In Reply to: To Fred posted by Acheick on March 30, 2004 at 16:26:01:
Hi Fred, wonderful to hear, that you & your family are out of TF too...quite deep the questions you posed...for one, I recollect, that God doesn't hear the sinner...the penitent yes, though...The
psalmist also prayed, that God may forgive his
hidden, secret sins he's not aware of...the question is, how ignorant is TF of their sins & the need, to be cleansed of it? I'd say, quite ignorant...yet God let's the sun shine & the rain fall on good & bad people alike, sometimes though withdrawing even that blessing...He even allows & sends the confusion, 1.Kings 22 is my favourite in that regard...I tend to think, that many are & were his wayward children in & out of TF...kids HE has to discipline one way or the other.
I don't look back in remorse, oh, what I could have achieved, how did I waste my life...I think that's awful, to "exist" like that...life is like school & you're allowed to flunk, to fall & hopefully learn from it...running a race has winners & loosers...may be it seems, we're big loosers, the result is not yet given, but I think, it's a big step forward, if we learn to applaud real winners & prove ourselves to be fair & humble "loosers"...I feel, I have gained the last 15/13 years out (13 years ago, we stopped tithing)...I learned first hand, what is the wrong way.The "endtime-delusion" isn't affecting only TF...just make a google-study about the various charismatic
movements & you'll see, they have some TF-like problems/sins, although of course TF takes the "cake"...
Most important I find is your personal link with Jesus...I became aware of it, that I had believed so much bull...., that I needed rewiring, metanoia,repentance...thinking more like God thinks, in real biblical terms...I attended a Christian seminar dealing with the counseling of people having spiritual wounds.WE have to know God's point of view, the biblical one, acknowledge the errors & sins, confessing them to ourselves, God & others...knowing that God forgives us, forgiving others likewise & also ourselves...Binding up the wounds, the brokenhearted, is Christ's ministry (Is. 61), but one also extended by HIS followers, representing HIM...I am superglad, that I could attend such seminary...also I felt the need to have a baptism
3 years back.
Yes, it's starting anew, in a way,.... some TF-teachings you find on the other hand elsewhere in other churches...it takes time for us, to take a more solid stand...
Economically it could hardly be worse, than for us to have to start almost from scratch.I wish you all the best & all the help possible in that regard.
I hope, you maintain a good unity among yourselves as a couple, as parents, as a family...sad to say, my exmate & I split 3 years after we stopped tithing...we weren't legally married, I wanted to help her as a single mum with 2 children & thought it was God's will...nevertheless it's considered fornication, even adultery, as she happened to still be married to someone else...TF screwed up that aspect of Christian life IMO more than anything else.
I am convinced, that the biblical languages can help in interpreting the Word of God, however, we still see at very many times through a glass darkly, cause that's just the way He wants it, I suppose,... makes us fear/ respect Him, so to speak...so I find life still very challenging & exciting, fulfilling, inspite of the mistakes/sins of the past...they are acknowledged, confessed & forgiven...I personally found interlinear Bibleversions a great help, along with needed dictionaries or software like Bible works...
Althoug you can be sure, that if you gather together in Jesus name, that He will be in the midst of you - that's a form of church, quite helpful in the beginning, while sorting out, who's who in the "christian landscape"- I'd still advise, even for the kids sake, to gain christian friends, to fellewship sooner or later with people of a suitable denomination...I felt, that the worship songs are nowadays better outside TF than those I heard 15 years ago in TF, nice surprise!
I found it, by the way, better for my integrity, to honestly admit, where I spent/"wasted" 16 years of my life...nobody fell off their shoes, many didn't have any idea about TF...they are not that known anymore...just my little comment for now