ChristiansUnite Forums

Think about it... They tried NOT to be a burden, yet today some try to force people into a relationship with Jesus that only comes from love.

1 Thessalonians 2:5-12
(bold and underlining mine)

(5) You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. (6) We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
(7) As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.[/u] (8) We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. (9) Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
(10) You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. (11) For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, (12) encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN!!!

Now WHO's doing the forcing...(the bold and underlining...)?

(http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/avatars/zanimals/zanimals31.gif)

(hehe)

 :P

(http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TwAAAPUY4wN*6oORvhjhc6i5OpSS2stHMJU5AlSTFdnUgMSyToiyvN*noZz6fGhhZQDB3iRbDw8h3HNcVKaGSaePt4!gYG2WEKy1tpyY9N80f*g1xdftWA/stress-monkey.jpg?dc=4675417040374464204)

I like that nx...my son said something similiar when we were discussing this...that Christ said we are all one body...and when our own arm gets injured, even tho it was because we were doing something we shouldnt have been doing, we dont hammer on it...but we say oh i`m hurt, I better get a bandaid...simple yet profound truth we all need to adapt into our thinking!


oh and ignore the monkey shines...someone musta told him at sometime or other that his antics are really funny...hahaha...symphony  :P

I'm sorry!  I can't help it.  (http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0WgDdAqsczTlJgwqj2gZwKFyBPrfUXp36NkF!d5JG3iXlkQISdYKB8mQMYtDN2C7Q4Y3WduCwgrcTEXiFUrzC1YfIW7KruY7pxKnOgalFjCYRpKIPqODLDYVWAMwJZfXayP1IY9HsHNk/bear-doing-summersault.gif?dc=4675414557557999483)

DITTO to A4C's "AAAAAAAAAMEN"....  ;D

Symphony, you are so cute!  ;) But you might want to consider some exercise... you're uh, slightly lacking in muscle tone. And maybe a razor?  :P

nX, GREAT reminder!  ;)

Slow down, sincereht, I'm writing all this down...(http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TACvBFwYuNDM4RZZvQdGFgbrosPZAVOzyaP3Fkq38BDE23u4msxzTwpg2LDDAFh44xIc3d*Ohr7lS0Li!0miBKimAN0tQZ*WZqjrWOUH*iX1kyV7XDFSSQ/mousewriting.gif?dc=4675415696535070038)

Oklahoma Howdy to Symphony,

Who gave you permission to post a picture of me on the Internet, the one about me learning to relax?  ;D

That's ok, that was one of my better days.

In Christ.
bep

Don't mess with me, blackeyedpeas.  Bullets just bounce off my chest.

(http://www.addamsfamily.com/addams/lurchtvlg.jpg)


Grrrrrrr...

Yeah, I heard a statistic on the radio that approximately 90% of people who make decisions for Christ fall away, most within the first year. I think it's because we give them the gospel message they've heard many times before, and either they want to be polite or they make the prayer out of an emotional decision, without realizing they're agreeing to change the whole way they live. It isn't a decision to be made lightly, because they might think about that later in life when they're ripe to know the Lord, but think it didn't work; they tried it before. I'm wondering if it's best to live the example, give them as much information as they seem willing to receive, then encourage them to make the decision on their own.

Oklahoma Howdy to Symphony,

I wasn't going to use bullets!

(http://www.sirinet.net/~blkidps/hulk.gif)

Oklahoma Howdy to Whitehorse,

I think you are correct to a large degree, but I still have some reservations. Christians are to witness with zeal and share the Good News of the Gospel of God's Grace. Some Christians are more effective in witnessing than others, but I am convinced that the message will not be in vain.

I don't know about the 90% figure you say who didn't find real salvation, but I do agree completely that some folks simply have an emotional experience instead of a Salvation experience. The devil is relentless in his work, and I think that we should be relentless in God's work, knowing that God will use what we do and say for HIS purpose.

In Christ.

Absolutely. Full zeal in witnessing is our duty. I think the part I'd slow down on is trying to force people to make an on-the-spot decision; Jesus said to count the cost of being His disciple, and I'm not sure we properly prepare new believers for this part of it. As you mention, too, the devil is at work overtime, and I don't think new believers have adequate information on how to fight this war, and I think they need more support and follow-up after the decision. It takes preparation to get ready to change friends, face the ridicule and jeering from old friends, the world, and even family. But I'm working on solutions to these problems, finding better ways of offering care to the new convert.

You raised another good point, too, and that's the idea that saying the sinner's prayer doesn't necessarily mean a conversion; so how many saints actually fall away, I have no way of knowing. And I think that's how the church issuing the report made their calculation, by how many said the prayer versus how many were actively seeking fellowship with God a year later. And ultimately some of it could just be backsliding; who knows what they decide ten years after "falling away." I do think there's a problem, though in the area of support for new believers. If they don't have anything to go to, then they go back to what they know, which is the world.

Oklahoma Howdy to Whitehorse,

We agree completely, simply on different trains of thought. Yes, it would be a mistake to try to force or pressure someone into accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. This thought and decision must be from the heart of the person accepting Jesus.

You are also 100% correct that the new Christian requires additional attention. Maybe you could compare a new Christian to a tender seedling that just sprouted. It will require nuture, watering, and additional care if you want it to become a strong and healty plant. If you leave it alone in the dark, it will die. I would hope that a person who really accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour would be hungry for more information, study, and fellowship. Without this hunger, I would doubt the person was saved.

In Christ.