Re: [TruthTalk] Why the listen to voices from the past?

[Knpraise]

In a message dated 7/25/2004 8:40:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

John, Would you care to elaborate? Iâd be interested to hear about it. Izzy





And I understand my God more than I did just 5 years ago.

Actually it has been 8 years   (summer/winter of 1997).  

That was the first time I immersed myself into Christ  (Gal 3:26,27).  Upon the advise of a preacher, I decided (for seven days only) to listen and think and read nothing but that which was divine   --- radio sermons, Christian music, Bible study before and after work, private devotions  --  nothing secular.   I wound up doing this for nearly two years.   It turned me around, presented God as real in way that was even shocking to me  ---   and extremely consistent.  

I had gotten away from this immersion over the course of the last couple of years.  Not "backslidden" as they say but not fully immersed.  God has used this group to put me back under   --  immersion into the Lord. 

And in 1998, He gave me an assignment that opened my eyes to all the times He was a part of my life, using me in his work, and me complaining that I was missing something !!!
I had no idea this "assignment" was grom God until the very instant the whole affair was over.  Read on  -- I'll keep it short.  


It was about a man named Shelby Martin.    I and some friends went to a Promise Keepers event in Fresno in l998.    Shelby Martin was a visitor in our church, someone I did not know.   I had given him a hand shake but it was meaningless.    He was a biker-dude with lots of tattoos, a 13 year old daughter who was married to another biker-dude   --  he was a genuine tough guy.  

Anyway, I am at PM.   On Sat., they took a two hour break so some of us went to the book tent.  I saw a Bible, a leather bound Bible, and I decided to buy it.   I didn't have any money,  but thank God I still had plenty of checks in my bank book.   So I paid $50 for this Bible and went back to the stadium.   I laid it down on top of my old NASV, the one that I had for maybe 30 years  -- full of notes       , falling apart.  I deserved this new Bible.   But as I sat there, I began to regret the purchase   --  I was betraying my friend,  that old NASV. 

By the end of the service, I had decided to take the book back  but the tent was closed and everyone was gone.  I could not return the book.   On the way home, I decided to use it in my private devotional.   So Sunday morning,  5 am, there I was trying to study with some good religious music on   --  and NOTHING.  I was so distracted by the fact that I did not want the Bible (the new one) that I couldn't even use it in these devotionals.  So I decided to give it to someone at church  --  Chris, a new convert and a member of my bible study group.   Yes  --  Chris  but there was another name that kept coming into my mind:

Shelby Martin.   I thought  "not Shelby"   I don't even know the guy and Chris could use this book.   No use.   Shelby, Shelby kept coming into my mind.   So I finally decide to give it to Shelby.   I wrote something in the front of the bible and went to church. 

Shelby always comes late.   That day he was one of the first ones in the sanctuary.  So I decided to give it to him then.   I went up to him  (understand that I am 5' 7"  and Shelby was probably 6' 2".)  "How ya doing"  I said.  "Fine."  And I reached out with the new Bible and said  "Here, take this thing.   I bought it but can't use so it is yours  -- no thanks are necessary, believe me."   He said  in surprise  "What is this?"    I said, "This would be a Bible  -- just take it , no big deal."  And he took the book.  

After church, he came up to me, with tears in his eyes and told me he wanted me to go outside -- he wanted to talk to me in private.  So we did. 


He told me that on the previous Wednesday,  he had gotten "pissed off at God" and had gone into his bedroom and had torn up his Bible.   It was still laying in the middle of the floor  -- no one  in the house would touch it.  Linda, at times I have been one of the bigger fakes in religious history and God used me to get to Shelby.   The single most important event in my life.   My wife runs a close second, however.  


Anyway, that's the story. I get very emotinal just telling the story.   

John