hi everybody

[steve]

hello to everyone,
i've been lurking here for months, reading ray's articles, knowing some of these truths for 30 years, continuing to pray for understanding of others. my name is steve, i live in central virginia, south of charlottesville. i hope to enjoy fellowship with you and understand more bible truths.

God bless,
steve

[hillsbororiver]

Welcome Steve!

I am happy you are here and look forward to fellowshipping with you Brother,

Joe

[Kat]

Hi Steve,

Good to see you have decided to join in.
The fellowship is good, because the people are good.
We are all learning and growing here, your input is welcome.

mercy, peace, and love
Kat

[andrevan]

Hi Steve, a warm welcome to the forum.

God bless you,
Andrevan.

[orion77]

Hello Steve,

Welcome to the forum.  It's a good place to fellowship and learn from each other.

God bless,

Gary

[joyful1]

Greetings Steve! How in the WORLD did you keep such teachings to yourself for over 30 years??
You've totally got my attention on that one! I nearly caused a slow down in the earth's rotation the day I was shown Ray's site by my husband!
joyful 1

[steve]

hi, it's me again,
there is more to this story than what i was clear enough to say. i left the southern baptist church of my parents in my mid teens, for the pentecostal church because i thought there was more truth there. now i just tell people it was because they had electric guitars. i left the pentecostal church after i came to learn that hell isn't eternal. they wanted to cast the devil out of me.there was where i learned of babylon. i tried to explain this to my parents and church members. eventually i tried to walk away from all of it.
i spent the interim trying to find truth in other places, reading far and wide of other faiths and trying to experience them. travelling to their places of interest, and in the bottom of a glass. i am still stunned that God brought me back to the same place after this.
thank you all for welcoming me here.
steve

[joyful1]

Hey Steve! Just wondering...you said; "God brought me back to the same place after this." Does that mean that He has led you back into your starting point....the Baptist Church? joyful 1

[brothertoall]

Welcome to the forum steve and it is great to have you here!

bobby(bob)

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hi Steve

Welcome.

I too was reading Ray's Bible-Truths before I joined the Forum. I had no idea how it would bless me! I thank God He brought me in and I can see already how He is blessing you

Arcturus 

[lasohe]

Hi Steve,

Welcome aboard.
It must have been a lonely road down there. My friends too tried to cast out the devil from me 20 years ago. That's when I started my journey but I didn't know much then. My searching is still on. Ray's articles openend my eyes to a lot of things too.

lasohe

[steve]

aye yi yi yi !!!
i can't tell anyone with a whole lot of certainty where this journey is taking me, i'm pretty sure it won't be back to the baptist church. i got a good laugh out of that.

God bless,
steve

[joyful1]

okay, okay!LOL 
anyway...where did you end up? I know here...but what did you mean by; "God brought me back to the same place after this."
just curious~
joyful 1

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hi Joyful1

I know it is really stupid to try to answer for Steve.....but.... what came up for me through your questions was this .....have we not all left our first love and returned? Only Steve could answer that but for me this is what it means for me to be here!

Arcturus

[joyful1]

ooohhh!! okay! 
thanks Steve! er...arturus...
what does arturus mean, anyway?
joyful1

[Deborah-Leigh]

Joyful1

Prehistoric Polynesian navigators knew Arcturus as Hokule'a, the "Star of Joy." 

....derives from ancient Greek Αρκτούρος (Arktouros) and means "Bear Guard."

In Arabic, it is called Haris-el-sema, "the keeper of heaven."

Psalm 147:4  He determines and counts the number of the stars, He calls them all by their names. 5  Great is our Lord and of great power, His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless.

Psalm  148:3  Praise Him sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created!

His blessing to you Joyful1

Arcturus

[steve]

hey joyful 1 and arcturus,
it wasn't stupid to try to answer the question for me, i was trying to figure out how to describe that answer best and i think that you did it for me. i don't always think that i am the most articulate tool in the shed. i walked away. i tried to close that door and say it didn't mean anything to me. i tried to pretend that it didn't, but it did. he called me back to him. it is really beyond my ability to describe.

steve

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello Steve

..."i don't always think that i am the most articulate tool in the shed...."
....Not every one needs to be articulate.....Knowledge will cease....1 Cor 13:9 For our knowledge is fragmentary, incomplete and imperfect, and ourprophecy, our teaching is fragmentary, incomplete and imperfect. But when the complete and perfect comes, the imcomplete and imperfect will vanish away, become antiquated, void and superseded.

..."I tried to close that door...."
....the door HE opens no one can shut and the door HE shuts no one can open

....He called YOU back to HIM......... that is awesome.

It is His way made visible...... through Him calling you!  The wisdom of this world is foolishness in His sight.

Peace to you

Arcturus 

[joyful1]

Steve-- I totally get that!  He is never far away from any one of us! Thanks for sharing! 
Acturus-- that is really neat about the star-- are you an astronomer?
joyful1 

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hi Joyful1

No I am not an astronomer.....He is the Star of David

I am not a horticulturist..........He is the rose of Sharon

I am not a Zoo keeper...........He is the Lion of Judha

I am a clay pot.......................