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[pylady]

Joe,

Can't believe it - my second post in one day!

Just wanted to thank you for sharing your story with us.  And wanted you to know that your testimony blessed me too.  I have been stuggling with the idea that God causes both the good and the evil in our lives.  Good -yes.  But that He causes all bad in our lives was a hard concept for me to accept.  But after reading your story  and Sorin's and others I can see how except for the details of our lives we are all the same.  There is no partiallity with God.  He leads all of us through experiences of evil.  And even when we are living throught the evil He starts drawing us.  From our point of view we may only feel like something is missing from our lives, even though we don't understand what it is or why we feel that way.  Gradually He leads us to the light.  Only after the experiencing evil first hand can we appreciate how wonderful His light is.

Reading your story and others helped me get this straight in my mind, that yes, our heavenly Father does create the evil in our lives to teach us and to lead us to Him.  Thank you for helping me to understand this.

With Christian love,

                          Cindy

[hillsbororiver]

Dear Cindy,

Losing our all our Babylonian baggage takes some time, study and prayer, most of all it takes His Spirit to open our eyes and ears. I am thankful that the Lord has seen fit to use my story as well as Sorin's and others to be a light to you.

Thank you and may He continue to give you His Wisdom and Peace,

Joe

P.S. I hung on to the Sabbath business and the physical Israel stuff for months after "stumbling" onto Bible Truths, it seems so elementary now.   

[hebrewroots98]

Guys,
On the same note, I often wonder if my 8 yo son will have to 'go through evil' in the years to come as most others must go through in order to come out ahead spiritually...as his mom and daddy have had to come through?  Then, I look at his young life and realize that he HAS ALREADY BEEN GOING THROUGH HELL ON EARTH, AND FOR YEARS ALREADY!.  (He has been so rejected by friends, neighbors, church brethren of his age and from adult brethren, family friends, Christian homeschoolers, my side of the family has ignored him, and then, DH's side of the family (his 5 adult children and an ex wife) who LITERALLY SET OUT WITH A PHYSICAL SCRIPT OF (HOW TO STEAL HIS HEART) JUST IN ORDER TO HURT HIM...AND IT WORKED; even his neices turned on him.  HE LITERALL LOVED (WTIH ALL OF HIS HEART) THE ABOVE INDIVIDUALS..., and all of these people will have to answer to GOD for why they didn't receive a little child, especially after they had his heart in their hands.  He has been persecuted, hated, made fun of rejected, ignored, laughed at...you name it...at his young age; which obviously used to make his sad and lonely.  So, yes, he has already been put in the fire and he is coming out of it just fine, and he is not bitter toward any of these people, he understands GODs' big picture and he just goes on with his life.  He has been given (fromThe Lord) the ability to not dwell on these things and he has learned to accept them for the reality that they are...and with grace; and he knows that God is allowing this for now!!!  God has blessed my DANIEL ISAIAH with much wisdom and truth already.  Praise His Holy Named!

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Joe,

I must tell you that I have been very touched and moved by your story.  It's amazing how you ever made it without being in prison, or on skidrow, or just dead. 

Had many close calls and I have been on the wrong side of jail cell bars but only overnight or until bail was made, then a series of events would happen and the charges would fade away. He was with me and eventually got my undivided attention without having to rot in jail.

There were times I have had to sleep in garages or a car and have been shot at and had some real brushes with dangerous folks who did not have my best interests or health and safety in mind. 

 But God's ways are not our ways and if He can do this to you, He can do it to anyone.  When we look back on our lives and what God has brought us through to get us to the point of no hope in ourselves, then and only then can we say that it's all of God. "Eph. 2:8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"  Thanks again brother.

Thank you Dwight, that scripture is perfect Brother.

His peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe








In Him,

Your brother,

Dwight

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Joe,

That was an interesting story, but I was really glad for the end to come,
as I knew what it would be

Same here, Kat.
Thank you for sharing, Joe.
I will always remember our first introduction at the Mobile Conference in 05'.

Hello Patrick,

I will never forget that either Brother, it was especially joyful for me when we met again at the '06 Conference as well.

Of course  you and your crew treating my friend and I like V.I.P.'s at the International Bike Championships was  very generous of you and is an experience I will never forget.

Thank you Patrick.

His Peace to you,

Joe

[Patrick]

Hello Patrick,

I will never forget that either Brother, it was especially joyful for me when we met again at the '06 Conference as well.

Of course  you and your crew treating my friend and I like V.I.P.'s at the International Bike Championships was  very generous of you and is an experience I will never forget.

Thank you Patrick.

His Peace to you,

Joe

Man, what a day that was; very emotional for me as you well know. Having the opp to introduce a fellow brother to the sounds and smells of nitromethane was one of the highlights of that day.
Running the quickest time in the history of the sport was way cool also. Then came the landslide to the other side of the emotions; knowing I would not be back.

Get this, the green bike, Jimmy's bike (the quickest dragbike in the world at this time), is parked until further notice. $500,000.00 worth of equipment just sitting in VA because of no money to go racing.
Larry is in Valdosta, GA this weekend for the 1st event of the year with his bike; if the weather is good, there may just be the FIRST 250 mph run in the sport. He has some new equipment and if it works, he will reset all of his records.
 

[hillsbororiver]

Get this, the green bike, Jimmy's bike (the quickest dragbike in the world at this time), is parked until further notice. $500,000.00 worth of equipment just sitting in VA because of no money to go racing.
Larry is in Valdosta, GA this weekend for the 1st event of the year with his bike; if the weather is good, there may just be the FIRST 250 mph run in the sport. He has some new equipment and if it works, he will reset all of his records.
 

Patrick,

That sure seems like a sad waste, that incredible machine plus the diognostic lab/shop on wheels just sitting there must really hurt.

Sorry to hear that,

Joe

[hillsbororiver]

Dear Joe,

Thank you so much for sharing your testimony. It is a wonderful thing to see God's hand in your life.

From all that you shared there is one thing that touched me deeply. Your family had a lot of love and you were a wonderful big brother. Your parents had so much to overcome and yet they were able to foster a closeness and love in their children. When you told about how you ran into your house and immediately looked for your little sister, it broke my heart. I have an older brother, but he was a cruel and abusive boy and he did me much harm. Throughout my childhood and adolesence I longed for an older brother who would love me and I could never understand why he hated me as much as he did. It warms my heart to know that you loved your younger siblings. God bless you and keep you.

Sincerely,

Ursula

Dear Ursula,

Thank you for your kind response, our family with all of its flaws did have a togetherness and bond that sometimes can only come through adversity, whenever one or all of us were hurting, in trouble or needing a hand it did not matter the reason there was need (self inflicted, stupidity, bad luck) we would became even closer as we tried to solve it together.

My sister Kathy who is two years younger than me did experience some practical jokes and teasing from me but she knew that I would look out for her and protect her to the best of my ability.

His Peace and Wisdom to you Sister,

Joe

Thank you Joe. I just found out today that my son started drinking again. I never know from one day to the next whether he'll live or not. Your story gave me hope. I work on a recovery site and we just lost a young girl tonight from drugs. My heart was very heavy and you helped me tonight.

I thank God for what he has done in your life and in mine.

Please pray for my son.

Hugs,
MG

Dear M.G.

I hope you are feeling better Sister, it is my prayer that the Lord heals your son. There was a time that just about every waking moment I was either using or thinking about cocaine, one morning I woke up and that desire was gone, poof! I am not saying I never tried it again but instead of feeling good it made me very uncomfortable, even to point where just thinking about doing it twisted my stomach into a knot.

His Peace and Comfort to you,

Joe

[debbysnotary]

wow Joe, that is such a sad but good ending story. I honestly couldnt stop reading it, it kept my interrest all the way. I am so sorry for the events that happened in your life, but I know its all in Gods hands but i felt so much pain for you thru the reading. Maybe you should write a book and maybe just maybe some teenager would read it and rethink their life.  Who knows you might be the key for someone to change their life. I just want to say that it took alot for you to write this on the forum for all to read and I admire the courage you had to do it. I thank you for sharing it with us. My life wasnt like yours but I have done enough wrong n sin in my life I could go on for days n days of writting all of the horrible things I have done. I confess to my God and pray for forgiveness alot about my past right now because im so guilty.. Im so ashamed of myself and have a hard time believing I did that stuff. Right now you could say "Im the woman at the well" and not proud of myself at all. I intend on changing it all soon. I just listened to Rays what is marriage tape.  I looked at scriptures that back his teaching up and I know hes right. I just need all the prayer I can get right now,in order to do what is right. I might start another thread with what is happening coz I dont want to do it on this one due to it belongs to Joe and his life.. So happy you found this place too Joe... As i was told by someone on here, I didint just find this site by accident that God led me here and I believe it!!
God be with you always
Debby

[hillsbororiver]

Good morning Debby,

Thank you for your thoughtful and kind post, there certainly have been some ups and downs especially early on but the Lord is replacing the anger, bitterness & ignorance with patience, faith and understanding. There is no doubt I have a long way yet to go, there also is no doubt that the Lord led me to Bible Truths to jump start my spiritual understanding.

I actually read through the bible numerous times previous to "stumbling" here, took in many Adventist doctrines along with trying to make sense of all the "Christian" books from (but not limited to) Hal Lindsay, Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Dave Hunt, Elwood McQuaid, as well as Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins. Nothing came remotely close to the EUREKA! moment I experienced that very first night on Ray's site and innumerable times since then.

The Lord has truly blessed us with the articles of scriptural truths Ray is providing, a lifetime of wisdom at our fingertips, treasure chests full of gold, pearls and the precious gems of understanding His Word were placed right before us with so much of the heavy mining already having  been done.

Debby do not fret over your weaknesses (you are not alone) take up His yoke and feel the Peace that is His Spirit even as we are chastised, He is leading us to Him and a glorious destiny in the fulfillment of His promises, what you are feeling is the refining of your spirit with His Spirit.

His Peace to you Sister,

Joe