Hello everyone. My name is Nate and I came across BT about 4 months ago while doing research on an article I was writing on the Trinity doctrine. I've been reading all of Ray's articles, emails, listening to the audios and reading the forum threads. All I can say is, "WOW"! I can't tell you how many times I have laughed out loud with joy as many of the unanswered questions I've had over the years are now being answered. I came from, I guess what you would call, a "stepping stone" ministry. Meaning, it was half way between orthodox Christianity (which I grew up in) and what is being taught here (the truth). It, also, was an online ministry with a forum and occasional Skype meetings where disenfranchised Christians would congregate (virtually speaking).
There was a concerted effort in the ministry I was apart of, to stop looking at our Father as some sort of pagan god who wishes to torture most of humanity for all eternity, however Annihilism was taught as opposed to Universalism. At the time, it sounded good to me, especially after a lifetime of believing the orthodox view of hell - God will judge those in hell according to their works and each man will be punished accordingly and then annihilated in the lake of fire (sounded good at the time
). I was involved with this ministry for 5 years and this teaching was a relief to me and I felt a slight burden lifted from me, knowing that God was a righteous judge. I, and most in the ministry, didn't believe in the "pre-trib rapture" or the "trinity" doctrine and a couple other similar beliefs which are taught at BT, however things started to take a turn for me when I began asking questions that could not be answered to my satisfaction.
After a week of reading the articles on "hell", the "lake of fire", "free will", the "Lucifer Hoax", etc., most of my questions were answered - even ones I hadn't really considered. As I stated earlier, I would literally laugh out loud with joy as truth after truth was being revealed. Needless to say, these new found truths didn't go over well with the leadership of this ministry and since we did weekly internet radio broadcasts together, it was just a matter of time before we started butting heads so to speak. Long story short, I am no longer apart of that ministry. I had been feeling unfulfilled for a while, but felt there was nothing else out there. Now I realize that our Father had saved the best for last.
I knew God wasn't this terrorist that orthodox Christianity teaches, however I didn't realize, until reading the "free will" series, that what I actually believed was that God was impotent and unable to accomplish His will due to our "free will" that opposed His will
. Now I realize that His will will be done and that He is truly in control of everything. A great burden has been lifted from me. I now sing a new song.
I look forward to fellowship with like-minded believers.
Nate
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Topic: New Member (Read 6972 times)