I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That is his message and that's my message to you. If you care to accept him, he has salvation for you. If you don't care to accept him, he'll shun us after we pass from this life. Not a great concept.

I'm glad you're looking at these threads. These may be threads where God can speak to your heart. I hope that he does.

I've had a long struggle with this. I had to figure out how God fit into my life and how to walk once I accepted his life, death and ressurection by faith. It takes worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission to make a complete Christian life once you get past the initial accept or reject thing.

Christ is offering you his salvation today. It's a free gift. All you have to do is turn to him, publicly admit you sin and your need for him, your belief in his life, death and ressurection (if you, in fact, believe it: it takes faith), and your willingness to ask him into your life and your willingness to let him start to take over.

Hard to do. Hard to explain how it all works, but I like to try and that's what this thread is all about. I appreciate you sharing your beliefs with me and the opportunity to share my beliefs with you.

May God reach you through this forum and other avenues he has.

Geo.

I believe the Bible was inspired by God. The Holy Spirit moved men to write the words God wanted them to write down and those words have passed down to us, today. How many of these words to we have in our hearts? How much to we think about what God has said to us? How much do we read that word? Not much. But, the more you read those words, the more profound the impact on your life will be. God asks for a tenth of our earnings (which he gave us in the first place). How about a tenth of our time? 2.5 hours of study can go by awfully quickly divided between morning and evening devotions.

No, I don't worship the Bible, I worship the author of the Bible, I worship its inspiration, I worship God the Father and his son, revealed in its pages.

No, I don't believe that all of Jesus' words and teachings are in the Bible. As an Apostle said, all the books in the world could not contain everything Jesus said and did but these are written that you may have life and have it more abundantly. These are written that you might believe in His name.

I believe, as J. Vernon McGee does, that the Lord has passed us down the Bible today, sending scripture to us over 2000 to 4000 years. That scripture is what the Lord wants us to have and what the Lord wants us to hear. He wouldn't be God if he couldn't communicate with us and he has chosen his Bible as his word, I believe.

We are extremely fortunate in this day and age. We have scripture in front of us that men of old never saw before. How did you learn about God as an Israelite 4000 years ago? 3000 years ago? 2000? 1000? You had to go to the temple or the synagoge or talk to someone inspired to hear the word of God. You had to walk in faith and learn from your fellow believers, but you might not have the word of God with you at all times.

We are very lucky to be able to have our own copies of the Bible today. This is something billions of people before us never had in their life before. Today, the Gideons International are in 187 countries, distributing scriptures in 84 different languages. If you're interested in helping them distribute God's word, why not look up your local camp and make a donation to them today? Local protestant pastors can probably tell you where the local Gideon camp is located and who to contact.

Good points, LW. I have struggles like these myself. I believe the scripture you refer to is Galations 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet, not I, but Christ liveth in me, for the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."

Great words.

Two things lately have really helped me in my walk, and perhaps they could help you. One is control of envy. Much of my anger at work stemmed from my envy of my bosses. I felt I should be a supervisor and that created a lot of personal drive and strife between me, my coworkers and my bosses. When I heard preaching taht envy was wrong, I attempted to give it up, and things became much easier for me.

The second thing (really one I learned before the envy thing) was a line my preacher used in a sermon. It's bibically based. His contention was, and is, that Christians are dead to sin. If you have something bothering you, an addiction, perhaps, as I did, you can say, I'm a Christian. I'm born again. I am dead to that. Why mess with it, and go on about your business, free from the sin that once troubled you. Yeah, you'll still face temptation and slip ups, but you can be 99.999 percent free of what ails you by claiming this promise successfully.

At any rate, it's my two cents worth and you can take it or leave it as you will. Thanks fo sharing your struggles with us. I face the same, but not as eloquently.

Geo.

I'm not really concerned where the Holidays come from as much as I'm concerned about what they stand for. Christmas is a wonderful time when we contemplate God sending his Son to earth in human form. Origins aside, the Christmas story is one heck of a story and for me, it's Christmas and Easter every day of the year. I can celebrate Jesus' birth, death and resurrection every day when I get up and every hour of my life.

Here's the thing: You and I are sinners, but God made a provision for us through sending us his son, sacrificing him for us and raising him from the dead. If we accept that, confess that, and live in the light of that, God gives us salvation through faith in Jesus Christ his son. That's the meaning of the holidays.

You should know that and if you didn't, now you do. At any rate, that's my take on the whole thing, you can take it or leave it as you wish.

Geo.

I don't believe evil is subjective. There is a standard for life. God laid it down in his word to us. We can either accept the standards and his offers to us, or we can reject them with God's consequences attached. Which will you do?

My local billboard, in Austin Indiana (the southern part of Indiana, just off I-65) states "Abortion is Murder." Quite interesting, eh?

One of the reasons Christians tend to put up billboards is the great commission. Jesus told us to go out and make disciples of all men. It's said that the average person needs to hear the Gospel 7.6 times before they're ready to make a serious commitment.

I'm glad y'all are reading those billboards out there and are concerned about God. I'm glad the messages are reaching you. Ever think that God is trying to talk to you through those billboards, trying to reach you through all the chatter and distractions out there?

Why not turn to the Lord today. The billboards'll have new meanings to you and you might put up one yourself. Turn to the Lord, find a church, fellowship with his people and spread his word. Billboards are nice, but they're only part of the picture.

We spend billions because that's the budget for the defense department. Without National Security, there's no country left to donate money to Africa and there's no private charities like the Gates foundation, Child Family Health Internaltional and others to help other people.

Homeless veterans are another story. I agree, there shouldn't be homeless people. If everyone adopted a homeless person, people wouldn't be homeless any more, perhaps. Some homeless are down on their luck, but some are on the run from the law, from their families and perhaps from God himself, as are we all.

God gives us our resources, our sight, our breath, our life, etc. If you haven't let him into your heart and into your life yet, I'd urge you to do so today. Then, he will guide you in how to help allocate his resources and how to pray to alleviate the problems you speak of.

War, squandering resources and homelessness are spiritual problems, first and we see the physical manifestations of those problems around us.

Actually, the Lord doesn't ask us to do the nailing, he just asks us to do the accepting (see Revelations 3:20 above), the believing, and accepting the changing that comes from being born aqain and becoming a joint heir with Christ.

I had the same problem. The first time I accepted the Lord at 17 years of age, it didn't "take." Like Pharaoh, of old, I repeatedly asked Jesus in, was willing to yield, but went back on my word. I didn't realize that Christians are dead to sin and I could have victory over things that gave me multitudes of problems. I had to go through two failed marriages, I read the Purpose filled Life, and I underwent the death of my last spouse before I fully realized my need to turn completely to the Lord and his ways.

You are absolutely right. There is absolutely no way to prove the existence of Jesus, what he wrote or that he even existed. However: It's a choice, like you pointed out. I chose to believe that Jesus existed, believe what he said is true, I believe and know I was an am a sinner, I believe I need what Jesus did for me.

But, I don't think it all ended 2,000 years ago, that's the thing. Jesus couldn't attend anyone's funeral because whenever he did he completely ruined the show. There's a couple of instances in the Gospel where it recounts Jesus raising people from the dead and Jesus' funeral wasn't exactly a huge affair, either. He never had one!

I think Jesus is alive. He lives in the hearts of those who believe, confess and receive him and he will always be alive.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with him, Abra. I have had good and bad myself, but it's absolutely great now. I will testify to you that Jesus Christ lives, that he can and will do whatever he says he will do and that both you and I need to turn to him for his help and his salvation if we want to have any hope of a future.

I will not go back to where I came from. I don't believe in a spirit world that proceeds this world, and I will not return to dirt. My spirit will live on with God's spirit in the fellowship we now share in part. That fellowship will become full and complete after I die. I am talking to you as one that has an eternal life with God. I am immortal (and so are you). I will share my immortality in fellowship with God almighty and want you and everyone reading this to share it too.

I may run off here since I have to get up and read before work tomorrow (work starts at 4:45, folks).

I hope these words have helped you. Bill Fays' sure have helped me. I have a basis for talking to people about Jesus now. May God bless you all and may you have his words in your life and your heart each and every day.

I've been reading a good book called Share Jesus without Fear by William Fay. If you're looking around for a good book to read, I'd recommend it. He recommends using five questions as a lead-in to talking to people about your faith

1. Do you have any spiritual beliefs?

2. What do you think about Jesus? Who is Jesus?

3. Do you believe in heaven or hell?

4. If you died right now, where would you go?

5. If what you believe isn't true, would you like to know?

And from there, it leads him to share scriptures with the people he talks to. Sometimes he meets with anger and asks what makes the person so angry and asks what the person has done or what has been done to them to make them feel that way, or asks what they are feeling or what they're afraid of.

At any rate, I thought the book was and is very interesting and am continuing to learn from it.

He goes on to share verses like

Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.

Romans 3:10: As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death (physical death and eternal seperation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

For I delieverd unto you first of all that which I also received, that Christ dies for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again, the third day, according to the Scriptures (l Cor 15: 3-4).

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me (Rev 3:20).

For "whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13.

He says that you can have someone read these scriptures and explain to you what they think they mean and you can ask

1. Are you a sinner?

2. Do you want forgiveness of sins?

3. Do you believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and rose again?

4. Are you willing to surrender your life to Jesus Christ?

5. Are you ready to invite Jesus Christ into your life and into your heart?

He recommends that you be silent and pray after asking these questions.

He says if someone says yes to question five, you can ask him or her to pray: Heavnly Father, I have sinned against you. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

Never really had a bad date. Just lucky, I guess. I figure if she talks to me and sticks around, it's a good date.

Maybe you should seek a grill instead. Probably easier to find.

I've been chasing around working and looking for more work. I found one new job and am interviewing for another come Monday. I've found lots of friends at my church and at a church-related organization I've just joined. It's fun, travel and adventure for me this summer. Not going on vacation, but will probably hit Louisville and the county fair, at least. I went to Seymour last night. Does that count?

It's still a great day in Indiana. I haven't seen any bad ones here yet and I've been living here since 1990. Guess we're too far removed from civilization to feel much of the malaise that seems to affect much of the rest of the country.

They say that the three greatest causes of malaise and depression in this country are NBC, CBS and ABC. You get the picture.

I've lived in Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma, Germany, Italy and South Korea and southern Indiana is the nicest place I've ever lived. If heaven is an improvement over this place, it'll really be something.

I live in a quiet little town of 5000 population about 2 miles off of Interstate 65. We have sidewalks all around the town. We have green trees, shady boulevards, churches, nice neighbors, low taxes, relatively nice weather, mostly mild temperatures. It's just a nice, nice place to be. Kind of words can't describe it kind of place.

Back home again in Indiana
And I think that I can see
The gleaming candlelight
still burning bright
through the Sycamores for me
The new mown hay
sends all its fragrance
o'er the fields I used to roam
when I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash
then I long for my Indiana home.

Hello from Southern Indiana and the great state of Insanity.

I think I was working but I don't really remember. I may've gone by a grave site that day or the next or something.

You could always rent a blow up doll.

Nice words. May God Bless and Keep you. It's never a bad thing to quote God's word for he has said in Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth, It shall NOT return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it will prosper in that for which I sent it."

What's a preacher do in a shoe factory?

He saves all the soles.

Did you hear that David played tennis?

The Bible says that David played in the courts of Solomon. (Saul, maybe?)

Yeah? And, how long can you tread water? I find feralcatlady's faith touching and beautiful.

Thank God for people who rely on the Lord day by day. Thank God for the power of prayer. Thank God for the money and the resources that he entrusts us with. What we do with those resources we are accountable for, of course.