Rev. Dave's profile
There is a poem written by a man named Francis Thompson and published in England in 1890. It is entitled, "The Hound of Heaven" and it describes Thompson's flight from God who relentlessly pursues him like a hound on the hunt. Thompson's experience is much like mine. I ran from God for much of my life. But one day He caught up with me, grabbed me, and I surrendered to Him.
My life was a mess before God grabbed hold of me. I was a very heavy drinker and I was a very angry man. But all that changed once I surrendered.
On behalf of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit started whispering very loudly to me, and I listened. I was moved to become a clergyman, so I applied to a seminary, got accepted, packed up and moved there with my wife. (My children were grown by then.) We hadn't sold our house by the time I had to leave for the seminary, which was 1000 miles away from where I lived. So, we quit our jobs and just walked away from the house without looking back. A total commitment to faith is scary. It means you have to let go with trust no matter what and with no guarantees.
We arrived at the seminary with $20 to our name after paying the tuition and rent for one month. Nevertheless, before that $20 was gone, my wife got a call from her former employer who hired her as a consultant and sent her a computer so she could work from where we were.
Jesus has taken care of us ever since. I have never accepted a penny in salary from a Church, but I have never been in want and I have always had what I needed when I needed it for my family. And not only have I had enough for my personal needs, but I have had plenty extra to give to whatever mission God's will has given to me. But you can't have faith with expectations. You have to trust that God knows best no matter what. True faith is not conditional. You must stick with God in good times and in bad, trusting that whatever he allows to befall you is for the best.
Before the Hound of Heaven grabbed me, I looked in many places for answers and understanding about life. After the Hound grabbed me, I discovered that all the answers are in the Bible. Inevitably, it all goes back to God's Word, which is truth and life. And once you learn to understand what God says in the Bible, you see and understand things you never did before.
Total Assets: Q$2,910
Country: United States 
Place: Greenville NC
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User Since: Apr 22, 2008
Last Login: A while back.
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