Because people believed he wasn't lying. And to be more concise people believed the "angel?" that gave him his message was not lying.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
How is faith in God attained?
- Thread starter nds1
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Because people believed he wasn't lying. And to be more concise people believed the "angel?" that gave him his message was not lying.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
And you still want to embrace a god like that???
Not even another chance to spiritually advance...ALL of eternity,eh?
Well, that speaks volumes in itself!
Yes because He is the one and only God of all existence and He has shown me mercy. Each and every person must make their own decision my family must make their own decisions. I cannot save anyone. They must choose to accept the gift of God by themselves.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
Faith is the oposite of fear. 2 sides of the same coin. Both are the belief of the unseen. The difference is one is negitive based, one is positive based.
Perhaps this is a better and further more reliable source to get info. Rather than ask a nutcase that hangs around here preaching mierda!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity
Faith.
I have faith he WAS lying. Im also pretty sure Im right, because my faith is strong.
I have faith he WAS lying. Im also pretty sure Im right, because my faith is strong.
Yeah, and those car bombs you hear about every day. Those Muslims' faith isn't strong, right? LOL. They're pretty sure they are right as well. So sure that they will kill themselves for that very faith.
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Can't agree with that at all.
Fear many times can be a good thing. It warns of possible impending danger,keeps you alert and ready for real dangers that do exist in our world.
Faith on the other hand as far as religion goes, seems to be keeping peoples heads rigidly set in the dogma of religion and it's the current abrahamic faiths and their clashes between each other that threaten to destroy the world. Here in Canada for instance ,more and more faith based schools are popping up and that spells trouble as it just reinforces(for the most part) into young peoples heads all the ignorance of that dogma that I despise so much.
As a god believer ,I'm all for increased spirituality and most religions do have their finer points when it comes to this, but unfortunately it's the faith and dogma that usually win out.
I don't have "faith" in god, for me it's a belief based on what I feel is at least "suggestive evidence" from numerous reports of near death experiences,leading pychics who have helped people connect with their loved ones in the afterlife,etc,(sure , I realise there is a lot of fraud in this area) and of course partly my own intuition on the whole god concept.
So, I can live with being labelled "delusional" or whatever but my delusion will not affect anyone elses life. If anything my belief in a god that represents unconditional love and selfless service is only motivating me to help myself and others around me. I feel no need to convert others,have prayer in school or feel threatened /hostile towards atheists, these are non-issues for me.
Unfortunately I usually tend to see faith and dogma go hand in hand and it's a bad combination.
Because the message that he gave is in rebellion against the Message of The Messiah Jesus.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
They where lead by the Holy Spirit. The miracles did of cource gain them attention from the crowds but it was the message that kept people in the faith not the miraculious demonstrations.
It is the same with the signs that Jesus did. I do not believe in God because Jesus performed healings and raised a man from the dead. I follow Him because of the Message He gave.
From a few of your posts you seem to be saying that you want to see a demonstration of miracuious power before you believe. If it was Gods will that belief was obtained through viewing miraculious signs then you would be seeing then more often. But i do not believe it is the desire of God to win people over by signs but by the Word. He wants people to be attracted by the Love of the Word rather than the awe of great miracle performances.
This sign was for the one who already had faith not for the ones who had no faith.
Mark 5
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
And an example of Paul:
Acts 14
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
PS: i also know from scriptures that in the end times great lying signs and wonders will be performed by the anti-christ and the false prophet, So if your going to wait for great signs you might just see them one day. But know this if the one doing the signs is the anti-christ and you follow him because of the signs you will be doomed for sure.
Do you think they would have gained any followers without the miracles to prove the validity of their message?
Acts 5:12-16
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women
This passage seems to suggest that miracles were key in attaining believers.
Adstar said:
Miracle Turning water into Wine
John 2:11
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
KJV
Miracle: Miscellaneous
John 2:23
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
KJV
Miracle: Feeding of the 5,000
John 6:14
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
KJV
Miracle: Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead
John 11:45
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
KJV
Also, about God not desiring to use miracles to gain believers:
John 20:30-31
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
KJV
Adstar said:
Why do you think this woman decided to approach Jesus and touch him to get healed? What do you think was the basis for her faith that Jesus could heal her?
People around the local area were talking about the amazing miracles this man Jesus was performing. They were talking about how he was healing many people from uncurable diseases. So, she thought to herself, "Wow, this guy Jesus must be the real deal. I'm really desperate, I've been to almost every doctor, so let me give this man a shot." Hence, she gave it a shot and it worked. The same thing applies for the blind man that went up to Jesus and asked for healing. First he heard the rumors, then he asked for help.
The hemoraging woman or the blind man or anyone else WOULD NOT have asked Jesus for help if they didn't hear about his healing and other miracles around the town.
Don't worry I won't be worshipping David Blain anytime soon.
How about that Simon guy from Samaria though? He was performing sorcery while Peter and his crew were preaching? Were those the last days?
We must not forgot the Thomas story as well:
John 20:24-25
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
NKJV
As I've said many times before, this is AN APOSTLE SAYING HE WANTS PROOF. It's not a skeptical atheist or some mathemetician or engineer. This is an apostle who had witnessed hundreds and hundreds of amazing miracles up close from Jesus. Are you kidding me? Then you are not going to believe that Jesus can rise from the dead?
Adstar, what do you think this story is telling us? If an apostle wants proof BEFORE believing, then what is that to say about the rest of us, who aren't nearly as spiritually enlightened as Thomas was?
By the way, Thomas got his proof. He asked and it was received. Then, he believed.
John 20:24-25
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
NKJV
As I've said many times before, this is AN APOSTLE SAYING HE WANTS PROOF. It's not a skeptical atheist or some mathemetician or engineer. This is an apostle who had witnessed hundreds and hundreds of amazing miracles up close from Jesus. Are you kidding me? Then you are not going to believe that Jesus can rise from the dead?
Adstar, what do you think this story is telling us? If an apostle wants proof BEFORE believing, then what is that to say about the rest of us, who aren't nearly as spiritually enlightened as Thomas was?
By the way, Thomas got his proof. He asked and it was received. Then, he believed.
If you are waiting for Jesus to appear to you, so you could touch the holes in His hands (wrists) and feet, then you might have a long wait, but maybe He'll consider you Doubting Thomas II, who knows?
Doubting T2? I'd be honored.
IAC, you think what Thomas did would be considered "testing" the Lord?
In a sense, but God also wanted to be able to say that those in the future would come to believe not having Thomas' luxury, by preaching with the Spirit.
Jesus preached with the Spirit to Thomas and the other Apostles at a high level for years. So Thomas not only had the luxury of being preached to constantly and at a high level by the man himself, but he also witnessed hundreds of incredible, stunning, undeniable miracles. Yet he STILL couldn't believe.
So if Thomas couldn't believe through seeing miracles and hearing the in depth preaching of Jesus with the Spirit, then what does that tell you?
So if Thomas couldn't believe through seeing miracles and hearing the in depth preaching of Jesus with the Spirit, then what does that tell you?
Thomas was a bit dense.