A Christians' Mission & Responsibility to Save America?

[Vine Abider]

3 hours ago, teddyv said:

I think it makes you tourists. :⁠-⁠)

Whereabouts in BC you heading to?

And I thought the maple leaf t-shirts would do it for us!

Heading to Kelowna area (and wherever else the event coordinator - aka wife - has planned for us).

BTW:  Is British Columbia actually part of Brittan? 

[Marathoner]

5 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

And I thought the maple leaf t-shirts would do it for us!

Heading to Kelowna area (and wherever else the event coordinator - aka wife - has planned for us).

BTW:  Is British Columbia actually part of Brittan? 

Stick with the maple leaf shirt and everything will be okay. 

[teddyv]

14 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

And I thought the maple leaf t-shirts would do it for us!

You're not in Europe, but you'll blend in a bit more.

14 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Heading to Kelowna area (and wherever else the event coordinator - aka wife - has planned for us).

Ah nice. Okanagan Valley. My sister lives in Penticton, south of Kelowna. We live a good 10 hour drive north and west of there.

14 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

BTW:  Is British Columbia actually part of Brittan? 

I'm not sure if this was a serious question. If so, Canada is part of the Commonwealth nations but we are sovereign, although the British monarchy are still the official head of state. British Columbia's name goes back to the time of colonization. I'm not even sure why they chose Columbia - probably in reference to the Columbia River which originates in the south/central-eastern part of BC. Britain had the colony on Vancouver Island and quickly moved to organize and officially colonize the main part of BC during the early BC goldrush as many American gold seekers were streaming up from California.

[Alive]

I wrote the following a few minutes ago in my forum for bikers, where some profess Christ and many do not. With the craziness in the world recently, many are looking for answers--this opens up opportunities...this was in response to a man who is struggling with supporting companies that are 'woke'.

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THere is an interesting concept within something Jesus said when countering a trap the religious leaders of His day laid for Him.

His response to them was, "render to Caesar, that which is Caesar's and to God, that which is God's."

 

 

The early Christians and for about 4 centuries later, were excellent law-abiding citizens or subjects of Rome. They were often very well thought of and admired for it and their moral and ethical standard. The Roman world was largely a very decadent culture and the peoples were attracted to the simplicity of life, family standards and love they saw in the Christians. In fact, they turned the world upside down by the Word of the Gospel and their example for living.

 

 

About 40 years later, Paul the singular apostle, wrote this to the believers in Rome...

 

 

Rom. 13:1 (NKJVS) Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

 

 

And they mostly did--until they could not--and that "could not" involved either eating food offered to idols or to denying their Lord and Savior.

 

Our time is very similar.

 

Paul to the believers in Corinth----Corinth as most Roman cities, was steeped in paganism, sexuality and loyalty to false gods, who were actually fallen angels and demons.

 

1Cor. 10:21 (NKJVS) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

 

Peter wrote this in his second general letter that was circulated widely.

 

 

2Pet. 2:6 (NKJVS) and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— ⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

 

These things and many others, left for us in the record, help us today--as it did back then.

 

Books have been written comparing the Fall of Rome with the western world of our day.

 

 

Some things that are written for us, are difficult to hear...to whom or what then, are we faithful. Where is our loyalty placed in the face of today's choices?

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, teddyv said:

I'm not sure if this was a serious question. If so, Canada is part of the Commonwealth nations but we are sovereign, although the British monarchy are still the official head of state. British Columbia's name goes back to the time of colonization. I'm not even sure why they chose Columbia - probably in reference to the Columbia River which originates in the south/central-eastern part of BC. Britain had the colony on Vancouver Island and quickly moved to organize and officially colonize the main part of BC during the early BC goldrush as many American gold seekers were streaming up from California.

No, was not serious about that.  Kinda like asking if New England is still part of England . . .

In any case, we love traveling in Canada and leaving our US dollars there! (however with the current exchange rate, we will leave a few less)

[teddyv]

9 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

No, was not serious about that.  Kinda like asking if New England is still part of England . . .

Great. I have run into some Americans over the years that were woefully uninformed about their northern neighbours.

9 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

In any case, we love traveling in Canada and leaving our US dollars there! (however with the current exchange rate, we will leave a few less)

Yeah, your dollar goes a lot further. We went down to California over spring break, and it was pricy.

[Vine Abider]

9 minutes ago, teddyv said:

Great. I have run into some Americans over the years that were woefully uninformed about their northern neighbours.

Yeah, your dollar goes a lot further. We went down to California over spring break, and it was pricy.

Admittedly, we have gained a much better understanding of Canada in being friends with some Canuk Snowbirds for the last 15 years.  We love to talk about each other's political idiosyncrasies - or in the case of the US, our political crazinesses! 

[Marathoner]

2 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

We love to talk about each other's political idiosyncrasies - or in the case of the US, our political crazinesses! 

One of the many reasons why I have nothing to do with politics. A long time ago I looked into what politicians say, and then what they do; along the way, I discerned the various traps political machines devise to snare the unwary. It all revolves around "hot button" topics. 

It's playing the crowd for their own profit. No thanks. 

[BibleStudent100]

14 hours ago, Marathoner said:

One of the many reasons why I have nothing to do with politics.

For those Christians who become deeply involved in politics, please note the following about Jesus and his view of worldly affairs:

 

World ruler. The Gospels state that the Devil offered Jesus rulership over “all the kingdoms of the world.” Think of how much good Jesus could have done for suffering mankind if he had wielded the power of a world ruler! What politically oriented individual sincerely concerned with mankind’s advancement could resist such an offer? But Jesus refused it.—Matthew 4:8-11.

King. Many of Jesus’ contemporaries were desperate for a ruler who could solve their economic and political problems. Impressed by Jesus’ abilities, the people wanted Jesus to join the political process. What was his reaction? Gospel writer John states: “Jesus, knowing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain all alone.” (John 6:10-15) Clearly, Jesus refused to become involved in politics.
 

[com7fy8]

On 1/6/2023 at 4:56 PM, Vine Abider said:

a church couple, who have been completely ostracized from their grandchildren, just because they do not wholeheartedly approve and support the transgender efforts of one of their granddaughters.

I have been in the American culture, since 1947. The stuff we see now has been around for a while. It just has gotten a chance to make a bigger show of itself. The Catholic group lost credibility, with that evil priest cover-up thing. And a lot of people were basing their morals on Catholic influence. So, now those people have been turned loose, and they have no guide; so they can go who knows which way.

Yes, they were brought up in religious families, often enough. I in the 1960's spent a fair amount of time talking with kids of religious families. Even then . . . we could be pretty crazy.

So, this stuff is nothing new, just more open . . . and maybe a product of how certain religious families have done things. 

Kids in religious families maybe have been taught all kinds of rules and morals, but not how to love in a close and tender relationship. 

The Bible clearly tells us various things about how to love, but I know I was not told these things when I was a kid. 

"Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14)

This is a basic for getting into a real love relationship. Arguing and complaining are anti-love. So, while we keep staying weak enough to give in to arguing and complaining, we also are weak enough to get into various other nasty and deadly stuff, and not tender caring sweetly forgiving sharing in our close relationships. And while we give in to anti-love stuff, we won't be feeding our children the example they need for how to do well in a close involvement like marriage. 

And there has been beauty discrimination. This has ruined men from knowing how to love any and all women. And in their weakness and blindness of discrimination they have been able to go crazy for all kinds of stuff other than sweetly and tenderly sharing affection with a kind and tender lady of Jesus.

And the weakness of this stuff has been in American culture for centuries. So, now we are just seeing a new tip on the iceberg. Chopping off the tip won't solve the problem of cold and selfish love.

"if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" Jesus says in Matthew 5:46. Loving those we hope to use, then, is not loving. 

Only Jesus is our way to how our Father has us loving. So, with Jesus we are with the right One. Now we need, ourselves, to get God's real correction > Hebrews 12:4-14 > this correction changes our character so we are sharing with God in His all-loving love and how He makes us creative for loving any person. 

And God uses prayer, His word, and our example of this which He personally spreads from us to others.

Example works 

Edited May 30, 2023 by com7fy8