Posted on 11/16/2013 3:16:42 PM PST by freedom462
What I mean by this is, who else here was from a background and upbringing that did not center around God and did not center around Biblical morals at all and was raised in an environment where God was not a part of the lives of their relatives and closest friends?
I wonder because it often seems like overwhelmingly posters around here were raised in a Biblical and Godly manner from birth and had parents who taught them these values and about turning to God from the time they could walk.
So I was wondering if there are posters here who were not in that situation and had to turn to God later in life. And if so, what was the difference in before and after turning to God? Did you find it had a profound effect on your ability to empathize with others and see things from their perspective? Did it make you less selfish and less antagonistic and did it make you more independent, productive and self sufficient? What were other changes that happened?
LOL!
Further thinking in support of this approach, Matt 19:20,21 The Commandments are subsumed in comparison to the response to Jesus.
The young man *said to Him, “All these (commandments) I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
With respect, that wasn't a message, it was an ACTION, a deed, it was THE action, it was THE deed: He died for us. We may live forever with God because Jesus died for us, and while one can rightly argue that there was a very powerful message in that deed, I recall a message Jesus had for God as He was dying for us: "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."
When Jesus was here and among us, His primary message as He spoke it and taught it to us, was for us to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Caww, what "false love"? Love is love, and IF it is love, then it is God, as the bible says "God is love." Love is CRITICAL, it is CRUCIAL, it is the KEY. People know in their hearts when they're falsely calling something "love" when it is only desire, lust, avarice or yearning. "Religious" folks trying to scare people away from love by worrying them that it might be "false" is a sure recipe for increased strife and vanity.
LOVE -- love God, love others, love yourself -- THAT was His specific, spoken message. Dying for us was more than a message, much more. I don't confuse His message -- wisdom, teaching, incredibly wise rules for living in harmony with each other, with His sacrifice. His message shows me the ways to do things right; His ACT, His sacrifice of dying for me, gives me the chance for eternal life.
I grew up in a totally atheistic circle of family and friends.Most of them still are AFAIK.Zero religion of any stripe other than for mocking purposes.
I had a penchant for being a dreamer and basically God cornered me in that realm of big questions.Over a period of time,amongst other things,He had a book fall in my lap,granted me many sleepless nights and sent a pesky Bible thumping Catholic joy boy my way over and over and over again.The scriptures were a little painfull but the man's nature was such I couldn't not hear him.So at 25 I finally gave up and met Jesus.
"what was the difference in before and after turning to God"
You'd probably get a million different answers to that! I think that some of the differences people might see may depend on what they were expecting in the first place.The very fact you asked might mean you have sub-conscious expectations of what God might do for you.Not that that's necessarily wrong but God is clear that we don't know ourselves as well as we might think so there's always the danger our baggage might 'muffle' things.
Draw near to God for His own sake.Simply discover Him for who He is.After all,if He did indeed create this entire cosmos and placed us in it and if He does indeed "know all men" and does indeed LOVE you,cherish you,consider you a jewel worth clothing Himself as a man and laying down His life for you in order for you to live F.O.R.E.V.E.R.....then no doubt He can iron out our wrinkles,so to speak.
The absolute hardest thing about Christianity is believing it.Not for lack of evidence but because (to the human mind)it is simply too good to be true.
Believe God and see what happens.
Willard
his Dad Big George had a licker cabinet in the house
Lil Willie got into into it as a teenager...
OH NOOOOOOOOOOZ
there goes his TR...
Interesting that you gloss over the rest of what I said, which was that Jesus was God Himself. THAT was the main message. It isn’t necessarily an ACT, like dying for our sins, but it contains action inherent with the claim.
When Jesus was here and among us, His primary message as He spoke it and taught it to us, was for us to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
***And when he came across someone who claimed to have followed all of that, did he say “ok, you’re complete, you’re saved”??? NO, he said, “Come, follow Me”. That puts what you call the primary message in its proper place, subsumed to following Christ. Period. So, what was the “primary message”? Follow the 10 commandments? NO. The primary message was “Come, follow” HIM.
My parents had a drug problem when I was growing up.
They drug my little butt to church every Sunday.
(And I’m thankful that they did.)
another one of your fishing expeditions
“That is why I was extra special cautious in making this purely a religious and God/spirituality topic without any political connotations. I figured that would make it less likely for anything said here to be taken out of context.”
spoken like someone who is not what they claim to be
hi...by chance I came across this post of yours from the other day. I am 1 of those that had hardly any religion when I became a Christian. The impact it had on me started the momement I repented and accepted it Jesus. It was a very unique and powerful moment that happened in the dressing room of a karate dojo, after I had gotten done taking karate on a Monday night.
I had been kinda ‘conned’ into thinking I was being invited to an eastern meditation session...when we gathered around and they actually started about Jesus and salvation...I didn’t know what saved or salvation or savior meant...I had only be able to read 2 bible pages in my whole life.
it changed me personally immediately...everyone who know me realized it...as I tell people...at that time I was a nobody going nowhere. Hope that is what you are looking for.
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