Great video Charity! Your bad date stories are very relatable. The current dating scene is insane, degeneracy and sin are expected from everyone. If you're trying to honor Jesus and seek romantic companionship, it's just that much more difficult to keep sin out of your personal life. I'm glad you've decided to share these stories about your testimony, they're really personal, but also really encouraging to believers that have struggled with purity, dating, and sin; whether they grew up in the message or not.
I was living life for myself and it wasn’t working. I was a slave and sin and compromise kept just getting bigger, I was never satisfied. I couldn’t truthfully tell this part of my testimony without bringing up sin. God saved me from a cult, and then I replayed Him by living for myself. I’m so thankful he opened my eyes and had patience with me.
Stumbled on your fourth video in the “leaving a cult” series and watched the next two and can so identify! I grew up in a cult as well: IBLP/Bill Gothard. So many parallels! I love how you share about coming to know Jesus and the gospel! Oh and I’m an Austinite as well.
Wow friend thank you for sharing this…we really went through the most after we left the cult of WMB and we thought life would be freeing now but it did come with it’s challenges. I love that even through it all the Lord Jesus Christ found His way to you and you where open to Him🙏🏽
I enjoy hearing your journey to God. There's a verse that, "he who is forgiven much loves much." But I think the same can be said for those saved out of much. Sometimes it feels like God reached down and pulled me out of a tar pit. I was hopless. I had no direction but down. Nothing but a dusty little Bible changed the whole direction of my life because God met me there. I was failing reading compression and yet by His grace I understood His word and turned away from nearly everything I'd been trained to believe and do.
Your videos have been a blessing 😊 I’m so happy the Lord delivered you from that extremely toxic and spiritually abusive place. Will keep you in my prayers and I’m excited for what the Lord has in store for you 🔥 I could use some prayer for clarity and discernment. I grew up in the message and I’m doing my own research into the doctrines. So far it seems like they are teaching false doctrine but I’m going through it slowly. My stents, brothers and friends are part of it. If it turns out to be a completely heretical church, I’ll need God’s grace to share the truth in love and bring them to the Lord.
God truly is both God of Justice and God of Mercy: He is so just that He wants to destroy sin (and everything that abides in it) and He wants to save sinful people from their sins, and He do that by His mercy.
I too was a believer in William branham very young now I'm in my 40s . And I know nothing exceeds the bible. The deprogramming of the mind into God's word has been a slow transition for me. Hard to explain lol.
You talk about being triggered by phrases in your current church. I think it would be good to go back through this video and look at your own language when discussing your then-current (in case it’s changed in the time since) world view. Something that comes up often in this series, but is especially prevalent in this video, is the framing of the world in William Branhsm’s/ your particular pastor’s language. The ending, in particular, sounds exactly like a Message testimony. Listening to this from a far longer distance (it seems just a few years for you), it seems that you are still viewing the world through the lens you grew up with, despite discounting its prophet. It is very difficult to sidestep the thinking patterns of a cult. Your book and this series are great ways of unpacking that trauma. I would also suggest doing a non-church-based course in Christian theology. This is a great way to discover new ways to read the Bible and relate to Jesus in your own terms. You’re in the US, where education is expensive, but if you look at course outlines and reading lists, you will be able to study for yourself. As a woman growing up under extreme gender divisions, you might enjoy an oldie, but goodie: “In memory of her” by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, which is a wonderful reclamation of the role of women in the very early Christian church. Also, I’m not sure what church you’re going to now, but if they are using the same language around sin and guilt that was used in your childhood, you may want to search further abroad for a faith-home.
Great video Charity! Your bad date stories are very relatable. The current dating scene is insane, degeneracy and sin are expected from everyone. If you're trying to honor Jesus and seek romantic companionship, it's just that much more difficult to keep sin out of your personal life.
I'm glad you've decided to share these stories about your testimony, they're really personal, but also really encouraging to believers that have struggled with purity, dating, and sin; whether they grew up in the message or not.
I was living life for myself and it wasn’t working. I was a slave and sin and compromise kept just getting bigger, I was never satisfied.
I couldn’t truthfully tell this part of my testimony without bringing up sin. God saved me from a cult, and then I replayed Him by living for myself. I’m so thankful he opened my eyes and had patience with me.
Stumbled on your fourth video in the “leaving a cult” series and watched the next two and can so identify! I grew up in a cult as well: IBLP/Bill Gothard. So many parallels! I love how you share about coming to know Jesus and the gospel! Oh and I’m an Austinite as well.
God boess you sis! This whole testimony is a blessing !
Wow friend thank you for sharing this…we really went through the most after we left the cult of WMB and we thought life would be freeing now but it did come with it’s challenges. I love that even through it all the Lord Jesus Christ found His way to you and you where open to Him🙏🏽
Yes I’m so thankful for that too. To God be all the glory!
I enjoy hearing your journey to God. There's a verse that, "he who is forgiven much loves much." But I think the same can be said for those saved out of much.
Sometimes it feels like God reached down and pulled me out of a tar pit. I was hopless. I had no direction but down. Nothing but a dusty little Bible changed the whole direction of my life because God met me there. I was failing reading compression and yet by His grace I understood His word and turned away from nearly everything I'd been trained to believe and do.
Well said, I’ve been forgiven much and plucked out of so much harm. God is so good.
Your videos have been a blessing 😊 I’m so happy the Lord delivered you from that extremely toxic and spiritually abusive place. Will keep you in my prayers and I’m excited for what the Lord has in store for you 🔥
I could use some prayer for clarity and discernment. I grew up in the message and I’m doing my own research into the doctrines. So far it seems like they are teaching false doctrine but I’m going through it slowly.
My stents, brothers and friends are part of it. If it turns out to be a completely heretical church, I’ll need God’s grace to share the truth in love and bring them to the Lord.
*my parents
God truly is both God of Justice and God of Mercy: He is so just that He wants to destroy sin (and everything that abides in it) and He wants to save sinful people from their sins, and He do that by His mercy.
I too was a believer in William branham very young now I'm in my 40s . And I know nothing exceeds the bible. The deprogramming of the mind into God's word has been a slow transition for me. Hard to explain lol.
Can’t believe your baby will be 1 soon!!! Time flies!
Me either, 🥹 she’s a sweet little baby and she’s growing so fast.
You were supposed to be saved in the Message as the Message is a Message of Grace. Are you not deceived now thinking that you are saved now ?
If you investigate ISLAM with an open mind and heart, you're more likely to be convinced, given your dedication to God.
You talk about being triggered by phrases in your current church. I think it would be good to go back through this video and look at your own language when discussing your then-current (in case it’s changed in the time since) world view.
Something that comes up often in this series, but is especially prevalent in this video, is the framing of the world in William Branhsm’s/ your particular pastor’s language. The ending, in particular, sounds exactly like a Message testimony.
Listening to this from a far longer distance (it seems just a few years for you), it seems that you are still viewing the world through the lens you grew up with, despite discounting its prophet.
It is very difficult to sidestep the thinking patterns of a cult. Your book and this series are great ways of unpacking that trauma.
I would also suggest doing a non-church-based course in Christian theology. This is a great way to discover new ways to read the Bible and relate to Jesus in your own terms.
You’re in the US, where education is expensive, but if you look at course outlines and reading lists, you will be able to study for yourself.
As a woman growing up under extreme gender divisions, you might enjoy an oldie, but goodie: “In memory of her” by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, which is a wonderful reclamation of the role of women in the very early Christian church.
Also, I’m not sure what church you’re going to now, but if they are using the same language around sin and guilt that was used in your childhood, you may want to search further abroad for a faith-home.
Your story had a pregnant elephant's lengthy gestation.
True
How he is a cult proof it
What?