Christianity vs. Religion Topic

Biblical Christianity is not a religion. It's an individual's personal relationship to God through a union with Jesus Christ established by faith. Christian core principles are established by faith plus the free gift of salvation, which in return produces good works according to our talents. Below is Christianity's redemption plan:

Faith + Salvation = Good Works

Salvation is not based on merit. Performing good works does not promise us eternal life in Heaven. This is one attribute of Christianity that separates it from all faith-based religions. So, when someone says, "I’m a good person, I treat others well, I perform good works and that is why I'm going to Heaven”. That may be their personal truth, but that is not what the Bible proclaims. The God of the Bible says that our own human effort does not grant salvation, it's a free gift given to us by His grace through faith.

• "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

• "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6, also see Mark 10:18

Once we believe in Jesus Christ plus nothing, all past and future sins are forgiven, we become God's possession and are now covered by His righteousness. As a believer we were bought and paid for by His blood on the cross and resurrection. About our salvation and forgiveness of sins, we can't earn it, we don't deserve it, we can't buy it and we can never lose it because if we could, we would.

There are two aspects where all faith based religions differ from true Biblical Christianity:

• The Plan of Salvation (Faith + Salvation = Produces Good Works)
• The Deity and Person of Jesus Christ

The Christian plan of salvation holds four basic truths:

1. God is holy
2. Man is sinful in his basic human nature
3. Man is unable to save himself through good works
4. Salvation is an unmerited, unearned gift from God purchased through Jesus' death and resurrection

Jesus Christ came to save us from religion! Religions on the other hand endorse a very different redemption plan:

Faith + Good Works = The Hope of Salvation

Religions claim that faith plus our human performance can provide salvation, but it's never guaranteed because the human performance bar is either an unknown or unattainable. There are many Abrahamic based religions such as Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, Judaism and Jehovah Witness that are essentially cults. The religious collection of ideas includes man-made systems formed among Christian and Jewish sects that originated in the first century. This influence later became known as Gnosticism. Gnosticism (Gnostics) was a prominent heretical movement of the second century that helped spark the formation of many of today's religious groups.  We refer to them as the “Jesus Plus Something” faiths because Jesus Christ's free gift of salvation is not enough to secure our eternal life. They all deny the deity of Jesus Christ and promote the Bible scripture verses that only apply to their narrative. Below is a link to the "Religions" section for a more in-depth analysis.

Faith comes from hearing the word of God. A miracle takes place when a person comes to faith by hearing God's word from the Bible. This is not the Logos or written revelation from reading scripture from Genesis to Revelation, but it's the Greek word "Rhema" which is God providing a specific word to a specific person in a specific situation just like when Peter walked on water when Jesus said "Yes, come" in Matthew 14:29.

• "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:17

"The religion of Jesus Christ aims at nothing less than the utter overthrow of all other systems of religion in the world; denouncing them as inadequate to the wants of man, false in their foundations, and dangerous in their tendency."

― Simon Greenleaf

Founder, Harvard Law School

The Bible says that all human beings are made in Gods image. The image of God is not a physical thing, its our (1) Will, (2) Intellect, (3) Emotion, (4) Moral Reason and (5) Eternal Existence. God intended for us to be eternal and live  in relationship with Him forever. Humans are the only creation God made in His own image and before the fall of mankind, we were perfect in nature just like Him. Regrettably, our fall from grace gave us a sin nature.

• "Then God said, “Let Us (Trinity) make mankind in Our (Trinity) image, according to Our (Trinity) likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

We inherited the curse of a sin nature from our ancestors, Adam & Eve, who were given free will and chose to rebelled against God allowing evil to enter the world. The curse meant that all of their offspring would also be born spiritually dead. The curse of a sin nature created more work, pain, suffering and even death for them and all their descendants. 

• "And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16-17

• "To the woman he said, I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. 17 To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, You must not eat from it, Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat from it  all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:16-19

God banished Adam & Eve from the Garden of Eden so they could not also eat from the Tree of Life because if they had eaten from it, they and their descendants would live forever with a sin nature. There would be no need for human redemption or death.

• "And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken." Genesis 3:22-23

• "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

We actually inherit our parents (and grandparents) sins that were not addressed during their life and if we don't rectify them with God, we'll pass them on to our children's, children (generational curses below).

• "Maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:7

Our lives are intended to be an imperfect struggle where we have free will to make moral choices that are in line with God's word or immoral choices that seek our owe gratification. God did this on purpose in order to instruct and prepare us for eternity in the second creation. Suffering through sin causes us to mature and is one tool Gods uses to draw us closer to Him. How else could we possible develop into someone He can use for eternity if we were already perfect like Him? Our sin nature problem will not be resolved until we enter into fellowship with God and our sin nature is completely eradicated in the second creation which is only for those who are redeemed and born of the Holy Spirit.

Adam & Eve had the option of eating from either the Tree of Life or from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan had to move quickly and stop them from eating from the Tree of Life because if they had, they would have lived forever in a perfect relationship with God. Even after being warned by God, they fell into temptation and ate from the wrong tree. The penalties for disobeying Gods command by eating from the wrong tree imposed the following curses:

• They would experience death (Genesis 3:3)
• They would know good and evil (Genesis 3:6)
• They would be experience "nakedness" meaning that they lost their innocents (Genesis 3:7, 11)
• They forfeited the deed to the Earth to Satan
• They were cursed with a sin nature
• Women's desires will be contrary to their husbands who God appointed to rule over them (Genesis 3:16)
• Increase woman's pain in childbearing (Genesis 3:16)
• The ground was cursed requiring exhausting work in order to grow food (Genesis 3:17-19)
• God cast them out from the garden of Eden so they could not eat from the Tree of Life. If they had also eaten from the Tree of Life they would have had eternal life with a sin nature, separated from God  with no possibility of redemption. By God prohibiting them, it opened the door for all humanity to have a redeemer who could offer us the option of eternal life with Him. 

God appears to Moses in a burning bush, but the Hebrew word is actually describing a burning “thorn” bush. A thorn bush is a symbol of pain and suffering. God was telling Moses that He felt his pain. This is why Jesus was wearing a crown of thorns on his head when He died on the cross. He was not only taking on the curse of creation, the ground that produced thorns and thistles, He’s was taking upon Himself as the greater Moses the pain of the people saying I fell your pain. Sin entered the world through a tree, so God puts the second Adam (Jesus) on a tree for you and me to undo what the first Adam did.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." 

 ― Socrates

Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God subject us to so much suffering?

In the first creation, humans are subjected to pain and suffering so that (1) God can teach the angels a lesson through our human experiences about His grace and (2) so humans free will can be tested with God salvation offering required to enter the second creation. The angels are learning from our experiences here on Earth because they cannot experience God's grace themselves. God allows unexplainable problems to come into our lives so that the angels can see that an inferior creature (us) can trust and believe God in the midst's of our suffering. Nothing can touch a believer life that God doesn't allow. He does this in order to continually test our faith so it will become stronger. Faith is like a muscle in that we must workout in order to build the muscle and make it stronger.

An example of why God allows good people to suffer is in the Book of Job. God typically picks a wise, mature person to undergo the toughest challenges. In the Book of Job God allows Satan to use everything in his power to get Job to curse God, Satan's only restriction is that he cannot kill Job. Job is subjected to immense loss and suffering to the point that Job curses the day he was born, but he never curses God. God allows the same suffering and loss at the hands of Satan to disrupt our lives in a similar way especially to those He calls His own. 

• "Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.” Job 1:8-9

God uses our free will to test us through suffering in order that we may become more and more like Him. Most people think that we are only suffering because God's is disciplining us for our sins, but that's only one of many reasons for suffering. Unfortunate difficulties don't always happen to people because they are a worse sinner than someone else, but punishment does happen because they do not repent (Luke 13:1-5). God tests us through suffering so that...

• We will turn to Him in repentance and not perish for eternity (Luke 13:1-4)
• Sin can be judged as a result of mankind's rebellion against God (Genesis 3).
• God may motivate us to follow Him (Hebrews 5:8).
• We might be a comfort to each other (2 Corinthians 1:6).
• Our faith might grow stronger (1 Peter 5:10).
• Our suffering brings us into deeper understanding and relationship with God (Book of Job).
• We will become a testament of faith to others (Hebrews 11, 2 Timothy 2:10).
• We can know Christ more fully (Philippians 3:10, 1 2 Timothy 3:12, Peter 2:19-21).
• God can prepare believers for the glory of Heaven (2 Corinthians 4:17). 
• We will cease our jealousy and hatred of those who reject the Christian faith (Acts 7:54-60). 
• We sometimes suffer from the wrong decisions of other human beings, though God uses it for good eventually (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28).
• We (applies to the Israelites) will not disobeyed the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28).

God didn't exclude Himself from the pain and suffering that we endure, He sent His only begotten son to Earth, wrapped in human flesh, to suffered and die on the cross to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ willingly did this so that we would have an opportunity to join Him in eternity. God sacrificed Him so that we could all be given the opportunity to be reconciled in the second creation.

• "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:13

Before Jesus was crucified, the Romans soldiers tortured and beat Him beyond recognition.

• "See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him, his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being  and his form marred beyond human likeness. 15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand." Isaiah 52:13-15

• "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,  a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces  he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain  and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God,  stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:1-5 written 740 B.C.

God puts limits on the amount of temptation and suffering we endure. Even as we go through suffering we should also give thanks even though we may not understand why this is happening.

• "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." ... He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand." 1 Corinthians 10:13

• "Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full."

― Marcel Proust

Novelist (1871-1922)

Lucifer is called the "morning star" and is God’s greatest, most powerful creation. Lucifer is an incredibly impressive, angelical being, but he is no match for His Creator. The Bible tells us that this "king" was a created being and left the creative hand of God in a perfect state (Ezekiel 28:12,15). And he remained perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him. What was this iniquity? “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor” (Ezekiel 28:17). Lucifer became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone. The sin that corrupted Lucifer was self-generated pride. 

•  "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 

Lucifer wanted to be like God, and he convinced many of the lesser angels that they could be like God too. He brought charges against God saying that he was not loving and was unjust. Lucifer's act of pride represents the beginning of sin, preceding the fall of the humans by an indeterminate time. Sin originated from Lucifer free will in which he chose to rebel against His Creator and was illusive enough to convince one-third of all the angels to rebel with him against God. Considering that the angelic host numbers more than 10,000 x 10,000 (100 million angels), that is a sizable group. The difference between when humans sin against God and angels do, angels' sin is for all eternity because they have no plan of redemption or savior, they are immediately condemned.

• "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand." Revelation 5:11

• "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" Isaiah 14:12

• "Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon (Satan) stood in front of the woman (Israel) who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." Revelation 12:4,9

Lucifer was rightfully judged by God: “I threw you to the earth” (Ezekiel 28:18, Luke 10:18). This doesn’t mean that Lucifer could not access Heaven. Scripture verses clearly indicate that Lucifer maintained this access to God even after his fall (Job 1:6-12; Zechariah 3:1,2). Lucifer's access to Heaven is removed at the end of the Great Tribulation. As a result of his sin against God, Lucifer became very corrupt and his name changed from Lucifer to Satan (adversary or dragon). His power became completely perverted and his destiny, following the second coming of Christ, is to be bound in the Abyss during the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom in which Christ will rule the earth (Revelation 20:3). After the Millenia Satan will be be thrown into the lake of fire with his demons (fallen angels) and all unbelievers.

• "He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time." Revelation 20:2-3

• "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:41

Does Lucifer's story of rebellion sound familiar? God gave Adam and Eve free will, they too rebelled against God and were cursed. God had given Adam the title deed to the earth and when Adam chose to followed Satan, he relinquished the title deed to the earth to Satan along with the authority over mankind. When Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind, He purchased back the title deed to the earth from Satan and regained all authority over mankind. His death of the cross gave mankind the opportunity to become redeemed. God wants every human being to become redeemed so He can demonstrate to Satan that a far lesser being can overcome Satan's deceptive power and choose to worship Him through His son.

In this creation we find ourselves in the middle of a spiritual war between God (good) and Lucifer (evil) to determine where we will spend eternity. Satan's (Lucifer) goal is to take everyone to hell with him to be tormented for eternity. Because all humans are born spiritually dead, we must be spiritually reborn through the Holy Spirit, so we can ward off Satan's advances and solidify a eternal relationship with Christ. Satan cannot create humans or anything else, so his scheme is to distract humans from making a decision for God by constantly deceiving us, so we will focus our attention on the temporary pleasures of this world. If he can keep us from reading God's Word (Bible) and knowing about Christ's free offer of salvation, he will be able to recruit vast numbers of people over to his side for all eternity. He already knows his permanent address is Hell and he selfishly wants us there with him. 

Satan is the father of all lies and the source of mankind's blindness to knowing the light of Christ. Everyone including Christians are under the power of Satan, it's only through the Holy Spirit that we can begin to fend off his advances.

• "We know that we are children of God (Christians), and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19

• "You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil (Satan). He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God (unbelievers)." Ephesians 2:2

• "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4

If Satan was able to recruit one-third of the angels then us humans are a much easier target. The one thing he didn't plan for was God's grace in delivering His sons death on the cross for sin to given mankind an easier path to salvation. Satan's only objective is to prevent you from knowing the truth until your passing, so you will forgo the free gift of salvation by default. Satan is so powerful that it is impossible for us humans to resist his temptations without outside assistance. God knows this and wants us to look to Him for help (Ephesians 6:10-12). Resisting Satan's temptations for the sin in our lives is the hardest test we will ever confront and it's impossible to pass it alone. If we pass the ultimate test, God's welcomes us into eternity with Him because He knows there will never be a more challenging test than Satan that could ever persuade us to rebel against Him. Humans are exposed to the ultimate tests of sin and evil throughout our lives and struggle resisting it. Because some of us decide to ask God for help to pass this ultimate test that we cannot pass on our own, we can now experience God's grace and undeserved favor from Him to do what we cannot do for ourselves.

• "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

• "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10

The righteous angels are watching God’s grace playout through our human experience. Angels can’t experience God's grace, but they are intently observing us to learn about the mystery of God's grace. God could have kept Satan and his demons away from earth for all eternity, but if He had done that, we would not have an eternally secure relationship with our creator. Because we are experiencing God's grace, He is training us to one day, rule over the angels so we can teach them in the second creation what we've experienced in the first creation. This is why we need to make the most of our time her on earth. We are laying the ground work for our future positions in eternity. 

Eternal security requires that we are exposed to the most challenging test. Humans are gaining something Adam and Eve did not possess before they were exposed to Satan. They did not have eternal security before they were exposed to Satan. Through this first creation experience, we are given the opportunity to choose to accept God’s help through His son, Jesus Christ, to pass the ultimate test and spend eternity with Him or we have the free will to reject His offer of salvation. The Holy Spirit currently keeps Satan in check by restraining evil, so that he cannot wipeout mankind completely. As we approach the end times, the Holy Spirit will give Satan more and more freedom to cause havoc on this Earth to the unbeliever (see Revelation). 

• "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3

Satan's objective throughout the Old Testament is to stop the birth of the Messiah who would defeat him. To do this Satan must destroy and/or corrupt the bloodline of the coming Messiah. If he can destroy the image of God or end the blood line of King David, he can prevent the birth of Jesus Christ. Below are a few examples of this spiritual battle between God and Satan.

• The death of Abel and the banishment  of Cain. Seth became the replacement male to carry on the human race and the future birth of the Messiah. (Genesis 4)
• The Nephilim (angelical beings) were mating with the daughters of man (human females) in disobedience. Their offspring distorted the image of God in which would eventually effect the offspring or bloodline of the coming Messiah (Genesis 6). The Messiah had to be fully human and fully God in order to fulfill the title "Son of God" in the scripture. He couldn't be part angelical being which was Satan's attempt to impurify the bloodline. King David eliminated the last of the Nephilim with the death of Goliath.
• The slaughter of  Ahaziah, king of Judah, and his relatives by Jehu. Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah who wanted to avenge her sons death by destroying the royal family which would have ended the Messiah's bloodline by killing Joash, the only surviving son of Ahaziah. Ahaziah sister rescued Joash and put the boy and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him so he was not killed. They remained hidden at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. Afterwards, Jehoiada the priest had Joash crowned king. (2 Kings 11) 
• Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod and the Magi (three kings) from the east came to Jerusalem and ask Herod where is the one born the king of the Jews because they saw the star and wanted to come worship him. Herod became disturbed and all of Jerusalem. Herod consulted the high priests and teachers of the law to determine where the Messiah would be born. Micah 5:2 prophecy says "In Bethlehem in Judea" so they were sent to go search for the child and report back to Herod. The Maji left Bethlehem returning home without notifying Herod. Furious, Herod ordered every child under the age of two to be killed in Bethlehem. Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and the child and stay there until King Herod death. This was another attempt by Satan to eliminate the Messiah.

Satan's objective was to eliminate all of Adam's offspring. Eve had two sons named Cain and Abel. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices to God, each of his own produce, but God favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Out of jealousy (sin), Cain killed his brother, for which he was punished by God with the curse and exiled outside of Eden in land of Nod (Genesis 4:1-16). Satan thought that by using the the sin of jealousy he could eliminate mankind therefore ending the possibility of the birth of a savior. Seth was born after Abel's murder and Eve believed that God had appointed him as a replacement for Abel to carry on the human race. This is just one of many examples throughout the Bible of a tug of war between Satan and God. We are are in the middle of the same tug of war between them for where we spend eternity.

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

― Charles Baudelaire

French Poet, Art Critic, Philosopher,

“Le Figaro” Newspaper, 1864

The United States of America was founded on religious freedom by the Pilgrims (1620), Puritans (1630), Quakers (1650), Catholics (1789), Episcopalian (1789), Lutherans (1820), Methodist (1784), Presbyterian (1789), Protestant (1700), Judaism (1820), Shakers (1772), Church Of Jesus Christ LDS (1830), Seventh-Day Adventist Church (1863), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1870) and the southern colonists were settled by a mixture including Baptists (1638), Anglicans (1607), Church of the Nazarene (1908) and Pentecostal (1906).  We believe this is the primary reason why God blessed America. The original settlers of the United States of America primarily left England for religious freedom from persecution during the reign of King James I (1603–1625) and of King Charles I (1625–1649).

Contrarily, South America was colonized primarily by Spain spearheaded by the Spanish conquistadors, France and Portugal (Brazil), founding was much different from the United States. From 1492 to the 1800's, Spanish explorers were the bullies of the New World. Spain's primary colonization goals were to extract gold and silver from the Americas to stimulate the Spanish economy and make Spain a more powerful country. Due to war and disease, the native populations were decimated. Spain's also aimed to convert Native Americans to Catholicism. It is our belief that this was primarily the reason why South America never flourished like its northern counterpart. 

What does God say about having multiple Christian denomination? The reason there are so many denomination is that Christians can't agree on one doctrine and follow God's advice to avoid divisions. There should be only one Church denomination that teaches sound biblical doctrine called Christianity. In general we endorse non-denominational Churches that teach sound Biblical doctrine.

• "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them." Romans 16:17

• "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10

• "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4-6

 "Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever." 

― Lord Chesterfield

Statesman and Writer

Prayer is basically a process of determining God’s will for a particular situation or set of circumstances. God wants to partner with us and wants us to discern His will. 

An important first step in developing a fruitful prayer life is consistent Bible reading. When we read the Bible, we begin by asking God to speak to us as we read. We should ask him to teach us, to grant us understanding, to rebuke us, to redirect our plans, to show us what we should be praying for.

Second, it is important to take time to listen to God when we pray. Prayer is intended to be a two-way communication. It is important that we do not do all the talking.

Third, God wants us to pray with progressively greater specificity. For example, we can begin with a general request. However, do not be surprised if you sense God saying, “Exactly how do you want me to fulfill your request?” God wants us not only to discern His general will, but His specific will. He wants us to discern the precise steps and the order of those steps in bringing about his will in a particular situation.

Fourth, the power of prayer becomes greatly magnified when we fast. Fasting is where we sacrifice food, drink, sleep, or pleasures in order to dedicate extended focus on prayer. Some of our greatest experiences with God have occurred when we have dedicated an entire day to fasting and prayer. EternalLife.info was created through days of prayer and fasting.

The National Academy of Sciences Journal published and article about the value of prayer in 2018. In the study a few scientist work with a sample of 482 people in the Carolina's in the damaged area right after Hurricane Florence hit. The hurricane victims were put through a test where each person was offered $5.00 to either keep, or use the $5.00 to have a Christian they never met to pray for them as they recover from this disaster, or use the $5.00 to make sure no-one prays for you. The $5.00 will not be given to the person praying for you and they will be located in a different state. They used an incentivized multiple price list (MPL) to elicit participants’ where the MPL entailed 13 choice pairs where participants chose between two alternatives: an intercessory gesture and a monetary gain, or no gesture and a monetary gain. 

The results from the study showed that those in the sample that identified themselves as Christians were willing to pay money to have a stranger who is a Christian pray for them, but were not willing to pay money for an Agnostic or Atheist pray for them. Those subset of people who identify themselves as Agnostic or Atheist were indifferent to having someone pray for the unless they were a Christian. So Agnostic and Atheist were willing to pay $5.00 for the guarantee that no Christian will pray for them in the mist of their trials. The scientists concluded that Christians value other Christians praying for them and Atheist's devalue Christians praying for them because they are willing to spend money to ensure it doesn't happen. The scientists were expecting the Atheists and Agnostics to just pock the $5.00. Atheist could be making a hostel, cultural stand?

We believe the study is implying spiritually and philosophically that people who identify as Agnostic are not really neutral towards Christian prayer since they use their money the same way and Atheist does. I can understand why a committed Atheist would not want a Christian praying for them, but not an Agnostic. One plausible reason might be that the Agnostic and Atheist don't like Christian's or they don't like the Christian God of the Bible. They're ok with some other God, but not the Christian God. It could also be that the Agnostic or Atheist growing up in the Bible Belt states of the Carolina's have been exposed to Christianity and had an early bad experiences with it and are willing to pay money to avoid it. One would think if Atheist's were really convinced that the God of the Bible didn't exists they would keep the $5.00 implying that it really made no difference to them...in fact they are not treating the Bible like a bunch of fables or a myth without any scientific or historical support because if they were they would pocket the $5.00. Something is motivating them to spend their money and it implies that they really do think there is something to the God of the Bible.

A number of Scholars have pointed out that people who are Public Atheist (in North America) all have a story about a bad early experience with their earthly father. The Christian faith makes an analogy between our father in heaven and our earthly father according to Paul Vitz who wrote "Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism".  If your earthly father treated you well and loved you then it makes it easier to accept the fatherhood of God, but if your earthly father was abusing you then it becomes much more challenging.

Is it rational and logical to let a human being that the Bible declares is sinful and full of evil get between you and a God who has no sin, no evil and has a desire to have a compassionate, loving relationship with you? Make sense? 

Don't let a bad experience with a Christian(s) stop you from having a relationship with God and the opportunity to spend eternity with Him.

"Churches are hospitals for the spiritually sick."

― Michael Crist

Commoner

• "On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13