is god real

[jimbo419]

i have a rare heart disease that my mom died from when she was only 2 years olden than i am now. I think i am going to die in a couple years and i find it hard to believe in god. Both of my wife's parents are pastors and i go to church twice a week out of duty but i dont believe a word. There church is a pentecostal church so they speak in toungs and fall down and stuff. It all seems so fake to me. I think there has to be a god but i don't think it is the one they tell me about in church. I want to believe so i will have no fear in death but i cant. If human beings have been on this planet for 50,000 years then why did god send Jesus just 4,000 years ago. It is facts like that that make me doubt the bible. But i don't thing everything could exist without some sort of god. When i die is it going to be like before i was born. I am searching for answers but cant find any.

[pryrwaryr]

Because it was God's choice to give people a chance to come to him.  Love is not love when it's forced.  Otherwise we'd be puppets.  God gives us choice.  And even though it is His will that none of us should be apart from Him, we must choose.  Failure to choose does not make you saved by default either.  It is not your actions so much as your choice.  If you truly make a choice, your actions should follow.  We are human, we make mistakes, and do not achieve perfection just by choice...we are a work in progress.  God loves us just the way we are, but loves us too much to let us stay apart from him. 
seek, pray, read the Bible... read expecting God to reveal something to you. 

I personally don't think some of those who yell and fall down will make it to Heaven either... they are there for the show, for themselves and not God.  (But some are genuinely expressing their emotion such as we do at sports events.)

I believe by your post that you really do want to believe in something.  I pray God shows you the path you are seeking.

[gvanschoic@aol.com]

Jimbo, Trust me , God is real!!! He is the most REAL thing there is. I was brought up going to church with Grandma. If the church was open, my butt was on the pew. Grandma was looking for the "real thing". So we saw the whole scope of "religion". We'd go to one church for awhile then the next and the next , you get the picture. When I was a young teen she had ended up at a pentecostal church where they told me every week that I was going to Hell. As soon as I didn't have to go to grandmas for the weekend, I was done with the church thing. I figured they could go to Hell by themselves. Fast forward thirty years, and now I had a family of my own. My oldest daughter asked if we would go to church with her and her friend. My first thought was not only NO but "HELL NO". Then I remembered asking my Mom to go with me when I was young and she said no. I didn't like that answer. So I figured I'd go once and make her happy. God tricked me!!!! I went to church and heard what the preacher was talking about. What he was saying made sense. After church my daughter asked if we would go again next week and I said i would. That was 10 years ago or more and I'm still going to church. During the past ten years God has shown me some amazing things. Ask God to show you what He would like you to do. Believe that He will and He will. Jesus said "Ask as if you have already received and you will receive". Have faith in God and not man. Its all about your own personal relationship with God. I'll pray for you and ask God to give you wisdom in this matter. God Bless you. Jerry

[dean leahy]

i have a rare heart disease that my mom died from when she was only 2 years olden than i am now. I think i am going to die in a couple years and i find it hard to believe in god. Both of my wife's parents are pastors and i go to church twice a week out of duty but i dont believe a word. There church is a pentecostal church so they speak in toungs and fall down and stuff. It all seems so fake to me. I think there has to be a god but i don't think it is the one they tell me about in church. I want to believe so i will have no fear in death but i cant. If human beings have been on this planet for 50,000 years then why did god send Jesus just 4,000 years ago. It is facts like that that make me doubt the bible. But i don't thing everything could exist without some sort of god. When i die is it going to be like before i was born. I am searching for answers but cant find any.