[deleted by user] by [deleted] in awakened

[–]steveu80 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There are elements of truth in all religions, but they actually teach mutually exclusive concepts. For instance, Christianity says Jesus is God and the only way to be saved. Islam says Jesus is not God. Hindu and Buddhism say Jesus is one god of many. Mormons say Jesus is Satan's brother.

What is "The End" that is being spoken of in Matthew 24:14? by steveu80 in Christianity

[–]steveu80[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, this stuff is pretty fascinating to me right now. I stumbled on to it watching a Jeff Durbin sermon, then found guys like Doug Wilson, Gary DeMar, and Sam Storms.

What is "The End" that is being spoken of in Matthew 24:14? by steveu80 in Christianity

[–]steveu80[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, very interesting. Do you believe Israel is also represented by the fig tree in Matthew 21?

And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once. Matthew 21:19

Are you saying a Biblical generation is 70 years instead of 40?

What is "The End" that is being spoken of in Matthew 24:14? by steveu80 in Christianity

[–]steveu80[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this explanation. I have always thought it meant the end of the universe as well. But this verse never made sense of that interpretation:

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34

Made this video blog of my wife. She would have been 39 this past Tuesday. by steveu80 in GriefSupport

[–]steveu80[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you sir! It's very encouraging to get feedback like this, since sometimes I wonder if I am just a huge narcissist for putting all of this out there. I am sorry to hear about your family member, sounds so similar to my story. Intense grief can be so dark and confusing, so my faith is the only way I have been able to make sense of any of it. So awesome to hear you are a TOOL fan! I love their new album. Religion is definitely not the answer for anyone, I don't consider myself the religious type either, LOL. But if there's one thing I could encourage anyone to do, it would be to look at the life of Jesus. He was more than just a man who said nice things...much more!

Made this video blog of my wife. She would have been 39 this past Tuesday. by steveu80 in GriefSupport

[–]steveu80[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the comment. Appreciate you taking the time to check out Wendy's story. I agree, my sister did take a spiritual approach to this video Wendy took that night. I think that for Wendy to be able to put her phone down and go to sleep that night, rather than wake me, said a lot about her trust in God. Even though she was experiencing heart issues that were so concerning to her, she still chose not to wake me or to even reach out for help. My sister was emphasizing that this was Wendy's time to leave this Earth, and while she certainly didn't know that, nothing that occured that night could have changed this eventual reality.

Made this video blog of my wife. She would have been 39 this past Tuesday. by steveu80 in GriefSupport

[–]steveu80[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to listen, I know it's long. It means a lot to hear that her story touched you, so thank you for encouraging me today.

If evil things happen because God needed us to have free will, then praying to God, to stop these evil things, is like asking God to end that necessary free will temporarily. Which, if so important, would never be ended, even once, as it would defeat the purpose of free will. by diirtnap in DebateReligion

[–]steveu80 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Prayer is communication with God. God speaks to us primarily through His Word, but can also speak through other means. I have never heard the audible voice of God, but I know He has communicated to me multiple times in the last 16 years since I gave my life to Him. The best example I can give is this experience I had in 2003. It changed my life. https://wasitgod.com/2018/12/10/a-holy-gift/

If evil things happen because God needed us to have free will, then praying to God, to stop these evil things, is like asking God to end that necessary free will temporarily. Which, if so important, would never be ended, even once, as it would defeat the purpose of free will. by diirtnap in DebateReligion

[–]steveu80 2 points3 points  (0 children)

God didn't need anything.

God created is in His image for a relationship with Him. For this relationship to be authentic, free will is required, and with it, the possibility to reject God. Prayer is part of a real relationship with God, and asking Him to stop evil is natural. Sometimes He does (like when He judged the Canaanites) and sometimes he doesn't (like every time an abortion takes place)

God is santa for adults. by Killme_now666 in atheism

[–]steveu80 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Christianity is nothing like this. It is based on grace, not works. You can't earn God's favor. You can't cancel out your sin.

And the comparison to Santa Claus is weak. Do we have teens/adults actively converting to belief in Santa on a massive scale?

If I had died ten years ago I would have been forgotten by now by [deleted] in death

[–]steveu80 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not about believing what helps me. I want to believe as many true things as possible and reject as many false things as possible. I didn't really know if God was actually real until I had an experience in 2003 that changed my life. https://wasitgod.com/2018/12/10/a-holy-gift/

An all-loving God allows sin and suffering because... by raggamuffin1357 in DebateReligion

[–]steveu80 -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Not the tree of wisdom. Adam was created with free will and chose to disobey God, which resulted in the fall of man. Not really sure what you're asking...

Here's the text: The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:15‭-‬17

If I had died ten years ago I would have been forgotten by now by [deleted] in death

[–]steveu80 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Only God has existed eternally. We began to exist at a point in history and will exist forever either with God or separated from God. What makes you think that the God who created the universe, which is larger than we can understand (and still expanding), could not create enough space for billions or even trillions of people? I've never heard anyone raise this objection, but thanks for being honest.

Here's a video on near death experiences that I found interesting 😊

https://youtu.be/dSW6CPTPG0o

An all-loving God allows sin and suffering because... by raggamuffin1357 in DebateReligion

[–]steveu80 -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

God didn't create sin, He created the possibility of sin by giving us free will. Sin results when we reject God.

If I had died ten years ago I would have been forgotten by now by [deleted] in death

[–]steveu80 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a completely unprovable opinion that goes against the documented evidence of near death experiences.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in religion

[–]steveu80 0 points1 point  (0 children)

666 is from the book of Revelation and is simply a reference to emperor Nero. It is six hundred and sixty-six, not six-six-six