Knicks4lyfe
Starter
You're right. I don't believe in the bible so therefore my knowledge of it and understanding are not as deep as yours.
You are not a scientist, so your knowledge and understanding of evolution, the big bang theory, carbon dating and other scientific principles are not as deep as mine.
You have not convinced me that there is a God. I have not convinced you that there is no God.
All I ask is that you go about your day living the life that brings you the most happiness. But please don't try and change anyone because you think you are right and every non-christian is wrong. That is rude, arrogant and insulting. It's fine that you think you are going to heaven and someone like Ghandi or the Dhali Lama is not. Just don't try and change them. Because they have contributed more good to this planet than most of His followers.
Just accept people for who they are and try to be a good person. That's how I try to live my life.
And again, you still ain't paying attention. When did I EVER say I was going to heaven? Let me show you again the promise God made to most of those that serve him.
Psalms 37:29 The righteous themselves will POSSESS THE EARTH,
And they will reside FOREVER UPON IT.
11 But the meek ones themselves will POSSESS THE EARTH,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.
Isaiah 45:18 For this is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the [true] God, THE FORMER OF THE EARTH and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, WHO FORMED IT EVEN TO BE INHABITED: ?I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.
If you still have not noticed, I have no hope AT ALL of living in heaven. Mankind was not made for that. I do have a hope to live forever on planet earth sometime in the near future according to the bible.
God said way back in the Garden of Eden to Adam, to procreate, and make the earth a global paradise. He helped Adam get off to a great start. Adam could eat in abundance, never knew sickness, or hardship. God made him lord over all other life form on earth, and even gave him a partner (women are WONDERFUL!) THE ONLY WAY ADAM WOULD POSITIVELY DIE IS IF HE ATE FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND BAD... So if you use common sense, it will simply tell you that if Adam NEVER ate from that tree, he'd then positively CONTINUE TO LIVE!
That was God's original plan from Jump street. Mankind to live on earth forever, and enjoy it and never have to suffer for it. ADAM CHOSE to disobey, therefore suffer the consequences. God did not make him do it, he chose. That is no different from a loving parent wanting their child's respect for the nurturing and care they provide. You would not call your parent selfish for wanting what amounts as basic respect, yet you'd call God selfish for wanting in reality the same respect you give you human parents.
Now even though Adam lost the right for his kids to live as God intended, God IMMEDIATELY put a plan into action to rectify that. How fair would it be to allow Satan, Adam and Eve to permanently ruin for us the blessings God wants to bestow, who did not ask to be here, for their error? And that leads to the theme of the bible which is the glorious good news of the Kingdom of God, which the perfect man Jesus Christ whom you know existed, used every ounce of his being to get across to all who hope in the truth of God.
Now just for the sake of argument. Bare with me. Let's just say the bible is correct. Let's just go on that preface. Does this not sound like it could be going on with the way the world has been from biblical times to now?
Look at how the devil operates from the bible. He told Eve God was a liar, and that he was hiding something better from them, than serving him, even though they had seen how lovingly God provided for them and the other animals on the earth. But not only that, notice he attacked Eve who was pretty much new in the Garden, and Not Adam who had walked alone with God for quite some time. Why? Because we all know the young are most vulnerable. And he knew that out of love for Eve, Adam might eat even knowing he was wrong. Don't take a genius to see that. But not only did he attack the weakest vessel, but he was not even big enough to reveal himself.. HE HID BEHIND A MASK BY USING THE SNAKE! like a ventrilaquist basically.
So if you took that episode in total context, Satan attacks weaknesses, tells lies, and will reveal himself in any way necessary to do so. Now what was Satan's whole point in tricking Eve? It was so she could stop serving God... AND UNINTENTIONALLY BE SERVING HIM! Adam and Eve thought they could be like God, but really they were just choosing to serve another God other than the one who provided for them... Satan. But they never saw it like that.. They just thought that THEY would be like God, falling for the okie doke. Satan did not care how he had to do it, so long as Adam and Eve were mislead away from the truth about God. And unfortunately, he succeeded.
Now with that in mind, pretend you are Satan for a sec. If your goal is to mislead people and not have them know the truth about God, what would you throw at them?
Well since you must know about God, why not throw many gods out there? So many religions out there it seems on the surface impossible that there is one true religion... On the surface of course.
If you can have people worship anything other than God, then you have succeeded, just as he did in the garden. And it does not have to be a deity to be worshiped. And that is what he does. He builds a false hope for each individual that seems assured and reasonable, but is basically like striving for the wind in the end, if it's in opposition to doing God's will.
Have you ever stopped to think if there is only one God, would there really be more than one way to gain his approval? And should he not have the right as God to choose the ways he wants to be worshiped? If you were God and created all things and they were all good and everything benefited because of you living and creating them, would you want your creations to dictate to you how they will worship you? Could your children run your household when you lovingly provide for them, and tell you how they will obey you? Would that make you egotistical to expect their respect when because of you they are even alive?
And if this is the last reply I'll say this last thing, I never try to change anyone, I'm not capable. A person has to first want truth, before it can be revealed. I try to open each person up to the one who is capable of revealing truth, and that is Jehovah. I'm born in sin. All truth I know comes from Jehovah because as Jesus said it best about Jehovah John 17: 17 Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.
But I also know that just because you know the truth, does not mean the rest of the world will accept it as such. Jesus was killed by the very same people that his father took as a special people for 1500 years. They had the lineage, the scribes , miracles and all sortsa proof that they were God's chosen people. Yet even they turned their backs on him for the most part. Which is why Jesus told them God had abandoned them, because they forgot him. Not the other way around. If they could do it after everything God did for them, I know it's much tougher for people who don't have the luxury they had to accept it nowadays. BUT SOME DO! So I take it a prayer and a day at a time, and let God do the brunt work. I am just a lowly representative trying to fulfill the commision at mathew 28:18-20.