end of day seventeen

End of day seventeen

I finally got warmed up this evening. Ella and I watched a movie and I sat in the recliner. I usually sit in an office chair at the desk where my computer is, but tonight I sat in the recliner. I put a heated throw over my feet and legs and was warm.

It seems that the cold has settled into my body, no matter what I wear. It and one other thing are surprising attributes of this fast. My digestive system will not let go and be through. It is getting irritating between that and the cold.

No word from God today, nothing of any real import. But I wait.

I have been thinking about the schools and colleges for ministers and for Christians in general. The one for the Foursquare Church is LIFE Bible College in Los Angeles. I have no investment, either by money or by participation in that school, although I hear it is a good one.

But I have been thinking about the seminaries around the nation that have gone off the deep end in denying the validity of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus. I do not understand how a school that purports to be a divinity school can teach otherwise than that which the Bible teaches. And they destroy young ministers with their liberalism.

A few years ago, I considered attending St Paul’s Seminary in Kansas City. It was a pricey school, costing around $30K at the time for a MDiv. I went and talked to the admissions dean who frankly admitted their problems with conservative students and how they were trying to address them.

He invited me to attend a class. I went to one that taught about a book about Jesus. Not a Bible book, but one a guy had written. At one point the teacher told us to break up into small groups and discuss something about the miracles of Jesus, I forget what..

I was in a group of four women. One was a Methodist, two were Disciples of Christ and one was Unitarian, a group who for the most part deny anything related to God and his reality. I sm not sure why they exist.

When we got into the group, the Unitarian said, I don’t even know why I am doing this. I don’t even believe in the miracles.

Not to be outdone, the Methodist replied she was not sure she did either and the two DOC women went along. My thought was, man, I’m sure not in Kansas anymore.

I left and never went back.

It is schools like that that turn out ministers who do not believe in the very things they are to teach to unsuspecting churches that are at fault for the decline of so many mainstream denominations.

And they should be run from.

Again, I thank God for my education. It was slanted, yes, but I took the knowledge they drummed into us and found God. He, not the Bible, is the point of it all. The Bible is his word, yes, and I believe it is inspired. But he is the author and finisher of our salvation, not the Bible.

Not that we do not study the written word. it is our guide for all we do and it is real and powerful in its simplicity.

Father God, I ask your power be on those who teach your word. I ask that you move people away from those institutions that refuse. Move through those institutions and show them your power so that they, too, may believe. Thank you for your power. I praise you. Amen.