I'm 53 at the moment and self employed. I am a father to 2 daughters, a grandfather to 2 boys.
A self taught musician.
Been playing for 40 years now. In my late 40s I started recording my music. At 50 I released my first CD.
I have played in numerous bands over the years but have been going solo for many years now.
In 2008 my CD was accepted by Pump Audio, Inc. Pump license music for advertising, film & television.
Songs have been played on radio stations in the U.S. and Canada and on Podcast shows in Israel, The Netherlands, The U.K. and other places around the world. I have been featured on radio & PodCast shows.
Thanks for coming by. I appreciate it always.
...friends, nature, being at home, people I can trust, writing songs, making music, recording & live sessions, a good movie, people who give of themselves, riding my Harley, reading a good book
TURN OFF'S
badness, child molesters, anyone who hurts children, drunks, thieves, greed, war, growing old, the injustice that permeates the world
HOBBIES
Drawing, reading, music, the study of the universe.
MOVIES
12 Monkeys, Lord of the Rings, Signs, Clash of the Titans, Harry Potter, Hunt for Red October.
MUSIC
Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The James Gang (Joe Walsh), The Eagles. Music of the 70s and 80s, rock, hard rock, funk, blues, jazz, blue grass.
Sorry about posting and than removing it. I was doing some editing to it and lost the original post. I will do it again but it won`t be exactly as the original. Sorry about that.
I too learned what I knew about God from my family. My Mother is Italian and as most Italians was Catholic. Since my early teens however and to my early thirties I would not go inside a church. It seemed dark inside there to me. I didn`t feel God was there. Some other presence was there but not God.
A brother used to come by and talk with me about the Bible. When he came by my wife would tell me she didn`t want him here. She hated when Jehovah`s Witnesses would come to see me. Her beliefs come from the Church of Christ. We moved away and some years later a sister came by to our new home and my wife decided to confront her. The subject was hell. She said to the sister "you don`t believe in hell do you?" The sister replied "maybe not in the same way you do? As the sister explained from the Bible my wife completely changed at that moment and started a study and became one of Jehovah`s Witnesses. My wife explains it as a light came on and she for the first time could see that what she learned all her life was wrong.
I knew there was something out there. A truth. I knew it before I knew the truth. I was searching for it. No other religion could satisfy what I challenged them to do. I challeneged every minister, The Mormons, no one could teach me the truth from the Bible. I would say to them you have the truth teach it to me from the Bible. They could not do it. My wife was studying and I would listen in on their study and liked what I heard. It made sense and it was coming from the Bible. Once I knew I was learning the truth I humbled myself to that.
I learned God`s name was Jehovah. I learned that Sheol and Hades was not a place of fire and torment but mankinds grave. I learned that everyone does not go to heaven as I was told but that only those that will rule with Jesus go to heaven and that the earth was where everyone else would be. That the earth would be transformed into a paradise for humans to live and that death, and pain and suffereing would be done away with. I learned this all from the Bible and I made them prove it and I proved it to myself by research and study. Learning the truth exposed the lies I had been taught all my life. How could this be? How could the religions that claim to represent God teach lies. All my questions were answered to my satisfaction and always from the Bible. Why did he pick me from all others to reveal it to. I was overwhelmed and after all these years have never not been overwhelmed by the truth. Its so simple yet so complex on so many levels.
Not realizing fully I did what this scripture states to do at Zephania 2:3 "seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of his anger"
A scripture I appreciate more after learning Bible truth is at John 4:23, 24 where Jesus was speaking to a Samaritan woman but it has just as important application today,
"Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth."
Christendom`s churches teach doctrine in conflict with Bible truth. They do not provide the food at the proper time as the Bible says would happen in the time of the end. Matthew 24:45-47 "Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if the master on arriving finds him doing so. Truley I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings"
The truth not only reveals the lies but reveals who God has appointed here on earth to distribute true worship to his belongings. This is you and I and who seek truth. Thats the food. I hear alot of people having a bad taste for organized religion. I can`t blame them. But merely telling people there is an organization on earth that God has appointed a "faithful and discreet slave" to give this food at the proper time to his people worshiping him in spirit and truth doesn`t work. The veil is over the faces of people. they either don`t care or don`t want to know. The truth has no value to them. 2 Corithians 3:16, 17 "But when there is a turning to Jehovah, the veil is taken away. Now Jehovah is the Spirit, and where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom"
Yes its deep and profound. Would you expect anything less. The Bible talks about a physical man and a spiritual man. Some speak of spirtuality as they perceive it to be but a spiritual man is one that Jehovah has taught. 1 Corithians 2:10 "For it is to us God has revealed them through his spirit, for the spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" This is directed to "the faithful and discreet slave" the ones who go to heaven and will rule with Jesus in the heavenly Kingdom but it applies to us too because we receieve this food at the proper time.
Spirtuality comes from Jehovah and the place to get it is his earthly organziation where his appointed "faithful and discreet slave" dispense the food at the proper time. Some look in other places. They become members of other organizations. Be careful because if it conflicts with God your spirituality can be affected. Jesus says at Matthew 12:30 " He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters" Jehovah and Jesus are still doing the gathering work. God is love but he says "I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion" Exodus 20:5
True worship means we learn 2 Corithians 6:17 "Therefore get out from among them, and seperate yourselves, says Jehovah, and quit touching the unclean thing, and I will take you in" Again this is to the anointed ones who go to heaven to rule with Jesus but has application to those seeking Jehovah and the truth. We can benefit from Jehovah`s Kingdom arrangement right now.
Soon that Kingdom will take complete charge over earth`s affairs. As Daniel 2:44 says what God`s Kingdom will do to the Kingdoms of the earth "And in the days of those Kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these other kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite"
Christendom does not teach this about the Kingdom. They did not prove to be doing so when the master arrived and thus was not appointed to proclaim the kingdom. The "faithful and discreet slave" will not be found in the churches of Christendom. Christendom has been rejected by God and have none of his spirit. As the Bible warns about Babylon the Great, the empire of false religion including Christendom, it says at Revalation 18:4, 5 "Get out of her, my people, if You do not want to share with her in her sins, and if You do not want to receive part of her plagues. For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind" Pretty heavy and profound words.
Wow, that is one heavy conversation between you and Chris. I don’t think I stumbled onto it by accident as tonight, at 55 years old I will be initiated into the Brotherhood of Freemasons. They asked that I spend as much of the day as possible reflecting on my own spirituality.
When I was younger I was taught by religious as well as my family that God was vengeful and was going to get me. He was going to get me for the faces I made at my mother, talking back or the fights I had with my sister or my lack of interest in their self-serving rules, I would be going straight to the torments of Hell. As I got older he, God, changed. He became a loving forgiving God.
I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that the Kingdom of Heaven IS within us all. I believe we could glimpse his Kingdom within us if we could clear away our Greed, jealousies, fears, lust, self-centeredness, prejudice and autonomy that clouds our judgment and ability to truly love one another as Christ loved us.
As stated by both of you we fail to realize, Love is what it is all about!
To quote Nick Lowe, “What’s so funny bout Peace, Love and Understanding”
well ditto Tim, you sure suprised me - you have great knowledge and `love` for the truth, and I've really enjoyed this insightful chat - I feel like I've been talking to a brother.
We've been given a gift, a beautiful gift that reaches out at so many levels - its such a shame that many can't see this, and worse; many don't want to.
You have great insight and understanding of the Bible. Christendom has the Bible too but has failed to teach it to their followers. You know more about God and his purpose than the Pope does. You sure surprised me with your accurate knowledge and your statement that knowledge means nothing without love. Satan has scriptural knowledge too but he does not have Gods favor. I am impressed with you my friend, very impressed.
God’s gift is one of love; I feel Jesus meant on that particular occasion, that if you just simply follow that inner desire to understand, you will find exactly what you’re looking for.
The Kingdom of Heaven is purely for the anointed – 144 thousand according to scripture, and they will act as Government over the earth for one thousand years with Christ as King. The rest (the meek) shall inherit the earth, an earth that will return to paradise, like the first Garden.
Of course many churches suggest we all go to heaven, though it doesn’t take much reading to see that isn’t the case.
As you rightly point out, `Man` is full of sin and easy to corrupt – `Genesis` says it all lol.
Jesus’ perfect self was offered as a ransom sacrifice as payback for human kind’s imperfection … that very act gave us all the chance for salvation.
Jesus wasn’t happy with his own religious doctrine, especially the leaders & elders who would twist scripture for self gain – it was his own people that requested his death or crucifixion, though I’m sure many knew he was the messiah, but expected a warrior type king to arrive i.e. David to kick butt, not this loving caring person who teaches knowledge & wisdom via stories & parables.
Jesus asks us to be like him i.e. he is the example of what we should aim for.
Scriptural knowledge isn’t as important as having a love and belief that Jesus is our salvation. No, we’re not perfect, but we should try to be – that’s the hardest thing of all, more so in this system of things.
Thanks Tim!