I have some unanswered questions about God, The Rapture, Etc?

Question

Seriouse answers from believers only please.

would the USA be a fallin country if we stopped supporting Israel such as rome, the persians, etc?

What religion is the RIGHT one? I am Baptist...but what if I get die and I am getting judged and I go to Hell because I followed the wrong Religion...how can we be sure? Is the King James version of the BIble the RIGHT version...or the WRONG one?

And how can I keep my faith alive? I am 15 and a sophomore in highschool, and yet I have evolution and other things saying God is just a fairy tale...what can I do to get away from it?!

And the Rapture...I hear he is going to come like a thief in the night to collect the followers and then I hear that we are going to have to suffer a little bit then he is coming.

Can someone (a follower with serious answers only) please explain this to me?

Answer 1

I applaud you for being 15 and also being concerned about these matters: for the people that tell you God isn't real, don't listen to them. Unfortunately when they die and face God to be judged they will find out the truth but it will be too late--there are consequences for unbelievers and people that thumb their nose to God.
OK, enough said about that...let me get on to your questions:

The KJV is good, I use the NIV (acutally I use both, but I use the NIV for studying and the KJV for reference). My preacher says that the best Bible to use is the one you will pick up and READ.

I am an Evangelical Methodist, and I to be honest the 'title' of the denomination isn't what's gonna get you into Heaven. You have to believe in God the Father, and that Jesus died for YOU. I have been to Baptist churches before and have many wonderful Baptist friends, as long as you know where you stand and put God first in your life you'll be fine.

About Evolution: It is our sad society that teaches us about evolution, don't believe them, it's not true (yep everyone, the Bible says so). My suggestion for you is to find a church (if you don't already go ) that has a strong youth program. They will help answer more of your questions and direct you the right way.

As far as the rapture goes: yes, it WILL happen one day. However, no one knows when it will happen, we may be all dead and gone (some of us in Heaven, others in hell) by the time Jesus comes back. But, we need to be ready either way. The Bible says horrible things will happen in the world before Jesus comes (wars, famine, drought, etc.) and it seems as if the world is already is getting so bad, but I can assure you the world and society will get even WORSE before 'the end'. That is all the suffering we as Christians will have to go through, that and persecution for our faith. It will be harder to be a Christian as the world goes on, but hold tight and have faith in God. We as Christians will be brought up to Heaven when Jesus comes back, and the suffering will be for those non believers who chose to follow other dark paths. It isn't going to hurt us a bit, in fact it will be wonderful!

Keep your faith and be strong--God is NOT a fairy tale--there is proof in my life alone to show otherwise. Most importantly, if someone tells you something that confuses you (your science teacher rattling on about monkeys and evolution and such) that is the devil trying to get in your head and confuse you. He is the master of confusion and will do anything and use anything to get you to question God. Don't fall for it. Challenge these people that say God is a fairy tale--know your facts first and really challenge them! Stand up for what you believe in and don't be afraid what others think of you because of your faith!
Keep praying, and keep reading your Bible (KJV or whatever) be faithful!

Answer 2

"would the USA be a fallin country if we stopped supporting Israel such as rome, the persians, etc?"
There is a difference between halting support and attempting to conquer and suppress the religion of (as did the Romans and Babylonians). There is no penalty mentioned in the bible for those who fail to support Israel, only for those who attack and who are not sent by God to do so. Therefore, we *could* halt our support for Israel without the need to fear heavenly retribution.

"What religion is the RIGHT one? I am Baptist...but what if I get die and I am getting judged and I go to Hell because I followed the wrong Religion...how can we be sure?"
As many answers already stated, God does not judge you on your religion. I believe that salvation requires faith (in Jesus and the Father), and that faith must lead to obedience to the commands of God and the performance of good works as opportunity allows. If you want a scriptural basis for this, e-mail me. Trust me, God is not sending anyone to hell because they say that they are Baptist. *That* is not a sin.

"Is the King James version of the BIble the RIGHT version...or the WRONG one?"
I would say the wrong one - conditionally. *If* you understand *fully* the archaic language used in the King James Version (KJV), *and* if you are sensible enough to read a *complete* KJV, then I would say that the KJV is a fine bible. Unfortunately, there are very few who can honestly say that they fulfill both of these requirements. This is not to say that the KJV has no worth, but rather that there are far better versions available today, and these will provide you a more accurate translation of the word of God. This http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjW1GbZrKpiJR.NBw_cgMqjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070904112711AAumKmB&show=7#profile-info-B2NeUMphaa will help you to choose a bible that is appropriate for you, even if you decide it is a KJV.

"And how can I keep my faith alive? I am 15 and a sophomore in highschool, and yet I have evolution and other things saying God is just a fairy tale...what can I do to get away from it?!"
First, you should not attempt to "get away from it". We live in "the world", and we should not separate ourselves wholly from "the world". We should only separate our behavior (and faith) from that of "the world".
Second, the theory of evolution does *not* claim that God is just a fairy tale. I am not going to go into this issue fully here, but there are two things you should remember about the theory of evolution.
1) The theory of evolution is still just a theory because it *has not* been proven. This is not the ravings of an evangelical (as some would suggest), but rather the sound knowledge of someone with a degree in Physics. It simply has *not* been proven, and I cannot for the life of me understand why it is so often taught as if it has been. No scientist worthy of the appellation will put his faith in a theory that is unproven. Believe that it is likely, yes. Claim that it is certainly true, no.
2) The theory of evolution does *not* claim that God did not make man from the dust of the ground. Rather, it claims that it took several million years for man to evolve. If you take the 7 days of creation literally (and I don't know how anyone can, considering that the sun was created on the 4th day), then the rotation of the earth about its axis is a much larger problem than any unproven scientific theory. If you *don't* take the 7 days as literal days, then God had millions of years to form man from the dust of the ground, and evolution is a non-issue even if someday someone manages to prove it (something *extraordinarily* unlikely in our lifetimes).

Thus, following the advice of prayer and study will help you, and otherwise merely avoid accepting (blindly) teachings which are faulty science if they seem to contradict the bible. To the best of my knowledge, no proven science (which is, generally, the *only* useful science) contradicts the bible - except in the 4th day sun thing, *if* you take the 7 days literally. Again, I have a Physics degree, so I am not speaking entirely from a position of ignorance in this matter.

As previously mentioned, the Rapture is a non-issue, whether you believe in it or not. If you are saved, and there is a Rapture, and you live to see it, then you will have eternal life. If there is no rapture, or you don't live to see it, and you are saved, then you will have eternal life. The rapture is a pointless teaching. As James says (4:13-14, New American Standard Bible)
13. Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."
14. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

We cannot know when we will die. You, or I, may not live to see tomorrow. We must live each day as if it is our last, because it may very well be. It is far more likely that we will die without seeing the Rapture than it is that we will see the Rapture. Live accordingly.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Answer 3

1. We are told quite simply in the bible that those that go against Israel will suffer, therefore it would probably be a bad thing to go against Israel.

2. None of the denominations I've seen are very close at all to what the bible actually says, with the exception of possibly messianic judaism. Expecting one particular printing of the bible to be the "right" one is a bit absurd. You're suppose to pay attention to the message, not the language. Also, I believe baptists go to church on Sunday, even though its very clear in the bible that the sabbath is, and always was, Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. If it was good enough for Jesus, I'd say that's a pretty good indicator. Constantine changed the sabbath to Sunday 300 years after the crucifiction in order to make it easier to convert Romans, since they worshipped their fake gods on Sunday. The excuse that it was changed because Christ rose on Sunday didn't come up for a couple hundred more years.

3. Evolution is a fact, every generation of people gets taller and supposedly smarter, though that isn't very evident. The only part of evolution that I'd say for sure isn't true is the ape to man theory, which is nonsense. You can't "get away from it", you just need to study so you'll understand.

4. "Suffer a little bit"??? Read the book of Revelation, it won't be a "little bit" at all. Its called the tribulation and will last from 3 to 7 years, and it will be very, very bad. The "rapture" isn't biblical, but I know what you're referring to, and it will not happen before the tribulation starts, it will be at the end of the tribulation (no one will know when of course, hence that whole "thief in the night" reference.

Answer 4

1--God always existed and is eternal #2- The animals were created the day before Adam was and not thousands of years before. #3- You cant see the wind but you know it's there. God is an invisible spirit #4- Most people don't have the faith in God to be healed. They cause their own sickness. #5- God did not make us a robot but gave us a free will to choose. #6- The bible tells us that God hears the prayers of His people and puts His spirit within them. #7- That's the human reasoning. God created Adam from the earth. God can do the impossible. #8- The first hand written english bible was by John Wycliff, a non catholic in 1380. #9- Jesus said that God's spirit would bring all things to the remembrance of the apostles. #10- Moses wrote the first 5 books and the rest from the prophets and scribes as history unfolded. #11- That was the job of the Jewish scribes. #12- God made that possible so they can populate the earth. #13- That's human reasoning to think that mud can make a blind person see. God gave all power to Jesus so everything was possible for him to do. Hope this will help .

Answer 5

Yes the U.S. would be a fallen country if we turned our backs on Israel. Bless Israel and God will bless you.

I don't believe we will be judged on what faith we belonged to but rather whether or not we believed in God in this life time and accepted Christ as His only begotten son who gave his life that we maybe cleansed of our sins through His blood. Some who believe but don't know the full truth will be judged accordingly, say someone who desperately looked for the truth but could never find it due to lax teachings, preachers and conflicts in the 'religious' community. If they never heard the 'true' gospel then what was there to compel them to Christ? Your 'Faith' in Christ is what saves you.

As far as I'm concerned the KJV is the closest translation of the Hebrew, Caldean, and Greek texts into English that has ever been printed. The King James along with the Strong’s Concordance (it's a translation dictionary) will give you a far far better understanding of Gods written word than you could ever imagine. The Book literally comes alive.

Keeping your faith alive while going through the adolescent years is one of the BIGGEST tests of all I think, next to the lose of someone very near and dear to your heart. You have peer pressure outside your home and church, sometimes with in the church to constantly deal with. Again this will have to fall back on your faith and your walk with Christ. Through Him you can do all things. Keep yourself in a circle of devoted and supporting church and family members as well as true friends you can trust t help you do what's right.

Being a Baptist isn't bad, but I do know that most Baptist Churches teach the rapture. This is a false teaching yet they won't yield from it. The 'rapture doctrine' was started by an insane woman in the 1800's. The priests who were in her care picked up on it and created a whole doctrine from it. Today it is so widely thought that if a Baptist Minister turns away from it they will lose their retirement pension, so they don't. The rapture theory doesn't stand up in the proper translation from the original Greek texts.

For more concise bible study I urge you to consider going to http://www.shepherdschapel.com

God bless..

Answer 6

honey, i'm afraid you are not saved. First of all you got to admit you are a sinner in need of salvation, and that salvation you can only have thru asking jesus into your heart, to accept his paying for your sins, past and future on the cross and to live for him, give him your life so that he will change it.the bible says that if you believe this , if you confess with your mouth that jesus christ is lord in your life than you will be saved, notice the word believe, you can't have any doubts. n the other hand the US is not remotely mentioned in bible prophecy so some scholars believe it has either no role in the end time or it will not be there (the US was formed as a christian nation and therefore has achieved many blessings, but "much have we been given, much will be required from us")a version of the bible is just a version, a translation none is better than the other, but the aramaic bible being so old and different to translate is subject to several way to interpret certain words, be your own translator study your own bible, get a bible commentary to better understand. The rapture wil happen to all of those who are saved it can happen any moment now as much of the prophecies to happen before the beggining of the tribulation and the times have been fulfilled, unless you are saved, you will be left behing to experience the 7 year tribulation "which days have been cut short or else none would have survived" i recommend www.loveworthfinding.org and hallindsey.org for info on the end times. find a good bible believing, bible teaching church that can guide you in these difficult teen years, God bless you.

Answer 7

1. The bless those that bless you/curse those that curse you promise is eternal, and I think it would be a major miscalculation to stop supporting Israel.

2. I think you mean denomination, not religion. Trust me, there will be members of different christian denominations in heaven (i.e. baptist, pentecostals, independents, etc.)

3. There will be people in heaven who used different english translations of the bible, find one that a reputable bible bookstore would sell that helps you understand what God is saying through it.

4. That's why it's important to meditate on the word of God. It's a lamp unto your feet despite the darkness surrounding you.

5. No one really knows when the rapture will happen. There is a decent chance christians will face persecution in the west. It's not a cause for fear, it's just a possibility to be aware of.

Hope this helps, God bless....

Answer 8

This is a difficult question to answer because it involves discussing some principles that the person you are witnessing to may or may not agree with. For example, does he or she agree with you that truth is knowable, that God would attempt to communicate with His people, or that only one religion may be right? Usually, I start by acknowledging the difficulty of coming to an easy answer. However, I tell them that I do have an answer; I am sure it is the right one, because it is an answer based on evidence. What kind of evidence? Prophecy and its fulfillment (see question # 34), Jesus and His miracles, the resurrection of Christ, etc. Then I ask that person if he or she knows of these things happening in other religions.(1) The answer is invariably, "No." Then I point out that they have only happened in Christianity. If any religion were true, Christianity fits the bill.

Answer 9

Evolution is not a fact. Its a theory. There are as many Religions as there are Ice cream flavors. There are also over 50 different versions of the Holy Bible. Go to a book store and look if you don't believe me. Today is all about what people pick and choose to believe. Thats why there are so many denominations of christian.

Answer 10

The USA stands only because God is allowing it to (all things are in His hands). We should pray for our country.

The right religion is Christianity - true pure Christianity. Belief in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and commitment to the Bible as the word of God - following His will in all areas from daily living to worshipping as a group. The examples in the Bible will give you lots of information. The church of Christ consists of individual congregations and is built on the whole premise of not getting tied up in man made garbage but following the New Testament patterns and information. Some of them have gotten off track, but many are still committed to living completely for God and everything that means, which includes tons of love and a respect for the truth of God. Try seeking out some of these believers.

To tell what version of the Bible to read, pick one that stays true to the early manuscripts (in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) and is readable for you. I really like the NKJV, and I talked with people who've study translation accuracy with the early texts and they say that it and the American Standard are the most accurate (or you can get an interlinear Bible).

Pray and read your Bible to keep your faith alive. Others will try to strangle your faith, but keep returning to the Bible. Seek out people you can spend time with who are faithful themselves, or truly searching, this is better than your constantly having to be in battle mode.

As for the rapture - not all Christians believe in this - I don't. The Bible says that the earth is going to melt away with fervent heat and that all of us will be judged on the same day. I think that those who build up big scenarios are misinterpreting prophecies, but study for yourself and come to your own conclusion.

There are some things about Christianity that are inarguable if you are going to be in the faith, such as believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God and was one with God in the beginning, being baptized for salvation of sins (all New Testament examples after the old law was nailed to the cross with Jesus support this) and following the will of God for our lives.

Jesus said the word He has spoken will be our judge. Don't listen to anyone else (including me) but His word.

Hang in there, and keep searching!