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Surprised, but not entirely sure I should be...

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Marky Mark:

--- Quote ---I'd rather keep silent with the little I know and wait for the event to be given
--- End quote ---

Hello Gary. I agree also. Foolish you ain't.

  I do not seek people out to witness to by any stretch of the imagination,seeing as I have a habit of tripping over my own tongue at times.What I certainly do advocate is to be ready to give an answer to whoever should ask of what my thoughts are,on what the Word has revealed to me,concerning the Truths of the Spirit. Of course the best way to be prepared to answer is knowing what the Word says,that is,by constant prayer and study and the revelation of Christ Himself,within my heart and mind  :)


Peace...Mark

Samson:

--- Quote from: mharrell08 on December 07, 2010, 04:05:16 PM ---
--- Quote from: GaryK on December 07, 2010, 03:57:36 PM ---To me 'witnessing' and 'defending' are two entirely different matters.
--- End quote ---


Absolutely Gary. We should be seen and not heard in terms of being a witness of Christ in us. The way we live our lives will speak volumes.

'Defending' the faith should simply be a response to a genuine interest. It takes spiritual discernment to tell the difference between genuine interest and a religious hobbyist looking for a debate.

--- End quote ---


Marques made an excellent point regarding differentiating between: A GENUINE INTEREST VERSUS A RELIGIOUS HOBBYIST LOOKING FOR A DEBATE(Caps mine for emphasis). This is so true and takes much experience and discernment to detect the difference. Also, to add to Marques point, Also, there are those who will listen to everything you say without contest, but don't have any interest either way. They don't reject what you explain to them, but they don't ask questions or bring up this type of conversation. At best, they are sounding boards. This is something that I recently experienced with a very nice and pleasant Workmate. No more information for Him, just awaiting a Question, been waiting an awful long time,  ;)

                             Thanks, Samson.

acomplishedartis:
hum. So many responses and compression on these whole post... !


--- Quote from: Kat on December 04, 2010, 08:16:56 AM ---The thing is that most Christians have been learning what they believe since childhood in the church. They have built their false beliefs brick upon brick into a huge building of fallacy. Now when you come along and point out that some of this is wrong, there is no way for them to take out that which you say is wrong without the whole thing collapsing and that is the last thing most of them want. You see they can not be given a bit of truth and expected to understand it, it simply does not fit together with all the rest of what they have come to believe. They are comfortable in their false beliefs, besides everybody else they know (except you) believe the same as they do.

You know that when you came to this truth it was absolutely necessary for your false house built on sand to fall and a great fall it was (Matt 7). It is a process to come to know this truth, tearing down the old and building a brand new building on the Rock. We know that this is impossible for a person to do on their own, for this to happen God must call them out of their delusion.
Kat

--- End quote ---
For me this was very nice and clearly explained.  

I might will predict that while you keep assimilating more what you are learning you will become a more reserved person for a while.
    
       We don't have time to try to knock off others peoples houses while we have to focus on build a new one for our selves,

    

* First, our whole surrounding context will start to change, you can't adapt anymore on your environment as before, we start to see the whole thing from the top or as a whole. Also the majority around you can't really adapt to you (the big difference is that you can understand them while they can't understand you)
* Second, You no longer share (and this will increase) the current structures, norms, attitudes and the same history of the place that surround you. (So you will need to be careful on every opinion and subject you get into, if you don't want to offend people all the time. maybe look for safer subjects to talk about)
* Also we need to work with what we have, be aware of our limitations. We are busy trying to build a brand new building.
Maybe once this  is bigger and stable, There we will have a stage to answer properly when somebody honestly ask. It is also hard to be taken serious when our life's are being sponsored by a contradictory belief system.
* For last. Any change to one aspect of the setting where you live will obviously have consequences for many other aspects, so you will need to anticipate and be prepared for drastic consequences.

As we keep walking, and building, there is less fear and more freedom. Also there can be high possibilities for us to become more lonely (spiritually). This is why we must come together online, and also why the first believers used to be encouraged to stay together. Still, Wherever we are and whatever we do; we must focus on keep on building, carefully.
And here is the dilemma again:

- Naively trying to change individuals on their own environment that they are so used too. [They may agree with you for one chat, but if their house is not about to be knocked down.. they will not have the straight, the enough knowledge or courage for change]

- Or wait until God (whenever He wants, and however he wants) must call them out of their delusion.


Words from people that we tent to think that know us the most are way more persuasive and strong, no matter if what they are saying make much sense or not, so they are the ones that we must be aware the must.
  

          We are getting far! We are getting far from everything on religion that we used to think to be right!
 
  

Linny:
I was born to argue. It makes me happy to debate.  ;) That is why God taught me how to keep my mouth shut  :-X BEFORE He brought me to BT.
It isn't witnessing if they hate what you are saying and decide you are a wacko for saying it.  :-\
Yes, I am ready with an answer but I wait for the question. God must not think I am ready as I don't get too many questions!
So I am content to argue silently in my head when I hear crapola that I disagree with. I used to be blind too.  8)

moxicarose:
Wow...so many posts on the thread I started here!  8) I have been blessed to read everyone's thoughts and advice on this subject. I'm eager to grow in the truth, and though I would love it if I could just shout it from the rooftops, well, I know that is not helpful. I am terrible at debate, actually... however, I'm very passionate about what I believe, and so I know God will use my passion when and how He sees fit.

 Interestingly, my Mom called me this past weekend. She asked me some questions about my newfound beliefs. I at first wondered if I would be "ready to give an answer", since I only just grasped these truths a little while ago. I am confident that God gave me the right words at the right times...in the end she told me that she feels defeated, like she worked so hard to raise me in God's truths, and here I am leaving 90% of it behind. In the end, I just lent her my ear. You see, she is in a very dark place right now, and she knows it. In this one conversation, I heard more cynicism, doubt, and bitterness than I have ever heard from my mother. She doesn't understand why she used to feel so close to the Lord, and now she doesn't at all...she tells God that she misses Him. :( I continue to pray for her, knowing all along that God has not left her...

 moxicarose

 


 

 

 

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