know Jesus. Not just learning about Him or who He was but really getting to know Him and who He is in a very personal way.

One place to start is the Bible. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about Jesus. Find opportunities to get involved in Bible studies, prayer groups, and so forth to learn as much as you can. Read the Bible but don't just skim over the words. Open your heart and mind and truly read it, study it, consider the context of what you're reading, meditate on what it says, and pray for understanding and help. What is the Bible saying to you?

Whenever you listen or read something presented by another person, search the Scriptures to verify what they are teaching is true and lines up with Scripture. Remember that many times people will pull out specific pieces of Scripture to support something they are teaching, what is called proof texting, but Jesus isn't broken up in pieces. Take the entire complete Bible when considering what is taught.

The more you read God's Word, study it, meditate on it, pray about it, and let it envelope your being the more you will get to know Jesus. Think about it this way. Do you know your best friend? He/she is much more than just an acquaintance and it took time for you to truly get to know this person. Give Jesus your time.

God says we are to love God with ALL our hearts, ALL our minds, ALL our strength, and ALL our souls. Worldly things and life can be very distracting so dive into His Word as much as possible. Don't expect instant gratification. God works in His time, not ours.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV

Just my $0.02.

 

[Free]

Hey there! I have done this. I’ve prayed to God and told him that I repent of my sins. I think what’s holding me back is “understand” and “believe”. I don’t understand everything in His word. Also, I would say that I don’t “fully” believe either since I still question a lot of things. But I’ve prayed for God to show me the truth. To show me how to have a relationship with Him.

Well, you don't have to understand everything. The basic gospel that one must understand is that everyone is a sinner, but can do nothing to merit salvation, so that without a Saviour, will spend eternity apart from God. God did what no man could do--came in the flesh, as one of his creatures, to live a perfect life and die in our place. In so doing, he paid the penalty for our sins that God's own justice demanded, so that whoever believes will no longer face his wrath. It is entirely a gift of his grace; he didn't have to do it, but he did.

Questioning things isn't bad either. Every Christian struggles with doubts and has questions, or at least they should (perhaps we could say that the unexamined faith is not worth believing). It is hard, because everything in this world is against us, but Jesus said this would be the case. He also said a person should sit down and count the cost of following him. It could, and should, be the hardest yet easiest and most rewarding thing a person could do.

Unfortunately, my mind wants proof, so it’s holding me back. It’s hard for me to blindly believe because of the questions I have.

No one should blindly believe. A Christian's faith should rest on evidence, although the evidence isn't always conclusive or exhaustive..

One other thing people have told me is that I need to give my life over to Jesus. How does one do that? I feel like there has to be a deeper explanation to this instead of “just give your life over to Jesus”. I’d love to know how you do that.

You have to be truly repentant and understand your need for a Saviour. You have to be willing to be Jesus's disciple and obey him, to be willing to do what he says here in Luke:

Luk 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (ESV)

To deny yourself is to submit to Jesus entirely and die to yourself, to your own will, and surrender to God's will every day. It is to let God have control of your life, as well as being willing to literally die for your faith in Jesus. That latter part isn't likely to happen in the West, but it is entirely possible. The point is that one must be willing.

Luk 9:24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luk 9:25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Luk 9:26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (ESV)

I’m fully aware that I am sinner. I’m not a good person at all and believe that I do need a Savior. This is where my doubt comes in for Jesus though and his Resurrection. Reading the gospels, it seems all over the place to me and hard to believe. My mind can’t comprehend someone being resurrected. Also, Luke’s gospel is a little strange. He just ends it on verse 8 with very little detail of proof of his resurrection. I know some bibles have a longer ending but it’s not in the earliest manuscript.

I think you mean Mark, but yeah, Mark is an interesting book. There is a theory that the way he wrote, it actually was meant as a play, to teach the gospel, and ends with a cliff-hanger. It actually does seem to read that way, as you should notice a lot of uses of words such as "immediately." This is actually quite good:

I haven't watched all the parts. Just remember that each gospel was written for a particular audience for a particular purpose, so there will be differences, some big, some small.

The resurrection is tough for me to believe.

What do you find tough? If God exists and if God created everything that has come into being, including humans, then raising a body from the dead is easy. It is entirely consistent with the biblical God and with every other miracle, including the virgin birth, which really is the miracle of miracles.

Virtually all theologians and historians, whether atheist or Christian, and except Muslim, believe that Jesus was crucified. There is mainly only disagreement on whether or not he rose from the dead. This is one of those necessary doctrines, since, as Paul says, if Christ wasn't raised, then we are still in our sins and to pitied most of all people (1 Cor 15:12-19).

But, when one works through the possible scenarios, the best explanation, which is often what theology (like many fields) comes down to, is that the tomb really was empty because Jesus rose from the dead.

Thanks! I do need to study more and be in the Bible more, so it’s something I plan on doing.

I get it, it is a lot of work; that is why many Christians don't do it, and then wonder why they have stagnated. There is so much material in the Bible and a seemingly infinite amount of extra-biblical sources such as commentaries and dictionaries. It can be hard to get going, with paths going every which way, and it will take time to come to understand the different positions on things--some legitimate, some not--but it is worth it in the end.

I’ve recently been watching Wes Huff as well. I love how he breaks it down and gives us perspective on the culture based on when the books were written. I was someone who listened to Billy Carson once and immediately got worried that Christianity was a lie. I was glad to see Wes point out a lot of his “misunderstandings” in that debate.

I hadn't heard of Billy Carson until Wes released videos of the "debate." Yeah, Billy was way off on a lot of things. There are a large number of theologians and scholars that could have debunked Billy's claims. I'm glad someone finally did and that it was someone as sharp as Wes.

I appreciate the feedback and information! Thank you.

You're welcome.

 

[WIP]

Adding to my last post a little bit here are some things that I do.

I attend Sunday worship services as much as I can. I also attend other gatherings for prayer or Bible study at a local Bible camp a few times each year. Every Tuesday morning I attend a prayer breakfast sponsored by another local church. I am a member of Gideons International and we meet every Saturday morning for a prayer breakfast plus I get involved with other Gideon events as well as Bible distributions. I also try to spend a little time each morning in prayer, thanking God for everything in my life although I could certainly expand in this area.

On January 1, every year for about the last 8 years or so, I make it a point to either read or listen to the entire Bible from beginning to end. I find it easier to listen to it because when I try to read it, I struggle to stay awake. That has nothing to do with it being the Bible but just reading in general puts me to sleep. My favorite audio version is found at Biblegateway.com and is a dramatized version based on the NIV translation.

One thing that stands out is that every time I do this, I learn something new or something seems to jump out at me. One of those things is God's desire for us to know Him, to truly and deeply know Him.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[D2255]

I recommend shepherds chapel. They're on you tube. The pastor teaches sound doctrine. Amos chapter 8. We're in time of famine. Many people will be hard pressed to find pastor who teaches sound doctrine. It's up to you what ever you decide. I offered honest advice. take care.

 

[miamited]

Hey JackB03

Unfortunately, I just feel dread, depression, anxiety, and worry. I think society today is even worse with so many people disagreeing with one another and there is sooo much information, I don’t know what to believe. I’ve been praying hard, begging for God to show me the truth and that I want a relationship. I’ve got nothing.

Well, without the Lord and the Spirit to guide us and teach us, we are likely to feel dread concerning a lot of what is going on in the world. But for those who have studied the Scriptures, what we see happening in the world is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus' return is likely very near. By that I mean in the next 30-40 years or so, but that's not a promise from me.

But the falling away into sin is something that Jesus spoke of. He encouraged us to persevere. He spoke of a day coming when the love of most will grow cold. I believe that he was speaking of the love that believers claim to have for him. Paul wrote of a great apostasy, a falling away of the church. And the letters to the churches found in the opening of the Revelation of Jesus are real letters making real claims about real activities going on among the people of his church.

But as to what you should believe? Believe both God's testimony to you and Jesus' testimony to you. Those are the only sources from which we can know that it is the truth. God cannot lie and neither will Jesus. When speaking of our place being established in God's Kingdom, he said that if it were not so he would have told us so.

Now, from reading your post, you sound like someone who is on the fence. Let me encourage you to study Daniel chapter 9. God told His people Israel that they can know the true God through prophecy. That is the test that God has given us to assure ourselves that He exists, and He is truthful to us.

Open up your copy of God's word and begin reading Daniel's testimony of the visitation that he received from the angel Gabriel concerning the 70 sevens (Daniel 9:20-27). As you read, ask yourself these questions and find out the answers:

When did Daniel live?
When did Daniel die?
When was the decree spoken of issued?
Was the city built in troublous times?
When would the 69 sevens, that speak of Jesus being with us and being cut off, end?

Finally, after you have gathered all that information, simply ask yourself, "How did Daniel know these things?" Who could have possibly told him such things that were fulfilled down to the very year of the prophecies completion of the 69 sevens? Trust me, if you work that out, there will be no doubt in your mind that God exists. That His testimony to us is true.

If I can be of further help feel free to PM me if you have other questions.

God bless you as you seek Him. His promise is that He will be found by those who earnestly seek Him.

 

[LOOKING]

God is constantly in contact with us, but we are not in contact with ourselves. We are always trying to change who we really are, hiding behind our fears, our insecurity, our shame, and not being true to ourselves. This is why Jesus said:

Mark 10:15
"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Children are very bad at hiding their intentions or hiding their personality. They always show who they truly are—good or bad, they never betray their true nature, and they never lie in spirit. This is why they are nearer to God: because they are always nearer to themselves.

Sadly, we live in a society built on hiding intentions, so your path is not easy because everything around you moves in the opposite direction. This is why... Matthew 10:16.

Summarizing: If you want a relationship with God, you must first have a relationship with yourself. You will not reach God by changing yourself but by discovering who you really are. There are good and bad things in you—find them, accept them, and integrate them into your personality.

What religion is the truth? Am I understanding the Bible correctly? These are the questions I constantly ask myself.

When Jesus was asked by Pilate, "What is truth?" Jesus remained silent. Behind this silence lies a universe.
Truth is not knowledge but an experience. The experience of truth can only be given by God. We are completely incapable of fully understanding the truth. Pretending to know the truth is like pretending to move the moon—this is entirely beyond your (or my) abilities.

Religious texts, however, offer many valid interpretations. This is one of the mysteries of religion: there is not a single meaning but many different meanings, all of which can be equally valid. That said, there are deeper meanings and more superficial ones.

How can we believe the Bible? Looking at this from a historical factor, these books were written years later. How do they know EXACTLY what Jesus said? I can’t remember what I ate a week ago…

Globally, what is said about Jesus is historically correct, matches a specific historical period, and shows no signs of forgery. I mean, if you are going to doubt Jesus, then we might as well start doubting Julius Caesar, Plato, Khufu (Kheops), or Moses. Do we know all the details of their lives? No. It’s likely we believe incorrect things about Khufu or Julius Caesar, but that does not make them any less real. The same applies to Jesus.

Be careful, because there is a lot of disinformation on the internet. Specific pressure groups attempt to cast doubt on everything related to Jesus and religion due to certain political, economic, and social interests that have nothing to do with truth, rights, or freedom. These are merely Trojan horses designed to spread toxic ideas among the public.

We are in the information age, and we must be extremely cautious with information today. You can't invent a character like Jesus without being like Jesus yourself.