> Testimonies / Prayer Requests / Fellowship
I don't know enough
Dave in Tenn:
Twelve years of Catholic school didn't prepare you for this? Shame on the nuns. ;D
Bobby nailed it well. If any of our churches didn't believe a particular doctrine, we either just never heard about it or tried to endure convoluted 'explanations'. The 'good ones' then had to endure the confusion that comes from believing them.
My practical advice is to pick up a translation that is fairly easy to read. I don't have it any more, but I used to like the New International Version just for reading. Ray says that the King James version is a good translation with important exceptions, but you have to contend not only with understanding the 'concepts' being written about, but the arcane English. It's beautiful at times (the language) but English itself has changed since 1611 and that can result in misunderstanding even when the translation is good.
I set aside a weekend when I was in my late teens and was able to read the New Testament (except Revelation) during that time, reading intensely like I was reading a novel. I try to read without thought to chapter and verse (it wasn't written that way originally anyway) so I'm not much good at remembering passages. So I agree that getting an overview and just a basic understanding of what's in there is a great first step.
Too much of what I DID know is forgotten in a haze. I need to join with you and get back into the Book more.
Roy Monis:
Dear Eileen
Shake on it sister, I too was raised a Catholic. From an infant of 4 to 6 in a Catholic St Mary's convent; 7-16 Catholic Christian Brothers College leaving at Intermediate Science. Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Catechisim, confession and kissing the stone feet of Mary's statue. No Bible teaching, in fact, didn't know such existed. I decided to let God do His bit and leave me to do mine, then we wouldn't get in each others way.
Does that bring back nightmare memories? I'm so sorry to have upset you but we have a starting point in common and that's good.
I thought all I needed to do was learn the ten commandments and I'd go to heaven, but why the thick unreadable book? A friend of ours a very good and regular church goer, I thought, should know and possibly help. To my utter surprise she hadn't a clue. So much for Babylon, all supposed Christians but like my friend clueless.
After a short spell with Armstrong where I learned how to find my way round the Bible, I joined the Pentecostal movement and fell from the frying pan into the fire, but that's the way God teaches, it's not our ways. But to be fair I did learn how to read and follow the Bible not that any of my teachers did. They just obeyed what they were taught.
Now I am here and learning twice as fast and for a change the proper stuff right from the horses mouth as it were, not in any way being disrespectful to Ray or the Scriptures. And you Eileen have the advantage over me in that you have a teacher of the real stuff for a starter. Ray teaches very plainly, just download his paper on the "Twelve God-Given Truths To Understanding God's Word" and truly digest it. You can't go wrong it's easy to follow but not so easy to digest and retain. You'll have to read and re-read several times and slowly, whilst at the same time taking his advice to make sure you pay attention to the words. That is very important.
I never knew one hundredth part of what I know now, in fact, I'm still unloading a lot of the Babylonian garbage that has contaminated my mind. I know how you feel a lot of members here unload a lot of Scriptures without due consideration for inexperienced new comers like you and I, which is neither very helpful nor edifying. I have had to face the same and I've been blunt about it on this site and it has unintentionally offended quite a few. But the truth always hurts and truthfulness is always the best policy. I empathize with you in your situation.
I am only a newbie here like yourself so you are not on your own.
God bless you sister in our joint walk in Christ.
Love in Christ Jesus.
Roy UK
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version