I don't always understand why God allows us to meet....sort-of.....unique (I'm being nice) people from time-to-time. People that you could have lived fine if you had never said a word to them! Goodness, I kinda wish I didn't meet these people. Here's the story:
Brooke and I were at this clothes store yesterday after noon- for 4 hours. You might think we are major shopaholics but actually we got caught up in a rather interesting debate/discussion. It was surreal….standing in the middle of the this store store with this gentleman reading me the Bible! I mean this guy was reading me chapters in Genesis- out loud. I didn’t know how to respond to this couple…..so I just listened. It all started when Brooke started talking to the lady, because she made a remark, "God is so good!". And then they just started a conversation about the Bible...I don't know exactly how. But when I came into the picture (I had been in the dressing room), they were talking about how they believed there was a whole generation that God wiped out before Adam and Eve. So I come over and start listening, and they start telling me stuff like, "You need to read the Word. Read Genesis for yourself and you will see!" Okay that made me a little mad. I have read Genesis several times for myself and it does not say that at all! These people simply had a ridiculous interpretation of the Bible. I just wanted them to shut-up to be honest. I have never had a hard time believing the Bible in a simple way- what it says it what it means, and that's how I interpret it....and I don't like listening to people that try to make one believe it's all so complicated. Before they finally started to leave, the lady asked if she could have my address so that she could send me some kind of information about Genesis in the mail. Don't worry, I'm not that much of an idiot. I told that woman flat out, "No thank you!" Good grief....I wasn't about to give someone a total stranger my address. I don't know if these people were Christians or not, only God knows. All I know is that they're theology is all mixed up, and turned upside down. I invited them to our church, because they claim that they watch "church on tv every day". oooooookkkkkkkk, yep that's what they said. I don't know if they'll come or not, I wouldn't count on it. The man let me know he doesn't believe in offering plates (???????).
What a day! I felt like falling over at the check-out counter, before we left the store.
-Holly-
P.S. Just as a side note, I did get my hair cut. But it's not anything drastic, it's hard to even tell. I just couldn't cut the length although I almost did . And now I am glad I didn't!!! Me and my changing mind. It's a hard life.
17 comments:
I think God puts people like that in your life to make you stronger,more thoughtful,and for testing you. God makes no mistake!( I'm sure you new that part!). Deep from the heart of Texas!
Emily Margaret Dawson
Doesn't believe in offering plates? Wow! I feel sad for such lost people...
I thought this verse might go well with this event. :)
Gal 1:8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
Gal 1:9
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
Funny story!
-Kade
You shouldn't be upset by such an encounter....You should get excited!
That was an opportunity for you to minister to someone who obviously needed it. It is our privilege to be the tool which God uses to share his word, which the Spirit uses to draw the lost near.
You should look at these people with compassion, and pray for them often. You can't expect lost people to act saved.
Some Christians would rather live in a bubble than come into contact with the lost. I am glad that the people God used to reach me were not like that or who knows where I would be now.
Much Luv,
Cuz
" Me and my changing mind. It's a hard life."
hehehehehe, my mom tells me that I'm not the only one, things like that help me realize she's right. "It's a hard life" lol.
Wow, thats an incredible story. Jeremy and Emily were right though.
Actually, at my church they don't have offering plates (I'm not sure why) but they do have a box in the back. I think its for the purpose of not "giving on a show" but that its truly a gift from a servant's heart when you give money as an offering to God. Anyway, I'm not sure that was that particular man's reason for not liking offering plates.
Glad you didn't give her your address:-)
God bless,
Jordan
What an experience. I agree with Randy, and by God's grace, I'm learning to get out of my "bubble". But I understand that was an out-of-the-ordinary experience.
It sounds to me like they might have been Day-Age Creationists. Some believe that there was a whole 'race' of men that God had created before Adam and Eve. He gave Lucifer control of them, and that is how he wanted to be God. It then goes something like Satan flooded that earth of soul-less people to show his power, he was overthrown and sent to Hell, and then to the Genesis story. Nowhere in the Bible does it say this though. Some go as far as saying God helped evolution happen, but that is a different subject.
That has never happened to me, but like Randy Webb said, it was an opportunity! Thanks for sharing!
Nick
As Nicholas said,
They sound like Day-Age / Gap / Progressive Creationist. They believe that the word "day" in the six days of creation refers to a period of time, not a 24 hour work day.
While yom(day) can be used as either, there is a subtle rule of the Hebrew language that says it has to be translated 24 hour solar day. Each yom has a numeral attached in genesis. (day 1,2,3,4,5,6...) That means I have to translate it as 24 hours.
Maybe I didn't waste all that money on college after all!
Even more luv than last time,
cuz
I've been to a church like that, where they didn't pass around an offering plate but instead had a box on a table in the back. I can totally understand why they did that... I think there's some verse in the Bible that says to "give alms in secret" or something like that. I think you're right Jordan, maybe that's why they told me that.
"God makes no mistake!".....that's something I need to remember.
Randy, while I can see what you are saying that it could have been an opportunity to minister, you've got to understand the situation. These people were very outspoken, and were trying to persuade us! They were the ones that were preaching to us. I didn't get to say much to be honest (I didn't know what to say anyways). They were sure that they are were right ones, and Brooke and I have it all wrong. Whereas I think otherwise (obviously).
Yes, they probably were Day-Age Creationists....she even said something along the lines of "Millions of years before God created Adam and Eve". And guess what else? She said that Adam and Eve DID NOT eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Also another weird thing was that she said that Satan impregnated Eve and that's why Cain was evil. So where did she come up with that???? She is the one who needs to re-read Genesis.
That's interesting about the Hebrew word for day.
It's just funny that people can't except that a day is a day, is a day. When the Bible says the earth was created in 6 DAYS and God rested on the SEVENTH, I will take HIS word for it- and shall we say that this takes faith? UmHm, sure! But it takes a whole lot more faith to believe that God said DAY, but actually he meant YEARS. Does that make any sense?
It does make sense, but "YOM" has multiple meanings. Moses even used it multiple ways himself. (note my last 3 examples)
In Kings 1:1, and 2 Chronicles 21:19, 20 it is used as "YEAR".
In Isaiah 30:8 it is used as "TIME".
In Genesis 18:11 & 24:1 it is used as "AGE" as in "OLD AGE".
In Genesis 47:28 it is used as "AGE" as in "THE AGE OF JACOB" (his whole life).
In Genesis 40:4 it is used as "SEASON".
Those are only a few of the different uses throughout scripture. I have had this debate myself and don't mean to confuse you with the examples above. But if I can give a football analogy... Knowing what offensive plays the other team is going to run makes it really easy to put up a good defense.
EVERY Hebrew scholar (most of them were secular) that replied to a survey in the 90's about the meaning of "YOM" used with a numeral, unanamously agreed that it had to be translated "DAY".
So you do have to dig past the surface a little, but it should still be translated as solar day.
--------------------------------
And, I understand your frustration with feeling like you were being preached too/at and that you had a hard time getting a word in.
But that doesn't change the fact that they need a deeper understanding of the Lord, and He (the Lord) chose to put them in YOUR path. Very few lost people think that we have it right or they wouldn't stay lost.
Jesus preached the same gospel we are supposed to and they killed him for it. Eleven of the 12 disciples were eventually martyred for preaching it. Few are ever going to want to hear it and it is seldom an easy thing to get people to listen. But God has chosen us as His tool to tell them about it.
I am praying that God uses this experience to give you a new boldness and that he uses this encounter to strengthen you for his ministry.
All we can do is plant the seeds. Most of the time we don't get to see how God waters them. At one point I kept up with how many people I shared with before I saw a conversion. Sometimes I shared my faith over 100 times before I saw someone get saved. FRUSTRATING!!!!!
Years after I quit keeping up I have bumped into several of the folks who made me feel like I was talking to a brick wall. Guess where I bump into them? In the churches where they now serve. One was an atheist and is now a PASTOR! I don't know what part I had in their conversion, but God chose to put me in their path and I feel privileged to have been a part of their journey.
If you continue (and I hope you do) to engage the lost in these conversations or have them engage you, it will rarely be easy. It's not your job to get them to accept God's truth, it's just your privilege to be able to share it.
Sorry for the small novel!
Hey Holly,
Love your new template. Have an awesome time on vacation!!!!
~Jordan~
I like your new blog name... 'Always changing' that's correct!
-Kade
I like your comments on the word "day" Randy. I find it interesting that professing Christians who think like humanists can't seem to grasp the fact that God created the word in six twenty-four hour days. "It HAD to have taken millions of years", we're told. Apparently, they do not have a true knowledge of the power of God. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, the pagans in foriegn lands worshipping a rock can't seem to figure out what took God so long!
Thanks Brantley,
I am glad I learned something before the kicked me out of Bible College!! ;)
Holly,
Thanks! You are the first one to follow my blog!
Nick
What? I can't believe you don't like the snow! I am pretty sure it was you. We were on around the same time anyways... :)
Nick
LoL...yes it was me. I do like the snow, but not snow sports all that much. Where I live, we're lucky if it snows once a year! I kinda like it that way :)
Holly
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