sdktlk
Member
- Jan 7, 2011
- 133
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[FONT=Georgia, serif]I am a man who was literally possessed of many demons some number of years ago. Outwardly I could appear quite normal, but inwardly I was a tornado, I was a writhing ball of snakes. I was an alcoholic and an extreme drug addict who had absolutely no regard for the law. I roamed in the grave yards and tombs (speaking symbolically of the places of the absolute dead) of this world and I could not for long be restrained, even though I might be bound in shackles and chains on occasion.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]One day I found myself in a place where the security imposed on me made it practically impossible to escape. Even though I had been in similar, though not as extreme situations before, this circumstance presented itself as absolutely the end of the road. But, amazingly enough, I did not consider it so, as I knew how to bide my time, and because of the ever writhing ball of snakes within I was certain an opportunity would present itself so as to enable me to again be free to roam.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]I knew how to pass the time, as I had experience in these matters. I knew the world of books and novels would allow me to escape into many different places. The histories of the world, exotic places, mystery and intrigue, the wild west, outer space and many other places were at my fingertips, all I had to do was read.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]At some point though the books became very dry and I could draw no substance from them, I could not, as one would say, get into them. I would try to read them but it was as if there was nothing written on the pages. I resorted to pacing up and down in my place of confinement, trying now and again to read: but nothing. But, the one thing that did not change was that the tornado within me spun on.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]In the cell where I was confined, over in a corner beneath the sink, there was a book and it had written on its cover the words Holy Bible. It was as if my head was involuntarily turned in that direction, my eyes directed to that book and I seemed to hear someone say, “Read this.†Being the man that I was my response was, “That book says Holy on it, I'm not holy and I certainly do not want anything to do with anything that is Holy, I'm NOT READING THAT.â€[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]Time passed, exactly how long I don't really know, maybe days, possibly weeks, I'm not sure. I would try to read books, I would pace my cell, and time and again my attention would be drawn to that book under the sink and a voice would say, “Read this.†And my response to this voice would be, “No way!†However, after this had gone on for some considerable amount of time, finally I reached over and snatched that book out from under the sink saying, “OKAY, I'll try anything, I'm going crazy like this!†Understandably, I had no idea where to start with a book of that size, so I sat down on my bunk and strangely enough the book opened to the cover page of the New Testament which read, “THE NEW TESTAMENT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.†I turned the page and began to read.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]I had read many books in my life, but this was the most fascinating book I had ever read: it had life, it had substance, unlike all the other books that I had been attempting to read. This book spoke of a man named Jesus, and the book said this man was someone who had healed the sick, fed a multitude of people with five loaves and two fishes, walked on water, calmed the elements and did many other miraculous things. It also stated that they had killed this man Jesus, and that he overcame death and got up from the grave. I read the book day and night, night and day, I could not put it down.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]As “luck†would have it some time during this period there was a man named Larry Schwartz, who was placed in a cell across the hall from me: Larry was a Christian. Larry and I began to talk off and on and one day Larry said to the me, “Steve, if I ask you a question will you not get mad?†Well, there are some things that could be said in jail that would cause major problems, but as our cells were separated by a hallway and Larry seemed to be a nice enough guy I said, “Sure Larry, no problem, ask away.†Larry then said to me, “Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus Christ IS God?â€[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]Well, when he said that I went into a total rage, it was as if my feet came off the floor, it made me livid with anger. I ranted and I raved and if we had been in the same cell there would have been trouble indeed. And, all the while Larry was saying to me, “Just settle down Steve, take it easy man, just think about it, just think about it.†After some five minutes or so of cursing and saying all manner of vile things I finally did calm down to the point where I could say, “Okay Larry I'll think about it, I'll think about it!†And think about it I did.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]While sitting on my bunk, maybe the next day, I said to God, that is if there is a God, “This guy across the hall has said something to the effect that Jesus Christ is God.†Well, look God if you are there, I've just read this book two times through and I did not see it written anywhere that it said Jesus Christ is God. So, here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to read it again and if that's in there You let me see it.†I opened the book and began to read.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]As I am reading in the first chapter of Matthew I read, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.†(v.23) I stopped and said, “What did that just say?†It says, “a virgin,†and I have understood by this book that Jesus' mother was a virgin. So, the son has to be Jesus, and it says they called his name Emmanuel, and the interpretation of that name means GOD WITH US. My response to that was, “Wow, I didn't see that before!†I continued to read and I continued to see. I saw, “Jesus Christ IS God†written everywhere throughout the Book in one shape, form or fashion as I read on again to the end. Then I would go back and read it again and again. (See The Gadarene [Part II])
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[FONT=Georgia, serif]One day I found myself in a place where the security imposed on me made it practically impossible to escape. Even though I had been in similar, though not as extreme situations before, this circumstance presented itself as absolutely the end of the road. But, amazingly enough, I did not consider it so, as I knew how to bide my time, and because of the ever writhing ball of snakes within I was certain an opportunity would present itself so as to enable me to again be free to roam.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]I knew how to pass the time, as I had experience in these matters. I knew the world of books and novels would allow me to escape into many different places. The histories of the world, exotic places, mystery and intrigue, the wild west, outer space and many other places were at my fingertips, all I had to do was read.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]At some point though the books became very dry and I could draw no substance from them, I could not, as one would say, get into them. I would try to read them but it was as if there was nothing written on the pages. I resorted to pacing up and down in my place of confinement, trying now and again to read: but nothing. But, the one thing that did not change was that the tornado within me spun on.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]In the cell where I was confined, over in a corner beneath the sink, there was a book and it had written on its cover the words Holy Bible. It was as if my head was involuntarily turned in that direction, my eyes directed to that book and I seemed to hear someone say, “Read this.†Being the man that I was my response was, “That book says Holy on it, I'm not holy and I certainly do not want anything to do with anything that is Holy, I'm NOT READING THAT.â€[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]Time passed, exactly how long I don't really know, maybe days, possibly weeks, I'm not sure. I would try to read books, I would pace my cell, and time and again my attention would be drawn to that book under the sink and a voice would say, “Read this.†And my response to this voice would be, “No way!†However, after this had gone on for some considerable amount of time, finally I reached over and snatched that book out from under the sink saying, “OKAY, I'll try anything, I'm going crazy like this!†Understandably, I had no idea where to start with a book of that size, so I sat down on my bunk and strangely enough the book opened to the cover page of the New Testament which read, “THE NEW TESTAMENT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.†I turned the page and began to read.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]I had read many books in my life, but this was the most fascinating book I had ever read: it had life, it had substance, unlike all the other books that I had been attempting to read. This book spoke of a man named Jesus, and the book said this man was someone who had healed the sick, fed a multitude of people with five loaves and two fishes, walked on water, calmed the elements and did many other miraculous things. It also stated that they had killed this man Jesus, and that he overcame death and got up from the grave. I read the book day and night, night and day, I could not put it down.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]As “luck†would have it some time during this period there was a man named Larry Schwartz, who was placed in a cell across the hall from me: Larry was a Christian. Larry and I began to talk off and on and one day Larry said to the me, “Steve, if I ask you a question will you not get mad?†Well, there are some things that could be said in jail that would cause major problems, but as our cells were separated by a hallway and Larry seemed to be a nice enough guy I said, “Sure Larry, no problem, ask away.†Larry then said to me, “Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus Christ IS God?â€[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]Well, when he said that I went into a total rage, it was as if my feet came off the floor, it made me livid with anger. I ranted and I raved and if we had been in the same cell there would have been trouble indeed. And, all the while Larry was saying to me, “Just settle down Steve, take it easy man, just think about it, just think about it.†After some five minutes or so of cursing and saying all manner of vile things I finally did calm down to the point where I could say, “Okay Larry I'll think about it, I'll think about it!†And think about it I did.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]While sitting on my bunk, maybe the next day, I said to God, that is if there is a God, “This guy across the hall has said something to the effect that Jesus Christ is God.†Well, look God if you are there, I've just read this book two times through and I did not see it written anywhere that it said Jesus Christ is God. So, here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to read it again and if that's in there You let me see it.†I opened the book and began to read.[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]As I am reading in the first chapter of Matthew I read, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.†(v.23) I stopped and said, “What did that just say?†It says, “a virgin,†and I have understood by this book that Jesus' mother was a virgin. So, the son has to be Jesus, and it says they called his name Emmanuel, and the interpretation of that name means GOD WITH US. My response to that was, “Wow, I didn't see that before!†I continued to read and I continued to see. I saw, “Jesus Christ IS God†written everywhere throughout the Book in one shape, form or fashion as I read on again to the end. Then I would go back and read it again and again. (See The Gadarene [Part II])
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