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[CDJ]

Good morning,

I am at Part 15C of the Lake of Fire series, and what I thought I knew about God's Word, I didn't. It was easy to speak to my friends in the past, about the things I thought I knew, not really paying attention that not much what I've said was backed up by Scriptures. The only way I see it, is that the carnal had to be understood, in order to distinguish the spiritual.

I haven't attended church for over 2 years because I've become so used to 'falling away', that I didn't even wanted to try anymore. My friends couldn't understand it, and neither could I. Obviously one feels guilty. I still share what I learn with my friends, but after hearing the Truth through Ray, it's becoming more and more difficult. When you talk about a gospel which sends people to hell, to burn forever, everybody is too keen to join the discussion. Once you start talking about a different place, they tend to shy away from you, with words like "You need to go to church. You need fellowship." Well fine, show me a church that teaches what I learning now, and I'll go. I ALL for fellowship, it's just that people don't understand yet. 100m from my house is a Joshua Generation Church, and I thought I'd look into it. On their website I found their doctrine and here is a few snippets...

"We are a non-denominational ministry built on the Word of God. Isaiah 8:18 says "We are signs and wonders for the Lord our God..."...
...There is one God, eternally existent in three Persons:...
In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation... "

The whole doctrine sounds really honest, and if I didn't know what I knew now, I'd have gone to their church, to give it one more try. Nothing in doctrines ever make crystal clear sense. I'm a firm believer that there is One Truth and One Truth only, and the one things that disappoints me of churches, is that doctrines are confusing. The main thing that churches teach is salvation, but the one's version confuses more than the others - none of it made sense, hence unbelief and frustration, and eventually 'falling away'.

For now, I'm learning on my own and speak to whoever wants to listen, looking forward to reading posts on this forum and getting to know you all, but there's still a longing in my heart for fellowship here in my own city, because I am sure there are like-minded people around here. Does anybody know of a fellowship group in Cape Town, South Africa?

Regards and keep fighting the good fight.
CDJ
Cape Town, South Africa.

[DWIGHT]

Dear CDJ,

I want to welcome you home.  All of us here, at one time or another, have gone through what you have been experiencing.  There is nothing like having fellowship with other brothers and sisters, but having fellowship with brothers and sisters of like mind is truly the ultimate blessing.  I think that you can find all that your spirit needs and wants is right here with us.  Everyone here can give the same testimony, that we were all lonley until we came here, but not anymore.  I'm looking foward to your fellowship and getting to know you.  We have a dear sister from your neck of the woods and am sure that she also will be delighted to get to know you.

Your brother in Christ,

Dwight

[hillsbororiver]

Welcome CDJ,

It is great to see you here, many of us can relate to your experience of feeling out of sync with the denominational (& non-denominational) churches. Praise God!

We look forward to your fellowship,

Joe

[iris]

Hi CDJ,

Welcome to the forum!
I look forward to getting to know you.
There's so much you can learn here.
So just make yourself at home.


Iris

[Kat]

Hi CDJ,

I'm glad that you have come to the forum. 
It can be really hard when you began to realize that the church not only does not teach the Truth, but indeed teaches much false teachings, that then must be unlearned. 
Don't hesitate to join in with questions or just to make comments. 
Once you get use to the forum, I believe you will feel very comfortable being here with us 

mercy, peace, and love
Kat

[Rene]

Hi CDJ,

Welcome to the Forum.  I do not know whether you will find like-minded persons to fellowship with there in your own town, however I do believe you will quickly start feeling less and less isolated and lonely now that the Lord has directed you here.  Please feel free to reachout to us. 

I look forward to reading your posts and experiencing your spiritual journey with you.

Rene'

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello CDJ

We are a scattered little flock of which Ray says maybe 200 in the world follow his teachings. We are a rarity!    and a scarcity!

We are blessed to be gathered together here in this Forum and our bond is our like-minded agreement to what we are learning in Ray's teachings. This bond can be said to be of more value than the bonds that the worldly carnal mind would care to establish with  its ties to physical camaraderie rather on the foundation of the spiritual truth of Christ.

I have more joy here than I have ever experienced in flesh covered fellowship. Here the flesh is off (we can not see body language or hear tones of voice)  which is a great advantage but the carnal still shows up occasionally which is a great opportunity to exercise our skills in what we are learning through Ray. It is a most fruitful stimulus to learning and integrating what Ray has given to us freely and we are here to help, encourage and edify one another which is a real blessing and privilege.

So far I have been blessed to have been able to spend precious time every day in the Forum and this time thinking, meditating and reflecting on what is said and what I want to say makes it so that I do not have time to gather in the flesh anymore! There is much too much going on here in spirit and in truth and real close fellowship that I need a more hours in the day!

How did you come to discover this site?

Peace to you

Arcturus

[gmik]

Hi CDJ and Welcome. I am not in S. Africa but we all here can offer you fellowship in the spirit. Please join in and you will get to know us and feel His love and not be lonely.  Bless you!

[CDJ]

Hi all,

Wow, I've now come to realize, that I can set aside time everyday, for fellowship. Thank you for all the warm welcomes 

How did I come to find bibletruths? Don't really remember what exactly I was looking for, but Lazarus and the Rich Man got me - I thought of how I remembered it previously, "How on earth could they get it wrong like that?". It's that hunger for the Truth that gets us going. Now I realize that I never really knew God, but that God was doing the steering, and first you have to learn who God is not.

I'm thankful for someone like Ray and the brothers and sisters, who make bibletruths and the forum possible - it's an enormous task but the yoke is soft, and the burden light.

I questioned a minister I know, regarding hell, after going through a transcript of his sermon which I attended. "How could they get it wrong?!" I was a little mmmm... angry. The answer was "You are asking highly theological questions, which can only be answered by great godsmen." From then on, I knew that the Truth is coming to light, so to say, and that God didn't hide the Truth between confusion here and there. I thought the Truth is hard to find, through all the millions of doctrines, but learned now that God made it simple for us, in the Truth being exactly opposite to what we know, spotting a false teaching crystal clear

I'm having a discussion with a friend of mine, whom I pray will see the Truth, and my heart got glad when he quoted a verse to me, Matthew 7:21, and I thought "wow!" - if only he knew what it really meant, so I replied "Go through the lessons quickly, so we can start fellowship!" I pray excitedly that he comes to see the Truth.

In excitement to know Christ finally.
CDJ

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello CDJ

I see you are on line. That is very unusual for me because my time zone is the same one you are in! I too am in Africa 100 kilometers north of Johannesburg! Usually when I tip toe into the Forum all our brohters and sisters in the USA and else where around the world are fast asleep.

 I use the call more system and am usually in the Forum at 6am and then on line after 7pm.

Enjoy your day.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[CDJ]

Hi Arcturus,

Thanks for the popping in and saying hi I usually try and be online anything from 5 oclock.

100kays north? I'm not in tune with all the new names, but that would be in the region between Pta and Warmbaths (?Bela-Bela?)?

Regards
CDJ

[rrammfcitktturjsp]

CDJ,

  Welcome to the forum.  Glad to see you.  Hope to see you around.  As you are proabably aware there are great people here as well as great things to learn.  Buckle up, and glad to have you aboard.

  Sincerely,



  Anne C. McGuire

 

[hebrewroots98]

Hello CDJ,
I am so glad that you finally found us!  May your spirit be lifted in the halls of this forum; may God show you things that you have never seen before and overfill your heart with joy in Him.  We are like minded here...you are the member of the body of Christ that we had been missing!  Jump on in and enjoy!  I'm looking forward toheraing from you.

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello CDJ

I live in a beautiful place in the hills of Magaliesburg. do you know it? Where do you stay. I have a sister land brother living in Cape Town in Somerset West and Houtbay. My other sister lives in George.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[CDJ]

Good morning,

Thank you again for all the warm welcomes - like-minded people are hard to find.

I have been quiet for a while, reason being, because I'm going through all the studies - actually planning to start the Lake of Fire Series again, as one of my friends started doing it as well. I'm probably not one to teach anyone, but I've spoken to another friend of mine regarding meeting once a week, and going through the Series - can the Series be discussed in a group or should each individual read it in their own personal time?

I'm so greatful for coming to know the Truth, because it leaves confusion out. Many Christians out there have a confused battle going on, because things aren't well understood (if not at all), and the answer seems always to be "We're not supposed to know" or "Don't dig too deep".

I'll give an example; Over the weekend I did something stupid and I know it was wrong. I shouldn't have crossed that border, but I did. What happened? I was disciplined immediatly and I knew it was of God. God let something bad happen to me, because I was in the wrong, in order for me to grow spiritually to overcome that wrong in my life. Now, I don't want to do it again, and God has blocked that one door in my life. It was very humbling. I thanked God for His will being done in that situation, because for the past couple of weeks I've been praying regarding the matter, and by faith I knew God would do something, because it is written. The Truth is comforting :-)

Hi Arcturus. Yes, I know the Magaliesberg. It's a long mountain range. My mom stays in Hartebeespoort, where it runs through. I stay on the Blouberg side of Cape Town.

Thank you hebrewroots98 - sometimes your spirit has to experience the down sides, in order to be lifted. Mine is a bit down at the moment, but I'm comforted by the fact, that it's for my own (and other people's) good.

"Thy will be done..." :-)

Humbly
CDJ

[doreen]

Good morning,

I am at Part 15C of the Lake of Fire series, and what I thought I knew about God's Word, I didn't. It was easy to speak to my friends in the past, about the things I thought I knew, not really paying attention that not much what I've said was backed up by Scriptures. The only way I see it, is that the carnal had to be understood, in order to distinguish the spiritual.

I haven't attended church for over 2 years because I've become so used to 'falling away', that I didn't even wanted to try anymore. My friends couldn't understand it, and neither could I. Obviously one feels guilty. I still share what I learn with my friends, but after hearing the Truth through Ray, it's becoming more and more difficult. When you talk about a gospel which sends people to hell, to burn forever, everybody is too keen to join the discussion. Once you start talking about a different place, they tend to shy away from you, with words like "You need to go to church. You need fellowship." Well fine, show me a church that teaches what I learning now, and I'll go. I ALL for fellowship, it's just that people don't understand yet. 100m from my house is a Joshua Generation Church, and I thought I'd look into it. On their website I found their doctrine and here is a few snippets...

"We are a non-denominational ministry built on the Word of God. Isaiah 8:18 says "We are signs and wonders for the Lord our God..."...
...There is one God, eternally existent in three Persons:...
In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation... "

The whole doctrine sounds really honest, and if I didn't know what I knew now, I'd have gone to their church, to give it one more try. Nothing in doctrines ever make crystal clear sense. I'm a firm believer that there is One Truth and One Truth only, and the one things that disappoints me of churches, is that doctrines are confusing. The main thing that churches teach is salvation, but the one's version confuses more than the others - none of it made sense, hence unbelief and frustration, and eventually 'falling away'.

For now, I'm learning on my own and speak to whoever wants to listen, looking forward to reading posts on this forum and getting to know you all, but there's still a longing in my heart for fellowship here in my own city, because I am sure there are like-minded people around here. Does anybody know of a fellowship group in Cape Town, South Africa?

Regards and keep fighting the good fight.
CDJ
Cape Town, South Africa.

Hi CDJ,

I use to live in South Africa my whole life but have been living in The Netherlands for the past 8 years.  I'm happy to read that you've also to come to know the truth of God's word.  I can find myself in what you've said here and I know what you mean.  It took me a very long time, basically my whole life, to learn the truths of God's word.  And now that I know it, I can start to grow and become that what He has planned for me.

I still struggle at times, but it's all worth it.

[andrevan]

I used to live in Cape Town (beautiful place), but have been living Down Under since 1999. Welcome! Nice to hear you've found a few others to study with.

God's peace be with you.
Andrevan.

[gmik]

Oh I just love hearing about where all you folks live & have lived.  We are a small bunch, but spread out all over.  I am glad the U.S. isn't the center of God's universe.