The two young ladies that I board with during the week each have a bicyle. One is worth $700cdn the other $400 cdn. I was looking at these 2 beautiful bicycles in the garage and thinking, man it would be nice if I owned A bicycle. Maybe I could ride to work, if it's not too far. A few weeks later I was walking a few kilometers from home and found a black 12 speed Super Cycle bicycle. It was just thrown on the ground. I asked if I should report this to the police, and I was told, no, it's junk, and someone just threw it away. Hey! One man's junk is another man's gold It is old and extremely rusted, but the brakes and gears work, the handlebar is bent, but it works.
Two days later, the evening before garbage pick-up, Julie asks me, did you throw your bicyle in the garbage?" "No I didn't."
"Well, you bicycle is in the garbage."
"No, it's not" .
"If your bicycle is in the garbage, you ow me 20 bucks".
"Ok I'll look"
I go and take a look at the bicyle in OUR garbage and it's a black bicycle. I was thinking to myself, "that's not funny, having fun at another's expense". So I open the garage door, to put the bicycle back in the garage, and Huh!! My bicycle is still in the garage, then what's that bicycle in the garbage? I took a better look and it was a Black, 12 speed, Super Cycle bicycle, identical to the one I found 2 days earlier. How can that be? IMO this cannot be a coincidence. I have never found a bicyle in my life, and now I found 2 identical bicyles. I found out that my work is 11.5km from where I board - it is possible to cycle that distance (takes me about 40 - 55 minutes). IMO this is a gift from the creator of the universe, but why?
1) I wanted one, and so he fullfilled the desire of my heart.
2) It takes away my doubts that God is involved in our lives.
3) To prove to me that he is able.
Your probably thinking, what does this have to do with arranger keyboards.
4) Every time I ride my bicycle to and from work, I save $4.00 to go against a new PSR1500 or PSR3000.
Starkeeper
P.S. This is a true story.


[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 10-04-2004).]

Heck, you should start praying for that PSR3000! Why not cut out that middle step?

Interesting -- two threads in quick succession about God and miracles. Coincidence?

"Heck, you should start praying for that PSR3000! Why not cut out that middle step?"
Good advice, and I'll do that (although I didn't pray for a bicycle, it was just a thought I had). Ok. I'm thinking now... I want one.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work that way. I use my keyboard predominantly for praise and worship, and I'll be using the PSR3000 for the same. The bicyle is a transportation device only, a means to an end. So why not give me a PSR3K and forgo the bicycle? The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Starkeeper



[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 10-04-2004).]

Great story! So how are you going to use those two bicycles? I guess you could replace the bent handlebar of the one with the other!

As Gary (travelin easy) says "BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP" .... .
t.

Two bicycles. You can get to work twice as quick!

Beakybird

How about two Mercedes Benz S class, same color too ??

It really happened !! To me !

Hé Starkeeper, can you pray for a Tyros instead?
Then If you find one in the garbage the second time, you can send it to me - I'll pay for shipping!!

------------------
drdalet

You guys are hilarious. I suggested that if we find another bicycle,put a sticky memo on it with the word Wednesday. That would be my Wednesday bicycle.
Starkeeper



[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 10-05-2004).]

Acutualy, one had a really badly rusted chain, so I exchanged that, and placed it on the bicycle with the better tires and straight handlebar.
Starkeeper

I was not kidding about the Mercedez S class. The REAL God is an amazing God who is able to give more than we can ever hope for.

I always wanted a Mercedez so one day my rich brother wanted to get rid his S class and I bought it for somewhat of a bargain since it was used and my bro was being nice to me. It was gold colour, nice and big and it was still upto date since the body and shape does not change until about 4-5 yrs. So, I took it home.

Lo and behold, about couple weeks later, a longtime friend that I rearely spoke to was back in touch again with me. He had become a very rich person in the mean time and bought a car. Since he lived in another country he does not have a place to store his car. He only visits USA one week a year or so. He asked me to maintain his car and I can use it if I want too. The car arrived and guess what.....it looks like the same Mercedez that I had and the same colour too. So, now there are two Mercedez S class in my garage. They looked virtually indentical except my friend's model is a year newer.

You think it's a coincidence ? I think not.

Starkeeper

Being a confirmed and fully-paid-up Atheist, I'd like to point out that, yet again, very little of your story encourages me into a life of religious servitude. Clearly a case of improbable coincidence - like two Presidents with the same name...

The story about the Mercedes S class, however... where did I toss that Gideon again?

Jerry
Amsterdam


[This message has been edited by jeremy_norbury (edited 10-06-2004).]

Well, Jerry. If you see my post about the miracles, you might change your mind ? I saw a flat footed person , actually several people that received new feet (plural?) with normal arches. I opened the socks of two people and they both got their arches. Deaf people receives their hearing. In fact one of my friends that I brought with me received a miracle himself and he is somewhat unsure about it before.

The very same pastor is coming to my house this Saturday. And I am gathering the sick, terminally ill, etc to come to my house.

Actually, you probably need to see it for yourself to believe it. Reading it won't make you believe.

But be aware that there are spiritual realms out there. I saw a possessed man once who spoke in an ancient Javanese language that only a few people know. He worked as a nanny to my parents and I told him to jump over a certain very sacred area. Guess what, the demon is scared of the cross and prayer offered up by a young teenager girl (my sister).

Jerry,
I said, "IMO this cannot be a coincidence." That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I have never found a bicycle in my life and now I find two identical bicycles two days apart????? This, IMO is not possible. Scientist say that if the odds of something happening are so astronomically high, it is considered impossible. I am a christian, but when it comes to the Lord being fully active in my life, I am sort of on the fence, but this is just not possible, and I am forced to believe.
I am always interested in non-believers. Always curious as to how they would view a similar incidence. Thanks for responding.
Starkeeper

Praying for a PSR1500 now.

[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 10-07-2004).]

Starkeeper,
An atheist is hard to convince. There is always a remote chance that you got that two identical bikes. And myself with another S class, with same color, etc. However remote, there is a probability number to it !

Now, the flat footed person (actually several at the same time) who received new feet without reconstuctive surgery: now that is a miracle no matter how you looked at it. The possibility of that happenning by chance is ZERO. It is a supernatural event and will probably convince an atheist or skeptic to look deeper.

Starkeeper, have faith and God will do exceedingly far more than what you could ever hope or dream of. You might just get a keyboard much better than PSR1500. How about a PSR3000 or better ? God can do it especially if you have faith in Him and stay in His will for your life. It is MUCH easier to live this life with God's help than without, so we better seek His will and stick to it. You will be very useful and bring much blessing to the people around you with that arranger ! I pray that it will be done in speedy way. Let us know when (not if) and how God provides you with it.

Lukitoh,
You are right, a miracle is a miracle. I was surprised that the pastor of our church said that once. Someone being cured of cancer is great, but is it a miracle, or just really good medicine? I would be interested in knowing what an unbeliever would say if he say a bonified miracle (a devine, supernatural act, something that is physically impossible).
Will let you know what God does about the PSR1500. " Hey! This is still about arrangers.
Starkeeper

[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 10-07-2004).]

O.K. guys, you know my reputation, however unwarranted, for humor, but this is true.
One of my first jobs after graduating from Oklahoma State University was to work for Oral Roberts in Tulsa. Technically I was a writer/photographer, but one of my jobs was to go along on crusades and "document miracles", with taped interviews and before and after photos.
I did not share the same faith as Rev. Roberts, but I do know that he is a sincere individual and kept practically nothing for himself. Anyway, I only went to one crusade, in West Palm Beach, FL. I didn't know what to expect and tried to keep an open mind. However, I didn't believe I was going to see any miracles, other than those the human mind can bring about through strong faith, self hypnosis or whatever.
I saw hundreds, maybe thousands of people show up with every imaginable sort of disorder. Many of the "healings" I could explain away through adrenal or whatever. However there were at least three cases that I will not forget, all of which I did document with before and after photos. {Wish I had kept them). Two were very large goiters, growths protruding from the neck area. Both were definitely genuine. Both disappeared immediately after Rev. Roberts placed his hands on them.
The other was a person who had not been able to see in many years. She suddenly regained her vision. I know there is a condition called "hysterical blindness", and possibly this could have been it, but the other two I KNOW something happened. I had interviewed these people and their families both before and after,and I was indeed a sceptic, but they were real.
I felt remorse for the thousands who lined up to be healed and nothing happened.
We don't have all the answers.
I only worked for OR for three months, but it is a time I'll never forget.
DonM

Oral Roberts is well known among many Christians. He is one of the spiritual giants of our days. I believe he has written many books. I personally never met him but have heard a lot of things about him.

We have confirmed miracles of people with hearing problems.

Sometimes I think when some of these people meet God face to face , he will probably say to himself, ooh I am just dreaming. Nothing, will convince them.

Until they get a Yamaha PSR3000 from a lowly PSR1000 converted before their eyes in a finger snap -----then they will probably believe !!!

That would be a PSR3000 changed from a PSR550. I would be in a state of awe for the rest of my life.
Starkeeper

It is POSSIBLE, starkeeper. Nothing is impossible with God. Get right with God and lay your hands on the keyboard and if you have mountain-moving faith that Jesus talked about, God WILL convert that PSR550 into PSR3000 just like Jesus fed the 5000 people with a few pieces of bread and fish 2000 years ago. Just make sure you ask DonM to take pictures before and after !

Humor aside, those miracles I saw were real. God is still performing miracles today. Or for the skeptics, there ARE miracles still happening today. Could it be that someone invented time machine in the future ? You can go on and on if you are skeptics.

Starkeeper

I completely believe your story. I never, for one second, doubted that what you were telling me was anything but the truth. But a miracle? I thought that miracles always have significant spiritual relevance. Surely miracles serve to confirm to believers that there is a higher being that watches over us and somehow cares and ensures that our lives have purpose.

I just don't see how cloning a used bike, and dumping it where you would stumble across it, fits into this category.

Lukitoh - I really like your story about the Pes Planus treatment you witnessed. I believe something happened and I also can't explain it. I'm a bit concerned that "dis-believers", like myself, are tarred skeptical because we don't believe the miracle-theory. I'm not skeptical about it - because that implies there is some doubt in my mind.

Call me old fashioned but if there were a higher power, I'm pretty certain he (or she) could think of something a tad more convincing in the way of miracles.

Like a Yamaha with a decent key action.

Great topic. Very happy.

Jerry
Amsterdam

[This message has been edited by jeremy_norbury (edited 10-08-2004).]

[This message has been edited by jeremy_norbury (edited 10-08-2004).]

There is so-called "Miracle of Luxury" such as the water converted to wine (first miracle of Jesus). I think God can and will sometimes do miracles of luxury to those he loved and chooses to. Often the Christians think that only when we are in dire need, we received miracles. But many cases shown otherwise. The Bible has told many miracles happening to God's people and those who put their faith in God. There is no reason why it should stop now. The God of the Bible is a God of miracles.

At this modern times, it is difficult to find faith. So many distractions that carries people to the opposite side. Our knowledge and intellect has made myself and countless others skeptics. Only by the grace of God that some of us were able to see the nature of the true God. Nothing else that make us deserving any of those experiences. Only by grace.

So, a PSR550 converted to PSR3000 will be considered miracle of luxury.

Jerry,
I can't give you a biblical quote, there probably isn't one, but for whatever reason, God always does miracles with room for unbelievers.
The miracle at Fatima for example, only 3 children saw the miracle. Thousands (with faith) believed what the children saw, but an unbeliver (without faith) could say, "Hey, these kids are just making stuff up".
Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote a book titled "You'll see it When you Believe it". People usually say the opposite, "I'll believe it when I see it". Jesus said, "You have eyes to see, but cannot see, ears to hear, but cannot hear." I would suspect it's because they had no faith. If you believe, miracles are everywhere, if you don't, there aren't any.
Starkeeper
Starkeeper



[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 10-08-2004).]

is it an act or faith or coincidence,maybe it would be nice to talk about strange experiences,i experienced 4 coincidences at one time,this is absolutey true,about 4 months before my 30th wedding anniversary,i thought i would surprise my wife by celebrating our anniversary where we had our honeymoon,so i phoned up the holiday camp to try to get a booking,i was told sorry fully booked so i left them with instructions to call me back if they had a cancellation,they never called me back, 1st coincidence about one week before our anniv,,,i noticed in the paper bookings available for this same camp with the correct dates,so i immediately booked,we got there later than expected ,we got our keys and we had to find our rooms 2nd coincidence we had the same room we had 30 years before(about 120 rooms in total)i went downstars to thank the manager for putting us in the same rooms 30 years later,he said he didn,t know, i said you have records,he said there was a bad fire 28 years before and all the accomodation was gutted(i remember reading in the press all those years before)we was given a bottle of champagne and i bought a bottle of champagne,here are the other coincidences i was told to keep the cork for luck by putting a coin in it,1 cork had my initials on it (inside the bottle)and the other had my postcode on it,now life is strange but when things like this happen it certainly makes you wonder,(i still have at least 1 of the corks)now isn,t life strange,mike

"is it an act of faith or coincidence".
If you have faith, the coincidence is a miracle. If you don't have faith, it's just an extremely unlikely coincidence. At what point will an unbeliver say," Hey this is not physically possible, there must be some other explanation"
Starkeeper

Oh dear.

I fear I have been wasting my very best humor...for behold, they did go forth and preach to the incommutable.

Jerry
Amsterdam