How do you know what you know? (Gospel, Bible, experience)

[Miss Blue]

June , we adore you, but no matter how we try, no matter what we say, and no matter how much scripture and personal experiences we give you, it will not be enough.. In the end only you can answer what calls you, what is making you so intent on understanding faith, what is making you want so much to feel what we feel..
IMO, faith is not easily defined.. It is a feeling, an assurance, a comfort, an acceptance, trust in knowing that you are in trouch with the creator..It comes from a strong feeling that there has to be something greater than anything theory you have ever learned in school or college...
In the end I think you have to get in touch with yourself and the spirit within you who longs for you to know Him..I have about the same thoughts as Weather, if I could just hand you part of my faith, my peace and the joy that comes with knowing that I am in touch with God, I would do it in a heartbeat...You have to ask Him for it..
June will know when she has found her faith It will be the most joyous
"a-ha" moment that she will ever experience and she will at last feel, hear and understand the music

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Hey June, I welcome any questions you have. You have many good answers here.
Blue is right, we can quote scripture to you all day and tell you our personal experiences, but the only way you can find the answers you are looking for is get alone with God and talk to Him yourself. Jeremiah 29:13 "If you look for Me in earnest, you will find me when you seek Me".
How do I know what I believe is true? God spoke to my heart and told me. Through the indwelling presence of His Spirit He makes all things known and enables us to discern truth from error. Time spent studying His Word, spending time in prayer, this is how we grow in knowledge and truth.

[b. frank]

I don't have an answer to the question, but I also didn't read anything specific in the answers that others offered.

It seems to me that if you choose to meditate on anything in a ritualistic way, your mind can and will be more focused on what you choose to visualize. So, people have offered June much advise about "seeking out" the Christian god but I submit the fact that June might "come around" to any line of reasoning if she meditates often enough on it. If you want to be a Christian and you decide to focus your mind on being a Christian, then you will be one and then you can experience the same type of emotions that others describe. The same goes for any religion. I think that June has probably already decided against devoting her life to Christianity, and she won't understand its perception of god until she does. But why should she?

[Simple Living]

June, read I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist - By: Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek - Christianbook.com and you'll see that it takes less faith to believe in God than it does to not believe in Him. Here's a small excerpt from the book:

We know that God is real because He has revealed Himself to us in three ways: in creation, in His Word, and in His Son, Jesus Christ.

The most basic proof of God’s existence is simply what He has made. “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that [unbelievers] are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). “The heavens declare the glory of God / And the firmament sheweth His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

If I found a wristwatch in the middle of a field, I would not assume that it just “appeared” out of nowhere or that it had always existed. Based on the watch’s design, I would assume it had a designer. But I see far greater design and precision in the world around us. Our measurement of time is not based on wristwatches, but on God’s handiwork—the regular rotation of the earth (and the radioactive properties of the cesium-133 atom). The universe displays great design, and this argues for a Great Designer.

Biblically, there's not such thing as an atheist because scripture says that God gave every man "a measure of faith." Atheism, or the disbelief that God exists, would be more accurately defined (biblically, even though atheists would disagree) not as the belief that God doesn't exist, but simply as the rejection of God. Rebellion against Him.

As others have said, it all starts with faith. How do you get more faith?

Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Put simply, the more time you spend in the Bible, reading it, thinking about what you're reading, the more your faith develops and grows.

Want to know that God is real? If you are sincere in your search, you can know. How? By reading the Bible and seeking Him with your whole heart. Want to find Him. God can't refuse such an earnest heart seeking Him! ("Seek and you WILL find.")

Nobody can give you a key or a secret to this. It has to come from you. If it came from someone else, it would be their faith, not yours. There are no shortcuts or substitutions and nothing else will satisfy that urge in you. Only He can.

[Simple Living]

Here's a little story that relates a bit:

Joe and Charlie were arguing about Genesis 1:1. Joe said he believed the record of creation just as it was written. Charlie was an unbeliever, and went to great lengths in giving his own theory of how the world began and then how life developed from a primordial cell through reptiles, monkeys, and up to man. When he was all through, Joe looked at him and said, "Were you there, Charlie?" it was a good question. "Of course I wasn't there," he replied. Joe said, "Well, God was. he was the only one there and I'll take the word of the Eyewitness rather than the guesses of those who rely on teir own imaginations.

[weatherologist]

Originally Posted by b. frank

I don't have an answer to the question, but I also didn't read anything specific in the answers that others offered.

It seems to me that if you choose to meditate on anything in a ritualistic way, your mind can and will be more focused on what you choose to visualize. So, people have offered June much advise about "seeking out" the Christian god but I submit the fact that June might "come around" to any line of reasoning if she meditates often enough on it. If you want to be a Christian and you decide to focus your mind on being a Christian, then you will be one and then you can experience the same type of emotions that others describe. The same goes for any religion. I think that June has probably already decided against devoting her life to Christianity, and she won't understand its perception of god until she does. But why should she?

B. Frank,
If I understand you right, you imply that if I were to focus my energy on "liking" liver and onions (truly visualize that it tastes good, maybe even eat it every night) I will "come around" to liking it. I, IMHO, do not believe that this is how it works. You also make it sound that in order for June to become a Christian, she must give up all other things so that she may focus all of her energy on that particular task. Again, I submit to you that this is not true. I am a Christian. I am not perfect. Far from it. You would only be scratching the surface of who I am if it were as simple as you describe it. In fact, as you describe it, my Christianity is only a false illusion. I cannot give June what she wants. Believe me, if it were that easy, I would be standing at her door right now waiting for her to get home. All I can do is be an example of God's love. I can live my life in the manner that I best believe resembles the way God wants of me. (This is an ever changing process in an everchanging world.) In the end, I can only hope that through my love, I have shown someone else the love of the Father.

I wish you peace...

<>< weather...

[World Citizen]

June,

You know, I once called myself an atheist. Once, on a lie detector test I was asked 'if I believed in God?' I remember saying, "no"... I felt my heart quicken when I said it.

In my experience, BC... I was really angry with God. I couldn't understand why my life had been so awful... why I'd been treated so badly... you know as a therapist what I'm talking about... - the "why?" record played in my head... As an intelligent person, I couldn't reconcile in my mind the two realities - and how God fit into reality - so I chose to say there was no God.

But, God started putting the right people in my life who kept inviting me to church... I finally went one day. Right there in the pew, I knelt down, I found myself saying the what I now know is the Sinners Prayer - even though no one had ever told me those words. It was a very private moment between me and my Maker....

I walked out of the church that day a new creation. I honestly felt as though I was walking on air... a weight had been lifted off of me. My life changed that day - instantly....

The Bible says that no man comes to the Father unless he is drawn by the Spirit... If you're feeling drawn to Him - it's no accident...

God sees you right where you are and He's been looking at your heart.

It sounds to me that you're being drawn by His Holy Spirit. The question is, Do you want to know Him???

[b. frank]

Originally Posted by weatherologist

B. Frank,
If I understand you right, you imply that if I were to focus my energy on "liking" liver and onions (truly visualize that it tastes good, maybe even eat it every night) I will "come around" to liking it.

Actually, yeah, I do believe that.

You also make it sound that in order for June to become a Christian, she must give up all other things so that she may focus all of her energy on that particular task.

No, that's not what I was saying at all. June needs not give up anything in order to add layers to her spiritual life. She only needs to want to be a Christian, spend some of her energy focused on being Christian (like you and others have suggested) and then she will become one. I don't believe that June is lacking any knowledge - just spiritual focus. And, as I said, I don't know why June would choose to focus herself on the Christian religion. Only June can answer that.

I am a Christian. I am not perfect. Far from it. You would only be scratching the surface of who I am if it were as simple as you describe it. In fact, as you describe it, my Christianity is only a false illusion.

I wouldn't go as far as to say "false" or "illusion". Then again, I am not a Christian myself because I don't believe in the religion. So, yeah, I guess "illusion" is not too far from my opinion.

I cannot give June what she wants.

So you think that June wants to be a Christian but is somehow unable to be one? I still think that if June wants that, then June can have it. So, essentially I have the same advice for June as you would offer.

[june 7th]

Originally Posted by Oakback

When I meditate on just Jesus,
He has perfect pitch, perfect harmony.

Oh, now this made June do one of these:

--But how do you know that the perfect pitch, harmony, and the very music itself is....??? --Because June meditates, (granted, it's Zen Buddhist type meditation) but she wouldn't necessarily attribute the notes in the same way. June meditates and empties her mind. Just "is."

Maybe June is wrong?

[Oakback]

Originally Posted by june 7th

Oh, now this made June do one of these:

--But how do you know that the perfect pitch, harmony, and the very music itself is....??? --Because June meditates, (granted, it's Zen Buddhist type meditation) but she wouldn't necessarily attribute the notes in the same way. June meditates and empties her mind. Just "is."

Maybe June is wrong?

It's as if I heard the music first. Then when I read the "notes" ( scripture ),
I had the title of the song.