My fellow believers! I'm in need of help!

[GodslostLamb]

I need all the point of views I can get, I have a dear family member who God wants, but the only person on earth who can talk to him is me. So I'm being called to bring him to the lord. But God knows my knowledge is only so much; there is still a lot I myself don't understand so I need help.

This member of my family is all about science and facts, but he says if I can give him solid points about our Lord Jesus, then he would have reason to believe he exists.

He doesn't believe in God, but he also says if there was proof of a God, it would be one he would not want to worship because he deems him evil due to all the evil in the world.

Help me show him our God is love!

Questions he asked I couldn't answer are:

If God is so loving why would he punish a good person just because he doesn't believe in him?

Example, there are two men. One gives all he can to the poor, and in everything he does he gives 100%, he never cheats on his wife, loves and cares for his kids, and does voluntary work. But he doesn't believe there is a God.

The other man, steals, rapes, and kills little girls no older then 10. When on his death bed he finds God.

The man who spent his life as a 'good' person goes to hell, the other heaven...how is that a loving just-full God?

Lets say you want to buy a used car from someone. They tell you its a good car and runs fine. But you can't test drive it.
Will you still buy it?

If you can't see it for your self, but someone tells you something-and you don't believe them. Will God still punish you because you didn't take someone else's word that he exists?

If your God is as loving and forgiving as you claim, then why is this okay to justify? To not care a better person is going to hell where a man who was nothing but evil for most of his life can live in paradise?


You and I know there is no 'good' person, so this point would be tossed out the window for him. FYI.

[mikeedwards]

Hello God's Lost Lamb,

All of the answers to your questions are in my free ebook.
Gravity True For You But Not For Me

http://www.god-evidence-truth.com

You can find it on my site in all of the formats for free. Kindle, Book Nook, on your computer, etc.. Audio too and a video linked ebook with maybe 100 supporting short videos.

The book is targeted at skeptics just like you are talking about.

We also offer it in print as an evangelism tool. It can be purchased on our site. Right now we are offering a Shipping Cost Only Special. Box of 80 is $15 total shipped to you. We want them out of the warehouse and on the street. It has had many great reviews from college campuses to prisons.

If the person is really wanting to know the truth it will help a lot. If it is a matter of the will like many people it would not matter if God showed up in their living room. They would find a way to explain it away.

I know your hearts struggle here. I experience it often. A good thing to remember is that we cannot save anyone, God saves. We plant seeds. We are also compared to the watchman on the wall in the Bible. The watchman warns the people. What they do with the warning is entirely up to them.

God Bless, Mike

[deejay]

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to say at the time we need it. Ask Him to guide you in speaking to this person. He never fails, but you have to get out of His way. In other words, when the words come, don't try to edit them or hold them back; let them flow. Even if it sounds unpolished or strange to you, it could be just the thing that reaches him. Ultimately, it is God who does the convincing.

[Shann]

Also, you may want to post this in the theology section, since many of those people will have answered those questions before. Know that I am praying, both for you and your family member. My minister and I were just talking this morning about justice. I think there are a lot of people who don't think it's fair that what we might consider a bad person can ask Jesus into his heart moments before death and Jesus forgives him. But the truth of the matter is if Jesus was all about justice, not one single person would be worthy of his mercy because we all have sinned and fallen short so if Jesus was all about justice we would all be smoking piles of ash. Thank God that he offers us mercy, not justice. Hugs and prayers being sent your way.

[Shann]

Oh, though it is a long book, Phillip Yancy wrote Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People. He basically gives three or four reasons, that explain it. I liked it because depending on individual experiences one person might think the first reason he gives makes sense, but another one might see the third example and say oh duh! That makes sense. Check it out, it's pretty awesome.

[GodslostLamb]

Thank you all.

You have been help full, and I will also post this in the theology section.

[deejay]

When I was in Bible college, we were told that the Bible and the works of William Shakespeare have had so much influence on Western culture that if they were destroyed, by going through expressions, art, music, literature, etc., one could reconstruct 95% of the Bible and 75% of the works of Shakespeare. No other religion can claim that.
Also, archaeologists working in the Middle East have found that bringing a Bible along has helped greatly in locating vanished cities, and archaeology confirms much of the Biblical account.
Finally, the Bible has withstood countless efforts to discredit it; one of these was Malcolm Muggeridge, an atheist who passionately hated the Bible and sought to destroy it once and for all. So he began to study it carefully, seeking to find disreprencies, contradictions, anything that would disprove its authenticity. In the end, he discovered that the Bible was flawless, and became its greatest supporter.

[Sparrow]

I'm in a group of chronically ill young adults who do a Bible study together and we're reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis right now. It answers a lot of those questions and a lot more common sense things. It's very helpful and powerful. You can find it online in text and audio format here: http://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.co ... U5qPhzYd-0

[Fullheart]

Hello Sister, I truly feel your heart in this matter. Apologetics is a study that would benefit you in regards to this. But I have studied hard in this area and God revealed a truth I was forgetting about. We are saved by grace through FAITH. All of the physical evidence in the world is not enough without faith. Now, I pray diligently for those who used to give the same arguments for not believing. I pray that they will receive FAITH. Many did not believe in Jesus when He was right before their eyes performing miracles, because they did not have faith. No amount of physical evidence will ever be enough.

Most atheists I've dealt with, I came to learn were not true atheists. They were merely bitter over life and the way the world is, or the bad hand they feel they've been dealt. The most powerful evidence we can offer a non believer is a transformed life in Christ, filled with peace and love and joy in the midst of heartache and turmoil. That's not natural, but supernatural. I hope that helps some. Be sure to get every Christian you know to pray for this person, that God will grant them saving faith. I'm in.

Love will ever
Grow and endeavor
To seek the heart of God

[tomoral]

Just a little food for thought....I may cause a stir but I can't help thinking about that man who gives a hundred percent of of himself, doesn't cheat on his wife, gives to charity and does volunteer work. I am thinking that maybe even though he doesn't believe in God, I'm willing to bet God believes in him. And if God can forgive the rapist and murderer, why can't he forgive the good man for his ignorance? Maybe the good man was raised by people who TOLD him there was no God.

I know Jesus says we can't get to heaven except through Him, but I'm just saying.

[deejay]

Paul wrote that we lust and kill, etc. and don't have, because we don't ask. We must ASK for God to forgive our sins. The thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His Kingdom, and Jesus replied that the thief would be joining Him in Paradise. The other thief wasn't recorded as being likewise repentant, so he lost because he didn't ask.

Jesus said that whatever we want from Him, we must ask for it, or we won't recieve it.

[jerseygirl]

Right on deejay, God will always forgive anything, but we need to ask. That was the difference between Peter's destiny and Judas's as well. Judas had remorse but no repentance captured his heart. Peter repented and then later upon Jesus's return ran to Him. Judas hung himself because he had no faith in the forgiveness of Jesus. You are right fullheart faith is key. Romans says that we need to believe in our hearts through faith and confess with our mouths, and then we will be saved -- paraphrase.
This whole thing depends on his heart, if he really is open. If so Mike's book sounds wonderful. Amy, I had thought of C.S. Lewis right away with "Mere Christianity" because I am such a fan of his to say nothing of the fact that as he himself said,"I came kicking and screaming into the kingdom of heaven." He also called himself the most reluctant Christian of all.
Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel are both strong Christians who both set out to prove Christianity false and have written several proving the existence of Christianity. Josh has a book called "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" and a follow up book called "More Evidence that Demands a Verdict>'
Lee has written books called "A Case for Christ, "The Case for Christmas" and the Case for Easter."
Both of these gentlemen can be found on the internet with almost unlimited resources and are committed to others finding the redeeming grace of the Lord Jesus.
They both have tracts and Lee I know has booklets that are very inexpensive that can be purchased at CBD.com where I do all of my shopping for BIbles, DVD's CD"S books etc. One can get as much as 90% off the retail price for a membership of 5.00 per year, well worth the price. I get so many of my birthday and Christmas presents for folks at that site.
I will so be praying for your family member. Bless your heart for caring and sharing. Remember that scripture says in James it is the person who draws near to God that God will draw near to, just like the thief that deejay talked about. And then in Matthew 6:33, it says when we seek God's kingdom first that is when He opens up the windows of heaven.
There are stories of folks in third world countries who have truly sought God with their hearts and because of this even when there was no missionary, God gave personal dreams to those people revealing who He was.
You should also post this in the prayer post section if you haven't already because this is a matter for intense intercession. Prayer can often do what endless talking / persuading can't.
In Philippians it says that we are to bring all of our supplications to the Lord and it is a privilege to pray for one another.
The Lord knows your heart and will use you more than you think because you have the Holy Spirit who is the best teacher of all. The only thing I would add is make sure you pray before you speak, for that is always my downfall.
Blessings of His love, Alicia