I have become an agnostic.

No, the "trick" is that everyone is destined for destruction, and God has provided a way for the end to not be destruction.

I'm sorry to hear you've decided God doesn't exist. I'm glad that his existance isn't dependent upon your ideas, but sad to know that you choose denial.

If you ever decide you really want to discuss this, not for the purpose of debate but for discussion, feel free to email me at the address in my profile.

 

Not sure what the last post is about. I may be a big kibbitzer.

"...how can we be accountable for something over which we have no control?"

There is only one thing for which we have to account: what have we done with Jesus? God in His grace and mercy has taken care of that shortcoming too: He gives the faith to believe.

One must be born again--Jesus takes care of that too.

We have no excuses!!!

Go back to John Ch. 1; let it sink in; then go to John Ch. 3. Let Jesus in this time.

Selah,

Bro. James

 

Actually Travelsong,

it would be far better for you to connect with someone who is NOT going through this struggle right now, but rather has overcome it and gone on to real faith in Christ.

Those who are struggling with this are exactly the people who should NOT be talking with you.

 

"I gave it a heck of a run"-- by whose estimation?

There is only one truthful statement we can make using the pronoun "I" : "I" am totally depraved.

When God brings us to that point we quit using the ego pronoun altogether. God calls, convicts, saves, and keeps. He does not need any help from us. Is that not wonderful?

What have we done with Jesus?

Now what?

Selah,

Bro. James

 

Truthfully,

I don't think this should be a forum where you are allowed to connect with others who may be weak in their faith and drag them down further. If you wish to do that, then you should purchase a domain name, and create an agnostic website. That is not the purpose of this website. The purpose of this website is supposed to be for Christian fellowship and to exalt the name of Christ. If you cannot do that, then perhaps, you should:

A. Stick to non-religious, secular topics such as politics where there could be some common ground.

or

B. Stick to reading the threads here and not posting.

I am sorry about this new event in your life and I will pray that God will save you and show you grace and mercy.

Bro. James,

Amen!

Joseph Botwinick

 

I can hear it now ...

"see what happens when you listen to that ungodly contemporary music"

Travelsong -- amidst your journey don't forget the relentless pursuit of God's grace and love.

 

Well Travelsong good luck. I am not sure if you are still reading your post but I will leave you with one thing that I had told a homeless man one time when I lived in California.

I told him that I would rather struggle with God than without God.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that you do not know and understand the God of creation, the one portrayed in scripture. For one, God does not hold you accountable (just like a parent would) for the things you cannot control. He expects you to mature as a child grows to be an adult. What you are experiencing is a heavy-handed nonsensical judgmental theology that is not in scripture. You are focusing on yourself and not Christ. When you focus on self all you see is you. When you focus on Christ you see Him. If a teacher spent all of his time on what the students knew he would focus on how litle the students knew but if he focused on teaching then they would learn and help them to learn more and grow.

To escape the fact that God is gracious yet judges is to escape the fact that God is God. As a parent I am gracious to my child yet correct her when she does wrong for her betterment not mine. So God does the same. When we are close to God there is a peace and understanding of how much God loves and how He desires nothing more than for us to go on the right path. The right path is without resistance from those who want to mislead us but it is peaceful with God.

Hebrews 12 talks about how God's discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

A child must be disciplined to get to the point where he can function without parental correction and have self discipline. Without self discipline he will be unrestrained. If he becomes like that to a degree where he becomes undisciplined the police will take care of that business to ensure the safety of society.

One cannot judge Christianity solely by its followers but by its leader-Christ.

 

From the westminster confession:

v. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave, for a season, his own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled;(t) and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.(u) (t) 2Chron. 32:25,26,31; 2Sam. 24:1 (u) 2Cor. 12:7-9; Ps. ch. 73; 77:1-12; Mk. 14:66-72 with John 21:15-17.

 

I did, though only for a brief time, when I was younger.

No apology necessary. You're welcome here any time you like. Actually, it's probably us who owe you an apology. It's our job to encourage people, and we frequently fail to do that. You are welcome here 100%, and we invite you to stay and chat with us any time you like.