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SandyFla:


I was born to a Catholic father and a Protestant mother. From grades 1-4, I attended a Catholic school. Things got very confusing, as my school and father would tell me one thing, and my mother would tell me another, especially about who really forgives sin: priests or God.  :?

Soon after I began fifth grade at age 9, my mother, sister, and I started attending a Wesleyan Methodist church. They were very strict and legalistic. As a female, they expected me to not wear shorts, slacks, makeup, jewelry (even wedding rings were frowned upon), or cut my hair. They even had some crazy idea that women should wear their hair up, which I refused to do. From age 14, I was the church organist. They allowed me to pull my hair back to play; as soon as I was finished, I would let it loose. For a time, I was not allowed to play because I wore eye-liner! Owning a TV was a sin.

I thought God would be angry with me if I didn't do what they said (except for the hair-up thing), and I was threatened with the fear of eternal hell. They told me God was love, yet their sermons always depicted Him as some angry being. I had the feeling that He was sitting up in heaven just waiting for me to mess up so He could punish me ... as if He got some kind of sick pleasure out of doing so. Even if I could live a perfect life, if I committed one sin before I died--or forgot to ask God to forgive that sin--I was doomed to hell. They preached that you could know for sure that you were going to heaven when you die, but if you can lose your salvation, you can't possibly know until you die!  :roll:

In high school I attended a Baptist school and heard about the "once saved, always saved" belief, which definitely went against everything I'd learned (except the "knowing for sure" thing).  The Bible verses they gave made sense; yet, the ones from my church saying you COULD lose your salvation also did. That is where my search for truth began. For years--decades, actually--I prayed for God to show me which one was right.

I started listening to all kinds of preachers, and heard one talk about evil and demonology.

One day while searching for demons, I came upon Ray's site. I started to read, and it was like a light went on. Here was the TRUTH!!! God's plan of salvation was far more wonderful than I'd ever dreamed.  :D

hillsbororiver:
It certainly is! Welcome Sandy, it is good to have you here. I thank God for the confusion being repaced with love for Him and a thirst for more wisdom. Being freed from the bondage of man made religion is truly a rebirth.

I encourage you to continue to read Ray and Mike's articles with an open heart and an open bible and don't be shy in sharing what you learn, you know we have a thread going where we were hoping for more members of the female persuasion to post more & balance things out around this forum.

Joe

orion77:
Welcome Sandy, the truth is like a buried treasure.  It is not just laying out there in the middle of a field for everyone to find.  Takes much searching until the day comes and WOW, never thought it was this great!

Keep reading and search the scriptures he states to back it all up.  An amazing find and a lot lighter burden to carry.  Glad you are here.  :D

God bless you, Sandy

Gary

Gill:
Hi Sandy,

So great when the confusion and blindness is cleared up and healed.  It's such freedom  :D.  The scriptures actually start to make sense, rather than appear to contradict one another.  As for the doctrines of demons and the traditions of men ...well, the Shepherd has found us and He leads us beside still waters.

Thanks for sharing, Sandy   :) .

SandyFla:
Thanks for the welcome, everyone, but I've been on the Bible-Truths message board for years since it was on Yahoo! I haven't been here for several weeks. Like everyone else, I've had to re-register. Glad to see this site is up and doing well.  :)

Sandy

P.S. I wonder why there aren't more women on here ...

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