The danger of reading the Bible completely

I was born and raised Catholic. I was always comfortable in my Catholic faith. I had a strong Father who taught me to fear God and Go to church. And one day, I would die, and face God, and be accountable for my life and what I did with it. So I was a faithful practicing Catholic my whole life. There were things that I did not totally agree with , but with a billion members and a history that went all the way back to the first Century or so, I was always sure that I was in the most scripturally correct religion. And I also honored my Father by practicing the faith he taught me. I did that my whole life, until something happened that changed me and my peace with most organized religions. 

     My dad died in 2007. I felt that when he died, I could research the churches history  to answer some  questions I had about the Catholic faith. I had always read the Bible regularly from childhood, different than most Catholics. And I  grew up in a small southern town which was mostly Baptist and Church of Christ. My moms family was mostly protestant, my dads was Catholic. I had been given  many conflicting views on what the Bible said and ment. "We are the only true church because we descend directly from Peter, and have the only true eucharest", "You are going to hell, you worship Mary, you've been sprinkled not immersed", "You have Idols and carved images in your church", and from my best friends church-"We are the only church to follow the Bible correctly, everyone else is going to hell"........ It was such a confusing mess hearing everyone elses opinions about the Bible, and saying so many different things about the same scriptures. So in the summer of 2007, I decided to read the Bible completely from beginning to end, and pray for God to guide me to what it all means and how the churches stood up to scripture. 

    The first thing I experienced, was I found several things in the Bible that I had no idea were there. The second thing was how amazingly simple, yet intricately complicated it is. Before I read it completely, it seemed to be a extreemely complicated book that preachers and priest quote from to make a point, instead of a saga of God's people. I honestly think that from all the different things in it, you can make it say anything you want to according to your own view and opinion. Having both Baptist and Catholic backgrounds, I see clearly how much your opinion is influenced by how you were raised by your parents and what your church teaches. The same scripture is totally different to individual people. The Bible has been debated and complicated to a point that the true meaning and emphasis is lost to most. And that is the personal goal of mine in writing this. I want to state the big picture of what God wants and what he says to me. When I get up in front of him, I want to say I did something besides nothing to witness to his truth as I see it. I have that freedom so far here. It may not be your opinion, and you might not agree with it, but I have a right to have it and express it. Here are a few main things that I believe after reading it-

1. No one is holy but God. Anyone who professes sole holiness and righteousness is fooling themselves.

2. I can only pray to, venerate, glorify or worship God alone.

3.  There has not been one molecule or atom that came to be without Jesus. All things came to be through him. He was the Big Bang.

4.  Communion- When he gave the bread to his disciples at the last supper, and said it was his body, it was. Everything is him. It doesn't take transubstantiation to get him. And communion is more than just a symbol. Its what you do and how much you love God and your fellow humans that determines your reward, not what church you went to or what "rituals" you correctly practice. 

5. Jesus proved himself through miracles, and to me through the miracles he performed in my life. It is public record in the Romans archives and even the Jewish Talmud that he performed miracles. All of his disciples except the one who did not deny him were martyred for witnessing to his ressurection . Ill bet my soul on him.

6. Satan is dividing Gods people in supernatural ways. It says in scripture that he masquerades as an angel of light. So in all of those apparitions of Mary where she directs devotions to her heart instead of Jesus-Was it really Mary? In the cave where Mohammed met "Gabriel" and was given the Koran which denies Jesus' ressurection, was that really Gabriel? All of these supernatural sightings of UFOs and Spirits, are we being tested by God? I believe I cannot go wrong worshiping God alone, and praying for his direction and will in my life. 

7. I believe God could  completely disperse of existence in a nanosecond if it was his will.

8.I believe one day when we see him we will understand why all of this had to be, and why we had to go through this.

9. I believe that all carved images of God and Gods are wrong. Including a crucifix. Including the Statue of Liberty, which is a representation of the Roman Goddess Libertas. To rid yourself of the Law of God and break his chains does not make you free, it makes you a slave.

10. I believe the CERN supercollider in the Swiss Alps is the modern day tower of Babylon, vainly attempting to define creation and how everything came to be and has mass. They are stupid as cattle compared to God. The internet was invented there, which has connected the entire world and bonded it in rebellion mostly. Some good, but mostly human sin nature at its worst.

11. I believe the two witnesses of revelation represent the law and the prophets, and with Jesus, the word of God. When they stand up, is when the scriptures of the last days are so fulfilled down to the last detail, that no sane person can deny that it is the truth, and God is King. Every knee will bend. I believe that we are in the Tribulation now. The word of God, when it is read, digested, and believed, becomes part of you. You are part of God and he is part of you. And collectively, we are him on earth.  And what is to come after God says to us who love him "Come up here" is wrath. I pray every day for him not to leave me. I deserve it. Im depending on his mercy, not my righteousness.

12. God is complete and total Love. I love you. I hope you love me. In heaven everyone will love me. And I will love everyone. Hate will be gone. Only love will reign. I can't wait. Its what I live for.

13. The flip side to reading the Bible, was that it showed me how evil I was. My favorite music was hard rock, the most evil glorifying music there is. And I live in Shelby County Tennessee, the home of supposedly "The King", who introduced the world to my favorite music. The way I idolize women. The introduction of yoga pants. The devil knows what I like. The fact that this country has gone from freedom to worship God how you choose, to the freedom to do whatever you want. The list goes on and on. My peace in how I was living my life and the church I went to is gone. Only God can fix this. One day he will.

I know it may seem like rambling to most, but its me. As I have read my blogs, I realize how my views have changed over time. And whatever God reveals to me may change how I believe. I am growing now as much as when I was 18. (I'm 57) So with all of that, if you are a loving believer, I'll see you on the other side. If you do not believe, good luck with that and I wish you peace. Peace and Love to all of you. Me