I spent years questioning "am I really a Christian....do I really believe this". It was in the solitude of my home (when I was alone and unable to leave and move much for months) and within the solitude of my hospital room in which I truly the encountered the Holy Spirit and surrendered completely to it. Like you I have had incredible dreams, but the more important experiences have happened when I'm fully awake in private moments of prayer and worship. No churches, no priests, no pastors, no audience, no wife, no child....just me and the Lord.
What you have discovered is that God is near us all, in every situation, and our life has purpose and meaning. Not coincidence or chance. All of us ultimately experience this. Whether its some sort of epiphany or self exploration, etc... I have been through this myself many of us have. Even bigbobs have, but that's his personal story.
You have just from only knowing christianity accepted the idea that it is the 'trinity' or 'holy spirit'
Even hindus have these experiences, but they falsely attribute it to vishnu, hanuman, and their many idols.
It doesn't change the fact that God is present and exists. Just that humans in their own lack of knowledge attribute to God that which is not.
God provides for those that believe and disbelieve. Teaches, heals and provides for all mankind even if we are ungrateful and haughty.
Jesus did affirm he was God and proclaimed it, but I will never convince you of that and I accept that now. I was conflicted by that very thing for many weeks until I earnestly prayed about it and the Holy Spirit revealed to me my flaws and gave me clarity.
No you convinced yourself of this and keep repeating it. That's not proof. If we are to look for PROOF it must come from somewhere.
If it weren't for your education in the trinity, you would not know or believe in the trinity. Period.
Just as I told you, my dream, how can you interpret someone telling you that there is only one God that THEY ARE God even though they are merely a messenger to you as Jesus was in my dream?
All things have been created through Jesus Christ, but again I know I will never ever convince you of that and I accept that now.
Again, an emotional statement back by your own wishes not facts. Jesus was created and was in the womb of mary for 9 months. Created by God, chosen by God, sent by God, doing God's commandments and serving God all as mentioned according to the new testament.
So you make claims that sound like they are scriptural but they are not at all. Only your own utterance bro.
I know you claim to be a former Christian, but have no concept of the Holy Spirit and deny it completely. I know I will never ever convince you of the reality of the Holy Spirit and I accept that now.
Because I understood that there are no such things. Jesus never thought such things. Jesus never thought the trinity. He thought what we Muslims believe. God is one. Not trinity.
You're also right that scholarship takes years of study, but tangibly experiencing the life changing presence of the Holy Spirit takes only moments. Still, I know I will never convince you of that fact and I accept that now.
Again as mentioned earlier, it doesn't take more than a few moments to realize God exists if you find faith through self exploration, thats how we all come to it. So have I. I used to sit alone, I used to sit on a bus and observe people, observe the trees and all things in nature, look at the sky, be fascinated by science and how things work, amongst othe rthings. I used to ponder on our existence, ourselves as humans and many many other htings. However despite you coming to the same conclusion as I and many others have come to, you are falsely attributing things TO God...
You're also right that experiencing the beauty and simple message of the Quran doens't take years of study, but because that simple message stands in direct opposition to salvation through our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that simple message is clearly sourced from the ruler of this world. Again, I will never ever convince you of that and I accept that now.
Have you ever for a second thought that perhaps Pauline teachings are not really God's teachings and contradict Jesus' teachings?
Salvation comes through obedience to God, obedience to the messengers and through good works. Jesus himself said you will enter the kingdom of God through good works and be condemned to hell otherwise.
The church has twisted the message of Jesus and enforced the personal teachings of Paul.
Do you realize what illogic and lack of justice it is to say that a man who supposedly was God, commited suicide and all this to 'save' humanity'. There is no need for human sacrifice or God to 'sacrifice himself' amongst other beliefs to 'save' anybody.
Islam teaches differently yes, that we are saved by faith in God, by mercy of God and by our good works. Quite similar to what Jesus himself preached not what paul or the church preached.
Christians are trinitarian monotheists believing in one God, but again I know I will never ever convince you of that and I accept that now.
But that is an oxymoron. You cannot convince me of it because I know Jesus didn't teach it. As I said I studied Christianity in depth and what I found was man made law and man made teachings not Jesus' teachings or God's teachings or law.
As one atheist once told me, christianity is a religion of convenience. Where you shape God and shape what is Godly as you see fit. Hence everyone's christianity is different and everyone's understanding of God and Jesus is different.
You're also right that God doesn't lie or contradict himself, but the ruler of this world moves about like a roaring lion looking to devour his prey. He is the ultimate master of deception that has convinced multitudes that Jesus is not the way, that he was not resurrected, that he is not God, that it's about works and that salvation through Christ is not needed. Again, I know I will never convince you that this is the case and I accept that now.
I think you misunderstand the true concept of 'salvation' and instead like many christians preach to the emotional masses that you just have to 'accept' Jesus in your heart and you are 'saved'. It is a bullet riddled statement bro...
It gets people emotionally hooked but is far from reality.
It's an unjust and unreal concept.
Jesus thought that everyone will be judged, on the earth he said I judge thee when speaking to those around him as a messenger as all messengers dictated what is right and wrong.
He thought that there is a heaven for those that succeed and a hell for those that are condemned and evil. He talked of good works. He talked of embracing and fulifilling God's law, he thought God's law.
The reality is, if paul did not exist, we muslims are 100% behind Jesus as we in fact are. There is nothing contradictory to Jesus' teachings to Islam. In fact we are closer to Jesus in his teachings than the church and paul are to Jesus.
After all what is the definition of Muslim and Islam? One who submits his will to God and submission to the will of God. What did Jesus repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat over and over again about himself? The exact same statement. Not my will but your will.
