Yes, I was hit by a truck in 1996, actually it was two trucks. The first one launched me and my bicycle about 30 feet from a roadway shoulder - sideways to landing on a railroad crossing. I was still straddling the bicycle when I landed and was hit by the second truck. It was hardly his fault, no one expects something to fly in front of you from the right! Net result was four broken lumbars and a totaled out bicycle.
With the exception of weddings and funerals, I have always worn jeans and a tee shirt to church. You have to understand that my entire youth was spent in either a two piece or three piece suits. Wearing a tie - constantly!, was considered just normal life by my father. Yes, he might have been royalty (via his mother) but there was nothing royal about him. The hypocrisy of it was more than I could take. So, I determined, once I became a Christian, that I would never put on "airs" and wear a suit, except to show respect to those whom have died or are getting married. When confronted I usually point out that my heart is wearing a tux, but I wear jeans because I am not a hypocrite. I even had one lady offer me her dead husband's suits because he was roughly my size. I thanked her and never went over for a fitting.
I am the most complete and utter klutz the world has ever known. That is not a brag, it is just an observation. Take last night for instance. I was at the doctor's office and needed to use the toilet. So, I am walking down this hallway and someone steps out of a room just to my right as I am passing. Instinctively, I spun to my left, completing a full circle which would now have put me behind them. So, if it was an attack, I was in the better position. Unfortunately, my right foot did not pivot nor follow through and I spun my foot right off my ankle - shredded EVERYTHING! It is so bad I am going in this week for a re-evaluation of the ankle to see if I can still have surgery in June! And I had been out of my cast for three full days ... sigh ... Back in again, back in compression tubes, with ankle braces, all stuffed into a cast now.
"Doing "something" wrong ... " Well this critic of mine believed that he could do something right. Not that I am aware. We as humans do have the ability to do something right - when God is leading the way and God is doing all of the work. We are just His hands, His mouth, His tools ... Nope you are not capable of doing something right apart from him. The speaker though was going with the premise that I did not tithe and by doing so, God would suddenly stop all of life's challenges. But, I really have not given as little as a tithe ever, because I have always believed that everything I have is from God and is God's. Yes, most Christian would argue that point - but we are talking about my walk here, not theirs. So, when God says, give - I give. God does not tell me, I do nothing and by default I support Trans World Radio and their broadcasts monthly.
Hmmm, Kris and prayer ... I pray a great deal. When I am driving, when I am on the toilet, in the bath, anytime I am free to do so without disturbing others. I was struck very early on by the story of George Mueller (English spelling). He was widely known as a man of prayer. Unlike Mueller, I am not much for anyone knowing much about my relationship with God. Yeah, those whom I have discipled know I pray a lot but that would be it. It really is no one's business but God's because it is His talking to me, my talking to Him - and usually about those I am involved with ... no matter how far they roam. Prayer, I strongly suggest it for you on a moment by moment basis! It is your ONLY communication tool with the real God. As so many in my current church have said, "Oh, I take long walks in the parks and woods. That is how I get in touch with God." (That unfortunately is not the God of the universe they are talking to, it is the feel good modern age God of self. sorry...)
Of course, the 2005 fire was astonishing, could not have happened at a worse moment and for as much as others liked to claim that it showed what was wrong between me and God - He showed His many blessings through it! No one was injured, there was no smoke damage, structurally there was NO damage and it was only $600 in repairs! So, others saw a chastisement, where I saw God really pulling out the stops to minimize something that is very common to man.
In all of the comments about Thursday, it communicated to me quite a bit:
- Superstition is everywhere in the Church
- Even strong Christians can be superstitious
- People you respect can be utterly wrong in all regards
- God does not work the way today's church believes
- People can be misled easily
- People pay far too much attention to others, rather than themselves
In the end, the only conclusion you can reach Biblically, is that the modern church is not the Christian Church of yesterday. It has replaced an emphasis on God, Jesus and evangelism with an emphasis on self, and when even doing something "in the name of Jesus", it is fact still self serving and all about us in the end. It is no wonder that we face the 21st century with a failed model of Christianity!
The religion which stood up to the Pax Romana and over came it, survived the onslaught of the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages and survived it - albeit only in the inaccessible isles of Ireland and Scotland, survived the attempts to revive Christianity during the Reformation - was to die almost completely due to the cult of Self in the 20th and 21st centuries.
True believers stand in a unique spot before God, we face critics whom are justified in their statements, we face self serving members of churches whom know all of the right words - just not in their hearts, and there is this lost and seeking world out there whom has looked at Christianity and due to the examples they see - can not believe that this is actually the way to Salvation!
In fact, the ones I meet and talk to, are appalled by what they have seen, heard and why was it they should be believing in this disaster called Christianity again ...?
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