I have some questions for the Christians.

[Mad Dog]

Is that because the bible is a good manual, or because the people who run those HR seminars are Christians? They base it off the assumption that the bible would be a good manual for life because they are Christians who follow the bible, regardless of how good of a manual the bible is.

I'm basing this all on the assumption you made is correct, I honestly have no idea, although I have a feeling it is not.

You can find a lot "referenced" in the bible, if you're going to put it so loosely.

Have you been to many HR seminars? I have. Have you read the Bible? I have. That's what I base my statement on. Plain and simple.

I have Queenie. I've read and studied the bible for five years and took it VERY seriously. I've been to three or four Promise Keeper events. I have been involved with one very small Baptist Church and one very large Pentecostal Church. I have witnessed the parishioners in the Pentecostal Church line up down the isle waiting for there "miracle". I have also "spoke in tongues" and have been "over come by the Spirit" singing and praising and worshiping. I have studied the bible for hours on end with my pastor at the little Baptist church I want to trying to let my spirit soak up all of Gods word and to let it transform me in to the "new creature in Christ" that the bible promised me.

What did I get out of all of this? I got a few things. One thing I got was a huge identity crisis. I could not control my sexual urges and would repeatedly "fall into sin" I would cry out to God for him to take this burden from me and I would fall on my face in prayer, ask for His forgiveness and fully expect this time to be the last time, but it never was. It tore apart my soul every time and I couldn't take it anymore.

Another thing it got me was that I became a religious zealot. I was like the Apostle Paul in the sense that I felt like I was struck by lightning and my whole life experienced a sea change. And of course my new attitude was "not I but Christ who lives with in me" I attempted to deny all of my needs, that up my cross, and follow Jesus.

On the surface, to my new Christian friends this was great, and in the beginning It was a good change for my family too. But as I read more and understood the bible more and more and my knowledge grew and grew, I naturally insisted on transferring my my new found spiritual knowledge to my family.

For the first year it seemed to work. I had family, including my wife, attending church with me regularly and every one was learning and growing in the Lord. But as time passed, my wife participated with me less and less and my frustration grew and grew. I would periodically bug her and beg her to go to church with me and she did sometimes. But she would miss going to church much more than I was comfortable with and I grew more and more frustrated with her.

I was totally in the right. I knew I was right because this was Gods Will. All she would have had to do is read the darn book and it was all right there in black and white. She just couldn't see how "on fire for Christ " I was. I just wanted Gods blessings and the power of Christ in my life and in the life of my family. Then tragedy struck. My wifes oldest brother was stricken with blood cancer..... More too come.....