Is this story about Faith?
-
It chanced on a fair summerÂ’s day that Saint Augustine was walking alone by the seashore. He was thinking deeply on a subject that even he could not understand, although he was one of the most wise and learned men. He was pondering the acts of God, and trying to look into their hidden meaning.
He struggled to comprehend the Divine Plan behind events, and his heart filled with frustration and anguish when he failed to find unclouded explanations. Why does God allow suffering? Why does God allow wars, poverty, illness, etc?
Suddenly he came across a little child who had dug a hole in the sand. He filled a little bucket at the edge of the water, ran and emptied it into the hole, then returned to the sea for more water. Bucket after bucket he poured into the hole.
‘What are you doing, my boy?’ asked the wise man.
The child did not show any surprise at the question, or even raise his head.
‘I am going to empty the waters of the sea into this hole, my Father,’ he replied.
‘That is impossible, little one!’ exclaimed the wise one with a smile.
The boy looked up into his face. ‘No more impossible than for you to fathom the mysteries of God,’ he answered quietly.
The holy man was struck by the truth of the simple words. His heart was humbled. At once the frustration lifted from his mind. He covered his eyes with his hands, and he gave thanks that faith could fill voids where understanding fell short.
What is this story trying to say? I read a few times, but can't decide if the story is on Faith or on other things.
-
faith in God..
for His divine ways are not comprehensible to us, coz we're mortal and He is divine
that's all there is to it... place your faith in Him -
Once upon a time, there is a filial son and a very sick mother. When he is about to bring her mother there, he met a stranger, wearing a very splendor clothing and had the most beautiful face in the world with shocking purple hair. He says " I am a priest. I can heal your mother. All I need is the land and house u stay and your faith in my skills".
Happily the young lass give him the deeds for his house and land since he believe in this handsome man. The man put his hand on the mother face and say "She will be healed in time to come." and went inside and lived in their house. The young lass quickly ask, "when will she be okay ?". This handsome say "Don't ask, have faith in me. U r too stupid to know now"
However the conditions of the mother never get better. In fact it get worse because they have to live on the streets. Worried, the young lass went to see the handsome man again. He saw him trying to sell away his land and house, and ask him "Why aren't my mother better ? why r u selling the house away ?" The man with the splendor clothes boomed "U must have faith in me ! U r too stupid and cannot understand the work I had done ! Don't ask too much questions". The young lass thus went away.
This fool keep believing the priest until his mother passed away. Realising he has been cheated, he went over to his old house and found that there is already a new owner there. The new owner pass him a letter, which is left the priest to the lass. Inside wrote
"Silly fool ! U don't even know me well at all ! Why do u believe me in the first place ? Thanks for your unfailing faith in me, I get to cheat u of your land and house"
So... does this story applies to the people out there ? Should we question to find the truth or just be obedient and swallow watever has been told to us ? -
er.. the 2nd stiry seems abit similar to fr kang...
-
God works in his mysterious ways and humans cannot work beyond God's eye. Caught you FR Kang!
-
On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late at Almighty God Tabernackle, his church, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let it ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.
The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn't figure out what the guy was talking about. Then the guy said, "It rang and rang, but I didn't answer." The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. The man said, "That's OK. Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, "God, if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now." At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. I was afraid to answer." -
Nice story about Augustine
There are many things about God and of his plans we can't fathom. But that does not stop us from reading the bible to know Him.
Of course, there'll be crooks who make use of people's faith to their own gain. It is detestable and unscrupulous
That why we are told to be "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
Here's another story to share
~~~~
Once there lived in a village a firm believer in God, who strongly believed that God shall always help him out in times of crisis as he was a staunch devotee. Once it so happened that there were heavy rains and the river on the bank of which the village situated overflowed and the entire village began to submerge in the flood water.
All the villagers now started vacating the village as flood water started flowing into the streets first and then into their houses. The neighbor of our devotee who was about to leave his house with his family asked our devotee to join him. But our devotee refused to move out of his house saying that, he believed a lot in God and was sure that God would never allow him to die in the flood water and would certainly come to save him. The neighbor left the village with his family and so did all other villagers except our devotee.
Soon, the flood waters entered the ground floor of his house and he was forced to move to the first floor of his house. After a while a local rescue boat came in search of those who were still trapped inside their houses and on seeing our devotee still inside his house, the man on the boat asked our devotee to join them. Again, our devotee refused to budge. He still believed that God would certainly arrive to help him. The rescue boat left the place.
As the water level increased our devotee moved up to the terrace of his house. There he started staring at the skies expecting God to arrive any time. As he was staring the skies, a rescue helicopter arrived this time and on seeing our devotee standing on the roof top of his house, the man inside the helicopter offered to throw a rope down and rescue the devotee out of the increasing flood waters. Yet, again our devotee refused to give up saying, "God shall not let me down". The helicopter too left the place.
The flood water level just kept increasing till our devotee finally drowned and died. After his death, the devotee went to the God and questioned him with anger, "God, I believed in you so much. I was your greatest devotee throughout my life. Yet, you did not come to save me during the time of my crisis and today I'm dead. Why did you do this to me?"
"What?", asked the surprised God to the devotee, "How can you say that I didn't help you, when I indeed did come to your rescue."
Now is was our devotee's turn to be surprised. He asked, "When did you come to save me God?".
God replied, "First I came to rescue you as your neighbor, but you refused my help. Then again, I came in a boat hoping to pull you out of the flood water, but again you refused my help. Finally, as a last ditch effort I came in a helicopter to save you. Again you refused my help. What else did you expect me to do?". -
On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late at Almighty God Tabernackle, his church, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let it ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.
There seems to be something very logically flawed in this story
The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn't figure out what the guy was talking about. Then the guy said, "It rang and rang, but I didn't answer." The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. The man said, "That's OK. Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, "God, if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now." At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. I was afraid to answer."
If this person do not know the "Almighty God Tabernackle" how can he record down its number as the 'Almighty God' ? The caller ID is probably going to display out the numbers in raw isn't it ? If he do know the "Almighty God Tabernackle" then he won't be afraid to answer the call.
BTW nobody seems to have get my story....
I am not talking about father kang but about devotees having faith in something they don't know -
There seems to be something very logically flawed in this story
If this person do not know the "Almighty God Tabernackle" how can he record down its number as the 'Almighty God' ? The caller ID is probably going to display out the numbers in raw isn't it ? If he do know the "Almighty God Tabernackle" then he won't be afraid to answer the call.
eh man! u'r rite!! Muahahahahahaaaa.....
-
How do you believe in something or somebody you don't understand (yet)? -
hey mooku!Originally posted by MooKu:
How do you believe in something or somebody you don't understand (yet)?
you know, it's not easy. it's not easy to trust someone you hardly know. and even if you take a lifetime to know someone, you'll never know him/her completely. generally, friendships/relationships start in a lot of uncertainties. but as more things are known of the other party, this uncertainties go away. even when there still questions unanswered, sometimes we'll put faith that the friendship/relationship is for keeps. -
hey mooku!
For friends, it is physical. U can see him, u can hear him, u can read the things he write etc. He is real. U do not need to know everything about him since he is as normal (without special power or omnipotent) as everyone. U know he exists.
you know, it's not easy. it's not easy to trust someone you hardly know. and even if you take a lifetime to know someone, you'll never know him/her completely. generally, friendships/relationships start in a lot of uncertainties. but as more things are known of the other party, this uncertainties go away. even when there still questions unanswered, sometimes we'll put faith that the friendship/relationship is for keeps.
It is like someone telling u a story about Ne Zha (some chinese deity dressed in oldern red chinese undergarment contructed with 3 heads, 6 arms and fly around on fire wheels carrying a spear and a hula hoop for weopon. His father has a tower for a weopon). Do u believe in it ? Why not ? If u put "faith" in it and as more things are known of the other party, these uncertainties go away. Even when there are still questions unanswered, sometimes u will put faith that the friendship/relationship is for keeps
Worse still, u dont understand why god did some things. U don't understand why he start of 911 incidents, why he start off different religions, why was he created, wat is he thinking, why he killed all dinosaurs, why he don't appear in front of human so they will not be muddled and confused etc. If you know a friend and u don't know wat is he thinking, say things tat contradicts, start to kill off people, demand sacrifice, tortured and killed off his son, test his friends by hurting them and their families, severely tortured a friend for eating one of his apples just becaus ehe is not "obedient" yet tell u to trust him, worship him, give him money and treat u like a servant. Will u still keep a relationship with him ?
Don't u see... u r putting your faith in something totally irrational, non physical, cannot understand nor sensed. Worse still, u r wasting time and money on it.
-
Not true what!!! People still worship Nezha, or for that matter Sun Wu Kong, or Kwan Kong (who was decidely a man). Obviously nice folks here at Eternal Hope do not subscribe to such beliefs, but I am not sure we'd venture out to another forum (Buddhist forum? Does it exist?) and verbally abuse other forumites.Originally posted by stupidissmart:For friends, it is physical. U can see him, u can hear him, u can read the things he write etc. He is real. U do not need to know everything about him since he is as normal (without special power or omnipotent) as everyone. U know he exists.
It is like someone telling u a story about Ne Zha (some chinese deity dressed in oldern red chinese undergarment contructed with 3 heads, 6 arms and fly around on fire wheels carrying a spear and a hula hoop for weopon. His father has a tower for a weopon). Do u believe in it ? Why not ? If u put "faith" in it and as more things are known of the other party, these uncertainties go away. Even when there are still questions unanswered, sometimes u will put faith that the friendship/relationship is for keepsOriginally posted by stupidissmart:Worse still, u dont understand why god did some things. U don't understand why he start of 911 incidents, why he start off different religions, why was he created, wat is he thinking, why he killed all dinosaurs, why he don't appear in front of human so they will not be muddled and confused etc. If you know a friend and u don't know wat is he thinking, say things tat contradicts, start to kill off people, demand sacrifice, tortured and killed off his son, test his friends by hurting them and their families, severely tortured a friend for eating one of his apples just becaus ehe is not "obedient" [b]yet tell u to trust him, worship him, give him money and treat u like a servant. Will u still keep a relationship with him ?
[/b][/quote]
No lah, how can you say God started 911? Look, if you decided to jumped off a building you can hardly blame God for allowing things to happen. When confronted with a situation where the devil told Jesus to jump off the cliff and angels will appear to catch Him, Jesus said "don't tempt God".
[quote]Originally posted by stupidissmart:
Don't u see... u r putting your faith in something totally irrational, non physical, cannot understand nor sensed. Worse still, u r wasting time and money on it. Hey, no problem. Call me silly, idiot, whatever. What I (or neontetra, or sillyme) believe is personal. You don't have agree with us. So it's OK. I mean I don't agree with the heaps of crap that turns up in forums like Bar, I don't go in with a verbal assault on their lack of moral values. It's their life. There is obvious difference in your stand versus the folks who frequent Eternal Life, you are not happy with us, stay out. You remind me of a guy who tunes in to a particular radio station even though you don't like the programming and spends your entire time criticising it. I am sure you can make better use of your time.