Reading your post here, it amazes me how similar out paths have been. I, too, went through all those motions, except it was PCUSA rather than an Armenian church. The only major divergence happened 50 yrs ago last July, when the Lord kind of " smacked me upside the head" and got my attention, indeed preserved my life from a major poisoning I should not have survived, after I had been called out as part of a rescue team for a crash landed crop duster; that sent me on the path reading the Bible, and seriously learning more about and from, Him, immersion baptism and all.
I am reminded, almost daily, of how "foolish" our Bible is to the unredeemed, even my own 2 still living siblings. In the past few months, each has come at me about it, out of the blue, and I have done my best with the Holy Spirit's guidance, to answer their charges. They, too, were taught in PCUSA so the same errors I had learned, and neither has, to date, explored beyond that.
I have come to the understanding, as Jesus' parable about the seeds and sower teaches, I can only scatter the seeds; I can't control the soil on which they fall, or the water that falls on them, that's God's job. I will answer honest questions the best I know how, but I will not endlessly engage in what amounts to a spiritual battle with 1 who is not seeking except to "defeat" my faith.
We both know there are a lot of false Jesus' out there, especially now, and seriously misguided churches full of people who believe, as we did, they are "saved", without a clue what that means. I prefer to use the term "redeemed", because of the connotation of blood bought that saved fails to convey properly.
Our exchange has been a wonderful " surprise" Christmas gift to me, and I thank you for it. Stay blessed in our Lord, I do look forward to meeting you soon.
Merry Christmas to you, Gerry! You say"industrial hygiene" I think OSHA, and COSH, the CO version, where I did my EMS. Yes, it was an organophosphate, in fact, parathion. And yes it is absorbed quickly. Inhalation didn't help either. Our call out was to a "plane crash"; no further details. Hazmat was in its infancy, in the early '70s especially in rural areas, so we didn't even carry surgical masks, except in the OB kit, let alone " gas" masks! Usually if I say that I just get the glaze over, in response, as if I'd switched to Greek suddenly. I can tell poison control centers a thing or 2 about the long term effects, that they'd forgot to
mention, or didn't know about. I had to be where God wanted me, doing what He intended, because it should've killed me, like Paul's viper bite.
I have learned the release of forgiveness as well, that the removal of bitterness gives us, and that forgiving others is more for us than them. Unless one seeks it, in repentance, it can of be given to help that one, sadly for them. But releasing that hurt frees us, regardless. And that peace is the 2nd best gift ever!
It's been said that courage is keeping one's head while all others around you are losing theirs; I don't know if that really is courage, but it is peace of heart! Personally, I think courage is more along the lines of doing the right thing even while it's scaring the crap out of you! If that means standing for Jesus when all around are attacking Him, and His followers, then so be it.
Have a blessed and joyous day, and His peace in the New Year, come what may, my brother.
Reading your post here, it amazes me how similar out paths have been. I, too, went through all those motions, except it was PCUSA rather than an Armenian church. The only major divergence happened 50 yrs ago last July, when the Lord kind of " smacked me upside the head" and got my attention, indeed preserved my life from a major poisoning I should not have survived, after I had been called out as part of a rescue team for a crash landed crop duster; that sent me on the path reading the Bible, and seriously learning more about and from, Him, immersion baptism and all.
I am reminded, almost daily, of how "foolish" our Bible is to the unredeemed, even my own 2 still living siblings. In the past few months, each has come at me about it, out of the blue, and I have done my best with the Holy Spirit's guidance, to answer their charges. They, too, were taught in PCUSA so the same errors I had learned, and neither has, to date, explored beyond that.
I have come to the understanding, as Jesus' parable about the seeds and sower teaches, I can only scatter the seeds; I can't control the soil on which they fall, or the water that falls on them, that's God's job. I will answer honest questions the best I know how, but I will not endlessly engage in what amounts to a spiritual battle with 1 who is not seeking except to "defeat" my faith.
We both know there are a lot of false Jesus' out there, especially now, and seriously misguided churches full of people who believe, as we did, they are "saved", without a clue what that means. I prefer to use the term "redeemed", because of the connotation of blood bought that saved fails to convey properly.
Our exchange has been a wonderful " surprise" Christmas gift to me, and I thank you for it. Stay blessed in our Lord, I do look forward to meeting you soon.
Be blessed in Him, my brother! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you, Gerry! You say"industrial hygiene" I think OSHA, and COSH, the CO version, where I did my EMS. Yes, it was an organophosphate, in fact, parathion. And yes it is absorbed quickly. Inhalation didn't help either. Our call out was to a "plane crash"; no further details. Hazmat was in its infancy, in the early '70s especially in rural areas, so we didn't even carry surgical masks, except in the OB kit, let alone " gas" masks! Usually if I say that I just get the glaze over, in response, as if I'd switched to Greek suddenly. I can tell poison control centers a thing or 2 about the long term effects, that they'd forgot to
mention, or didn't know about. I had to be where God wanted me, doing what He intended, because it should've killed me, like Paul's viper bite.
I have learned the release of forgiveness as well, that the removal of bitterness gives us, and that forgiving others is more for us than them. Unless one seeks it, in repentance, it can of be given to help that one, sadly for them. But releasing that hurt frees us, regardless. And that peace is the 2nd best gift ever!
It's been said that courage is keeping one's head while all others around you are losing theirs; I don't know if that really is courage, but it is peace of heart! Personally, I think courage is more along the lines of doing the right thing even while it's scaring the crap out of you! If that means standing for Jesus when all around are attacking Him, and His followers, then so be it.
Have a blessed and joyous day, and His peace in the New Year, come what may, my brother.