> General Discussions

Persecution

<< < (5/7) > >>

indianabob:
Hi again Lauriellen and Alex,

We are not in old testament time. Not in the way the WWCG taught that we were.
The old covenant & its requirements of sacrifice and Temple worship have been replaced. God is no longer having ONLY the Jews to be His people and to be an example to the world of obedience to the law of God.

The new covenant leads us to make of OURSELVES a sacrifice to God, by living righteously, improving a little each day and year.
Of course that is possible ONLY with the indwelling of God's spirit. We are the temple of God's spirit, we are the place where God's spirit is working. NOT IN OTHERS we may know and love.

It is NOT our place to go about seeking who we can convert by sharing the knowledge that God has reserved to those few God is calling at this time. So do not cast your pearls of wisdom before swine that will trample them underfoot.

With the indwelling of God's spirit we each can begin to develop the talents and gifts that God has granted us. That does not include evangelizing in the early stages of our personal development.
-
Actually, developing our own talents is a life long endeavor, so be patient.
-
Yes, I know that it is tempting to want to share what we have been given so that others may benefit by the knowledge of God's gracious love. But that is not our choice and in fact it is a little arrogant to suppose that we know the hearts and minds of other people better than God does.

Actually a good place to start if you are a beginner and beginners can be of any age, try Matthew 5:1-48

Please read it all, but note the final verse and spend most of your personal effort in cooperating with God to make it come true.

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

That is quite enough to accomplish in one lifetime, so leave the rest to God's son to bring about at the predetermined time in God's plan.

Offered in love, Indiana Bob

Nelson Boils:
Hi Virginia

You say, "Now I found out that Yahweh and Yahshua is a pagan name and my husband is Yahwehist and Yahshua man.This has just happened to me and I can't talk to him about, but I did ask him to read what I did about it."

I'm afraid you may just be deceiving your husband.Where on earth did you read this?I suggest you read "Solving the enigma of God" by Ray.

lauriellen:
Thank you Bob,
I appreciate your reply and I do feel like a weight has been lifted. I in no way think I am anywhere close to perfect nor qualified to be a teacher. Most of my 'shares' are quotes of other teachers or links to articles (including here) that I found helped me in my quest to learn and grow, and thought might help others. I have given a lot of thought to my motives for sharing my beliefs so much. I tell myself that I can not tolerate the character of God being misrepresented and I just want people to know that God is NOT the monster portrayed in traditional religion.....BUT, at the back of my mind is a nagging wonder if it is all just ego and wanting to be 'right' and prove others wrong, or an argumentative nature in me that needs to be purged. I know that all of the wrong theology is working for God's purpose and it is not my place to set everyone straight, however, this brings me back to the original question about persecution.....if we are not being persecuted for our faith, as Ray said, we are probably not living right? How could we be persecuted for our faith if no one knows what we believe?

Dave in Tenn:
Lauriellen, since facebook is a player in this...

I'm tormented by many of the things I see posted on facebook, and most things I see posted on facebook are posted by christians.  Sometimes it bothers me all day (sometimes longer) looking at/reading what somebody else just regurgitated there without thought.  Sometimes I reply, and sometimes I don't.  When I do, sometimes I 'feel better' and sometimes I don't.  When I reply, I give a lot of thought to it. Except when I don't.  When I don't reply , I process these contradictions in my own mind and faith is grown.  Except when I don't.

If there is a single 'right' thing to do, I don't always either 1) know what it is, or 2) do it (obviously).  Yet it seems to me so far that whatever I do or don't do, He works in me to help.  That's the 'fiery trials' I 'experience'.  If that's not enough, I suspect He will turn up the heat.

I've said and thought for a long time that any fool acting badly can get himself 'persecuted' in his own mind if that's the goal.  The goal (to me) is in living godly.  The way I read it, Jesus is warning them...not telling them to 'go forth and get thyself persecuted'.  That's the cart before the horse.  Live godly--get persecuted. 

It could well be that I am getting all the persecution He knows I can handle.  You know, SOMETIMES it even happens here.

Kat:

One thing we might should consider when we "throw our pearls" out there, is can we follow that up with the answers in Scripture that might come up from what we share?

Sure we see that the Apostles went out preaching and sharing the gospel and Ray certainly put the truth out there to others. The Apostles witnessed of what they knew from personal experience and teachings from Christ Himself and I believe Ray was called to 'expose those who contradict,' and had many years of serious Bible study/training before that. The Apostles and Ray had the knowledge and Spirit to backup what they preached and did, most importantly they had a commission from God to do what they did.

What I mean is if we just toss a truth at a person and expect them to 'get it' and even desire to know more truth from us, we are kidding ourselves. The Holy Spirit must open a person's eye 'before' they can understand... it's NOT the other way around, that the Holy Spirit will come if we give somebody a scrap of truth. God works out this conversion very carefully throughout the elects life, until at last the Holy Spirit comes in and there eyes begin to open to these wonderful truths. Most certainly that person will then seek out the truth, and most certainly God will show them where to find it.

We should be "prudent" (Amos 5:13) where or to whom we speak of these things, and we need to know there is a time to speak of these things and a time keep silent.

Ecc 3:1  To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

Ecc 3:7  A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

mercy, peace and love
Kat

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page