Another question on Jesus

[Lief_Erikson]

Couldn’t miss it

Have you read “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel? If not, you definitely should. It talks about a lot of the questions you’ve been raising. Here’s the book: amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277751280&sr=1-1 It’s extremely inexpensive if you buy it used, and it can come just like new.

Here’s another book about the historical Jesus that I expect you’d enjoy. “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell is a classic. I expect you could buy it very inexpensively too, if you got it used. amazon.com/Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict-Historical/dp/B000H2MQLC/ref=pd_cp_b_3

I also recommend looking at the lives of the saints, both their holiness and the supernatural phenomenon that surrounded them. These beautifully demonstrate the truth of Jesus Christ for any doubters. You might look at Padre Pio, for instance. Here are a couple good books about him that might bless your life with strengthened faith.

amazon.com/Meet-Padre-Pio-Beloved-Spiritual/dp/1569552495/ref=pd_sim_b_10

amazon.com/Padre-Pio-Bernard-C-Ruffin/dp/0879736739

The canonized saints are a great sign to us of the truth of Christianity, through their holiness and virtues as well as their miracles and mystical experiences.

The Chief Exorcist at Rome, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, shared about exorcism in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-Tells-His-Story/dp/0898707102/ref=pd_sim_b_10 Knowing about what exorcists confront in their tasks might also confirm for you the supernatural realities of the Christian worldview.

There are so many good things worth reading, which might strengthen your faith! Christianity possesses a great treasure house of knowledge, for those willing to take the time. They’re intellectual helps, though, proofs that should help your intellect to assent more firmly to Catholicism, but won’t necessarily help you with bad feelings and interior attacks of doubt (which are independent of reason).

Prayer has to be the key for you, though, prayer (preferably through Mary) for faith to hold fast to God no matter what objections and interior attacks of feelings of unbelief or discouragement come your way. Keep praying and God will help you.

Are you attending Mass regularly? If so, that is important – if not, you’d best start . God will see you through this trial. Have faith, pray to Jesus through Mary and hold on no matter what. The enemy is probably attacking you because of your renewed focus on the Catholic faith, trying to tear you away from the great good you have gained. This happens very often when people are just moving closer to God; the devil hates to see it. But I believe the Lord will preserve you. Hold firm to Him no matter what happens, and as long as you do this, you are completely secure. The devil cannot harm you while you stand with Christ. Though he can put all kinds of doubts, fears and horrible feelings into you (he did to me too when I was becoming Catholic), he cannot control your will. You can inform your intellect through reading good books like those I recommended, which will strengthen you, but prayer will reach your heart and help you hold firm even when all your feelings are against you.

Keep praying and attending Mass and stand firm as long as you must, for eventually the trial will end and you will be gifted with the light of peace.

 

[coolduude]

Lief Erikson;:

Have you read “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel? If not, you definitely should. It talks about a lot of the questions you’ve been raising. Here’s the book: amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277751280&sr=1-1 It’s extremely inexpensive if you buy it used, and it can come just like new.

Here’s another book about the historical Jesus that I expect you’d enjoy. “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell is a classic. I expect you could buy it very inexpensively too, if you got it used. amazon.com/Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict-Historical/dp/B000H2MQLC/ref=pd_cp_b_3

I also recommend looking at the lives of the saints, both their holiness and the supernatural phenomenon that surrounded them. These beautifully demonstrate the truth of Jesus Christ for any doubters. You might look at Padre Pio, for instance. Here are a couple good books about him that might bless your life with strengthened faith.

amazon.com/Meet-Padre-Pio-Beloved-Spiritual/dp/1569552495/ref=pd_sim_b_10

amazon.com/Padre-Pio-Bernard-C-Ruffin/dp/0879736739

The canonized saints are a great sign to us of the truth of Christianity, through their holiness and virtues as well as their miracles and mystical experiences.

The Chief Exorcist at Rome, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, shared about exorcism in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-Tells-His-Story/dp/0898707102/ref=pd_sim_b_10 Knowing about what exorcists confront in their tasks might also confirm for you the supernatural realities of the Christian worldview.

There are so many good things worth reading, which might strengthen your faith! Christianity possesses a great treasure house of knowledge, for those willing to take the time. They’re intellectual helps, though, proofs that should help your intellect to assent more firmly to Catholicism, but won’t necessarily help you with bad feelings and interior attacks of doubt (which are independent of reason).

Prayer has to be the key for you, though, prayer (preferably through Mary) for faith to hold fast to God no matter what objections and interior attacks of feelings of unbelief or discouragement come your way. Keep praying and God will help you.

Are you attending Mass regularly? If so, that is important – if not, you’d best start . God will see you through this trial. Have faith, pray to Jesus through Mary and hold on no matter what. The enemy is probably attacking you because of your renewed focus on the Catholic faith, trying to tear you away from the great good you have gained. This happens very often when people are just moving closer to God; the devil hates to see it. But I believe the Lord will preserve you. Hold firm to Him no matter what happens, and as long as you do this, you are completely secure. The devil cannot harm you while you stand with Christ. Though he can put all kinds of doubts, fears and horrible feelings into you (he did to me too when I was becoming Catholic), he cannot control your will. You can inform your intellect through reading good books like those I recommended, which will strengthen you, but prayer will reach your heart and help you hold firm even when all your feelings are against you.

Keep praying and attending Mass and stand firm as long as you must, for eventually the trial will end and you will be gifted with the light of peace.

The answer to your questions: Yes, I have read “The Case for Christ”. A good book, I must say!

And yes, I have been attending Mass (and Confession )

As to the other stuff: good advice. I’ll try to read some of those other books, but there’s no guarantee I will. My family would give me looks (no joke). I’ll try to read some of them though!

Also, I have been praying to Mary and Jesus, but I must admit, my prayer life hasn’t been the best recently. I’m trying to get back on track, but the motivation just isn’t there. It’s almost as if I don’t care I sure am trying though!

Here’s another question for you (or anyone really). I basically asked it earlier, but I’m still confused. Could Jesus have been exalted because He was humble (and He knew He’d be exalted- that’s why He was humble)? Look at Ghandi- he was humble and he was exalted (though not to the point of worship). Buddah is a great example. He was humble and lived a humble life; later his followers turned him into a god. So could Jesus have acted humble so He would have been exalted?

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Telling witnesses of your good deeds not to tell anyone about them, and hiding your best works and all your sacrifices has got to be the weirdest way of trying to “show off” I’ve ever heard of. No self-seeking people campaign or show off in this way because, being self-seeking people, they couldn’t bring themselves to behave in constantly self-abandoning ways even if they tried. They put on a pretense for the masses, with imperfect success, while behaving imperfectly often behind the scenes. Jesus did neither of these things. He hid from the masses, hid His good works, and those that knew Him well, behind the scenes, believed Him to be sinless.

And, I might add, he DID want to be worshipped. He is God, after all.

 

[Pitcharan]

…

Are you attending Mass regularly? If so, that is important – if not, you’d best start . God will see you through this trial. Have faith, pray to Jesus through Mary and hold on no matter what. The enemy is probably attacking you because of your renewed focus on the Catholic faith, trying to tear you away from the great good you have gained. This happens very often when people are just moving closer to God; the devil hates to see it. But I believe the Lord will preserve you. Hold firm to Him no matter what happens, and as long as you do this, you are completely secure. The devil cannot harm you while you stand with Christ. Though he can put all kinds of doubts, fears and horrible feelings into you (he did to me too when I was becoming Catholic), he cannot control your will. You can inform your intellect through reading good books like those I recommended, which will strengthen you, but prayer will reach your heart and help you hold firm even when all your feelings are against you.

Keep praying and attending Mass and stand firm as long as you must, for eventually the trial will end and you will be gifted with the light of peace.

I am not trying to contradict you, but would like to share my personal experience: I gave up believing at the age of 17 and continued so till the age of 39. I did all the wrong things and treated lives of saints as joke books or ridiculous stuff. But one day in July 1996 I had a Paul (Saul) like encounter with the Lord and I was transformed and my renewal continues. I am convinced that God will similarly touch all His children at an appointed time. I now find the “lives of saints” exremely helpful for amending my life. However they cannot substiute personal God experience by real encounter.

Now coming to attacks by Satan, recall John 10:28-29 :“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

God does not allow Satan to trouble any of His children beyond his/her ability to endure. We will learn from experience what is sting of sin, what actions / thoughts invite Satan, how to keep Satan at bay, how to respond to / endure both joy and tribulation. Prayer will become our life-breath and daily mass more important than daily food. The HS will lead and ensure that we rise after every fall and emerge stronger.

Regards
Pitcharan

 

[coolduude]

Great story, Pitcharan! good for you! Very encouraging.

 

[Pitcharan]

Great story, Pitcharan! good for you! Very encouraging.

Thank you Cool. Invite you to read to-day’s new post/thread of mine:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=6795592#post6795592

warm regards
Pitcharan

 

[coolduude]

Bump

 

[Lief_Erikson]

The answer to your questions: Yes, I have read “The Case for Christ”. A good book, I must say!

And yes, I have been attending Mass (and Confession )

Great!

As to the other stuff: good advice. I’ll try to read some of those other books, but there’s no guarantee I will. My family would give me looks (no joke). I’ll try to read some of them though!

I’m sure you’ll like any of them that you read. You can read in places where your family won’t see. Or if you want to be bold, then where they can see. Any looks they give you will bring Christ glory.

Your courage in telling your father about your desire to go to Mass and Confession brought Christ glory.

Also, I have been praying to Mary and Jesus, but I must admit, my prayer life hasn’t been the best recently. I’m trying to get back on track, but the motivation just isn’t there. It’s almost as if I don’t care I sure am trying though!

That’s all that counts. Jesus and Mary understand. Your feelings are under attack, but it is what you do that counts, not what you feel, for what you feel is outside of your control. Feelings aren’t sins, even when they are deep doubt and unbelief. Only choices can be sins.

You can continue to believe always through the will, even when the feelings aren’t cooperating. Faith is a choice you always have the power to make, even though you can’t control when or if you feel it. Keep praying, particularly to your Guardian Angel (along with Jesus and Mary and Holy Wisdom), and stick in there! God bless you, my friend. You are a real blessing to me and others here on CAF! I love how you are striving to serve Christ, in spite of all the difficulties. I am certain that you will be greatly honored in Heaven.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Here’s another question for you (or anyone really). I basically asked it earlier, but I’m still confused. Could Jesus have been exalted because He was humble (and He knew He’d be exalted- that’s why He was humble)? Look at Ghandi- he was humble and he was exalted (though not to the point of worship). Buddah is a great example. He was humble and lived a humble life; later his followers turned him into a god. So could Jesus have acted humble so He would have been exalted?

Not as a campaign strategy, out of a search for power. And not out of pride, as the following makes clear.

As we already saw, when His followers demanded that He become king, He refused, and then He got rid of most of them by giving them a very difficult doctrine. He refused to let His followers defend Him when He was attacked, He didn’t take any money in spite of having a massive following and in spite of the fact that He constantly exhausted Himself helping the poor, sick and needy, and He alienated all potentially useful political players who might have helped Him (the Pharisees did support some false Messiahs after Christ – they would have been very useful if Jesus had politics in mind), out of concern for the people. He walked all over Galilee and Judea on foot. He expected death and repeatedly people tried to kill Him during His years of ministry. If He really had a bone of pride in His body, I’d say He would have behaved very differently.

Jesus constantly obeyed His Mother, He ordered His followers to continue obeying the Pharisees in Matt 23:2-3 (even though they opposed Jesus), and He ordered His followers and almost everyone He helped to not spread the word about Him being the Christ. Jesus’ character can be seen from His actions, from how He put His words into practice. People who are prideful but pretending to be humble would not put their lives on the line for their charade. When Jesus went to the Cross, everyone around Him hated Him, mocked Him, spat on Him and derided Him, yet He did not defend Himself in court or before Pilate. It is clear that Jesus was not pretending at that time to be humble in order to be exalted in the eyes of men. No one that is secretly prideful could endure the crown of thorns and the mockery of the Roman soldiers without saying a word to them in rebuke. No one who is secretly prideful could look down from the Cross, naked, covered in wounds and hated by all, and say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The fact that Jesus spoke those words kills any chance at fakery or charade on Jesus’ part.

Who could possibly live a life of extreme love and grace, of deep self-abandonment, all in order to be loved by future generations without concern about what the people of his own time period think? That doesn’t make sense at all.

Jesus’ extreme selflessness throughout His three years of ministry reveals His character.

The opinion of His disciples, those closest to Him, men who lived with him incessantly for three years, also shows His real character. They believed, based on what they had seen, to the point of giving up their lives for Him, that He was sinless and divine. John, who lived for decades with Jesus’ Mother before her Assumption, also believed that she was sinless. The apostles passed these beliefs about what they had seen on to their followers. In the decades John lived with Mary, he never saw her do anything that he could find the least fault in. And the eleven all believed Jesus was sinless. This is a historical reality. One of Jesus’ executioners, a centurion standing by the cross, also said, “surely this was the Son of God!” He had never seen anyone die with such meekness and obvious depth of love.

All of these facts point to Jesus being truly concerned only for others and not for Himself, being truly humble, and being truly good. He lived His teachings and everyone knew it. Even His enemies, after a certain point, did not dare to argue with Him or ask Him any further questions.

Jesus believed He could, according to the Jewish method of sacrifice and atonement, offer Himself up as a sin offering for all the world. The Apostle Paul, who was a Pharisee before he became a Christian, discusses this in the Book of Hebrews. Jesus believed God called Him to this death, as He told His disciples repeatedly. And as “The Case for Christ” points out, the miracle of His Resurrection proved that He was right.