Born Again Christians Thread-No Bashing please

[DawnCt1]

Checking in also. I can honestly say that I don't recall being saved because I can only remember having Jesus in my life. My parents were both Christians, my grandmothers both sang in their choirs and I remember my mother reading me Bible stories as a very, very young child.

 

[disneymom3]

binny, I highly recommend all of Beth Moore's studies!!!!! Each one that I have done is wonderful! Jesus The One and Only is a study of the gospels and Jesus's life on earth, from birth to resurrection, as presented in Scripture. Two of my friends from church traveled with her, in a huge group, to Jerusalem to film the videos that go along with the study. That is so neat! You are able to see video of Jerusalem as you are studying the places in Scripture! I think that study is one of my favorite studies. Another favorite is Living Beyond Yourself. It is a study of the fruit of the Spirit. Each week is devoted to one...........one week of love, one week of joy, one week peace, etc..... Really, they are all fabulous! You can also listen to her lessons online at
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/living_proof_with_beth_moore/

Oh wow!! We are doing that study in our church right now and some of us women were talking about what an amazing trip that must have been. I have also done Beth's Breaking Free and LIving Free Bible studies. That woman has such a gift. I have learned an amazing amount from all of these studies.

Our church did Purpose before we became members and DH and I have not read it. This fall we are doing a series on The Purpose Driven Church. We live in a city that has gotten international attention because of community prayer which is pretty awesome. Our mayor states publicly that she prays for our community and about the decisions she will make and has also says that she believes God has palces her in her role as mayor to do His work. If any of you have heard of the bank that was profiled in the New York Times and a London paper as well, that bank is right across the street from our church and our pastor is close friends with the president of it.

I feel at such peace on this thread. Sometimes it is scary to be a Christian and state your views out there on the Web. I believe in the infallible truth of the Bible and more than those who think it's a myth, those that really scare me are the people who feel they can twist the messages to fit whatever circumstances they want it to.

 

[Buckalew11]

Binny,
I vote you try a Beth Moore Study also. They are all wonderful I have done about 5 or 6 of them. They are a commitment, so be ready. But she'll take you all over the Bible and you'll learn a lot and retain a lot. I think we, as women, are blessed to have a woman like her doing such Bible studies.

 

[DMRick]

Checking in. Grew up Methodist, and we've been members of the Nazarene Church for over 25 years. Christ is alive in our hearts!

 

[luvthatduke]

It's late but I plunged ahead, so just wanted to say "hello!"
I recognize most of us here, feels cozy *smile*.

I was saved in August, 1989.
I tried to kill myself, should have been successful,
but the Lord intervened.
My case was written up by some doctors,
and they have no earthly reason for my remaining here.

God is good.... ALL THE TIME!!

 

[momsgonwild]

Hi! I was baptized 26 years ago at a Church Camp in Lago Vista, TX. I was 14 yrs old. I am proud to say I believe that Jesus died to save me from my sins, and am striving to live with the Lord someday in heaven!

 

[princesspumpkin]

Born Again Check-In!!! Saved at 11, rededicated to the Lord at 28, baptized in my thirties and love to praise the Lord! I have not read PDL, though. Raised by parents who didn't attend church, but every summer, I went to Virginia to stay with relatives who love the Lord - that was my introduction to the church.

 

[sunni]

It's late but I plunged ahead, so just wanted to say "hello!"
I recognize most of us here, feels cozy *smile*.

I was saved in August, 1989.
I tried to kill myself, should have been successful,
but the Lord intervened.
My case was written up by some doctors,
and they have no earthly reason for my remaining here.

God is good.... ALL THE TIME!!

God IS good!

 

[TLHB70]

I tried to kill myself, should have been successful,but the Lord intervened.
My case was written up by some doctors,
and they have no earthly reason for my remaining here.

God is good.... ALL THE TIME!!

Originally Posted by luvthatduke

Thank you so much for sharing that. God is so good. I love to hear miraculous stories about how HE intervenes, touches, and changes lives.
Nothing is impossible with Him!

 

[powellrj]

Hadn't checked in yet!!! I just wanted to add I love Beth Moore studies. We have done several. We have also done Purpose Driven Life. For some reason, I didn't get into to it. I went to the small groups and tried to read the book, but it just didn't click. I saved the book hoping to try it again sometime.

I have started becoming involved with missions and feel this is where I need to be. I am amazed and in awe of people who have given their life to serve.

Glad to see so many checking in!!

 

[dcentity2000]

Not sure I fit the requirements, but what the heck.

I am a strong believer in a branch Christianity known as "Progressive Christianity".

Basically I believe that God created the Reality plane and all the laws of science that dictate our daily lives. He introduced matter to said reality plane which exploded from a point singularity into a cacophony of elements (the big bang.)

The world was born in one of probably two ways:

1. In seven stages - the birth of the earth, the birth of the moon, the landscape taking shape, the introduction of life and so on;
2. In seven days where a day is defined as one complete revolution around the sun which, whilst forming, would have taken a looooong time!

By the grace of His science evolution, a natural process governed by His laws of science, gradually took place.

That's the basic feel of my Christianity. I believe that we should all apply our brains that we so luckily have in order to wonder at and understand His grand creation as well as we can.

I fully and humbly accept that my assertions may be wrong, but I believe that what I think is right.



Rich::

 

[JoyG]

I have a question for the born again christians about "God's Will in our Lives". How much of what happens to us good or bad is God's Will? I just listened to a message by James MacDonald today on God's will that is challenging what I believe in that area. Would anyone care to listen in and give their thoughts? The site is walkintheword.com and the message was today's broadcast (Weds). I don't think you have to sign in to listen to the current broadcast, although if you want to hear yesterday's part 1 you have to sign in. I've been on the spectrum that just about everything that happens to me is God's will and Pastor James is saying something different...I usually love what this man says, but I'm wondering about this topic. Please give it a listen and let me know what you think!

Joy

 

[disneyaggie]

I have a question for the born again christians about "God's Will in our Lives". How much of what happens to us good or bad is God's Will? I just listened to a message by James MacDonald today on God's will that is challenging what I believe in that area. Would anyone care to listen in and give their thoughts? The site is walkintheword.com and the message was today's broadcast (Weds). I don't think you have to sign in to listen to the current broadcast, although if you want to hear yesterday's part 1 you have to sign in. I've been on the spectrum that just about everything that happens to me is God's will and Pastor James is saying something different...I usually love what this man says, but I'm wondering about this topic. Please give it a listen and let me know what you think!
Joy

While I am not a pastor, I did ask my pastor about "God's will". I was very confused as to why bad things happen and God allows it. I have always been a strong Christian, but, when the Terri Schiavo incident came up, I could not understand how God could allow Michael Schiavo to kill his wife. Being in healthcare for about 20 years, I could see through the videos that she was a viable human being; not brain dead. I truly struggled with my faith during this time when I sought counseling from my pastor. This is what he explained:

He (the pastor) said that God gives us choices. When people choose to do bad, that displeases God. If God were to step in and always make sure good was done, then we would not have the freedom to choose right from wrong. He gives us free will to make the right choices, which not everyone does.

Romans 8:28 states "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Hope this helps.

 

[WDWHound]

Hello all!

I am a Christian, currently Methodist flavored. I accepted God's gift of salvation through Chirst when I was very young, but did not comie to understand what that meant until I had a very power encounter with Jesus at a retreat called A Walk To Emmaus (which I HIGHLY recommend BTW). It was then I really began to understand the nature of grace, forgiveness and salvation and what an amazing gift these things are.

I the past 5 years, I have developed a strong interest in the history of Christianity, especially in that period before the Christian community changed into what became the Catholic church. I find doctrine facinating (My wife and I teach a course on it for our church). Its interesting to see how so many of our fundemental beleifs were built up from conclusion drawn for Christ's teachings.

As for my favorite Bible verse, that changes from day to day, however I see Mark 12:28 as one of the most important things I should remember as a Christian:

"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these.'"

That pretty much sums it up for me. Once we have accepted God's gift, we are called first and foremost to love. To love God and to love others. Nothing is more important than this. So many non Christians see Christianity as judgemental or exclusive (and sadly, they have encountered Christians who reinforce this), when in fact Christ tells us that Christian behavior should be exactly the opposite.

 

[WDWHound]

He (the pastor) said that God gives us choices. When people choose to do bad, that displeases God. If God were to step in and always make sure good was done, then we would not have the freedom to choose right from wrong. He gives us free will to make the right choices, which not everyone does.

I agree completely. In order to have real freedom of choice, our choices must have consequences. However, what about those bad things that happen that are not a result of choice? A child who is dying of cancer did not choose to get cancer, and in most cases the parents choices had nothing to do with it. So what about these cases, and many others, where the bad thing is not a consequence of a choice?

My personal view of this is 2 fold. First, God never promises that we will not experience suffering, only that he will stand with us through the suffering. He also didn't promise us that everything that happens to us will seem fair to us. Second, we tend to view concepts like suffering and fairness through our own worldly perspective. We need to remeber that the final, enternal victory is always God's. We do not yet live in a perfect world, and therefore suffering is a part of the world we live in. I don't think that God wills a child to have cancer, I simply think thats part of living in this world. I also think that all suffering, no matter how extreme, will melt into insignificance when we come face to face with Jesus. Until that day, we are called to reduce suffering whenever possible and to do what God does, be there for people in pain and let them know they are loved.

 

[dcentity2000]

I have a question for the born again christians about "God's Will in our Lives". How much of what happens to us good or bad is God's Will? I just listened to a message by James MacDonald today on God's will that is challenging what I believe in that area. Would anyone care to listen in and give their thoughts? The site is walkintheword.com and the message was today's broadcast (Weds). I don't think you have to sign in to listen to the current broadcast, although if you want to hear yesterday's part 1 you have to sign in. I've been on the spectrum that just about everything that happens to me is God's will and Pastor James is saying something different...I usually love what this man says, but I'm wondering about this topic. Please give it a listen and let me know what you think!

Joy

My branch of Christianity believes that God almost never intervenes - why create the laws of physics if you constantly bypass them? More importantly, why give your creations perfect autonomy if you only impede on this?

No, we as a sector believe that we lead our lives fully and take full accountability for our actions.

I really hope that helps!



Rich::

 

[Albertan mom]

My branch of Christianity believes that God almost never intervenes - why create the laws of physics if you constantly bypass them? More importantly, why give your creations perfect autonomy if you only impede on this?

No, we as a sector believe that we lead our lives fully and take full accountability for our actions.

I really hope that helps!



Rich::

I believe that we do have free will, and what we do has consequences. But I believe with all my heart that God 'intervenes' in our lives. I think our relationship with God should be so real that we feel him in every aspect of our lives, right down to the littlest thing! The Holy Spirit is here, on earth, in our hearts, with us. Always. I feel that if I am in need, and pray, He is definately there to 'interevene'. And I say, Halleluhah for that!!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I am saved through God's grace and gift of Jesus Christ. I don't have an exciting testimony, as Jesus and God have always been a part of my life. There are times when I am closer to Him, and there have been times when I have strayed from my walk. But He is always there, waiting to welcome me back with open arms. He is my rock.

I believe the Bible is literal.
I believe there is more to be learned through love than through hate, so sometimes I find myself at odds with other Christians with regard to certain topics.
I also believe that we are living in the End Times.

I attend a non-denominational Christian church. In the past I have also attended Catholic churches, Presbyterian churches and a Methodist church.

 

[dcentity2000]

I believe that we do have free will, and what we do has consequences. But I believe with all my heart that God 'intervenes' in our lives. I think our relationship with God should be so real that we feel him in every aspect of our lives, right down to the littlest thing! The Holy Spirit is here, on earth, in our hearts, with us. Always. I feel that if I am in need, and pray, He is definately there to 'interevene'. And I say, Halleluhah for that!!

That kind of intervention I DO believe in - it's very comforting



Rich::

 

[dadtoagirl]

I also believe that we are living in the End Times.

I hope your are right, because if the world gets any worse I feel for the lives my children are going to have to live as christian people.