Jesus is the King of Israel.
He came to save his people from their sins.
Who are his people? Israelites?
Israelites wrote the various books of the Bible.
Of the twelve apostles, only Paul was sent to the Gentiles.
Paul told Gentiles how to become Israelites.
Gentiles took Paul's works and assembled the Bible.
Then they created the Gentile Church, ... and scorned the name of Israel.
This plaque is on the wall above the entry to the rest of my house from my wife's kitchen.
Here is the story: Joshua 24, from the Complete Jewish Bible (CEB).
Joshua had led the Israelites in their conquest of the land ADONAI had given to them, and Chapter 24 is a record of Joshua's summary about what had happened and his instructions to them before he died.
Bible Gateway offers many different translations of the Bible. I have used the CEB here because I am trying to emphasize the roots of Christianity.
Christianity is about Israel. People have lost sight of that fact.
An enemy has done this.
If the CEB is too difficult, don't let that be a stumbling block. Pick a different translation. There are many.
These irises were in the gardens around our house when we moved in during the Spring of 2006. At some point, I transplanted them to their current location.
Early on, my wife bent down and smelled one of them. She said they smelled like root beer.
She was right.
Some people call them "flags," probably because they are up around Flag Day, a week from tomorrow.
Spring is especially melancholy for me. Flowers. She loved them and the senses they invoked.
I liked square dancing in Sixth Grade, but I wouldn't admit it.
There was the long, dark hair that swayed in the hallway in Seventh Grade.
There was also the Secret Admirer who was apparently in my Homemaking Class. (Yes, I took that, and the girls took Shop.) She and her friends put notes in my locker, teepeed my house, and repeatedly called our telephone, hanging up at all hours of the day and night, ...when my grandfather was on his death-bed in Iowa. My parents were not amused, nor was I. She eventually revealed herself and several years later we were both at the same house-party/kegger. We talked. She said that I must have hated her. I told her no, and that I forgave her.
There was my high-school crush that I never acted upon, but wish I had. Lesson learned.
There was the sister of one of my best friends. She demonstrated several times that she liked me, quite boldly in some ways. I believe she was my first kiss. When she was ready I was not; and when I was ready she was entertaining pursuit from others. We always seemed to be on different trajectories. She came to my parent's house on Christmas Day and she was beautiful. My girlfriend and eventual wife was also there, and that was the last time I saw her. Lesson learned.
There was the girl who was a new chemical engineer and had just moved to Midland. One of my volleyball buddies knew her and she needed help moving into her apartment, which was in the same complex as mine. I went to help, and she was really cute; and interesting. I went back. We liked to talk and I told her about my hometown. I asked her out, and we went to an outdoor concert. I asked her out again and we rode our bikes to Sanford Lake for the day. It was July 4th. We swam in the lake together, and then went to the fireworks that evening. We had ridden our bikes, so we were able to bypass the line of cars leaving the fairgrounds. Then we went back to my apartment, ...and she misunderstood my intentions. She left. I didn't call. She briefly saw me in the apartment complex and asked me where I had been. I was too embarrassed to pursue it, and had realized we really weren't right for each other. We were both engineers and were probably too much alike. Lessons learned.
There was the singer at my childhood friend's wedding. She had a gorgeous voice and sang some solos. As I watched her, I decided she was the one for me during that evening and that wedding. I don't recall anything about the situation, except that I drove her home to where she was staying, at the bride's parents' house. In the car, in the driveway, I accomplished my mission, and she liked it. She was really pretty. Lesson learned.
After my wife died, I spent eleven (11) months in isolation. I needed that time alone and had begun reading about things that led to me acquiring my Cooler Hat. I wanted to find someone in Midland who was also pursuing those things, and heard about a particular woman through someone my sister knew. She was going to hold an introductory teaching session at a particular place in the local mall. I put it on my wall calendar.
The day before the session, I needed to get some things at a store in the mall, and while I was there I realized I needed to find the location of the meeting. The mall was not doing very well financially and there were no directories of the various stores at the entrances, like there used to be. I had to wander around to search for the venue, and eventually stumbled upon the coffee shop I have mentioned numerous times on this blog.
12/8 --> 11; 12/8/2021 --> 16 --> 7
The next day, I arrived in time for the meeting at 1:30 PM and sat at a table by myself where I could assess the situation. I did not know who I was looking for, but there was a woman with a laptop and some books sitting in the back of the shop. I waited. Soon, a few more women showed up and joined her, and I concluded they were the group, but I decided to cancel my plan. She was teaching beginners and I did not want to disrupt her presentation by being a know-it-all and hijacking her agenda. Besides, I had been approached by another woman who was working as a volunteer barista in the coffee shop and we talked about my bereavement and some people we both knew.
Dec 8, 2021
Her shift was over at 2:00 PM, but she continued to talk with me for a bit. After she left, I noticed who had replaced her behind the counter. I talked with that woman, too.
The movie my wife and I watched after eating dessert at Ruthie's was Dan in Real Life. In that movie, one of Dan's adolescent daughters is in love, but he does not approve. He thinks she is too young and what she is experiencing is "not love." She passionately disagrees and rebels against his authority.
Okay, Dad, I ... I love Marty.
Oh, please...
Dad, Dad, .. Dad, Dad, stop. Will you just listen? I didn't know right away. It took me a while.
What's "a while?"
Well, I've known him for three weeks, but I knew in three days.
Three days?! You can't know in three days!
[Seventeen-year-old older sister]: Well, maybe she can.
No, no, no! What you're feeling is not love. It is young, ... and reckless, .. and not thought out.
I love him! I love him! I love him!
You may think it's love, .. but it is not.
I love him! I love him!
No, it's not!
I love him! I love him!
No, it's not!
I love him! I love him!
This "three days" is a theme throughout the movie.
Dan has been widowed for four years, and he meets Marie. After three days, Dan realizes he is in love with Marie. His girls tell him...
Then go get her.
I have watched that movie well over one hundred times.
Several days after my first visit to the coffee shop, my sister and brother-in-law, and their two dogs, visited and stayed at my house for two nights. Right after they left during the afternoon of Wednesday the 15th, I was strongly prompted to go back to the coffee shop. It was around 2 PM. I talked with the woman I had seen behind the counter and had never met anyone like her before. She wore her faith on her sleeve and spoke very openly about it. And, she was very pretty. My urgent question was, "Who are you??!"
I could tell she was definitely younger than me, but how much younger I did not
know. And she was not wearing a ring1, one of the first things I looked
for. I learned we have many things in common, the main thing being our faith. She told me she regularly worked there on Wednesdays and Fridays at 2 PM.
I went back for a third time on Friday and finally got to talk with her for three hours after closing time. I had to know more about her. No woman that pretty would remain unclaimed, and by the time we finished our discussion I had my answer.
One of the themes in my blog is the subject of remarriage after divorce, and it is motivated by this situation. Ever since that third encounter, I have known where I stand. I can be friends with this woman and can develop a deep relationship with her, but intimacy is off the table. The coffee shop is about developing deep relationships with people, and that is what this woman taught me to do. Even though she left Midland nearly eleven (11) months ago, I have continued to develop relationships with other people, both inside and outside the coffee shop, thanks to her.
It was through her friendship that I learned about personality types, which I have talked about on this blog. I am INTJ; she is INFP.2 I learned that from a blog she wrote years ago. She is like Amélie in the movie trailer, above.
My wife and I did not understand each other's personalities, but we loved each other and made it work. We were a powerful and effective team because we were different. My coffee shop friend and I have personality types that are "advisors" to each other. When I learned that, I was overjoyed because it explained everything. I have learned so much from her.
It should be apparent from reading this blog that I believe apparent "coincidences" are actually God's fingerprints as He leads us through our lives. I have learned this lesson by looking back at my experiences over the years. God makes known the end from the beginning. I watched Dan in Real Life repeatedly as I grieved in 2021, and the final line of the movie is...
Plan to be surprised.
I am still in love with my wife, and always will be, but God intends for me to move on. That is why there is a grieving process. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really liked being married. The "fringe benefits" are nice, but companionship is what I miss the most. My bride was older than me, and that had its risks and consequences. As an INTJ, I always think about the possibilities, and having a younger companion would certainly open up opportunities for excitement and adventure.
When I realized the Holy Spirit was pointing at this woman, I exclaimed, "Don't tease me!" He replied...
I don't tease.
She and I have had our disagreements and misunderstandings, but working through those things is a part of life. Lessons learned.
I believe God wants to use a relationship He is building between us to teach others about His intentions and standards concerning marriage and relationships between a man and a woman. I believe demonstrating a deep, loving and respectful relationship that does not involve marriage or intimacy can shine light into the darkness of our culture.
Like the Amélie character in the movie, I am using this blog, and Facebook, and any other means I can find to pursue my friend and lead her and teach her. The Spirit has told me many times...
If you want the girl, then lead the girl.
I was trying to do that with my wife, but He took her away. God's ways are not our ways.
All glory to God.
UPDATE, October 7, 2023...
UPDATE, October 8, 2023...
People do crazy things when...
I checked out the DVD from the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library through MeLCat, but decided I would like to have my own copy. I think I'm going to watch this movie a lot.
It's pretty pricey because the film has no overall worldwide distributor for Home Media. I got the last one. Hopefully, delivery will work out and the quality will be good.
UPDATE, October 10, 2023...
I have to add one other amazing "coincidence." My coffee shop friend arrived in Midland on the same day my wife and I went to the condominium in Antrim County (Ruthie's) and watched Dan in Real Life.
9/7 --> 16 --> 7; 9/7/2020 --> 20 --> 2 👥
You can't make this stuff up!
See why I like her? 😃
UPDATE, October 12, 2023...
This is used as the love theme in the movie.3 It may be a bit 🌽y, but I think the lyrics are particularly applicable to our situation. God is so hilarious! 🤣
UPDATE, October 24, 2023...
In the movie, the old man and Amélie develop a close relationship. He figures her out and gives her advice.
If my "Amélie" friend were to allow me to give her advice, I might start here:
1) Forgive. Always forgive. Jesus commands us to do it, no matter how difficult it may be.
2) Don't try to conform to the world. Be you. Amélie was the waitress, not the manager. She simply did her job and was free to pursue her idealistic dreams and passions.
3) You are rare. We are rare. Intuitives are rare, and the majority of people in the world do not understand us, but we understand each other. Embrace this.
4) Let others do what they do best, and cherish the gifts they bring.
At the risk of causing irritation by citing impersonal data, ...
Click to enlarge.
INFP = Amélie (1 in every 23 people.)4
INTJ = me (1 in every 48 people.)
INFJ = my spiritual sibling (1 in every 67 people.)
As the chart shows, we are rare.
I am just amazed at how God orchestrates things, down to the finest detail.
UPDATE, October 25, 2023...
The One I am ultimately in love with is The LORD. He is the one who dumps all of the Four-Drachma Coins into my lap. He is the one who brought her to Midland in his precise timing. And He is the one she is in love with, too.
My spiritual sibling was very frustrated with me the other day, and she let me know it, but it led to teachable moments for us both. She was tired of hearing my ridiculous optimism and seeing the love in my eyes, and she tried to convince me that our mutual friend is not coming back. I heard her out, and then told her she does not know the future, nor do I, but I know who does. He will bring about what He is going to bring about, and I am content with that. We ended up loving one another more deeply than ever.
This season of bliss in my life comes during a time when the world seems to be falling apart, and I believe The LORD has given it to me as a gift. He is increasing my faith, and I am shouting it from the rooftops. That is one of the big reasons I have and maintain this blog. It allows me to express my joy and reread about all of the pearls He has scattered into my life. It allows me to hopefully communicate with people I love and those He graces with understanding.
UPDATE, October 26, 2023...
1 Added the link.
4 Added these descriptions of rarity.
UPDATE, October 28, 2023...
I was pleased to hear today one of my other coffee shop friends say they had read this post, and we had a nice discussion about it. In light of that, I am going to include some things here that I clarified with them.
The way I read the Bible...
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39 NIV)
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Luke 16:18 NIV)
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31 NIV)
For me to pursue more than friendship with a divorced woman would put me into the "deliberately sinning" category, and I will not go there. I won't risk putting her into that kind of situation either.
So, I am safe. God is using me to make a point. Do I desire something more than just friendship? Sure, but it's irrelevant. I want to be her friend, her brother in Christ, like I am with my spiritual sibling. I want to help my "Amélie" friend grow spiritually, as we both build each other up. And I want to demonstrate to those who love Jesus what the real standard is, so they are not misled and deceived by what the world teaches.
This is actually part of my job, and I'm having so much fun doing it. 😊
And, just to make sure there are no misunderstandings, there is nothing sinful about leaving a marriage if it is an abusive or bad situation.
Rather than get into all of that, I highly recommend people listen to David Pawson's lectures about Remarriage After Divorce. It is very loving and thorough, and you can find it at his website here.5
Those who find themselves remarried after divorce when they come to faith, or learn that it is wrong, can ask Jesus what to do about their specific situations. God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Repentance requires us to put right what can be put right, but we don't want to make things worse. Nobody can put right everything they have done wrong. Again, Jesus will guide us, if we ask him.
Getting ourselves right with God is the first place to start. If you have not read my Apprentice of Jesus post, please do. I believe it will point you in the right direction.
Blessings.
UPDATE, October 29, 2023...
3 Added this statement to explain the corny video.
Adjusted footnotes to keep the footnote subjects (red) in order.
UPDATE, November 4, 2023...
This video analyzes the personality of Amélie Poulain6...
"Amélie is a child at heart."
Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3 NIV)
...something I aspire to be like. My analytical, logical mind needs to have the faith of a child, which is what I try to do. She does this naturally.
Dan Burns from Dan in Real Life...
What is it? That it's frustrating that you can't be with this person? That, ..that, ..there's something keeping you apart? That there's something about this person you really connect with? [Cut to Marie overhearing this in the other room.] And whenever you're near this person, you don't know what to say, and you say everything that's in your mind and in your heart! And you know, that if you could just be together, that this person would help you become the best possible version of yourself!
Studying Amélie helps me become the best possible version of myself, and spending time with a real, live "Amélie" is even better.
See why I like her? 😃
YouTube keeps offering related videos, and this one is very interesting from a film-making perspective, which is something I am interested in. It is called Why Amélie is so Weird. (... meaning the movie, not the character.)
UPDATE, November 8, 2023...
6 This analysis mentions criticisms made against the movie for its perceived "lack of diversity," but the whole point of the movie is to depict Amélie's idealistic world. She lives in a dream, not reality, and that's okay. We get to enter into that dream for two hours and two minutes to escape our burdens, and this is one of the reasons I love my friend. She provides me that escape and helps me not always be so serious.
Boneheads who make those kinds of criticisms are just exhibiting their own judgmental biases and programming, and are simply worth ignoring.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (Matthew 24:6 NIV)
She helps me not be alarmed. 😊
7 ...while I desire to protect my friend and help her be successful. 😉
The Father has brought us together for His good and perfect reasons, and He does not make mistakes. He has us both strategically positioned and prepared. The Darkness has been trying to keep us apart, ...but it will ultimately fail.
Hence, my "ridiculous optimism." 🤣
UPDATE, November 10, 2023...
7 Added the additional statements.
UPDATE, November 20, 2023...
5 The link to the webpage with the audio files I listened to seems to be missing or broken. I am leaving it here in case it becomes available again.
Here is a link to Individual Messages about divorce and remarriage. I do not believe I have listened to these, but am sure the content is similar.
Here is a link to the webpage highlighting his book, Remarriage is Adultery Unless....
Adjusted footnotes to keep the footnote subjects (red) in order.
UPDATE, November 21, 2023...
2 Added the link.
Adjusted footnotes to keep the footnote subjects (red) in order.
UPDATE, February 18, 2024...
Sometimes it is necessary to be blunt and direct.
When I listened to David Pawson's lectures about Remarriage After Divorce, I made note of the Scripture references he discussed. I am going to list them here in the order he presented them. The "red letters" are the words attributed to Jesus.
Luke 16:18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Luke 16:18 NIV)
Mark 10:2-12 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:2-12 NIV)
Matthew 5:31-32 It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32 NIV 2011)
This is the "one exception," meaning Jesus uses words translated as: "except."
Here is the previous version of the NIV translation, which was the version Pawson used when he gave his lectures. (I would listen to confirm this, but that recording seems to be gone, as I stated, above.) ...
It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32 NIV 1984)
You can read other translations of the second part here: Matthew 5:32.
Pawson points out this "one exception" has been interpreted very widely by many to justify remarriage after divorce. Some Bible translations even seem to do this.
That current NIV version, above, is illogical. If the woman is being divorced because she sinned through "sexual immorality," how is she a "victim" of adultery? It does not make any sense. If he divorces her because he wants to commit sexual immorality himself, that is not an exception, it is simply his sinful behavior. In that case, she is a victim of his behavior, but that is not what Jesus is saying here and he is not giving her license to abandon her covenant with her husband just because he did.
These interpretations are not consistent with all of the other places in Scripture where Jesus plainly and clearly established his expectations.
That older NIV translation presumes the woman will remarry just to survive, and therefore be forced to live as an adulteress, and if she is being divorced because she had been unfaithful she would already be an adulteress. It is logically consistent.
Matthew 19:3-12 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” (Matthew 19:3-12 NIV)
This one also has the "exception," and the reason for the divorce is even more vague, but the part about marrying another woman is definite. It is called polygamy. Pawson calls remarriage after divorce "consecutive polygamy." As many spouses as you like, just one at at time.
Paul said these things about the topic...
Romans 7:1-3 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. (Romans 7:1-3 NIV)
1 Corinthians 7:39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39 NIV)
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:10-11 NIV)
He also said these things, which are related...
1 Corinthians 7:12-16 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:12-16 NIV)
1 Corinthians 7:28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. (1 Corinthians 7:28 NIV)
I am nobody's judge; Jesus is the judge, and these are his criteria.
If people ignore these words, they risk standing before Jesus in defiance of him.
If I know about these teachings, yet say nothing to those those who flaunt them while claiming to follow Jesus, then I risk his condemnation for not doing my job.
Jesus does not want to make us happy. He wants to save us from our sins.
To be saved, we must repent and be holy. There are no "tickets to heaven."
"Marriage licenses," and their corresponding divorce proceedings, are Sea Jurisdiction, legal contracts and have nothing to do with biblical, Land-Jurisdiction marriages. I discussed this in the December 5, 2022 update of my Submission post.
UPDATE, February 19, 2024...
Encouraging a lamb to wander the hills is cruel.
Pulchritude is fleeting.
If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.
We believe those we do not know, and hate those who love us.
If a blind woman leads a blind woman, both will end up in the ditch.
Those who claim to know will be held to account.
Those who believe the ones they trust are innocent.
Love always trusts.
Presuming to know without investigating the facts leads to error.
A butterfly is beautiful in its season, but dies alone.
Cultivating deep relationships and then abandoning them is cruel.
Yearning for the ideal in an imperfect world leads to discouragement.
The answer is right in front of you.
These things are common sense.
UPDATE, March 31, 2024...
The Spirit has counseled me more about this situation.
My Amélie friend was under a great deal of stress in the coffee shop. Her personality inspired and drove her to love people, and those people loved her in return, so much so that it overwhelmed her. She always said she needed her personal time at home, and I'm sure it was because she needed to get away from all of the pressure.
She had spent most of her life in relatively populated areas, which meant she was always around a lot of people. Now she is living in a relatively rural area, which means the number of people she has to deal with are far fewer. She can give them the love she longs to give without being overwhelmed herself. This is obviously a good thing.
She worked out the "contract" she had made with God by staying in Midland the two years she had planned in order to learn what she needed to learn. Then she got to escape to the solitude of her dreams. That is why she was always talking about it.
She has also met a man she wants to marry, and I am glad. Part of my concern for her had been she was living in the world as a lone woman, and given what I know about what is going on in the world, in general, it concerned me, but I was confident God was watching out for her, and it looks like he has. She needs a man to love and protect her.
She deserves to be happy.
I now believe God did not actually want her to know what I know about remarriage after divorce. Jesus is the only one who actually lived a perfect life. We can't, so he did it for us.
As I move on with my life, God will be able to use my testimony about this subject to influence those he wants to influence. I am so grateful for the grace of knowing my Amélie friend, and what The Spirit has taught me through her.
UPDATE, March 23, 2025...
During the past year of fishing, the Spirit taught me more about all of this...
Nobody has lived a perfect life, except Yehoshua. We all make mistakes and have sinned in the past. What matters is going forward.
Commitment is what matters.
Recent behavior is what matters, not wrong choices of the distant past.
We must be equally yoked in order to be able to work together.
God is the one who decides what is acceptable to Him.
A desire to hear Him must come before we will actually, truly hear Him.
Following his lead is what matters.
Only God's opinion counts.
Twenty-nine (29) years of marriage sure looks like commitment to me. So is thirty-eight (38).
UPDATE, April 11, 2025...
He desires mercy, not sacrifice.
UPDATE, June 29, 2025...
I learned another lesson yesterday. I was wearing the orange shirt I had on at Neptune Beach and think I might have gotten rid of another burden.
I do not get on Facebook (FB) often, but there are occasional notifications and I check them out. While doing that last week, I saw a "You might know" prompt from the system pointing at the account of my Seventh-Grade admirer, the one I mentioned at the top of this post.
We had not spoken in decades, and I was strongly prompted to send a friend request. Most people do not typically get on FB a lot so I did not expect an immediate response, or even a response at all.
On Friday, however, while I was in the coffee shop, I got a FB Messenger text from her. We had a fun, long-distance conversation and caught up on things. In the end, we agreed God is good. It was very nice.
Yesterday (Saturday), I was thinking about this and realized a burden had been lifted from me. That conversation was closure from my perspective.
I was thirteen (13) years old when I experienced her advances and I did not know what to do with it. She was the same age. Girls tend to develop sooner than boys and I'm sure she was being affected by her raging hormones, just like me. I was introverted and she was obviously extroverted.
In our text discussion, she mentioned that my FB profile picture looked like I did when we were both in Third Grade (9 years old) and in a swimming class together. I have my Fourth-Grade photo on there because I want to remind myself to have the faith of a child. She said that we sat next to each other during that swimming class. Our family names are very close, alphabetically.
Just like my "second love" (above) caused me some butterflies as we wrote,"I will not talk in class," on the chalkboard after school, I apparently caught her eye. I vaguely remember the swimming class and believe it was the one I failed because I would not get into the deep end of the pool. (A year later I jumped off the diving board during the first session and I ended up taking the entire series of lessons, including Junior Lifesaving. I liked swimming so much that I was on the school swim team in Ninth Grade when I was 15 years old.)
The lesson I learned yesterday is my childhood admirer is probably ENTP, one of my natural partners. That's why she came after me, like the ghost did last Fall. So, it turns out I have encountered three (3) women like that in my life. Although I was not ready for it at 13, I love it now. What was a dark chapter for me at the time is now gone, 54 (5 + 4 --> 9) years later.
I had told my admirer a long time ago that I forgave her, and I did, but apparently the trauma was still there. It's gone now!! Yayy!!!
I love how God knows exactly what I need, exactly when I need it. I so look forward to where He is taking me.
Now, if that Ghost would just come back. Patience, Rick. Patience.
UPDATE, July 10, 2025...
Well, so much for estimating personality types. LOL
My childhood admirer just told me she is INFJ-T. So much for my estimation skills! Yes, she is introverted; it just seemed like extroversion to me at the time!!
We're both Introverted/iNtuitive. Makes sense.
It's always best to have actual data, which is why I encourage people to explore their type and share the results with me. I'm having so much fun getting to know people!!
God chose Abram. He chose Isaac instead of his brother. He chose Jacob instead of Esau; he hated Esau.
God changed Jacob's name to Israel. He demonstrated his power by delivering the descendants of Israel from the Egyptians.
God made his expectations known through Moses. He destroyed nations and made the name of Israel feared.
When the people of Israel rebelled against him, he punished them. He killed many, but always kept a remnant of faithful Israelites.
Jesus is the King of Israel.
God sent Jesus to save the Israelites from their sins.
Jesus told the Canaanite woman he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Except for that woman and the Roman Centurion, Jesus exclusively interacted with Israelites.
Israelites wrote all of the works of the Bible. Paul said they were entrusted with the words of God.
Of the twelve apostles, only Paul was sent to the Gentiles. He told Gentiles how to become Israelites.
Gentiles took Paul's works and used them to assemble the Bible. Then they created the Gentile Church, ... and scorned the name of Israel.
The name of God's people is Israel. He disciplines his people, and many are unfaithful. But God is always faithful.
Satan is a liar. He sets up counterfeits.
Many people desire to do what is right and follow God. They want to believe in Jesus and belong to him. But many have fallen for counterfeits.
Every Gentile church is a counterfeit. Each one looks right, but there is something wrong in every single one of them. That is because they are not Israel.
The name of Israel has God's blessing, and those who are a part of it receive the nourishing sap. The words and ideas in the Bible are products of that sap, so they are holy. They have power and authority.
Gentile teachings are not products of the nourishing sap. They contain lies and half-truths. They are spiritual dead ends.
What attracts flies? Death?
Gentile churches and their various manifestations are under constant harassment from the spiritual forces of evil. They are infiltrated, deceived, and worn down. It's like a swarm of flies.
Those who are in Israel are alive. They do not attract flies.
The flies don't even notice they are there.
All glory to God.
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NOTES:
Exactly 33 years ago this morning, I got to meet my babies, ... and then I had to say goodbye. I believe my wife is with them now.
Exactly 13 years later, I gave notice to my employer that I was leaving my career to "follow the Lord."
Today, exactly 20 years after that, I am posting what I believe to be the key message I have been called to proclaim.
I do not believe in coincidences. This was not planned by me.
UPDATE, November 21, 2023...
Yehoshua confronted the scribes and Pharisees, the "religious professionals" of the time, because they were misleading the people. We must do the same today.
I have learned to spot certain tells as I evaluate whether specific voices are worth listening to. Here are a couple of them:
Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority..." (Acts 1:6-7 NIV)
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV)
These statements are almost always skipped and ignored. Similar to the seeds sown on the hardened path, these are seeds not even cast. This should make us question the "sower," and whether they can be trusted about anything they say.
My INTJ personality has learned to be very efficient at evaluating these things. Impersonal analysis may be foreign to some people, but someone has to do it or people will be led astray. This is a big part of my job.
People should simply read the Bible. Derivative works such as commentaries and workbooks can be helpful, but we must remember that they are works of men, and they can mislead us.
Also, I have observed many people hang on the words of certain pastors, theologians, and famous teachers. My question is, are we following them or are we following Yehoshua?
Exactly 38 years ago this morning, my wife and I lost our twins.
Our little girl came first. Our son followed.
More recently, My Twin Flame initiated our meeting. I followed.
My experience long ago seems prophetic. Synchronistic. Confirming.
Anna has been giving more instructions to "earth angels." She says many are in my age group, and that they come in Twin pairs.
Article 5906, Granna Bytes: The Forbidden Subject Yet Inescapable Mission
Though modern scientists and theologians don't want to talk about it, the Sumerians fully described the process by which the modern human was painstakingly created by Enki using the substance of the Earth and the DNA of a Sumerian god only a few thousand years ago. They also described the development of people carrying special abilities and missions, one of which was a special group of "bridge souls" called to aid the Earth in its transition from the energies of one Age to another Age.
...
Most of the Bridge Souls were born from 1945 to 1965, with a few stragglers before and after. They came in Twin Flame pairs. Many of them are Earth Angels or members of Cosmic races in Earth Angel bodies. They are all here for a reason. They all carry "Enki's Gift" and they are all in various stages of activation of this gift.
...
Those who carry Enki's gift are being awakened, like it or not.
...
For the Earth Angels who make up most of the Transition Crew, I want to speak very explicitly about your role in this, even though you are already receiving downloads of "knowing without knowing". Pay attention to the information rising up in you, even if it doesn't immediately make obvious sense.
She then explains what she believes these people will experience.
I have personally been experiencing the types of things she is talking about and I have described some of them in this blog, my Twin Flame being one of them.
In my opinion, these experiences are "the what." They are demonstrable facts, and for me personal experience. I am a witness to them.
Anna's explanations of "why" are her opinions.
The writings of the Sumerians explain "the why" in their opinions.
In my opinion, these explanations of "why" are "Gentile Teachings."
The Ten Commandments were given to the Israelites through Moses. The first one was...
Root cause analysis is an important tool for finding out what went wrong. If you don't pull up the whole root, the problem will just come back. Process safety managers and engineers use various methods to do root cause analyses.
One of the simplest methods of root cause analysis is known as the "Five Whys." The person conducting the analysis simply starts by asking why things happened at least five times. I am going to use that method to examine the possible root cause(s) of my wife's recent death.
(1) Why did my wife die? Her death certificate states she died from bleeding as a result of the intervention the medical professionals did on her. (I am not going to go into specifics.)
(2) Why were they doing an intervention? Her death certificate states she had an acute circulatory catastrophe, which caused her to pass out at the grocery store.
(3) Why did that catastrophic event occur? Her death certificate states she had a deformity in her circulatory system. I believe this is a presumption because there was no testing or imaging done prior to the event, although I am sure the surgeon could tell what had gone on.
This is as far as the death certificate goes and I did not want them to do an autopsy.
Continuing with the "whys"...
(4) Why was there a deformity or weakness in her circulatory system? Only God knows, but she had chronic inflammation for a long time. That was diagnosed by an immunologist. Had the medical professionals looked into her records, they would have known that.
(5) Why did she have inflammation? This is the key question, in my opinion, and one the medical community never pursued. They harped about cholesterol and blood pressure, although her numbers were not bad. Those are symptoms of inflammation, but they have been labelled as discrete medical conditions: hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Through our own research we learned that the official advice for addressing those issues only leads to worsening of those "conditions," so we found our own paths to improving our health, often by going in exactly the opposite direction. For example, we did the Whole 30 diet for a month. It made big improvements in our health and allowed us to learn what foods were, and were not, causing problems for each of us.
But despite all of our efforts, her inflammation remained and I couldn't figure out why.
Then, two months after she died, I learned she was deficient in vitamin D. I did an entire post on that and I encourage you to read it here. That realization explained everything.
(6) Why was she deficient in vitamin D? Because she never went in the sun.
(7) Why did she not go in the sun? Because she followed the advice she was given by those she trusted. For example, this photo was recently shared on Facebook by my Michigan state senator.
(8) Why do people parrot that advice? Because they believe those who seem to be in authority.
(9) Why would the authorities give bad advice? That's a very important question, and one people need to pursue on their own. That's because they wouldn't believe it if they were told.
When we understand the "big picture," everything makes sense.
All glory to God.
---------------------------
UPDATE, September 3, 2022...
A friend of mine just completed some work in another country to help girls prepare for life and not be vulnerable to potential abuse. It seemed to be very successful and fun, and addressed some important issues.
I know absolutely nothing about the culture of that country, and am pleased things are being done to make people's lives better. That is what God wants. When we see an opportunity to do good, we are called to do it.
As an engineer, I immediately analyze things and try to fix problems. I look forward to debriefing my friend when they are back to see if there are ways I can help. I think some root-cause analysis of the situation would be fascinating to do, and am looking forward to perhaps giving it a try. It's what I do.
This is so much fun!!
UPDATE, January 2, 2025...
This video discusses how blue light is bad for our health. It correlates with many of my wife's infirmities. There is something here that needs more consideration and contemplation. The video is very fast-paced and quite technical.
I still have the digital alarm clock my wife had when we first met. The digits are red. Many things manufactured for night-time use these days have blue or green light, and I know that is a problem. Crooks have been making us sick by the products they sell us.
The root cause: crooks
We can fix this by understanding the Truth.
UPDATE, March 28, 2025...
From the video.
I am writing this update at 5:30 in the morning. I was wide awake around 4:30 and started falling asleep last evening around 20:30 (8:30). I'm typically up with the sun and start snoozing when it goes down.
I'm hungry for some breakfast, too, and ready to go.
Why? I never used to be this way.
Because I am not watching color television in the evening during "prime time."
The television I do watch is old DVD's I've watched over and over again. I know the stories and usually end up watching them "through my eyelids." I got rid of my cable TV box three and a half years ago.
When I run the television in the evening I have the colors desaturated, which is "black and white." I do the same with my phone and computer screens in the evening, but not during the day. The sky is blue during the day.
Desaturated (B&W)
Also, I read paper books in the evening, particularly before going to sleep.
Every day for the past few weeks, I have been taking my walks in the morning around, or shortly after, sunrise -- without my glasses. My routes have been such that direct sunlight enters my eyes so the light can interact with my retinas.
There definitely seems to be something to this. I spent about an hour and a half yesterday morning walking in strong, direct sunlight, and this morning the effect seems to be particularly pronounced.
Please seriously consider watching and rewatching the video to comprehend the message.
I believe the crooks tell us to do exactly the opposite of what we should be doing. I believe they created "prime time television" to make us fat so we need medical services so they can make a profit.
I'm old enough to remember the 1960's. Hardly anyone was fat. The only place one could see a "fat lady" was in a carnival side-show.
The advent of the for-profit medical industry was coupled with the advent of television, and then color television. We became conditioned to mindlessly watch end-of-the-workday, popular content and "programming." Those of you who are old enough, do you remember how "black and white" televisions emitted a blue glow?
My wife watched a lot of television, and later in life she spent a lot of time looking at her computer tablet. Her vision was also bad, and she had very highly-correcting eyewear through most of her life.
Everyone has been taught to fear ultraviolet (UV) light. We are taught to wear sunglasses, which block UV. Glass windows block UV. Again, we have been propagandized to behave in the ways the crooks want us to behave, and in this case they are getting us to avoid UV light entering our eyes.
WHY? SO OUR BODIES DO NOT PRODUCE THE CHEMICALS (hormones) THEY NEED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE??
Apparently so.
I believe we need to live the way God designed us to live. He created our bodies; he created the sun; he created UV light and the lenses in our eyes that allow UV light in. (The video makes that point by demonstrating fluorescence of the retina.)
We can't go wrong by trusting God's ways. This is why I take walks in the morning without wearing my glasses.
UPDATE, April 28, 2025...
Just got back from a sunrise walk. Nice.
While I was walking, I realized I walked to school as a child, and I at least partially faced the sun during my routes.
My wife told me she usually took the bus. The glass in bus windows blocks some frequencies of light and filters the rest.
My dad only let me watch one hour of television a day.
My wife watched a lot of television.
I did not need glasses until I was in my 30's, after a decade of university and working indoors.
My wife needed glasses when she was young, and they needed to be stronger and stronger as she got older.
And then there was her difficulty with staying slim.
Who mandates children must go to school and ride buses? Who heavily promotes television, and these days, computers? Who provides cell phones for even the homeless?
Who profits from our poor health?
Crooks.
Why do crooks get away with all of this?
Answer: Because we let them.
And that is the root cause, folks...
Our foolishness.
UPDATE, September 26, 2025...
There are people who walk in my neighborhood during the morning when I do, but many of them wear sunglasses. They are outside where the natural sunlight is but they are not benefiting because the sunglasses block the kinds of light their bodies need to be healthy.
It reminds me of a biblical parable...
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23 NKJV)
When we wear glasses, we are preventing light from entering and keeping us healthy, both physically and spiritually.
My family and I enjoyed taking canal boat holidays (vacations) when we lived in Britain. The scenery was often beautiful, the pace was slow, and we especially liked the anticipation of what was around the next bend.
My wife took this photograph of me easing the narrowboat into a lock just before we moved back to the States. Notice the name of the boat? I don't believe in coincidences. Not anymore.
Noah built a large boat because he believed God, and I am sure his neighbors thought he was crazy. They eventually learned the hard way that he was not. Noah saved his family with that boat, and became God's "reboot" of the world.
It grieves me to see so many people ignore the clear warnings in the Bible. They seem to spend most of their time reveling in the parts they like, judging others for not following the rules, and ignoring what Yeshua commanded us to do.
Only eight people survived the Flood. It happened. About 71% of the world's surface is covered by water. That's quite a flood! There is clear evidence of continental drift, and the size and location of each of the Hawaiian Islands implies the drift was very fast at first and then slowed way down. That makes sense if the earth is young (about 6000 years), and there is a lot of evidence supporting that. There are also logical explanations for the very old ages of the things we can see in the night sky with telescopes. A very young earth and very old quasars is not a contradiction, especially when the Bible says God "stretched out the heavens." Do some research on black holes, white holes, and what happens at event horizons.
My gorgeous wife at Florissant Fossil Beds Nat'l Monument
Fossilization must happen quickly before the animal or plant decays. Mineralization requires water saturated with minerals to transport those minerals into the pores of a specimen. That cannot happen to a skeleton on top of the ground exposed to the air. Leaves wither and dry up in a few days. Trees and stumps decay in a few short years. Animals and plants must be quickly covered with water and sediment in order to be fossilized. That is only going to happen in a flood.
There are fossilized redwood tree stumps at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, just west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Those stumps, by definition, had to be at ground level when they were fossilized. Assuming my assertions are true that Noah's Flood formed all fossils, it follows that the ground under those stumps was the actual ground level at that location before the Flood. The elevation of Florissant is 8169 feet. How did they get so high above Flood level, which was logically around the present day sea level?
Museums and establishment science talk about a "fossil record" as if the
various layers of sediment happened over a very long period of time.
But most of those layers are very homogeneous, which means they had to form in minutes, not eons. If you ever come across a place where
there has been a flood and substantial sediment has deposited, try
cutting down through that sediment with a shovel. I think you will find
the same layering phenomenon that is in the following picture of a mountain, only on a
much smaller scale.
The layers of sedimentary and metamorphic rock we see in mountains and outcroppings around the world had to occur quickly, and had to be formed by moving water. There are many examples of homogeneous layers of sediment containing isolated rocks and rubble. As an engineer who has done a lot of fluid flow observations and calculations, I can tell you that those large items had to have been transported there by fast moving water.
Grand Canyon outlet (Google Earth)
Years ago, I was at Higgins Lake in central Michigan, which is fed by springs. Since I am a child at heart, I dammed up one of those small springs with sand on the beach until it formed a small reservoir. When I was done, I broke the dam and watched all of the water flow out. What resulted looked like a miniature Grand Canyon. I am convinced most canyons around the world were formed as the land rose in response to the catastrophic Flood, probably during the time of Peleg.
Two sons were born to Eber:
One was named Peleg,[g] because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.
Revisiting the question raised above about the current elevation of the Florissant redwood stumps, it is logical the mountains rose as the continents drifted and collided with other tectonic plates in the days of Peleg. That is the explanation from establishment science, the only difference being the timing and presumed cause of those events. This also explains how the layers of flood-deposited sedimentary rock ended up as metamorphic rock and at the top of mountains, like in the picture above.
What was the population of the earth before the Flood? The Bible doesn't say, but it does say that people lived for a very long time back then, much longer than they do today. Given how long people lived then, the number of generations between the Creation and the Flood, and man's capabilities for producing offspring, the number of people was probably very substantial. And out of all of those people, only eight survived the Flood. Those are not good odds.
After the earth repopulated, and the people were dispersed because of what they were doing at Babel, God picked one man, Abram, to have a relationship with Him. One man. Those are not good odds.
Abraham's nephew, Lot, lived in Sodom. He was warned to get his family out and flee the city. Only his wife and two daughters went with him. His wife did not survive the journey. Out of all the people who lived in the Jordan valley, only three people survived. Those are not good odds.
When Jacob's descendants went to Egypt, they became slaves, but God made them prosper. Eventually, God brought them out by judging Egypt and its gods with the Ten Plagues. He then "baptized" all of the Israelites (Jacob's descendants) by opening up the Red Sea so they could walk through and escape from the Egyptians. Eventually God led them to Mount Horeb. Those things happened. They did not happen where tradition says they did, but using the Internet and tools like Google Earth we can learn where those events actually took place. It's quite fun to do.
The Bible says 603,550 men over the age of 19 were in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt (Numbers 1:45). It also says 22,000 Levite males from the age of one month and up were there (Numbers 3:39). Women were not counted, so assuming there were about the same number of them, there were well over a million people with Moses in the desert. Let's assume it was 1.2 million. That's about the population of Dallas, Texas.
After the Israelites scouted the Promised Land and gave a bad report, God punished them by making the entire community wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all of those who had rebelled perished (Numbers 14:22-23; 28-30). Only Caleb and Joshua got to enter the Promised Land. Even Moses was not allowed to enter (Numbers 20:10-12). That's because he hit the rock instead of speaking to it. That's pretty strict, especially considering everything Moses did throughout his life following God. One sin is enough to keep us out of where we want to be.
So, out of the 1.2 million people who came through the Red Sea, only two men got to enter the Promised Land. That's only 0.00017%. I presume they got to take their wives and children with them, so the number would likely be a bit higher, but it is still well below 1%. Those are not good odds.
When Assyria and Babylon took Israel and Judah captive, respectively, they left essentially no Jews in either place (2 Kings 17;25). What was the entire population of Israel and Judah before the exile? The Bible doesn't say. It does say 42,360 returned from Babylon after many years, when God intervened in the hearts of the rulers of the places the Jews had been taken. Assuming the combined populations of Israel and Judah had been two million, which is probably a gross understatement (the number of Jews in the state of Israel today is nearly 7 million), the the number of returned exiles was only 2%. Those are not good odds.
The Bible gives a New Testament example of the sternness of God. Ananias and Sapphira. They lied to the Holy Spirit and held back money. They each dropped dead. This caused great fear among the believers who heard about it.
These things all frighten me. I believe they illustrate what Jesus was talking about when He said...
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)
We need to get into the Ark. That "ark" is Yeshua. The Bible tells us how to do it. God promised Noah He would not destroy the earth again with a flood (Genesis 9:11), but other parts of the Bible say He will eventually destroy it by other means. Our neighbors, friends and family will laugh at us like Noah's neighbors probably laughed at him. We must stand firm, get into the boat, and bring along anyone we can convince that a storm is coming.
All glory to God.
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UPDATE, September 4, 2022...
One of my older daughter's high school classmates went into the Peace Corps soon after they graduated. She stayed with us in our home when she was back in Midland because her family had moved away. She gave us this "peace dove" stained-glass decoration when she left. My wife loves stained glass. It has been hanging in our front window ever since.
I recently realized this symbol is not about "peace." It is about redemption; it is about the end of an ordeal; it is about the biblical account of Noah's Flood.
And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. (Genesis 8:11 ESV)
Shortly after we moved into the home I am in now, my wife saw these gothic arches at one of the local big-box stores. We purchased some and I attached them to our house. Over the years I have noticed it makes our place look like a church. I don't believe in coincidences. Not anymore.
UPDATE, November 3, 2022...
This video is about the archeological remains of Noah's Ark in Turkey...
This particular evangelist preaches about hell to unbelievers. I am not the judge of someone else's servant, but I don't do that. I don't do it because Jesus did not do it.
Jesus talked about hell when he was speaking to his guys, but he did not mention it to the crowds. He spoke in parables to the crowds. He did, however, warn the religious professionals about hell. They needed to hear that message.
Jesus told stories and used metaphors when he spoke to general audiences, and he waited for the Holy Spirit to draw specific people to him. He knew he could share more information with the people his Father was sending him. That is what I try to do. I have been learning techniques to discern who is receptive, and then I work with them as the Spirit leads.
Jesus healed the sick and performed miracles to get people's attention and to demonstrate his authority. He did not preach about damnation on street corners and hand out Gospel tracts. Those are things I see people doing today, but I don't think those methods are very effective. For the most part, I think they are just preaching to the converted and angering those who need to hear the message. I think they are driving away and hardening those they are actually trying to reach.
At best this kind of behavior may be due to impatience on the part of the aspiring evangelist, and at worst it might be a form of usurpation and counterfeit discipleship by the Darkness.
I do really like this guy and what he says, but I already understand and embrace his message. I am one of "the converted."
I
left "preaching hell" and handing out tracts behind years ago. It
doesn't really fit my personality anyway, and I know it is not my job. I included the video here because I think the presentation of information about Noah's Ark is top notch.
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