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Post by melissa on Dec 30, 2008 15:01:25 GMT -5
Let's be positive on this board, let's see if any one is awake or alive!
God is great, He makes me happy, He makes me want to shout for joy, and thank Him for life, family, friends and optimism.
What effect does He have on you? What can you truly say that God has done for you? Why do you feel joyful in His Presence and want to sing out and praise Him?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2008 19:00:17 GMT -5
God makes me depressed. In fact so depressed that I rarely ever think of Him. Of course I used to think of Him all the time to the extent that I even used to try to live in a way that would please Him. But He never paid any attention. I used to pray to Him earnestly but He never ever listened. I used to read His word and ponder upon it but then I realised that it was mostly a rather frightening record of Him wrecking havoc and inflicting wanton destruction. I used to fear Him and the horror that might be inflicted upon me for all eternity if I failed to live up to His standard and He handed me over to Satan. I used to wonder how He could possibly stand idly by while pain and sorrow and suffering abounded among His children. I used to question how a loving God could send pestilence upon the land and willfully murder the innocent. It really was all very depressing.
The only thing that I can say that God ever truly did for me was to deceive me into becoming a Cooneyite during a very momentary lapse of reason. And that made me even more depressed. All that getting up early on a Sunday morning to listen to mediocre scriptural interpretations and to participate in out of tune singing. All that no telly lark and endless Saturday evenings. And of course no music or dancing or films. If I wasn't depressed when I stood up to profess, I certainly was by the time I sat down.
God is responsible for so much confusion and evil in the world that I've long since abandoned Him. Either that or He in His wisdom has long since abandoned me. I must confess that I never did feel joyful in His presence and I very much doubt that He ever really did in mine. In fact I probably made Him equally depressed. If I did I sincerely hope that He didn't take it out on anyone in the form of a flood or a famine. Matt10
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Post by ghost on Dec 31, 2008 12:09:07 GMT -5
Once I understood that there is no god I felt great. The thought makes me happy, it makes me want to shout for joy, and I am thankful for life, family, friends and optimism.
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Post by Gene on Dec 31, 2008 13:35:09 GMT -5
When I discovered that morality is not dependent on religion and that goodness and love stem from some source deep inside a person rather than from a holy text, I began to look at others and at myself with charity, and it made me free.
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Post by puzzled on Dec 31, 2008 20:09:16 GMT -5
Bravo! Gene... Bravo!!!!
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alana
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Post by alana on Feb 7, 2009 1:25:19 GMT -5
Matt are you sure that it is God who makes you feel depressed. Could it be your view of Him that gets in the way? Do you belong to the blame culture that blames God for the ills of humanity instead of looking on things from the viewpoint of the Creator of the Universe? The giver of life? The designer of the beauty around us?
Step back for a moment and try a few other perspectives!
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Post by ronhall on Feb 9, 2009 10:14:42 GMT -5
When I finally learned to read the scripture from the point of view of identifying myself with the "bad guy" rather than with the "good guy", I finally began to get true blessing in my life.
For example: In the story of David and Goliath, my tendency is to identify with David. In doing that my pride hid my true self from me and I went on as blind as before. But by seeing in myself the attributes of Saul, the older brother, even Goliath himself in myself, I see better myself as I really am and therefore gain an awareness I didn't have before. That has been a great joy and blessing to me.
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Post by Gene on Feb 9, 2009 14:25:46 GMT -5
When I finally learned to read the scripture from the point of view of identifying myself with the "bad guy" rather than with the "good guy", I finally began to get true blessing in my life. For example: In the story of David and Goliath, my tendency is to identify with David. In doing that my pride hid my true self from me and I went on as blind as before. But by seeing in myself the attributes of Saul, the older brother, even Goliath himself in myself, I see better myself as I really am and therefore gain an awareness I didn't have before. That has been a great joy and blessing to me. That's a really interesting perspective. How many of us have read about the Pharisees and thought to ourselves how grateful we are not to be like them....
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shushy
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Post by shushy on Oct 3, 2009 6:06:43 GMT -5
I love to give. I experience wonderful joy and elation the more mouths he gives me to feed. And then I believe for more... ;D
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alana
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Post by alana on Oct 10, 2009 8:52:21 GMT -5
Are you a charity worker, Shushy?
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shushy
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Post by shushy on Oct 10, 2009 15:09:15 GMT -5
Hi Alana I dunno if you could call it that, no, more like God impacted my heart and gave me a mission when I recently went on holiday to a 3rd world country and it gives me incredible joy. In a few months I have other people helping me with clothes and Im believing for more. It involves feeding one family of 5 now and 2nd hand cloths/educational stuff for 2 schools etc I have boxes packed to ship back with a friend who is coming to visit soon. It excites me to watch the Lord provide and know these people are getting help. It also cuts out the middle man.
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Post by valerie on Oct 13, 2009 17:42:20 GMT -5
Let's be positive on this board, let's see if any one is awake or alive! God is great, He makes me happy, He makes me want to shout for joy, and thank Him for life, family, friends and optimism. What effect does He have on you? What can you truly say that God has done for you? Why do you feel joyful in His Presence and want to sing out and praise Him? Melissa: Thanks for your cheerfulness and upbeat attitude. It's contagious! val.
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Post by valerie on Oct 13, 2009 17:42:47 GMT -5
God makes me depressed. In fact so depressed that I rarely ever think of Him. Of course I used to think of Him all the time to the extent that I even used to try to live in a way that would please Him. But He never paid any attention. I used to pray to Him earnestly but He never ever listened. I used to read His word and ponder upon it but then I realised that it was mostly a rather frightening record of Him wrecking havoc and inflicting wanton destruction. I used to fear Him and the horror that might be inflicted upon me for all eternity if I failed to live up to His standard and He handed me over to Satan. I used to wonder how He could possibly stand idly by while pain and sorrow and suffering abounded among His children. I used to question how a loving God could send pestilence upon the land and willfully murder the innocent. It really was all very depressing. The only thing that I can say that God ever truly did for me was to deceive me into becoming a Cooneyite during a very momentary lapse of reason. And that made me even more depressed. All that getting up early on a Sunday morning to listen to mediocre scriptural interpretations and to participate in out of tune singing. All that no telly lark and endless Saturday evenings. And of course no music or dancing or films. If I wasn't depressed when I stood up to profess, I certainly was by the time I sat down. God is responsible for so much confusion and evil in the world that I've long since abandoned Him. Either that or He in His wisdom has long since abandoned me. I must confess that I never did feel joyful in His presence and I very much doubt that He ever really did in mine. In fact I probably made Him equally depressed. If I did I sincerely hope that He didn't take it out on anyone in the form of a flood or a famine. Matt10 Thanks for your honesty, matt10. val.
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Post by valerie on Oct 13, 2009 17:43:58 GMT -5
When I finally learned to read the scripture from the point of view of identifying myself with the "bad guy" rather than with the "good guy", I finally began to get true blessing in my life. For example: In the story of David and Goliath, my tendency is to identify with David. In doing that my pride hid my true self from me and I went on as blind as before. But by seeing in myself the attributes of Saul, the older brother, even Goliath himself in myself, I see better myself as I really am and therefore gain an awareness I didn't have before. That has been a great joy and blessing to me. Thanks for sharing that insight, ronhall. val.
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shushy
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Post by shushy on Oct 13, 2009 18:24:51 GMT -5
ronhall
The one that brings me back to terra firma is "our hearts are desperately wicked"
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