From another site

[Not_Now.Soon]

I wrote this in another forum recently and received a variety of negative reactions. If anyone one is willing to look it over see what you think, or if there is a better way of approaching the topic.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I know many of you for only a short amount of time. But please hear me out. Some of you don't know God, don't believe in Him, or come with contempt towards God, and to those who believe in Him.

I want to tell you what I know, from loving God.

When I am alone, I am weaker. Not to say that I am weak. In my mind I am weak, but to others, I am however they judge me. Weak or strong. But without God I am weaker. The same is true with loving God. When I focus on Him, and commit myself my love is stronger then it was before. Both my patience, and understanding, as well as any generosity or kindness. I can be a better person because God's love strengthens me to be better then when I am alone.

There are standards, there are sins. There is obedience and rebellion. But with all of this, even in spite of all this, God can strengthen us. This is what I've seen. It's what I know. The more you love God and are willing to be in His care, the stronger your love for others will be.

I do not mean that your love is weak, that you are not moral, or can not love. But that with God, He will make you stronger in the things that matter. Including our love for one another, and for our neighbors.

I see in these conversations, debates against religion, against believers, and against God as a whole. It is a conversation that seeps into other conversations regularly. It's worth talking about, so why not talk about it here.

God loves you. Otherwise He would not have sent Jesus here for your sake and mine. No, if He did not love you, He would not leave believers here to be mocked, chided, or even killed in the most horrible ways. But He has left those He's called here to be a beacon of light for those who do not know Him.

I hope you find Him if you haven't already.

 

[Tessa]

Hello Not_Now.Soon
I'm sorry but I couldn't make out if you was talking about people in the forum or people in general.

Tessa

 

[civilwarbuff]

I know many of you for only a short amount of time. But please hear me out. Some of you don't know God, don't believe in Him, or come with contempt towards God, and to those who believe in Him.

I want to tell you what I know, from loving God.

When I am alone, I am weaker. Not to say that I am weak. In my mind I am weak, but to others, I am however they judge me. Weak or strong. But without God I am weaker. The same is true with loving God. When I focus on Him, and commit myself my love is stronger then it was before. Both my patience, and understanding, as well as any generosity or kindness. I can be a better person because God's love strengthens me to be better then when I am alone.

There are standards, there are sins. There is obedience and rebellion. But with all of this, even in spite of all this, God can strengthen us. This is what I've seen. It's what I know. The more you love God and are willing to be in His care, the stronger your love for others will be.

I do not mean that your love is weak, that you are not moral, or can not love. But that with God, He will make you stronger in the things that matter. Including our love for one another, and for our neighbors.

I see in these conversations, debates against religion, against believers, and against God as a whole. It is a conversation that seeps into other conversations regularly. It's worth talking about, so why not talk about it here.

God loves you. Otherwise He would not have sent Jesus here for your sake and mine. No, if He did not love you, He would not leave believers here to be mocked, chided, or even killed in the most horrible ways. But He has left those He's called here to be a beacon of light for those who do not know Him.

I hope you find Him if you haven't already.

 

[for_his_glory]

Well said straight from the heart

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Hello Not_Now.Soon
I'm sorry but I couldn't make out if you was talking about people in the forum or people in general.

Tessa

The second post is what I wrote in the other forum. The first was to you all, and to invite you to give any thoughts that might help if I had approached the subject differently.

My intent was to give those in that read it a means of testing if God is real or not. And a testimony showing that He is real. In my opinion the perspective that God can neither be proven or disproven is false. This could have been a means to encourage people to look for God and see if they found Him. Since it didn't turn out well, I was hoping for any insight or suggestions.

 

[GodsGrace]

I know many of you for only a short amount of time. But please hear me out. Some of you don't know God, don't believe in Him, or come with contempt towards God, and to those who believe in Him.

I want to tell you what I know, from loving God.

When I am alone, I am weaker. Not to say that I am weak. In my mind I am weak, but to others, I am however they judge me. Weak or strong. But without God I am weaker. The same is true with loving God. When I focus on Him, and commit myself my love is stronger then it was before. Both my patience, and understanding, as well as any generosity or kindness. I can be a better person because God's love strengthens me to be better then when I am alone.

There are standards, there are sins. There is obedience and rebellion. But with all of this, even in spite of all this, God can strengthen us. This is what I've seen. It's what I know. The more you love God and are willing to be in His care, the stronger your love for others will be.

I do not mean that your love is weak, that you are not moral, or can not love. But that with God, He will make you stronger in the things that matter. Including our love for one another, and for our neighbors.

I see in these conversations, debates against religion, against believers, and against God as a whole. It is a conversation that seeps into other conversations regularly. It's worth talking about, so why not talk about it here.

God loves you. Otherwise He would not have sent Jesus here for your sake and mine. No, if He did not love you, He would not leave believers here to be mocked, chided, or even killed in the most horrible ways. But He has left those He's called here to be a beacon of light for those who do not know Him.

I hope you find Him if you haven't already.

You can't talk to people who do not know God in the same way that you can speak to persons who DO know God. It's unclear from what you wrote on the other forum whether or not you're writing to weak believers or non-believers.

Also, your own personal experience doesn't matter much to many.
Sometimes we hear that telling others how YOU personally feel about God is a good witness. This has never been my experience. People aren't too interested in US but only in themselvees. You have to find a way to turn the discussion over to them.

IOW, we're not here to discuss US, but THEM.
You could have, for instance, asked what THEY think makes a person strong in the Lord (if they're believers).

I like to ask non-believers what they think made everything around us and then take it from there...if they're willing to proceed.

 

[GodsGrace]

The second post is what I wrote in the other forum. The first was to you all, and to invite you to give any thoughts that might help if I had approached the subject differently.

My intent was to give those in that read it a means of testing if God is real or not. And a testimony showing that He is real. In my opinion the perspective that God can neither be proven or disproven is false. This could have been a means to encourage people to look for God and see if they found Him. Since it didn't turn out well, I was hoping for any insight or suggestions.

Oh...You want to test if God is real?
Why is He real to you?
What makes you believe in Jesus?
WHY do you believe?

(and it can't be because Jesus revealed Himself to you)

 

[Tessa]

Thank you , the reason I wasn't sure was that it came over as if you were accusing that forum of killing each other . Perhaps you could have missed that but out or else explained exactly how they were killing.

If that forum is as bad as it sounds I see nothing else wrong with your advice to them
Maybe they don't like the truth.

God Bless

 

[Free]

The second post is what I wrote in the other forum. The first was to you all, and to invite you to give any thoughts that might help if I had approached the subject differently.

My intent was to give those in that read it a means of testing if God is real or not. And a testimony showing that He is real. In my opinion the perspective that God can neither be proven or disproven is false. This could have been a means to encourage people to look for God and see if they found Him. Since it didn't turn out well, I was hoping for any insight or suggestions.

The problem is that your post is entirely subjective. When people want proof of God's existence, they want objective proof.

 

[stovebolts]

The second post is what I wrote in the other forum. The first was to you all, and to invite you to give any thoughts that might help if I had approached the subject differently.

My intent was to give those in that read it a means of testing if God is real or not. And a testimony showing that He is real. In my opinion the perspective that God can neither be proven or disproven is false. This could have been a means to encourage people to look for God and see if they found Him. Since it didn't turn out well, I was hoping for any insight or suggestions.

I think that your post will appeal to a certain group of people and from there, you will get a mixed bag of responses.

The beauty of this world is that we all experience God in slightly different ways, and we all come with a different outlook or perspective which is developed through our experiences.
Where we most often bind together is through our shared experiences, and not necessarily our shared knowledge. This is why stories are so powerful, because when we can relate to a story, it resonates through our own experience.

Not everyone has the same experiences, so they will never be shared experiences. And so we are called the Body of Christ and each of us are members of Christ providing a very important function and none any less valuable than another.

If God has put it on your heart to evangelize those that do not know God, then I believe you should continue to follow your heart where the Holy Spirit leads you, because Gods word does not return void, and you WILL reach those that God has put in your path.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

You can't talk to people who do not know God in the same way that you can speak to persons who DO know God. It's unclear from what you wrote on the other forum whether or not you're writing to weak believers or non-believers.

I was talking to mostly nonbelievers, though some might have also been believers too. Several conversation I saw people say that there's no way to prove that God exists, or doesn't exist. I thought this example could give them something to keep an eye on. If they seek God and see if they notice it's easier to be a better person from a closeness to God.

Also, your own personal experience doesn't matter much to many.
Sometimes we hear that telling others how YOU personally feel about God is a good witness. This has never been my experience. People aren't too interested in US but only in themselvees. You have to find a way to turn the discussion over to them.

IOW, we're not here to discuss US, but THEM.
You could have, for instance, asked what THEY think makes a person strong in the Lord (if they're believers).

I like to ask non-believers what they think made everything around us and then take it from there...if they're willing to proceed.

I see. I'll try to keep that in mind.

Oh...You want to test if God is real?
Why is He real to you?
What makes you believe in Jesus?
WHY do you believe?

(and it can't be because Jesus revealed Himself to you)

I already know God is real. This was one observation I've had to confirm that he is real. Unlike some of the others, this is something that could be used to encourage other people to seek God and test if this was true. Too many experiences other people can't test on their own, because it's a you had to be there kind of thing.

But perhaps your right and this was a very bad aporoach. It seems by the reactions to confirm this.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Well said straight from the heart

Thank you both.

 

[reba]

Because some folks dont want to hear the message does not mean you shouldn't preach it..

Many were martyred for speaking we can take a small amount of rejection

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Thank you , the reason I wasn't sure was that it came over as if you were accusing that forum of killing each other . Perhaps you could have missed that but out or else explained exactly how they were killing.

If that forum is as bad as it sounds I see nothing else wrong with your advice to them
Maybe they don't like the truth.

God Bless

Oh. No I didn't mean that they were killing people, but that Christians are being killed in several countries (as well as well as throughout history). I probabley could have made that more clear. The forum isn't that bad, but it has a few people who sound angry from all the no belief that is going on there, surrounded by several other people who don't believe and have no intention of trying. On the occasion that one Christian writes an article, he gets blasted in the comments.

I don't know, but it seems like the few Christians there have weakened their faith by either compromising their views to hold non-Christian views in order to try to reach others. Or the Christians are warn down and angry for the conversations that have progressed within the site.

There are a few antagonistic people there. Not just to Christians, but definitely with a focus to Christians.

 

[GodsGrace]

I think that your post will appeal to a certain group of people and from there, you will get a mixed bag of responses.

The beauty of this world is that we all experience God in slightly different ways, and we all come with a different outlook or perspective which is developed through our experiences.
Where we most often bind together is through our shared experiences, and not necessarily our shared knowledge. This is why stories are so powerful, because when we can relate to a story, it resonates through our own experience.

Not everyone has the same experiences, so they will never be shared experiences. And so we are called the Body of Christ and each of us are members of Christ providing a very important function and none any less valuable than another.

If God has put it on your heart to evangelize those that do not know God, then I believe you should continue to follow your heart where the Holy Spirit leads you, because Gods word does not return void, and you WILL reach those that God has put in your path.

Great post.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

The problem is that your post is entirely subjective. When people want proof of God's existence, they want objective proof.

Objective isn't enough. They seem to want something repeatable, so to test it. But yes I get what your saying. Any ideas on how to invite them to seek God before they know He's real? I believe that if I can find God, so can anyone else. I also wonder with two verses. One that Jesus says "seek and you will find." The other Jesus warns His disciples that Jesus's message isn't for the world, because the world isn't looking for Him. Based on these I wonder if just by seeking God, He will open up ways for people to find Him.

So any way to get through the hurdles of not finding God because of being unwilling to accept Him or look for Him is one of the goals I had. Any suggestions that can be put to use to reach the "objective proof" skeptic.

Because some folks dont want to hear the message does not mean you shouldn't preach it..

Many were martyred for speaking we can take a small amount of rejection

Thank you Reba. I'll keep trying. Just might consider how I'm going about it.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I think that your post will appeal to a certain group of people and from there, you will get a mixed bag of responses.

The beauty of this world is that we all experience God in slightly different ways, and we all come with a different outlook or perspective which is developed through our experiences.
Where we most often bind together is through our shared experiences, and not necessarily our shared knowledge. This is why stories are so powerful, because when we can relate to a story, it resonates through our own experience.

Not everyone has the same experiences, so they will never be shared experiences. And so we are called the Body of Christ and each of us are members of Christ providing a very important function and none any less valuable than another.

If God has put it on your heart to evangelize those that do not know God, then I believe you should continue to follow your heart where the Holy Spirit leads you, because Gods word does not return void, and you WILL reach those that God has put in your path.

Thanks StoveBolts. I hope it's God's leading that I'm acting on. But You've encouraged me to not quit yet.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Thank you all for your insight.

 

[GodsGrace]

I was talking to mostly nonbelievers, though some might have also been believers too. Several conversation I saw people say that there's no way to prove that God exists, or doesn't exist. I thought this example could give them something to keep an eye on. If they seek God and see if they notice it's easier to be a better person from a closeness to God.



I see. I'll try to keep that in mind.



I already know God is real. This was one observation I've had to confirm that he is real. Unlike some of the others, this is something that could be used to encourage other people to seek God and test if this was true. Too many experiences other people can't test on their own, because it's a you had to be there kind of thing.

But perhaps your right and this was a very bad aporoach. It seems by the reactions to confirm this.

NO NNS,
I didn't say it was a bad approach, just that it may not work with some. It all depends who you're talking to.

Let me ask you something:
On what do YOU base your faith?
Our faith is a reasonable faith. I've had this conversation before.
Think of Jesus asking the disciples who He is? How did they know?
How do YOU know Jesus is real? How do YOU know the resurrection is real?
On what reasonable idea can we base our faith?
You never considered this??