So glad to have found this place!

[thejollymonk]

Hello everyone,

I am so grateful to have found this place. In working out my salvation I have ran into the hard questions that are asked of God just like we all have had. I wrestled in trying to reconcile a God of "love" to real life. I came across the book, "Hope Beyond Hell"and it was life changing.

I have always had a hard time with the "black and white" "heaven or hell" part of the Christian faith.

I mean, I believe, but I have questions about the setup of this thing called life that I think are fair to ask if so much is hanging in the balance. Especially if I am born a loser in the equation, lucky to make it out alive.

I knew that most wrestle with these "questions" and with the present prevalent belief we are seemingly left with no real solid answer on some of the MOST basic and MOST important questions. It didn't make since with all that God says about himself. It felt like a double standard. I was left with the prayer "God, I believe, help my unbelief!" These pesky legitimate heart wrenching questions that God leaves us with and all we get seems to be a "you will understand one day" pat answer? No answer. Real God with no answers? I called this the gnaw. The gnaw inside us that afflicts our heart and soul. I "struggled" with this. A lot.

So to say all that.... Deep down, i knew, God was big enough to handle my questions, especially the tough ones.

The book, "Hope Beyond Hell", unlocked my understanding in such a way that it gave me a peace over everything. I mean EVERYTHING. A peace that the apostles talked about which seems so mythological in practical life. Truthfully, how can we have peace with so many real legitimate worries? God has taken my worry and given me peace that surpasses understanding. Real peace I have waited for, for so long.

When I finished the book all my "heart-wrenching, stressful-inducing" questions I have always had, now are satisfied and replaced with peace. I finally knew where I stood with God. The gnaw..... was gone. I finally knew where I stood with God!

What a contrast!

My wife (forum member Mrs. Curtiss) and I (thejollymonk) are new here and are looking forward to growing in love and understanding with you all.

Recently, After Rob Bell's book Love Wins came out last week, we've really wrestled with other believers who say this paradigm is heresy and we've basically been condemned to hell ourselves and warned to not believe false teachers.  It is hard to hear things like this from teachers and pastors we respect so very much.  Especially when we are genuinely asking questions because we want to understand--not because we want to rock the boat--and the best answers we can get basically boil down to "just because..."  Thank God for Romans 14. Never expected that chapter to be such a blessing to my life.

It is so very refreshing to know that we are not alone in our journey to find a more full understanding of God, I look forward to getting to know you all!

Peace & Blessings,

Chad

[onlytruth]

Feels good to be able to rest in a loving God
blessings :icon_king:

[lomarah]

Welcome Chad! You are not the only ones to be treated as heretics, many of us here have also been. It hurts but I understand where they are coming from - they are scared to death to hear anything they consider to be "heresy" or they themselves may be consigned to everlasting torment. One day the fear will be gone and everyone will understand the true Love of God.  :cloud9:

[WhiteWings]

Hi Mr. Curtis  :bgdance:

Some stuff to make the Bible less black and white :thumbsup:
http://www.tentmaker.org/forum/christian_life/list_useful_links_9060.msg112440.html#msg112440

[redhotmagma]

Thats what I keep trying to explain to my friends, is that peace and joy, that is talked about so much in christian circles, but rarely seen, never experienced by me until I began to enter into His rest.  It is amazing.

[thejollymonk]

Feels good to be able to rest in a loving God
blessings :icon_king:

Yes it does!

Hi Mr. Curtis  :bgdance:

Some stuff to make the Bible less black and white :thumbsup:
http://www.tentmaker.org/forum/christian_life/list_useful_links_9060.msg112440.html#msg112440

Thank You! I look forward to checking it out.

Welcome Chad! You are not the only ones to be treated as heretics, many of us here have also been. It hurts but I understand where they are coming from - they are scared to death to hear anything they consider to be "heresy" or they themselves may be consigned to everlasting torment. One day the fear will be gone and everyone will understand the true Love of God.  :cloud9:

Amen.

[Miriam]

Welcome, great to have you and your wife here.  :bigGrin:

[legoman]

Welcome to you and your wife!

Its funny about that book "Hope beyond Hell".  Yes it is a great book.  But you have to have the heart to read it.  I gave it to my Mom last year to read, and the main thing she said was it was "too technical" and she didn't understand everything it was saying.  I'm not sure if she read it all, I will bring it up again with her sometime.  And so far my wife hasn't had really had a desire to read it either.  Although she is opening up to the possiblity (a very slim possibility) of UR... its just not that interesting for her for whatever reason.

I just started reading "Love wins" as well - it is very good so far.

[Nathan]

We went through Hope Beyond Hell as a Sunday School class and you're right, in the beginning of the book, it's very technical . . .but the author did that to buld a platform . . .it takes time to do that.  But once you get past that part of it, the rest of the book opens up and is much easier to read after that.

Welcome to the forum Chad . . .great to have you with us.  In reading your testimony a saying comes to mind that you may be able to connect with . .

A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.

God is leading you into the experience of intimacy in relationship with the Father and what's being revealed to you is beyond the teachings "about" Christ as you are personally experiencing the liberating truths that are IN Christ.

[WhiteWings]

Lego,

Perhaps the 48-page abridged edition is something for your mom. http://www.hopebeyondhell.net/Download.html

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Blessings to you and welcome to the forum..... :thumbsup: