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[Revilonivek]

Hi all,

I don't know where to begin, but this one, you can call it a grieving process for me..since its been especially hard for me because I care about my friend.  

I just found out my friend is going back to a pentecostal church. she  was raised pentecostal pretty much her whole life,  I wasn't raised pentecostal but i have visited her church and understood her church's stand on things. Her family goes there too.   I just feel its like a prison there when it comes to  accepting their teachings and then battling with  wanting to be truly free and stay with what you have already learned from God's revelations to you and having to conform to pentecostalism doctrine back again. I can't help but worry about her. its like alarms went off.. I felt the need to warn her. I know it is  hard to stay separate when you are in the midst of the teachings they teach the opposite of what you know is the truth about God and his unconditional love toward all of humanity.  I told her if she had to go back there.. to just be the light of christ....It's the light itself that helps people see and  to pray alot. I have to trust God... He knows what he is doing..I have to.

If anyone can relate, please share some piece of wisdom, experiences,  scriptures, or anything that can help me deal.. I know this situation is  between her and God.. everything goes according to God's will.. I just wish I knew what God was doing with her and I would feel better.


Denise

[believerchrist100]

Hi Denise,

No you aren't wrong to warn her. That's one of the hardest parts about being a good friend, being honest when the truth isn't pretty.

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. " (Proverbs 27:6)

But on the flip side, well I can't say this much better than Ray does in "Winning Souls For Jesus":

GOD PREDETERMINES WHO GETS SAVED AND WHEN

"Now we are aware that God [Who? GOD. Men—ourselves? NO—GOD] is working all together for the good of those who are loving God who are called according to the purpose that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the image of His Son for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren. Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also; now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also" (Rom. 8:28-30, Concordant Literal New Testament).

It is ALL OF GOD. It is not wrong to tell others of your knowledge of God and His Word. It is not, however, your responsibility to "get people saved." Only God can do that.

It is GOD who does the calling:

    "For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen [Who? ‘GOD’] the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty…" (I Cor. 1:26-27).

It is GOD who does the dragging:

    "No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent Me, draw him [Gk: ‘drag him’]…" (John 6:44).

It is CHRIST Who chooses from those His Father dragged:

    "Ye have not chosen Me, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU…" (John 15:16).

Eventually this will include all mankind:

    "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).

And all will respond to God’s judgments and chastisements:

    "That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those in earth, and those under the earth; And that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11—See also Isa. 26:9b).

And let’s not forget:

    "…no man CAN say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit" (I Cor. 12:3b).

Which is totally contrary to the horrible teachings of such men as John Hagee and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Herbert Armstrong said: "Yes, every knee will bow, and if they don’t GOD WILL BREAK THEIR KNEES." Oh the unscriptural foolishness of carnal—minded men.

But do orthodox Christians believe that these Scriptures mean what they say? Of course not, and that is why they quote Phil. 2:12 "…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," thinking that this takes Sovereignty away from God and places it back with man and his fabled "free will." Not so. They forget to read the next verse which tells us why we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling:

    "For [‘for’ means ‘because’] it is GOD [Who? Man? NO! ‘GOD’] which works in you both TO WILL AND TO DO of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).


I hope this helps. Basically, don't be afraid to tell the truth, but don't be surprised or discouraged if she doesn't respond positively. Only God can save her and he knows what he's doing even if we don't.

Take care and you'll be in my prayers.

Patrick

[Joel]

Hi Denise
I spent some time in a similar congregation, and can relate to some of the things you are saying. Amos 3:3 says "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Jesus said in John 8:32 That the TRUTH shall make you free. That type of controlling environment is like a prison, when I left where I was, I was gone in my mind some time before my body was able to follow.

I heard that after I left, the pastor told the congregation that I would be back, if it had to be in a coffin. That assembly has since broken up and most have gone their separate ways.
That has been over 20 yrs. now. So where was the truth in that prediction?

I suggest you keep seeking, and trusting in God, and rely on the TRUTHS in his word. Rays teachings, and this forum are a good refuge for many a weary soul.

Joel

[Deborah-Leigh]

Denise

Here is some straight talk. You’ve been honest about your thoughts and feelings. You are hurting.

You don’t see yourself in the picture at all. You keep talking about the friend and her path and her circumstances and her journey and what is happening to her thoughts.
Here is how I see you.

You are to me, and for me, exactly like your friend is to you.

You are not seeing the  value of worth and of beauty that God is working in, through and with you.

God Himself has given her, in and through you, His care, attention, consideration, empathy and love. She walked out and away and not without an anchor in you that is God. God is Love.

She had to go. She could do no more and no less than go. Now think for one second if you had been less than a friend to her. You are not less than a friend to her and so she has had the ability to leave and know you will still be there if and when she returns.

Think about it. Would the Prodigal son return home if he thought the Father had packed up and left also? No. He had the assurance that the Father was Home.

The Father of the Prodigal son, did not journey with his son but stayed at home and considered his son dead until he returned. Considering a person dead is not a gory or sinister thing of horror. The Father made it quite plain that he considered his son dead when he left home, because that son, would never be the same again. Likewise, and without grief, consider too that your friend, likewise, when she returns, she will not be the same person who left but will return wiser, better, and much more like the person any Heavenly Father of the Kingdom of God, desires, plans and purposes to have.


Be happy that you have not gone with her. The masterful work God is performing and preparing for her in the circumstances she is appointed to experience, shall not fail, neither you nor your friend or God. You can be happy for that! 

Putting your friend in your future and stopping to look back puts you at that same window where the Father saw his son returning and ran out to meet him in great joy and celebration. Putting your friend in the future where she will be wiser and better off for the experience shared might help you over the grief of today.

She shall never be the same in a good way. God doesn’t fail.  God is able to return your friend to you, perhaps not tomorrow or the next day, but whenever He has completed making her into a better friend who friend who shall not remain the same but improve under the skilled Spirit of Righteousness, guidance of Love and wise power of the Father that appoints to her, and you, and all, the circumstances over which non of us have any control.
She is in your heart.
God knows where to find her. Your prayers for her well being, her liberty from bondage and wisdom in the learning, could go well for her and you, as you stay joined to and with your friend, before the Father of Heaven, who gave her to you in the first place.

I have felt your suffering and I hope this message to you comforts, consoles and lifts your spirit into a golden healing knowledge that God forsakes no one. He is Love.
 
Arc

[Revilonivek]

wow! Thank you all!


Just exactly what I needed to hear!!!  You are right- God never fails in everything he does. I need to put my trust in God and know everything will be ok. She is in good hands! I don't know why I didn't think of it that way till you guys pointed it out. Its like, it all made sense..I guess it was hard to see it when I'm hurting lol.  I will continue to pray for her and everyone else  because I care that much! I have a big heart, I  can't help but worry but you are right,  everything happens according to God's Will.  Thank you for your words and you are right.. God never fails in everything he does, It just clicked. an absolute... All is of God.. I feel better now. She'll be back, soon or later. She'll be alright.
and yes... Truth sets you free... that's very true!

Thank you again for the wisdom and reminder. I needed it.

Blessings to all,

Denise

[Deborah-Leigh]

I am so glad for you Denise. 

All the visible answers here in this Thread with the invisible prayers come together like a beautiful recipe establishing that forgiveness is  unlimited, and so is God!

Blessings
Arc

[Randall L Pilch Jr]

I came out of a Pentecostal background also Denise, as hard as I tried I never spoke in tounges either, as far as your friend when it's her time to be truly called she will be or she may never be, I know it's hard. I'm having a hard time with my father, I thought I believed some weird things, man he really does, he thinks unknown tounges is a way to get stuff past Satan and his minions without them understanding, but we know there is no such thing as "unknown tounges", and that there were three factions of gods government headed by three generals, Lucifer, Gabriel and Michael, and when Lucifer fell and took that faction with him gods government was no longer a perfect union, and that's why he made us, he wanted those who would chose to be completely obedient to him by our "free will" and fill that gap in his government, that's why Satan hates us so much...I was like, uh...where is that exactly in the scriptures??? Thank you my lord and my god for not allowing me to be so deceived. He also buys that "name it and claim it" teaching that we have the power to create by the words of our mouth, he says his intercessory prayers are why I was given dominion over my sins... I have a hard time believing that. Although I won't say his prayers for me are not heard. I just don't believe that was the sole reason the holy spirit made a work of conversion in me, I rather thought I was finally after being able to accept everything Ray is teaching by the grace of god, that I was now able to worship in Spirit and in Truth, but of course only because he decided it was my time. Uh...I'm rambling...your in my prayers.