Well, I'm new here, so I don't know almost anyone personally...

But as a lurker and avid reader of the forum, I have really been blessed and edified by the brothers and sisters on here. I think we should take a moment to appreciate what a wonderful place sermonindex is. Someone called it an oasis, and I feel that comparison is merited. Now there are problems once in a while, but I do not know another place where such grace, wisdom, love and unity abounds between brothers and sisters that have such different backgrounds!

I've really been blessed by pretty much all the posters on the forum, but if I should name names, I'd like to mention Oracio, forrests, appolus and of course brother Greg. Also a lot of love to sherri (I should write to you again!) for wanting to come in contact and help a young sister out. I've also been extremely blessed by ginnyrose and her godly conduct and wisdom. Sister Katina, you're new here like me, but I already love your enthusiasm and joy! Each one of your posts screams with exuberance and happiness and it really brings a smile to my face. :)

Blessings and joy in our Lord Jesus Christ to everybody!

_________________
Yana

I only stumbled upon your post ....by the Hand of God...IF, you and I were a secular milieu, I would have wrote, "i only stumbled upon your post by 'accident'".....BUT, you and i BOTH know, there are NO accidents in the Lord...

for some reason i just clicked onto the thread, and saw 55 posts and was praying/saying, "no no no no, please no more rancor"...and started reading your post, and came to "last but not definitely least....".....and i sit here, in my little eagles nest on a lonely desolate southwestern Wisconsin ridge, and before i clicked on this thread, here's what is happening to me:
i am undergoing such a DEEP purging, such a refiners fire, terrible Holy Ghost conviction, reminders of my own innate Unprofitability, total abhorrence of my flesh.....dare i compare myself, but if you've read "The Life of Brainerd", the first half where he bemoans in the Lord, what am i bemoaning? (Thank God He has NOT stripped me of the Gift of a child like Faith, .......but CONVICTION?...with Holy Spirit intensity just assailing my soul, and my heart)

and then i read what you wrote about my postings, and it was like a hammer to the head, i was LITERALLY dumbstruck, and this is NO HYPERVENTILATING "contrition", it was this thought; God ACTUALLY used ME?...the least of the least to encourage and love you and be with you in the Holy Spirit?

(I've been sitting here for ten or fifteen minutes, dumbstruck, unable to write a word, just weeping)

here's one confession, and i don't mind it is in a public forum. God gave me the gift to be able to speak seamlessly either in front of an audience OR a camera to make money, in a SECULAR venue, he gave me the gift to make people laugh, to cry, to terrify them, or to rivet them, BUT it was ALL DONE in a secular milieu, AND FOR MONEY!!!!

which in itself (tentmaking?) is "okay", but your question (and my conviction) is 14 years later, why haven't i stood in front of the assembly of the saints and spoke the Words of God?......because not only i have i NOT gotten the Call, BUT......I......RUINED.....MY MARRIAGE to the bride of my youth!!!....and then i.....am actually going to "preach"?!?.....i am TOTALLY disqualified, BIBLICALLY from Church leadership, as it should be, as every single Word in Scripture is Fire Etched and TRUE! God have mercy on those who believe otherwise.

can i exhort in public ministry? oh yes, but i haven't gotten the Call, which is why the LORD is passing me thru the fire, or as Evan Roberts prayed, "bend me Lord, bend me!" .....as Our Father IS "bending me" (oh careful of that prayer brethren.....being bent by God is "no fun", but the whole Holy Onus of this Most Holy Faith isn't "having fun", as there is a universe between "having fun" and "Joy in our salvation")

God the Holy Spirit used you my beloved brother Caleb, not thru what the world would call a "compliment", but the realization that in His Steadfast Love and Mercy, EVEN THROUGH my own innate failings in the flesh, He used me to bless YOU, beloved brother, which leaves me both undone and dumbstruck.

please let me give you three "gifts"(?) i pray they ARE gifts.

the first is Duncan Campbell's life testimony, the part where after 17 years in "institutional religion" at 5 AM, his Godly daughter asked him a gentle question, and THAT dear saint was undone:
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=380

the relevant section starts at minute 28:00, although the whole testimony is of Godly profit.

the first sermon i listened to online, was Michael Brown's "Holy Desperation"......what hit me back then, and even today, was Mike speaking of Jacob wrestling with Jesus at the Jabbok River...
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=13222

and finally, Jesus gave me this compilation late one night in 2003, our dear brother Greg so lovingly put it on this website...this is FOR YOU, dear Caleb, its entitled "Hosanna"
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=25483

brother Caleb, God love you, i sure do IN Jesus' love, neil

neilgin1:

"it was this thought; God ACTUALLY used ME?...the least of the least to encourage and love you and be with you in the Holy Spirit?"

Are you kidding me, Brother neilgin1? Are you kidding me? Reading your post makes my spirit feel like Shadrach looking earnestly into the flames roaring in the pupils of Meshach and Abednego! The heat rises but not in comparison to the comfort!

Selah!

I have no biological brothers...but who needs them with a Brother such as you!!!!!!!!!

Love-in-Christ,

kyp

P. S. I, too, lost the "husband of my youth" and yet, gained "The Husband of my Soul"

Neil:

What can I say? just this,that God gave me a special place in my little "repaired" heart for understanding you probably better than most here. In a way, we have traveled down a lot of the same roads together,this is probably why we have a greater understanding of each other. We go way back on SI, and brother it just seems from the beginning, God had us on the same flight together, and what an awesome flight it's been. We both pop in and out here, but I'm always grateful just to read your posts. I know at times I post a lot of humor, and sometimes my timing is not good, but I feel God brings me here with my humor, to keep the some posts that are free-falling rapidly, from crashing hard to the ground. Sometimes I ask myself before I start typing out my humor, when is humor not good in such an angry world.

Neil, thanks for always understanding me, even when I know many others don't, not many Christians have a great sense of humor, but God gave me my humor, and he leads me to were I need to drop my next line. Yes, we have traveled some of the same roads in life, and like you, mine have been quite bumpy,some mountainous, some with bridges out, and had to swim to the other side, but Brother, we're still here for a reason. We will never figure everything out, this is why God gave us a finite mind, he don't expect us to, what he expects us to do is just Love one another, I truly believe, this is what God is most passionate about. Neil, I've never personally met you, but it seems I've known you my whole life.
Love You!
Brother Bill

_________________
Bill

I've been thinking of you lately and hoping things have been well with you. Blessings to you is basically all I wanted to say.

Thank you,

"Doc"

_________________
David Winter

What a beauty this is! It's like a fresh wind has blown through this forum. Having been a member here for a few years I've seen many come and go and have seen the ups and downs but mostly been greatly encouraged here by the posts and sermons. I must admit though that recently was getting discouraged at the goings on, great to see this turnaround.

Not sure how many of you remember Mike Balog, posted here as CRSSCHK years ago, well that brother's zeal, openness, and honesty was a real blessing to me, if you're lurking at all Mike, would sure love to hear from you again.

To all posters, old and new; Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

In Christ,

_________________
Ron Halverson

You're right Gary probably shouldn't go name by name because it's not possible to remember everyone off the top of your head- so I guess I'll need to add to this thread as I remember.

Man I really appreciate your conviction and knowledge. We disagree on a prime theological point but who cares. I still learn from your posts and sometimes you almost convince me.

And don't ever use spell check. I am so used to it now that it's like I have learned a new language, and it wouldn't be a Gary post if everything was spelled right!

_________________
Todd

You are very intriguing to me- the stories of your background and about where you are currently living and your winter preparations etc. I hope you are recovering well from your recent issues so you can get out there and cut a few more cords of wood.

Often your posts keep me off balance likely because they push me out of my comfort zone. That's a great ministry to perform.

Holy Desperation was also one of the first sermons I ever listed to online- off the Fire on the Altar website. I will always hold that site in the highest esteem because the sermons and compilations there sparked personal revival for my wife and I about 11 years ago. That was well before I knew about sermonindex.

I wish you would post a tad more often than you do. But I know you only post when the HS tells you to; an example we should all follow.

_________________
Todd

Tmk your scence of humour is allways a refreshing addition to sermon index,very enjoyable ,adds balance,

It's great that brothers can differ on major theoligical stances,and still enjoy company, a good example of being a follower of the Christian way ...

I hope that never changes with us , that's more important ,then convincing someone of our theoligical conviction, but saying that I respect your passions..

Sad part about this is I am using spell check....

MrBillPro,

"I know at times I post a lot of humor, and sometimes my timing is not good, but I feel God brings me here with my humor, to keep the some posts that are free-falling rapidly, from crashing hard to the ground. Sometimes I ask myself before I start typing out my humor, when is humor not good in such an angry world."

I love humor and need it to survive. As for timing...I believe that ALL of laughter's joy will come into fruition in ETERNITY.

Thank you for the humor (as even your Login name can muster a chuckle from the "good 'ol days" of "Saturday Night Live")!

Love-in-Christ,
kyp