When I was a child, I thought like a child. As a child, I went about life care free. I played and
looked around me in ignorant bliss, without a care in the world. My brother and I
were adopted, but I can still remember, clear as day, my great Aunt Gaga lifting me up on her knee and reading to me out of the Bible. She read to me the story of Noah and the flood.
That stuck with me and God was real to me, even as a small child. As for Gaga reading to me From the Bible, I am so grateful.
When we were children, we took much for granted in life. We just sort of went with the FLOW in life around us. At the time, we did not have much choice, did we? Most, sort of stick with what ever lot life gives us. If ones family is Catholic, or Mormon or of little faith at all, or even Muslim, most sort of just get busy going through life and accept what ever they see in religion around them as right. Sadly, one grows up and most likely decides to go on doing the same as their family did in the area of TRADITION and RELIGION.
Without our knowing it, God has a plan for each of us to discover Him. This process is on going, and may take longer for some then it does for others. For most people, they appear to be quite happy going with the FLOW of TRADITIONS around them. They may look around them a bit and begin to WONDER about things. Maybe, after a while, begin to ask a few questions when they see something weird or strange to them. Most of the time they do not get clear and straight answers to those questions, either from their parents or from the pastors later on.
As for me, two things were stamped by God into my being that have helped me move more and more into the direction God was CALLING me into. Number one, that He EXISTED and number two, that the Bible was the INSTRUCTION book for me to learn about Him.
Early on, thankfully, that was a gift to me from God, that has more and more directed my paths around me. The Scripture formed the basis for me as to what I believe and believed in the past.
As a young adult, having finished my first college degree, and starting out in life with a young family, I was very hungry for TRUTH about God. As an adult, I really wanted to know the answer to many things about the traditions I saw around me in life. My wife and I went to
church together in a Lutheran assembly. We both served as youth leaders in the church
for several years. As I received teaching from this church and looked around at some of its teachings, many things just did not seem RIGHT to me. In fact, many things were strange to me and just did not add up right to me. I would soon learn from other relatives, that there were different ways of thinking about what TRADITIONS we should follow. I would even get in the mail all sorts of things that I wondered about. So many traditions and so many different ways of thinking about those traditions. It seemed like I was not getting any real answers that made good since to me.
Finally one day, I sort of through up my hands and I asked God in the most sincere prayer to Him up to that point in my life.....
I asked God to REVEAL TRUTH to me about Him. If He was really real, I asked Him to show me.
I asked Him to give me TRUE WISDOM about Him.
At that point in my life, God began to answer that prayer. It was not answered right a way.
God started me on a wonderful journey that I discovered will last me a life time.....
and beyond into the AGES a head.
I soon discovered that to be true to what God was revealing to me, I would have to buck the systems around me. I discovered that I would have to make hard choices about traditions around me that were not always pleasing to those around me in my family or job areas.
God has continued to lead me on into His WORD, sorting out and answering more and more about God and what is TRUTH.
I soon discovered that, for the most part, most people around me were quite happy with
just going with the FLOW. They were not really interested in learning about any wonderful nuggets of truth I might discover along the path of life. I was given a great hunger to discover TRUTH.
Since most people around me were not interested in talking about traditions around them and the things about God, in 2008, I decided to reach out in the COSMOS to who ever would be INTERESTED in listening on the World Wide Web. I started a blog to pass on nuggets of knowledge about God I would be growing in.
I first began to post information about the RAPTURE that I was discovering on my journey
to UNDERSTAND that topic. I had just finished reading all the novels called "LEFT BHIND".
I discovered to my surprise, that this topic was quite controversial to most BELIEVERS.
Over time, and looking at all sides of the issue, I have finally sorted out the THINGS THAT
DIFFER in Scripture about that issue and now KNOW when and just whom the RAPTURE
Is for.
I have discovered a great truth, also. Hind sight is twenty twenty.
My first blog was called "growandknow.blogspot.com"
It takes much time and tireless EFFORT, much prayer, and hard work to DISCOVER TRUTH!
If one was to start with my first post and read on through all my posts in order,
one will discover great information on my journey that were pieces of a puzzle leading to truth. The knowledge God is revealing in SCRIPTURE is vast and it is deep.
It is so vast and takes so much time to cover, that we soon discover that as we develop
KNOWLEDGE about a topic at certain points, we are (not always far enough along)
on our quest at any given time, to see enough pieces of the puzzle to get a clear view of the truth on that topic. There is nothing wrong with saying that we are not yet sure about certain areas or topics of study. We are learning to sort out in Scripture, THINGS THAT DIFFER. We are learning that if we really want to know the truth about any given area of study in SCRIPTURE, we must do as the Scripture says as we dig and seek out its nuggets of truth.
1. Prove all things.
2. Get all the facts before giving an answer.
3. Learn to find the context of any given Scripture .
All scripture is for us to grow in knowledge, but not all Scripture is ADDRESSED to us
directly. Example..... Scripture might say to go out and sacrifice an animal to God.
But, that does not mean God is telling you in this AGE OF GRACE to go out and
do the same.
The above being said, you will discover that my blog posts are a record of my incomplete
journeys on discovering the truth on any given topic, rather it be on the RAPTURE,
on The second Coming Parousia, life and death, immortal life, eternity, ages, the APPEARING, RIGHT DIVISION, churches, Israel,God, Salvation, etc, etc......
That is why what I posted in my first month of posting articles in 2008, may or not
be what I feel is more complete truth on an area I posted yesterday.
In my quest for TRUTH, I soon discovered I needed to start a new blog.
My second blog is called
"fathernowisee.blogspot.com"
At the time I started my second blog, through hindsight, I did not yet know
I did not yet see ALL....
And now I know it will take a life time of continually searching out, proving all things,
looking at both sides of an issue, all sides of an issue, searching the deep depths of Scripture, learning the more you know, maybe even the less you know as yet.
My third blog I started was after I went through and out of MID-ACTS, after discovering
Paul and his wonderful revelations directly from God, after Christ being raised to heaven
AT THE RIGHT HAND of God. I discovering a vital part of knowing TRUTH in Scripture,
that being RIGHTLY DIVIDING Scripture.
My third blog on my lifetime journey in discovering TRUTH is called....
"appearinglorytimeline.blogspot.com"
May I suggest a few wonderful topics that are vitally important on a journey to seeking out
TRUTH in Scripture:
Study Replacement Theology, RIGHT DIVISION, the two ministries of Paul before and after the book of Acts, Grace, Salvation, life and death, resurrection as apposed to perishing.
Number one thing to do is STRIVE not only to BELIEVE in God,
but to most of all, BELIEVE GOD...! The TRADITIONS of MEN will lead you away from truth, not to IT! Grace and peace to you and God Bless you.
Sincerely,
Your brother Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment