|
I believe in God but keep it on the DL
Loong so i'll give you 5 for answering..
I believe in God and Jesus and all that other stuff.. I'm a Christian and go to church religously [no pun intended lol]
well i've been reading those Left Behind books and it got me thinking.. There is a priest in there who was left behind in the rapture because he believed in God but it's almost as if he was ashamed of it kinda and didn't want people to know. And i feel like im the same way.
I mean people know i go to church and believe in God but i do alot of bad things [nothing sexual] and now im scared that when the rapture comes i'll be left behind.
So can someone tell me what i can do to be a better Christian and how to get these thoughts out of my head?
I'm sorry if this confused you :[
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Miscellaneous category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Spirituality?
I've only seen the left behind movies [i'll be reading the books this summer], but from what i understood from them is that the preacher [i think that's what he was in the movie] wasn't believing what he preached. I mean, that's what he said.
About the bad things your doing.. We have this talk about everyday at school. & they always tell us that sin is sin. No way around it, that's just what it is. If you want to get out of it then repent, but your going to have to do more than that. Satan is going to hit you harder than before with that stuff. Also, are you doing these things because of the people you hang around [or because your trying to fit in]? Because, no offense to them or you, you might need to find new friends [if they're the ones your trying to impress]. It's hard to grow in your relationship with God, when your friends are bringing you down. "Stand up even if you have to stand alone." If your doing bad things, how are you going to help the lost? They're going to say "She's doing whatever & she's a Christian.." [no i am not judging you, but i am trying to make you see my point.. we have people like that at our Church too]. You don't want them to be "left behind", either, do you? People watch your EVERY move when your a Christian. I mean, EVERY move. They're waiting for you to make a mistake so they can say "Yeah, sure, if that's what Christianity is about then i don't want it." It just gives them an excuse to not turn to Jesus. We all should have a burden for the lost. I don't want anyone to go to Hell, but it will happen.
Becoming a better Christian. Well, i guess no one can really tell you HOW to become a better Christian, because everyone has their own ways.
If you dread going to Church, why don't you try to find another one? I don't know how old you are or anything, but find a Church with a active youth group [and a good youth pastor, because that's even better]. & about the people being snotty.. sure, your going to find those everywhere. I mean people who've come to our Church have called some of the people there hypocrites because of the fact that they are "christians", but then they love the world.
John 15:19 says "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
& Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Just remember those. & please, read all of this carefully.
]
I dont believe in God or Jesus. But I was Catholic for 12 years. I wouldnt worry about anything.. but follow the 10 commandments.
<3
]
i know how you feel.I'm a christian but i also hate going to church. It doesn't make you a bad person. I've read the left behind books and just to let you know he wasn;t a preist but he worked at the church. He was like a deacon or something. Anyway, when it comes to the rapture, you have nothing to worry about. If you truly beleive in God and he really does live in your heart then you won't get left behind. I do bad things to, but as long as you repent he'll forgive you. If you wanna talk then my screen name is lostand4gottenxz or my e-mail is wannabenormal14@yahoo.com
hope i helped
]
I agree with the advice DangerWench has given and I will add this. Being a true Christian means you know Jesus as Lord and Savior. The things mentioned like feeding the poor and so on mean nothing if that relationship with Jesus isn't there. True Christians do these things because they ARE saved NOT to GET saved.
Regarding the rapture-- First of all, the Left Behind series is a series of fiction NOT the Bible. So don't take it as gospel. Personally, I look at the rapture as: If it comes before-- GREAT! But gosh darn it, I'm gonna be ready if it doesn't.
If you are scared, don't look for any old answer just to make yourself feel better. That's like trying to hold a severed finger on with a bandaid. Look for the truth. Ask yourself if your belief in God/Jesus is like knowing Abraham Lincoln (You know he exsisted and believe what the history books say about his actions and stuff) Or is like knowing your best friend (someone who you know you can go to and laugh or cry, to share your thoughts, a real living person who loves you) Judging from your question, it sounds like you have the head knowledge, but may be lacking in the issues of the heart.
The truth always hurts to some extent, but ask God to show you where your heart is spiritually. Take this time of questioning to really seek Him until you have assurance. I promise you there is freedom in Christ.
]
...
Actually I understand exactly what you mean. In your additional info when you say "i dread going to church becuase it's so boring and ppl are snotty" My husband and I have taken to calling this type of thing "Churchianity"... People who think that going to church once a week is what Christianity is about. The rest of the week you wouldn't even know they were a "Christian" unless they had little symbols on their car or something.
Imagine facing Yahweh (God) on judgement day and saying, "No, I never fed the poor, helped the widows and orphans, or visited people in prison, but once a week I dressed up in nice clothes, sat in a pew and listened to a guy in a suit tell me his version of what the Bible says... I even put money on the plate to make sure he was able to drive around in a nice Cadillac. Oh, and I had a cute little fishy thing on my car."
It's even worse when these Churchians act all superior on top of it. We call those kinds "Sister Bertha-Better-Than-You". ;-)
My husband and I do not currently go to a church. We have yet to find one that actually tries to follow the Bible and Christ's teachings.
Please understand I'm not saying church is bad, and I'm not saying that people who go to church are bad. I'm just saying that some people who go to church lose sight of the important things. The true Church is not a building or a denomination. We, Christians (followers of Christ), ARE the Church. We can fellowship in the middle of a field, we can fellowship on an airplane, we can fellowship in the middle of McDonalds. It doesn't matter where.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
I Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
...
Last week, we went into a Christian book store and our conversation with the guy behind the counter led around to the church he belonged to. Hubby asked him what his church "does" for others. And the guy just had this blank look on his face. He was speechless. Hubby asked if his church fed the hungry. "No." Does his church take care of widows and orphans? "No." Does his church visit people in prison? "No."
What does his church do? Like many, many other churches, it basically holds a "meeting" once or twice a week. Wee.
The guy behind the counter was amazed. He knew something hadn't been right with his church. He knew something was missing. He had never even formally "signed up" with the church because he felt it. (and his own Father was the pastor there!) Maybe he will start a revolution in that church. I hope so.
We left that store praising Yahweh.
Matthew 25:34-40 says:
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me."
I guarantee that you will not be bored if you live the way Christ wants us to.
...
Sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent there, mostly talking about one small portion of what you had typed... But it all just came rushing out. I'll move along now. ;-)
...
I do want to touch on the subject of the rapture just a wee bit. In case you didn't know, I wanted you to know that there are many schools of thought on the timing of the rapture. Some Christians believe it happens pre-tribulation (like in those Left Behind books), some believe it happens mid-trib (half-way through the 7 year tribulation), some believe it happens pre-wrath (sometime during the tribulation but before the really bad stuff starts happening), and some believe it happens post-trib (right at the end when Christ returns).
Basically, the Bible isn't clear on when it happens, so people pick apart scripture and try to figure it out. Some people believe in the rapture but admit they really don't know when it will happen... That's sometimes called pan-trib (it could happen any time.)
I just wanted you to understand that, because if the rapture doesn't happen pre-trib, there are some pre-trib believers out there whose faith will be sorely tested because they didn't think they were actually going to have to go through any of the trials and troubles of the tribulation. Or maybe they will think that the Bible actually said that the rapture will happen before the tribulation, and so they will be mad and think that the Bible lied... instead of understanding that it was some people's opinions that were wrong, not the Bible.
I've actually read comments from some "Christians" that if they don't get a free ticket out of the tribulation, then what's the point? As if they are somehow more special and deserving than the Christians who have gone through trials and troubles (and martyrdom) throughout history. I'm not at all saying all pre-tribbers are like this, but I have absolutely seen them, and that's a dangerous path they are walking.
Personally, I am pan-trib. Whatever Yahweh thinks is best, I accept it. If it does happen pre-trib, great. If not, then that's the way it is. It's certainly not worth arguing over. It'll all "pan" out in the end. ;-)
...
Now I'm getting to the part that I originally wanted to say.
Lots of people go through the things that you are going through... It's not unusual at all.
I want to ask you a favor. Please listen to the following MP3. It's perfect for the questions you have asked.
It's hard to explain how awesome this is... That's why you just have to listen to it. After you listen to it, if you have any other questions or concerns that I didn't address, or that this MP3 didn't address, please feel free to email me at DangerWench@gmail.com
Here is the link to the MP3:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
(It's 9 megs, so it may take a bit to download)
If you can't download MP3's for some reason, you can download the zip file.
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
I hope you will let me know what you think about it. :-)
...
Edited to add: Reading mylordwon's answer to you, I wanted to agree with that.
I also wanted to make sure that I wasn't misunderstood to be saying that we can be saved by doing good works. Because if we are guilty of even one sin in our lives (which we are) we are guilty of all of them, and we all fall short. None of us is worthy of eternal life on our own merits, no matter how many good works we do.
That's why we need Yeshua (Christ), so that we can be forgiven our sins when we repent of them.
The good things come after that. As a product of becoming a follower of Christ, we should want to obey our Creator and do the things which please Him.
He wants us to love others as we love ourselves, and even love our enemies.
Also, what better way to reach the lost? How many people who are non-Christian will be saved by people who do nothing but go to church and then go home and behave just like everybody else in the world does (worldly and selfish... we all struggle with selfishness). How is that a good example or something to admire and want to find out more about?
But what if the non-Christian sees someone behaving differently... Someone doing selfless things and giving of themselves to others when they don't have to, and who gets no perceivable reward from it? Maybe they will wonder about it. Maybe they will ask about it. Maybe that Christian can tell them they are doing it because they follow Christ's true teachings and so they love others even to the point of putting them before their own personal comforts. The very example Christ set for us.
Leading by example can certainly be a wonderful way to reach the lost. Just a thought. :-)
]
More Questions: |