Stan claims to be sketical or an atheist. He doesn't agree with threads and says so. But I haven't seen where he attacked or critized anyone. Love and patience are fruits of the spirit.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THIS IS NOT TO BE A THREAD OF JUDGING WHETHER STAN IS OR ISN"T, BUT JUST A REMINDER TO ALL OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF FIRST. calledoutPTL

Let's allow the freedom to each person to speak of his or her testimony.

CO, thanks for the kind words, but if I display anything I would not claim it to come from any spirit. It comes from my heart and brain and reasoning power.

500 years before Christ, a philosopher named Confucius taught something we now call the Golden Rule. Dont do anything to others that you would not like to have done to you. I try not to attack others because I dont like my character being attacked. I think it is a sensible way to live, and not only gives those around me a better quality of life, but benefits me as well.

I will not always agree with others, but I will defend their right to speak their mind. And I will exercise my own right to do the same.

Stan;

I saw something the other night on Lou Dobbs that had been sent in by a certain Stan. It sounded like you. I thought it was good; was that you?

Let all of us live the golden rule and do so from our hearts!

Stan I believe it's possible to be motivated by the essence of God without any credit for this going to him. On the other end of the stick I believe it is possible to think that one has the essence of God in him or her and yet miss him totally.

It's possible to call the essence of him [heart] rather than [Spirit]. I am not talking down to you, I am speaking of things that I know to be true. Some of us are so analytical that in not wanting to sound superstituous or mystical we miss the free and unspeakable joy of God while yet walking in his essence. Does that make sense? The more analytical we are the more we do not want to be caught in something that we cannot prove to be true. At this level I comfortably get caught with my hand in the cookie jar a whole lot.

He never leaves us or forsakes us once He comes into our heart from our deeper spirit. Can I prove that? No but we can observe it.

Though we were to deny him he will not leave us. Can I prove that? No but we can observe it. Indeed we may walk away from his presence, [his indescribable joy] and even walk away from his essence, [understanding and love] but he is still there. I do not know how all of that works down on the inside of us but I have seen it happen in people in my years of pastoring. It could be argued that I was seeing some kind of a mirage but I say that I was seeing water!

I hope I have not been intrusive, I know the heart of a man or a woman is a sacred place. If I have been invasive, forgive me, that is not my motive.

Doug, that was not I on Lou Dobbs. I do not watch his show very often.

BTW, you are not intrusive at all. I enjoy "talking" to you, Doug. If we lived closer I would invite you out for a beer or coffee.

Your welcome Stan. calledoutPTL