Substance of things hoped for, the "eveidence" of things not seen.
I have come to a point where faith isn't enough anymore. Yes, I said it. That is where I am right now. Is Jesus REAL? Does God speak to you? Can u hear His voice? "God speaks to your heart," what does that even mean other than you likening your own thoughts to a "still small voice?"
Face it, believing in God is like believing in a fairytale.
Sorry for bursting your bubble but that's where I am in my faith right now.
Faith is simply belief in the truth. Living Faith is living truth in your own life. The reason I have faith in the bible and God is because I believe what He promotes is the truth. We can forget every story in the bible, but the principles(love, selflessness, justice, etc) resonate with us. To me, those principles are facts, facts that prove that God's way is the best way. The evidence that faith in those principles produces is that if God's will was followed, we would have a perfect society. The hope that faith produces is a desire to see that happen, and to literally see the Supreme creator of the universe who humbled himself and died to bring us back into that perfect society. Apart from that simple faith-based evidence, there is a lot more, some personal, some literal. The prophecies in the bible, which were written thousands of years before Jesus, were able to accurately foretell where and when he would be born. Even secular historians agree that He existed. Also, a good point is that even science now is discovering that the best diet for humans is the one God laid out in the garden of Eden, so there is evidence that God's plan for society is the best, and that he was the one that created/designed us. I'm not sure what the reasons are behind you questioning your faith, my person struggles revolved around why God allows evil to happen in the world, but that has a perfect explanation for it as well. If you'd like to take a look at that, here's a great seminar on it.
Yes, I've heard the voice of God. How do I know it wasn't my own thoughts? Because what He spoke to me shocked me to the core in a way no self-examination ever could. That, and answered prayers, are why I can smile in the face of everyone telling me there is no God - because I've met with Him myself and no 'facts' or statistics can change my experiences.
Thanx all. I really needed that! Im struggling to find my faith again. "Deep down" I know that God is more than just my imagination or a feeling but I just don't know how to respond to that anymore. I hope I do come to know Him more after this season of doubt is gone...
That�s honestly a great question. For me to believe Y-shua � Jesus� is the Messiah is to be rejected by my people and my family had disowned me. When Y-shua said you will give up you Mother and Father for Me He wasn�t playing.!!!
So why do I believe He is MY MESSIAH!?! First, I am naturally evil. Trust me in this � there really isn�t any good thing that comes from me unless I am in the Word of G-d , spending time with Him just like a real person and some strange way I not only do good� I want to.!!!!
I could tell you� which I think I�m about to� how my first husband was murdered and Y-shua appeared to me and told me I was going to go to hell unless I repent and believe in Him. I was filled with the fear of G-d, and let me tell you it isn�t what these so called churches� call a nice respect of Him is� that�s a bunch of bull. I repented and got saved. Reminded you I didn�t know anything about Jesus except he is the Christian god and have nothing to do with him because Christians� are �evil�.
Now for the past 20+ years I went and got a degree in theology and have done this and that but the bottom line is� when I see myself in His perfect Torah over 20 years when I�m not close to Y-shua (Jesus) I am a hot mess and when I am close to Him I just somehow without thinking about it obey His beautiful Law.
I�m shure this won�t get me a date on here but I don�t care when I say evil I mean it in every way you can think of and when I say He makes me good� trust me it�s night and day!!!!
Y-shua said the heart is deceitfully wicked who can know it. If you think anything good comes from your heart, you�re deceived unless G-d put the good in there.
Y-shua said my sheep hear my voice if you don�t know His voice maybe you do not know Him. I invite you to ask Him into your heart and life that you are a sinner that needs a savor and ask Him to make Himself known to you.
first, let me say it takes guts to say this & find answers here.
Wanted to add: God is so caring that He will actually take the time with you, but only when you really want Him or seek Him in your heart. Which is all He looks at.
Some people call what I have intuition - but I know better. He or his angels intercede in my mind whenever I am distressed. It can be something as trivial as Chicago Bears game outcome or an all out skull rattling voice warning me of immediate danger of a wrong choice.
And I got "The Voice In My Mind" because I asked in my heart when I was baptized in 1992 into Jesus, who cut me to the heart. He is the ultimate love of my life, the ultimate beauty, the ultimate magnificence and there is nothing I wont strive to overcome thru Jesus' spirit. I am grateful for my life - not matter how trivial, poor, and useless some might feel worshipping God thru Christ is. I will use all my talents & career for His Glory thru Christ.
Seek Him & I promise He show up for you. But if you hear his call, do not harden your heart. God luck to you.
I first wanna say i'm sorry for your experiences, it surely seems like you've been through so much unpleasent experiences that your faith was eventually shaken.
My answer to your question begins with you personally:
You are the very image of God. That alone testifies God's existance. You have He's breath in you, that one is just too deep to comprehend with (considering we were made from dust, He entrusted dust to contain He's breath)
I think the questions you should ask your self everytime you encounter this sense of doubtfullness are:
1, Who makes my heart (your heart) to keep beating incide you?
2, Who makes my lungs to pump the blood that cerculates all over my body?
3, Who mekes my eyes blink all day?
The list can go on & on looking no further but within your self. "Careful of your heart not to turn you from the living God" Hebrews 3:12. The apostle Paul warned the fellows to be careful of the hearts' deceitfulness, since our worst enemy is our hearts, until one receives a new heart through God's grace.
So here is an example of God speaking apart from His word. Every sunday for the past few months I have been given by God the very teaching high point Tim the pastor of the church I am attending.
You say how does this matter? Well 3 sundays ago God compelled me to give for the first time to this church. That sunday Tim taught on giving and he had not taught on that subject since attending.
That sunday was also communion service. So the combination of all thse factors God led me to the church I was supposed to be attending and God confirmed it through giving me the prophetic revelation of each service prior to each sunday.
Now hearing God requires trust and practicing the time to listen that you might decern His voice.
That Sunday was a beautiful day for me with the calmination of everything and God revealing to me His will and His plan for my life.
The first time I heard His voice was Him telling me He loves me and I cried being that I never cried anymore as a child and had many walls due to trust issues in my life.
God is trustworthy and He will not allow another to fool you into thinking its Him if you genuinly want to hear from God.
It takes time for your relationship with God to develop. Give it time and patience.
Too bad no one had actually addresses your questions,and situation.
Faith and its meaning.
G4100
πιστεύω
pisteuō
Thayer Definition:
1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
1a) of the thing believed
1a1) to credit, have confidence
1b) in a moral or religious reference
1b1) used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
1b2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith
2) to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
2a) to be intrusted with a thing
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer�s/Strong�s Number: from G4102
Citing in TDNT: 6:174, 849
G4102
πίστις
pistis
Thayer Definition:
1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man�s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
1a) relating to God
1a1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
1b) relating to Christ
1b1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
1c) the religious beliefs of Christians
1d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
2) fidelity, faithfulness
2a) the character of one who can be relied on
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer�s/Strong�s Number: from G3982
Citing in TDNT: 6:174, 849
G3982
πείθω
peithō
Thayer Definition:
1) persuade
1a) to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe
1b) to make friends of, to win one�s favour, gain one�s good will, or to seek to win one, strive to please one
1c) to tranquillise
1d) to persuade unto, i.e. move or induce one to persuasion to do something
2) be persuaded
2a) to be persuaded, to suffer one�s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing
2a1) to believe
2a2) to be persuaded of a thing concerning a person
2b) to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with
3) to trust, have confidence, be confident
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer�s/Strong�s Number: a primary verb
Citing in TDNT: 6:1, 818
Has the Holy Spirit convinced you of who Yesuha is,and the eternal judgement of YHWH against your 'UNBELIEF'.
Notice i did not say your 'sin(s),as Yeshua had carried ALL of your sin(s) to the cross where they had been judge by YHWH in the body of Messiah Yeshua;so that there is no more sacrifice for sin as the sacrifice of Yeshua sufficiently atoned for your sins and the sins of the whole world.
Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Faith is a gift of GOD Almighty,and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Faith in Messiah Yeshua is not something you or i have,this must be given to us by the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Faith is a verb which means that the end results of Faith in Yeshua are having actions,yet Faith also results in a person resting in the finished work of Yeshua.
Faith is not something you can work up,nor can you buy faith.
My concern for you is do you actually have faith in Yehsua to save you from the Wrath of GOD against your UNBELIEF.
