OT-How Long Have You Been Saved

[piecesofeight]

I know a lot of people here believe. I have picked it up certain things in post. I've been a Christian for 20 years.
The reason I am such a huge Stryper/Michael Sweet fan is because it's what they/he wrote that finally made all of it really touch my heart and soul.
I was first drawn to Stryper because their music was/is exactly the rock sound I like. I had always wanted to believe..but after hearing those lyrics put to that music..I was blown away..there was no turning back. It was all very brilliant and unreal..
I promote To Hell With The Devil so much because whenever I listen to it..I not only have to give credit to a lot of those songs helping me to get to where I needed to be..but it continues to help keep me there..because all I can do is when I listen to it is be at the right place and think how brilliantly Michael makes me realize just how unreal all of it is.

[Rockindeano]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

[StoneCold]

I know a lot of people here believe. I have picked it up certain things in post. I've been a Christian for 20 years.
The reason I am such a huge Stryper/Michael Sweet fan is because it's what they/he wrote that finally made all of it really touch my heart and soul.
I was first drawn to Stryper because their music was/is exactly the rock sound I like. I had always wanted to believe..but after hearing those lyrics put to that music..I was blown away..there was no turning back. It was all very brilliant and unreal..
I promote To Hell With The Devil so much because whenever I listen to it..I not only have to give credit to a lot of those songs helping me to get to where I needed to be..but it continues to help keep me there..because all I can do is when I listen to it is be at the right place and think how brilliantly Michael makes me realize just how unreal all of it is.

If we're gonna have a religious discussion, let get to it. Sorry but I have to skip Stryper on it though.

Here's some questions I'm curious about:

1. Faith or Works?
2. Did God talk to Oral Roberts? Remember the money came through.
3. Are catholics saved? Mormons? JW's?

And let me add, I know JW's are following the commandment about preaching the Gospel but I always hide out from them when they get to my door. I used to wanna argue about them being a cult but I don't bother anymore.

[Saint John]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

Oh man...I tried to stay out of this thread, but that was too fuckin' funny not to comment on. "GDI"

[Rockindeano]

Remember that crazy fuck Oral Roberts? I saw a 900 foot Jesus in Tulsa, Oklahoma." Dude, why in the Hell would Jesus roll to Oklahoma? He wouldn't. Fuckin liar. Oral Roberts

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

since I was a sophomore in high school.

then, I got caught up in all that "Why Knock Rock" stuff and swore off secular music for a while, after having been reared on Cream, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Hendrix, Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath. the last show I attended before my 'vacation' was Santana. yup. with you know who the rock dawg.


but I was firm in my resolve until the book mentions that Santana is a a take off on Satan, the whole-rate-a-record thing, burning Barry Manilow records, etc.

but this was the final straw. and I haven't looked back since. I don't think having a love of a genre of music qualifies me as an unbeliever.

the final straw....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFjKFDvyJ80

when I saw this, I was back! thanks Journey for throwing me a line and bringing me back.

"that hot blonde bass player!!! (1-800-ROSS ROCKS. how many will raise their hands and testify that they noticed Ross FIRST???!!! ) wow!!!!!! hey that guy is pretty good singer! who's he? hey!! that guitar player!! isn't he from that other band????"

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

[StoneCold]

Remember that crazy fuck Oral Roberts? I saw a 900 foot Jesus in Tulsa, Oklahoma." Dude, why in the Hell would Jesus roll to Oklahoma? He wouldn't. Fuckin liar. Oral Roberts

Wikipedia

In 1977 Roberts claimed to have a vision from a 900-foot-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center and the hospital would be a success.

In 1980, Roberts said he had a vision which encouraged him to continue the construction of his City of Faith Medical and Research Center, which opened in 1981. At the time, it was among the largest health facilities of its kind in the world and sought to merge prayer and medicine in the healing process. The City of Faith was in operation for only eight years before closing in late 1989. The Orthopedic Hospital of Oklahoma still operates on its premises. In 1983 Roberts said Jesus had appeared to him in person and commissioned him to find a cure for cancer.

O.R. money raisin
In 1987, during a fundraising drive, Roberts announced to a television audience that unless he raised $8 million by that March, God would "call him home". He raised $9.1 million.

---------------

Wonder if he's still looking for that cure for cancer.

[Rockindeano]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

[7 Wishes]

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.
you too, SJ.

I agree. I just don't think God is ONLY the "Christian" God. God loves all his children who are pure of heart and spirit, and noble in deed (even if we do lust and occasionally lie and make mistakes)...including Buddhists, Muslims, Jews...everyone.

[StoneCold]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

That's what's hard to decipher. Predestination versus freewill. Why bad/evil happens to good people. Etc. and so on.

Might be too heavy for a Tuesday night.

[StoneCold]

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.
you too, SJ.

I agree. I just don't think God is ONLY the "Christian" God. God loves all his children who are pure of heart and spirit, and noble in deed (even if we do lust and occasionally lie and make mistakes)...including Buddhists, Muslims, Jews...everyone.

But that's not what The Book says, is it? I'm not preachin', just sayin what I remember. You can tell from my posts I like me the hotties.

John 14:6

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Excludes Buddha, Muslim and some Jews if I'm correct)

http://www.rationalchristianity.net/only_way.html

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

I just meant to emphasize that random acts aren't what we do or don't do to have a relationship or not. not trying to tell you what to do or how to believe. i was just making a technical point about faith. lya

[Rodimus]

If we're gonna have a religious discussion, let get to it. Sorry but I have to skip Stryper on it though.
Here's some questions I'm curious about:

1. Faith or Works?

To answer that question: Technically the answer is "Faith" However its faith that produces works, its meaningless unless you back it up "even the demons believe and shudder". James 2:14-26 says that faith without deeds is dead. In other words- Faith is not true faith without you doing something to back up your belief. (similar to the idea of love(1 corinthians 13) which requires you to do a lot (patient, loving, kind, not envy, not boasting, not proud, not rude or self seeking, keeping no record of wrongs ect ect ect. These all require action of some kind) Example: If you believe a bomb is going to go off in the building your in and it will kill everyone inside what would you do? (This is an not an everyday example but hopefully you get the point)
Hebrews 11:8- "by faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going" (Again action on part of faith, His father terah not mentioned here probably because he only went half way (Genesis 11:31) unlike Abraham.)

Pretty much all of that is to say you should not distinguish the two

[Rockindeano]

Why don't you all start a fuckin prayer circle thread? Jesus.

[mikemarrs]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

very strange that this topic popped up,my girlfriend is sitting here reading a bible right now and my family doesn't even know i'm an independent of sorts as far as beliefs go.i'm just now starting to get off my own strike off about 17 years or so.i quit having faith when my grandmother died on my 16th birthday and i was stuck in the fucking boondocks with a bunch of rednecks who thought i was a devil worshipper because i listen to ac/dc and metallica.the principal made me cut my hair and me and my parents were falling out real bad.i've spent the last seventeen years or so fucked up on various chemicals of different sorts and basically wasted time doing stupid things.a few things have happened lately for me to rethink my beliefs and i've had quite a few times i should've been dead from car wrecks,overdoses and plain ignorance.i think he was helping me all those times i about left this world and i've almost left on two or three different instances.its so complex i still have trouble fully believeing someone is up there or out there watching all of us and controlling everything,very complicated.........

[Clasicrockldy]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

Dean, you don't know squat. What is happening to you is being done by you ( except for one thing), not God. God isn't a prick and does stuff to people. We were given free will, and we excercise that free will. And in exercising that free will, we are the ones that set the tone of our lives, and what happens in it.

Deb is right. God does love you.

[Angiekay]

Why don't you all start a fuckin prayer circle thread? Jesus.

Hey, you and the other Hitler youth have your little religion hate thread over yonder. Stay there or contribute something POSITIVE to this one. If you can spout negative, these people can spout positive and truthfully, I'd MUCH rather get to the know the people I'll see in the afterlife vs the crap I just have to put up with while I'm here.

[7 Wishes]

The Bible was not "written" by God. It was written by men.

Other texts from other religions pre-date the Bible by thousands of years.

[G.I.Jim]

Why don't you all start a fuckin prayer circle thread? Jesus.

His name's not Jesus, it's Rodimus! And if anyone cares, I was saved about 12 years ago. I've strayed far (in the last couple of years) from where I want to be, but I was saved in '96. I'm working on getting back on track.

[StoneCold]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

its so complex i still have trouble fully believeing someone is up there or out there watching all of us and controlling everything,very complicated.........

I'm of the opinion that there's definitely something. Life's too complex for there to be nothing and we've ended up here accidently. If there's nothing, who decides what's right and wrong?

Einstein believed in God, just not a "personal God".

Quote from Einstein:

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

"I'm not an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangements of the books, but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God."

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

Why don't you all start a fuckin prayer circle thread? Jesus.

His name's not Jesus, it's Rodimus! And if anyone cares, I was saved about 12 years ago. I've strayed far (in the last couple of years) from where I want to be, but I was saved in '96. I'm working on getting back on track.

I care. no need to work, brother. just have faith and believe.

[Rockindeano]

Why don't you all start a fuckin prayer circle thread? Jesus.

Hey, you and the other Hitler youth have your little religion hate thread over yonder. Stay there or contribute something POSITIVE to this one. If you can spout negative, these people can spout positive and truthfully, I'd MUCH rather get to the know the people I'll see in the afterlife vs the crap I just have to put up with while I'm here.

Excuse me, but I have never, not once, bashed religion or the right to worship.

Eat me Angie. It's clear many of you who happen to be strong faith people, are a bit too touchy.

[Rockindeano]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

Dean, you don't know squat. What is happening to you is being done by you ( except for one thing), not God. God isn't a prick and does stuff to people. We were given free will, and we excercise that free will. And in exercising that free will, we are the ones that set the tone of our lives, and what happens in it.

Deb is right. God does love you.

Fuck off.

[StyxCollector]

Christian, Catholic, whatever ... you guys wouldn't exist without us Jews 'nuff said

[Clasicrockldy]

I tried, believe me. God and I had a falling out of sorts. He didn't like me slamming beers to excessiveness, voting Pro Choice, surfing porn, gambling, swearing like a fuckin sailor, stealing Cokes from the local gas station when the red dot wasn't looking, exposing tapegate, , and lusting after my hot neighbour. So, I am a GDI now. Goddamned Independent.

wrong Dean. God loves you. you know that. it is all about faith and a relationship, not a bunch of random acts.

you too, SJ.

Don't tell me God loves me. I know better. He is a dick to me. A lot of shit has happened for all the wrong reasons. I am definitely on strike with him. I am doing fine being a GDI.

Dean, you don't know squat. What is happening to you is being done by you ( except for one thing), not God. God isn't a prick and does stuff to people. We were given free will, and we excercise that free will. And in exercising that free will, we are the ones that set the tone of our lives, and what happens in it.

Deb is right. God does love you.

Fuck off.

Lovely Dean! Just showing how much education you have in those two words. Grow up.

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

Why don't you all start a fuckin prayer circle thread? Jesus.

Hey, you and the other Hitler youth have your little religion hate thread over yonder. Stay there or contribute something POSITIVE to this one. If you can spout negative, these people can spout positive and truthfully, I'd MUCH rather get to the know the people I'll see in the afterlife vs the crap I just have to put up with while I'm here.

Excuse me, but I have never, not once, bashed religion or the right to worship.

Eat me Angie. It's clear many of you who happen to be strong faith people, are a bit too touchy.

ya know, I used to be! but I kinda got over it. it was such a burden to be eye balling others who "appeared" to be messing up. not my job-I'm not the judge. a huge, huge relief!! have faith, believe. just me and Him. He loves me, I love Him. cool.

[Rodimus]

I was saved 8 years ago. I have changed a lot since then.

Hey Jim! I need to email you sometime in the near future. I am working on some new stuff.

[Indyjoe]

I know a lot of people here believe. I have picked it up certain things in post. I've been a Christian for 20 years.
The reason I am such a huge Stryper/Michael Sweet fan is because it's what they/he wrote that finally made all of it really touch my heart and soul.
I was first drawn to Stryper because their music was/is exactly the rock sound I like. I had always wanted to believe..but after hearing those lyrics put to that music..I was blown away..there was no turning back. It was all very brilliant and unreal..
I promote To Hell With The Devil so much because whenever I listen to it..I not only have to give credit to a lot of those songs helping me to get to where I needed to be..but it continues to help keep me there..because all I can do is when I listen to it is be at the right place and think how brilliantly Michael makes me realize just how unreal all of it is.

Around 30 years.

[G.I.Jim]

I was saved 8 years ago. I have changed a lot since then.

Hey Jim! I need to email you sometime in the near future. I am working on some new stuff.

Awesome man, just let me know!