Everyone is familiar with Matthew 28 where Jesus tells his disciples to go into the entire world making disciples and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus then said to them that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age.  We as Christians take comfort in knowing that Jesus will always be with us.  We also have fear when he says to “go.”  We often think this command was for someone else and not us, but that is far from the truth.  As a child of God, as the child of THE KING we have a responsibility to tell everyone about the inheritance we have and to tell them that they too can be a child of God, a child of THE KING!

So how do we do this?  This particular article is not designed or intended to give you the nuts and bolts as to the “how.”  This article is designed to give you a couple of ideas to help get you started.  You should never be embarrassed about sharing you faith with anyone, should never be embarrassed about “messing up.”  God will take care of you.

Not every church is evangelistic minded.  Many churches are content with just sitting back and keeping to themselves.  If your church is into evangelism, may I suggest talking to those on the forefront of what is going on.  They have their finger on the pulse and can be a great source of information and help.  Most likely they are looking for someone to join their team.

It is always good to have a Christian brother or sister who is likeminded as yourself.  If you can find that someone, team up with them and make a plan.  Jesus always sent his disciples out in groups of two.

There are several resources available to help train you in spreading the gospel.  May I suggest you start with materials developed by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron.   They have written so many books that you could be totally absorbed in learning from them.  They also head up an organization called “Way of the Master.”  Check out their website, full of great resources.  Their books are also online.  You may want start with a best-seller, Hells Best Kept Secret.  This book gives you information as to how to lead someone to true repentance.  The next recommended book in their line should be Conquer You Fear, Share Your Faith.  You can see a complete line of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron books that will help you in your evangelism.

William Fay has quite a story of salvation (Mafia connections).  He is a straight to the point, between they eyes type of a guy.  His book Share Jesus Without Fear will give you instructions as to how you can share Jesus with anyone.  This book is an easy read, one evening.

Whichever of the above two you choose to learn from, (and by the way, there are many others) it is imperative that you learn “your story.”  What you will want to tell others about your own personal salvation.  When you are comfortable doing this, you will then feel more comfortable in talking about their own personal salvation.

Many people feel comfortable in handing out gospel tracts.  You can do this in many different ways.  You can hand someone a tract directly and never have a conversation with the person you are handing them out to, or, you can converse.  You can leave gospel tracts with a tip after a mean, mail them with your electric, phone and gas bills, leave them at the gas pump, etc.  There was a recent incident where someone left a gospel tract at their local shopping mall and the mall security was looking for them because it was illegal to do that (may I suggest that persecution is here in America).  If you wonder how effective gospel tracts are, may I suggest you listen closely and watch Ray Comforts video “George Street.”  It’s less than 10 minutes long but what an amazing story!

Another avenue worth exploring is Christian apparel and Christian jewelry.  Did you know that the average Christian T-shirt is read over 3,000 times before it goes to the yard sale?  What a statement you can make by the clothes you wear; T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, caps, shoes, belts, ties, etc.

I have a friend who is an avid golfer, just not very good.  He has golf balls with scripture verse written on them so that when others find his golf balls they also are given a Christian message.

The possibilities are endless.  God has equipped each of us for service.  In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul tells about the importance each of us has in the kingdom of God.  There is no one part more important than another and those who’s considered weaker must be lifted up.  Use the gift God has given you and evangelize the world!

You don’t have the time or the resources to evaluate every applicant who strolls in. to guide your work, you should develop a profile of your “ideal” candidate. You may never find your ideal, but you will establish a basic framework that outlines the person you are looking for.

Developing an ideal candidate profile is similar to viewing a lineup of suspects after you’ve witnessed a bank robbery. The individual you pick out may not be the actual bank robber, but chances are the real criminal is strongly similar. Often, a lineup helps police establish the silhouette or basic framework of the person being sought. The police is clear even if the details are not. Likewise, your ideal candidate profile will give you a sharper idea of what you are really looking for, so that you can increase your odds of finding him or her.

Use the following outline to develop of profile of your ideal candidate:

1. Must have, or have done, or be able to do:
   • Experience: type and years
   • Industry: type, or specific companies, and years
   • Skills or talents
   • Education

1. Should have, or have done, or be able to do:
   • Experience: type and years
   • Industry: type, or specific companies, and years
   • Education

1. Would be nice to have, or have done, or be able to do:
   • Experience: type and years
   • Industry: type, or specific companies, and years
   • Skills or talents
   • Education

Be specific when you draft your outline. If you want someone with strong follow-up skills, say so. If you want an assertive person who can handle high stress, say so. To create a good match between job and candidate, you need to define the person as closely as you define the job.

Keep your company culture in mind, too. If your company is team-oriented and flexible, you want a candidate who is comfortable with teamwork—and not everyone is. If your department is highly structured, you want someone who works well in a structured situation. Describe the qualities that your company values so that you can find compatible candidates.

Just remember that defining the candidate is a lot like shopping for groceries: the more you toss into your shopping cart, the more you’ll pay. The cost of filling a job is influenced by two factors: how long it takes to find the candidate, and the supply of qualified candidates. The greater the number of must have items on your list, the longer it’s going to take to find that person. The greater the experience, skills, or education requirements, the smaller the supply of candidates and the larger the compensation package required to hire the person.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

The follower of Jesus is known by his love—love for God and love for his neighbor.

If we refuse to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way, we dare not claim to be God’s, for we are ashamed of His Words (Luke 9:26), and we prove by our self-serving silence that we do not love our neighbor as ourselves.

Today’s suggestion is to support what is basically the freedom of the press and/or personal expression via the written word especially.

Anyone who has followed my Blogs would know that there have been cases where a Blogger has been imprisoned for his/her views. This has been so of Christians in Islamic countries for example.

Supporting the right of expression via the written word is something I do via my Blogs. I report news of Christian Bloggers and those who witness for Christ that are persecuted.

See also:

www.internationalpen.org.uk

A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton

Supporters of the 350 campaign gather at the pyramids in Giza, Egypt, during the Oct. 24 International Day of Action. Churches will ring bells 350 times on Dec. 13 as a call to action to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. A UMNS Photo courtesy of 350.org.

A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom*
Nov. 24, 2009

As world leaders grapple with the issue of global warming in December, churches will be ringing their bells to remind them of the need for action.

At 3 p.m. local time on Dec. 13—about halfway through the Dec. 7-18 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen—churches and other religious groups will sound bells, drums, gongs or other instruments 350 times to symbolize the 350 parts per million that mark what many scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“We envisage a chain of chimes and prayers stretching in a time-line from the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific—where the day first begins and where the effects of climate change are already felt today—to northern Europe and across the globe,” says the World Council of Church Web site promoting the event.

In Denmark, the ringing bells will signal the end of a high profile ecumenical celebration at the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen, the Church of Our Lady, which will be attended by United Methodists and members of other faith groups.

In recent weeks, it has become clear that the original expectation for the Copenhagen Summit—that 192 nations will agree to a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocols—will not be met. One of the barriers, according to The New York Times, was the inability of Congress to set binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases in the United States.

‘Guarded optimism’

But John Hill, who works on public advocacy issues for the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, believes there might be an even better opportunity for the religious community to help shape the debate on global warming. “I think there is some guarded optimism that a fairly strong framework can be established at Copenhagen,” he said.

Hill will be representing Church and Society in Copenhagen, along with Liberato Bautista, who is in charge of the board’s United Nations office, and Meghan Roth, a young adult board member from Richmond, Va.

Harriett Olson, chief executive of the Women’s Division, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, addresses the Nov. 5 Climate Witness near the U.S. Capitol in Washington. A UMNS photo by Lesley Crosson, Church World Service. .

“The disappointment is that there will not be a treaty,” said Bautista. Still, he added, “I think governments are quite aware of how important a climate change agreement is.”

Tyler Edgar, who is going to Copenhagen on behalf of the National Council of Churches’ Eco-Justice Program, said the faith community is “working hard” to promote a strong U.S. position there.

“Our hope is to send a clear message that climate change is a moral issue that demands a strong and effective response—a response that ensures justice for all of God’s children and will protect God’s Creation for future generations,” she declared.

Among the other United Methodists headed to the summit are the Rev. John McCullough, executive director of Church World Service, and the Rev. Pat Watkins, a church and community worker who leads the “Green Church Initiative” of the denomination’s Virginia Annual (regional) Conference. He will be representing United Methodist Women and the Women’s Division, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

When God created the earth, Watkins pointed out, there were no greenhouse gas emissions, and as a Christian he wants to advocate for better care of God’s planet.

“We’ll push for the developed countries to be financially responsible for some of the problems that climate change is causing in some of the developing countries, particularly the African countries,” he said.

Others on the Women’s Division delegation are Tupou S. Kelemeni, a director from Honolulu; Pamela Sparr, consultant on its Countdown to Copenhagen campaign, and Esmeralda Brown, staff executive.

Making a witness

Faith leaders have been calling attention to climate change as a justice issue. During an ecumenical “climate witness” Nov. 5 near the U.S. Capitol, church leaders spoke on the lawn, visited senators and delivered postcards urging support of climate change legislation. Harriett Olson, top executive of the Women’s Division, noted that climate change has a huge impact on women and children. “Women are the highest percentage of the poor and women and children are among the most vulnerable in any vulnerable population,” she said.

We invite you to join the dialogue. Share your comments.

Post a comment

Church leaders outside the United States are just as concerned about climate change. In an Oct. 17 letter, “A Call for the Care of Creation,” the All Africa Conference of Churches pointed to the famine, flooding, shrinking of rivers and lakes, and depletion of tropical rain forests and declared that Africa, “like no other continent, bears the brunt of these negative effects of climate change.”

In response, the organization, which is participating in the Copenhagen Summit, has sponsored several consultations on climate change in Africa and named a program coordinator for climate change and care for creation last January.

Its representatives were among the nearly 200 faith and secular leaders attending a Nov. 2-4 conference at Windsor Castle in England, organized by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and the United Nations Development Program.

Ecumenical News International reported that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told conference participants “the world’s great faith communities occupy a unique position in the discussion on the fate of our planet and the accelerating impacts of climate change.”

Advocating for change

Whether faith communities can capitalize on that position remains a question.

A report from the Nov. 15-20 World Council of Churches U.N. Advocacy Week quoted United Methodist Lois Dauway as saying that churches and the ecumenical community have the theological wherewithal to dismantle global injustice but not the will.

Lois Dauway gives the keynote address during the World Council of Churches U.N. Advocacy Week in New York. A UMNS photo by Mark Beach, WCC.

Dauway, a member of the council’s Central Committee and executive with the Board of Global Ministries, challenged participants during her keynote address to pool resources and “turn the world upside down in the name of Jesus.”

At the very least, they can ring those church bells 350 times on Dec. 13. It’s already happened once, on Oct. 24, the International Day of Climate Action.

United Methodist Bill McKibben is the co-founder of 350.org, the group behind the bellringing campaign. A scholar-in-residence at Middlebury College in Vermont, he is the author of “The End of Nature,” the first book for a general audience on climate change, which was published 20 years ago.

In a video message this fall to United Methodist Women, McKibben stressed the need to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. He said that Copenhagen represents the best chance to move quickly.

“It’s time to take seriously this greatest challenge, not only to the integrity of creation but to the thread of social justice around the world,” he said.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

Related Videos

Bill McKibben message to United Methodist Women

3 Generations Go Green

Church Goes Green

Physician to Planet Earth

Keeping Earth Clean

Related Articles

United Methodists take ‘going green’ to new levels

Copenhagen climate change talks stall

Activist campers run afoul of Common law

First green church in county to break ground

Warnings on warming not enough; act now, says faith community

Resources

NCC Eco-Justice Program

Bell-ringing campaign

The Leadership Campaign

United Methodist Church of Santa Cruz

Caretakers of God’s Creation

Countdown to Copenhagen

WCC climate change

UN Climate Change Conference

I don’t guess this is a good time to give thanks to the Christian God for much of anything.  Especially since He watched as hundreds, if not thousands of children were molested.  The Christian God heard their cries for help and did NOTHING to stop it for decades!  It seems we can’t trust the Christian God to watch over our children and keep them safe.  He can’t even do it in his own house with his own servants. Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, no wonder they now prefer to say “happy holidays”.  Not much Merry in the Christmas for those kids.

The full list of reports can be found at the following link:

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000504

The summary of the report is provided below:

The Roman Catholic Church is said to have covered up DECADES of child abuse by priest in an attempt to protect the church’s reputation.  This was discovered after a three year investigation into the matter.

Several government investigations into chronic child rape, beatings and other cruelty in Catholic-run schools, children’s workhouses and orphanages in 1975-2004 were conducted.

The government indicated their investigations “shows clearly that a systemic, calculated perversion of power and trust was visited on helpless and innocent children in the archdiocese.”

With respect to the abuse cases the government stated: “The perpetrators must continue to be brought to justice, and the people of Ireland must know that this can never happen again,”

The 720-page report – delivered to the government in July but released Thursday – analyzes the cases of 46 priests against whom 320 complaints were filed. The 46 were selected from more than 150 Dublin priests implicated in molesting or raping boys and girls since 1940. Eleven priests convicted of child abuse are named in the report, but 33 are referred to by aliases and two have their names blacked out because they have yet to face justice.

The report also rejected past bishops’ key claim that they were ignorant of both the scale and criminality of priests’ abuse of children, showing that the Dublin Archdiocese negotiated a 1987 insurance policy for future legal costs of defending lawsuits and compensation claims.

The report states that  ”the taking out of insurance was an act proving knowledge of child sexual abuse as a potential major cost to the archdiocese.”

Investigators spent three years poring over 60,000 previously secret Dublin church files. Among the files were more than 5,500 that Martin’s predecessor, retired Cardinal Desmond Connell, had tried to keep locked in the archbishop’s private vault.

“One priest admitted to sexually abusing over 100 children, while another accepted that he had abused on a fortnightly basis during the currency of his ministry which lasted for over 25 years.”

“A few (priests) were courageous and brought complaints to the attention of their superiors. The vast majority simply chose to turn a blind eye,” the report said.

In May, the government published a report on decades of child abuse in Catholic-run schools, workhouses and orphanages. More than 12,000 victims of rape, beatings and mental abuse have received compensation payments from a government panel exceeding euro800 million ($1.2 billion).

I am surprised that anyone can feel it moral to follow this Christian belief after what has already been exposed.  It is likely this is not all we will come .

Yet, fools (dumb sheep) will still look to the Church for answers on “morals”.   We have Christians of all types now making excuses for child abuse, child rape, child labor, and in America we have Christians supporting the re-election of a Christian President that sent American troops to die for his war based on lies of WMD and ties to 9/11.  A President that used God as an excuse for it all, to include torture.  Christians in overwhelming numbers supported and re-elected Bush and thus approved, supported and condoned his immoral acts.  Yes, they are just as accountable for those acts.

Just because these people follow some superstition that millions respect doesn’t mean they are above the law or that they can commit any immoral act and get away with it.  Ted Haggard, Jimmy Baker, Jimmy Swaggert, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, Vittner, John Ensign to name a few high profile Christians, seems to slide past any real accountability.

Imagine how many low profile individuals are getting through the cracks.  If the most “moral” of the “moral” are doing such sick acts, then the Christian idiots that come here and leave comments like “fuck off you piece of shit” are likely hiding many other vile acts while they claim to follow a “moral” God.

What happened Christians?  You attempt to tell us that we have no morals without religion and it appears the opposite is true.  With religion, we discover how to be immoral and claim it is moral, hide it with money and power and praise God while we tell others how they should live!

Pathetic!!

It is time for the world to wake up to these superstitious claims, stop believe the lies that are spread because threats are made of terrible harm that will come if you don’t follow.  Grow up, stand up and be honest to the children.  Stop threatening them with your God’s great punishment and torture for eternity.  Let them have a chance at life and escape the lies you are forced to live with.

Well, you've decided to have a gift for you, oops, I mean it, you get a gift for her.

You've done a fair: Buying lingerie as a gift for her will probably be a gift that keeps giving for a long time since you select from a lingerie shop quality.

Here's how to get him out, no, no lingerie, buying lingerie. Here's a bonus before you start: You can finally have an excuse to watch beautiful women onlinein minimal form-fitting clothing. And now, even if you shop online, lingerie, you now have an excuse next time you get caught. Here's what to do when buying online lingerie for her.
First, make measurements

Get her cup size, bust size and waist. Her dress size may be useful as well. Immersion in her room when she observed with a notepad and write its size and be on your way.
Here's a little tip: You can buy clothes thathave the right size for his bust still 1 cup smaller. This should have an amplifying effect on the breast.

Second, keep in mind

It is easy to get swept away when purchasing online lingerie and possibly buy lingerie that seems the best on one of the models, however, this might be the wrong approach. To remedy this situation, try to keep in mind. Think about what will look good on her and her curves in a personal confidence and self-excitation and sound (which obviously excites in turn).
Third and foremost, make another donation

Women are intelligent creatures and will go up on the fact that you are buying a gift for them that has a great advantage for you. This can mean trouble, and you look like a greedy, selfish Guy. Not good. Do not worry, do the right thing and make a donation and not in the laundry does not count. If you want to make it easier and impressive, you can make another piece of> Lingerie that is not only the room like a silk robe. Jewelry and shoes you can wear during the lingerie gift opening other options too.
Final Recommendations

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“The Lord said, ‘I will hasten my work in its time’ (D&C 88:73). Surely anyone observing the recent growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is keenly aware of that hastening process. This should make us humbly grateful for the Lord’s omnipotent hand. Obstacles that seemed insurmountable have proven to be merely challenges for the faithful, for ‘with God nothing shall be impossible’ (Luke 1:37). “Inspiration has prepared the way from the beginning, when the Lord impressed the Prophet Joseph Smith to compose the twelfth article of faith: ‘We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.’ This inspired statement was surely written for our day. The Prophet knew that the gospel was ultimately to be taken to all nations regardless of their governmental differences. He knew that the ordinances of salvation and exaltation could bless the lives of people regardless of their politics. And he knew that people who were taught correct principles and who were loyal to their civil leaders and observing of their local laws would be most able to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson

For Not All Have Faith

The apostle Paul faced many dangerous times when people were trying to kill him for preaching the gospel.     He had ambushes set up against him that failed when they were discovered.     He even had to escape in the middle of the night by being let down from the city wall in a basket.

After 2,000 years, life is still like that for many Christians.     There are many countries around the world in which Christians are imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their faith.     Even in the States, the Christian faith is being maligned these days.

Because of all the dangers he faced, Paul had this to say in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3,

Finally, brethren,  pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified,  just as it did also with you;  and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men;  for not all have faith.

But the Lord is faithful;  and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

For various reasons, many of those who do not have faith take it upon themselves to molest and destroy Christians — even though they have been unprovoked.     The concepts of the gospel seem to incite insidious hatreds within them.     The various manners in which they detest Jesus Christ — God Almighty — for His love and sacrifice on their behalf, are difficult to comprehend.    

That is why Paul comforts Christians by reminding us,  “But the Lord is faithful;  and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”     In other words, these hateful attacks are really from the devil.     The attackers cannot come up with a valid reason for their behaviors because they are under the influence of the evil one.     That is why many of their attacks are covert in all sorts of deceitfulness.

Paul gives this as the reason why we all need to pray for one another, and especially for those who are preaching the word of God around the world.

As we give thanks to our Lord for opening our hearts and minds to salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ, let us also pray for Christians everywhere, that they may “be delivered from perverse and evil men” and strengthened in the true faith.

When Paul was imprisoned for preaching, he witnessed to the people by quoting Isaiah.    In Acts 28:26-27, Paul quotes Isaiah as saying,

Go to this people and say,   
“You will keep on hearing, but will not understand;   
And you will keep on seeing,  but will not perceive;   
For the heart of this people has become dull,   
And with their ears they scarcely hear,   
And they have closed their eyes;   
Lest they should see with their eyes,   
And hear with their ears,   
And understand with their heart and turn again,   
And I should heal them.”

In other words, the unbelievers do not want to believe.     They do not want to humble themselves before God Almighty because of their pride and arrogance.     For whatever reason, they have deluded their hearts into feeling that they will gain eternal bliss all by themselves in their own way — without having to have faith in the sacrifice Christ freely made for us on the cross.

Because that’s the way it will be until Judgment Day, we need to pray for one another in Christian love.     As we put ourselves into our Lord’s care, we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord, thank You for giving me the opportunity to witness to Your love and salvation.     Stay by our side all the way.”

Love,  
Margaret

A devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and King of kings…

**************

Last week, a masked gunman entered a church in Moscow and gunned down the priest.  In the process, he also shot the choirmaster.  As I learn more about this event, especially today as my friend pointed out his martyrdom and his life, I realize he is a New Martyr.

Father Daniel preached for Christ in the arena of Islamic culture and religion.  Himself a Tartar (a traditionally Muslim people), he embraced the Lord Jesus in his life and in his death.  The threats against him never checked his unwavering voice and witness, and for it he became a True Witness, a Martyr.  (The Greek word for Martyr is Witness).

He is married and has a daughter, who I hope will be alright.  I will remember them in my prayers for their sorrow.

Father Daniel himself, however, should be no case for sorrow.  He knew he would soon mystically encounter the Lord in a profound meeting.  Now, he joins the choir of Paradise as one of the millions of faithful Witnesses to our Lord.

Holy New Hieromartyr Daniel, pray to God for us!

Святейший Патриарх Кирилл совершил литию у гроба священника Даниила Сысоева

Three observations:

In today’s Washington Post there is a brief article, based on her new book, about Charles Darwin (see here)  by author Deborah Heiligman. The article seems to summarize her book’s chapter structure as it is entitled “a dozen reasons to celebrate  Darwin.” I have not read her book but the article can be encapsulated in this: Darwin was a good guy.

Another book has recently been published about philosopher Martin Heidegger.  By Emmanuel Faye, entitled Heidegger: The Introduction of Nazism into Philosophy in Light of the Unpublished Seminars 1933-1935,  it argues that this influential existentialist should be barred from the curriculum because he was an active member of the Nazi party and advocate of its ideals.

An anecdote: I know a woman, not in the USA, who declares that she “loves Obama” while also lamenting in her own situation the expansion of the role of government in life.

Each of these observations illustrates ad hominen argumentation. Someone’s thoughts are good or bad based on what kind of person he or she is. Ad hominem arguing is heard all the time, read in the media constantly about this or that politician, celebrity, or athlete. It is used about ordinary folk also.

• Darwin is a good guy, thus evolution is no threat.
• Heidegger was a bad guy, thus his philosophy is not worth reading.
• Obama is lovable, thus I do not want to listen to any criticism of his policies.

Thought and character. Can they, should they, be separated?

Can a good person think bad thoughts? For sure. You know it! You’ve done it.

Can a bad person think good thoughts? For sure. You know it! You’ve done it.

“Sticks and stones, can hurt my bones, but names can never hurt me”  …. remember that old schoolyard ditty? So too with thoughts. It is actions that count in terms of doing harm. Jesus reminded us that it is by their “fruit” that you will know the character of the tree.

Can thoughts lead to actions, encourage actions, and thus enable harm and hurt? Of course. That is why those thoughts must be known. So they can be refuted as thoughts before they grab the spirit of the day. Censorship (as Faye argues of Heidegger) never succeeds in this.

Faith demands thoughtful engagement; courageous debate; resolution in arguing for what is believed.

She said to write about love, and about art...
write about bare feet on the dash board and fucking.
She said write about french kissing and painting naked 
and drunken baths for two.
Don’t write about campfires.
And he said I assure you, there was to be no snuggling by the campfire, 
we both know these things are never about the light... 
they’re like seeds in the earth... they need the darkness they need privacy.
 it's not possible when there's an observer..and the light invites a witness. 
even our own eyes become barriers.
and all that is beautiful, all that is deep...happens in darkness.
And campfires are for pussies 
and people afraid of gazing
 into the eyes of another soul.
          

I am thankful that Christians continue to witness to our children, spreading their hate will help to ensure intelligent children avoid their superstition and likely learn to show love for others and work to bring America together, not divide us.

Some in the audience laughed as the woman while she told the story of how her child died.  These are people that call themselves Christian Americans, Patriots, that witness for Jesus Christ.  Instead of others being disgusted at the laughing and heckling, the Christian audience stood behind it all.

…These questions will either break the ice, get a laugh, or completely confuse the witness…

“Just how old were you really on your twenty-fifth birthday?”
“Can you see without your glasses or your teeth?”
“What was the defendant doing while you were in the bathroom?”
“Do you still feel you are brain damaged?”
“Where did you live in town after you moved away?”
“What don’t you know about the accident and when did you find out?”
“Just when did you realize you hadn’t been killed in the accident?”
“You’re just saying that to confuse me, or is that your normal way of talking?”
“Did you look at the defendant when you saw him?”
“Can you describe what you didn’t see?”
“Was that when you were in a coma or had you already left the hospital?”
“Are you qualified to be an expert or is there somebody else more qualified to make that conclusion?”
“I think we all know who will be the judge of that, right Judge?”
“Could you repeat that again for those who heard it the first time?”
“I see you have clothes on today.”
“What do you mean exactly by that particular phrase you elucidated?”
“Could you be more specific than “I don’t remember?”
“And what time was it by the watch you weren’t wearing?”
“Do you have a first name, John?”
“Do you consider yourself to be an honest or a dishonest person when you promise to tell the truth?”
“Have you ever lied to anyone before today?”
“Have you ever driven drunk before the accident?”
“And how many teeth would you estimate you have?”
“Are you able to touch your nose and walk a straight line better today than you were on the date of the accident?”
“Can you estimate how many wives you have?”
“Do you consider yourself to be as honest as the Judge in this courtroom?”
“Have you been practicing what you would say today?”
“And exactly when did you come up with a conclusion that would make sense?”
“We’ve never met before today, except for that time in Vegas, have we?”
“Have you ever been to Vegas?”
“Does your wife know about that trip?”
“What caused you to be a child when you were that age?”
“Did you eventually become an adult?”
“Do you know what questions I’m going to be asking you to give me answers to or are you just guessing?”
“You seem confusing. Are you speaking too fast or would you like me to slow down?”

Source

Rich Copley of the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote up an excellent article on Witness. Here’s an excerpt, but follow the link for the whole article, which has loads of insight and participant perspective.

The door bears the phrase “Home Sweet Home” on a red heart; behind it are three rooms.

In the top room, Jill is a puppet with strings on her arms and a sign in her hands that says “courage,” because that, and a guardian angel, are what sustained her during hours of sitting in the turquoise chair listening to Jack’s verbal abuse.

The second floor is covered with eyes, representing how Jack would spy on Jill, and pictures of the gun he would hold to her head.

The bottom floor is filled with word clouds containing the expletives Jack would yell at Jill and the phrase “I love you to death.”

“He would say that, and it made no sense because death has nothing to do with love,” Jill M. says, showing The House That Jack Built, which she created in collaboration with Lexington artist Pat Gerhard as part of the Lexington Art League’s project Witness.

I am convinced more than ever, that if a person isn’t passionate for Jesus Christ, they will be virtually ineffective as a witness for Jesus.

Not too many truly passionate Christians will wear a T-shirt that says “Satan Sucks Jesus Rocks.”  Is it true?  Yeah it is.  Is it best?  No, hardly ever.

This morning Solonique Adolphe who is a native Haitian preacher, spoke for our church.  Solonique is a man of faith without any doubt.  The Living Water Christian Church he leads has about 300 people.  A good-sized church.  Many churches in America would love to have that many people won to the Lord and active in their church.  Our congregation is one of Solonique’s supporting churches.  As he spoke this morning from John 15:1-8 & 16-17.  You could sense Solonique’s passion for Christ.

His passion for Christians is that they are connected to Christ and bearing fruit.  His passion for the non-Christian is that they get connected with Christ.

Solonique is passionate for Jesus Christ.  The leaders of the Living Water Christian Church are passionate also.  It’s no wonder that over the past year and a half, they have grown about 100.

Read the book of Acts, the letters of Peter, Paul, and John and you can’t help but feel that the apostles and the early church were passionate about Jesus and it showed.   They turned the world “upside down” scripture says.

Regardless of church growth, the passionate Christian is

• A faithful and devote Christian
• A serving Christian
• A seed-planting, soul-winning Christian (witnessing about Jesus)
• A loving Christian

If a church grows, the passion of Christ must be there and we must be open to God’s Spirit filling us full of that passion.

bloggingthechurch

I could write a lot about this, so I’ll just try to provide a brief insight. I should probably put up a poll to see what my regular readers are more interested in: 1) news or 2) apologetics and mentoring.

A word of warning

One thing I’ve noticed about women is that they like it when men treat their mothers nicely and what they mean by that is never judging or disagreeing with their mothers, and never trying to change their mothers. This view of love is, of course, false. I want my mother to go to Heaven and to know and love God, so I have to talk to her about these things and disagree if she is wrong about them. So I think that disagreeing with her about spiritual things is being nice to her. But read on and judge for yourself.

The plan

My plan for my mother is not to begin by convincing her that Christianity is true. Instead, I begin by convincing her to approach religious issues just as she would approach any other area of knowledge, such as investing, or nutrition. If she agrees to treat religion as any other area of of knowledge, then I think that she will eventually conclude that Christianity is true. Currently, she is forming her beliefs about God’s existence, character and what he wants from her, using subjective mechanisms, i.e. – intuitions and experience. I want her to try a different method.

Goals

My goal for my mother, as with anyone else, is to try to get her to accept Christianity as objectively true, based on arguments and evidence. I don’t think that a person can be an authentic Christian if Christianity is just wish-fulfillment. I don’t think that a person will stick with Christianity when it goes against their own self-interest, unless their belief is anchored on arguments and facts. People act on what they really believe is true, when stressed by reality.

So, what I need to do is to argue for a method of discovery that is not dependent on emotions and intuitions, but is more rigorous. I need to offer my mother tools, such as the laws of logic, historical analysis and the scientific method. These tools can be used to investigate whether God exists, and what he is really like, and what he wants from her. By using these tools instead of intuition and experience, my hope is that I will be able to get her to arrive at a view of God as he really is.

Questions

The first question to ask her is “Does a Creator and Designer of the Universe exist independently of whether anyone thinks so or not?”. And then I ask the immediate follow-up question “How do you know that?”.

The second question to ask her is “What is the Creator/Designer’s character like?”. And again, the immediate follow-up question is “How do you know that?”.

The third question to ask her is “How does the Creator/Designer expect you to act?”. Once again, immediately follow up with “How do you know that?”.

Discussion

And the results of the inquiry were as follows: 1) she thinks that God is exactly like her and approves of everything she does, and more importantly, 2) her method of investigating religion is basically to invent “God” using her own feelings and experiences. Her method of arriving at these conclusions was by using intuition and experience, and she was resistant to the idea of using logic, science and history to find out the truth about God, his existence, his character, and what he wanted.

The next thing I did was to argue that her method of arriving at her religious beliefs was subjective and unreliable, and that she would never use that method of determining truth in any other area of life. I made a list of everything she cares about and started approaching each topic using her subjective method of determining truth, in order to expose the disastrous consequences that would occur if she made decisions in these other areas using intuition and experience.

For example, I explained my theories on how watching TV produces university degrees, how chocolate causes weight loss, how fruits and vegetables cause cancer, etc. All of this to show that subjectivism is not a reliable method of arriving at truth in any area of knowledge, especially in religion. The desire for happiness should not drive the search for religious truth. People need to avoid inventing a self-serving view of God, just because it gives them a feeling of security without any moral demands.

Finally, I introduce a reliable method of arriving at the truth in any area, including religion. I’m sure that you all already know about the concepts of propositional truth, the correspondence theory of truth, and the test for truth (logical consistency, empirical validation, experiential relevance). And you all know about how to use science/history/logic to confirm/disconfirm religious claims, etc. If necessary, I would apply these methods to other areas to show how they produce real knowledge.

A useful thing to do is to show how well-accepted facts like the origin of the universe from nothing and the crucifixion of Jesus falsify various world religions. This helps to make the point that a lot of people believe things that are false. That way, you motivate the question – “am I interested in knowing what is really true or am I interested in engaging in wish-fulfillment and projection in order to make myself feel better about my own selfishness and insecurity?”.

Some things I found out

I found that engaging in these discussions brought out some very interesting data that reminded me of what I see in the church. Each of these is worth a post, so I’ll just throw them out there in point form.

• She viewed my efforts to get her to employ logic and evidence to determine her views as being critical of her
• She felt “constrained” by allowing logic and evidence to override her “freedom” to invent a self-serving God
• She didn’t want to know about the laws of logic, or how religions make conflicting truth claims
• She didn’t want to know about what science and history could confirm/disprove religious truth claims
• She thought that it was better to let everyone believe anything they wanted to believe
• She thought that religion was mostly for making people believe things that made them feel happy and secure
• She didn’t think that God expected her to act morally if it didn’t make her feel happy to do so
• She didn’t care to find out the truth about whether God exists, what he was like, and what he wanted from her

Note: we didn’t get into any fights over this, it was just a friendly discussion, although I could sense her resistance.

My biggest concern about this view is that if it were a common view among Christians, it would increase the incidence of several non-Christian ideas, like moral relativism, inclusivism, postmodernism, pluralistic salvation, the non-reality of Hell, etc. And I think that if a lot of Christians believe Christianity is self-serving, then we will be perceived as being hypocritical by non-Christians when we don’t do the difficult things we are supposed to be doing. Non-Christians want to see some consistency between out actions and what the Bible says.

In a poll of my friends I did a while back, I found that people thought that talking to relatives about Christianity was the most difficult thing to do, higher than talking to people at work. So I’d be curious for readers to share their experiences about who is harder to talk to, and what you found in talking to people.

Mentoring

• the importance of being able to argue both sides of a question
• why does talking about religion make people uncomfortable?
• how to talk to your co-workers about your faith

Apologetics advocacy

• does the Bible teach that faith is opposed to logic and evidence?
• the six enemies of apologetic engagement
• why men flee the feminized church
• why won’t Christians defend their faith in public?

And here are some lectures that got me interested in apologetics.

Scripture to read today:

Matthew 11; Matthew 12; Matthew 13

Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 11:18-19
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

Matthew 23:34
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Observation:
Both John and Jesus came to the people with some things that they didn’t want to hear. No one wants to be told they’re wrong- especially if they thing they’re right! So the answer must be “they have a demon.” But look past their words to their actions. That’s where you see the goodness and rightness. The words were right too, but the actions is where you got to see that fact.

Application:
I talk a lot. I enjoy a good conversation- and I know how to listen as well. I’m sure my mouth says many things, and I hope they are all true. But I’m even more hopeful that my actions back up my words. It is hard to always do the right thing, and I know there are times that I fail miserably. But I have other people watching me for the right way to live. If  I want my kids to be good people, I have to set an example. I can’t just tell them how to live and then go live some other way.

Prayer:
Lord, let my words and my actions be a reflection of You to others. Help me not be proud that I am right but pleased that I am not wrong. Let me resist the temptations of this world. Amen.

There may be a lot of different things we can do, and a lot we can’t. But one thing is for sure we can and must reach out to as many lost as possible and bring the call from Jesus “Follow Me”. If you are a Christian it is your duty to witness to as many as possible. We must not give up hope and all ways realize that God is still in control. The Message remains the same. It must reach all over the world by any means. Jesus is the only way. 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me…John 14:6 (Read all of John 14)

Bro Larry is asking as many as will to join with us and help spread this message…Mark 8:34 (Read all of Mark 8)>And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Witness opened to an amazing crowd during Friday’s Gallery Hop. Thanks to everyone who stopped by J. Allen Studio + Spa, to the artists and storytellers who shared their work with us, and to the incredible and unbelievably hard-working group who developed and produced the entire program. It was a thrilling opening and a proper launch to what’s primed to be an extraordinary tour.