Well I just want to share with you my "the straw that broke the camels back" experience that made me finally "COME OUT OF HER". I am new on the forum but not new to the real Gospel. After I finally found the truth of God's Word, I continue to go to the synagogue for a whole year and a half because my girlfriend was going and we would have small discussions about sermons that the pastor would preach. Of course, needless to say, she would get very angry about my opinion. Finally, I did what Jesus told us to do in Mark 6:11 when He said: And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Anyway, we stop talking about sermons and other things. I was real active in the synagogue and I tried to get what I can from the sermons. It is funny but it is like I was squeezing a lemon to get the juice out of it. Let me stop and say this and you probably can testify to this. The more I kept going, the less juice I was getting out of this lemon. I was involved in teaching the children in children's church. Trust me, it was hard to pick out lessons to teach the children the real truth without offending the church leaders. I am so glad that I don't have to do that any more but on the other hand, I hope the children remembered what I taught them.
Well, one day, following my sinful pride of life, I received a check and a letter saying that I won a $25,000 and a Bahamas vacation. The gave me a check for $2850 to pay for taxes. I had to put it in the bank and then wire $1800 to them. Of course it was a fraud. Needless to say that my bills was not going to get paid on time. Well I went to my family to borrow money and they could not help me. My friends did the best they could but that didn't put a dent in my situation. Well my girlfriend told me to ask the pastor to help in my situation. Man I didn't want to do this but I did. So I went in his office after church service and I told him my troubles and he told me to have faith that God will help me. He ask me did I have money to get food. I had not a dime in my pocket because my pay check was being ate up at the bank because I was about $1400 in the hole. So I told him no so he reach into his wallet and gave me $20 and told me to call him the next day. So I called him the next day and he ask me how much did I need. Well I just told him if he can help me with my rent ($525) that it would be enough. He hesitated and told me that that was a lot of money and he would see what he could do call him tommorrow. So I called him again the following day. I wasn't shock when he told me this. This is what he told me: You are letting the devil mess with your money because you won't tithe(mind you I have been putting money in the offering plate without an envelope sometimes more than 10%) so there is nothing I can do for you. Now that is what he told me. Now I still kept coming to the synagogue for about 5 or 6 weeks after that and some how or another God work in the hearts of people to let me slide on paying them right away and have mercy on me. PRAISE GOD!!!!! ( I think God was trying to show me a thing or two, wouldn't you agree?)
So one Sunday after I came to the main sanctuary after children's church they were still having service. I guess the pastor had the congregation fired up because normally they are done service at about the same time that we are done. Anyway, I walk in with the children and they were speaking there "unknown tongues" and crying and falling out right before it was offering time. It also was the pastor's wife birthday. So after everybody calmed down they proceeded with offering. They had a bucket for tithes, a bucket for the monthly building fund, and a bucket for the pastor's wife birthday. Well everybody went around the table, I of course stayed in my seat because I had nothing to give. Well this is were it get interesting.
After offering was done, the pastor's wife stood up in the church and told the congregation that she was not going to take the offering but give it to the church's building fund. WOW! What a humble and great thing for her to do. WHAT A CROCK! So now the congregation is really talking in there "unknown tongues" and people falling over foaming at the mouth and running Olympics around the church. So once again the pastor called the audience down and announced what great faith that his wife had and that everyone should have this kind of faith for God. So service went on and they had announcements and after that the pastor stood up and said that he want to bless everyone in the synagogue. Well check this out and I am telling you this truly happened.
He stood up and said that he needed 40 people to give $10 so that he can give the contractor the money to put up a door that was donated to the church. YES HE DID!!!! Hold on it gets better. So the flock one by one dug in there pocket and put ten dollars in yet another bucket. God must be working in my heart because my first reaction to this was the sadness for the people who was giving. After thinking about this for a minute or two, I start thinking that he could have helped me or any one else out in the same matter but then again I did not want any part of this foolishness. Well he only got half of what he needed so he stood up again and told the audience that this is why God do not bless them when they need Him to bless them and that they need to plant a seed so that they would prosper in life. WOW! Well more of the flock was getting up to give and he finally received what he need to get the door installed.
Well that was enough for me and I will never see that door that will be installed. So, in that since, I should myself the door and I will never return. I thank God for the true Gospel. And the sad part, my 12 year old daughter seen the craziness of the whole thing and my 40 year old girlfriend missed it. I then told my girlfriend that I will no longer sit under these lies any longer. Needless to say, she did not talk to me for a couple of days. But God is good. YES HE IS! She finally went to Ray's website and read some of the things that I come to know that is the true Gospel! She said that she didn't quite understand it but she would try in the future to see what I see. I didn't say a word but in my mind I was praising God that a least she did look. I pray that she will knock on the door (Matthew 7:7) God bless a please pray for her and pray for me to have patience and long suffering to overcome.