Most personally convincing reasons you don't believe.

[Drich]

For -you-....fine, but others don't have that access, so it's not exactly convincing to them.  That;s not difficult to understand, surely?
Promises made vs promises kept. Many of us do not have this access. It doesn't matter why, it doesn't matter how many caveats you add or what they are. We-don't-have-access. It;s difficult to understand how someone would be convinced by something they do not possess, and cannot procure, isn't it?

There is a certain measure of conformity to take advantage of anything this life has to offer. You want to live in a society you have to play by certain rules. You want to A/C and lights at night you have to pay your electric bill, You want to have a car, you have to buy one and maintain it. Nothing is with out cost, nothing in this life worth having is free, there is always a cost even if You are not the one paying for it.

The same is true here.

The 'Cost' we are asked to pay the conformity we must follow is simple humility. to put yourself on God's time frame, and not your own.
This is the electric bill this is the car payment. This is the cost of 'proof.' You must wait and be willing to follow where ever God leads. This is the only reason I 'have access" and you do not.

If you want this access then you will wait and follow if you can't be bothered then your car will be repo'd and your lights shut off.

In the end you will 'wait' the same amount of time whether you believe or not. The only difference is will you come away with God or will you spend your time waiting serving yourself?

Others didn't find what you find, others don't have the access you have.  What convinces you is obviously non-transferable, judging by your -many- attempts to communicate it on these boards.  All that's available to me are the stories...and the stories didn't even convince -you- that took a personal experience.

The 'storys' made me want what those people had. What Solomon had specifically Wisdom and a direct line to God. Then low and behold here is that very thing being offered.

The difference? Again I went where God had me go. I did not hold to my 'zeus/genie' version of God and wait for my version of Him. I went with the guy who I was reading about in the bible. (even though I did not yet agree with Him)

If you grew up in a church, and they do not speak of or descibe the version of God that I have, AND you have never experienced anything like what I have shared, nor has anyone in your church, then perhaps you guys are worshiping a 'zeus' version of God. Again if it is Jesus Christ centered and this is the best your members can do, then it will be enough for salvation. (getting in the door) However if you want the 'fast pass' front line access then you have to do things his way. He will not support a bad or broken 'zeus' version that many religious efforts paint with direct access. Could you imagine how screwed up the world would be if God granted TV preachers the actual powers they claim to Have?

This is why Knocking/Continuing to ask and Seek is so important. Meaning you keep asking question, you keep praying and you keep Reading your bible. Because the picture the bible paints of God is far different than most religious versions. Once you learn to identify God through the bible you will begin to literally see things happening in your life in the same way they happened for others in the bible. Then your life will Never be the Same.

Or you can hold fast to your Zeus version of God because that is the small little box you have given Him in your mind, and just wait and see how long before He will squeeze Himself into the little box you made for Him.

Think about it. If you had the Absolutely Wrong view of God why then would he Answer/grant your wishes/prayers? wouldn't this just cement this bad version of him in your mind?

Jesus Illustrates this principle with the parable of the wise and foolish builders. (Wise man builds his house on the Rock and foolish man builds his house on the sand (because it was easier to build than on rock)

The house we build is our faith/system of belief. If we build on who the bible says Jesus is our faith/belief will weather any storm, however id we build on the sand dry river bed our faith will be swept away by the comming trials/storms.

Many of you believe your atheism is a direct result of logical thinking. I believe it is an answered prayer. Especially if any of you have ever prayed for proof of God as 'christians.' God sent a storm into your lives to remove the house/faith you built on sand. To give you an opportunity to rebuild on Who Christ/God really is. If you start to build on the rock you will find you are not the only one helping you rebuild your 'house.'