Carman Head
| Posted On: 10/01/08 08:52:15 PM |
Age 28, MO |
Excellent point! The real person for change in America is Jesus. People get so caught up in party politics that they even support candidates who have policies opposing the word of God. As time goes on, it seems both political parties grow more evil and power hungry. We must focus on changing the hearts of a nation and put our hope in Jesus. Thanks Ray
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WE RESPECT THE GIFT BECAUSE WE LOVE THE GIVER OF THE GIFT
| Posted On: 01/29/08 10:42:09 PM |
Age 64, OH |
You said a lot of really good things in this article. But then you ruin it all by saying "evangelism is all that you do". I read the Bible every day and there is much that Jesus talks about besides evangelism. When Jesus was asked what the most important command of God was Jesus did not say anything about evangelism. He did say we must love God with all of our heart and soul. The sons of God are NOT those who evangelize but those who follow the Spirit of God. Evangelism is not to be our focus but Jesus is. If we come to know Jesus then we will compelled to love Him. If we love Jesus we will do the things that he asks of us everyday. If I do the things that Jesus asks me to do by the minute, everyday, how could I improve on that. One of the things that Jesus asks me to do often is to preach the gospel to others and i do that everyday. But my ONLY GOAL IS TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT every second of every day. My goal is not to follow any law, including the law to evangelize. And as far as being concerned about politics or other things: we should not focus on any of these things as you have said. We should focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. But freedom is a gift from God. Just as the birth rite was a gift of God to Esau. God hated the fact that Esau did not consider God's gift to him with all respect. If we love God we will love and respect the gifts that he gives us. We love the giver and NOT the gift. But because we love the Giver, then we also have much respect for the gifts he has given us because they are from Him. The difference is the reason why we fight for freedom. We do not fight for freedom because we trust in the freedom; but we fight for freedom because we love the God who has given it to us. Lou
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- BEING a Christ-follower leads to evangilizing
| Posted On: 01/30/08 12:40:26 PM | | Age 64, OR |
You stated it with excellence, my friend. If we "BE" what it means to be Christian, then all that we are and do will be seen by others which may create a desire in them to change..including repentance of sin.
As believers we must be INFLUENCERS of others which includes the political realm. If we do not demand political candidates and leaders to understand who we are and what our values are then what motivation do they have to change or even represent us. It is only through changed hearts and lives will politicians stop compromising what is right and good.
God's Word tells us HE "appoints all leaders into positions of authority, yes even evil one, for HIS purpose and it is not for us to understand". With the current state of American government's growth toward global secularism and socialism it only fits into God's prophecy for a One World government/economy/religion which will set the stage for Christ's glorious return to rule the world and destroy the evil one(s).
We can be INFLUENCERS without being arrogantly evangelistic to unbelievers - that's the message in "don't throw pearls to swine".
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For God's Glory
| Posted On: 01/29/08 06:14:36 PM |
Age 53, CANADA |
Christians are called firstly to glorify God. This is done by seeing what the Father is doing and doing likewise. Jesus was our example of this so let us examine ourselves and do everything to the glory of God.
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Christ Frist
| Posted On: 01/29/08 02:42:29 PM |
Age 56, IN |
Christian evangelism should br first but... If our country wasn't free how much less evangelism would be done at home and thru out the world. We have the most freedom and wealth to support Christian evangelism as any time in history. Time is running out. I won't let radical Islam kill off American to silence the voice of Christian evangelism or leftist liberals make evangelism a hate crime. We must fight this till Christ returns, and evangelise with every breath,
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Amen
| Posted On: 01/29/08 01:13:49 PM |
Age 28, CA |
Great post brother Ray! Glad you were able to put this article out. Keep fighting the good fight.
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Excellent essay!
| Posted On: 01/29/08 11:46:17 AM |
Age 36, TX |
Ray,
Thank you so much for this timely reminder to the Church! If only believers would become as passionate for the biblical Gospel as they do for politics!
The same Christians who shy away from passing out Gospel tracts will gladly pass out campaign buttons and literature. The same Christians who shy away from engaging the lost about the life-giving Gospel boldly proclaim the platform of their party. The same Christians who think that open-air preaching is outlandish will stand on a street corner or in a festival and speak on behalf of a candidate.
Excellent article, brother. You are a blessing.
Jon Speed
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Evangelism versus Activism
| Posted On: 01/29/08 11:12:38 AM |
Age 61, MO |
Increasing numbers of professing Christians have been engaging in social and political activism for the purpose of attempting to coerce an ungodly society into adopting Christian standards of conduct. No matter how commendable the goal of such tactics, there is not one example of political or social activism in the Bible. (Civil disobedience was exercised on the part of the Apostles when they said we must obey God rather than men.) Christ repeatedly rebuked Israel's false religious leaders, but He never spoke out against the injustices of the Roman civil authority. He never advocated, organized, or engaged in any public protests to pressure Rome into changing its corrupt system. Rather than pressure the ungodly to live like saints, Christians need to present testimony to win the ungodly to Christ, so that they might live wholly for God. What ends up happening is that Christian activists end up joining forces with non-Christians who also espouse traditional values. A compromised social gospel is the result, and which cannot save. Above all else the Christian message to the world should be one of repentance. George Cancilla
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- It's all important...
| Posted On: 01/30/08 11:16:33 AM | | Age 35, GA |
VERY true that our first cause in life should be to preach the Gospel to the lost, but God has been very involved in government- read the entire Old Testament. He cares about who the leaders of nations are. We are in a country that allows us to vote for our leaders- we have "free will" here, so to speak. We as Christians are to not have blinders on about who the leaders are, we are to choose Godly men to lead this country. We as a nation are straying so far from Godly morals, how long do you think God will keep His protecting hand on us? What if we one day vote in leaders that make Christianity illegal? How well could well evangelize then? In Romans, we are told to obey authority because God is the One that set government in place. There is a reason for this "order" we call government. So, just like everything else in life, make sure the reason behind any passion we have is to obey and glorify
Christ in whatever we are involved in.
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Christian Activism
| Posted On: 01/29/08 07:37:09 AM |
Age 64, MN |
This is classic, 'All it takes for a Constitutional Republic to fall apart is for righteous people to do nothing.' I know why I am alive, there is a purpose for my life, ...to know God, to know Him better every day and to make Him known! That is what you call 'evangelism.' But our forefathers were Godly men, they founded a country on Godly principles. If they were not active politically in the founding of this country I would not have today this freedom, that exists now but may soon be lost, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to evangelise. Political activism is the second most important task of the Christian only after bringing the lost to Christ. Of course a persons heart must be changed but then become active politically or we lose our country. Our Godly forefathers were most certainly 'politically active!'
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Citizenship
| Posted On: 01/29/08 05:51:50 AM |
Age 45, PA |
The preachers like to say we have two citizenships when the bible only mentions one. They teach us it's OK to chase the American dream by their silence. Anyone, including myselelf who didn't learn about putting trust in government officals didn't learn the last 7 years are way to fleshy. Our time is over, drop the flag hang our heads, cut the credit cards, repent put Christ back as the head of the Body and watch for His comming!
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