I hate to ask something stupid but what does the AOG in churches stand for?I have nothing against the AOG churches but two very calus responses to you makes me wonder what's going on.
If you know god, then what?
- Thread starter Mr. Ed
- Start date
DrLeftover
New Member
- Location
- Illinois
Assembly of God.
Thanks. I should have known that.
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
If one believes in God, creator of the world and all it holds, and the universe itself, surely they would accept that he could process more simultaneous input than Google.
Dr.Colosso
Member
Wow.
First church I went to there was a guy who very often lead the worship. He was always so happy and enthusiastic. 2 years later or so I saw him while I was biking. I had gone to another church. He had left church altogether because he had to wear a tie and he didn't so he wasn't allowed to sing anymore. Unbelievable.
When I was young, I went to church every time the door was open so to speak. Outside of the few that were the churches gossips, most of the congregation was nice. What turned me off about church back then is, the elders wanted to do the thinking for you and tell you how you're supposed to think and act.
I kind of blew that off until a certain evangelist came to our church and not once, not twice, but three times he drug me down to the altar. I do not know why. I was a good teenager back then (he should have seen me after I left the church and started sowing a few wild oats!) I think evangelists are like cops, they must have a quota system. He literally turned me against going to church. Even today (after 50+ years), I could pick him out of a line up and I can still smell his foul breath as he was dragging me down to that alter.
Several years went by after that, that I did not attend church. I just recently this past year started going back to church with a different denomination. The congregation is friendly, and they don't try to push their beliefs on you. They preach from the Bible and leave it for you to decide what you feel drawn to believe in.
I kind of blew that off until a certain evangelist came to our church and not once, not twice, but three times he drug me down to the altar. I do not know why. I was a good teenager back then (he should have seen me after I left the church and started sowing a few wild oats!) I think evangelists are like cops, they must have a quota system. He literally turned me against going to church. Even today (after 50+ years), I could pick him out of a line up and I can still smell his foul breath as he was dragging me down to that alter.
Several years went by after that, that I did not attend church. I just recently this past year started going back to church with a different denomination. The congregation is friendly, and they don't try to push their beliefs on you. They preach from the Bible and leave it for you to decide what you feel drawn to believe in.
Dr.Colosso
Member
-
Last edited:
Knight
Well-known Member
Having to spend time to listen
might explain why so many aren't experiencing this.
Jeremiah 29:11: This well-known verse states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
rbtvgo
Member
- Location
- Absecon, new jersey
Here is the thing about belief and faith. It has nothing to do with investigation, education, documented facts, essays, collected life works of devoted believers. Denominations, statements of belief, pretrib, posttrib, which version of the bible you read.
It has to do with you, believing that God exist and closing your eyes and praying to him. No, let me clarify. Talk to him, remembering that you are talking to the creator of the universe. He is God, He can hear millions of voices and know each one. He can hear you. He created you. Don't get hung up in your inability to comprehend God. You can't and never will.
Just pray, if you believe in his existence and wait. He will answer you. Maybe in words that you don't like but if you take the time to consider what you are being told, you may be surprised.
God looks at the intent of your heart. Let me say this again. He created you, he loves you and he wants you to trust him. Unconditional.
Get to that point when you give it all up, put it in his hands. You will be surprised, shocked and will have discovered the true understanding of why you can now sleep at night, because you have God.
Doesn't matter which church, denomination, just go. Join with other believers. Worship, pray, sing to God.
You go, and just say"I am here to worship you God"
It has to do with you, believing that God exist and closing your eyes and praying to him. No, let me clarify. Talk to him, remembering that you are talking to the creator of the universe. He is God, He can hear millions of voices and know each one. He can hear you. He created you. Don't get hung up in your inability to comprehend God. You can't and never will.
Just pray, if you believe in his existence and wait. He will answer you. Maybe in words that you don't like but if you take the time to consider what you are being told, you may be surprised.
God looks at the intent of your heart. Let me say this again. He created you, he loves you and he wants you to trust him. Unconditional.
Get to that point when you give it all up, put it in his hands. You will be surprised, shocked and will have discovered the true understanding of why you can now sleep at night, because you have God.
Doesn't matter which church, denomination, just go. Join with other believers. Worship, pray, sing to God.
You go, and just say"I am here to worship you God"
I’m sure many believers see this differently than I do, but I’ve never been able to convince myself that a being of such immense power truly exists. And if such an entity did, I find it hard to imagine that the wants and needs voiced in daily prayers would amount to anything more than trivial noise to it. In the words of Jim Morrison, "you cannot petition the lord with prayer"
I also wrestle with the idea that a benevolent creator would allow the world’s suffering to persist as it does. I’ve never been able to reconcile that, even with the familiar reassurances—“we don’t understand God’s plan” or “He never gives us more than we can handle.” Those explanations simply don’t resolve the tension for me.
That said, I do understand the comfort faith provides for so many, as rbtvgo described. I’m genuinely glad it brings him peace. I suppose my experience is just different.
Wombat
Member
- Location
- The Illawarra
Spare a thought for poor old Allah he has the same number of god botherers praying to him, not once but 5 times a day (I think that's right), probably quite fed up with the whole thing.
Even omnipotent beings deserve time off or at least some down time, poor buggers.
Excellent point!
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
The part in bold above is deflection. It is not what I was addressing in my post #304, when I replied to this:
I have nothing to add.
Dr.Colosso
Member
What is He to do about it? The majority doesn't want Him to reign here as King. Some guy serving satan starts a war. What's God to do? Kill him? What about the millions who follow him?
God can't do anything on earth except when His people pray. He gave the earth to man like a homeowner and a renter. A home owner can't say: You have to get a red couch and you may not invite that criminal. We have to ask Him for Him to legally do something. But you can't pray a war away.
Jesus said: Those things (wars) have to happen. Not because that's His perfect will, but because there's a war going on between satan and his followers and God and His followers. Take Paul. He killed cristians. God could have killed him. Problem solved. But He wants everyone to get saved, so He is long suffering and waits for the souls to get saved and then we get a new heaven and earth with no suffering.
What you wrote about Google and God is a very good comparison. It's simple but gets the point across when trying to explain how God can be at all places at once.
Paco Dennis
SF VIP
- Location
- Mid-Missouri
Do you expect to be saved and get a new heaven and earth with no suffering in the future sometime? What if you just die and decompose?
Knight
Well-known Member
No way to know that.
Meanwhile except for wars & previous condemnation of homosexuals & some ongoing condemnation by many " good" people what's the harm in having blind faith in a sentient being 13 billion years old?
It seems to me that if God really has the limitless power we say He does, Satan shouldn’t be a cosmic arch‑nemesis so much as a minor housekeeping issue.
I viewed my reply not as deflection but as an attempt to clarify my perspective on the larger God narrative. It wasn’t meant to avoid the issue; I believed it addressed the topic at hand. I do understand your point, though your comparison places a supernatural entity alongside a machine, which is quite a distinct framework from the one I’m using.
gruntlabor
Well-known Member
- Location
- Last Frontier, Age 83
It's the principle of the thing. How dare he presume!
This has been a non-political message.
Dr.Colosso
Member
It's not that he's so powerful, but that so many follow him. If nobody would fall for his lies he'd have zero power. He said to Jesus that he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world because they were given to him. Adam gave it to him and anyone who follows him gives him power to start a war or whatever. Jesus broke his power. He's powerless, but he can still lie and inspire people to kill.
Dr.Colosso
Member
We get a new body. Only the body dies. If it turns out I was wrong a plant can grow or something, but people have come back. Ian Mc Cormack, an African pastor after 3 days.
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
Thanks for taking the time to explain. You have always been respectful of other members' posts, even at times when there is disagreement, so I'll attempt to react with the same courtesy.
Certainly you have the right to elaborate, or "clarify") on the "larger God narrative," or any other personal beliefs you have. Instead of choosing to do so in a stand alone post, you chose to do it in a reply to my post. That's why I used the word deflection - - - there was no relevance between what I had written and the Jim Morrison quote you included or the peace that @rbtvgo may experience from his own beliefs.
I agree that comparing God "a supernatual entity" (+) "alongside a machine", is indeed a "distinct framework," but that does not prevent using the comparison, nor change the fairness of it. If a "machine" is capable of processing a vast amount of information in a miniscule amount of time, how much more capable an all powerful God would be at doing so, which was my original point. [It wasn't complicated.]
Thanks, I really do try to be respectful of other people’s views and posts. There’s no need for anyone to get cranky just because we might see things differently. It's rare that one is able to change another's mind when it comes to politics and religion, perhaps why these subjects are best avoided.
I wasn’t trying to be vague; I just find the odds of an entity with those kinds of powers incredibly unlikely. At the same time, I understand that others believe in it and shape their lives around that belief.
I’ll make an effort to stay more on point moving forward. Wishing you a great holiday season and an excellent start to 2026.