VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 08:06:22 10/28/09 Wed
Author: Rev. Mark McManus
Author Host/IP: 98.127.31.133
Subject: Re: seeking
In reply to: Grayce 's message, "seeking" on 15:57:47 10/22/09 Thu


I don't know that I could have put it more appropriately than brother Scott.

I as well have had to deal with suicides, especially in my work as a Police Chaplain. Pastor Scott touched on such a vital point. After..someone has commited suicide and we are caring for the family and loved ones, the question many times comes up.

It would take more time and pages than permits this morning, to go into all the theological propositions, however, I beleive this, and convey it to those who are left behind.

I beleive that God can hear the whispers of the hearts cry, even when the words cannot be spoken, and that those who have died are in the care of a loving and righteous God.

This neither condones the act nor places the family in a point of trauma. There is a time and a season for everything, This is not the time to blast them with terror of hell, but to minister his love in action at that point.

If we are earnest, compassionate, and simply love people right where they're at, regardless of where they are at, many times a point of relationship will present itself to share the gospel message.

We are called to be salt. Salt in addition to many other things talked about in sermons, does this....Salt makes you thirst.

If I am loving you with the same humility, and genuine compassion as Christ (washing feet etc. that's humility)
it will cause a thirst to know more of this love that is not of this world. PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTILL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE.. :)

If you look at many church organizations, there resides clicks, social clubs, and a sense of status levels, in other words, playing church, giving the impression that one needs to clean up their act, whether it be the right cloths, actions, hobbies etc. BEFORE they will be accepted.

QUIZ: Who was more like that...the Pharisee or Jesus

It is not and never has been about RELIGIOUSNESS..It is and always has been about RELATIONSHIP with Jesus. (As you can tell I get fired up about this) I have had friends who sadly shared about "counseling" someone, and it was more about "Well I sure told them, and laid it down".. THAT is about EGO, SELF righteousness, and PRIDE.

Botton line to your question. The Word says without LOVE we are simply making noise, saying nothing.

I would rather err in not saying enough perfectly at the moment yet absolutely letting them know that God loved them and so do I, than giving a turbo one minute sermonette in their time of grieving, where they walked away felling neither the love of Jesus, nor a gentle touch of Christian compassion in their time of pain, and in so doing (referring to the former) leave a door open for the seeds of a "relationship" introduction to our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Many unbelievers can recite the "on the street" drive by salvations message. As many have come up to them "preaching" the message, but never showing the love or compassion of Jesus Christ.

An evangelist (Rodney Howward Brown) visited a local church here in town, and apparently one of the evening activities was to go out in couples and see how many people you could get saved. Yes I said that (see how many people YOU could get saved). Question? What is wrong with that statement? WE DON'T SAVE ANYONE... My son was visiting from Chicago, (my prodigal son who is still working on his testimony) and these guys came running up, briskly asked his name, said do you want to get saved, tried to get him to recite a prayer, so they could put a notch on their belt of "self" righteousness. By the time I got there it was almost like being jumped into a gang so they could say "I saved someone"
the guy even said..Well I'm just practicing so can I practice on you? What?? What my son heard is..You're not really significant or the point of my concern, I just need to get back to the evening service with my numbers, so hopefully I can be recognized in the congregattion for what a trooper I am. Oh my Lord... I have had to work even harder UNDOING the RELIGIOUS hypocritical impression given than the simple message of Jesus..which by the grace of God IS coming through..gentley, and through on going LOVING RELATIONSHIP... :)

Speak the TRUTH in love and..
Speak the truth in LOVE

I hope this helped a bit. God bless you and know that what ever you are walking through that Jesus loves you so..deeply and knows every tear that falls, and care of your heart.

Yours in Christ
Pastor Mark

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT-6
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.