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God Can Use You

Posted 28 months ago|41 comments|1,762 views
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God Can Use You.

God always uses broken vessels to accomplish His purpose.

By broken vessels, I don’t mean broken down vessels.

I mean people who know what it’s like to hurt.

People who know how to feel the pain of disappointment and heartache. Not just in their lives, but also in the lives of others.

Unfortunately there are people out there who feel it’s all about them.

These people are loved by God. No doubt.

But in the grand scheme of things, they usually carry more baggage than usefulness.

People who look inside and have a longing to do more and be more, are going to be broken.

People who look out on the world and realize what is happening. People who look out and see what is going on are going to be broken.

If you have any compassion and emotion at all, it has to break your heart to some degree to see the injustice, pain and suffering in this world.

People who see it, recognize and embrace it, are people that can be used by God.

A number of people – the Bible’s heroes of the Faith – were broken or had failed miserably in their lives. Even so, God raised them up in marvelous ways, to fulfill His will and purpose.

Even when we make mistakes, we can trust God to make something good out of our situation.

God used Moses, a murderer, to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.

God used Jacob, a liar and trickster, to fulfill the promise that Abraham’s seed would be blessed.

God used Rahab, a brothel madam, in the messianic family tree, to deliver Joshua and Caleb.

He used Sarah, a woman who laughed in disbelief when God promised to bless Abraham and Sarah’s union with a son, and she became the mother of a nation.

God used the heroes of faith to fulfill His purpose, and He used them in spite of their weaknesses, their attitudes and their circumstances.

God can use you for His purpose as well, no matter what you’ve done or what you’re going through.

God does not want you to stay broken.

But from that brokenness, from that humility, will be your strength.

Your empowerment comes from a purpose outside of yourself. A greater cause.

The world does not revolve around us.

We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

What we do inevitably affects each other.

We owe it to each other to do the best we can with the hand that we have been dealt.

What does it take? It takes courage.

Courage to step out into the unfamiliar.

Courage to step out into difficulty and discomfort.

Willingness to do battle for the greater good of the human family.

You don’t have to be Mother Teresa, but look around. There are plenty of opportunities to be used. To do good for someone. To help someone. To make someone else’s life on this planet a bit easier to handle.

All you have to be is available and willing.

The question is: Are you willing to do that?
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Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: That is the million dollar question. People seem to forget that everything and everybody has value and potential, that it is never to late until I die of course. But until then the slightest shift in our will can alter our momentum and direction in life. It is not as complicated or mystical as some would have us believe. Mercy and goodness are at our disposal 24/7/365 if we have faith. Agnostics have faith that they will lose weight and they act on it and so they do. Why is it so difficult to have faith that G-d will forgive our sins and then act upon it?
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: And your citation for these religious factoids is Morgan Freeman as God? I preferred George Burns in Oh God but I think the indomitable scribe Mark Twain had the right spin on religion:

"The Bible has noble poetry in it... and some good morals and a wealth of obscenity, and upwards of a thousand lies."

"Our Bible reveals to us the character of our god with minute and remorseless exactness... It is perhaps the most damnatory biography that exists in print anywhere. It makes Nero an angel of light and leading by contrast"

"Faith is believing something you know ain't true."

"It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand."

"Religion consists in a set of things which the average man thinks he believes and wishes he was certain of."

Mr. Clemens was once asked whether he feared death. He said that he did not, in view of the fact that he had been dead for billions and billions of years before he was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: I’ve always wondered Mark, Why former Adventists after becoming disillusioned with their former faith dedicate their lives to bashing it? Then I look at former Christians of other denominations who have become professed atheists and I see them doing the same to their former religions. I guess that should not surprise me since newly converted Christians bash their former beliefs too. I think what I’m learning from reading your tirades against G-d is that you are pretty pissed off at him for something that you think he did or didn’t do. Well take it from a former agnostic Whatever you think G-d did or didn’t do, let it go. It’s going to eat you alive. G-d doesn’t respond to extortion or hissy fits. I know I’ve thrown a few myself. If you honestly don’t believe G-d is real well then move on with your belief but don’t linger too long in the realm of former faith bashing because it just shows that you still believe and you are still angry and you still have unresolved issues.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: SS, I think we've had this discussion before but it's really just a matter of perspective. What you think is bashing is merely a rebuttal to those who are selling their religion and other forms of charlatanism such as UFOlogy, supernatural mysticism, paranormalism, and so forth.

Just like Consumer Reports does independent product testing, rationalists provide a public service to objectively point out what the religious peddlers won't tell you when they're selling their wares - caveat emptor.

Also, as I noted before, I'm not a former Adventist and your baiting straw man arguments (e.g. angry with your fantasy god) are rather amusing but irrelevant. If you expect me to take that bait and delete my account in a fit of rage like you did, think again :)
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
28 months ago: The big danger in believing all of this nonsense, is that some people claim to hear God telling them to kill those sinful prostitutes, or bomb that abortion clinic or murder that doctor, or invade that country, or wipe out that race of unbelievers, based on folk tales that come from a violent and cruel part of the ancient world.

The best prayer yet: O Lord protect us from your true believers.
28 months ago: I write a beautiful (even somewhat humorous) piece on love, charity, forgiveness, and the human family and I get rebuttals that have to do with hate, vengeance, and intolerance.

That's sick. But that also is not my problem.

I'm just glad everyone does not feel that way or this world's darkness would be even thicker.
THE RONBOT HUNTER
THE RONBOT HUNTER
28 months ago: ALTRUIST

Reminded me of a article I once read, on the study of mass murderers, and serial killers.

That had one thing in common -- they all used religion as their justification for murder.

Either in their sick minds they were doing God's work, or getting even with people for not being religious or of not being of the right religion.

So, the article made this quite clear.

Religions have a history of being used for genocides,and the killing of innocent women and children by governments, corporations and sociopaths, both in and out of the public eye.

But it is NOT the religion that is at fault, but the sick minds of men, using it for their own ends.

So, when I hear someone saying that God demands this or that, I look to see his agenda.

When a man acts as if he speaks for GOD, look at him closely and really study him to spot his motives or agenda.

Because I might be seeing another man shooting the people below.

WELCOME TO THE RELIGION AND THE MIND OF SOCIOPATHS

THE RONBOT HUNTER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: I’m pretty sure Mark that if religions were street vendors carts and religious ministers were the peddlers that you dear sir would be out in the market square with a bat instead of a cart and that you would be bashing away.

I don’t need to bait you Mark. You have given yourself away many times to have been a fairly knowledgeable Christian if not Adventist. It is not your disbelieve in G-d that drives your rage against religions especially Christian, especially Adventist. Like I said I was once agnostic and I was a happy non believer. I had no reason to bash any religion or interrogate any believer. I found them odd little curiosities and their believers to be silly little people and that is where I left it.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: Huey,

The problem isn't writing a beautiful piece; certainly you had good intentions but the 'devil' is in the details. For example,

Moses went from being a vigilante murderer as you mentioned to "being used by God" as a genocidal maniac in the name of the "Lord":

"Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle. "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them...Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man...The LORD said to Moses, "You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between the soldiers. (Numbers 31)"

Should we salute him for sparing the virgins and we're suppose to believe some deity is directing this barbarism? Now that's sick.
28 months ago: I hear what you are saying and I understand the sentiment.

Unfortunately war is a very barbaric thing.

Nothing nice about it.

Maybe we should ask Rudi.
28 months ago: Also - I never saw the George Burns movies so I've never delevoped an affinity for them.

Are they worth checking out?

"Evan Almighty" was hillarious.

28 months ago: You should watch the George Burns ones, just to compare the different acting styles of "God" and they are funny.

My take on the God of the Bible is an all powerful, spoiled brat with no conscience and a mean streak a mile long, who likes kittens until they scratch or bite or refuse to wear a dress, then he smashes them flat and looks for another to play with.


“Even when we make mistakes, we can trust God to make something good out of our situation.”
The big problem with that is, who gets the benefit? He may make something good out of “our situation” but it may not be good for you, that is of course, if you believe in the whole God and religion thing. That is one reason why atheist and others do not believe in a or any God(s). The odds of your prayers being answered in the way you need or want, no matter how devout you really are, are infinitesimally small. Once your prayers have not been answered in a way that truly benefits you, the fall back is, Gods will, or you really didn’t need any help, or what you asked for was not what you needed (even if it really was), all cop outs because you did not get what you prayed for even though you “played the game” all your life. Let’s just say your child needed a $2 shot to save it’s life and no matter how hard you and all your fellow religious followers prayed, that $2 injection never got where it was needed even though it was in the same room with the child, the doctor and a flock of nurses and they all knew it was there and that it needed to be used and there was plenty of time but it wasn’t done and the child died. God’s will, yeah right. And no, that did not happen to me, life happened to me, living it outside the influence of “the devout” for many years and seeing with my own eyes the reality of it all happened to me. It is just an example I made up that probably happened to someone to show the futility of prayer to the Bible’s God.
28 months ago:
Huey, good article, even if I don’t share all your views. God or the institutions set up to do His work can even use atheists to do good deeds for others, no one said you had to adhere to all the tenants of a religion to work along side those that do. It’s part of being a caring human being.

As for my use of capitalization for God, Bible and other references, it is out of respect for others beliefs that may not be my own, I see no reason to insult others just because we don’t see eye to eye.
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: If a human who has no power to give life after he has taken it did the things that G-d has done in the bible to people then I would agree with all the non believers. Here is the thing though…G-d can and often does give life and returns it more abundantly then we often take it. What is the difference then? Obedience. If he made me to function at optimum efficiency under certain restrictions but I choose to permanently alter the way he created me to operate then it should not surprise me if he chooses to discontinue my service at some point. But even under those circumstances, when was the last time anybody ever saw G-d strike someone dead? Huh? Exactly! So nobody can say that G-d has killed anybody because they have no proof that he did and even if he did he has the ability to give life again. It’s his life to give and take and our life to accept or reject. So what will it be? Do we choose LIFE or DEATH?
28 months ago: Prayer has always served my family and I well.

I've seen family members and friends turn their lives totally around by the power prayer. Ours and theirs.

It keeps us all on the same page.

In prayer we share all of our dreams, aspirations and longings. As well as our pain and heartaches.

Prayer builds up and it cleanses.

Just like mediation, it is an exercise that that brings peace and harmony to what can be a very difficult, painful, and chaotic world.

It's also funny that I've found myself praying for certain things or asking for certain things and then they did not materialize the way I had expected.

Sure. Sometimes there have been disappointments, but by far, most of the time the answers have far exceeded my expectations.

Just thought I'd share that.
28 months ago: Sixeer - in another post didn't you say that your kids go to church or am I mistaken?
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: I believe in G-d now for the same reason I didn’t believe in him in my youth and the reason is, “It is impossible for me to believe otherwise given all I’ve seen and lived. Experience teaches us that youth is folly. It is woeful to be aged and still believe as in our youth.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: Huey,
..Are they worth checking out?..

The sequels weren't particular noteworthy but the first one with John Denver, George Burns, and Teri Garr is definitely worth a look. Denver played a supermarket manager who's approached by God to deliver a message to the modern world.

Denver: I don't even go to any church!
Burns as God: Neither do I.
28 months ago: Huey, that is affirmative, no error on your part. My views and some of theirs (theirs being four) differ, same with the wife and I. We have a very open relationship in matters of religion and politics and sometimes the discussions get pretty heated, usually over split-hairs. Been married for almost 30 years, once, and still am. Like I said, we can still work side by side for the betterment of mankind even if we have different beliefs. They were all brought up with the idea that they each had to make up their own minds about religion; we just gave them the tools and the desire to learn so they could make a decision without someone forcing them either way. Some chose religion, some are still in the learning phase and some are in between.

SS, our lives have taken us to different venues, you didn't believe and now do and I did and now.... let's just say I have major doubts and hold the line at that.

Me and Burn's God character agree on that one.
28 months ago: Best wishes to you and your family Sixer. 30 years and counting is awesome in my book.

Obviously you do, but don't forget to, cut the kids some slack. There are definite researchable, rational, and valid reasons for their beliefs outside of faith alone.

2 recommendations on "Oh, God." I will definitely see at least the first one.

Thanks guys.
28 months ago: Thanks Huey, kind of proud of it myself (ourselves), still got a ways to go to beat our parents, mine are getting close to 60 and hers are over 55, once and still counting.

Most times they don't even feel the rope, till the proper time of course!
28 months ago: Spoken with true spiritual wisdom Huey. We all place our faith in something or someone. Do you have the courage to look in your heart and soul to identify where your faith truly is? We all make sacrifices to something or someone. Do you sacrifice family time to get that extra money? Do you sacrifice the truth in order to remain the god of your life? Do you my friends ever look into you heart when all is quiet and ask the question "who or what is the god of my life and who or what am I making sacrifices to". Until one can answer those questions truthfully their knowledge will reside not in the known but in the fear of the unknown.
Wonderful piece of work Huey. I wish I had more time to spend here on RR but it is always a pleasure to drop by and find great bits such as this. Keep up the good work!
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: Sixholden,

Never underestimate faith. Nor should you ever let others define it for you. As much as I’ve read of your rants, raves and comments here on this site you never struck me as someone who doubts G-d. What I’ve read are valid questions. Questions that any thinking person with integrity and conviction would ask.

Look at it like this: Our time on this earth is a learning experience. When we die all that experience and knowledge die with us. Sometimes a few people manage to glean a few kernels of truth from us before we go but not much. The only way all this beauty and wisdom around us in this little blue, green marble we call earth makes sense is if there is an ultimate source of wisdom and beauty.

Everything people do is tainted with our own selfish need to be recognized and to have it all. We are vain selfish creatures who don’t play well with the rest of the natural world. Yet we have potential. We all have the capability to change course and create beauty and express wisdom. If we spend life in pursuit of our selfish and vain endeavors then truly our life remains no more significant at its end than when it started. As a mater of fact it is less significant because it lacks the hope and dreams our parents had for us at our infancy. If on the other hand we commit significant portions of it to the pursuit of wisdom and beauty then it is inevitable that our lives will spill over with the evidence of eternal majesty.

Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: I’ve seen the handiwork of G-d in the delicate yet intricately complex working of a flower and yet I’ve never seen his face. I’ve heard the whisper of minstrel angels in the voices of songbirds but G-d’s voice has escaped me. If anything should have convinced me that G-d was not real it should have been his absence when I sought him, yet in these as all the other created work I have found mountains of circumstantial evidence to sustain a faith that I should never have had. It is as if G-d himself spoke sign language and he wrote me a letter in nature that lives and breathes to uncover his wisdom and his beauty. There isn’t a day that a tree does not sing a psalm to G-d as it dances in the wind. There isn’t a day that the earth does not release a fragrant aroma that caries the prayers of earths creatures up to the sky so the wind can disperse it throughout the earth where G-d can hear it everywhere.

If you want to find G-d Six, then stop looking for him and let him find you.
28 months ago: SS, I'm still learning.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: ...I’ve seen the handiwork of G-d in the delicate yet intricately complex working of a flower and yet I’ve never seen his face...

You're presenting indirect evidence of a creator through the cosmological argument or teleological reasoning. Accepting that allows you at best be an agnostic creationist or perhaps a Deist in in the mold of Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Paine.

At the same time, cosmological argument or teleological reasoning does not logically lead to believing in a deity that orders it's worshipers to commit genocide or a three-headed deity that sent itself to die for itself as a blood sacrifice, and so forth.

So while one might logically believe in a creator as you reasoned, to put a name, face, and personality to that creator is wishful thinking and unfortunately often leads to violence or divisive intolerance when different religious factions claim their imagined god is superior to the other imagined gods.

There is however one commonality that most all the religious faiths share - that being the golden rule. For example, the golden rule in Brahmanism is expressed as, "This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you."

Religious or not, I think most would agree that the golden rule is a universal truism but often only given lip service by those who promote the supremacy of their religion or ideology.
28 months ago: Ain't no supremacists here.

Just people living their lives.

*Tweet*Tweet*
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: ...Ain't no supremacists here...

Could have fooled me; don't you recall Chaplain Ed's post,"Can Jews be condemned?" and his answer, "Yes, no human being, including Jews will be save unless in the name of Jesus."

If that's not religious supremacy, I don't know what is.
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: We all need to do that. Keep up the good work Six and congrats on the long happy marriage, you and yours are obviously doing something right.
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: Mark,

I don’t think you’re bound for hell either. Nor do I attribute any of my problems to G-d. “commit genocide”, really? Is that how you see your god? I don’t know mine well enough to judge him for any recorded work that has been attributed to him.

Of course if I were him, and if I made a person and I had given that person everything they ever wanted and needed but that person hated me despite all that I gave him but still I gave him space and let him express himself but it made no difference because he still went about reproducing and taking everything I gave him and attributing it to other sources and teaching all his offspring to hate me and then generations later there was a whole ethnic group of people just like him that hated me for no other reason than because I was me.

Then nobody should be surprised if I finally get fed up waiting for any of those unbelievers to change and that I send another ethnic group who does want to believe and does want to give me credit for all I’ve given them to wipe their sorry, good for nothing behinds of the face of the earth.! Heck, if I were G-d, I could destroy the earth over and over again and keep making it each time and wiping from the memory of all who have ever exited any evidence of my repeated creation and destruction and who would any bitter agnostic be to question me because they would have had one massive divine lobotomy courtesy of yours truly.

Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: Do you see Mark? The very fact that you can snub your nose at G-d without him striking you dead means that either he is real and he is patient and not easily driven to hurt any of his creations let alone “commit genocide” and that you like every other person on this planet has got him figured out all wrong or that like I said before He really does not exist and that you lurking behind other believers and bashing them for believing is truly a waste of your time.

If I was still an unbeliever Mark I would not be wasting my time telling people like me why my G-d is fake! I would be living my happy unbelieving life all the while trying to figure out how to extend my life because I’d hate to stop existing given how much I’ve gained in the short time I’ve been alive. Believer Bashers like yourself still believe, it’s just that you are irate at G-d for something you feel is justified being irate at.

People like Sixholden on the other hand are holding back judgment until they get some answers from the source. That to me seems like a smart decision. People like Altruist seem to have made up their minds that G-d is a fairytale but leave a light on just incase. Also seems pretty smart in my book. Even being really mad at G-d and telling him off is not a bad bet considering I believe that he is a loving Father and when my kids get ticked off I don’t beat them but hug them till the anger subsides. I just think your wasting your time Mark.

Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: Adventism is a complex religion to follow. It’s orthodox, yet liberal, Christian yet very Jewish, Contemporary, yet very ancient. Add to that dietary guides and prophetic visions and controversies about plagiarism and simplicity of life and culture all the while never isolating from others and it can be too much for some to handle. Never fear though G-d is a lot more flexible than most people give him credit for.

Heck, I think I’ve said enough. Don’t you? Who knew? I guess I should end this with “I am so and so and I have something to say!” Imagine that and this wasn’t even a rant or rave!
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: ...I don’t know mine well enough to judge him for any recorded work that has been attributed to him...

That's the key - attributed to him. What's attributed to him is 100% written by man and not by any god.

...Then nobody should be surprised if I finally get fed up waiting for any of those unbelievers to change and that I send another ethnic group who does want to believe...

That's the perspective of the new ethnic group. From the old group's perspective, they're simply believing what they always believed (they believe in an immutable god per their bible) and refused to believe in a suddenly three headed polytheistic trinity and it's 'new' testament.

Why do one need to imagine an insecure & vainglorious deity that "wipes their sorry, good for nothing behinds of the face of the earth" because they won't give the deity credit? No cosmological argument can invent a creator of the universe with such small-minded human traits and a constant need to have his ego stroked.
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
28 months ago: You have hit on precisely the point I was making to you. “What makes you believe that the two ethnic groups I’m referring to are Christianity and It’s predecessor? Christianity is not an ethnic group. I was thinking of the ancient Israelites as they came upon the promised land and God told them they must disposes the people living there before they can inherit that land. Your argument is filled with animosity towards Christians and I can’t help but wonder why? Is it because Catholics persecuted Jews? Is it because Protestants Persecuted Blacks and Native peoples? Is it personal? If you have a need to poke fun at another persons beliefs despite the fact that they have no beef with yours then I have to wonder, What’s up?

I’m also interested in knowing your opinion on the other points I touched on.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: ...What makes you believe that the two ethnic groups I’m referring to are Christianity and It’s predecessor?...

Because it's part of the evangelical mythos that most Jews rejected the idea of Jesus as part of a god-head Messiah, and that lead to the gentiles (the ethnicity of non-Israelite tribes) being proselytized and carrying Christianity forward which led to the persecution and violence against Jews by Christians. For example, to quote the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther:

But what will happen even if we do burn down the Jews' synagogues and forbid them publicly to praise God, to pray, to teach, to utter God's name? They will still keep doing it in secret ... They must be driven from our country ... they remain our daily murderers and bloodthirsty foes in their hearts.... everyone would gladly be rid of them ... For Christ does not lie or deceive us when he adjudges them to be serpents and children of the devil ...

What you cited is no less valid and I already established that my disagreement is not focused to mere Christianity. My first post in this topic was squarely aimed at the Jewish Bible and the fable of god endorsing and directing the genocide by Moses. My main concern is not religion by itself but the intolerance, divisiveness, hate, violence, and barbarism that often stem from religious orthodoxy, especially when it uses the power of the state to impose theocracy, such as what you have in Islamic states today.

...and destruction and who would any bitter agnostic be to question me because they would have had one massive divine lobotomy courtesy of yours truly...

Your argument is filled with animosity towards Agnostics, and I can’t help but wonder why? Is it because Agnostics aren't buying your religious notions or is it personal? Pot, Kettle?
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: ...Adventism is a complex religion to follow. It’s orthodox, yet liberal, Christian yet very Jewish, Contemporary, yet very ancient. Add to that dietary guides and prophetic visions and controversies about plagiarism and simplicity of life and culture all the while never isolating from others and it can be too much for some to handle...

You could say the same thing about Mormonism but I'll give your due in one respect. While the evangelical conservative Christian demands the posting of the Ten Commandments on government property as an ironic symbol of Christian preeminence that defies the separation of Church and State, the Adventists one of the few Christian groups that actually practice all 10 of the Commandments (i.e. to include observing the seventh day sabbath)
28 months ago: I have just made the rational discover that markbyrn does not actually exist. Though there has been some evidence that there is something akin to markbyrn I and many others have not seen nor heard his voice. Therefore it is the logical and natural progression of rational ideology that markbyrn neither now nor ever has existed and those whom claim markbyrn exists have manifested an ideological being in order to fill deeply buried psychological needs for debate. All writings attributed to said "markbyrn" have most assuredly been fabricated by those wishing to perpetuate the hoax that there actually is a markbyrn and should be treated with the same consideration as other similar writings such as "kilroy was here" and "long live rock and roll".
So now that we have determined markbyrn does not actually exist because we have not seen or heard him this becomes a zero responsibility zone right?
(Just in case there really is a "markbyrn" out there though, just making a point here!!).
28 months ago: Back to the point of the Rave...

God will use anyone who makes themselves available. But first you have to believe that He is.

Even if you don't believe that He is, He can and may still use you, because He is God and He has that prerogative.

I don't have the inclination at this time to debate the supremacy of one belief system over another. To me that's a pointless argument anyway.

All I know is this, I have been used by God and will continue to make myself available to him.

I am not an "ordained" minister, however I have a ministry that God has blessed.

I will continue to make myself available to Him, not just so I benefit, but so that I can help others in need.

My desire is to make an impact on this messed up world and that's exactly what I have been doing and will continue to do.

Others are invited to do the same.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
28 months ago: Jak,

As I'm not defending atheism, let's concur with your analogy and assume that both a creator of the universe and markbyrn exists.

In fact, not only do I exist but my avatar is actually my true form and I'm a avarian manifestation of the creator of the universe with supernatural capabilities. If you trust in me and join my flock, you will share in my eternal kingdom. Otherwise you'll be nothing more than bird droppings that fall on to the cleanest car and get angrily wiped away. What say you?
28 months ago: Touché Mark. Yet it seems our points are still off setting. You or anyone else can say anything in an attempt to make it real. And likewise just because some people have not seen or heard something does not make it unreal. The analogy I am aware that I am therefore I do exist surely gives credence to our existence. However neither you nor I willed us into being. Thus we are aware of much yet without faith in our everyday lives we could do nothing. We believe that these computers allow us the ability to communicate over a distance. If we did not have faith in this we would not have the ability to do so regardless of whether the device had the potential to do so or not. Yes man has made messes of this thing called religion, over and over throughout history but it does not negate the original position of God, which though we have moved God has not.
kikki
kikki
27 months ago: Hello Huey

I like your rave. It is important for all of us to remember that in every day ways we are used by God.Some vessels are used even when they do not realize it.Peace Be With you,

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