Bicycle wreck and a great daughter

On July 23rd I was riding my bicycle down the highway.  I had ridden 27 miles and was about 6 or 7 miles from home.  I was having a good day and enjoying the morning ride.  Without any warning a 3/4 ton 4X4 truck came across the white stripe and hit me in the back.  The truck was traveling at about 60 mph.  I was launched into the air and then down to the pavement.  I slid for quite a distance on the pavement and lost a lot of skin.  The collision broke my bicycle in the middle, broke my wrist, damaged my ribs on both sides, twisted my ankle, hurt my shin and my knee on the left side, put bruises on legs, back, back of both arms, and truly impacted me emotionally as I thought through what happened.  The people who saw the accident all believed I was dead.  However, by the grace of God I am still alive.  I have been in pain for 8 days now and operating at a very reduced level.

This event has taught me a lot and I know that God has had and will continue to have great purposes to come from it.  The greatest impression that I had was the realization of the brevity of life.  My life is a vapor and soon it will be gone.  Secondly, it has reminded my once again of the value of family, friends, and certainly the church body.  Third, in the midst of pain and shock it is still right to preach the gospel to the ambulance personnel, highway patrols, firetruck personnel, paramedics, the guy who hit me, the people who stopped to check on me, and to anyone else who was listening that day.  Lastly, it has taught me that people actually do care and love me.  This has been the most humbling of all.  It has greatly impacted me for people to check on me, come by and pray for me, bring me food, and simply to write things that have blessed my heart.

I am thankful that God caused a truck to run over me in order to teach me these lessons.  I certainly do not ever want to experience this again, but I am thankful and I know without a shadow of a doubt that my God does all things well.

And to finish this article I would like to add what my daughter wrote about this event.  I love my daughter and what she writes shows her love for me:

"The bicyclist you just joked about running over for points, he has a wife that loves and depends on him. The bicyclist you just swerved, yelled, or threw your trash at; he has children, some that haven't even graduated yet, a young daughter that deserves to have her dad walk her down the aisle someday. The bicyclist that you just ran over with your truck at 60 mph because you weren't paying attention, he has a newborn granddaughter that hasn't met him yet. Please share the road. I know it tests your patience, but cyclists are people and their lives matter to many." (Samantha) 

The Voice of the Offended Preacher

In the last few years and especially the last months it seems that the whole world is offended.  Flags are being removed, equal rights are shouting their views, a Confederate Soldier Memorial is vandalized in Denton Texas because it expresses Racism, politicians are apologizing for statements, people are infuriated because a cake baker will not bake a cake for certain people, and on and on and on and on and on it goes.  To quote the old line, "Where it stops nobody knows."

Well for anyone who cares to read my rant I just want to go on record that I am OFFENDED by the following (they are in random order as they come to mind):
Abortion
Alcohol sales
Homosexuality
Bad language in the public schools, public park, stores, and public events
Loud music
Country music
Gothic dress
Adultery
Drugs
People using the middle finger while driving
Texting while driving
People skipping church for worldly things
The gospel being watered down
Shallow music in the church
Facebook
People using electronics while I am preaching
Arminianism
Pre-tribulation dispensationalist
Women preachers
Boys wearing earrings
Parents who will not use a belt on their kids bottom
Tattoos
Transgenders
And, I am offended at people who are offended by what I am offended about!

Just for the record, so as to bring some clarity to my position.  I am a preacher of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the only way to heaven.  Jesus is fully God and fully man.  Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and brought forth by a virgin.  Jesus is sinless.  Jesus is the judge of the universe.  Jesus will throw some people into hell and He will escort His elect into His Kingdom.  Jesus used words like hell, wrath, judgment, repentance, and He used them often.  Jesus excludes Muslims, Buddhist, New Agers, Atheist, Agnostics, Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and every other works based religion that does not repent and honor Him alone as the only Lord and Savior of sinful man. "Do you take offense at this?" (John 6:61)  Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." (John 6:65)

I will continue to preach that the sinless Son of God came to give His life as a ransom for many.  He died on the cross of Calvary as a substitute for sinners.  He absorbed the fullness of the wrath of God in the place of the elect.  He took the sinfulness of man upon Himself and imputed His perfect righteousness to all who repent and believe.  He rose from the dead on the third day.  He was seen after the resurrection by over 500 people at one time.  He has commanded all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel.  Those who do will be gloriously saved and those who do not will be forever damned.

If what has been said in this blog is offensive, then REPENT.