Why do you believe?

[Robert Z]

What life experience is the single biggest driver of your faith? Is it the sense of the spirit in your life, a ring of truth when you hear the gospels, a particular transformative religious experience, or something else?

 

Next, why do you accept this as truth? Why do you believe what you experience is real and not just a trick of the mind?

[mercy]

There was no single moment. There have been many. Being raised in a progressive church and having parents who were civil rights activist exposed me to people of all faiths and all colors. Our home was open to all. I learned at an early age that there are many paths to God and to put pride aside and allow God to open my heart to the idea that that may not be the path He has for another person. And I was to be comfortable with that. And I am.

 

One moment in my life stands out, though through the years there have been many. I was always drawn to my pastors brother who was a Sufi teacher and Zen master. He had such a peace within him, a contentment like no other I had ever met. It was God in me, calling out to me, leading me to Him. When it's right, it's right. I had a desire in me to know what he knew. And so my parents allowed him to teach me. He opened my spiritual life up in ways I had never imaged possible.

 

My life is Christ centered. And I am humbled by what He has done for me. And am amazed at the path He has led me on. Though not right for some yet so right for me. I don't concern myself with the paths of others are as their paths are not mine.

 

Giving birth to my daughter was life changing. A precious gift from God. I realized through her just how much God loves me.

 

Here's one of my favorite verses in the bible -

 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

 

And also -

 

[FONT=Arial]"My GOD and my Lord: Eyes are at rest,

the stars are setting,

hushed are the movements of birds in their nests,

of monsters in the deep.

And you are the Just who knows no change,

the Equity that does not swerve,

the Everlasting that never passes away.

The doors of kings are locked and guarded by their henchmen,

but Your door is open to those who call upon You.

My Lord, each lover is now alone with his beloved

And I am alone with You."

'Rabi'a al Adawiya'[/FONT]

[TaraMaiden]

.....

Here's one of my favorite verses in the bible -

 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

 

.

 

One of MY favourites, is:

 

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:2 (King James Version)

 

I'm a practising Buddhist, but had a strong upbringing in Roman Catholicism.

The simple fact is, I do not believe in God.

but I recognise good people when I see them....

And if something resonates, it matters little whence it comes - it matters more that you apply it.

[William]

So far the thread is untouched, which is not to say un-infracted, and I'd like it to stay that way, so remain on-topic and refrain from personal characterizations of fellow members. I'm here because posts in the thread were reported and were processed. Thanks.

[TheFinalWord]

What life experience is the single biggest driver of your faith? Is it the sense of the spirit in your life, a ring of truth when you hear the gospels, a particular transformative religious experience, or something else?

 

For myself, I was living a life of complete rebellion. One day I was sick of being strung out on drugs (long chain of events) and could not find anyway out. A friend had told me about Christ (I knew who Christ was since I had gone to Christian elementary school), but I believed it was all a load of crock. I asked many of the same questions we see on this forum. But I had never found peace in any other faith (I had been Buddhist/agnostic, occult, and atheist). I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me. Immediately, my drug addiction was broken and I had a sense of peace as I had never felt before. God took me from a drug addict with no purpose in life, to the first one in my family to go to college and pursue a career as a research scientist. He has opened so many doors for me. When I try to think of all of them, I think of this verse

 

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21

 

Next, why do you accept this as truth? Why do you believe what you experience is real and not just a trick of the mind?

 

I accept it as truth b/c His Spirit witnesses with my spirit.

 

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." Romans 8

 

When I consider the saving power and knowledge of Christ, everything else in this life falls in the background in comparison.

 

"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3

 

Thanks for asking! Have a good one.

Edited August 26, 2012 by TheFinalWord

[M30USA]

Based on my comprehension of Scripture and coupled with the notes of Dr. Charles Stanley, it seems that we have (at max) what is called limited free will. God is entirely running the show but he designates certain areas to be determined by various people to varying degrees. Some people may have very little control over their faith, such as Paul who was on way to kill Christians and then after seeing Christ in a blinding light changed in an instant; others may have more say over what they believe. But any will/choice we ever have is ultimately granted to us by God in the measure that he chooses for his will.

[quankanne]

Free will and Gods plan cannot exist together free will is about man's choice ... God's plan ultimately is to offer him mercy and love and forgiveness of sin. So in a sense, they *do* exist together. Because even though I believe God knows what happens in my life long before I do, *I* don't.

 

back to the original question: Why do I believe? I honestly can't remember a time that I didn't believe, I guess I'm one of the ones blessed to know at an early age that I am God's and he is mine :love:

 

as a colleague once wrote, "I can't tell you why I believe what I do, or how it works ... I just know that it does and I can live with that ..."

[quankanne]

something a source told me today when I interviewed her about starting up a Catholic Bible study program in KY: "Scripture gives us the 'why,' not the 'how.' It's not a biology or geography textbook, but meant to be the theological understanding of life. 'Why are we here? What are we doing? How should we serve God? What is the real purpose of life?'"

[Stephanie]

This thread has been cleaned up. All posts contributing to the off topic debate have been removed.

 

Future responses need to be on topic please. Thank you.

[BetheButterfly]

What life experience is the single biggest driver of your faith?

 

Hello Robert Z,

 

Cool thread!

 

The life experience that is the single biggest driver of my faith is when I almost lost my faith in God. Isn't that weird?

 

I had grown up in a wonderful, amazing Christian family. My parents are awesome people and I have 3 uniquely talented sisters. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 6 years old, but I was of course a little kid. I didn't really understand everything. When I was in my teens and 20s, I pretty much did my own thing and in my 20's, I found myself in a whole heap of trouble, caused by my own doing. I was so sad I wanted to die, and I asked God to kill me. He didn't, obviously lol. So I got mad at God and told Him, "Fine. I just won't believe in you anymore. I'll just be wild."

 

What I experienced after saying that is something I never felt before and haven't felt since, but the memory is always with me. I felt His Jealousy. It was an amazing feeling!!! It was not something I was expecting or hoping for. Rather, I was just going to wash my hands of believing in Him, and yet I felt His strong jealous love sweeping through me, like a wind (though there was no wind...I was in the house). I immediately fell to my knees and prayed, and was so thankful!!! The jealousy feeling I felt directed toward me was not a mean, hateful, spiteful thing, but rather the feeling that God loves me, that He does not want me to "abandon" Him. He cares for me and His jealousy was the good kind, not the bad kind that humans have. I read in the Bible a verse that I have forgotten which one it was, but it was basically about the Israelites (descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and how they turned back to God after a time of suffering they endured.

 

I will never forget that feeling... it warms me and amazes me. The only other feeling nearly equal to that is the feeling of knowing my husband and my family (including my dog) loves me.

 

 

Is it the sense of the spirit in your life,

 

I do sense God's Spirit, by God's amazing grace!!!

a ring of truth when you hear the gospels,

 

I do love Jesus' teachings and actions and do hear the truth in them, though sometimes they are hard to follow.

a particular transformative religious experience, or something else?

 

Next, why do you accept this as truth? Why do you believe what you experience is real and not just a trick of the mind?

 

I accept the experience as truth because of the following things:

1. I was not looking for proof of God. I was looking for a way out of following God, and since God didn't oblige my temper tantrum, I was happy to leave Him, until my experience happened.

2. I have never taken illegal drugs, nor was I drunk, so I know I wasn't under any influence like that.

3. I was upset due to the mistakes in my life that I made, but again, I wasn't looking for an amazing feeling proving God's love to me. I was very surprised when it happened.

4. It changed my life. My family and friends can testify how I slowly but surely begin changing for the better: being kinder, not as selfish, not as moody (though being moody is one of my weaknesses) striving to help people, and so on. Before this, I had basically been a selfish little brat.

5. Looking back today, I am still in awe. It gives me the warm fuzzies, like when my husband nuzzles my ear. I believe God showed me that I was special to Him, and I am so thankful, because I don't deserve it.

[BetheButterfly]

For myself, I was living a life of complete rebellion. One day I was sick of being strung out on drugs (long chain of events) and could not find anyway out. A friend had told me about Christ (I knew who Christ was since I had gone to Christian elementary school), but I believed it was all a load of crock. I asked many of the same questions we see on this forum. But I had never found peace in any other faith (I had been Buddhist/agnostic, occult, and atheist). I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me. Immediately, my drug addiction was broken and I had a sense of peace as I had never felt before. God took me from a drug addict with no purpose in life, to the first one in my family to go to college and pursue a career as a research scientist. He has opened so many doors for me. When I try to think of all of them, I think of this verse

 

Wow, that's awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

 

I have met many wonderful people who are ex-druggies and ex-alcoholics, who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Their stories of transformation amaze me and show me how wonderful God is!!! God helps people and rescues them from harmful addictions when they seek Him!

 

 

 

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21

 

 

 

I accept it as truth b/c His Spirit witnesses with my spirit.

 

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." Romans 8

 

When I consider the saving power and knowledge of Christ, everything else in this life falls in the background in comparison.

 

"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3

 

Thanks for asking! Have a good one.

 

Amen!

[TheFinalWord]

Wow, that's awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

 

I have met many wonderful people who are ex-druggies and ex-alcoholics, who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Their stories of transformation amaze me and show me how wonderful God is!!! God helps people and rescues them from harmful addictions when they seek Him!

 

Thanks BeTheButterfly

 

It's pretty interesting b/c I have found the book of Psalms contains a poem for all the various ways that God's saving grace can manifest. Personally, I relate to Psalm 107:

 

 

(PS: Alexander Scourby does the best rendition of audio bible)

[CarrieT]

I was raised a Christian and was about 14 when I started to question the Bible...

 

At that point, I started voraciously reading every religious text I could get my hand on; the Talmud, the Zohar, the Upanishads, the Tao of Pooh...

 

Then I started dabbling in witchcraft which segued into Wicca, Paganism, and Ceremonial Magick in my late teens and early 20s.

 

Early in my marriage, I really hated my apartment and really hated my job. More than anything I wanted to a new place to live and a new job so I cast my first heart-felt spell.

 

Within three days, I was fired and evicted so - poof! - I had to get a new job and a new place to live... Lesson learned and I never looked back.

 

In the 25 years since then, I have invoked all sorts of forces (Enochian, angelic, demonic, Goetic) and when done properly with full intent, all have worked. But - as the adage goes - "be careful for what you wish for = you might just get it." And like my first casting all those years ago for a job and apartment, I did get what I asked for, just not in the way I asked.

 

My last relationship (the ending of which brought me here) came about through a magickal evocation and those who understand its import agree; my Ex was a very Mercurial imp who was everything I asked for = tall, dark, handsome, charismatic, worldly, and charming. He was also a destructive and abusive alcoholic.

 

And part of me believes that my current relationship is a force of True Will on my part in that I got better at learning how to ask for what I want. In this case, I still got more than I bargained for with the addition of children in the mix... But it still worked!

[quankanne]

The jealousy feeling I felt directed toward me was not a mean, hateful, spiteful thing, but rather the feeling that God loves me, that He does not want me to "abandon" Him. He cares for me and His jealousy was the good kind, not the bad kind that humans have.

 

"jealousy" is a very curious phrase to use ... especially when it has such negative connotations. Can you explain why you use that word? I've never really heard it termed as such!

[BetheButterfly]

The jealousy feeling I felt directed toward me was not a mean, hateful, spiteful thing, but rather the feeling that God loves me, that He does not want me to "abandon" Him. He cares for me and His jealousy was the good kind, not the bad kind that humans have.

 

"jealousy" is a very curious phrase to use ... especially when it has such negative connotations. Can you explain why you use that word? I've never really heard it termed as such!

 

The feeling was not in words directed towards me. I didn't hear God say "I'm jealous for you." I felt it though.

 

I guess it's in the connotation like the following question Moses asked Joshua, when other people were led by God's Spirit

(I boldened some.)

 

Numbers 11

Numbers 11 NIV1984 - Fire From the LORD - Now the people - Bible Gateway

 

"26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

 

I think the question had to do with Joshua being concerned and jealous for Moses, but Moses asked, "Are you jealous for my sake?" Moses had a very lovely wish, hmm!?

 

Well, the feeling I felt was that God was jealous for my sake. It wasn't a mean feeling or a feeling with a negative connotation. If so, I wouldn't have felt grateful for it! Rather, it was a strong impact feeling of how God loves and cares for me so much that He doesn't want me to stop believing in Him. It shook me to the core, because I was not expecting it. I was expecting to just be done with God and no longer believe, but instead the experience of feeling He is "jealous" (for my sake, for me) radically changed me. I won't ever forget it.

 

Joel 2:18 says,

"Then the Lord will be jealous for his land

and take pity on his people."

 

I didn't know this verse when I had the experience though.

 

There are other verses in the Bible about God being Jealous and punishing sin, but I did not personally feel like He was going to punish me, but rather that He loves me and was jealous for me, not of me.

Edited August 28, 2012 by BetheButterfly

[quankanne]

ah ~ the second verse makes it clearer to me!

[mercy]

!!BetheButterfly!! I've missed you posting!

 

Jealous as in 'longing for'. He longs for us. Amazing.

[M30USA]

This thread has been cleaned up. All posts contributing to the off topic debate have been removed.

 

Future responses need to be on topic please. Thank you.

 

I was about to schedule a doctor's appointment for possible amnesia.

[BetheButterfly]

!!BetheButterfly!! I've missed you posting!

 

Jealous as in 'longing for'. He longs for us. Amazing.

 

Thanks Mercy I missed you too and posting on Loveshack! Thanks for sharing your awesome testimony!

 

Yep, you are right... jealous as in longing for. Yep He does long for us, agreed!

 

Peace and God bless you!

[M30USA]

If you look at the Word of God throughout history, it's only during modern times that you have people interpreting "jealous" as longing for; and "fearing God" as admiring or respecting him.

 

If we aren't supposed to fear God in the literal sense of the word then how do you explain the following 2 scriptural concepts:

 

1) The Bible says that God turns his face towards those who FEAR him and who TREMBLE AT HIS WORD.

 

2) Isaiah wrote that his flesh TREMBLES in FEAR of God's judgements.

 

These reinterpretations are done only to make God seem more polished and PC for more palatability among non believers. God, while merciful and drawing close to those who love him, is a fearful God. He is not a buddy--except, ironically, to those who fear him.

[quankanne]

hmmm ... I don't see the positive verbiage as "buddy-inducing" but as a way to help people understand that he is love in its purest form. Because we tend to relate to him through our experiences, words like "jealous" and "fear" evoke negative imagery, and not that of a loving God.

[M30USA]

hmmm ... I don't see the positive verbiage as "buddy-inducing" but as a way to help people understand that he is love in its purest form. Because we tend to relate to him through our experiences, words like "jealous" and "fear" evoke negative imagery, and not that of a loving God.

 

He is both loving and fearful. The problem is that we humans view the two as a contradiction because our logic set cannot reconcile both.

[Hawaii50]

empirical evidence! common sense! feeeeeeeelings. Hell cutting edge Quantum Physics is starting to prove what yogi and shaman have know all along. there's an interconnectedness, it's undeniable. as for JC, he's a good guy, and I'd smoke a j with him.

[M30USA]

Because they are, no less than "square circles" are irreconcilable by our "limited human logic". There is only so much you can appeal to relativism before your words lose all meaning.

 

If I'm appealing to relativism, you're appealing to semantics. Sorry, but a square circle is not a good analogy for dual fearfulness and lovingness.

[Feelin Frisky]

I don't believe in "believing". Nothing could make me start believing. There would be no civilization like we have if the constants of physics and nature were routinely being suspended for divine intervention--no one would persevere through anything--they'd either just start praying when the going gets tough or develop a fatalistic attitude when other people keep getting their prayers answered and not them. Think about it and ask yourself serious questions about what would happen or not happen if everything really depended on personal divine intervention.