Greetings from Down Under

[Jester]

Great site Tentmaker, a wealth of resources! Thanks & hi to all.  :Peace2:

[rosered]

  :newb: :welcome:      Welcome Jester   from down under   , Hope that means Australia 
and not any lower than that   lol  :laughhand:

[Lazarus Short]

Welcome, Jester!  You have added yourself to our greatest wealth of resources - our members!  :friendstu:

[Jester]

By lower I do hope you mean further south...  :laugh:
Yes, Gold Coast Queensland Australia...east coast mid way up or down which ever way you look at it...lol

Only a newb to Universal Salvation, been a roller coaster through Christendom like many I presume...a breath of fresh air from the religious dogma I have only ever known...

Thanks for the welcome messages... :thumbsup:

[ed]

............Universal Salvation........a breath of fresh air from the religious dogma I have only ever known...

Thanks for the welcome messages... :thumbsup:

Me too Jester.

:thumbsup:

[Lazarus Short]

Me three, ed.  :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

BTW, Jester, did you notice yet that we have an emoticon just {jest?} for you:   :icon_jokercolor: ?

[Jester]

 :icon_jokercolor:
Love it! Thanks for pointing that out...
Folks may I ask for some direction on the site as I search for some answers to some areas of theology I have trouble with? Namely, a guide to interpret the OT in light of man's perception of God through the ages...Jesus, Abba Father; our God of Love, so how do we reconcile the flood, death etc as written in the OT?
It is hard to let go of the thought that the bible is our rule book of authority in which every word is to be used to correct others and live 'religious' lives....rather a collection of manuscripts giving evidence of how God was perceived by men throughout the ages of civilisation..sometimes they got it right, sometimes they got it wrong??
The flood is a stumbling block for me...still out of Love for men He wipes out the population does seem a play on words! I can hear the help on its way...lol, and thanks in advance, I will surely learn to navigate thru all the posts and articles soon enough.
God bless and once again, thanks for the welcome....
Brenden  :dsunny:

[rosered]

   
Jest  , Hi there  , Hope to help ,

Just put Flood  in the upper right hand search box
I did  and

I found this some one, music man  put up on the forum

http://www.orange-street-church.org/text/noah-flood.htm


I only read the first page , 
but its interesting

  you may want to look into the Tentmaker  resources   page  with loads of all matter of  reading and watching material 
   Blessings in your searching

[Jester]

Thank you rosered...

I'll look into it; seems like my old calvinist pastor is doing all he can to urge me back into the 'get on board or else life-raft' and is so opposed to Universal salvation or anything to do with God just being Love...
I feel heavy in the chest when he preaches the doom and gloom of hellfire and our need to accept Christ's offer or else!...sickens me to the core - Love your God with ALL your heart, mind and soul...so what % of that ALL is left for fear, anxiety etc...
No matter how liberated I feel to have uncovered some truth (praise the Lord), I feel the claws of the system are attempting to pull me back into the protestant camp...

Kind regards & God bless...

Brenden   :thumbsup:

[rosered]

 

  Hi Brenden ,
I can most certainly empathize with you , been there and done that !
Hardest   part was  not  wanting dissapoint the Lord God  and   be faithful to Him , but did not know how to please Him  at all
  Most confusing  and fearful time of my life  , sitting under the authority of the hell fire and brimstone  preacher
  Just keep praying and trusting God for an answer 
Strange but true    story , the Lord released me from  going there 

  I had always  believed God would do a perfect and complete work    , always  knew it , just did not know how The Lord   would do it  .

But always   the prayer  Lord I dont know how  , but believe you will !!

     During a rather harsh   sermon ,   and heavy  judgment   on a poor soul whom was   not at church but mowing his lawn       , the preacher  made him the example     of the day   
Well  a voice plainly asked me do you believe this ? 
I said No Lord , you can save anyone, anywhere   at any time  , YOU ARE GOD ! 
 
Than  why are you here ? 

  I had no answer ,  ''speachless ''   left and never  looked back
  God has blessed ever since 

  Do I love them still , Yes I sure do  and  desire nothing but good thing for them

   But the Lord God freed me from Babylon [confusion ]  and   and took   this broken  and terrified  heart under His wing  and put a hunger and thirst   within to KNOW HIM  not just  about Him . 

  My prayers  are that for you  as well ,    The Word and Spirit are not bound by any building or  certain   groups   , the Lord is   Mighty in His salvation !

      I felt like  one risen from the dead !

Jesus   peace to you and yours !

[Jester]

 :iagree:

What a roller coaster thus far...yet something tells me my journey into truth is only just beginning.
The Lord crushed my self-righteous need for a theological pedestal...from catholicism to a calvinist/arminian protestant church, the Lord has only shown me the utter confusion of my attempts to gain truth from schools of men. The oppression I feel and heaviness in heart is what speaks loudly; the Lord and His Love for ALL men is what brings not only peace and joy but makes known the Nicodemus's of the world are still abound. I pray for the congregation who judge me for leaving the 'elect' fold, clearly i wasn't saved...sickens me to my core but love them all the same I do indeed.

Cheers  :gimmefive:

[ed]

:iagree:

What a roller coaster thus far...yet something tells me my journey into truth is only just beginning.
The Lord crushed my self-righteous need for a theological pedestal...from catholicism to a calvinist/arminian protestant church, the Lord has only shown me the utter confusion of my attempts to gain truth from schools of men. The oppression I feel and heaviness in heart is what speaks loudly; the Lord and His Love for ALL men is what brings not only peace and joy but makes known the Nicodemus's of the world are still abound. I pray for the congregation who judge me for leaving the 'elect' fold, clearly i wasn't saved...sickens me to my core but love them all the same I do indeed.

Cheers  :gimmefive:

Very cool.

Thanks for the encouragement.

:gimmefive:

I like that gimmefirer there.

.

[rosered]

:iagree:

What a roller coaster thus far...yet something tells me my journey into truth is only just beginning.
The Lord crushed my self-righteous need for a theological pedestal...from catholicism to a calvinist/arminian protestant church, the Lord has only shown me the utter confusion of my attempts to gain truth from schools of men. The oppression I feel and heaviness in heart is what speaks loudly; the Lord and His Love for ALL men is what brings not only peace and joy but makes known the Nicodemus's of the world are still abound. I pray for the congregation who judge me for leaving the 'elect' fold, clearly i wasn't saved...sickens me to my core but love them all the same I do indeed.

Cheers  :gimmefive:

  You are just precious Brenden !!  :thumbsup:

  Well the JERUSALEM  from above  is the mother of us all  :winkgrin:

  remember Paul explains that so well  in 


Gal 4:19   My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 


Gal 4:20   I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. 


Gal 4:21 ¶ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 


Gal 4:22   For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 


Gal 4:23   But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 


Gal 4:24   Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 


Gal 4:25   For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26   But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 


Gal 4:27   For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 


Gal 4:28   Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 


Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 
Gal 4:30   Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 


Gal 4:31   So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.


Jesus  pleads with Jerusalem   to gather them  into Himself   , all things will be  Gathered into Christ and under His authority  in the end  , that is my greatest  comfort   to know and understand   now  :cloud9:

1Cr 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.



Luk 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets,

and stonest them that are sent unto thee;

how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Our protector is  in Our Lord God Almighty    just to know,  Its not what you can do for God,

  but what God has done for us !!     Making us   all     very thankful     baby chicks   :Peace2:

[rosered]

:iagree:

What a roller coaster thus far...yet something tells me my journey into truth is only just beginning.
The Lord crushed my self-righteous need for a theological pedestal...from catholicism to a calvinist/arminian protestant church, the Lord has only shown me the utter confusion of my attempts to gain truth from schools of men. The oppression I feel and heaviness in heart is what speaks loudly; the Lord and His Love for ALL men is what brings not only peace and joy but makes known the Nicodemus's of the world are still abound. I pray for the congregation who judge me for leaving the 'elect' fold, clearly i wasn't saved...sickens me to my core but love them all the same I do indeed.

Cheers  :gimmefive:

Very cool.

Thanks for the encouragement.

:gimmefive:

I like that gimmefirer there.

.

Your  a big blessing       and encouragment   Ed  , as always !!

  :friendstu:  Blessings   to you and yours