A notworthy horse trainer gets his fame form bringing the most difficult colts to hand in the roundpen. The colts are rebellious and selfish, some (especially emotionally damaged ones) much more than others. An easy docile colt is not even interesting to a topnotch trainer. A trainers fame is taking the colts that no other trainer can deal with.

The Christian view of God would be that of a trainer who sends 90 percent of the colts to the glue factory (eternal damnation) because they are incorrigible. Such trainers are probably flipping burgers on the side to make ends meet. The good trainers send no colts to the glue factory, but "save" them all because of their consumate skill.

The huge point here that all of Christianity has missed for thousand years is that a good trainer does not force the colts choice maker (will), but rather, molds and influences the will of the colt until the colt's will is to be useful to man. At this point, the colt is "converted". Why don't we get this? Why don't we see that this natural life teaches us beautiful lessons, all right under the tips of our noses, and we miss it all because we sit in the pews lapping and gurgling the vomit of the Nicolatian power brokers.

God's roundpen is our hardships. These hardships are the refiner's fire. They should not make us religious, but they should make us spiritual. If you are spiritual, the truth you speak will rattle the teeth people, but you will not look pious according to any 613 Pharisaical standards.

scott;

Good analogy.

Are these power brokers from Wall Street or would you say that they're from Main Street? I'll find out how you're going to vote yet!

I'm jsut now remembering the [Oh God film] where the preacher from the first church with the huge white pillars asks John Denver this; why would God speak to you when He could have spoken to me with a deep and profound preachery accent?

To be religious rather than to be a truth seeker brings warm fuzzys, we know that. Those alternate warm fuzzys may be needed on a cold Oct. night at the get-to-gether. A truth seeker is stretched from time to time and is asked; what's your point?

If natural things do not point to Spiritual Truth then it is not God who created the natural things. The heavens above you declare the rule or the glory of God, it says!

I see living things dredged up from the bottom of the oceans on Discovery and I wonder what God was thinking since the created realm is the outpicturing of His thoughts. Hey! We only scratch the surface of what can be understood. What I continually and humbly thank God for is that my name is written in the Lamb's book of life, that's not religious, that's real!