WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THE WAY YOU DO?

oh excuse me then stephen

I would have thought you would have been first in line, considering your boldness in the Bible forum. I would like to hear especially from you. Consider this a challenge.

challenge? serious?
if you've read my posts you know my position.
okay?
simple.

i'll check in and see how you make out though.

This thread is for you to tell why you left Pentecostalism & become who you are now. I don't know what you went through, & neither do the other readers watching this. I don't understand why this is like pulling teeth with you.

I believe as I do because God created me to be who I am.
I love Him because He loved me first.
I have come to know Him by His word, scripture.
I rejoice because He sent His Son to die for all our sins, and by this I am now His daughter.
I am at peace, because Jesus's Spirit now lives in me, and I in Him, no longer a slave to flesh.
By this, there is no longer just I, but in Jesus, one body made perfect by His presance.
Because, once one has tasted the heavenly host, there is no turning back!

God bless
pickles

I've noticed a trend in Christianity between Pentecostals and Charismatics, and other denominations of the church. For example, did you know that many hard-core non-Pentecostals and non-Charismatics used to be one at one time in their life? The same thing goes for many hard-core Pentecostals and Charismatics. It seems the one thing many have in common is that they were severely burned with the previous denomination or belief system.
I myself am a Pentecostal believer who has been burned by the same belief system (oddball, I guess), yet chooses to continue to believe this way in spite of those that walk in ignorance or teach false doctrine. I believe this way because of experience..... I've seen and experienced the supernatural work of God firsthand.

I would like to hear your story. No arguments, please, because this is not about who's right and who's wrong. What I would like to hear is how you came to be who you are. Please take all the space needed. I'm hoping that the readers will learn something about us they didn't know before. Perhaps we then could learn to show more compassion to one another.

Actually, name it/claim it is a false doctrine, also known as Word of Faith. It is not technically a charismatic doctrine, but it seems most that get sucked into this junk tends to be of the charismatic orientation. They are simply more susceptible to it do to their tendency towards 'new' teachings and revelations from the 'Holy Spirit', as well as their belief in healing and other gifts still being active.


To the OP, i was raised a church kid, baptist. Saved into a Pentecostal church. For many years i accepted all kinds of Christian teaching, assuming it was all good. But later, as i got older and learned more about the bible i pulled away from the pentecostal teachings, and charismatic movement in general. I discovered, through the charismatics, i had picked up a lot of Word of Faith ideas, though at the time i had no idea what they were. I figured out that many of the problems i was having in my walk was coming through these WoF teachings. I was not a full believer in the message, but just tidbits of it snuck in. Now that i have weeded out the WoF teachings, and pulled away from the emotional roller coaster of charismatic teaching, i have a more solid and consistent relationship with, and understanding of God. I have less confusion in my mind as well.
While i believe Charismatics are genuine Christians, seeking God, i can no longer follow that teaching. And far as the WoF teachings, i do not accept them as Christian teachings at all.

I highly recommend John Macarthurs book ,"Charismatic chaos".

First of all Stephen, I love how you have said this. It's true that for me to know you, and you to know me, means more than us arguing over who is right and who is wrong. After all, how can there be so MANY different views? I bet I'm a little bit wrong, and you too.

I came to believe what I believe through a lot of trial and error, scrutiny. And having Jesus commands in my foremost thoughts: Love thy God, and Love thy neighbour.

If I were meant to do it, then I believe that God and Jesus both uphold the very ideals that they tell us to adhere to.

So when I read scripture, I read it like God is always trying to love through what He says and does.

But not only that, I look for hebrew root words, for meanings and painted pictures instead of taking the sword on one side, so to speak.

And I think that what I came to see was a totally different kind of teaching than what I was brought up to believe. And it makes so much more sense once I understood the decipherable meanings and messages. Wheat and tares. Chaff and grain. Trees. Husband and wife. The Kingdom of God. Baptism, water and fire. Sin. Death.

Just a sidenote: the way you've posted this, as a 'let me get to know you' rather than 'let me prove you wrong', is a real change to the usual.

Thank you

I don't really have a religion I've attached to.... I mean.... my thing is that I have this belief that everyone else's Gods and Jesus, and then his father all live together in heaven, and all of them are basically the children of God, just like Jesus. I find this comforting... makes me feel warm.

I don't really have a perception of reality... I don't really care,actually...

but it's my thing, and it makes me feel better, so I'd very much like to keep it as my own.

I don't really have a perception of reality... I don't really care,actually...