12-15-2007, 06:15 PM
Ditto Wrote:
I'm sure most of the gang has noted my absence, the past few weeks. I'll explain by saying that it's an effect of the surgeries, I've had, over the years.
Another of my, online, groups is called TBI-Together and the TBI means traumatic brain injury. My first TBI may have occurred when my older sister pushed me off a bunkbed, when I was three but I'm sure I've had at least seven....every one of them caused by brain surgery. The brain bludgeoned have a problem with lethargy and mine is evident in the fact that I will sleep a full eight hours and still have to return to bed for another four hours, only to end up back in bed for an hour or two "nap."
After that, I'll be awake, for hours, without the ability to think straight, which stagnates my writing and keeps me offline for days at a time.
Having said that, please allow me to turn this subject into a column, which I'm sure will, once again relate more to both hearing AND Deaf people, than just to the Deaf....
Rev. 3:16 "So because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of My mouth."
The problem, I've noticed in just about every church I've set foot in, these past 20 or so years, is that people are satisfied to rest, thinking they know the Lord and that is enough. This was even true of some of my Bible college classmates, who would do just enough to receive an A in
Student Ministry and then nothing more.
Often, I wonder what the Christian world would be like, if the Christians actually took the attitude, set forth by members of cults, where they're required to work for their eternal future. I mean, I know a Jehovah's Witness man, who goes door-to-door, with the Watch-tower people, in hopes of earning his salvation. If the Christianss didn't have it so easy,
none of the members of any church would be lukewarm, rest on his/her laurels, expecting that, having accepted the Lord, they're "done," til His arrival.
Between November 7, 1981 and May, 1983, I put in 287 hours on the Steets because I felt a burden for the Deaf homosexuals, who had never received knowledge of the Truth of the Gospel. Part of my, original, commitment was because I found I didn't know when the Deaf men would
come out and I felt I needed to be there, when and if they did.
Unfortunately, the other students didn't share my zeal for ministry. Even after the rule was changed from 18 hours, over a semester to five hours, monthly, people still did just enough to garner an A.
Paul said, "How can they call on the One, Whom they have not believed in? And, how can they believe in the One, Whom they have not heard? And, how can they hear, without someone preaching to them?"
(Romans 10:14).
The truth is, THEY CANNOT!!! Unless we, as his chosen vessels do everything we can, to see "Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven," His will isn't being done.
Father, I pray for anyone, reading this, who may or may not have the same burden for serving You as I have. I pray, first, for those, who fervently enter any area of ministry available, with the attitude of "Times a wasting". I pray, Lord, that You will continue to multiple these labors.
Now, Father, I also lift up anyone, who has either never done anything to see Your Kingdom added onto or has, but hasn't been really enthused about doing it.
I pray that You will allow what I've written to encourage them to go back to the beginning and find their Gifts, which will allow them to find the same zest for service that Paul and the other disciples and apostles had.
In Jesus' Name...Amen.
Another of my, online, groups is called TBI-Together and the TBI means traumatic brain injury. My first TBI may have occurred when my older sister pushed me off a bunkbed, when I was three but I'm sure I've had at least seven....every one of them caused by brain surgery. The brain bludgeoned have a problem with lethargy and mine is evident in the fact that I will sleep a full eight hours and still have to return to bed for another four hours, only to end up back in bed for an hour or two "nap."
After that, I'll be awake, for hours, without the ability to think straight, which stagnates my writing and keeps me offline for days at a time.
Having said that, please allow me to turn this subject into a column, which I'm sure will, once again relate more to both hearing AND Deaf people, than just to the Deaf....
Rev. 3:16 "So because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of My mouth."
The problem, I've noticed in just about every church I've set foot in, these past 20 or so years, is that people are satisfied to rest, thinking they know the Lord and that is enough. This was even true of some of my Bible college classmates, who would do just enough to receive an A in
Student Ministry and then nothing more.
Often, I wonder what the Christian world would be like, if the Christians actually took the attitude, set forth by members of cults, where they're required to work for their eternal future. I mean, I know a Jehovah's Witness man, who goes door-to-door, with the Watch-tower people, in hopes of earning his salvation. If the Christianss didn't have it so easy,
none of the members of any church would be lukewarm, rest on his/her laurels, expecting that, having accepted the Lord, they're "done," til His arrival.
Between November 7, 1981 and May, 1983, I put in 287 hours on the Steets because I felt a burden for the Deaf homosexuals, who had never received knowledge of the Truth of the Gospel. Part of my, original, commitment was because I found I didn't know when the Deaf men would
come out and I felt I needed to be there, when and if they did.
Unfortunately, the other students didn't share my zeal for ministry. Even after the rule was changed from 18 hours, over a semester to five hours, monthly, people still did just enough to garner an A.
Paul said, "How can they call on the One, Whom they have not believed in? And, how can they believe in the One, Whom they have not heard? And, how can they hear, without someone preaching to them?"
(Romans 10:14).
The truth is, THEY CANNOT!!! Unless we, as his chosen vessels do everything we can, to see "Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven," His will isn't being done.
Father, I pray for anyone, reading this, who may or may not have the same burden for serving You as I have. I pray, first, for those, who fervently enter any area of ministry available, with the attitude of "Times a wasting". I pray, Lord, that You will continue to multiple these labors.
Now, Father, I also lift up anyone, who has either never done anything to see Your Kingdom added onto or has, but hasn't been really enthused about doing it.
I pray that You will allow what I've written to encourage them to go back to the beginning and find their Gifts, which will allow them to find the same zest for service that Paul and the other disciples and apostles had.
In Jesus' Name...Amen.