John Shrader 18: Hell freezing over despite climate change

[ViolaSebastian]

After I had my second fusion at my L-3, I had to spend six weeks in bed and couldn't sit up at all. I could stand to go to the bathroom or take a quick shower, and that was it. I'm actually really impressed that he can stand as long as he can. I'm concerned about his fusion taking, though. The last thing Esther needs is John requiring more surgery.

[NoneIsEnough]

The Website of the place that did his surgery has the following things to say about recovery:

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The Day Of The Surgery

On the morning of your surgery, we’ll take you to CTMH Doctors Hospital, a small, private hospital just a few minutes from your hotel on Grand Cayman. You’ll be in excellent hands with our surgical team, who will perform your procedure and see to your comfort in the days following. Since this is a total joint replacement and not a fusion, you will be up and walking soon after the procedure to enhance mobility and recovery. You’ll stay overnight at CTMH under the care of our clinicians.

After Surgery

Our goal is to get you out of the hospital as quickly as possible. You’ll soon be back in your hotel, eating good food, smelling the salt air, and moving as much as possible. Our clinicians will work hard to minimize your post-operative discomfort, checking on you daily and accompanying you off premises for shopping or dinner.

A safe surgery is our number-one goal, but we also take pride in a superior vacation experience in the days following your surgery. We believe that the postoperative period is important for your long-term recovery and have structured an experience to maximize your chances of a successful outcome. After approximately seven days at the resort, you’ll be ready to fly home. Our staff will escort you to the airport, manage your luggage, and see you onto the plane.

We’ll coordinate with your primary care physician back home for follow-up visits and physical therapy as needed. Our goal is to help you regain full range of motion in your back and learn to live again—pain-free.

What is the recovery period?

Recovery from any surgical procedure will depend on your individual condition. Also, all patients have different lifestyles and therefore different expectations coming out of surgery. Our rehabilitation specialist will discuss your goals with you before surgery, and design a recovery program to help you reach them.

In general, BalancedBack® patients are ambulating the same afternoon or evening after surgery, and are discharged from the hospital the next day. Patients spend an average of five days recovering on Seven Mile Beach before traveling home, with daily physician visits and rehabilitation sessions. Most patients begin a more aggressive physical therapy program at week six, and return to unrestricted activity at about three months.

 

So it sounds like they expect you to get better pretty quick, but still get regular follow-up. We know Johnny is doing some kind of PT, but who knows what other kind of after care he's receiving. 

Edited October 20, 2019 by NoneIsEnough

[CTRLZero]

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A safe surgery is our number-one goal, but we also take pride in a superior vacation experience in the days following your surgery.

I wonder if they have trouble ordering their priorities?  Safe surgery, but superior vacation!

[Ozlsn]

6 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

I wonder if they have trouble ordering their priorities?  Safe surgery, but superior vacation!

Are you a busy person who finds it hard to take the time off for back surgery? Do you have difficulty unwinding? Have we got a deal for you!

 

[Curious]

 

 

 

 

14 hours ago, NoneIsEnough said:

The Website of the place that did his surgery has the following things to say about recovery:

 

So it sounds like they expect you to get better pretty quick, but still get regular follow-up. We know Johnny is doing some kind of PT, but who knows what other kind of after care he's receiving. 

I am always really nervous about places that do major surgery and let you go the same day or the next day.  I would be dead several times over it that was me being released like that so maybe it's just my personal experience coloring my view.

I have had outpatient procedures where I have gone home right after, but they have been short procedures (uterine ablation, colonoscopy, wound debridement). Even with it not being a fusion, it still had to take some time.

Also, it must have been nice for John to get an all-expense paid tropical vacay after surgery   It said they coordinate with your local doctor, but does John even have one in Zambia?

This might be cynical, but just because John says he's doing PT doesn't mean he is, IMO.  He hadn't mentioned it at all until I started questioning whether he was doing it or not.   Could be a coincidence, but I'm inclined to say "Hi John!"

 

[Botkinetti]

I hope for the sake of Esther and the kids John is actually doing his physical therapy. But it also strikes me that the idea of poor, persecuted John in pain might result in more donations because it projects ( in his mind ) a more godly image.

 I had to have months of physical therapy and my exercises changed based on how I was healing. Who , if anyone , is monitoring John and adapting what he is doing ? If no one is he could wind up worse than he was before.

[Palimpsest]

20 hours ago, Curious said:

Also, it must have been nice for John to get an all-expense paid tropical vacay after surgery   It said they coordinate with your local doctor, but does John even have one in Zambia?

This might be cynical, but just because John says he's doing PT doesn't mean he is, IMO.  He hadn't mentioned it at all until I started questioning whether he was doing it or not.   Could be a coincidence, but I'm inclined to say "Hi John!"

I don't think John misread or misunderstood the timeline for recovery from his miracle surgery.  However, John possibly seriously underestimated how much pain he would be in.  And I can imagine him being very whiny about PT.

As we noticed when we first looked them up, the timeline given by the surgeons seems incredibly optimistic for spinal surgery.  Here's their site again.  https://www.balancedback.com 

They say it is nothing like spinal fusion; they compare the recovery time to total joint replacement.   They claim that people are discharged the following day, spend around 5 - 7 days at the luxury tropical resort with daily monitoring.  Then they fly back home and are then discharged to their PCP.  "More aggressive" PT at week 6, and then "return to unrestricted activity"  at 3 months.  They don't say much about pain control.

I'd also argue that it would be very irresponsible (to say nothing of potentially messing with their statistics) for them to do the experimental surgery without making sure he could get adequate follow-up care.  Both in the States and back in Zambia.  If he isn't being monitored by a PCP and getting PT in Lusaka, then he could mess up their surgery and fuck up their stats.  And there are some perfectly good hospitals in Lusaka, many of them definitely up to the standard of care in the US.

Mind you, Johnny may have disobeyed their advice by flying back to Zambia so shortly after surgery.  And actually following up with PT is on him.  

As far as Esther goes, I doubt she'll return to the US to deliver blessing 12.  And even if she did she wouldn't necessarily agree to a hospital delivery.  She never has before.  IIRC, Sophia's delivery was difficult and so was Caleb's.  Otherwise John makes out that she finds it as easy as shelling peas.

Of the three blessings she has delivered in Kafue, the midwife for Stephen was the highly recommended as Godly Mrs Phiri.  However, John pushed very hard to convert the Phiris from their church to his church, and had Mr Phiri in his Bible Study group at one point.  They disappeared, along with many of the other early potential converts. 

Isaiah was delivered by an unnamed Zambian midwife.  And for Caleb they had an Australian missionary midwife.  So I hope Esther is getting proper prenatal care and they understand that this birth may not go as smoothly as (most) of the others.  They may have to transfer her to Lusaka.  There is a public hospital in Kafue, but if she has difficulties she would be much better in Lusaka.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Palimpsest

[Palimpsest]

John.  It's no coincidence that you are finally talking about Jesus, is it?  Christ's compassion and quoting from Matthew too.  Well done!

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"Rescue the perishing, CARE for the dying...WEEP o'er the erring ones, LIFT up the fallen...tell them of Jesus the Mighty to Save."

These words are often sung, but rarely lived. Our eyes remain dry even as we seek to witness. We Congratulate ourselves for the telling, but fail to Correct our lack of truly weeping over the lost, so the brutally honest question must be asked...how much do we really Care?

Our example, the Lord Jesus Christ, is spoken of as having compassion for the lost. That word, first appearing in Matthew 9:36, only appears 7 times in the N.T., and all of them are in reference to Christ. It was just after this first occurrence that Jesus uttered His one direct "prayer request" for us...to pray the "...Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest."

Actually I (or rather Google) found the word compassion used more than 7 times in the New Testament.  And not always referring to Jesus although certainly compatible with his teachings.  Even Paul manages one reference.

Spoiler

Matthew 9:36

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Matthew 14:14

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 15:32

Then Jesus called his disciples [unto him], and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

Matthew 18:27

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

Matthew 18:33

Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

Matthew 20:34

So Jesus had compassion [on them], and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Mark 1:41

And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth [his] hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Mark 5:19

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Mark 6:34

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Mark 8:2

I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

Mark 9:22

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Luke 7:13

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

Luke 10:33

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him],

Luke 15:20

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Peter-1 3:8

Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:

Romans 9:15

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

John-1 3:17

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

But John still desperately needs laborers in the Harvest Field of of Zambia and Beyond.  It's a pity he wasn't nicer to Bro. Theophil.  And I think he should forget about Beyond until he has fixed up his church in Kafue.

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How often are we sincerely praying that?

We desperately need laborers here in this Harvest Field of Zambia and beyond dearly beloved. Please pray that prayer request for us, and let us be willing to examine if our hearts have grown so hard that our eyes remain dry. I wrote the poem below for just such an examination. May God truly break our hearts my dear friends. - js

https://www.facebook.com/905776442904001/posts/922052931276352/

And Johnny links to one of his old poems to prove that he has mentioned Jesus before, and he even quoted Luke in it!

[Ozlsn]

Also a large number of the references have Christ or others taking action to help people. Healing the sick. Feeding the hungry. Helping the injured man by the side of the road.

Spreading the word is fine as far as it goes, but that last verse from John 1 really does ask the right question:

3 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

John-1 3:17

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

So John, tell us about how you helped the refugee converts who came to you and asked for aid. How you helped the sick, the elderly, the people around you. Anyone in fact. Tell us again about how you lived out the Good Samaritan parable, and how you were the Pharisee.

[Palimpsest]

8 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

How you helped the sick, the elderly, the people around you.

Well, he did drive the dying man to the hospital in the end.  And he's gone to lots of funerals.

But I think John sees himself as the injured man at the side of the road.  We are the Pharisees who don't send him cash or pray for him.  And he is praying for the Good Samaritan to come and look after him because he just had back surgery.

[Ozlsn]

He's very willing to attempt to emotionally hijack people at funerals, yes. And to force them to listen to the sound of his voice - I sincerely hope that a prerequisite for him being allowed to speak is that he provides food.

And it is good to see that he can be pressured into playing the Good Samaritan after two attempts to be a Pharisee.

8 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

But I think John sees himself as the injured man at the side of the road.  We are the Pharisees who don't send him cash or pray for him.  And he is praying for the Good Samaritan to come and look after him because he just had back surgery.

Oh I pray for him - mostly for him to return to the US and get a real job that doesn't involve preaching, granted. 

And if he didn't need so badly to be the Great White Saviour he probably would have lots of Good Samaritans stepping up to help him - but he's managed to drive them all away as they came to realise they would never be regarded as equal in his mind. He also has Esther, who has held things together and who quite possibly has more converts than John - or who also quite possibly has a group of women who help out because they feel sorry for her, what with the eleven children and idiot husband and such a long way from extended family.

[Curious]

I wish he'd just register and come talk to us already!   He braved reddit and we are far nicer than reddit, IMHO.

Also, I have nothing against men who cry.  I don't think men need to be unemotional to be strong or anything like that.  I, myself, am married to a VERY gentle man who cries, particularly over animals. 

One of the reasons I stopped doing rescue was because placing foster dogs was ripping his heart out.  When he was sitting on the hallway floor clutching a dog and sobbing because the rescue chair was going to take a dog back (the dog has been her foster dog that had been placed and was returned when she had a new litter of puppies so we took her for fear of disease to the newborn puppies) I called it quits.  I told the rescue chair (a friend of mine) that SHE had to pry the dog out of his hands if she wanted her back that badly.   She and my husband finally agreed that the dog would stay until the weekend and my friend would pick her up then. The dog lived with us for another 10 years or so until her death at around age 15

All that to say, if John is literally weeping and crying as much as he portrays I would find it rather disturbing not comforting or whatever emotion he's going for.

[Palimpsest]

13 hours ago, Curious said:

All that to say, if John is literally weeping and crying as much as he portrays I would find it rather disturbing not comforting or whatever emotion he's going for.

Yes, nothing wrong with anyone shedding tears but Shrader over does it.  Regularly.  He weeps and wails and gnashes his teeth all over the place.  When he's on an upswing and feeling energetic he sheds crocodile tears over all those lost souls going to Burn in the Fiery Pits of Hell.  When he's on a downswing he sobs about the latest attack by Satan and how even people he thought were his friends betray him.  No-one understands him. 

But, fear not.  I expect he'll find "joy" in the next Satanic attack soon.  As he has said before, Satan only attacks missionaries who are doing exceptionally well.  That is why he is attacked more than anyone else. 

However, John is absolutely turning over a new leaf.  No more negative Nellie behavior.  He's going to find joy in everything.  He's written a new poem all about it.

That said, and to be perfectly fair to Shrader, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was having a bout of post-surgery depression.  Looking for things to find joy in is not a bad way to handle it at all.

Brace yourself though for his pome.

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"The Joy of Serving Jesus"

"There is Joy in serving Jesus," the lyrics of the Hymn do say
But to look at certain individuals, you just might wonder and say

Is there really joy in serving, or why so negative?
As certain ones do grumble, as they supposedly "in Christ" live?

When we fail in the fruit of the Spirit, and true Joy do not show
If we claim to be Christ's Redeemed, yet that Joy doth seldom flow

How will the lost then mark us, as separate from their crowd? That only finds enjoyment, when life is lived set on "loud"?

I've been so very convicted, God provided a "mirror" of a kind
To show me what I'm like when I'm negative, to this often I've been blind

And I became so very burdened, "Is that what the world sees in me?"
I began to examine myself, I began to finally see

Christ Jesus gave invitation, he said "Come...learn of Me."
And the things He said we needed, are not very often seen.

Before He told the lessons, He first said "Take my Yoke"
And this is a picture of joining, close togetherness which is no joke.

It means we follow His leading, not going our own way
It means we don't "call the shots," if together with Christ we would stay

Then Jesus spoke of our learning, that He's "meek and lowly of heart"
Today these qualities so very needed, so many from this Truth do depart

For meekness is not very common, I confess it wasn't much in me
For the root of this word here "meek," means "gentleness of spirit" you see

The next thing that Jesus stated, was his heart's condition to know
He said that it was "lowly," and friend does that describe you and me as we onward go?

The word elsewhere is "humble," like found in I Peter or James
In James 4 God states very clearly, He'll resist the proud the clear claim

I don't want my God to resist me, as I seek to serve Him true
But friend if we're not lowly, God will stand against me and you

So let us learn of Jesus, be "yoked" together with Christ
And learn of His gentle humility, so God may receive glory from our lives

And James goes on to tell us, that if we chose humility
Our God will lift us up, after the devil from us flees

And then as God works through us, as humbly in serving we're found
Oh the Joy both now and forever, in worshipfully bowing down

In knowing we are pleasing, to the great Heart of our King
For our Jesus both showed and teaches us, the great Joy humility brings!

But the Joy in serving Jesus, can be left as it were "on the shelf"
If we try to serve our Savior, but are serving in the power of "self"

Then the world will see our frustration, and other believers too
And friend God won't be glorified, when Joy's gone from me and you

So let us self examine, do we "rejoice in the Lord alway"?
Or do we often grumble, and criticize day by day?

As for myself I've asked my Redeemer, after being given that "mirror" to see
From now on from my life I desire, Christ's lowliness and meekness be shown through me.

Bro. John S.
Zambia
Oct. 22, 2019

When God John Shrader's spirit broke,
He learned to be a humble bloke,
Now suddenly he is quite woke!

But he depends on other folk,
Of work he doesn't do a stroke,
Others must his wallet daily stoke.

Satan cannot make Johnny choke,
For he is under Jesus' cloak,
But converts still must his ego stroke.

And that's no joke.

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Palimpsest

[Palimpsest]

Sowing in tears again, and working little by little because he lacks strength, Johnny has repaired his printer.  It was fixed in the nick of time because they were nearly out of tracts.

Stanley came to church on Sunday.  And Ambuya Rosina was so gripped by the "Truth Teller" tract she was given she bought her husband, daughter, and grandchild to church too.

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Praising God for the Provision of Parts for our Gestetner-type Printer!

I have to do it little by little due to my lack of strength, but we are praising the Lord for our Copier-Printer getting back in good order! The feed roller and corresponding part had worn out, and they don't stock them here in the country! We just ran out of the tracts I had printed ahead, so we were able to repair and roll on (pardon the pun) just in time.

God is so very good to us.

Thanks so much for praying with us that these tracts find good soil in precious hearts. The grandmother I recently asked you to pray for, Ambuya Roseina, brought not only her daughter and grandson, but also her husband with them for the first time on Sunday! I'll try to get a picture with them next Sunday. Stanley was also back again Sunday as well!

Roseina was contacted and gripped mainly through the tract seen being printed here, the "Truth Teller" publication that I write and we print/produce by the hundreds of thousands here in Zambia.

It's always a blessing to see God work in hearts through the printed Word!

Sowing in tears,

js
Zambia

 

[RVofDoom]

I always thought it would be JRod whose antics pulled me out of eternal lurkdom, but no, here I am, so upset at the 'rejoice in the lord alway' lacking that final S that finally I dared to register and post here...

The word 'days' exists, John! 'so many days' or even 'all our days' would have fit your lack of a meter just as well/badly!

Or am I upset over nothing and there is this one obscure instance in the English language where it is perfectly ok to leave out the s? A reference to an incompletely transcribed hymn maybe? 

Also, hello everyone, pleased to meet you!

[Palimpsest]

Hello, and welcome again @RVofDoom.  No I do not think there is any valid reason to leave off the s.  The tortured rhymes and lack of meter in John's doggerel are a joy forever for me.  And he never seems to proofread his verse. 

[Palimpsest]

Oh, Johnny, Johnny.  Pull the other one, its got bells on. 

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Plenteous & Powerful Present Provision for Printing, Proving God's Promise!

Those of you that know and pray regularly for us are very aware that printing and distributing Gospel Tracts and Literature is a near and dear part of our ministry here. Well, God has done it again!!!

 

He's grifted himself a brand new printer!  That makes three.

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Without any fundraising or my asking, a pastor inquired of me about that specific need while we were on deputation.

Johnny, as we have discussed before, the whole purpose of "Missionary Deputation" is fundraising.  After all, If you already had the money to get yourself to Africa and support yourself in the field you wouldn't have to go on Deputation at all.  Deputation is a "missionary" travelling from church to church talking about their plans, getting love offerings, asking for monthly support, and discussing specific needs with pastors.  So stop pretending you have never done any fundraising.

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The very next Sunday, that church decided to give us $5,000.00 to buy a Gestetner-type Printer-Copier, which we joyfully bought upon reaching the Mission Field.

Printer number 1.  Purchased in Lusaka.

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Unlike a regular copier, the machine makes a physical Master and can print thousands of copies per master. You have to make a separate paper Master for each side of the sheet, so we usually print a minimum of 2,000 copies per Master to be good stewards.

Top of the line, but Johnny didn't understand that spare parts aren't easily available so a bad buy.  Not unlike his ostentatious, brand new, imported people carrier that is a positive invitation to thieves.

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Another missionary up in the Copperbelt of Zambia gave us their old machine a while ago, for which we were very grateful. Rats had chewed the wires inside, and so we patched it up and got several hundred thousand more prints out of it, but it was pretty beat up when we got it. It's been down for many months, and I even tried manufacturing and replacing a part and spring! My "missionary-ing" it repair worked, but was not enough. It's faults are too numerous. Even the techs in the Capitol City of Lusaka couldn't get it working, and we've tried taking it to them several times. It still keeps misprinting, jamming every few copies no matter what adjustments are made, and refusing to work or be fixed. I think that "horse" may be done.

Grifted printer number 2.  He's not very grateful for it though.  

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Having two machines is such a tremendous blessing of efficiency and redeeming the time, because it cuts your printing time in half. You can be printing side A on one machine, then immediately put those tracts printed on one side into the second machine which is set up with the Master for side B. It really moves the process along! I just had to return to using only our good one, the one we bought new five years ago and that I just replaced the feed roller on a few days ago.

The feed roller that was so hard to find.

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"But God..."

Well friends, as always, our God is so faithful! Just as Matthew 6:32 says, our Heavenly Father knows our needs!!

Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:6 to not Publicize our needs by Speaking to Others, but Pray for our needs Secretly to the One that knows all, so then our Heavenly Father can "reward" us "openly"!

 

John sent out a broad hint only yesterday that his posh and expensive printer was on its last legs.  And he has been complaining about both printers, but especially the second-hand one, for months.  Our Heavenly Father has been a bit inattentive about that.

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God touched the heart of a business man, in one of our supporting churches, who communicated with me that he plans to send us $5,000.00 which will buy another brand new Copy-Printer!

Hallelujah!

Glory!!

Answered prayer!!!

 

Brand new!  Nothing but the best for Johnny.  And answered broad hint.

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I love how our God provides, and keeps His Promises in His Word (such as Matthew 6:6), and even more how He ALONE can receive all the Glory! You see, until that business man approached me and specifically asked me about our printing ministry, I had never mentioned any needs on FB or by email or in our Prayer Letter, because I love Jesus and I want to obey His Commandment in Matthew 6:6 (see John 14:15)!

Liar, liar, pants on fire.  He whines that his old printer is broken and then is shocked, shocked, I tell you, when someone asks if he wants a new one.  And look how he insists that he never mentions "needs" on facebook, in prayer letters and even by email.  

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May you also be encouraged to love Jesus by keeping His Commandments, and trusting in our Gracious Heavenly Father, who always knows our needs and is able to abundantly provide!

Rejoicing in my Heavenly Father's Reward, and that He ALONE may Receive all the Glory, or as I like to call it, "Maximum Glory"!

Bro. js
Zambia

 

If, when at the Pearly Gates (in which I do not believe), St. Peter asks me whether I should be on the up escalator or the down one, I will say: 

"I'm not sure, but I did try to persecute keep John Shrader on the straight and narrow path.  And I got actually him to start reading the Gospels and quoting Jesus instead of Paul!  Does that count?  

So where is he likely to be sent, because I want to go to the other place, please."

Edited October 24, 2019 by Palimpsest

[Curious]

I'm not even going to lie.  I saw that 54-word alliterative title in your quote, rolled my eyes, scrolled to see how long your post was and said fuck this.

I will read it later, however  

[Palimpsest]

28 minutes ago, Curious said:

I'm not even going to lie.  I saw that 54-word alliterative title in your quote, rolled my eyes, scrolled to see how long your post was and said fuck this.

Short version:

Palimpsest Perseveres in Persecuting Pretentious Pretend Pastor's Protestations of Provision of Printers Purely through Prayer.

[Giraffe]

He’s discovered he gets better things by “not” telling people what he wants. 

Edited October 24, 2019 by Giraffe
Adding necessary words ?

[Tangy Bee]

If they get deported where will they go?? Just wondering.

[Coconut Flan]

4 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

He's grifted himself a brand new printer!  That makes three.

I truly hope he never decides to teach his techniques.  One maestro of grifting is enough.

[Xan]

3 hours ago, Tangy Bee said:

If they get deported where will they go?? Just wondering.

I rather doubt that they will get deported.  I think he's run afoul before regarding land ownership by foreigners but John is clever - not necessarily smart, but clever.  He knows that he can suggest what he needs and then claim he never asked for it.  He can clearly state that he doesn't ask for donations and then whine about all the things they're doing without and how poor his health is.  

I think John will only come back if the money totally dries up.  Even then, he'll come back kicking and screaming - or depressed and whining.  John fancies himself the great white Christian savior of Africa.  He's already proven that he can't cut it as a minister over here.

[thoughtful]

13 hours ago, RVofDoom said:

The word 'days' exists, John! 'so many days' or even 'all our days' would have fit your lack of a meter just as well/badly!

Or am I upset over nothing and there is this one obscure instance in the English language where it is perfectly ok to leave out the s? A reference to an incompletely transcribed hymn maybe? 

Welcome, @RVofDoom -- great name!

"Rejoice in the Lord alway" is from the KJV wording of Phillipians 4:4 - whether the lack of an "s" was purposeful or an error in the KJV, I don't know.

https://biblehub.com/kjv/philippians/4.htm

But you may be on to something in thinking he had it in his head from a musical setting. There is a well-known one, which is the only reason I remembered hearing the phrase without the "s" (a Bible scholar, I am not!).

I am disgusted at the possibility that John knows this piece. Henry Purcell is too good for his ears.

 

[Palimpsest]

A video from the kids!  My, aren't they all growing up fast.  Unfortunately you've also got to see and hear John.