Author Topic: Returning as guest  (Read 6668 times)

Unemployed2310

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Returning as guest
« on: August 11, 2021, 03:49:18 PM »
Mr. Redflame: Hello there, returning just to say I'm sorry. At the time, I honestly thought my behavior was acceptable; I thought that just by asking questions I wouldn't offend anyone (the male congregants should ask their bishop questions, right?). I thought I got across that I was no longer autistic by posting that I was able to cure my autism. And as a result of telling you guys this, I thought you guys would understand that I was bound to be at least a little awkward, or something else along those lines. If their is one thing that autistic people are bad at, it's human interaction. Anyway, by letting you guys know that I cured my autism not that long ago, I thought that maybe you guys would understand that I might still have my autistic "bad habits" to deal with. I need to confess that I'm not exactly in tune with my feelings/emotions and perhaps a whole score of other things. I might come off as insensitive, though back then I was probably just internally angry at you guys; I really don't let my emotions show. But, anyway, I was certainly not fit to be in fellowship with my fellow believers, and I'm probably still not fit for it., that for certain I do know. So, please, forgive me for just walking off last time. I repent for my insensitivity. I saw your apologizes, but I guess I just saw myself as not ready for fellowship, or for further interaction. Aspies still do tend to see themselves as the problem.

To make up for my lack of social ability and unsociableness, I'll tell you a bit about my past, it was an interesting one. Well, it was one very interesting thing. So, if you're interested about my past you may continue reading:
A long time ago, when I was at the age of 4, and my brother at the age of 2, we both stayed on a little farm in a certain place in Maryland. It was on a certain sunny day that I decided to walk outside, perhaps following my brother. That day my grandmother was in the kitchen making some food. So my brother and I decided to leave the house towards a sparsely wooded area directly next to the house. It was just 30 seconds or less of walking distance away from the house where I followed my brother, until I saw him stop. I stopped to look at what my brother saw, and... well, you may not believe me when I tell you this, but we saw what I would someday later learn was called a praying mantis. Now, the most spectacular thing about this pray mantis wasn't anything really save for its size, and it looked to be about 6 ft. (It towered us). It was just standing there facing away from the house, beneath the trees; it never turned its head. My brother who was closest to it out of curiosity decided to reach out to it; neither of us were afraid of it. Recently, I had theorized that the reason my brother and I were able to see this mantis was because we were little children at the time, not knowing what we were looking at, and of course, because the thing which we were looking at was in itself a terrifying sight (that I'm sure any adult would've screamed in terror at). This, however, was a very brief experience, because our grandmother would call us back into the house literally not even 10 seconds later.

But that wasn't the end of the paranormal experience, because it was likely that on that same day I saw another paranormal occurrence take place. And, apparently, it was another nature-based apparition, or should I say apparitions? Because what I saw as I re-entered the kitchen walking towards the fridge was three beetles. They three were different in color, each having their own color, and they scurried past me toward the refrigerator in a zig-zag fashion. That's where they hid themselves. My mother also experienced something paranormal in that house, and I had at least one more experience there. Anyway, that's where I'm going to stop. I hope you liked the story. Btw, these experiences in no-wise have changed me for the worse or better (mind you, I was still autistic), I just had knowledge of the event, unlike my brother, unfortunately.

If you really want to know what I experienced next in that farm house just let me know. And, also, I'm sorry for all of the grammar mistakes, in advance (can't really help it, though).

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2021, 03:54:32 PM »
I forgot to mention that I'm not a very cerebral kind of person, plus on top of that I'm physically ill.

Timothy

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2021, 05:20:48 PM »
I don't understand. You used to have an account here as "Mr. Redflame" but I don't remember why that account is now listed as "Guest" which means it was deleted. I also don't know the context of your apology. I don't know what it is you did or said that warrants one. What were you angry at any of us for?

Also, if you want to re-introduce yourself, read the following link:

All New Members (READ THIS FIRST!)

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2021, 05:57:28 PM »
I figured that I was being rude when I just walked off without accepting any apologize at the time. And I'm not really sure exactly why I was angry, or irritated, maybe because I figured that I was being mistreated? Well, I want to think that I'm a little more laid back now, so I may be able to handle a little better the kinds of comments that I received from before on a couple of my posts. Noone insulted me or anything, perhaps I thought I was receiving scolding, maybe I came off as something unpleasant? Well, I'm not sure if the others were even offended. Also, I think my profile was deleted simply because I stopped coming.

I think my introduction from two years ago should still be sufficient even though it looks kind of childish.

Ellie

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2021, 07:26:14 PM »
Hi Troy,

I wasn't here when you first joined the forum, so when I read your post I was pretty confused about what you were saying, and I still am. The reason why Tim mentioned a reintroduction is because there are several people that have joined in the past couple of years and have no idea who you are or what you're talking about, and since your old account was deleted, it's harder to find all of your old posts. After I did some searching I did find your old introduction and I was wondering if you could give more detail of how you got saved.

There isn't much context you're giving about what happened before on the forum and you didn't reference any specific posts so we basically have to speculate what you are referring to, which we don't want to do. Could you possibly go back and reference specifically (preferably with quotes and/or links if you're able) what happened on the forum before and explain in more detail what apologies you say you didn't accept and also what the issues actually were?
"Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." (Ecclesiastes 7:3)

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2021, 08:14:00 PM »
I've forget how to quote but I think that posting the link to the discussions would be better? Would you be alright with that?

http://www.creationliberty.com/forum/index.php?topic=819.0
« Last Edit: August 11, 2021, 08:18:10 PM by Unemployed2310 »

Ellie

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2021, 08:32:26 PM »
To quote, above the text box, you'll see a little button that looks like a chat bubble. Links are always helpful too so we can see the context of the whole conversation along with quoting the specific part you want to address.
"Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." (Ecclesiastes 7:3)

creationliberty

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2021, 08:44:07 PM »
If you got removed, it's because you were inactive for at least 6 months or more. You should start over because I am having trouble making sense of anything you're saying, and I think it's because you are not giving a testimony of your salvation in Jesus Christ simply and directly so we can all understand.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
-Psa 34:18

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2021, 09:13:33 PM »
http://www.creationliberty.com/forum/index.php?topic=694.0
@Mr. Redflame Reading your comments my advise is to clear your head, reassess what you believe about the Revelation and most importantly pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit.
He was talking about the two comments I made above his. My impression of this site was probably not good after that comment. But it looks like he was banned. Anyway, it was here that I thought I had to inform you guys of something you didn't know about. I guess I was trying to see everyone's reactions to what I said. Also, maybe the term "preterism" wasn't the best thing to bring into the discussion, because it had brought about confusion.

http://www.creationliberty.com/forum/index.php?topic=830.0
Did you miss the bit in chapter 4 where it says:

Quote
The major problem with dating in our modern American society is the fallacious belief that a man and woman must find common interests to be compatible. That is absurd, and I wish that I had understood the truth when I was younger; it would have saved me a great deal of time, money, hassle, and heartache. If you want a sound wife or a sound husband, you need to look for common PHILOSOPHY, not common interests.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [first education] of the world, and not after Christ.
-Colossians 2:8

Though many people go running the second they hear the word 'philosophy', believing that philosophy is some super-techincal, hard-to-understand concept, in reality, all it means is "a way of thinking." It's very simple. Everyone has a way of thinking, or rather, everyone has a philosophy for everything they say and do, even if they don't realize it, and so philosophy should interest everyone who wants to have wisdom and understanding.
(Emphasis added.)

Do you think Christians and non-Christians would ever have the same philosophy?
I personally thought that the topic of Christian marriages hasn't been specifically addressed in his article, and I thought just using the word "philosophy" wasn't going to cut it.

http://www.creationliberty.com/forum/index.php?topic=834.0
I dont remember the Bible ever saying anything like this, so where are you coming up with this?
He's not. He said it himself: "one of the most surprising things I've discovered on the web" It's not that he's studying the Bible for himself, but rather, he's learning this from other various websites. That's why I haven't commented on any of this. When you don't have the sources quoted from the people who are teaching those strange things, allowing us to go back and check out their doctrine to discern whether or not they are of Christ, it's difficult to point out the lack of discernment that led him down this path in the first place. Don't misunderstand, it's not wrong to ask, but we want to address the source of the problem to prevent endless vain discussions. Nonetheless, I'm glad you all are responding to these things.
FYI, I have read the Bible (but not entirely). Sorry, I can't seem to find the article which talked about the tree of life which spoke about this in great detail. It's possible that Google pulled it down like it has pulled down other very vital subjects. But if you ask me, I would say that when the scripture said that we were sown in weakness, I believe that we started out as a mortal, yet preserved people. I just don't see anything indicating that we were already in immortal bodies, bodies completely unlike our current ones. I just believe that when God created man, and He said it was good, that He was referring still to our mortal bodies. And these bodies, are they not good?

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2021, 09:20:27 PM »
If you got removed, it's because you were inactive for at least 6 months or more. You should start over because I am having trouble making sense of anything you're saying, and I think it's because you are not giving a testimony of your salvation in Jesus Christ simply and directly so we can all understand.
I didn't really understand what a testimony was at the time... but to confirm my understanding of it, is that supposed to be a story concerning my conversion? I'm not exactly good at those.

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2021, 09:22:07 PM »
For those of us who have been converted, you don't have to be "good" at it; you just tell it. The fact that you think you need to be "good" at just simply telling us when/how you were saved, that, to me, is a bit suspicious.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
-Psa 34:18

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2021, 09:31:02 PM »
I'm saying that I'm not a good story-teller. So if I talked about my life I'd be all over the place. But my little brother did inspire me to write a testimony recently. Would you like to see that testimony I wrote? Though, I'm not entirely sure what would be appropriate for my fellow believers to see.

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2021, 09:37:53 PM »
Mmm... I don't know, the testimony I wrote looks like a 5th grader wrote it.

Ellie

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2021, 09:53:40 PM »
I'm saying that I'm not a good story-teller.

In your first post, it seemed that your story telling ability was just fine:

To make up for my lack of social ability and unsociableness, I'll tell you a bit about my past, it was an interesting one. Well, it was one very interesting thing. So, if you're interested about my past you may continue reading:
A long time ago, when I was at the age of 4, and my brother at the age of 2, we both stayed on a little farm in a certain place in Maryland. It was on a certain sunny day that I decided to walk outside, perhaps following my brother. That day my grandmother was in the kitchen making some food. So my brother and I decided to leave the house towards a sparsely wooded area directly next to the house. It was just 30 seconds or less of walking distance away from the house where I followed my brother, until I saw him stop. I stopped to look at what my brother saw, and... well, you may not believe me when I tell you this, but we saw what I would someday later learn was called a praying mantis. Now, the most spectacular thing about this pray mantis wasn't anything really save for its size, and it looked to be about 6 ft. (It towered us). It was just standing there facing away from the house, beneath the trees; it never turned its head. My brother who was closest to it out of curiosity decided to reach out to it; neither of us were afraid of it. Recently, I had theorized that the reason my brother and I were able to see this mantis was because we were little children at the time, not knowing what we were looking at, and of course, because the thing which we were looking at was in itself a terrifying sight (that I'm sure any adult would've screamed in terror at). This, however, was a very brief experience, because our grandmother would call us back into the house literally not even 10 seconds later.

However, it had nothing to do with salvation. So, if you are claiming that you are a Christian and you want to have fellowship with us, we need to hear a testimony of salvation from you. It doesn't have to be extravagant or fancy writing--in fact, we don't want that. We simply want to hear about your conversion.
"Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." (Ecclesiastes 7:3)

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2021, 10:04:08 PM »
So you need more detail about how I got saved. Okay, I'll try posting my testimony down below. I hope it hurts noone's eyes.

Unemployed2310

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2021, 10:20:47 PM »
||My Testimony/Chronicles||
Long ago when I was but a child (not sure what age); my family and I went to a church in Maryland where we attended services, and it was shortly after that that we would all get baptized in water by immersion. and I don't quite remember what the baptizing minister said to me, but I do remember responding with "yes" before being submersed. now I'm going to mention something that in my life has been perhaps the most stupefying of events that has ever happened to me. but please keep in mind that baptism that I told you about. I must also, for the sake of supporting the existence of a spiritual reality and the power of spiritual entities, speak of my time on my grandparent's farm, when Eric (my little brother) and I were 2 and 4 years of age, respectively. It was there that I experienced something that may sound to anyone reading or listening quite bizarre that it may still bring doubt, but I tell you that it was certainly real to me, because something tells me that this apparition had took on this scary shape BECAUSE we were so young at the time. and what it was that we, Eric and I, saw on the farm was standing in a little wooded area right next to the house, and Eric stood before me, reaching out to it, as I looked and, behold, I kid you not; it was a giant mantis. as far as I can tell, it was taller than the both of us combined. in spite of that, Eric and I weren't afraid or in terror of it, probably because we didn't know what we were looking at.

 my grandmother called us in after our brief encounter with it. but the paranormal activity supposedly didn't stop there; another thing happened shortly after in likely the same day, because as I was for a while walking about in the kitchen, as my grandmother was at the kettle, boiling; I noticed as I was staring at the floor three different metallic-colored beetles scurrying side by side, right in front of me. and they moved in a zigzag fashion towards the refrigerator and hid themselves. I don't know for sure if those beetles were indeed paranormal, but it is also unlikely that it could be a coincidence.. I also experienced another interesting, but extremely short experience there at the farm, but if I continue, then I'll be digressing a little, so.. After that time, and btw, I, since some time after my birth, did develop Asperger's syndrome, so I'll need to add that my life in my early years hasn't been too enthralling, though I did have an enjoyable childhood; but, yes, I went on, frankly speaking, living my life my way. and I distinctly recall that I wasn't ever really interested in God or in things pertaining to God, in fact, I do recall being very worldly in my conduct, and ungodly. the baptism, as far as I can tell now, was of no actual effect. and so, for 17 years I was in my flesh (i.e. I was governed by my sins; I was under the motions of sin), and was carefree, and antisocial. The LORD was the last person on my mind.

 Years later, at some points in my high school life, I was being humbled to some degree by bullying, and that I believe even from some who were below my grade level. however, even after this I did at some point wield a knife at one of my brother's friend's (while he was present) just because I stereotyped him in my heart. it felt to me like he could bully me. so all throughout my life I had insecurities and coping issues, and that even though, by definition of the Asperger's syndrome, I was one of the closest to normal on the autistic scale. It was only until I left high school and began using the internet that I began to do some digging around, and I do have to say that I hardly read the bible during that time; I had stumbled across a certain site on the web (Jesus is savior.com) which was quite controversial to look at, I noticed on many of his articles that he would mention the gospel which is the good news. and I loved it because it was exactly like what he said, good news. and I believed it. and I remember being extremely happy, and spirited, and zealous. I actually remember writing down many of the things he had said into a journal.

 I had still been to a lesser degree in the motions of sin, and that because of my past sins, namely lust, worldliness/covetousness. and this still continued on a bit for some time 'til I had begun to hit my early twenties. but I noticed even ever since my conversion some changes. 1) I had begun to pay attention to God. 2) God began to write his word on the tablet of my heart; i.e. I began to memorize his word. 3) I began to antagonize sin, save only those ones that I didn't provide much of a defense against. because I believe that I still had a coping issue, and my sin of lust was still quite strong in me. and in the end I had kept this thing to myself that the degree of my lust began to rise. and this is why I still sinned much later on in my life. but now I noticed that the flesh had a hard time governing over me, because I was resisting it. I was in the Spirit, though the fleshly influences were still there.

 shortly, after my conversion, I began to do something called eye exercises, and started to improve my eyesight quickly as I sat in the sun room for what seemed like an ungodly amount of time. and let me point out that this sun room had no screens on certain windows as much as I can recall, so anyone in the neighborhood could've saw me sitting there. so as time past, and as oft that I sat in there, I remained idle unto God. and that's why I'm certain that God caused a tempest (a storm) to come my way, because although all the while that I was in there expressing fearlessness towards the things which appeared before me, whether it was the large unidentified bug, or the spooky figure in the yard creepily approaching where I stood in the house, and that figure btw could have been night watch, or the attention that I might've garnered from people in their homes or those walking by on the sidewalk, or the tempest, yet He, the LORD, humbled me. as I was coming from our vacation home at ocean city, to return to the house; I returned to sitting in the sun room. guys, I can't stress enough how much my mental illness, combined with my past experiences, made me into a weirdo. but as I began again to sit staring out the window, then leaving after, then coming back to the room; I noticed as I was about to sit on the chair, and as I brushed my arm against the arm of the chair that my arm started to hive up. it was an invisible attack of the enemy, Satan. because, remember that tempest that told you about? it caused the house to become moldy. and what I was seeing was the symptom of what I would later find out to be of mold illness or biotoxin illness. from that point forward, my life began to go down hill.

 my mother, at my request, sent me away from the house, and brought me to my late father's ex-girlfriend's house, where I began to try to treat this condition which we thought came from something toxic. When I reached 22 years, I blogged on a site that was about superpowers and fictional works, and the topic I blogged about was Christianity; they were my own beliefs concerning the topic. and now, today, I would have to admit that the stuff I brought to everyone's attention on that site was out of place, how messily I wrote things out, how unstable my beliefs were, and therefore how oft I edited my messages and revelations; I knew deep down that I appeared to be inexperienced, and maybe even childish, in the eyes of everyone that would read it; but irregardless, it was a site about fictional works. the things you're seeing here is what Asperger's can cause a person to do, and in a whimsical fashion at that. because those with this condition can do very unreasonable and illogical things. again, why post anything concerning Christianity on a site that's about fictional works? couldn't that in effect destroy the very validity of any argument that I might make about God's word? In the first place, everyone is already assuming that I have believed the bible to be a fictional work. and yet at the same time, I tell you, anyone on that site could've realized at some point that I unwittingly supported their atheism by posting material on their that I was only trying to justify the soundness or reality of.

 Now, later on, I began to mind any experiences where I'd miserably fail to keep the faith, to remind me of how vulnerable I was at the time. but more occasionally, every now and then, I have, by my infirmities and lusts, fell to sin. and more importantly, I was still vulnerable to seduction. it is now that I know that when Jesus said that "it is not what goes into the mouth that defileth, but that which comes out it is what defileth", and that thing namely being the sins of the heart, that I began to realize that I need to bridle those thoughts so that I won't become more vulnerable to committing the visible, physical act of that sin. Then, for the past few years; I had come to learn that because of my unsocial behavior; my truth-bearing on the internet hasn't really been all that fruitful or effective. it was still one of my weaknesses. but maybe, and to be more exact on the issue; it was simply that I didn't know how important testimonies were.

 and I must add that throughout this time; I, in my own eyes, according to the flesh, had believed that I was the only true believer in all my household, even up to the age of 27 (Gregorian calendar). and even because of my Asperger's; I have lacked an independent mind, assertiveness, to a great degree, a considerate heart, and so many other things. I didn't think that a tutor would be so necessary for my life 'til years later. And now to this day I still read the bible, because I know that His word is important. and I, to be honest, do feel better about my well-being/future when I read it. I also want to point out that the same gospel message that I had learned about, about a decade prior, was still the same message that anyone could find in any KJV bible; the site taught the gospel truth to me while I was even at a young age, and that is how I know that I was certainly converted at that time. The peace of mind and the happiness that I experience from time to time when I think of God's love towards us is a luxury all on its own, in that, and that love being, that God sent his only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, to be offered up for the sins of the whole world, atoning for us so that we are forgiven of God of all our trespasses, and that all a person needs to do to get saved is believe on Jesus the Son of God, the Father, to believe that he did this thing for us, and that Jesus was buried, and rose three days later from the dead.

I say this because we were told to believe on the one that the Father had sent which is Jesus, and to believe that Jesus indeed is the Christ aka the messiah, and also God in the flesh. because remember, the Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. we are to believe in even just these things concerning him. and the reason why this is so good is because of the lack of any work to do on our own part. because, and let's be honest with ourselves here; aren't we more convinced a lot of the time in our lives that we won't enter into the kingdom of heaven because of the many bad works that we do? our works and lifestyles might even have come to a point of being downright disgraceful at times. in short, that's not good news at all. and according to God's word, even the best of men couldn't make it. good works are simply not necessary for one to do to enter into the kingdom of heaven, because God has already forgiven us by him.

 Also, after discovering the existence of rife frequency medicine on the internet; I then used that to try to cure my Asperger's syndrome in what seemed like the same day, and I do believe that I've noticed a difference. and I can tell you for certain that that difference was positive on my life. even after this physiological change; I have never come to be ashamed of the good news, in fact, I continued to tell it to my little brother, Eric. although I still, of course, didn't give the gospel teaching in the best manner to him. but after a little bit of leading him to the truth (to the rest of the truth, according to Eric), on certain weeks, and after a few days, that he finally seemed to accept the gospel. and Eric from the get-go began spreading the good news which I find to be very commendable... well he still does it every now and then.

 as of 6/25/2020: I've come to know that my brother has had an issue with the true gospel message, seeing as that he believes that a person can "give up" their salvation. so in short, for e.g. at one point a person gets saved, but at another; they would give it up willingly, and therefore not be saved anymore. don't get me wrong here; though, because God was quite clear about how a person must be saved, and my little brother has just now rejected that way of salvation: faith alone in Christ alone. But... maybe he'll change his mind somewhere down the line. ..............I hope.

And now, as of 7/10/2020, I've come to discuss the gospel of Christ again with my brother, and now know for certain that he's been giving it thought, and was willing to embrace the truth again. Again, it might be that he simply had doubts concerning the doctrine that I taught him.

As of 12/10/2020 I thought he was on board, but it turns out he's not accepting the gospel message that easily. He might simply be doubting it.. He really does take the bible seriously, though. And he does seem to question things quite often. I just don't know this time... at the moment, he seems to not like what must consequentially be believed if one were to believe the gospel message. (I've hopefully since that last date convinced him.. he's... kinda like how I was when I first started out: worldly, ignorant of scripture, and accepting false doctrine.)
FIN
-----
(optional to read) quick summary:
I got baptized in my youth, but in spite of that, I remained irreligious even up to around the age of 17. Eric and I had a paranormal encounter that only I remember when I was about the age of 4. as I grew up with Asperger's syndrome; I stayed to myself; I was unsocial, insecure, and had coping issues. and so, throughout my life, I've been picked on, even up to high school. it was after high school that I really began to use the internet. and it was after a little searching that I stumbled across a certain christian site. it was their that I found out about the gospel.

now, throughout my life I had been quite carnal and worldly, and so I have to mention that although I did believe the gospel and began walking in the Spirit, yet the flesh or carnal mind, according to the scripture, never departed from me. so, I was not too different after my conversion, but I was very enthusiastic about God and truth. after that time I began to change in my way of thinking, and I began to embrace the spiritual life more and more. God's law concerning the "thou shalt nots" were especially on my mind for all the years following. but again, I still had my struggles with sin, because after all we're all still sinners. my Asperger's syndrome has certainly made me do things that were not advantageous/profitable or convenient for myself. I must add that I've confirmed that that site that I mentioned earlier did publish the truth. and that truth could be found in any KJV bible.

 and that truth which is the gospel, spoke of the lord Jesus, and how he died for our sins, and has paid the full price for them, and has reconciled us unto God. then he was buried, then rose from the grave three days later. and I must add that on that site; he included the other part of the gospel, also. that all a person must do to be saved from hell was believe on the lord Jesus for their salvation. Jesus took away all sin for all time. I was happy at the time that I first found that message that that man posted on his site.

 and I'm still happy even to this day. I've, since the time, and at the age of 27; have also told my brother the gospel, and tried to convince him of the true gospel which is the good news; and now he finally heard the rest of the truth, because before; he didn't entirely know the gospel. I finally know for sure now that I've helped someone towards the gospel message, though again, I was still a little bad at how to tell it. however, I'm now not entirely sure if he's truly converted, seeing as that he, as of 6/25/2020, denied faith alone. maybe he's simply confused, and I only just need to untangle the lies from him? well, I hope that he's believed already, and is sealed unto the day of redemption.
edit: revised, because of my brothers unique way of thinking. : )

Rowan M.

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #16 on: August 12, 2021, 12:54:58 AM »
Hi Troy.

Thanks for sharing your testimony. Don't worry about the length. I'm prone to writing long posts myself sometimes!  :) Although hopefully I'll manage to keep this one reasonably concise.

From what I can gather, the site jesus-is-savior.com played a key role in your conversion. I remember looking at that site a few years ago. If I recall correctly, it is run by a man named David Stewart. While there were some good things on that site, there were things about it that troubled me. For one thing, he seemed to have a rather prideful spirit. For another, some of his articles had a decidedly anti-Semitic flavour. But perhaps most troubling (although I was less bothered by it then than I am now) was that he seemed to be rather anti-repentance. A bit like Steven Anderson (who coincidentally is another anti-Semite). Mr Stewart was a great admirer of Jack Hyles too, which is another big red flag (Hyles was a leading proponent of "easy believism" and a pioneer of "1-2-3 repeat-after-me" evangelism).

Throughout your testimony, one thing was glaringly absent: repentance. Now, repentance is not a work. It's not turning from sin (that happens after conversion). I think Mr Stewart thinks it is a work, and that's why he rejects it. Rather, repentance is an attitude of the heart. It's a deep sorrow for sin, and specifically sorrow towards God for your sins against Him:

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

When you have godly sorrow and grief over your sin, this leads to a humble and contrite heart:

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:8 )

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

Only when your heart is broken over your sin are you truly ready to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Without that repentance, your heart will remain proud, and God has no time for that:

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6)

There are many people in this world who believe a lot of right things about God. They may believe, as you do (and I'm sure all of us here do) that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. The thing is though that the very devils of Hell believe all these things too. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19) So what is the difference between people like this (I used to be just such a person) and those who have been truly born again? The difference is REPENTANCE. When you have godly sorrow that leads to repentance, all your pride goes out the window as you confess your sin to God and acknowledge how wicked you truly are. Then you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive salvation. The problem with so many professing Christians (and again, I was just this way myself for a long, long time) is that they have believed on Christ without ever having truly repented. They may have said a "sinner's prayer" (someone told them what to pray, and they recited the words) and changed their minds on some things (such as believing in creation instead of evolution), and they may have some understanding, but deep down their hearts have not changed because they have not actually been born again.

So, Troy, have you repented in this way? Have you truly humbled yourself before God? Reading through all your posts, I'm not sure that you have. For me, real repentance was something that was missing from my own life for far too long, and I fear it may be missing from yours too. But I do thank you again for sharing your testimony, and I appreciate the time and effort that must have taken.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17)

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #17 on: August 12, 2021, 01:52:15 AM »
Hi Troy.

Thanks for sharing your testimony. Don't worry about the length. I'm prone to writing long posts myself sometimes!  :) Although hopefully I'll manage to keep this one reasonably concise.

From what I can gather, the site jesus-is-savior.com played a key role in your conversion. I remember looking at that site a few years ago. If I recall correctly, it is run by a man named David Stewart. While there were some good things on that site, there were things about it that troubled me. For one thing, he seemed to have a rather prideful spirit. For another, some of his articles had a decidedly anti-Semitic flavour. But perhaps most troubling (although I was less bothered by it then than I am now) was that he seemed to be rather anti-repentance. A bit like Steven Anderson (who coincidentally is another anti-Semite). Mr Stewart was a great admirer of Jack Hyles too, which is another big red flag (Hyles was a leading proponent of "easy believism" and a pioneer of "1-2-3 repeat-after-me" evangelism).

Throughout your testimony, one thing was glaringly absent: repentance. Now, repentance is not a work. It's not turning from sin (that happens after conversion). I think Mr Stewart thinks it is a work, and that's why he rejects it. Rather, repentance is an attitude of the heart. It's a deep sorrow for sin, and specifically sorrow towards God for your sins against Him:

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

When you have godly sorrow and grief over your sin, this leads to a humble and contrite heart:

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:8 )

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

Only when your heart is broken over your sin are you truly ready to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Without that repentance, your heart will remain proud, and God has no time for that:

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6)

There are many people in this world who believe a lot of right things about God. They may believe, as you do (and I'm sure all of us here do) that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. The thing is though that the very devils of Hell believe all these things too. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19) So what is the difference between people like this (I used to be just such a person) and those who have been truly born again? The difference is REPENTANCE. When you have godly sorrow that leads to repentance, all your pride goes out the window as you confess your sin to God and acknowledge how wicked you truly are. Then you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive salvation. The problem with so many professing Christians (and again, I was just this way myself for a long, long time) is that they have believed on Christ without ever having truly repented. They may have said a "sinner's prayer" (someone told them what to pray, and they recited the words) and changed their minds on some things (such as believing in creation instead of evolution), and they may have some understanding, but deep down their hearts have not changed because they have not actually been born again.

So, Troy, have you repented in this way? Have you truly humbled yourself before God? Reading through all your posts, I'm not sure that you have. For me, real repentance was something that was missing from my own life for far too long, and I fear it may be missing from yours too. But I do thank you again for sharing your testimony, and I appreciate the time and effort that must have taken.
Well, actually David Stewart seems to believe in a different version of repentance, one I'm actually in agreement with. I can safely say that I've repented, because I've acknowledged my sin and have trusted on Jesus to save and free me from my sins. So when you see me say these things above it's actually me using the language of repentance itself; all the words are of repentance, whether it came by sorrow or not. And just so you know, I definitely believe that the gospel is still easy-believism (I know that people have likely complicated that too). I'll admit that I haven't been of a contrite spirit, because I was an opportunist; that's probably what sets me apart from those who come to God in a contrite spirit; I would say that they're minds concerning God's word or God himself is more upright compared to my mind, but I wouldn't prevent them from believing on Jesus Christ right there on the spot just because they didn't think to express sorrow first. [Though, for some, it might be an effective way (sorrow towards God) to get them to believe]. Maybe I would've expressed godly sorrow had David used words that convicted me better. Anyway, for my case, I was simply humbled which is still necessary (I said I was humbled in my first introduction, as well. I posted the link to that above already). After my conversion, all I can say is that I've changed, I'm no longer how I used to be, plus I'm not afraid (or in terror) of God. I feel that not even persecution will put an end to my faith.

As for the devils, they'll never express faith towards God, or worship Him, or repent to Him, or willingly obey Him. Anti-semitism? I believe that God since before, and even up to this day, kept His eyes on us, the true church, not all who are of Israel are true Israel. Today's Israel (the place) is no longer Israel, but simply a political entity brought to life by sinful men.

Rowan M.

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #18 on: August 12, 2021, 06:00:30 AM »
Troy, I am wondering whether you have ever read these articles on the CLE site:

Is Repentance Part of Salvation?

False Converts vs. Eternal Security

If you haven't, I'd really encourage you to take some time to check them out.

I keep a diary, and I would like to share an excerpt from that dating all the way back to September 2011. I visited jesus-is-savior.com that day, and recorded my impressions of it:

"That documentary I watched on YouTube yesterday [called Rockumentary, all about the dangers of rock and roll] was courtesy of a Web site called jesus-is-savior.com. There is some good stuff on that site, many articles that are quite Biblically sound. But unfortunately, there is also rather serious “leaven” in the form of anti-Semitic Illuminati conspiracy theories. For example, one article does an excellent job of analysing how the Disney movie, Bridge to Terabitha, portrays Christians and Christianity in a bad light while showing atheistic (or agnostic) liberals in a good light. But the writer also takes pains to mention that Michael Eisner, the head of Disney, is Jewish. Presumably he’s part of the “grand conspiracy”. In another article, Anton LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan and wrote The Satanic Bible, is called a “Christ-hating Jew”. There is no doubt that LaVey was a very wicked man who hated Jesus Christ, but his Jewishness is neither here nor there. This sort of ranting, which sounds more like something Adolf Hitler would say rather than a born-again Christian, really spoils an otherwise great site."

So those were my impressions ten years ago. Although I only mentioned it in one diary entry, I know I was looking at it quite a bit back then, along with one of its sister sites, jesusisprecious.org. Eventually I stopped looking at it precisely because of the leaven I described, and because I just didn't like David J. Stewart's general attitude. However, just now I decided to check it out again, to see whether Mr Stewart had changed at all. Frankly, he hasn't. For example, he is heavily promoting Jack Hyles, with a number of his sermons linked to, including one entitled "Your Salvation Did Not Change You A Bit". He also says he loves Steven Anderson's preaching (surprise, surprise!). It appears that he believes in the Gap Theory, which is utter heresy. (One pastor he promotes is Curtis Hudson, who taught an "Old Earth" creation and the Gap Theory.) He also claims that the Bible teaches easy believism. Now he is actually correct enough when he says it's simple to be saved. But a humble and contrite heart is needed in addition to realising you're a lost, guilty sinner. And AFTER you are saved, there will be a change in your life. There will also be a change in your attitude from prideful to humble. But Mr Stewart appears to reject that idea (which I think Steven Anderson does as well, and certainly Jack Hyles did). For example, he writes this in his "easy believism" article:

"Do believers have a license to sin? ... Yes, technically! Certainly, no one has God's permission or blessing to sin (2nd Corinthians 5:10); but if a believer wants to go kill somebody, it won't affect their salvation one bit. To teach otherwise is self-righteousness. Romans 4:5-6 proclaims that salvation is without works. A man's faith is counted for righteousness. I'm not saying it's ok for believers to live in sin, not at all (Romans 3:31). God chastises (disciplines) and scourges (whips) His children when they sin (Hebrews 12:6-8). I'm simply saying that eternal life is a free gift from God (Romans 5:15; 6:23) which has absolutely NOTHING to do with the life we live (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Like it or not, God promises eternal life to anyone who simply receives Christ's death, burial and resurrection (the gospel) as payment for their sins, regardless of their lifestyle. It's easy to be saved. Repentance concerning salvation is a change of mind—a change of mind about what you want to do to get to Heaven, to what God says you have to do to get to Heaven.
" (Emphasis mine)

Those two paragraphs really say a lot about David J. Stewart. What believer would want to go out and kill somebody? The Bible clearly indicates that murderers are NOT SAVED:

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:15)

We definitely cannot be saved by our works. Mr Stewart understands that much correctly. Nor can our works cause us to lose salvation. A professing Christian who murdered someone wouldn't lose their salvation, but according to the Bible, they were never saved to begin with. And he is horribly and dreadfully wrong when he tries to say, à la Jack Hyles and Steven Anderson, that there is no change AFTER salvation:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Being a new creature means that you are going to be a very different person to what you were before salvation. That doesn't mean everything will change at once, but some very significant changes will occur immediately (such as a love for sin being replaced by a hatred of it), and other changes will come with a believer's growth in Christ. We all do have our struggles with sin, because we have our old corrupt flesh still, but if there is absolutely no change in our lives at all after our apparent salvation, then something is badly amiss.

His definition of repentance is messed up too. Particularly describing it as "a change of mind about what you want to do to get to Heaven, to what God says you have to do to get to Heaven". Where is the sorrow for sin in that? Where is any kind of humility? A recognition of having wronged a righteous and holy God? Repentance is along the lines of "I have sinned against You and done wickedly, and I deserve Hell, please have mercy on me", not "Hey God, I tried getting to Heaven my way, and that's not really working out, so I'd like to try it Your way now".

I will say that I didn't notice so much obvious anti-Semitism, but then again, I didn't take that deep a dive into the site. As it was, I found more than enough "red flags" to convince me that Mr Stewart is a man to be marked and avoided. I wouldn't call his site "great" now, although there is some truth there. Incidentally, it sounds to me as though you have been influenced by Replacement Theology, a heresy taught by the Roman Catholic Church, but also adhered to enthusiastically by Steven Anderson and David J. Stewart. (I don't know what Jack Hyles' position on Israel was.) The Catholic Church has persecuted the Jews a great deal over the centuries, and it has used Replacement Theology to justify it. From what I have seen of Anderson and Stewart, their attitude to Jewish people is quite appalling. I haven't got time to go into all the ins and outs of Replacement Theology, but I'll just say this: the church has not replaced Israel. The church and Israel are separate entities. God has not forgotten his ancient covenant with Abraham, and the modern restoration of Israel is fulfilment of prophecy. The Jews still have a right to Israel. Non-Jews do not (though of course, they can live there if they wish). The salvation of Christ is available to all, Jews and Gentiles alike. All saved people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are part of the body of Christ. Everyone in the body of Christ has eternal life. But only the Jews (physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) are entitled to the land of Israel. There are separate and specific prophecies for the church and Israel. God has not cast Israel aside. That would be breaking His convenant with Abraham. God doesn't break His Word. What He HAS done however is severely chastised the Jews over the centuries for all their stubborn rebellion against Him, hence the long exile for two thousand years after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. And most Jews today are still in a state of unbelief (i.e. lost). So it is true enough that there are many sinful men in charge of Israel at this time.

But all that aside, the more pressing concern is whether you have been born again. Given your main influence (Mr Stewart), your understanding of repentance (based on his ideas) and admitted lack of contrition, I fear you may not have been. I won't disagree that you've changed, but people can change (up to a point) without being saved. Eternity is a long time to be wrong, so I would urge you to carefully consider your spiritual condition. Please do this for your own sake. It is out of my own concern for your soul that I have written all this.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2021, 06:11:12 AM by Rowan M. »
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17)

creationliberty

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Re: Returning as guest
« Reply #19 on: August 12, 2021, 08:33:13 AM »
Quote
From what I can gather, the site jesus-is-savior.com played a key role in your conversion. I remember looking at that site a few years ago. If I recall correctly, it is run by a man named David Stewart. While there were some good things on that site, there were things about it that troubled me. For one thing, he seemed to have a rather prideful spirit. For another, some of his articles had a decidedly anti-Semitic flavour.
Just commenting quickly to say that, sometime in the future, I will be releasing an expose on David J. Stewart, the owner and operator of jesus-is-savior.com. Here is a quote I recovered from his site that he quickly took down after some people noticed his strange comments:
"I personally am not a Christian or a member of any religion for that matter, however even I can see the inherent evil in this philosophy."
-David J. Stewart, "The Tower of Babel Today," Internet Archives Wayback Machine, retrieved June 23, 2021, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130728001955/http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Illuminati/tower_of_babel.htm]
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
-Psa 34:18