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Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Tearing down walls > (No Subject)
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Violin for God
Luke, I am your father. --Nooooooooo!!!!!
Date Joined Dec 2004
Total Posts : 690
| Posted 9/5/2006 3:18 PM (GMT -6) |   | | I'm writing this out of a bit of frustration, but seriously I need advice - what would you do in this situation?
I just got out of a class and right in an area where a lot of students congregate, I saw this sign: "The FEAR of God is the ETERNAL Gospel! -Rev 12:7". Then I hear an older guy (maybe around 50?) talking in a really loud voice about something having to do with Christianity... doing the evangelism thing. Meanwhile I observe many students mocking him, saying something to the like of, "See? That's how they are."
I mean, I sooooooo wanted to confront the guy and say, "That is NOT the Gospel... how can fear be 'good news'?" But being the kind of peacemaker I'm usually inclined to be, I just gritted my teeth and walked by. No other groups come to the university campus except Christians, Messianic Jews, and JW's. And I also (Alan too) consider the university as a mission field... to show others that one can be an intellectually honest Christian, that God really IS a loving being, to convince people to just give God a chance.
But with this... What Would You Do? (WWYD?) Seriously... please give me some advice!
Geez, there are so many "Gospels" out there it's like going to a bar and picking your poison, so to speak- do you want vodka straight up or do you want a Midori Sour?
Do you want the "vengeful God" gospel? Or the "sweet loving put-in-your-back-pocket" gospel? Or the "thou shalt not" gospel? Or the "be afraid, be very afraid" gospel? Or the "feel-good once in a while" gospel?
Ugh! 
[As Bill and Ted approach Socrates]: Bill: "Yo Ted, say something profound, dude."
Ted: "Oh, yeah. Right. All we are...is dust in the wind dude."
Bill: ..."Dust".... "Wind" ... "Duuuude".
Socrates: (gasping in awe) "Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives." | | Back to Top | | |
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PotOnWheel
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 9890
| Posted 9/5/2006 4:13 PM (GMT -6) | |
Violin for God said...
What Would You Do? (WWYD?) Seriously... please give me some advice! Dear "Ugh!"
My thought at this moment are that, mercifully, some of us come to the point where we not only put our grasping hope on the fact that "Our help is in the name of the Lord, creator of heaven and earth," but also find that we recognize within (!) ourselves "our misery."
Misery is the key. One can get value out of saying that God is angry at sin. Right? Sure. Horror is not God's will. And God's patience is not forever. ("Repent.) But the problem is we all see the speck in each other's eye, and miss the log (our misery) in our own.
Misery and Hope.
Together they lead us, and those who find grace, to the Cross.
To the Cross....
Take up your cross... its the only thing that will support the weight of your misery! And mine!!!
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Violin for God
Luke, I am your father. --Nooooooooo!!!!!
Date Joined Dec 2004
Total Posts : 690
| Posted 9/6/2006 12:26 PM (GMT -6) | | Hi POW, thanks for your response. I agree that in order to fully understand God's mercy, we ought to gain an understanding of how far we have fallen. The sign that I saw outside, if anything, gave only a small bit of the Gospel: it gave the bad news.
But the thing that bothers me is that most students who aren't Christian don't understand that. Many students do view our God as a God who delights in our misery. And if they view God primarily as some sort of sadistic God, they reject that. The Gospel is that in love, Christ died for us so that we do not have to fear the presence of God.
My main point is that the Gospel isn't the fear (ie "dread") of God, rather the release from fear - that we can enter the presence of God when having Jesus as our advocate. And we understand that what's really meant by the "fear" of God is that in God's presence, we would be struck with awe.
So it is true that when we are in misery, yes, we do see the beauty of the cross. But we can also grasp the beauty of the cross when we are not in misery.
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trosie
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 550
| Posted 9/7/2006 12:33 AM (GMT -6) | | Wow! The man is preaching an area that is a vulnerable spot for me -- I have had (and still am) working through the negative messages I was given about God's wrath and fearing God. Thank God that the Spirit can reach us despite the negative messages sent out by some evangelists.
Perhaps the next time you encounter a situation like this you could pray protection on those who are vulnerable. Pray for the Spirit to set the prisoner free. Prayer is a VERY powerful weapon!
I guess the only way we are going to make a dent against the negative image some believers have given the name christian is through radical LOVE.
It is so beautiful that you and Alan have been called to reach out and set the captive free! I am starting graduate school next week. I pray God can use me in a similar way if the situation arises.
Bless you!
Trosie
Post Edited (trosie) : 9/7/2006 12:36:05 AM (GMT-5) | | Back to Top | | |
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