Wayfarer122

The note that they won't be witnessing in the coffee shop gave me a twinge. The comments below the news stories bring up some related issues as well. Is it a church or is it a business? Other related questions: What is the mission of the church? Does the coffee shop really fit the mission? The article mentioned that they were promoting local businesses by promoting their products. Isn't this mission better suited for the local economic development consortium? Last question: What message are you sending to the community? I suggest that the coffee be supplied for free with donations accepted. Christian music that carries the message of the gospel should be a regular affair and volunteers should be free to share the good news with visitors.

((((Kross)))) I hope you have a great day!

I found it interesting that on an NPR radio story I heard today they interviewed several people on the Egyptian border. One Egyptian man emphatically stated that Israel isn't the real problem. It's Iran and its intrument, Hamas. It's going to get worse before it gets better.

I've heard the 100 years estimate before, but no one can really substantiate that. The issue is that we're using limited resources as if they're unlimited.

Kross, remember that the wheat and tares grow together. The perpetrators are not necessarily Christians at all. I know that some people hate us for other reasons, but my recent experience is similar to the one that Kross stated. This is my personal experience that illustrates why the 'Christians' in this town are hated so much: My daughter attended a small, ultra-conservative Christian school from K-8. As the kids got older, the girls in the class began to form cliques that were based on economic standing as well as their parent's status in the church that is associated with the school. Ostracism and cruelty followed and by the 8th grade she felt quite unwelcome in the class of students that she had been with since kindergarten. She transferred to the public high school while all but three of her classmates transferred to an Academy that is associated with a local Bible College. Most of them have already expressed an interest in attending the college and becoming ministers and ministers' wives. I have no doubt that this is the next generation of tares to lead the church further down the path of isolationism and destruction. My daughter is much happier at the public high school where there are gangsters, drug addicts, thieves, and just a handful of real Christians. (God answered my prayers asking that he put real Christians her age in her life. The Christians there have been a constant blessing and encouragement to her.) I believe that people who say they're Christians and aren't are becoming more plentiful and the true church is getting smaller and smaller. Because of this, people just see the rotten eggs and they hate the hypocracy. When real Christians make mistakes, the world is that much more ready to pounce on them and expose their 'hypocracy.' I don't like Pres. Bush because he left Rumsfeld loose in Iraq. I don't know if he's a true Christian, but I think his mismanagement of the war is more important to people right now than his personal beliefs. The gay-rights crowd along with everyone who wants to promote sinful behavior of every kind hates us because we dare to tell them that they are wrong. I'm rambling again, so I guess I'll shut up here, but I really wanted to weigh in on this since you asked and it's been a subject that's weighed heavily on my heart for awhile.

Their billboard makes them look really hateful and stupid. Then again....if the shoe fits....

Prayers for our brothers and sisters in China...

I enjoyed wearing a headcovering when the verse was pointed out to me. There is a group in town of "do-it-yourself" church people that really pushed this. (They had seen Pearl's book.) They were shown to be real hypocrites and DH actually asked us to stop wearing the headcoverings so that we were not associated with them. That's when I took a closer look at this passage and did what my DH asked me to do. I miss the headcovering since it was a nice reminder of the true meaning, not to mention the practicality, but I don't want to be a stumbling block.

We (some of us) know who holds the purse strings. I'm sure everyone here knows, but many Americans are not so well informed. During the last 25 years or so I've heard Christians state time and again that Christians are not to be involved in politics/government. We are now seeing some of the results of this misguided idea. As a result, we're very short on quality candidates for government office. (The last several presidential elections are good examples of this.) Many of us know where we're headed, but many more are only aware of their own present struggles. I believe that God has allowed this to happen to us to pull us back, just as he had done for Israel and Judah so many times in the Bible. We need to stop being enamoured with stuff, status, and wealth and remember that our real treasure comes from repentance and righteousness. The other day I heard Pres. E. Obama speak the strength and greatness of the American people that got us out of the Great Depression. I was sick to my stomach when I listened to him tell how our strenth and "sticktuativeness" will get us out of this one, too. Ugh, please! Repentance will put us where we need to go and nothing else. It's too early in the downturn for most people to wake up and figure this out just yet.

Christians need to get involved in government. In our town, and I suspect in many others as well, most council seats are unchallanged. Very few people even know who's on the school board. Also, the same two mayors have been serving alternately for over 15 years. Everyone else is too busy to care or is tied up in the 'christians shoulcn't be involved in government' bit. We NEED become engaged in our communities or our freedoms will dwindle to nothing.

It sounds like the Albuquerque city council is a bit full of themselves. I personally prefer a good meal in Canutillo, so Albuquerque won't be getting any revenue from the sale of their prepackaged Menudo from us next summer.

Why are they the only people who still perform passover sacrifices? If Israel is still waiting for the Messiah, then would they not continue to be required to perform the sacrifices?

In this world we will have troubles. Jesus told us that. Of course we have abundant eternal life, but I've found that it applies to life on this earth as well. The life we have isn't something the world values. We trust Jesus for our every need. We no longer have to go it alone. God is with us. We have the joy and peace that comes from knowing that our sins have been forgiven and we have been redeemed and are being transformed.

I agree that if someone is unfamiliar with a concept, they should be unafraid to ask for a reference to a scripture referenced by a poster, but I too have been wearied by people who try to draw me into an arguement where more than ten snippets of scripture are thrown at me dodge-ball-style in an attempt to get me to reciprocate. I refuse to participate in such an unproductive pastime.

Good post, Danny.