My Personal Crisis of Faith

Originally posted by grayeagle
I join your saints through the ages crying out for mercy and justice. However, it is getting harder for me to imagine a merciful god who would command the utter destruction of men, women and children by the sword as spoken in the Old Testament. Can your justice really be doled out in excruciating fear and pain? Defenseless children destroyed because of their parent’s sin? How can that be justice?

I just don’t get it!

Lord I don’t understand your mercy. I can’t ignore the contradictions anymore. The world is so full of hunger and pain. The poor we will have with us forever? Really? I have seen first hand what suffering surrounds poverty. Can you really allow that to continue and yet be a merciful God? And why?

A crisis of faith? Yes!

Your questions have amazing answers to them, it is the time for the truth to be made known and if the asker remains humble and contrite, the truth will be received with glory to God.

The answers will come one at a time to allow for the wisdom to be received cleanly.

God has a plan for the salvation of all of mankind that has ever lived and died. The shortest summary of this plan is understood by the 7 days of the re-creation of the Earth to be turned into a place where mankind could florish as a physical creation.

6 days God laboured in re-creating the Earth, and on the 7th day God rested.

We now see in Exodus the establishment of the 4th commandment (the sign/mark of God).

Ex 20
"Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God:"

and also in 2 Peter we find.

2 Peter 3
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

By seeing both of these verses in spirit and in truth God reveals the basic summary of His perfect 7000 (plus the Great White Thrown Judgement of 100 years) year plan for the salvation of mankind.

6000 years shall mankind labour at his own works (governments, religions, cultures, habits, deeds etc.) but the 7th 1000 years (millenial reign of Jesus Christ on Earth) belongs to God and the Kingdom of God (Elohim).

You see, the first 6000 years are NOT the time of salvation for the vast majority of mankind, it was created/established to allow mankind to live as he sees fit, choose what he thinks is right or wrong and try to live by that moral determination. And then, as a result of human nature (carnal = way of get = physical) being created intentionally against the way of God (spiritual = way of give = self sacrificial) we sin, and the penalty for sin is death as mentioned over 50 times in scripture.

But death is not the end of God's plan for His future family (Elohim).

After the 7000 years have ended (after the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ has ended) a great resurrection to physical life a second time occurs for all mankind that has not entered into Elohim by that point. Countless billions of all those men, women and childern that never knew God's truth or learned God's way of life will be born again physically in what scripture refers to as "The Great White Thrown Judgment" and they will live a second physical life, without the possibility of death prior to God judging the individual mind in a fair, just and awesome manner.

Mankind's nature is evil, we were created physical so that this would be our nature by perfect design, so that God can transform the mind from carnal and selfish to spiritual and unselfish through trial and subsiquent growth.

Only 144,000 individual minds over the course of the last 6000 years have been worked with directly with God to become part of the firstfruits of salvation upon the return of Jesus Christ. All others that have died will be part of the second physical ressurection at the end of the millenium.

The reason God commanded the physical nation of Israel to destroy the pagans of Canaan was because there death in this age was MORE merciful then their lives would have been. The culture of these peoples when God commanded this action were that of sun god worship. They killed there own children and would bake their bones in the foundations of new homes for "good luck" they would sacrifice their children in giant bonfires to appease their pagan lords etc.

Sin over time is more damaging then sin over a short time. It is more merciful, knowing all will be ressurected to physical life a second time in an age designed for the salvation of the vast majority of mankind, to kill one in this age, then to allow them to master evil over the course of a corrupted life. knowing the plan of God is where His eternal mercy is seen in these actions, God's weekly Sabbath and yearly Holy Days are what teaches his people that plan.

The evils in this world are from selfish mankind being allow to live as he sees fit in this age, not God

To be continued...

God Bless,

reply to post by AfterInfinity


AfterInfinity....hello....and to answer your question, "why" do I do it? I do it....because it is my nature. It is what feels right to me....by doing my best towards others.
I'm sure many do it for themselves...like an insurance policy....if I am good I will go to Heaven, etc.
You sure can't tell a truly good person by looking....it has to come from their actions, behaviour etc. Eventually the fakes and phonies lose their cool (and their cover) and their true nature comes out.
From a young age I had the ability to put myself in someone else's shoes, and see it from their perspective....so I usually could 'understand' and didn't judge. (sorry...this was supposed to be short, lol.....*backing out of room*...)
jacygirl

reply to post by jacygirl


But that means you don't HAVE to be religious or anything...religion isn't required to be good for the sake of goodness...

Originally posted by grayeagle
“Saved by faith not by works,” but “faith without works is dead,” appear to cancel each other out. I know the standard church explanation for this paradox but I am uncomfortable with it. I have come to know I am totally incapable of changing myself or of saving myself! My greatest works would never be enough! I have believed the fruit of the spirit and the gifts of god are all manifested and directed by the power of your holy spirit. If faith isn’t enough then I have no hope! I feel like I have become one of the bleached skeletons lying amidst others in the dust. Will your spirit breathe life back into me? Back into them? The Bible speaks of such an event. I pray so!

Faith is required to begin the spiritual journey out of spiritual Egypt (slavery to sin) and into spiritual Jerusalem (way of life that leads to peace). Faith is how you come to beleive what you read in scripture and apply in your life, by faith.

By faith you are fogiven of sins, because you have faith in the Passover sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the remission of them. By faith in Jesus Christ you are cleansed from sin, this is how you are saved by faith, because like you said no one is perfect and all have sin in them that must be gotten rid of.

If you have repented from sin, and if you have been baptized into the Body of Christ (Church of God) and if you have received the laying on of hands from an ordained member of the Body, then God almighty will dwell in your mind (spirit). God actually gives you a small portion of His spirit in your mind. The presense of the spirit of God (Holy Spirit, because it belongs to God) in your mind requires growth (good works), it requires you to sacrifice self for others and thus you will automatically produce fruit (works), if you sin; God will not dwell in sin and you will be cutoff from the flow of His spirit in your mind.

If you have faith you have the potential for salvation, for without it you have none.

But If you are living God's way of life, you will automatically produce good works. You can have faith but not be repenting fully of sin, in this case your life (the spirit of God dwelling in you) is dead (cutoff from God due to unrepented sin).

You are saved by faith in the perfect plan of God for your salvation.
But faith without living God's way of life (works) is dead, for without works God cannot continue to dwell in you.

To be continued...

God Bless,

reply to post by AfterInfinity


That's true! Also....being a "religious" person doesn't always mean 'good' person.
If they are believing things to be true, but not backing it up with their actions....then they are really just hypocrites, right?
(I'm sorry....I seriously think I've sort of hijacked the original thread, and my original train of thought seems to have been derailed (lol)...so I'm going to just stop for now).
jacygirl
(I apologize....not usually such a ditz.....

Thank all of you for so many shared concerns and good wishes. First off let me assure you that I am not blaming God for anything. I know and have seen the absolute darkness of men's evil hearts. I am questioning him because I don't get it. I am not the first nor will I be the last person to wonder what is going on. I realize a number of you have very strong confident ideas about what is going on and what I should or shouldn't be doing, even questioning my salvation. My faith is very personal to me based on and being formed by time, experience and prayer. I posted out of frustration! I keep looking for the promised transformation of God's people, to actually see the manifestation of the son's of God. What I do see is that people are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. I see the love of most growing cold. I see sons and daughters turned against their parents. Am I alone in that observation? I am not alone in asking God how much longer? Thank you for your inputs and understand I appreciate them whether I agree with them or not. It is in the context of relationship that real change can take place.

reply to post by grayeagle

What I do see is that people are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Why is it everyone thinks that if you don't love "God" and "God" only, you're blasphemous, a sinner, and you're going to hell for not having the grace to throw yourself on your face and give thanks for living in hell on earth every time the name is mentioned?

reply to post by grayeagle


Awww gray eage....NO, you're not wrong. We see what you see, as far as the downward spiral of society goes....
And by the way, you shouldn't apologize for what you wrote (and feel). It was well written....obviously not without much soul-searching and mind searching. (an existential crisis is no joke.....it can be a sad and lonely time).
We are all at different places though. Some still have blind faith...some are starting to question....some have turned completely away. I didn't mean it to sound like a process, wherein one belief is right and one is wrong....I just meant that beliefs are personal...sometimes changing....and often confusing.
Somehow....you have to keep on being you, and it sounds like the "new" you is just as loving and comforting as the "old" version of you.
jacygirl

reply to post by AfterInfinity
I love what God represents, his very nature. All those things that cause me, a stranger, to care about you. To be unselfish, to be kind, etc. I believe you feel and sense it as well that there is something significantly wrong with this world. I am glad that I am uncomfortable with it. I am also glad that you are uncomfortable with it and that the rest of you are as well! This could be the wake up call for the sons and daughters!

reply to post by AfterInfinity


Geez, that was a little harsh wasn't it?
I don't think he meant it that black and white....and c'mon, you have to admit that a large portion of society has gone consumer crazy...buy!buy!buy!
(There are even tv shows about 'hoarders'....some of whom just can't stop buying and acquiring....things).
Family values....gone (or going)....everyone on their own electronic device...everyone in debt for stuff they don't need....?jacygirl

reply to post by grayeagle

Originally posted by grayeagle

Why would man’s sin condemn him to eternal pain? Eternal pain and suffering? To what end? Surely it would not be something you need to satisfy a need for revenge. I believe many people have died since Jesus died and never heard the gospel. Would you really exact eternal pain to those who have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior because they haven’t heard the gospel? With your supreme power and all of your resources available to you is eternal pain and suffering the only option? I have heard man’s explanation for it but it troubles my soul.

I would take no solace in knowing my enemies were suffering forever and I can’t believe you would either. What satisfaction would that bring? You are described as being long suffering, not willing that anyone should perish. If you save me then I ask that you save them as well. For I have sinned as grievously. I have coveted and lusted. I have hated and lied.

Man's sin does not condemn him to eternally being punished. The idea of Hell in this context is a lie from Satan, designed to make you think in this exact manner towards an all merciful God.

"the penalty for sin is death" - over 50 times in scripture

NOT

"the penalty for sin is eternally being punished in some weird spiritual place with fire (even though you are spirit...) where little red guys run around poking you in the rear."

God is all mercy.

Sin is the transgretion of God's law. The punishment for sin is death. All mankind has sinned therefore all mankind will die. The only exception was Jesus Christ who had to die even though he never sinned, that is the very means by which he qualified as the redeemer. He paid the penalty (death) for a crime he did not commit (no sin in him).

When you die, in this age of mankinds self rule. You die. Your body returns to the earth (ashes to ashes) and your mind (spirit) has no life in it. It is however preserved for a future time when it will be placed in a physical body a second time at the Great White Thrown ressurection after the 1000 years of Jesus Christ. That is the plain truth about what happens after death for a vast majority of mankind.

All mankind will be given a second physical life. During that time all your memories of this age will remain with you, they will serve as the greatest contrast between mankind's way of life (look at the world around you we created apart from God) and God's way of life, to be lived in your second physical life. That is the time for salvation for most of mankind, NOT now.

There is however a final judgement, after the Great White Thrown age and after all mankind has been given all the facts with which to make a righteous decision. If, after living a second physical life in God's age, you will always yield to God's rule in your life, you will be Elohim and join God's family with Jesus Christ, if you choose to refuse to repent of sin, then you will cease to exist. The lake of fire in not eternally punishing, it is a punishment that will last forever, never to have life again, but to cease to exist in any state from that moment forward, for the good of Elohim and universal peace on into eternity.

Satan wants you to see a destorted version of God, but it is a lie and all truth will be known in God's perfect timing.

To Be Continued...

God Bless,

reply to post by grayeagle

That's not a crisis. That's the beginning of an emancipation.

reply to post by jacygirl

I sense you are a very tender and caring person. When I encounter someone with your spirit I am almost instantly at peace and feel safe. To remain soft and not become hardened by what we see in the world is a difficult task so when I meet someone like you I rejoice inside. Stay soft so that your heart can receive others in their needs is my prayer for myself and others.

Originally posted by grayeagle
Hear my cry o Lord and attend unto my prayer, restore to me the joy of my salvation. I will try to believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is my lord and savior. Beyond that I am at a loss for words.

This is the "Day of the Lord", now is the time your cries will be heard, it only matters what you do with God's truth when received. God is revealing Himself to all mankind this year (Pentecost to Pentecost) if you have eyes to see and ears to hear, then witness God's will.

And just in time, for the Kingdom of God is upon us, the return is a few months away.

God Bless,

Originally posted by grayeagle
I keep looking for the promised transformation of God's people, to actually see the manifestation of the son's of God.

I am not alone in asking God how much longer?

The resurrection of the elect (144,000) occurs at the sounding of the 7th trumpet and on the last day of the age of mankind's self rule.

Pentecost 2013, Sunday May 19th, 2013.

It isn't meant to be received yet, but as this day (Pentecost to Pentecost) progresses forward, you will remember this revelation to the glory of God.

Your wait is almost over.

God Bless,

reply to post by grayeagle


Hello greyeagle

Lots of replies telling you what is and isn't. How you should believe or think.

20 years ago last month, I went through a similar crisis mostly due to my own personal misery but asking almost all the same questions, then some. I went to bed crying and begging god to take me home. That prayer wasn't answered of course.

Next morning I said another prayer prior to reading the bible. I asked God to show me the truth no matter where it took me. This prayer has been answered...well, sort of. I read the New Testament with new eyes and found a deeper meaning in some of the words...not what I had been taught. I also read alternative literature.

That was 20 years ago and I have delved into many subjects and still search. After all this time all I can say is that I know for certain that many things I believed are not true. In fact, I know more that isn't true than what is true. And that is okay. In fact, it is okay that I know I know nothing.

For me the crisis was necessary to get me to a point of asking the obvious questions. Many older belief systems speak of 'the dark night of the soul'. Perhaps it is true.

The one thing I do believe to be true, is that no one can tell you what is or is not. It has to be your own discovery for it to be meaningful.

I love the analogy of the quilt but my quilt is a little different. One thread at a time make the pieces of cloth and the different pieces of cloth are put together to make a quilt. My quilt is very incomplete.

Best wishes greyeagle.

Well, as it turns out, there is no "God" (whatever that's supposed to be), and all the stories that you were taught has a kid are just there to give you some kind of manufactured context to justify existence. In reality, existence is just a clever way DNA has found to replicate itself. Not for any particular reason. That's just what it does. Life is completely pointless. Life is pain with a few moments of joy here and there, but ultimately likely to end very badly. The good thing is, in the grand scheme of things, life is relatively short and it will all be over literally before you know it, because when you die, your contribution to the matrix of reality will collapse and essentially destroy your universe. You won't ever know you've been here. You won't be lonely. You'll just never have existed. So you get a little bit of revenge on the universe for putting you in such a lousy position.

I suppose you could think it's sad to think of it that way. Maybe it's better to live in a fool's paradise and think that there is some kind of justice in the world and benevolent creator/guide who has a kind afterlife waiting for you. It might help keep you slogging through the day-to-day misery. But that's only if you want to keep lying to yourself. It's ultimately your choice. Believe the happy lie, or just accept the cold, pointless, miserable truth.

reply to post by grayeagle


You're learning what it means to be truly faithful, and that is uncovering the truth and lies of your belief system.

I went through this struggle for 20 years. I firmly believe in God but now realize that all religion is about mind control. Spirituality is natural for us because we are spiritual beings. Earth is a prison and slave planet. Money, military and church keep the slaves in line. There are some sensible things in the bible but it has been rewritten to suit mind control of the inmates. The monsters want us to feel free, so that we will produce more for them. They want us to feel guilty and blame all of the injustice on ourselves and not the few that control the planet. They have been very successful in keeping things the way they want them. Despite all of the mind control, people are still pretty decent and understand right from wrong because it is our conscience that keeps us straight and not some ridiculous church dogma. I hope you can get free of the mind control because it is of no positive value to you or anyone. Your mission is to grow your aura, help others and create love. Nothing else is required of any of us. Be at peace.