bible-truths.com/forums
=> Introductions, Announcements, and More of Ray's Teachings => Topic started by: rockrdude on February 01, 2009, 07:16:12 PM
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Hi.. My name is Jonathan, and after reading Ray's teachings for about 4 years or so, I finally decided to sign on so I could say Hi and get to know some of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Like many of you, I have been dragged out of the institutional church system (11 years ago or so) and have walked a very interesting path since then. Little did I know God was using all of my trials to purge all kinds of the world's teachings and doctrines from me while replacing them with truth and freedom. I've gone from death to life!
It was so shocking to find Ray's site about 4 years ago. I was online seeking an old article about tithing by a brother in Christ who apparently took some significant heat for writing it. I couldn't find it anywhere online anymore, but I ran into Ray's article instead. I was relieved that Ray's presentation was just as good if not better.. and for sure it was of the same Spirit. That caused me to 'park' on his website and read everything I could. For the first time, I didn't feel like a spiritual fruitcake. It was a relief and a joy to find out the things the Lord was teaching me and leading me through were actually scriptural and that I wasn't the hellbound freak other 'Christians' were assuming I had become.
Now, I am very much in need of other believers who have seen the truth and who are part of the Body of Christ, His true church.
I can't say I do a good job of fitting in anywhere, and for sure this path God has me on has cost me many friends (pretty much all of my Christian ones), family relationships, and even has me a bit of an outsider in my own home. I'd LOVE to have a friend to talk to, listen to music with.. you know.. a friend!
But.. I wouldn't go back to the way things used to be or my old ways for anything. It would be a dog returning to its vomit. I am continually amazed at the things I used to believe, and I am equally amazed at how much more wonderful God is to me now that He has shown me just how forgiving and loving He truly is! I thought it was amazing that when I realized Jesus is truly the Savior of the world, I wanted to walk with Him and draw much closer to him even more instead of saying "Hey.. this means I can go sin more".
So, God has changed me big-time. I can't say this life is always a fun ride, but for sure it's the one God has chosen for me. I'm on His potter's wheel, and apparently I'm not getting off until he has made me into the image He wants me to be. Fine with me!
I guess I should tell you a little about myself. I'm 46 year old and I am married. I moved my family to a very small town in northern Iowa last summer where I will likely grow old, and I sell music CDs and records online for a living (this may soon change, depending on what the Lord would have me do next). I have 9 children including one who didn't make it to birth, a few who are grown (one already married), plus teenagers, a preschooler, a toddler, and a baby on the way who is due April 9th or so. Children are great! I'm trying to collect the whole set.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you and fellowship with you, and hopefully my family will give me the time to pop in here regularly. :)
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Wow, that's quite the family you have going. I didn't think people had big families anymore. I wish God had given me the patience for more children. I fantasized about about way more than three but it is what it is.
I am often surprised by the many new posters who have stated that they had been reading for years before posting. It's a better start that way I think.
Anyway, welcome to the forum finally!! :) :)
Eileen
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Hey Jonathan and welcome to the forum.
Suzie
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Welcome, Jonathan
9 children!! That is truely "old school"!! Welcome from Dallas, TX
Charrie :-*
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Welcome Jonathan! I would LOVE to have such a collection of kiddos. Just love them! You are so blessed.
I know lots of big families, it is common in the homeschooling world. Spent the evening recently with a family who has 13!
Looking forward to getting to know you better.
Blessings, Lin
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WoW!! 13!! ::) ::) I am in my 40's and I just didn't think people thought that way in this day. My aunt had 10!
Yes, Jonathan, Father bless you! and Father bless those that have the patience.
Psa 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Charrie :-*
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Hi Jonathan,
Welcome to the forum membership, glad to see you surfaced finally. We need a
grizzled vet like you on here as much as possible. I have 8 sibs, my wife has 11, ???
we do know what large families are, food fight anyone. ;D
george. ;D
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What an awesome testimony. I can't wait to hear more!
I can relate a bit on the family perspective, too. I have an 18 year old, an 8 year old, and a 4 month old. So ours are spread out too. We also lost one along the way - Rachel, who would be 12.
Steve
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Thanks for the warm welcome! :)
My family has always felt small to me. I've never had more than 4 children at home at the same time. They've been very spread out, and we had a gap of 13 years between the last teenager and the new bunch. (We'll be back up to 4 at home when the baby arrives in April, God willing.)
When we moved to Iowa, we came from very far northern Minnesota. We were the 'small' family there. We had friends with a family with 17 children (they were featured on the TLC show "Kids By The Dozen"), and another family with 11 children. There were a LOT of homeschooling families there, many of them quite large.
I'll try to jump in and post when time permits. I'm not one to teach or even attempt to do so, and I am simply awful at remembering where verses are in the Bible.. even with e-Sword. I can rarely find anything. It's amazing I can even find Genesis 1:1 sometimes. LOL!
I'm more of a learning sponge. ;)
Bible Truths is most certainly my refuge for good teaching and research, and Ray's writings help me remember to look at the words and see what is truly being said. I also try to look at the situation surrounding the words when it makes sense to do so. I still feel like I miss more than I see most of the time when I'm in the Word. It might be due to my age, or maybe because there is almost always a teenager or small child needing me for something. ;D
I will say this: I have never stumbled into another teacher whose writings have been a real confirmation and continuation of everything God had ever showed me and taught me up until that point. And I most certainly appreciate the fact that Ray backs everything up with loads of Scripture and yet manages to keep everything easy to read and understand.
So, I am looking forward to getting to know many of you in the coming days. You guys are like family to me, even though I just now joined the forums. :)
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hey jonathan,
welcome to the forum family. glad to see you came into the Living room after standing out in the hall for 4 yrs. "trying to collect the whole set" :D. loved that statement. i have one daughter. guess that's all that God thought i could handle. she is 29 now and i am hoping to have a little grandchild before long. i love children. i will pray that God continues to guide you into His Truths and that you can be a light for all your family to see. and i will pray for your wife too. i imagine she too can use all the help she can get.
again, welcome to your other family.
claudia in austin, tx.
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Jonathan, welcome to the forum....I sincerely hope that you start posting so that we may have the pleasure of getting to you.....so don't be shy now ;D
Heidi from good old New Zealand!
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Jonathan
Welcome !
Rodger
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Welcome Johnathan!
I look forward to getting to know you. In West Virginia here btw. Again, Welcome!
Joe
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Welcome to the forum Johnathan and hope to hear more from you soon. :)
Marques
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Jonathan,
Welcome to the forum,like you I lingered for some time before joining the forum. I guess I'm not that much of a talker, or typist,but I try. :)
Peace... Mark
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Hi. I'm glad you've been led to mingle with us here. Lots of things in your post I relate to...the 'sponge' comment in particular. When I first encountered B-T, part of it was confirmation, part was completely new and never before considered, and part was repentance and a change of mind. The more I dig, the more that theme seems to keep playing.
I don't have any kids, so maybe that helps even things out a bit. ;D
There's a good number of music-fans aboard too.
I hope we can continue to fellowship when you can get away for a few. Nice to meet you.
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Hi Jonathan,
I'm glad you have decided to introduce yourself and join in the fellowship we have here :)
Your family sounds great, in size and what it offers to you as you stated, "because there is almost always a teenager or small child needing me for something." It's good to be needed.
I hope we can be the fellowship that you need. It is so nice to have easy contact with all these like minded people, so we can share and grow together in this journey that God has put us on.
Here are links to some things we have here that you might like to check out.
The forum rules, it will help you see how this forum is moderated.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3.0.html
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4558.0.html
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3614.0.html
Forum Indexes & lots of Info.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,14.0.html
Ray's Videos
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8227.0.html
Ray's Audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2641.0.html
Ray's 2008 Audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8256.0.html
Transcripts of Ray's Audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,12.0.html
Who Am I? (members pics and personal stuff)
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,16.0.html
mercy, peace and love
Kat
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Hey Jonathan, welcome to the forum!
Iris
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Hello Jonathan,
Welcome to the forum. It's going to be very exciting to see what role we all will play in the near future. Scripture states that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. I wonder if God is gathering most of the laborers here...hmmmm? Again, welcome to the family.
Charles
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Hi rockrdude, I am fairly new and these guys are great and patient. Always nice to meet someone with the same experiences. Judy
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Wow... I feel like I'm with family.. real family! ;D
I wish you all lived near me!
I have admittedly been through 'hell' since God presented me with His truths. When God began to show them to me, I was on top of the world and I was so amazed that God is going to save everybody.. even me. Being one who could never live up to anyone's expectations made me even more amazed that God actually accepted me. It still blows me away that He called me and at least has possibly chosen me.
Soon after the ecstatic feeling was replaced by the realization that I was on an incredibly narrow path.
(This seed planted many years earlier when I was still in the corporate church, and God showed me the truth about the wide path vs. the narrow path. If everybody's doing it and if everybody believes it, it's probably wrong. It blew me away.. and still does!)
Now virtually nobody understood why I live or believe the way I do. Nobody understood that all of life quickly became an unbelievable fiery trial, and nobody could see the changes God was making deep inside of me. Sins that used to take me out in a heartbeat no longer had a stronghold, especially the ones nobody knew about. (Of course there are other areas of life God is still working on in me.. sigh..)
There have been times (even recently) when I felt like I was on the receiving end of the bottom side of God's shoe and that He had given up on me. And yet even then, I knew I wanted to press on because there was nothing to go back to. Somewhere in the last couple of years, something BIG changed inside of me. I'm not sure I can describe it even. I just know that despite my trials, I am being made free.. redeemed.. and even blessed.
I might even be the most blessed man that I know, despite the incredible needs God has willed me to have for this period in my life. I know these fiery trials have been for my benefit and that God chastises those whom He loves. He must love me a heck of a lot!
Many of the changes my family has been through the last couple of years (including our move to Iowa) have been the direct result of the changes God has been making in me. Not all of them have been too popular with my family, especially my teenagers. But, I am quickly learning that when God changes everything on the inside, He'll often change everything on the outside as well.
So now.. I believe I have finally found true brothers and sisters in Christ. I have a good place to go to receive good teaching, and even fellowship with other like-minded believers. Admittedly I am not good at the whole fellowship thing. For 40+ years, most if not all of my fellowship resulted in others wanting to make me into their image rather than lifting me up and accepting me as who God made me to be. I don't see much of that here. I see people lifting one another up and sharing the truths of God with one another.. and having a few good laughs along the way.
I'll let you know now.. I am not very 'religious'. I probably don't do things properly. I'm not a very spiritual man anymore. I get uncomfortable being asked to 'lead a prayer'. I rarely quote whole chunks of scripture since I can never remember where they all are, but I find I often have them scattered in what I write or say without realizing it (I'll try to improve on this as I go).
I do have a teachable spirit, but I dislike it when God's exciting truths are presented in a very boring manner. (Ray is never boring, thankfully.. and that was another reason God dragged me here!)
I'll try to jump into various discussions from time to time, but please be patient with me as it might take me a while to get used to doing so. But.. I am looking forward to this!
Anyway.. this is turning into a novel.. so I'll stop here for now. ;D
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Jonathan,
Welcome and I cannot wait for your continued input. Your story parallels many on this forum and I can assure you mine is quite similar with the exception of the family size. Your comment about the dog returning to his own vomit is a good analogy of how I personally feel about the Babylonian church system.
You will continue to be blessed in this forum and in Bible-Truths.com. This is a real family of real believers.
In HIM,
Phil3:10
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Welcome aboard Jonathan.
It is truly amazing to see these truths and also very humbling to have these changes come about in our lives through His workings. Looking forward to hearing from you
beloved
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Welcome ! Who, ever dreamed being dragged would feel so wonderful. Praise The Lord!
In His Love,
Marlene
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Welcome To the Forum,
As I have been reading some of you newbies, there seems to be a common thread among us.
Not our age, number of children (if any), personalities, or religious upbringing.
Everybody seemed to be drawn here with a commonality of being peculiar to those around us.
I've been hearing that song in my head from "Rudolph the Red nosed raindeer"....
"Were a couple of misfits...on the island of unwanted toys"!
Your in good company here,
Brenda
;D
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Welcome To the Forum,
As I have been reading some of you newbies, there seems to be a common thread among us.
Not our age, number of children (if any), personalities, or religious upbringing.
Everybody seemed to be drawn here with a commonality of being peculiar to those around us.
I've been hearing that song in my head from "Rudolph the Red nosed raindeer"....
"Were a couple of misfits...on the island of unwanted toys"!
Your in good company here,
Brenda
;D
Everybody seemed to be drawn here with a commonality of being peculiar to those around us.
Brenda,not only those around us but onto ones self also.There are times when I can honestly say, how can you(me) spend so much time trying to understand Spiritual truths, when the world passes right on by? Three years ago I would have thought myself crazy for living,eating,breathing,sleeping our Fathers truths, but now, I'm just happy to be blessed in the knowledge that my Father has seen fit to bestow upon me Spiritual growth and understanding,making out of me and conforming in me to be like our Brother Jesus,and ultimately able to win the race and finish complete, according to Fathers will :)
This I hope for all believers. Finish the race. ;D
Peace...Mark
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Jonathan,
Welcome! I've jumped right in to the conversations and have had nothing but warm welcomes and responses. :) A truly great group of non judgemental people here. Look forward to reading some of your posts.
Britt,
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Now I know why I am here, I am peculiar!!! I really am. Not too many GET me. Of course if they knew what a splended person I was they would love me. WRONG!!! Judy
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God bless you bro. Im new here myself but been reading BT for a few months. This is the fellowship the Lord has brought us to. Like the apostles, writing letters. 8)