Death is Defeated

[theEndIsNear]

The Jews led the christians astray , they firstly never accepted jesus declared him a false prophet amongst other things far worse 

then they wrote books with their own hands gave it to the christians to control them and till this day believing Jesus as a god goes hand in hand with believing Jews are gods chosen people 

so they tricked the christians three times , one that they rejected Jesus, two that they created a religion control the christians and three that’s they brainwashed them and drummed into their heads how the Jews are chosen despite that they openly reject Jesus 

funny how christians don’t see a conflict of interest in the last of those two, they’re very gullible and naive and not very questioning of what they’re told , just accept it blindly 

Edited June 10, 2021 by theEndIsNear

[Abdul-Hadi]

On 5/25/2021 at 8:18 AM, Dave follower of The Way said:

Each morning when I wake up I kneel in the very presence of the almighty creator of the universe. I confess my failings, and shame and know his complete forgivness and acceptence into his family.  I spend time talking with God about my family and friends laying before him their different situations.  I then read the Holy Scriptures and listen to God speaking into my daily experience his words of comfort, challenge and correction.

See, the thing is that I used to do all of this. Seriously, every day. I did it because I wanted to feel the things that you say you feel, but I never did. I wanted more than anything else in the world, to be like those Christian kids I went to school with and have that "personal relationship with Jesus", to the point where I must have "gotten saved" at least 20 times, but nothing ever changed for me. I went to the youth groups, youth conferences like Acquire the Fire, I bought the devotionals, the "Xtreme teen bibles" and had the CDs by Skillet, The Benjamin Gate, and Pax217. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I never heard God speaking directly to me until I was about 25, in that I heard "God's voice" audibly... but I also heard Satan's voice audibly, and then we realized that I have schizoaffective disorder and I had to go to an institution to get help for a few months. I am still on meds now and no longer "hear god's (or satan's) voice" and I like it this way.

I said all the prayers, "Invited Jesus Into My Heart™" and did all of these things. I read the Bible like crazy, and still none of it felt real. It wasn't until a few years ago that I simply gave up and began looking into Islam, which with my limited knowledge of it, seemed to answer my questions much better than Christianity did. I'm not saying that none of this is real to you, it's probably very real to you. The problem was that it was never real to me. I never had that joy, peace, fruits-of-the-spirit that other people had. I never had the things that I desperately wanted more than anything else in the world and then when I began to read about the Bible, the history of how Christianity developed, it absolutely crushed me because it cemented in my mind that none of it was objectively true, and this was something that I had been trying to base my entire life and existence around since the 9th grade.

I didn't fail at Christianity, Christianity failed at me.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Abdul-Hadi

[Dave follower of The Way]

On 6/9/2021 at 12:44 PM, Guest Azrael said:

And your not consistent, nothing can be hidden from God. 

Thank you for making these comments and for your extened (and edited) quote from Clement which is suposed to be teachings of Peter but never recognized by the church as authentic.

Yes nothing can be hidden from God, but how many of us try to hide from him?  That was what Adam and Eve tried.  They felt shame about what they had done and wanted to avoid God.  Isn't this how many of us feel when we think about God and his purity and perfectness?  We are covered in shame and our response is to want to hide.  Maybe that is what death is about - hiding from God.  How does God defeat death?  He opens the way for us to stand in his pure holy presence without shame.

On 6/9/2021 at 7:42 PM, dragonxx said:

Explain how this differs from the other Prophets God sent, such as Adam, also being a manifestation from God? Are they not equally "manifestations" in the sense you are conveniently using it above?

Thanks for picking up on how I uesed the word "manifest".  I see Jesus as very different from the other prophets.  Their teaching and words of inspiration and sometimes some of the events in their lives explained God's truth.  However Jesus the Messiah in his enirety was God among us showing God to human beings through ALL he did, said and taught. 

In Jesus the Messiah we see God teaching about his unconditional love and his expectaions for those who follow him.  We see God practically caring for the excluded and marginalized and making friends with 'sinners' giving these people value and identity.  In his death and resurrection we see God facing and embracing the universal enemy: death, suffering and evil and coming out the otherside victorious.  He invites us on this journey with him to share his life of love and hope.

[Dave follower of The Way]

On 6/9/2021 at 8:19 PM, Guest Azrael said:

now the fact that you say three are DISTINCT and share the same essence shows that you worship three gods and by saying they co-eternal affirms this. Then this yous start contradicting yourselves falling into all sorts of heresies and not being consistent, God made up of three parts, Modalism (both types), separationism, tritheism, and having 4 gods, a group known as “God”.

I admire your willingness to enage in a stand against the teaching of the Bible and the church down the centuries.  I see that you have put a lot of work into trying to understand and explain God with your limited human mind.  I'm afraid that I don't have the time to answer all of your points and I'm sure that a long complexly argued post won't be read. 

A number of your comments show that you haven't read what I have previously posted

On 5/25/2021 at 4:05 PM, Dave follower of The Way said:

I agree that one person would not be able to save all humanity.  Firstly, because every person has their own burned to bear and be saved from.  Secondly a human is weak and limited.  Jesus the Messiah meets both of those criteria.  Firstly, he didn’t have his own burden to carry so he was free to rescue others.  Secondly, Jesus the Messiah is the infinite, unlimited God with no boundaries or limitations.  This means that his actions are sufficient for each person in all places and at all times.  His action in saving me does not reduce the amount of saving power he has, so he is still able to save you, and all others who call on him, without diminishing his infinite resources.

Your explination of the story of the Loving Father from Luke 15 is very interesting

On 6/9/2021 at 8:19 PM, Guest Azrael said:

God’s door of mercy: 

In verse 20 young man’s father saw him from afar and had compassion for the young man. Like wise God has compassion for those who have made the intention to turn back to God and is willing to embrace them.

The father representing God runs to embrace his son and doesn't alow him to finish his prepared speech.  He honours the son and makes a proclamation.  My son who was dead is now alive, he was lost and is now found.  There is no hint that the son said he wouldn't run away again (judge 2 story).  His return is completly dependent on his father's grace and mercy.  And he recieved over and above what he expected.

Isn't this what we want from God?  We recognise our short comings and the shame in our lives and as we turn to God we recognise that he has been there all along waiting for us with open arms ready to cover our shame and restore us unconditionally to a place of honour; to join with him at the family table.  We were dead - separate from God - and he makes us alive by calling us sons and daughters and sitting us at his table of welcome and acceptence.

I'm enjoying that party!  I hope you are too.