Proverb 14:7, “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.”
Since I first posted my article on June 4th informing my web visitors that I
am tired and will be writing fewer articles until after my surgery, I have
received overwhelming encouragement from friends—many that I didn't even
know I had. Thank you to all those of you who wrote encouraging words and
for your continued prayers. Your e-mails are all special to me and I cherish
them greatly. I am happy to know that several dozen people want to hear what
I have to say and check my “recent section” regularly.
By God's grace, I plan to keep writing articles in the Lord, but first I need to get rid of these herniated disks that have ruined my life. I am looking forward to my upcoming surgery (I should hear something soon) ay Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California, while dreading it at the same time. I know God is with me, but am a human being with natural fears like any other normal person. So I thank you all again, who have shown compassion, understanding and sympathy for the rough times I'm going through and my surgery, and lonely recovery ahead.
As expected, I've also received a much smaller percentage of not so pleasant e-mails from some nut cases. I've once again been reminded just how whacko some religious people are. One woman wrote to me and said I needed deliverance and sent me some Charismatic website. Another couple (a man and woman) said I wouldn't need surgery if had had ever been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Oh boy! Where do these nut cases come from? The couple has a fairly large website that they mistakenly call a “ministry.” I won't even give them the satisfaction of promoting their garbage.
They're Zionists, use false Bibles and teach a false view of repentance (requiring works salvation). It doesn't surprise me that such enemies of the truth would attack me when I'm going through the darkest hours of my life. The same thing happened to Job too. I expected a few “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2) and I was right. That same religious couple offered to freely send me a “blessed cloth” that God would use to help me. Folks, that is superstitious witchcraft. There's no power in any holy water, blessed cloth or a glow-in-the-dark-Elmo. Sorry to disappoint you.
You know, one of the sweetest letters I received was from an ATHEIST gentleman, who said he had stumbled across my website and read about my health problems. He was sane, polite, sympathetic and said he hoped for my speedy recovery. You never know who the next Apostle Paul may be. The Bible says God called Paul from the womb (Galatians 1:15). While Saul was out killing Christians, God already had a plan for his future life after he got saved. I am humbled whenever an atheist befriends me and my ministry, commending me for having the courage to tell it as I see it.
And then some religious weirdoes, from some big ministry, wrote me to discourage me, telling me I wasn't the only one who is tired and that I was inviting the Devil into my life by taking pain killers for my agonizing and acute neck pain. What rotten people, huh? The atheist showed me compassion; while my professed Christian brother and sister kicked me down. I prayed for them as I do for all my enemies. Thank God for the compassionate atheist who cheered me up in my suffering, substantial loss and wearied condition. The atheist is my friend, and the Christian couple are my enemies. Go figure!
They're certainly not exemplifying the Lord with their lack of compassion and kindness. They're crazy is what they are! I know drugs are often pushed on the public, but let me tell you, I thank God for my Percocet 10/325's. Some people haven't the foggiest idea of what it's like to live with excruciating pain 24/7. I heard a popular Baptist pastor say that being in pain was no excuse not to smile. Brother, you must never have experienced agonizing and debilitating pain, because you want to die when you're in that kind of constant gnawing pain. I'd like to see you smile with a disk pressing significantly into your spinal cord.
The hallmark of being a Christian is CARING. It's tragic when an atheist man expresses compassion for the afflictions of God's man; while religious self-righteous hypocrites try to break him down further. No wonder people won't go to church. While the BeeGees are singing, “We're living in a world of fools, breaking us down, when they all should let us be, we belong to you and me”; malicious and hateful religious people are running around meddling in people's marriages, causing divorces and destroying families. I'll side with the BeeGees any day.
While Billy Joel is singing, “Your mother never cared for me, but did she ever say a prayer for me”; so-called Christians are some of the most rotten, judgmental, hypocritical, self-righteous, hard-hearted people I've ever known. And let me tell you brother, there's nothing “Christian” about them except the label. I'm not endorsing the music of the BeeGees or Billy Joel, I'm just saying that it's tragic when worldly songs contain more Biblically correct teachings than the sewage 90% of religious people teach and believe today.
The Apostle Luke was a medical doctor the Bible says (Colossians 4:14). He didn't throw his medical tools into the garbage because he baptized people with the Holy Spirit instead. Whatever powers of healing the Apostles temporarily had been given by Christ, those powers has ceased by the end of the New Testament. This is why we see that the Apostle couldn't heal his friend Trophimus. 2nd Timothy 4:20, "Paul Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." Paul left him there, sick! There is no group any more wackier and unbiblical than Pentecostals and Charismatics. God has blessed us with modern medicine, believe me. Do you know how they did surgery 300 years ago?
They got you plastered drunk and then hit you over the head with a big board to knock you unconscious before they cut into you. No joke. Thank God for modern anesthesia. I though it appropriate to write an article, because a lot of people fall for the lie that God intends to heal everyone without medical intervention. That is cult teaching. God gave us doctors, such as the Apostle Luke, who continued his profession throughout the New Testament and helped Paul on his missionary journeys. Yet, some religious nut case will make you feel like you're not right with God because you're scheduled for surgery. Gosh I hope more atheists write me, there so much more sane and down to earth.
The problem is that the religious people saying these crazy things aren't genuine Christians. We are living in apostate times, when most professed Christians are liars, adhering to a works-based type salvation that requires giving up all your sinful lifestyles in order to be saved. If that's the case, then half the great men of God in the Bible are in Hell today, because they were a sorry bunch of drunkard, whoring, adulterous, murdering, lying, cursing, hot-tempered men. One-third of the Bible was written by murderers (Moses, David and Paul). Salvation is without works, completely free, paid for by Jesus' precious blood. Let the heathen rage. God is still on His throne.
I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was in the Lord. Don't even think this website is going away. Not if I have anything to do with it it won't. A former coworker of mine said, “Dave, I know a lot of men who would have killed themselves a long time ago if they went through just half of what you've suffered through." Only God in Heaven knows the suffering I've endured. I can only say, “'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” The Apostle Paul voiced his troubles to others. He didn't hide them and pretend everything was fine. Paul said...
2nd Corinthians 11:16-30, “In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.”
God has broken me in so many ways, to humble me, that He may use my ministry for His glory. As Paul, I rejoice in my afflictions and sufferings, that they may be used to bring me forth more Christlike. A lot of people are jealous of my ministry, because I have a voice, a following of fans who want to hear what I have to say. It's not that there's anything special about me. No, rather, it's that I simply tell it like it is, like Evangelists Billy Sunday and Pastor Jack Hyles did. I don't accept donations and never will, because it would affect the way I writer articles. I don't want anyone's money. keep it. I want to preach the truth, like it or lump it. As Dr. Hyles used to so eloquently say, “We don't give out dinner menus around here. You hold out your plate and we fork over what you get.” I love that.
