Having little expression of Christ in our lives

[Neighbor]

A fire burns hot only so long before it becomes a pain, a real pain to all near it, and individuals flee as far away from it as they may get.

It may take years of being "seen"  before a person is interested enough to ask and actually hear( By way of the Holy Spirit) one's testimony in words, the gospel of Yeshua; the words needing verification, credibility that the hearer of them may judge by the living testimony of a Christian's life, as they too get called by the Holy Spirit themselves to repent of their sin against God.

Without that specific call from the Holy Spirit  the testimony  is rather irrelevant. What is relevant is that God is faithful to answer prayer asked with motive that is a right motive or one rightly asked without intent of personal gain. 

 

[Sower]

8 hours ago, D. Adrien said:

Apologetics. I'm no good at it, I simply try to place a seed in the individual's mind, only if asked about my faith. I never vocalize my Christianity unless an inquiring mind wants to know. Actions always speak louder than words. "Watch what they do, not what they say".

          "Actions always speak louder than words"

Not always. That is man's understanding.  God's ways are not man's ways.
I agree a big yes, Godly testimony is our goal, for others to see Christ in us. Not I but Christ.
But.   It is the WORD of God that saves, not my visible walk. Faith comes by hearing the word.
And, Salvation is by grace through faith. This is God's method.

I could be the nicest friendliest most helpful good Samaritan you ever met.
But it would not enable you to hear what God has enabled through His word.
I heard and saw the lifestyle and great witness of many a moral person growing up.
Many of different faiths/beliefs who could put many a Christian to shame.
But never heard the gospel.

But in my early thirties it was a faithful old Christian gentleman that planted that seed; I must be born again.
I (and my wife) heard the word, the gospel, for the 1st time.
And we were not inquiring at all. Yet I heard through his faithfulness, persistence,  to share the good news for us.
The seed was watered again and again and blossomed into two more children being born into the kingdom.

My best opportunities to share often come when I am least prepared. I never know.
What is amazing is how God places us throughout our day/week that we encounter possible good soil.
The small voice, the spirit, gives that recognition of a beggar needing bread. And I share the life's bread.

I pray that God will bless me with the opportunity to engage, let the spirit talk, and leave the results to God.
I do not believe it is our feeble ability, sinners like us, to lead someone to Christ that God desires,
as much as our faithfulness to do so. We, as believers are called to share. And it is fun and rewarding.

Every born again believer heard the word at some time from some other believer who was faithful. Let's pass it on.

Nobody can save. I'm no preacher for sure.  But just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.
 

                                                 "He that winneth souls is wise"

Thanks, Adrien...
 

[D. Adrien]

2 hours ago, Sower said:

          "Actions always speak louder than words"

Not always. That is man's understanding.  God's ways are not man's ways.
I agree a big yes, Godly testimony is our goal, for others to see Christ in us. Not I but Christ.
But.   It is the WORD of God that saves, not my visible walk. Faith comes by hearing the word.
And, Salvation is by grace through faith. This is God's method.

I could be the nicest friendliest most helpful good Samaritan you ever met.
But it would not enable you to hear what God has enabled through His word.
I heard and saw the lifestyle and great witness of many a moral person growing up.
Many of different faiths/beliefs who could put many a Christian to shame.
But never heard the gospel.

But in my early thirties it was a faithful old Christian gentleman that planted that seed; I must be born again.
I (and my wife) heard the word, the gospel, for the 1st time.
And we were not inquiring at all. Yet I heard through his faithfulness, persistence,  to share the good news for us.
The seed was watered again and again and blossomed into two more children being born into the kingdom.

My best opportunities to share often come when I am least prepared. I never know.
What is amazing is how God places us throughout our day/week that we encounter possible good soil.
The small voice, the spirit, gives that recognition of a beggar needing bread. And I share the life's bread.

I pray that God will bless me with the opportunity to engage, let the spirit talk, and leave the results to God.
I do not believe it is our feeble ability, sinners like us, to lead someone to Christ that God desires,
as much as our faithfulness to do so. We, as believers are called to share. And it is fun and rewarding.

Every born again believer heard the word at some time from some other believer who was faithful. Let's pass it on.

Nobody can save. I'm no preacher for sure.  But just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.
 

                                                 "He that winneth souls is wise"

Thanks, Adrien...
 

A very nice post Sower ! I certainly empathize with your view. My position is that as a natural person, prior to being a Christian and born again, I despised having a Christian proselytize me in any way. looking back I realize it was due to being convicted of my blatant sinning and the way I lived life. Having been raised with a Christian mother and a severely PTSD suffering father I just didn't want to hear it and would ridicule the Christian proselytizer. And this is why to this day I remain quiet unless an obvious opening is granted to me. I can be very thick headed and not notice an obvious opening until after the fact, when my opportunity has passed.

[Starise]

7 hours ago, Sower said:

          "Actions always speak louder than words"

Not always. That is man's understanding.  God's ways are not man's ways.
I agree a big yes, Godly testimony is our goal, for others to see Christ in us. Not I but Christ.
But.   It is the WORD of God that saves, not my visible walk. Faith comes by hearing the word.
And, Salvation is by grace through faith. This is God's method.

I could be the nicest friendliest most helpful good Samaritan you ever met.
But it would not enable you to hear what God has enabled through His word.
I heard and saw the lifestyle and great witness of many a moral person growing up.
Many of different faiths/beliefs who could put many a Christian to shame.
But never heard the gospel.

But in my early thirties it was a faithful old Christian gentleman that planted that seed; I must be born again.
I (and my wife) heard the word, the gospel, for the 1st time.
And we were not inquiring at all. Yet I heard through his faithfulness, persistence,  to share the good news for us.
The seed was watered again and again and blossomed into two more children being born into the kingdom.

My best opportunities to share often come when I am least prepared. I never know.
What is amazing is how God places us throughout our day/week that we encounter possible good soil.
The small voice, the spirit, gives that recognition of a beggar needing bread. And I share the life's bread.

I pray that God will bless me with the opportunity to engage, let the spirit talk, and leave the results to God.
I do not believe it is our feeble ability, sinners like us, to lead someone to Christ that God desires,
as much as our faithfulness to do so. We, as believers are called to share. And it is fun and rewarding.

Every born again believer heard the word at some time from some other believer who was faithful. Let's pass it on.

Nobody can save. I'm no preacher for sure.  But just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.
 

                                                 "He that winneth souls is wise"

Thanks, Adrien...
 

Can we unpack this a little more if that's ok with you ?

I think you have an amazing testimony in that it was a funeral that led you to question your standing with God. When I get opportunities the evil one manages to send a counter zinger into the works which I find frustrating at times. It seems we almost need to pray their minds are opened. God is in control always and that's one of the things I need to remind myself of.

What do you make of those who claim to be Christians and a bible wasn't initially involved ? One potential answer for me was we are walking bibles. The core of the story is Jesus, but not Jesus the prophet, Jesus as Son of God who came to die for our sins. A lot of people, even church goers will say they believe in Christ but never went deeper, maybe similar to when you were Catholic but it was empty religion. In the US Christianity is a convenient religion so many claim it without knowing what it even is.

@Vine Abider started this out on the subject of the annointing and I think maybe we need to be annointed or Spirit filled to tell others, and if we tell others there should be some explanation that describes our experiences in such a way as to convey it, then to live it. Do you agree?

[Neighbor]

22 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Not sure I understand your question - the Anointing is just the Spirit of Christ in a believer, and that happens through rebirth, right?

Hi,

Well maybe, but: Anointing  is a physical act it seems to me. It was in the way of what is described as anointing generally with a ceremonial "oiling"or marking with an oil, within the Old Testament.

Plus  it seems to me to be a physical act in the New Covenant as well, as was instructed by Yeshua and  mentioned at Mathew 6:17 " but as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,"

[AnOrangeCat]

21 hours ago, D. Adrien said:

Actions always speak louder than words. "Watch what they do, not what they say".

The Bible has its own ways of saying this: You'll know them by their fruits, and faith without works is dead.

[D. Adrien]

Orange cats are cool!

[Sower]

13 hours ago, Starise said:

Can we unpack this a little more if that's ok with you ?

I think you have an amazing testimony in that it was a funeral that led you to question your standing with God. When I get opportunities the evil one manages to send a counter zinger into the works which I find frustrating at times. It seems we almost need to pray their minds are opened. God is in control always and that's one of the things I need to remind myself of.

What do you make of those who claim to be Christians and a bible wasn't initially involved ? One potential answer for me was we are walking bibles. The core of the story is Jesus, but not Jesus the prophet, Jesus as Son of God who came to die for our sins. A lot of people, even church goers will say they believe in Christ but never went deeper, maybe similar to when you were Catholic but it was empty religion. In the US Christianity is a convenient religion so many claim it without knowing what it even is.

@Vine Abider started this out on the subject of the annointing and I think maybe we need to be annointed or Spirit filled to tell others, and if we tell others there should be some explanation that describes our experiences in such a way as to convey it, then to live it. Do you agree?

Checking up. Cool.
That gentleman, a faithful believer,  who planted that first seed in the soil of my wife and I was the pastor giving the funeral for a youth that died, our neighbor. At the funeral gathering he was consoling his flock, the grieving parents and relatives and friends, yet he wisely took it upon himself to present the message of the gospel. As most know a funeral can cause people to consider things like eternal destiny.  Some have indicated to me that that is not the appropriate time to start preaching the gospel. In doing so it shows me how people have so little concern for the lost or they are not real Christians, and why Jesus said let the dead (spiritually) bury their dead.. For believers it is a celebration of a loved one finally going home. What it's really all about.

Those " counter zingers" you/we get I believe are the enemies darts/lies, and should cause you to consider, "why would something (thoughts) tell me NOT to share the good news"  Would that ever be the holy spirit?  Or our enemy?

As far as bibles used to save someone, it is a more modern tool used to learn and share truth, even digital 'bibles'.  Bibles in the 1500s may cost a thousand dollars but became financially available in the 1800s for the common people. That's a lot of hundreds of  years in this world without a bible available to 99% of the population. Yet the body of Christ endured. It is the word, however conveyed, like grandmas recipes being passed on for generations and generations, the word is passed on and endures.

My wife and I brought our children to a saving knowledge of the gospel by WORD of mouth. Faith comes by hearing the word. You're into computer savy and know that when certain 0's and 1's align in a programmed order results occur according to the "written program."  Jesus is the word. He created (wrote the program) the world. My testimony saves no one, but it can generate a trust in my appeal to them to listen and consider the words about the good news. If they have ears to hear.

Concerning an anointing of the spirit, I have the spirit living within me as do all believers  and need no new or special anointing to equip me.  There are times when I sense that 'still small gentle voice' (the spirit within me already, 'teaching me' ) within enabling me or encouraging me moving me to act or not act and be silent.   I receive extra confidence that what I have received is good, right. If I go against that spiritual prompting, I believe that I quench the spirit, and grieve him. We already posses the spirit, God, and do not need to seek a special anointing that God says we already possess..

"But the anointing that you received from him abides in you (stays), and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him"   John 2:27

Verse 20 in 1 John 2 also says;

             "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge"

Vine Abider said in the OP you quoted:

"Many times we do not interact with the Lord in that movement, or anointing. Instead we go to our mind and reason. We make excuses, we push down the sense coming from God's life. We cope with it somehow. In other words, we handle it ourselves. Consequently, we may go for years in the same way, having little expression of Christ in our life."

I agree.
This is what I believe quenching the spirit is. We all do it, some more-some less.
The spirit of God resides within us, if we are "born again." If we continue to quench the spirit (not allowing his voice direct our actions) we become less sensitive to his promptings, and we can, I would say 'tune out' (not have ears to hear) God's voice within us, and so not deal with our failings, sin, and allow our flesh then to rule. This in turn grieves our spirit.

But it is us who have been anointed by God.
Anointed in scripture means smeared, or rubbed on like with oil. symbolic.

   Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth"

  The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
                                Against such things there is no law"

Thanks, Starise

 

 

[Neighbor]

7 hours ago, Sower said:

Some have indicated to me that that is not the appropriate time to start preaching the gospel. In doing so it shows me how people have so little concern for the lost or they are not real Christians, and why Jesus said let the dead (spiritually) bury their dead.. For believers it is a celebration of a loved one finally going home. What it's really all about.

 

Hi, I suggest that funerals are a toss up as to how much of the gospel of Yeshua might be shared with any effect, positive or negative. Sadly most families that I dealt with had no affiliation with any cleric of any kind. They expected me to have a "religious"speaker available. And I did. It would then be up to that family and the speaker to meet. Afterward the speaker would decide the need and the benefit of presenting the gospel of Yehua as part of the life memorial service.

That 20 year experience of my life was quite different from my fifteen years as a local church body employee, where families would want a strong presentation of the gospel as part of the life memorial service, as they wanted  their own family and friends to hear that gospel.

Obviously not all that die are Christian, and so there is not necessarily comfort to a family at a time of a death in presenting the gospel. Instead that is a rather raw time to do so! - Hey your loved one died, and he is going to hell and so are you doesn't really cut it  for a good testimony at a funeral.  I have seen that done, and a couple times in my life I had to  break it up before someone killed another over it during a funeral. As we used to say  in that industry, nothing like a funeral to bring the family together!

[Neighbor]

Probably the most common conflict was between Masons and Christian Pastors. It was always interesting to me to see how families worked that one out.  Most often there would be what amounted to two separate services at the same time, not blended but presented one after the other. With  most pastors refusing to be present at an interment site with a Masonic rite being presented.

As for me, I had to be removed from that industry before God could get my attention and the Holy Spirit turn me about.  I heard the gospel in one form or another perhaps five times a day.

What eventually got my attention was 145 Gideon Bibles in the hotel and a local puffy haired preaching husband and wife team on local tv- 145 of them, black and white tv at that.

God uses what God deems fit to gather those foreknown and predestined, of whom Yeshua loses not a one.