christians? - Page 7

Then why does it happen through focussing on God rather than focussing on tried? If it was really a matter of telepathy then I should be able to think the tiredness away but when I think about the tiredness or about being awake I can only feel more tired. There is a direct connection between thinking about God and an improved way of perception.

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That overwhelming feeling of peace or strength is the confidence you would feel if you knew you weren't truly alone in your endeavors.

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Exactly my point. I am not alone in anything that I do because the power behind the universe, God, is there with me.

'For the better'

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i know what to do... BUT my actions still arent what they should be

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In Romans 7 & 8 Apostle Paul says the same thing. But goes on to explain that it is only through the Holy Spirit that comes once we accept Jesus that we can be begin to change this.

Dont be so hard on yourself! You have already figured out that it is impossible to change ourselves. Jesus is the only one that can truly transform us.

[/quote]Jesus is the only one that can truly transform us.[quote]

i'm sorry i have to reject this. how did jesus do as God told Him? by God. Is God so closed to have a persoal secretary? there is nothing between me and God; only if i want it to be, which I don't. Have a real revelation tonight; not one written.

Jesus (The Son), The Father and the Holy Spirit are part of the God Head (the Trinity).

It is through Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross that our relationship with God the Father is restored. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. (This is why we are called Temples of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor 3:16 & 1 Cor 6:19).

Our Transformation comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and Transform us.

I have seen the transformation in my own life. I was full of anger and hate. I spent many a Friday night after work getting drunk to full the void of emptyness in my life. The questions of who I was and why I was put on this planet haunted me.

When someone showed me this Jesus and I encountered him as I started going to Church and reading the Bible, something inside of me knew without a doubt that this was what I had been searching for. I didnt have all the answers but I knew that Jesus really had died for my sins.

Since then my life has been transformed. My friends and family have noticed a remarkeble change. The anger and hate have gone as I have learned forgiveness. Peace has come upon my life. I no longer find it neccessary to get drunk. This is the transformed life that one can have. It is not a flick of the switch transfomation but it is a process only possible by Jesus's work on the cross.

...it is a process only possible by Jesus's work on the cross.

wrong. jesus was a ray to tell the truth. his belief was just that he had no doubt. his belief was not belief but nowledge.he knew he could;

shakespeare said;

To be, or not to be; that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them.

ask and thou shall receive

Tell me,
If Jesus was purly an ordinary man and died on the cross so other might follow him. How would he know if people actually followed him after his death?

Unless you are God or have certainty that you are going to heaven then dying so others might follow you is a complete waste of time!!

Without the cross, Christians have no message or basis for their faith.

i am a devout Roman Catholic however not the church(as in that building) church was meant to be the people not the place.

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The God you think about is truly the same God we all believe in

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This is a politically correct view. In concept and practice it is designed to neutralize the power of religion by making all religions one. Subscribing to this 'open-minded ' view actually limits your ability to perceive who God is. Because God is given the generic description of 'everything' you now do not have to think about God anymore because it is taken for granted that He is there. Not only there but too big to understand and you our encouraged not to try. Those who try to challenge this view of God are considered to be limiting God.

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I did not say that all deities are wrong, I said no particular one is the be all and end all representation.

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That is political correctness. One can neither be right nor wrong they simply are. and this stops us from asking questions.

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you'd be able to feel spiritual in more situation if you don't limit yourself to one particular system of beliefs.

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Incorrec. How many soccer players train themselves to be better soccer players by practising all sports equal? However if they focus their efforts on training for one sport they become much more effective. Same goes with religion you cannot learn all of them effectively and you compromise the integrity of the ones you do learn

It does not make logical sense that all religions are true. It is possible for all religions to be wrong but it is not possible for all to be true.

If Christianity is true then no other religion is true.
If Buddha was right then the Christian God does not exist.
If Mohammad was right then the Chrisitan God does not exist and Jesus was wrong.
It is like telling one persion that my car is green and then saying to someone else that it is blue!

All Truth claims are exclusive.

If you take bits and pieces from all religions then you are making a religion made by yourself. Where is the power in that?

How do these religious threads get so long? I got as far as Decius explination of Christianity - he pretty much got it right, hilighting the guilt.

It is my believe that what Christianity is, isn't what Christianity was before the dark ages. What Christianity was, well we really don't know. Peter was made the piller so Saten could not destroy it, so many believe what was is, because it couldn't be destroyed. But I believe what was, was already taken and then came the dark ages.

Concerning the old testament and the law of moses that no one could follow - this law was given to us from the false God goes the teaching of most of the gnostics who were put to death because of this belief.

But when you compare the old testament with the teachings of Jesus, they are so different. Then we are told that God does not change. You figure it out, but I think the Gnosics had something and it was too bad they were put to death for it.

I don't have a religion or church, but I figure if I do as Jesus says as best as I can, it will be alright.

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But when you compare the old testament with the teachings of Jesus, they are so different.

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What is different? The New testiment is the fulfilment of the old testiment. The Old testiment prophets and laws revealed the coming of Christ. If you miss that you miss the gospel message.

The law was not given to make bad people good, it was to reveal the need for a saviour.

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if I do as Jesus says as best as I can, it will be alright.

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what do you mean by alright?

Pete - I know what you believe, I've learned all that before.

There are things in the old testament that you would not find in the new testament, and then then there are things in the new testament that are questionable. Like someone dropping dead because they didn't contribute their fair share.

Jesus said that I have come to complete the law, but I'm not sure we're looking at the same law Jesus was looking at when he said that.

In the old testament God tells his people to go to war and leave no women or children alive.

In the new testament we are told that peace makers will be called children of God.

That's a big difference.

In a dream I was told that God takes us like a ball clay and makes us unto himself. Based on that dream, I have no doubt about my salvation. Though I have no idea howGod is going to save me, I just have no doubt in it. But it might be a good idea to follow the teachings of Jesus as best as I can.

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In the old testament God tells his people to go to war and leave no women or children alive.

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Historically the only reason to keep women and children alive was for sexual gratification and slavery. The reason God wanted them all wiped out is because they hold the ability to reproduce armies that God would have destroyed. When King Saul was sent to completely destroy the Amalekites it was to prevent them from causing destruction later but incidentally Saul let some Amalekites live and he in turn was killed by an Amalekite.

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In the new testament we are told that peace makers will be called children of God

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The New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old therefore the times of great wars are over and now it is a different war. Before the wars fought were with weapons because evil had to be physically removed. Now, however, evil is removed on a spiritual level and so the style of battle has changed to that of calm prayer rather then bloodshed.

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Like someone dropping dead because they didn't contribute their fair share.

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Ananias and Sapphira were not killed because they didn't give enough money; in fact they were not obligated to give any money at all. Their sin was trying to lie to God by saying they gave all the money rather than just a portion of it, this was done out of pride because they felt it would give them better status.