I've found the most amazing and thoughtful comments ever! Thank you all so much ❤️ I'll be diving deeper into my exploration of faith and sharing more on how it goes soon 💪 Currently Reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S Lewis & Reading parts of the bible with my amazing and incredibly supportive girlfriend. And of course I will continue to pray 😊🙏 If you want to hear about my raw thoughts on my navigation through this, here is my free weekly newsletter lifegamedesign.gumroad.com/ Please share some more recommendations to challenge my knowledge and faith as I want to broaden the information I have on this from both sides. Follow up video coming in the next 3 days 🙂
You should try listening to worship music and just meditate on the words. I recommend UPPERROOM. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and He will. The more you get to know God, the more everything in this world makes sense.
This is my first time watching you, but I wish you luck! Here's my experience with faith/logic, maybe it could help you: Although I grew up in a strong Catholic family, I was never super concerned about my faith until recently. Entering college, as I began studying engineering I realized how much of a 'logical thinker' I was, and I started learning more about many differnet aspects of the world (including listening to some of the people you mentioned). I recently went through something that made me realize how little I knew about my faith and why I believe what I do, so I figured that I would dive into the actual arguments for faith in God. I initially started with the topic of God being a creator in general, but recently more of the specifics of the Christan faith. I think partly why I was not as involved in my faith was because, being a more logical person who trusts scientific discovery, I had associated religion and faith with an exclusion or denial of logic and science. The more I learned, the more I realized that belief in God does not conflict with scientific discovery at all. Instead, I have found that they go hand in hand, and realized that learning more about our physical world and its history has actually strengthened my belief and faith in God. I believe that if you pursue a similar exploration, that you will find the same. Here are a few resources that helped me along this journey: Cliffe Knechtle - he has debated the existence of God on college campuses for years, he explains well how you can logically conclude that God exists. John Lennox - A Mathematician at Oxford who has also made many arguments for the existence of God This video - ruclips.net/video/UvU8MGzmsLI/видео.html Finally, the Bible. I know people who are Athiests who haven't read the Bible, so they don't even know exactly what they are disagreeing with. I'm not saying to go read the whole thing (I still haven't made it all the way through) but it's helpful to actually know what claims it makes. I know that was kinda a lot, but I think these could possibly help you the way they helped me. I truly believe you can still maintain logic while believing in a higher power as an explanation for our universe. I wish you the best in this exploration, good luck!
Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Even if you didn’t become Christian because of strong belief, you can’t argue with the results. Practicing Christianity and following Christ brings happiness and purpose in one’s life, because doing good works isn’t for a reward, but to glorify Him and be its own reward. There is also far more history backing up Christianity regarding archeology and more than any other faith in the world. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, they have nothing on Christ. May the Lord bless and guide you!❤✝️
Hey brother! I'm so gratefull for this type of content, i'll just try to encourage you to not stop, because "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth;" Luke 11:10. So just continue, and i beg you, use logic, because if God create you in His image you can find Him even in your process of thinking, may God bless you!
@@zbuilder4664 I know that some Bible verses can look messed up, but remember that: Context, like time, place and people, is a thing At that time and place it seemed like the people there were idolatrers Mistranslations also exist. They are, sometimes, pretty small, but we can keep track of them, thanks to advanced reseach resources The original terms used for "small boys" and "boys" in the ESV translation have a somewhat wide range of definition, which, while having the possibility to include little children, could also describe men old enough to go to a militar expedition (Genesis 14:24), seek marriage (Genesis 34:19) and be spies sent to Rahab in Jericho (Joshua 6:23). And the other term was used to describe 17 yeas old. And, while the men described could be considered young, it was very likely for them to not be little kids, and it is not impossible for the translator to have translatd the terms as "small boys" because of the infantility of the insults, but still made the mistake to not consider the Lord's Mercy and Love, because He understands that little children are, well, small! (I took things from this site: knowingscripture.com/articles/elisha-and-the-bears-2-kings-2-23-25) There are many circumstances in the Bible were Jesus talks about the little children in a lovingly and wholesome way, don't ignore them: the Lord loves children! And everyone, and you too! :)
@@LifeGameDesignI wish you would write an article about this because deep down I fear I have a little more faith in religion, prayer rituals, communal church experiences etc than in God himself.
@@LifeGameDesign this is why many Christians say they aren't religious. We see our faith as a journey and a relationship between ourselves and Jesus. That's basically the foundation of Christianity: Jesus set us free, so we don't need to be slaves to ritual law.
Man, this made me emotional. I used to be an atheist... Until God radically changed me 4 years ago. All I can say is, keep going. I've found that when you earnestly and humbly seek God, you will find Him.
Love that you’re processing this before the world. You are right, Atheism doesn’t serve you… as a former atheist who asked all the hard question prior to the christian faith, it’s even better than placebo. Try writing your prayers and then review them later.
I've never thought about writing my prayers down, that's something I'd be keen to try, for the month after this I started praying with my girlfriend every night who is Christian, it feels so good for both of us everytime
@@LifeGameDesign Glad you are beginning to see the other side... However, not to scare you but umm, when you eventually find Jesus *Cause you seem like you GENUINLY want a relationship with God). The Journey won't be easy, you'll probably have to stop a whole lot of things in your life, and even for someone actively trying to serve the Lord, it's not easy... Still, speak with God with respect, and have conversations with him like you would with your father, this should help get you going.
Its odd that Christian faith is perceived to be linked to irrationality. To me, the idea that an orderly, beautiful universe can come from nothing is the height of irrationality to me. I think that you need to explore intellectual Christians like C.S Lewis and Timothy Keller and their musings on faith and God (more specifically Christ). I'd also suggest you check out J Warner Wallace as well. The Christian faith has a solid, intellectual and historical basis. The problem is many atheists have never explored that basis (shrugs).
@@LifeGameDesign which perspective? The idea that order and harmony can come from nothing? Or the idea that an orderly universe comes from an intelligent Creator?
@LifeGameDesign I struggle with the idea of order and design coming from nothing / a void since we instinctively reject that premise in everyday life and reality. When I see a Ferrari, I don't think to myself that it came together through a random explosion in a scrapheap 😆 I assume design and manufacturing took place.
@@majose7787 Exactly this is point I try to address to many atheists. Science clearly shows that you can't have a creation without a creator. The atheistic worldview in that nothing created everything is very unscientific as it has never been observed before ever. People will call you crazy for saying that a plane made itself as they should as plane don't come by chance but by a intellectual being that places purpose behind the plane. This is the same way with God. As you read the Genesis you can see how God created the world. The Bible goes against the desires of man and points us to the truth that Jesus is God.
@@majose7787This is true. Also the fact that abiogenesis has never been proven or even observed once. EVERYTHING we see reinforces the fact life comes from life. There’s been no evidence or experiments that have been able to create life from inanimate elements, objects, or materials…. It’s illogical to observe this on a daily basis and draw the conclusion that life came from nothing. As far as theory goes the concept of a living God creating life that replicates, as well the orderly and intelligent design we can observe in nature is far more rational than thinking all of it just happened to come about. That’s the equivalent of finding a working space ship that was inconceivable meticulously constructed and assuming it just assembled itself by random chance… No the rational assumption is there’s an intelligent being that intentionally designed it.
Was a Heroin addict with bi polar through my suffering i asked Jesus Christ to help me . Early on i had a vision of a giant gold headed statue i had no understanding of the bible but i know it was the head of the statue of king Nebuchadnezzar that was the start of my journey very soon after that i experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit followed a few months later by a water baptism i have been blessed so much by God and truly set free from many oppressions that had me bound for a lifetime, I tried stoicism, Buddhism, religion, psychology the lot and none of it set me free like Jesus Christ has , Praise God
I am curious what you saw in the vision. Was there more or just the statue head? Perhaps it was only to lead you to Jesus. But perhaps he was giving you a message in addition to that. "God does nothing without revealing to his saints" And Those who have been called as servants will also be called as friends
@@JoyRaptor I saw just a giant golden head no other part of the statue. What it meant to me at the time and I didn't have alot of knowledge was that the time of king Nebuchadnezzar was upon us again. Also I believe it was to witness to a friend of mine who was actually working right in that area at the time. I don't always get revelation of what I see straight away and also I had not been baptized by the spirit or by water at that time. May God bless you abundantly in Jesus name Amen ❤️
My life wasn’t that bad as an atheist, I had a good job and place to live and I enjoyed lots of hobbies. But I was alone. Utterly alone. And between drug experiences and new ageism, I felt the true weight of a meaningless life. I decided to pray one day, “if there really is a God out there, please let me see you. If you exist, I want to follow you.” And he did. Not in any big way, but within myself. I could see his presence in my life, the way he had been guiding my steps and caring for me. I felt the love of the Father. It took me another 6 months before I became a Christian, but he walked me through it. Now I’m a faithful Catholic.
That’s a beautiful backstory and grateful for Gods work in your transition, I also think that even as a Catholic, you should explore the roots of Catholicism and Christianity with itself, I pray that finds you more answers and peace within yourself, God bless you
@@clivegovera4910 thank you for your kind words. Church history (history in general) and theology are a passion of mine, since joining the church I have really enjoyed learning. Peace to you, brother.
Man I used to be the same. Following Jesus more and more coincidences just start happening in your life, that’s way more then a placebo. It’s been a up and down relationship with God. He has a lot of patience. I’m finally getting baptized this Saturday. God bless you brother hope you keep seeking and he will answer.
LET’S GOO 💪 Continue to trust and draw near to the Lord. Jesus Christ loves you. All of heaven is rejoicing :) “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Something I've noticed from atheist's conversions to christianity - and also from this video - is that they tend to observe christians closely, and that is why they realize we are so much more content and joyful and, well, different. So remember this Christians: even if you cannot find yourself verbally witnessing to someone, your life will be your testimony. So live it with that in mind, because you may be the only bible someone reads in their lifetime. Love this video! ❤
Regarding your last sentence: A fellow Christian once said: My Bible was mom. Before I could even read I understood what pleases God and that Jesus Christ is the center of her life and joy.
Glory to God. I was an atheist/satanist/hater of God from ages 10-24. God saved me and completely changed my heart and my desires. Now I live for Him and He is gradually putting to death all of the old me. Praying for you brother. Christ is King
@ogloc6308 Former theistic Satanist here and I'm surprised cause my story is similar, found God when I was 25(33 now) accepting Christ in my heart was the best decision I've ever made!🙏
As soon as you said “fulfilling life”, I knew exactly what I wanted to share: The gospel of John in chapter 10 says this in verse 10, ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Not sure how I came across your video, but I’ll be praying that God knocks on the door of your heart, that you know it’s Him, and that you let Him in.
@@LifeGameDesignI’d also maybe recommend reading the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. It deals with meaningless in life apart from God and other pieces of wisdom.
@@taylorw.m4558 If you don't want to watch it, there is a VERY good video done by 'Bible Project' as a summary, as part of their 'wisdom series'. I'm not saying don't read it, just it's an amazing video
@@taylorw.m4558 Think of Ecclesiastes as someone in the same place as yourself when you made this video. The writer of that book is reflecting on all the things one can experience in the world without God. And he finds all of it meaningless.
I love this video! I am an atheist/agnost but over the last years I am starting to be so interested in Christianity and religion in general. I feel like my life would feel so much more purposeful with it. Happy to be learning from you as share your journey 😀
Don’t believe a lot of what you hear about Christian history.. much of it will be different sides trying to stay divided… Start with what Jesus Himself said and work your way out from there 🙏🏼❤️
Well, do you care if your beliefs are actually true, or just that they may make you feel better? If you prefer comfort over what can actually be demonstrated to be true, then go ham. Just please, I beg you, don't make decisions that affect other people based on Faith, if that's the path you choose.
Read a Case for Christ by Lee Stobel....I was a Christian before I read this book and did a study on it BUT the evidence/ logic in this book made me grow and removed doubts that God wasn't real. You know, I don't think, I have ever had a real conversation with someone that didn't once doubted what they believed. Jesus is always proving himself even to the "believers" also really quick I know the trinity confuses ppl the best way I have learned to understand this concept is God is 3 in 1 just as you and I are...mind, body, spirit...God(Father), Jesus, Holy Spirit (Ghost ). In Genesis it states that God made man in his image...logically this concept makes sense. Also I have been doing this walk for 15yrs ish and I never understood that Jesus is God and God is Jesus until the last 3 to 4 yrs. I think this book also helped me on my path to understanding this.
Don’t know why RUclips recommended this to me but I’m so glad it did. You have such a sincere soul- made me tear up a little! Your thoughts on gratitude made me think of a C.S. Lewis quote: “The worst moment for an atheist is when he feels a profound sense of gratitude and has no one to thank.” If you keep sincerely seeking truth, God will guide you to it and you will encounter Him. I wish you the best!
@@LifeGameDesignMere Christianity is a must read from Lewis. But would also recommend Miracles (content is not what you’d expect from title). Have fun reading!
Same thing man... for my first prayer, over two years ago, I prayed for comfort, figuring that at the very least God could do that. And He did. The Comforter comforted, and over two years later, today, I am a devout Christian. There is so much beauty and truth in the world, just gotta seek it.
That you were honest to admit the basis of your conversion or reversion to Christianity was “comfort” is so very telling. There’s a saying that “there are no atheists in foxholes or deathbeds”. This is clearly not a factual statement, but, even for the ones to whom it does apply, it doesn’t say much except that they are looking for comfort as well as the more intense version of comfort-survival (albeit in the form of an afterlife)-and are psychologically damaged/desperate enough that they will take anything they can remotely twist into god as reason to become a believer, not that it makes god any more justified.
@ZhangK71 But nah. My conversion wasn't based on that. A lot did happen that week. But a lot happened over the course of 2 years. I was definitely a bit hard of heart, which is why it took so long. God bless, man. If you're genuinely seeking truth, I'm willing to chat.
@@alexanderkrneta8032 Good thing your immature response with the “Snickers bar” comment shows me it’s not worth having a serious discussion with someone who clearly doesn’t want one. Thanks; it saved both of our time.
I came to know God as a young kid. 23 yrs ago, I lost all faith and lived as an atheist until this winter. I didn’t hate God, their wasn’t one to hate. Though I hated his followers and wished death upon some of them. Laughing when I heard some die. This winter was dark and cold and I’m blessed to have made it out. I’m my lowest of lows I prayed (in 23 yrs I’ve had many and never prayed, son in ICU, never prayed.). I called out to the Lord and he answered me call. Helped my mind to heal, put people around me to show me his love and care. Now less than 10 months later, I’m helping to lead a men’s accountability group at my church. This weekend taking 12 men into the woods to camp, bond and grow closer to God. God is real and God loves you, no matter what you believe about him.
This is beautiful. Pray was my word for the year. Now that this year is coming to a close this comment really sticks out to me. I have been more intentional with pray and its been a WOW to say the least!
@@un_qualifiedpodcast prayer changes things. It’s so very powerful. Jesus said with the faith of a mustard seed, we could move a mountain. I believe. I hope the best for you, never stop praying.
Former atheist here. Had a friend, who was raised Christian, to talk to and he answered many of my doubts. I realized, just as you, that not believing is meaningless. I prayed that Jesus enters my life and my heart and it did happen. Best decision of my life.
What defining thing could you possibly say that happened after Jesus entered your life without providing sentiments and going around the appeal to emotion
@@green.release you are right, that most of what I experienced was inwardly. One outward experience, I could mention, is that from my prayer on, the topic of Jesus was immediately more present in my life. For example, a not so close friend of mine came to me randomly and said he had this urge to ask me if I was believing in Jesus. We never spoke about faith before. I didn't even know at that time that he was Christian. Retrospectively, I see that God entered my life, by sending people to me to talk to about faith and thus making it more present in my life and thinking more about it.
@@simonvonroenn that doesn't mean anything tangible 😂, and the example you gave is nothing outwardly, your friend did he know you were an atheist and also did you ever do any subtle religious thing around your friend that could have possibly lead to his conclusion
As a Christian, I find it interesting that you feel unworthy of the blessings you have received in your life compared to someone who prays to God in faith. What you described is God's grace, his loving and merciful nature to all as we can see in Psalms 145:9: "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." Grace comes from the word “Gratia”, which means “for free”. It's logical to think that someone who is trying their best to do God's will and who prays a lot and has a strong faith can somehow "earn more" of God's rewards. But just as we didn't ask to be made, we can't earn God's gifts. They are free, else it wouldn't be gifts. The main difference between Christianity and other religions, is that it's a relationship with God who created us and what he has given us, rather than striving for some rewards ourselves. That’s why people find God at the end of their own attempts. It was never about us striving, it was about God who created us, gave us life and gave us Jesus. Whenever I get into hardships in life, the foundation I find in Christ is stronger than anything else. It’s the only peace that holds.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
Thank you so much for this perspective! I guess I was thinking of the relationship to god being transactional but it seems to be much more than I could have imagined
@@LifeGameDesign Also if this helps, I have found that there is nothing you can do to make God love you less or more. Yes, because even before the foundations of the earth were made, he thought about you, knew you and loved you so much he decided to create you in your mother's womb. We cannot earn God's love He gives us for free.
@@LifeGameDesignIn relation to the above comment by Davidademola3770, Ephesians 1:3-5 backs up his statement. I'll paste it here. Ephesians 1:3-5 NKJV [3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, [4] just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, [5] having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, I pray that God continues to reveal himself to you. Seems like He's doing that already. Stay blessed!
@@LifeGameDesignTruth is, all religions are transactional, that why when people who hear about christianity they think its one of the same. However, Christianity is the only belief where we dont have to climb up to be with God, in Christianity God came down to be with us (Jesus Christ), and carry us up with him. That is what we define as grace. Undeserving favor. Just as a Father can love a child without the child ever doing anything to win his love, God truly loves us. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
My husband was atheist till age 39, he was at a low point of his life when he made the heartfelt prayer in his heart, "God if you are real, show me and I will follow you" and he started to experience many supernatural events. As a logical thinker, he kept asking for confirmations and at one point he saw a vision in his mind of Jesus in a cave. When he reached out to touch his hand, he felt a sensation of electricity enter his hand and go up his arm. It has been a 4 year journey that has been nothing short of colourful and it has been extremely fulfilling. We have heard so many compelling testimonies of people in my country of how God has met them where they are and brought them immense comfort in difficult situations, certainly not a placebo effect , but people who have heard God through thought imprints, a prophetic word of knowledge from others, dreams or even the audible voice of God (this is rare). If you seek God / Jesus genuinely, you will certainly find Him. Pray to know Him more and He can orchestrate events to make it happen 🕊
I have tried to be an atheist three times in the last 35 years. I seem to find a way back into prayer and seeking after God. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful experiment with prayer!
@@LifeGameDesign That is a great question, thanks for asking. I was raised in a non-religious home, but I have chosen to spend a lot of my life with religious people. I love adventure, travel, history, technology and learning about cultures. To understand a “foreign” people I have learned you need to accept their values and see through their world view. This can take you to some interesting places, sometimes uncomfortable situations. The root cause analysis for my three seasons with atheism came from suffering, disappointment and depression in life. To me atheism is a process of dulling your senses to filter out God’s communication to you. I have seen and heard too much. It is difficult for me to believe that our planet, history and humans came from a random unguided cosmic occurrence. Sorry for being vague, I am summarizing 50 years of my life.
Hey man, long term Christian here. When I kind of spend less time reading the Bible, praying to God, and just doing christian things, I find myself more angry and hateful towards others, I suffer from anxiety, and depression. And when I am spending time to connect with God and study my Bible or even paying attention in church, I am genuinely happier, calmer, just at peace with myself. I've had some really interesting things happen to me that proved to me without a doubt that God is real when I doubted his existence. There's a ton of proof in the Bible about God being real, but I recommend picking up a book called a rebel's manifesto, it's an autobiography about a guy who's wife became Christan and when she did, she became a much better person, and this guy thought it was an act or pelcibo or something like that so he tried to prove that God wasn't real, but in his research he actually proved to himself that God was real. It's a great book I'd highly recommend checking out. Speaking from experience though, being a Christian has really brought out the best version of myself, and it probably will for you too. I wish you the best of luck on this journey and will be praying for you as well!
Thank you for this honestly everything you have described is exactly what I would love more of I'm going to curate myself some material from all these wonderful comments and dive deeper!
@@insid3493 I concur and what you said reminds of this verse Isaiah 26:3-4, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the Lord GoD is an everlasting rock."
I might be mistaken but do you mean the book A Case for Christ? you described what was essentially A Case for Christ but maybe A Rebel's Manifesto is also written on the same thing but a different experience. Great recommendation regardless!!
I’m here for it. Newly found Christian, my life is, on paper, probably the worst it’s ever been. But I’ve never felt more freedom and purpose in all my life, even at the height of my successes when I had everything I wanted. The one biggest change is learning the true meaning of certain words. I never knew peace and joy the way I do now, and that realization when it hit me, was like opening my eyes and living for the first time. I hope the same for you one day! Just wanted to share
@@LifeGameDesign Amen to that! Thank you, it’s not an easy life! But I’d choose this over my old life any day. There’s purpose in my suffering and meaning in the strife now, nothing is wasted.
@@LifeGameDesign Man, I’m glad to hear that! And I don’t mind at all! There really is no logical explanation like you said. But, and you mentioned this, you won’t always have those heightened feelings and a lot of people give up when this wears off. But, the one thing I think Atheists and the Bible can agree on is that “the heart can be deceitful” (feeling deflated, negative self talk, etc) so we have to have enough faith even when we don’t have the “feels” to know that God is still working within you. I wish you the best if you decide to continue exploring this and will be praying for you. There’s a big network of us here to support without judgement and in kindness ✝️🙏🏼
@@user-ni5hx8ly6k A friend of mine shared once a valuable lesson for Christian fellowship. “Let the Bible be the engine, that pulls the wagons: faith, concience, feeling. In that order! If you put any of the 3 wagons as your engine, you'll fail in your Christian life. If you switch the order of the wagons, you will struggle.“
Well, frankly, tradition holds that as God is 100% reasonable and at the same time beyond reason, there are simply some things that our reason can't grasp about the Christian faith. Take the mystery of the incarnation for starters
That's a bold claim, there's no logic in believing in one of the thousands of gods that keep hiding from us, if it brings you comfort then I don't have anything against it but calling it logical is simply logical suicide
@@tayo6882 To be Christian is to be logical, to comprehend the infinite, timeless, space-less, material-less being that is God in totality is to be greater than infinite. we are not that. this is logical to me. God is the source of logic and reason, among many other things he is not contained or totally defined by their constraints.
I was raised a Christian a Protestant my whole life I always believed God. It was more than belief, I knew Him or least I thought. I prayed, fasted, shared my faith. But in my heart, I never really believed God loved me. I saw my existence as something that was merely supposed to serve Him. At a point, this made me cynical of Him. At a point I walked away from church. I still prayed and fasted and read my Bible, I didn’t really believe in His love for me. A couple years ago I began a journey toward Catholicism. It was explained to me by the Catholic Church that God is a community of love and that God’s very action of creation was love. All at once, I realized that I wasn’t made merely to serve, but that God’s initial intention around creating me was to love me. 😢 My whole life I had looked at Him as a hard Father as a mean master, that no matter how hard I tried I would still fail to please. But I was so wrong. God made me knowing me completely through and through…. He loved me. All I really have to do in return is love Him and love His creatures for His sake. 😮 It’s so simple.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's my first time listening to you. When I became a Christian many years ago, the most acute thing I immediately realised the same night was that an emptiness I had felt on the inside was gone. I was trying to fill it with things that were going to lead me to a very very dark place I couldn't return from. The only other thing I can say is that having faith in God, believing in Jesus it's about having a relationship. You can't go to a party if you're not invited, especially a stranger's party. I use this expression a lot. If Father God is in the light, and we say I want nothing to do with Him, then the ONLY other place is darkness. People think that God wants to punish us, but Jesus took my punishment so I could be pardoned. That's for everyone. I'm not perfect, no one is, except Jesus. I'm just grateful that He saved me from myself. Blessings to you and everyone following you 🙏🏾🇬🇧
Hey, I don't know if you've read the Parable of the Great Supper but it popped up in my head when you gave the example of a party. Anyways great testimony.
For people who put in the intellectual rigor and then _genuinely_ believe they now have good reason to believe in Christianity, sure. But how many people believe in Christianity because of cultural upbringing or, failing that, inertia; wishful thinking / conflating what they want with what they believe; and generally faulty reasoning? You don’t have to take my word “on faith” (pun intended), but, believe me, I’ve heard a lot of theists talk, and the _best_ I’ve heard from any of them was “I’ve done a lot of honest introspection, and I can’t make anyone else find god, but I just want to say that I have”-the rest was all bad, worse, and worst. You have no reason to trust me on this, so I suggest you go out and talk with both theists and atheists and see for yourself, and see just _really_ how much intellectual honesty either side requires-not just of extraordinary individuals, but of your average Joe.
I remembered the first time I really prayed to God on my own. I was about twelve years old. My family had stopped going to church and i hadnt gone in years, which was good for me because i hated church but I was depressed. I had something happen that disturbed me and I went to my room and I sat on my bed. I looked at my window and the wall and I said "I don't know if you can hear me" then I remembered saying "I don't know how to pray" the word repent came into my mind. So I repented of all my sins that I could think of at the time. I didn't think anything was going to happen. Until immediately after I felt a great peace come over me. I forgot why I came to pray to begin with and was so overwhelmed by His presence. It was the first time I ever cried tears of joy. My view on who God was completely changed, i know i wouldnt be alive today if I didnt know Jesus(theres more but i will try to keep it brief). I have seen Him answer prayers when I was still doubtful that He could hear me or that He even cared. I had even wandered off to seek other things like new age. I could never be satisfied when i walked away, i would always come back with my tail between my legs. What I love so much about praying is the fact i know God knows everything so i dont have to hide what is on my mind or what lays heavy on my heart. I am the most transparent and vulnerable in prayer and because ive seen Him answer prayers I know i can ask Him for help and He will come through. I pour my heart out and He has never failed me. Although i fail God a million times over. He is truly a God of His word. I read psalms and some of the prayers and cries for help are similiar to mine and i become enouraged. I hope you will have your own divine appointment. God bless you on your journey! Matthew 11:28 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Wonderful testimony! “I would always come back with my tail between my legs.“ - that's so on point! But we come back, because we learned, that He has compassion, does forgive and lifts us up everytime again and again. This experience and John 14:7 made me decide and redecide daily that I need only Jesus Christ for my life - nothing and no one else! Burnt so many brigdes since then. Lost friends, because of my faith, but got more and better friends in Christ in return. Spend my money and vacations mostly for the Lord, and get more than I could handle on blessings in return. I ask to die daily (John 12:24.25), so my life could be a blessing to others. Life is so wonderful with Christ.
I was a staunch atheist until I humbled myself a little and decided to give it a chance. Became agnostic. One night, I woke from a voice in my sleep that said Ephesians 14. I don't recall hearing that specific part of the bible before that day. I asked for a sign and there it was.
I used to be a ashiest, and it hurt my soul I felt empty and depressed. I was always around Christians and Jesus was always brought up into conversation, but something in me deep down just didn't believe, almost felt impossible to believe but I saw the impact Jesus had on those around me, I felt lost and alone. As I curiously dug into the Bible, debates, and this show called "The Chosen", my life and Faith has changed in huge ways and now I know I have a purpose Jesus has for me , and anyone else who accepts Him as Lord and Savior. I understand why it could be hard to call him savior when you know how lucky you are in life, but I would consider your little Faith the biggest blessing in your life, because that's what allows God to work on your heart and mind. I loved hearing about your journey, Shalom friend.
Faith demands humility...and 'letting go' .... very few are willing to give up even the tiniest inkling of control, because it goes against their ego and the pseudo comfort of 'being in charge'... yet, if and when you can manage that... the liberation and peace that follows is mind boggling! God bless!
I'm 18 years old and I've always believed in God / Jesus but I didn't really KNOW him. At the start of this year I felt a pull to get closer to God and nothing else seemed to satisfy me unless I was growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. I started reading my bible (Just 1 chapter a day) and praying more regularly because I wanted to get closer to him... Brother, let me tell you my mind has been renewed and transformed. I am a completely different person to who I was a year ago. I have less jealousy inside me and it's easier for me to help others, whereas before there was a resistance. I cannot describe the peace and fullness I have experienced recently from surrendering myself to God and reading the bible. It brings me to tears. The nanosecond you believe in the gospel of Jesus you are indwelt with the The Holy Spirit of God, he will lead you, comfort you and minister to you in everyday life. I can say with 100% faith that God is real and his name is Jesus. God bless you brother. Loved the video 👍
Hey bro, I'm came to Christ this year and I went through a similar phase of finding meaning in a 'god' from self improvement. I started praying and felt similar feelings to you. When I started to read the Bible I realized why. Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son talks of a son who asked for his inheritance from his father, which he grants him. He took this inheritance and squandered all of it. The son, now forced to work a terrible job where he is poorly fed decides to go back home and beg for his Father's forgiveness. And before he even reaches the house, the father comes out to hug him. He forgives him straight away and rejoices to have his son back. This is how God the Father reacts when we come back to him. He doesn't berate us, he embarrasses us. Not trying to push it on you, but this is what my experience felt like, God bless you my friend.
Glad you’re open enough , man. I was a militant atheist in high school but as depressed and cynical as anyone could be. I began to pray for God to do something about it if he was out there and He did. Without going into details, everything changed inside me, not because of myself. I would encourage you to not say you could never believe like I did, you’re putting yourself into a prideful box, an arrogant one. If you’re serious about allowing God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit change you, let Him do it and don’t push Him away. The world does not love you, you may not even love you, but Jesus always will. Following Jesus is not about how you can use Him in this world, it’s about surrendering to Him, loving God and then the extension of loving and serving others through Him. Lastly, bad thing will happen, whether we think them just or not, we’re called to trust that God’s plan and thoughts are greater than ours. He will make it all right at the end. I encourage you to keep praying, but humble yourself and be truthful, he will take care of the rest. May God bless you
So awesome that you opened yourself up to prayer. It’s life-changing, it’s literally just a conversation with your creator. In it we find that we’re never alone again.
@@LifeGameDesign you are certainly taking the right way by giving Lewis a serious thought. that man THINKS. as a internet friend ,i would also challenge you my beloved : read the full four gospels and consider the serious tone of Jesus of nazareth, you may begin to think twice about the impossibility for us sinners to get through this [ real stairway to heaven ] , Jesus said "i am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me" and he later went on his destiy to drink the full wrath of God the father in our place as the final passover lamb (yes this sacrifice from God was prophecies thousands yrs earlier in the old testament to many times in types like abraham and isac exodus, Joshua, isaiah, daniel, hoshia,... jona the types goes on... ). if you only read the bible or think about a "cosmic hope giving deity", it is as you previous would recognise a mere man-made-make-believe to attempt to solve the unsolvable desire to cope with our precious but suffering life. i pray that you my beloved would see that suffering itself is begging the question of the edenic author of Life. Genesis may seem to be a fairy tale until you realised its power to explain the reality of life and death. much love from asia.
As someone that was formerly a staunch atheist, I see a lot of past self in your experience and I'm really happy I was able to stumble across your account of your experience. Taking the leap and committing to Christ was a weird feeling at first and I felt at odds with myself for a long time, but I will be praying for you, and I wish you the best along your journey of discovery. God bless.
Hey Michael, this is a really sweet video. Hope you have kept praying (a month after you posted this vid). I grew up in the church. Left to be an atheist and came back. I know what you mean. I hope your eyes open and your ears hear how wonderful the steps you are making are. praying for you
I was an atheist for 35 years, then in 2006 Jesus Christ appeared to me supernaturally, and I am so thankful that He rescued me from myself. There is no greater obstacle between man and God than his own skepticism. Use your critical thinking, and look at the natural world around you... from distant space to the microscopic, God's design is like a blazing billboard... and it's very hard to miss when you take your materialistic blinders off.
@@Sloma2 Absolutely. I went to a local church with my wife, as she was far away from family and needed to find a church family. I was sitting with her, in the pews, when a bright light appeared in the room. I stood to look at the light, brighter than anything I have ever seen, but didn't hurt my eyes. As I saw this light, I knew immediately that I was a sinner, and Jesus died for my sins. I was an atheist at the time, and didn't even believe in God, but I suddenly had a knowledge and awareness of my sin. I walked up to the altar, dropped to my knees and the floodgates opened... tears and tears, of sadness and joy. Sadness that I had never believed in God and over my sin, and joy over the truth He had just revealed. From there I began studying apologetics, and now have been called as a Pastor. God is good. The experience was much deeper than I can describe here, this is the cliff notes version.
@@DailyDoseOf-TheWord Interesting. It does make one wonder why some get a direct revelation and many others don't. It almost sounds unfair. Maybe its because you responded the right way? For example Richard Dawkins said if he experienced a supernatural event he would rationalize it as a delusion.
@@CrusaderZealot God gives and takes away as He sees fit. All of creation is for His Glory. He chooses all things... we simply exist to give Him Glory. Now that I understand His sovereignty the best way I can with my limited mind, I never think of anything as unfair.
@@DailyDoseOf-TheWord I read this and also your experience below it's interesting that in both faith and denial of god's existence atheists and Christians would say the same things "Use critical thinking and look at the natural world around you" I don't know where my heart truly lies but I'm trying to open it up
don't know why this came across my feed, but i will pray for you brother. for years i was in the same boat as you. same outlook, same people to look up to, etc. eventually i hit a wall and gazed into nothingness. when you stare into the abyss and grasp at the void for a long time, there's only God waiting for you with outstretched arms. i can't possibly convey it over the internet or probably even verbally, but there is a great mystery waiting for all of us who are willing to choose to participate. i encourage you to keep exploring this budding relationship with God.
Can’t thank you enough for this honest share!! Makes me feel less alone in my journey. I deconstructed from Catholicism (30+ years), and am now in the “weird grey” area. Best I can put it right now, my brain says God can’t be proven, but my heart aches for a loving God to exist. So I’m agnostic? It has not been my experience that agnostics / atheists are cynical, btw. If anything, they are quite loving, smart, and trying to make the best of the one life they know they have by alleviating suffering wherever possible. Admirable and I’ve learned much from them.
I'm glad you have such an open mind and a humble intellect. Prayer is what brought me to God, because prayer with an open heart allows you to see love. As you said, atheism may be logically sound in its own right, but we know there are facets of life that it does not explain or help you with, and faith has to go beyond our own wisdom (proverbs 3:5-6 😉). Good luck in your explorations!
@@puzzLEGO Thank you ! I think faith is a necessity of making the human experience fulfilling, wherever it comes from but having that faith in a god you know would give everything deeper meaning
@@LifeGameDesign I largely agree, and from that perspective find it very interesting because an atheist would have to confront the fact that a faith they don't believe in or credit to delusion allows its members to become more fulfilled in general. Would they simply say 'ignorance is bliss' about the christian faith? Or would they have to accept that spirituality is a genuine part of the human experience? And also, how would they explain our ability to think metacognitively, and our desire for something beyond the physical? is it part of our biology? is it a tragic consequence, perhaps, of a species that grew too complex? It's weird that we don't understand our own human experiences
I was atheist growing up. I considered myself intelligent and better than others (quite arrogant of me) and I was also very blessed in life. I had all I desired but I just saw no point in life and I turned to nihilism and got depressed. I have finally found what I missed all that time, and I would trade all I have for that thing every day. The love of Christ. It is truly unmatched. I will pray for you, that you too get to experience Gods overwhelming love that will bring even the toughest most hardened man to tears. God bless you! Amen Ephesians 3:19 ”And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
"The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you." -Werner Heisenberg
And then there was Paul Dirac and Richard Feynman, one of the greatest cotributors to the field of quantum physics, who were atheists. I don't think Heisenberg wasn't a genius, it's just that different people have different views on the world. And they believe in God because of many different reasons.
9:09 he's right it is completely different I used to put off prayer because "it doesn't do anything" but I didn't realize the power of prayer until I did it regularly. It's so much different than meditation
You explained it very well. Atheism just leads to emptiness. Its a whole in your heart that you can't fill with dopamine kicks and pleasure. Its something more deep something more personal. And you said you also want to find God like the people you look up to. Well that peace and relaxation you felt after praying that was you connecting with God. And after that peace started becoming less it might have been God his way of letting you pray even more intimately so you can get to know him better. I am a believer and i believe in Jesus Christ. And i truly know in my heart that He is God and took our sins from us. And i just want to tell you keep going and growing. Keep praying and having faith a God does exist. Because He does and He will answer your prayers with love. Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
@@anongodheadwe don’t know what we are missing until we experience it. It’s great that you don’t feel empty. That’s a great start. So many are satisfied with the crumbs not knowing that they are missing a meal. Could it be that you are invited to look into something that might give you the fullness that every heart desires? Just a question!
I’m so excited for your journey honestly! As a Christian I really loved this video, it’s not necessarily conventional because it’s not about actually believing the reality of God but more so wanting to have the benefits of faith. However I can’t wait for you to actually see the reality of God eventually and only Christians can truly understand that it’s not just a placebo and I can’t wait for you to see it for yourself!! It’s so exciting ❤
@@skalias815 Thank you ! 🙏❤️ It's wild to think that I'm doing this considering my past thinking but going down just a fraction of this path has given me so much peace already
As an individual deeply interested in science since I was a kid, as someone instilled with the values of objective, critical thinking and a healthy dose of skepticism from a young age by my deeply atheist father, and as a former staunch atheist and anti-theist myself, I cannot overstate just how much becoming a Christian was the most surprising thing that has ever happened to me.
Are you reading my mind? ?? Stole the words straight from my feelings🙏❤️ Ahahaha love and peace to you! I can't say I'm 100% there yet but it seems that I'm on the way. And honestly literally the same thing with my father, the similarities are wild! 😂
this video and comments brought me to tears! i dont know you but you and your girlfriend will now be in my prayers! knowing christ is knowing real, pure love, my prayer is that u get to experience his radical grace through this journey!!!
This is encouraging to me as a Christian already. It is God encouraging me through your experiment of 30 days of prayer. I was having a tough day today and it certainly is better now. Thank you!
Hi, I'm really glad that you recorded this video and are so open about it. Few people have the courage to tell the public that the views they have held ALL your LIFE are beginning to seem false, or if they are true, then meaningless. I am 19, and until recently I was an atheist (I have been an agnostic for about a year and a half), but I have recently come to believe in Jesus Christ (I am now a Lutheran, although I was baptized in the Orthodox Church at birth). I agree with every word you say about the meaninglessness of "logical thinking", non-reconciliation with the meaninglessness of our existence and the existence of the universe, pessimism and cynicism of the atheistic view of life and what is happening around a person. I was pessimistic all my life, but hardly cynical, and I had no meaning in life. I was very much afraid not of death, but of what came after it, or rather of the unknown after it, and I was afraid of losing what life had given me. Now I don't have that fear, I have a purpose in life, I'm not pessimistic anymore, I have hope and I'll never be alone. I believe in Christianity because it proclaims love and forgiveness as the main value of a person. I have been in a serious relationship with my girlfriend for a year now, and I want to say that love revealed to me many of the qualities that were hidden from me, which convinced me of the truth of Christianity. Amen
I am a Christian and YT decided to put you in my "what to watch" suggestions. I have had a pretty hard day😢today and God knew that I needed to watch this! Thank you for being open and honest. I pray that you will find this journey to be the most exciting and fulfilling one of your life! 🥰🥰
i struggled to see God in my life as i dealt with uncertainty and divorced parents and bad things happening. i ran to other things but they didnt work. last week i switched my major in college and i was very unsure, i prayed for peace and comfort in this time and after 2 days, on a thursday, i felt this odd peace that i hadn’t really felt in a very long time.
I used to think that I was atheist I wrestled with it because God didn’t make since. Until I had a supernatural encounter with God, I had panic attacks every night because an evil presence would come over me at night I would see dark shadows and feel this dark feeling of something that was like draining. I didn’t sleep for 3 days one time and I was so tired of being in fear no one understood me I was so alone and already depressed. I called on the name of Jesus in faith and commanded the spirits to flee in his name and I felt that most beautiful feeling ever come into the room it filled me tangibly and I began crying like a BABY I didn’t get it at first but it was the Holy Spirit filling me and literally it felt like a heavy weight lifted the room. The atmosphere felt lighter, and it felt as though every evil thing fled in FEAR of his name. I literally went to sleep instantly with NO panic attack and they stopped happening… mannnn. God is sooo good and it’s no placebo when you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit! He’s what connects you and allows u to hear the voice of the lord. Been rocking with him since I’m 22 now I was 16 then!
Beautiful testimony! Thank you for sharing. To be honest, I've been having my doubts recently but it's positive, uplifting stuff like this that helps me carry on.
@@madladamHey, if you're ever doubting God's existence the next time you have a nightmare say Jesus help me, or even just Jesus. When I was young and doubting and I watched a lot of atheist videos and saw the "If God is real why do children die of cancer." But I wanted to believe those, but could never shake the fact that I'd have nightmares and utter the name of Jesus, even whisper it and they would end. Although it never worked to well for sleep paralysis demons, they were bold and knew I was deep in sin so never fled until I repented then they ran like their tails were on fire. Repentance is powerful because demons and evil clinge to evil, God loves a repent heart. Did you read Daniel and how he had his visions? First he humbled himself in prayer before God and his life, this is shown in the beginning of the book when he had great respect for God and trusted and had faith in him. When he had his vision he was older, but in his prayers was repentance and humbleness. I to, saw strange things after repenting and humbling myself before God. I never went pale, like Daniel but it was enough to make me freeze in place and start trembling. I don't think it was a demon, I couldn't see anything but a white dressed person or entity would come to my room, it would be just like when I saw demons but this time it wasn't dark and it would happen wherever I'd say "God if you're listening I want to see you! Jesus Christ come down in the flesh and reveal yourself!" Or smth like that, it would change a lot but I was quite bold to say that. I don't say that anymore because I'm terrified from those experiences. Note, this never happened to me before I started to repent and humble myself before God in prayer. I'd pray for 2 hours everyday, and then sometimes overnight when led by the spirit. So, I recommend watching James Kawalya because that's how I learned to pray prayers of repentance, I learned to humble myself by realizing God's greatness but above all else how kind he is! He's so kind, I love him for being so kind and gracious to me. I didn't find that out immediately, I knew it to be true all along but the more I prayed the more I saw him. God bless you and if by chance none of this helps you, I pray God himself will keep you from the lies of the evil one. Deceit is his only Job, and stealing us away from God. Who do you think it profits when we stray from God? God or Satan? I tell you, every demon and evil spirit I have ever encountered hates us like a hatred I've never seen in human beings. They hate us and love to see us suffer, they laugh at our ignorance. Don't think of demons as some otherworldly thing that are stupid or like they portray they portray themselves in TV. But they're very smart and intelligent, and there are different ranks to them just like us. So I told you this so you can investigate for yourself if what I've said is true or not. You can ask God to help you understand things of the spirit because I didn't understand why I saw demons besides I played games with false God's and idols and horror games. But I watched James Kawalya and he actually explained how and why I saw them and got nightmares.
I didn't read all the comments, so someone may have already said this, but I'm stoked for you. I'm especially excited for you because you said that after 10 days of prayer it started to not work the same, so you had to change the way you prayed. Your change to a position of gratitude is awesome. Now I want to challenge you: who is your gratitude directed towards? If it's directed to yourself, then YOU are the god you are praying to and your religion is "selfism". If it is directed to someone or something else, that's good, but what good is it to say "thank you" to your friend when the gift came from your father? That would be misplaced gratitude, and that would be a false god, and your religion would be idolatry or a cult. The other option is to carefully and logically seek out the true source of every good gift and every perfect gift. That would be true and pure gratitude, and that would be holy worship of the only one who is worthy. I firmly believe that the gift-giver is Jesus, who is God and who is with God. If you keep pursuing Him as you pray, it's very likely that you will encounter His personal presence, and that will change your life. I can't guarantee a formula, because God is in charge, not me. But keep leaning in, and He will find joy in your pursuit of Him.
Thank you for this! I put my faith during my Prayers in God, a force I could not begin to comprehend but a force that I thanked for everything In my life both good and bad
@@LifeGameDesign I stumbled across your video accidentally, It wasn’t my intention to click and watch it, but I’m so glad I did. I believe the journey you’re on is truly beautiful. Seeking truth is one of the most remarkable things a person can do. This might be my first or second RUclips comment ever. I’ve read quite a few of the other comments, and I feel that you’ve received a lot of feedback, so I didn’t feel the need to share what was on my heart. However, after seeing how many comments you’ve engaged with, liked, and replied to, I felt encouraged to speak up. I just want to add to what @alinlatoog has already mentioned. Here’s what came to mind as soon as I finished watching your video: I see that you're at a pivotal point in your journey to seek out the Truth. I’m here to simply say-Continue. Keep seeking the TRUTH, and in that pursuit, you will find it. I feel that the mindset of a true atheist can be an excellent approach to life because the essence of true atheism is about seeking and questioning, doing your own research, and discovering things for yourself. What do History, the Scriptures, the Books, and the Research say? This is a personal journey that I believe you’ve been on for some time already. I often tell people: Life is challenging for everyone. You can either face it alone or with God. Personally, I don’t think I need to convince you whether there’s a God or not. I believe that in seeking the Truth, you will come to your own conclusions. To summarise what I’ve said, and to add to your prayer, which I feel you should continue-I believe the next step for you is to research, and this includes reading the scriptures. If you do decide to take my advice on reading the scriptures, I can only recommend the Bible, as I have yet to read others. Just a heads up, the Bible isn’t technically in chronological order. It is divided into the Old and New Testament, with the Old Testament covering the time before Christ’s birth and the New Testament beginning from the birth of Christ onwards. While you can read the Bible in any way you choose, I’d recommend starting with Genesis and then moving straight into the New Testament.
about 4 years ago i was in a very bad situation and i started praying, and after a week of praying everything magically started going exactly how i wanted. but for some dumb reason i stopped praying after everything got "fixed". thinking about it now i really think it was god showing himself to me, and i recently started praying again not because anything got bad, but because i realized that god showed me love back then and i want to show him that i can pray even when i am going through good times. its been a special feeling since i started praying again, and this time im committed.
Prayer is talking to God, who hears it. But God also wants to talk to you. He does that in and trough the Bible. Read it with prayer. The more you know Jesus Christ (who is God revealed in a human body) and the core message of the Bible, the more you will understand what to ask God in prayer -> The more you ask according to His will, the more miracles and answer you will get. Until you reach that point, where you don't really care about miracles anymore, because it's not the gifts that really make you overwhelm in joy, but it's the relationship you have with the giver of the gifts. Having a relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, is the best thing there is, because that's what God had intended, when he created mankind.
As an extraordinarily discouraged Christian, your video is making me weep. You’re helping me restore my faith. I see the sincerity in your video. Thanks for bringing more encouragement for me to keep hanging on.
I love this video so much. Growing up I felt so conflicted, I wanted to believe in God but felt like life was empty and meaningless. I encountered God and my whole inner being was transformed. I also found how I saw the world and the people around me was changed deeply too. I was really moved by your experience of prayer. For me it is one of the most life-giving things to know someone who is beyond you in every sense that you can reach out to in gratitude, worship and trust. Thanks for your honesty and for sharing your experiences!
@@LifeGameDesign too be honest I'm just hoping not TOO many crazy/stupid Christians make too many crazy/stupid comments on your videos. Sadly, many Christians don't give much time/space for a person's spiritual journey and make it all about knowledge and doctrine and not experience and practices. Just take what people say with a grain of salt! :D :P Bless ya on your journey.
@@silver292 I've learnt that no matter what the belief there are always people on the crazier side it's just human nature. Seeing those kinds of comments will teach me more about humans than it would deter me from pursuing faith 💪
Your video was randomly pushed to me through the algorithm. I got to about the 1:30 mark and had to stop and make a comment because where you see yourself was where i saw myself not long ago. I was born and raised Catholic but lost my faith in high school, college, graduate school up until a few years ago (I'm 34). Finding faith again was not a matter of "jumping back in to Catholicism", at least not for me. It felt so insincere, and there were big important questions I needed answers to. Immersing myself in the dogma of the religion wasn't an option, I first needed to know if it were logical that God could exist. Convincing yourself of this point but nothing more is what we call "Deism". You may conclude it's logical that God exists, but you may not necessarily believe he takes any action in our lives, or even a knowledge's that we are here. Once I got to this point (and I spent quite a bit of time there) I was able to finally review some of the claims of the big religions. There are so many amazing people and resources that had answers to the exact questions that were plaguing me. It took me so much time to feel comfortable calling myself a Catholic again. Even to this day I have doubts, I think it truly is a constant journey. All I can say is, I wasn't ready to mentally or emotionally handle the idea of Jesus Christ until I could first even determine how and why everything is even here. I think the order in which you address these things is very important. I also LOVE that you said when you prayed you took a position of gratitude. I dont start any of my prayers without first thanking God for everything and every one I have been blessed with in my life. I couldn't dare ask for one single ounce of intercession without first giving the praise and glory back to him for all my blessings.
Stumbled on this video and loved it. My younger self can relate almost 100%to this. I've been a devoted Christian now for about 20 years. I will speak to the statement you made about, why does it seem like someone like you is blessed and a person who has been devoted to God their whole life seem to have a lot of struggles. The Bible gives 3 reasons, that I have found and can remember, about why we suffer. in 2 Corinthians 1, and then later iirc in chapter 12, Christians suffer so we can know and understand the level of comfort God can give. His comfort will eventually surpass any hurt you have ever felt. Secondly, we suffer so that through that experience, we can help others who are suffering and encourage them. Thirdly, we suffer to help us not become prideful and arrogant, to rely on God. I grew up in church and at 18 I left home and joined the military. Towards the end of basic training, we were about a week from graduating, one of my drill sergeants, who was a Native American and a follower of some kind of spiritualism and nature. Anyways, he asked me why I believed in the Christian God? As the conversation went on, his point was that I needed to make sure I believed what I believed for myself, and not because my parents told me so. This is probably one of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten. It basically hit the reset button on my Christianity. I spent the next few years searching and reevaluating my "why". You spoke of a peace you felt while praying.... in 2003 I was deployed to Iraq and during that year, my unit was involved in one of the longest battles of that war, it lasted over 12 hours and started with a few ambushes. My platoon was once of the groups ambushed. There were so many RPG's fired at my vehicle, we couldn't even count them, so many explosions landing all around and small arms fire. We were firing back but at the same time almost in a panic because of how overwhelmed we were. Amid all that chaos, it was like God put His assuring hand on my shoulder and told me everything was going to be okay. To this day, I don't know that I have ever experienced that kind of peace and assurance that my fear was completely gone. We fought for 12 hours that day, and many firefights after that, and I was never fearful again while bullets or explosions were all around. I know I will never have all the answers, but God became real to ME that day and not because of my parents. I know for myself that He is real and true. The Bible says, and Jordan Peterson has quoted more than a few times. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7). I have suffered greatly since the events I mentioned. So much so that I am partially paralyzed and lost sight completely in one eye. But to me God has blessed me so much more than any suffering He has allowed me to go through. He has shown me comfort that has literally made me want to sing His praises, even amidst the chronic pain I endure. He has given me such meaning in this life and direction. He has never failed me or left me. Yes Christians suffer, but we have peace and we have the Love of God on our lives. We are commanded to love others, and even pray for our worst enemies. God is good and Jesus is the way. Blessings my friend in your search for truth.
Blessings and shalom to you my brother. Your peace and joy shines through the screen I’m on and despite all you suffering. Thank you for your service and thank you for your heart
This is absolutely beautiful, I know with my lack of faith and others like me, with the same circumstances you have faced in your life I would have given up and fell into despair. Your faith is powerful and I'm so glad you shared this with us ! For me it's another piece of evidence that faith is essential for the hardship of life and I want to pursue it because I don't want an easy life , I want one that is fulfilling one - a path that god would design for me
Reading through all the comments, it seems you’ve got a lot of people who love you and are praying for you :) I’ll be doing the same. Thank you for putting this out there, it’s incredibly encouraging and humbling to see
I was super happy to listen to this! It actually made me very excited for you! I just know something is coming! You might not see yourself believing in God, but also you didnt see yourself making this video! Im just excited to see whats in store for you and I will for sure be praying for you too!!
As someone who has been hard-core Atheist (almost Anti-Theist) for my entire life, and is now in the process of becoming a Catholic at the age of 20, I want to thank you very much for that honest testimony. May the Lord grant you the best of guidance on your spiritual journey, just as he did (and still does) with me :D
That’s great to hear, I’d advice you to take a deeper dive into Catholicism and Christianity and read God’s word(The Bible) and may the lord lead you on the right path in Jesus name ❤
@@ayo2975 I've been diving into all kinds of Christianity for the past year, whether it'd be Catholicism, Orthodoxy, the several Protestant branches... Where did I end up after (, again), almost a year of basically studying all those kinds? Catholicism. This American conspiracy that Catholics are no Christians, is based on pillars put up by Satan himself, those pillars being ignorance, hatred, lies, etc. I really hope you do not belong to the kind of person that fell for this. May Jesus guide us both (further) to the correct path, and far away from Satan and his henchmen, whose goal is to spread separation between believers
I randomly got recommended this video and was very intrigued. I was raised Christian and never fell away from the faith. It’s very interesting to hear the perspective of someone who has never known God. I have never experienced that and have only recently come to realize how thankful I am that I have never had a life without God. It’s very inspiring to see you be open to prayer and the idea of God. I can see God is working on you and is fighting for your soul. I don’t know you, but I pray that God will make Himself known to you and touch you in a personal way that allows you to step into faith. Matthew 11:28 says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Such a kind, open heart. I can’t wait to meet you in heaven and talk about your life brother. My main moment of realization was when I realized nothing I ever did that was good or strength I had was from me. Because if I was being honest with myself, I am only evil. Which means God had been working in me, but why? And then I realized that the countless years of “talking to myself” with 2 alter egos I later found out was God and ME was just prayer. And the last thing I needed to learn to do was submit to God, let myself and my pride go. Jesus is the way, the truth, and most importantly the life. 💜
so insightful! i’ve been a Christian for over a decade. almost completely walked away from my faith a few years ago, and the thing that kept me from ever going through with it is what you expressed in this video. faith has given me meaning and a purpose. i really believe we are not meant to live this life for ourselves. there has to be something greater than that. i think it’s beautiful that you’ve come to that conclusion as well, even if you don’t know exactly what that means yet.
Please watch James Kawalya. So many people walk away from the faith because in America we barely see any power from God. He explains how to better connect with God and explains why prayer is so important. I'm sure you've read "Our bodies are temples" in the Bible, and heard people apply it to food and it's important to eat good food but it also meant it very literally. Remember the temple in Jerusalem? If in the Bible we are called temples then it must've been a reason. Not just because our bodies are holy but any word could've been used, but we are called temples because it's true! We can raise alters through prayer and can hear the voice of God through us, just like the voice of God was heard by people in the temple. So raise your alter through consistent prayer, why did God command the Israelites to have consistent sacrifices? It was to strengthen the alter, but we see that it didn't matter how many sacrifices if the people sacrificing were sinning against God and he said he hated their sacrifices and offerings. And this can also be true today, people can raise prayer alters and instead of humbling themselves and repenting they brag to God or maybe even talk bitterly about his neighbors. We see this inside of the gospels when Jesus talks about people the Pharisee and the sinner. The Pharisee came in and said "Thank goodness I'm not like that sinner over there." But the sinner said a different prayer, he humbled himself by not even looking up to heaven and said "God have mercy on me, I am a sinner." So who's prayer was accepted by God? It was the sinner, and not the Pharisee. So don't try to say to God "I've done all these good things, I'm not like other people because I always do what's right." So instead, humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up. But if you yourself try to barge in and make yourself higher than you are you will be torn down maybe even by God himself. He hates proud people, and expresses this a lot in the Bible. Please watch James Kawalya because he explains it better than me lol. God bless you. I watched "Activating the voice of God." And I learned these things and later learned why our bodies are called temples.
Ive been out of the faith for 5 or so years now, and honestly im really happy about my outlook on life. Disbelief makes me so comfortable. I am so content with finding my meaning in everything other than god. I can go out and hike all day, admire our planets beauty, and come home feeling fulfilled while acknowledging we're just some monkeys on a rock. I feel a weird immense amount of peace knowing there isn't really a purpose. I kind of adore the fact that I don't have to march towards making it to heaven every day, and that I don't have to watch my every move & make sure I don't land in hell. I don't really want each event to "be for a bigger plan". They can just stand on their own as something that happened. I don't want to be a "warrior of god", just being myself is enough, and I couldn't be happier that I'm content with that. It feels refreshing to know I'm not required to live up to anyones standards but my own. On the topic of debates though: even though i don't believe, I dont particularly love how these popular athiest debaters go about 1up-ing their opponent. That really shouldn't be the goal, constructive discussion should. I start to lose interest in the debate when I notice either side trying to prove they're right so their ego can be held on a pedestal. I know there are a bunch of problems in religous books, and I know how harmful belief systems can be. Those weren't the reason I left, it was simply because I'm just far more comfortable in an unaffiliated state.
Very interesting perspective you have ^^ Just wanted to share my thoughts on this specific part: "I kind of adore the fact that I don't have to march towards making it to heaven every day, and that I don't have to watch my every move & make sure I don't land in hell." I want to know where this belief stems from for you. It is a very popular misconception to think that we are saved by our works - in fact, it's so popular that even some seasoned Christians struggle to grasp this. Salvation comes through faith in God, believing with all your heart that Jesus died to take the punishment for sin in our place (which is death), rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. Simply: to be saved, all you have to do is believe, and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9). This is often where people contest this with the particular passage from James which mentions that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17), and this passage is one of the main bases of arguments for works-based salvation. However, this passage doesn't disprove that salvation is through faith - it's simply faith from a different perspective. God sees our faith, and our faith is something that should change us. One of the few ways people can see this change tangibly is through what we do. If people don't see our faith in a works-based manner, yet we profess it, then they will think it's a dead faith. That's what the passage is getting at. Christ died once and for all time for all sin: past, present and future. As long as we live in a fallen world, we're bound to make mistakes, because sin and death are still at work. It's only when we stop trusting in God and never return to Him before death that we can "land in hell". As long as we trust in God and believe, we're already marching towards heaven. We don't work to get into heaven, because Christ has already done it. If one wants to go back to a works-based salvation, they need to go back to the ways of the old covenant and obey every single letter in the law. Just my few cents as someone who has been a Christian for a long time and has grappled with this particular issue for years. :) **tl;dr:** Our faith should change us both on the inside and outside. Jesus paid the wages of sin on the cross, which is death, and He defeated it by rising again. We don't work to get into heaven, Jesus did that saving work and all we need to do is believe. Works stem from this faith. If we have to work to get into heaven, then Jesus didn't really do anything, did He?
And I wanted to put this in a separate comment since the other one was quite long (has a tl;dr though): I respect that you want to remain unaffiliated, and I wish you the best with your life.
Bro this was an awesome discussion! It reminds me of the convo we had a few months back lol. Speaking as a Christian myself I'll be the first to admit that faith is something that you grow in to. It takes time to truly be able to say "ok God, you got it because I definitely don't". 😂 I'm glad you got to have this type of experience so you could draw your own conclusions. But seriously man I wanted to say thank you for being able to have this conversation without attacking faith or anything like that. I understand your arguments and everything was honestly well said. Can't wait to see more from you bro!
@@TheLiberatedOtaku appreciate that man! I'm glad that it come off as an attack on Christianity because the old me would have done that, and I also needed to explain how my thinking was back then. Having that conversation with you really helped me get here 💪❤️
Wow… this was so intellectual but also beautiful. If only you knew what’s in store for you. I’m so excited for you! I have to say, I have so much admiration for people who were once an atheist, and changed their mind/perspective.
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." As someone drawn to intellectual reasoning, you need to know what is true. A great place to start in your journey is reading. I'd recommend starting with "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Athiest" by Frank Turek, then read "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (who was also a former atheist)! You have no idea just how many followers of Christ are praying for your soul and that you will know God ❤
Bro it's so much more than placebo. God can show you what He's actually doing behind the scenes. He can show you what the devil is doing behind the scenes too. It's mind blowing. You can always rationalize it away of course, but it's far from just placebo i believe.
@@eljefe8149 from a metaphorical point After reading "outwitting the devil" by Napoleon hill one of my most favorite books I had a good understanding of what a "devil" would do and it lead me to think of god
May God continue to bless you, Michael. I loved listening to your story, your intelligence and your honesty. My own was almost the opposite: I was a bit into alternate stuff, and also investigated various religions - in fact, pretty much all except Christianity! I had a preconception of Christianity as being wishy-washy, boring, anodyne and manmade. Some Aussie friends got me onto the Alpha course - we'd had a conversation about philosophy and the meaning of life - so I reluctantly went along. It really was brilliant. The point of it is that after the 30-45 minute talk and having supper in a group, you get to talk and argue amongst yourselves. Also, during the week I'd buy books to prove to Christianity was wrong. I don't know if you've opened the New Testament yet (it's not very long), but when eventually I did I couldn't believe it. I leapt out of bed (by then it was about 3am) to ring family & friends as it was so earth-moving, but then I realised the time. Anyway, about halfway through the course I realised that, although I was just as determined to find holes in Christianity, I was also aware that my inner core was starting to feel warmer and flooded with a feeling of "rightness". So it developed into a sort of pleasurable game of testing to see if it held up as true. I read so much, made loads of notes and questions, and wrote to various authors (and got replies back). And it did very much hold up, which satisfied my rational mind. But it wasn't until the weekend away at the end of the course, when people are encouraged to invite the Holy Spirit into their lives, that I knew I'd become a Christian. Anyway, that's my journey. I do recommend the course. If you want, you could do it online - but in a way you'd be cheating yourself, because two important parts of the course are eating together and chatting, and then arguing as much as you want after the talk. And at the end of the 2 hours of the session, each small group is invited to say if they'd like prayer for anything. The course is free, including the supper if people don't have any money - otherwise a small donation to the cost of the food is welcomed (usually between £3 to £5 depending). All the very best - you've started on the most amazing journey of your life.
We have all fallen short of the glory of God and sinned. You and I have lied, stolen, lusted, blasphemed, if you have done any of these in your life before, (even once!) you’ve broken God’s Law and deserve punishment, hell. But you know what God did for guilty sinners like us so we wouldn’t have to go to hell? Jesus Christ died on that cross to save you from all your sin, and rose again defeating death three days later. If you simply repent (turn from sin) and trust in Jesus you’ll be saved forever. God Bless you.
Repentance doesn’t mean turning from sin in context of salvation. A person is not saved if they’re trying to get saved by turning from sin. So that’s a very dangerous false gospel presentation.
@@yuvia1452 It’s really disappointing that Jesus wasn’t able to package the whole theology as tightly as Ray Comfort can…it almost makes you wonder if Ray is oversimplifying things. 🤔
Thank you for the reminder. I pray nearly every night without fail (I'm a student, sometimes we pass out from exhaustion and that is not completely on me XD), but I don't make enough time to do the other important things. Taking time to read my Bible (I'm the kind of person who doesn't stop once I start...), to deepen my relationship with Him, to frequently find time for charity work. I shall try to do better.
Thank you for your honesty and sharing this, it was fantastic. There is a quote I love from the agnostic Robert Jastrow a NASA scientist, from his book “GOD and the astronomers”: For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”
This is amazing! Your honesty about how Atheism doesn't really do anything for anyone is very respectable. Have you ever read any of the gospels? I think that hearing from Jesus himself in the gospels will give you what you are looking for. Jesus is the only road that leads to true life. I promise he's the real thing, not a placebo! Or if you don't want to do that, maybe you can watch Joshua Basset's story about how he found God from the Zach Sang show. It came out 2 months ago. He explains exactly what happened when he found Jesus and how his life completely changed from that point on. It was a crazy story to listen to! Man, if you come to be a believer, you're going to love learning about Christian theology. It will be a whole other dimension of truth--the ultimate truth--that you can explore and immerse yourself in. I'll be praying for God to draw you near to him! Also, God healed me from cancer 4 years ago ;) But that's not the only healing God can offer--he heals our inner wounds and makes us whole again. And he even invites you into his family! God is the ultimate good who invites us into a life that surpasses anything that we can imagine with our limited human minds.
I have the opposite experience of this. I grew up Christian and always felt weird and alienated as if I don't belong and it caused me much hardship. It wasn't until leaving the church that I felt better and more at peace. I was able to find myself and my reason for my existence
There is a HUGE difference between leaving the Church and leaving God. I am a Christian by heritage and believe in God, not for the sake of religion or even faith, but because I know for a fact he is real. It's just logic to me. There's a whole speech I could give on that, but I think it's important to know that the Church isn't God and the Church is just another flawed world with their own pressures that want to say they are better, but aren't. I am still trying to figure out what God is to me at this moment, but I absolutely walked from the church. The interesting thing about God though is that there is a lot of concepts that he can help with, that the Church does get in the way with, but there is a certain level to reach before you get there.
I think the reason people often have that experience is because the view of christianity is skewed for people who feel relieved leaving the church. And I totally agree with that. Though, coming to christ is a completely different story. Unless somebody hates love, caring for and serving one another, treatig people well, and taking care of yourself, christianity is a great way to live life regardless. It seperates itself from other religions because its not about us getting closer to God, but God getting closer to us. While he has a perfect standard, and while we are expected to try our best, he is merciful when we fail repeatedly to meet that standard because of his understanding.
As a former atheist, please don't feel like your atheism is wrong in any way. I don't believe in hell except for the hell we manifest with our own minds. I believe that your atheism is exactly what God wants for you, maybe even until the end of your life if it makes a good contribution to society, and that you won't be punished for it. More importantly, don't let anyone who tries to change your mind get you down. They probably don't understand your experiences and if they did they'd be interested in discussing the things that you really are interested in. I really understand where atheists come from, and I believe that you have a ton to teach theists. I still agree with many atheists more than Christians. I'm sorry, but I can't resist the temptation to plant this seed: is there a religious truth that you could discover independently? I meant it as a question that could turn an atheist into a theist, but I think it could also turn a theist into an atheist.
@@patrickmontoya1476 Ok look, that is true. We all have something to teach each other, but dont be spreading falso information. God does not want anyone to not believe in him. As far as hell goes, i dont believe it is what people think it is either, but God wants a relationship with everyone. He doesnt punish, he just allows the consequences of actions.
@@patrickmontoya1476 no one is trying to bring him down, but truth is truth and we should all strive to see it and whoever thinks they have it shoukd share it( peacefully of course and allow someone else to make their own decision). But not all roads lead to paradise
It was really interesting to see the outlook of an atheist! As a Christian, I will say that we don't follow Christ for the purpose of having fortune on Earth (perfect health, money, etc.). The purpose of our trials and struggles is to bring us into deeper relationship with God as we learn to rely on and rest in Him. He's where we know joy. Will be praying for you as you continue seeking!
"i prayed for 30 days and here's what happened..." LOL. But seriously though, this is super great that you're actually doing this. I've got a pretty simple "how to"/"Christian lifestyle" video if you're interested. 👀 The LORD took away my 2 major vices that were my objective M.O. in life. Cheers, dude! 😊
Hi, Michael. Really insightful video and very convicting to me, who has been a Christian my whole life and has really fallen off of daily prayer, Scripture reading, etc. You remind me a lot of myself and what I would have been like were I not raised in the faith. Like you, I put a lot of value and importance on being able to logically explain the world around you. I have also had to learn that it’s not the end-all be-all - but I will also say that you definitely don’t need to give up on it altogether! One of my favorite arguments for God is the “transcendental” argument, which is the idea that there must be an underlying reason why things like logic and math are universally consistent, and that is best explained by a perfect and unchanging God. Like you said, there are so many great philosophers and scientists and thinkers who are Christian - faith in God can’t be reached by logic, but it is actually a great motivator to think harder about the world around us in an effort to appreciate God’s creation to the max! Much love, and I hope your journey towards faith continues to be fruitful!!
I’m not Christian but I would sometimes like to go to church to surround myself with the positivity and faith, I got to see public speakers and I also almost always learnt something about life that I could relate to my own experiences. I believe we don’t have to be Christian to enjoy the benefits of certain habits. It would be stupid of us not to give some of the habits a try and keeping a open mind to the certain advice or guidance religion might give someone and not looking at it face value to realise you probably gain more than lose to for example go to church, pray, learn about the religion, or anything really. These things are harmless and I annoyed hearing your perspective and experiment. ❤️💪🏽🙏🏽
@@EdenDorset I'd be keen to have an experience in church, I had a christian friend in primary school who took me to more of like an after school care thing that was inside of a church but there was no practice involved so it doesn't really count
@@LifeGameDesign whereabouts are you based? There might be a good church you could visit near you. Or maybe you could go with your girlfriend (if she's a churchgoer)?
Will pray for you brother, and anyone else reading this comment. My Dad recently passed away, and it became so clear that faith in Jesus not only helped get through that dark time, but gave myself and my family a bright future to look forward to, knowing that we’ll see him again.
I've found the most amazing and thoughtful comments ever! Thank you all so much ❤️ I'll be diving deeper into my exploration of faith and sharing more on how it goes soon 💪
Currently Reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S Lewis & Reading parts of the bible with my amazing and incredibly supportive girlfriend. And of course I will continue to pray 😊🙏
If you want to hear about my raw thoughts on my navigation through this, here is my free weekly newsletter lifegamedesign.gumroad.com/
Please share some more recommendations to challenge my knowledge and faith as I want to broaden the information I have on this from both sides.
Follow up video coming in the next 3 days 🙂
You should try listening to worship music and just meditate on the words. I recommend UPPERROOM. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and He will. The more you get to know God, the more everything in this world makes sense.
This is my first time watching you, but I wish you luck! Here's my experience with faith/logic, maybe it could help you:
Although I grew up in a strong Catholic family, I was never super concerned about my faith until recently. Entering college, as I began studying engineering I realized how much of a 'logical thinker' I was, and I started learning more about many differnet aspects of the world (including listening to some of the people you mentioned). I recently went through something that made me realize how little I knew about my faith and why I believe what I do, so I figured that I would dive into the actual arguments for faith in God. I initially started with the topic of God being a creator in general, but recently more of the specifics of the Christan faith.
I think partly why I was not as involved in my faith was because, being a more logical person who trusts scientific discovery, I had associated religion and faith with an exclusion or denial of logic and science. The more I learned, the more I realized that belief in God does not conflict with scientific discovery at all. Instead, I have found that they go hand in hand, and realized that learning more about our physical world and its history has actually strengthened my belief and faith in God. I believe that if you pursue a similar exploration, that you will find the same. Here are a few resources that helped me along this journey:
Cliffe Knechtle - he has debated the existence of God on college campuses for years, he explains well how you can logically conclude that God exists.
John Lennox - A Mathematician at Oxford who has also made many arguments for the existence of God
This video - ruclips.net/video/UvU8MGzmsLI/видео.html
Finally, the Bible. I know people who are Athiests who haven't read the Bible, so they don't even know exactly what they are disagreeing with. I'm not saying to go read the whole thing (I still haven't made it all the way through) but it's helpful to actually know what claims it makes.
I know that was kinda a lot, but I think these could possibly help you the way they helped me. I truly believe you can still maintain logic while believing in a higher power as an explanation for our universe. I wish you the best in this exploration, good luck!
Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Even if you didn’t become Christian because of strong belief, you can’t argue with the results. Practicing Christianity and following Christ brings happiness and purpose in one’s life, because doing good works isn’t for a reward, but to glorify Him and be its own reward. There is also far more history backing up Christianity regarding archeology and more than any other faith in the world. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, they have nothing on Christ. May the Lord bless and guide you!❤✝️
Hey brother! I'm so gratefull for this type of content, i'll just try to encourage you to not stop, because "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth;" Luke 11:10. So just continue, and i beg you, use logic, because if God create you in His image you can find Him even in your process of thinking, may God bless you!
I'll be praying for you, for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and for his presence
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
Definitely working on putting my all into this ❤
@@LifeGameDesignim praying for you
curious how I did that, and found out the that the bible, and christians, lie.
Glory be to God! God is truly good.
@@zbuilder4664 I know that some Bible verses can look messed up, but remember that:
Context, like time, place and people, is a thing
At that time and place it seemed like the people there were idolatrers
Mistranslations also exist. They are, sometimes, pretty small, but we can keep track of them, thanks to advanced reseach resources
The original terms used for "small boys" and "boys" in the ESV translation have a somewhat wide range of definition, which, while having the possibility to include little children, could also describe men old enough to go to a militar expedition (Genesis 14:24), seek marriage (Genesis 34:19) and be spies sent to Rahab in Jericho (Joshua 6:23). And the other term was used to describe 17 yeas old. And, while the men described could be considered young, it was very likely for them to not be little kids, and it is not impossible for the translator to have translatd the terms as "small boys" because of the infantility of the insults, but still made the mistake to not consider the Lord's Mercy and Love, because He understands that little children are, well, small!
(I took things from this site: knowingscripture.com/articles/elisha-and-the-bears-2-kings-2-23-25)
There are many circumstances in the Bible were Jesus talks about the little children in a lovingly and wholesome way, don't ignore them: the Lord loves children! And everyone, and you too! :)
what's crazy about this video is that this guy did 30 days of consistent prayer as an atheist yet some Christians fail to do a week😢
What I've found is that there is a difference between faith in god, and religion - the practices that are to be followed
@@LifeGameDesignI wish you would write an article about this because deep down I fear I have a little more faith in religion, prayer rituals, communal church experiences etc than in God himself.
@@LifeGameDesignPrrreeaaaach!!!!!!!!
Don't look at splinters in others eyes and fail to see the beam in your own eye.
@@LifeGameDesign this is why many Christians say they aren't religious. We see our faith as a journey and a relationship between ourselves and Jesus. That's basically the foundation of Christianity: Jesus set us free, so we don't need to be slaves to ritual law.
Man, this made me emotional. I used to be an atheist... Until God radically changed me 4 years ago. All I can say is, keep going. I've found that when you earnestly and humbly seek God, you will find Him.
Wow how I can relate to you. Hardcore atheist for 30 years, 4 years ago I was awoken from a deep sleep and found God like a snap of a finger. ❤
The irony of religion is this. It is a lie, and otherwise honest people will tell lies about their experience with the lie.
Love that you’re processing this before the world. You are right, Atheism doesn’t serve you… as a former atheist who asked all the hard question prior to the christian faith, it’s even better than placebo. Try writing your prayers and then review them later.
Ruslan, are you making a video reacting to this one? :O
I've never thought about writing my prayers down, that's something I'd be keen to try, for the month after this I started praying with my girlfriend every night who is Christian, it feels so good for both of us everytime
@@LifeGameDesignI love your openness and willingness to explore faith - despite your current views! Shows great intellectual honesty and respect 🫡
Yooo Ruslan
@@LifeGameDesign Glad you are beginning to see the other side... However, not to scare you but umm, when you eventually find Jesus *Cause you seem like you GENUINLY want a relationship with God). The Journey won't be easy, you'll probably have to stop a whole lot of things in your life, and even for someone actively trying to serve the Lord, it's not easy... Still, speak with God with respect, and have conversations with him like you would with your father, this should help get you going.
Its odd that Christian faith is perceived to be linked to irrationality. To me, the idea that an orderly, beautiful universe can come from nothing is the height of irrationality to me. I think that you need to explore intellectual Christians like C.S Lewis and Timothy Keller and their musings on faith and God (more specifically Christ). I'd also suggest you check out J Warner Wallace as well. The Christian faith has a solid, intellectual and historical basis. The problem is many atheists have never explored that basis (shrugs).
I've seen a lot of respectable scientists hold this perspective.
@@LifeGameDesign which perspective? The idea that order and harmony can come from nothing? Or the idea that an orderly universe comes from an intelligent Creator?
@LifeGameDesign I struggle with the idea of order and design coming from nothing / a void since we instinctively reject that premise in everyday life and reality. When I see a Ferrari, I don't think to myself that it came together through a random explosion in a scrapheap 😆 I assume design and manufacturing took place.
@@majose7787 Exactly this is point I try to address to many atheists. Science clearly shows that you can't have a creation without a creator. The atheistic worldview in that nothing created everything is very unscientific as it has never been observed before ever. People will call you crazy for saying that a plane made itself as they should as plane don't come by chance but by a intellectual being that places purpose behind the plane. This is the same way with God. As you read the Genesis you can see how God created the world. The Bible goes against the desires of man and points us to the truth that Jesus is God.
@@majose7787This is true. Also the fact that abiogenesis has never been proven or even observed once. EVERYTHING we see reinforces the fact life comes from life. There’s been no evidence or experiments that have been able to create life from inanimate elements, objects, or materials….
It’s illogical to observe this on a daily basis and draw the conclusion that life came from nothing.
As far as theory goes the concept of a living God creating life that replicates, as well the orderly and intelligent design we can observe in nature is far more rational than thinking all of it just happened to come about.
That’s the equivalent of finding a working space ship that was inconceivable meticulously constructed and assuming it just assembled itself by random chance… No the rational assumption is there’s an intelligent being that intentionally designed it.
Was a Heroin addict with bi polar through my suffering i asked Jesus Christ to help me . Early on i had a vision of a giant gold headed statue i had no understanding of the bible but i know it was the head of the statue of king Nebuchadnezzar that was the start of my journey very soon after that i experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit followed a few months later by a water baptism i have been blessed so much by God and truly set free from many oppressions that had me bound for a lifetime, I tried stoicism, Buddhism, religion, psychology the lot and none of it set me free like Jesus Christ has , Praise God
Thank you Jesus!
Praise God! Thank you for sharing. Testimonials encourages all of us.
@@chrisgreen2299 May God bless you abundantly in Jesus name Amen ❤️
I am curious what you saw in the vision. Was there more or just the statue head?
Perhaps it was only to lead you to Jesus. But perhaps he was giving you a message in addition to that.
"God does nothing without revealing to his saints"
And
Those who have been called as servants will also be called as friends
@@JoyRaptor I saw just a giant golden head no other part of the statue. What it meant to me at the time and I didn't have alot of knowledge was that the time of king Nebuchadnezzar was upon us again. Also I believe it was to witness to a friend of mine who was actually working right in that area at the time. I don't always get revelation of what I see straight away and also I had not been baptized by the spirit or by water at that time. May God bless you abundantly in Jesus name Amen ❤️
My life wasn’t that bad as an atheist, I had a good job and place to live and I enjoyed lots of hobbies. But I was alone. Utterly alone. And between drug experiences and new ageism, I felt the true weight of a meaningless life. I decided to pray one day, “if there really is a God out there, please let me see you. If you exist, I want to follow you.” And he did. Not in any big way, but within myself. I could see his presence in my life, the way he had been guiding my steps and caring for me. I felt the love of the Father. It took me another 6 months before I became a Christian, but he walked me through it. Now I’m a faithful Catholic.
Good for you man! Ave Cristo Rey!
Glory be to God ❤ I pray good things come your way
from another catholic
That’s a beautiful backstory and grateful for Gods work in your transition, I also think that even as a Catholic, you should explore the roots of Catholicism and Christianity with itself, I pray that finds you more answers and peace within yourself, God bless you
@@clivegovera4910 thank you for your kind words. Church history (history in general) and theology are a passion of mine, since joining the church I have really enjoyed learning. Peace to you, brother.
Wow! Praise God! 🙌🏼
Man I used to be the same. Following Jesus more and more coincidences just start happening in your life, that’s way more then a placebo. It’s been a up and down relationship with God. He has a lot of patience. I’m finally getting baptized this Saturday. God bless you brother hope you keep seeking and he will answer.
LET’S GOO 💪
Continue to trust and draw near to the Lord. Jesus Christ loves you. All of heaven is rejoicing :)
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
THE DEVIL HAS LOST ANOTHER ONE! I REPEAT! THE DEVIL HAS LOST ANOTHER ONE! Welcome to the family :)) Heaven is rejoicing over you
Fire bro🔥
The Devil's a LOSER, praise Jesus! HALLELUJAH!
Congratulations! So glad to have you as a brother in Christ.
Something I've noticed from atheist's conversions to christianity - and also from this video - is that they tend to observe christians closely, and that is why they realize we are so much more content and joyful and, well, different. So remember this Christians: even if you cannot find yourself verbally witnessing to someone, your life will be your testimony. So live it with that in mind, because you may be the only bible someone reads in their lifetime. Love this video! ❤
@@neosartt okay your last sentence is an awesome quote! Thank you!
Regarding your last sentence: A fellow Christian once said: My Bible was mom. Before I could even read I understood what pleases God and that Jesus Christ is the center of her life and joy.
Glory to God. I was an atheist/satanist/hater of God from ages 10-24. God saved me and completely changed my heart and my desires. Now I live for Him and He is gradually putting to death all of the old me. Praying for you brother. Christ is King
I'm so happy to hear that you're on a better path my friend! ❤️🙏
@ogloc6308 Former theistic Satanist here and I'm surprised cause my story is similar, found God when I was 25(33 now) accepting Christ in my heart was the best decision I've ever made!🙏
What changed your mind?
Wow you've been through it all.
Amazing! Sorry may I ask why you hated God? I’m so interested amd trying to understamd
As soon as you said “fulfilling life”, I knew exactly what I wanted to share:
The gospel of John in chapter 10 says this in verse 10, ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Not sure how I came across your video, but I’ll be praying that God knocks on the door of your heart, that you know it’s Him, and that you let Him in.
This is beautiful ! Thank you!
@@LifeGameDesignI’d also maybe recommend reading the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. It deals with meaningless in life apart from God and other pieces of wisdom.
@@taylorw.m4558That is such a good recommendation and I totally agree!!
@@taylorw.m4558 If you don't want to watch it, there is a VERY good video done by 'Bible Project' as a summary, as part of their 'wisdom series'. I'm not saying don't read it, just it's an amazing video
@@taylorw.m4558 Think of Ecclesiastes as someone in the same place as yourself when you made this video. The writer of that book is reflecting on all the things one can experience in the world without God. And he finds all of it meaningless.
I love this video! I am an atheist/agnost but over the last years I am starting to be so interested in Christianity and religion in general. I feel like my life would feel so much more purposeful with it. Happy to be learning from you as share your journey 😀
Don’t believe a lot of what you hear about Christian history.. much of it will be different sides trying to stay divided… Start with what Jesus Himself said and work your way out from there 🙏🏼❤️
Well, do you care if your beliefs are actually true, or just that they may make you feel better? If you prefer comfort over what can actually be demonstrated to be true, then go ham. Just please, I beg you, don't make decisions that affect other people based on Faith, if that's the path you choose.
Research Christian Apologetics
Read a Case for Christ by Lee Stobel....I was a Christian before I read this book and did a study on it BUT the evidence/ logic in this book made me grow and removed doubts that God wasn't real. You know, I don't think, I have ever had a real conversation with someone that didn't once doubted what they believed. Jesus is always proving himself even to the "believers" also really quick I know the trinity confuses ppl the best way I have learned to understand this concept is God is 3 in 1 just as you and I are...mind, body, spirit...God(Father), Jesus, Holy Spirit (Ghost ). In Genesis it states that God made man in his image...logically this concept makes sense. Also I have been doing this walk for 15yrs ish and I never understood that Jesus is God and God is Jesus until the last 3 to 4 yrs. I think this book also helped me on my path to understanding this.
Don’t know why RUclips recommended this to me but I’m so glad it did. You have such a sincere soul- made me tear up a little! Your thoughts on gratitude made me think of a C.S. Lewis quote: “The worst moment for an atheist is when he feels a profound sense of gratitude and has no one to thank.” If you keep sincerely seeking truth, God will guide you to it and you will encounter Him. I wish you the best!
OMG THAT QUOTE IS IT!! 🔥 SO EXCITED TO READ NOW!!
@@LifeGameDesignMere Christianity is a must read from Lewis. But would also recommend Miracles (content is not what you’d expect from title). Have fun reading!
Same. I have no idea why this video popped up, but I'm glad it did.
The best way to be thankful in this case is to do something good for another person
I love CS Lewis, thank you so much for sharing that
Same thing man... for my first prayer, over two years ago, I prayed for comfort, figuring that at the very least God could do that. And He did. The Comforter comforted, and over two years later, today, I am a devout Christian. There is so much beauty and truth in the world, just gotta seek it.
@@alexanderkrneta8032 I'm so happy for you! Your faith is powerful 🙏
That you were honest to admit the basis of your conversion or reversion to Christianity was “comfort” is so very telling. There’s a saying that “there are no atheists in foxholes or deathbeds”. This is clearly not a factual statement, but, even for the ones to whom it does apply, it doesn’t say much except that they are looking for comfort as well as the more intense version of comfort-survival (albeit in the form of an afterlife)-and are psychologically damaged/desperate enough that they will take anything they can remotely twist into god as reason to become a believer, not that it makes god any more justified.
@ZhangK71 I... I uhhh wasn't even considering an afterlife at the time. Do you need a Snickers bar?
@ZhangK71 But nah. My conversion wasn't based on that. A lot did happen that week. But a lot happened over the course of 2 years. I was definitely a bit hard of heart, which is why it took so long. God bless, man. If you're genuinely seeking truth, I'm willing to chat.
@@alexanderkrneta8032 Good thing your immature response with the “Snickers bar” comment shows me it’s not worth having a serious discussion with someone who clearly doesn’t want one. Thanks; it saved both of our time.
I came to know God as a young kid. 23 yrs ago, I lost all faith and lived as an atheist until this winter. I didn’t hate God, their wasn’t one to hate. Though I hated his followers and wished death upon some of them. Laughing when I heard some die.
This winter was dark and cold and I’m blessed to have made it out.
I’m my lowest of lows I prayed (in 23 yrs I’ve had many and never prayed, son in ICU, never prayed.).
I called out to the Lord and he answered me call. Helped my mind to heal, put people around me to show me his love and care. Now less than 10 months later, I’m helping to lead a men’s accountability group at my church. This weekend taking 12 men into the woods to camp, bond and grow closer to God.
God is real and God loves you, no matter what you believe about him.
This is beautiful. Pray was my word for the year. Now that this year is coming to a close this comment really sticks out to me. I have been more intentional with pray and its been a WOW to say the least!
@@un_qualifiedpodcast prayer changes things. It’s so very powerful.
Jesus said with the faith of a mustard seed, we could move a mountain.
I believe.
I hope the best for you, never stop praying.
Former atheist here. Had a friend, who was raised Christian, to talk to and he answered many of my doubts. I realized, just as you, that not believing is meaningless. I prayed that Jesus enters my life and my heart and it did happen. Best decision of my life.
Not only did all of heaven rejoice. But we along with you rejoice!!
So excited to welcome you to the family!!! Congratulations on the best & most important decision of your life! ❤
What defining thing could you possibly say that happened after Jesus entered your life without providing sentiments and going around the appeal to emotion
@@green.release you are right, that most of what I experienced was inwardly. One outward experience, I could mention, is that from my prayer on, the topic of Jesus was immediately more present in my life. For example, a not so close friend of mine came to me randomly and said he had this urge to ask me if I was believing in Jesus. We never spoke about faith before. I didn't even know at that time that he was Christian. Retrospectively, I see that God entered my life, by sending people to me to talk to about faith and thus making it more present in my life and thinking more about it.
@@simonvonroenn that doesn't mean anything tangible 😂, and the example you gave is nothing outwardly, your friend did he know you were an atheist and also did you ever do any subtle religious thing around your friend that could have possibly lead to his conclusion
As a Christian, I find it interesting that you feel unworthy of the blessings you have received in your life compared to someone who prays to God in faith.
What you described is God's grace, his loving and merciful nature to all as we can see in Psalms 145:9: "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." Grace comes from the word “Gratia”, which means “for free”.
It's logical to think that someone who is trying their best to do God's will and who prays a lot and has a strong faith can somehow "earn more" of God's rewards. But just as we didn't ask to be made, we can't earn God's gifts. They are free, else it wouldn't be gifts.
The main difference between Christianity and other religions, is that it's a relationship with God who created us and what he has given us, rather than striving for some rewards ourselves. That’s why people find God at the end of their own attempts. It was never about us striving, it was about God who created us, gave us life and gave us Jesus.
Whenever I get into hardships in life, the foundation I find in Christ is stronger than anything else. It’s the only peace that holds.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
Thank you so much for this perspective! I guess I was thinking of the relationship to god being transactional but it seems to be much more than I could have imagined
@@LifeGameDesign Also if this helps, I have found that there is nothing you can do to make God love you less or more. Yes, because even before the foundations of the earth were made, he thought about you, knew you and loved you so much he decided to create you in your mother's womb. We cannot earn God's love He gives us for free.
@@LifeGameDesignIn relation to the above comment by Davidademola3770, Ephesians 1:3-5 backs up his statement. I'll paste it here. Ephesians 1:3-5 NKJV
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, [4] just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, [5] having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
I pray that God continues to reveal himself to you. Seems like He's doing that already. Stay blessed!
@@LifeGameDesignTruth is, all religions are transactional, that why when people who hear about christianity they think its one of the same. However, Christianity is the only belief where we dont have to climb up to be with God, in Christianity God came down to be with us (Jesus Christ), and carry us up with him. That is what we define as grace. Undeserving favor. Just as a Father can love a child without the child ever doing anything to win his love, God truly loves us. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
My husband was atheist till age 39, he was at a low point of his life when he made the heartfelt prayer in his heart, "God if you are real, show me and I will follow you" and he started to experience many supernatural events. As a logical thinker, he kept asking for confirmations and at one point he saw a vision in his mind of Jesus in a cave. When he reached out to touch his hand, he felt a sensation of electricity enter his hand and go up his arm. It has been a 4 year journey that has been nothing short of colourful and it has been extremely fulfilling. We have heard so many compelling testimonies of people in my country of how God has met them where they are and brought them immense comfort in difficult situations, certainly not a placebo effect , but people who have heard God through thought imprints, a prophetic word of knowledge from others, dreams or even the audible voice of God (this is rare). If you seek God / Jesus genuinely, you will certainly find Him. Pray to know Him more and He can orchestrate events to make it happen 🕊
I have tried to be an atheist three times in the last 35 years. I seem to find a way back into prayer and seeking after God. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful experiment with prayer!
Jesus love you so much brother. Come back to him, he's waiting with open arms. You are his son.
God keeps knocking on your heart!
@@monkeyofspice oh wow that's really interesting! what inclined you to try atheism? And what keeps bringing you back to your faith in God?
@@LifeGameDesign That is a great question, thanks for asking. I was raised in a non-religious home, but I have chosen to spend a lot of my life with religious people. I love adventure, travel, history, technology and learning about cultures. To understand a “foreign” people I have learned you need to accept their values and see through their world view. This can take you to some interesting places, sometimes uncomfortable situations. The root cause analysis for my three seasons with atheism came from suffering, disappointment and depression in life. To me atheism is a process of dulling your senses to filter out God’s communication to you. I have seen and heard too much. It is difficult for me to believe that our planet, history and humans came from a random unguided cosmic occurrence. Sorry for being vague, I am summarizing 50 years of my life.
@@monkeyofspiceMonkey. Do a root cause analysis on why there is evil and suffering in the world. I want to know your answer.
Hey man, long term Christian here. When I kind of spend less time reading the Bible, praying to God, and just doing christian things, I find myself more angry and hateful towards others, I suffer from anxiety, and depression. And when I am spending time to connect with God and study my Bible or even paying attention in church, I am genuinely happier, calmer, just at peace with myself. I've had some really interesting things happen to me that proved to me without a doubt that God is real when I doubted his existence. There's a ton of proof in the Bible about God being real, but I recommend picking up a book called a rebel's manifesto, it's an autobiography about a guy who's wife became Christan and when she did, she became a much better person, and this guy thought it was an act or pelcibo or something like that so he tried to prove that God wasn't real, but in his research he actually proved to himself that God was real. It's a great book I'd highly recommend checking out. Speaking from experience though, being a Christian has really brought out the best version of myself, and it probably will for you too. I wish you the best of luck on this journey and will be praying for you as well!
Amen 🙏✝️
Thank you for this honestly everything you have described is exactly what I would love more of I'm going to curate myself some material from all these wonderful comments and dive deeper!
@@LifeGameDesign yeah man anytime!
@@insid3493 I concur and what you said reminds of this verse Isaiah 26:3-4, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the Lord GoD is an everlasting rock."
I might be mistaken but do you mean the book A Case for Christ? you described what was essentially A Case for Christ but maybe A Rebel's Manifesto is also written on the same thing but a different experience. Great recommendation regardless!!
Those who knock on God's door, will always find Him open it right up! Seek Him and you will find Him. Your awesome man.
I’m here for it. Newly found Christian, my life is, on paper, probably the worst it’s ever been. But I’ve never felt more freedom and purpose in all my life, even at the height of my successes when I had everything I wanted.
The one biggest change is learning the true meaning of certain words. I never knew peace and joy the way I do now, and that realization when it hit me, was like opening my eyes and living for the first time. I hope the same for you one day! Just wanted to share
I'm happy for you! I've found the people who deal with the worst in life but have faith are those who carry on, just as Jesus bore the cross ❤️
You summed up how I felt after making this video perfectly!! I literally screenshot this and sent it to my friend, hope you don't mind 🙏❤️
@@LifeGameDesign Amen to that! Thank you, it’s not an easy life! But I’d choose this over my old life any day. There’s purpose in my suffering and meaning in the strife now, nothing is wasted.
@@LifeGameDesign Man, I’m glad to hear that! And I don’t mind at all! There really is no logical explanation like you said. But, and you mentioned this, you won’t always have those heightened feelings and a lot of people give up when this wears off. But, the one thing I think Atheists and the Bible can agree on is that “the heart can be deceitful” (feeling deflated, negative self talk, etc) so we have to have enough faith even when we don’t have the “feels” to know that God is still working within you.
I wish you the best if you decide to continue exploring this and will be praying for you. There’s a big network of us here to support without judgement and in kindness ✝️🙏🏼
@@user-ni5hx8ly6k A friend of mine shared once a valuable lesson for Christian fellowship.
“Let the Bible be the engine, that pulls the wagons: faith, concience, feeling. In that order!
If you put any of the 3 wagons as your engine, you'll fail in your Christian life.
If you switch the order of the wagons, you will struggle.“
To be Christian IS to be logical.
100%!
Well, frankly, tradition holds that as God is 100% reasonable and at the same time beyond reason, there are simply some things that our reason can't grasp about the Christian faith. Take the mystery of the incarnation for starters
That's a bold claim, there's no logic in believing in one of the thousands of gods that keep hiding from us, if it brings you comfort then I don't have anything against it but calling it logical is simply logical suicide
@@tayo6882 yeah lol, so maybe not logical by any means of our logic at least
@@tayo6882 To be Christian is to be logical, to comprehend the infinite, timeless, space-less, material-less being that is God in totality is to be greater than infinite. we are not that. this is logical to me. God is the source of logic and reason, among many other things he is not contained or totally defined by their constraints.
I was raised a Christian a Protestant my whole life I always believed God. It was more than belief, I knew Him or least I thought. I prayed, fasted, shared my faith. But in my heart, I never really believed God loved me. I saw my existence as something that was merely supposed to serve Him. At a point, this made me cynical of Him.
At a point I walked away from church. I still prayed and fasted and read my Bible, I didn’t really believe in His love for me. A couple years ago I began a journey toward Catholicism.
It was explained to me by the Catholic Church that God is a community of love and that God’s very action of creation was love. All at once, I realized that I wasn’t made merely to serve, but that God’s initial intention around creating me was to love me. 😢
My whole life I had looked at Him as a hard Father as a mean master, that no matter how hard I tried I would still fail to please.
But I was so wrong. God made me knowing me completely through and through…. He loved me. All I really have to do in return is love Him and love His creatures for His sake. 😮
It’s so simple.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's my first time listening to you. When I became a Christian many years ago, the most acute thing I immediately realised the same night was that an emptiness I had felt on the inside was gone. I was trying to fill it with things that were going to lead me to a very very dark place I couldn't return from. The only other thing I can say is that having faith in God, believing in Jesus it's about having a relationship. You can't go to a party if you're not invited, especially a stranger's party. I use this expression a lot. If Father God is in the light, and we say I want nothing to do with Him, then the ONLY other place is darkness. People think that God wants to punish us, but Jesus took my punishment so I could be pardoned. That's for everyone. I'm not perfect, no one is, except Jesus. I'm just grateful that He saved me from myself. Blessings to you and everyone following you 🙏🏾🇬🇧
Hey, I don't know if you've read the Parable of the Great Supper but it popped up in my head when you gave the example of a party. Anyways great testimony.
@@Hackbridge1963 I admit I do feel so whole when I choose to submit to god in my prayers, even though I don't really understand it myself
@@LifeGameDesign it's called the"God shaped vacuum" which I had without knowing the Lord.
@@Hackbridge1963 so you do believe in God?
Jesus loves you
Experimenting, heck even THINKING about this kind of stuff requires intensive self reflection and self-honesty. Im proud of you for exploring this
For people who put in the intellectual rigor and then _genuinely_ believe they now have good reason to believe in Christianity, sure. But how many people believe in Christianity because of cultural upbringing or, failing that, inertia; wishful thinking / conflating what they want with what they believe; and generally faulty reasoning? You don’t have to take my word “on faith” (pun intended), but, believe me, I’ve heard a lot of theists talk, and the _best_ I’ve heard from any of them was “I’ve done a lot of honest introspection, and I can’t make anyone else find god, but I just want to say that I have”-the rest was all bad, worse, and worst. You have no reason to trust me on this, so I suggest you go out and talk with both theists and atheists and see for yourself, and see just _really_ how much intellectual honesty either side requires-not just of extraordinary individuals, but of your average Joe.
I remembered the first time I really prayed to God on my own. I was about twelve years old. My family had stopped going to church and i hadnt gone in years, which was good for me because i hated church but I was depressed. I had something happen that disturbed me and I went to my room and I sat on my bed. I looked at my window and the wall and I said "I don't know if you can hear me" then I remembered saying "I don't know how to pray" the word repent came into my mind. So I repented of all my sins that I could think of at the time. I didn't think anything was going to happen. Until immediately after I felt a great peace come over me. I forgot why I came to pray to begin with and was so overwhelmed by His presence. It was the first time I ever cried tears of joy. My view on who God was completely changed, i know i wouldnt be alive today if I didnt know Jesus(theres more but i will try to keep it brief). I have seen Him answer prayers when I was still doubtful that He could hear me or that He even cared. I had even wandered off to seek other things like new age. I could never be satisfied when i walked away, i would always come back with my tail between my legs. What I love so much about praying is the fact i know God knows everything so i dont have to hide what is on my mind or what lays heavy on my heart. I am the most transparent and vulnerable in prayer and because ive seen Him answer prayers I know i can ask Him for help and He will come through. I pour my heart out and He has never failed me. Although i fail God a million times over. He is truly a God of His word. I read psalms and some of the prayers and cries for help are similiar to mine and i become enouraged. I hope you will have your own divine appointment. God bless you on your journey!
Matthew 11:28
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Wonderful testimony!
“I would always come back with my tail between my legs.“ - that's so on point! But we come back, because we learned, that He has compassion, does forgive and lifts us up everytime again and again.
This experience and John 14:7 made me decide and redecide daily that I need only Jesus Christ for my life - nothing and no one else!
Burnt so many brigdes since then. Lost friends, because of my faith, but got more and better friends in Christ in return.
Spend my money and vacations mostly for the Lord, and get more than I could handle on blessings in return.
I ask to die daily (John 12:24.25), so my life could be a blessing to others. Life is so wonderful with Christ.
Watch James Kawalya. God bless you.
I was a staunch atheist until I humbled myself a little and decided to give it a chance. Became agnostic. One night, I woke from a voice in my sleep that said Ephesians 14. I don't recall hearing that specific part of the bible before that day. I asked for a sign and there it was.
@@lonneansekishoku8288 damn that is pretty wild!
Do you mean Ephesians 1:4 because Ephesians 14 doesn't exist?
When you say Ephesians 14 do you mean chapter 14 or something else cause I’m pretty sure there is no chapter 14 in Ephesians?
@yesit_slove That's what I heard and I made the connection to 3:14. I should have been more specific.
@@non452 That's what I heard. I made the connection to 3:14.
I used to be a ashiest, and it hurt my soul I felt empty and depressed. I was always around Christians and Jesus was always brought up into conversation, but something in me deep down just didn't believe, almost felt impossible to believe but I saw the impact Jesus had on those around me, I felt lost and alone. As I curiously dug into the Bible, debates, and this show called "The Chosen", my life and Faith has changed in huge ways and now I know I have a purpose Jesus has for me , and anyone else who accepts Him as Lord and Savior. I understand why it could be hard to call him savior when you know how lucky you are in life, but I would consider your little Faith the biggest blessing in your life, because that's what allows God to work on your heart and mind. I loved hearing about your journey, Shalom friend.
@@mvmphisz Damn my faith itself being a blessing is a really nice perspective I like that, thank you so much! ❤️
@@LifeGameDesignbecause it is.. Ephesians 2:8-9 😌
To each is given a measure of faith..
Great show. They say the Lord works in mysterious ways...well here the proof
Faith demands humility...and 'letting go' .... very few are willing to give up even the tiniest inkling of control, because it goes against their ego and the pseudo comfort of 'being in charge'... yet, if and when you can manage that... the liberation and peace that follows is mind boggling! God bless!
I'm 18 years old and I've always believed in God / Jesus but I didn't really KNOW him. At the start of this year I felt a pull to get closer to God and nothing else seemed to satisfy me unless I was growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.
I started reading my bible (Just 1 chapter a day) and praying more regularly because I wanted to get closer to him... Brother, let me tell you my mind has been renewed and transformed. I am a completely different person to who I was a year ago.
I have less jealousy inside me and it's easier for me to help others, whereas before there was a resistance. I cannot describe the peace and fullness I have experienced recently from surrendering myself to God and reading the bible. It brings me to tears.
The nanosecond you believe in the gospel of Jesus you are indwelt with the The Holy Spirit of God, he will lead you, comfort you and minister to you in everyday life. I can say with 100% faith that God is real and his name is Jesus.
God bless you brother. Loved the video 👍
Hey bro, I'm came to Christ this year and I went through a similar phase of finding meaning in a 'god' from self improvement. I started praying and felt similar feelings to you. When I started to read the Bible I realized why. Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son talks of a son who asked for his inheritance from his father, which he grants him. He took this inheritance and squandered all of it. The son, now forced to work a terrible job where he is poorly fed decides to go back home and beg for his Father's forgiveness. And before he even reaches the house, the father comes out to hug him. He forgives him straight away and rejoices to have his son back. This is how God the Father reacts when we come back to him. He doesn't berate us, he embarrasses us. Not trying to push it on you, but this is what my experience felt like, God bless you my friend.
Glad you’re open enough , man. I was a militant atheist in high school but as depressed and cynical as anyone could be. I began to pray for God to do something about it if he was out there and He did. Without going into details, everything changed inside me, not because of myself. I would encourage you to not say you could never believe like I did, you’re putting yourself into a prideful box, an arrogant one. If you’re serious about allowing God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit change you, let Him do it and don’t push Him away. The world does not love you, you may not even love you, but Jesus always will. Following Jesus is not about how you can use Him in this world, it’s about surrendering to Him, loving God and then the extension of loving and serving others through Him. Lastly, bad thing will happen, whether we think them just or not, we’re called to trust that God’s plan and thoughts are greater than ours. He will make it all right at the end. I encourage you to keep praying, but humble yourself and be truthful, he will take care of the rest. May God bless you
So well written, this was heartfelt. God bless you brother
So awesome that you opened yourself up to prayer. It’s life-changing, it’s literally just a conversation with your creator. In it we find that we’re never alone again.
I feel like I am just a single step forward on a vast staircase but metaphorically, I can already feel a warm glow of light 🙏❤️
@@LifeGameDesign you are certainly taking the right way by giving Lewis a serious thought. that man THINKS. as a internet friend ,i would also challenge you my beloved : read the full four gospels and consider the serious tone of Jesus of nazareth, you may begin to think twice about the impossibility for us sinners to get through this [ real stairway to heaven ] , Jesus said "i am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me" and he later went on his destiy to drink the full wrath of God the father in our place as the final passover lamb (yes this sacrifice from God was prophecies thousands yrs earlier in the old testament to many times in types like abraham and isac exodus, Joshua, isaiah, daniel, hoshia,... jona the types goes on... ). if you only read the bible or think about a "cosmic hope giving deity", it is as you previous would recognise a mere man-made-make-believe to attempt to solve the unsolvable desire to cope with our precious but suffering life. i pray that you my beloved would see that suffering itself is begging the question of the edenic author of Life. Genesis may seem to be a fairy tale until you realised its power to explain the reality of life and death. much love from asia.
As someone that was formerly a staunch atheist, I see a lot of past self in your experience and I'm really happy I was able to stumble across your account of your experience. Taking the leap and committing to Christ was a weird feeling at first and I felt at odds with myself for a long time, but I will be praying for you, and I wish you the best along your journey of discovery. God bless.
Exactly the feeling! Thank you! ❤️
Hey Michael, this is a really sweet video. Hope you have kept praying (a month after you posted this vid). I grew up in the church. Left to be an atheist and came back. I know what you mean. I hope your eyes open and your ears hear how wonderful the steps you are making are. praying for you
I was an atheist for 35 years, then in 2006 Jesus Christ appeared to me supernaturally, and I am so thankful that He rescued me from myself. There is no greater obstacle between man and God than his own skepticism. Use your critical thinking, and look at the natural world around you... from distant space to the microscopic, God's design is like a blazing billboard... and it's very hard to miss when you take your materialistic blinders off.
Can you tell more about this event? How it happened and how it looked like, Did he say something to you?
@@Sloma2 Absolutely. I went to a local church with my wife, as she was far away from family and needed to find a church family. I was sitting with her, in the pews, when a bright light appeared in the room. I stood to look at the light, brighter than anything I have ever seen, but didn't hurt my eyes. As I saw this light, I knew immediately that I was a sinner, and Jesus died for my sins. I was an atheist at the time, and didn't even believe in God, but I suddenly had a knowledge and awareness of my sin. I walked up to the altar, dropped to my knees and the floodgates opened... tears and tears, of sadness and joy. Sadness that I had never believed in God and over my sin, and joy over the truth He had just revealed. From there I began studying apologetics, and now have been called as a Pastor. God is good. The experience was much deeper than I can describe here, this is the cliff notes version.
@@DailyDoseOf-TheWord Interesting. It does make one wonder why some get a direct revelation and many others don't. It almost sounds unfair. Maybe its because you responded the right way? For example Richard Dawkins said if he experienced a supernatural event he would rationalize it as a delusion.
@@CrusaderZealot God gives and takes away as He sees fit. All of creation is for His Glory. He chooses all things... we simply exist to give Him Glory. Now that I understand His sovereignty the best way I can with my limited mind, I never think of anything as unfair.
@@DailyDoseOf-TheWord I read this and also your experience below it's interesting that in both faith and denial of god's existence atheists and Christians would say the same things "Use critical thinking and look at the natural world around you" I don't know where my heart truly lies but I'm trying to open it up
don't know why this came across my feed, but i will pray for you brother. for years i was in the same boat as you. same outlook, same people to look up to, etc. eventually i hit a wall and gazed into nothingness. when you stare into the abyss and grasp at the void for a long time, there's only God waiting for you with outstretched arms. i can't possibly convey it over the internet or probably even verbally, but there is a great mystery waiting for all of us who are willing to choose to participate. i encourage you to keep exploring this budding relationship with God.
Can’t thank you enough for this honest share!! Makes me feel less alone in my journey.
I deconstructed from Catholicism (30+ years), and am now in the “weird grey” area. Best I can put it right now, my brain says God can’t be proven, but my heart aches for a loving God to exist. So I’m agnostic?
It has not been my experience that agnostics / atheists are cynical, btw. If anything, they are quite loving, smart, and trying to make the best of the one life they know they have by alleviating suffering wherever possible. Admirable and I’ve learned much from them.
I'm glad you have such an open mind and a humble intellect. Prayer is what brought me to God, because prayer with an open heart allows you to see love. As you said, atheism may be logically sound in its own right, but we know there are facets of life that it does not explain or help you with, and faith has to go beyond our own wisdom (proverbs 3:5-6 😉). Good luck in your explorations!
Woah puzzlego I don't know if you remember me but its so cool to see you comment on a video like this! Hope you are doing well!
@@enook haha thanks man, im doing ok. good to see you too!
oh shoot that's awesome seeing you here, i loved your video on making a lego rubik's cube. still mad they didn't make it an official kit lol
@@puzzLEGO Thank you ! I think faith is a necessity of making the human experience fulfilling, wherever it comes from but having that faith in a god you know would give everything deeper meaning
@@LifeGameDesign I largely agree, and from that perspective find it very interesting because an atheist would have to confront the fact that a faith they don't believe in or credit to delusion allows its members to become more fulfilled in general. Would they simply say 'ignorance is bliss' about the christian faith? Or would they have to accept that spirituality is a genuine part of the human experience? And also, how would they explain our ability to think metacognitively, and our desire for something beyond the physical? is it part of our biology? is it a tragic consequence, perhaps, of a species that grew too complex? It's weird that we don't understand our own human experiences
I was atheist growing up. I considered myself intelligent and better than others (quite arrogant of me) and I was also very blessed in life. I had all I desired but I just saw no point in life and I turned to nihilism and got depressed.
I have finally found what I missed all that time, and I would trade all I have for that thing every day.
The love of Christ. It is truly unmatched.
I will pray for you, that you too get to experience Gods overwhelming love that will bring even the toughest most hardened man to tears.
God bless you! Amen
Ephesians 3:19
”And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
"The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you."
-Werner Heisenberg
And then there was Paul Dirac and Richard Feynman, one of the greatest cotributors to the field of quantum physics, who were atheists.
I don't think Heisenberg wasn't a genius, it's just that different people have different views on the world. And they believe in God because of many different reasons.
9:09 he's right it is completely different I used to put off prayer because "it doesn't do anything" but I didn't realize the power of prayer until I did it regularly. It's so much different than meditation
You explained it very well. Atheism just leads to emptiness. Its a whole in your heart that you can't fill with dopamine kicks and pleasure. Its something more deep something more personal. And you said you also want to find God like the people you look up to. Well that peace and relaxation you felt after praying that was you connecting with God. And after that peace started becoming less it might have been God his way of letting you pray even more intimately so you can get to know him better. I am a believer and i believe in Jesus Christ. And i truly know in my heart that He is God and took our sins from us. And i just want to tell you keep going and growing. Keep praying and having faith a God does exist. Because He does and He will answer your prayers with love.
Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
@@TheKoekoek damn I loved this passage! I will definitely work on deepening my intention when praying
You need to dig a hole for a pool. Just like you need to create an empty space for religion. You did this to yourself.
Bro I'm an atheist and I don't feel empty at all.
@@anongodheadwe don’t know what we are missing until we experience it. It’s great that you don’t feel empty. That’s a great start. So many are satisfied with the crumbs not knowing that they are missing a meal. Could it be that you are invited to look into something that might give you the fullness that every heart desires? Just a question!
I’m excited for you. Keep wrestling.
Almost 90 days in now, even went to church today - I'm definitely on the verge of crossing a boundary, Thanks!
@@LifeGameDesign Sending you love from South Africa. Stumbled across your video, and it renewed my joy & gratitude towards God.
I’m so excited for your journey honestly! As a Christian I really loved this video, it’s not necessarily conventional because it’s not about actually believing the reality of God but more so wanting to have the benefits of faith. However I can’t wait for you to actually see the reality of God eventually and only Christians can truly understand that it’s not just a placebo and I can’t wait for you to see it for yourself!! It’s so exciting ❤
@@skalias815 Thank you ! 🙏❤️ It's wild to think that I'm doing this considering my past thinking but going down just a fraction of this path has given me so much peace already
“It's so exciting!“ - I second that!
As an individual deeply interested in science since I was a kid, as someone instilled with the values of objective, critical thinking and a healthy dose of skepticism from a young age by my deeply atheist father, and as a former staunch atheist and anti-theist myself, I cannot overstate just how much becoming a Christian was the most surprising thing that has ever happened to me.
Are you reading my mind? ?? Stole the words straight from my feelings🙏❤️ Ahahaha love and peace to you!
I can't say I'm 100% there yet but it seems that I'm on the way.
And honestly literally the same thing with my father, the similarities are wild! 😂
Science ties in with God!
@@Wishfull._..Editor57 I fully agree. Science is what led me to God, ultimately.
this video and comments brought me to tears! i dont know you but you and your girlfriend will now be in my prayers! knowing christ is knowing real, pure love, my prayer is that u get to experience his radical grace through this journey!!!
Aw thank you so much !
Dude for someone with your sort of dispositional thinking, the book of Ecclesiastes is right up your alley. God bless you on this journey
*This man is on the narrow road. Praise the Lord*
I am Seeking the wide gates haha - thank you - my girlfriend told me that verse last night
This is encouraging to me as a Christian already. It is God encouraging me through your experiment of 30 days of prayer. I was having a tough day today and it certainly is better now. Thank you!
As a believer, I know God hears your prayer, and I pray your search gets you closer to Him❤
Hi, I'm really glad that you recorded this video and are so open about it. Few people have the courage to tell the public that the views they have held ALL your LIFE are beginning to seem false, or if they are true, then meaningless.
I am 19, and until recently I was an atheist (I have been an agnostic for about a year and a half), but I have recently come to believe in Jesus Christ (I am now a Lutheran, although I was baptized in the Orthodox Church at birth).
I agree with every word you say about the meaninglessness of "logical thinking", non-reconciliation with the meaninglessness of our existence and the existence of the universe, pessimism and cynicism of the atheistic view of life and what is happening around a person.
I was pessimistic all my life, but hardly cynical, and I had no meaning in life. I was very much afraid not of death, but of what came after it, or rather of the unknown after it, and I was afraid of losing what life had given me. Now I don't have that fear, I have a purpose in life, I'm not pessimistic anymore, I have hope and I'll never be alone.
I believe in Christianity because it proclaims love and forgiveness as the main value of a person. I have been in a serious relationship with my girlfriend for a year now, and I want to say that love revealed to me many of the qualities that were hidden from me, which convinced me of the truth of Christianity.
Amen
I am a Christian and YT decided to put you in my "what to watch" suggestions. I have had a pretty hard day😢today and God knew that I needed to watch this! Thank you for being open and honest. I pray that you will find this journey to be the most exciting and fulfilling one of your life! 🥰🥰
Great video ❤
I lost my daughter a month ago
I still love Jesus
Sorry for you loss. Praying for peace for you, brother
🫂🙏🏽
i struggled to see God in my life as i dealt with uncertainty and divorced parents and bad things happening.
i ran to other things but they didnt work.
last week i switched my major in college and i was very unsure, i prayed for peace and comfort in this time and after 2 days, on a thursday, i felt this odd peace that i hadn’t really felt in a very long time.
proverbs 24:16
I used to think that I was atheist I wrestled with it because God didn’t make since. Until I had a supernatural encounter with God, I had panic attacks every night because an evil presence would come over me at night I would see dark shadows and feel this dark feeling of something that was like draining. I didn’t sleep for 3 days one time and I was so tired of being in fear no one understood me I was so alone and already depressed. I called on the name of Jesus in faith and commanded the spirits to flee in his name and I felt that most beautiful feeling ever come into the room it filled me tangibly and I began crying like a BABY I didn’t get it at first but it was the Holy Spirit filling me and literally it felt like a heavy weight lifted the room. The atmosphere felt lighter, and it felt as though every evil thing fled in FEAR of his name. I literally went to sleep instantly with NO panic attack and they stopped happening… mannnn. God is sooo good and it’s no placebo when you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit! He’s what connects you and allows u to hear the voice of the lord. Been rocking with him since I’m 22 now I was 16 then!
Beautiful testimony! Thank you for sharing. To be honest, I've been having my doubts recently but it's positive, uplifting stuff like this that helps me carry on.
@@madladamHey, if you're ever doubting God's existence the next time you have a nightmare say Jesus help me, or even just Jesus. When I was young and doubting and I watched a lot of atheist videos and saw the "If God is real why do children die of cancer." But I wanted to believe those, but could never shake the fact that I'd have nightmares and utter the name of Jesus, even whisper it and they would end. Although it never worked to well for sleep paralysis demons, they were bold and knew I was deep in sin so never fled until I repented then they ran like their tails were on fire. Repentance is powerful because demons and evil clinge to evil, God loves a repent heart. Did you read Daniel and how he had his visions? First he humbled himself in prayer before God and his life, this is shown in the beginning of the book when he had great respect for God and trusted and had faith in him. When he had his vision he was older, but in his prayers was repentance and humbleness. I to, saw strange things after repenting and humbling myself before God. I never went pale, like Daniel but it was enough to make me freeze in place and start trembling. I don't think it was a demon, I couldn't see anything but a white dressed person or entity would come to my room, it would be just like when I saw demons but this time it wasn't dark and it would happen wherever I'd say "God if you're listening I want to see you! Jesus Christ come down in the flesh and reveal yourself!" Or smth like that, it would change a lot but I was quite bold to say that. I don't say that anymore because I'm terrified from those experiences. Note, this never happened to me before I started to repent and humble myself before God in prayer. I'd pray for 2 hours everyday, and then sometimes overnight when led by the spirit. So, I recommend watching James Kawalya because that's how I learned to pray prayers of repentance, I learned to humble myself by realizing God's greatness but above all else how kind he is! He's so kind, I love him for being so kind and gracious to me. I didn't find that out immediately, I knew it to be true all along but the more I prayed the more I saw him. God bless you and if by chance none of this helps you, I pray God himself will keep you from the lies of the evil one. Deceit is his only Job, and stealing us away from God. Who do you think it profits when we stray from God? God or Satan? I tell you, every demon and evil spirit I have ever encountered hates us like a hatred I've never seen in human beings. They hate us and love to see us suffer, they laugh at our ignorance. Don't think of demons as some otherworldly thing that are stupid or like they portray they portray themselves in TV. But they're very smart and intelligent, and there are different ranks to them just like us. So I told you this so you can investigate for yourself if what I've said is true or not. You can ask God to help you understand things of the spirit because I didn't understand why I saw demons besides I played games with false God's and idols and horror games. But I watched James Kawalya and he actually explained how and why I saw them and got nightmares.
Please continue down this path and I assure you that amazing things can happen.
They will!!❤❤❤🙏✝️
I didn't read all the comments, so someone may have already said this, but I'm stoked for you. I'm especially excited for you because you said that after 10 days of prayer it started to not work the same, so you had to change the way you prayed. Your change to a position of gratitude is awesome. Now I want to challenge you: who is your gratitude directed towards?
If it's directed to yourself, then YOU are the god you are praying to and your religion is "selfism".
If it is directed to someone or something else, that's good, but what good is it to say "thank you" to your friend when the gift came from your father? That would be misplaced gratitude, and that would be a false god, and your religion would be idolatry or a cult.
The other option is to carefully and logically seek out the true source of every good gift and every perfect gift. That would be true and pure gratitude, and that would be holy worship of the only one who is worthy.
I firmly believe that the gift-giver is Jesus, who is God and who is with God. If you keep pursuing Him as you pray, it's very likely that you will encounter His personal presence, and that will change your life. I can't guarantee a formula, because God is in charge, not me. But keep leaning in, and He will find joy in your pursuit of Him.
Thank you for this! I put my faith during my Prayers in God, a force I could not begin to comprehend but a force that I thanked for everything In my life both good and bad
@@LifeGameDesign
I stumbled across your video accidentally, It wasn’t my intention to click and watch it, but I’m so glad I did. I believe the journey you’re on is truly beautiful. Seeking truth is one of the most remarkable things a person can do.
This might be my first or second RUclips comment ever. I’ve read quite a few of the other comments, and I feel that you’ve received a lot of feedback, so I didn’t feel the need to share what was on my heart. However, after seeing how many comments you’ve engaged with, liked, and replied to, I felt encouraged to speak up.
I just want to add to what @alinlatoog has already mentioned. Here’s what came to mind as soon as I finished watching your video:
I see that you're at a pivotal point in your journey to seek out the Truth. I’m here to simply say-Continue. Keep seeking the TRUTH, and in that pursuit, you will find it. I feel that the mindset of a true atheist can be an excellent approach to life because the essence of true atheism is about seeking and questioning, doing your own research, and discovering things for yourself. What do History, the Scriptures, the Books, and the Research say? This is a personal journey that I believe you’ve been on for some time already.
I often tell people: Life is challenging for everyone. You can either face it alone or with God. Personally, I don’t think I need to convince you whether there’s a God or not. I believe that in seeking the Truth, you will come to your own conclusions.
To summarise what I’ve said, and to add to your prayer, which I feel you should continue-I believe the next step for you is to research, and this includes reading the scriptures.
If you do decide to take my advice on reading the scriptures, I can only recommend the Bible, as I have yet to read others. Just a heads up, the Bible isn’t technically in chronological order. It is divided into the Old and New Testament, with the Old Testament covering the time before Christ’s birth and the New Testament beginning from the birth of Christ onwards. While you can read the Bible in any way you choose, I’d recommend starting with Genesis and then moving straight into the New Testament.
I’m praying for you Michael. God’s love for you is greater than you know, and closer too
about 4 years ago i was in a very bad situation and i started praying, and after a week of praying everything magically started going exactly how i wanted. but for some dumb reason i stopped praying after everything got "fixed". thinking about it now i really think it was god showing himself to me, and i recently started praying again not because anything got bad, but because i realized that god showed me love back then and i want to show him that i can pray even when i am going through good times. its been a special feeling since i started praying again, and this time im committed.
😊❤🎉 God bless you! I'm so happy for ya ^^
Prayer is talking to God, who hears it.
But God also wants to talk to you. He does that in and trough the Bible.
Read it with prayer. The more you know Jesus Christ (who is God revealed in a human body) and the core message of the Bible, the more you will understand what to ask God in prayer -> The more you ask according to His will, the more miracles and answer you will get.
Until you reach that point, where you don't really care about miracles anymore, because it's not the gifts that really make you overwhelm in joy, but it's the relationship you have with the giver of the gifts.
Having a relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, is the best thing there is, because that's what God had intended, when he created mankind.
As an extraordinarily discouraged Christian, your video is making me weep. You’re helping me restore my faith. I see the sincerity in your video. Thanks for bringing more encouragement for me to keep hanging on.
I feel the same way. I'm really grateful
I love this video so much. Growing up I felt so conflicted, I wanted to believe in God but felt like life was empty and meaningless. I encountered God and my whole inner being was transformed. I also found how I saw the world and the people around me was changed deeply too. I was really moved by your experience of prayer. For me it is one of the most life-giving things to know someone who is beyond you in every sense that you can reach out to in gratitude, worship and trust. Thanks for your honesty and for sharing your experiences!
I think you’re doing things the right way. You say you feel lost but if you keep searching, you’re going to find something.
I wish you the best
yooo, I never imagined seing you here lol haven't watched you in a while but made me a Hollow Knight fan , random Christian guy on the internet
You're honestly so bold giving this a go. So many people are too scared to even try this just in case God does actually turn up! Respect bro.
Thank you ! I'm keen to go further in this journey of faith !
@@LifeGameDesign too be honest I'm just hoping not TOO many crazy/stupid Christians make too many crazy/stupid comments on your videos. Sadly, many Christians don't give much time/space for a person's spiritual journey and make it all about knowledge and doctrine and not experience and practices. Just take what people say with a grain of salt! :D :P Bless ya on your journey.
@@silver292 I've learnt that no matter what the belief there are always people on the crazier side it's just human nature. Seeing those kinds of comments will teach me more about humans than it would deter me from pursuing faith 💪
@@LifeGameDesign so good! Glad to hear it. I subscribed to your channel cause your other videos are super interesting as well. Great content.
Your video was randomly pushed to me through the algorithm. I got to about the 1:30 mark and had to stop and make a comment because where you see yourself was where i saw myself not long ago. I was born and raised Catholic but lost my faith in high school, college, graduate school up until a few years ago (I'm 34). Finding faith again was not a matter of "jumping back in to Catholicism", at least not for me. It felt so insincere, and there were big important questions I needed answers to. Immersing myself in the dogma of the religion wasn't an option, I first needed to know if it were logical that God could exist. Convincing yourself of this point but nothing more is what we call "Deism". You may conclude it's logical that God exists, but you may not necessarily believe he takes any action in our lives, or even a knowledge's that we are here.
Once I got to this point (and I spent quite a bit of time there) I was able to finally review some of the claims of the big religions. There are so many amazing people and resources that had answers to the exact questions that were plaguing me. It took me so much time to feel comfortable calling myself a Catholic again. Even to this day I have doubts, I think it truly is a constant journey. All I can say is, I wasn't ready to mentally or emotionally handle the idea of Jesus Christ until I could first even determine how and why everything is even here. I think the order in which you address these things is very important.
I also LOVE that you said when you prayed you took a position of gratitude. I dont start any of my prayers without first thanking God for everything and every one I have been blessed with in my life. I couldn't dare ask for one single ounce of intercession without first giving the praise and glory back to him for all my blessings.
Cool and honest video man. Thanks!
Blessings on your journey to God!
I appreciate that!
Stumbled on this video and loved it. My younger self can relate almost 100%to this. I've been a devoted Christian now for about 20 years. I will speak to the statement you made about, why does it seem like someone like you is blessed and a person who has been devoted to God their whole life seem to have a lot of struggles. The Bible gives 3 reasons, that I have found and can remember, about why we suffer. in 2 Corinthians 1, and then later iirc in chapter 12, Christians suffer so we can know and understand the level of comfort God can give. His comfort will eventually surpass any hurt you have ever felt. Secondly, we suffer so that through that experience, we can help others who are suffering and encourage them. Thirdly, we suffer to help us not become prideful and arrogant, to rely on God.
I grew up in church and at 18 I left home and joined the military. Towards the end of basic training, we were about a week from graduating, one of my drill sergeants, who was a Native American and a follower of some kind of spiritualism and nature. Anyways, he asked me why I believed in the Christian God? As the conversation went on, his point was that I needed to make sure I believed what I believed for myself, and not because my parents told me so. This is probably one of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten. It basically hit the reset button on my Christianity. I spent the next few years searching and reevaluating my "why". You spoke of a peace you felt while praying.... in 2003 I was deployed to Iraq and during that year, my unit was involved in one of the longest battles of that war, it lasted over 12 hours and started with a few ambushes. My platoon was once of the groups ambushed. There were so many RPG's fired at my vehicle, we couldn't even count them, so many explosions landing all around and small arms fire. We were firing back but at the same time almost in a panic because of how overwhelmed we were. Amid all that chaos, it was like God put His assuring hand on my shoulder and told me everything was going to be okay. To this day, I don't know that I have ever experienced that kind of peace and assurance that my fear was completely gone. We fought for 12 hours that day, and many firefights after that, and I was never fearful again while bullets or explosions were all around.
I know I will never have all the answers, but God became real to ME that day and not because of my parents. I know for myself that He is real and true. The Bible says, and Jordan Peterson has quoted more than a few times. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7).
I have suffered greatly since the events I mentioned. So much so that I am partially paralyzed and lost sight completely in one eye. But to me God has blessed me so much more than any suffering He has allowed me to go through. He has shown me comfort that has literally made me want to sing His praises, even amidst the chronic pain I endure. He has given me such meaning in this life and direction. He has never failed me or left me. Yes Christians suffer, but we have peace and we have the Love of God on our lives. We are commanded to love others, and even pray for our worst enemies. God is good and Jesus is the way.
Blessings my friend in your search for truth.
Blessings and shalom to you my brother. Your peace and joy shines through the screen I’m on and despite all you suffering. Thank you for your service and thank you for your heart
This is absolutely beautiful, I know with my lack of faith and others like me, with the same circumstances you have faced in your life I would have given up and fell into despair. Your faith is powerful and I'm so glad you shared this with us !
For me it's another piece of evidence that faith is essential for the hardship of life and I want to pursue it because I don't want an easy life , I want one that is fulfilling one - a path that god would design for me
Reading through all the comments, it seems you’ve got a lot of people who love you and are praying for you :) I’ll be doing the same. Thank you for putting this out there, it’s incredibly encouraging and humbling to see
Thank you ! Currently recording a follow up to this video ! I'm still very confused but I am very hopeful
Continue to pray and soon you will see the fruits of your labor.
👍
I was super happy to listen to this! It actually made me very excited for you! I just know something is coming! You might not see yourself believing in God, but also you didnt see yourself making this video! Im just excited to see whats in store for you and I will for sure be praying for you too!!
YOU’RE RIGHT ON TRACK! 👏🏾❤️
may you receive a life-changing encounter of Him! 🌻
As someone who has been hard-core Atheist (almost Anti-Theist) for my entire life, and is now in the process of becoming a Catholic at the age of 20, I want to thank you very much for that honest testimony. May the Lord grant you the best of guidance on your spiritual journey, just as he did (and still does) with me :D
That’s great to hear, I’d advice you to take a deeper dive into Catholicism and Christianity and read God’s word(The Bible) and may the lord lead you on the right path in Jesus name ❤
@@ayo2975 I've been diving into all kinds of Christianity for the past year, whether it'd be Catholicism, Orthodoxy, the several Protestant branches... Where did I end up after (, again), almost a year of basically studying all those kinds? Catholicism.
This American conspiracy that Catholics are no Christians, is based on pillars put up by Satan himself, those pillars being ignorance, hatred, lies, etc.
I really hope you do not belong to the kind of person that fell for this. May Jesus guide us both (further) to the correct path, and far away from Satan and his henchmen, whose goal is to spread separation between believers
The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 Pray this verse
This is the best video I've come across on this platform.
Thanks for sharing this
I randomly got recommended this video and was very intrigued. I was raised Christian and never fell away from the faith. It’s very interesting to hear the perspective of someone who has never known God. I have never experienced that and have only recently come to realize how thankful I am that I have never had a life without God. It’s very inspiring to see you be open to prayer and the idea of God. I can see God is working on you and is fighting for your soul. I don’t know you, but I pray that God will make Himself known to you and touch you in a personal way that allows you to step into faith. Matthew 11:28 says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Such a kind, open heart. I can’t wait to meet you in heaven and talk about your life brother. My main moment of realization was when I realized nothing I ever did that was good or strength I had was from me. Because if I was being honest with myself, I am only evil. Which means God had been working in me, but why? And then I realized that the countless years of “talking to myself” with 2 alter egos I later found out was God and ME was just prayer. And the last thing I needed to learn to do was submit to God, let myself and my pride go. Jesus is the way, the truth, and most importantly the life. 💜
so insightful! i’ve been a Christian for over a decade. almost completely walked away from my faith a few years ago, and the thing that kept me from ever going through with it is what you expressed in this video. faith has given me meaning and a purpose. i really believe we are not meant to live this life for ourselves. there has to be something greater than that. i think it’s beautiful that you’ve come to that conclusion as well, even if you don’t know exactly what that means yet.
@@meglizbrown im really glad you stuck with it ! I can't imagine how much your faith must have helped you in so many ways 🙏
Please watch James Kawalya. So many people walk away from the faith because in America we barely see any power from God. He explains how to better connect with God and explains why prayer is so important. I'm sure you've read "Our bodies are temples" in the Bible, and heard people apply it to food and it's important to eat good food but it also meant it very literally. Remember the temple in Jerusalem? If in the Bible we are called temples then it must've been a reason. Not just because our bodies are holy but any word could've been used, but we are called temples because it's true! We can raise alters through prayer and can hear the voice of God through us, just like the voice of God was heard by people in the temple. So raise your alter through consistent prayer, why did God command the Israelites to have consistent sacrifices? It was to strengthen the alter, but we see that it didn't matter how many sacrifices if the people sacrificing were sinning against God and he said he hated their sacrifices and offerings. And this can also be true today, people can raise prayer alters and instead of humbling themselves and repenting they brag to God or maybe even talk bitterly about his neighbors. We see this inside of the gospels when Jesus talks about people the Pharisee and the sinner. The Pharisee came in and said "Thank goodness I'm not like that sinner over there." But the sinner said a different prayer, he humbled himself by not even looking up to heaven and said "God have mercy on me, I am a sinner." So who's prayer was accepted by God? It was the sinner, and not the Pharisee. So don't try to say to God "I've done all these good things, I'm not like other people because I always do what's right." So instead, humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up. But if you yourself try to barge in and make yourself higher than you are you will be torn down maybe even by God himself. He hates proud people, and expresses this a lot in the Bible. Please watch James Kawalya because he explains it better than me lol. God bless you. I watched "Activating the voice of God." And I learned these things and later learned why our bodies are called temples.
Ive been out of the faith for 5 or so years now, and honestly im really happy about my outlook on life. Disbelief makes me so comfortable. I am so content with finding my meaning in everything other than god. I can go out and hike all day, admire our planets beauty, and come home feeling fulfilled while acknowledging we're just some monkeys on a rock.
I feel a weird immense amount of peace knowing there isn't really a purpose. I kind of adore the fact that I don't have to march towards making it to heaven every day, and that I don't have to watch my every move & make sure I don't land in hell. I don't really want each event to "be for a bigger plan". They can just stand on their own as something that happened. I don't want to be a "warrior of god", just being myself is enough, and I couldn't be happier that I'm content with that. It feels refreshing to know I'm not required to live up to anyones standards but my own.
On the topic of debates though: even though i don't believe, I dont particularly love how these popular athiest debaters go about 1up-ing their opponent. That really shouldn't be the goal, constructive discussion should. I start to lose interest in the debate when I notice either side trying to prove they're right so their ego can be held on a pedestal. I know there are a bunch of problems in religous books, and I know how harmful belief systems can be. Those weren't the reason I left, it was simply because I'm just far more comfortable in an unaffiliated state.
You nailed my thoughts exactly
Very interesting perspective you have ^^
Just wanted to share my thoughts on this specific part: "I kind of adore the fact that I don't have to march towards making it to heaven every day, and that I don't have to watch my every move & make sure I don't land in hell."
I want to know where this belief stems from for you. It is a very popular misconception to think that we are saved by our works - in fact, it's so popular that even some seasoned Christians struggle to grasp this. Salvation comes through faith in God, believing with all your heart that Jesus died to take the punishment for sin in our place (which is death), rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. Simply: to be saved, all you have to do is believe, and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9).
This is often where people contest this with the particular passage from James which mentions that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17), and this passage is one of the main bases of arguments for works-based salvation. However, this passage doesn't disprove that salvation is through faith - it's simply faith from a different perspective. God sees our faith, and our faith is something that should change us. One of the few ways people can see this change tangibly is through what we do. If people don't see our faith in a works-based manner, yet we profess it, then they will think it's a dead faith. That's what the passage is getting at.
Christ died once and for all time for all sin: past, present and future. As long as we live in a fallen world, we're bound to make mistakes, because sin and death are still at work. It's only when we stop trusting in God and never return to Him before death that we can "land in hell". As long as we trust in God and believe, we're already marching towards heaven. We don't work to get into heaven, because Christ has already done it. If one wants to go back to a works-based salvation, they need to go back to the ways of the old covenant and obey every single letter in the law.
Just my few cents as someone who has been a Christian for a long time and has grappled with this particular issue for years. :)
**tl;dr:** Our faith should change us both on the inside and outside. Jesus paid the wages of sin on the cross, which is death, and He defeated it by rising again. We don't work to get into heaven, Jesus did that saving work and all we need to do is believe. Works stem from this faith. If we have to work to get into heaven, then Jesus didn't really do anything, did He?
And I wanted to put this in a separate comment since the other one was quite long (has a tl;dr though):
I respect that you want to remain unaffiliated, and I wish you the best with your life.
Bro this was an awesome discussion! It reminds me of the convo we had a few months back lol. Speaking as a Christian myself I'll be the first to admit that faith is something that you grow in to. It takes time to truly be able to say "ok God, you got it because I definitely don't". 😂 I'm glad you got to have this type of experience so you could draw your own conclusions. But seriously man I wanted to say thank you for being able to have this conversation without attacking faith or anything like that. I understand your arguments and everything was honestly well said.
Can't wait to see more from you bro!
@@TheLiberatedOtaku appreciate that man! I'm glad that it come off as an attack on Christianity because the old me would have done that, and I also needed to explain how my thinking was back then.
Having that conversation with you really helped me get here 💪❤️
Wow… this was so intellectual but also beautiful. If only you knew what’s in store for you. I’m so excited for you! I have to say, I have so much admiration for people who were once an atheist, and changed their mind/perspective.
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." As someone drawn to intellectual reasoning, you need to know what is true. A great place to start in your journey is reading. I'd recommend starting with "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Athiest" by Frank Turek, then read "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (who was also a former atheist)! You have no idea just how many followers of Christ are praying for your soul and that you will know God ❤
Bro it's so much more than placebo. God can show you what He's actually doing behind the scenes. He can show you what the devil is doing behind the scenes too. It's mind blowing.
You can always rationalize it away of course, but it's far from just placebo i believe.
@@eljefe8149 from a metaphorical point After reading "outwitting the devil" by Napoleon hill one of my most favorite books I had a good understanding of what a "devil" would do and it lead me to think of god
That’s why there’s the verse Proverbs 3:5
May God continue to bless you, Michael. I loved listening to your story, your intelligence and your honesty. My own was almost the opposite: I was a bit into alternate stuff, and also investigated various religions - in fact, pretty much all except Christianity! I had a preconception of Christianity as being wishy-washy, boring, anodyne and manmade. Some Aussie friends got me onto the Alpha course - we'd had a conversation about philosophy and the meaning of life - so I reluctantly went along. It really was brilliant. The point of it is that after the 30-45 minute talk and having supper in a group, you get to talk and argue amongst yourselves. Also, during the week I'd buy books to prove to Christianity was wrong. I don't know if you've opened the New Testament yet (it's not very long), but when eventually I did I couldn't believe it. I leapt out of bed (by then it was about 3am) to ring family & friends as it was so earth-moving, but then I realised the time. Anyway, about halfway through the course I realised that, although I was just as determined to find holes in Christianity, I was also aware that my inner core was starting to feel warmer and flooded with a feeling of "rightness". So it developed into a sort of pleasurable game of testing to see if it held up as true. I read so much, made loads of notes and questions, and wrote to various authors (and got replies back). And it did very much hold up, which satisfied my rational mind. But it wasn't until the weekend away at the end of the course, when people are encouraged to invite the Holy Spirit into their lives, that I knew I'd become a Christian. Anyway, that's my journey. I do recommend the course. If you want, you could do it online - but in a way you'd be cheating yourself, because two important parts of the course are eating together and chatting, and then arguing as much as you want after the talk. And at the end of the 2 hours of the session, each small group is invited to say if they'd like prayer for anything. The course is free, including the supper if people don't have any money - otherwise a small donation to the cost of the food is welcomed (usually between £3 to £5 depending). All the very best - you've started on the most amazing journey of your life.
9:47 and from a christian pov, now's probably the luckiest moment of your life : getting to know God 😊
We have all fallen short of the glory of God and sinned. You and I have lied, stolen, lusted, blasphemed, if you have done any of these in your life before, (even once!) you’ve broken God’s Law and deserve punishment, hell. But you know what God did for guilty sinners like us so we wouldn’t have to go to hell? Jesus Christ died on that cross to save you from all your sin, and rose again defeating death three days later. If you simply repent (turn from sin) and trust in Jesus you’ll be saved forever. God Bless you.
Ray Comfort would be proud
Bro just copy and pasted Ray Comfort.
Repentance doesn’t mean turning from sin in context of salvation. A person is not saved if they’re trying to get saved by turning from sin. So that’s a very dangerous false gospel presentation.
@@sean_millerthats just how wise his words are ;)
@@yuvia1452 It’s really disappointing that Jesus wasn’t able to package the whole theology as tightly as Ray Comfort can…it almost makes you wonder if Ray is oversimplifying things. 🤔
Thank you for the reminder. I pray nearly every night without fail (I'm a student, sometimes we pass out from exhaustion and that is not completely on me XD), but I don't make enough time to do the other important things. Taking time to read my Bible (I'm the kind of person who doesn't stop once I start...), to deepen my relationship with Him, to frequently find time for charity work. I shall try to do better.
hey man! Literally just take a step and have faith in God. dont worry if your right or wrong, just truly have faith and believe.
You don’t convince yourself … he convinces you! Holy Spirit make yourself real! 8:31
Why do you think god is real?
Thank you for your honesty and sharing this, it was fantastic. There is a quote I love from the agnostic Robert Jastrow a NASA scientist, from his book “GOD and the astronomers”: For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”
This is amazing! Your honesty about how Atheism doesn't really do anything for anyone is very respectable. Have you ever read any of the gospels? I think that hearing from Jesus himself in the gospels will give you what you are looking for. Jesus is the only road that leads to true life. I promise he's the real thing, not a placebo! Or if you don't want to do that, maybe you can watch Joshua Basset's story about how he found God from the Zach Sang show. It came out 2 months ago. He explains exactly what happened when he found Jesus and how his life completely changed from that point on. It was a crazy story to listen to! Man, if you come to be a believer, you're going to love learning about Christian theology. It will be a whole other dimension of truth--the ultimate truth--that you can explore and immerse yourself in. I'll be praying for God to draw you near to him! Also, God healed me from cancer 4 years ago ;) But that's not the only healing God can offer--he heals our inner wounds and makes us whole again. And he even invites you into his family! God is the ultimate good who invites us into a life that surpasses anything that we can imagine with our limited human minds.
I have the opposite experience of this. I grew up Christian and always felt weird and alienated as if I don't belong and it caused me much hardship. It wasn't until leaving the church that I felt better and more at peace. I was able to find myself and my reason for my existence
There is a HUGE difference between leaving the Church and leaving God. I am a Christian by heritage and believe in God, not for the sake of religion or even faith, but because I know for a fact he is real. It's just logic to me. There's a whole speech I could give on that, but I think it's important to know that the Church isn't God and the Church is just another flawed world with their own pressures that want to say they are better, but aren't. I am still trying to figure out what God is to me at this moment, but I absolutely walked from the church. The interesting thing about God though is that there is a lot of concepts that he can help with, that the Church does get in the way with, but there is a certain level to reach before you get there.
I think the reason people often have that experience is because the view of christianity is skewed for people who feel relieved leaving the church. And I totally agree with that. Though, coming to christ is a completely different story. Unless somebody hates love, caring for and serving one another, treatig people well, and taking care of yourself, christianity is a great way to live life regardless. It seperates itself from other religions because its not about us getting closer to God, but God getting closer to us. While he has a perfect standard, and while we are expected to try our best, he is merciful when we fail repeatedly to meet that standard because of his understanding.
As a former atheist, please don't feel like your atheism is wrong in any way. I don't believe in hell except for the hell we manifest with our own minds. I believe that your atheism is exactly what God wants for you, maybe even until the end of your life if it makes a good contribution to society, and that you won't be punished for it.
More importantly, don't let anyone who tries to change your mind get you down. They probably don't understand your experiences and if they did they'd be interested in discussing the things that you really are interested in. I really understand where atheists come from, and I believe that you have a ton to teach theists. I still agree with many atheists more than Christians.
I'm sorry, but I can't resist the temptation to plant this seed: is there a religious truth that you could discover independently? I meant it as a question that could turn an atheist into a theist, but I think it could also turn a theist into an atheist.
@@patrickmontoya1476 Ok look, that is true. We all have something to teach each other, but dont be spreading falso information. God does not want anyone to not believe in him. As far as hell goes, i dont believe it is what people think it is either, but God wants a relationship with everyone. He doesnt punish, he just allows the consequences of actions.
@@patrickmontoya1476 no one is trying to bring him down, but truth is truth and we should all strive to see it and whoever thinks they have it shoukd share it( peacefully of course and allow someone else to make their own decision). But not all roads lead to paradise
It was really interesting to see the outlook of an atheist! As a Christian, I will say that we don't follow Christ for the purpose of having fortune on Earth (perfect health, money, etc.). The purpose of our trials and struggles is to bring us into deeper relationship with God as we learn to rely on and rest in Him. He's where we know joy. Will be praying for you as you continue seeking!
As some advice, don't just beleive something because smart people believe it but because the logic behind something actually makes sense
@@candypower9988 exactly why I'm trying to rationalize it myself 💪
"i prayed for 30 days and here's what happened..." LOL. But seriously though, this is super great that you're actually doing this. I've got a pretty simple "how to"/"Christian lifestyle" video if you're interested. 👀 The LORD took away my 2 major vices that were my objective M.O. in life. Cheers, dude! 😊
Haha never thought I'd make a video like this
Hi, Michael. Really insightful video and very convicting to me, who has been a Christian my whole life and has really fallen off of daily prayer, Scripture reading, etc. You remind me a lot of myself and what I would have been like were I not raised in the faith. Like you, I put a lot of value and importance on being able to logically explain the world around you. I have also had to learn that it’s not the end-all be-all - but I will also say that you definitely don’t need to give up on it altogether! One of my favorite arguments for God is the “transcendental” argument, which is the idea that there must be an underlying reason why things like logic and math are universally consistent, and that is best explained by a perfect and unchanging God. Like you said, there are so many great philosophers and scientists and thinkers who are Christian - faith in God can’t be reached by logic, but it is actually a great motivator to think harder about the world around us in an effort to appreciate God’s creation to the max! Much love, and I hope your journey towards faith continues to be fruitful!!
I’m not Christian but I would sometimes like to go to church to surround myself with the positivity and faith, I got to see public speakers and I also almost always learnt something about life that I could relate to my own experiences. I believe we don’t have to be Christian to enjoy the benefits of certain habits. It would be stupid of us not to give some of the habits a try and keeping a open mind to the certain advice or guidance religion might give someone and not looking at it face value to realise you probably gain more than lose to for example go to church, pray, learn about the religion, or anything really. These things are harmless and I annoyed hearing your perspective and experiment. ❤️💪🏽🙏🏽
@@EdenDorset I'd be keen to have an experience in church, I had a christian friend in primary school who took me to more of like an after school care thing that was inside of a church but there was no practice involved so it doesn't really count
@@LifeGameDesign whereabouts are you based? There might be some good churches nearby for you to visit.
Why dont you reach out to that friend, or someone else you know who is a christian and ask if you can visit their church sometime? 🤗
@@LifeGameDesign whereabouts are you based? There might be a good church you could visit near you. Or maybe you could go with your girlfriend (if she's a churchgoer)?
Out of curiosity, what is the intellectual block for you from believing the christian God?
Will pray for you brother, and anyone else reading this comment. My Dad recently passed away, and it became so clear that faith in Jesus not only helped get through that dark time, but gave myself and my family a bright future to look forward to, knowing that we’ll see him again.