I have been on a journey. A journey that has lead me to where I am today. Through my trail and tribulations. Molding me what I am today. I still have a lot to learn and I am far from perfect. In the year 2000 I went to a local church after I got married the second time and accepted Jesus in my life. My wife and her family were all into church (name it and claim it). My family was spiritual and always saying Grace at dinner and praying before bed every night, but we never attended church, but always loving the Lord. I have always been surrounded by Christians throughout my youth and into my adulthood, but never knew what it meant to be a christian, nor did I know much about the Bible.
So once I accepted the Lord in my life, my eyes were opened. I saw the world differently. So I got myself a new Bible from my wife for Christmas three months after I accepted Jesus in my life. I started to read it. I delve deeper in the scriptures after reading the Bible from cover to cover. I used the Strong's concordance, Hebrew/Greek dictionary, the Bible Dictionary, and using the Jewish Tanach. The more I read and understood the definitions of the words, the stories and keeping them in context, the more questions I asked my wife. She went to church all her life and she never heard some of the things that were coming out of my mouth from scripture. She grew up with the TV preachers you see on TV.
This lead me to research things like the tithe, the tabernacle of meetings, feast and festivals, the Mikvah and baptism, the annointing, and the history of the christian church as we know it, and so on...
My wife and I went to a non-denominational (tongue speaking) church for about 5 years. I felt myself pulling away from it because of what I was being led to see, and it wasn't lining up with scripture. I focused more on the Lord then focusing on the man behind the pulpit. It scared me in the beginning, and I battled my thoughts and feelings many years after that, because it was going against the grain of all the churches we know. Questioning myself and asking am I wrong. Is this how new man made doctrines are created.
One Wednesday while at Bible teaching my pastor taught at the time. He taught on Jehovah's Witnesses/Mormonism and teaching how they are cults due to their teaching and it not being scriptural. This subject led me down a different road. There was a link to these two supposed cults to one occult. Occult is defined as something secret - hidden - mysterious - cryptic - mystic - privy. The one thing they had in common was freemasonry/fraternal orders. I knew very little about that at the time. It showed me that I am using the words of the Bible in context and not making my own doctrine. Using scriptures and checking my fruits and believing in the Lord for all things.
So five years after I started my church, I stopped going. I saw that they were using Jesus as the product for financial gain. The people are the consumer, buying books written by these people behind the pulpit. Having a concession stand and coffee house in the church. The focus was on entertainment when I went to my church, the tithe, building a bigger building. So how is this different from a regular business selling goods and services. Didn't Jesus cleanse the temple of the money changers? This is scriptural so I shouldn't be insulted or turned away from fellow believers. I have been turned away because of it.
Another thing I was scoffed at is believing Revelations has already occured during the generation of the people that lived in the time Christ. The temple being removed in 70 A.D. It goes agianst the grain of the teachings of today. There hasn't been a new temple for 1943 years. Why? Because Jesus was our final sacrifice to cover our sins for all those who believe in Him. All scripture has been fulfilled by Him.
We are to study and show ourselves approved, by being watchful and decerning what is fact and fiction. Narrow is gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. We will know false prophets and teachers by their fruits. They are here to deceive. I am sharing my walk and teachings in love. Not to turn against the masses. I am a normal man, hard working blue color man who works with my hands and mind. Always being watchful for hazzards that could be ahead.
My road is still windy. I am still seeking His face. Still having a lot to learn and a lot of changes to make before I leave this world. I am not perfect, but I strive to be more perfect through Him if He wills it and sees my heart is pure and full of love for Him. I pray that my path leads to the straight and narrow road.
So once I accepted the Lord in my life, my eyes were opened. I saw the world differently. So I got myself a new Bible from my wife for Christmas three months after I accepted Jesus in my life. I started to read it. I delve deeper in the scriptures after reading the Bible from cover to cover. I used the Strong's concordance, Hebrew/Greek dictionary, the Bible Dictionary, and using the Jewish Tanach. The more I read and understood the definitions of the words, the stories and keeping them in context, the more questions I asked my wife. She went to church all her life and she never heard some of the things that were coming out of my mouth from scripture. She grew up with the TV preachers you see on TV.
This lead me to research things like the tithe, the tabernacle of meetings, feast and festivals, the Mikvah and baptism, the annointing, and the history of the christian church as we know it, and so on...
My wife and I went to a non-denominational (tongue speaking) church for about 5 years. I felt myself pulling away from it because of what I was being led to see, and it wasn't lining up with scripture. I focused more on the Lord then focusing on the man behind the pulpit. It scared me in the beginning, and I battled my thoughts and feelings many years after that, because it was going against the grain of all the churches we know. Questioning myself and asking am I wrong. Is this how new man made doctrines are created.
One Wednesday while at Bible teaching my pastor taught at the time. He taught on Jehovah's Witnesses/Mormonism and teaching how they are cults due to their teaching and it not being scriptural. This subject led me down a different road. There was a link to these two supposed cults to one occult. Occult is defined as something secret - hidden - mysterious - cryptic - mystic - privy. The one thing they had in common was freemasonry/fraternal orders. I knew very little about that at the time. It showed me that I am using the words of the Bible in context and not making my own doctrine. Using scriptures and checking my fruits and believing in the Lord for all things.
So five years after I started my church, I stopped going. I saw that they were using Jesus as the product for financial gain. The people are the consumer, buying books written by these people behind the pulpit. Having a concession stand and coffee house in the church. The focus was on entertainment when I went to my church, the tithe, building a bigger building. So how is this different from a regular business selling goods and services. Didn't Jesus cleanse the temple of the money changers? This is scriptural so I shouldn't be insulted or turned away from fellow believers. I have been turned away because of it.
Another thing I was scoffed at is believing Revelations has already occured during the generation of the people that lived in the time Christ. The temple being removed in 70 A.D. It goes agianst the grain of the teachings of today. There hasn't been a new temple for 1943 years. Why? Because Jesus was our final sacrifice to cover our sins for all those who believe in Him. All scripture has been fulfilled by Him.
We are to study and show ourselves approved, by being watchful and decerning what is fact and fiction. Narrow is gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. We will know false prophets and teachers by their fruits. They are here to deceive. I am sharing my walk and teachings in love. Not to turn against the masses. I am a normal man, hard working blue color man who works with my hands and mind. Always being watchful for hazzards that could be ahead.
My road is still windy. I am still seeking His face. Still having a lot to learn and a lot of changes to make before I leave this world. I am not perfect, but I strive to be more perfect through Him if He wills it and sees my heart is pure and full of love for Him. I pray that my path leads to the straight and narrow road.