If Christ is not risen

[Yolande]

Do you aree?

And do you agree that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead?

And if you believe He has was risen from the dead, where is He now?

And how is that supposed to make a difference in people's lives if He was?

“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.�
     -1 Corinthians 15:14-19 (NKJV)

Please share your thoughts on these questions and also on the statement from Paul.

[TXatheist]

Where your truth is not THE truth, it is a lie.

You go too far, Yolande. Comments like that are counter productive to your goals as they insult and offend people. It seems to me that you believe so strongly in your own beliefs and condemn all other beliefs to such a level that you no longer respect other people's beliefs at all.

If your beloved wife starts believing that doing heroin is going to make of her a more fulfilled and satisfied person. Will you respect her belief and leave it at that?

It is a scientific proven fact that doing heroin damages the body. We can see the evidence right before our eyes. You have nothing more than your beliefs. Everyone else has their beliefs. You cannot go around informing people that their beliefs are lies. To prove my point, your posts and PMs to me have pushed me further away from Christianity. I do not want to hurt your feelings, and I mean no disrespect. But just as you are ready to do whatever is necessary to "help" people, I will do the same by telling you that you should reconsider your methods as they are counter productive to your goals. You must have some respect for other people's beliefs, no matter how wrong you think they are. When you disrespect their beliefs, you disrespect them, and lack of respect does not attract people to your religion.

[Yolande]

There is a point that the disciples, after preaching the good news and not it not being accepted, had to shake the dust from their feet and walk away.
I do believe in that.
But only after the gospel had strongly and sometimes repeatedly been resisted.
It is true, that true love sets people free. Even if it would mean them hurting themselves.
But there is a time for everything.

Where your truth is not THE truth, it is a lie.

You go too far, Yolande. Comments like that are counter productive to your goals as they insult and offend people. It seems to me that you believe so strongly in your own beliefs and condemn all other beliefs to such a level that you no longer respect other people's beliefs at all.

If your beloved wife starts believing that doing heroin is going to make of her a more fulfilled and satisfied person. Will you respect her belief and leave it at that?

It is a scientific proven fact that doing heroin damages the body. We can see the evidence right before our eyes. You have nothing more than your beliefs. Everyone else has their beliefs. You cannot go around informing people that their beliefs are lies. To prove my point, your posts and PMs to me have pushed me further away from Christianity. I do not want to hurt your feelings, and I mean no disrespect. But just as you are ready to do whatever is necessary to "help" people, I will do the same by telling you that you should reconsider your methods as they are counter productive to your goals. You must have some respect for other people's beliefs, no matter how wrong you think they are. When you disrespect their beliefs, you disrespect them, and lack of respect does not attract people to your religion.

[TXatheist]

There is a point that the disciples, after preaching the good news and not it not being accepted, had to shake the dust from their feet and walk away.
I do believe in that.

But isn't that what Jesus instructed them to do? Do you feel that your desires override Jesus' instructions? Don't you think he had good reasons for giving them those instructions?

[Yolande]

As long as there is still an open and relative receptive heart, I will bring the message of Christ.
With you I felt that for a time, until you completely shut the door.

There is a point that the disciples, after preaching the good news and not it not being accepted, had to shake the dust from their feet and walk away.
I do believe in that.

But isn't that what Jesus instructed them to do? Do you feel that your desires override Jesus' instructions? Don't you think he had good reasons for giving them those instructions?

[TXatheist]

As long as there is still an open and relative receptive heart, I will bring the message of Christ.
With you I felt that for a time, until you completely shut the door.

With me, you felt that which was never there to begin with. Perhaps your "feelings" about other people's religious needs and wants are inaccurate. And I didn't shut the door on you. I simply realized that politeness was not working and that I would have to be more direct in my wishes to not be proselytized.

[Yolande]

Seijun,
There was a time in my life, almost 10 years ago, that I challenges everything I believed and was brought up with and got involved with New Age.
There were people who prayed for me. Some wrote me. I didn't bother much about it. It was like I was blinded to everything they said.
But somehow, much later, the Holy Spirit started using some of that and began a work of convicting me of truth.
And yes, He did it so gently and so beautifully and brought me back home.
Perhaps in this context, you can better understand, my deep concern for you.
And if I got carried away, please forgive me, for I was literally and truly crying tears as I prayed for you.

[TXatheist]

Seijun,
There was a time in my life, almost 10 years ago, that I challenges everything I believed and was brought up with and got involved with New Age.
There were people who prayed for me. Some wrote me. I didn't bother much about it. It was like I was blinded to everything they said.
But somehow, much later, the Holy Spirit started using some of that and began a work of convicting me of truth.
And yes, He did it so gently and so beautifully and brought me back home.
Perhaps in this context, you can better understand, my deep concern for you.
And if I got carried away, please forgive me, for I was literally and truly crying tears as I prayed for you.

There is nothing to forgive, Yolande. I appreciate your concern and I know you mean well.

Let's get back on topic, shall we?

[Yolande]

I feel the love of Jesus for you Seijun. I can't help it.
I can back off and respect your choices, but that will not take away the burden and the deep love I feel for you.
It is not my love, it is His, for I do not even know you. And only when He lifts this burden off me, will I be able to let go emotionally and spiritually.

But we don't need to talk about all that.

Perhaps we should call it a night at this point.

Seijun,
There was a time in my life, almost 10 years ago, that I challenges everything I believed and was brought up with and got involved with New Age.
There were people who prayed for me. Some wrote me. I didn't bother much about it. It was like I was blinded to everything they said.
But somehow, much later, the Holy Spirit started using some of that and began a work of convicting me of truth.
And yes, He did it so gently and so beautifully and brought me back home.
Perhaps in this context, you can better understand, my deep concern for you.
And if I got carried away, please forgive me, for I was literally and truly crying tears as I prayed for you.

There is nothing to forgive, Yolande. I appreciate your concern and I know you mean well.

Let's get back on topic, shall we?

[TXatheist]

I feel the love of Jesus for you Seijun. I can't help it.
I can back off and respect your choices, but that will not take away the burden and the deep love I feel for you.
It is not my love, it is His, for I do not even know you. And only when He lifts this burden off me, will I be able to let go emotionally and spiritually.

Can you explain why it is that Jesus has this overwhelming love for me but only chooses to burden you with it instead of showing it directly to me? I spent a lot of years seeking and I never felt the love. Yet he has chosen to give it all to you so that you can pass it on? Are you living vicariously through me in the past or something?

[Yolande]

I can not explain it.
But I had the same in my life.
There were times I was crying out to God to feel literally His love for me and I would feel nothing.
And then He would send somebody through whom He ministered His love to me.
It happened more than once.
It was like there was resistances inside of me. That blocked His love.

I don't understand these things. I just know that even now I feel waves and waves of the purest most beautiful love for you. And I know I tap into something of God's love for you.

I feel the love of Jesus for you Seijun. I can't help it.
I can back off and respect your choices, but that will not take away the burden and the deep love I feel for you.
It is not my love, it is His, for I do not even know you. And only when He lifts this burden off me, will I be able to let go emotionally and spiritually.

Can you explain why it is that Jesus has this overwhelming love for me but only chooses to burden you with it instead of showing it directly to me? I spent a lot of years seeking and I never felt the love. Yet he has chosen to give it all to you so that you can pass it on? Are you living vicariously through me in the past or something?