Bah!
Just random stuff going through my mind, I lost a Bible, left it in the bus a few years ago. It was from a friend I made at the Methodist church, she was trying to recruit me. I didn't realize that until a third party told me. She was a lay pastor at a _________ church, older Protestant denomination. Despite them having a lot of new programs to help the poor in the community, they were a pretty dead church. They did not have the gifts of the Spirit, they did not "eagerly seek the gifts of the Spirit". They had another very smarmy lay pastor who seemed to be having an affair with the very handsome young assistant pastor. Maybe I'm wrong, but he was ALWAYS talking about how handsome "X" was, and how IN LOVE he was with his new wife, they were young.
I believed that he thought the guy was handsome, but the part about him being SO in love was purely for creating an impression that "X" was straight. No way.
Smarmy lay pastor found out I was on the outs with my family.So he figured he'd start making somewhat subtle passes at me. The first one I put up with, thinking I had to, the second made me purely pezzed off so I reported him through an administrator to the main pastor.
He was obviously told to leave me alone and he was angry and seemed to think it unfair. I went on somewhat longer there, but the first lady who gave me the Bible kept saying she would go to my church once, absolutely never did. Smarmy lay pastor never really stopped his smarm. And there were other problems with this church and then allowing people to just plain sin.
One of the nobodies like me who attended free meals and programs there* asked the main pastor a question about the Holy Spirit. The pastor's jaw worked, he clenched and unclenched his jaw muscles angrily. I thought what is he so angry about, it's a legit question. He said he'd answer later but never did. They had Holy Spirit oriented events about once every three years, at seminars for new lay pastors. That was it. The other church I had started going to because they gave away healthier food than the other churches (I thought), had Holy Spirit meetings pretty much every service. They didn't do the speaking in tongues thing where 2 or 3 people spoke in tongues, then there was an interpreter. A few times they spoke all at once in tongues, and when I asked, they were helpful about me get the gift.
I recently watched a service there online (they moved too far from me) and the Uber pastor there said something like churches that demand their people speak in tongues make it idolatry.
Well they never tried to tell me I had to, I just wanted it because I thought it would help me grow and also make life easier. Haha, I don't know about easier but I think it helps me. I also enjoy it.
I kept the Bible, the lady had gotten for me because I had said mine was so heavy to carry around with me (no car!). And the aforementioned fishing for new church members--who would give all their tithe money.
It was small, perfectly readable and had a wonderful leather look cover, flexible and it had a celtic knot pattern on it. Someone at my Spirit filled church complemented me on it but I could barely stand the compliment for some reason. In my head I was like, NO, it's bad... I don't know what it was that made me think that, but something fussy like it's paper instead of real leather.
Anyway, I put a label in it with my name and address, and I loved the font I used to print it out. I somehow left it on the bus, though sometimes I think maybe I have it somewhere in the house. Because duh, who loses a Bible. Well, all I can think is someone got a good opportunity to read it.
But I also think someone got may name and address and telephone number. There was some funny business for awhile but I've been praying about it. If someone gets something good from me, and they mess with me in return, um no.what they do to you will be done to them. If they don't repent.
Anyway, I still like that Bible. The people at the church went on to go all rainbow, as a denomination. They were all Freemasons I think. Years ago I would have thought that's okay, either one, but I think it also would have disturbed me. I'm older now and I realize that people I know who were absolutely hateful to me were in both categories. And I used to think it was wrong to be prejudiced about drug use, how would those hillbillies know? Now I know they've seen it all, and there's nothing new under the sun. Drugs mess people up, as does alcohol, very often, at any rate.
Its better not to mess with them, but you can definitely get saved if you get a bad habit. Some people get into this or that, overdo it, and then there are consequences. But, Jesus saves!
I have a number of new Bibles but the size and loveliness of that one, darn. But I didn't value it as I should, or it was tainted in the back of my mind, or I felt guilty for something? All, I suppose.
_____________________________
(*somewhat out of need but also out of boredom and actually wanting good teaching).
I believed that he thought the guy was handsome, but the part about him being SO in love was purely for creating an impression that "X" was straight. No way.
Smarmy lay pastor found out I was on the outs with my family.So he figured he'd start making somewhat subtle passes at me. The first one I put up with, thinking I had to, the second made me purely pezzed off so I reported him through an administrator to the main pastor.
He was obviously told to leave me alone and he was angry and seemed to think it unfair. I went on somewhat longer there, but the first lady who gave me the Bible kept saying she would go to my church once, absolutely never did. Smarmy lay pastor never really stopped his smarm. And there were other problems with this church and then allowing people to just plain sin.
One of the nobodies like me who attended free meals and programs there* asked the main pastor a question about the Holy Spirit. The pastor's jaw worked, he clenched and unclenched his jaw muscles angrily. I thought what is he so angry about, it's a legit question. He said he'd answer later but never did. They had Holy Spirit oriented events about once every three years, at seminars for new lay pastors. That was it. The other church I had started going to because they gave away healthier food than the other churches (I thought), had Holy Spirit meetings pretty much every service. They didn't do the speaking in tongues thing where 2 or 3 people spoke in tongues, then there was an interpreter. A few times they spoke all at once in tongues, and when I asked, they were helpful about me get the gift.
I recently watched a service there online (they moved too far from me) and the Uber pastor there said something like churches that demand their people speak in tongues make it idolatry.
Well they never tried to tell me I had to, I just wanted it because I thought it would help me grow and also make life easier. Haha, I don't know about easier but I think it helps me. I also enjoy it.
I kept the Bible, the lady had gotten for me because I had said mine was so heavy to carry around with me (no car!). And the aforementioned fishing for new church members--who would give all their tithe money.
It was small, perfectly readable and had a wonderful leather look cover, flexible and it had a celtic knot pattern on it. Someone at my Spirit filled church complemented me on it but I could barely stand the compliment for some reason. In my head I was like, NO, it's bad... I don't know what it was that made me think that, but something fussy like it's paper instead of real leather.
Anyway, I put a label in it with my name and address, and I loved the font I used to print it out. I somehow left it on the bus, though sometimes I think maybe I have it somewhere in the house. Because duh, who loses a Bible. Well, all I can think is someone got a good opportunity to read it.
But I also think someone got may name and address and telephone number. There was some funny business for awhile but I've been praying about it. If someone gets something good from me, and they mess with me in return, um no.what they do to you will be done to them. If they don't repent.
Anyway, I still like that Bible. The people at the church went on to go all rainbow, as a denomination. They were all Freemasons I think. Years ago I would have thought that's okay, either one, but I think it also would have disturbed me. I'm older now and I realize that people I know who were absolutely hateful to me were in both categories. And I used to think it was wrong to be prejudiced about drug use, how would those hillbillies know? Now I know they've seen it all, and there's nothing new under the sun. Drugs mess people up, as does alcohol, very often, at any rate.
Its better not to mess with them, but you can definitely get saved if you get a bad habit. Some people get into this or that, overdo it, and then there are consequences. But, Jesus saves!
I have a number of new Bibles but the size and loveliness of that one, darn. But I didn't value it as I should, or it was tainted in the back of my mind, or I felt guilty for something? All, I suppose.
_____________________________
(*somewhat out of need but also out of boredom and actually wanting good teaching).