My journey to Bibletruths.com

[Kenneth]

Greetings brothers and sisters. I got "saved" in 1981 at age twenty one, after reading a tracts titled "This was your life" by Jack Chick. I was petrified after reading this little picture book and did everything in my power to "get saved," and to get others "saved" as well.  I loved these little booklets and ordered all of them. In 1983 I joined a Pentecostal Church where we regularly held open air preaching and handed out these Chick publication tracts to those listening to us (me) shouting our mouths off about "hell," and scaring the hell out of people. I soon became a KJVO after reading one of Jack's booklets titled "The attack." I believed that the KJV was inerrant and infallible and labeled anyone that did not agree with me as a "Bible agnostic." For years I was debating on just about every forum, against those that would attack the KJV and got good at calling others that disagreed with us "Bible Agnostics." All that I can say about the KJVO heresy, is that it turns its adherents into horrible argumentative people, and I was one of them. In 2011 I got caught up in a doctrine that taught that "repentance" was a work and that it was not needed for salvation. We taught that "repentance" simply meant "a change of mind" as to who Jesus is and we used Jonah 3:10 as proof. We would point out that God "repented of the evil that he said that he would do," and from that deduced that "repentance" was merely a "changing of ones mind" as to who Jesus is. We would also point out that "God saw their WORKS, that they turned from their evil way," and that this was proof positive that God sees "turning from sin" as WORKS. We interpreted Matt 7:21 as referring to "the many" that were trusting in their "works" (turning from sin) for salvation, instead of simply believing or trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. We believed that this was a mass deception and that most "Christians" were on their way to hell because they were trusting in their "repenting of their sins" to save them. This was such "good news" that I discovered or came across, that I ordered thousands of  "gospel tracts" on line that did not have the words "turn from sin" as a prerequisite for salvation. For the next couple of years I evangelized in open air preaching and handed these "gospel tracts" to everyone and anyone. I was most zealous for this new found truth and would debate anyone who disagreed, at the drop of a hat. "Lordship salvation" is the term we used to describe those that trusted in their "repentance from sins"  for their  salvation. I believed that I could  alter the eternal destiny of a person simply by getting them to believe differently. In other words I believed that I could save someone from an eternal hell, simply by getting them to trust in Jesus instead of trusting in their "repentance from sin" which I believed to be works.
I was really messed up in my theology and the thing that did not sit well with me was the doctrine of 'hell." I plucked up the courage about three years ago and read a book titled "The Fire That Consumes" by Edward Fudge. After reading the book I began believing in "conditional immortality" which is by far more merciful than "eternal conscious torment." However, that also didn't sit well with me. I went back to all my old KJVO forums and started telling everyone about my new found faith and how that the KJV is a bad translation. Needless to say I was laughed to scorn and was called all sorts of names from "heretic" to "a snake,"  and everything else that goes with it.
About two tears ago I did a search on "hell" and "bible-truths.com kept popping up. At first I was a bit scared to look into what this person had to say because I knew that what was being taught was the salvation of all and God could not be that good I thought.  I somehow consigned this site to the heretics section and skimmed past it very quickly. This had been going on for several weeks until one day I plucked up the courage and dived into what this person had to say. All I can say is that I was completely bowled over by what was been taught. I am a man of scripture, and everything that this person was saying lined up with scripture. I was in total shock, because everything that this man was saying went against everything that I had been taught by orthodox Christianity. But the strange thing was that everything that this man taught, lined up with scripture. I read a little and then began to cry, and then read a little then cried a little. I went through all of Ray's articles crying and reading at the same time. I now had hope that I was going to see my mother again who died when I was aged eight, who was a staunch Catholic, steeped in idolatry. Ever since I got saved at age twenty one, I had come to firmly believe that my mother was in hell and would remain there until she would be finally cast into a burning lake of fire, so you can imagine the joy I experienced while being set free. My brother aged ten died together with her in an automobile accident and I came to believe that he was in heaven because he had not reached "the age of accountability." (whatever that age was) I was told by various theologians that the age of accountability can be anything from about twelve years of age to about twenty one years of age. Oh what bondage I was in and I didn't even know it only after I was exposed to the truth. I thank God every opportunity I get for his servant Ray Smith. God used him to set me free. It not only set me free but it changed my personality from being a horrible argumentative person to a much more tolerant and
loving person. I hated Muslims and wanted nothing more than for them to all die, but I now see them through very different  eyes and I cannot but love them sincerely.
It is very lonely  believing what I now believe as I found out first hand. I went back to all my "brothers and sisters" in my previous denomination and shared my faith with joy and zeal but was called a heretic and was told that I had departed from the faith. I  felt everyone ostracizing me and could not go back there. I cannot put into words, the joy and peace I have come to experience since stumbling across this site. I shouldn't actually say "stumbled" because God works all things after the counsel of His own will.
I'm so grateful that I have brothers and sisters in this group that I can relate to. It would be so nice to fellowship face to face with everyone but I know that I'll have to settle for fellowship via the internet as there are not that many of us that believe the truth of God's word. God bless you all my brothers and sisters. I have not met any of you face to face but I know that I am in a safe place with you all. I have learned sooooo much from this site. I have never ever loved God so much as I do now. It is such a wonderful feeling knowing that my heavenly Father has no intentions of burning anyone for all eternity.

[Joel]

Welcome Kenny,
I'm glad you took the time to share some of your experiences with us here at the forum.

Joel

[Dave in Tenn]

Nice to meet you, Kenny.  Thanks for sharing all that.  I remember those Chick tracts.  I look forward to continued fellowship with you.

[virginiabm]

Welcome Kenny, may God bless you on your journey.

      Your Sister in Christ Jesus.
             Virginia

[Rene]

Thanks for sharing Kenny.  Many of us have gone through a similar journey before being freed from the false teachings of the church.  I now understand that all of these experiences were a necessary part of my journey to truth.  I can really appreciate the "value" of what I now know.

René

[Musterseed]

Greetings Kenny,
Welcome and thank you for sharing. What a wonderful gift we have been given. Thank God for
L Ray Smith , and the BT website and all of our brothers and sisters here. Like you, I believe
we all agree that we have never ever loved Our God so much.

Rom.5...." Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,we have peace with God through Our
                Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we also have obtained access by faith, into His Grace
                In which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the Glory of God. More than that, we
                rejoice in our sufferings, knowning that suffering produces endurance,and endurance
                produces character, and character produces hope,and hope does not put us to shame
                because God's Love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has
                been given to us.

In Christ Jesus Our Lord........Pamela

[Dennis Vogel]

Welcome Kenny - Glad you made it

[Kenneth]

Thank you Joel, Dave, Virginia, Rene, Pamela and Dennis for the feedback and the encouraging words. God truly is love.1 John 4:8.

[Rhys 🕊]

Welcome Kenny

Nice to read your story. I always find people's journeys very encouraging so thanks for doing so.

Rhys

[arion]

Nice to have you Kenny;

The first hook in the mouth that brought me to the website was Ray's teaching on tithing.  I was Assemblies of God and of course money and the tithe was of utmost importance.  I wanted to argue with what Ray wrote but I couldn't.  I thought that Ray was a blind squirrel that stumbled upon a nut as I thought him to be a heretic that taught against hell and the Trinity, ect. 

Little by little God used the teachings to 'relearn' a whole lot of things and I no longer have to argue with people to get them to see the 'truth'.  Fact of the matter is I couldn't see any truth unless and until God was ready to reveal it to me and nobody else will either.  On the various forums I'm on I use a tagline point back to the LOF teachings and figure that God will draw whom he will draw.  Being steeped in Christianity with it's lifetime of deceptions it's like an onion being removed one layer at a time all in God's timing and plan.

Once you learn the truth of these matters a tremendous weight and burden are removed from off of you.  Jesus Christ the savior of the world who will save the world in his way and in his time.  It's all good.

Welcome again!!

[Kenneth]

Thanks Rhys. I'm glad that you were encouraged from my sharing. Thanks Marquette. Good to know someone who is also ex Assemblies of God. I sat under my late Father in law's ministry for about thirty years, who was an Assembles of God Pastor. yes I can agree with you in that it is only God that can draw someone to the truth. We can get them to read 1 Tim 4:10 and 1 John 4:14 a hundred times and it will mean nothing to them, unless God opens their spiritual eyes.

[Stacey]

Fantastic testimony Kenny. Thanks for sharing it. Welcome aboard.

[Kenneth]

Thanks Stacey.

[Deblyn]

Wow. Isn't God good?

[Kenneth]

Thanks Arion for sharing that. Yes God certainly does work in His own timing.

[Mr. Smith]

Thank you for sharing.

Your brother from Dallas Texas area.