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I Am Fascinated By Human Interaction

On last Friday, after working out at the gym, I was in the locker room preparing my post work-out drink, precisely measuring out the powder and mixing the right amount of water. As I was getting ready to shake the protein-mix, an older guy came up to me, fairly close, who seemed to me to be both smiling and angry at the same time and said, "It's time for you to ask for forgiveness."

He went on, "I can tell you are at the point in your life where it's time for you to be saved." I asked meekly, "What do you mean?" He seemed exasperated. He told me he is 55 years old and knows he is not going to live forever. He insisted, "You won't live forever either; no one will." I didn't respond and tried to look away, but he seemed to have a way to catch my gaze and instead I looked straight at his right front grey ill-formed tooth. He told me, "you need to accept Jesus into your heart. Jesus wants you to do that; he cares about you." I asked him, "Me?" He nodded confidently and said, "yes." I inquired, "What about everyone else?" He seemed annoyed and amended himself, "yes, everyone including you." He said, he feels Jesus here with us right now and we both have to accept that the Holy Spirit is choosing to work through him for me. Otherwise, he never would have said anything. He continued, "We don't know each other; I've never seen you before, and for all we know we will never see each other again. This is an important moment." He started to preach, "Jesus died for your sins and all you have to do is accept him and open up your heart to him and all your sins will be forgiven and you will be saved. You can't keep waiting and you can't continue to hide." Truthfully, I wondered if I was still in reality. It felt like an after-school religious movie especially when he said, "Allowing the holy spirit into your life is amazing" and he blew at my chest. "That's what it will feel like. It will blow into you and your life will be forever changed." I felt contaminated and asked, "forever?" "Yes, forever," he confirmed. It's what God wants for you, but you have to make that choice." "It's what God wants for me... or for everyone," I wanted to know. "For everyone," he assured me, but right now, in this moment, for you." I said I would need to think about this. He reminded me again, this is not something he ordinarily does, but the Holy Spirit is using him to reach me. "Thank you," I said with sincere intention. He stared at me and asked me what time it was. I looked at the clock on the wall over his head and said, "8:15" (pm). He said he had to go. He was still smiling, but he also still seemed angry to me. As he started to raise his cap to his head, he pointed to the biblical passage woven into the visor, John 1:8. "Read it," he insisted. I said I would and thanked him. He repeated, "I have to go." He placed his hand on my shoulder below the tank top shoulder strap. I was taken aback by the callused feel of his hand against my still slightly sweaty skin from my work-out, but I did not move or attempt to release his hand. He broke into a prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to fill me with courage to use my free will to ask for forgiveness and salvation. His eyes were closed and he seemed intentional with the words he used. After he finished, I added, "Amen." He seemed satisfied as he turned and walked away and out.

I washed the area on my shoulder where he had placed his hand. I have been thinking about this encounter ever since. Perhaps that was the (divine) purpose of it.
SatanBurger · 36-40, F
A lot of what they do reminds me of spiritual rape of some foreign entity. Yeah crude but I can't really put it politely. It's kind of creepy the more I think about it.

"You need to let the holy spirit into your life."

Also when they say that he died for my sins, I shouldn't be punished for some old dude I didn't even know who died 3,000 years ago. I have no emotional attachment what so ever to this being as I don't feel like I've sinned by just being human. I don't view the act of "consensual sex" dirty by itself. It's a beautiful process and not sinful at all. It's perfectly normal and goes with the process of evolution.

I had a woman that was talking to herself at my old job. She was praying and then she said God was divine. Then when I didn't join in she said really loud and angrily: DON'T YOU BELIEVE HE'S DIVINE?

Then when I didn't answer because I was trying to read my book I got:

WELL DO YOU!?!

She was like praying frantically and thanking Lord the Jesus a lot.

I just was like yeahhhh... sure.... and then went back to reading my book while she angrily stared at me for a few minutes. It was awkward, I didn't even know her.
Lincoln98 · 22-25, M
@SatanBurger [i]"Also when they say that he died for my sins, I shouldn't be punished for some old dude I didn't even know who died 3,000 years ago.[/i] Permit me that I say you are quite mistaken.
That is not the Gospel. It is salvation from condemnation.

[b]From GotQuestions.org[/b]:
The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament. In Greek, it is the word euaggelion, from which we get our English words evangelist, evangel, and evangelical. The gospel is, broadly speaking, the whole of Scripture; more narrowly, the gospel is the good news concerning Christ and the way of salvation.

The key to understanding the gospel is to know why it’s good news. To do that, we must start with the bad news. The Old Testament Law was given to Israel during the time of Moses (Deuteronomy 5:1). The Law can be thought of as a measuring stick, and sin is anything that falls short of “perfect” according to that standard. The righteous requirement of the Law is so stringent that no human being could possibly follow it perfectly, in letter or in spirit. Despite our “goodness” or “badness” relative to each other, we are all in the same spiritual boat—we have sinned, and the punishment for sin is death, i.e. separation from God, the source of life (Romans 3:23). In order for us to go to heaven, God’s dwelling place and the realm of life and light, sin must be somehow removed or paid for. The Law established the fact that cleansing from sin can only happen through the bloody sacrifice of an innocent life (Hebrews 9:22).

The gospel involves Jesus’ death on the cross as the sin offering to fulfill the Law’s righteous requirement (Romans 8:3–4; Hebrews 10:5–10). Under the Law, animal sacrifices were offered year after year as a reminder of sin and a symbol of the coming sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:3–4). When Christ offered Himself at Calvary, that symbol became a reality for all who would believe (Hebrews 10:11–18). The work of atonement is finished now, and that’s good news.

The gospel also involves Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). The fact that Jesus conquered sin and death (sin’s penalty) is good news, indeed. The fact that He offers to share that victory with us is the greatest news of all (John 14:19).

The elements of the gospel are clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:3–6, a key passage concerning the good news of God: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living.” Notice, first, that Paul “received” the gospel and then “passed it on”; this is a divine message, not a man-made invention. Second, the gospel is “of first importance.” Everywhere the apostles went, they preached the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Third, the message of the gospel is accompanied by proofs: Christ died for our sins (proved by His burial), and He rose again the third day (proved by the eyewitnesses). Fourth, all this was done “according to the Scriptures”; the theme of the whole Bible is the salvation of mankind through Christ. The Bible is the gospel.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is a bold message, and we are not ashamed of proclaiming it. It is a powerful message, because it is God’s good news. It is a saving message, the only thing that can truly reform the human heart. It is a universalmessage, for Jews and Gentiles both. And the gospel is received by faith; salvation is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8–9).

The gospel is the good news that God loves the world enough to give His only Son to die for our sin (John 3:16). The gospel is good news because our salvation and eternal life and home in heaven are guaranteed through Christ (John 14:1–4). “He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4).

The gospel is good news when we understand that we do not (and cannot) earn our salvation; the work of redemption and justification is complete, having been finished on the cross (John 19:30). Jesus is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2). The gospel is the good news that we, who were once enemies of God, have been reconciled by the blood of Christ and adopted into the family of God (Romans 5:10; John 1:12). “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). The gospel is the good news that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

To reject the gospel is to embrace the bad news. Condemnation before God is the result of a lack of faith in the Son of God, God’s only provision for salvation. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17–18). God has given a doomed world good news. Why would anyone reject the gospel?
Firstly - Wow, I'm really impressed with how you dealt with that situation. The fact that it WAS weird, Extremely personal and down right creepy, you did so well to keep your cool, act rational, and respond in a respectful manner, when so many people would have done otherwise.

Secondly - From someone who has a religious background, studied religions and various aspects of spirituality and will continually be searching for that higher truth.......... I don't see a divine purpose in what he was telling you.... I see the divine in how you responded, (see reasons above). You gave him more than he gave you - your time, your openness, your grace to respect someone, (even at the risk them seeming a bit loony) and you didn't show offence at the breaking of your intimate space - which very few people can handle. I think you are already on a good path, (spiritually speaking). And if you prefer it from a religious point of view God gave us something to guide us: a piece of himself - our soul - our conscience. If you listen to that, (as it seems you already do) - then I'm sure you'll keep heading in the right direction . Your mind is open, and it seems, (by your compassion to this man), your heart is too.
That's pretty amazing for someone your age.

Just keep going the way you are ☯❤😃
leowander · M
He was trying to give you an important message. I've posted videos under my profile which might help you receive it.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@leowander I will take a look. Thanks.
leowander · M
@MarkPaul [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkxoTmKpDcU]
Goralski · 51-55, M
He wanted ta fill ya with d holy spirit alright
This message was deleted by its author.
Lincoln98 · 22-25, M
😌🙂

 
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