from know it all to knowing nothing.

[winner08]

My name is Darren (winner08) I've been reading Mr. Armstrong's (Ted's) booklets and teachings. I have been watching Him on TV since the 80's. I thought I knew it all. Man was I wrong!! I I was reading Mr. Armstrong's teachings on the internet and some how ended up on Mr. Smith's web site. I started reading the lake of fire serous, and I started understanding rite away. It felt as if a great light went off inside my head. Man was I humbled. What with I thought I knew, and the truth were two different. The first thing I thought of was the pride I Had in thinking I knew what God was about. I haven't a clue. That I was a boaster, bragger ,full of pride and full of myself. Now I 'm thinking maby I didn't really understand Mr. Ray's teachings. Maby It's the same old me thinking I know something when I know Nothing. I don't know anymore.

                                  Thank y'all and God be with you and yours.

[Robin]

Matthew 24
24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
De*ceive"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deceived; p. pr. & vb. n. Deceiving.] [OE. deceveir, F. d['e]cevoir, fr. L. decipere to catch, insnare, deceive; de- + capere to take, catch. See Capable, and cf. Deceit, Deception.]

1. To lead into error; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose upon; to mislead; to cheat; to disappoint; to delude; to insnare.

Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. --2 Tim. iii. 13.


Hi Darren,

I remember coming across the verse above and it dawned on me that if I was deceived I wouldn't know it. At the time I believed everything the church taught. There was no way I really thought I was deceived. I knew I believed the truth and all those other beliefs were wrong. Then when I thought about all the other beliefs I thought well they think they are right and believe I am wrong. I could be just like them and not know it. I started praying that God would show me the truth IF I was deceived.

Wow did I find out I was deceived. Everything I believed was wrong. It was like waking up to a whole new reality. I remember watching a Star Trek episode after that. It was the one where Will Riker kept going back and forth between different alternate realities. He didn't know which one was real. It turned out neither were real. I felt a little crazy like that for awhile. It's hard to trust anything when you've just had the bottom pulled out from under you. There is nothing like realizing your house was built on sand when you thought it was built on solid ground.

So through all that I learned that I can't trust myself and I have to rely on God. I prayed for a teacher if one existed in this world and here I am. I know how you feel and I know God is faithful.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

[psalmsinger]

Darren and M.G.

I remember waking up from deception and realizing that the deceived do not know it, and I was one of the deceived!  It is a big let down of the ego when God finally reveals to you that all your studies are dung and you don't know "nothing".  God is the one who gives the "spirit of slumber" and He is also the one who wakes you up! It must be a great starting point Paul went from studying at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the Hebrew scholars of the time, to determining only to know Jesus Christ crucified. Not just "know about" but to actually "know".  When Paul "knew about" Jesus, he set about to persecute Him, when Jesus Christ was revealed to Him, He started to "know" Him.   It is amazing what seeing the Light will do for a person.  I think God allows us a time to "kick against the pricks" too   I humbly pray that Jesus continues to reveal Himself to each of us...

Acts 22:3
3   I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Acts 26:14
14   And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Cor 2:2
2   For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
(KJV)


Rest in the Lord,

Barbara

[Kat]

Hi Darren,

Well I kind of know what you are talking about.  I was in WWCG for many years I thought at the time that what they taught was true, but I was deceived like we all were (Titus 3:3).  Now back then I never felt it in my spirit, that it was true, but I thought it in my mind.  Now I know there is a big difference in just thinking you know something and for the Holy Spirit to witness to your spirit.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
v. 15  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
v. 16  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

You are pretty new in the Truth, so give yourself a little time for all this to sink in.  Before I could never understand the Scriptures on my own and being blind I couldn't, so I let man tell me what it meant.  Now what I have gained from Ray is an understanding of how to rightly use the Scriptures, one good source for this is 'Twelve Truths to Understanding His Word' http://bible-truths.com/twelve.htm
Ray is really great at exposing the heresies that have deceived us all and that is the start, to purge out those falsehoods we hold.  But now I have this strong conformation in my spirit when I see a profound Truth. 
So pray for faith and that He will give you assurance and just keep reading and studying 

Eph 4:13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
v. 14  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
v. 15  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
v. 16  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[winner08]

 Plasmsinger: What a cool name.
                   I have alot to learn. If I don't take direction from someone more knowledgeable with scripture than myself I would never understand. I did learn some truths from others. But as was told these things I would look them up for myself. Man I tell you when I started reading Mr. Rays teachings on the free will I had to stop. It was too much for me to grasp. It's only been a few weeks since I started reading Mr. Ray's teachings. Any way Thanks for all the advice.

                                                   Darren

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello Darren

The title you have chosen for this Thread shows that you already know something very profound by direct experience. We have to have this chastisement of seeing our house is built on the sand, as the veils are lifted off our eyes.

The members here have wonderful insights and joy to share with others joining the Forum who keep us awake, running the race and enjoying the experience of coming to know our Lord.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[winner08]

 Thanks Arcturus.
            I feel better already. Knowing that I'm on my way to learning the truth. I wish I would have known about Mr. Rays site yrs ago. I feel I lost so much time. I also wish I could have went to the conference in Nashville Man that would have been great!!! Thanks again

                                         Darren

[Kat]

Hi Darren,

You were brought here exactly at the time according to God's plan.
All those things you went throught in the pass God's saw as a necessary part of your learning.  It was a experience in the ways of the church and world, you needed to know that first hand, as a contrast now.  So now the Truths can be more appreciated, as they should be.

The Conference is a great experience to share with other like minded believers.  But all the audios of Ray's studies will be put here at the forum.  It's possible that Ray will have another conference in Mobile down the road, you should be close enough to attend there 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[gmik]

Cheesy

Hi Darren.  Your title is perfect.  Exactly how I felt.  This site is life changing believe me!

[winner08]

Gmik: Man I gotta learn how to do those cute pitures on your post. I see alot of these faces and other pictures on other post. It lools like fun. Anyways Thanks for your insite. It helps to know there"s others that went through, or going through what I"m  going through.

                                    Thank you Darren

[winner08]

 Kat: that would be great if Ray does a confrence on the gulf coast. I will be waiting for the audio from the nashville conference. I 'm trying to read all Ray's teachings and I beleive I'm going too fast, and I'm not grasping the realities of the truth. I'm starting over from the beginning. This time I will read more slowly.

                                Thank you for sharing you wisdom.

                                           

[Kat]

Hi Darren,

He has had conferences in Mobile in the pass and I think he probably will again.

I have heard Ray say it is good to start at the top of the page of his BT site and just work your way down.  If something doesn't click at first just keep going, because he does repeat things over.  As you begin to understand some things other things will begin to fall in place.

To get the little smiley icons come up in your post, while you are typing your message up, just put your cursor on top of the icon you want in your message and left click on it.  It will come up as punctuation symbols in your message, but the little face will come up in the post     

Here is the link to more info. you might like to know;
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?board=14.0

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[psalmsinger]

Thank you Darren,

I've kept the name psalmsinger, although it is the name I chose when I first came into "internet religion". I really wanted to discard all that baggage, and  I thought about changing my addy.  Then I realized that it was me that changed and not the psalms that we sing.  God's Song never changes because it is perfect.  That's the Song I want to have in my heart.  God is still working on me

Rest in the Lord,
Barbara

Plasmsinger: What a cool name.
                   I have alot to learn. If I don't take direction from someone more knowledgeable with scripture than myself I would never understand. I did learn some truths from others. But as was told these things I would look them up for myself. Man I tell you when I started reading Mr. Rays teachings on the free will I had to stop. It was too much for me to grasp. It's only been a few weeks since I started reading Mr. Ray's teachings. Any way Thanks for all the advice.

                                                   Darren

[mrl1970]

Remember God will reveal things to you at a pace which he deems right for you. The main thing is to keep asking and searching. Something will take longer than others but it will be more than worth the wait.