Jesus Would Return Tonight

[Thoughtful Monk]

I've been with ya, brother!

Thanks.

[Cow Poke]

Well it's been a couple weeks since I posted this. Doing pretty good on the first point. Also made the discovery that Apologetics is just another name for Civics. Nothing on point 2. Totally whiffed an opportunity to witness. Not spending a lot of time listening.

Really missing a community that understands these values and supports them.

I've been with ya, brother!

[Thoughtful Monk]

Focusing on the last part of your post...

I like what Roberts said. I might add the positive 'Do good to your fellow man." to the list even though that's strongly implied in point 4. Trying to put some meaningful actions to each of Robert's points using your numbers, here's some of the items I came up with.

1. Less time in the morass called CIVICS and more time in the Christian forums. A bit less time on the Internet in general - especially when Covid is done and more face-to-face activities are possible, more time reading the Bible and other enlightening books and articles.
2. Well, there goes the rest of my free time. Although I do struggle with the idea that some things that bother me are from 20 or more years ago and does bringing them up cause the other parties involved more harm than good? Also, do they still hold my actions against me?
3. Yes. I try to be a "secret agent" Christian and I need to get back to some years ago when I was more comfortable saying "I am a Christian."
4. I need to do better at listening before I can work on obeying.

Regarding Covid, my wife is more conservative on face-to-face activities than I would be. Right now it does restrict what I think I can do.

This is why I keep wishing and praying for a community that shares these values. I've learned I have a tough time living above my community. If I'm in the midst of lukewarm Christians, I'll become lukewarm with a bunch of regrets. And so life in this fallen world goes.

Well it's been a couple weeks since I posted this. Doing pretty good on the first point. Also made the discovery that Apologetics is just another name for Civics. Nothing on point 2. Totally whiffed an opportunity to witness. Not spending a lot of time listening.

Really missing a community that understands these values and supports them.

[Sparko]

If only more people did things just because "Jesus commanded it". Like the good Samaritan, they would find that "right feelings" followed on the heels of right actions.

true. I was just commenting on what people might perceive, and think "Oh, he doesn't even care, he is just doing it because 'Jesus told him to' - I, an Atheist, actually care unlike these Christians!"

[Darfius]

You just need to be careful not to give the impression that you don't care and are only doing it because "Jesus commanded it"

If only more people did things just because "Jesus commanded it". Like the good Samaritan, they would find that "right feelings" followed on the heels of right actions.

[Cow Poke]

You just need to be careful not to give the impression that you don't care and are only doing it because "Jesus commanded it"

Jesus commanded it, therefore, I love doing it.

[Darfius]

True enough, but the way we live is what persuades people that we might (or might not) have things to say that are worth hearing

Completely agree. We can't act one way in public "to be seen of men" and another way behind closed doors.

[Thoughtful Monk]

You just need to be careful not to give the impression that you don't care and are only doing it because "Jesus commanded it"

I get your point and its valid. With my personality if I waited for my feelings to be right, I would only vary rarely do anything. At the risk of going way off topic, I think God is less concerned about our feelings about what we do and more concerned with what we do.

[Cow Poke]

I agree that our lives need to be a good witness to what we believe. I also believe that so many Christian behaviors that fall under the label 'helping others' are no longer as distinctly Christian as they were back in 300 AD and for a long time thereafter. This is why I think we need to be openly saying something like, "I am doing this because Jesus commands it" rather than "I'm doing it because they need help." The latter phrase makes us indistinguishable from an organization like United Way, Red Cross, etc.

OR we could just DO IT! But, yeah, our Church does a free Car Clinic twice a year, in addition to some other things that we do to be a witness and help to the community, and we just do it because we love people. It's fun, because we never have to beg for help from our members - they seem thrilled to be a part of something that's actually "giving".

[Sparko]

I agree that our lives need to be a good witness to what we believe. I also believe that so many Christian behaviors that fall under the label 'helping others' are no longer as distinctly Christian as they were back in 300 AD and for a long time thereafter. This is why I think we need to be openly saying something like, "I am doing this because Jesus commands it" rather than "I'm doing it because they need help." The latter phrase makes us indistinguishable from an organization like United Way, Red Cross, etc.

You just need to be careful not to give the impression that you don't care and are only doing it because "Jesus commanded it"

[Thoughtful Monk]

While I fully agree that we need to be good witnesses, I don't think that negates the challenge that we have to actually tell people about Jesus.

I agree that our lives need to be a good witness to what we believe. I also believe that so many Christian behaviors that fall under the label 'helping others' are no longer as distinctly Christian as they were back in 300 AD and for a long time thereafter. This is why I think we need to be openly saying something like, "I am doing this because Jesus commands it" rather than "I'm doing it because they need help." The latter phrase makes us indistinguishable from an organization like United Way, Red Cross, etc.

[Littlejoe]

Living your life as a good husband and good Christian is sometimes more than enough. Other people see you and how you are.

Long ago, before I was a Christian, I had a co-worker named Bob who was a Christian. We became friends and he used to talk about being a Christian, but nothing preachy. He would treat other people well and everyone liked him. He didn't drink or cuss. He would invite me over his house for dinner and sometimes we went fishing. I was very impressed with his life and family. It made a lasting impression on me. Years later after I left that company, when I became a Christian, he was still on my mind. I wanted to be like him and he was a big part of me accepting Jesus as my savior.

I recently connected back with him when I found him on Facebook and I told him how much he influenced me becoming a Christian. He said he had no idea but was thankful.

People are always watching us, TM. And the Holy Spirit will use us even when we have no idea it is happening.

Brings to mind the quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (though he never said it like this) "Preach the Gospel wherever you go...and when necessary use words."

[Sparko]

While I fully agree that we need to be good witnesses, I don't think that negates the challenge that we have to actually tell people about Jesus.

agreed.

[tabibito]

Agreed - unfortunately, there are "Christians" who try to tell people about Jesus, and it's way too easy to say "I really don't want whatever it is you have".

But then - things happened (and are happening) in Fukushima that come out heavily on the plus side - for much of which your Baptist compatriots in Japan can be held to "blame."

[Cow Poke]

True enough, but the way we live is what persuades people that we might (or might not) have things to say that are worth hearing

Agreed - unfortunately, there are "Christians" who try to tell people about Jesus, and it's way too easy to say "I really don't want whatever it is you have".