| Apr 9 @ 11:22 PM |
My road here
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LanceVarden7
Posts: 835
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When I was eighteen, I went with a girl that belonged to an ultra-religious family. This wasn’t your quiet WWJD bracelet wearing sort of people. These were loud, boisterous, judgmental people. When they answered the phone, they didn’t say “Hello”. They greeted with “Praise the Lord, xxxxxxx residence” instead.
Despite all of their pretense, they were cold, mean-spirited people. To this day I have never known any anyone so devoid of human compassion. I was really crazy about the girl though, so I choked down their hypocrisy, started going to their church, and tried to fit in the best that I could.
A few months later, her old boyfriend broke up with his current girlfriend. When I first heard about, I didn’t consider that it might impact me in any way. I was in for quite a shock. She ditched me in a hot minute to go back to him. She told me that “God had told her to”
I was crushed. I kept going to the church for awhile hoping to turn things around, but it wasn’t to be. Every waking moment of the day I strategized how I might win her back. Unfortunately, the cards were stacked against me. Her old boyfriend was one of these straight-laced choir boy types.
They had always looked at me as being from the rough side of the tracks. She was so into the whole societal side of going to church, she let me know pretty quickly whom she wanted. The church people were cordial, I could tell that I was no longer needed or wanted. After months of trying to fit in and please them, I felt like a used Kleenex that had been tossed aside.
After that, I DEFINITELY knew what side I wanted to be on. I wanted to yank the blanket off every self-serving phony-bologna Christian and expose them to the world. I wanted to kick the soap box out from underneath every phony windbag and watch him grovel in the dirt. I wanted to cram that bible right down their lying stinking throat! I saw most of them as a bunch of “holier than thou” hypocrites and to a large measure, I was right. To this day, those people make my blood want to boil. I wrote a bit of prose about it in college, and I’ll put it at the bottom of this post.
The problem with that sort of a quest is that it isn’t really a quest at all. It isn’t hard to find hypocrite people professing to be Christian. There’s a sackfull in nearly every church across the country. For most, nothing you could ever say or do will ever change them.
You have to understand that the enemy is clever and subversive. Nothing delights him more than keeping someone turned away by using these kinds of people. Lucifer will never again know the grace of God and he wants the same for you and me. It took me a long time to recognize the sound for his voice and, to this day, he’ll slip up on me when I’m not on my toes.
One day, a Christian friend in college, that I respected, pointed out that the louder and the more “in your face” fanatics are usually not that sincere. He told me that if you look close, you will see there are some out there that aren’t phony. They don’t get noticed so much cause usually the quiet type and often, there is some loud gum-flapper standing in front of them shouting fire & brimstone.
After making this discovery, I decided to see if there was really something to all this or not. I dug out a bible and did a little reading. To be honest, a lot of is pretty boring stuff. Sorry, if I just offended some people, but I am here to tell the real truth.
In the end, your own religion is exactly that. Don't let anyone else tell you how you should do it or what it should be. Dig out your bible and read the New Testament, get your direction from Yeashua, it's all you really need.
In the end, I hope that you make your peace wth God. That's all that really matters.
Here is the poem/prose as promised earlier. Try to remember that this was towards the end of an angry time in my life, but maybe you can relate. I believe there is a seed of goodness in you.
The Good Seed
We’re lost and confused and asking questions.
We don’t know where we are or how we got here.
We’re far from home and can’t find our way back.
They promised to help us, then knocked us to the ground, spit on us and kicked dirt in our face.
They place barriers in front of us.
They jab at us and jeer at us and try to trip us up.
They cackle at us when we fall and take delight in out suffering.
We’re battered and bruised, but we’re not broken.
We’re up to our neck in shit, but we’re making the good fight.
We hear their laughter run hollow when they see that they are unable to stop us
For in the battle, we begin to learn why they despise us.
They see in us the good seed.
They try to tell us it doesn’t exist, but it becomes more visible all the time.
They try to poison it, and crush it beneath their bootheel, yet it grows a little each day.
And their jealously becomes enflamed, for they know that their own souls are cold and dark and barren
We rear our head and cast off those who have kept us blinded and subdued.
We bare our teeth and they run like lost shadows on the wall cowering from the light.
We draw deeply from the fresh air that was kept from us for so long
We step unafraid onto the sod where once we were forbidden
For we have broken free and have driven away our enemies who tried to contain us
And all the minions of hell cannot stop us now.
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| Apr 9 @ 11:31 PM |
My road here |
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hunt4luv
Posts: 1,234
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Sounds like you carry alot of hate from a long time ago.
We dont throw away the old testement. What scriptures do you think Jesus and the Apostles Spoke of.
It is hardly boring when Gods spirit lives in us it is opened in many rich ways.
the truth Is costly. That is why many resent those who truly embrace it.
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| Apr 9 @ 11:42 PM |
My road here
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uncrazy
Posts: 1,539
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Good story...they don't hear what they say.
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| Apr 9 @ 11:45 PM |
My road here |
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uncrazy
Posts: 1,539
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Hunt,
I don't resent you...if I did I would be renting you free space in my head.
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| Apr 10 @ 12:04 AM |
My road here
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LanceVarden7
Posts: 835
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That is why many resent those who truly embrace it. Sorry Hunt, you are big enough on my radar for me to resent.
I was a little resentful, at first, of Sail and 12-Knots for being so anti-Christian on the forum. I think I am getting the picture now, of why they feel the way they do.
I hope they are wise enough to look past judegmental hypocrisy and see that the message of Christ is one of love and peace.
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| Apr 10 @ 12:30 AM |
My road here |
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sail_dancer
Posts: 8,601
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Hunt,
That is why many resent those who truly embrace it. There are many here that embrace it. The christians that by their fruit show that they embrace Jesus are those like Lance, Katt, Angel and even SOC (though he is sometimes lead astray by the likes of you).
You, Bev, Jankia, Seal and many others talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. The hatred in your posts speak louder that any compassion that might be contained in them.
Jesus said "Love your neighbors as you love yourself", obviously you either ignore Jesus' words or you have never learned to love yourselves.
As for the nonchristians, they may disagree with your dogma, but there is no hatred in their posts. Even Hammer has his own unique way of communicating, but I sense no hatred toward any members living in him. His hatred is for the religion that would produce fanatics like you and the danger that religion is to society.
I can only speak for myself, but there isn't a man or woman that I cannot find something to love about. No one is perfect. The point is, if you look for the good in people you can find it.
You and the others are so engrossed in finding things to hate in people that you loose the capability to love them. You find what you may consider faults and never scratch the surface to find the good.
You are like a cancerous growth within your religion and that cancer is growing. A man/woman may have cancer but they also have healthy organs as well. Eventually the cancer infects the healthy organs and the body dies.
Unless the healthy christians stand up and recognize this cancer for what it is, christianity will die as the body dies.
You, Bev, Jankia, Seal and others that feed off the anger you emit have no respect for yourselves so respecting anyone else is lost to you. All of you however have a penchant to love god which is good and something that I and others can love about you all.
If each one of us would seek to find something to love in all our neighbors, the amount of hate in this world would be drastically reduced. What you are doing here is working against the spread of love. I believe that is only because you have never been exposed to true love. Unless you learn to love yourself first, you cannot comprehend how to love others.
Peace
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| Apr 10 @ 1:02 AM |
My road here
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uncrazy
Posts: 1,539
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It just occurred to me that a failure to love create its own unique form of imbalance. I suspect it is similiar to the imbalance in a life when one cannot forgive.
Believing in God as our father, and we as sons, was the unifying idea of Jesus' message, for as all sons of God, we are brothers...nothing more than this is a requirement to have my love.
If this is true, and we follow the great commandment, "Love God above all others, and your neighbor as yourself...we have all the directions we need.
Of course this may not be truth since I am saying it...but I will still love all others and there isn't anything you can do about it.
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| Apr 10 @ 1:04 AM |
My road here |
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sail_dancer
Posts: 8,601
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Believing in God as our father, and we as sons, was the unifying idea of Jesus' message, for as all sons of God, we are brothers...nothing more than this is a requirement to have my love.
If this is true, and we follow the great commandment, "Love God above all others, and your neighbor as yourself...we have all the directions we need.
Of course this may not be truth since I am saying it...but I will still love all others and there isn't anything you can do about it. 
Peace
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| Apr 10 @ 1:21 AM |
My road here
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Angel54214
Posts: 14,074
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My road I follow no matter where it leads
I may travel light or travel heavy
But it is my road where ever I may be
I may climb a hill or plunge to the valley
With leather soles or feet so bare
But it is my road where ever I may be
The sun may shine or hide from me
As I walk along 'til the stars appear
In darkness, it is my road where ever I may be
Along the way , my mind changes course
When winds of life toss me all about
The road becomes my identity where ever I may be
~Angel~
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| Apr 10 @ 9:18 AM |
My road here |
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hunt4luv
Posts: 1,234
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Sadly lance, uncrazy,sail I do stand for the truth and seek to live it.
Most of those who claim to be christian are sitters. When one stands up in opposition to misrepresentation they always stand in a place as a target.
many times those who claim to be christian yet refuse to grow in God are those who resent the words of truth the most. They wont stand yet are quickest to shoot.
Who does the most damage to christian teaching?
It isn't the one who stands openly against it, He is obvious
neither is is it the traps that lie along the way to tempt and leed astray
It Is the one who Teaches false doctrine and leads Gods small children down the road to destruction.
Whenever one stands for truth No matter what the consequences He will find many who call themselves christian taking aim. We cannot lace beautiful
Wine of truth with tendrils of poison and twisting of doctrine that allow anything to attach itself to truth and deceive others into a week salvation that never Grows up.
If we do we have been guilty of not standing. We are not to stand for self importance and pride. We stand on a foundation of truth with the purpose of understanding and sharing Gods truth.
Frankly I don't want to be here. I could be doing more for MYSELF.
But Gods spirit puts words in my heart. He says open your mouth I will fill it.
And as long as he does so, I have to stand. I will stand. I stand for Gods truth. If you will do the same we will eventually find ourselves on the same page.
Be very careful of the words you speak in the process of growing. You have the capability to lead others down the path of destruction, And the responsibility not to.
self or God CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY
Nice poem angel and very true. We must be sure to keep our road in line with the straight and narrow though.
[Edited on 4/10/2008 9:32 AM]
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| Apr 10 @ 9:30 AM |
My road here
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 15,360
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the message of Christ is one of love and peace
That's the message that I heard, from Christ and from others, and it's the one that rings true to me. However, much of the old testament resounds with hate and greed...if I'm to believe the whole thing, and that Christ was the son of God, I'd have to buy into a schizophrenic God, which I don't. That leaves me right where I am - trying my best to be a good person but not believing in an eternal judgment or that Jesus Christ was the son of God, or as part of the trinity, God manifest as man.
Bottom line though, nobody has a choice in what they believe, only in what they say they believe. You can rave all you want about how you have the only truth, it won't make a bit of difference to me if it isn't consistent with what I've observed. I was given a mind for a reason and I don't believe that the creator who gave it to me did so with the intent that I shouldn't use it.
And Lance - I've never yet met a con artist who didn't make a lot of fuss about being a God-fearing Christian...kind of makes me twitchy when I hear it now.
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| Apr 10 @ 9:37 AM |
My road here |
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hunt4luv
Posts: 1,234
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The one that speaks the truth will often find all others gathered around casting stones.
Cant throw away the old testament heaven. Your understanding is flawed IT is the
disobedience that brings on the punishment.
A con artist is self serving. What i say Is as a benefit for all.
WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING.
The blessings and the curses are yours to choose,
CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY
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| Apr 10 @ 9:38 AM |
My road here
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Jalon
Posts: 902
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Quite honestly, I find all people to be hypocritical at one point or another...including myself. It's human nature. I struggled a long time with embracing Christianity for just that reason...I didn't want to be yet another Christian hypocrite! All I can do is my best to love my neighbor and to treat others as I would like to be treated. I don't always succeed but the awesome part is, God loves me anyway.
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| Apr 10 @ 9:57 AM |
My road here |
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hunt4luv
Posts: 1,234
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Just because so many others choose to serve the wrong way doesnt give us an excuse to be wrong in our walk and Guidence of others.
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| Apr 10 @ 10:23 AM |
My road here
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bevrice
Posts: 11,144
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Lance, you read your Bible, I assume. Do you remember where it says to be "bold in the Lord"?
While I am bold in here when I speak of Him, I am not going to jump in your face in person, however, I have seen those that did that I admired very much for they were true in their walk, full of love and concern, definitely not the enemy, for the enemy does not want the world to know of Jesus, you know.
Christians come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. You see, you have stereo-typed them judging by one family, or maybe by some others, too. You cannot judge another's heart, only God can do that.
Hippocrits come in all personalities, too, as do atheists, agnostics, buddhists.
I have met people like those you speak of. Some were not bad people, some were radical in the beliefs, but, nonetheless they were sincere in their beliefs and if their way of showing it was different from yours or mine, it makes them no less Christians. Now, I don't know their side of your story, and I don't know the people you speak of. No Christian is perfect and we all have our failings, you know that. We are a work in progress. Maybe if you met those people today, you would be very surprised.
I have never but one time been in a church where I felt like you say you did, but regardless of that, my significance is in the Lord, not in people or what people think of me or in how they treat me. If they treat me badly, then I forgive them and pray for them. I also, and this is important, ask the Lord to make me as I should be, for many times, it is US and not THEM. I would not continue in a church where I did not feel welcome, however.
Most any church has its share of "hippocrits". I happen to attend one that is very small and mostly ministers, I can honestly say that there is not an insincere person in the whole lot.
Now, the church is like a hospital you know, and the well have no need of a hospital, so, sure you are going to run across those who you think are not true. You have to realize that they are there and maybe they are just baby Christians, by choice or by their newness, but Christians just the same. There are different levels of faith and we are not to judge those of less faith than we have.
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| Apr 10 @ 11:01 AM |
My road here |
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sail_dancer
Posts: 8,601
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Angel,
Great poem! 
Peace
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| Apr 10 @ 11:12 AM |
My road here
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sail_dancer
Posts: 8,601
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Hunt,
Frankly I don't want to be here. I could be doing more for MYSELF.
But Gods spirit puts words in my heart. He says open your mouth I will fill it.
And as long as he does so, I have to stand. I will stand. I stand for Gods truth. Again you claim god communicates with you. Awhile back you told of a discussion you actually had with him when you gave up smoking. It is not normal for a person to make these claims. Most that do can be found in local asylums.
You continue to claim that you are communicating the truth, yet you never state what that truth is and why you believe that it is the truth. You preach dogma and never substantiate it.
Being that god has supposedly given you his truth, you would think that he would expect you to explain it and provide proof that you are actually god's spokesman. Jesus did this by performing miracles.
So convince us!
Peace
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| Apr 10 @ 11:19 AM |
My road here |
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sail_dancer
Posts: 8,601
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Now, the church is like a hospital you know, and the well have no need of a hospital, so, sure you are going to run across those who you think are not true. You have to realize that they are there and maybe they are just baby Christians, by choice or by their newness, but Christians just the same. There are different levels of faith and we are not to judge those of less faith than we have. Yes! A Mental Hospital.
Peace
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| Apr 10 @ 12:26 PM |
My road here
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bevrice
Posts: 11,144
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So sad, sail that you have never heard the Lord's voice. Maybe that should tell you that you don't know Him. It is not a voice in your head, but a small silent voice that you feel more than hear, sail. Not a mental ward variety.
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| Apr 10 @ 12:35 PM |
My road here |
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hammertime
Posts: 14,071
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Feel a voice? 
This morning I was thinking about the date I was planning for this week end, he was driving a great distance here and was going to stay in town. I was getting ready to pour my coffee and suddenly, it was like I was physically pushed backwards and I heard, "BACK OFF." Lol, I love it, guess who was telling me that that one wasn't going to happen either to just back off.
Yes, you felt hands and heard a voice. This is an excellent account of a psychotic event. This is a auditory and somatic hallucination. Given you have these often and this wasn't a one time event, you should get your head examined by a psychiatrist.
[Edited on 4/10/2008 12:45 PM]
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