The Jesus Christ Appreciation and Worship Thread

[C. Lee]

I'm really feeling screwed up tonight and I'm hoping someone here can be a messenger.

1.Why won't God talk to me? Or even skip me and talk to my agnostic friends that I pray will meet him? He's the most powerful being in the universe, I just don't get it. I've sat in darkness for a while, literally, just me and darkness, hoping to be joined by an everlasting light and while I know he's omnipresent, he didn't speak, or put his arm on my shoulder or anything. I don't get it.

2.Why do bad things happen to good people?
And I know, it's a sinful world, bad stuff will happen. And I also know that rain makes us grow, not sunshine. But still. A man who loves and serves God for his entire life is faced with cancer? Or his wife dies in a car wreck? Or his adopted children get taken? It's not fair and God could prevent it so easily. I'm so broken and desperate right now with these things.

You get stronger and learn more from adversity and resistance. How you handle adversity is an example to others.

 

[webhead9707]

You get stronger and learn more from adversity and resistance. How you handle adversity is an example to others.

That actually makes sense. I mean our mission is to lead others to him, and the most inspiring people that generally come to mind are those who persevered through pain and struggles. MLK, Ghandi, Malala Yousafzai, Lincoln..It goes on.

 

[Human Torch]

That actually makes sense. I mean our mission is to lead others to him, and the most inspiring people that generally come to mind are those who persevered through pain and struggles. MLK, Ghandi, Malala Yousafzai, Lincoln..It goes on.

You need look no further than Jesus for our example.Innocent of any crime or sin and yet he willingly took our trials,our suffering,our sorrows all upon Himself.

He gave strength to His Apostles by His example in suffering,whereby they no longer feared suffering,knowing that the reward awaiting them in Christ's Kingdom would wipe all memory of their hardships away.

 

[NickNitro]

I'm really feeling screwed up tonight and I'm hoping someone here can be a messenger.

2.Why do bad things happen to good people?
And I know, it's a sinful world, bad stuff will happen. And I also know that rain makes us grow, not sunshine. But still. A man who loves and serves God for his entire life is faced with cancer? Or his wife dies in a car wreck? Or his adopted children get taken? It's not fair and God could prevent it so easily. I'm so broken and desperate right now with these things.

Ahh, the age old question. Why do bad things happen to good people? I feel in life, that you only truly grow during your hardest times. You find yourself, expand your mind, build character, and persevere. You are truly at your best, when life is at its worst. Or at least you try to be. You will never go through life without pain, and to think otherwise is foolish. It's how you deal with your hardships that define you as a person. You stay strong, push through, fight for your happiness, and know that in the end, He will guide you into the light.

 

[rodhulk]

I'm really feeling screwed up tonight and I'm hoping someone here can be a messenger.

1.Why won't God talk to me? Or even skip me and talk to my agnostic friends that I pray will meet him? He's the most powerful being in the universe, I just don't get it. I've sat in darkness for a while, literally, just me and darkness, hoping to be joined by an everlasting light and while I know he's omnipresent, he didn't speak, or put his arm on my shoulder or anything. I don't get it.

2.Why do bad things happen to good people?
And I know, it's a sinful world, bad stuff will happen. And I also know that rain makes us grow, not sunshine. But still. A man who loves and serves God for his entire life is faced with cancer? Or his wife dies in a car wreck? Or his adopted children get taken? It's not fair and God could prevent it so easily. I'm so broken and desperate right now with these things.

Job in the Bible went through lot's of suffering and was rewarded after as he never lost faith in God. He was shown that God does care and was there the whole time even when it seemed like he wasn't. Some non Christians will say that we as Christians think we are better than them but your example and the example of Job shows us that we are not better than anybody..... not in our earthly lives. Our hope is in the future. There is a scripture that says God causes the same sun to fall on the righteous as well as the unrighteous. That said, God is present in this world and as with the case of Job, God can provide relief, healing, rest, etc.... if it's his will. Let's always look to his will not our will, not what seems right to us. Prayer is useful and is answered all the time, it just may not be the answer we want. Again, that's trusting God's will. If you read my little "cake" story in a post above, everything in the end will be "good." We just need to have patience and endurance and look forward to the day we are taken into his presence.

 

[Alex_Spider]

Ahh, the age old question. Why do bad things happen to good people? I feel in life, that you only truly grow during your hardest times. You find yourself, expand your mind, build character, and persevere. You are truly at your best, when life is at its worst. Or at least you try to be. You will never go through life without pain, and to think otherwise is foolish. It's how you deal with your hardships that define you as a person. You stay strong, push through, fight for your happiness, and know that in the end, He will guide you into the light.

Fair enough. But what about those people who die from hunger and wars or the homeless ones? What sort of wicked lesson do they get to learn, when they live and die in inhumane ways and no matter how they pray to god they will never live a happy life and will die way too young? It's easy for us who have a home and daily food on the table to interpret god's trials as a way to make us stronger and guide us into the light. What about those who are destined to live a short life? When are they going to be rewarded from god? In the afterlife?

 

[NickNitro]

Fair enough. But what about those people who die from hunger and wars or the homeless ones? What sort of wicked lesson do they get to learn, when they live and die in inhumane ways and no matter how they pray to god they will never live a happy life and will die way too young? It's easy for us who have a home and daily food on the table to interpret god's trials as a way to make us stronger and guide us into the light. What about those who are destined to live a short life? When are they going to be rewarded from god? In the afterlife?

That's almost an impossible question to answer.

 

[Duke]

I'm really feeling screwed up tonight and I'm hoping someone here can be a messenger.

1.Why won't God talk to me? Or even skip me and talk to my agnostic friends that I pray will meet him? He's the most powerful being in the universe, I just don't get it. I've sat in darkness for a while, literally, just me and darkness, hoping to be joined by an everlasting light and while I know he's omnipresent, he didn't speak, or put his arm on my shoulder or anything. I don't get it.

2.Why do bad things happen to good people?
And I know, it's a sinful world, bad stuff will happen. And I also know that rain makes us grow, not sunshine. But still. A man who loves and serves God for his entire life is faced with cancer? Or his wife dies in a car wreck? Or his adopted children get taken? It's not fair and God could prevent it so easily. I'm so broken and desperate right now with these things.

God always listens to us & answers us in time (when he feels it's the correct time). Never lose your faith & preserve, Web. I take great comfort in the life of Job, where he suffered immensely in losing all of his Earthly possessions, but in the end, because he remained loyal to God, he rewarded 3 fold.

 

[random_havoc]

I had an older guy recently tell me that modern worship bands are committing "heresy" when they lead (because supposedly they're just putting attention on themselves, not on God). I told him that when they start denying Jesus Christ from up front then he can say that. Christ gives a lot of freedom in styles of worship, etc. It's sad and frustrating that so many people don't seem to get that.

 

[Kelly]

I had an older guy recently tell me that modern worship bands are committing "heresy" when they lead (because supposedly they're just putting attention on themselves, not on God). I told him that when they start denying Jesus Christ from up front then he can say that. Christ gives a lot of freedom in styles of worship, etc. It's sad and frustrating that so many people don't seem to get that.

Though I agree with you, I'm not sure that you will find many "freedom in styles" of worship scripture to back up that specifically. I am not one, like many of the fundamental Church of Christ, that believe because instruments are not specifically mentioned in the New Testament they can't be used, but as happens many times today with the Bible, we must read it in a way that takes to heart the inferences as they apply to us today. So, using the instruments and voices and styles of today to worship God, IMO is fine. NOW, if the guy simply doesn't like the style of music they are playing....that is fine, but that has nothing to do with a scripture from the Bible.

I WILL SAY THIS, it does seem that Christian Artists today are falling to the "celebrity status/me" syndrome far more often than they use to....but to judge a Sunday morning church band as heresy well, that IMO falls under Matthew 7:1 far more than anything that band may be doing.

 

[webhead9707]

My main problem with worship today is the substance. Most of these songs are the equivalent of singing Baby Baby Baby to your wife on Valentines Day. We seem too content with just getting God a $5 Valentines card and being done with it. Most of these songs have no imagery or even good theology and it's a shame quite frankly. Ascend The Hill is doing a great job of not falling into that though. I really recommend you check them out.

[YT]C7MhnK5tW30[/YT]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7MhnK5tW30

[YT]26t1OI1Qzkk[/YT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26t1OI1Qzkk

[YT]ut57p2Ty5fY[/YT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut57p2Ty5fY

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

Like I said earlier:

Theocracy is a great band.

 

[Destructus86]

I'm really feeling screwed up tonight and I'm hoping someone here can be a messenger.

1.Why won't God talk to me? Or even skip me and talk to my agnostic friends that I pray will meet him? He's the most powerful being in the universe, I just don't get it. I've sat in darkness for a while, literally, just me and darkness, hoping to be joined by an everlasting light and while I know he's omnipresent, he didn't speak, or put his arm on my shoulder or anything. I don't get it.

2.Why do bad things happen to good people?
And I know, it's a sinful world, bad stuff will happen. And I also know that rain makes us grow, not sunshine. But still. A man who loves and serves God for his entire life is faced with cancer? Or his wife dies in a car wreck? Or his adopted children get taken? It's not fair and God could prevent it so easily. I'm so broken and desperate right now with these things.

1) Again...God is so much bigger than anything we can understand. The typical Evangelical churches don't really talk about it enough. God also doesn't talk to us all the same all the time. He also doesn't answer right away, He will respond when its His timing...when you are at the place He wants you to be. Again...our hope shouldn't be in Him responding and it shouldn't be signs and wonders. Our hope is in the assurance that we are saved and will live eternally with him.


2) There is a much bigger picture at play that what we can see. A big picture that started at the creation of the universe. God is working all the time, but not always in the way we expect or hope for. Our hope isn't in escape from pain, our hope is in the salvation Christ offers us and the strength He gives us to go through troubles.

 

[Human Torch]

Fair enough. But what about those people who die from hunger and wars or the homeless ones? What sort of wicked lesson do they get to learn, when they live and die in inhumane ways and no matter how they pray to god they will never live a happy life and will die way too young? It's easy for us who have a home and daily food on the table to interpret god's trials as a way to make us stronger and guide us into the light. What about those who are destined to live a short life? When are they going to be rewarded from god? In the afterlife?

Exactly.All too often we get caught up in the belief that this life is the best/most we're getting,but as I eluded to earlier,the disciples had the eternal perspective we should all have.This life,these sufferings are all but a moment in time when compared to the big picture.

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

I have never understood the "God can't exist because there's evil and suffering in the world"-argument.

If there's no God, then there's no such thing as evil. There's no good either. Everything becomes relative. I know some people say stuff like: "But we should just be nice to each other anyway, and try to find our own meaning" etc. Why? because our survival depends on it? Why should humans bother, if there's no purpose?

Thank God there's a God.

 

[Alex_Spider]

I have never understood the "God can't exist because there's evil and suffering in the world"-argument.

If there's no God, then there's no such thing as evil. There's no good either. Everything becomes relative. I know some people say stuff like: "But we should just be nice to each other anyway, and try to find our own meaning" etc. Why? because our survival depends on it? Why should humans bother, if there's no purpose?

Thank God there's a God.

Just my opinion here with no intention to bash anyone's faith

Why evil wouldn't exist without the concept of god? And what is the ultimate definition of good and evil? Aren't we all human beings that seek love and nourishment? When those two aren't met, then you get all kinds of problems.

There doesn't have to be any divine purpose for the humans to come together and treat each other nice. We have to come together to reduce the suffering around the world and live happy lives until one day we grow old and die content.
That's just all there is to it.

 

[Human Torch]

I think the overall point is:What does humanity have to gain by being selfless,if there is no Divine punishment of the guilty or rewarding of the good?Just everyone eat,drink and be merry.You don't have to worry about ignoring the needy or heck,committing outright crimes if you can get away with it.Who's gonna punish you,if not God?

 

[Alex_Spider]

I think the overall point is:What does humanity have to gain by being selfless,if there is no Divine punishment of the guilty or rewarding of the good?Just everyone eat,drink and be merry.You don't have to worry about ignoring the needy or heck,committing outright crimes if you can get away with it.Who's gonna punish you,if not God?

People don't commit criminal acts out of boredom or for sport. There are myriad of socioeconomic reasons why a man is driven into doing illegal acts. I don't think anything will change if the majority of people stops believing in god.

Those who are raised in an environment that generates abhorrent behaviour will do just that.

And what defines a criminal? A person who steals to feed himself and his family or a multi million dollar corporation, that exploits earth's resources and pollutes the air and sea in the proccess?

 

[Human Torch]

A civilization without God is prone to violence and depravity.The stories of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah taught us that much.Our civilization is already lurching towards those ends.But this not supposed to be a debate thread,so I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Alex_Spider]

A civilization without God is prone to violence and depravity.The stories of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah taught us that much.Our civilization is already lurching towards those ends.But this not supposed to be a debate thread,so I'll just leave it at that.

Fair enough.

 

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