Do we identify with this testimony?

[David]

This email is one of the most heart felt and profound emails I've read from someone who has come to see the light in the truth of Gods word through Rays teaching. I can fully identify with just about every point this person is making, it put a big lump in my throat reading it. The burden that is lifted from us when God puts off the yoke of the Church from us and reveals His amazing wonderfull truths cannot be over stated.

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,7974.0.html

Great email.
Ray


        Dear Ray,
     
    I've read nearly every article on your website and I am floored at the depth and breadth of your scholarship. Never have I been so helped and enlightened, never have I felt so free, never have the scriptures made so much sense, NEVER HAVE I FELT SO FOOLISH for what I used to beliave and "understand". God has done something in me, I can't explain it properly but something has lifted, I do not feel condemned and guilty nor am I fearful but rather now I know what the "hope" is that Paul spoke of when he describes "the hope of His calling"..
     
    Both my parents died while I was a foolish, carnally minded, immature christian and for years tha thought of them in agony and the torments of hell has plagued me, especially since I blamed myself for being the cause of their rejecting the gospel because I was such an obnoxious hypocrit, fundamentalist, phony. (This I certainly was) I could not reconcile: God is Love with eternal damnation; assured salvation with the teachings of Jesus; literal interpretation of the Revelation with anything remotely resembling common sense. I drifted from church to church feeling like an outsider among so many who grew up in Christian families where mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and all the cousins, aunts and uncles served in the church etc. etc.
     
    Once, shortly after my mother died, I was speaking to someone from church and they said casually" oh was she saved?.." as if then it wouldn't matter that I had lost someone I was close to. I said, "no, I don't think she was" and her reply was just "oh... I see" and she turned and left.  The lack of real compassion, the cardboard movie poster relationships (largely due to my own fault) left me hollow and alone. I was angry, hurt, short tempered, defensive and lost. I stopped going to church, I stopped reading the bible I just couldn't face the law of sin and hell that I thought was Jesus. "Good News" my foot, I thought what is the good news that most every one you love will spen an eternity in unspeakable agony, without hope or mercy. (I am rambling now, sorry)
     
    Far from wanting to sin now that I see that the lake of fire is God's judgment of purification, I want to enter into His rest, I want fight the good fight, submit myself to Christ and take up my cross. The funny thing is that being from Canada I'm not as exposed to the radical fundamentalism that so many of your correspondents seem to be, in fact the most pleasant churches I have attended are the old "dead" traditional ones that let you sit in peace, meditate on the word and listen to the organ. No fake smiles, no invitations to attend "small group", no "how's your walk with the Lord?" inquisition, and NO doctrinal dogma - they just don't care as long as you don't

[OBrenda]

I can certainly relate to the feelings of Liberation and Joy.
I cried for weeks learning from Ray's teachings [still do]

I used to feel anger torward God, believing he was impossible to please.
I believed in Him, but didn't like him very much, I KNEW I could not in myself be Good.  And he was going to send me to Hell for it.   I think you must have this awareness about yourself [powerlessness] in order to be enlightened to the truth!

The world lit through Ray's teachings is a different perception of reality.
I use to be at war with God.
Now I'm at odds with the World.....

Freedom In Christ,
Brenda

[Samson]

Hello David,

                 I enjoyed and appreciated that Email to Ray too. The part that I appreciated the most was where this individual was left feeling empty and lost, now that his parents were dead and considered unsaved and Eternally Condemned according to his beliefs. Sometimes this leads to a wake up call, when it's someone very close to you that's supposed to receive Eternal Punishment, opposed to someone you hardly know. I notice that tendency in people, when a blasphemous teaching like Eternal Hellfire directly affects the life prospects of someone close to them, they usually have a problem reconciling this belief, on the otherhand, when it's someone they don't personally care about, it's much easier to accept that God may punish them forever.

                I played out this type of scenario in my mind years ago trying to imagine, how I would feel if my unbelieving Dad(Who I love) died versus someone I never knew dying and both of them receiving Everlasting Death(I never believed in Hellfire), realizing that this didn't seem fair and logical. I further reasoned that it wouldn't be fair for a loving God to spare my Dad, who didn't give a hoot about Him and Eternally punish some stranger, who I never knew, just because of my partiality towards my Dad. That type of consideration played out in my mind was the catalyst that initiated my search for answers and an examination of the Universal Reconciliation of All.

               Apparently the individual is this Email was Humbled by the death of his parents and the cold response he received by the person from the Church(The Cause) leading him to take seriously the information provided by Ray at this Site with appreciation(The Effect or Choice).

               Hopefully his Email is read by other guests, getting them to really think, before making rash statements as to where they think people that they don't like are going when they die.


                                   Just my thoughts and feelings about this Email.

                                        Kind Regards, Samson.

[Dave in Tenn]

Change some of the history, though not all, and I am very much with this person in spirit.  This one moved me as well, David, and I hope it was great encouragement for Ray and all of us.  I'm very glad it was selected to be shared with the forum.

Maybe its just me, but are we perhaps beginning to see a crack in the wall?     

[aqrinc]

Most certainly this would be my testimony with many more pages.
I read 1st Cor Ch:1 & 2 after that testimony keeping in mind this
is Paul (formerly Saul the pharisee) speaking. It is difficult to
understand anything when i try to figure it out, however when i
Pray for Guidance and knowledge and stop trying to be good Doors
open in my mind and understanding come clearly. Major problem i
still get get concerned about the things carnal even though Christ
tells me to (Take No Thought For Tomorrow). Just read Luke: 15
(1-7) another place where Jesus Says (All Will Be Saved in Parable).
Hope this is in context and i (Pray that God Heals Ray Today In
Jesus Christ Name)

[Kat]

Hi aqrinc,

I'm glad you have joined us 
I hope you will take comfort here with us and have a little escape from the cares of the world.  Just keep studying and praying and the knowledge of the truth will surely give you peace. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There is a lot here that you can use to help your study, here are a few links.

Ray audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2641.0.html

Taranscripts of Rays audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,12.0.html

Indexes and info board
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,14.0.html

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[KristaD]

I can certainly relate to the feelings of Liberation and Joy.
I cried for weeks learning from Ray's teachings [still do]

I used to feel anger torward God, believing he was impossible to please.
I believed in Him, but didn't like him very much, I KNEW I could not in myself be Good.  And he was going to send me to Hell for it.   I think you must have this awareness about yourself [powerlessness] in order to be enlightened to the truth!

The world lit through Ray's teachings is a different perception of reality.
I use to be at war with God.
Now I'm at odds with the World.....

Freedom In Christ,
Brenda

This sums up my feelings exactly.

[aqrinc]

Thanks Kat,

The links are great for more research. These Days it seems all i do is Pray work, Pray eat, Pray,
Sleep Pray, Read Pray, Watched some Olympics Pray, Study Pray, Hope Pray. It seem the more
i Pray to God to open my mind and Heart the bigger the Challenges get but also the Stronger my
Trust in Him and My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Gets. I will not say a lot on here but please
everyone be assured that [God is Still on the Throne and Prayer Changes Things.]

Aqrinc.

Hi aqrinc,

I'm glad you have joined us 
I hope you will take comfort here with us and have a little escape from the cares of the world.  Just keep studying and praying and the knowledge of the truth will surely give you peace. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There is a lot here that you can use to help your study, here are a few links.

Ray audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2641.0.html

Taranscripts of Rays audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,12.0.html

Indexes and info board
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,14.0.html

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Kat]

Hi Aqrinc,

I'd say you have found a key ingredient as you pray, pray, pray and pray some more 

It is difficult to understand anything when i try to figure it out, however when i Pray for Guidance and knowledge and stop trying to be good Doors open in my mind and understanding come clearly.

Another key I have found is study and the more the better.  In the beginning of my study at BT I was learning so many profound truths that I was amazed and just wondered how long all this revelations would last.  As my experience in the church was only fleeting moments of inspiration and nothing profound.   What a difference it is now, as I am happy to report that after close to 3 yrs I'm still being shown many profound truths.  Also I am now able to relate new truths to things I've already learned.  So for me things have become clearer as I go along. 

You can particpate at this forum to the degree that you feel comfortable, but do feel you can come here with your questions.  We enjoy helping one another as we grow together in the knowledge of this wonderful truth.

mercy, peace and love
Kat