Why does everyone seem to have a different God?

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S

selenah

Guest
#1
#1
Just in the churches I've been, the way they portrayed God was so different from each other.

From 0-6?, the church I went to made God seem all lovy huggy, you can dance in a mini skirt in church and God doesn't care. All he sees is how wonderful you are.

6 went to a church for about a year, and they preached about God as if He's a cold god who just stands in the distance.

From 7-11 ,the church I went to talked about God like he isn't really real. We're just here to talk after church.

From 12-14, the church I went to said God was all about fire and brimestone. God is angry, angry, angry. You miss a service, you car will break down. You go boating on Sunday, you're going to drown. God is about rules and judgement and "is not a God of love."

From 15 to present, the church I go to says God is love and doesn't really talk too much about judgment.

I mean why does everyone's God seem SO different?
 
A

AnandaHya

Guest
#2
#2
because some people only read parts of the Bible and most don't even read a whole Gospel or Letter in one sitting much less the whole Bible all the way through in order without commentaries or distractions.
 
S

selenah

Guest
#3
#3
It doesn't make sense though. I'm talking about people who have Bible degrees and have spent years studying the Bible; yet, they all seem to have a different God.
 
C

Crossfire

Guest
#4
#4
selenah said:
It doesn't make sense though. I'm talking about people who have Bible degrees and have spent years studying the Bible; yet, they all seem to have a different God.
Click to expand...

Because most don't seem to put the time effort in to really know God. God is a person. He is relational. The deeper your commitment to Him and the more time you spend in the Word, in prayer and in worship seeking Him out - the more reveals Himself to you.

Unfortunately, most just pick and choose what scriptures (if any) they want to believe about God. Their 'God' is a God of their own making, suited to their own personal preferences and liking. While others choose to embrace a God of someone else's design, accepting doctrine which may or may not necessarily line up with scripture. They just like what they read & hear.
 
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RedTent

RedTent

Banned
#5
Oct 31, 2011
8,200
182
0
#5
All our churches, each one, talks of one side of anything God tells us. God is a loving God, and of course God is, but if they know that they forget God judges and His patience, long as it is, will give out. Works do not save, so let’s forget about that Christ said if you love me you will obey my teaching. I have been told that the NT is for us, the OT isn’t. I’m told that God made a mistake when he told Moses how to train the Hebrews. The OT is mostly for Jews that killed Christ, they say.

The Deep Sea Scrolls are such a blessing for us, not only that they verify that scripture comes to us intact but that it opens up language so old documents found through archeology can be read. Even though we are far removed from what was happening when OT scriptures were given, now we can know. I have been told that all history is false teaching not an explanation of how God is working in our world. The idea that OT was written through a Hebrew way of thinking that we need to understand is tossed out as part of false teaching.

Scripture tells us that narrow is the way that leads to salvation. I don’t think that scripture means that narrow is the thinking of people who try to know God. If you keep your eye on your Creator God, on scripture, then you are protected and you don’t get stuck in blind alleys like our churches seems to be.

My pastor won’t help me with my studies anymore. He says that I study the OT; I must just keep my mind on Christ. That Christ was from the beginning of time, that the OT is the background of the NT is not to be talked about.

The results can be seen in our fruits. Our neighbors can’t see our lifestyle and from that determine if we follow Christ. Our church family can’t be seen as different from the secular family. Someone in my church stole my antique platter. We were warned at our church gathering to be careful of our purse, as someone’s had been stolen.

Please! Everyone, learn to know your God. He created you, He manages you and your world and the world to come. Don’t get stuck on a few scriptures, see the whole, entire picture. Remember Sodom when God looked for those who knew Him? Each one of you is important to God. Study the whole entire scripture.
 
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L

loveme1

Senior Member
#6
Oct 30, 2011
8,083
190
63
#6
My pastor won’t help me with my studies anymore. He says that I study the OT; I must just keep my mind on Christ. That Christ was from the beginning of time, that the NT is the background of the OT is not to be talked about.
Click to expand...

Well, You are right to read Old and New Testament, why anyone would say only New, is like starting to read a book in the middle.......................
 
G

GreenNnice

Guest
#7
#7
Crossfire said:
Because most don't seem to put the time effort in to really know God. God is a person. He is relational. The deeper your commitment to Him and the more time you spend in the Word, in prayer and in worship seeking Him out - the more reveals Himself to you.

Unfortunately, most just pick and choose what scriptures (if any) they want to believe about God. Their 'God' is a God of their own making, suited to their own personal preferences and liking. While others choose to embrace a God of someone else's design, accepting doctrine which may or may not necessarily line up with scripture. They just like what they read & hear.
Click to expand...
======
This ^ is very well said, milady, sel :)

Crossfyre, write on. This is how God wants us to know Him, in personal relationship.

God is all things good, sel, all things disciplining ( God disciplines His own), all things grace, all.things mmercy.

Hopefully , and, it does sound like it, you are now being fed at a church where God is Love , in the midst of all the things He does in your life as you draw closer to Him. You must initiate is what scripture says, so, it's true. Draw nigh to me and I will draw nigh (close) to you. :)

God bless you young cat-loving young lady :)
 
B

Bornfromabove

Guest
#8
#8
Because God isn't one dimensional but some people try to talk about him as though he is.

You have the "God is love" crowd

You have the "God is judgment" crowd

You have the "God is grace" crowd

You have the "God is vengeance" crowd

When in fact, God is all of the above and then some. You cant just say "God is love" and then put a period right after "love"....You have to put a comma there because God is much more than just that.
 
pickles

pickles

Senior Member
#9
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#9
selenah said:
It doesn't make sense though. I'm talking about people who have Bible degrees and have spent years studying the Bible; yet, they all seem to have a different God.
Click to expand...
Mostly because we all are imperfect, and some often see God as who they want Him to be, rather than in humility, Letting God show them who He is.
Im all for in humility, letting God show one who He is, because He is everthing in scriptures and amazing!
Just get to know God as He wants you to know Him. :)

Hugs and God bless
pickles
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#10
#10
What you see is people making God to be the God they want, they have their preconceived notions of who they think God should be, and which God suits them better, and thus they make up this God, and pick and chose passages of scripture which supports them, and either ignore, or make an allegory of passages which do not, so they these passages do not go against them and they can explain them away.

1. we have the licentious God. God is a God of love and loves me the way I am, so I can live any way I want, god still loves me and will not judge me. This way I can live any way I want and there will be no judgment

2. God is a distant God, he does not care about is, he stands in the distance and lets evel happen all around us, and does not care. These people are usually angry at God because something happened to them or those they Love and God did not stop it.

3. we have the vengeful God, Fire and brimsetone, God deals with man via a set of rules and regulations and religious ceremonies, and he loves those who obey these things, and hates those who do not. God sees the many sacrifices they have made in keeping these things. So God will forgive them based on what they have done, And reject the others who did not sacrifice as hard as they did to match up to Gods standards. (the legalistic God)

4. We have the God of Grace and vengance. God does love us the way we are, he recieved and died for us when we were his enemy. It is by Grace he adopts us into his family. But God also created us, he knows how we work, and no one knows how society should work better than the man who created it right? he gives us the commands to direct us in the right way, not out of ventngce, but to show us how to be blessed and not suffer the things which sin brings down on us. He gives these things out of love to protect us, much like a parents sets ground rules for their kids, to protect them. But God is also a vengefull God. God will punish evil, He will send people to eternal torment, He will not remove free will, and if people chose to reject him, or follow one of the other Gods, he will allow them to spend eternity apart from him. And in the end, he will pour out his wrath on this earth like never seen before.

then of course. we have the God of self. To be honest. all the Gods which are not the real God come from the God of self. Which God will be the God which I think will be to my best interest and be the most prophitable for ME,
 
A

AnandaHya

Guest
#11
#11
selenah said:
It doesn't make sense though. I'm talking about people who have Bible degrees and have spent years studying the Bible; yet, they all seem to have a different God.
Click to expand...
how do you know they believe in a different God? have you talked to them in depth or do you just assume that they believe such because of once a week exposure?

personally I don't remember having in depth theological conversation with pastors when I was 6 or even 11 or 14 or 15.

Some people talk about different aspects of God at different times, that doesn't mean they don't know or recognize the WHOLE of who God is or that they don't have a relationship with God. IT just means that human language alone can't convey everything about God.

perhaps its your preception of what they believe and not their beliefs themselves that is really make it seem like they are talking about a different god. though you may have attended a few churches where the pastor didn't have the Holy Spirit. Personally I would not feel comfortable making such statement without divine revelation about that specific church or pastor.

More likely it is a personal perception and what the church focuses on more then that fact they may be worshiping different gods. However if a church does not preach BOTH law and Gospel then there is a problem but it would be easily fixed if the church had a policy to study the ENTIRE Bible regularly.
 
R

rainacorn

Guest
#12
#12
+1 what everyone here has already said.

I think churches also react to the times we're living in and the challenges different cultures/societies face.
 
S

selenah

Guest
#13
#13
RedTent said:
All our churches, each one, talks of one side of anything God tells us. God is a loving God, and of course God is, but if they know that they forget God judges and His patience, long as it is, will give out. Works do not save, so let’s forget about that Christ said if you love me you will obey my teaching. I have been told that the NT is for us, the OT isn’t. I’m told that God made a mistake when he told Moses how to train the Hebrews. The OT is mostly for Jews that killed Christ, they say.

The Deep Sea Scrolls are such a blessing for us, not only that they verify that scripture comes to us intact but that it opens up language so old documents found through archeology can be read. Even though we are far removed from what was happening when OT scriptures were given, now we can know. I have been told that all history is false teaching not an explanation of how God is working in our world. The idea that OT was written through a Hebrew way of thinking that we need to understand is tossed out as part of false teaching.

Scripture tells us that narrow is the way that leads to salvation. I don’t think that scripture means that narrow is the thinking of people who try to know God. If you keep your eye on your Creator God, on scripture, then you are protected and you don’t get stuck in blind alleys like our churches seems to be.

My pastor won’t help me with my studies anymore. He says that I study the OT; I must just keep my mind on Christ. That Christ was from the beginning of time, that the OT is the background of the NT is not to be talked about.

The results can be seen in our fruits. Our neighbors can’t see our lifestyle and from that determine if we follow Christ. Our church family can’t be seen as different from the secular family. Someone in my church stole my antique platter. We were warned at our church gathering to be careful of our purse, as someone’s had been stolen.

Please! Everyone, learn to know your God. He created you, He manages you and your world and the world to come. Don’t get stuck on a few scriptures, see the whole, entire picture. Remember Sodom when God looked for those who knew Him? Each one of you is important to God. Study the whole entire scripture.
Click to expand...
I've never heard of a pastor who discouraged his congregation from reading the Old Testament. That seems kind of weird.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#14
#14
selenah said:
I've never heard of a pastor who discouraged his congregation from reading the Old Testament. That seems kind of weird.
Click to expand...
yes it is, but I have heard of this also. I know people who do not think we need it. i am like what??
 
R

rainacorn

Guest
#15
#15
eternally-gratefull said:
yes it is, but I have heard of this also. I know people who do not think we need it. i am like what??
Click to expand...
lol

I see this in the materials we get to teach Sunday School. All of the little kid Bibles are just NT. Perhaps there's some logic behind that, but I don't really get it. I don't know how the NT can really be understood without the context of the OT.

It's also short-changing kids. Little girls love princess stories, but they don't know about Esther?! She was an orphan who became queen and stopped genocide! That's so much cooler than just lazying around waiting for a prince to come. hahaha
 
S

selenah

Guest
#16
#16
AnandaHya said:
how do you know they believe in a different God? have you talked to them in depth or do you just assume that they believe such because of once a week exposure?

personally I don't remember having in depth theological conversation with pastors when I was 6 or even 11 or 14 or 15.

Some people talk about different aspects of God at different times, that doesn't mean they don't know or recognize the WHOLE of who God is or that they don't have a relationship with God. IT just means that human language alone can't convey everything about God.

perhaps its your preception of what they believe and not their beliefs themselves that is really make it seem like they are talking about a different god. though you may have attended a few churches where the pastor didn't have the Holy Spirit. Personally I would not feel comfortable making such statement without divine revelation about that specific church or pastor.

More likely it is a personal perception and what the church focuses on more then that fact they may be worshiping different gods. However if a church does not preach BOTH law and Gospel then there is a problem but it would be easily fixed if the church had a policy to study the ENTIRE Bible regularly.
Click to expand...
Hehe no I didn't have any deep theological conversations with pastors when I was 6. I was too busy drawing cartoons of them.

I'm not saying that I don't think they are saved. It's the way that they presented God. They all said they believed in the trinity, hell, and salvation "through grace by faith." But it was like they worshiped 2 different Gods. Like the church I went to before this one, the pastor said God was ANGRY! I mean that guy was madddd and said that God is very very angry and will punish you severly and has very little grace. On the other hand, the church I go to now is like God is love and His forgiveness and mercy is greater than His anger.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#17
#17
rainacorn said:
lol

I see this in the materials we get to teach Sunday School. All of the little kid Bibles are just NT. Perhaps there's some logic behind that, but I don't really get it. I don't know how the NT can really be understood without the context of the OT.

It's also short-changing kids. Little girls love princess stories, but they don't know about Esther?! She was an orphan who became queen and stopped genocide! That's so much cooler than just lazying around waiting for a prince to come. hahaha
Click to expand...
lol. When I was young, my sunday school was almost all OT stories hardly any NT stuff there. Helped me understood the NT better when I grew older..
 
Elizabeth619

Elizabeth619

Senior Member
#18
Jul 19, 2011
6,397
109
48
#18
loveme1 said:
Well, You are right to read Old and New Testament, why anyone would say only New, is like starting to read a book in the middle.......................
Click to expand...

Im sure you are so delighted to know I took you off ignore a while back(sarcasm), but I have to say I agree with you..... How can someoen begin to understand the NT without looking at the OT?

If the OT had no significance it would not be in the bible in the first place.
 
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