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Hello everyone

It's Matty or Daddysgirl if you will.

First met many of you(yes, the lurking in ones as well since I was one of them all along) back when I was 26yrs old. Now I'm 41, 3 babies in(grown & a headache), a husband, dog, the works..

So glad to be back. Faced many highs and lows, more lows and tribulation in truth, times so difficult that everything including faith took hard knocks more than a few times. I had continued to read printed material from the main site, scripture too; yet couldn't understand what I was reading. Yup, same material which had me jumping for joy 16yrs ago & some. It was hell. But I've finally come up for air, hopefully for good.
Either way I'm grateful for much desired fellowship with you saints.

Grace & favour to you,
Matty

And adding to the above I tell myself something almost every day considering how crazy the world is becoming and that is,

'If there was a better way for God to fulfill his plan for humanity he would do it that way.'

It is all going the exact way it is supposed to go and despite the turmoil God has everything under complete control.

One of the first things I learned here at BT was that there is no free will, even if I didn't fully grasp it at the time, it was the best news I had ever heard. Years later, I now know it was probably one of the most important things I will ever learn.

I wish I could find the exact quote, but Ray said something like if we study something that is true, it will consistently show itself to be true as we continue to study it. Just studying in general on any topic will reveal God's love through His sovereignty in our lives.

...I will be their God, and they will be My people. - Heb 8:10

I have to pinch myself very often because it just seems too good to be true sometimes. God's mindfulness of a sinner such as myself just blows me away. I can't even make excuses to Him anymore when I sin in my heart. So I have to constantly remind myself of His power and sovereignty in my life.

So I don't have much of an idea of where you are in your understanding of God's sovereignty aside from what you've said here. If you would allow me to give you a little advice, it would be based on this parable, as it has a lot to do with the belief in free will.

1Co 5:9  I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people--

1Co 5:10  by no means referring to this world's immoral people, or to the greedy and swindlers, or to idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

1Co 5:11  But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a reviler, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

1Co 5:12  For what is it to me to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside?

1Co 5:13  But God judges outsiders. Put away the evil person from among yourselves.

I agree that whatever happens is supposed to happen. Everyone gets an A+ in the school of life as far as God is concerned. We just need to learn to stand in that.

Thanks for letting us know Rene. 

May you Rest on Brother Joel

I just watched two docs . Al Jazeera

Title…. How evangelicals influence US foreign policy in the Middle East.
EP1 & EP2. Witness Documentary.

The second one is the one that unnerved me. I mean I only have known
about Babylon through the teachings of Ray and of course the Bible when
God opened it to me about eight years ago and this hit me hard to actually
see it and not just read it. And Isaiah said the whole head is sick. It surely is.

This scripture comes to mind….
Eze. 28:9….” Will you say , I am a god in the presence of those who kill you,
though you are but a man in the hands that slay you……and verse 2

Yet,  It’s All of God, that’s very comforting . Praise Jesus Our Lord and Saviour.

Que Sera Sera  Dittoes,  :)I agree  Bob Florida

That's wild.  This morning, the Lord had me focused on this scripture, which is in line with what you are discussing:

Psalm 139:15-16
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

It took me along time to grasp the reality of God’s sovereignty, and what that means. Like many I was aware of Isaiah 46:10 (Holman Christian Standard Bible). “I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: My plan will take place, and I will do all My will.”

At one time I thought that God just knew how all of mankind’s actions would all dovetail together according to their own plans, and God just “saw into the future” how it would all come out.

Of course after studying Ray’s writings on “free will” it made me think. How could even one man’s decisions (their own will), let alone the billions of human actions and resulting impacts from those actions allow for God to “know” what would happen?

Well, the Eternal is God, and is Sovereign, so I have come to realize that ANYTHING that happens was supposed to happen. That is a hard thing at first to understand, and even to accept! All of the hurt and misery and problems that mankind has caused and endured, and will endure, is hard for people to understand how a loving God would “allow” it. But we know that God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher and better and purer than ours. And that is just the way it is and has to be.

And I think it takes the faith of Christ (not our faith) to understand that, and I thank God for giving me that understanding.

So in this country I see people planning and scheming and work8ng toward an outcome for the Presidential election, and have comfort knowing that what ever happens was supposed to happen. And that is a good thing to know.

I’m so sorry to hear this.  We will see you in the morning Joel - rest peacefully.