Dumb things Christians do

[Starise]

8 hours ago, Marathoner said:

Growing weary and falling into despair.

Brother I think this is just a part of life sometimes. I would not see it as a dumb thing. 

The Psalms are full of David's comments on how weary he was and how he needed the help of the Lord continually. Christians are not immune to it.

[Starise]

Being in the company of someone not a Christian engaging in a conversation with them and never once thinking bring up anything about the Lord to them. I had good intentions. The discussion just never left a 'hole' for it. 

In hindsight I look back wondering why It never came up and then feel bad I didn't make it happen.

Edited June 8, 2022 by Starise

[kwikphilly]

Blessings creative

   This Topic is cool......Another dumb thing I witness a lot of is "exclusivity".....I did/do a lot of "street" Ministry,I believe I am specifically Called to see the "invisibles"....its what I ask & it is Given me-I pray" Help me to SEE EVERYONE who hungers & thirsts"

    I've brought quite a few fellow Christians with me in my journeys out on the streets and I can totally understand when an unbeliever looks past a homeless person,a derelict,a drunk or drug addict but when a BELIEVER excludes ANYONE from making eye contact and initiating conversation then that just gets my goat......Jesus Embraced the lepers! I think its not only DUMB to be selective but that person needs not tell a soul they are a Christian,imo  Anyway,its pretty dumb to go out in the world to preach the Gospel and think its okay to pick & choose who you sit with or lay hands on or hug-stay home!

   Anyway,sound harsh? Maybe its not dumb and its just a pet peeve of mine?Whaddya think?

 

   

[Starise]

8 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings creative

   This Topic is cool......Another dumb thing I witness a lot of is "exclusivity".....I did/do a lot of "street" Ministry,I believe I am specifically Called to see the "invisibles"....its what I ask & it is Given me-I pray" Help me to SEE EVERYONE who hungers & thirsts"

    I've brought quite a few fellow Christians with me in my journeys out on the streets and I can totally understand when an unbeliever looks past a homeless person,a derelict,a drunk or drug addict but when a BELIEVER excludes ANYONE from making eye contact and initiating conversation then that just gets my goat......Jesus Embraced the lepers! I think its not only DUMB to be selective but that person needs not tell a soul they are a Christian,imo  Anyway,its pretty dumb to go out in the world to preach the Gospel and think its okay to pick & choose who you sit with or lay hands on or hug-stay home!

   Anyway,sound harsh? Maybe its not dumb and its just a pet peeve of mine?Whaddya think?

 

   

Hi Kwik,

 The Lord generally leads me to speak with persons I am in contact with. I am so thankful for anyone who has worked in a street ministry. 

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I tried my hand at real estate sales years ago. I was taken under the wing of a broker who gave me the required training, I went and took the test, passed it etc. Watched a bunch of tacky videos that were supposed to tell me how to go about canvassing a neighborhood for potential sales. Then came the day for boots on the street. Basically knocking on doors and asking question that might lead to a listing. I realize most of it is probably done online now, but back then it was different.

I was absolutely terrible at it. I had no interest in trying to talk someone into selling their home. I have worked along very successful people on multiple occasions. At the same time a man started at the same location who would go on to become a multi millionaire and become a broker himself. I don't know what this cost him in terms of a family life but he made the dough. Probably owns half of the city now. I just didn't have the midas touch. I had all the same tools as he did but didn't know how to use them or was terrible at using them.

This is how I have always seen street ministry. Like going up to people who aren't looking for it and trying to convince them they need it. I see it as a form of sales and I suck at it lol. If God leads me to a spiritually hungry person who is looking for answers I'm on that. In that case I don't care who they are, where they are, or what they do or don't do. They are a hungry soul God has put in my path and I will do my best to talk to them.

[debrakay]

22 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

Christians certainly do and say things sometimes that are not helpful witnesses.  For example, the cult like worship of a corrupt, non-Christian man like Donald Trump makes Christians look crazy and is embarrassing for the world.

Any professing Christian (Christ follower) that has any inkling of worship or id0lism of any man or woman on the face of this earth is guilty of breaking the first two commandments.  If these people do not repent they are not true Christians.  Corruption is rampant in the world today as are the lukewarm Christians whom Jesus vomits out of His mouth.

Exodus 20:3-6 "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

[Marathoner]

I was the worst salesman on earth. I would speak to a prospect and if they didn't need or couldn't afford the product I was selling, my conscience wouldn't permit me to sell them something they didn't need nor couldn't afford. The thought of a young family struggling to make ends meet, adding even more to their debt, was repugnant.

I'll share how the Lord brought me up, equipping me to serve my neighbor on the street which in truth, is wherever I happen to be: 

Give no thought to what I might say;
Nor worry about what I should do;
Because His Spirit will give me words to speak,
And He shall show me what I must do. 

There is a man who shows up on the street in front of the transitional housing shelter for the homeless where the Lord sent me to work. He first appeared a few years ago carrying a sword, and people were afraid; there were some who said terrible things about him, but I was silent. I was silent because I wasn't paying attention to the sword nor how he looked... I was listening to this man instead. I listened, and then I wept. 

I carried a burden for him over time. 

I remained silent until the day when he appeared in front of the shelter ranting and raving. My friends, he was ranting and raving at me this time. At first, I tuned it out because I had my hands full with a busy day. He left...

But then the man returned a few hours later, resuming his diatribe. He was persistent, so I asked the Lord what I should do. This was when the Spirit of the Lord gave me words to speak, and He told me what I ought to do. 

I approached the man and said, "I'd like to shake your hand." I introduced myself and when I grabbed hold of his hand, he underwent a transformation. The ranting ceased and he smiled, speaking normally. "I thought you hated me!" he said. "I didn't exist to you!"

I spoke with him for a little while and when it was time for the fellow to leave, I told him that he was welcome to return whenever he wanted. 

Afterward, the Lord sent me to a man who believed that He hated him. Once again, His Spirit gave me words to speak to my neighbor. 

That's how it "works." No agenda... just walk among the needy and the oppressed, and Jesus Christ will give you words to speak, and show you what you ought to do.  
 

[Marathoner]

1 hour ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings creative

   This Topic is cool......Another dumb thing I witness a lot of is "exclusivity".....I did/do a lot of "street" Ministry,I believe I am specifically Called to see the "invisibles"....its what I ask & it is Given me-I pray" Help me to SEE EVERYONE who hungers & thirsts"

    I've brought quite a few fellow Christians with me in my journeys out on the streets and I can totally understand when an unbeliever looks past a homeless person,a derelict,a drunk or drug addict but when a BELIEVER excludes ANYONE from making eye contact and initiating conversation then that just gets my goat......Jesus Embraced the lepers! I think its not only DUMB to be selective but that person needs not tell a soul they are a Christian,imo  Anyway,its pretty dumb to go out in the world to preach the Gospel and think its okay to pick & choose who you sit with or lay hands on or hug-stay home!

   Anyway,sound harsh? Maybe its not dumb and its just a pet peeve of mine?Whaddya think?

 

   

I wrote my last post unaware that you had already written the same thing. We see the faceless and we listen to the voiceless, because the Lord both sees and hears them. Praise the Lord!

[Marathoner]

5 hours ago, Starise said:

Brother I think this is just a part of life sometimes. I would not see it as a dumb thing. 

The Psalms are full of David's comments on how weary he was and how he needed the help of the Lord continually. Christians are not immune to it.

I needed those words, brother. It's good to remember that I'm not alone. None of us are.

Our sister @kwikphilly will know what I mean by this: I'm only a man, so there are times when I weep for what was but is now no more. I also weep for those things I never had, and it's a wonder that I'm still alive. I'll cry out to the Lord, "Why am I still here? I should be dead many times over!" I've been shot at, starved, suffered in the heat, shivered in the cold, and left for dead. 

The weakness of this flesh, and the snare of our enemy, is to hold me captive to those memories. The stupidity of this is plain --- I ought to know better, my friend. In the words of the apostle,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 
(1 Peter 5:6-11 NASB)

[kwikphilly]

2 hours ago, Marathoner said:

I wrote my last post unaware that you had already written the same thing. We see the faceless and we listen to the voiceless, because the Lord both sees and hears them. Praise the Lord!

Confirmation- Praise Jesus! and Starise too... God is Awesome Brother

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Edited June 8, 2022 by kwikphilly

[kwikphilly]

Oh , how could I leave this really dumb thing out..... First I'll admit why I know its so dumb....

I always had a car thing and always have some specialty license plate on the front( Fla only gives you 1 plate for the rear)As a " babe" I found a " Praise Jesus" plate and there I was driving like a hellion, cutting slowpokes off with my fancy car because I was still":all about me"

One day I was zig zagging in & out of congestion and someone pulled up next to me and commented":Is that how you Praise Jesus?" Ouch, boy was I Convicted!!!

I'll tell you the Truth, I went home and took that plate off immediately, it took years before I bore the Fruit of self control and now my plate frame say" He Died for me, I live for Him" and other little stuff ... Sure keeps me on my best behavior

So yeah, if your gonna wear a Jesus T-shirt, cross around your neck or any thing that points to Christianity- walk it!

I have a Relative that wears a big blingy cross around his neck and swears like there's no tomorrow..... To me that is very very DUMB!