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I hope you stick around, or at least you're here to read this.
Many cannot imagine your pain. I can. When I was 12, my brother was killed. He was shot only once. Died almost instantly. He was 24. Death has no age.
Nobody saw it coming. It was so sudden, it didn't seem real sometimes. Everything in the next week and a half felt unreal. I heard my father fall down when he heard the news; I heard my mother’s wailing. I saw my brother lying there lifeless in a casket; I saw the casket close. I heard my brother's name called three times; I heard no answer. I heard the trumpets play Taps. I saw my other older brother take a burden on his shoulders, now being the oldest surviving sibling. I saw my little brother barely have the words to describe his suffering. I saw my mother desperately holding on to my brother's gravestone, not wanting to let go a year later. I saw unrelenting news people show up everywhere through it all to get their story out of it. And I wanted more than anything for my brother to just show up out of nowhere alive, and it was all just a cruel joke, or a mistake somehow, or he’ll just “wake up” and it’ll be a miracle; my whole family wanted that. That never happened.
If there’s anything you feel during all that, it’s helpless.
I would love to tell you that God pulled me through, but I honestly wasn’t as close to God as I am now. That was well before I was saved. I didn’t even have a clear picture of God. I wondered what happened to my brother after he died. Sometimes I feared that he just stopped existing, and that was it. Or when we die, we lay there in the grave, and that’s it. Not that I hadn’t heard of Heaven; I was raised Christian and went to a Christian school. I just wasn’t sure and worried about it. I might have done some praying, I might not have; I don’t remember now. But I tell you this to say that grieving is no easier without the hope we have with God.
The atheist comment that person made to you was not only insensitive in your time of grief, but not honest—these things happen to Christians too. That comment was also quite misrepresentative of God. I’m sorry you feel like God is not worth following because of that person who made a cruel comment. Hopefully you realize that it wasn’t of God and that’s not how God works—He doesn’t wish for anyone to perish, but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
I didn't come to repentance until many years later. Hard times will test your faith. You can pull closer to God, or pull away. But it won’t be any easier if you pull away.
Many cannot imagine your pain. I can. When I was 12, my brother was killed. He was shot only once. Died almost instantly. He was 24. Death has no age.
Nobody saw it coming. It was so sudden, it didn't seem real sometimes. Everything in the next week and a half felt unreal. I heard my father fall down when he heard the news; I heard my mother’s wailing. I saw my brother lying there lifeless in a casket; I saw the casket close. I heard my brother's name called three times; I heard no answer. I heard the trumpets play Taps. I saw my other older brother take a burden on his shoulders, now being the oldest surviving sibling. I saw my little brother barely have the words to describe his suffering. I saw my mother desperately holding on to my brother's gravestone, not wanting to let go a year later. I saw unrelenting news people show up everywhere through it all to get their story out of it. And I wanted more than anything for my brother to just show up out of nowhere alive, and it was all just a cruel joke, or a mistake somehow, or he’ll just “wake up” and it’ll be a miracle; my whole family wanted that. That never happened.
If there’s anything you feel during all that, it’s helpless.
I would love to tell you that God pulled me through, but I honestly wasn’t as close to God as I am now. That was well before I was saved. I didn’t even have a clear picture of God. I wondered what happened to my brother after he died. Sometimes I feared that he just stopped existing, and that was it. Or when we die, we lay there in the grave, and that’s it. Not that I hadn’t heard of Heaven; I was raised Christian and went to a Christian school. I just wasn’t sure and worried about it. I might have done some praying, I might not have; I don’t remember now. But I tell you this to say that grieving is no easier without the hope we have with God.
The atheist comment that person made to you was not only insensitive in your time of grief, but not honest—these things happen to Christians too. That comment was also quite misrepresentative of God. I’m sorry you feel like God is not worth following because of that person who made a cruel comment. Hopefully you realize that it wasn’t of God and that’s not how God works—He doesn’t wish for anyone to perish, but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
I didn't come to repentance until many years later. Hard times will test your faith. You can pull closer to God, or pull away. But it won’t be any easier if you pull away.
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People die, it's a fact of life. God doesn't "take" anyone. This mortal shell will pass whether you are with or without God. You too will die some day. Being Christian or atheist doesn't change that.
I find it interesting that your response to this is to join your brother in his apostasy. Not a wise choice. Leaving an unfeeling church - wise choice. Leaving God, not so much.
Hopefully (and I pray) you really haven't.
I find it interesting that your response to this is to join your brother in his apostasy. Not a wise choice. Leaving an unfeeling church - wise choice. Leaving God, not so much.
Hopefully (and I pray) you really haven't.
Something that is often told to people who are grieving the death of a loved one is that they should avoid making any major decisions for about a year--don't quit your job, don't decide to divorce your spouse, don't move, don't cash in your retirement, don't decide to invest all your money in a friend's new business, etc. This is sound advice because the process of grieving can distort our thinking so that we are not making rational decisions.
I think this might apply to your situation now.
Clearly you are grieving. Clearly some people around you are not concerned with offering you emotional support. (Of course, many here have stepped forward to offer some). With your anger and sadness so fresh, it might be better to make a life-altering decision (like abandoning faith) in a few months' time.
Give yourself time to grieve. Maybe seek out a counselor or group that can help you through the grieving process. Spend some time with your family. Begin to heal a little.
And then, in a year, re-examine your belief system and make a decision when you're able to be a little less fraught about it.
I think this might apply to your situation now.
Clearly you are grieving. Clearly some people around you are not concerned with offering you emotional support. (Of course, many here have stepped forward to offer some). With your anger and sadness so fresh, it might be better to make a life-altering decision (like abandoning faith) in a few months' time.
Give yourself time to grieve. Maybe seek out a counselor or group that can help you through the grieving process. Spend some time with your family. Begin to heal a little.
And then, in a year, re-examine your belief system and make a decision when you're able to be a little less fraught about it.
Greetings Exophis,
First of all, my condolences for your loss. We have to understand that there is a set time and place for all people to die and God is the One who is in control of that. He knows the exact time of everyone's death and angels are waiting there to take each person to their respective places. In addition to this, though he was your brother, he belongs to God, as does everyone and everything that has been made.
In Christ, we are required to be prepared for persecution and death for his name sake and for the word of God. Jesus said that, if you love your father, mother, sister, your brother, yes, even your own life more than me, you are not worthy of me. Therefore, as hard as the loss of a family member is, Christ must remain first. We cannot turn our backs on God when hardships come. If we are to be prepared to be persecuted and put to death for his name sake and the word of God, then everything else is less than that. Our commitment to Christ should be above all things, not matter what happens.
Regarding the above, you have to remember that, no one is innocent! All people are sinners and fall short of God's righteousness and are therefore are guilty of death. I would suggest that you go back and read the story of Job, a righteous man before God, who in one day lost all of his children and all of his wealth. Later, he then lost his health. He cursed his own life, but in the midst of all of that calamity Job said, "though he kill me, yet will I trust in him." Regarding this, we as believers should have the same spiritual attitude. I will keep you in prayer for you loss and your faith.
First of all, my condolences for your loss. We have to understand that there is a set time and place for all people to die and God is the One who is in control of that. He knows the exact time of everyone's death and angels are waiting there to take each person to their respective places. In addition to this, though he was your brother, he belongs to God, as does everyone and everything that has been made.
In Christ, we are required to be prepared for persecution and death for his name sake and for the word of God. Jesus said that, if you love your father, mother, sister, your brother, yes, even your own life more than me, you are not worthy of me. Therefore, as hard as the loss of a family member is, Christ must remain first. We cannot turn our backs on God when hardships come. If we are to be prepared to be persecuted and put to death for his name sake and the word of God, then everything else is less than that. Our commitment to Christ should be above all things, not matter what happens.
Regarding the above, you have to remember that, no one is innocent! All people are sinners and fall short of God's righteousness and are therefore are guilty of death. I would suggest that you go back and read the story of Job, a righteous man before God, who in one day lost all of his children and all of his wealth. Later, he then lost his health. He cursed his own life, but in the midst of all of that calamity Job said, "though he kill me, yet will I trust in him." Regarding this, we as believers should have the same spiritual attitude. I will keep you in prayer for you loss and your faith.
Okay...you told us that your brother was an atheist...which was his choice to decide. You watched your brother die..at least you were there with him and surrounded by your loved ones. Tons of people die thousands of miles away from their loved ones in freak accidents...leaving much to the imagination and lots of unanswered questions that last a lifetime. Welcome to Humanity in all of it's horrendous episodes. Next, for you? You have a decision to make as to what your personal relationship will be with JESUS CHRIST. Yes, you can follow your brother's choice...or, you could make a big difference and stop looking at how you think others should behave and start focusing in on JESUS CHRIST. Decide if HE is worth it all. Look for yourself..study how and what and why HE Did what HE did....read His Word...speak to HIM...you do not have to have a smart phone connection...allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate your mind. Make YOUR choice soon....we are not guaranteed tomorrow...but today is the day of salvation. Eternity is where your brother is NOW..eternity is waiting for you and I too. IT's really simple..do you plan on smoking accommodations or non-smoking accommodations? There is no other way to put it.
Just as the door is open to any that wish to be a part of God's Kingdom, it is open for those who wish not to be. It's regrettable that you would choose that path. I'm sorry for your loss Exophis. What's even more saddening to me however is that you would place the blame for this travesty on God. If your congregation was that cruel to you then they were certainly not true servants of God to begin with, yet you assume that they wholly represent the Christian faith? That they speak for us all...this is obviously not the case. How in a world that we personally are responsible for defiling can you find God to be the one bearing the burden of guilt? That's like blaming the Doctor for one of his/her patients abusing their prescription meds. The Doctor doesn't force his patient to misuses their medicine, just as God does not choose for our world to be full of sin as it now is. It's not an easy thing to lose a loved one so soon over an illness. But the healing process does not begin by condemning God. Condemn the wickedness of our flesh and of our blood if you feel so inclined to lay blame on something. You are mistaken to assume God is behind something so dreadful, the world is maligned against us in sharp contrast to the unholiness we embrace in defying God's commands repeatedly. That is our imperfection as human beings and thus we are dealing with the consequences of it on a daily basis. Allowing it to beat you down won't do you any good and abandoning your faith will do even less. But I am sorry for your loss none the less, if you happen to read this I think you should definitely reconsider.
J
If he was taken that young and under those conditions...you can't rule out that he might have been saved in the last moment, only God and Jesus know the hearts of men and women intimately. Who is any one to say there is not a flame in his heart that burns for God/Jesus. I remember a testimony I once saw on Youtube that stated sooo many soldiers in WW2, young men, older men, as they lay on the beach wounded, ready to die, in their last moments, people who gave who knows amount of their mind to God, probably some of them gave none, they were in fact saved right there on that beach by calling for Jesus/God.
Off topic- This isn't granting permission to sin until the last moments of your lives, these were people who didn't know. Since we're all on CC...I think it's safe to say that we do know. Therefore we are required to be obedient and repent when we do slip.
Off topic- This isn't granting permission to sin until the last moments of your lives, these were people who didn't know. Since we're all on CC...I think it's safe to say that we do know. Therefore we are required to be obedient and repent when we do slip.
to anyone interested.
i'm a close friend of Exophis and he's doing ok he's still grieving and is still sworn of god unfortunately
i believe his faith is still there its just buried in shadow i'll hoepfully with the help of god bring him back
just thought i'd update anyone interested
i'm a close friend of Exophis and he's doing ok he's still grieving and is still sworn of god unfortunately
i believe his faith is still there its just buried in shadow i'll hoepfully with the help of god bring him back
just thought i'd update anyone interested
Matthew 5:4 - Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
K
I'm sorry for your loss, I understand you are hurting. I wish you comfort.
Sometimes truth hurts, and I don't wish any more hurt on you at this time. But I don't know you and can't come back at the appropriate time, so I have to say what I would say, now.
Before this happened, you knew that people die for various reasons, quite often unfairly. Yet you still believed in God, your faith was strong. But now it has happened to someone close to you. Do you think the others that died didn't have anyone who was close to them? What makes only you and the people in your corner exempt from death and tragedy? The bible tells us the opposite- that we, nor the world we live in, are promised another minute of physical life. I believe God saves those who will bring about His Will until the hour He decides our time is up.
This is shown all through the bible and through history, and includes Jesus Himself, so why do you think you and your are the only exception in history? I ask you this because I have asked myself this very question to prepare my mind before tragedy happens, if it happens. These are hard questions to contemplate, and honestly, I don't know if I can ever prepare my mind for such tragedy no matter how long and hard I ponder.
But I have come to a conclusion: Show love as much as you can while you are here. Worrying about tragedies that might happen only cuts the quality of life even shorter, so is mourning to long over tragedies that did happen. But the most important of all is I want to be with God forever in heaven, and with those who also love Him- whether I was related to them or not. And I don't want to go where the evil and unbelieving are going, whether I was related to them or not.
There have been times where my faith got violated by the evil one who uses every opportunity, weakness, tragedy, etc. but one thought has been my solid rock that recharges my faith. And it is that I see that right and wrong are real, good and evil are real, and so is the source of them- God and satan. And I'm not going to let the evil one trick my mind into thinking that I don't have to believe in or obey God. And no matter what happens, after the smoke of the battle clears, my faith remains.
Sometimes truth hurts, and I don't wish any more hurt on you at this time. But I don't know you and can't come back at the appropriate time, so I have to say what I would say, now.
Before this happened, you knew that people die for various reasons, quite often unfairly. Yet you still believed in God, your faith was strong. But now it has happened to someone close to you. Do you think the others that died didn't have anyone who was close to them? What makes only you and the people in your corner exempt from death and tragedy? The bible tells us the opposite- that we, nor the world we live in, are promised another minute of physical life. I believe God saves those who will bring about His Will until the hour He decides our time is up.
This is shown all through the bible and through history, and includes Jesus Himself, so why do you think you and your are the only exception in history? I ask you this because I have asked myself this very question to prepare my mind before tragedy happens, if it happens. These are hard questions to contemplate, and honestly, I don't know if I can ever prepare my mind for such tragedy no matter how long and hard I ponder.
But I have come to a conclusion: Show love as much as you can while you are here. Worrying about tragedies that might happen only cuts the quality of life even shorter, so is mourning to long over tragedies that did happen. But the most important of all is I want to be with God forever in heaven, and with those who also love Him- whether I was related to them or not. And I don't want to go where the evil and unbelieving are going, whether I was related to them or not.
There have been times where my faith got violated by the evil one who uses every opportunity, weakness, tragedy, etc. but one thought has been my solid rock that recharges my faith. And it is that I see that right and wrong are real, good and evil are real, and so is the source of them- God and satan. And I'm not going to let the evil one trick my mind into thinking that I don't have to believe in or obey God. And no matter what happens, after the smoke of the battle clears, my faith remains.
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to anyone interested.
i'm a close friend of Exophis and he's doing ok he's still grieving and is still sworn of god unfortunately
i believe his faith is still there its just buried in shadow i'll hoepfully with the help of god bring him back
just thought i'd update anyone interested
i'm a close friend of Exophis and he's doing ok he's still grieving and is still sworn of god unfortunately
i believe his faith is still there its just buried in shadow i'll hoepfully with the help of god bring him back
just thought i'd update anyone interested
The righteous perish,and no one takes it to heart;
the devout are taken away,and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
Isaiah 57:1
i don't think he's been back on the site since the original post, i'm thinking of screenshotting the reply's and showing them to him, i believe his faith is still there i was over at his place the over day and noticed he still had his bible i'll hopefully will be able to bring him back
i'll hopefully will be able to bring him back
E
You knew that people died and suffered before your brother died, right? You were aware that suffering and death was happening to others in the world around you before you lost your brother, right? But did you lose faith in God then? No.
So why now do you lose your faith? You knew that God allowed bad things to happen to good people while still having a higher plan before, while still knowing about all the suffering that was happening around you. And surely you knew that as a mortal your brother would die eventually as all men do, right?
Why now should you lose your faith when you knew all this. Stuff happens. I'm not trying to be mean, but we live in a rough world, dude. Just because it finally caught up with you doesn't mean you should lose hope. They don't call it faith for nothing! I lost my brother too, dude! My father almost lost his faith at the time. Do you know what got him through it? God.
Also, the guy who said that God was punishing your brother because he was an athiest was wrong and acting unchristian. He had no biblical ground for that statement.
Lastly, if your are losing faith because you are mad at God for being, in your opinion, "unjust", just go and read the book of Job. My father did and it turned him around to the light. God defines what is just, not us.
I once heard a girl tell me that she "didn't believe in God because God let [her] watch her father die". That's not God, man. That's life on earth as we've always known it. Strengthen your spine. If you lose faith over something like this, how can you claim you ever had it in the first place?
So why now do you lose your faith? You knew that God allowed bad things to happen to good people while still having a higher plan before, while still knowing about all the suffering that was happening around you. And surely you knew that as a mortal your brother would die eventually as all men do, right?
Why now should you lose your faith when you knew all this. Stuff happens. I'm not trying to be mean, but we live in a rough world, dude. Just because it finally caught up with you doesn't mean you should lose hope. They don't call it faith for nothing! I lost my brother too, dude! My father almost lost his faith at the time. Do you know what got him through it? God.
Also, the guy who said that God was punishing your brother because he was an athiest was wrong and acting unchristian. He had no biblical ground for that statement.
Lastly, if your are losing faith because you are mad at God for being, in your opinion, "unjust", just go and read the book of Job. My father did and it turned him around to the light. God defines what is just, not us.
I once heard a girl tell me that she "didn't believe in God because God let [her] watch her father die". That's not God, man. That's life on earth as we've always known it. Strengthen your spine. If you lose faith over something like this, how can you claim you ever had it in the first place?
M
People sometimes do say the worst things at the worst time. And if your around professing Christians it could happen a lot.
I've been hurt by more Christians who said hurtful things to me than anyone else. But I forgave and forgive them.
Please come back friend. Please. Please. You are always welcome here.
I've been hurt by more Christians who said hurtful things to me than anyone else. But I forgave and forgive them.
Please come back friend. Please. Please. You are always welcome here.