Besides this site, I also post some at Turbo Buick.com I don't know how to cut and paste the thread so I'll have to explain. Their site also doesn't have a "Help From Above" section Yesterday, a member started a thread on how we should reflect on this time of year to give thanks and not bicker with each other as has been happening alot on that site with members and vendors. I replied to the post in full agreement stating that we should all try and make peace with each other since our community is relatively small in comparison with others. I also went on to say that we will ultimately be judged by one person and that I for one, know and understand the true meaning of Christmas. Another member (3rd person) replied sarcastically that he supposed I would try and tell him that the true meaning concerns Jesus's birthday. I'm not real comfortable replying to the post right now or sending him an email off line. I know that Christians have been persecuted before and in modern day as we are in a minority. I for one, thank God for saving me eight years ago from the grips of Satan. If he can save me, he can save anyone as I am a miracle of his work. Concerning the response of the apparent non-believer, I will pray for him privately. How would you handle this or would any of you feel comfortable replying to the thread? I know from the great commission that we as Christians should try and help provide God's word to win others to Christ but I don't want to get in a flame war there. Opinions welcome on this area. Thanks and thanks to the Lord!
Evans, I'm not sure of the policies on that turbo board, but I know that many auto-related boards do not permit posts on political or religious topics, as it is usually an invitation to mayhem. You may want to go back there and read their policies and see if it makes mention of this anywhere. Otherwise, I would suggest not replying to the guy who posted in reply to your post. Just ignore him.
Evans, everyone has their calling in life, some relates to religion and some ignore religion. Then some learn to balance religion and whatever else. The point is, what is "your" calling. If your calling is to convert non-believers with unrelenting persistence, then you will succeed in making a lot of people very mad and you will convert a very few. Human nature, right or wrong, doesn't like people telling us what we should and should not believe. In no way shape or form am I saying you should not continue on this path, I think it's great. We need more trust in the Lord in our world and certainly Christians are still discriminated against. It's more correct to me a Muslim in the US today than to be a Christian. I guess it'll never change. Pick and choose your battles though. Understand the mentality of those you are dealing with and take the necessary approach. Don't get discouraged, just understand that people are not all the same and some have the right to, and choose to follow different religions, theories and thought processes. Honestly, I wouldn't respond to that post. It's just going to incite blurbs of ignorance from others in the process (my experience at the Turbo site is that they are MUCH less mature over there) and you will just serve to get your stomach juices in an uproar. I hope you have a great Christmas (which is also beginning to get pushed under the carpet in favor of the word "holiday" ) and don't let this bother you too much. Ken
Ken said it very well! I have been a Christian most of my life, or at least I was raised in the church. I found out what forgiveness and God's love meant later in my teens, and I believe that was when I became a believer. I think that one thing we forget often is that we had to come to that point in our lives where we understood how helpless we really are to change who we are. At that point, through the holy spirit revealing it to us, we understand that we are sinners that are in direct conflict with an angry God, and that we can't "clean ourselves up" and be at peace with him. That is when we understand the purpose of what Christ came to do, and we have a new respect for His perfection and sacrifice. The way I see it is that everyone is given the option once in their life as to what they will do with Jesus. Every moment leading up to that God is preparing us for the decision. If that decision is made to not accept salvation, then a person is given over to their own destruction. We see the results of this around us all the time. The person who hates God has made that decision to reject Him, and no one in this world will convince him to change his mind. I don't believe that it's our responsibility to be someone's conscience. Our only job is to present the truth to those that will hear, and live a life that is in obedience to God. I have found that there is nothing to profit from shoving it down someone's throat. Christmas can be what you want it to be. For me, honestly, it isn't about Jesus. The commercialization and marketing of it have ruined it. That, and it was based around a pagan holiday anyway. From what I understand, it isn't even an accurate date for his birthday. For those that believe, we celebrate Jesus's birthday every day we are alive anyway. It wasn't what day He came on, it was that He came. In my opinion, Easter should be the holiday to celebrate. It is a fact that Christ is our passover lamb. On the other hand, if you want to celebrate Christmas, more power to ya. It's all about what He means to you, right? What that guy said over on turbobuicks doesn't necessarily say to me that he isn't a believer anyway. Maybe he is more concerned with the accuracy of the date and really does believe, or maybe he feels like I do about it all. I don't really find anything wrong with what he had to say, other than it shows no respect to those that want to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th. Just my $.02
Thanks for the replies guys. Input from you helps me with this. Mike, I also appreciate your support and the post you made there. You are so right..... I was once influenced by all of the worldly things and way of life that brings. Never knew peace and contentment until I made a life changing decision.
Evans, In today's america (not our forfather's America) it in not politically correct to be a Christian. The true meaning of Christmas has been diluted for the sake of commercialization of another industry (Christmas sales). I do not believe in planting seeds to 'currently' dead souls because until the 'currently dead soul' is ready to born from above the only thing that happens is the seed planter is ridiculed. With everything else that is going wrong in this world that is something a good Christian does not need. Keep your chin up and follow the high road.
Matthew 13 The Parable of the Sower 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear." 10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'[1] 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." ------------------------------------------- Guys - It's our job to 'sow the seeds', the Lord will provide the fertile ground and take care of the Harvest. Evans - It's good to see someone taking a stand for what they believe....even though that board may take a less than friendly view of your opinion. :TU:
thanks Scott! Scott, Thank you for sharing the word on this subject. It gives me an afirmation that I should continue my Christian service. It is a way of giving back my time and love for him and his grace to me (and all others). Just to set the record straight, I don't try and win over all that I meet. Only when the fields are fertile are when I will share the gospel with those that are receptive and have a desire to hear it. This comes with much prayer also. An example would be if I go on church outreach and visitation to those that had visited the week before. I keep remembering that verse in the Bible that states, "go and be ye fishers of men". The great commission has been laid out fellow Christians, and as Scott said, it is our job to help fulfill it. I'm a member and attend a fundamentalist independent Baptist church and we've had revival all week. I wish you all could have heard our guest evangelist preach last night on the end times and phophecies from the Revelation. It was eye opening indeed. There will be great deception during this period by Satan. Glad to know I won't be here and will be raptured away before the carnage begins!
The Owner's Manual When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He did not get mad, throw stones or invent a "cool" new insult. Jesus quoted scripture. This is why reading the bible is so important. As Scott remined us, there is no better response than the "word." When in doubt, refer to the owner's manual.
John, "Owner's Manual"... very well put! I've been a member of other boards and forums, but I particularly try to stay informed with this one mostly because of this wonderful little forum right here. It is very uplifting and encouraging to see those of us with a common interest (Buicks) to able to put that interest aside and focus on important things for a bit. It certainly is a blessing, and I'm thankful that Jim has allowed us to "congregate" here and share and discuss what means the most in our lives. God Bless,
I am not overly religious, but I am abundantly aware that there is a superior being, whom I'd like to think is Jesus, watching over me and judging me on my performance on a continuous basis. I don't enjoy being preached "to", but I certainly don't look down on the word of the Lord being spread in general. As I've said, it's a shame more people don't realize there is a bigger picture outside of what goes on in their little insignificant world. All I have to do is take a walk over to the rocky shore here and sit down and listen to the waves crashing and the breeze blowing and close my eyes. There is a definite presence.....and it's much bigger than you or I! The clientelle on the Turbo board, (not a blanket statement, but definitely a larger percentage than here) is way different than here. Much more self centered and confrontational and just plain immature in many ways. They seem to be very quick to insult and poke fun (not the good kind of fun either) at you for being different, much the same as a 6th grader would do, or even a 4th grader. Need I say more? God bless to all.
