(John 8:36 KJV) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. This is so true, especially in my case. For more than fifteen years, I believed the blasphemies and lies that a cultic house church leader taught me. Elders of that tiny congregation also rebuked me on various occasions for lacking faith, having hidden sin, lusting for good sight, and having ancestral sins. Whenever they laid hands on me and commanded my eyes to heal in Jesus' name, nothing happened. One woman even shouted at me when I told her that my ophthalmologist diagnosed me as having glaucoma.
When that ill-tempered woman used the pulpit to rail against my supposed sins, I left that church and turned my back on God for nine years. But the heavenly Father never turned his back on me. He sent various trials, too numerous to list here, to demonstrate that I couldn't run my own life.
I eventually arrived at the realization that the cultists were at fault for teaching me lies. The Lord showed me that he is sovereign and has our best interest in mind. John 9:3 came alive for me and helped me accept my poor vision. All the working up of my faith and crushing all doubts would never make God do anything. He's a person, not a magical force or somebody we can manipulate.
Now that I understand the sovereignty of God, I feel much happier. Human stupidity still annoys me at times but I realize that the heavenly Father uses everything for his glory and our spiritual growth. The most precious possession I have isn't my house or my adaptive computer equipment but the knowledge of the truth. Nobody can mislead me now that I know how to read the scriptures. Neither can they trick me into thinking that God is some sort of miser in the sky who has to be presented with enough faith before he would heal me. Our Father in heaven truly is a father to us.
My hope now is that my upcoming memoir, How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity will comfort and instruct other sufferers of spiritual abuse. God willing, my memoir should be out in e-book and paperback form by the end of the year.
I also have my previous books for sale on my Bruce Atchison's books link. It's also one of my blogs where I post excerpts of my books.
Yours is a powerful story, Bruce, that needs to be told. I am sure it will help and encourage many people. I've seen God do miraculous things and I've also seen Him remain 'silent' (or so our human minds would think) yet in all things He is sovereign and knows best. I pray for much success for your book and that it will touch many people.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being willing to tell your story, Bruce. I know you will be helping someone else in the same situation.
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