My Experience of XSD

[John Reece]

See "John's XSD Thread" in the Biblical Exegesis Forum for the significance of the title of this thread.

I see a lot of skepticism expressed on TWeb about God, the Bible, and Christian experience (including [greek]pneumatika[/greek]). I only smile in response to such.

I am reminded of the elderly comptroller of the junior college where I went to get enough college credit to qualify for naval aviation cadet training in the early 1950s (only 2 years of college were required back then). His son was my math and science teacher at that college, and the best teacher I had until I was blessed to study under the Professor of Semitic Languages at Duke a few years later (after the Lord diverted me from military aviation).

I’m rambling. The elderly comptroller gave a talk at chapel one morning. I did not understand what he was saying until I became as old as he was then. I cannot remember his words, but I remember the tears that flowed down his face as he told of the progressive richness of the love and grace of God throughout a long life of intimacy with Him.

What can a skeptic know of the guiding and providing care of God through many utterly remarkable losses, tests, tragedies, and blessings? I could tell many stories, all of which skeptics would pick at like predators on prey. But there’s no need to prove anything to anyone. And so much reason to be so deeply grateful.

If only people know what they forfeit by going their own way in search of self-fulfillment . . . . .

Blessings,

John

[Gavin]

Good post, John.

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another."

God bless you.

[John Reece]

Thanks, Gavin.

Here's to your future:

[Solly]

At the end of the day, sceptics will never realise what being a Christian, being a child of God is really about, and all that it means with reference to God's covenant love and mercy toward us in Christ, and His work within us. To those of us who were once adamantly atheist, and then became Christians, we have to say, echoing the Queen of Sheba, the even now the half has not been told us, and we have much more to learn and give thanks for.
I used to think "religion" was just a psychological thing, a "mode of discourse" amongst many other things by which we get through life. How wrong I was. How desparately sceptics try to pick at this or that, thinking they will undermine the reality of what God has done, and made known to us. This is what keeps me close to him, even when I fail; that I was so wrong in my estimation of Life, the Universe and Everything; and that He has shown himself to be so right.

[John Reece]

Today @ 02:18 PM post located here
Solly:

At the end of the day, sceptics will never realise what being a Christian, being a child of God is really about, and all that it means with reference to God's covenant love and mercy toward us in Christ, and His work within us. To those of us who were once adamantly atheist, and then became Christians, we have to say, echoing the Queen of Sheba, the even now the half has not been told us, and we have much more to learn and give thanks for.
I used to think "religion" was just a psychological thing, a "mode of discourse" amongst many other things by which we get through life. How wrong I was. How desparately sceptics try to pick at this or that, thinking they will undermine the reality of what God has done, and made known to us. This is what keeps me close to him, even when I fail; that I was so wrong in my estimation of Life, the Universe and Everything; and that He has shown himself to be so right.

Well said, Solly.

People interpret what they see and hear in terms of personal experience, personal capacity, and personal presuppositions – all of which they project upon others. But when the Holy Spirit infuses and transforms a person from within, it's a matter of “joy unspeakable and full of glory” that transcends mere emotion (as proved by subsequent production of much good fruit).

That's why Solly is so much fun and so full of wonderful things to say and do on TWeb.