{"id":2009,"date":"2009-04-13T15:11:39","date_gmt":"2009-04-13T20:11:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thepropheticyears.com\/wordpress\/?p=2009"},"modified":"2009-04-13T15:11:39","modified_gmt":"2009-04-13T20:11:39","slug":"beware-of-getting-snared-by-legalistic-churches-that-love-to-put-heavy-burdens-on-your-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepropheticyears.com\/wordpress\/beware-of-getting-snared-by-legalistic-churches-that-love-to-put-heavy-burdens-on-your-soul.html","title":{"rendered":"Beware of getting snared by legalistic churches that love to put heavy burdens on your soul."},"content":{"rendered":"

I received this email today and thought I would ask permission from this woman to post it on my Blog because so many Christians today are trapped in similar churches and have similar struggles. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I do not know how many Catholics fall away from the Catholic faith only to end up in churches that establish their own “self appointed anointed priesthood”. They then preach that their church has the only doctrine that brings salvation and all others that do not interpret certain passages their narrow minded way are not even Christians. Many people escape the bondage of Catholic legalism but then they put themselves under total control of\u00a0 this self anointed appointed priesthood of control freaks.
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If you think keeping the rules of your church brings you salvation you have not yet heard the Gospel of salvation. Also, if you believe you are now enlightened and above sin you probably just opened the door for Satan to sift you like wheat. If you really believe salvation depends on your own performance I can assure you that your performance will fall short. Jesus said to take my yoke upon you for my burden is light. The Lord’s burden is light because Jesus is carrying all of your load.
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This lady found out the truth but not before she had to attend the school of hard knocks. Unfortunately some never learn and they keep themselves and everyone around them in legalistic bondage. This post and this woman’s email is presented for those who are bound in legalism with the hope that a few will have ears to hear and will depart from this bondage.
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After you read this email please take a minute and Pray for Ruby and her son Gabriel. <\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are in a controlling church like this please read my article on legalism<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Hi Don, \u00a0name is Ruby. I will start first of all by giving our Lord Jesus Christ all the honor and glory because he is God and worthy to be praised. I thank God for you, and the (thepropheticyears.com) website\u00a0 that you have created. I thank God he has<\/p>\n

appointed you to be a watchman. Don, I stumbled across you’re website almost a year ago I was surfing the Internet was curious about the end times something I saw on the History channel on what I think might of been about the Mayan calendar which I don’t agree with I do believe it is paganism.\u00a0 Don, I want you to know first of all that I don’t know why I feel compelled to write to you.\u00a0 Maybe it’s gratitude for all the information you put forth on the website all of that research and work that you have done to help others like myself.\u00a0 Don, I<\/p>\n

believe you’re reward is in heaven.\u00a0 I want to write to you about my life experience as a Christian.<\/strong> I know you are a busy man of God, and probably have better things to do but I pray you read this message.<\/p>\n

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Don, as a child I was raised a Catholic I remember going to Catechism on Sundays. Then in my early teens I married, but in order to get married through the Catholic Church I had to make my First Holy Communion and I did and had a Church wedding.\u00a0 I was never a devout Catholic I believed in God, but did not know God as my personal Lord and Savour.<\/p>\n

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Then in my early Twenties, a young mother of two sons my daughter was not born at that time. My now ex-husband, and I were invited to attend a Church service at a little Church where you could count the Church members.<\/p>\n

It was very exciting for me because I had never heard anyone preach the word of God from the Bible in such a way it touched my heart. I can still to this day remember hearing about Gods Salvation Plan and how Jesus Christ our Lord came and died for our sins. The word of God was foreign to me but at the same time beautiful and inspiring.<\/p>\n

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I was baptized in the name of Jesus the Church I attended was a non-denominational church In Jesus only name or the oneness Church. They strongly believe in (Act 2:38)\u00a0 repent be baptized submerged in water in the name of Jesus only to be saved. They believe that speaking in tongues is a sign of being sealed with or receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. This religion denies the (Holy Trinity) and preach against it, they really believe that if you are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit you are not saved.\u00a0 I myself believed that once, that’s what I was taught to believe.\u00a0 Don, I spoke in tongues many years ago I believe it was God’s gift to me, there was no interpreters there so I don’t know what I said God knows, I do know however I was praising God. They also taught that once baptized if you commit sin you forfeit your salvation never again to be forgiven but lose your soul forever because our Lord Jesus Christ died for us only once on the cross for forgiveness of sins. Looking back all of those years I now know that there was one thing missing in that religion probably one of the most important commandments.\u00a0 Love and charity. (1 Cor 13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity. There was almost a mean streak about them it’s sad but true, I really believe they meant well but they can’t see it’s like they are in darkness just like I was. Don, I believe now that you receive the Spirit of God when you become a believer in Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s God’s free gift to us. (Eph 4:30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.<\/p>\n

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I was a member of that religion for ten years, I wore dresses I was not allowed to wear pants or shorts just dresses. The sleeves had be a certain length and I wore flat shoes, I used a hair covering, could not cut my hair, style, curl or color my hair use makeup or jewelry. We were not allowed to watch TV, listen to radio, go to the movies, parks, entertainment of any kind was considered worldly and not acceptable.\u00a0 Did not celebrate Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving any kind of holy days or holidays were not allowed not even birthdays. The one thing that was preached against the most was the (Holy Trinity) they really believe that the Triune of God does not exist.\u00a0 However I don’t believe that way anymore this religion believes if you are not baptized in the name of Jesus you are lost, and you are not going to heaven they really believe you \u00a0be baptized in the name of Jesus in order to be saved.\u00a0 Don, I know because I believed that way once myself.\u00a0 How could I possibly think that only people in Jesus name are safe is beyond me who was I to judge others.<\/p>\n

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My ex-husband and I were to be relocated to another state he’s\u00a0 job took us there. I can’t say I was not looking forward to it I was tired of all the hypocrisy and the lack of support and love from the Church members.\u00a0 Although the transition was hard I remember\u00a0 we could not find a Church to attend that we liked.<\/p>\n

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And so we just stop going and then the unthinkable happened.\u00a0 I put my guard down and gave place to the devil.( Eph 4:27) Neither give place to the devil.\u00a0 And Don, we sinned against God and my world changed forever.\u00a0 Here I was this Women who thought she was so rooted in the Lord that nothing could possibly happen to her.\u00a0 I was prideful in what I believed to be the truth. I thought I was right and everyone else was wrong in their believes.\u00a0 I believed that you had to be baptized in Jesus name only for forgiveness of sins.\u00a0 And that all those baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were not saved.\u00a0 I believed you had to speak in tongues to receive the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 I believed that everyone else had to be wrong and I had to be right because of my outward appearance I thought I was more righteous then others because I did what I was told to do according to the Church I attend.\u00a0 I thought I was holier than thou because I was a submissive wife, and good mother I went to Church 3 times a week, I prayed and read my Bible and looked different than anyone else who said were a Christian.\u00a0 How could I have possibly fallen from Grace!\u00a0 how could I sin so greatly against my God that I love so very much.<\/p>\n

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Don, I have no one to blame but myself I take full responsibility for mine own actions.\u00a0 I was not any better than the Church members I attended Church with.\u00a0 I was prideful in my heart I was not humble I was blind and in darkness.\u00a0 I had no more Love, compassion, charity then they did. I was like them but yet I thought I was better than anyone else in the world who did not agree with me.<\/p>\n

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And so I sinned and I knew my life had changed forever. My world literally came down on me like a ton of bricks, I could feel the weight of my sins on my shoulders and I was devastated.\u00a0 And all I could think about was that I had fallen from Grace and that God would never ever forgive me again.\u00a0 My spirit was crushed and the pain was unbearable everything I had work so hard for all those years was now gone. So I thought.<\/p>\n

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Don, I was angry how could this happen to me! I thought way did it happen to me, I was angry at myself, my husband everyone.\u00a0 I knew the Church members would ridiculed me and say I was a backslider and no longer to be considered a sister in the Lord.<\/p>\n

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Don, I lost everything when I sinned against God or so I thought.\u00a0 The one thing that I regret the most is that I thought I had lost God’s love forever and his forgiveness for what I had done I could not bear the thought it was too much for me to handle I did not want to think about it I just wanted to forget but I couldn’t.\u00a0 I lost everything that ever mattered to me at that time in my life.\u00a0 First I thought I had lost God in my life forever, I lost all hope where did my faith go I thought, I had none only the consent reminder of what I had done.\u00a0 I lost my husband, and my home. My husband and I divorced and my family was split what a price to pay, it was horrible! I don’t wish this on anybody.<\/p>\n

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Don, it’s been years sense all of this happened but I never forgot about that little Church where I first heard the word of God. I thought about our Lord Jesus Christ and prayed and sang hymns once in a while.\u00a0 I stopped going to Church because it was too painful, I could not bear the grieve and sorrow that I felt, the shame of it all and the guilt was overwhelming and the tears I have wept many times when thinking back on my past so much so, I could fill the ocean with my tears. I believe Jesus wept for me as well on Calvary tears of love and compassion and mercy for me and all humanity.<\/p>\n

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Don, I have faced the demons that taunt me for a long time it has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. I have taken every emotion I have ever felt, every sin, guilt, shame, anger, sadness every lie that Satan whispered in my ear for years, everything bad that has happened to be in my life and I have taken it to the foot of the cross at Calvary.\u00a0 Never to look back but forward with the Faith God instilled in me years ago.<\/p>\n

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Don, It has been almost a year sense I started going back to Church, I like the Church I attend although I must admit I I’m more careful and do a lot of more research on every subject and I’m not easily persuaded anymore. God has been good to me, I believe he has had Compassion and mercy on me. I like that verse in (Rom 9:15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have Mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. I know God has had mercy and compassion on me if it weren’t so I would not be writing this letter or I would of never returned to church. I believe in God’s great mercy I know he forgives us for sins of our past, present and future.<\/p>\n

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I have learned a lot by my mistakes, I have learned not to judge others.<\/p>\n

(Rom 2:1)<\/p>\n

I was not a humble person I was prideful but God has shown me how to be a<\/p>\n

humble person.<\/p>\n

( 2 Chr. 7:14 )<\/p>\n

I have learned to forgive others and forgive myself.<\/p>\n

(Eph 4:32)<\/p>\n

And I I’m still learning to Love more and try to me more like Christ.<\/p>\n

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( 1 Cor.13 )<\/p>\n

I believe that we are saved by grace through faith.<\/p>\n

(Eph 2:18<\/p>\n

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Don, God blessed me with a Bible verse that I love, when I most needed help God blessed me with this Bible verse.<\/p>\n

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(Psalms 27:14)\u00a0 Wait on the Lord be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.<\/p>\n

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Don,\u00a0 I have one request to make will you please pray for my son Gabriel. <\/strong> He has gone missing for a few years I have not heard from him or seen him.\u00a0 I had a really good relationship with my son I don’t know why he wants nothing to do with the family. Don, I love my son very much and forgive him, I just want him to come home to his family we miss him and love him very much.\u00a0 Don, I know God loves us and does not disown his children anymore then I have disowned my child.\u00a0 God loves me and his children he paid the price for us at Calvary on that cross with his precious blood we’ve been bought.<\/p>\n

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Don,\u00a0 thank you so very much, for making a difference in my life. I pray that one day I too will be able to make a difference in someone else life.<\/strong> God bless you and you’re family and your website thank you again from the bottom of my heart.<\/p>\n

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Thank you,<\/p>\n

Ruby<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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