John Shrader in Zambia Pt 5: Witnessing, Weeping & Wondering

[salex]

Someone commented on the poem saying John should write a book(I hope they were being sarcastic) and John responded that he wants to write several. Can you imagine what a whole book of John's poems would be like? 

Self Published?

[Palimpsest]

This weekend Shrader is memeing his dad. He clarifies it to mean that, "When he says listening...he means to the Holy Spirit of God"...but the statement still makes absolutely no sense. He also quotes Matt. 6 not once, but twice in the same entry:

 

*insert facepalm smiley, wherever it is*

 

Donations must be running low again.

[desertvixen]

Made it to the end...dear God in Heaven.

What a (power and money) greedy, lazy, lacking self-awareness, tone-deaf entitled jerk.

 

[formergothardite]

Any thoughts about what is going on with John Boy? He is apparently standing at the "threshold of a tremendous open door of opportunity" and Satan is attempting to push him off the edge. This doesn't make a ton of sense since if you are standing on the threshold and Satan pushes you wouldn't he just be shoving you through the door into the opportunity? Anyway, back to John and Satan fighting. Spiritual warfare is increasing as Satan is going after John, the men he is training and others. John feels like he has been physically attacked because Satan is fighting him so hard. He needs everyone to:

P

R

A

Y

My guesses:

1. Just a couple of days ago he got his "living water" well going. This is the "tremendous open door of opportunity" John is talking about. But the next door neighbor, whose business he is ruining is less than thrilled and causing trouble. 

2. John wants some new expensive shit because he is bored with all the stuff he already has and instead of just tossing him money,  people are all "Where is that fucking plane?!" 

3. He ran into David Rea, is scared that Rea might be beating him in the Missionary Printing Wars and so he wants to move to another country, but is having a hard time getting even his dad to support that idea.

 

[Pseudoname]

4.  He found out that people were only coming to church for the free food, and mocking him at every turn.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Wow that is some imagery.  Standing on the threshold of opportunity, with Satan trying to push him off the edge.  Satan could really be anyone or anything.  It could be his next door neighbor, it could be David Rea, it could be his Dad.  It could also be his wife or Satan acting through one of his kids.  Maybe he can't do something he wants to do because Esther is pregnant and doesn't want to move to Zimbabwe.  Maybe his Dad won't let him move back to the USA to open a printing shop because the supporting churches would be outraged over all the money wasted in Zambia.  Maybe he wants to sell the healing waters but the local government won't let him.

Seriously this guy is nuts.  And self-centered.  He is like a two year old throwing a temper tantrum-- "Mommy won't let me eat candy for breakfast, boohoo."  Only John knows what Big Idea he has now, but I think we all know that someone with common sense (or maybe even the law) is trying to stop him.  Hope he updates us and lets us know if Satan wins out in the end (I'm rooting for Satan.)

[Jasmar]

I really hope it's #1. And the neighbor salts his well, if that's a thing.

[Gimme a Free RV]

Regarding the wording in the meme of his dad:  "The RIGHT kind of missionary."

John is really hung up on the "right kind of..."

The right kind of Christian.  (The wrong kind = anyone not him.)

The right kind of church.  (The wrong kind = any not led by him or his father.)

The right kind of Bible.  (KJV ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The right kind of missionary.  (The wrong kind = David Rhea and other competitors.)

 

John, the right kind of plane can actually be seen by the human eye.

[Gobsmacked]

John seems to have gone quiet? Maybe Satan took a run and pushed!?!?!?!?

[formergothardite]

Something is going on with John, but I can't figure out what. 

Quote

 

Self deception results in spiritual destruction. 

I thank God for reviewing, revealing, and thus reminding me of the true depths of the "filth of the flesh" by graciously giving me a glance into the gutter of my sin nature

but when I forget that the old man has a strong will to live, and that he claws and fights to avoid being put to death daily (I Cor. 15:31), I then fail to fight him, and instead feed him. When I feed my flesh I by necessity must starve my spirit.

A strong flesh and weak spirit is a recipe for disaster...which delights the demons and the devil who desire to destroy us.

Pray that God will continually keep the reality of my depravity before me, that I might humbly see the necessity of His Authority, Majesty, and Purity to cleanse and empower me, that Christ might truly be yielded to in order to live His Life through me.

I covet and greatly need your prayer support, as the World, my wicked flesh, and the Devil have all conspired to conquer me, cast me down, and cause me to crave fulfilling the lusts of my flesh 

 

 

[Granwych]

3 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

Something is going on with John, but I can't figure out what. 

 

Maybe some young Zambian beauty with the burning interest in Mr. Shrader's, er, teachings?

[SledCat]

It's hard to know with a type like John. He seems like the exaggerating sort. "Lust" could include something like having an impure thought about a photo of a model in flannel jammies he saw in an LL Bean catalog.

[Gobsmacked]

 Have just booked me a ring side seat. Something is brewing in the Shrader camp.

 

[nickelodeon]

He needs to LET GO of the alliteration. He sounds like JB Duggar listing his children whenever he says anything.

[Cartmann99]

48 minutes ago, Gobsmacked said:

 Have just booked me a ring side seat. Something is brewing in the Shrader camp.

 

Are you willing to share that popcorn? 

[SledCat]

I wonder if his supporters have as much trouble making sense of his writings (I expect they do). He sounds like a terrible 19th century novelist.

[Gobsmacked]

Pull up a seat and join me Cartmann99

Just a little something to wash it down with. It may be a long wait!

[countressrascal]

I think there might be some problem with their VISA. The only reason I am saying that is that we are applying for VISAs for the medical team to go this summer for 16 weeks and they have changed the requirements for exPats to receive work VISA's. You now have to deposit enough money for a return plane tickets to your country of origin with the government unless your supporting organization provide necessary paperwork that they have the means to pay, must employe a certain number of locals and pay them local wages or provide training so they can support themselves the biggie you can not ask for money or change for your services unless you are associated with a native company or organization. Only a thought.

[Peas n carrots]

I think there might be some problem with their VISA. The only reason I am saying that is that we are applying for VISAs for the medical team to go this summer for 16 weeks and they have changed the requirements for exPats to receive work VISA's. You now have to deposit enough money for a return plane tickets to your country of origin with the government unless your supporting organization provide necessary paperwork that they have the means to pay, must employe a certain number of locals and pay them local wages or provide training so they can support themselves the biggie you can not ask for money or change for your services unless you are associated with a native company or organization. Only a thought.

Actually a very apt thought. I wonder when Shradenfreude's visa expires?

[formergothardite]

I wonder how long his original VISA was for and how having the sending church dump him impacted it. I wonder if there were any laws about digging a well and using it to bribe people into listening to him preach that he violated. 

[slickcat79]

I would be surprised if it were anything so practical as a visa issue. It would also be a little odd for his visas to be expiring at this point; it's been about 16 months since he got them, I think. And his whole tap dance around getting them worked so well the first time, why would he have any doubts about it working again?

I would love it if he were getting in trouble for the well. One of his followers posted a meme about remembering not to be ungrateful, featuring a picture of a young black boy drinking from a dirty creek. It was a powerful picture, but she posted it in support of Shrader and his fucking well. It's not like he's making it any easier for people to get water, only cheaper. Plus stealing someone's livelihood in the process.

Shrader's latest posts have so much emphasis on personal weakness and whatnot, I think there is either something very serious going on, or nothing at all. Maybe he's developing problems with drinking/drugs or cheating on Esther, or thinks he's being tempted in that area. OTOH, maybe he just has nothing positive to report and wants to keep his followers' attention. Being spiritually attacked by Satan is also a good way to keep people from asking about practical things, like the plane, the well or where his "students" are living after he kicked them out.

[Gimme a Free RV]

My take is that someone (maybe even dear ol' dad?) called him down for being so haughty online.  John is the kind of person that can't see how bad his narcissism is, so someone who has the guts to call him on it and someone he will listen to has to do it.

You don't have to be an FJ snarker to see John's true character.  Maybe some people in his dad's church brought up their concerns about John's "witness" and actions to Mr. Shrader and he translated those to John.

Oh the other hand, if John had a sexy dream, I'm sure he'd be SEVERELY guilt-ridden over that for days.

[Crocoduck]

John sure has some crazy mood swings.

I could completely see his latest rant being a way to keep his supporters' attention in the absence of any actual conversions or any sort of positive contribution.

Hey John, where's that plane? How many tracts have you delivered to villages where no white man has gone before?

[ViolaSebastian]

20 hours ago, Granwych said:

Maybe some young Zambian beauty with the burning interest in Mr. Shrader's, er, teachings?

If John is even thinking about cheating on poor, put-upon, pregnant Esther (like my alliteration there?!), I will personally fly to Zambia and punch him in the face.  

[Handmaiden of Dog]

If this was a novel about a 19th century missionary, with the words, "Pray that God will continually keep the reality of my depravity before me," I'd be looking for a half-white baby in the town.  However, he really is a ridiculous little man and I have no doubt his "depravity" is all in his head Maybe he ate all of the children's candy or something.