nikki1 Posted July 23, 2013 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 98 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,260 Content Per Day: 0.23 Reputation: 55 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/29/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted July 23, 2013 I have friends who are secular and one family member who is an atheist and I associate with them often. I talk about Jesus, newsworthy events as it relates to end time Bible prophecy, looking for every opportunity to plant seeds of love and faith in God. I am always praying for them for God to prepare their hearts to receive the words I tell them, and I ask God to give me the words to speak, and I leave the rest up to Him. We are all ambassadors for Christ in a lost world and the only way to win our lost friends and family members is to give them the Gospel as the Lord leads us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPlaced_56 Posted July 23, 2013 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 129 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 757 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 155 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/24/1957 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I have heard it said,Have many Acquaintance's and very few Friends.... My life has been blessed with both! I have 3 good friends,2 of them are practiceing Christian's 1 is and isn't.. let me explain.... My Friend Bonnie and I have been Friends since childhood,I not only LOVE her, but respect her as well!!,a task not easily won from me... you see i can love a lot of people, respecting them is another ball game all together different!. I'll take Bonnie's loveing care over alot of self professed practiceing christians that i know.... in many many way's Bonnie is a practiceing Christian, even if she doesn't realize it! You see Bonnie know's that GOD IS, she also knows That JESUS died for her sin's.. does she have a close relationship with JESUS....no.....does she pray?? at times yes.... Do people see CHRIST in her...NO, ooo i do,but that's because i've know her along time...The love in her heart speak's volumes!! I was there at her wedding and was sitting in the pew praying for them, when the minister said "Whom GOD has joined Together, LET No man put assunder" and at that very moment A light shot thru that stained glass window and covered the happy couple at the alter...I was also there when when all 3 of their son's were born, i was also there thru every selfish action that her husband committed... and they were many.....I was also there when their 24 year's of marriage ended, due to her husbands 2nd affair that produced a child....the first 1 she could and did forgive,because she loved him that much, the 2nd was the final straw...I was there when she took him back time and time again..i understood that when you're married that long and have children together, love just doesn't die.....I was there and held her in my arm's when friends and family called her a fool for taking him back, as she cried.. I told her she was NOT a fool!!, she was just waiting for the strength to let go....and she did find the strength to let go... she know's beyond the shadow of a doubt, that when the rest of her world is throwing rock's at her.. I won't....she know's i'll love her and tell her the truth alway's......I've also been on the recieving end of bonnie's love....knowing i was in pain with out a word she's set about taking care of what needed to be taken care of...house work, cooking,whatever, i didn't have to ask.....no words were needed a hug from a greatful heart, and an I LOVE you..was all that was said. does she show the love of CHRIST?? YES!!!! more so then some Christians i've had the displeasure of meeting.....she walk's the walk, even if she doesn't talk the talk! her language is rough at times, now many many christians will GASP and say....your not a christian then!.....my responce to this is "OOO be quiet! what do you know!....I find it refreshing actually, at least with Bonnie you know where you stand, no pretense whatsoever..what you see is what you get! can the same be said of you? in a word NO!so take you're judgmental additude up the street and give it somebody that's willing to listen to you;re dribble..I'm not! I've said it before and I'll say it again here "So you want to be great?,THen learn how to heal people, to hurt people is easy"..in closing I would like to ask you all to please Pray for my Amazing Friend Bonnie, that these 2 worlds will come together for her in a harmonious way.. she already walk's the walk and in her own way talk's the talk, what she's missing is HOW VERY MUCH JESUS LOVES HER! AS A side note Nikki1, i love small dog's..big dog's like rotties, pit's..scare the cornflakes outta me..lol and i do love american heavy metal! as well, i used to have a 69 Dodge charger.....i say used to ,because once the hubby and i got married,without discussing it with me he sold it...LOL but that's a story for another day..lol lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Unbelievers should not be part of your inner circle of friends. They should not be part of any group of friends that you seek for advice or influence. Fellow beleivers who are mature and wise in the Word of God should be your primary associations and friendships. We are not avoid unbelievers and we an associate with them on an inoccuous level, but our primary assoications and relationships should be with believers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPlaced_56 Posted July 23, 2013 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 129 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 757 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 155 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/24/1957 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Shiloh, I'm going to Respectfully disagree with you Brother,perhaps you didn't mean what you said to come across as it did? at least to me anyway. Shiloh, you make it sound like being a born again believer is an exclusive club and we as believer's have the sole job of keeping unbeliever's out.... GOD say's otherwise.... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11&version=NIV Shiloh, if that sheet hadn't fallen, then the Gentiles would still be on the outside looking in...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted July 24, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.77 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted July 24, 2013 1 Corinthians 15:33 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” Proverbs 1:10-19 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,[a]And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”—15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird;18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners. Proverbs 4:14-19 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil.15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Unbelievers should not be part of your inner circle of friends. They should not be part of any group of friends that you seek for advice or influence. Fellow beleivers who are mature and wise in the Word of God should be your primary associations and friendships. We are not avoid unbelievers and we an associate with them on an inoccuous level, but our primary assoications and relationships should be with believers. I'm going to have to disagree with this, in part. I agree that unbeliever should not be part of group from which we seek advice or influence up to a point. We are also called to be salt and light, and we can't do that unless we are among the lost. "A city on a hill cannot be hidden," or words to that effect. I am currently in circumstances where I don't have too many options about believing fellowship (the face to face over a cup of coffee kind) - other than church on Sunday and online. I refuse to be a "lone wolf" Christian. It would be nice to have a group of believing friends I could see during the week, but that hasn't been an option for me for quite some time. I don't like it, but its life in the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted July 24, 2013 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.77 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted July 24, 2013 Unbelievers should not be part of your inner circle of friends. They should not be part of any group of friends that you seek for advice or influence. Fellow beleivers who are mature and wise in the Word of God should be your primary associations and friendships. We are not avoid unbelievers and we an associate with them on an inoccuous level, but our primary assoications and relationships should be with believers. I agree with you shiloh.Although we should not shun unbelievers but we should not have close relationships with them and take advise from them.We are to be salt and light of this world and Godly examples to those unbelievers around us but we can do that by our actions and our words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Patriot21 Posted July 24, 2013 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 27 Topic Count: 338 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 15,712 Content Per Day: 2.45 Reputation: 8,530 Days Won: 39 Joined: 10/25/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/27/1985 Share Posted July 24, 2013 A better question is, how can a christian follow the great commission WITHOUT associating with unbelievers. Last I checked, every believer out there used to be a unbeliever at one point-and they didnt become a believer, until a believer, associated with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPlaced_56 Posted July 24, 2013 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 129 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 757 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 155 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/24/1957 Share Posted July 24, 2013 AMEN!!! PAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPlaced_56 Posted July 24, 2013 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 129 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 757 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 155 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/24/1957 Share Posted July 24, 2013 RobertIA, yes in the LOVE OF CHRIST,we need to reach out alway's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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