Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mrsnacks]

As God reveals His truths to me I have found it all makes sense. I mean common sense. Simple and profound.
The truths of UR. THe truths of the origins of satan and what went on in the garden of Eden and God's original plan. The fall not being God going to plan B. The myth of free will. I am amazed that almost every truth I have learned from the pulpit and in classes for many years has been false. Very little struggle when I have been confronted with the truth.

I studied under some good theologians such as Norman Geisler, James White, the late Greg Bahnsen, and others. Christian Philosophers such as JP Moreland and William Lane Craig etc. I have over a thousand books in my library. MOstly on apologetics. And now views I have held to for years have been shattered in a few moments with little or no argument from me . It all makes sense. Have any of you gone through a similar journey ?

[dogcombat]

I'm on this very type as we speak.  What I've discovered is what Jesus meant that God's truths are "hidden" from the wise (of this world) and revealed to the less than wise.  As a matter of fact, yesterday this thought came to mind about being a light in this world;  "How can you understand being a light, If you don't understand being in darkness?" 

I was reading in Matthew about how Jesus sends His diciples out "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
".  Matt 10:16. 

Ver. 27 "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

These verses say to me that, like good and evil being in the SAME tree as ONE. So too is darkness and light ONE.  The purpose for darkness is to see His light shine in us as we live in this world, but endure not to be of it.  Thus we see that God in His time has opened our eyes by removing the veil of darkness that prevented us from SEEING.  In John 1 we see this clearer

 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.   

I really didn't GET it, until I read your thread mrsnacks.  Then I saw where the thought (from the Spirit Of God) opened up these verses to me.

Ches

[Pax Vobiscum]

I too have had to set aside much of my formal training when faced with the "mysteries" of the universal questions.

Similarly, I believe that God's truths are quite simple.  It's what His people have done to those truths that is so complicated!

Personally, I believe the answers are best explored in the ancient writings of the early believers and not in the neo-Gnostic interpretations of those ancient texts.

Peace

[Jackie Lee]

As God reveals His truths to me I have found it all makes sense. I mean common sense. Simple and profound.
The truths of UR. THe truths of the origins of satan and what went on in the garden of Eden and God's original plan. The fall not being God going to plan B. The myth of free will. I am amazed that almost every truth I have learned from the pulpit and in classes for many years has been false. Very little struggle when I have been confronted with the truth.

I studied under some good theologians such as Norman Geisler, James White, the late Greg Bahnsen, and others. Christian Philosophers such as JP Moreland and William Lane Craig etc. I have over a thousand books in my library. MOstly on apologetics. And now views I have held to for years have been shattered in a few moments with little or no argument from me . It all makes sense. Have any of you gone through a similar journey ?

I am not moving along as fast as you or some others, even though what I have learned here and with Ray's papers it is all true.
I however just can't grasp some truths yet, praying it will be soon.

[Rene]

Hi Mrsnacks,

It's making sense to you now only because the Lord is "opening up your understanding" (Luke 24:45).  This is the process of being given sight.  It is truly a huge blessing!

I've just completed reading Part D2 on Hell in the LOF series and it just excites my heart that I understand and believe what Ray is teaching.  I continue to pray and ask the Lord to open my understanding to more spiritual truths.

Rene'

[mrsnacks]

I do recall reading long chapters written by well known theologians on free will . Philosophical and very intellectual arguments for the existence of free will and the fall of man etc. Along with the many arguments for the existence of God and all the studying trying to be a step ahead intellectually of the skeptic or atheist out there. It was a lot of work and exhausting. Answering the relativist . Answering the Jehovah Witness or Mormon. Answering the objections to Christianity. And then when I went on to skeptic sites to argue for God it all fell flat. Even though I thought I was being logical and reasonable the skeptics still didn't bend. I then realized that my intellectual philosophical arguments weren't doing anything. People weren't coming to Christ.
I then went and learned that it is God that opens the eyes of the unbeliever. I was trusting the arguments to do it. I then now trust the Lord. I then started to sound like a real person instead of a walking textbook. And God has used me in many ways because of my yielding to HIm . It is not that live but Christ that lives in me.
I trust Him now. Where as before I trusted the knowledge of the professors.

[NickyM]

It is pretty sad how some people want to stick to the church's doctrines, even if they're told that for example trinity is never ever mentioned in the Scriptures plus it's an irrational concept. If they are told that trinity isn't a doctrine that can be found at the scriptures, they just laugh at you. "Who you are to say these things? Like they would teach some false doctrines in church? Bah, they have all studied word of God more than you are, so they must know more than you.... etc"

I know that it doesn't do any good even if you read bible for your whole life, if God does not give you understanding.

I have a little problem. I know that I understand things that most people don't understand. I want to make them understand too, but it's pretty hard to put yourself to the position where you'll say that "I'm right and what the church is teaching is wrong!". Then they just to think that who do I think I am.

Do you have/have had a similar problem? Do you have any advice to give me?

[YellowStone]

Hi Mr. Snacks

I agree with you, God's life giving truths are simple (in my opinion) and here's why?

John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Ah, but many will ask: "How can I ever know God? I am poor, I cannot afford books or tuition ."

But as you said, knowing and learning of God and his Divinity is not difficult, and no books or tuition is required.

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

DO you see the significance in this Scripture. All that needs to known about God, including his eternal Godhead, can be learned from creation from the things HE made, and man is without excuse. But they learned of God, but rejected God; preferring to instead to fall victims to their own imaginations and became fools.

As a side note to this:
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

This is in itself, another very simple truth. If one cannot trust God based all that one has learned from creation, then surely one has become a fool.  

But here a two remaining truths that encapsulates how we are to live, love and grow.

Mat 22:37-39  
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38-This is the first and great commandment. 39-And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Honestly, these are very simple instructions. Perhaps not easy to achieve, but a doctorate is not required to understand them.

Great discussion and very positive.

Your brother in Christ,
Darren

[Jackie Lee]

Hi NickyM, I have tried to tell a few people why I no longer go to church it is useless God hasn't revealed to them yet.
I told my daughter a couple days ago I would never return to church again and to be honest she thinks I am down on God.
I stopped..I never said no more because I knew it wasn't time and didn't want to strain our relationship.
I have been out of church 6 or so years and just now am starting to realize why I felt like a fish out of water when I was there.
I found this sight a couple months ago and realize through the truths I found here that God drew me out of church.
You wouldn't believe what a relief that was. 
For me I don't say nothing to anyone unless I feel God says speak.
Blessings Jackie

[Redbird]

Darren,

That was a wonderful post.  Ya know, it just doesn't get any simpler than that;

GOD IS LOVE.

Lisa

[mrsnacks]

It is pretty sad how some people want to stick to the church's doctrines, even if they're told that for example trinity is never ever mentioned in the Scriptures plus it's an irrational concept. If they are told that trinity isn't a doctrine that can be found at the scriptures, they just laugh at you. "Who you are to say these things? Like they would teach some false doctrines in church? Bah, they have all studied word of God more than you are, so they must know more than you.... etc"

I know that it doesn't do any good even if you read bible for your whole life, if God does not give you understanding.

I have a little problem. I know that I understand things that most people don't understand. I want to make them understand too, but it's pretty hard to put yourself to the position where you'll say that "I'm right and what the church is teaching is wrong!". Then they just to think that who do I think I am.

Do you have/have had a similar problem? Do you have any advice to give me?

------------------------------------------
What I say is that there are over 600 or so ( maybe more ) denominations. So there isn't just one truth on any given subject in the so called church.

For example in my eschatological view I was a pre tribber. Then I became a mid tribber and then a post tribber. Then I came to pre wrath and then on to orthodox preterism after being a futurist. As an orthodox preterist I see that the Great rtib was a past event in 70 A.D. Most in the church don't even know anything happened in 70 A.D. Then you got calvinism and that whole debate. I wrestled with that . And even in apologetics. I studied traditional classical apologetics. Then abandoned that to embrace presuppositional apologetics. Then the young earther vs old earther, and then going back and forth with that. What truth ? Which one ? I was becoming a textbook. A walking textbook of arguments and theories.

And so my advice is just to trust God in when you should open your mouth about certain truths He has shown you. That is what I do. There are times He tells me go ahead. Other times "no "and yet other times just a little of this or that. Or even keep your mouth closed. Just listen to His voice. We are all in process. Even Jesus had to hold back and not share many things with His disciples. Hope this helps.

[NickyM]

And so my advice is just to trust God in when you should open your mouth about certain truths He has shown you. That is what I do. There are times He tells me go ahead. Other times "no "and yet other times just a little of this or that. Or even keep your mouth closed. Just listen to His voice. We are all in process. Even Jesus had to hold back and not share many things with His disciples. Hope this helps.

Yes. Thank you, that really helped. Especially that Jesus-part. I never thought that even Jesus did hold back the truths, because He knew that his diciples wouldn't understand. And I don't even have His Divine Authority, what He had in front of His diciples, when I'm speaking to people.

I think I'll just tell my family about the trinity. It's pretty easy to see that there isn't really any trinity found in the bible, although the original concept with Jesus's and Father's oneness and the character of Holy Spirit may be little hard to explain to someone who is used to believe in the trinity. I tried one time to tell to one of my friends and she just said something like "Hey, you just said Father, Son and the Holy spirit. That's the trinity! It's okay if you believe like that, but I believe like this."

I never ever again will understand that "relative truths"-mindset. That "it's how you want to look it all". Is the Scriptures really about "how you WANT to understand them"? Nope. It's all about what it says in the Scriptures.

Some people just don't know what the word "unscriptural" means. They think that it's "you just see things differently". Well, yes I do, actually, but the meaning of the word is that something ISN'T FOUND in the scriptures, and how hard is that to swallow. =D