After writing out my own testimony of how I came to Christ and came into the knowledge of Universal Salvation, I realized all over just how good God has been to me. In the "busy ness" of living sometimes we just take our relationship with God for granted. Having to write down how it all happened causes us to really think about it and appreciate it, or, if need be, question it. On, the "What's Your Story" page, I would like to add your testimony of how you came to Christ. And, if you have joined the many Christians who now see God in a different light as far as the punishment of unbelievers goes, please, add that too. OR If you have some objections that you would like to point out, please, feel free to do so. Questions are also welcome. You can send your feedback to debbieboutwell@hotmail.com Thank You, Debbie If you don't want your name published, tell me and I won't add it with your testimony. |
| Your Comments |
Svetlio's comments May 19, 2007 Bulgaria Well, I've had ( and sometimes I have ) difficulties with accepting the hell doctrine. I have a girlfriend ( we are going to marry each other ) and she believes in eternal torment. I've never told her my difficulties with the hell doctrine. One day I said to myself: If there are other people that believe in everlasting torment and love God together, I may also do it. There shouldn't be problem for me to love God and believe in everlasting hell. Now, I don't know whether I love God better than in previous months and years, but at least I don't think about hell anymore. I just don't want to imagine hell. Or I just say to myself: This is a place destined for the fallen angels and demons and it's not for me and God came to save me from this place... So, there shouldn't be a problem for me anymore... Svetlio from Bulgaria
engagement! I imagine there are lots of people who really do have trouble reconciling the doctrine of eternal torment with a loving God but because the Bible reads the way it does, they don't think they have the option of questioning it. So, there are many, many, Christians who do indeed love God and have had their lives changed by Him, who do believe that unbelievers will spend eternity in suffering and pain. It is possible because they don't know any different and evidently, this knowledge of Universal Salvation does seem to come to us on a "need to know" basis. God bless and stop by again. :) Debbie Debra's comments May 28, 2007 About 4 years ago I did a study about tithing. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why I wanted to study tithing, but I did. I found L.Ray Smiths website bibletruths and he had a series on the lake of fire. It was over 2 years later, that I read the first article. I really wanted to believe in UR, but what if Mr. Smith was unable to prove it? Finally, one day I read the first installment and spent 4 months reading and studying UR. I just couldn't stop studying until I knew, one way or another, whether UR was right. I spent every spare minute on this subject and one morning I woke up with a peace that passes all understanding. Everything fit! Jesus really did die to save all mankind! There is no hell where people are tortured ane tormented forever. I also had gone through a period of intense depression before I started my search about UR. I hated God and told Him if I was to go to hell, I didn't care. I just couldn't understand how a good, loving God could torture his own creation. God was the one who put the desire in my heart to study it out. Now, the scriptures are making sense to me. There is a group of people chosen on earth right now who are to walk with God. The rest of creation will walk with Him later. The reason people hate God is because they haven't seen Him as He really is. Once they see Him as He really is, they will love Him too.
Universal Salvation, I spent every spare minute I had and some I didn't have on it. I spent the first two years trying to prove it untrue. I knew, even as much as I wanted it to be true, that if I could refute it, that I would just have to dismiss it and not dwell on it anymore. But, of course, that would have been impossible for me. How in the world can someone who thinks they may have a family member burning in hell, not think about it? And, during that period of time I had gone through this process of learning to love people...all of em, so the thought of anyone burning in hell forever was so preposterous, I just don't know what would have been my outcome if I had not found this "truth of Universal Salvation" Thanks for your comments. Drop by anytime :) Debbie ________________________________ Bruce's Comments June 4, 2007 Pittsburg, PA Hi Debbie, I was snooping around your website and wanted to let you know how much I’m loving it! What a powerful truth you speak!... a life-changing truth! Don’t know if you saw it yet, but I’m shutting ybmt.org down, and joining in with the guys at boldgrace.com. I hope you’ll stop by and visit sometime! BTW, I loved your family pictures too! I have some pictures on my family website. See what you think. Almost forgot… we’re nearly the same age! All along, I thought you were some freshface fancypants youngster! Hahaha. Peace Bruce Hey Bruce, Good to see you over here :) I can't find your family website..where is it? Glad you like the site. I have been having lots of fun working on it. Love the boldgrace,com site :) Ha! No youngster here....over the half-century mark. Drop back in, fun talkin to ya :) Debbie ___________________________________ Avis's comments June 16, 2007 Debbie: I visited your website after reading some of your posts on beliefnet.com where you were inquiring about "eternal punishment/punishing". I am a Christian, however the beliefs that I strive to follow do not agree with Traditional Christianity. This subject is only one of them. I would sincerely like to talk to you in more detail than this method would really permit. Believe it or not, "eternal punishMENT" is in the Bible, but "eternal punishING" is not. There is a GREAT BIG difference.
debbieboutwell@hotmail.com. I am always open to learning new things and hearing views other than my own. That sounds interesting eternal punishment but not punishing... Get in touch :) Stop back by, Debbie _____________________________________________ Keith's Comments December 1, 2007 Debbie, Your site is very encouraging, very well laid out and easy to understand. I praise God for you. Keep up the good work. I am so glad I don't have to believe God is an ETERNAL TORTURER anymore. Keith
have to believe God is an ETERNAL TORTURER anymore.". To which I add a great, big, AMEN! That is the biggest, relief, ever in my life.
learn to be at rest with the Lord. You know, just realize that He has it all under control and has had before He created the world. And, honestly, I just do not believe rest is possible, if in the back of our minds we are really wondering what will happen to us when we die...will we be OK? Did we "believe" the right thing about God/Jesus? Will we be one of the one's who hears Jesus say, "depart from Me you workers of iniquity?" Did we have the right kind of faith? Sheesh...that's not faith, that is fear!
dying for us so we wouldn't be fearing death all of our lives.( v 14-15 I think.)
time.
|