Vain activities

[JCISGD]

this was asked of you in post 33, you didnt reply.

please do...

Would spending time debating with other Christians about board games or teensy weesy spider be 'vain activities'? I don't see how time spent here is bringing lost to Christ.

If the motive for it was right it would glorify God as God is glorified whenever christians show love to their children, each other or God. There are a number of ways it would indirectly help to win souls.

I really dont understand the problem this is causing everyone and i am not insisting anyone do or not do anything. Im just answering peoples posts to my best ability as i think it rude not to as the OP.

[JCISGD]

Grace to you,

Arthur,

I was since more careful to make it clear that I only mean entertainment that has no useful purpose towards our health and the gospel is sin and who will deny this.

How about you give us some examples.

I believe your brother Botz offered you correction in accords with Biblical mandate. What do you think?

Peace,

Dave

Hi Dave i have answered the example thing twice so far, you can find the lastest in #87 two posts back.

I dont see Botz has proven anything but i no problem with his treatment of me to date.

I think people are rushing through or not reading all the pages and only getting half the picture or responding out of the context of what im saying to others.

Nobody has shown me where Jesus our example particpated in any vain activity or entertainment that did not serve His purpose of saving the lost.

[~candice~]

JCISGD,

Do you agree that God values rest? He Himself set up the mandate that the 7th day is a day of rest. Some of us rest by listening to music, some by reading, some by a leisurely walk. But resting, and relaxing, and not "working", is valued and actually mandated by God Himself.

What do you think the motive of rest is? You keep coming back to movites, but I'd like you to address what you think the motive of rest is, and whether it is good or bad, given that God mandates it.

Blessings,

Andy

[JCISGD]

JCISGD -

May I try to explain this again?

I believe you have taken a good principle and then added your own twist to it, and it is that twist that everyone is tripping over.

2 Tim 3

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power ; Avoid such men as these.

"Lovers of pleasure" could be considered our obsesseion with entertainment. And in principle I agree that we place way too high a value on entertainment.

If you had said we need to spend more time working for the Kingdom than reveling in entertainment, I would agree.

But to boil down "working for the Kingdom" down to one and only one mission, we have to disagree.

Jesus said to make disciples, not make converts. Discipleship involves mentoring, training, growing. And this is a part of what we do here on this Board, for example. I hear that Chat is more of a harvest field territory. But here it is a lot more Christians strengthening each other in our walks.

Nebula the problem as i see it is that you are saying more than i am.

I have not said all entertainment is sinful, i have only said vain entertainment, which is the title of the topic.

I concede i did not always clarify this well, but it really seems people are trying to find fault, or more probably that we are just plain not on the same page of theological understanding.

I am not saying people should divide up their time as working or not working for the kingdom, Im saying that everything done for a good purpose dovetails into this and that everything vain does not.

I fully agree with your last sentence, and i think i tried to show you this in an earlier reply where i said not all are evangelists but that all parts of the body can and do help in the evangelistic efforts of the body even if indirectly.

I started this topic as i saw in the "music sinful" topic (which i disagree with) that to me it appeared many label types music sinful or not, but in fact it is wrong motive for listening that would make it sinful and not the label. My position therefore was that if it (secular music) was for a wrong motive such as vainity it would be sin.

Is anyone here seriously saying that vainity is not sin? Is it not true then also that any vain entertainment is sin? and can any activity that helps us or the spread of the gospel be vain?

Remember im saying that if something helps us it helps the spread of the gospel even if indirectly, but if something is vain it does not help us or the spread of the gospel.

God bless.

[RebekahDavid]

JCISGD,

Do you agree that God values rest? He Himself set up the mandate that the 7th day is a day of rest. Some of us rest by listening to music, some by reading, some by a leisurely walk. But resting, and relaxing, and not "working", is valued and actually mandated by God Himself.

What do you think the motive of rest is? You keep coming back to movites, but I'd like you to address what you think the motive of rest is, and whether it is good or bad, given that God mandates it.

Blessings,

Andy

blessings,

not wanting to side track this i do feel this needs to be answered for a little clearer understanding. the day of rest everyone refers to is actually time spent thanking, reading scripture, reflecting upon, worshiping, and communing with the Lord and prayers for others. it is totally Lord focused not just abstaining from physical labor as so often is erroneously understood.

tiptoes out of thread

love your sister in Christ,

Rebekah David

[~candice~]

JCISGD,

Do you agree that God values rest? He Himself set up the mandate that the 7th day is a day of rest. Some of us rest by listening to music, some by reading, some by a leisurely walk. But resting, and relaxing, and not "working", is valued and actually mandated by God Himself.

What do you think the motive of rest is? You keep coming back to movites, but I'd like you to address what you think the motive of rest is, and whether it is good or bad, given that God mandates it.

Blessings,

Andy

blessings,

not wanting to side track this i do feel this needs to be answered for a little clearer understanding. the day of rest everyone refers to is actually time spent thanking, reading scripture, reflecting upon, worshiping, and communing with the Lord and prayers for others. it is totally Lord focused not just abstaining from physical labor as so often is erroneously understood.

tiptoes out of thread

love your sister in Christ,

Rebekah David

Perhaps a topic for another thread , because there are many different views of what is required of us on the day of rest.

[RebekahDavid]

blessings andy,

you are probably right about a different thread. however i felt that so many people were quoting this day of rest ( the Genesis passage) that clarification was needed of Jewish understanding of it.

love your sister in Christ,

Rebekah David

[CAP73]

Nobody has shown me where Jesus our example particpated in any vain activity or entertainment that did not serve His purpose of saving the lost.

this is because you cant even tell us what is a vain activity, how can we show you something that we dont even know what you are talking about.

Also, all we know of Jesus' life is a 3 year snapshot

I was getting ready to bring up that very same point. I'm sure while Jesus and his disciples were traveling from place to place they would do some things for entertainment. They could have had a nightly hacky sack game every night for all we know.

[Bold Believer]

I think your all missing the point. Everything has a purpose, but is it useful?

Staring at the ceiling can have a useful purpose.

My question was can a Christian have a clear conscience doing that which is not useful? Remember we will have to give account for every idle word spoken.

I did not ask if vain things were enjoyable, but if they were morally right. Please dont use a different definition of vain than intended or how can we get anywhere comparing apples to oranges?

I've been a model railroader since I was very young. I enjoy it. It serves a useful purpose to help de-stress me. When enjoyed with fellow believers, it's a great time of fellowship. Witnessing can be carried out in a number of different ways. I have spoken numerous times to my SDA friend regarding Scripture and spiritual topics while we've worked on my layout. Sometimes, I enjoy working on the layout alone too. While doing so, I can reflect on spiritual things.

I am not convinced that anything is vain or evil in and of itself when it comes to hobbies and such. IF something causes you to offend, cut it off.

[humbleseeker]

I think we can wrap ourselves up into a bondage of sorts by trying to say that everything that is not specificlly "christian" is vain and sinfull. You may just go crazy, and get a headache. I enjoy many things that are not exactly "christian" watching football, playing my PS3, reading books, wathcing movies. Things that I do that helps me enjoy life. I do need to pray more and voulunteer more and give more. I am working on that. Although I dont sit around all day dreading God is mad at me for watching the Bears on tv. We are saved by faith, in fact everything we do should be in faith.