I've been reading here for a long time and thought I would join and introduce myself.
I came to the concept of universalism through a colleague at work who describes herself as such. A google search of the term quickly brought me here and I've been here most days ever since. :bigGrin: I guess I've been ET by default for the 30+ years since my "conversion" simply because I chose not to think about it much. :mblush: I put that word in inverted commas because the past couple of years have been a time of questioning many things about my faith and the way we talk about it and the terms we use for things.
I've read the NIV for all my Christian life and recently, after much deliberation, bought myself a Rotherham's Emphasized Bible. I hope people will understand that at present I feel almost scared to read it, however. If universal reconciliation is true it's one of the most wonderful things I've ever heard. How have I read the Bible for decades and missed it? I've read Hannah Whitall Smith's "The Third Epoch in My Life" any number of times. How could the truth of it "shine forth" from the pages of the Bible for her - especially when she presumably had the KJV and had not had the benefit of the doctrine of the ages, aion, olam discussion? I really want the Bible to be illumined for me afresh as it was for her. What if it is not? :dontknow:
I'm glad to be here and hope you will not mind that I have lots of questions. I will probably ask some really stupid ones. :mblush:
Hi Miriam. Great 2 posts so far. Welcome here, God bless.
Thank you, jabcat. :handshake:
Welcome! Hannah Whitall Smith, I loved reading her stuff too. :cloud9:
Oh and there are no stupid questions!
Is your name really Miriam? It's a beautiful name, my friend named her daughter Miriam. :HeartThrob:
"I hope people will understand that at present I feel almost scared to read it, however."
Miriam, I think most people who have had any time in "christianity" feel that way, because its so ingrained in us. Don't want to lose your salvation, right. Every religion uses fear of loss, to keep you within its manmade walls. I know I was there, there were many times I would want to do a search on "is hell eternal"? Yet wouldn't because of that fear. I would research any other topic, no matter how preposterous or unbiblical, yet couldn't bring myself to run that search. I think this is another point that UR is real. If God wants us to search out truth, and there are so many "options", but we can't because you can lose it all if you do, puts a huge roadblock in search of real truth. Jesus spoke in parables "lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears". Setting up a system where we can't fail is religion, God knows we will fail, he expects it, and grows us through it. I have grown more in the last 2 months by not being afraid to take things into consideration, allowing the Holy Spirit to work.
For I have NOT given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and self discipline.
Quote from: lomarah on March 06, 2011, 04:13:28 PMIs your name really Miriam?
It isn't, but it's a very pretty form of my real-life name, which I also love. I vowed never to use my real name on any forum since I was stalked on one years ago. Nothing sinister, just by a friend who found it funny, but I was surprised at how violated it made me feel. :mshock:
Thank you for your welcome and to you, too, redhotmagma (what's the story behind everyone's board names?). I know I need to get over the fear; can't really spend the rest of my life not reading the Bible. :laughing7:
Quotesince I was stalked on one years ago.
that has happened to me, too. it's pretty awful.
Welcome, Miriam. I also love that name.
Thank you, Molly. Your name is pretty too.
I'm always fascinated by the content of your posts. Are you a Greek scholar?
Quote from: Miriam on March 06, 2011, 06:25:46 PM
Thank you, Molly. Your name is pretty too.
I'm always fascinated by the content of your posts. Are you a Greek scholar?
No. LOL
But it's very easy to study the Greek and Hebrew words in these days of computers. I use E-Sword, but there are other programs, too.
I love words, and the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words is often surprising.
You mentioned looking at another Bible. Biblegateway.com lets you read from a great number of different Bibles all at once, if you're not familiar with that site.
You can also find the 1611 King James Bible online.
Miriam; Salvation is by grace through faith in Him, not through faith in doctrines, schools, teachings, pastors, articles, statements, creeds, education, memos, or laws. Faith in Christ. So have no fear, and study to show yourself a workman approved, "test" God and see if he will not open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing on you that you cannot contain; wisdom is worth more than silver, brings more profit than gold, more precious than rubies, and nothing is equal to it. Store up treasure for yourself in Heaven, where no moth or thief may destroy it - store up the uncontainable wealth of wisdom poured from Heaven on you, and like a good steward enjoy its blessing, in perfect love that casts out fear, having found favour from God who gives Wisdom liberally to those who ask, seek, knock; to those who insist at the window of the sleeping man; ask - who tear apart the house and clean it up again to seek the silver coin; seek - to those who batter down the gates of Heaven to take the kingdom by force; knock: and braids not. :thumbsup:
Quote from: Lefein on March 06, 2011, 07:11:37 PMknock: and braids not.
You write beautifully and poetically. Forgive me that I don't quite understand what you mean by this phrase. Perhaps English is not your first language? :bigGrin:
I really want to be wise in the things of God. I've always been taught that because of our finite and sinful minds our perceptions are not reliable and we must weigh them against what the Bible says. I really want to believe UR is true, but maybe that's just my wishful thinking. I can see that many here love the Bible and also believe in UR. I want to find UR in the Word too. I missed it for decades. Where do I start? :dontknow:
For me the book Hope beyond Hell, and the Restitution of all things were great resources that seemed to give a great understanding of the Victorious Gospel. Scholars corner on the tentmaker website has all of that. Also this http://home.online.nl/spamfree/ is a great resource also, put together by WhiteWings a member here.
Whitewings put that site together? I am even more sorry that he seems to have left here. :sigh:
I have read a lot in Scholar's Corner. I feel I'm in danger of reading a lot about UR without actually coming to grips with whether it's true and what the Bible actually says - if that makes sense?
How have I read the Bible for decades and missed it?
Hey Miriam . . .(You get that from Moses sister as well as a deriviation from your name???)
This question is one of the most asked questions by those coming into kingdom understanding. I've been in this for close to 8 years and until about 2 years ago, I didn't know there was a name for it (UR). But I found myself asking me the same question over and over . . .as well as hearing others ask it to. So far, the only answer I could give you was . . .it's a maturity issue. As we go, we grow into the "know". But it's not knowledge as much as it is the Father REVEALING truth to us as we continue to walk deeper into the things of his nature and truth. The more receptive you are to be led by him the deeper he'll lead you into his truths.
The Bible has always supported this, but our perspectives were such that our minds never made the connection. But perspectives change with our growth in Him. Or at least that's how it's "supposed" to be. If we're not growing, we're dying and everything we see reflects what position we're in. When we pass from death to life, we have the same old things we always had, but now, life illuminates from them instead of death. It's what Scripture meant when it states not that God will make all new things . . .but that he will make all things new.
Welcome to the land of the NEW and the LIVING!!
:cloud9: A little late, but wecome to the Tent..... :thumbsup: