Religious Affiliation

[Marilyn]

Whatever we do, whatever we choose to believe, God and His Word should be our only guide. 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." We should all be like the Bereans who were being taught by Paul and Silas in Acts 17. They searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether the things they were being taught were true.

God created us and He created His church. The only way to really know if how we are living and believing, and how we are worshiping is correct and in accordance with God's will is to read and study the "manufacturer's instructions".

What I think and what I believe does not matter to you and your salvation. What God says and what He wants is what matters.

Originally Posted by HeatherMaran

Ok, Yotes, so I've been a little down lately, so I decided maybe I should go to church. I went last night...boy was that a mistake! Same superficial people. My stomach was in knots the entire bus ride over and the message just brought back the memories of how much god hates me. I tried, I'm done.

I'm sure it wasn't Catholic!!!!! LMAO!

[judy]

Originally Posted by pearl

yeah judy i can't be a part of something that thinks it's the only way. it's like "you're not OK till you think exactly like i do."
people have to do what works for them. i think often we make God in our image, whatever we believe doesn't change the reality of whatever really is going on. we have to find our own way.
i think Jesus led a very broad and inclusive life, and that was a big part of his message.
the universe is pretty amazing, there are galaxies upon galaxies out there. who knows what is going on elsewhere.

I like what you have to say here - It's so huge, and yet so simple. I feel that if you open yourself up and ask God to guide you, whatever happens is perfect. Sometimes it certainly doesn't feel that way, but faith is the most wonderful gift.
I am happy way down inside, and I know it's because I just follow where God takes me.

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

..........What I think and what I believe does not matter to you and your salvation. What God says and what He wants is what matters.

Thanks, Marilyn. That's so true!

[pearl]

Originally Posted by judy

I like what you have to say here - It's so huge, and yet so simple. I feel that if you open yourself up and ask God to guide you, whatever happens is perfect. Sometimes it certainly doesn't feel that way, but faith is the most wonderful gift.
I am happy way down inside, and I know it's because I just follow where God takes me.

after being in some different denominations, including the born again type, i've come down to "take care of myself, help other people, and take care of the earth." that's what i do.

taking this thread in a new direction!!!

Title: Faith and Death

I spole with my mom today, who as I mentioned is a charismatic type believer. If anyone wonders why I am not putting a denomination, she calles herself non denominational. So I am trying to describe her beliefs. Anyway, a friend of hers son died. He was a bit older than I am, so I am gonna say maybe 40? and he had a sudden, massive heart attack. You know, the type where no one gets to say goodbye. So the parents are believing for a miracle and are going to have a healing ceremony to raise him from the dead.
A few years ago one of my cousins sons was drowned. It was horrible because he was only about 15 months old. The same thing, they gathered everyone together and prayed over him, I wasnt there, but the way I was told, his mother was convinced there was still life even tho the Dr's had pronounced him dead. Let me just say, this is so devastating for these people. The basis of this belief is that if you have enough faith it will happen. You have to believe hard enough. If someone is in the room who dont believ strongly enough, they are asked to leave the room. Their unbelief could keep the miracle from happening. So what your left with is a grieving family who is now overwhelmed by guilt that they were unable to believe enough to raise this person from the dead.
So I asked my mom, what is wrong with this religion that you can have enough faith to raise the dead, but you dont believe in a hereafter. Of course if they are asked, they look forward to heaven and all its promises, but when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, well they obviously are terrified of death.
Isnt the very basis of christian belief that Jesus died to save us and we get eternal life, which we have to die to claim?

I'd be interested in anyone elses thought on this..........as in, what do you think death is?

I guess I believe anything is possible. Like, literally...anything really is possible. If you want to be born again, like reincarnation, you have that option. Whether it be on Earth, or on another planet galaxies and galaxies away. If you want to go to a Heaven as you see it, you do.

I think that if you see others in the after-life, that they are an image of your choosing. For example, if your grandmum passed away and you died years and years later and wanted to see her, you would see her as YOU remember her. But she might see herself as she was happiest. Which could be 16 years old or something. But she would see you as she remembered you as well.

I believe after-life is what you want it to be, and in continuous and ever changing, not anything set in stone, like..you go here, you do this. I believe it's literally different for everyone and the possibilities are endless.

I don't believe in a hell. But I do believe those possibilities aren't as readily available to someone that was really evil in life. Or someone who abused life. I believe they are limited in the expansion of their after-life due to those choices. So I guess I believe our choices govern what we are capable of doing in our after-life.

If any of that made any sense at all, lol.

[Marilyn]

Personally, I believe what the apostle Paul said in his letter to the church a Phillippi in Philippians 1:21-24, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better. Nonetheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you."

Those around us need us and we have a desire to be here to help them and to see how things that we have begun will turn out, however, death is not something to be feared for those who believe and are faithful to God.

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by CoyoteQueen

...........I'd be interested in anyone elses thought on this..........as in, what do you think death is?

The Bible talks about to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, but this promise is only for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as their Savior.

When a person accepts Christ into their heart as their Savior their name is written in the Book of Life. When a person dies that has their name in there they are immediately escorted into the presence of God to live in heaven for eternity. The Bible tells us that Heaven is a wonderful place and that Jesus is there preparing it for us at this time.

For a person who has not accepted Christ and their name is not in the Book of Life, they are in dire trouble. The Bible speaks of a place of torment, or hell. In Luke 16:19-31, there is a story of a rich man and Lazuras that you need to look up. In it the rich man said 27 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

[DianaB]

Sorry, but I hit the submit button before I was through!!!

When you die there are NO second chances, NO reincarnation. From the moment you take your last breath it has already been decided on where you will go, depending on your relationship with God. In one of my earlier posts I've already given you the basics on how to accept Christ into your heart. As Marilyn pointed out, the Bible is our handbook, our guide to life. And as I pointed out before there is NEVER a decision that is more important.

I know where I'm going when I die and, no, I'm not afraid because I know that my name is written in the Book of Life and I will live eternally with Jesus and my loved ones who have also accepted Christ as their Savior.

[Marilyn]

For a good example of what is necessary to feel certain of your future and your standing with God upon your death, read Acts 8:26-40. The eunich did not have the completed Bible, the entire Word of God, so he needed Phillip to explain to him about Jesus and what he needed to do to be saved. We have God's Word, and we can read it for ourselves. We have Acts 8 and other scriptures to refer to. We are so blessed that the way of salvation has been given to us, and that we live in a society with the freedom to read and study. Bibles are available to us everywhere, even at Walmart, so we will have no excuse when we stand before the Lord someday.

Diana, explains it very well. When we die, it's all over. There is no more second chance, and if we have not lived as God wishes, we cannot say we did not know what we needed to do. There is a place of torment for those who have not lived as they should. It is my sincere prayer that we all travel the narrow road.

hhmm, I guess I have to disagree slightly, I believe in preordination. I think your life is planned from the start and its known since before the foundations of the earth what your choices will be thus your more destined than it being by your good works. (read Ephesians 14-13) I take quite literally that our good works are as "filthy rags" (menstruel clothes, and in that time untouchable) simply because we are never, no matter what we do going to be able to "earn" the blood of Christ. His was the supreme sacrifice, as he was/is diety and nothing you or I can do as in works can earn us eternal life. It is a gift, I believe freely given and only our pride makes us not want to be beholden.

However, I guess that wasnt really the question I was trying to ask! LOL! Sorry I wasnt plain. I wanted to know, if you believe you have the faith to die? Would you grasp at straws to preserve this earthly life if you truly believed you have an wonderful hereafter waiting for you? If you really believe should you not be eager to die?

[pearl]

this is such a fascinating thread! i love hearing people's points of view.
i can relate to the "if you don't believe enough leave" coyote. the thing i noticed about the exposure i had to the born again type rreligion was that if things weren't working for you it was your fault. you weren't good enough. i thought that was very damaging.

i think there is a life after death, but it's not a one shot deal. i think things are a continuum. a process and progress. who knows what it is next. i don't believe in hell. there are people who are so genetically deficient they don't have judgement of right and wrong or ability to control it.

coyote, i would think that the belief that there is paradise waiting might spur a person on to die, but i also think that belief also would have a part that if you hurried your death you might effect your paradise. because there is a "plan" for your life and it's up to God to decide when you die.
i don't personally believe that at all, but i think other people may see it that way.

[judy]

I believe that, when I die, God will take care of me, just as he has always done.

I like to believe in heaven, and that I will see everyone there who has died before me. I also believe in reincarnation, I think, until we reach the point where we get it right. I also believe that once we do get it right, we have to come back and help others. I could be right or I could be wrong, but I do know that, no matter what does happen after I die, I have to follow his guidance while I'm alive.

Like I said in another post, I don't question my beliefs too much. I just always feel God's presence and try to always do what he wants me to do. I love God and have complete faith in him.

[judy]

Coyote Queen,

My daughter converted to Catholicism when she married. She loves it! I wish you all the happiness she has found.