First post, greetings, and wanting to get involved...

[ThomasHGW]

Hello people, my name is Thomas,  I'm 22, and live in VA.
I'm new to posting anything on a forum so I guess I'll jump right in.
I grew up going to local churches with my family and was saved at a young age. I can remember my mother teaching me about sin and confessing your sin to God and what grief and godly sorrow was, and that there were no works that you could do to re-pay your debt as a sinner. I don't actually remember doing this specifically but she says that I fell on my knees and said "I have a whole box of sins I need  forgiveness for."
I do remember asking how I can be saved and her telling me to ask Jesus "to live in my heart." So I went in private and prayed that the Lord Jesus would live in me and save me from my sins.
To be honest, I grew up going to public schools and I was foolishly influenced by people that I thought were friends and got mixed up in the wrong crowd for years.
I thank the Lord Jesus that a about a year ago a co-worker came up to me out of no where and asked me "how often do you read the bible?"
my response was "not as often as I should."
and I thank the Lord Jesus  again that only days later a different co-worker told me about this ministry on youtube. I started listening to the teachings and I really like the way that Chris goes through the bible and explains things.
that was about a year ago and I've been cautious of people and trying to find a church to get involved in ever since....
but that's kind of why I'm here, I can't find a local church that doesn't teach tithing or isnt in love with money and aren't blind to what biblical love and charity is.
I apologize if I lost my train of thought as I was typing or left out any important detail that I may have just forgotten, please feel free to reply any questions you have for me...

[creationliberty]

I wish that wasn't the case; meaning that I wish it wasn't the case that people would listen to what I'm teaching and turn away from church buildings, but at the same time, I'm happy that they're turning away from sin and leaven. I just have to teach what I'm seeing, and that sometimes leads people to sanctify themselves. What I wish would happen is that these churchgoers would come to repentance and be converted to the Lord Jesus Christ, and touch not the unclean thing so God can heal them.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
-2Co 6:14-18

[ThomasHGW]

 I didn't mean to say that I listened to your teachings  and decided to turn away from the church buildings, I just mean I agree with a lot of what is taught here and I see the same thing. I have spoken to pastors who start looking at me funny when I say start talking about repentance and they just won't listen to anything I have to say about tithe. It's as if they haven't heard about it, but they won't listen either. I actually have better odds talking to a nonbeliever about the problems I see than a believer.
      So, certain verses have been brought to my attention such as
Hebrews 10:25
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
and this was brought to me by a co-worker, and i do believe he is saved based on what he professes to be true about repentance and the blood of Jesus.
He was telling me that it's my duty as a christian to be in the church building and if i'm not then i'm not upholding the christian standard and on and on he went.
Well i don't agree with how he was telling me but I do want to start getting involved somewhere whether it be online or in person. As long as they are teaching truth that's what's really important to me

[creationliberty]

Right, they don't want to hear. They've closed their eyes and their ears because tradition.
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. -Mat 13:15-16

[Jeanne]

The Internet didn't exist when the Bible was written, so there is nowhere it says that we have to gather together in PERSON rather than electronically. It makes no sense to fellowship with people who don't believe the same way you do and no one should be expected to change their beliefs just to 'fit in'.

We fellowship together through this forum and via Skype and do all of the things the Bible says a church should do as far as encouraging one another and offering rebuke when needed.

I encourage you to continue to listen to the teachings (if you listen to the audio from the website, you'll also get the Bible study that is the first half; only the second half teachings are put on YouTube) and join in the discussions here so we can get to know you better.

Once we get a better idea of who you are and what you believe, you can then submit a request to join the church and be a part of our Skype group. Like the church is Acts, however, we don't just let anyone in who claims to be a Christian. Even Paul was not accepted until someone else vouched for him. The only way to keep leaven out of the church is to not let it in in the first place. Unfortunately, I don't know of a single church building that's NOT leavened and just like a lump of dough, you can't get the leaven out once it's in there.

[ThomasHGW]

Yes I agree, I have been trying to explain this for a while but some people just won't hear me out. I have kind stopped trying after months of talking to him, but I have said things about rebuke and correcting someone if they are teaching something in error, and he will say "well i'm not in a position of authority and have no business saying anything"
but the point is that if someone is teaching something false, you are supposed to correct them no matter what there "status" is. and the point of that is for edification (2 Tim 3:16-17) (that was just a co-worker)
Anyways, I only recently discovered that there is a first half recording and that has been helpful as well.
I do have one question that I guess I can ask here, I saw on the website that CLE was looking for an artist who can make pictures for articles, is that something that CLE is still looking for? if I had an idea or had the ability  to edit photos and design something am I allowed to post it on general discussion forum?
I work as an artist for a living and just thought I would ask.

[creationliberty]

The original thought I had for an artist was someone who could take things that were copyrighted and make something I could use that was original. For example, if I saw a humorous comic image, to make our own that was similar, so I wouldn't break copyright. Also, perhaps banners that I use at the top of the main page; if someone made something that was suitable at the proper size for some of the teachings I've got. Stuff like that.
I've had a handful of people over the years tell me they would do it. The last time I had someone actually do it was about 8 years ago, and even though we gave her clear instructions on dimension, she sent the complete opposite size we needed, and then we never heard from her again. Everyone else simply gave their word and lied to us. I'm not kidding; I remember one guy who was a retired policemen tell me twice over a six month period that he was working on a big portfolio of stuff for me to use, and after the second email, I never heard from him again, and this happens frequently.

Over the years, I've worked with gimp enough that, as you all have seen, I've made a lot of my own stuff. I'm not very good at it, but it's passable. So what I've really come down to is this: If a Christian sends me something, great. I'll look at it, and I might use it. (I might not, it depends, but I can keep it on file in case.) If they don't send me anything, great. I'll keep working on my own as I've always done. I've got tons of stories I could tell you (and my wife could tell you) of people who have lied to us and disappeared on us, and we just can't find reliable people. So I stopped relying on everyone else. That's why I tell people to do the work and show me, and if they don't send me anything, then I'll continue on as normal, but I look for action over words, and in the end, artistic influence is really not a necessity.

(Btw, we've had more than one artist come through our church over the years, and to this day, I haven't been sent or offered anything. I don't press the matter because I've got work to do, and I find I can rely on myself a hundred times more than I can rely on others. Some folks may whine that I'm being negative, but I'm being honest.)

[ThomasHGW]

ok, I completely understand. I don't have any professional experience in photo editing or computers but i've had plenty of experience in editing myself just when i have free time. If i were to read a new article you posted and see something i could make or improve on is there somewhere you would want it sent? general discussion forum?
also do you have any preference as to what the pictures are for? obviously it would have to relate to the article at hand but i mean pictures for new articles only? or any article?

[creationliberty]

Send them to me, not post on the forum... but I don't know what you're talking about that needs improving.

[ThomasHGW]

Just wondering if there was a specific way you would like me to send them? Please forgive my asking multiple times and ignorance....
I don't know if its the forum or what but something is not allowing me to send them directly in a personal message...

[creationliberty]

I don't understand. Do you have email?

[ThomasHGW]

Yes, its *********@aol.com,
I have tried sending a personal message on the forum to you with a link but its not allowing me to send for some reason, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but a week or so ago I sent a couple pictures I made and it seemed to go through, did you receive them?

[creationliberty]

Go to website, click on contact, and send me an email. Have you not sent me an email before? If you have, can you not send it through that? I will remove your email address from your post since it's not a good idea to list it openly like that on a public forum because spam bots pick up that stuff.

[ThomasHGW]

ooohhhh duh.
I thought you meant send it through the forum personal messaging program...
thanks. LOL.

[Jeanne]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one whose brain gets stuck on a certain track and has trouble comprehending what other people are telling me...