Ask a Christian

Why didn't you?

They had to wait until they reached an age of consent. It is my opinion that kids go through a natural phase of maturing where they reject beliefs that have been given to them by their parents. Then, they have to choose a belief system by themselves. Until that time, they are under their parents' umbrella.

When they go down in baptism, they are saying they are dead to the world.
Then, when they come up in baptism, they are a new creation.

I just don't think a child can do that - it is a once in a lifetime experience, and they should die to the world, and if they don't know what that is, in a personal way, they aren't ready to get baptized.

We dedicated our children to the Lord, but that was a promise that we would bring Him up in the Lord.

Some kids get to that point earlier, some later, it is different with everyone.

I was a Taliban Mom. My son still talks about how he was the only kid in kindergarten who didn't know who "Masters of the Universe" was. Instead, he was reading the Chronicles of Narnia. When he was 10, I let him watch "Return of the Jedi", but only after I edited out about a third of it, the Jabba the Hut parts! I laugh now, but wow, I was tough!

I was tough about everything. They're good kids now, though.
 
I rate myself as a 1 because I see myself as a lukewarm Christian in name :-/
 
Here are some:

100 Bible prophecies explained:

10 more fulfilled by Jesus

These 10 Old Testament passages were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. They foreshadowed and foretold details about the persecution, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. ("Resurrection" means to be "brought back to life.")

1. The Messiah would suffer and be rejected
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:3
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Isaiah 52:13-53:12, the prophet foreshadowed the life and mission of Jesus, who was born about 700 years later. In Isaiah 53:3, the prophet said that a servant of God would be rejected and despised. Jesus was indeed rejected by many people living in the land of Israel, and He was later crucified by the Romans.

It has been claimed by some scholars that Isaiah 52:13-53:12 actually refers to Israel as a nation and not to an individual Messiah. But, at least some of the ancient Rabbis believed that this passage from Isaiah is indeed about an individual Messiah. Hal Lindsey, in his book, "The Promise of Bible Prophecy," wrote the following: Rabbi Moshe Alshekh, one of the great seventeenth-century expositors from Safed, Israel, said "Our Rabbis with one voice accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King Messiah, and we shall ourselves also adhere to the same view."

Here's another example of a Rabbi, referring to a prophecy by Isaiah, stating that it refers to an individual - the Messiah - rather than to a nation of people:

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the meaning of which is that since the Messiah bears our iniquities which produce the effect of his being bruised, it follows that whoso will not admit that the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and suffer for them himself." - Rabbi Eliyyah de Vidas, who wrote during the 16th century.

One source for the two quotations is The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters, translated by S.R. Driver and A.D. Neubauer, KTAV publishing House, New York, 1969.


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Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

2. God's servant would be wounded and whipped
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:5
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Isaiah 53:5, prophet described a servant as being punished for the sins of others, and that others would be healed by the wounds of this person. As explained in the Gospel - the four New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - Jesus was crucified for our sins, even though He was sinless. Christians believe that this ultimate sacrifice redeemed us all from sin in the same way that lambs were once sacrificed as a symbolic way of cleansing people from sin. And so, all of us can be accepted into the Kingdom of God, as though we were sinless, if we accept Jesus as our Savior. Christians believe that we are healed through the wounds that Jesus suffered.
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Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

3. God's servant would be silent before His accusers
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:7
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In the book of Isaiah, chapter 53, Isaiah the prophet wrote about a servant of God. Many people believe this was a prophecy about the life of Jesus Christ, who lived about 700 years later. In Isaiah 53:7, the prophet said that the servant would be afflicted and accused, but like a lamb being led to slaughter, he would remain silent. As explained in Matthew 27:12-14, which was recorded about 700 years after the time of Isaiah, this is what happened to Jesus. He was falsely accused but remained silent and did not protest the accusations. Jesus was crucified by the Romans a short time later.
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Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

4. God's servant would be buried in a rich man's tomb
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:9
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Isaiah 53:9, the prophet wrote about a sinless servant being put to death with the wicked and buried with the rich. About 700 years after this was believed to have been written, Jesus was put to death along with two criminals and was buried in a tomb owned by a wealthy man, as explained in the New Testament. The New Testament says that Jesus was resurrected three days later and ascended into Heaven.
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Isaiah 53:9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

5. God's servant would be crucified with criminals
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:12
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Isaiah 53:12, the prophet wrote about a servant who would bear the sins of many people and be punished side-by-side with criminals. Christians believe that Isaiah's description of this servant was a prophecy that was fulfilled during the life of Jesus Christ. As explained in the book of Matthew, Jesus, though sinless, was "numbered with the transgressors" and crucified along with two criminals.
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Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

6. Jesus was spat upon and beaten
Bible passage: Isaiah 50:6
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Isaiah 50:6, the prophet writes about a servant of God who endures abuse at the hands of sinful people. This servant offers his back to those who beat him, his face to those who rip out his beard, and himself to those who mock and taunt him. Christians historically have believed that this Old Testament passage foreshadowed the life of Jesus Christ, who lived about 700 years after Isaiah. Jesus, as explained in the New Testament, was beaten, mocked and taunted shortly before His crucifixion by the Romans. In Matthew 26:67 NIV, for example, it says: Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"
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Isaiah 50:6
I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

7. Psalm 22 foreshadowed the crucifixion of Jesus
Bible passage: Psalm 22:1,7,8,16,17,18
Written: about 1000 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
People are sometimes curious, when they read Matthew 27:46 or Mark 15:34, why Jesus, while dying on the cross, said "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Those words are actually the first line of Psalm 22, which according to Jewish tradition was written by King David about 1,000 years before Jesus was crucified.

Psalm 22 speaks of a man who cries out to God for deliverance from intense persecution. There are parallels between the details in Psalm 22 and the details written in the New Testament about Jesus' crucifixion, such as:

In Psalm 22:7, it speaks of a man surrounded by others who scorn and despise him. This is what happened to Jesus in Matthew 27:39 and Mark 15:29.

In Psalm 22:7, it speaks of a man being mocked, which is similar in the descriptions of Jesus' crucifixion given in Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20 and Luke 22:63; 23:36.

In Psalm 22:8, it says, "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." In Matthew 27:43, Jesus’ enemies taunted him by saying, "He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him."

In Psalm 22:16, it speaks of a man who was numbered with the transgressors, meaning an innocent man being regarded as being one of a group of criminals. Jesus too was numbered with the transgressors when he was crucified next to two criminals, as described in Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27, Luke 23:32 and John 19:18.

In Psalm 22:16, it speaks of a man whose hands and feet are either pierced, or mauled, or disfigured, depending on which is truly the best English translation of the original verse. In John 19:23,34,37 - Jesus' hands and feet were pierced with nails during the crucifixion process.

In Psalm 22:17, it speaks of a man who would be surrounded by others who stared and gloated at him. This too was the situation for Jesus during the crucifixion, according to Matthew 27:36 and Luke 23:35.

In Psalm 22:18, onlookers gamble for pieces of clothing that belonged to the person being persecuted. As explained in Matthew 27:35, Roman soldiers gambled (cast lots) for articles of Jesus' clothing while he was being crucified.

There are other descriptions in Psalm 22 that sound like an accurate description of what would happen to a person being crucified, such as the disjointing of bones, the drying up of a person's strength, an intense sense of thirst, a heart melting like wax (Jesus was stabbed in the side with a spear during his crucifixion), and being "poured out" of one's body. When Jesus was stabbed, blood and water poured out from the wound.

Many Christian scholars have written about their views of the significance of Psalm 22 and the crucifixion of Jesus. The late Charles Briggs, who had been a professor at the Union Theological Seminary, said "These sufferings [of Psalm 22] transcend those of any historical sufferer, with the single exception of Jesus Christ. They find their exact counterpart in the sufferings of the cross.... This ideal is a Messianic ideal, and finds its only historical realization in Jesus Christ."
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Psalm 22:1,7,8,16,17,18
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8 "He trusts in the LORD ; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

8. Zechariah foreshadowed the crucifixion of Jesus
Bible passage: Zechariah 12:10
Written: between 520 and 518 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Zechariah, chapter 12, the Bible said that there will be a time when the world's nations attack Jerusalem. In Zechariah 12:10, the Bible says that after this attack fails, the people will lament over the one who was "pierced," as one mourns for the loss of a first-born son. Christians traditionally have interpreted this passage as a reference to the return of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was pierced when He was crucified by the Romans about 2000 years ago. Christians believe that Jesus will return in the future to establish an everlasting kingdom.
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Zechariah 12:10
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

9. Isaiah foreshadows the ministry of Jesus
Bible passage: Isaiah 61:1-2
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 27 AD
In Isaiah 61, there are passages that speak of an anointed one who preaches the good news to the poor, frees the people who are imprisoned, heals the blind and releases the oppressed. About 700 years after the time of Isaiah, Jesus relates these Bible passages to Himself:

Luke 4:15-20 (NIV translation):
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.
17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,
21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
At this point during the ministry of Jesus, he had already been preaching the good news to the poor and he had already healed many people of various afflictions, including blindness, both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense.

But Jesus had not yet begun the other part of his mission, which includes a "day of vengeance," which Bible scholar John Gill explains as "the day of vengeance of our God; when vengeance was taken on sin, in the person of Christ; when he destroyed the works of the devil, … and who will take vengeance on antichrist at his spiritual coming, and upon all the wicked at the day of judgment."

With this in mind, it is interesting that Jesus stopped reading Isaiah 61 mid way through verse 2, immediately before the mention of a "day of vengeance."
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Isaiah 61:1-2
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,[1] 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

NIV Footnote: [1] Instead of "prisoners," the Greek Septuagint renders the word as "blind."

10. Jesus' resurrection was foreshadowed in Old Testament
Bible passage: Psalm 16:10-11
Written: about 1000 BC
Fulfilled: About 32 AD
In Psalm 16:10-11, the Bible talks of God's refusal to let His "Holy One" remain in a grave after death. This Psalm is believed to have been written about 1000 years before Jesus was born. New Testament writers believed that this Psalm foreshadowed the death and resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection means "brought back to life." There are several reports in the New Testament that say that Jesus was killed and placed in a tomb, but that God brought Jesus back to life a few days later. (See Matthew 28:5-8, Mark 16:5-6, Luke 24:1-7, or John 20:1-18)
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Psalm 16:10-11
because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Notes: Bible verses are from the New International Version (NIV) translation.

Copyright ©1999-2007 George Konig and 100prophecies.org. All rights reserved.
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Some not here is the place Jesus would be born: Bethlehem (Micah 5)
That He would go to Egypt (Hosea 11)
That He would heal the deaf, the blind (Isaiah 30)
That He would die young (Isaiah 53)
That He would have no children (Isaiah 53)
That He would bring light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42)
The year He would be born (Daniel 9)
That He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah)
That the crowds would call, "Baruch haba bashem Adonai" (Zechariah)
That He would be meek, and lowly. (Isaiah)
That He would not crush the bend reed (gentle).
That He would lead like a Shepherd. (Isaiah 49, I think)
That He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 9)
 
How about all them non-canonical books?

What's the deal with that?

They are not recognized because there is something wrong with them. I've read some of them, and they are not similar to either the style or the philosophical content of the previously accepted canon.

Maybe they are fine for those who want to deviate from basic Christian concepts, and mostly, from what I have read, that deviation is basically the idea that there is truth that is "hidden" and if you are smart enough or clever enough, you can pull the mystery out by using hidden clues of some kind.

This is antithetical to the core Christian message that God loves all and He wants to be first, reconciled to man as a free gift, and secondly, to give wisdom and truth to all who seek it, as a free gift.
 
I rate myself as a 1 because I see myself as a lukewarm Christian in name :-/

Don't say that. You are not lukewarm at all. You are just trying to feel your way through what you currently consider right and wrong. There is nothing wrong with that, it is 'assimilation'. Just try to be patient. Read your Bible, especially the little books of Paul, like Colossians, Ephesians, Galatian, Philippians. That is all you need to do. Start a journal, that would REALLY help you. Also, a devotional would tremendously help you! There are many on the internet. Here is one:

www.biblegateway.com (Verse of the Day)

or here:

http://bible.com/daily-devotional.php



Here is a verse of the day for today from biblegateway.com
Verse of the day

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”- Titus 2:11-12

Then you just play around with it and figure out what that MEANS to you. What is "ungodliness"? what is "worldly passions"? Look it up. If you do, then you get some references to "ungodliness". One is Jeremiah 23, where God complains about the "ungodliness" of Jerusalem.

Right before, he says exactly what that is:


Jeremiah 22

... This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

4 For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these commands, declares the LORD, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.' "


It is through this kind of self-study in a devotional time of say, 10-15 minutes a day, that you can start to grow. Write down your thoughts on it in a journal, with prayer requests. I promise you if you do this, in three months, you will be a different person. I promise, you will look back at your first prayer requests and find they are fulfilled. Remember, when you ask, you must believe that you will get an answer, without faith, nothing will profit you.

I think this place is like a journal for you. I have noticed in three months, you have changed ALOT. You have had a great deal of growth. Persevere! You are doing OK! You are OK!
 
I am supprised after all the nasty things that I have said about Fundamentalist Christianity you came up to help. I feel so dirty and ashamed for doing thoes things that I just want to apologise to you and MobBoss for the bad things I have said :(. I do would like to take back the nasty things I have said (However I am afraid that people would judge me as a flip-flopper after realizing that I was in the wrong)

Know I know how St Paul (Saul) felt when he was on the Road to Damasasus (Spelling, I could only spell it out phoneticly)
 
This just poped into my mind. Is it normal for Christians who have gone astray (such as myself) to seek forgiveness from other Christians whom they have bashed?
 
This just poped into my mind. Is it normal for Christians who have gone astray (such as myself) to seek forgiveness from other Christians whom they have bashed?

CG, in what way have you gone astray? You do not need to conform to others opinions on Christianity to be one yourself.
 
CG, in what way have you gone astray? You do not need to conform to others opinions on Christianity to be one yourself.
Basicly, I have rejected the Bible, refused to surrender to God, and bashed harshly on Fundamentalist Protestant Christians.
 
Basicly, I have rejected the Bible, refused to surrender to God, and bashed harshly on Fundamentalist Protestant Christians.

Perhaps you're just not a Christian then? You can believe in God without believing in the Christian teachings.
 
Generally, the belief in the triune Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and the saving power of the death of Jesus Christ. And the Bible says to confess this with your mouth:

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

In a nutshell, a belief and acceptance that Jesus Christ is their lord and savior.
Those are different than what I been told before.
 
I don't believe in the Trinity because it isn't backed up very well by scripture. (misinterpretations) Does that make me 'not' a Christian? On that subject I believe more in Islam, Jesus was a highly loved messenger of God, who ascended to heaven. I disagree with Mecca, change the word Mecca with Jerusalem (city of peace) in Hebrew, Israel. Thats where you're meant to go pilgrim at. In Islam Allah is merely an Arabic word for God. God says in the Qu'ran that 'PEOPLE OF THE BOOK' which is Torah, Gospel and Qu'ran were all made by the same God.

Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way saying, "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him." (Qur'an, 29: 46)

It is also emphasized in the Qur'an that Christians used to enjoy a special friendship with Muslims in comparison to other believing communities. It should still be this way now. This is how one verse reveals how and why Christians are the closest people to Muslims:

In the Qu'ran it is said that the people most affectionate to those who believe are those who say, "We are Christians." That is because some of them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant. (Qur'an, 5: 82)

I just consider myself a believe in God and use all 3 books as guidance as your suppose to.

Those who believe, those who are Jews, and the Christians and Sabaeans, all who believe in God and the Last Day and act rightly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 2:62)

Say "People of the Book! Let us rally to a common formula to be binding on both us and you: That we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than God. (Qur'an, 3: 64)
 
I don't really believe in the Trinity either, but I am not sure and I don't think the essence of being Christian is believing in the Trinity. And though my denomination accepts clearly the Holy Trinity I am not very convinced, but as I said I do not care very much about this. I'm a Trinity agnostic (that doesn't know whether it exists or not), but totally Christian (and Orthodox) in my other beliefs. And I don't have any problem with people believing or not believing in the Trinity. :)
 
Perhaps you're just not a Christian then? You can believe in God without believing in the Christian teachings.
Well, I believe that Jesus is my lord and savior. Its just that my faith is not that strong.
 
Well, I believe that Jesus is my lord and savior. Its just that my faith is not that strong.

:confused:

Believing Jesus is your Lord and Savior demonstrates pretty strong faith, so I don't see how your too sentences can coexist.
 
:confused:

Believing Jesus is your Lord and Savior demonstrates pretty strong faith, so I don't see how your too sentences can coexist.

I just have issues with Self-Confedence and Self-Esteem. Even if I still believe in Jesus as my lord and savior. I still feel that I am still doomed to hell no matter what I do, I just feel God is very VERY distant from me in that he does not even hear my pleas of me repenting my sins as well as getting me thinking that God would not believe that I am sincere that I am sorry dispite making mistakes and fall.

Is this normal for a Christian to feel this way?
 
"Is this normal for a Christian to feel this way?" - The fact that you doubt is whats causing the problem. You need faith and confidence that God is there listening. Bible speaks about 100% faith and no doubt. If the bible says that when you repent you are safe. Then you must believe it.


"Honi soit qui mal y pense" -- evil be to him who thinks it.
 
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