Hello, dear reader. I bet you didn't expect to see any more posts here. I sure didn't! But, I think I have a good reason.
With Seeker passing away, I started wondering what kind of legacy did she leave behind. I have believed in this blog since before I joined it back in 2009. But there is always room for improvement. I would like to know if any improvements could be made.
Bearing in mind the point of this blog is investigating the Churches of God (ie. Armstrongism) from a Christ-centered perspective...
Is this blog being helpful to people looking for answers? Could we do something differently and be even better? Is there something we've missed that you would like more answers about? Have we said something that throws you off and we could re-phrase it to make it more accessible?
Please be aware that you can use the Search bar over on the right and down just a little >>>
And don't forget we have a Categories page and a FAQ page, created to help you find answers more easily.
If you have found any help or comfort here, please reach out, in a comment or preferably by email, and let us know. Share your experiences and suggestions with us. Perhaps you can help us to help you. And others!
God bless you and thank you for visiting!!
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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Will give it more thought. The content here is excellent and well presented. I think more articles in moving forward from Armstrongism would be helpful. Perhaps also how to help or live with family yet in Armstrongism.
ReplyDeleteBut, I’ll pray on this as you are all not done with your work.
Well, Jim. Your request is honorable. I will see what I can do.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding self-serving, I recommend reading through the articles on this blog for ways to help your family yet in Armstrongism. I know you have been already, and I thank you for that. Use this blog as a reference. It may help you and them. Point them to us.
Here's some insight that might be of use. No one who truly believes in Armstrongism leaves it because of rational argumentation. It's all emotion. So it needs an emotional solution.
We first have to experience something that causes us to accept there is a serious issue. That has to be personal. It's different for everyone, but it has to affect us personally. Then we need to give ourselves permission to question. That's where As Bereans Did comes in. We give the other side of the story most people weren't ready to hear until this point. This is genuinely terrifying, so it takes time. Small bites. After that, there needs to be some emotional event that is significant enough where the desire to leave outweighs all those excuses to stay. Knowing the system is wrong isn't good enough. Maybe if there is someone on the outside we trust, someone in our family perhaps, who can guide us out gently, help us navigate the great unknown, then we might just go.
That's your biggest job. Not arguing over doctrine so much, but loving and waiting. The keys are patience and prayer. Lots of it! Because it might take years.
God be with you!
This blog was admittedly jarring the first time I landed here. What started as questioning one doctrine led to questioning another and another until I found myself on this blog, secretly reading the posts and comments realizing the posts were what I had come to understand from my own private moments with God and the scriptures.
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure there is a one size fits most approach to helping people embrace the truth (the Way, the Truth and the Life, aka Jesus Christ). That’s why we can be grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit. I know I wouldn’t have been ready to read anything here if God hadn’t started nagging me with the half quoted, misused scriptures during sermons and in articles. When God did finally shake me hard enough to wake me up, that’s when I started googling the origins of the doctrines and ended up here.
This blog has been one resource among many I’ve consulted. I appreciate the content and I agree with Jim that a guide past the cult influence and into the light of the gospel would be helpful. Healing takes time, but I know early on I started hoping to find a how-to move forward. Your post on that helped as well.
Perhaps articles about the first time you went to a different church, etc.?
Hi, Set Free.
ReplyDeleteYour comment touched me. Thanks for reading.
The thing about writing on this blog is we rarely get to know who, if anyone, is really being helped. We do our best to keep things private and safe for our readers. If someone wants to read in secret, that's fine with us. If Ministers want to come here and do oppo research (I know they do) we're fine with that, too. We don't try to figure out who is popping in, so it's usually a mystery to us who is reading. But at the same time it's hard to know if we are being helpful. If people don't comment to let us know what they liked, we might never know. I'm glad you commented and happy God was willing we could help you.
I can write about my exit. I used to write more about those kinds of things over at my old blog, xhwa.blogspot.com. Anymore, I write about deeper topics. If it would help, I'd be happy to write more about how to leave and what it was like. That was a difficult time. I can see how it might help someone if I share my experiences. I'll see what I can do.
God bless! I pray He continues to guide you, gently, into a deeper relationship with Him.