It was me not Rita.Sorry for the confusion Rita, the comment was addressed to Hepzibah... However APAK's reply to you was very much on point so that clarifies the issue.
Friendly Bible Study
- Thread starter Carl Emerson
- Start date
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Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Looking forward to what you find for us next, although I seem to miss a lot of comments.
Can you delete me from this thread, thanks.
I don’t see any anarchy on this thread, just members sharing from what’s in their heart.
I certainly don’t see any hint of arguing either.
From my own personal opinion I see a clique forming on this thread...
I hope and pray that the study goes well for you all.
I don’t see any anarchy on this thread, just members sharing from what’s in their heart.
I certainly don’t see any hint of arguing either.
From my own personal opinion I see a clique forming on this thread...
I hope and pray that the study goes well for you all.
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Just got back in to the site Carl...yes, I agree, a common vision is all important. I will observe the boundaries as we solidify them, and gently tell other newcomers to abide in them as well, if I see they have already made a dent in fence line...
Be patient RitaJ. This is also a new experience for me. It will all come together, if we let it.
Carl has voiced his opinion, I’m voicing mine, as you see above, I want no part of a clique, they ruin discussion,/ Bible Study....been in one myself, never again.
I wish you all well, no animosity from me, I would like out that is all,xx
I sincerely pray it goes well for you all, In Jesus Name!....Amen!
OK for the sake of transparency here is a summary of my background.
Dad was Salvation Army, Mum was Roman Catholic but she turned and both were distanced from their families and were not regular in Church. There were 5 at the wedding - the taxi driver was called on to be an official witness. In those days there was deep animosity between denominations.
I knew God was real by the age of 3 or 4 seeing Him in creation.
I attended Sunday School for a short time but my young faith was so personal and special to me that I asked not to attend any more.
At about 8 Jesus appeared to me. He identified Himself and simply said that there was nothing in this life that I would do that He would not see. (El Roy) I had not been a good boy and I guess I needed that Word. Shortly before I had thrown a dart into my sisters leg (ouch)
So I was reading my bible from a young age, afraid of death, but had a deep desire to walk as Jesus walked - He was my hero.
At 13 I attended a Christian camp as saw my peers going forward at meetings to commit their lives to the Lord. I knew I couldn't do that so I wandered up the side of Lake Wanaka and lay down prostrate on the gravel. My prayer went like this - Lord I know I have always been yours, but there comes a time when I must give you my all and let you take complete control of my life, sorry for the way I have messed up, forgive my sins, rule in my heart.
At that moment I heard footsteps coming towards me on the gravel but when I looked up there was no one there.
He has been with me ever since.
By the age of 17 I was preaching in youth services but I had been thrown out of school for refusing to sit the national school certificate exam for the third time. My report said "we know he is good for something but we don't know what.
I has a serious inferiority complex so when for the first time I met a girl who was interested in talking to me I thought this was it - the sum total of my pre marriage council was my dad asking if I was sure !
I was drawn away from church, and the faith, in this relationship. The 7 years of marriage was a disaster. She ended up living with my best friend.
Meantime searching for identity and being subject to peer pressure I started getting into soft drugs, was studying Phenomenology of Religion at University and was attracted to Eastern Philosophy. There was a line I never crossed - the renunciation of Jesus. But my life was a shipwreck. I was incarcerated in a Psych ward and given ECT and chlorpromazine. This reduced me to felling I was in a vegetable state - all self will broken - BUT GOD.
Folks I didn't know started praying for me - and I heard the still small voice - "Return to your Christian routes..."
Meantime by no small miracle I was released from the ward and set out up country to find my Jesus again.
I met several folks on the way with His Word for me and ended up in Golden Bay on the wharf looking at the sea... when it happened - it was like God my Father picked me up (proverbially) gave me shake and said "I'm putting you back on the rails - stay on them and immerse yourself in the Bible."
That was the beginning of 7 years of the restoration of my life - Lots of prayer, ministry and Love from the body of Christ.
After my wife filed for divorce I was ten years single until in a truely miraculous way God spoke to a lady about marrying me - that was 40 years ago and my lovely wife Sand and I have 5 children.
Finally I have the opportunity to speak and share about how He now uses me, and you can read about this on my testimony thread.
Dad was Salvation Army, Mum was Roman Catholic but she turned and both were distanced from their families and were not regular in Church. There were 5 at the wedding - the taxi driver was called on to be an official witness. In those days there was deep animosity between denominations.
I knew God was real by the age of 3 or 4 seeing Him in creation.
I attended Sunday School for a short time but my young faith was so personal and special to me that I asked not to attend any more.
At about 8 Jesus appeared to me. He identified Himself and simply said that there was nothing in this life that I would do that He would not see. (El Roy) I had not been a good boy and I guess I needed that Word. Shortly before I had thrown a dart into my sisters leg (ouch)
So I was reading my bible from a young age, afraid of death, but had a deep desire to walk as Jesus walked - He was my hero.
At 13 I attended a Christian camp as saw my peers going forward at meetings to commit their lives to the Lord. I knew I couldn't do that so I wandered up the side of Lake Wanaka and lay down prostrate on the gravel. My prayer went like this - Lord I know I have always been yours, but there comes a time when I must give you my all and let you take complete control of my life, sorry for the way I have messed up, forgive my sins, rule in my heart.
At that moment I heard footsteps coming towards me on the gravel but when I looked up there was no one there.
He has been with me ever since.
By the age of 17 I was preaching in youth services but I had been thrown out of school for refusing to sit the national school certificate exam for the third time. My report said "we know he is good for something but we don't know what.
I has a serious inferiority complex so when for the first time I met a girl who was interested in talking to me I thought this was it - the sum total of my pre marriage council was my dad asking if I was sure !
I was drawn away from church, and the faith, in this relationship. The 7 years of marriage was a disaster. She ended up living with my best friend.
Meantime searching for identity and being subject to peer pressure I started getting into soft drugs, was studying Phenomenology of Religion at University and was attracted to Eastern Philosophy. There was a line I never crossed - the renunciation of Jesus. But my life was a shipwreck. I was incarcerated in a Psych ward and given ECT and chlorpromazine. This reduced me to felling I was in a vegetable state - all self will broken - BUT GOD.
Folks I didn't know started praying for me - and I heard the still small voice - "Return to your Christian routes..."
Meantime by no small miracle I was released from the ward and set out up country to find my Jesus again.
I met several folks on the way with His Word for me and ended up in Golden Bay on the wharf looking at the sea... when it happened - it was like God my Father picked me up (proverbially) gave me shake and said "I'm putting you back on the rails - stay on them and immerse yourself in the Bible."
That was the beginning of 7 years of the restoration of my life - Lots of prayer, ministry and Love from the body of Christ.
After my wife filed for divorce I was ten years single until in a truely miraculous way God spoke to a lady about marrying me - that was 40 years ago and my lovely wife Sand and I have 5 children.
Finally I have the opportunity to speak and share about how He now uses me, and you can read about this on my testimony thread.
This is a sad outcome, my comments were regarding other members appearing on the thread without regard for what the thread is all about. We should all feel free to express opinions and feel safe doing this.
I don’t feel safe on this thread and I gave my reasons as of to why.
I wish you well, leading your Bible Study.
My Dad was Roman Catholic and mother, Church of England. (Anglican). My Dad overruled her and she then avoided 'church' all together.
My wife first knew Christ around your age Carl. She told me, and she has replayed it many times, of the time when she was 8 years old, she stood up from her desk one day and said in a directive tone, like a midget Moses, to the class and teacher, we are not from apes we are from God. Her teacher later apologized to her and said she has to teach from this book...
For me I still believe I met an angel in my room when I was about 5 years old. Saw it/him hovering to the left side of the bed. Looked at me in joy and then moved off, seemed to float into nothing, became invisible. I believe I was sick at the time with scarlet fever.
I first paid attention to God when I was in Levin, NZ at the Convent school there. I still remember the accident. It was my mom/mam/mum some many mmms, driving three of us to the same school. She was a very nervous driver of a 1949 Vauxhall Cresta, double clutch and all, with the hand crank to start the thing. Anyway, coming over a railway crossing she hit the back end of a semi-truck at full speed and smashed the front-end of the car. At least one of us should have died. Nobody did. Fast forward, to the next day. We all lined up as usual for the morning assembly and the head nun spoke to me in the ranks and said, God has spared you for a plan or purpose in your future. You are blessed or something of these types of words...I forget.
Then, together with my fascination with the stars in the sky at the time, God became alive to me. And then this seeking and God knocking at my door was only a matter of time......more to come...later
Thanks, I put down the wrong car, although we did have Vauxhall Cresta, only it was a 1950s model.....
Folks kept their cars, whatever age, and repaired them themselves years ago.
MA2444
Well-Known Member
I drive a 1995 pickup truck with a 351w and I do most things on it. It's almost rebuilt except for the motor.
For the record my comment about anarchy had nothing to do with RJ but another member whose post was deleted.
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