A quote i left for Ben on one of his posts this morning. Seems he’s been having some issues going back and forth with a couple of my fellow christians. Not really wanting to start throwing “monkey poo” myself on who is “right” and who isn’t… i thought to possibly add some “wisdom” to the pot. See if this fits the bill for you this morning. As always… YMMV. 🙂
“Debates” on WP quickly devolve into pi$$ing contests where the parties involved would rather put on rain coats than just stop pi$$ing on each other. And long “response posts” is just pi$$ing on others to justify why you’re “right” and the other person is “wrong”. I say just stop the madness when you see you aren’t going to change the other person’s mind and when you start seeing your own ego getting too much engaged. Better part of wisdom sometimes is just letting the other person be wrong (or just have a different position/opinion) if they want to persist. Just my take. -barabbas
Any thoughts? You know what to do. Just keep it clean and above the belt please.
I’ve noticed a trend on WP blogs and in certain WP Bloggers. People who claim to be atheists, but seem to only confront and counter and bash Christians and Christian posts. Their articles are “against God or gods” but seem to only have the Biblical/JudeoChristian God in their conception of the God they’re against.
They don’t argue with or post about Hindus or Buddhists. They don’t create articles bashing or debunking the Upanishads or the Vedas. Their invective and spite is aimed only at Monotheistic concepts of the divine when there are so many other flavors to choose from.
I guess it could be chalked up to what they grew up with and denounced personally, but why would you call it Atheism if it’s really Anti-Christianism? Let’s be honest here. Most atheists who comment on my blog or on other well meaning Christian blogs on WP aren’t really Atheists as much as “A-Christian-ists” is atheist “drag”.
Think about that for awhile and Have a great day. -barabbas
Although coming from someone who probably isn’t the same Faith Tradition as I am, I appreciated this person’s thinking and words. Ask yourself, “Blogosphere Atheists” the question… Are you just “defending atheism” when you harass and abuse christians on WordPress Blogs, or are you just being Anti-Christian “Religious Bigots” yourself as you “Proselytize” against us to to get us to “Deconvert”? I would pose this to two specific bloggers… but alas, their “evangelistic” activity here since i started this blog has gotten them in my dog house. – Barabbas
Most Western atheists are good people, and most are respectful in a “live and let live” kind of way. Most are intelligent, compassionate, and many atheists still profess a certain general spirituality or love and reverence for the natural world that is distilled enough from Western neopaganism and modern new age spirituality as to not […]
I often dream when I’m sleeping. Not always able to remember the dream in full upon waking but this morning I did. The two dreams right before the alarm so rudely interrupted were connected and yet not.
The first was of me watching a movie about uniformed scientists and explorers who had ventured out into the unknown universe, another part of the galaxy and couldn’t get home. A second team was sent and eventually the story was that they all got home safely. Once home, they started sifting themselves out to the various airports to get back to their respective cities and real homes.
The last “scene” innthe movie was teary eyed middle aged men stopping in their tracks, not so much not wanting to go home. But wanting to get just one more drink at the corner bar together. They’d just experienced something… together… than no one else on the planet had, and they wanted moree time to decompress and experience it vicariously together as they told their tales and memories to each other… the only ones on the planet that would possibly understand them.
Yup. We do that don’t we.
The second dream, right before waking, was of me in the Great Room of a retreat center. We’d all gathered there for something and I’d just finished watching the movie I just told you about.
I must habe unconsciously sung out a Sunday school tune or a worship chorus from church when I turned to the nearest lady that was listening with a knowing smile on her face. “Do you know this one?” And of course she said yes, that she did.
I told her that these songs just “come out of me” sometimes. I can’t really stop them, they’re just like Home to me. Then she asked me a very special question.
“How long did you train for your position?”
I guess she took me for a Professional Minister of some kind. I looked at her… also with a whimsical and knowing smile.
“I’ll tell you a secret… it’s not a job, it’s not a position or even necessarily a Gift. It’s a Function. Whether I’m teaching, sharing the Gospel (evangelizing), or just counselling someome, or just talking about jesus… I think to myself:
How could I do anything else?
I told her… in my dream… that “it’s been like this since I was 15yrs old. How could I do anything else… BE anyway else? It’s a Function, not a Title or a Professional Position.”
We function as we are. As we were made to be. And in Christ… as we are Remade, Restored, and Resurrected to be.
“Speak to one another with songs, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.”
Have you ever broken the law and didn’t get caught, if so how?
Silly Rabbit…
But seriously, there is One who sees and knows “what you did last summer” or even last night. And He doesn’t need a “writing prompt” to get you to openly admit to the world… including your local authorities… what you’ve done. He knows. He was there with you when you did what you did, said what you said, didn’t do… what you should have done. And yet…
His arms are wide open. It’s not too late to “come clean” and be Cleansed and Forgiven and Whole again. If you would trust some completely Random Internet Poll on Social Media… won’t you Trust Christ? That would be the best way to both assuage your feelings of Guilt, but also actually stop hiding behind a screen and a keyboard… and Deal with the “Laws you have broken” and repair the Heart you have broken… both His and Yours.
Forget the Internet Polls… Come to God in simple Faith, Trusting that His Heart is Wide Open for you. Do it today. He won’t turn you away.
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday Word. Today’s word is… Proclaim.
I’ve been on this WP thing for a while now and while I see it as a very useful tool for evangelism and encouragement… it seems more and more to me that other Christians just see it as an opportunity to tell you why they “Aren’t like those guys over there”. As in… atheism, evolution, and scientific understanding.
But is tearing down or debunking either of them… The Gospel? I asked a person on his post this morning that if he were able to completely debunk biological evolution or the naturalistic understanding for the beginning of the universe, would that by default provide evidence for Creation and a Creator God?
Depending on who you ask, you might get very different answers. But mine would probably be a “No”. And thats ok. The gospel isnt about tearing down all the other “competing” theories or possible explanations… even if we know all of them, which I suspect that we don’t or couldn’t.
The Gospel is about Proclamation. I’ll split that up to make my point clearer… Pro clamation, not Negative declamation. Preach the Gospel. Stop thinking that all you have to do is “attack atheism or atheists” or “thoroughly debunk and discredit Biological Evolution” or the evil “Scient-ism”. Lol
Preach the Gospel. It’s the proclamation of the gospel, mixed with Faith and the speaking of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals that saves… not arguments or “proof” that the “other guys” are wrong, wrong, wrong.
Just preach and Pro-claim the Gospel. Let the Gospel and the Holy Spirit do their job. You do yours… which is to just Proclaim and share the Gospel.
(An Oldie but a Goodie, for Tom’s benefit this morning. Dude, chill. – Barabbas)
Sorry all, I’m a sucker for the 80s
Seeing all the blog sites and posts on WP and YT about Christian apologetics and Philosophizing and “proving” or arguing or debating the truth of The Truth ™ and wondering… why?
Hey, I’m all for sharing the Gospel and “the reason for the Hope that is in you” 1 pet 3:15… but I’m not seeing alot of the “with weakness and fear” or as the Greek word means there ‘reverence’ or respect. It’s almost like we want to argue or debate or twist the “philosophy pretzel” enough to “convince” people that what we believe is true… that we aren’t Fools for believing what even Paul said we were Fools to believe.
“What a Fool believes” – Doobie Brothers
In reality and in practice Apologetics aren’t for convincing unbelievers.
I’m convinced that they way most Christian Apologetics is practiced today… It’s for Believers, to help them not feel foolish for believing what even Paul said that they are foolish to believe and preach.
In the Gospel of John 16.7-13 the writer conveys the Words of Jesus saying it’s the Job/work of the HS to convict and convince. It’s the Job/work of the HS to teach us and lead us into understanding and Truth.
Not ours… Are we Not Fools?
We simply don’t want to suffer the shame of seeming like “Fools” to others who don’t believe
So what of this passage? What does it mean to “give an answer”? And what are we answering For and With?
First, we sanctify the Lord in our Hearts, not arguments and philosophy in our head. Very important distinction. Paul would say “marshalling the wisdom and knowledge of the world” to “defend” (as if it needs defense) the Gospel is nothing more than “not wanting to look or seem foolish” to people who don’t believe you. And Peter here might say the same. He’d probably couch it like “Not wanting to suffer the shame” of Christ with Him.
We are to “be ready to give a reason for the Hope that is within us”. It doesn’t say that WE are the ones who must “convince” others of the Truth of what we are saying. Another place Paul says “it is the Spirit that quickens (gives Life)”
So… why do we do it?
We do what is called Christian Apologetics primarily so WE… I mean our Self… our own Flesh… doesn’t feel Foolish for believing what even Paul said we are Foolish to believe. To save our own “Self” the embarrassment…. the Shame of feeling Foolish and looking Foolish to the World that doesn’t believe us and thinks we’re Foolish anyway.
“I am Crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live…
Get that? I… Self, Flesh, Me, my own Ego if you will. If “I no longer live” then I no longer have to or should care if or that I look or seem Foolish to people who don’t or won’t believe me. And if I am still trying to “save” my own “Self image” as one who’s “Not foolish” or “I have all these arguments and debate tactics” to “prove” that what I believe is Not Foolish… then I’m not agreeing with Christ and I’m not agreeing with Paul and I’m not agreeing with Peter and I’m not agreeing with the Holy Spirit, whose Job/work it is to Convict and Convince and give Life and Breath to the Gospel.
“… But the life I now live, I live in the Faith of the Son of God who Loved me and Gave Himself for me”
Jesus “gave Himself for me”, for YOU. Now its your turn everyday. Give yourself for Him. Give your SELF, your EGO, your not wanting to look/seem Foolish, give your reluctance to “suffer shame with him”. Give all that desire to “prove” that you’re “not foolish” to believe a “Foolish” Gospel.
Just share the Gospel and the Words of Jesus. Allow the “Hearing” to be “mixed with Faith” and brought to Life by the Operation of the Spirit of God, the Spirit that gives Life. If people believe and come to Life in Jesus, awesome!! Praise the Lord!! If they don’t and they call you Foolish and heap Shame and Ridicule on you, Praise the Lord!! It’s not you that they are ridiculing. It’s Jesus. It’s the Foolish Gospel. You, my friend and brother… Are Dead, and Alive in His Life, not your own.
We answer for the Hope that lies within us and His Name is Jesus. We answer with confidence that it is the Spirit that gives Life and Convinces as we share and proclaim the Gospel and His Words. People will believe or not if they believe or not. There is a “cooperation” that must happen in the Hearer, that Hearer must mix what he hears with Faith for himself. Neither you or I can do that for him any more than we can do the Job/work of the Spirit for Him.
Are we Not Fools? Yes. Yes we are. We Believe the Gospel of Jesus in our Hearts, and Confess with our mouths unto salvation. Won’t you also today? He is so, so good to us.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/2co.3.18.KJV
Christ in You 