Today's New Kid on the Block

[selah]

Hi Everybody,

I've been reading posts all week and enjoying "listening" to you. I am new to TNP forum but have listened to about two-thirds of Steve Gregg's topical lectures. Last week, I dipped into digitalministries for the first time. Steve shares lifechanging perspectives on so many topics!

I have many questions about the word of God and with answers come even more questions. I consider myself a serious student of Truth, this having led me to the Bible. I was raised SDA and began studying Daniel and Revelation at the age of ten. As an adult, I left "Christianity" and studied religion in college and anywhere else I could find a book/person speaking of religious and theological study. I've been a real Christian for ten years. Most recently, I read my (bio) SDA brother's unpublished manuscript stating his beliefs on the soul, state of the dead, hell, D&R, and his perspective of church historical facts, etc. (He may publish his manuscript, but regardless, it is fun to absorb a bio brother's findings after knowing him all these years. 50+

Right now, I am in the listening mode on this forum but hope to share questions and comments at some point and hear from you. I will share this now. My favorite passages are John 14--17, specifically John 17:21-23 because as I have considered the wide range of opinions, I finally came to the basics that we get to love one another the way the Father, Son and Holy Spirit do!

He is an awesome Lord and I am happy to be here with you!
SueAnn*

[mattrose]

Welcome to the forum! I look forward to interacting

[darinhouston]

Ditto -- welcome

[Suzana]

Hello SueAnn,
nice to meet you.

[Murf]

welcome

[steve]

Hi SueAnn,

I'm glad you got past your initial hurdles in getting logged-on. We look forward to your participation.

[Michelle]

Hi SueAnn, nice to have you here.

[selah]

Wow! Thanks for welcoming me

SueAnn*

[Jess]

Better late than never (ie. me in welcoming you) but welcome from one more. Like you, I read and listen more than I post but have grown immensely in my understanding of scripture from Steve and the others at this site.

One of my favorite Steve quotes: "I have no right to consider any doctrine innately dangerous if it does not prevent its followers from being better Christians than me."

In Him,
Jess

[selah]

Thanks Jess

Thanks for sharing a favorite quote from our brother Steve. You got me thinking about mine. My oldest favorite is a paraphrase of his instructions to say something like, "Refuse to be offended because it was either an accident, so why be offended when someone accidentally did something, or if they meant it refuse offense for Christ's sake." (Okay, this is probably a really "bad" paraphrase of what he actually said, so take it more like my mini-commentary on his "Refuse to Be Offended" tape.)

This next one I recently heard him say on his show in reference to reasons why Christians should meet with each other. Steve said and I quote, "...I am part of a subversive, counter-cultural, alternative society - a colony of the King (Jesus)- on a hostile planet, and we're going to get together with others who are involved in this conspiracy. And we're going to encourage each other, we're going to receive our game-plan - our plan of action - we're going to connect with headquarters. We're part of an alternative kingdom here, an invading force, and these people who are with me in church are my compatriots in the battle. We're an army here. We are people who are ready to lay down our lives for each other, and we're ready to even financially impoverish ourselves for the sake of each other..." quote by Steve Gregg

This final quote of this post came from the last teaching MP3 which I listened to from digitalministries, "The Sin of Worry." This teaching could have been subtitled, "The Promises of God" because Steve said the promises are the key to overcoming worry. I'll list only one verse he mentioned, Ps. 84:11b, "...No good thing will (The Lord) withhold from those who walk uprightly." I looked up the word "good" in my Bible dictionary and it can mean beautiful, attractive, useful, profitable, desireable, moral...and one must "contrast the beneficial and the right with...that...not beneficial...wrong." Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, pg. 316.

So in considering the promises of God, I keep in my mind the meanings of the word "good" and remember this quote from Steve regarding trials and tribulations, "I was trusting God; I was claiming the promises but still these things happened to me, therefore, I must assume this is the will of God. Therefore, I will rejoice in it. And only if we believe that God is fully Soveriegn over our circumstances can we rejoice in disasters." quote by Steve Gregg

Jess, I like yours too.

One of my favorite Steve quotes: "I have no right to consider any doctrine innately dangerous if it does not prevent its followers from being better Christians than me."

In it speaks the voice of humility.

Have a really "good" day!
SueAnn*