O.T.: Decav’s Been Saved By Christ!

[DeCav]

I got your PM brother. It is well received.

So you know Randy? When’s the last time you’ve heard from him?

So yeah there was no one thing with me. It was kind of the opposite actually. Like the exploded engine that comes back together.

I struggled with this for years and still do.

One other clue for me. When I learned that Jacob fought with the angel and woke the next day renamed as Israel and that Israel means “contends ow wrestles with God, my logical mind saw the opportunity to identify myself as one who wrestles with God.

And it does not escape my attention that they who struggle with God are his chosen people.is that narcissistic or self-serving? I suppose so but we are all that way to one degree at least.

I’ll tend to lock horns though when it comes to certain views.

I’m curious , Do you believe your story about walking again constitutes a miracle?

[1 CAT FAN]

So you know Randy? When’s the last time you’ve heard from him?

Never knew his actual name, just knew him as Warpaint, conversed through the former football message board. Haven't heard from him or seen a post from him in years. He had mentioned his health before, do you know how he's doing? Good guy.
He could smack talk football with the best of them, big Gaffney fan.

I’m curious , Do you believe your story about walking again constitutes a miracle?

Absolutely, truly a blessing to receive. I believe it was more about Him than the boy. Everyone that witnessed the miracle knew the boy's disability and the tragic accident that lead to a double cast with a metal bar and nail like pins through both ankles. I know most people are skeptical when hearing these type of stories, that's one of my thoughts that it was about Him. Others witnessed His power and mercy, others were lead to Christ that saw with their own eyes.

[DeCav]

So you know Randy? When’s the last time you’ve heard from him?

Never knew his actual name, just knew him as Warpaint, conversed through the former football message board. Haven't heard from him or seen a post from him in years. He had mentioned his health before, do you know how he's doing? Good guy.
He could smack talk football with the best of them, big Gaffney fan.

I've chatted for hours on Facebook with him. Me and him had an epic experience with some Trump supporting ladies from Seneca in a group chat one night. Think Hunter S. Thompson. That's how bizarre that was.

WP is as enigmatic in real life as he is on the board. Once in a blue moon he'll play tag and then disappear for months at a time. I met him at RJ Rockers to watch his son's band play a show. Of course, his boy is a very gifted artist like WP. I was hoping he might grace us with his presence this season but I'm not crossing my fingers.

I’m curious , Do you believe your story about walking again constitutes a miracle?

Absolutely, truly a blessing to receive. I believe it was more about Him than the boy. Everyone that witnessed the miracle knew the boy's disability and the tragic accident that lead to a double cast with a metal bar and nail like pins through both ankles. I know most people are skeptical when hearing these type of stories, that's one of my thoughts that it was about Him. Others witnessed His power and mercy, others were lead to Christ that saw with their own eyes.

Here's where I adopt my role as Devil's Advocate. Or maybe I'm representing the divine side?

You speak of the doctors that healed your broken leg using metal pins and steel braces and a cast.
I would imagine that your friends and family were very supportive of you with regards to your rehabilitation.

The preacher cast your crutches aside and bade you stand, walk, and then run?

Was this the first time you had tried to put weight on your legs without the use of crutches? With all of your toiletry and sanitary needs, you'd never had a moment to so much as lean against a wall without crutches prior to this miracle?

I would submit that in the framework of divine intervention, what might actually be the truth is much more inspiring than ascribing a suspension of the natural laws of the universe to the passive words and actions of a church leader.

The miracles in this story, IMHO, jump out at me as the more mundane aspects of your narrative.

I'm inclined to take a tangent here and wonder if there is such a thing as an anti-miracle...an evil malevolent miracle. Such as you being born with your skeletal condition in the first place or falling down the stairs and breaking your legs. These events would hardly be described as miracles yet they are part of the narrative that led up to you being able to proclaim you were the benefactor of a miracle.

Indeed, I'm sure the preacher was a saint and was anointed by God to perform a miracle that day. It also seems to me that of everyone in your life who could make the claim of participating in that miraculous moment, this preacher did the least. Telling you to put aside your crutches and walk.

It seems to me like he might be getting some undo credit. I think the real miracle here is the medical attention you received along with the love and support of the people in your life.

Interestingly enough, you seem to indicate my very point with the passages you shared...

"For we reckon things from our human experience and do not understand the infinite mind and purpose of God. In the great faith chapter, we often read of the heroes of the faith but neglect the prayer of those unnamed who suffered for their faith (Hebrews 11:33-40). These all died suffering deaths yet are heroes of the faith. They are unnamed and unsung among men, but God values their suffering and includes them in this great chapter of faith as a lesson to us."

It seems again to me based on the above passage that you would probably admit that the moment in the church might have been a revelation that a miracle was at work. Maybe we can agree that the preacher called its manifestation forward that day but clearly the healing had taken place and you just needed the courage to fall. Before my son walked for the first time, he was already kind of walking if you know what I mean.

One evening we got a call that he was involved in a boating accident, he wasn’t wearing a life jacket and they could not find him. When we arrived what we feared had become a reality, he had drowned. To my knowledge he was not saved, as good of a person he was; he did not follow Christ. I miss him, I wish he was alive today to see the man I have become. We need to realize that our circumstances are not an indication of whether God is with us or not.

A couple of thoughts here...

You do not make a causal statement here like "People who aren't saved are more likely to drown than people who are". I don't believe that was your intended message yet there is a latent tone here.

And here...I have seen the blessings of God too, just recently we had a young boy with a rare decease near death air lifted to MUSC Charleston; where through prayer of many and God guiding the doctors the child is doing much better.

My mind instantly seizes on the miracle of human flight, especially helicopters which have zero glide ratio. (How many people have seen a copter "auto-rotate"? That is a freaking miracle right there!) It seems that you glance right over the miracle of this boy being flown from one location to another by what could be reasonably argued is an Angel of God who risks his life every time he takes off to do his job of saving people. Even if the boy had died on the table, it seems like a pretty significant miracle that he even made it to the table.

As far as the doctor...I'd be curious to hear his story. Again, the miracle here to me is the human brain and our understanding of human biology and the practice of healing.

How many doctors do you think are doing God's work these days?

What if this same doctor also advocated for the vaccine? Do you still think God is working miracles through him?

Personally, I don't believe in miracles at all or the suspension of the physical laws of nature. I have to integrate my faith in a fantastically tricky and compromising way or it doesn't work for or fit me. I'm well aware of the concept of mathematical grouping, basically seeing images in clouds. I guess I don't ascribe to the micro patterns as much as I've become aware of the macro patterns. The way in which the smaller illusions of miracles and connected dots are nested inside larger and larger groups until a meta narrative has been demonstrated. Did you know that word is rooted in the word "demon". So is "democracy." Actually "demon" is rooted in the word daemōn meaning a familiar spirit, or guardian spirit.

As I understand it, Daemon comes from a Latin word that means " A tutelary deity or spirit that watches over a person or place." Tutelary? Is that like a tutor?

According to Peterson, the word eventually boils down to mean "your inner voice."

Have you ever posted a comment or said something in a conversation and had a voice inside you pop into your mind that says, "You don't believe that."?

I have more to say about that. I'm hoping this conversation expands and sharpens my understanding of the numinous.

Oh and one pedantic request. Sorry, my mom was an English teacher but you threw 1,416 words at me without a paragraph break or even an indentation. Thanks for the letter. It was a good read. You're a good man. Let's keep the conversation going. In it you begin by admitting...

"This is something that I have never had the courage to speak of in front of a large assembly."

Why wouldn't you want to testify in front of God and the world?

You've struck me as kind of a closed book type of person. I know you used to enjoy some of my more bombastic contributions. Lately, not so much? We should meet up. Which teams do you watch in person every season?

I'm always excited to see when and what you post.

Hell, I'm excited to see anyone post anything but not as excited as I am when someone can move my needle. It's been rather amazing watching all the bible thumpers bang their heads against my wall for 50 years. And now where are they?

Also, maybe someone can explain to me why Christians are so ready to accept that someone isn't saved but can't believe that their Christ could save me. No joke, I've been asked ad infinitum if I'm being serious and if I'm really saved. Man, these folks don't have much faith in either God OR me.

Am I all of a sudden a liar or trickster?

I had a friend several years ago who asked me over dinner if I was saved. I told him, "Look I could be kind to you and tell you a lie if you want to feel warm and fuzzy. Or I can be honest and tell you that I'm not sure that I buy it."

He hung his head and murmured, "Then I have failed you."

I didn't respond but I can relate what I was thinking. This dude is a saint, the salt of the earth, one of the most gentle and inspiring souls I've ever met on this board. He's thoughtful, cautious, considerate...

He's exactly the last person down to the bone that I'd have ever suspected would lean across that table to discreetly describe another person as a real (n-word). That kind of wounded me. That part of him failed me if we're talking about disappointment.

Also, his political leanings and objectivity failed me and my heart. Some of his actions and deeds failed me but 99% of him succeeded in being inspirational to me and helping me find my way. There never was any one person who was going to save me. Every person in my life has toted a puzzle piece that was contributed to the grand picture for me.

It's still very tentative for me. I honestly fear that the only people in my life who might manage to scuttle my faith are the well-intentioned Christians. SLICK and Penguin have proven to be as supportive as they can be expected to be.

I've a friend who put a lot of time into helping my faith. When I finally constructed a working prototype of a Christian faith that would work for me, he was so upset about any part of it that did not exactly overlay his own ideologies that he won't even communicate with me anymore. There is a ring of truth to the notion that there is no hate like Christian love. I can show this from Facebook groups that I'm in.

Peace and Love brother!!

[DeCav]

[DeCav]

One of the things that sharpens my convictions is to test them against formidable arguments. Not sure how many folks know it but Hitches has been welcomed all over the world as a respected atheist hoping to help strengthen church doctrines by trying to tear them down.

If your faith can withstand this measured and clinical argument then you just might have something really solid and unassailable.

[1 CAT FAN]

I've chatted for hours on Facebook with him.

Tell him CAT FAN said hello, glad he's doing well.

You speak of the doctors that healed your broken leg using metal pins and steel braces and a cast.

The boy is thankful for the doctors taking up that profession. You know what they say about doctors, they're "practicing physicians." God Bless them.

Indeed, I'm sure the preacher was a saint and was anointed by God to perform a miracle that day. It seems to me like he might be getting some undo credit.

It wasn't about a preacher, doctor, or even the boy who was blessed. It was about God's divine intervention.

A couple of thoughts here...
You do not make a causal statement here like "People who aren't saved are more likely to drown than people who are". I don't believe that was your intended message yet there is a latent tone here.

Don't think that statement was made, apologies if it was perceived that way. The boy looked upon his brother like a father figure.

How many doctors do you think are doing God's work these days?

They have "free will" like everyone else.

Personally, I don't believe in miracles at all or the suspension of the physical laws of nature.

Jesus made the blind man see.

"This is something that I have never had the courage to speak of in front of a large assembly."
Why wouldn't you want to testify in front of God and the world?

Better at one to one or small group. "To make a difference, no matter how small."

Also, maybe someone can explain to me why Christians are so ready to accept that someone isn't saved but can't believe that their Christ could save me. No joke, I've been asked ad infinitum if I'm being serious and if I'm really saved. Man, these folks don't have much faith in either God OR me.

Am I all of a sudden a liar or trickster?

No, you are not. That is Satan's identity, the father of lies.

I've a friend who put a lot of time into helping my faith.

Keep moving forward. We're not perfect, we ALL make mistakes.

God Bless.

[DeCav]

A couple of thoughts here...
You do not make a causal statement here like "People who aren't saved are more likely to drown than people who are". I don't believe that was your intended message yet there is a latent tone here.

Don't think that statement was made, apologies if it was perceived that way. The boy looked upon his brother like a father figure.

You might have misunderstood my comment. Read it again. I said you DO NOT make a causal statement like that. I wanted to be clear that I did not take any of your comments to mean that specifically. I did notice however that the folks in your narratives that did not favor well seemed in your estimation not to be Christians. It was just an observation.

[DeCav]

Thanks for responses. Like I said, I'm trying to move my needle on a few things. Your opinions help shape that!

[DeCav]

[DeCav]

I've chatted for hours on Facebook with him.

Tell him CAT FAN said hello, glad he's doing well.

You speak of the doctors that healed your broken leg using metal pins and steel braces and a cast.

The boy is thankful for the doctors taking up that profession. You know what they say about doctors, they're "practicing physicians." God Bless them.

Indeed, I'm sure the preacher was a saint and was anointed by God to perform a miracle that day. It seems to me like he might be getting some undo credit.

It wasn't about a preacher, doctor, or even the boy who was blessed. It was about God's divine intervention.

A couple of thoughts here...
You do not make a causal statement here like "People who aren't saved are more likely to drown than people who are". I don't believe that was your intended message yet there is a latent tone here.

Don't think that statement was made, apologies if it was perceived that way. The boy looked upon his brother like a father figure.

How many doctors do you think are doing God's work these days?

They have "free will" like everyone else.

Personally, I don't believe in miracles at all or the suspension of the physical laws of nature.

Jesus made the blind man see.

"This is something that I have never had the courage to speak of in front of a large assembly."
Why wouldn't you want to testify in front of God and the world?

Better at one to one or small group. "To make a difference, no matter how small."

Also, maybe someone can explain to me why Christians are so ready to accept that someone isn't saved but can't believe that their Christ could save me. No joke, I've been asked ad infinitum if I'm being serious and if I'm really saved. Man, these folks don't have much faith in either God OR me.

Am I all of a sudden a liar or trickster?

No, you are not. That is Satan's identity, the father of lies.

I've a friend who put a lot of time into helping my faith.

Keep moving forward. We're not perfect, we ALL make mistakes.

God Bless.

1 CAT FAN,

Would you say your testimonial would be the day you were able to walk without crutches?