I think we need to put all difference aside and remember the first two commandments. Love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind and the second is love your neighbor as yourself
Hey Mark! Love your writings of late! And not only do Conservatives wear Christian "masks".
Liberals do their fair share as well. Check out https://www.votecommongood.com/ Something I've always found interesting is the word "transformed" in the Bible. It is used for Christians in Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." and the enemies of our souls in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." The Christian "transform" is a Greek word from which we get metamorphosis. We are transformed into something ENTIRELY different than before. In like a worm and out like a butterfly. From slithering in the dirt to flying to the great heights. The "transform" that Satan and his minions do is a totally different Greek word, one which means "to wear a mask". Hmmm! Be well, Blother!
I love meeting people where they are! Everyone is so interesting when you start to talk to them and love on them like Jesus did. I think one of the most interesting things to remember is that we don’t have to be in a church building every Sunday to do God’s work and be closer to Him either! Meeting people where they are, gathering together and showing His love is what He wants us to do, not warming a pew. We all grow in His love that way.
So much to say…I am almost 64, so I have watched how these things have played out. I agree that evangelicals lost their way in the days of the Moral Majority by putting their focus and energy (and HOPE) in political power over the power of the Gospel. Too many valued having a Christian culture over having our neighbors and co-workers actually come to know Christ.
But I have also watched our culture move further and further from God and His ways, until it is almost unrecognizable. Those feminist and homosexual ideologies that Jerry Falwell opposed have brought forth death and destruction.
Jesus said the world would hate us, as it hated Him. Yes, we should see every person through eyes of love and compassion, but we also must call them to repentance. To affirm sin in a person’s life is not love, because that sin separated them from knowing God.
I don’t have to give up being a conservative to be a Christian. To stand for the truth is to stand for that which brings forth life. That is love.
Amen! The American church acts like it worships nationalism more than Jesus. Christianity has a long and troubling history of seeing faith through its nationalism. I want to be more about quietly being like Jesus and concentrating on His red letter words. I am okay not having all the answers and leaving the judgment to God. When I was in China, I didn’t sing patriotic Chinese songs at Church. It would feel out of place and creates a barrier to believers from other nationalities.Same with Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, and every other country in which I have worshipped God with my fellow Christians. We gave a separation of church and state but we only seem to apply it to Americans who are not Christians. I don't want anyone to be turned off to Jesus because I insist on an American-themed bridge to Him.
Jesus did love, but also notably corrected them to "go and sin no more". As much as God loves us individually is without question, however many have wrongly made themselves judge and juror, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to do what He came to do - convict the world of sin. That's where we as believers have failed in giving the gospel message. We were never to be finger waggers; this never convicted people. But in the end, each of us will face a holy and righteous Judge whose standard is clearly laid out in His word, "Come out from among them, be separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Then you will be My people ..."
Hi, Mark. You asked, "What does that leave us to do? " My reply is simply to pray that the desire of everyone is to delight oneself in diligently seeking the heart of God. ' in Him we live and move and have our being.' 🔥
I think we need to put all difference aside and remember the first two commandments. Love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind and the second is love your neighbor as yourself
This is great…except you have a typo: it should read “dance to great 70s music.” 😉
Hey Mark! Love your writings of late! And not only do Conservatives wear Christian "masks".
Liberals do their fair share as well. Check out https://www.votecommongood.com/ Something I've always found interesting is the word "transformed" in the Bible. It is used for Christians in Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." and the enemies of our souls in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." The Christian "transform" is a Greek word from which we get metamorphosis. We are transformed into something ENTIRELY different than before. In like a worm and out like a butterfly. From slithering in the dirt to flying to the great heights. The "transform" that Satan and his minions do is a totally different Greek word, one which means "to wear a mask". Hmmm! Be well, Blother!
I love meeting people where they are! Everyone is so interesting when you start to talk to them and love on them like Jesus did. I think one of the most interesting things to remember is that we don’t have to be in a church building every Sunday to do God’s work and be closer to Him either! Meeting people where they are, gathering together and showing His love is what He wants us to do, not warming a pew. We all grow in His love that way.
So much to say…I am almost 64, so I have watched how these things have played out. I agree that evangelicals lost their way in the days of the Moral Majority by putting their focus and energy (and HOPE) in political power over the power of the Gospel. Too many valued having a Christian culture over having our neighbors and co-workers actually come to know Christ.
But I have also watched our culture move further and further from God and His ways, until it is almost unrecognizable. Those feminist and homosexual ideologies that Jerry Falwell opposed have brought forth death and destruction.
Jesus said the world would hate us, as it hated Him. Yes, we should see every person through eyes of love and compassion, but we also must call them to repentance. To affirm sin in a person’s life is not love, because that sin separated them from knowing God.
I don’t have to give up being a conservative to be a Christian. To stand for the truth is to stand for that which brings forth life. That is love.
Amen! The American church acts like it worships nationalism more than Jesus. Christianity has a long and troubling history of seeing faith through its nationalism. I want to be more about quietly being like Jesus and concentrating on His red letter words. I am okay not having all the answers and leaving the judgment to God. When I was in China, I didn’t sing patriotic Chinese songs at Church. It would feel out of place and creates a barrier to believers from other nationalities.Same with Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, and every other country in which I have worshipped God with my fellow Christians. We gave a separation of church and state but we only seem to apply it to Americans who are not Christians. I don't want anyone to be turned off to Jesus because I insist on an American-themed bridge to Him.
Jesus did love, but also notably corrected them to "go and sin no more". As much as God loves us individually is without question, however many have wrongly made themselves judge and juror, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to do what He came to do - convict the world of sin. That's where we as believers have failed in giving the gospel message. We were never to be finger waggers; this never convicted people. But in the end, each of us will face a holy and righteous Judge whose standard is clearly laid out in His word, "Come out from among them, be separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Then you will be My people ..."
Hi, Mark. You asked, "What does that leave us to do? " My reply is simply to pray that the desire of everyone is to delight oneself in diligently seeking the heart of God. ' in Him we live and move and have our being.' 🔥