Re: Truth and a way of life..........

[Truthseeking]

I'm starting to like Mr David Cloud more and more. I find his information abundant and most helpful.

I think that in todays world most of the theology that is out there is wrong . As a kid going to an IBF school the one thing that stayed in my head was "See for yourself what the Word of God has to say. Don't just hear it from me read it for yourself." I am finding that alot of stuff I heard, learned, or was taught was wrong. I don't like some of the things that I am finding out, but it is what it is, and has been what it has been. Some of it is even jaw dropping. The bible says

" Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6.

Now I just went and made sure that was correctly written. Why ? Because I too was one of them that read into the NIV version. My parents always argued theology. So the question was what was true ? My Answer - Read it for yourself. Quit listening to what everyone else says find out for yourself, and stand on that. I used to read the bible like some fantasy book. As a kid reading was my escape from home life. I got to the point though if the bible is really true then how does it all fit in with todays world. To me it was just a bible story. Allowing myself to see it as something other than a story was something I had a hard time doing. I thought that if I cross referenced things read with other versions that it would be easier to understand. No I had to open myself up to the bible and allow it to work in me. Am I a sinner ? Yes, Are we all sinners ? Yes, Will we continue to sin after were saved ? Yes because we still have that sin nature until our day of redemption. One should be careful what he reads and what he believes. If ones not he will come to believe in the lie.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." 2 Thessalonians 2:11

Are you believing in the modern verisons ......... NIV , NASB, and AV for starters .......

[John81]

When I was first saved I was like a babe in the woods. I had no one to disciple me. The only other professing Christian I knew was new to this as well.

I hand an RSV Bible which I received attending Methodist Sunday School as a child. Bits of it I grasped but so much I couldn't understand. I decided to buy several different versions with the hope that comparing them I would be able to get a good understanding of the Word of God.

Alas, all that happened was confusion! The various versions didn't seem to match in many areas. In some areas, not only did the verses not seem to match, in some cases they seemed to say something entirely different. Worse yet, not all versions even contained the same verses at all!

It wasn't until several years later when the Lord brought a good Christian friend into my life and he introduced me to a wonderful Baptist pastor, that I heard the Holy Ghost guiding me to the KJB. From the point I got hold of a KJB and read and studied it prayerfully the Holy Ghost opened my eyes, my heart and mind were filled with understanding and the mighty Word of God!

It still took some time to weed through the right and wrong in the Christian world (certain TV pastors, books, authors, etc.), but by turning to Scripture and trusting the Word of God as the final authority in all matters, the Lord has opened my understanding so much.

Our pastor loves to say that we should check everything by the Bible. If we hear of something or some pastor proclaims something (even him!), we should see if the Bible backs what they say.

[JerryNumbers]

Back prior to surrendering to my Lord to preach, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, May 11, 1997, for about one year I studied out Baptist distinetives, what we Baptist teach, compared to the Bible.

During that time I also studied what many other churches taught, for instants, Methodist, Assembly of God, church of Christ, that is main line churches. When I got to the point that I had not doubt that Baptist had it right, I had no problem standing before our church letting them know of the calling I had received from God, but I could not until I reached that point.

Your right, we need to know this 1st hand for our self,

You know, many say we cannot know for sure that what we believe is correct.

As for David Cloud, I don't think I have any major disagreements with him.

As for the KJ, its the only way to go.

But many will not study this out for their self, what ever be the 1st church they attend or invited to, and or church their family has attended, they accept what it teaches as truth.

[futurehope]

My father grew up Catholic and my mother Methodist and boy did I learn to sit still and be quiet. My parents decided (about the time my oldest brother was going to have to start confession) to attend the Methodist church. By attend, I mean send us kids to Sunday school every once in a while and go to church as a family on Christmas and Easter. When I was 14, I went to Church camp and accepted Christ as my saviour. During the next few years I became very active in the Church youth and was even set as the youth rep for the church board. Then I heard that the Methodist doctrine supported a lot of things that were contrary to the word of God. So I got a copy of the doctrine and enlisted the help of my best friends father who was an IFB pastor. I would find things in the Methodist doctrine that I didn't think were right and he would help point me in the right direction for scriptual clarification on each topic. Shortly after completing my study, I wrote a letter to the chruch revoking my membership and continued learning how to study the word of God effectively and how to rightly divide it. Since then, I've loved to study God's word and learn to understand Him more and more. Learning to study the Bible is possibly one of the most important things we need to teach young Christians so that they can effectively serve God and discern what is truth.

[JerryNumbers]

My father grew up Catholic and my mother Methodist and boy did I learn to sit still and be quiet. My parents decided (about the time my oldest brother was going to have to start confession) to attend the Methodist church. By attend' date=' I mean send us kids to Sunday school every once in a while and go to church as a family on Christmas and Easter. When I was 14, I went to Church camp and accepted Christ as my saviour. During the next few years I became very active in the Church youth and was even set as the youth rep for the church board. Then I heard that the Methodist doctrine supported a lot of things that were contrary to the word of God. So I got a copy of the doctrine and enlisted the help of my best friends father who was an IFB pastor. I would find things in the Methodist doctrine that I didn't think were right and he would help point me in the right direction for scriptual clarification on each topic. Shortly after completing my study, I wrote a letter to the chruch revoking my membership and continued learning how to study the word of God effectively and how to rightly divide it. Since then, I've loved to study God's word and learn to understand Him more and more. Learning to study the Bible is possibly one of the most important things we need to teach young Christians so that they can effectively serve God and discern what is truth.[/quote']

Congratulations on looking for the truth. Seems to me the Methodist carry with them much of the baggage from the Catholic Church.

I know for fact many of the smaller country Methodist Churches around this part of the country do not know what the Methodist Churches really stand for.

In years gone by I preached at a small church which had previously been a Methodist Church and now was made up of about half Baptist and half Methodist, one Sunday I preached on the importance of baptizing, and elderly lady told me after the service, no, Methodist do not sprinkle, our church always baptizes, for Jesus was baptized, that is the only way.

I asked her, do you not realize that the Methodist doctrine does teach sprinkling, also sprinkling of babies and young people before they've been saved, she had been raised a Methodist and was about 70 years of age, never heard of that nor seen it in the church she grew up in and was baptized as a young girl.

[futurehope]

How true what you say is Jerry. I have found that, even within the church that I left, their beliefs and practices don't completely agree with the official Methodist doctrine; but they continue to support the Methodist Church and it's government-like heirarchy with their financial contributions and place themselves under authority of the pastoral and deacon appointments of such an organization. Unfortunately, this is taking place in "little country churches" across the midwest. The "United Methodist Church" has tried to destroy what makes the local church the local church. And all in an effort to infiltrate Satan's lies into God's doctrine.

[Guest Guest]

Great thread, Truthseeking. Also, the posts are wonderful.

I'm starting to like Mr David Cloud more and more. I find his information abundant and most helpful.

So do I! My in-laws gave my husband the 4th Edition of Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity and I am finding it very helpful. I wish I would have known about him sooner. My church recommends his literature. However, HappyChristian says, "You know about him now." I love this book.

Hey...TS, (think of the bright side) at least you had some sort of Bible. LOL. I was taught that the Bible was all "Fairy Tales." :sad

Back prior to surrendering to my Lord to preach' date=' the Gospel of Jesus Christ, May 11, 1997, for about one year I studied out Baptist distinetives, what we Baptist teach, compared to the Bible.[/quote']

PastorJerry. That was the year that I got sick. You know that my sickness led me to Christ Jesus. :smile



A-Men!!



Me neither, John. I grabbed on to anything and everything that I could. That was before the discipleship program was in place at my old IFB church.

[JerryNumbers]

How true what you say is Jerry. I have found that' date=' even within the church that I left, their beliefs and practices don't completely agree with the official Methodist doctrine; but they continue to support the Methodist Church and it's government-like heirarchy with their financial contributions and place themselves under authority of the pastoral and deacon appointments of such an organization. Unfortunately, this is taking place in "little country churches" across the midwest. The "United Methodist Church" has tried to destroy what makes the local church the local church. And all in an effort to infiltrate Satan's lies into God's doctrine.[/quote']

I do know of some small country Methodist Churches that do not associate with the United Methodist and do not let them assign them a pastor, nor do they support them with money and rightly they are independent much like many Baptist Churches. But they seem to be few and far between.

That said, most of the smaller Methodist Churches around here have either closed their doors and or turned into a none denominational church and contain a mixture of beliefs.

[futurehope]

Is that the difference between a Methodist church and a United Methodist church??

[JerryNumbers]

All Methodists Churches are not in the organization or hierarchy. Some are independent.

[blossom]

Having just left a supposedly independent Baptist church that is now embrassing so called "reliable versions" amongst a number of other things there are many christians who don't know what and why they believe what they do. I too have had to recently go back and study out a number of issues that I thought I knew. The church I was attending when I was saved at 22 was an independent Baptist church. Hence I believed all that I was taught. ( Praise and Glory to God that most of it was biblically correct) It is so sad that many once bible believing churches has caved in too popular or people attracting doctrines.

Although the whole thing hurt me and my husband very deeply, ( we still have family attending and pastoring that church) I am glad the Lord has led us through it. I am much stronger in my beliefs and have returned to a wonderful independent Baptist Church, that is small, bible believing and full of good solid bible believing people.

All Glory and Praises to God

Blossom