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1

General Discussion / The fruit of the Spirit

« on: March 04, 2023, 07:09:15 PM »

According to God’s Word, this is the fruit that should be evident in the lives of Christians:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

However, here is some (not all) of the fruit that I and others have seen, heard, read and/or experienced from the CLE church:

Manipulation. Control. Deception. Lies. Slander. Aggression. Rudeness. Harshness/nastiness/viciousness. Ambushing. Moving goalposts. Creating unnecessary drama/issues. Twisting/editing/misinterpreting/adding to what people have said. Unrighteously judging people without sufficient evidence/context/understanding. Using (multiple) deceptive and distractive techniques that completely avoid discussing the central points of an issue/topic, etc.

Additionally, there is the fruit of accepting, justifying and normalizing ungodly behaviours such as these as if they are somehow good and righteous.

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20.

To those of you who have the Holy Spirit, I urge you to take note of every time you see incongruence between words and behaviour in this church. At some point you need to be honest before God and acknowledge that there is complete disagreement between some of the behaviour that is regularly displayed by some people in this church and the behaviour that is expected of Christians in the Holy Bible. And, as such unrighteous behaviour is clearly not of the Holy Spirit, at some point you may want to question what spirit is really at work within this church.

To those of you in this church who are true Christians, I urge you to repent before God for any and all times that you have willingly and deliberately chosen to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He has tried to warn you about the ungodly behaviour in this church: any and every time you have seared your conscience and ignored the lack of peace that you’ve felt when you’ve seen and heard things that are not of Christ—any and every time you’ve chosen to close your eyes and ears and ignore all the many signs and red flags that are right in front of you—any and every time you have chosen unrighteous compliance, complacency, comfort and/or passivity over righteousness, truth, correction and rebuke—any and every time you have put the reasoning, perspective and words of men above the Word of God—any and every time you have chosen to justify and rationalize ungodly behaviour, and make excuses for people who are bearing ungodly fruit.

I urge you to go to the Lord God in deep repentance and ask for His forgiveness for any and every time you have actively or passively been in agreement with any of the wicked and unrighteous words/actions that have been spoken/written/done by this church.

I pray the Lord is kind and merciful to you and gives you the grace and humility to acknowledge and confront the wicked and unrighteous behaviour that you have been actively or passively in agreement with, and/or partaking in, and/or condoning as acceptable.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

Good bye.

2

General Discussion / Biblical Cosmology

« on: January 05, 2023, 02:29:17 AM »

Introduction

I’m writing this post as a follow-up to the discussion that we had a little while ago about Biblical cosmology, as I was asked to provide some scriptures on this subject during the conversation. I hope that this post provides some good foundational scriptures for you. Please note that I’m continuing to use the term “Biblical cosmology” to refer to the cosmology described in the Bible in order to clearly differentiate it from the cosmology proposed by the heliocentric model.

During our discussion, I also said that I would provide a visual representation of the Biblical cosmology model. I think this is important so that people can get a basic understanding of what the Bible describes, as many Christians today have been taught to apply the heliocentric model to Biblical text rather than to study the subject of cosmology directly from scripture. (I think it is relevant to note here that although the heliocentric model can be imposed onto the Bible, it simply is not described in the Bible.)

Additionally, I think it’s important to look at models that illustrate Biblical cosmology to clarify that the Bible does not describe any of the foolish “flat earth” models that can be found on the Internet.

I have, therefore, attached a document which shows some of the models that people have created in an attempt to represent the cosmology that is described in the Bible. These images, along with others, can be found by doing a simple search on the Internet for “Biblical Cosmology” or “Hebrew Cosmology” etc. (There is also information online which shows that some pagan cultures also originally believed in a flat and enclosed earth. I am not in any way advocating that we Christians should source our truth from pagan cultures; however, I do think it’s noteworthy when we see threads of commonality running through different cultures—a good example is the fact that many cultures acknowledge in their history and/or mythology that there has been some kind of great flood similar to the world-wide flood of Genesis.)

There are some significant differences between the cosmology described in the Bible and the cosmology proposed by the heliocentric model. They are, in fact, decidedly opposite systems in many ways. However, one significant difference that is of particular importance for the Christian is that Biblical cosmology clearly identifies the location of heaven. This is of great relevance when cosmology is studied from a scriptural perspective.


Some thoughts about the use of language (and some initial cosmology scriptures)

Applying the principle identified in Isaiah 28:10 is very relevant for the study of Biblical cosmology as the subject is described throughout the Bible, albeit sometimes more directly and sometimes more subtly.

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” Isaiah 28:10

It is correct that Christians who believe in Biblical cosmology generally take scriptures about creation more literally. This is because creation is generally a physical, material, concrete reality which we experience with all of our senses. Though language can be used poetically, it remains natural and logical to describe and understand real and concrete things in real and concrete ways, i.e., literally.

It is also necessary to acknowledge that poetic language is used throughout the Bible, such as through the use of similes and metaphors etc. This does not, however, mean that truth is not being revealed when this language is employed. Contrarily, such language often reveals truth through ideas and images that speak to our hearts and minds with an expressiveness, salience, simplicity, and/or depth etc. that cannot always be accomplished with the limitations of literal wording. Truth can be communicated through the use of both literal and figurative language.

So, as an example, (focussing on just one aspect of the scripture) here is how someone who believes in Biblical cosmology would likely interpret this first part of Isaiah 40:22, “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;”

Firstly, the language structure of the first part of the verse, “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,” can be read as a literal statement about the Lord’s physical location in relation to the earth—there is nothing in the language to suggest we should be reading this figuratively. Applying Isaiah 28:10, this verse correlates well with other scriptures in the Bible which similarly describe the physical location of God, the throne of God, and heaven as being directly above the earth.

Secondly, the second part of the verse, "and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;” uses the figurative language of a simile to add further detail. Putting the whole sentence together it can be understood that not only does the Lord sit physically above the earth, but He is also in close physical proximity to its inhabitants, who are “as grasshoppers” to Him. The Lord dwells above and close to all the people of the earth. Though both literal and figurative language have been used together, there is no contradiction in meaning, but rather understanding has been enhanced through the use of both types of language.

Furthermore, it is possible to find a figurative and literal meaning from a scripture at the same time, without contradiction. As a simple example, the words “under the sun” are found 27 times in the book of Ecclesiastes. This expression is naturally read figuratively as a simple phrase which means “in the world” or “on earth”. However, it is also possible to find literal truth in these words, i.e., the phrase acknowledges in a natural way the reality that the earth is physically located under the sun. (It would be logical that the figurative expression derived from the literal meaning, i.e., that the literal understanding came before the figurative expression was developed.) I understand that some people would argue that it just appears that the earth is located under the sun from our perspective on earth; however, when applying the principle of Isaiah 28:10, it is logical to take the words “under the sun” as a plain and simple acknowledgment that the earth is physically located under the sun because this interpretation correlates perfectly with other cosmology scriptures throughout the Bible.

Additionally, sometimes looking at words from a literal perspective can add further light to their meaning. For example, Christians who believe in Biblical cosmology can understand that the title of God as the “Most High” has the capacity to be understood literally. Of course, this title can be understood in the sense that the Lord God is the Most High in every way possible—He is above all of His creation, at all times, in all places, and in all ways. However, it can also be understood in a literal sense, as a study of scripture shows that the Lord God dwells as the Most High above His creation: the heaven where the Lord God resides is physically located above the sun, moon, stars, earth, and everything under the earth. Other than there being questions about the exact location of “ye waters that be above the heavens” (Psalm 148:4), the Bible describes the heaven where the Lord dwells as the highest part of His creation.

Ultimately, as Christians I believe we should prayerfully ask the Lord God Himself how literally and/or figuratively we should be interpreting scriptures about this subject, rather than making assumptions about interpretation based on our own pre-conceived ideas of cosmology, our scientific understanding, or any personal discomfort that may arise from having our worldview challenged.


Some foundational scriptures

As you can see from the Biblical cosmology pictures that I have attached, the term “flat earth” is quite a reductive description because the Bible describes a flat, stationary, and enclosed earth. Additionally, the Bible describes creation as having three basic tiers: heaven, earth and under the earth. I put the below scriptures in a previous post on the forum, but I am reposting them here as I believe they lay the best scriptural foundation to start studying this subject:

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:” Exodus 20:4

“Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:” Deuteronomy 5:8

“Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” Psalm 135:6

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” Philippians 2:10

“And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.” Revelation 5:3

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:13


Some descriptions from the Bible

Below are some scriptures which—if we take them literally as real and true descriptions—make natural, understandable, logical, uncomplicated, and consistent sense on a flat, stationary, enclosed earth which is part of the three-tiered system described in the Bible.

(You may want to pray about whether these same scriptures make natural, understandable, logical, uncomplicated and/or consistent sense if we live on a globe earth which is spinning on an axial tilt as it orbits around the sun travelling at high-speed through space.)

The Tower of Babel
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” Genesis 11:4-7

Jacob’s Ladder
“And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” Genesis 28:10-12

Ezekiel’s Vision
“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel 1:1

“When those went these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” Ezekiel 1:21-26

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
“Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:” Daniel 4:10-11

The Temptation of Christ
“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:8-10

“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:5-8

The Baptism of Jesus
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” Matthew 3:16

“And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:” Mark 1:10

“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.” John 1:32

The Ascension of Christ
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11

The Stoning of Stephen
“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Acts 7:54-56

Peter’s Trance
“And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.” Acts 10:10-12

The Return of Christ
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:29-30

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:24-26

“And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.” Isaiah 34:4

“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:” Revelation 6:13-16

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” 2 Peter 3:10-12

New Jerusalem
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,” Revelation 21:10


Concluding thoughts

There are various aspects of Biblical cosmology that can be studied in further detail, such as: the heavens; the sun, moon and stars; the firmament and the waters above; the face, shape and ends of the earth; the foundations of the earth; and the non-movement of the earth, etc.

At this point I’d like to note that due to the nature of this subject, i.e., because we have all received repeated and ongoing messaging about the heliocentric model from most parts of our society since we were young, I understand that it can be quite challenging for some people to question the globe earth model without discomfort, both intellectually and emotionally. Because of this, I believe it is particularly important that we try to put away everything we think we know about this subject, and humbly and prayerfully ask the Lord God to reveal His truth as we study His Word with an open heart and mind.

I hope the above scriptures provide a good foundation for people to study this subject, and I thank you for the opportunity to present this information to you. My apologies for the delay in preparing this information and thank you for your patience.

3

Introduce Yourself / Hi

« on: December 25, 2021, 08:47:08 PM »

Hi, my name is Anna. I was born in England in the 1970s, and my family (my dad, my mum, my elder sister and me) moved to New Zealand two days before I turned nine. Other than a short-lived attempt to move back to England in my early twenties, I’ve lived in New Zealand ever since.

I was raised in a non-Christian family, and I never went to church when I was growing up. My dad was/is an atheist. When I was growing up my mother believed in Jesus in the false Anglican/Catholic church-state sense (which was the predominant culture in England at the time), and I suspect she would have mistakenly believed herself to be a Christian. She was also influenced by the occult, and she later followed this path fully – it grieves me that she has followed the teachings of ‘A Course in Miracles’ for over 20 years now. My elder sister is a doctor who (I think still) believes in evolution and the big bang, and appears to adhere strongly to the world’s systems/wisdom/knowledge.

Looking back, I think one of the great blessings I had in my childhood in England was that Christianity (although the false church-state version I mentioned above) was clearly visible in the direct culture around me, which enabled me to get a very general understanding about Jesus early on. I can honestly say that I always believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and I never doubted that as a child. (I do believe that if someone had explained correct doctrine and repentance to me then, that I would likely have been born-again at a young age.)

I had a spiritual yearning from a young age, and in my teenage years I tried to fill this need by going into occult areas. As I see now, this was already in my family from my mother’s side. I experimented with a number of New Age beliefs over these years.

I also started to have what the world would call ‘issues’. I was depressed often, attempted suicide when I was about 19, had a drinking problem for a good few years, and also did quite a bit of self-harm.

One day during this period, I was part of a seemingly innocent conversation, when something a person said convicted me of a specific sin that I’d committed. An instant, deep and profound sense of shame and dirtiness came on me – from that moment on – and stayed with me for years. Nothing I tried to think or believe or do or say would take it away: from then on, a sense of shame and dirtiness was constantly with me.

Then in my early twenties I started to feel Jesus call me. It was like He put a magnet on my heart – I just felt Him drawing me to Him. Both directly, i.e. I could sense His presence, and indirectly, i.e. through some Christians that He put around me at the time. Interestingly, again, I never doubted He was real. My problem was in my heart – my problem was in responding and submitting myself to Him in humility. I kept pushing Him away in my pride for a number of years – I remember saying things like ‘Go away! I don’t need you! Christianity is for losers! I’m not a loser!’

Of course, the truth is that I really was a loser. And one day, when I was 26, I just had no will left inside to lie to myself or God about that anymore. I’d just come to the end of myself. I didn’t have the Christian language of calling myself ‘a sinner’. I’d never heard of ‘the sinner’s prayer’ or any other ‘Christianese’. All I knew is that I was filled with deep pain, shame, and remorse for my life – and I needed and wanted God. I didn’t want to go on any longer without Him. I hated who I was, and I hated how I’d lived my life.

And it was in this state that I finally surrendered myself to Jesus. It was a sincere and intimate interaction just between me and Him. I was filled with a deep joy and peace that I’d never experienced before. My life suddenly had the meaning and purpose I’d always craved, and all I wanted to do was be with Jesus, and serve Him all my life from that moment forward.

After a while, I started to deeply crave fellowship with other Christians. So, I did what I thought was the right thing to do, and entered the mainstream church system.

Because of a woman who I knew at the time (who, when looking back, was clearly not born-again) I started going to a Pentecostal church, as well as occasionally visiting an Anglican church nearby. After a few years I moved to a large non-denominational church where I stayed for about three years. My life at this time revolved heavily around this church: I loved serving (I mistakenly thought I was Biblically serving God at the time, though I know now that some of the activities I was involved in were unbiblical) and I loved the sense of finally belonging to a church family who (I thought at the time) genuinely loved me.

I was an extremely naïve and very immature girl (even for my age). I thought everyone who called themselves a Christian, truly was a Christian. I generally assumed that every regular churchgoer was born-again. I was so naively trusting, and for the most part (though I had a few doctrinal questions), I obediently believed what I was taught within the mainstream church. Looking back, I can see the doctrine I was being taught was very leavened, and to my shame I had readily accepted a lot of false ‘New Age Christianity’ teachings, whilst at the same time genuinely believing that I was living a sanctified Christian life.

Then, after about seven years as a Christian, God put me through the greatest test that I’d been through. I experienced rejection/disconnection from the most important relationships in my life within a short period of time: my pastor, my ‘spiritual mentor/mother’, a close friend, and the man who I had wanted to marry, as well as others. It was one relationship after the other. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I had made some of the people in my life idols in my heart.

I moved to a smaller city, withdrew contact from most of my friends and became very depressed. I can honestly say that this happened because of my wicked self-obsession and willful disobedience to God’s word: I let my deep anger and bitterness – along with my emotions – consume and rule my life, my thoughts, and my decisions at this time. I stopped reading the Bible (though I read the corrupt NIV at the time, which I know now is not the word of God), I stopped attending church, and I generally stopped interacting with Christians.

And instead of turning to God for His comfort as I had always done previously, I turned away from Him.

(There were other sins which came up in my heart at the same time which I won’t go into here. A scripture which I’ve heard Christopher use often applies well to me at this time: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9.)

And in this state, I made the choice to sin against God. The redacted/condensed/sanitised version is that I married a non-Christian man (a Catholic). We were together for about seven years, and I left him about seven years ago for my safety. He has drug and alcohol issues. He is not a good man, and has committed grievous sins against a good number of people. We are separated, but still married. I am now trying to talk to him about the Lord, and am praying that he will come to deep repentance before God for his sin.

(I’ve deliberately kept the last few paragraphs simple, but I could go into great detail about the sins I committed that took me down the path I chose, along with the lessons the Lord has very graciously taught me from the very painful and long-term consequences of my sins.)

I came back to God in proper repentance about four years ago, and have fully rededicated my life to Him since then. It has been the most deeply painful experience of my life. I’ve spent a lot of the past few years in tears of grief. Not because of the painful experiences from my relationship with my husband, as I expect most people would suppose. But because of my sin against God. Because I betrayed God, the one I’d given my whole life to, and had proclaimed to love above all else. It’s a pain like no other I’ve ever experienced. And, although I know the Lord God has forgiven me, I’ve accepted that I may well have pain and sadness about this for the rest of my life – the chastening of the Lord has humbled me and changed me on a deep level which I can’t quite articulate.

I’ve learned a good number of lessons from my rebellion, but here are some of the major ones:
1. The fear of the Lord, and the holiness of the Lord. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10.
2. I’ve learned to accept the consequences of my choices, and to take full responsibility for my sin. “God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Galatians 6:7.
3. I now try to follow God’s word alone, not my own words, thoughts or feelings. I now see the rejection of God’s word as a rejection of God Himself.

So, after all these years I think I’m now finally starting to live the Christian life in obedient sanctification. It’s deeply saddening to me that I’ve wasted so many years.

I am now generally quite a sober person, in thought, speech, action and appearance, and I believe I now represent the Lord far better than I ever have before to the people around me. The Christian call to sobriety, in general, is a Biblical command that I have learned to truly value over the past few years. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13.

I am now also prayerful and thorough in studying doctrine, which is both of major importance and great enjoyment to me. I now try to hold everything up to God’s Word – what I think, feel, believe, see, hear … “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5.

I found Christopher’s teachings at the beginning of the year, and have been deeply blessed and edified by them since then. I think the repentance teaching puts into words what a born-again believer innately understands, though they may not have the words to describe. It’s given me the simple, Biblical language to articulate what seemed so hard to put into words before. I personally think that every professing Christian should hear this teaching.

I now understand that mainstream ‘Christianity’ is riddled with unbiblical teachings and practices, and I suspect that most of the professing Christians I know are not actually born-again. I am introducing myself here as I can see that the people in this community are truly trying to live Biblically sanctified lives, which is rare to find. 

So, I hope I have given you enough information about myself. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Anna