Give me reason to stay a Christian or let it go??????Help?

Question

Someone please give me reason why I should or should not remain a Christian? Noah was a drunk and he went to heaven, David was all sorts of things and he went to heaven. I need not go on, in other words they were all sinners just like me. If God loves me so much why am I suffering so much? I am a good person, I love the Lord have served in ministry for 15 years and life is still so hard. Why?

God promises us He will take care of us, we will have life and have it more abundantly, but yet I have been given five years to live, what the heck is that? I have four young grandchildren and another on the way that I will never see graduate high school is the the thanks I get for being a faithful servant?

I am so sick of what I see Christians becoming, most are rude and vicious and it sickens me, Jesus was not this way. So someone give me reason to all this madness......

Answer 1

Thank you for sharing, I hear the sadness and pain your feeling because you'd like to see some rhyme and reason evident in your life and your faith but it seems to be missing. That's so tough!



Unfortunately, Proverbs is wrong and Ecclesiastes is right - God does not always reward the good or the faithful and punish the bad or unfaithful. In fact, God is not dispensing boons and banes at all. When we suffer, He suffers and when we thrive, He thrives.



You are experiencing a great deal of pain and suffering, especially over facing your mortality earlier than you want to or expected to - I think we all relate to that. Hell, the 33-year old Jesus yelled out from the cross "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" If God Himself was baffled and desperate at the suffering he faced, why would He expect anything different from you?



My suggestion is to focus on acting like the person you most want to be. If you have five years left, what will you do with them? Who will you help? What will you experience? Whose lives will you impact? What mark will you leave so that we know you were here and the world is better because of it?



Confusion, doubting, despair - these are normal responses to great suffering. In the thick of it, all you have to go on is what you sense, what you know in your heart to be true. If you know that whatever is out there is Love and that you are comforted by that, forget whatever else there is. You don't need to be the first person in history to settle the theological problem of pain in order to give your life meaning and purpose. You are meaningful already, just be that person you know you are meant to be and the rest will take care of itself.



I'm happy you are here among us and I am taking this moment to register in my memory and in my heart that your story has affected me.

Answer 2

Many people have been given a time limit left to live by their doctors, and many have overcome the odds. Some say it's due to faith, and others say it's due to the power and love within a family.



If you truly feel you love God and still want to serve Him through worship, you should continue to do so. Your faith may overcome the odds.



But regardless of this sentence you feel hanging over your head, you should continue to live your life to its fullest. Spend as much time with your children and grandchildren as you can. Don't put yourself away in solitude.



I know that some Christians seem like shallow, hostile people. I put a lot of the blame for that on capitalism. We have forgotten the values of our previous generations and exchanged it for new cars, new homes, the latest gadgets advertised on TV with their personal guarantee of making our lives 100% better. We try to keep up with our neighbors in terms of what we have materially, even if we can't really afford it. We become jealous and angry that our lives aren't as good as our neighbors'.



Though I admit that these last views I mentioned are my own, through being an agnostic for the better part of 10 years.



When I was attending church services when I was in my teens though, I was informed that we should hate the sin but love the sinner. That we are all sinners. That God forgives our sins. Those are comforting thoughts, actually.



If you truly believe in God and Christianity, you should hold onto it. Don't let the born-agains fool you into thinking they are holier than you are, and that their example is the best.

Answer 3

Who ever said being a chreistian was easy? No one did because that is exactly what it isn't. Being a christian isn't easy it never has been. The abundance of life thing is called life after death it doen't get anymore abundant that eternal. Yes many christians don't live the way they preach but that doesn't mean you have to be like that. If you don't like it do something about it or in words spoken by Gandi "be the change you want to see it the world." And about Noah being a drunk there is no proof what so ever. As for David yes he did make mistakes but he was human. Everyine makes mistakes it can't be avioded. He didn't run from his mistakes he admited his faults and was forgiven.

Answer 4

I am so sorry for your suffering. It is hard to answer why do bad things happen to good people..but this is not heaven.

We "serve" out of LOVE not hope of gifts. We are not of this world. Noah suffered, David, Job suffered yet still they loved God. Job said...Yeah though he slay me I will trust in the LORD.

No one will live forever! All we can do is enjoy the time that we have and not let bitterness ruin it. You have been given five years..Some will not draw another breath. Some think they will live 50, 60 more years..and will die tonight. We don't know how many days any of us have. I have known people that have been told they have months that lived 20 more years.

My prayers are with you and your family. Blessings to you all.

Answer 5

I am sorry for you. Please don't turn away from God. I will pray for you.



And to pwwatson - I realize you live in a different place then we do with harsh conditions - however, eveybodies suffering is different and individual. Have a heart. She does not need the bashing right now. Did you tell the leper that there are others suffering far worse then him?

And Americans can be so selfish huh? I will have to remember that when there are missionaries taking up collections to help other countries like yours. And you know, I wish I could really mean that but I know I will give if asked. Pfft!

Answer 6

It is God who determines how long we will live. You are accepting the fact that your disease is giving you 5 years.

Lady, a curse without a cause, does not come. Rebuke that disease that is in your body and remember what God said, "by His stripes we are healed." "No weapon formed against you will prosper."



Do you think God owes you something? You can't be good enough to earn eternal life. You need to get on your knees and ask God to have mercy upon you a sinner. You need to ask the Holy Spirit if there be sin in your life to take it out.



Jesus told us He was hated and we would be hated. He suffered and we would suffer. No where in that Bible can I find that I was promised a good life on this earth. My good life is promised in heaven. I find in many places where I was promised trials.



God did say in John 10:10 that He came so we might have life and that we might have life more abundantly. Think about if Jesus had not come. We were dead in our sins and going to hell eternal. On the cross we received eternal life for what He did just for believing in Him.



Remember what Peter went through and remember what Paul went through and you are expecting a wonderful life on this earth. Our hope is Christ Jesus and this is the wonderful part to life. He gave us His peace that surpasses all understanding and it alone is worth more than diamonds or rubies.



You are giving up and Christ said we are to be OVERCOMERS. The Lord overcame this world and so can you and I. Every day you tell that disease in you that it has no right to be there and tell it to leave. Quote Scripture to it, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." Psalm 118:17



Rebuke that spirit of death and tell it to leave in Jesus' name.



Read about the churches in Revelation and their tribulations.

You will overcome so trust the Lord.

Answer 7

Just know you are not alone and you like many of us have to walk by faith and not by sight. knowing that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.Let God be God and man be sinful man, just remember the paridox of christainity. The way up is down in pray(humility ), the way to became grat is to became the least( deny self) , the way to become rich is to be a giver (charity) and the Way to God is Jesus. Follow him even if you had 1 yr to live continue to hold on because God's hand is unchanging. Give him you because to die is to live with him and remember to do his commandments for this id true love toward God and man.

Answer 8

Christy, I am very sorry for your recent diagnosis and hope that you understand that God did not do this to you. Bad things happen to good people because of the sin in this world. Even an illness can be caused by your sins or the sins of another (how many people have died from AIDS because one man experimented with beastiality?or from the effects of gluttony?). We are not promised one day in this life, we can go at any time. What is worse, knowing that it is coming and getting to say your goodbyes, or being here one second and then gone the next? Our hope is not in this life, it is in the next. Your grandchildren will be watching you as you go through the next five years. What legacy will you leave them? Will it be one of misery and despair? "Their is no God, or I wouldn't be sick. There is nothing after death, I will never see you again." Or will it be one of faith and hope? "I know that it isn't fair that I have to leave you so early, but this isn't the end. God is calling me home to Him. If you accept the free gift that Christ has so freely given, then I will see you again and we will spend eternity together never again feeling the fear of separation that we feel now." You have a difficult path to follow, but it is not yours alone. My uncle recently passed at the age of 48, he knew he had one year left and he spent it loving his kids and grandkids to the fullest of his ability. I will pray for your healing, but more importantly I will pray for the peace of your spirit. May God bless and keep you through this difficult time. Isaiah 57:1

Answer 9

Yes, life is very hard for some of us. The different characters in the bible just prove that we all are imperfect beings. God does love us but in the bible it says that Satan is in control of the earth. So all the bad things that happen are a result of Satan's doing. He knows that these bad things will weaken your spirit and faith in God. Yes some "so called" Christians are rude and vicious but not "true" Christians. All in all I think a prayer would have better answers than Yahoo.

Answer 10

I'm sorry you have had bad news. Obviously, this is a very difficult time for you. I pray, however, you will not waste your remaining time in anger. You say, 'Give me a reason to stay a Christian." I say, 'If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior 'truly'.... then how can you possibly not want to be a Christian! What love our Lord has shown for you! What a promise to take care of you eternally! I would spend my time with my little ones and teach them how wonderful Jesus is and how important it is for them to know him personally like you do. Then, you all will be together forever.



Now, dear one, I won't pretend to suggest that it isn't difficult to be told you have only a few years to live. But Man is not he author of life - God is. All good doctors will admit that no test tells you how much time any of us have left. While you don't want to leave the ones you love, you know that death is a part of life. All of us have a lifespan. I'm sure you're a good person, but your service to God all these years were not for 'bargaining' with God, hopefully, your service was because you love him so much and your grateful for what He did on the Cross. Were your 'works' spiritual works or were they for a 'guarantee' that your life would be good and stress free? If you're a Bible student, you know better than that.

Life is hard. And we live in a society that is difficult. But Jesus said, "I am with you always....even to the end." Life is about choices. You've had to make choices all your life. Some of those choices brought you joy and some got you in some difficult situations. When you called upon the Father, He came to you and saw you through it. He will do the same for you now. Now is the time to 'draw near to God and He will draw near to you'. Now is the time to get in the Scriptures and re-acquaint yourself with His promises.....seek comfort. Tell your Pastor that you're having trouble facing death - there's no shame in that. Let him/her nurture you and help you get on solid ground again. Jesus will not leave you.

And, dear one, don't be so hard on those that are not 'walking the walk' as you think they should. Maybe, just maybe, they too are carrying a heavy burden and they're 'hitting out' just like you are. Maybe God feels far away from them right now....everybody has their own secrets, and everybody handles life their own way.

Love your babies.....love yourself.....glorify God, for He has taken care of business - even though we don't necessarily want to deal with that right now. But in the long run, dear one, you will again sing His praises.

..........He loves you so much.

........So much that He gave His only Son.

........That you might have life...eternal.

Answer 11

Sister, calm down. God is bigger than your five years sentence!

I have Myasthenia Gravis and 4 years ago while at the peak of Ministry for my wife and myself I was given 3 months to live.



I am gaining strength by the day. Sure I have bad days and feel that hopeless cloud hanging over my head. But it is those days God gives me grace to remember He is in control and life is not about me but Him, His glory, His Kingdom, then life seems to have a better view........you know why?



Matthew 6:33 is being practiced, God cannot lie!

If we seek His kingdom first, then all these things will be added! What things? The abundant life things.



I too was in ministry doing everything "I" thought was right.



God sometimes has to stir the water to get us out of our comfort zone to get our attention and place us in the calling He called us to do from the womb.

Look up, bear this cross, and get ready.

I'm a wimp. If God enabled me to make it, you will walk circles around me. You're a woman! You know the creature God made that can do 10 things at once!!!!

We men, most of us can barely do one.

Chin up, God is bigger than a Doctors report. My wife and I will pray right now, I will star this question and it will be prayed about all over the USA.

Answer 12

Christy I am sorry you are so discouraged. All of us become discouraged at one time or another. You probably know the story of Christ in Mark 4:35-40. Jesus told the disciples that they were going to go across the lake in a boat. They all got in and Christ went to sleep. A storm came up as they were on their way across. They then woke Jesus and said; "Don't you care if we drown?" Jesus replied; "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith." Then He calmed the storm.



He questioned their faith because He told them from the beginning of the journey that they would go across, the destination was assured. But they doubted his word. Jesus could say the same of our lives, we're going to reach our destination, heaven, but there will be storms along the way. In each case He will either calm the storm, or calm us. To our circumstances He will say; "Be quiet, be still...Or He'll say the same to our spirit. We just have to ask in prayer, knowing in faith, that He will answer.

Answer 13

I know what you mean, hon.



I have been unemployed since January. I have had some of the blackest, ugliest depression in the last three months....I have actually cursed God and screamed "WHY?" and wanted to NOT believe anymore. I considered turning and being an atheist because I was in such pain and God didn't seem to be present ANYWHERE.



Just because God says He will take care of us doesn't mean bad will never happen, to test us, to strengthen us, or just beacause we live in an evil world.



Just because God says we will have life and have it more abundently does not guarantee that we will live and be healthy until we're 90.



And just because you have been told by HUMAN doctors that you have five years to live doesn't mean you have five years to live.



God has given you life, children and blessed you with grandchildren and some years in which to enjoy their company. He died on the cross for you and this is the thanks He gets for loving you? You blame Him?



Jesus did not curse His Father on the cross. Yes, He cried out. Yes, He asked that the cup pass from Him....but He did not say "Hey, I'm innocent of any sin yet I'm dying for all of them...that's not fair".



No one knows why. But don't blame God or think that He is punishing you for something. Cry out to him and ask Him to heal you.......you're still alive. Every minute is another gift from Him. Hold on to your faith, keeping holding God's hand, and give it to Him. Whether you have five years to live or twenty-five, remember that it isn't about this world...it's about the next.

Answer 14

David and Noah were examples of what not to do in certain situations, and how those actions caused them grief.

Don't define Christianity by how Christians act. Look at Jesus' life. He suffered greater than most of us could imagine. It is very easy to say 'There must be no God because my life is crappy,' but from the beginning we were told we were going to have a life of strife. They say the good die young, I believe that this life is a learning process. When we trust in God we will live a more abundant life, but it sounds like you are not trusting in him right now. I can't imagine what you are going through, but I know that you'll be praising the Lord when you are with Him in heaven, full of love and pain free, waiting to be reunited with your loved ones. God be with you.

Answer 15

Spirituality need not be clouded by religion. Everything good about religion is in your heart already. Religion is just a channel for opening up the beauty and strength within. At some point people begin to question why they need religion at all. It sounds like you are at that point.



Know what you know to be true. The world is full of beauty, we should all enjoy it as it is for each of us.

Answer 16

You have to look deep into your heart and decide that for yourself. I'm sorry that the doctor has only given you 5 years to live, but miricales do happen. My grandmother died when I was 6, and when I graduated high school there is no doubt in my mind that she was watching from heaven.

Answer 17

I don't want to sound unsympathetic . I can imagine the heartaches you must be facing, not to mention the physical pain your experiencing. Why do you associate death with punishment? If life is eternal then you have so much more to look forward to. I don't believe for a minute that we are separated from our loved ones forever. God would never do this to us. I know in my heart we are all going to Heaven. Does a good shepherd lose even one of his flock?

Answer 18

Maybe you are not seeing the rewards. You speak with the sense of responsibility and I admire you for that. On the other hand, you could have left this world barren. You will have fulfilled your destiny, you have lived and procreated, have seen the beauty of children and grandchildren.



There is no guarantee that I will achieve all the things you have achieved and I'm younger than you. It seems to me, the next road must be to inner peace. I hope you find your way.

Answer 19

You know something? I see alot of frustration in caucasian christians when they encounter trials in life. I dont know if its just that you have an expectation that life is going to be great or because your pastor doesnt teach about life from a hard perspective but in black churches-tribulation only draws us closer TO God. We dont expect perfection..we thank God for Grace, period. If things are rosey, great...but we tend to follow the Word as it says "in this life you WILL have trouble". So whether its poor finances, lack of love, a bad report from the doctor, wayward children, unmet expectations...we dont let the things OF the World...affect our love for God. You have to love God for who HE IS..not for what He DOES for you. God blessed you to SEE four grandchildren...are you thankful? Some people never have CHILDREN let alone grands. God has given you a MINISTRY..you have been able to do His work for 15 years...thats something to REJOICE about. The thanks that you get for being a faithful servant is SALVATION beloved... anything else is icing and it sounds like He has blessed you in a lot of ways you are not willing to recognize. And who the heck has given you 5 years to live? MAN? Whose report will you receive? Perhaps this illness is God's way of getting you to actually start praising Him for the LIFE you have, instead of greedily saying...Lord this isnt enough.



God didnt HAVE to save you my sister. Is His Grace not sufficient for you? My heart felt prayers are with you....

Answer 20

Not many people know how much time they have on earth and when death catches them unexpectedly they die un- prepared. You have been blessed to have a timetable to prepare yourself to repent and accept Christ and enter into his beautiful Kingdom. Now is not the time to be bitter, but to enjoy every second you have left by loving your dear ones and setting the example of courage so you will always be an inspiration to them. God Bless, You will be in my prayers.

Answer 21

As you noted, many of the characters in the bible were, at one time, not very much like Christ. That just goes to show that your past sins don't prevent you from becoming a Christian. Many of us endure trials and tribulations in order to help others that may be in similar situations or to prevent them from being in those situations.



God has surely promised that He will take care of us and you have to continue to believe that in order to receive your healing. I have a relative that was diagnosed with cancer and given 2 years to live. That was in 1997 and he is still alive and doing very well. He is raising his two sons and writing gospel music. As Christians, we usually ask God to use us in some way to reach others but when He does it, we complain because it is an uncomfortable situation. We don't like the way He chooses to use us because it isn't what we had in mind. Remember, it's not about you. God uses us to reach others and to bring glory to His name. God can't receive glory if a child of His cannot experience healing through His devine powers. God wants you to be healed but you must first believe that He wants you to be healed. Talk to God. Use the power of God within you and speak to the spirit of sickness that is trying to control your body. As a child of God, you have the authority to command spirits to flee and they must obey. We were created to be in authority over all things within the earth. That includes spirits. Walk in that authority and accept your healing. It's already there, just waiting on you to reach out and grab it. You will then be the mighty testimony that God is usinig you for. God bless you and you will be in my prayers.

Answer 22

"I am so sick of what I see Christians becoming, most are rude and vicious and it sickens me, Jesus was not this way. So someone give me reason to all this madness...."



i agree with you on this statement. i am so sorry about your prognosis. since you are a christian, the only thing i know to tell you is "Be not anxious for tomorrow, for today has enough troubles of it's own" and "God provides for the sparrows, are we not greater than they?" just try to take it one day at a time, hunny and love those grandbabies with every ounce of your being so that THEY will see the love you know as Jesus through you.

Answer 23

So you know right off, I'm an ex-christian atheist. I liken Christianity to HAL in 2001, who had to believe a contradiction/lie and eventually when psycho. Christians are similar as in order to believe in a god of love they have to believe that very violent, sadistic actions were just test of faith and that god shows good parenting behavior. These can way heavily on an objective mind.



Will "deconverting" or switching religions really help? Probably not unless the change shifts your outlook to a more positive one or helps you to deal with your current situation in a better way.



I suggest that you think about it while you treasure every day that you can spend with your grandkids and family. Live each day to its fullest, laughing often and loudly.

Answer 24

Was your initial motive for becoming a Christian material success and comfort? In my life the spiritual is frequently -- though not always -- at odds with the material. Spiritual abundance, in your case, may not be compatible with temperal abundance. One thing is for sure: your spiritual situation will not improve if you reject Jesus out of frustration.

Answer 25

Not being a Christian, all I can really say is that I'm very sorry about your diagnosis, and that I hope you live the next few years to the fullest. Best of luck and all blessings to you.



EDITED TO ADD: You might find the Belief-O-Matic quiz over at Beliefnet.com helpful in determining where you are at the moment in terms of religion:



http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html



It's fun, and it matches you up with a wide variety of religions and philosophies based on your answers, with write-ups for each one. The results can be very surprising.

Answer 26

Let it go, it is not about god now, it is about you and your family. Live your life to the fullest extent that you can. Enjoy the time that you do have with them. Embrace them for what they are. Have as many good experiences as you can now.



Ignore church and god. At this point they are a waste of the precious little time you have left. Think of it this way too, if there is a god, wouldn't he look back at what you did in the past and see how good of a person you are and let you into heaven?



My greatest regret in life is that my mother passed away before she had the chance to meet her grandchildren.



Good luck, I wish you the best.

Answer 27

Just live the best life you can, for YOU....... IF there is a god he will see this, and if not, everyone will remember you for the person you are....... I dont know if there is a god or not, but I try to live good either way......

Answer 28

Ummm...all human beings are fallen. The difference between most people and those who love God is that they are truly repentent when they screw up. I have done many terrible things, but Christ's blood will cover it all ONLY IF I BELIEVE! If you decide that it's not worth being a Christian because people do bad things, I think that's pretty lame. That is not a reflection of Christ. It is a reflection of humanity!

Answer 29

Well, I don't know anybody in the Bible record who was at the point of death more than the apostle Paul. If you read 2 Corinthians chapter 11 he talks about all the horrible things that happened to him, most of those things we don't even know about. This is 2 Corinthians. Most of them occurred in the Book of the Acts, or later than 2 Corinthians. But look how he handled them. Often he said he was "down but he was not out." There is an apostle, who learned the secret of never giving up, even when things looked pretty difficult for him.

Answer 30

Well, before you paint them all with the same brush, understand that Atheist are no better when it comes to inappropriateness.



Just keep questioning everything and don't join a "side" but remain a mere observer. The best way to understand life is to observe it.

Answer 31

Sweetheart. I never knew any of my grandparents. I will never know any of my grand children. I am in India and have had beggars come to the car shaking their leprous stumps at me today. I have seen children washing in sewerage this week. Stop being so selfish and ask yourself what you have done to provide your self life, liberty a mind, a family and 5 more years to live. You have to be an American to be so selfish. Repent and ask God to give you a heart for those who are so poor you could not even get your head around it. So Noah got drunk - so what? God is a loving God and he saves sinners. David got another man's wife pregnant and then sent her husband into battle to die. Your point is what? That they needed saving? And we don't? Life is hard to burn out the self in you / me / us. Hang in there. You have a known future when you die. Why are you so scared of death? Do you doubt He rose from the dead? You are so blessed it is almost beyond comprehension how you can complain. Ask Him to forgive you and be happy you know that which you do.

Answer 32

did u see the other churches of the Christians ???

check the Coptic one , pure people, just good Christians, dont leave it

i see it too but people u talk about isnt just christians they follow only their needs, did u try 2 deny ur needs b4, FAST , PRAY , go to church , no sex, show GOD ur love, dont just follow ur needs in life, i dont know what to say , just belief. have manners

Answer 33

Look at Job, he was faithful to the Lord yet he went through a lot! We are only on this earth till we finish our 'purpose' so if you have served him well then maybe that's why he's calling you home.

Pray for a miracle...it's not impossible you just have to believe!

Answer 34

Instead of blaming God. why are you not praying for strength to overcome and loving your grandchildren as per his will, and perfecting yourself that way? This is just advice. You need to look inside yourself and find this.

Answer 35

The true way given by God on Mt. Sinai for Gentiles to merit their place in the World To Come, is by being a Righteous Gentile. This means following the 7 Noahide Laws, living your life with these guidelines which will provide you with the ability to bring compassion, kindness, and love into your life and the lives of those around you.



There has never existed in Judaism a Messiah who is to serve as a virgin human blood sacrifice for sin. The Christian Church adopted this from ancient pagan societies, not from Judaism.



There has never existed in Judaism the idea of a Messiah who was born because God came swooping down and impregnated a virgin. Everything you've been taught about this coming from Judaism or from the Torah (old testament) is completely wrong. These are deliberate mistranslations of the word "almah" there which means young woman, not virgin. All women who gave birth back then were young women, except Sarah. If it had meant "virgin" it would have said "betulah" which actually means virgin and is used several times in the Torah when talking about actual virgins.



Also, God is not a man, and God says so several times in the Torah. If you believe God became a man, and you worship this man/God on top of it, you are committing idolatry. There has never existed the concept in Judaism that God becomes a man, is sacrificed for sin, and then descends to hell, rises back up after 3 days, and then goes to sit beside himself in heaven. ALL of this comes from ancient pagan religions, not Judaism.



So if you do want to continue to believe these things, fine, but realise the source of them is all. As a non-Jew, you were given long ago on Mt. Sinai your merit to have a place in the World To Come, and that is by being a Righteous Gentile. You do this by the 7 Noahide Laws.

http://www.noahide.org



Please also understand that Judaism does not now, and never has had the concept of Original Sin. We think this is an absolutely disgusting concept, and it is a twisted invention of the Church fathers used to control their followers. Judaism believes that everyone is born with clean, pure souls and it is our responsibility after we are born and attain the age of understanding, to either CHOOSE to blemish our souls or CHOOSE not to. It's called Free Will, and personal responsibility.



We also do not have anything or anyone that we have to go through to get to God. This is idolatry. It is a horrible thing the Church teaches that God is separate from us, that we are so filthy and worthless that God cannot stand to be near us. This is so wrong.



God breathed into us clean, pure souls when each of us were born, directly from His own "lungs", that is to say, His very ESSENCE. We have God with us always, our souls ARE a part of God, therefore we are never separated from God, not ever. You are not now, nor were you ever separate from God.



Were you aware that in Hosea, after the Temple was destroyed, the Jews asked God "What do we do now to obtain forgiveness as we have no place to bring sacrifices any longer?" God answered them "From now on, the prayers of your lips will serve as the bulls of sacrifice."



Prayer. That is all you need to obtain forgiveness. This was LONG before the Church adopted the pagan Jesus human sacrifice concepts and the idea that we are born so filthy that we cannot even approach God TO pray in the first place because He won't hear us due to our supposed "sin".



This is an abusive, horrible teaching, and it needs to stop.



The animal sacrifices were done for ALL of the 70 nations, every year on Succoth. Not just for the Jews.



Furthermore, the animal sacrifices were NEVER meant to be a permanent thing. Permission was given for them because it was the way of the people who became the Jews - Abraham was the first Jew, according to Judaism, and it was out from this type of paganism that he and his followers came. His own father was an idol maker, and his society was steeped in animal sacrifice, even human sacrifice.



It is very difficult to wean people off one thing right off the bat and change them to something else. This is why the animal sacrifices were allowed to continue, but they were NOT meant to be permanent. Prayer and direct communication with God (without any intermediary) was the actual goal. And this is what we have now.



If you would like to learn more about the real Messiah as given by God on Mt. Sinai, please visit these links, at least to learn about it.





http://www.aish.com/spirituality/philoso...



http://www.messiahtruth.com/response.htm...



http://ohr.edu/ask/ask00j.htm



http://shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/fa...



http://www.beingjewish.com/toshuv/whynot...



http://www.askmoses.com/article.html?h=1...



http://www.jewsforjudaism.com

Answer 36

You have your eyes on man. Keep them on Jesus, or just go ahead and walk away. Do you want salvation, or just everyone to be perfect before you will be obedient to the Word of God?

Answer 37

Please forgive me if my admonishment seems harsh, but as a brother to a sister, I must ask, what ever gave you the idea the Christian life was an "easy" life, a life without hardships, turmoil and trouble? Have you not read the Scriptures?



Job 2:9 And his wife said to him, Are you still holding fast to your integrity? Bless God and die!

Job 2:10 But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish ones speak. Also, shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.



1Pe 4:12 Beloved, do not be astonished at the fiery trial happening among you for your testing, as if a surprise were occurring to you;

1Pe 4:13 but according as you share the sufferings of Christ, rejoice; so that you may rejoice exultingly at the revelation of His glory.



Are you not familiar with the sufferings of Paul?



...I being beyond them: in labors, more abundantly; in stripes, beyond measure; in prisons, much more; in deaths, many times.

2Co 11:24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.

2Co 11:25 I was flogged three times; I was stoned once; I was shipwrecked three times; I have spent a night and a day in the deep.

2Co 11:26 I have been in travels often, in dangers of rivers, in dangers of robbers, in dangers from my race, in dangers from the nations, in dangers in the city, in dangers in a wilderness, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among false brothers,

2Co 11:27 in hardship and toil, often in watchings, in hunger and thirst, often in fastings, in cold and nakedness,...



Have you suffered more than Paul? Did he quit?



2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.



Are you not aware of the millions of martyrs who shed their blood willfully for the cause of Christ?

Are you not aware of the brothers and sisters who today suffer greatly for their faith, yet would not even consider giving up?



You complain about other believers, are you better then them? Have you reached perfection?

If you are truly born anew, filled with the Spirit, forgiven, redeemed, justified, being sanctified and will be glorified, how could you even consider turning your back on the One who loved you first?

Answer 38

You should look inwards and introspect and if you a true Christian and believer in God , HE will tell you why you must remain his child and have faith in HIM-dont ask others- God is inside you in your heart . Ask Him.

Answer 39

You cannot base your faith on what other people do. Even Judas was bad. Would you leave Jesus because of Judas?

Answer 40

I can't give you a reason. I don't feel anyone can.



This is a journey that needs to be owned by you.



Good Luck!!!

Answer 41

There are two reasons for dumping Christianity.

- It is inherently nonsensical. We are asked to believe that a god created Jesus for the purpose of convincing god to remit sins. Which is obviously silly.

- There is no evidence to support any theory of the existence of any sort of god. Without god, the concept of sin is void, and so is the idea of redemption.



For details, see:

Answer 42

God did not say we would not have trials and tribulations in our lives. Doctors have given you this timetable, God did not. Pray that God's will be done.

Answer 43

there are christian people all over the world suffering for christ, yet they do not renounce their faith. please check this site. they are like no christians you have ever met!

www.persecution.com



stay with christ! even mother teresa suffered!!

Answer 44

If Christianity is causing you needless suffering, you need to let it go.

Answer 45

if you can't decide you should remain a christian. uncertainty and indecisiveness are typical christian traits.