Despair Over the Future

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

lonelysummer

Active member
Nov 30, 2022
127
27
28
He will allow you to live with ALL the problems you wish to live with.
May it be done to you according to your will.
You sound like people I know who only play church an hour a week yet know Him not.
If you should ever choose to live for Him, He will respond.
I wish it were that simple.
 

shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
13,605
7,643
113
Dear one, it really is that simple, those nagging little thoughts of how complicated situations are not from Him, but from the adversary, when we flee those tempting He promises they will flee.
bless you friend
 
P

pablocito

Guest
Nothing is simple in Christianity. Jesus said this.

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Temptation on the earth at this time will wipe out everyone on the face of the earth. Very few will survive, namely only those whose names are written in the lambs book of life in these our last days.

There are too many people snug in their false belief systems and their self-imposed self deceptions in this world. If I was you I would fear and tremble.

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
 
Feb 20, 2016
1,151
266
83
You say I have rejected God. As if you can see into my heart and soul. The longer I live, the more I'm inclined to believe that the people who do the most talking are the ones who know the least.
Sad to see this forum devolve into put downs and insults.
That's usually what happens on forums in general unfortunately. They tend to bring out the worst in people, because said people are cowards who wouldn't dare say what they type to someone's face.
 
P

pablocito

Guest
That's usually what happens on forums in general unfortunately. They tend to bring out the worst in people, because said people are cowards who wouldn't dare say what they type to someone's face.
The Jews felt the same way as you both do. They thought God was being unfair to them, and that God showed preference to others over them.

Mal 1:2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

By now you should realize that a man is his own worse enemy and that it is not what goes into you that corrupts you but rather what comes out of you that corrupts you.
 

lonelysummer

Active member
Nov 30, 2022
127
27
28
That's usually what happens on forums in general unfortunately. They tend to bring out the worst in people, because said people are cowards who wouldn't dare say what they type to someone's face.
Agreed. I see people constantly judging each other here; instead of trying to understand the other person's plea.
One thing I am sure of: God is far more forgiving than any human can imagine; he sees our deeds, he knows your needs, even before you ask.
 
P

pablocito

Guest
Agreed. I see people constantly judging each other here; instead of trying to understand the other person's plea.
One thing I am sure of: God is far more forgiving than any human can imagine; he sees our deeds, he knows your needs, even before you ask.
My response here is not to some wild beast in the field or some bird in the sky but to living breathing children of God. And thus my answer should evoke some kind of human response in kind that shows that we are alive and thinking and hopefully God fearing and God pursuing beings especially seeing that we are living in perilous times signifying the last days where the entire earth will be burned up by fire and will pass away.

To be stuck in a tit for tat mentality or a victim mentality is not conducive to preparing oneself for the end or for Christ's coming into our lives.

You said you are sure that God is far more forgiving than any human being, but that goes without saying, but are you pursuing forgiving 70 times 7 as you have been commanded to do.

We have to internalize everything as God is a personal God and is talking to each and everyone of us individually. (not as a flock or herd). Each man will stand before God alone, not with his Pastor patting him on his back before God, or holding him up; and not with his many secular books where he studied from the great men of this earth.

His faith is the only thing that will give him the confidence to stand before the one true God otherwise he will be naked and ashamed with no trees to hide behind as Adam and Eve did (as both John and Peter has told us that this is the last time)

Faith cannot and again I say cannot come at the last minute. It is something that God has to build upon for us, to prevent us from falling. And again you will know when you have that faith. It will be beautiful and will give us the confidence of a lion impervious to the many evils going on around us.

Again I say, I am not your God and I cannot judge you, but the word of God will judge you, so you already have a head start, the word of God, from which you will find true life and eternal life.
 

lonelysummer

Active member
Nov 30, 2022
127
27
28
That's usually what happens on forums in general unfortunately. They tend to bring out the worst in people, because said people are cowards who wouldn't dare say what they type to someone's face.
Agreed. I see people constantly judging each other here; instead of trying to understand the other person's plea.
One thing I am sure of: God is far more forgiving than any human can imagine; he sees our deeds, he knows your needs, even before you ask.
My response here is not to some wild beast in the field or some bird in the sky but to living breathing children of God. And thus my answer should evoke some kind of human response in kind that shows that we are alive and thinking and hopefully God fearing and God pursuing beings especially seeing that we are living in perilous times signifying the last days where the entire earth will be burned up by fire and will pass away.

To be stuck in a tit for tat mentality or a victim mentality is not conducive to preparing oneself for the end or for Christ's coming into our lives.

You said you are sure that God is far more forgiving than any human being, but that goes without saying, but are you pursuing forgiving 70 times 7 as you have been commanded to do.

We have to internalize everything as God is a personal God and is talking to each and everyone of us individually. (not as a flock or herd). Each man will stand before God alone, not with his Pastor patting him on his back before God, or holding him up; and not with his many secular books where he studied from the great men of this earth.

His faith is the only thing that will give him the confidence to stand before the one true God otherwise he will be naked and ashamed with no trees to hide behind as Adam and Eve did (as both John and Peter has told us that this is the last time)

Faith cannot and again I say cannot come at the last minute. It is something that God has to build upon for us, to prevent us from falling. And again you will know when you have that faith. It will be beautiful and will give us the confidence of a lion impervious to the many evils going on around us.

Again I say, I am not your God and I cannot judge you, but the word of God will judge you, so you already have a head start, the word of God, from which you will find true life and eternal life.
How about if I just accept all that you say unquestioningly?
 
P

pablocito

Guest
Agreed. I see people constantly judging each other here; instead of trying to understand the other person's plea.
One thing I am sure of: God is far more forgiving than any human can imagine; he sees our deeds, he knows your needs, even before you ask.

How about if I just accept all that you say unquestioningly?
I can tell you how God works for me and nothing else.
I cannot put God in a box and tell you how he works for everyone as that would be very presumptuous.

My quest for God started sincerely in 2018 and from the very start, I have refused to come under the guidance or teaching of any man. I understood in the bible that there is a Spirit of Truth that comes down from God to the earth to teach me (and also any man so disposed or so inclined) to learn the ways of God.

Really that is my story. Nothing more needs to be said.

You may then ask what is my role here on this earth. My one pursuit was to find out from the bible what was the will of God for my life. But at the beginning that objective was fuzzy and my preoccupation was to understand what the bible was saying to me. In the process I came to know who God is and realized that the world (including the churches) were deceived for I found a God that did not exist in the church. I refused to go to any church lest I would become corrupt.

Of course immediately after the start of my pursuit of God, I actually started walking on cloud 9, and many told me it was because of beginner's luck or beginner's infatuation and that I would soon come back down to earth.

I never actually came back down to earth as 4 years later my faith is stronger than when I first started out and I have been catapulted further out into the realm of God's universe (so to speak) and thus transcend the normal everyday maladies that infect the human race.

Immediately you may say that I have a way with words or that I am some sort of a Poet or whatever. But that is not the case but rather that I have found something that I hold very precious to me and I will not let go of it. I have found God.

Of course, when we understand the bible, we come to understand that it is God who loved us first and it is God who found us first and we are only reciprocating or responding in kind to Him. He also is enabling us as his grace to us is ever present.

Truly, the truth shall set you free.
 

lonelysummer

Active member
Nov 30, 2022
127
27
28
I think it would be very presumptuous of me to say that ALL churches are wrong in their teaching.

But that's just me.
 
Jan 29, 2022
22
31
13
30
Hi, HistoryPrincess. I can’t relate to the intense anger you’re feeling, but I wanted to respond because you seem like you’re putting the weight of the world on your shoulders. That’s not healthy or possible for anyone to sustain long-term.

I know it sounds difficult, but letting go of your anger and frustration is about the only thing you can do. It might seem like you can’t move on, but if you look closely the world is full of people who have to let go—of drugs, past abuse, alcohol, relationships, dreams, fears. Anger is no different. It might make you “feel alive” now but the more you allow it to control your thoughts and emotions, the less you are able to overcome it, and the unhappier you will become.

People will always find ways to disappoint you whether they are Christians or not. You can’t paste a label on someone that says “Christian” and expect them to be perfect. The world loves to use that argument, and if we or someone in the Body ever deviates from that, they lump us all together under a new label: “Hypocrite”. That’s pretty unfair, but we have to let it go because that’s just how the world works.

There are plenty of arguments we could all make about what we do or don’t agree about the Bible, contemporary Christianity, etc. But we can’t control a single aspect of it. What you’re looking for is control over every facet of your life and everything you don’t like about the world. You already know that kind of control doesn’t exist for people. And that appears to be what frustrates you.

You have a lot of honest insights about the world that people tend to avoid because they bring up uncomfortable dialogue. I’ve appreciated the subsequent posts that you and lonelysummer have made in this thread about the realities of certain topics. But you are consumed by those topics to the point of retreating from the world entirely, which will make you ruminate on those thoughts all the more. That creates a very vicious cycle.

God does answer prayer, but you have to take the initiative to believe and work with Him. It’s not a matter of saying “God help me!” and then walking away. You have to accept the fact that the majority of the time He won’t respond in any way that you can sense, and that He won’t always answer in the way you want Him to. The second you pray to Him about something, you are putting that thing into His hands willingly. It’s already in His hands to care for, but there’s something about us coming to Him of our own choice that gives God even more room to work in us.

That’s all I wanted to say. You sound like an intelligent, caring person and I respect the fact that you’re willing to ask the hard questions. I’ll be praying that you find peace and strength in God.
 
P

pablocito

Guest
I think it would be very presumptuous of me to say that ALL churches are wrong in their teaching.

But that's just me.
This is suppose to be a very simple subject, yet it is the most complex when we introduce our own biases based upon our own experiences and prejudices.

I have never formally studied the subject of the church, neither have I studied the secular history of the church, post Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven to take control over all dominions and kingdoms both here on earth and in heaven and also post the Apostles teachings and writings which has come down to us as the New Testament.

Thus I am not qualified to give a secular view on anything concerning the present day church which exists in our world today.

But heresay states that post the Apostles, the Catholic Church, became the representative of God here on this earth, for hundred's of years, with many opposing teachers and diversities of doctrines and beliefs that would put the bible to shame.

This conundrum of activities has continued to this day, with a notable injection of something called the reformation (Calvinism, Lutheranism and others) which came out of Catholicism, but still holds to the same foundational base as Catholicism.

In fact the introduction of Protestantism has made the confusion worse with so many other voices, joining in the fray and trying to speak over one another.

Is this the "gates of hell shall not prevail" church that Christ was speaking about. You have to make up your own mind about that.

I am not a teacher and was not sent to teach anyone anything.
But my conclusion in studying the bible for myself is that the only teacher here on this earth is the Spirit of Truth (the Holy Spirit) which leads/teaches us into everything concerning God and his salvation message for us.

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
 

lonelysummer

Active member
Nov 30, 2022
127
27
28
This is suppose to be a very simple subject, yet it is the most complex when we introduce our own biases based upon our own experiences and prejudices.

I have never formally studied the subject of the church, neither have I studied the secular history of the church, post Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven to take control over all dominions and kingdoms both here on earth and in heaven and also post the Apostles teachings and writings which has come down to us as the New Testament.

Thus I am not qualified to give a secular view on anything concerning the present day church which exists in our world today.

But heresay states that post the Apostles, the Catholic Church, became the representative of God here on this earth, for hundred's of years, with many opposing teachers and diversities of doctrines and beliefs that would put the bible to shame.

This conundrum of activities has continued to this day, with a notable injection of something called the reformation (Calvinism, Lutheranism and others) which came out of Catholicism, but still holds to the same foundational base as Catholicism.

In fact the introduction of Protestantism has made the confusion worse with so many other voices, joining in the fray and trying to speak over one another.

Is this the "gates of hell shall not prevail" church that Christ was speaking about. You have to make up your own mind about that.

I am not a teacher and was not sent to teach anyone anything.
But my conclusion in studying the bible for myself is that the only teacher here on this earth is the Spirit of Truth (the Holy Spirit) which leads/teaches us into everything concerning God and his salvation message for us.

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
And that creates the situation where ANYONE can say "I'm not wrong, the Spirit told me this truth I share with you".
 

Bob-Carabbio

Well-known member
Jun 24, 2020
1,230
592
113
Let me start this by saying I am a Bible-believing Christian. I was raised in the faith and got saved when I was 17. I know my stuff, got it?
Yup - You "think" you're Born again, but you've see NO VALUE in that relationship.

I'm 80, and I fully expect that the U.S. will continue its death spiral into oblivion, but I couldn't care less. My REAL HOME is with Him in Heaven, and it won't be long before Faith becomes sight about that. And as A Christian for the last 39 years, I've seen HIS HAND in my business, and in life ever more clearly as time goes on.

It's probably time for you to look into why God is of no value to you now.
 
Feb 20, 2016
1,151
266
83
Yup - You "think" you're Born again, but you've see NO VALUE in that relationship.

I'm 80, and I fully expect that the U.S. will continue its death spiral into oblivion, but I couldn't care less. My REAL HOME is with Him in Heaven, and it won't be long before Faith becomes sight about that. And as A Christian for the last 39 years, I've seen HIS HAND in my business, and in life ever more clearly as time goes on.

It's probably time for you to look into why God is of no value to you now.
Good for you, sir.
 

Joshua_783

Active member
Sep 15, 2022
207
110
43
Hi, HistoryPrincess. I can’t relate to the intense anger you’re feeling, but I wanted to respond because you seem like you’re putting the weight of the world on your shoulders. That’s not healthy or possible for anyone to sustain long-term.

I know it sounds difficult, but letting go of your anger and frustration is about the only thing you can do. It might seem like you can’t move on, but if you look closely the world is full of people who have to let go—of drugs, past abuse, alcohol, relationships, dreams, fears. Anger is no different. It might make you “feel alive” now but the more you allow it to control your thoughts and emotions, the less you are able to overcome it, and the unhappier you will become.

People will always find ways to disappoint you whether they are Christians or not. You can’t paste a label on someone that says “Christian” and expect them to be perfect. The world loves to use that argument, and if we or someone in the Body ever deviates from that, they lump us all together under a new label: “Hypocrite”. That’s pretty unfair, but we have to let it go because that’s just how the world works.

There are plenty of arguments we could all make about what we do or don’t agree about the Bible, contemporary Christianity, etc. But we can’t control a single aspect of it. What you’re looking for is control over every facet of your life and everything you don’t like about the world. You already know that kind of control doesn’t exist for people. And that appears to be what frustrates you.

You have a lot of honest insights about the world that people tend to avoid because they bring up uncomfortable dialogue. I’ve appreciated the subsequent posts that you and lonelysummer have made in this thread about the realities of certain topics. But you are consumed by those topics to the point of retreating from the world entirely, which will make you ruminate on those thoughts all the more. That creates a very vicious cycle.

God does answer prayer, but you have to take the initiative to believe and work with Him. It’s not a matter of saying “God help me!” and then walking away. You have to accept the fact that the majority of the time He won’t respond in any way that you can sense, and that He won’t always answer in the way you want Him to. The second you pray to Him about something, you are putting that thing into His hands willingly. It’s already in His hands to care for, but there’s something about us coming to Him of our own choice that gives God even more room to work in us.

That’s all I wanted to say. You sound like an intelligent, caring person and I respect the fact that you’re willing to ask the hard questions. I’ll be praying that you find peace and strength in God.
Psalm 130_6 That is a very caring and thoughtful answer. 😀
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
2,171
113
Let me start this by saying I am a Bible-believing Christian. I was raised in the faith and got saved when I was 17. I know my stuff, got it?

Anyway, Christians are supposed to have hope, but the problem is, I'm not seeing too much of it right now. I know I live in the first world and therefore do not have the right to feel bad about anything, but I'm gonna be brutally honest. I'm one year away from turning 30, and I see my life afterward as a downward hill of loss for everything and everyone that's given my life meaning.

My parents, my youthful energy, my personality and drive, my home, and then my life. Time is moving way too fast for me to keep up with it, and I knew I'm gonna lose all those things before I know it. I'm not married and don't have kids (and don't ever intend to do either), and I also have next to no friends outside my family, despite my years of trying to make some (friendship is apparently too much trouble nowadays).

I honestly view the coming decades as seeing me slowly decaying in a shed in my sister's backyard, yearning for human interaction but too angry and embittered by life to receive any. And then I'll die alone, with no one and nothing left with me.

I find the idea distasteful, but at the moment, it just seems inevitable to me. I don't wanna wait till I'm dead to actually have some sense of "joy" (as most Christians would call it). And as much of a Christian as I am, I will admit I do not read my Bible and do not attend church. The former, because I'm tired of reading the same things I've heard all my life over and over again. The latter, because Churches in general just don't know what to do with people like me.

And for all that "relationship with God" talk, I call BS. God and I are nothing alike, and after trying everything I was told to do and receiving no lasting results, I've given up. If there's any relationship between us, it's strictly one of business.

And going back to how Christians are supposed to have hope, I remember distinctly being 9 years old and thinking, "I don't wanna live forever." People keep saying the new heaven and the new earth will be infinitely better than now, and to that I say, "How? Have you been there? Can you give me any real info beyond what the Bible says (which isn't much)?"

The fact of the matter is, this life is all I know. I don't care if it's fallen. And as inevitable as it is, I find the idea of 5 decades of terminal decline utterly distasteful. And then I'm gonna be forced to give it up for some vague, abstract concept of a world that's supposed to be better but gives me no reason to support that claim. I'm supposed to have faith in God, and I want to. But it makes me angry thinking of how utterly powerless I am over 90% of my life. It makes me wonder why I was even born to begin with.

For a lot of people, nebulous faith may be fine, but the truth is, not everyone can have an intimate "relationship" with God. Some of us need something concrete and certain, something we can imagine. And for all the promises God and eternal life with him offer, I just don't think he can give me that. I can't look forward to what I can't imagine.

Enjoy your early years while you can younger people, 'cause sooner or later, it's all gonna be snatched away.
Dear heart....you are only 30 years old and a lot of life left in you.... at 68 I have been around the block a time or two and you are so young you should be shouting from the rooftops that you are young enough and old enough to still really enjoy life.

Let me tell you about starting to loose your balance and fall down, not be able to stand long enough to cook the meal you'd like to cook and breathe enough to make it to the car without gasping for air...you got it great.

Forget about living forever just learn to live for today and enjoy the health you have and the people who love you because I know you have them.

Happiness is a choice and you have to choose everyday to be happy no matter what is going on around you. God loves you and you are his perfect creation and He only wants the best for you. Maybe look around your neighborhood for an old lady like me and ask her if she needs some help. I would welcome it and you can learn from her and she would appreciate and love you for your company and help.

Life gets better when you find a purpose and start working on it.
 

lonelysummer

Active member
Nov 30, 2022
127
27
28
Yup - You "think" you're Born again, but you've see NO VALUE in that relationship.

I'm 80, and I fully expect that the U.S. will continue its death spiral into oblivion, but I couldn't care less. My REAL HOME is with Him in Heaven, and it won't be long before Faith becomes sight about that. And as A Christian for the last 39 years, I've seen HIS HAND in my business, and in life ever more clearly as time goes on.

It's probably time for you to look into why God is of no value to you now.
Just what my friend needs, another judgemental "christian" telling her what to do.