Greetings everyone

[Jean-Marc Otamonga]

Hello everyone, my name is Jean-Marc (pronounced John-Marc).

I discovered TPOT about two months ago or so I'm not sure, anyway it was when i was searching if a Youtube preacher was a false prophet, because his requirements for salvation pained me, they were that i had to get baptized in water. Now you may think thats not difficult, well it was for me because i had asked my parents and was told to wait a few years until i matured and would understand my decision. i asked the pastor of the church we were attending that time and he seemed to brush it off, i bet he thought the same thing as my parents. You see i am a teenager, however i don't recall feeling like i have wanted to use that as an excuse because God does not accept excuses and i fully understood that. However as i am commanded to obey my parents, then that means that in my situation at the time, i had to postpone my salvation and couldn't argue about it or else it would mean breaking one of God's commandments. It's not like i could go and get baptised in secret that would be rebellion, so it was a huge obstacle for me. I read a teaching on baptism at TPOT which greatly helped and lifted a burden off my heart, i then read the teaching on obedience and others on salvation. Falsehood exposed was difficult to accept but i listened to what Victor and Paul had to say on it.

So the teachings of this YouTube preacher angered me and upset me. I did a search on him and was led to the TPOT. Here i was amazed at the teachings, they just feel so true I'm sure you believers know what i mean. So i was confused a little and emailed Paul and he cleared things up for me which i am grateful for. I soon began to realise that the church my family attended and are currently attending is likely false. as much as i didn't want to believe it a lot of the marks of a cult were there. i just felt betrayed and angry, not at God but the people in these churches who tell you that it's the right church and this and that blah blah blah.

When i read the true marks of a cult, i began to remember things i had seen in church were false according to the teaching. Things such as female pastors and singers, singing as if they were in a contest or something. The loud music that was played. The ungodly behaviour of the children in the church and the gossiping between the teenagers and adults. The teachings on mundane matters of importance also triggered a memory, i remember at the end of a service at the current church we attend, a visiting preacher was prepared to leave to go stay at a church house the ministry has for visitors to the church, however the elders of the church were being hospitable and obviously saw it as polite to feed the man, and i remember that they got him Mcdonalds, he didn't eat it there in church but i remember one of the elders asking if he got his Mcdonalds. He was slightly overweight too and now i think to myself how could i not see something was false at the time, not just that but his teaching was full of claiming by the spirit of God to come and heal people in the church and saying things like 'there is so and so in the room God wants go get healed, please come forward' i felt like if Victor, Paul or the apostles, even the Lord was there they would condemn the teaching because it was so charismatic and felt false.

I am reading teachings almost everyday and am truly grateful to God for Victor and Paul, however some days i think to myself if i was truly grateful and loved him i would obey. I do try and obey but a reminder from Paul told me that i cannot expect results if i try half-heartedly, because God has given me the grace to obey so i should love him with all my heart. how foolish i was. Also i remember Victor mentioning at the beginning of his theo-autobiography that the young should realise that they shouldn't be waiting for a stage in their life where God changes them (or something similar), that stage is now. that statement really helped me. This seems quite long, but if anybody wants me to elaborate more on something i am happy to do so.

God bless
Jean-Marc

[Victor Hafichuk]

Hi Jean-Marc,

Do you have anything specific to ask or that you wish to talk about? Perhaps others may wish to respond. Meanwhile, read at our site and learn. Ask the Lord to guide you and make His will known for you.

[Jean-Marc Otamonga]

Hi Victor

I was wondering how you and others dealt with friends that don't know the truth. Do we leave them or stay acting as a loving friend who helps them in their problems and provides Godly counsel even though they might not listen?

[Victor Hafichuk]

Good Sabbath Jean-Marc,

I don't recall seeing this post from April 19th. But you're here now; we will see what the Lord has for you.

[Victor Hafichuk]

Jean-Marc, you ask:

"I was wondering how you and others dealt with friends that don't know the truth. Do we leave them or stay acting as a loving friend who helps them in their problems and provides Godly counsel even though they might not listen?"

You're asking about the will of God concerning your relationship with the world. Is God calling you "out from among them and to be separate"? Yes, He is, as the Scriptures declare. Does that mean you don't have or aren't allowed to give them Godly counsel? No. If you have Godly counsel, you give it to them when an opportunity presents itself. What you don't do is try to change them.