Statement of Faith

[Michael37]

19 hours ago, Alive said:

I am always challenged by a present reality. How many individuals in western civ, have not heard the Gospel?

How does this reality factor?

God's Word doesn't get received by those on the margins of the mission field. This is the wayside which is trafficked on by the world so as to be compacted and impenetrable. Here the Gospel is snatched away by the enemy before it can be given consideration and taken seriously. 

I pondered the problems of the wayside hearer, stoney ground hearer, and weed patch hearer in some depth to understand how these might become fertile soil hearers. 

It takes heavy machinery to break up the hardened thoroughfares of the wayside hearers heart. A tragedy, a prison sentence, a series of setbacks. Saul of Tarsus was knocked off his horse and blinded with the light.

Stoney ground and weed patch hearers become fertile soil hearers through the labour and toil of God's Holy Spirit assisted gardeners who cultivate their rough areas and nurture them to promote their spiritual growth, applying fertiliser, compost, and irrigation, and at times doing some hard pruning.  

[Alive]

I am contemplating a more full answer to my own assertion, but for now, I wish to be clear on one point in response to a response. Nobody should think for a moment, that I suggest not continually bringing the Word to those that have been made aware of the Gospel, such as is the case in western civ…and that in much greater scope than simply speaking words that describe the Good News.

[Michael37]

3 hours ago, Alive said:

I am contemplating a more full answer to my own assertion,

I've found there is a lot to contemplate. People heard Jesus preaching in person. Some received Him and His ministry willingly, others were reluctant, and others vehemently opposed Him and His Words.

There is something to be said for disciples of Christ shaking the dust off their feet and departing from unhospitable authorities, but first the opportunity to hear the Gospel is to be given.

 Act 13:48-52  As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.  (49)  The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.  (50)  But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.  (51)  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.  (52)  The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit

[Alive]

5 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

I've found there is a lot to contemplate. People heard Jesus preaching in person. Some received Him and His ministry willingly, others were reluctant, and others vehemently opposed Him and His Words.

There is something to be said for disciples of Christ shaking the dust of their feet and departing from unhospitable authorities, but first the opportunity to hear the Gospel is to be given.

 Act 13:48-52  As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.  (49)  The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.  (50)  But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.  (51)  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.  (52)  The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit

I think the principle espoused by Jesus in Mark 4:10-12 needs some attention. The thing is, whether we fall down on the election side or not and how we may view the connected issues, we do not know when or if the seed will bear fruit…so we continue. Imwant to convey two stories…one long ago and one a few months ago.

[Alive]

The first, I have told before on this forum, but it bears repeating as both an object lesson (such as it was to me) and a faith building story.

Pasted in:

Many moons ago when I was pastoring a church. A small congregation, so I worked as a cab driver part time. One of the drivers name was Buddy Breaulx and I had a chance to talk with him about the Lord and he seemed very receptive. One night the Lord woke me up at 2am and told me to go see Buddy and he told me right where he would be. My wife thought I was crazy, but I told her I had to go.

Buddy was right where the Lord said he would be. I pulled up and he rolled down his window.

Meanwhile, I’m asking the Lord what He wants me to do because I had no other instruction (the Lord does that), so I asked Buddy if he had thought about what we talked about. He replied saying that he believed that Christ was the Lord and such. He confessed just as the scriptures say. I wished him a good night and went home.

About two hours later, Buddy was robbed and shot in the head—dead.

Buddy went to be with the Lord and the lesson to myself was—this stuff is important --pay attention.

Later, I was able to, in my duties, relate this story to his recent young bride. I often have wondered how many others have heard this story.

_________________________________-

The second took place a few months ago. I do small handi-man jobs for the elderly, which makes a few grocery bucks and enables opertunities for witness. This one elderly couple, I had done several things for over a couple of years and made sure they knew that Christ was my Life--in different ways in several conversations. The man is dying of a blood cancer, is very bitter and angry, but intelligent and a conversationalist--when not in bed.

It was my habit to spend time sitting with him and talking--mosty listening, in fact.

On this day, he was a real mess and in his bed, but he wanted to talk. At one point, he said, "you are a very compassionate man"--I replied, "if there is anything in me of any value, it is Christ". His wife, who takes some abuse because of his state of mind, was blown away.

Both of these stories tell a very important lesson.

The first is-- take this stuff seriously, as the Lord told me many years ago, and the second is for us to be available, because we just do not know.

Brethren, just being in this world, as sons of God is light and salt--but we don't hide it. The smallest thing can be what the Lord uses.

 

[missmuffet]

3 hours ago, angeleyesGBU said:

That seems like a fair question Bopeep , and maybe one which a person who does not like to debate the petty stuff would prefer not to answer, I suppose we will see. I would point out however, that that comment was made last year, and I hope M.E. is not applying it to more recent comments, as I sure to not think most of this thread is petty at all, since it discusses our obligations to our savior, we are to be about His business, as He was about His Fathers' business! oops, gotta go, class is about to start!

You must be an old member because I was bopeep a long,long time ago. 

[Marathoner]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

I am contemplating a more full answer to my own assertion, but for now, I wish to be clear on one point in response to a response. Nobody should think for a moment, that I suggest not continually bringing the Word to those that have been made aware of the Gospel, such as is the case in western civ…and that in much greater scope than simply speaking words that describe the Good News.

That is what we do, dear brother. We are in Christ and so we bring Him to the world, hence why I say that we are honored to love our neighbor as ourselves. There is no greater honor than to serve the Word of God.

We do as we see Him do, and our Father blesses us beyond compare: we witness the marvelous works of the Lord God. 

I'll share a story of my own, a time when the Lord planted me in the life of a disavowed Christian and militant atheist. She was convinced that Christians were liars and hypocrites as well as lunatics, so she pulled no punches where blasphemy and withering scorn were concerned. 

But the Lord loves her like no other, so He sent me to serve her. Over the course of time, I discovered the root of her bitterness: she was abused by Christians during her youth... betrayed by members of the church she grew up with... and when she was alone and in great need, her Christian family and friends deserted her. 

It was in the wake of the latter that God sent me her way. The Lord, having taught me how to hold my tongue, bid me to remain silent when she tried to stir me to wrath, refusing to take the bait... forgive her when she blasphemed... and bear with her no matter how badly I ached to run for the hills. There was no measure of scripture to share that would move her heart since she believed it was all a lie. 

But the Lord loves her like no other! Therefore, I delivered Christ to her in deeds through patient love. The day arrived when she marveled at how I resisted her best efforts to chase me off. "Oh God," she said, "you really do love me as terrible as I have become!"

[Alive]

6 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

That is what we do, dear brother. We are in Christ and so we bring Him to the world, hence why I say that we are honored to love our neighbor as ourselves. There is no greater honor than to serve the Word of God.

We do as we see Him do, and our Father blesses us beyond compare: we witness the marvelous works of the Lord God. 

I'll share a story of my own, a time when the Lord planted me in the life of a disavowed Christian and militant atheist. She was convinced that Christians were liars and hypocrites as well as lunatics, so she pulled no punches where blasphemy and withering scorn were concerned. 

But the Lord loves her like no other, so He sent me to serve her. Over the course of time, I discovered the root of her bitterness: she was abused by Christians during her youth... betrayed by members of the church she grew up with... and when she was alone and in great need, her Christian family and friends deserted her. 

It was in the wake of the latter that God sent me her way. The Lord, having taught me how to hold my tongue, bid me to remain silent when she tried to stir me to wrath, refusing to take the bait... forgive her when she blasphemed... and bear with her no matter how badly I ached to run for the hills. There was no measure of scripture to share that would move her heart since she believed it was all a lie. 

But the Lord loves her like no other! Therefore, I delivered Christ to her in deeds through patient love. The day arrived when she marveled at how I resisted her best efforts to chase me off. "Oh God," she said, "you really do love me as terrible as I have become!"

AMen brother! Awonderful example of Christ in us. These are the works that He determined for us.

[Michael37]

3 hours ago, Alive said:

The thing is, whether we fall down on the election side or not and how we may view the connected issues, we do not know when or if the seed will bear fruit…so we continue.

Yes, and everyone who is accepted by God has been suffered for by Christ.

 1 Peter 1:1-4

 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

  2 Chosen

• according to the foreknowledge of God the Father
• in the sanctification of the Spirit
• unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

  3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who

• according to His great mercy
• has regenerated us unto a living hope
• through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

  4 Unto an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, kept in the heavens for you,