When I started presenting the Gospel to people a couple of years ago, I began to realize that communicating the Gospel to some people was not as easy as just telling them the Truth. Some people have an incredible amount of baggage that they need to get rid of, before they can even begin to comprehend the Gospel. I am amazed at how many people really do want to talk and get help. We have the answer for them, and we have the ultimate answer for them to get help. But why is there a disconnect in the church in reaching these people? There could be several reasons. One of them I think, is that when we present the Gospel to a person, we don't want to get side tracked. That's understandable. If a person is hearing the Gospel, it would be easy for him or her to want to be distracted because he or she is feeling uncomfortable being under conviction. Many people would like to put the responsibility of their sin back on to God (remember Adam, "The woman you gave me....."?). But there is a group of people out there in the world that seem to be really disconnected from the Gospel. And they are not your typical people who are opposed to the Gospel. They are people who have been so damaged by their environment that life doesn't make sense to them, and as a result, they have believed a lie.
Take for example, a woman who has been a victim of rape or incest. Will it be easy for her to come to Christ and let go of her sins? Her dignity has been taken away. How will she get it back? What kind of difficulties will this present to her when she tries to comprehend the Gospel? Her understanding of who God is has already been shaped by her life circumstances. And they have lied to her. How can we reach her?
What about children who live in a home where crime is always taking place? When I worked for a drug store many years ago, a woman came up to buy several packages of nail products. It seemed kind of strange, but I didn't think too much of it until she went to pay with a check and didn't have the proper ID that she needed to have. I called the manager to find out what to do, and he came to the front and explained to me, right in front of her, that she was stealing. He already knew who she was. What was interesting, was that she had children with her. I wonder what those children thought was true about life, after they grew up. They would grow up thinking that stealing is ok. They would think it is ok to break the boundaries.
And then there are the sue-happy families. They wait for something to happen so that they can turn around and sue people so they can make money. Or, there are people who use the government in every way they can imagine to get money or things from them. I actually know someone who lived like this for a while as a child, and now that person, as a grown up, believes that she does not have to go to work, but live on food stamps and other government offerings, while she goes down the street and gambles with whatever little bit of money she can get.
The point is this; We are all victims of something, and we all do victimizing of some sort to others. But some people are damaged in a serious, life-hampering way, that causes them to not be able to see what is what and true. So, instead of just preaching the Gospel to them, and becoming frustrated because there is no response to it, why can't we go deeper with these people and draw them out? We might hear stories of things we never even had any idea that they existed. We might learn something new that will help us in dealing with others. Many people need someone to show them love. Some people have never learn to trust anyone, because those they lived with were untrustworthy. All these misfortunes have shaped peoples ideas about God and what He is like. Sometimes, we have to go beyond square one with these people and teach them the basics about God (much like Paul had to do with the Ephesians in Acts 17). And, we might have an opportunity to undo the works of the devil. As we take time with people, we can take steps to help them to see what is true, and eventually, what God requires of them. If we don't do this, there will be a lot of casualties in the church. We need to be loving and forbearing, and not always trying to give them a quick answer to fix their problems.
Here is the link to a video of a dog who had been obviously hurt. Someone rescued her, and she eventually responded to love. It took a little while, but it worked! Some people are like that dog. We need to treat people's lives as we would treat fine China. We also need to prepare the way, so the Gospel can be communicated to them. That is there greatest need and we have to help remove the baggage so the meaning of the Gospel will be clear to them.
www.godvine.com/Meet-the-Scared-Dog-That-Only-Wanted-a-Hug-1087.html
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Their Blood is Crying Out
"And God said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground."
"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6)
In dealing with evangelism and Biblical counseling, we have always just gotten to the point with issues. In evangelism, you just get right to the Gospel, right? You want to be careful to not get off onto bunny trails. Satan certainly uses those to distract from the message of the Gospel. But in counseling, we do the same thing. We want to fix people's problems. We give them scriptures that they can apply to their situation. We want people's problems to go away, isn't that true? Well, yes, we do want them to go away, but God wants to take that situation and work His truth in that person's heart. Counseling is not as easy as giving a five step course to help someone out of their problems, nor is it that easy sometimes when we do evangelism. Yes, the Gospel is ultimately what everyone needs to have in both counseling and evangelism.
There are groups of people though, that are much harder to reach. It's not as easy as just preaching the Gospel to them, (although that is what the ultimate goal will be). I am talking about people, here in America today, that are in slavery. You are probably thinking, 'Wait a minute. There's no slavery in America today. That ended after the Civil War era." Well, there may be more to this that you don't know.
First of all, there are the cults. Take for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses. Did you know that when a Jehovah's Witness comes to Christ and leaves the group, that they have a very harsh excommunication for that person? Not only that, but all family members are not to have contact with that person ever again.
Coming out of Islam is even worse. It could mean your life if you were born into a Muslim family and converted to Christianity. I have known people who were in this situation and it is very hard.
But it gets even worse. If a person is born into a Satanic cult family, that child will probably go through a life of torture. If there is any concern of that child betraying the family secret, even when the child grows up, they will deal with that child, possibly by death.
I said all this to say that there really is slavery here today. I know it is not limited to America. People's wills are taken away from birth. Not only that, but some families will deliberately destroy their children's minds so that they end up warped when they are adults. There are more and more reports of people that have developed what is called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), which is the same thing by another name. The way a person ends up with DID is this; The child is treated with trauma at a very young age. It is done deliberately in order to fracture their minds. When a child is developing this condition, they are also developing amnesia to the traumatic situations. In other words, they won't remember the trauma that happened to them, but they will end up with a fractured mind. Some types of trauma are rape, electrocution, food/sleep deprivation, and physical beatings. One reason that people would be doing these things to children could be political. I have read where there are people who are trying to 'Break the mind'. Another time I read where there were people who are trying to employ these methods to create a society of robotic people. Many of these people who have experienced this kind of trauma and have DID also have had microchips implanted in their bodies. I could go on with a whole list more of things that happen to these people, but the point is this; We have a whole group of people that are trying to get help, but don't know where to turn or how they can even be helped. We, as Christian people and Biblical counselors have to know how to help these people. Some of them are so afraid of people that they seem hard to reach. Most of them are more afraid of being caught by other family members or members of that group. We need wisdom from above and help from God.
The verses above apply to this situation, and here's how; there are a lot of people who have died at the hands of these cruel taskmasters. People have become human sacrifices for Satan. Children that have survived this mess can't seem to get out. The blood of the people who have died is crying out to God for justice! Those who have survived are also asking the same thing. How long O Lord? How long will this go on? How long will Dads get away with incest? How long will people be taken and microchipped and get away with it? How long will this torture go on? Why do we as a people not believe that it is really happening? Why do we think humans wouldn't really be doing such things? Because we think it happens in other countries, but not here in safe America. And we fail to understand the depravity of man.
There are other types of slavery too. There is also sex trafficking which young girls are brought into prostitution. They didn't ask to be there. Someone exploited them and brought them in, in order to make money off them. We have to deal properly with all the after effects of this crime.
Yes, their blood is crying out. The blood of millions of aborted babies is crying out. The blood of those damaged from being in the cult is crying out. They are not only crying out to God for justice, but they are crying out for help. Their only hope is in the Cross, and they need to have that message available to them. They will need for people (believers) to accept them. They will need to learn to trust us (which will be very hard) and we need to become trustworthy. Let's be asking for God's help and wisdom, in counseling and evangelism, and let's be careful to listen next time and not turn someone away because their story seems too bizarre. If we don't help them, no one else can. Let's be the church and let's be the advocate for those who are enslaved!
"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6)
In dealing with evangelism and Biblical counseling, we have always just gotten to the point with issues. In evangelism, you just get right to the Gospel, right? You want to be careful to not get off onto bunny trails. Satan certainly uses those to distract from the message of the Gospel. But in counseling, we do the same thing. We want to fix people's problems. We give them scriptures that they can apply to their situation. We want people's problems to go away, isn't that true? Well, yes, we do want them to go away, but God wants to take that situation and work His truth in that person's heart. Counseling is not as easy as giving a five step course to help someone out of their problems, nor is it that easy sometimes when we do evangelism. Yes, the Gospel is ultimately what everyone needs to have in both counseling and evangelism.
There are groups of people though, that are much harder to reach. It's not as easy as just preaching the Gospel to them, (although that is what the ultimate goal will be). I am talking about people, here in America today, that are in slavery. You are probably thinking, 'Wait a minute. There's no slavery in America today. That ended after the Civil War era." Well, there may be more to this that you don't know.
First of all, there are the cults. Take for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses. Did you know that when a Jehovah's Witness comes to Christ and leaves the group, that they have a very harsh excommunication for that person? Not only that, but all family members are not to have contact with that person ever again.
Coming out of Islam is even worse. It could mean your life if you were born into a Muslim family and converted to Christianity. I have known people who were in this situation and it is very hard.
But it gets even worse. If a person is born into a Satanic cult family, that child will probably go through a life of torture. If there is any concern of that child betraying the family secret, even when the child grows up, they will deal with that child, possibly by death.
I said all this to say that there really is slavery here today. I know it is not limited to America. People's wills are taken away from birth. Not only that, but some families will deliberately destroy their children's minds so that they end up warped when they are adults. There are more and more reports of people that have developed what is called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), which is the same thing by another name. The way a person ends up with DID is this; The child is treated with trauma at a very young age. It is done deliberately in order to fracture their minds. When a child is developing this condition, they are also developing amnesia to the traumatic situations. In other words, they won't remember the trauma that happened to them, but they will end up with a fractured mind. Some types of trauma are rape, electrocution, food/sleep deprivation, and physical beatings. One reason that people would be doing these things to children could be political. I have read where there are people who are trying to 'Break the mind'. Another time I read where there were people who are trying to employ these methods to create a society of robotic people. Many of these people who have experienced this kind of trauma and have DID also have had microchips implanted in their bodies. I could go on with a whole list more of things that happen to these people, but the point is this; We have a whole group of people that are trying to get help, but don't know where to turn or how they can even be helped. We, as Christian people and Biblical counselors have to know how to help these people. Some of them are so afraid of people that they seem hard to reach. Most of them are more afraid of being caught by other family members or members of that group. We need wisdom from above and help from God.
The verses above apply to this situation, and here's how; there are a lot of people who have died at the hands of these cruel taskmasters. People have become human sacrifices for Satan. Children that have survived this mess can't seem to get out. The blood of the people who have died is crying out to God for justice! Those who have survived are also asking the same thing. How long O Lord? How long will this go on? How long will Dads get away with incest? How long will people be taken and microchipped and get away with it? How long will this torture go on? Why do we as a people not believe that it is really happening? Why do we think humans wouldn't really be doing such things? Because we think it happens in other countries, but not here in safe America. And we fail to understand the depravity of man.
There are other types of slavery too. There is also sex trafficking which young girls are brought into prostitution. They didn't ask to be there. Someone exploited them and brought them in, in order to make money off them. We have to deal properly with all the after effects of this crime.
Yes, their blood is crying out. The blood of millions of aborted babies is crying out. The blood of those damaged from being in the cult is crying out. They are not only crying out to God for justice, but they are crying out for help. Their only hope is in the Cross, and they need to have that message available to them. They will need for people (believers) to accept them. They will need to learn to trust us (which will be very hard) and we need to become trustworthy. Let's be asking for God's help and wisdom, in counseling and evangelism, and let's be careful to listen next time and not turn someone away because their story seems too bizarre. If we don't help them, no one else can. Let's be the church and let's be the advocate for those who are enslaved!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Reality of Living in a Fallen World
One of my favorite songs is 'Seattle', I think sung by Perry Como. The words go like this:
'The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle.'
'And the hills are green as green in Seattle.'
'Like a beautiful child, growing up, being wild.'
'Full of hopes and full of fears, full of laughter full of tears,
full of dreams to last a year in Seattle.'
Wow. I have always loved that song and now I understand why. If you were to take the song seriously, you would probably want to move out to Seattle (unless you live there already). It appears that skies are always blue there. Green hills. Children running around having fun. No problems it appears. None of the stresses of life appear in that song. I want to live like that. I have often wondered if it were really like that living in Seattle!
Well, reality is that that song does not portray reality in a fallen world, which we live in. The skies aren't always blue. Sometimes it rains hard and people get into accidents. People get sick. Children die. Life is really hard. Why is there such a disconnect between reality and that song?
The reason has to do with an event that happened in the Garden of Eden, around 6000 years ago. God created man in His own image. He gave them a beautiful world, probably much like Seattle is portrayed in the song. God already warned Adam and Eve that they would die if they ate of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. But when the serpent (Satan) questioned the goodness of God and threw questions at Eve to cause her to doubt God's goodness, she listened to the serpent and ate the fruit and gave some to Adam as well. They went and hid from God but God found them. They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, but God covered them with an animal skin. God also told what would happen to them, because of what they did. They were banned from the Garden, and God put the earth under a curse. The earth will stay in this fallen state until the time of the renewal. Throughout History, we see wars, plagues, families breaking up, decomposition, strife, and a multitude of other bad things going on around us continually. From the time of Eve's disobedience until today, we see continual hardships and suffering. Even the earth is suffering from the curse.
As I take this Human Personality class, I am learning that man was created in God's image and bears that image, but the image has been distorted because of the fall. How will God deliver us? Can we get out of this mess? The world we live in is nothing like the Seattle in the song with the same name. What a deception and disappointment!
Well, God did do something and we will be restored. 2000 years ago, God sent His Son to come to our darkened world and rescue us. He did it by dying on the Cross for us. He died for our sins, but He also died so we could be restored to God. He is going to come back one day and receive us into heaven. He also will bring restoration to the earth. The Bible says that He will make all things new. He will make a new heaven and earth. No more wars! No more mental problems! No more divorces! No more children becoming slaves of pornography! God has the answer for all of this. We can experience a genuine relationship with Him now, and in the life to come, we will have eternal life. Only then will life resemble what the song indicates Seattle is like. Only the next life will even be better!
For more information on the Gospel, go to the blog page here: www.thegospelconversation.blogspot.com
Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or want to learn more about eternity and the Gospel. awestruck@bellsouth.net
'The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle.'
'And the hills are green as green in Seattle.'
'Like a beautiful child, growing up, being wild.'
'Full of hopes and full of fears, full of laughter full of tears,
full of dreams to last a year in Seattle.'
Wow. I have always loved that song and now I understand why. If you were to take the song seriously, you would probably want to move out to Seattle (unless you live there already). It appears that skies are always blue there. Green hills. Children running around having fun. No problems it appears. None of the stresses of life appear in that song. I want to live like that. I have often wondered if it were really like that living in Seattle!
Well, reality is that that song does not portray reality in a fallen world, which we live in. The skies aren't always blue. Sometimes it rains hard and people get into accidents. People get sick. Children die. Life is really hard. Why is there such a disconnect between reality and that song?
The reason has to do with an event that happened in the Garden of Eden, around 6000 years ago. God created man in His own image. He gave them a beautiful world, probably much like Seattle is portrayed in the song. God already warned Adam and Eve that they would die if they ate of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. But when the serpent (Satan) questioned the goodness of God and threw questions at Eve to cause her to doubt God's goodness, she listened to the serpent and ate the fruit and gave some to Adam as well. They went and hid from God but God found them. They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, but God covered them with an animal skin. God also told what would happen to them, because of what they did. They were banned from the Garden, and God put the earth under a curse. The earth will stay in this fallen state until the time of the renewal. Throughout History, we see wars, plagues, families breaking up, decomposition, strife, and a multitude of other bad things going on around us continually. From the time of Eve's disobedience until today, we see continual hardships and suffering. Even the earth is suffering from the curse.
As I take this Human Personality class, I am learning that man was created in God's image and bears that image, but the image has been distorted because of the fall. How will God deliver us? Can we get out of this mess? The world we live in is nothing like the Seattle in the song with the same name. What a deception and disappointment!
Well, God did do something and we will be restored. 2000 years ago, God sent His Son to come to our darkened world and rescue us. He did it by dying on the Cross for us. He died for our sins, but He also died so we could be restored to God. He is going to come back one day and receive us into heaven. He also will bring restoration to the earth. The Bible says that He will make all things new. He will make a new heaven and earth. No more wars! No more mental problems! No more divorces! No more children becoming slaves of pornography! God has the answer for all of this. We can experience a genuine relationship with Him now, and in the life to come, we will have eternal life. Only then will life resemble what the song indicates Seattle is like. Only the next life will even be better!
For more information on the Gospel, go to the blog page here: www.thegospelconversation.blogspot.com
Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or want to learn more about eternity and the Gospel. awestruck@bellsouth.net
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Now that's a good question. But does it apply to us today, after all, didn't God say those words to Cain after he killed his brother? If it does apply to us today, what does that look like?
Well, first of all, people who have put their trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation, and have repented of their sins, according to the Bible, are born again. They are born of the Holy Spirit and the spirit inside them, which once was dead, is now alive. Also, they are born into the family of God. That person is now God's child. Other people who have done the same are also God's children. All people who are born again are part of God's family, with God being the Father.
In a human family, we have parents that watch out for the children. When the parents are around, the children should watch out for each other. That doesn't always happen because we are basically selfish and aren't mature enough to do that until we become adults (and it doesn't always happen then either).
In the Boy Scouts organization, they have a policy called, The Buddy System. In the Buddy System, a boy scout is always with another boy scout just in case something happens to one of them and they need help. If a boy scout is alone, it would be easy for him to be in dangerous situations. No one would know that he was in danger because he is by himself. But with another boy scout around, there is safety.
I think that is a good point in any relationship setting. No man (or woman) is an island. We are all together in this life. God designed us to be in relationship with one another in the Body of Christ. God puts us together and we grow together as a body of believers. If we are left to ourselves, we put ourselves in a dangerous place, spiritually speaking.
Yes, we need one another. If you look throughout Paul's writings in the New Testament, you will see many times the words 'one another' (note: this phrase is different in different versions). We do, up to a point, have a responsibility for each other in the church. That is why we have small groups, care groups, activities for people to engage in together and get to know one another.
Jesus commands us to 'love one another'. Is love just an idea, or is it something deeper. We love babies and ice cream, but what is really involved with loving someone. 1 Corinthians 13 gives a description of what that is like. It involves sacrifice and seeing the other person's needs above our own. Loving someone is caring for what is best for the other person, regardless of what it takes out of us.
In Romans 12:5, it tells us that we are members of one another. "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
We are not only members of the family of God, but also of each other!
In other parts of the New Testament, we are to 'edify' one another. In Galatians 6, it tells us to carry or bear one another's burdens. Other verses tell us to admonish one another.
So my point is this; Are we taking care of one another, the way that it is prescribed in the Bible? Are we aware when one of our brothers or sisters in the Lord is going through a hard time? Are we letting people slip through the cracks because we are too busy with our own activities that we don't even remember there are other people in the church? What about that person who was involved in the church last year? Have we noticed that he is missing? What about the woman who was going through a terrible divorce a couple of months ago? Where is she now? Was someone there to help her walk through that dark time in her life? How about that couple whose teenage son was killed last year? Where are they now? Were we able to reach them and minister to them in their dark hour? I think you get the point.
In 2 Corinthians 2:13, Paul was very distressed because he couldn't find Titus. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul explains the joy and comfort he had because of finding Titus. This was no small matter for him.
Are we our brother or sister's keeper? You bet. If we don't see things this way, let's ask God to show us our hearts and give us a deep love and care for one another in the Body of Christ.
Now that's a good question. But does it apply to us today, after all, didn't God say those words to Cain after he killed his brother? If it does apply to us today, what does that look like?
Well, first of all, people who have put their trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation, and have repented of their sins, according to the Bible, are born again. They are born of the Holy Spirit and the spirit inside them, which once was dead, is now alive. Also, they are born into the family of God. That person is now God's child. Other people who have done the same are also God's children. All people who are born again are part of God's family, with God being the Father.
In a human family, we have parents that watch out for the children. When the parents are around, the children should watch out for each other. That doesn't always happen because we are basically selfish and aren't mature enough to do that until we become adults (and it doesn't always happen then either).
In the Boy Scouts organization, they have a policy called, The Buddy System. In the Buddy System, a boy scout is always with another boy scout just in case something happens to one of them and they need help. If a boy scout is alone, it would be easy for him to be in dangerous situations. No one would know that he was in danger because he is by himself. But with another boy scout around, there is safety.
I think that is a good point in any relationship setting. No man (or woman) is an island. We are all together in this life. God designed us to be in relationship with one another in the Body of Christ. God puts us together and we grow together as a body of believers. If we are left to ourselves, we put ourselves in a dangerous place, spiritually speaking.
Yes, we need one another. If you look throughout Paul's writings in the New Testament, you will see many times the words 'one another' (note: this phrase is different in different versions). We do, up to a point, have a responsibility for each other in the church. That is why we have small groups, care groups, activities for people to engage in together and get to know one another.
Jesus commands us to 'love one another'. Is love just an idea, or is it something deeper. We love babies and ice cream, but what is really involved with loving someone. 1 Corinthians 13 gives a description of what that is like. It involves sacrifice and seeing the other person's needs above our own. Loving someone is caring for what is best for the other person, regardless of what it takes out of us.
In Romans 12:5, it tells us that we are members of one another. "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
We are not only members of the family of God, but also of each other!
In other parts of the New Testament, we are to 'edify' one another. In Galatians 6, it tells us to carry or bear one another's burdens. Other verses tell us to admonish one another.
So my point is this; Are we taking care of one another, the way that it is prescribed in the Bible? Are we aware when one of our brothers or sisters in the Lord is going through a hard time? Are we letting people slip through the cracks because we are too busy with our own activities that we don't even remember there are other people in the church? What about that person who was involved in the church last year? Have we noticed that he is missing? What about the woman who was going through a terrible divorce a couple of months ago? Where is she now? Was someone there to help her walk through that dark time in her life? How about that couple whose teenage son was killed last year? Where are they now? Were we able to reach them and minister to them in their dark hour? I think you get the point.
In 2 Corinthians 2:13, Paul was very distressed because he couldn't find Titus. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul explains the joy and comfort he had because of finding Titus. This was no small matter for him.
Are we our brother or sister's keeper? You bet. If we don't see things this way, let's ask God to show us our hearts and give us a deep love and care for one another in the Body of Christ.
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