Being an agnostic, for me, is unpleasant. It's empty and unrewarding. I'm not happy with it. If I liked it I wouldn't be here asking you questions.
I'm here looking for the way out of it. I'm going to read everyone's replies, one each day, and think about them, and see if you've given me the bridge across the gap I don't seem to be able to get across by myself. (Of course I'll continue reading the Bible and praying.) I've tried the accepting Jesus prayer and lots of other things; no results, but maybe there's something here.
If there is a God then that's the most important thing in the world. I don't want to miss Him, and I don't want to disappoint Him.
Sorry for yet another "me" thread but I wanted to be sure everyone who looks down here saw this. You have been kind to me and I want you to understand.
If you still can't understand, maybe it's unavoidable; our minds work differently and our challenges are different. Maybe I'm even one of those people that God doesn't want so that it's impossible for me to believe.
Thank you for your replies on the other threads.
Scripture teaches...
Jesus IS the Word of God
Jesus IS the Truth
Jesus IS the Life
Jesus IS the Way
Christ IS the Power of God
Christ IS the Wisdom
Christ IS the Seed of God
Scripture teaches...
Trust God
The issue is ... NOT hoping God WILL
MAKE YOU BELIEVE... He Doesn’t.
The issue is ... YOU deciding for YOURSELF “if you WANT to Believe”.
God is NOT ABOUT Him PROVING His existence...BY, showing Himself, to all men, BY, speaking an audible voice to all men.
God CHOSE a few men, spoke to them, in visions, in A voice they could hear.
THEIR “appointment” (assignment if you will)...was to TEACH the World “ABOUT” God. And such “appointment”/ “assignments” Were entrusted BY God, TO men, who “agreed” to do AS “employed” by God.
(The Prophets).
God repeatedly TAUGHT the WHOLE World...
1) Hear “Prophecy” (which IS a FORETELLING, and FORESHADOWING)....OF “what” SHALL occur (ie come to pass)...BEFORE it literally comes to pass, according to HOW God Foretold it WOULD come to pass.
2) Open “your eyes” SEE what IS the makeup and contents IN and OF the world, the animals, the plants, the sky’s, the planets, stars, sun, moon, the mountains, the seas, the minerals, oils, the weather effects...and the powers thereof....the heat of the sun, the roaring waves, lightening strikes, etc. etc. ....
God Declares THESE (and etc.) are His creations and makings....<—> KNOWLEDGE revealed in His Word.
It IS your option to TRUST to BELIEVE what your own eyes Have Seen of Gods Majestic WORKS....ARE Gods Works...or attributed to someone else that HAS laid CLAIM to Creating and Making the very things God has CLAIMED to have Created and Made.
In essence....IF NOT GOD....then What? Science? Modern Sciences are grouped into categories of particular studies; (man, animals, plants, etc.)
OF Discoveries (of Gods Creations)...
AND Uses (of Gods Creations)...
and Science was Scripturally Taught...intended for men to Discover and Use the “discoveries” FOR “GOOD” purposes and intents, as a “good Benefit for mankind”....(Gold, oil, minerals, etc.)
TRUSTING to BELIEVE is a mans OPTION, of a man exercising his own “FREEWILL”...
By Gods Design of Man-KIND....Freewill is every mans God given LIBERTY to freely CHOOSE what he decides to BELIEVE (or not).
Scripture IS FIrst of “a book of KNOWLEDGE”.
Scripture IS TWO-fold...
1) Foremost...KNOWLEDGE God DESIRES men to “freely” Trust to agree with and follow.
2) Secondly...KNOWLEDGE God DESIRES men to “freely” Trust to reject and not agree with or follow.
It’s a conundrum of sorts. Because BOTH of what God Desires a man TO TRUST and what God Desires a man to REJECT, are mingled within the Biblical Text..... as are the Consequences for that which a man DOES freely choose.
You could go through the Biblical texts, Outline the Biblical Desires of God for mankind.......TO DO THIS......and for mankind......TO NOT DO THAT....
AND? Point by Point freely choose to FOLLOW either LIST!
AND? The “consequences” thereof....”plainly taught” would be your reward.
You have to come to terms with yourself...if NOT God...then Who. Who has CLAIMED to be the Almighty Creator and Maker, that captures your attention to believe Him? Trust Him?
And if NOT Gods Power...then What? What Power has revealed itself Greater than Gods CLAIMS....?
The
beginning of FAITH (which Faith IS a Gift from God)...IS Hearing/reading Gods Word.
Key word....beginning...hear a little measure of Scripture...receive a little measure of Faith.
Notice what is missing?
The key word....believing what you hear.
THAT “begins and increases” as you BEGIN and CONTINUE to receive “FAITH”.
AND...don’t confuse
KNOWLEDGE with UNDERSTANDING. (Ie MEANING)
Scripture IS KNOWLEDGE.
Understanding the Knowledge...IS a common conundrum...
1) It is tempting, and easy, and natural for men to “use, rely on” their CARNAL MIND to ponder, cipher, weigh, logically, decide what makes sense....and land on a conclusion of WHAT Gods Word “MEANS”...
* False prophets, False teachers, Philosophers, even “so called Christian Churches” etc. FOR CENTURIES have had a small hand-full of men gathered in Counsels...”carnally minded”...determining WHAT Gods Word “MEANS”.
2) FACT IS: A man ... “WITH” God..and or “IN” Christ...
The Lord God Himself “GIVES” individual men ... His Understanding of His own Word.
And to note...the difference between WITH...and IN...
A man WITH God...is a man WHOM God is WITH.
( that is a good...yet unsteady, even can be dangerous position)...and WHY, is because;
At ANY TIME the man CAN FREELY...”leave being WITH God”...and the consequence is:...”God will ALSO leave being WITH that man”.
A man “IN” Christ...is a man WHOM:
1) Heartfully BELIEVES Gods Word...
And
2) Has DECLARED his True Heartful Belief...
(BEFORE his physical bodily Death.)
3) That such man IS agreeing to lay down his bodily life unto death...FOR his belief in and love of the Lord God.
4) Jesus’ taught Offering...was “a mans spiritual crucifixion WITH Jesus’ body...satisfies a man Laying down his bodily life....BEFORE the mans PHYSICAL body dies...that that man RECEIVES his gift of salvation THEN...instead of having to WAIT for his physical bodily death.
5) Such man ALSO receives Gods SEED, (before physical bodily death), which births a man’s NEW spiritual spirit...(never subject to death).
6) Such man ALSO receives Gods SPIRIT....not only WITH that man...but IN that man (called Baptism of the Holy Spirit)...and remains IN that man as long as that mans body is physically ALIVE.
7) Intent and purpose ? Gods TRUTH...Gods POWER (ie Spirit)...in that man, that that man is “PREPARED” to carry out works, that Glorify Gods Name, anywhere, any place, any time...on the face of the Whole world.
8) those works...do NOT save a man...those works are accomplished BY a man WHO IS SAVED (soul restored) and QUICKENED (Holy Spirit baptized...ie spirit born OF God).
9) Those works...are “rewarded” by Christ the Lord Jesus...WHEN He returns to earth.
Perhaps some things to ponder....perhaps some answers to your wonderings.
Any questions of what I have written...Be specific...and I will answer.
Glory to God,
Taken
....when you use God's measure. 
www.swissinfo.ch
