Thoughtful Theist

I'm a former staunch atheist who was a minister before that. My time as an atheist was largly spent arguing with Christians and picking apart the Bible. After a decade as an angry atheist, I was rereading some of my favorite philosophers when Fredriche Nietzsche of all people convinced me to go back and take a good, hard look at God, Jesus, and Christianity. That led me down a lengthy investigative and honest pursuit of truth until I could no longer avoid the reality of God and His son the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm a theologian and student of both history and philosophy, with an interest in astrophysics and mechanical engineering. I am by no means perfect in my knowledge. With the Holy Spirit's guidance, I am learning more and more about God and His Word every day. I am here to provide my fellow brothers and sisters with the knowledge to answer some of the tougher questions brought up against our faith and everything that God has taught me.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to answer them. God willing I can help you to understand any difficulties you might have with our faith or scripture.

Thank you, God bless you.

My 4 year old niece recently had a sarcoma removed and has begun chemotherapy today. I ask that you please pray for the Lord to strengthen and heal her as well as strengthen and comfort my sister, who was recently made a single mother after the loss of my late brother-in-law.

God bless you, my friend. May the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you. Amen.

I would not have you be deceived. Firstly, it should be noted that the Scriptures never condone suicide, it is murder of self. (Thou shalt not murder - Exodus 20:13). Suicide is featured in multiple places throughout the Old and New Testaments but never in a positive light.

Secondly, suicide does NOT send you to Hell.

Rest assured, there is only one sin that is unforgivable. Our Lord Himself tells us as much in Matthew 12:31 : "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men."

What is blasphemy of the Holy Ghost? It is not a single act or even an accidentally or casual sin. It is the persistent and hardened rejection of God's power, the Holy Spirit's influence. The reason it's unforgivable is because the guilty party does not seek repentance and forgiveness. God's grace and mercy are available to all who repent. The Holy Ghost calls us all to salvation, to accept is to have our souls "baptized" by Him. To reject Him is to blaspheme Him. (1 Peter 3:21)

Some will say that suicide is not forgivable because the person who commits is not able to repent afterward. Well, if that were the case, then we are ALL doomed to Hell because we all have unrepentant sins. Can anyone remember every sin they ever committed? Can anyone repented of every individual sin they've ever committed? I can't say i have. Will God condemn us because we forgot to check one box from our list of sins? God forbid! Our salvation is not dependant upon us continuing to repent, as the Lord made clear in Matthew 12:31 when he said ALL sins shall be forgiven...

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

A "gift" is not "earned", least of all by bringing to memory all of our sins to verbally repent of them.

When our Lord Jesus Christ went to Hell to pay for our sin, He paid the FULL price. He did not leave His work unfinished. Thus, our sin has ALREADY been paid for! The sin of suicide is no different than murder; which was equally paid for by the Lord.

Be of good cheer, my friend. God's mercy is infinitely greater than our sin. Rejoice in the complete work the Lord has done for us. And, if I could encourage you, take some time throughout your day to read the scriptures.

Every day, the ongoing spiritual war that encompasses the world grows in intensity. I pray for those whose eyes are being opened to its realities. I pray for those wearied from its conflicts. I pray for those still ignorant to its ravaging.

For many, the mustering of the enemies' forces has become too obvious to ignore, to blatant to deny, to evil to look away from. The enemy believes its victory is assured. Its overconfidence has allowed its facade to slip, and many are awakening to the truth of spiritual warfare.

But the enemy, in its blind overconfidence, has ignored something that it would rather we all forget:

GOD has already won.

GOD is already winning.

GOD will always win.

Do not allow the enemy to deceive you. Do not allow despair and hopelessness to overcome your faith. The enemy knows it is destined for humiliating failure, and it wants to drag down as many people as possible with it. The enemy is, by nature, a LOSER because Christ won long ago when he gave His life for us on the Cross and resurrected from the dead.

Over 2000 years ago, when our Lord incarnated, He entered unto the world as a baby. The baby in the manger looked helpless, weak, and vulnerable. But that baby came to win the greatest victory ever achieved.

Victory over sin. Victory over death. Victory over Satan. Victory over everything that has tried to separate us from God. And when Jesus won, we won.

You might feel like you're losing right now. Losing the battle with temptation. With worry. With despair. Losing ground in your struggle. Losing hope that things could ever change. But the truth is, the war is already won.

Jesus's birth was the invasion. His crucifixion was the battle. His resurrection was victory. And you and I get to walk in that victory now and forever.

We're not fighting FOR victory. We're fighting FROM vistory. The outcome is already decided. We win. Not because we are strong enough, but because Jesus already conquered.

Ask yourself: