A person cannot fake a Crucifixition
| Posted On: 10/18/09 07:18:59 AM |
Age 63, MO |
We cannot purposely set ourselves up for persecution. If we pick up our Cross daily, persecution will find us. George Cancilla
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Amen
| Posted On: 10/16/09 12:04:40 PM |
Age 47, ID |
Amen Dave, Amen!!!!!!
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VOICE OF THE MARTYRS
| Posted On: 10/16/09 08:08:24 AM |
Age 40, OK |
You can find MANY ways of helping our dear persecuted family thru Voice of the Martyrs at Persecution.com. The man who lived and wrote "Tortured for Christ" Richard Wurmband, started VOM. AMAZING organization!! My family has supported them for many years.
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The Gospel must cost us something.
| Posted On: 10/15/09 06:32:05 PM |
Age 54, CA |
My two oldest daughters were born & raised in a home with a Christian mother, (me), made professions of faith, were baptized, went to Christian elementry schools, were homeschooled, & are both now living in sin. They know the 10 commandments, & God's truth about fornication. They have called themselves Christians.
My Christian friends tell me just to "love them to Jesus."
My Bible tells me that if someone calls themself a brother and yet practices sexual immorality that we should not eat with them, not even to keep company, or associate with them. 1 COR 5:1-13
We need to make some hard decisions, and to suffer for Jesus sake. The Gospel has to cost us something. Jesus said, "He who loses his life for my sake shall find it." "Pick up your cross & follow me." "He who loves father or mother, etc....more than Me is not worthy of Me."
As they are living as the prodigal lived,I cannot nor will not associate with them until they speak as the prodigal spoke. Jesus said, "He who is not for Me is against Me."
My Christian friends are aghast with me.
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HERE IS THE PROBLEM AND THE ANSWER
| Posted On: 10/15/09 06:06:46 PM |
Age 66, OH |
I do not have to even visit some of the churches in my area to know that they are NOT where I want to attend. One church advertises on TV that they love everyone and they love God PERFECTLY. I would venture to say that none there compares to Paul who suffered persecution that they do not even know of. But at the end of his life, after suffering all these persecutions for Jesus, Paul said, "Of sinners I am chief". I would walk until my legs would not carry me anymore to preach with Paul. But I would not drive across town to even visit the church that claims to love God perfectly. There is another church that claims to apply the "ancient words of Christ perfectly", and I will not go there either. - The problem with the churches and the answer to that problem is in The Revelation, in the seven letters to the churches. Jesus tells five of the churches that He has something against them OR SOMETHING AGAINST SOME of those in that church. Keep in mind that when we stand in the Holy of Holies before God and we are covered with the Blood of Jesus, that God has NOTHING LEFT AGAINST us, nothing that he would even scold us for. If God has something against a person, then they are NOT covered with the blood. The problem with five of the churches is they are NOT COVERED WITH THE BLOOD or they tolerate evil people among them that are not Christians. These five churches profess to be STRONG, RICH, HARD WORKING, and ALIVE. But Jesus tells them that they are weak, poor, blind and dead. Any church that professes to be strong, alive or rich needs to ask the Lord Jesus for mercy and for Him to show them their weakness, poverty, and sin. Once Jesus opens their eyes , they can join Paul in professing to be chief of sinners. Then they will be covered with the blood of Jesus Christ. All churches need to follow the example of the two churches that Jesus commended. That was the church that professes to be weak, and the church that professed to be poor. Any church that makes that their profession will be made strong and rich by our Lord of Mercy and Justice. Jesus has shown us the problem and the answer to that problem and He stands and knocks at the door of our heart. Will you open the door and let Jesus in to walk and talk and have supper with you. Let him who has ears to hear, listen to what Jesus has to say to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. - Lou Newton
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THE WEAK AND THE POOR
| Posted On: 10/15/09 05:22:09 PM |
Age 66, OH |
Steve, I have been preaching this fact, that God tells most of the churches in The Revelation that they are not saved, but lost, for years and called a church hater for it. Although there are a few believers in those lost churches, Jesus only has comforting words for two churches; and that is the church that professes to be WEAK and the church that professes to be POOR. Here lies the answer to the problem that the article points to; most churches that I have visited are professing to be STRONG and/or RICH. We can read the words that Jesus has for the church that thinks that it is strong and the church that thinks it is rich. The church in this nation could turn on a dime, so to speak, IF they asked The Lord Jesus to show them their weakness and their poverty. It is then a easier step to confess that weakness and poverty to The Lord Jesus. Those churches that respond so, will then be told the same as the two churches in The Revelation that did the same. I have been looking for a church that professes to be weak and poor for years and have been unable to find one. If I do find such a church I will make that my home. Grace to you. - Lou Newton
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Doing Something Worthy of Persecution
| Posted On: 10/15/09 04:52:33 PM |
Age 53, AZ |
Great talk. How do we turn our talk into action? I just read "Tortured for Christ" and it is shaking me to the core. It makes me ashamed of myself. Those stories are of Christians who know nothing but hardship, torture and imprisonment, starvation, etc, yet they love those who torture them. They never give up trying to win their tormenters to Christ. They consider it a privilege to suffer for Jesus in this way. They love Jesus in a deeper way than anything I've ever seen or known in America. My point is: I repent and I want to change and be like the people I read about. Of course, I don't want to be tortured. We have to help them. If anyone knows of any concerted efforts to do this, I would like to know about it and join. Let's don't just talk. Let's pray for our persecuted brothers & sisters, write, support their families with our resources. Maybe one can't do a lot, but all of us together can. May God forgive us for being so spoiled, cowardly and selfish in this nation. I'm an unworthy servant.
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What Action are We Called For?
| Posted On: 10/15/09 11:35:35 AM |
Age 29, KY |
SoWeShouldDoWhat? I totally agree.The action we are called to is to preach Christ and be living examples of Him PRO-Actively so that we can lead the world to Christ.The only thing that will change the political landscape in this country or any other is a change in the hearts of the people, which can only come by the reading of the Word of God, which others are inspired to do when we live it in front of them.
ALL, it's not just the church "leaders" either. EACH Christian has a responsibility to be as much a witness as another. "Leadership" is not just positional. Our own mass laziness to read the Word and pray fervently for our pastors has brought this on us. Instead we follow the pattern of "bring 'em to church and let the preacher save 'em" - Where do you find that in the Gospel anywhere??
We do well to realize that the Enemy is NOT flesh and blood, and he is not only outside the walls of our political "right", our churches, or our homes.
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A prophetic look
| Posted On: 10/15/09 10:58:09 AM |
Age 32, IN |
People often ask the question "where is America (or the U.S.) in end times prophecy?" The short answer is it simply isn't there. The longer answer, however, has everything to do with the very topic being addressed in this article. I prefer to look at the United States through the lense of scripture. When doing so, consider Revelation, chapters 2 and 3. There are only two churches listed among the seven - the Church in Philidelphia, and the Church in Smyrna - against whom the Lord speaks nothing. All the rest the Lord calls out their wickedness, as well as their strong points, except for Laodicea, which has no strong points. But for the name, I would consider the United States the Church in Laodicea. However, I would be taking scripture out of context to do so. So when we take a prophetic look at the United States, and we see that it just isn't there, perhaps it is because we are about to be "spit out." Though we are not geographically located near Laodicea, the warning heeds true to all believers. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches."
Steve
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Pastor
| Posted On: 10/15/09 10:30:44 AM |
Age 55, TN |
Thank you for your stand. Yes, it's time we do something to be persecuted for rather than giving them a soft and powerless message. Conviction is a good thing!
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So we should do what?
| Posted On: 10/15/09 10:22:32 AM |
Age 57, IL |
Very frustrating. Multitudes of conservative evangelicals can read Dave Welch's exhortation and say, "Amen. Preach it." And enjoy their conservative pastor doing the same on Sunday within the walls of their church building. And somehow NEVER hit the street and preach the Gospel to their lost neighbors and other strangers. The early disciples and the modern Chinese Christians were/are persecuted unto death, not for just "following Jesus", but for preaching the Gospel, while naming sin and warning of the judgment to come. So, do what? How about getting a million evangelicals out knocking on their neighbors' doors, preaching on the campus squares, and giving tracts out on the sidewalks?
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Wow.
| Posted On: 10/15/09 09:25:14 AM |
Age 37, CO |
OUTstanding. Thank you, Sir.
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Doing church IS the problem
| Posted On: 10/15/09 09:22:18 AM |
Age 49, MO |
I agree and am not silent about my beliefs. Yet, it is amazing to me the ignorance in the church. Most are sheeple who refuse to think but just go with the flow of blessed stupor. When forced to think, the message is rejected as being outside normal church practices. Indeed, the church IS the problem with society as 2 Chron 7:14 so aptly points out. Most Pastors are NOT bold, but wimps who bend to the pressures of feminism, church budget, and non Christ centered "ministries". John
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real
| Posted On: 10/15/09 09:21:40 AM |
Age 61, WA |
You have missed a major division in the ranks of today's Christians--the feminist agenda; it divides the troops and renders them impotent--literaly. As women have done for eons prior to today, they hold the designated warrior hostage by HIS reproductive organs and then propose a God constituted DIVISION favoring them selves. There are a few women--very few--that have not adopted this view, they do it naturaly and feel that it is their right! Until Christians of both gender reunite(dream on Ray)there will be little if any power numberwise in the Christian struggle. "God, save us from ourselves!!"
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Thank you for writing this
| Posted On: 10/15/09 09:14:01 AM |
Age 50, IL |
I needed a kick in the pants and a shot of courage, which is exactly what this delivers--and I'm hoping it delivers the same to the mainstream church, so they can offer it from the pulpit...Blessings to you and also what appear on the surface to be to non-blessings, In Christ.
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Can You Say "Fundamentalist" ?
| Posted On: 10/15/09 09:06:55 AM |
Age 45, MS |
The "new" evangelicals of whom the author speaks have been distancing themselves from their "old" evangelical brethren since the late 1940's. But the "old-style" evangelicals are known by another name: Fundamentalists. The author identifies himself with the term "religious right." Is he willing to identify himself as a Fundamentalist?
The term "Fundamentalist" was coined by Baptist minister Curtis Lee Laws in 1920 to describe those who "still cling to the great fundamentals and who mean to do battle royal" for the Faith. Thus, by definition a Fundamentalist is one who not only BELIEVES the fundamentals, but who is willing TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR them. You can't be fellowshipping and co-operating with the enemy and yet fighting him at the same time.
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Standing For Truth
| Posted On: 10/15/09 07:55:52 AM |
Age 59, GA |
Brannon:
This blesses me because just last week I experienced a heart wrenching family revelation. My 30 yr old son raised in the church, born again in elementary school and still continues playing lead quitar for worship on Sundays has taken a different worldview upon graduating from college. My attempt to show him the Biblical worldview have alienated him and drove a deep wedge between us because he chooses to believe in separation of church and state. Lately, he revealed his brewing disdain for the religious right and for me. He sides with our present government to say that I am in the "dangerous right wing extremist group" and that we are the problem-no different than the Taliban. Of course, college teaches secular humanism and my son bought the lie during his years at Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univerity, Daytona Beach, FL.
I have only one friend who says as I do, "Bring it on and let's get it over with". Life has dealt an even more lonely existence because of this. Everyone else is "respectful of others" which means "shut up and don't be a right wing nut in my world."
We have attended your Code Blue and are very grateful to you.
Thank you, Brannon, for declaring Truth and showing us we are not alone here. God be with you always.
Della Kennedy
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The only thing left to say . . .
| Posted On: 10/15/09 07:55:26 AM |
Age 59, IA |
Is AMEN! Let the Church arise from her slumber, O God! Revive your bride, give her passion and desire to serve you in righteousness and obedience before your throne. Forgive us for our complacency, our selfishness. Persecution is coming to the American Church. Lord, help us be among those with enough evidence to convict us.
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God Save the USA & our Leaders
| Posted On: 10/15/09 07:16:08 AM |
Age 56, TX |
We need to take action. The church Leaders are asleep. They are fat & happy living & promoting their kingdoms. God is not pleased with this. He wants only His Kingdom promoted because He is the King of Kings.Jesus is coming back! Lets unite & get working & talking to our people about the issues of today.Rise up Mighty Men of God.
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Agreement
| Posted On: 10/15/09 07:15:39 AM |
Age 65, NC |
I've said for many years that the spiritual condition of our country today is due to Christians failing to stand up for the principles of the Word of God and for Christ Himself. Our silence on the major issues for many years was brought on by buying into the lie that we should keep our faith out of politics and out of public life. Believers absolutely are to blame for the situation today. We have not evangelized, we have allowed the humanistic public schools to steal our children, and have turned our collective back on the holiness of God. We have traded our birthright for a bowl of materialism. Now, the End Times have come. I agree: let's "do something worthy of persecution."
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