Islam

[cheesestick]

I was interested in Islam about five years ago. I took a couple of college courses, and talked with a lot of Muslims. There was a book a Muslim girl gave me that made me turn away from Islam, but there are always days that I wonder why Islam seems to draw people inward. Islam is very straightforward. You are given a set of rules, such as praying, tithing, pilgrimage, ect; where in Christianity, sometimes I feel left in the dark.

I dont know what the Lord expects of me, and people say accept him as your Lord and Savior...yes, I can do that. But what else is there? What about after you accept Christ? Honestly, Christianity is very hard. I have been a Christian all of my life, I have never turned away, but there is no structure in Christianity, and I feel that I will never progress with my relationship with Christ. I am stuck, and have been my whole life. I cannot go forward, and I always feel discouraged. How do people hold onto Christ every single day of their life? What can I do differently in my life? I would appreciate any advice.

[dramama]

Do you read the Bible and pray everyday? Are you actually born again?

[pilgrimian]

I was interested in Islam about five years ago. I took a couple of college courses, and talked with a lot of Muslims. There was a book a Muslim girl gave me that made me turn away from Islam, but there are always days that I wonder why Islam seems to draw people inward. Islam is very straightforward. You are given a set of rules, such as praying, tithing, pilgrimage, ect; where in Christianity, sometimes I feel left in the dark.

I dont know what the Lord expects of me, and people say accept him as your Lord and Savior...yes, I can do that. But what else is there? What about after you accept Christ? Honestly, Christianity is very hard. I have been a Christian all of my life, I have never turned away, but there is no structure in Christianity, and I feel that I will never progress with my relationship with Christ. I am stuck, and have been my whole life. I cannot go forward, and I always feel discouraged. How do people hold onto Christ every single day of their life? What can I do differently in my life? I would appreciate any advice.

Read the Scriptures. There are numerous things we are told to do--encouraged to do.

Here's a number of good articles:

The Christian Walk (http://www.e-grace.net/sanctifi.html)

Yeshua (Jesus) said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Pretty straight forward to me. He also trumped His own words in saying that we are to love one another as He has loved us. He laid His life down for us to pay the price for us--that's amazing love. Mohammed didn't pay any price for us...and doing everything that Islam requires won't pay the price. Only Yeshua paid that price.

Read John 15 through 17...a lot of things we are told to do. That's just the beginning.

[scrappergirl]

cheesestick,
i like your name. makes me kinda :hungry.

anyway.
i understand what you're saying about feeling kind of left to your own devices. I think the most important thing to get to a point where you are growing is to find a fellowship of believers, a solid church. Most will have a new believers program or sunday school class. Join a small group, and get into the word, so you start to know God as more than just some big heavenly being....so that you start to know Hiim and understand Him.
My prayer life kind of stinks, but I do know that when you ask Him in sincerity for direction and wisdom, He will start opening your eyes. You will start seeing the world through your new eyes adn realizing how much you are changing. It is truly amazing. Yes, sometimes it feels like we're taking one step forward and two steps back, but its all in Gods economy in the end, so we'll get there when He wants us to.
But if you remain in a spiritual vaccuum, its unlikely you'll do much growing. He allows us to be among eachother to grow eachother (as iron sharpens iron).

Hope that helps.
:)
sg

[Galoutofdixie]

The Christian Walk Great site that I have never seen before. Thank you! Just got through reading one of the articles on the Olivet Discourse. Wow, great stuff! :thumb

IC,
Chris

[pilgrimian]

Great site that I have never seen before. Thank you! Just got through reading one of the articles on the Olivet Discourse. Wow, great stuff! :thumb

IC,
Chris

Glad you dig it!:thumb

I agree--it's quite a gathering of great writing!

[Laura-bell]

Ok, first things first. It isn't structure that saves. It's faith in Jesus Christ. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. That's it, and what he did to show that he believed God was an act of faith. Faith without works is dead, and works without faith does nothing for you. If you are born again you should have a relationship with our Lord, therefore christianity is not hard. It's a relationship, the "structure" becomes an automatic, and yes there is structure in christianity, but not so much so that it is burdeonsome. Christ already fulfilled all the law, and paid our sin debt; and by simply accepting that you are a sinner and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, is your first step. Then spend time praying and seeking His face, reading His Word and listening for Him is how you establish a relationship with Him. Then the structure follows. And when you pray, don't use some heartless robotic repeititous prayer. Silently, in your heart, pour your heart out to Him, whatever is on your mind that you worry about or are angry about or questions you have about your life, the life of those around you, or things in the world, whatever. Just you and Him. What is involved in a relationship? Communication and time spent together, that's why we call it communing with the Lord. Ever had a good friend move away? You should know how it feels to miss the Lord as you know how it feels to miss that friend.
It's funny that you commented on what you perceive as a lack of structure, we see as freedom in Christ. Though all things are lawful to us, not all things are beneficial to our walk with the Lord. A comment like yours about a lack of structure, sounds more like someone from Islam than someone who has been raised as a christian. All I can say is you need to spend some time with Jesus. Pray about.:):

[Joe Common]

[QUOTE=cheesestick;3504069]Islam is very straightforward. You are given a set of rules, such as praying, tithing, pilgrimage, ect; where in Christianity, sometimes I feel left in the dark.

I dont know what the Lord expects of me ... but there is no structure in ChristianityQUOTE]


Christianity is not about doing A, B and C. It is about freedom. We are liberated through Christ's sacrifice on the cross in the Age of Grace. Join a Bible study and grow in the Lord. The structure--legalism--is bondage. Forget about legalism and bask in knowing you are free from sin and the bondage that entails.

Seek the will of G-d for your life and he will lead you into your own Promised Land--here and now, and forever.

G-d Bless you.

[mikesteffen]

I was interested in Islam about five years ago. I took a couple of college courses, and talked with a lot of Muslims. There was a book a Muslim girl gave me that made me turn away from Islam, but there are always days that I wonder why Islam seems to draw people inward. Islam is very straightforward. You are given a set of rules, such as praying, tithing, pilgrimage, ect; where in Christianity, sometimes I feel left in the dark.

I dont know what the Lord expects of me, and people say accept him as your Lord and Savior...yes, I can do that. But what else is there? What about after you accept Christ? Honestly, Christianity is very hard. I have been a Christian all of my life, I have never turned away, but there is no structure in Christianity, and I feel that I will never progress with my relationship with Christ. I am stuck, and have been my whole life. I cannot go forward, and I always feel discouraged. How do people hold onto Christ every single day of their life? What can I do differently in my life? I would appreciate any advice.

True Christianity is the only religion in the world that is not works based salvation. Islam and every other false religion are works based. And you are correct in what you say that there is an aspect in which that seems correct. The bible mentions it...

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Living under a system of rules makes sense. Living by faith does not. At least from the worlds perspective.

We sometimes go on visitation at church. We walk down a street, knocking on doors and asking people if they have accepted Jesus as their Saviour. We ask them if they know where they are going when they die. Some of them give us dirty looks and shut the door on us.

That is difficult for me to deal with. From a works based worldly perspective I can not do it. I would rather stay home and watch TV.

They only way I can do it is to by faith remind myself that a day is coming when I will receive crowns for serving Jesus with my life. And the only way for me to grow in my faith is to set my affections on heavenly things.

___________________

[scrappergirl]

laura bell,
nice post.
:):

[waslostnowfound]

Well I don't know about other people, but it's not easy for me to hold onto Christ either. Sometimes I just feel saved, and others I feel like close friends. It's hard to describe in words...But basically all you can do to solve this problem is yes read the bible, but I find prayer very effective. It may not always be easy, at times you may feel like you're not really talking to Him, but if you do believe in Him and sincerely ask for a strong faith in Him and a good relationship with Him, in time He will grant it (remember earth relationships aren't forged in an instant, so why should this one be any different). But yes once you have been saved, we are called to witness so that others may see the truth and become part of the body; His body.

[Laura-bell]

laura bell,
nice post.
:):

Thanks, I prayed first. But then I thought about it and came back to check, I was worried it came off harsh or something. I feel better now.:D:

[Laura-bell]

Well I don't know about other people, but it's not easy for me to hold onto Christ either. Sometimes I just feel saved, and others I feel like close friends. It's hard to describe in words...But basically all you can do to solve this problem is yes read the bible, but I find prayer very effective. It may not always be easy, at times you may feel like you're not really talking to Him, but if you do believe in Him and sincerely ask for a strong faith in Him and a good relationship with Him, in time He will grant it (remember earth relationships aren't forged in an instant, so why should this one be any different). But yes once you have been saved, we are called to witness so that others may see the truth and become part of the body; His body.

You get a big AMEN and very well put, for that!:thumb

[Paidfor]

True Christianity is the only religion in the world that is not works based salvation. Islam and every other false religion are works based. And you are correct in what you say that there is an aspect in which that seems correct. The bible mentions it...

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Living under a system of rules makes sense. Living by faith does not. At least from the worlds perspective.

___________________

:clap
I once saw a bumper sticker or Tshirt or something that said
"Religion is natural, Christianity is supernatural"
That's why it seems hard to our natural mind. Religion seems right. We need to put away our natural view and look at things through the supernatural light that is given to us by the HS.

[Sophie]

I dont know what the Lord expects of me, and people say accept him as your Lord and Savior...yes, I can do that. But what else is there? What about after you accept Christ? How do people hold onto Christ every single day of their life? What can I do differently in my life? I would appreciate any advice.

Well, I'm sure you've read all the prior input, so let me try to simplify how I do it. Once I accepted Christ, I had to come to a point where I was in a relationship with Him. That means acknowledging Him first when I wake up. (Sometimes He will wake me up earlier, before my alarm goes off), that's when I get up and have our own quiet time together, and either read a couple passages in my Bible, or pray to Him or just talk to Him. (Yes, sometimes out loud).:nod As I pull out of my driveway every morning, with the sun rising and the birds singing, I praise and Thank Him for blessing me. Even if it's a gray, rainy day I thank Him.

I think it's about acknowledging Him as much as I can throughout the day. I was doing this Bible study once that also suggested this, but to do it verbally. So here I was the next day, typing a letter and I'm saying out loud: "I'm typing this for You Lord!:typing See how fast my fingers are flying for you!" :lol (yea, I got a bit carried away!)

For me, it's not only being in a constant relationship with him, but also knowing we were put here to bring Glory to God. Having this engrained on my brain has helped me from slapping the crap out of some co-workers who have really upset me,:catfight because I know this would not bring Glory to God.

And we were also put here to disciple. When good things happen, my initial response is always "Praise be God!" no matter how big the group. When co-workers swear, I always come back with "God's last name is NOT "damn!!" :yell

So in answer to "what else is there", for me, it's being in a relationship with God/Jesus (kind of like talking/venting with a friend on the phone), never forgetting what Jesus did for me, putting God first, trying not to do/say things that will embarrass God, AND admitting when I screw up and sincerely asking God's/Jesus' forgiveness. Being so grateful for what God has given me and what Jesus has done for me that I want to "pay it forward" with kindness and/or tithing to others. Oh, and (very important), asking that I never lose the voice of the Holy Spirit within me. It can be lost you know. By not being in regular communication with Jesus, he tends to shrivel up and not be heard.

The more time I devote to Jesus and/or my Bible, the more I can hear what He has to say to me. That's the ultimate as far as I'm concerned! Conversing with Jesus!:clap

Hope this helps!:wave

[waslostnowfound]

You get a big AMEN and very well put, for that!:thumb

Thanks. I feel that I got help there though, if you know what I mean.:): :clap

[kwdozier]

Ok, first things first. It isn't structure that saves. It's faith in Jesus Christ. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. That's it, and what he did to show that he believed God was an act of faith. Faith without works is dead, and works without faith does nothing for you. If you are born again you should have a relationship with our Lord, therefore christianity is not hard. It's a relationship, the "structure" becomes an automatic, and yes there is structure in christianity, but not so much so that it is burdeonsome. Christ already fulfilled all the law, and paid our sin debt; and by simply accepting that you are a sinner and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, is your first step. Then spend time praying and seeking His face, reading His Word and listening for Him is how you establish a relationship with Him. Then the structure follows. And when you pray, don't use some heartless robotic repeititous prayer. Silently, in your heart, pour your heart out to Him, whatever is on your mind that you worry about or are angry about or questions you have about your life, the life of those around you, or things in the world, whatever. Just you and Him. What is involved in a relationship? Communication and time spent together, that's why we call it communing with the Lord. Ever had a good friend move away? You should know how it feels to miss the Lord as you know how it feels to miss that friend.
It's funny that you commented on what you perceive as a lack of structure, we see as freedom in Christ. Though all things are lawful to us, not all things are beneficial to our walk with the Lord. A comment like yours about a lack of structure, sounds more like someone from Islam than someone who has been raised as a christian. All I can say is you need to spend some time with Jesus. Pray about.:):

I agree with this whole heartedly. I would recommend you spend some time in Romans. I am currently reading through this book and it is a great read to understand what Laura bell has said here.

[pilgrimian]

Islam is very straightforward. You are given a set of rules, such as praying, tithing, pilgrimage, ect; where in Christianity, sometimes I feel left in the dark.

I dont know what the Lord expects of me ... but there is no structure in Christianity

Christianity is not about doing A, B and C. It is about freedom. We are liberated through Christ's sacrifice on the cross in the Age of Grace. Join a Bible study and grow in the Lord. The structure--legalism--is bondage. Forget about legalism and bask in knowing you are free from sin and the bondage that entails.

Seek the will of G-d for your life and he will lead you into your own Promised Land--here and now, and forever.

G-d Bless you.

There is a balance. I, of course, agree that we are not forced into doing things...but since the Spirit is residing within us we WANT to do things to please the Lord, and in obedience to Him. The fact of the matter is that simply doing these things apart from faith--apart from Him--is meaningless. I think anyone who is not a Christian/Messianic Believer could be quite confused as to what "freedom" entails.

What needs to be rememberd is we CAN'T do...and we are NOT EXPECTED to do what Yeshua did for us. The Muslim must do A, B, and C...the Christian wants to do A, B, and C. But the Christian knows that doing A, B, and C doesn't add to their salvation...it is what we do to ABIDE in Him. Our salvation doesn't rest on doing A, B, and C. We can't add to our salvation...we can only add to our crowns in Heaven/Messianic Kingdom. It all goes back to the fact that the Spirit is living within us.

Cheesestick...get into the Word!!! :thumb That's imperative.:):

[LaMontre]

I was interested in Islam about five years ago. I took a couple of college courses, and talked with a lot of Muslims. There was a book a Muslim girl gave me that made me turn away from Islam, but there are always days that I wonder why Islam seems to draw people inward. Islam is very straightforward. You are given a set of rules, such as praying, tithing, pilgrimage, ect; where in Christianity, sometimes I feel left in the dark.

I dont know what the Lord expects of me, and people say accept him as your Lord and Savior...yes, I can do that. But what else is there? What about after you accept Christ? Honestly, Christianity is very hard. I have been a Christian all of my life, I have never turned away, but there is no structure in Christianity, and I feel that I will never progress with my relationship with Christ. I am stuck, and have been my whole life. I cannot go forward, and I always feel discouraged. How do people hold onto Christ every single day of their life? What can I do differently in my life? I would appreciate any advice.

I found a link to a chapter from a book that was of great help to me, and I think it will be of great help to you. After you read this chapter, you may wish to go and buy the book. It is basically an in depth study in Romans, but it is written in such a way as to emphasize our experience. It is called "The Normal Christian Life".

http://www.voidspace.org.uk/spiritual/nee/wnhs08.htm

:thumb

[singer]

Vow, very interesting!

[Joe Common]

I didn't want to get that deep into it, but you read my mind and did a fine job! It is simple--yet it is complicated. We are saved by grace, not by works--yet in being obedient, the works naturally follow.

Pilgrimian, I have seen your detailed posts on other discussions. You are excellent at details. I believe it would be great if you would expand on your discussion in this thread.

Have at 'er!:thumb