Examining What You Might Have Learned at Church...
"To cause one to think is the purpose of questions."
Preface
When this was written, I had been a believer in Christ for over thirty years. My only desire had been to know God and equally important, who I am. In 1986, I began pouring through scriptures trying to make sense of it all. Soon, six years had passed and I found myself a teacher, elder and at times a minister of healing at a local church. I saw and experienced amazing things such as: people healed of sickness; spiritual gifts and foreknowledge displayed openly; and powerful manifestations of God's Spirit upon people physically and mentally. However, after several more years I knew inside me it was time to leave that local church, and no one could understand why. At the time, even I did not know why. Today, others still do not understand why! Through eyes of judgment, they could only see me and my family as "lost."
Jesus' Crucifixion, Resurrection & Return
Sin, Satan & the Antichrist
What IS Death?
Hell & Heaven
The Church
The Word Of God
Love, Power & Health
Now, it is easy for me to look back and see why I was to move on in my spiritual journey. I had become a very, religious person. Religion is the false, man-made idea of who or what God must be. The truth will not be found within the walls of religion. I thought I knew God because I knew the scriptures. Did I really know truth or did I simply learn too well the beliefs others had taught me? Was I willing to let go of all doctrines and ask God to show me the truth of who He is and who I am? Did I really understand the scriptures and the meanings behind the sayings Jesus spoke? Would I lay scriptures down and trust God to not only "save" me, but also speak to me by the voice of His Spirit?
It is safe to say that I have a very good perspective from which to write. If you think perhaps that I lack understanding of traditional teachings and doctrines of the scriptures let me say you are mistaken. For years, I taught the very doctrines many believe and hold true to today. I had believed I could prove to you the doctrine was true based upon lining up one verse of scripture with another verse. Even though I was a very good lawyer, making my argument with a book of law known as the "Bible," it did not mean I was correct in understanding or knowing truth. When I began hearing for myself the truth within me, it challenged the very doctrines I had defended whole-heartedly. It has taken many years for these things to be undone in me, and still today I seek to know the answers...the truth.
My goal of this writing was not to give you answers. If you are looking for answers, I only want to direct you as to where to find them. You should seek answers to life's questions through yourself (and not by quickly believing all that is heard from others). The answers you seek cannot be found from the mouth or pen of any man but must be heard inside you, "the hearer." I challenge you, "the seeker," to find those answers within. In fact, if you look deep enough, you will find you already knew the answers; you just simply forgot. I give you questions to assist in your seeking of truth and the undoing of your traditional beliefs in doctrines, which simply cannot be true. Due to my challenging of what some may consider being core fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, the religious may find this journey to be highly difficult. You may say, "I am not a religious person," but the truth of the matter is man's influence upon your mind has caused you to perceive things, which are false, as if they were true. Are you willing to have your current beliefs challenged by questions for only you to find the answers to? If you are to be true to yourself, then do not give patent answers learned from another person or book to the questions I will ask you. Ask yourself, "How did I arrive at this belief? Where did this belief come from and is it truth?" The truth one knows will set one free.
Where can truth be found? How can one hear God? Look within you. An answer of truth will always come without fear, condemnation or guilt upon the wings of peace: like an angel that brings tidings of love, hope and joy. Quite easily, anything less is not truth or God sent. Some, who I will again badge as "religious," will no doubt try to scare you with fear into not even considering thoughts outside of their own beliefs and teachings. Does that make their beliefs valid? They may say, "How do you know what you are hearing is from God and not from the devil himself? Perhaps, Satan is whispering his lies in your ear!" Judge what you hear by one simple means of measurement: Does it come out of love on wings of peace?
May your journey continue...