Intercessory prayer is pointless

[Drich]

But that contradicts what other theists here have said about how the bible is to be interpreted.

again that is why Paul likened different members of the church as different members of the body. for instance if you see a gunshot with your eye and only could see what happened and you described it, it would be totally different than is you could only witness the same gun shot with your ears.. Your ears might tell you of birds singing in the back ground, children playing and carrying on a car zooms by screeching brakes some yelling and profanity and BOOM BOOM BOOM then ears ringing.. while if you could only see you might not notice the birds or the kids but see a old junkie car zooming by while some guy in a red shirt and shorts tries to cross the street not at the cross walk but by the hot dog cart with the yellow umbrella, then the old junkie car stops barely missing the guy in the red shirt and shorts. then the driver an old man pulls out a gun then you close your eyes to what happens next..

Which one better describes the event? In truth it depends if you are an eye or an ear.. because to the ear things like color and old or new have no real meaning. and to the eye the sound of a bird singing or children out of sight playing has no meaning, even how loud the gun was is almost pointless to an eye..

So which one is correct? on the surface they seem to be describing different things because to each the focal points are different. one notices and makes important things that they understand, while others skip over those points all together. Why because we are designed differently with different strengths and weaknesses to one who can sing worship and praise in their service and how they understand God would be through song, the arts, elaborate worship and praise.. to a builder worship and praise may come through elaborate buildings or tricked out sanctuaries, to the academic worship and praise may mean long boring lectures and endless debate. This also means we will focous on different points of the law. or not at all and we grow past the law and learn what it is all about and that is love/Agape'.

So which one of us is right? none on our merits but all because again the same grace made available to us by christ on the cross is made available to us when we worship and try and love God with all being and fall short. which again we all fall short.

And this is part of the problem. It's either the inerrant word of god, to be interpreted as is, or it isn't. So 20,000 interpretations can't all be right.

I did this seperate so I could repeat. We are not right not one of us, not 100%. So that means the grace extended to us when we willfully sin, is also extended when we wantingly worship and love. The idea here is to use all that you are to come to a place where you are at 100% centered on Christ because even if your 100% is only 20% "right" Christ will make up the rest. nly followers of Christ have this offer extended to them anyone else who preaches a different Gospel where Christ is not at the center of the religion or christ is just a prophet or something along those line by their own belief he does not have the power to make up our shortcomings in sin or in worship.

Think about it why would God forgive our sins murder rape killing babies, if he hangs us on not singing the right songs or using musical instruments or worshiping on the wrong day? What monster would allow a rapist live for eternity just because he worships on a saturday with no musical instruments in their church when little betty sue who 's biggest sin is wanting to love God more but rocks out with a full metal band on sunday? No. Jesus says Love covers a multitude of sin. meaning even if you consider worshiping with a metal band on sunday a sin (Even if there is no command against it) the act of love that is in the worship covers your 'misdeed.' However there are limits and God is no fool. You can not willfully sin and claim it is worship. you can not hate people and claim you are worshiping God as it does indeed break on of only two real commandment the NT church has been given.

I don't think that is how god wanted people to understand his specific instructions. And according to the bible, they were pretty specific.

Here's the thing... What specific instructions??? Jesus was directly ask what laws are we to obey? he said all the laws of the OT can be boilded down to just two laws... 1 Love your lord God with all of your heart mind Spirit and strength (basically with all of your being/ablity to love) 2 Love your neighbor as your self, if you keep these two commands you will full fill all the law. Meaning for Christians these two laws are it. Everything else is freedom...

So when I say we are different members of the same body we if we are like an eye then we worship the the fullest ability an eye can worship. Which is polar opposite than how the Jews where instructed. The jews were given books of law that governed every little aspect of life. We have no such books. only two commands given by Christ Himself. Which amouts to love God the best way you know how, and treat others how you want to be treated. meaning if you want God to forgive you, you forgive others. if you want God to bless you you bless others..ect. that is it. however.. Paul in depth over the course of several of his works/books point out that 'we' if we need the law can live by the law even though we have been freed from the law.

meaning if you think loving God, demands you live like an OT jew then that is what you must lie by till you in your heart know better! And for those of us who are free from the law, we are not to allow our freedom to corrupt those under the law. meaning if you think it is wrong to drink beer or wine then me being free who knows it is ok.. should not drink beer or wine in front of you. lest you feel pressure to drink and while it is not a sin you in your heart thinks it is, which means for you it is a sin. So for your sake I should not drink.

I don't think we qualify for god's offer. What about the parts of the bible that says gentiles are not promised the afterlife?

1, I don't know any parts of the bible that say gentiles were not promised the after life. Only that God choosen would reign.. meaning (in hosea 2) the whole of the human race would qualify for after life through the Jews. (IE Christ) and that originally the jews where slated to be chosen to be the ruling class. But since the (remaining jews) jews deny christ the invitation was opened to everyone else.
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And what if all of that was imagined because a bunch of men sat around a fire and told some really creative stories?

I wish I could give you the experiences I had.. Too much or too many times have I lived a event to only come back and find it described in scripture. Meaning before I knew anything of salvation heaven or hell as the bible descries it I lived judgement and the decent into hell. (in a dream) but years later in study found out everything I dreamed was described scripturally. Just one spiritual experience after the other only to be backed up by the bible. to now where you all will ask questions and I take them to God I am given answers first... then google the book chapter and verse. or supporting documentations. rarly what I have been given needs to be changed and if it does it is often supplement info but the core always seems to be good.

What if you get to the end of your life, only to find that the god you believed in and was faithful to, didn't exist?  
What if you spent your whole life wasting away for some afterlife that never happens?

Honestly i was slated to be a drug user or at best a ditch digger. Couldn't read or write after graduating high school. Found God FF 25 years and now I run 3 different business in two different cities and deliver product nation wide including the caribbean for other companies and major corporations. All by simply walking through the doors God opens for me. If this is a wasted life to you, then maybe you are better off. That said I am not religious I do not bind myself with ritual and tradition for the sake of it. I am not bound by the OT law I am not bound by the church in any way. How ever i do love God with all that I am I re invest almost 100% of what he gives me and I try to love my neighbor as I know what love to mean/want to be shown love. I forgive everyone I hold no grudges and would do just about anything to help someone I think is in need. On the down side I eat too much sleep too much and rather play than work.

I honestly could not want more out of life. I am happy and content, don't want a nicer or newer house don't want a new car (own a car lot so I get to drive basically whatever i want) which is either a 1979 ford pick up or a 1967 mustang I has since i was 15. Don't get me wrong i like driving my wife's bmw or mercedes (or whatever she chooses to drive) from time to time, but over all I love my old truck and car.. I'm happy in life and content. God is a big part of that. I simply want to share this because I know the misery of being a single soul no bigger than what others think of me.