I'll hopefully get back to answering this when I get a few free hours, but I'll say this for now.
I don't take what you've said personally. I might be what they call thick-skinned in that area. (NOT easily offended) The delay in my reply is due to schedule. My hesitation to reply is due to my comment about "You don't know what you've got". (a.k.a. How can I explain it in a way that won't make it worse?)
Most of what you say I take as sincere and of genuine concern and interest (otherwise you would comment in different threads and avoid this one). The rest of what you say I take as coming from doctrines that are leftovers from church-world teachings that you haven't prayed about deeply because you think they are correct.
I had the advantage that one of the most basic of my church-world doctrines were shaken to the core before I started seeking the Lord about EVERYTHING I'd ever been taught by man.. I'd had no idea what I was taught was wrong before that.
Most people assume that what they've been taught and what they believe is probably mostly correct... so they're not worried and don't pray as if their life depends on it. My situation didn't allow that kind of complacency. I realized my life (and spiritual life) DID depend on it. And God had just shown me that one of my most basic beliefs was WRONG. So I started asking about everything I believed. If it was taught by man, it needed to be tested.
The questions I needed to ask did NOT allow for trust of anything any man had ever taught. (No bible, No Jesus, No preacher). God had to step up to the plate Himself and answer before I would trust it. And I would test him repeatedly until there was effectively no explanation other than God was answering my EXACT prayers.
Few people ask until God answers in a way they can't dismiss as coincidence. And I pretty much KNOW that way fewer are willing to pray as specifically and boldly as I prayed. (And certainly not as detailed). To be blunt, I got in God's face and demanded that he step up and perform his word or be a liar. He chose to step up.
On paper that should surprise no one who reads a bible. But how many have heard God speak, had him work miracles at their hands and had him quote their very requests (that were ONLY spoken in the mind and heart) back to them through a prophet before continuing on to answer the questions?.
If you have a church where the spiritual gifts operate, you've probably had or seen some of those...so you might know that God DOES move like that. (In ways that other churches would call blasphemy).
But did you go on to question EVERYTHING you believe as if EVERY doctrine you were taught by a preacher (or stumbled upon yourself) could be a lie? If not, you've chosen to allow a place for deception to reside.
I've mentioned in another thread that I put my beliefs into one of two groups.
I'm not saying that to try to get you to be impressed by, or trust me. I'm saying that to get you to honestly look at ALL the doctrines you've internalized and ask "Is this truly something that I've taken to God as if it (and I) could be WRONG?". (And didn't let it rest until he ANSWERED.) Because I know that you are carrying some doctrines that are taught by man but not by God. And I know that they fall into the first category.
In the middle of post #8, when I underlined the word doctrines, I was SPECIFICALLY (but not exclusively) thinking of you. Not because you are endangered by the other three things, but you are endangered by the doctrines you've trusted without intense scrutiny. I underlined it so it might stand out as especially important to you because it IS especially important to YOU, as opposed to others who are endangered by the other three.
Proving that to be true will have to wait for another posting, because I've only got time left for about a half-hour nap before needing to prepare for work.
Love in Jesus,
Kelby
I don't take what you've said personally. I might be what they call thick-skinned in that area. (NOT easily offended) The delay in my reply is due to schedule. My hesitation to reply is due to my comment about "You don't know what you've got". (a.k.a. How can I explain it in a way that won't make it worse?)
Most of what you say I take as sincere and of genuine concern and interest (otherwise you would comment in different threads and avoid this one). The rest of what you say I take as coming from doctrines that are leftovers from church-world teachings that you haven't prayed about deeply because you think they are correct.
I had the advantage that one of the most basic of my church-world doctrines were shaken to the core before I started seeking the Lord about EVERYTHING I'd ever been taught by man.. I'd had no idea what I was taught was wrong before that.
Most people assume that what they've been taught and what they believe is probably mostly correct... so they're not worried and don't pray as if their life depends on it. My situation didn't allow that kind of complacency. I realized my life (and spiritual life) DID depend on it. And God had just shown me that one of my most basic beliefs was WRONG. So I started asking about everything I believed. If it was taught by man, it needed to be tested.
The questions I needed to ask did NOT allow for trust of anything any man had ever taught. (No bible, No Jesus, No preacher). God had to step up to the plate Himself and answer before I would trust it. And I would test him repeatedly until there was effectively no explanation other than God was answering my EXACT prayers.
Few people ask until God answers in a way they can't dismiss as coincidence. And I pretty much KNOW that way fewer are willing to pray as specifically and boldly as I prayed. (And certainly not as detailed). To be blunt, I got in God's face and demanded that he step up and perform his word or be a liar. He chose to step up.
On paper that should surprise no one who reads a bible. But how many have heard God speak, had him work miracles at their hands and had him quote their very requests (that were ONLY spoken in the mind and heart) back to them through a prophet before continuing on to answer the questions?.
If you have a church where the spiritual gifts operate, you've probably had or seen some of those...so you might know that God DOES move like that. (In ways that other churches would call blasphemy).
But did you go on to question EVERYTHING you believe as if EVERY doctrine you were taught by a preacher (or stumbled upon yourself) could be a lie? If not, you've chosen to allow a place for deception to reside.
I've mentioned in another thread that I put my beliefs into one of two groups.
- Things I believe.
- Things I've DILIGENTLY prayed about until God absolutely confirms that they are correct.
I'm not saying that to try to get you to be impressed by, or trust me. I'm saying that to get you to honestly look at ALL the doctrines you've internalized and ask "Is this truly something that I've taken to God as if it (and I) could be WRONG?". (And didn't let it rest until he ANSWERED.) Because I know that you are carrying some doctrines that are taught by man but not by God. And I know that they fall into the first category.
In the middle of post #8, when I underlined the word doctrines, I was SPECIFICALLY (but not exclusively) thinking of you. Not because you are endangered by the other three things, but you are endangered by the doctrines you've trusted without intense scrutiny. I underlined it so it might stand out as especially important to you because it IS especially important to YOU, as opposed to others who are endangered by the other three.
Proving that to be true will have to wait for another posting, because I've only got time left for about a half-hour nap before needing to prepare for work.
Love in Jesus,
Kelby
