Originally Posted by RJY66
Originally Posted by Filaman
I've known a few Episcopal Priests and they all had a minimum of a Master's Degree in something. One was a Phantom Pilot in Vietnam, another was a retired Airforce lifer officer who had a second career as a chemical engineer for a prominent company so I figure if people of that caliber can believe in the Holy Spirit I'm not too good for it.


I have a late Uncle who was a gifted man intellectually. Had a mind like a roach motel.......facts got in but they never got out! He held a PHD in Chemistry and went on to a significant career in the petroleum industry. Although raised in the Baptist Church, when young and fresh out of grad school he set out to disprove Christianity in the hope of saving his family and friends from a lifetime of intellectual slavery to antiquated superstition. According to him, he really got after it, delving into the Greek and Hebrew, the whole 9 yards.....looking for something to support his ideas. Keep in mind this would have been the late 1940's or early 50's.....no internet or anything. Had to go to the library or buy reference books, whatever. That is the way this man was....when he got onto something he was like a bulldog.

Guess what? He messed around and got saved, and went on to be one of the strongest believers I have ever known....purely from his own research despite having started out with his mind all but made up in the other direction. He went on to start Bible study groups, churches, and helped lead hundreds of people to Christ......in his spare time. He was one of my many great mentors and role models.

I have to say that having experienceHfetime as a believer, seeing saved people that had everything against them that should have been lost if circumstances counted, as well as people raised by godly parents who went to church as I did and blew
it all off........ I've all but come to the conclusion that it ain't us that does the choosing......we just think we are doing it.



Fantastic testimony Brother! I would have loved to have met your uncle.

Having said all that, I'm not the pillar of the church. I'm a sinner from way back, but I know and believe that Jesus Christ is real and he is our redeeming force. No man cometh to the father except by me. He's as real as my Volkswagen Jetta, my .270 Winchester or my house. He's there, I can't touch him, feel him, or see him, but he's there. I do feel him in my heart.

What goes up must come down, what goes around comes around, there's no free lunch. Trump's comin' back, get over it!