Christians, I am a christian and really struggling with some things right now, any advice?

Question

So what is the bonus to being a Christian other than attaining heaven at the end? Why is it you have to just 'believe' that God is good, when around you screams that He isn't?

I see the devil having power over us, if satan can go to God and petition Him to attack us, why is it we can't go to God to petition Him to say no? So who has greater power then? If God gives satan the power to do us wrong, where does the power lie? Its not with us then......

If God allows free will to rein on earth and then allows those people to use their free will as they see fit, then God has no control over free will? If God has power over free will, then He would use His Power to actually protect His children from satan instead of giving satan the go ahead to whomp us.

I realize God doesn't create evil. However He creates those that will be evil, knowing full well the catastrocities they will cause.

Answer 1

Don't just listen to the preacher and TV. Read the Bible, History books and seek your own truths!

Answer 2

I don't have a "traditional" Christian belief system. So while my intent is not to offend anyone, I usually manage to do so anyway.



I believe God created an ordered universe. I believe the means were through a series of laws, through which He spoke the universe into exisitance. Science discovers these laws as it advances. Science tells us that at the speed of light, time stands still. Imagine God moving as a creative force at the speed of light...well, anyway.



I believe that true justice means "rank" does not have its privilege. The "laws" apply to the highest the same way they apply to the lowest. The fall of Satan? He thought he found a loophole. I believe we were created to prove it false, to defeat his evil nature. The message of Christianity, its essence, if you will, is that God did not exempt Himself from the law, even at the expense of His own flesh and blood.



There is a bigger picture.



I don't see the purpose of Christianity to be "getting into heaven." It's the redemption of mankind. Our part is to follow the example of Jesus, in humility and service to others. Our redemption "proves the devil wrong." And he's rather p*ssed about it.



Scripture consistantly describes the conflict between good and evil as a war. The corporate church, historically speaking has had a tendancy to bounce between extremes: either preaching hellfire and brimstone and creating the image that our motivation should be the fear and avoidance of Hell, or the love and acceptance and grace side that tends to soft pedal sin, ignoring its consequences and effects in THIS life.



I would recommend a book by Brian MacClaren, called "A different kind of Christian" that tells the story of a man in the midst of a spiritual crisis, and his journey.



I am sorry for you and your friend.

Answer 3

I get overwhelmed by this world. If I allow myself, I can get paralyzed by fear and sadness. I have to keep reminding myself that such things need to come to pass as we march toward the end. God does not work in a life where he is not invited. Sometimes it looks like he is invited but maybe the heart is hard, or the mind not sober/sound. Satan seeks those whom he can devour. As our society continues to eliminate God from all things, it widens the door for Satan to operate. The crystal meth drug is the best thing Satan has in his arsenal right now. Thousands and thousands are falling from it. God can not interfer with free will/choice. We create what we create by our own choices. When I start getting overwhelmed, again, I put my head down, put one foot in front of the other, grab a hold of his garment, and go. He has never lead me astray in fact, he has saved me from myself too many times to count. I am my own worst enemy. I depend on his grace, patience, love every single moment. Otherwise, I would cease to be. I don't know if this helps you or not.

Answer 4

God IS good. But this world and this life are not the point of Creation. Yes, Satan has power to petition God. BUT SO DO YOU. It's called prayer. And fasting. You as a Christian have more than equal access to God's Throne. Most people simply don't bother. And that's a shame.



Yes, the free will of men can cause great harm, and they will pay for the harm they cause. Your friend was pushed past the limits of her endurance. God will not punish her for that. But God cannot stop anyone from exercising their free will. To do so would not only make Him a liar, but would open the door to accusations against God Himself of spiritual rape.

God is no rapist.

Answer 5

I am so sorry for your loss and such sadness, Please don't let this loss confuse you nor let Satan steal away your faith.



I have been through much loss and I have lived a very harsh life, yet EVERY TIME I called out to GOD and prayed for HIS protection HE has NEVER failed me.



You have asked a great question, that almost all of us ask many times in our lives. Please ask GOD what HE wants you to learn from this sad event in your life, so that you may be able to help others in your friends same situation.



I have been where your friend was, and I have learned through prayer and the word of GOD that through Jesus we DO have POWER over Satan. Satan is not a winner You can be, and others can be blessed with what you are going through right now.



We as Christian's must remember that Satan knocks on the door to our heart through our thoughts and when we dwell on what he has put there, we sometimes forget the POWER of GOD granted us through HIS WONDERFUL SON'S death and Resurrection. Christ said that through HIM we are more than conquerors and we can over come this evil world.



My prayers are with you.

Answer 6

I think as humans we forget what our purpose is and that is to serve God and sometimes serving God is difficult. I think we all struggle to follow him and because we are sinners and because we as humans have free will he allows things to happen to us and the people we love. I have had a few people close to me die some reasons known others I think just get in such a dark place or go down a wrong path and the Lord just takes them out of that situation. He wants us to never stop believing and hoping. There is good out there it may not always feel that way but I think God lets us go through trials and suffering so we can experience his mercy and love and compassion even when we feel all is lost. It's not lost. The Lord creates and unfortunately sin destroys. Its the sinful nature that hinders man but God's mercy and love restores. Satan is the creator of hate, evil and confusion and if it weren't for Satan we would be perfect. God gave us the mercy of Eternal Life through his son Jesus Christ and if we choose to follow him then we will be saved. God does give free will and he will one day destroy satan. God gave Lucifer a choice and he chose to try to become more powerful than God, He gave Adam and Eve a choice and he gives us a choice. Obey or you will die. So he does give free will but at a price. Some people just find it easier to believe than others. We all make mistakes but at least we can ask for forgiveness and God will have mercy.

Answer 7

First, God never said life would be easy (John 16:33). Second, as a Christian, I can petition God for any need. Sometimes He delivers me and sometimes He gives grace to face it (read Job, 2 Corinthians 4:8-11, Romans 5:1-8, Hebrews 4:15-16). God will one day, in His time, will bring final judgment upon the wickedness of this world, and only those who are His will find an eternity of life and the fulness of true pleasures with God Himself. Until then, remeber, He is with us always, even to the end of this world (Matthew 28:20).

He knows exactly where you're at, closer than you think.

Answer 8

I understand your question deeply.. I went through a similar situation (crisis of faith .. you could call) years ago.



I am not a Christian but I had similar questions about the concept of God.



I read a lot and did a lot of research and found out that it is contradictory. Everybody (Christian, Muslims, Hindus, Jews) quoted the scriptures but nobody could shed a tiny bit of enlightenment in clearing the confusion.



That was the day I became an Atheist.... but by this time I did have a good understanding of the different religions and what is it they were trying to do.



I am not saying don't be a Christian or religious or spiritual but educate yourself and keep yours mind open to new ideas.



And most of all believe in yourself and the reality around you. Nobody, not even God can change reality.

Answer 9

Be strong, dear, God is not dead. He sees and hears everything. Keep in mind that these things happening on the earth right now has been prophesied in God's Word. He also said that when these things come to past do not fret for it is only for a season. Keep moving, don't let satan deceive you, all power is in God's hands. Just remember that just like when it rains on the unjust, it rains on the just as well. Here's is something that I would like to leave with you, "weeping may endure for the night but, joy cometh in the morning." Psalms 30:5 I also recommend that you read Matthew 24, this will help you to see what I have just said. Love you in Christ.

Answer 10

Look, I can give you answers of the truth but you must be able to receive them. First, there are only two wills in this world, good and evil. Which one are you? Second, satan is defeated and has been since the garden. God cursed him above all the beasts of the earth and made him crawl on his belly eating dust the rest of his days!! Third, man has had dominion over the earth since the beginning. Never does it say that man lost it. It is a deception when it is taught man lost his dominion. Fourth, the power that man has to have dominion over the earth is only available by God's grace. His grace is accessable only one way and that is by one humbling himself under God by thanking Him in all things(thoughts) regardless of what the circumstances may be. So young one, just thank God and let grace take care of the rest. Thank Him and keep your mind on Jesus.

Answer 11

I am sorry to hear about your friend. I will be praying for you and your friends family. Why God allows such things I do not know. I was listening to a Christian radio station today and the man on it mentioned that Jesus cried out on the Cross God why have you forsaken me? All's I can think of is Job and all he lost as well. I don't know what to say...God be with you and my prayers are with you.

Answer 12

What greater reward is there than eternity with your Lord?



God never promised that life here on earth would be easy. Many times he said it would be hard.



We do not know why God allows bad things to happen. We may look around at the evil and cry out to God, 'why did you allow this to happen?' but God knows what he is doing. Everything happens according to God's will. We might not see the effects of it for a long while, but it is there. Good will triumph over evil.



May the Lord watch over you and bless you in your time of struggle.

Answer 13

There's lots more to Christianity than the bible alone.



Just about everyone who fails to fully and actively participate in all of the work, worship, sacraments, and devotions of the authentic church ends up feeling the way you do.



When you isolate yourself from other members of the church you're easy prey for the devil.



Get baptized. Get fully involved in the church. Get involved with other good people. Get involved doing God's work in the world.



Satan no longer has any authority over you.

Answer 14

havingadifficulttime, it seems to me God is calling you to a higher purpose in Him.

One of your paragraphs suggested that the Devil can bargain with God to give us trouble. That was Jobs ordeal. After Jesus died and rose again He enabled us power over the Devil.

The Devil has no bargaining power at all. The only power he has over us is our ignorance of him. Brother, we live in a fallen world.

I'm sorry about your friend.

You need a mentor, a Pastor or youth Pastor to spend time with that has no time for games, but is serious about the Gospel.

You may be the very one God uses to change those around you.

I pray God will send people into your life to help strengthen your faith. Agree with me in Jesus name. When we pray according to His will He hears us and gives us what we ask for. THIS IS HIS WILL! Now look for those He sends.

Answer 15

What IS a Christian? I am not sure anyone in this country really knows any longer. Christianity has become so removed from Christ....I hear kids all the time with the same confusions you express. Listen....forget all the dogma. Find Christ. Get yourself a RED LETTER bible with all the words of Jesus in RED. READ only those parts. THAT is what a Christian is. I have been trying to make those words part of my life for more than 40 years....and I still have not mastered them all. But I will tell you this: I found peace in Jesus words themselves. Try it. And don't think too much about all the peripheral questions! I am comforted that your friend was quoting scripture. Sometimes circumstances in life are just more than a person can bear. But at least you can know that she was seeking God in His word. And although she took a drastic way ....at least I believe He is comforting HER now.

Answer 16

I am at the same point. God doesn't care about us. He only cares about his d**n plan. I have learned the hard way that God thoroughly enjoys child abuse with a passion. Why worship a God that puts "free will" before stopping child abuse? Why someone would worship such a malicious being who really doesn't care about us is beyond me. Failing to prevent something is just as immoral and bad as the person doing the deeds. Raping or killing a child is no worse than someone standing around watching it and doing nothing.



I am to the point of saying that Christianity is a cult that was made up to keep the rich and abusers in power and keep the victims as victims. You know why Jesus hates divorce? Maybe it is because He enjoys it when women and children are tortured and abused. Divorce stops spouse abuse and protects children who are battered by the same men, so how can God get His fix of watching spouse abuse if divorce is allowed? Face it, man was created in the image of God. Jehovah is only the God of men. Women and children are not men and therefore mean nothing to God.

Answer 17

That is the ramifications of living in a fallen world. There is pain,death,destruction,sin, you get the point. I do know that the Bible says that God will turn bad things to his greater good. We don't know God's plan in its perfection. Just believe he is in control even when the world screams.

Answer 18

First of all I'm sorry that you have to go through this and it's understandable. It's normal because when God created us he gave us emotions. And God knows your frustrations and although we may not understand it all, but one thing we do know that God is still good. Know this, that Jesus is with you and crying with you. And he still loves you and He will take you through this pain if you allow Him. It is okay to yell at God and ask Him all these questions. He may answer it in due time or He may not. He is not mad or angry at you. Finding the answer to these questions will not bring your friend back. Only His presence with comfort and give you peace in the midst of the pain. In the same way Job was questioning God why all these things happened to Him. When God finally speaks to Him, Job repented. It was God's presence that gives Job peace and puts him in his place.



There are so many things that happen to us that we have no control over. For example, your friend committed suicide. You have no control over that. And does many other circumstances in life. It is just part of life. We do have control on how we respond to the circumstances.



You can say this may be the testing part of your faith. Do you believe in God only when things are going right and when things go bad "I'm out ta here"? I believe you already know the Scripture and I don't want to quote Scriptures to you because you don't need that right now, especially in the midst of your pain. I believe if you respond well to this situation, your faith in God will be build up.



How should one respond to situation like this? The devil may use this situation to stop you from believing in God and God use this to test your faith. You respond to this by drawing closer to Jesus Christ.



Christianity is not just about going to heaven. It's about a relationship that you can have with the maker of universe who desire to be intimate with you. So many people see Christianity is a religion. A religion is something that you have to do in order for you to get something. Many people think if they go to church every Sundays, pray five times a week, give to the church and do all those churchy things you get to go to heaven. If you does all these thing to get to heaven you are mistaken. Christianity is about relationship with Jesus Christ. You do these things because you love Jesus. It is so easy to be stuck in religion because religion is easy because no relationship is involved. Do you know how hard it is to be in relationship with someone? If we struggle with relationship with our fellow human being, how much more can we say the same thing about God? Especially, when we don't see Him, but that doesn't mean He's not there. We don't see electricity, but that doesn't mean it's not there.



What I'm saying is don't allow the circumstance to cause you to drift away from God. Use this circumstance to draw closer to Him and only through this kind of event where we can know that God is real. And you know where you stand with Him. Since he knows everything about you even the hurts and the pains. Let it all out and release it to Him and tell Him how much you hurt. He's not going to strike you. He rather have you let it out rather than stuff it in.



Blessings! And may you respond in a positive. Feel free to email.

Answer 19

I know your frustration. The problem is, that we "are" in the 7 year tribulation. Let me tell you about some pain of tribulation. 6 months ago My wife of 17 years left with our 7 year old son, cleaned out the house with the help of my only brother, then they both filed false domestic violence claims against me, called the police on me 8 times with false reports and forced me into a mental health facility with false claims to destroy any amount of my credibility, and she divorced me. I am now waiting to be arrested for not paying child support as I now have no car, no job, no home and no phone. They stole everything (I never was abusive to my family, they did it for money). It's called socialized brainwash, and it comes through church and state. If we want to defeat the devil, we need to destroy the beast.

First of all we need to understand that we've been lied to our whole life by people who conform to the system for money (teachers, preachers, politicians etc.) freedom "is" bought for slave wages, a sum or tax. (Acts 22:28) And the chief captain answered, with a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, but I was free born.

Also, American liberty "is" slavery. (2Peter 2:19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of

corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage.

Now the 2nd beast in Revelation worships the first beast. Wouldn't it be good to know who the first beast was, so we would know what he stood for? (1 Kings 10:14) Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was Six Hundred three score and six talents of gold. (Revelation 13:18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six Hundred threescore and six. Do you understand that King Solomon is "truly" the most influential person in scripture, due to his pillars of Boaz and Jachin (Strength and Establishment)? All carnal law (both) in church and state come from these basic elements of Strength and Establishment. Therefore the establishment of the church finds "law" in its strength, and does so through "money tithes". "Tithes" in scripture were never "money". They were "meat" offerings. (Malachi 3:10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be "meat" in mine house.

The "meat" offerings were grass, herbs and fruit. (Genesis 1:29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Organized religion is the greatest tool for the 2nd Beast! It insures "domestic tranquility" through outwardly liberal panzies that maintain hidden conservative interests. The only way to destroy the beast is to tell people the truth so they will stop supporting the church and the state. Please pray that my son can see his daddy again soon.



Go to: www.thekingdomofgodministry.blogspot.com



Thanks, Gregg

Answer 20

I use to pray every night my parents would get along and wouldn't fight. I use to pray for God to protect me. Both my parents were crazy. I was always getting hit for something. God never really answered my prayers. Still, I was at peace. With God I felt like I could go through anything.



Later I became agnostic during which time I always left open the option of athiesm. Those 3 years were the most miserble years of my life.



After I started believing in God again my life is so much better. I still have hardships everyday. Still I enjoy life and welcome it's daily challenges. I don't understand God. No one does. I don't know why he allowed your friend to kill herself.



I have to believe there is good in this world. I have to believe that ultimately good will win. I might be wrong, but if I am... I don't want to know about it.

Answer 21

I'm sorry for your loss. :-(



God isn't to blame for the suffering of mankind and the devil isn't doing it either.



Mankind suffers because his fellows aren't showing love and caring for their well-being.



We do have free will. The problem is, many don't execute their free will in an appropriate manner. It's not God's choice when a person doesn't have good intentions. They're exercising their free will.



God has a divine plan and all parts do equal the whole.

Answer 22

You are more than this sinful flesh which will perish.

There is a greater truth than that which you can see with your physical eyes.

All of us are evil it is the reason for the atonement.

Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.

There is a greater place for us than this world and by faith we will be there.

God is an eternal spirit and teaches us to think spiritually with a greater understanding.

This world is an evil place and that is true but it is for reason that we have this time of grace that many will come to know God and be changed.

God Bless You...You are in my prayers.

Answer 23

That's where only God Himself knows what resides In the heart of people. God can't take back the gift of free will or that would make Him a liar. The Giftings & callings of God are Irravocable. Just trust In God and Know that He Loves You. Please read your Bible. Renew your mind daily to the word of God. Remember we all have the choice to do good or evil. It's called free will.

Answer 24

One could easily argue that life is a living miserable existence (mine included) But when in the spirit and, looking at life from the perspective of God Life is Great!

I am at the very least getting the Best education available, because I am living the lessen.

With A View To The Future!

Answer 25

I'm afraid I'm not much of a "scholar" (or typist either) on Christianity, but I have been a Christian since I asked God to save me because of His love for me and His Sons' total committment to me on a cross a lot of years ago. That same cross is a likeness worn by so many people today that don't have any clue what it cost.



Eternal life with Christ in a place that I can't even begin to fathom, even in my wildest imaginations is certainly "A" reason to accept this free (to you and me) gift. However, I believe that if you are foolish enough to love someone, you will get hurt. Knowing that, you can't "not love" for fear of the pain it will bring. The Bible says that Jesus came unto His own people, and His own people received Him not. Instead they killed Him while His Father (who sent Him out of love for them and us) was trying to make a way for them to have a relationship with Him. Another verse from the cross where Jesus hung was "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do".



Therein lies the struggle that we (you and me) have when we try to judge Gods actions by our finite mindset. The story of Job in the Old Testament has been an eye-opener for me because it is the story of a man who was trying his best to serve God with all he was and had and did, to the point where he refused to "curse God and die" even when he lost everything he had in this world as far as family, health and all the other stuff he was accustomed to. If you read about Job you'll find he was so filled with resentment that he wanted to take God "to court" so he could be heard, to which God basically said "Where were you when I was creating all this? And WHO are you? Job, in his frustration and pain wanted to tell God how "unfair" all of this was,, but God is God, and who can judge Him?



The very fact that you posted this on this bulletin board, and that I "happened" to find it and read it at this late hour of the night tells me that God is watching and listening to what is going on in our lives right now. You may be in the same state of mind that Job was in (although maybe not as deeply at this point) but do not let satan "steal your joy as a Christian". I didn't say happiness because that is something that is due to your surrounding circumstances right now, but JOY is the knowledge that you have an eternal relationship with a loving "Heavenly Father" that cannot be stolen from you.

Back to Job...... In the end of the story he was overwhelmed with good stuff, more than before all the pain, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that God explained to Job the reason he had been allowed to go through all of this. Evil will do all it can to destroy you, but the strength you can get from Gods word, prayer and relationship with other Christians will help you overcome this trial (there will be others, count on it).



I lost a dear friend and Christian mentor of many years to suicide because of a heart operation he needed, and the fact that he had no health insurance. If he had the operation, it wouold have drained his family of all of their resources. I cried with his children and have missed him over the years.... BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL. My friends death, though tragic helped me see the need for something as simple as health insurance to help protect my family. Maybe that sounds foolish to some, but there is nothing that happens to a child of God that He cannot use to help someone. When you come through this valley, and I pray it will be as early in Gods timing as possible, you will be able to look back and realize that you are now equipped with understanding from this trial that you may be able to help others with.



My prayers are for God to make Himself very real to you today.... Please forgive my wanderings, but I hope this will in some way help...

Answer 26

Don't Take Any Advice from MINNIE she is a hypocrit, I post a qusetion about being frustrated with my dog and she advocates that the drug dealers come into my home and shoots me. Real christian of her. She needs to pry out that demon she has stuck in her yahoo with that cross that only hangs on her neck.

Answer 27

as a christian i have tried suicide myself. i did die and

was brought back. this life is at times too hard. it

wasn't until i found the HOLY SPIRIT/ RUACH HAKODESH

that i found any comfort at all. this world kills, steals,

destroys because satan rules it. i'm so very sorry for

you and your friend. hell never makes sense to me. but

ADONAI does. this is not our home nor can it ever be.

don't allow satan to steal your faith through this. whom

ever did this to her WILL pay for it. YESHUA knows the

truth. it will be revealed.

Answer 28

First of all we can't attain heaven. To attain heaven means we earn it by effort.



We receive the gift of heaven when we are born again. This is doing the same thing God did when he created with the faith & voice of God. We also, need to confess Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior & believe in our heart he raised from the dead. This is spiritual birth and is the Kingdom of Heaven within.



The Word of God writes, God is Good. The world & satan will tempt our flesh to get us to doubt God.



If you read Ephesians you will realize that you have a God given authority over the devil & all evil spiritual darknesses. And you should read Ephesians a few times. Meditate on it.



He has given me authority, to trample on snakes & scorpions and overcome all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm us nothing, nothing will harm us. (A song that comes to mind.)



Jesus had victory over the curse of our sins when He atoned for our sins on the cross. He had the victory over the grave & death when He raised from the dead for us. He has defeated the strong hold of the fear of death. Because man can only kill our flesh, but we have every lasting life in us in our spiritual birth.



There is also authority to bind & loose. This is the key to lock & unlock the door. Bind the evil spirits with weights & throw them into the deep sea to wait until judgment day. Jesus said that where 2 or more are gathered in my Name there I AM also. I AM is God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.



You need to realize who you are in Christ. Start with Ephesians & then get some bible promise books.



http://www.fathersloveletter.com .



Your friend needed to continue reading scripture & praying in spirit & truth. Build up your most holy faith by praying in the spirit. Faith comes by hearing & hearing a word about Christ & God. Speak the Word out loud & hear yourself speak it in spirit. This is a sword against the lies of the enemy of our souls. My cousin had committed suicide, but I believe he is in heaven with the Lord because as a child was born again. But, the lies of the devil & unforgiveness did him in. These evils didn't go to heaven with him. Sadly I don't think he received the gifts Jesus wanted to give him. But he is in heaven. We are as Christians to renew our minds in the Word of God. The truth sets us free. Free from the lies of the enemy.



Sometimes we are martyrd to death, but the enemy can only kill our body that is going to die anyway. The enemy cannot kill our soul/spirit. And at resurrection day complete, we will get an everlasting body.



I don't know if your friend was a born again Christian or not. If she is, then she is in heaven with the Lord. Without some of the gifts the Lord wanted to give her.





James 4:7 Is the verse that has given me the most victory over demonic oppression. When a demon comes around. Submit to God. Step 1 is Submit to God. Pray to God. Give God attention. Claim Gods verses of victory. Then resist Satan (He tempts our flesh to sin against Gods Word.) Then satan runs away. Why does satan run away. Because the power of the Name of Jesus. We are praying to Jesus. Satan is scared of Jesus. Because we are claiming Gods Word. Because we are trusting & obeying Jesus.

Answer 29

Sorry about your friend. we as humans don't know all the answers especially when it comes to suffering. I believe God does love each and every one of us. He is with us and feels our pain. He is hoping that we call on him for help. God allows Satan to test us but this should strenghten our faith. When I feel hurt or stressed I read the poem the foot print in the sand. or the Dash. It help me. Also pray for answers. God bless

Answer 30

i was raised in church half my life, Ive always believed in God but not always serving Him. Ive had a hard time as far back as im able to remember. witnessing things a child should not have to and as an adult didn't want to. i have never given up on God. i dont care what the reasons were i had to go through the storms cause i survived! there are different shoes i walked in so there are different things that i can tell ppl "i know what your going through" and sincerely mean it. i can give ppl hope when they hear my stories and seen i overcame. dont always treat the bad as bad but look at it as who it made you and how you can help others.

Answer 31

King James Version, Please Note: verse 17





Psa 73:1 ¶ [[A Psalm of Asaph.]] Truly God [is] good to Israel, [even] to such as are of a clean heart.





Psa 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.





Psa 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.





Psa 73:4 For [there are] no bands in their death: but their strength [is] firm.





Psa 73:5 They [are] not in trouble [as other] men; neither are they plagued like [other] men.





Psa 73:6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them [as] a garment.





Psa 73:7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.





Psa 73:8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly [concerning] oppression: they speak loftily.





Psa 73:9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.





Psa 73:10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full [cup] are wrung out to them.





Psa 73:11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?





Psa 73:12 Behold, these [are] the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase [in] riches.





Psa 73:13 Verily I have cleansed my heart [in] vain, and washed my hands in innocency.





Psa 73:14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.





Psa 73:15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend [against] the generation of thy children.





Psa 73:16 When I thought to know this, it [was] too painful for me;





Psa 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; [then] understood I their end.





Psa 73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.





Psa 73:19 How are they [brought] into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.





Psa 73:20 As a dream when [one] awaketh; [so], O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.





Psa 73:21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.





Psa 73:22 So foolish [was] I, and ignorant: I was [as] a beast before thee.





Psa 73:23 Nevertheless I [am] continually with thee: thou hast holden [me] by my right hand.





Psa 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me [to] glory.





Psa 73:25 Whom have I in heaven [but thee]? and [there is] none upon earth [that] I desire beside thee.





Psa 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: [but] God [is] the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.





Psa 73:27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.





Psa 73:28 But [it is] good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

God Bless an you will be in my prayers.

Answer 32

Wow, I can feel the darkness around you....Sorry to hear the evil struck so close to home.

There are a couple of things you need to understand, which might steer you 'away' from Christianity, but closer to the truth...

God created both the evil and the good...

Deu 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

Deu 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

He gives us freewill to CHOOSE. Not everybody chooses Him.

Secondly, we have been at a time when He has hidden His face from us, and we must seek Him...

Deu 31:17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

Deu 31:18 And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

These are tough times that we must endure. I encourage you to read THE WORD, and remove yourself from the 'world' as much as you can.

Answer 33

its called a choice everyone has one god gave each of us a choice be good or bad.and why shouldn't we believe there is something better after this crappy life.god does not protect people from Satan he gives us the choice to choose what we do with every and every day i know this is only temporary there is something better after this world.

Answer 34

You have experienced a great loss in your life, it is apparent. I grieve with you. That is why as Christians we must do everything we can for the living - right now today. Life is short. And people are fragile.

Answer 35

The only rational explanation that I can see is that there is no God, no Satan. Just a impersonal and uncaring universe.



This may not be what you want to hear but it does explain life much better than the Christian hypothesis. reality is how it is, trying to change reality with belief will just lead to despair.





Some may say that this makes their lives pointless. To me it makes my life have even more point.



There is no supreme being to love us, only our friends and family. And they only have us. We need to take care of each other.



There is no life after death. What you do here and now is all that you will ever do, so make it something worth doing.



There is no one to catch mankind when it does something wrong. We need to fix our problems ourselves and do it here and now.

Answer 36

I am very sorry to hear about your friend. Suicide is very devastating. I cannot say anything to help you feel better, but I would ask you to read this short article to help you understand why there is so much pain and suffering in this world.



What does all this have to do with me?

If it was Adam’s decision to disobey God that brought sin into the world, why do we ALL have to suffer punishment?

If we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that Adam is a fair representative for all of us. If a perfect person in a perfect place decided to disobey God’s rules, none of us would have done better. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” We all inherit Adam’s sin nature. We all sin, so we all deserve to die and suffer eternal punishment in hell. We must understand that not one of us is innocent before God. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Not one of us is worthy to stand before the Creator of the universe because we would each bring a sinful, rebellious nature into His presence.

In the beginning God completely sustained His creation without blemish. That’s why it was perfect. He held every atom together in a perfect state. He kept the planets in their orbits. He kept animals from tripping and breaking their necks. He did not allow people to suffer and die.

Deuteronomy 8:4 gives us a little glimpse of how things might have been in the original creation. “Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.” God is omnipotent and perfectly capable of sustaining and protecting his creation.

When Adam sinned, however, the Lord cursed the universe. In essence there was a change and along with that change God seemingly took away a little bit of his sustaining power and allowed things like suffering and death into His creation. Now He permits bad things to happen—and this is a reminder that sin has consequences and that the world needs a Savior. Romans 8:22 says, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”



God took pleasure in all of His creation ("http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=revelation+4:11&version=NKJV"), but He loved people most of all. He allowed the created universe to deteriorate so we would see the consequences of our sin. If we did not see the consequences of our sin, we would never see that we need salvation from our sin, and we would never accept His offer of mercy for our sin. Most people easily recognize that there is a problem in the world. This can be used to show them that there is one who has overcome this problem of death and suffering—Jesus Christ.

Answer 37

I could feel your pain and distress ...... *sigh*...... I am soooooooooo sorry about your friend....... I am nearly speechless right now, and if you knew me, well , ........ I know no other thing to say than this....... the Bible makes it clear who is god of the earth, and that is satan...... why God did things this way, is a mystery....... but, in faith I stand...... I have to.......... no one gives me the strength to live but Jesus, with all this going on around me....... pray that God will *hide* evil from you........ pray for strength of faith, borrow faith from Jesus................ he will gladly give it.............. and NO God will NOT interfere with free will...... it would not be free will then would it ?????????? go in peace........ God bless

Answer 38

When one truly finds Jesus, accepts Him and gives their life over to Him, they begin to hunger after the truth.

While digging and learning, the new Christian discovers they have new eyes for the Word of God and practically eat it. It takes several weeks to satisfy that hunger enough ,that the new born again begins to walk this earth again. This time, with a whole new strength in the stride.



I am sorry that your friend obviously knew about Jesus, but didn't know Him the way they should have. Maybe too soon?



The fact is, God does not give satan permission to harm us. Before the time of Jesus, God had, on occasion, withdrawn His protection from a believer in order to be tested, knowing that His own would stick by Him.



When Jesus came, He brought tools to be left with the believer, that man had never had before. Those tools are His authority and the Holy Spirit.



What people seem to overlook or misunderstand, is just about everything Jesus told us. Why they think that every word was a parable, I'll never know.



Jesus did speak in parables but He also taught with plain language. The things He taught, man has hard time grasping. They think it's a matter of building up their faith, or something. When they fail to provide the fruits Jesus would expect, they think it's a fault of faith.



I know it seems I'm taking you far from the subject but hang in there, I'll bring it back into focus.



The greatest of Jesus's miracles was performed as though a simple chore of feeding a crowd. What makes this particular miracle story unique, is that He demonstrated what He expects from us. He didn't pass around the basket of fishes and loaves. He had His disciples to it.



They thought He was nuts. They didn't see enough food for all those people but they did the right thing. They simply obeyed.



It is in the obedience, that the miracle comes about. Not seeing ourselves as having the right tools, but in seeing ourselves as being good soldiers. Simple obedience.



Now, to know how to obey. What are His orders? We simply follow those orders. He said, "Say....", He said, "Speak...." He said, "Command....."



We speak His words. We act as though representing the law, just like a police officer does. Doesn't the policeman say, "In the name of the law"? We say, "In the name of Jesus" with just as much authority.



It's not a matter of praying enough or studying enough or being good enough. It's a matter of obeying our commander.



In addition to those things He told us to do (without question), He also left us with that very thing He Himself healed the sick with. He left us HIS authority. He said, " I leave you My authority in My Name". It's in the name. That's where the authority is.



So now. Vexed by satan? Why put up with him? You can stand up and go toe to toe with him, and he's the one that will quake. Satan has nothing over you. His only power is your own authority. If He can get you to curse yourself, he accomplishes what he's after.



Satan can't curse you but you sure can. Remember the authority you have. Jesus said, "Whatsoever you lose on earth, will be loosed in heaven and whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven". What that means is, you can command the spiritual beings. You can tell satan to take a flying leap and he has to, he has no choice, he can't stop it.



OK, so you want to know 'then how come bad things can happen?'. I'll ask you, who was standing in authority at the time these things happened? Was it you? Somebody at church? Or is it possible that the only one acting with any sort of authority was satan?



I tell you that your friend could have had the answer to their problem instantly. Like most, they probably knew the Bible only through what they had been taught and not by what they themselves had learned with the help of the Holy Spirit.



Now do bad things happen anyway? In our eyes they do. But the fact is, we don't really know what 'bad' is. A child falls from a building and dies. Did the child feel pain or fear? We don't really know. Was Jesus right there to catch that little spirit and swisk it away? We don't really know. We can't see that far yet.



The overall big picture is this: God has everything in control. He sees the big picture and we do not. We simply have to trust.



As for our own daily lives, we are to discover and step into the kingdom of God. Where is that kingdom? It's right there in you and you can reach out and claim it, whenever you decide. The decision is 'sold out to Jesus', giving it all over, taking Him into ourselves and then learning from Him.



When you read, and learn from Him, believe Him. Get into it. Discover the power He left for you.



Right now, you've got satan playing cards on your brain. He's having a ball, at your expense. Until you stand up and act like a soldier of Christ, he'll just keep at it, hoping you will abandon your faith. So stand up. Get mad. Command him, in the Name of Jesus, to get his filthy lying hands off your mind.



Be God's brat. Who are you? You are a son of God, a joint heir with Jesus. Get that one through your skull and smile.

Answer 39

you get more from it than heaven at the end, the bible is a guide to good behaviour. it teaches humility & honor & how to be good to your neighbor. you can petition god any time you want, that`s called prayer. i don`t think he micromanages peoples lives or destinies, he just drops us here & leaves us to do the best we can. some odviously do better than others.

Answer 40

being Christian = relationship with God in the now -- as well as in the here-after...



Free-will means we (Christians as well as non) can make choices which are contrary to good/what is right.



I empathize with your pain (re losing your friend).



Cordially,

John

http://www.GodSci.org

Answer 41

You are a darling hero of Muslims. Music for their ears.

Answer 42

As a Christian, you are only rewarded with Heaven, if it actually exists. If it doesn't, you wasted your life persuing a fantasy.



Doesn't this seem important enough to get informed?

Answer 43

satan has absolutely no power over anyone if they resist him in Jesus name and believe and I promise you that

Answer 44

i am obvioulsy not a christian, but i would advise you to consider that god is not going to help you with anything ever and never has helped anyone. It's up to you and whatever support your community gives you.

Answer 45

I am very sorry about your friend. God is good. He is not in control. Please pray and ask him about this he can handle your anger.

Answer 46

advice? Yeah, get out of religion while you can