Where's God?

[POI]

Does he pop up in my dreams? Is he the one whom produces my goose-bumps? Is He the one giving me my "moral compass"? Is he only experienced during deep meditation? If I have enough faith, will he appear to me? But seriously. Where is he? I was a Christian for decades. I earnestly prayed for him to reach me, to no avail.

For debate: Why have I not felt his presence?

A) I never tried hard enough; lack faith
B) He does not want to reveal Himself to me (yet)
C) Evil is blocking the request(s)
D) I'm too dumb to realize he's reaching me
E) He's not really there at all <- Current conclusion

Do not answer yet. This topic has spawned from another unrelated topic. I decided to devote this large topic to itself. Below are some premises:

P1) does god exist? (dunno)
P2) does god want a relationship with all, especially the ones who seek him (apparently so)
P3) is god capable of communicating (apparently so)
P4) can god communicate his message in a way in which the recipient could no longer deny (apparently so)
P5) have I asked for this communication earnestly and repetitively (YES)
P6) does the Bible state god answers the call to all who seek him (YES)

At best, god has opted not to contact me YET. And this would be after decades of actively seeking him. Without any emotion, I'm logically left with 2 options.

A) God is not really there <- Current conclusion.
B) God is not adhering to his promise (yet).

[POI]

Therefore, Christ would have personally reached out to you already if you were a Christian for decades.

And there we finally have it... You finally answered the OP question, in supplying a derivative of answer A). You opted for the 'no true Scotsman' defense. Another fine excuse proposed by Christians, to protect their believed upon and beloved completely invisible sky carcass. Food for thought, many were/are not believers, and yet god still apparently went out of his way to contact Saul/Paul of Tarsus. I guess the rest of us are not special enough.

[OneJack]

[Replying to OneJack in post #308]

Psa 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 
Psa 19:8  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 
Psa 19:9  the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 
Psa 19:10  More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 
Psa 19:11  Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 
Psa 19:12  Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 
Psa 19:13  Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 
Psa 19:14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. 

These are all lyrics of the songs that King David offered to the Lord. May these lyrics draw you straight and nigh to the Lord, the real and eternally living Christ Jesus - the Almighty God.

[OneJack]

Therefore, Christ would have personally reached out to you already if you were a Christian for decades.

Food for thought, many were/are not believers, and yet god still apparently went out of his way to contact Saul/Paul of Tarsus. I guess the rest of us are not special enough.

Well, I'm just trying to give a clear distinction between the terms Christian and Self-Claimed Christian, so much for that. Going back to your 'food for thought' above, you’ve got the right perception about God's approach to mankind that no one gets special treatment from Him. Even Moses or Abraham never got that special treatment from Him; we are all equal in the sight of God, as human beings. Do you know that God speaks and teaches all of us, no exceptions, depending on what we think and do daily? No one can say God has never spoken to us since we were born, because God, in reality, continues to speak to all of us till this time, even when we were newborn children. But God does these things in His own ways - through physical vessels and the like. The Sinai encounter is not related hereto, in any sense.

[POI]

Well, I'm just trying to give a clear distinction between the terms Christian and Self-Claimed Christian, so much for that.

Right. "So much for that" as Jesus is expressed to have contacted "Paul" and "doubting Thomas", which goes directly against your prior claim that if I was truly a Christian, he would have reached me.

Now, on to the rest of your 'apologetics'.

Going back to your 'food for thought' above, you’ve got the right perception about God's approach to mankind that no one gets special treatment from Him.

You missed my point here. I was referring to him contacting all. He clearly does not. Only a select few. These folks then know he exists and are then only left with the task of (whether or not) they will follow him. Remember OneJack, this topic is labelled "Where's God?"

[BruceLeiter]

[Replying to OneJack in post #312]

Not only are these psalms David's songs, @OneJack, but they have true content in recommending God's Word, the law, as God's inspired documents.

[OneJack]

Going back to your 'food for thought' above, you’ve got the right perception about God's approach to mankind that no one gets special treatment from Him.

You missed my point here. I was referring to him contacting all.

That's what I'm telling you right now - God, across all generations, is talking to, or speaking with, or contacting all, even the newly born children. But no one notices how God does His talking to all in general, except for the newly born children whose eyes, when opened by the Lord, directly see good and bad spiritual beings around them, and for a personal encounter with God, like the Mt Sinai, and the road to Damascus encounters [with God], where God personally talked to Moses and Paul in a two-way communication method of revealing Himself to those personages mentioned.

These folks then know he exists and are then only left with the task of (whether or not) they will follow him. Remember OneJack, this topic is labelled "Where's God?"

Knowing HOW and WHERE God exists is the sole function of God, through revelation, to those whom He has sent, sends, and will send to the world to let the people, across all generations, know that there is truly God who exists in His own ways. Knowing that there is God [literally] is the main purpose of the bible. The task of whether or not people will follow the Lord God lies ONLY in the hands of God, as the Good Shepherd and Teacher of those who have come, come, and will come to Him for their salvation and eternal life with Him (God) in Paradise, in due time.

Though God has spoken with you many times, the possibility of a direct, personal encounter with God remains.

[OneJack]

[Replying to OneJack in post #312]

Not only are these psalms David's songs, @OneJack, but they have true content in recommending God's Word, the law, as God's inspired documents.

Never in the whole bible does God say the scriptures are God's Word, not even the bible claims for itself what you say the bible says that it does not, in reality. The one who elevates the bible to the place of God is only you, Bruce. Bear in mind that the bible was given to mankind to testify to the Lord God that He truly exists, no more, no less.

[BruceLeiter]

[Replying to OneJack in post #317]

You're wrong, @OneJack, about the Bible; it is God's revelation for us to see the world, the church, and him in God's light. That's all I have to say.

[BruceLeiter]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Why do you have to "feel his presence," @POI? Don't you see that God reveals himself in his creation as its Creator, through other people's love and instruction from his Word, through the Bible which he inspired to guide our lives, and with the circumstances of our lives, which are also a part of his plan for us. Those are all ways he has guided me and revealed his divine power to me during my 83 years. (See the book What God Has Done: My True, Dramatic God-Biography [Amazon].)

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Why do you have to "feel his presence," @POI?

I'm asking for proof that he's real, to the same level I know others actually exist. For someone who claims to have immense love for us and also commands that we love him more than all else, it seems like it would be quite difficult to culminate an actual relationship, when it remains perpetually one-sided.

Don't you see that God reveals himself in his creation as its Creator, through other people's love and instruction from his Word, through the Bible which he inspired to guide our lives, and with the circumstances of our lives, which are also a part of his plan for us.

Nope. What I see are a bunch of ancients, who wrote down some good stuff, some bad stuff, some right stuff, some wrong stuff, and some weird stuff, and passed them all off as 'god pronouncements'; just like other 'books' before and since have done. If I read the Rig Veda enough, should I then know Shiva is real?

Those are all ways he has guided me and revealed his divine power to me during my 83 years. (See the book What God Has Done: My True, Dramatic God-Biography [Amazon].)

Testimonials are a dime a dozen. If I were to take your story at face value, I would also have to take the testimonials of others, and their claimed personal experiences with their claimed opposing god(s).

I'll ask you what I have asked others. If you have a relationship with god, have him answer (3) simple questions and relay those answers to me. If you get even 2/3 of them right, I will believe that you are actually communicating with a supernatural force, for which I will just assume is god.

1. Where do my children work?
2. What is my wife's full name?
3. What food am I allergic to?

You can convert me today, with the answers to (3) simple questions. I'll await all the excuses to come, I mean "apologetics", for why you will not and cannot do this.