One Generation Away

I just wish church folk could understand that maybe, sometimes, THEY are the ones doing alot of the hurting TO others. Others in church or not, or, as they call it, out sinning.

We are always one generation (even one life) between the best and the worst case scenarios.

We must reach out in love to one another.

We must lead people in how to think (rather than what to think) so they can discern truth and display it in their lives.

We must demonstrate why to believe (rather than just giving out dogma) so people see a positive difference between their lives and the life we want them to embrace.

Good deeds are not enough,lest any man should boast.

Living a 'churchly' life isn't enough since,without compassion,our songs of praise and exhortation become mere noise.

We need to have our lives be so laden with reason,joy and purpose that we draw all those who hunger for something good to fill their lives.

Sometimes,we concentrate too much on the enemy.

We seek to 'sterilize' our lives to avoid spiritual disease.

But,we forget that health is more than the absence of injury or illness.

Souls,like bodies,have more resistance to assault and heal faster when they are rested,well-nourished and stay active.

We will touch more spirits with our lives every day going about our normal routines than we ever will in one building at specific times of the week.

Remember the lesson of the infomercial:

Don't just tell people your product exists,how wonderful it is,where to obtain it and what it costs.

Show what it can do for them.

Show them it works as advertised.

Otherwise,they won't want it even if it's free.

"It has been said that this beloved nation is one generation away from becoming atheistic agnostic or whatever you want to call it."

-Who said that? MAN? Or Jesus?

Out of ALL the 100+ churches there are in Bedford Co., I would have thought several Christians or at least ONE intelligent one would come to Mr. Bell's and their belief's defense.

I guess they are out working and making money for their designer clothes and fancy cars to take to church.

Not that I'm atheist, I just question Jesus' "representatives".

Countrymom, while I am in no way considering myself a Jesus Representative (lol) I will tell you why I chose not to comment....it does no good. It falls upon deaf ears, and some people are never going to listen until they step to the gates of Heaven and are asked why they belong there. My religion and my beliefs are not up for debate therefore I chose to skip the commenting all together and just read what Michael writes.

lowerCASE please!

Yeah, the kind like saveit who is still gathering his/her thoughts, from a rebuttal that was expected weeks ago.

LOL, that's all we need! I do admire open endede conversation, but I think "duck and run" is what you did saveit by telling someone you would get back to her, and nearly three weeks later, she's waiting.

Mr.Bell and his group are to be commended for reaching out to those around them and offering those who desire it a church home where they might get their needs met.

Churches get a lot more flack than they used to when they try to feed,educate, clothe,shelter and counsel those in their community.

They get even more hassled if they don't.

It's easier to turn one's place of worship into a private club where the select elect go to gossip,eat pot luck and conduct after-hours business deals.

It's a much more difficult task to treat it as the homeplace where all the kin gather together even though they might not have much in common but the Blood,Name and,yes,Law that bind them together.

Then it's revealed that the price of being a joint-heir is learning the family business.

Church members are encouraged to come together in fellowship,to support one another in times of trouble and guide one another so they all survive long enough to grow up.

They're not meant to squabble so long about who has favored status that the chores don't get done.

When a person doesn't know where he fits in,the church is where he belongs twice.

He is born into it AND adopted.

(He may not always be liked but he will be loved.)

But belonging to God's family can't be just about gathering with the rest of the clan on the weekend.

There has to be more to identify its people than labels worn like the matching tee shirts at a picnic in the park.

People seeking God should be able to find Him because:

"I know your children.

They look and act just like you."

I may be in a minority but, I am proud of this one.

For I shall sing with the angels after I inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

The church I attend is far from a social club most of our members including myself would be outcast in most churches, ex drunks , ex drug addicts and all other sort of evil .

Did you notice I said ex.

We were freed from these sins by the blood of Christ and we are nurtured and kept on the right path by each of our fellow members.

When one slips he is not booted out or anything but is given love and support.

If he insists on going back down the road to sin ,they leave on their own because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

I would rather believe in a higher power and be wrong than to not believe and be wrong.

Since I know there is a God and he has a Son who died for me and his name is Jesus all my boasting and deeds are in him for I can do nothing but, it is him in me that guides me down my path.

Again, Revolution, I'm afraid that you're expectations of me were more than I could produce. I apologize for that. Taking a verse or two and comparing them is one thing....taking a whole belief system and comparing it is far beyond me...in both time and knowledge.

Before I left, I thought that we had a nice friendly conversation about our two beliefs. However, from the comments made since then, I see you're trying to turn this into a schoolyard "push and shove."

Revolution, I just hope that you are as passionate about being Jewish as you seem to be. I say this because your initial comment when I asked if you participated in blood sacrifices left me thinking...

" and anyway, no I don't do blood sacrificies, I am as bad as you Christians when it comes to cherry picking what I do and don't do"

Posted by Revolution on Wed, Sep 19, 2007, at 12:35 PM

In my research, blood sacrifices haven't been performed in the Jewish community since 70 CE. In your comment, you made it seem that this is one that YOU have decided not to do...hope you don't decide to "cherry pick" that one anytime soon.

Revolution,

Below, I copied and pasted from the link I provided on the other blog where we originally started our discussion. Hope this helps.

Messianic Prophecy: What Is It?

Messianic prophecy is the collection of over 100 predictions (a conservative estimate) in the Old Testament about the future Messiah of the Jewish people. These predictions were written by multiple authors, in numerous books, over approximately 1,000 years. Messianic Prophecy is so dramatic today, because with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth) you can be assured that these prophecies were not "conspired" after-the-fact.

Messianic Prophecy: Fulfillment by Jesus Christ

Messianic prophecy was fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, many did, and they became the Jewish sect later known as the Christians. Christianity, based in dramatic part on the fulfillment of historical prophecy, spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire of the 1st Century. Examine the prophecies yourself, and calculate the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific ones, and you'll be amazed.

"Jesus said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.'" Luke 24:44 (NIV)

The Old Testament verses are the prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them all out for yourself!

Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)

A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16)

Of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14)

Of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)

Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)

Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)

Herod~s killing of the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)

Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)

Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)

Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)

Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)

Would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16) Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)

Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)

Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9)

Would be rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; I Peter 2:7)

Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) involving:

rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48)

betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18)

sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15)

silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14)

being mocked (Psalm 22: 7-8; Matthew 27:31)

beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26)

spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30)

piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31)

being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38)

praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34)

piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)

given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36)

no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36)

buried in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)

casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)

Would rise from the dead!! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)

Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)

Would sit down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)

Huh? What kind of response it that. Or are you just stalling for time to reply like you accused saveit of doing?

Revolution: The discourse here does seem to get very uncivil sometimes, especially of late. I am constantly forced to ask myself after I post something, "Did that sound harsher than I intended?." Just like words out of the mouth it can't be retrieved. Like someone else mentioned on another blog, it would be nice to be able to delete a comment if you changed your mind. I hope I am always willing to admit it I cross that line. I am sure that if I do you and the others will call me on it.

You guys couldn't have said it better.

yes, devil, er, I mean, devan, I do get out of the country from time to time and I have "seen" this particular church.

It is close to a church I thought I belonged to that broke my heart, soul and spirit.

I have heard about the good works done by this church and there is another one I think serves the community very well who are full of ex-wild folk, who, in my opinion, make the BEST Christians, because they have been there and seen the consequences. Just so ya'll know, other churches ARE jealous.

My problem is with these HUGE churches with all these pious folk in fancy and designer cars and clothes who use church as a nice little social "meeting" to only help theirselves instead of the needy, here in our community, town, county, country.

I get upset when I ready about mission trips to other countries. To me, that is a slap in the face of a needy person right here. (Paid vacation in Jesus' name). Like Dianatn said on another blog, she couldn't get an organization here to GIVE for free to a truly needy family or individual.

I think differently from alot of people and I am not ashamed of it. I like to learn both sides of everything.

Sorry if I misunderstood countrymom but it sure sounded like you were talking about all 100+ churches in Bedford County being of that type. By the way, just to clarify, the comment about drivel was not directed specifically at you. It was just a general statement. I've even had to wipe my own chin a few times.

Thanks for trying to find me defense , but God is the only defense I need

Maybe God is blogging..I am sure he gets bored every now and then ;P