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Where were you?

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skydreamers:
Hi Longhorn,

Wow, great thread.  I love reading everybody's stories of how they got here.  It's so fascinating how God can just pluck you out of whatever point you are in your life and say "Okay, it's time for some truth now!"  Very Cool.

Having come from a background in the SDA church I didn't believe in eternal hell fire but rather anihillation.  However, I had not been going to church for some time (about a year) as I was going through what I thought to be a real spiritual dry spell.  No interest.  Zippo.  Then one day, almost suddenly, things changed and I started doing research on the internet on various topics.  It started with wanting to understand Daniel and Revelation (there is a lot of end-time prophecy in the SDA).  From there I spent several months getting into all sorts of bizarre studies and information, from the Serpent Seedline to the Reptillian Conspiracy to the Pauline Conspiracy theories....I mean some really crazy stuff.  I was just all over the place to the point that I really didn't know what in the world the truth was.  Some groups out there can "seemingly" back up their theories with scripture etc. and it can make your head spin. 

Anyways, I really got the sense that God was pulling the rug out from under me but I had no idea yet what he really had in store for me.  I realized I didn't understand the bible at all and started thinking that it was really impossible to know any truth, since so many people could take scripture and make it mean whatever they wanted!  I was exasperated. 

Somehow though I just knew that God would not have made some torture chamber of fire, and I clung to that.  I also firmly believed that the dead aren't floating around in heaven or roasting in hell.  I started begging God to show me HIS TRUTH no matter what the cost.  At the time, I started returning to SDA doctrine and studying it out.  I figured this is how He led me to be a Christian in the first place, maybe he wanted me to get back to Church!  I also determined to do as much research as possible to show my hell-believing sister-in-law that hell didn't actually exist.  I knew about Hades, Sheol, Gehenna etc and i was doing research on that so I think I must have typed in one of those words.  And that's what finally led me to bibletruths. 

Oh boy, I remember physically shaking and trembling at times and like many of you I just could not stop reading until I had the whole site read (I think it took me about six months).  I was speed reading.  And  I wonder how I missed so much when I go back for re-reads!!  haha  There really is just a feeling in the depth of your soul that this is different, that you really are on to something, and that God has answered your prayer.  It's amazing how much I keep learning.  You think you understand something and then God takes you to a deeper level of understanding.  Awesome!

God Bless Ray and God Bless this Forum, peace,
Diana 

PKnowler:
I’ve heard a saying before it goes something like this: Change only happens when the pain of holding on is greater than the fear of letting go.

Before I came to Ray's website I was at a place where the pain had gotten so great in my life that I could no longer hold onto my old ideas of God and religion. I was willing to let go of all that I had known to find truth!  If I had not been at that place I would never have read Ray’s writing because he challenged my Orthodoxy on several counts! I was so in awe of Ray's writing it was like nothing I had ever read before. I knew in my spirit that it was truth! But I read cautiously because I didn’t want to believe a lie.
 I didn't want to believe everything he said without checking it out for myself. I spent a lot of time looking up ALL the scriptures and using the Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries and Lexicons to look up the word definitions. My husband use to tease me that I was a "wanna be" Bible scholar.

I actually spent several YEARS reading Ray’s writings. I started reading way back before he had a forum, even before the yahoo group. There were times I would have to take a break because it was too much for me to digest. Sometimes I thought I understood Ray's writing and Bible Truths. I would try and tell my husband these truths but I would later get frustrated by a new scripture that I couldn't seem to fit. I would throw up my hands in frustration and announce to my husband that I don't know anything!

But I would always feel drawn to come back and read some more. I spent about 3 years reading before most of my questions were answered. It has only been in the last year that I finally have peace with my questions and have felt comfortable seeking like minded fellowship. I’ve been a member of the forum for a while but it would only be to pop in to ask a question. That’s selfish, I know, but I had nothing to contribute at the time. I was still learning. To parallel that I starting pulling away from my church around the same time I started reading Ray’s website, because of my lack of peace That's another whole story!

When all else fails become a nonconformist! ;D Now I only go to church when my husband prompts me that he wants to go. I go out of respect for him.I'm curious about what God has for our future. It's like we are in this place of limbo, but that's alright with me.  ;)

I am very much looking forward to part D of Hell! I can't wait! THANK YOU RAY! GOD BLESS YOU!  :)

rrammfcitktturjsp:
To All,

  I am posting my journey to BT and the forum under the topics of In Pursuit of the Truth series.  Bear with me as I am quite busy and I will have time this weekend and next week to post these things.  I was orginally going to respond in this thread, but God has led me to share my story as well.
And as it is quite long, I decided to post it under different threads, got the idea from Joe.  Joe great testimony story by the way, and I enjoyed reading every part to it.  Thanks for sharing all of your stories guys and gals.  It is a blessing to hear of others journies to the Truth and to blissful freedom.

  Sincerely,





  Anne C. McGuire

rk12201960:
Hi Paula,
Its do good to have you here. I'm glad God drug you here like most. You guys have really became part of my family.
I look foward to getting home from work to see how everyone is doing and read the truths God is showing everyone.
 8)
Anne,
when I first came here I remember your posts over all teh others because you really poured you heart out.  ;D

It truly is a blessing to be around all of you. We all fit together because God is the tie that binds us all. Its good to know we will be brothers and sisters forever.

Many years from now we will have this memory to tell all of Gods creations about the time He built his famioy.
Love and blessings everyone.
Randy  ;D 8)

Mickyd:
I got to Ray's web sight in a differant way than most of you here.

I was doing some research on the use of religion as a form of social control by governments throughout the centuries. This naturaly lead me to the doctrine of eternal punishment. I typed in the word "Hell" and the first page on the list was Bibletruths.com.

I had never believed in hell....but

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