Date Joined: Aug 24, 2017 14:02:33 GMT -5
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Post by 🦍MAXX>ⓤ on Aug 5, 2022 20:49:00 GMT -5
Why do Christians have such a hard time acting on it? Recently I wrote a column about what it might look like if those who profess their Christian faith spent less time harrumphing about it and more time attempting to imitate the Jesus they claim to follow. That piece drew so much response I thought I’d revisit it. It’s an idea worth contemplating. After all, no telling what impact such lives might have on Congress, education, poverty, prisons, medicine and marriages. Having spent the past 40-plus years preaching and writing about the good news as it’s put forth in the New Testament — our faith’s foundational text — I’ve concluded Christianity’s overriding message is:“Love them all.” Jesus said God’s commandments were: love God with all your heart, and love other people as much as yourself. That’s it. He, St. Paul and the other New Testament writers repeatedly reinforced this principle. St. Paul: Even if I’m a prophet who knows all mysteries, even if I can move mountains with my faith, but I’m not consumed by love, then I’m just a noisy, clanging gong. St. John: The one who doesn’t walk in love doesn’t know God, because God is love. If you read the New Testament, you can’t miss this principle, unless you’re trying to miss it. Which raises obvious questions: Why do Christians so routinely miss it? Why do we—and by “we,” I mean nearly all of us—fail to obey the gospel’s very foundation? I can’t speak for all Christians, but I fail to follow that message because it’s incredibly difficult and also counterintuitive. Plus, it scares me. The biblical scholar N. T. Wright has a remarkable theory about what Jesus was doing here 2,000 years ago. He says Jesus meant to literally bring heaven to earth, to unite the two domains into one. When Jesus told the disciples to pray,“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” he wasn’t blathering platitudes. He was proclaiming that right then, right there, the kingdom of heaven had invaded the earthly realm—and he wanted his followers to participate. Being lug heads, they’d need divine help and should ask for it. www.yahoo.com/news/love-them-god-says-why-144354328.html
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 21:41:05 GMT -5
I get such a laugh watching unbelievers trying to preach a gospel they do not believe or understand. Loving our neighbor does not mean accepting their sin. As a matter of fact, to do so violates the teachings of the New Testament. The Bible teaches us that sinners will be spending eternity being tormented in hell. To love our neighbor is to warn them.
As bad as I see you, I have shown I care about you more than anyone here because I have warned you that you are going to hell, and told you how to be saved. I could have shown hatred for you and withheld that information because I figured you deserve to be tortured forever, but out of love and concern, I told you that you can be saved, and you still can, but your time is running out. Once you die, that is it.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 21:49:10 GMT -5
You know 🦍MAXX>ⓤ, maybe we Christians haven't shown you enough love. Perhaps we should be more aggressive in preaching to you in the hopes you get saved. Maybe we should preach more at your unbelieving friends too, because saving you from hell fire is more important than anything else. Would you like that? Say the word Maxx, and I will let my Christian friends know you want us to try to love you into heaven. I don't mind. It will be my pleasure.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 5, 2022 22:37:48 GMT -5
I get such a laugh watching unbelievers trying to preach a gospel they do not believe or understand. Loving our neighbor does not mean accepting their sin. As a matter of fact, to do so violates the teachings of the New Testament. The Bible teaches us that sinners will be spending eternity being tormented in hell. To love our neighbor is to warn them. As bad as I see you, I have shown I care about you more than anyone here because I have warned you that you are going to hell, and told you how to be saved. I could have shown hatred for you and withheld that information because I figured you deserve to be tortured forever, but out of love and concern, I told you that you can be saved, and you still can, but your time is running out. Once you die, that is it. That article was written by a long time (40 years) preacher from Kentucky, Paul Prather, not by Maxx. Are you saying that Mr. Prather is an unbeliever?
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 22:50:07 GMT -5
I get such a laugh watching unbelievers trying to preach a gospel they do not believe or understand. Loving our neighbor does not mean accepting their sin. As a matter of fact, to do so violates the teachings of the New Testament. The Bible teaches us that sinners will be spending eternity being tormented in hell. To love our neighbor is to warn them. As bad as I see you, I have shown I care about you more than anyone here because I have warned you that you are going to hell, and told you how to be saved. I could have shown hatred for you and withheld that information because I figured you deserve to be tortured forever, but out of love and concern, I told you that you can be saved, and you still can, but your time is running out. Once you die, that is it. That article was written by a long time (40 years) preacher from Kentucky, Paul Prather, not by Maxx. Are you saying that Mr. Prather is an unbeliever? I am speaking of the person that posted it. It appears he isn't getting enough love.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 22:53:13 GMT -5
I get such a laugh watching unbelievers trying to preach a gospel they do not believe or understand. Loving our neighbor does not mean accepting their sin. As a matter of fact, to do so violates the teachings of the New Testament. The Bible teaches us that sinners will be spending eternity being tormented in hell. To love our neighbor is to warn them. As bad as I see you, I have shown I care about you more than anyone here because I have warned you that you are going to hell, and told you how to be saved. I could have shown hatred for you and withheld that information because I figured you deserve to be tortured forever, but out of love and concern, I told you that you can be saved, and you still can, but your time is running out. Once you die, that is it. That article was written by a long time (40 years) preacher from Kentucky, Paul Prather, not by Maxx. Are you saying that Mr. Prather is an unbeliever? I went to the article and read it after Maxx posted it. I never heard of the minister, and I am making no judgments about him, but Maxx did not post it because he agrees with it. He thinks it helps get Christians to stop aggressively opposing him, so I made him an offer to show him the best kind of love, trying to preach at him till he is converted. I make that offer to any unbeliever that thinks I am not loving them as I should.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 5, 2022 22:56:04 GMT -5
That article was written by a long time (40 years) preacher from Kentucky, Paul Prather, not by Maxx. Are you saying that Mr. Prather is an unbeliever? I went to the article and read it after Maxx posted it. I never heard of the minister, and I am making no judgments about him, but Maxx did not post it because he agrees with it. He thinks it helps get Christians to stop aggressively opposing him, so I made him an offer to show him the best kind of love, trying to preach at him till he is converted. I make that offer to any unbeliever that thinks I am not loving them as I should. Maxx made no comment on the article one way or another. Only you did, and you did it before you even knew what you were talking about.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 22:57:41 GMT -5
I went to the article and read it after Maxx posted it. I never heard of the minister, and I am making no judgments about him, but Maxx did not post it because he agrees with it. He thinks it helps get Christians to stop aggressively opposing him, so I made him an offer to show him the best kind of love, trying to preach at him till he is converted. I make that offer to any unbeliever that thinks I am not loving them as I should. Maxx made no comment on the article one way or another. Only you did, and you did it before you even knew what you were talking about. I know why Maxx, an atheist posted it. You are just speculating.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 5, 2022 23:04:05 GMT -5
Maxx made no comment on the article one way or another. Only you did, and you did it before you even knew what you were talking about. I know why Maxx, an atheist posted it. You are just speculating. Do you? Did God share his omniscience with you?
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 23:05:38 GMT -5
I know why Maxx, an atheist posted it. You are just speculating. Do you? Did God share his omniscience with you? You told me what I did, as though you are a mind reader. The alternative is that Maxx agrees with the minister and must have become a believer. If so, that is great!
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 23:07:44 GMT -5
I went to the article and read it after Maxx posted it. I never heard of the minister, and I am making no judgments about him, but Maxx did not post it because he agrees with it. He thinks it helps get Christians to stop aggressively opposing him, so I made him an offer to show him the best kind of love, trying to preach at him till he is converted. I make that offer to any unbeliever that thinks I am not loving them as I should. Maxx made no comment on the article one way or another. Only you did, and you did it before you even knew what you were talking about. You must be a mind reader to have made this statement, and then you say something about my saying why Maxx posted the article? That is pure hypocrisy. You can make judgments about others, but they cannot make judgments based on things they know about the person doing the posting.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 23:11:15 GMT -5
🦍MAXX>ⓤ, did you become a Christian because of that love message, or did you think that article could be used to silence your critics because you think we are not showing Christian love? Once again, Springschick wants to involve herself in someone else's fight, so you can let us know. Are you now a Christian convert posting gospel messages or are you still an atheist that thinks we are not loving? I doubt you will answer, but one never can tell.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 5, 2022 23:12:15 GMT -5
Maxx made no comment on the article one way or another. Only you did, and you did it before you even knew what you were talking about. You must be a mind reader to have made this statement, and then you say something about my saying why Maxx posted the article? That is pure hypocrisy. You can make judgments about others, but they cannot make judgments based on things they know about the person doing the posting. When did you read the article Maxx posted in it's entirety? Before you accused a non-believer of trying to preach Gospel or after it was pointed out that it was a 40 year pastor who wrote it?
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 23:14:36 GMT -5
You must be a mind reader to have made this statement, and then you say something about my saying why Maxx posted the article? That is pure hypocrisy. You can make judgments about others, but they cannot make judgments based on things they know about the person doing the posting. When did you read the article Maxx posted in it's entirety? Before you accused a non-believer of trying to preach Gospel or after it was pointed out that it was a 40 year pastor who wrote it? I will tell you what. If Maxx answers my questions to him completely, I will answer you, although there is no reason for me to because you already know because you are psychic.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 5, 2022 23:18:23 GMT -5
When did you read the article Maxx posted in it's entirety? Before you accused a non-believer of trying to preach Gospel or after it was pointed out that it was a 40 year pastor who wrote it? I will tell you what. If Maxx answers my questions to him completely, I will answer you, although there is no reason for me to because you already know because you are psychic. It has nothing to do with being psychic. Your opening statement was to say it was laughable to watch a non-believer preach Gospel they know nothing about or understand. The person doing the preaching was the Pastor, not Maxx. It's not rocket science.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 23:33:59 GMT -5
I will tell you what. If Maxx answers my questions to him completely, I will answer you, although there is no reason for me to because you already know because you are psychic. It has nothing to do with being psychic. Your opening statement was to say it was laughable to watch a non-believer preach Gospel they know nothing about or understand. The person doing the preaching was the Pastor, not Maxx. It's not rocket science. It is not rocket science to know why Maxx posted it, and by posting it, he was preaching to us. When I post a message, it is because I am helping spread a message.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 5, 2022 23:35:36 GMT -5
It has nothing to do with being psychic. Your opening statement was to say it was laughable to watch a non-believer preach Gospel they know nothing about or understand. The person doing the preaching was the Pastor, not Maxx. It's not rocket science. It is not rocket science to know why Maxx posted it, and by posting it, he was preaching to us. When I post a message, it is because I am helping spread a message. Oh, yes you are. I am not sure it is the message you think you are, but a message for sure.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 5, 2022 23:39:37 GMT -5
It is not rocket science to know why Maxx posted it, and by posting it, he was preaching to us. When I post a message, it is because I am helping spread a message. Oh, yes you are. I am not sure it is the message you think you are, but a message for sure. The message we get from you is that of a hypocrite. You made judgments about me, and I made judgments about Maxx. I will answer your question if Maxx answers me completely, but not until, and I could not care less how you feel about that or my motives or anything I post.
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Date Joined: Mar 14, 2016 18:48:07 GMT -5
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Post by Springschick on Aug 6, 2022 1:15:59 GMT -5
Oh, yes you are. I am not sure it is the message you think you are, but a message for sure. The message we get from you is that of a hypocrite. You made judgments about me, and I made judgments about Maxx. I will answer your question if Maxx answers me completely, but not until, and I could not care less how you feel about that or my motives or anything I post. What is hypocritical? Please explain in detail, or do you need Maxx to do that, too? And you constantly saying you could not care less how I feel about you is belied by your constant insistence that you are not bothered. If you truly were not bothered, there would be no need to mention it over and over again.
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Date Joined: May 29, 2020 20:23:50 GMT -5
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Post by John on Aug 6, 2022 1:31:30 GMT -5
The message we get from you is that of a hypocrite. You made judgments about me, and I made judgments about Maxx. I will answer your question if Maxx answers me completely, but not until, and I could not care less how you feel about that or my motives or anything I post. What is hypocritical? Please explain in detail, or do you need Maxx to do that, too? And you constantly saying you could not care less how I feel about you is belied by your constant insistence that you are not bothered. If you truly were not bothered, there would be no need to mention it over and over again. I don't think you are smart enough to get it. That is why I must keep repeating it. You are a hypocrite because you do something and then attack me for the exact same thing you did. It that clear enough?
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