Robin, Pilgrim, thank you both so much.

Robin, the description you've given in terms of your original struggle with the OT back as a new Believer masks so much of what I've been experiencing personally.

It seems that specifically over the past couple of weeks I've become more settled on these conflicts-over time the Lord seems to have revealed His true intent/motives behind these things. Like I mentioned previously, I had Him made out to be such a monster at first which played a large part in this state of confusion I've been working through for many of the exact same reasons/thoughts you appear to have struggled with at first. Thanks for sharing your experience w/ me, Robin.

And Pilgrim, I'm assuming you're a pastor, thank you as well so much for the excellent sermon you shared with me. It was very well written and very comforting. The Lord's helped you put the pieces together in such a way whereby the specific descriptions/wording in your sermon do a wonderful job of revealing the big picture.

I thank the Lord and all of you for your dear willingness to help me like this. I'm finally at that place now where there's a sense of hope again. Looking back now, it's amazing to see how the Lord uses His people to lead you back on the right path using the certain personalities your most comfortable with along the way to help you along the way.

I've reviewed this website now and have a general sense in place of the prevalent thoughts/beliefs. Though I'm a younger person to some degree, perhaps this is the type of belief system/structure I'm most comfortable with deep down. I felt at home immediately with the gentleman I mentioned previously that advised me to come here, so again can't be more thankful for the opportunity and everyone's help over the past couple of days. Thanks again, all of you.