Apologies to all/Christmas hope

Just want to say thanks to all those who comment and join in on Wiki jams. Terrible to say this I don't get back soon enough with fellow members that have commented on my tracks and uploads. Thanks always for your comments and input. Even if , I failed to be trainable at times. It is always a treat to have interest shown. Even more so because this is the only Outlet for my playing. As many of you know, jamming with others locally can be a hassle. Taking a vow way back in my twenties, I swore I would never enter another bar again. I have kept to that over the years.

Again your interest is monumental. There are some wonderful musicians here on the Wiki. A big shout-out to those that can play multiple instruments in addition. What a wonderful gift. I have been on the wiki for four years now. It has been a wonderful growing Experience. Never did I think about playing jazz. Although my playing of jazz results in more rock than true jazz , it has been such a learning experience. Once infected by the Bonham bug, it's hard to focus on other styles.

This time of year at Christmas I tend to draw back into my shell with all the celebrating. Perfectly fine to celebrate though the pageantry loses it luster in light of the real meaning. My heart sinks knowing that we are focusing on tinsel when we have gold. At no other time had God come to live with mankind and it was in his son Jesus. It was for the purpose of regaining our relationship with God. What an incredible thought that little baby became a man and was sacrificed on the cross for our sins.

God had thought enough of us to send his son Jesus to take our place. For those reading this, that have checked out about now I'm sorry. Christian theology 101 says we are all sinners because we were born into sin from Adam. You might have read that somewhere you know with the serpent and all. The second part is we have no access to God the Father unless it's through Christ. He was crucified and resurrected to make this happen. He is our Bridge. He has taken our penalty. The third thing is you have to receive him.

The remarkable thing is we have free will but there is still accountability in eternity. My Hope for those members on the wiki is that you know Christ. Christmas is only merry if have a relationship with him. It has always baffled me what we celebrate in Christmas if we do not celebrate him. Yes I understand about the Santa Clause routine but how empty Christmas is without a hope for now and into eternity. This is not me condemning you but sharing the only present I can give that has any value. Merry Christmas Loopers

Excellent post my fellow follower of Christ

Thank you much. Cannot help but be compelled to share. First off as a Christian I need to share , secondly the uniqueness of the Christmas story. Our creator has given us every possible means to know him. Without a doubt, we will be celebrating Christmas in heaven soon seeing how fast things are decaying around us. Glad you replied back this now is a time share Christ.

Oh, Greg!
Remember the part of wikiloops 101 where it says to avoid "presenting ones own religious view as the ultimate truth" ?
You once again managed to offend anyone on wikiloops who may not happen to be a christian.
I believe I've tried to point out to you before that there is quite a number of members who are not christians on wikiloops, and I'm kindly asking you not to offend them.
It seems absolutely OK to me to say one is a believer in something, and Jesus Christ definietly was a character worth following, and I'm happy for anyone who does and who celebrates Christmas.
It's just not necessary to claim anyone who doesn't share your belief will have to face consequences.

If wikiloops would have expected you to quit being a rock drummer four years ago, and approached you with an attitude of "if you don't play jazz right away, you are doomed and a lost soul", I believe you would have left instead of considering the jazz.
Instead you had an opportunity to slowly discover something which seems to be of value to you by now.
Maybe letting them live and respecting them is a better way to let people discover something good, than taking the flaming sword of ones own conviction on the heathens of jazz drumming (or any other thing).
I'm not even sure if Jesus Christ would be fond of offending others in his name.

We are here on wikiloops to learn from each other, and to have fun making music. And we have some rules of conduct, too.
Please show these rules some respect if you are as fond of what wikiloops offers as you say in your initial post.

Merry Christmas
Richard

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Hi Richard thank you for your reply. Definitely not my intentions to offend. I will not bring this up again. Not out of fear of reprisal but submission to the policy on the wikiloops. I speak from a personal relationship with Jesus which is available to every man and woman. I do not speak for myself really I am just a messenger. My absolute heart is to share the love of Christ which has so infected me. My heart goes out to those that hurt especially this time of year.

I worked with a group call Samaritan's Purse this November in the panhandle of Florida. The organization is a disaster relief recovery nonprofit. I knew of the devastation in Florida but one has to see it to believe it. Being there about a week you still don't grasp the loss. We would drive up to a homeowners property and there would be nothing there but twisted broken Pine trees many times,no home. The destruction was everywhere. I say all that to explain there were only times that I could share my faith. The situation was so overwhelming. Promoting the only thing I knew that could bring hope. Out of love and respect I shared the most precious thing I know. It might be presumptuous of me to assume everybody is in need of Christ. That they all need to be saved. Needing salvation from their sins. Does this sound right about me? The answer is yes. Just as important they need hope and Assurance for today and tomorrow and their eternity.

I was saved at a Billy Graham Crusade when I was 14 years of age. I had absolutely no intention of going down front and commiting my life to Christ even on the third night of the Crusade. Why would I need Jesus I was just a 14 year old boy ,basically oblivious to the hardships of life. I was not raised Christian or agnostic, not any faith. We just went through our day with no mention of God or who he was. God's spirit convicted me that night of my need for him. It was a supernatural event. I have never felt anything like that before. To be in the presence of God. My life is now under his command and is still undergoing radical change. This is why I'm so eager to share . Thanks again for your wonderful work and vision in bringing about wikiloops. Greg

Thanks Ron all the best to you and your family in the new year.