What a wonderful post brother.
Goodness, to go through 'why' would be seemingly repetitive and redundant but ...
I owe the greatest, most heartfelt love for all that goes on here I will never exhaust the vocabulary trying. Greg graciously offered up this 'role' some 3, now approaching 4 years ago. My! That is tremendous in itself. But I was hooked from the moment I did a search out on the www for A.W. Tozer and this treasure was brought before my eyes. More so, it was the very water of life needed after being spun out of control by just so much ... weirdness, dishonesty, frivolous, horrible constructs all supposedly carrying the banner of "Christianity". Little did I know that there were even far worse problems in this man as I began to journey into deeper waters.
Mentioned it elsewhere, but the changes are often daily, sometimes even hourly carrying things away from here, dwelling on them, being convicted and rebuked just as well often greatly encouraged and always in some form or fashion ... amazed, full of wonder, more in love with the Lord in truth and honesty.
The saints that I have met in spirit and truth over the years... Brethren as far away as Ethiopia. All over the world ... truly it is incredible the reach of all this. For all the things I have gained personally, the fellowship here is very much where my heart is, somehow bumbling and stumbling and trying that supposedly 'impossible' task of just having unity amongst so many diverse saints. Have made many, many mistakes along the way and am in need of much forgiveness for these failures, it often can feel like one big constant appeal to forgiveness... [i]For they know not what they do[/i] Just change the 'they' to 'I'. It is with much trepidation that I do these things, a backdrop of ... trembling in a way. I just wish that the Lord would be truly exalted here and often fear that failure is so easily possible.
But I have learned so much ... I could not tell it all. This place is very much like no other, to say that it could or will change your life sounds too ... cliché'. It's just a fact. To go through the resources, the sermons, the incredible articles that are often unearthed and presented here and to absurd these things in real contemplation ... Perhaps that is sometimes the puzzlement, that with all this there can still be those who seem to be 'stuck' or just perhaps overlooking the more penetrating questions. However, even that is very, very tricky. It is where getting into assumptions and character, motivation issues is highly dangerous, toxic. Have seen far too many come in here and begin to reconsider areas, ideas, opinions and become altogether more humble, loving, in the truest sense of those words, towards each other. More helpful, more considerate, more patient. Asking questions is always the best way to go, getting clarifications in the forum ... going [i]through[/i] the process.
Discipleship. Think this is a huge part of all this. Testing all things and being tested in all things. The variety and longevity of some that carry on and contribute here ... Oh saints we are blessed! Besides the written and audible record to boot, how it continues speaking to this very hour.
Exposure would be another. Having absorbed what we have into life itself and in turn placed it back out in it's often organic and written record itself... Before all. Does it not do this very thing? Having your own words starring back at you, this mirror. Recognizing the wrong, the deeper issues of pride and bitterness, the regret and the repentance but also the joys of reconciliation, the edification, the joy's of others, those things too profound to even comment on sometimes.
Prayer. Oh my! Revolutionized would be an understatement. To be frank there are times where it can be sheer agony over some of things that perplex amongst Brethren. You guy's can drive this poor man to the floor more than you know... But praise God for it. Most of the time it is some half startling inner discovery that sends me out broken. The shared prayers, the trials and tribulations of the saints here, the intercession on their behalf ... What prayer [i]is[/i], the praying saints of the past ...
Goodness, I could go on forever ... This introduction of thought already getting too long. It's love, sheer love. There is something very precious and needful that Sermon Index is fulfilling and I thank God for His raising up Greg as a servant to put this all out before the world.
We may need to regress however, back to some of the intentions of why this site exists. Revival seems to be something elusive, it comes and goes in importance and even desire. I do not always have it to be honest a priority as such. Rather strange when all the signs about us scream for it's need.
