Saturday, November 24, 2007

Hello Again

Well, I guess you thought I wouldn't be back. But, here I am, like it or not, lol. Hopefully the answer is positive. I have to apologize for the long absence from the blog scene.

My life since last post has been simple, but interesting in many ways.
I have been working in a "sheltered" life while in the television field for 6+ years, in the engineering section. Most people I dealt with were Christian, and this was the world I was in.

After leaving television and broadcast engineering field, I went to work in a convenient store to help a friend and of course to continue trying to pay the bills. In this realm of life, I have met lot's of people from lot's of walks of life. I have realized from getting to know these people and some of their lifestyles, what kinds of lives they are living. I have also learned how bad and widespread the drug problems are in our own neighborhoods. Unfortunately, in a small city like ours, there's enough illegal drugs and pot to supply the entire population of our city and more.
It's a heart ripping experience to see how these people live for their next fix, or the next sales of those looking for it. It's also unusual, the fact that I am authorized to carry a gun while on duty, and quite frankly, I wouldn't be working there without one. I have taken firearms training from the county sherifs dept. from the same officer who trains deputies and city police officers. I'm confident in my skills and did extremely well with my training. But you always have to keep the thought in the back of your mind, Will this be the night that some crazed drug addict is gonna come in the door shooting at me before I have a chance to pull my weapon? You never know, and since now it is being advertised in the local papers, that "this is the beginning of the robbery season" getting more active during the holidays. Unsuspecting people are being robbed more and more by people posing to be someone they are not. Leaves are falling, people hire others, sometimes strangers, to get them up. The strangers somehow make their way into the home, and demand more money than agreed on, and/or take articles from the home, and the elderly can't stop them. God said, it's in the bible, that it will get much worse before the end. It's looking like it's getting nearer.

I've also seen some things happening in the church that I was a part of for 10 or so years.
People with money who seem to look like angels with their large monetary donations to the church, become favorites to the people/leaders who are blind and don't see what's coming. They(the church)is also holding elections to the board with only a few favored people present to vote. Not when everyone is there during the main service. this stacks the deck for the monetary favorites! Thus, people who absolutely have no business being on the board, sre elected on "Favoritism"! Is favortism supposed to have a say in this? I don't think so. Also in the Bible you will find that these are the ways that Satan disguises himself. Makes himself appear to be an angel. Now the church is so "gung ho" into trying to bring in more money to the church in many different ways, that it is leaving behind, the original faithful members whose standards and beliefs were what built the church and what it stood for. Now, who cares as long as they bring money, and in large amounts.
The church and it's members are supposed to stand by and uplift their brother man. But when something negative happens to a member/church leader/ BROTHER IN CHRIST, HE WAS CAST OUT OF THE CHURCH by these so called leaders, including the pastor. This has happened other times too.

GOD, nor JESUS, EVER told anyone to turn your back on your brother!
In this respect, You are no better Christion than the one you cast out and turn your back on! It is not right for the man to be cast out, rather stand by him and uplift him. Throwing your problems away DOES NOT SOLVE THEM! And guess what, when your brother has a problem, it is also YOUR problem. He is YOUR BROTHER IN CHRIST, AND HE IS FAMILY! AND I KNOW YOU WOULD EXPECT THE SAME FROM HIM now WOULDN'T YOU?

How dare you call yourself a Christian, and you act like this?


I have not attended this churh in about a year and a half now. A few months back, I was invited to visit another church. This hasn't been the only one, but this one stood above the rest.
This church member visited me regularly at the store I was working in, and invited me repeatedly to come with him. I finally agreed. I hadn't been to church for some time now and I was certainly missing it. I was accustomed to being a working member of the church heading up the technical end which now I had been shunned away from.
What was interesting about the invitation from this man, was the fact that I am a white man, and he was black. It didn't even bother me that I thought I was probably going to a predominantly black church. He also came by one day before I was to go for my visit, and asked "hey, did I hear you say that you played bass guitar with a gospel group and a praise band"? I said yeah, I did, but not playing any now. He said, in that case if you want to play, we also need a bass player, so bring your bass with you too. I said I don't know but I'll think about it. I saw him one more time before going and he asked if I was going to bring my bass, and I felt I was up for the challenge, and told him okay. After going to this church for a few weeks, I could see that this church, being a small church, was filled with people who are really ALIVE in there praise to God. And also really alive in their love for other people in the church, no matter who they are or where they came from. It was also comforting to know that I was not the only white person in this church, although there were only one or two others most of the time. IT DIDN'T MATTER!
My wife started going with me, and liked it as well. The sermons, the praise and worship, the music, the people are alive! YOU KNEW YOU HAD BEEN TO CHURCH THAT DAY DO NOT SLEEP through a service!
This church and several others in the area are combineing services with each other at different times, so this is another outreach for to other churches, and even other denominations to worship together. I a simple statement, "The doors are open, and you WILL BE LOVED, No Matter WHO YOU ARE! You will be judged by CHRIST< and not by any man.

I thank God for everything. Including being shunned by the pastor, and the so called leaders of the church. I was able to find a true church, whose primary purpose is to worship GOD, and to love everyone. To UPLIFT your brother, NOT TO THROW HIM OUT THE DOOR AND STEP ON OR OVER HIM ON YOUR WAY OUT! I was bitter towards my old church leaders for some time, but in God's grace, I have forgivven all. I have grown leaps and bounds in the last several months. And I pray that I continue to do so. I have been Graciously accepted at a church that actually still has Values and Priorities still in place.

GOODBYE TWC.

2 comments:

*Child of God said...

Very easily understood and not at all hateful, but please change the picture!

*Child of God said...

IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU ADDED YOUR WIFE'S BLOG ON YOUR LIST?