Rich Maffeo on Nostr: Raymond knew the Bible pretty well. Over the last few years, we enjoyed many hours on ...
Raymond knew the Bible pretty well. Over the last few years, we enjoyed many hours on the phone sharing with each other what God was teaching us about our walk with Christ. During those times we also prayed for our families, for our nation, and for the Church.
I very much enjoyed spending time with Raymond around God's word.
But when he recently died and I spoke with his widow, I learned there was a darker side to Raymond; A consistent, daily darker side to the man I thought was a man of God.In the 50 years I’ve walked with the Lord, I’ve lost many Christian friends to the grave. And in each case, I was confident they were rejoicing around God's throne. But it’s different with Raymond. I don’t have such confidence. And that troubles me very, very much. Yes, I’m troubled for Raymond. But I am also troubled for myself.
How can it be that a person knows the Bible as well as Raymond knew it, and who can talk knowledgeably about the principles of scripture – of righteousness, of holiness – how can it be a person can know all these things and yet not practice them?
Raymond’s death has given me great reason to reflect on my own walk with Christ.
I know that in my flesh there is no good thing. And at times the words of St. Paul haunt me: “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
If the apostle Paul – of all people – that Paul should fear that after preaching to others, he would find himself rejected by God – if Paul had such a fear, who am ‘I’ to be so presumptuous that I cannot become as my friend Raymond was?
Continued in replies below
I very much enjoyed spending time with Raymond around God's word.
But when he recently died and I spoke with his widow, I learned there was a darker side to Raymond; A consistent, daily darker side to the man I thought was a man of God.In the 50 years I’ve walked with the Lord, I’ve lost many Christian friends to the grave. And in each case, I was confident they were rejoicing around God's throne. But it’s different with Raymond. I don’t have such confidence. And that troubles me very, very much. Yes, I’m troubled for Raymond. But I am also troubled for myself.
How can it be that a person knows the Bible as well as Raymond knew it, and who can talk knowledgeably about the principles of scripture – of righteousness, of holiness – how can it be a person can know all these things and yet not practice them?
Raymond’s death has given me great reason to reflect on my own walk with Christ.
I know that in my flesh there is no good thing. And at times the words of St. Paul haunt me: “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
If the apostle Paul – of all people – that Paul should fear that after preaching to others, he would find himself rejected by God – if Paul had such a fear, who am ‘I’ to be so presumptuous that I cannot become as my friend Raymond was?
Continued in replies below