Jesus Christ said:

"The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who really loves Me;
and whoever really loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I too will love him and will show, reveal, manifest Myself to him.
I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him."

(John 14:21)

He is real to me.

How real Christ becomes to us is totally dependant on simply keeping His Commands.

In my own experience, I found it's not sudden like in the movies when a person is struck by a shaft of bright holy light coming down from Heaven, and they fall to their knees crying while a choir sings "Ave Maria".

for me, it's rather just subtle inner guidance by silent promptings from moment to moment from a Friend who wants what's best for me.

The concept of needing to others follow ones commands and to love them come across, to me, as things that would be beneath a "god" of any kind. Somewhat self involved and arrogant. I would feel that way about any person who stated such things, let alone coming from an omnipotent deity.

They appear to be the desires of something no greater than man himself. An omnipotent being/god/entity would seem to have far, far more important things to be concerned with.

And to qualify my sentiment here, I don't "hate" Christianity or Christian's. I actually view it in part as being an integral aspect of what had made America so great and still see its importance. I just don't personally believe in "gods". I have friends and family who are believers and I wholly respect that choice. I just don't buy in to it personally.

If our faith and love are true we will demonstrate through obedience.

God is inviting us to receive everything. He is eager to give if we will accept.

It is a natural mistake for secularists to falsely ascribe human behavior (need, self involvement, arrogance) to God.
We actually agree, for I don't believe that made up fake god exists any more than you do.

My experience is different in that I don't see God needing anyone. He certainly doesn't need me.

I respect your view, for what you are actually saying is that God has not revealed Himself to you. So I totally agree with your not buying into anyone else's religious description of God. Ironically, you are actually CLOSER to God than many religious folk, for you are already rejecting fake gods.

You have a bullshit detector. Trust it. It's steering you in the right direction. If you love what is morally right enough to do it, then you are already loving God. It's irrelevant whether or not you believe in Him. God showing Himself is not up to you.

I can say this, you will slap your forehead when the time comes for you to realize for yourself He has been closer to you than your own breath all along.

for it is your own love of what is right and good and true which will lead you to Him.

Yes.

We exist as objects of God's love.

I have a different set of experiences that lead me to different conclusions.

ETA that's not to say what you experienced is not how things can work.

One son stayed home; one son wandered about for a bit

Indeed.

That simple statement affirms our individual freedom to choose.

For everyone has different timing, each of us having entered this world at a different time,
and having made, are making, and will make a wide variety of different choices,
each one setting into motion a different set of just and deserved consequences.

The above statement holds true by virtue of God's moral law. The order of which is exquisitely designed for our benefit.

I wanted to comment on what you said because it reveals a truth.

What you affirm as being essential to making America a great nation actually has little to do with religious organizations. For their different doctrines are merely the imperfect leaking vessels used to transport the goodness of moral values from generation to generation... and they are failing. Many parents have also failed to pass on the goodness of moral values to their children because their parents failed to pass values onto them.

This failure is causing the Great Falling Away.

And this is the reason the Constitution is being shredded... but not for everyone. Whoever lives a decent productive meaning-filled life deserving of the rights described in the Constitution shall continue to enjoy them. While those who do not will never taste liberty for they have sold themselves into bondage.



What we are presently witnessing America no longer being great, because a critical mass of people are no longer good. The indecent are no longer fit to be governed by the constitution so it has to be violated in order to govern those who have failed to govern themselves

A Great Division is taking place, and it is becoming more obvious by the minute...

Do you have children? If so do you want them to love and respect you. If so I would wonder why. Would you want your children to be well behaved and mannerly, showing love and kindness to those around you? WHY would you???