FAQ For Non-Christians

[nChrist]

Blackeyedpeas, you mentioned when talking about the legitimacy of the Bible that:

"history from other sources also verify the Bible"

Can you tell me where i might be able to read some of what these sources say?

Hello Susie,

JESUS CHRIST and the Holy Bible are the most written about in human history. You would probably need 10 lifetimes just to skim the material. You might also consider that world time is set by HIM (i.e. B.C. - A.D.).

I usually don't recommend books other than the Holy Bible for non-believers to read because many of the books cause confusion. The Holy Bible proves itself from cover to cover. Books written about the Holy Bible and the people in the Bible are always much lower quality than the Holy Bible. But, if you want to read some other material, I suggest the Christian Classics Library that you can use without spending any money. The address for it is:

http://www.ccel.org/

The Christian Classics Library would just be a start. There are thousands of religious and secular books written that support the Bible, but I would repeat that the Holy Bible itself is the real masterpiece. SO, I really recommend the Holy Bible over all of the others combined. The best supporting books would probably be early histories of the Jews and the Church. But, again, I would repeat that the Holy Bible is the best record of the events at that time. There were also an untold number of writers who were contemporaries of the writers of the New Testament who also wrote about that period. Here's the secret about the overwhelming quality of the Holy Bible: The writers of the Holy Bible were inspired by GOD Himself, and that's why the Bible is called GOD'S WORD. The Holy Bible was written by many writers over a lengthy period of time, but the Bible proves itself from cover to cover, and there are no contradictions in the Holy Bible. The only way to explain that is the Holy Bible is, INDEED, inspired by GOD HIMSELF.

Let me give you an example of why you need to understand that the Holy Bible comes first. We will use a "Movie of the Year" as an example. You wouldn't simply read the reviews for you to determine if it was a good movie or not - you would go see the movie itself and make your own review.

The 100% proof is in my heart and the hearts of hosts of Christians over thousands of years. I wish that I could simply say look in my heart and see for yourself. GOD can do that but you can't. HE is with me and in my heart, so HE is more real than you are. I talk to HIM in prayer several times per day and have been for most of my life. JESUS CHRIST, my Lord and Saviour is an absolute and unquestioned REALITY.

Love In Christ,
Tom

John 17:21-23 NASB  that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

[susie]

Thank you all for your help

[nChrist]

Thank you all for your help :)

Hello Susie,

You are most welcome. I hope that we were able to help you some. If there is anything else we can do to help, please let us know.

Love In Christ,
Tom

2 Corinthians 5:5-8 NASB  Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight -- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

[nChrist]

January 26

Testimony
Joh_5:31-47

Do you know why Bibles are traditionally bound in leather?  Today we would think it would be for appearances, that we might honor the Word of God by a magnificent wrapper.  Our ancestors might have told a different tale:  only leather would stand up to the hard use.

"Hard use?"  Yes.  Christ puts it here to these men, "You diligently study the Scriptures," and the word implies an effort like searching for buried treasure.  In so searching you can find the words of eternal life.  A casual glance will not do;  you must dig.   In the digging you will find an answer to a common Christian complaint.  How often have you heard someone say, "You must have faith," as if faith and fact were obviously contradictory?  We long for evidence of the faith, and ignore the witness under our noses.

This is one of the three witnesses Christ cites to the Pharisees.  The point is simple.  Go back into the Old Testament.  Over and again you will find the prophecies of the Christ, written hundreds of years before this time—fulfilled in minute detail.  They are there—but you must dig.

Another witness Christ gives them is John the Baptist.  He makes it clear that he needs no such witness—after all, what praise of man could possibly polish God?  But so that they might believe, he reminds them.  Is there a "John the Baptist" in your life?  One whom you know is a serious Christian, taking no thought of financial gain, caring only for the things of God?  How can such a man be, if Christ does not live, and live in him?

His third witness is the collection of miracles he has performed.  Some of us know this well;  we need only look at our own lives before he came.

Why is it, then, that we so stubbornly refuse to believe?  Why do we see people who come to church because "it's a good thing to do," but don't believe what they are taught?  Jesus identifies this problem too.  How often do we see someone who comes to church to be known as a "good person?"  After all, isn't that what "good people" do—they go to church on Sundays?  Of course, not every Sunday (credit the Pharisees with that;  they were serious about their hypocrisy.  How would they have regarded a casual hypocrite?)  This is a dreadful practice.  It shields you from true faith by giving you a pale imitation.  If this is your life, abandon it now.  Search diligently—while He may yet be found.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[YOUNG MEGATRON]

If there is a God, why did he create evil and allow such suffering, pain, and grief for His creation?

my reason:

GoD will not interfere every time a injustice pops up. He already did that and it dont work. Humans are hard headed and excersise there GOD giving ammendment "Free will"

example: After all the miricals God did in the Bible..even after Moses Opened the Sea and escaped The Pharroe...moses was givven the 10 commandments..Mean while The free'd slaves who just whitnessed gods mirricals still fell short and sin'ed with Idoltry , paganism, and orgys..

i feel By this Time, God was like..."Thats It" Im taking a Vacation, when i return I will be taking the true beleivers with me..and Damning the unholy, Finalizing once and For all The history book of mankind. ( Only My Oppinion )

God is our Father...and since he created man in his image..God has Man Like Charrecteristics...technocly we have God like Charrecteristics ( we are made in his image )

That is why he feels regret, sorrow, happyness, and love..Because he is a Father.

I am a Father and a Son..and I understand when enough is enough. If i had say, 12 kids and one was a real screw up..Hard headed boy who just wouldnt listen..at 1st I would do all i can for him..But if this went on for years , eventually I would give up on my son.

The Great Thing is, GOD never gives up on his.. he gives us free will. ( Only My Oppinion )

[haley123]

I am writing this to you who have thought about saying yes to Jesus and are still wrestling with that decision.

I haven't been a Christian for too long. Spent most of my life without Him. I can remember (as if from another life) the yearning in my heart, the empty space and the wanting of something more. I had a lot of bad habits I had no hope of giving up. Excessive drinking being one of them. I drank to relax after a day of work and I drank on the weekends to have fun. It wasn't just the drinking. It was everything. I had tried life my way and I wasn't happy. I noticed that something or someone would come along and I'd be happy for a while. But it didn't' last. It became old. I used to have a 14" TV and watched it for years without complaint. Then I got a 32" screen and WOW; I thought I was at the movies. I marvelled over how great it was for about a week. Then it became matter of fact. It was just a TV. And that's how it was in my life. Nothing sustained me. Nothing truly satisfied.

Through a series of steps - a word here, a person there, going to church once is a while, picking up a Bible and reading - I felt a tug on my heart. I started to think that maybe I wanted to be a Christian. But to me it meant I'd have to change and change a lot.  To be a Christian meant I couldn't do this and I'd have to do that. The thought of it overwhelmed me. I just couldn't do it. The other Christians I met seemed so pure. So innocent somehow. I felt old and dirty next to them. I just didn't see how this was going to happen for me.

Then I learned about God's grace. I truly understood it for the first time. Jesus wasn't asking me to change. He was asking me to come to Him as I was. It was me He wanted, as I am, baggage and all. I had no power to change myself. I wasn't supposed to. I was to say yes to Him and He would do the rest. I couldn't believe it. This wondrous grace He offered. That He would accept me and loved me as I was. If I gave myself to Him, He would cleanse me from all my sin and make me into a new person.

During church one morning the Pastor did an altar call - an invitation to accept Jesus into your life. I heard the words in my mind "Now is the time. Today is the day." and I got up and I went and I asked Jesus into my life. That was the beginning. New birth in middle age. And what can I say to you so that you will understand just how wonderful it is to know Him.

He is removing those things in my life that are displeasing to Him. When my Lord shows me stuff about myself that needs to go, He does it in such a gentle, loving way. He gives me what I need to change it. All I have to do is say yes. The drinking is gone now. It didn't go all at once and I know now why it took a while. I learned to trust in Him during that process. When I relied on my own willpower, I failed. When I called out to Him, He answered.

I have a joy in my heart now. A joy that doesn't fade or become old. I have a sure hope that extends beyond this life to eternity and it's found in Jesus Christ. How I praise Him and love Him. I have such gratitude to Him. I am not alone. He is with me always.

To you who read this:
There is nothing else. You will search in vain. And if you are getting tired and want new life, take that plunge. Look for Jesus and He will find you. He wants you because He loves you just as you are.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen haley, There is nothing more filling than Jesus. He is calling and waiting for all.

[airIam2worship]

Amen

No one and nothing can fulfill our lives except Jesus. We are spiritual creatures and we live in a body that will eventually die, while our spirit will continue to live, it is our spiritual being that needs to be fulfilled and that can only be done through the Blood of Jesus.
God's way is the only way.

[ravenloche]

here is another question for someone to answer

Don't all religions lead to the same place. ?

Jesus told us he was the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the
father except by me!

No wiggle room there! Mohammad, Budda, Christna,Moronni,and all other
self proclaimed leaders do not fill those shoes!

There is only one name given under heaven whereby we must be saved:

                        J E S U S

In all of the above cases of there are graves, with bodies
in them. Jesus is the only one to defeat death, and to leave an EMPTY tomb

In Islam we are asked to give our sons for god, In Christianity God gave his son
for us!

[Shammu]

ravenloche, according to the Bible there is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ. I agree with the Bible. Demonations are made by man, not God.

Satan has created a system of “feel good” religions that give the believers a false sense of inner peace. They have this inner peace because

1.) They follow a form or appearance of “religiousness” or “Godliness”

2.) Their doctrine occasionally contains some truths, and

3.) They have been deceived into thinking that no matter what they believe, who they call God, or how they live their lives, they will see heaven when they leave this earth.

Many people fall for these beliefs because it saves them from having to clash with other religions. They feel they can openly embrace any and all religions (even though contradictions exist) thus making them feel good about how they live their lives. In many people’s minds “I am a good person” equals “I am going to heaven.”

See the topic Florida's Mens only Church

I am here to proclaim the truth. It is always the truth that we should seek, regardless of how it may make us feel at first. Remember it is the truth that will set us free. If you let each religion speak for itself, you will find that religions around the world vary greatly on the basic concepts of God, truth, reality, the state of mankind and the solution to our dilemma. They disagree so much that many of their statements contradict one another.

I tell you that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, He said this Himself: John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever--  Now of course anyone can say this, however no one in history has had the historical proof or the eye witness accounts like Jesus has to back up their claims. The eyes witnesses, the ones who heard Jesus say these things, the ones who saw Him perform miracles and rise from the dead, are recorded in the Bible. The proof is overwhelming. You can find it in the Gospels. There is also non Biblical proof. There are many, many manuscripts written from the time of Jesus. Historians will even agree that Jesus was indeed a real man and walked the earth! There have been many archaeological finds which support the Bible and its doctrines. Surprisingly, to numerous non-believers, there have not been any archaeological finds that disprove the Bible.

Several times now I have been asked this: “how can you prove that Jesus did all these miracles and rose from the dead?” I say to them “what is the difference between the eye witness accounts of say George Washington being president of the U.S.A and the ones who saw Jesus perform the miracles and the resurrection?

Why is it easier to believe the eye witness accounts of George Washington’s presidency rather then Jesus’ claim to being the only doorway to Salvation? You can only prove to me that George Washington was president by the eyewitness accounts that we have today. Why is this not sufficient for Jesus?”

Salvation therefore cannot come from our good works. Salvation can not come from anything we do alone. Salvation is a gift from God and a gift only. Do not trust in anything but God’s promise of salvation through His beloved Son Jesus. Even if your a Christian already don’t trust in your baptism, don’t trust in your church, or how often you go, don’t trust in how many times you’ve read the Bible, don’t trust in your claim of being a Christian, don’t trust in your donations, don’t trust in your good works, don’t trust in these letters, don’t even trust in your prayers, for none of these things guarantee salvation. Only trust God’s promises in His Word. Do not trust any other thing for the salvation of your soul, but the precious blood of Jesus. Trust God’s Word and trust His promises. Know that His gift (Jesus) is a gift of love, His Word cannot fail, His Word will never pass away and it will stand supreme forever!

Out of the four major religions of the world. Buddhism, islam, hinduism, and Christianty. You can visit the gravesites of these four. In hinduism you can visit, and see the ashes of the original leader.  In islam, you can see his grave and bones at Medina. In buddhism you can see the bones, in the grave of buddha at Kushinagar.  Christianty, you can visit the grave of Jesus, but He isn't here.

[Soldier4Christ]

Don't all religions lead to the same place. ?

No. Jesus Christ leads to heaven. All others lead to hell. It is as simple as that.

[airIam2worship]

AMEN Brother Roger.

Let us look closer at this first of all GOD Himself said in John 3:16, one of the best known Scriptures.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE.

Here we see that GOD gave His only begotten Son, ONLY ONE!

Now Jesus tells us to enter in at the straight gate

 Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mt 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Then Jesus reveals the only possible way to get to the Father:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

[ravenloche]

Forgive me if I was not clear in my post. I am a born again believer, and know
that I know that I know that only by the shed blood of Jesus is there
salvation. I was simply adding another question to the list. This a a question
that I am often asked, and the verses I used in my post are the ones I use
first to answer the question.

Again if my intent was unclear I appologize

Yours in Yeshua ha machiach

Rev. Joseph Barnhouse Sr.  aka ravenloche

[airIam2worship]

Hello Ravenloche, no need to apologize. This is, I guess what you might call a Q & A area. All questions are welcome. I didn't see any Scripture in your post so I thought it was a question you yourself wanted an answer too.

I guess now you have some more answers when this question comes up to you again. 

[HisDaughter]

Question: "Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?"

Answer: In answering this question, the first thing to consider is whether such a thing as “the innocent” even exists. According to the Bible, “the heart is wicked and deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9), and “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, no one is innocent in the sense of being sinless. Sin entered the world when Adam and Even rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, and mankind has been in rebellion ever since. Sin’s effects permeate everything, and the suffering we see all around us is a direct result of that sin.

But God did not leave us here to suffer pointlessly. Our loving and merciful God has a perfect plan to use that suffering to accomplish His threefold purpose. First, He uses pain and suffering to draw us to Himself so that we will cling to Him. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Trials and distress are not something unusual in life; they are part of what it means to be human in a fallen world. In Christ we have an anchor that holds fast in all the storms of life, but if we never sail into those storms, how would we know that? It is in times of despair and sorrow that we reach out to Him, and, if we are His children, we always find Him there waiting to comfort and uphold us through it all. In this way, He proves His faithfulness to us and ensures that we will stay close to Him. An added benefit is that as we experience God’s comfort through trials, we are then able to comfort others in the same way (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Second, He proves to us that our faith is real through the suffering and pain that are inevitable in this life. How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial with their faith intact, having been “proven through fire” so that it “might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Those are the ones who do not shake their fists at God or question His goodness, but instead “count it all joy” (James 1:2), knowing that trials prove that they are truly the children of God. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

Finally, God uses suffering to take our eyes off this world and put them on the next. The Bible continually exhorts us to not get caught up in the things of this world, but to look forward to the world to come. This world and all that is in it will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and those who would follow Him must not see the things of this life, both good and bad, as the end of the story. Even the sufferings we endure and which seem so terrible “are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Could God prevent all suffering? Of course. But He assures us that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). So even suffering is part of the “all things” that God is using to accomplish His good purposes. His plan is perfect, His character is flawless, and those who trust Him will not be disappointed.

Recommended Resource: Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey