Part 39 of Post Your Tough Questions Regarding Christianity

Interestingly I don't believe the Amalekites are known nowhere else in History except through reference to the Bible. Certain tribes have been mentioned as likely candidates but the fact is that they were probably just part of the Mythical Exodus story. Again many of the characters are known only through the Bible. In any case 600,000 Hebrews would have been more than enough to dealt with a wandering tribe.
In the book of Kings,much later, we do at least have extrabiblical evidence of many of them and their battles etc.

 

You do realize that “We read in the scripture”:means nothing to someone who doesn’t believe in you scriptures. You might as well say “We read in Spider-Man Issue 547”

 

The Amalekites were supposed to be able to transform themselves into animals, which is why killing their livestock was important.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalek#Jewish_traditions

It’s just another example of how religion is reasonable and creates moral people.

 

We die because this life isn't suited to immortality. Not because there is no such thing. And just because we are born and die, it is not the all of it. That we come into this life and then leave, hints of eternity from which we came and to which we return.
Religion and dogma aside, my sense tells me that our spirits and verve can't die or be killed by death unless ones entire heart is set upon life itself. It isn't vain to do right and store our treasures in heaven. It is the economy of the wise in service to God.

 

By what or whose measure? You aren't God.

 

Atheism is just not believing that there is a god. That can't possibly be considered a "religion". There is no stated belief of atheism that goes beyond there not being a god. That is the totality.

So, please stop adding your nonsense about atheism being a religion or having a view of cosmology, etc.

 

I see no hints of eternity. Even the universe will come to an end. And if the Bible is true we were created for eternity by God. If so why did he allow us to 'fall'?
. And why would Adam be lonely? He knew nothing but his current situation. And if God created man in his own image - what does that mean. Of course that's another human idea of an unknowable God. And if he has a son, does that mean he has a wife? It's all in the mind of man. A creation which varies from religion to religion, from culture to culture, from miraculous contact with 'spiritual' beings in 'visions/dreams'. The desire for heaven is the inability to cope with the fear of a natural and final death.

 

By measure of humanity. You aren't God either AND you haven't proved to me that your God exists.
Most people who kill children because "God told them to" are put away in a psych ward.

 

These two quotes directly contradict one another. You claim that accountability to a supreme being “lends itself” to civility and peaceableness more so than to brutality. Then you advocate the murder of children. Your religion seems to give you a method of turning off your empathy and sense of common decency

The lesson will go by unlearned since there is not enough information to conclude that it even makes sense .

 

One purpose imo, is to humble us.

I don't know.

That we look like him as opposed to an octopus?

It would seem logical. It is mentioned in LDS discourses, though not in doctrine.

My knowledge that God is real had nothing to do with death. I had simply prayed to the unseen unknown God and asked if I could believe the LDS Missionaries who believed many strange (to me) things. I had no religion or belief in anything at the time. Neither was I seeking it. I was just being nice to these pleasant young people. They asked me if I would pray about the Book of Mormon. I promised that I would. But since I hadn't read it, and they said many other things as well, I decided to ask God if I could believe anything they said. The thought of such a prayer scared me at first because if God was real and answered my prayer, I'd be on the hook for something far greater than what I was prepared to acknowledge. But then I figure that I could either know the truth or remain in the dark. So I resolved to ask the unknown unseen God. It had nothing to do with death. Ironically, the ministering of his spirit was like being raised from the dead to life in him.

 

I think it was Mitt that said that. I agree that atheism is not a religion

 

So you admit that you had contact with religion before your 'experience'. It didn't come 'out-of-the-blue'. Which follows one of Freuds theories.
If God had been satisfied and not created Eve - and he must have known she would fail - why create her? Adam would not have known any difference. Adam would not have known what pride was as he was created in God's own image.
If God has a wife and angels, why the need for man.?
Over 5000 people have just been killed in Turkey/Syria because God created a world that is so unstable it destroys his creation. A tiny baby still attached to its dead mother by the umbilical cord had to have it cut and the baby rushed to hospital where it was actually revived. Can you really take that in and say that God is good?

 

I got that from #1734.

But, it does sound like Mitt!

I do stand by what I said, of course.

I'm sure I should have followed back better and shown some restraint.

Thanks, and I do apologize.

 

Atheism is the belief that there isn't a god. That's it. There is NO more to it. It can't possibly be a religion, as "no god" doesn't have the elements of a religion.

Please stop with the nonsense about atheism being a religion, OK?

Observations of our universe do not lead to the conclusion that this universe came from nothing.

In fact, physics today doesn't accept the notion that there can be a "nothing".

Clearly, Genesis is an allegory. So, it's not disputable. But, it is not a description of a physical process.

 

Freuds theories come from years of study and doctrine. My revelation came right out of the blue, not from doctrine or study. I compiled and concluded nothing. And it had nothing to do with what the Missionaries were saying.

Yes. What the victims of that tragedy think or feel, I don't know. Whatever conclusions they draw is up to them. All that anyone knows is that they need help.

 

Brothers Injeun and Mitt.. I believe the prophesy of the blooming of the fig tree has come to pass and the 'last generation" started May 14th , 1948..

My question is.. just how long will this "last generation' be? 120 years as stated after the flood, as long a the generation in Exodus that had to pass before the Israelites were allowed into the Promised Land.. or is it more like what we would call a typical lifespan in the present day?

What is the Fig Tree Prophecy? (biblesprout.com)

The Fig Tree Generation: - The generation that will not pass (christiantruthcenter.com)

 

I didn't ask what the victims feel. I asked what you feel. That your God could let this happen when he could have prevented it by creating a stable world and a stable universe.
Everything he created is in chaos. The Universe is expanding for what purpose, and will eventually contract to nothing. There is no order out there where planets like ours are colliding, falling into blackholes, suns are going nova, burning out or colliding, some planets are rogue planets. We may have laws of physics etc but that doesn't help in the chaos on earth or in the Universe. Or are we just one of your Gods experiments.

Of course your experience had something to do with what the missionaries said. You admit they asked you to pray and you did. You believe that Gods spirit gave you your experience. Have you heard of hypnagogia?

Typically referring to both the states between waking and sleeping (hypnagogic), as well as between sleeping and waking (hypnopompic), hypnagogia is now a well-documented set of phenomena. Individuals report hearing their name called just as they are falling asleep, feeling a presence in the room with them, seeing blurry images, noticing diffuse light, and having out-of-body experiences. What is more, studies done in the 21st century suggest that these hypnagogic hallucinations occur with considerable frequency within the general population, with estimates ranging from about 39% to 85%.
Thus, conservatively, more than a third of the population reports having one of these experiences. This accords well with historical research on religious experiences funded by a partnership between the European Union and Durham University, as well as the Wellcome Trust as part of Durham's Hearing the Voice project. After analysing 65 first-hand accounts of religious experiences in 19th-century and early 20th-century Mormons, it appears that about 21 (32%) of these accounts fit the current phenomenology of hypnagogia. That is, about a third of the cases examined include details indicative of the experiences now known to occur in such liminal states.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30138-X/fulltext

 

No, you asked if I still think that God is good. I said yes I do. But that I can't speak to how the victims of the earthquake feel or believe about God.

When I say that Gods spirit came to me and awakened me to a remembrance of him, I mean just that. I recognized and remembered his spirit. When I said it was out of the blue, I meant unexpected and astonishing because I never knew God at any point in my life. Neither did I believe beyond a trial of the concept. I should also mention that I had reached the point in discussions with the Missionaries, that I was on the verge of thanking them for their time and sending them away with my well wishes. And had silently spoke the contents of my heart and mind to the unseen/unknown God, reminding both him and myself that I had asked with courage to know the truth, and yet no truth had come. It was then that his spirit began to pour into my heart, and my blessing from God to unfold.

That said, with the large amount of data at your disposal, I can understand why you are compelled to discredit my words. And even without the data you quote, my recitation isn't something that anyone should just believe. But it is worthy of consideration.

 

I don't know. I personally keep an eye out for two things. One, that the gospel must be preached to every nation, kindred and tongue. For now this isn't possible because it isn't allowed in some places.
And two, the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation who will testify against the wickedness of the world. I am of the mind that to whatever degree the world has its tentacles into our hearts and lives, we might all be shaken to our cores by the power of their words. But whatever is Gods will, that I will abide. I know he chastens whom he loves to keep them in remembrance.

 

OK, you want to believe in a God. But why do you believe in the Jewish God who has zero interest in you?

 

Brother Todd .... better to focus on figuring out who your God is ... rather than prophecy. You first need to know who your God is ..only then will you be able to hear the prophecy.

 

More accurately atheism is the LACK of belief in a God. If I believe there is no God then I have some burden to show why I believe that. A lack of belief carries no burden other than, "I don't believe because I have not seen sufficient evidence to believe"

 

I didn't come to believe in God by way of religion or dogma. I came to know God by his knowing me in spirit. And to love God for his loving me first by way of his messenger spirit. His spirit showed me in vision that the LDS Missionaries are his servants. They teach from two books, the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Both books testify of Jesus Christ and his gospel of repentance as a means of deliverance from our fallen state. This difference between fallen and divine is made succinct to me by virtue of having known the divine nature of his spirit. I didn't make myself, or God, or God to be the God of the Jews. He is who he is, and I acknowledge that. If the God of the Jews has no interest in me, then why would he know me, and I then him in a common bond.

The world is big and filled with delights. So the plainness of truth is not esteemed.

 

Personal experience, ESPECIALLY "experience" that is spiritual or metaphysical, is a very poor way of determining truth. Your senses can be (and are) fooled all the time. A "feeling" is nothing more than an unsubstantiated neurological event.

 

Very good question Brother Todd. Let me first put-up Matthew 24:1-51, so I can refer to them later.

We Read in Scripture:

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away [a] and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, [c] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants [d] and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24:1-51 ESV

Footnotes
a. Matthew 24:10 Or stumble
b. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts omit nor the Son
c. Matthew 24:45 Or bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50
d. Matthew 24:49 Or bondservants

The Signs of the End of the Age haven't begun to unfold yet. And so, using the Lord's illustration, the leaves of the fig tree have not yet appeared but when they do then it's a sign our Lord Jesus is coming soon.

Usually in the Bible a generation is around thirty years long or the people living during that time. We have to consider context when we read "generation" in the Bible.
Note that the fig tree prophecy concerns the 2nd coming of the Lord and not the rapture of the church. The 2nd coming of the Lord is preceded by signs, just as summer is preceded by the fig leaves, and so far, no signs have unfolded yet. The rapture of the church could occur at any moment, there are no signs that must precede it, but we know it will occur before the Lord's 2nd coming.

You know Brother Todd it really looks like we are getting close to the end times, I mean there is talk/rumors right now of a World War III, a nuclear war because of what's going on between Ukraine and Russia. If we get into an all-out nuclear war that will definitely create famine, that could also trigger earthquakes all over the world with these nuclear bombs going off. And we will see Matthew 24, the verses regarding Signs of the End of the Age begin to unfold. Then there will be a 7-year tribulation period before the Lord returns.

Ok thanks Brother Todd for your post.