Question: Thank you for this ministry. After reading and benefiting from these studies, I feel that I may have been wasting my time in traditional Christianity.
Response: Please do not be too quick to "throw the baby out with the bath water". I too come from the reformed tradition originally, and there is much of value in it. It is just that my ministry is to follow the truth of the Word of God wherever it leads, regardless of tradition. The Peter's Epistles does serve as an introduction to Christian doctrines generally, and of course in the area of eschatology there is a good deal available (i.e., The Satanic Rebellion series and the current Coming Tribulation series). However, the Bible Basics series is completed only through part 6A Peripateology, so there are areas of theology where there is much of importance to say (and to learn) that are presently only available at ICHTHYS in a way which is somewhat less than the detailed treatments projected (you might check the E-mail Response page as well as the Subject Index page for many of these issues).
So while I am deeply gratified that you have been challenged and helped by these lessons, I want to stress that my ministry is dedicated to the building up of faith through the truth of the Word of God. Everything the Bible has to say is precious to me, and I know for certain that we Christians need to seek out all the truth of scripture, from the scripture.
In short, I hope you are not going to rashly give up on what you have already built, and will not abandon your affiliations without careful and prudent soul searching and prayer, but will rather be challenged in any case to follow the Word and to follow the Lord wherever they lead you, and in so doing to continue to grow spiritually in Jesus Christ.
I very much appreciate your kind words and pray for your continued growth and edification in the Lord. You might also find the following links of some use:
The Local Church and Personal Ministry IV
The Local Church and Personal Ministry III
The Situation of the Church Visible on the Eve of the Tribulation
Is Church Membership an Issue in Salvation?
Political Action versus Biblical Christianity
Christians Beware: Internet Frauds and the Need for Spiritual Discernment (part 2).
Christians Beware: Internet Frauds and the Need for Spiritual Discernment.
In His Name and to His glory,
Bob L.