Hi Doug,
Yes I agree that we should certainly teach our children truth. I did raise my children in church and when we left I explained why I did. Now that they are grown (27, 22 and 20) they have different ideas and will make their own decisions about going to church and I think one daughter does plan on taking her children to a church.
But of course a parent wants to give their children as much knowledge as they can to deal with life in this world and these instructions are very good for them, but can only go so far. Ultimately they make their own choices and it is likely to some degree to not be the ones we would have chosen for them to do, but it seems we all have to learn many lessons the hard way, through trial and error. But you, as a parent, will be there for them to turn to in times of need.
There are a few places Ray speaks about going into the church.
http://bible-truths.com/lake13.html -----------------------------------------
WHEN FIRST WE SEE THE BEAST
Why is John standing on the sand of the sea when he first sees the wild beast rise out of the sea? Why isn’t he standing on solid rock when first he sees this wild beast? Because standing on the sand of the sea depicts our spiritual condition at the time that we see a wild beast come up out of the sea. When we see the wild beast, God shows us our vulnerability.
We are standing DEFENSELESS on the sand of the sea!
There is a spiritual process that God takes His called and elect through that only the few ever experience. The common opinion seems to be that one can become sick and tired of his sinful ways, and so turn to Jesus Christ to get him out of his mess. Once he has accepted Jesus as his Saviour, it is presumed that all will begin to go well with the new convert.
Finances will improve, health will improve, our social life will improve, and certainly our spiritual life will improve. As we study and pray and go to church, it is believed that one will progress further and further until one’s life is nearly perfect. In fact, if one is still having trials and tribulations after decades in a church, it is assumed by all that that person is not living right and that God is cursing him for some sin or disobedience.
I showed you in a previous installment that the very first thing that Jesus pointed out as a spiritual flaw in the first of the Seven Churches, was that they "LEFT their first love."
This is referred to in fundamental circles as "backsliding." But, supposedly, only a few ever "backslide." Most, it is assumed, just keep growing and growing from grace to grace until they die a happy death of old age.
The Seven [COMPLETE] Churches of God represent the WHOLE CHURCH OF GOD in all generations. And so, what is it that God says those who are ALREADY IN THE CHURCH have to do if they are to overcome and be in the Kingdom of God? Answer:
"Remember therefore from whence you are FALLEN, and REPENT…" (Rev. 2:5).
Repent of WHAT? Repent of "…leaving your FIRST LOVE."
But you say, "I have never left my first love." Well then, this Scripture isn’t speaking to you. But everyone who does make it into the Kingdom, does leave his first love. There are those, however, who have left their first love, AND DON’T EVEN KNOW IT! Repenting will come especially hard for them, as they see nothing to repent of.
Whenever someone is called of God and he repents, is baptized, confirmed, initiated, or whatever, it is into a church. And sooner or later that particular church will bring you to the point where you will leave your first love for God and turn to the church and its religion as the idol of your heart. God calls His people OUT of the Babylonish System of Religion which has a strangle hold on ‘The Church.’
"Mystery Babylon the Great" is a CHURCH! But it is also A SPIRITUAL WHORE:
"For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to JERUSALEM which now is, and is in bondage with HER CHILDREN. But Jerusalem which is ABOVE is free, which is the MOTHER OF US ALL" (Gal. 4:25-26).
Jerusalem above is our MOTHER. Jerusalem below is also a MOTHER with children in bondage. Revelation speaks clearly of this Mother and her Children:
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the GREAT WHORE that sits upon many waters [peoples and nations and tongues]:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed [spiritual] FORNICATION, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a WOMAN [a church] sit upon a scarlet colored WILD BEAST, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls [possessing many of the blessings of God including the pearls of God’s Word], having a gold cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH"
(Rev. 17:1-5).
And now for one of the most amazing Truths in all Revelation:
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her [Mystery Babylon the Great], MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4).
GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE OUT OF THE VERY CHURCH THAT HE CALLED THEM INTO!
"Many are called but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14).
Few realize that there is a "church WITHIN the church." When God chooses us FROM AMONG the called, we become separate from their doctrines and sins. We are still "The Church of the Living God," but we are a peculiar people that no longer follows the traditions of men, which the many called who are building the house upon the sand continue to follow.
Therefore, WE WILL SEE THE BEAST that comes up out of the sea. We will be forced to WAR with the beast from the sea. And we will be OVERCOME by the wild beast. This really is serious business.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=3720.0 ---------------------
1 John 4:14 - “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
The churches say it will never happen, isn’t that disgusting. God Almighty commissioned His Son to be the Savior of the world. He said, Son I’m going to send You down there to be the Savior of the world, and all the ministers say as one, it will never happen, You can never pull it off God. Who do you think you are, is what they say to God. It’s incredible how that the biggest blasphemers of God Almighty, is the church.
But don’t be to hard on them. Let me tell you something. God doesn’t call everybody to be one of His favorite chosen, elect, except from the church. So we don’t want to poo poo the church too bad, because that’s where He gets the elect from. I have never heard or known of an atheist converting and becoming one of God’s elect. They always go into the church first, to be corrupted by the church and then they’re shown the truth and they come out.
Rev 18:4 “And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people,”
Where are God’s people, in the corrupt church of Babylon.
Rev 17:5 “And on her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
God said, guess what that’s where My people are. But they are not His elect until He elects them out. Then they become His chosen favorites, as will the rest, but not yet.
http://bible-truths.com/putout.html ----------------------------------------
[Ray Replies]
Dear Kathy:
I can certainly identity with your situation. I have personally, as have ALL who eventually come to the Truth, gone through numerous "harlots of the Great Whore" before God opened my mind up to His spiritual Truths. There is a line in a hymn that goes: "Where could I go but TO THE LORD?"
When you find GOD, Kathy, your search for the right "church" will be over!!!
I do not belong to, nor do I attend, ANY institutionalized church of men. I am, however, a member of The Body of Christ--The Church of THE LIVING GOD. And those of us that I am aware of, have to travel many hundreds of miles to occasionally fellowship together (as I did this past weekend, traveling a total of fourteen hundreds miles to gather with others of like mind for the weekend).
Sometimes our fellowship is only with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father, but that's okay.
I have had many Jehovah's Witnesses read my material on our site. Most have little interest in the Truth, however.
May God grant you the insight to be different. Unfortunately, you have had to experience this profound prophecy in your own family:
"These things have I spoke unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues [or kingdom halls]; yea, the time comes, that whosoever kills you [or your brother-in-law] will think that he does God service" (John 16:1)!!
And why do they do such cowardly and evil things to the flock?
"And these things will they do unto you, because they have NOT KNOWN THE FATHER, NOR ME [Jesus Christ]" (Verse 3)!!!
Don't sorrow, Kathy, but rather REJOICE that you have been accounted worthy so suffer such things for your faith in Jesus Christ!
Let me know if you have any specific questions on anything, or if I can be of any other help to you in this time of severe trial.
God be with you,
Ray