Christian Witness

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Permalink Reply by Mary O on March 12, 2012 at 7:01am

The love of Christ. My first spirit-filled Bible fellowship. I didn't understand a word they said. But I saw and felt their love. I had never known or felt such love. We won't go into my age, but my dad has only told me he loves me three times in my whole life. I hugged my dad, but he never hugged me, ever. It still brings tears to my eyes. Their love was burning. All I knew was I wanted it. New persons will see and feel the love first. The new person may not understand what is being taught. You don't give a steak to a baby. You give them milk and lots of love.

The most damaging would be to have a person come to church or fellowship and never feel the love of Christ. To not get it. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

Love and God bless,

Mary

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Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on March 12, 2012 at 4:18pm

Dear Bev

 

In my personal experience  the most effective way that someone reached me and helped me grow in faith was observing their lifestyle . It is better explained by a poem I saw many years ago. It goes something like this.

( I say something like this because the old brain isn't what it used to be ).  Anyhow it goes like this;

 

I'd rather see a sermon preached, than hear one any day.

I'd rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better student and more willing than the ear ,

Fine counsel is confusing , but example's always clear.

For the best of all the men are the ones who live their creed ,

For to see good in action is what everybody needs!!

 

There have been times in my life when I began to wonder if this life with Christ was even real or if it was just , as Mao tse Tung called it , ' an opiate for the masses ' .   It was during these times that the Lord would remind me of precious brothers and sisters who lived exactly the way they believed.  They did more effective preaching by simply living their  lives than any minister Ive ever heard ( including A W Tozer , who is my favorite.)

 

People will talk about the many hypocrites that profess to be Christians but act like anything but that. They use them as an excuse to reject Christianity.  But in my heart are the treasures of truly dedicated brothers and sisters who I have had the honor of knowing in my walk.  Their example is one of the greatest arguments for the 'reality' of Christ.

 

I am not by any stretch of the imagination minimizing the work of the Holy Spirit in my life  , I'm simply stating that these people were tools that the Holy Spirit has , and is , using in my life. They are the ' lights' that Jesus spoke of  in the gospels when He said " Let your light so shine that others may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven " .

 

I guess that I should add that while the lifestyle can be the most effective it can also be the most damaging.

 

God bless you , my precious sister

 

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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on March 12, 2012 at 5:50pm

 

Love never fail! Showing the love of God to others in good deeds  is the first step in sharing our faith with others. We can't expect people to listen to us if they do not know that we really care about them. 

 

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on March 16, 2012 at 4:07am

Bev,

One of the most damaging things that a person can do to others...and themselves, in their Christian walk is gossip. It is degrading to the person being talked about and it lasts a lifetime. I see good, honest, worthy Christians caught up it all the time. They don't realize that it does the damage that it does and they don't realize the condition of a person after they have been the object of it. Some stories, usually untrue in part or in full, ruin peoples' lives.

If one of my grandchildren do it, and they tell one thing wrong....which frequently is the case...I always tell them that is how gossip gets started. I have one granddaughter, in particular, who enjoys telling stories on other people. Reminders that they are gossiping quells their gossipy spirit.

The Bible calls it murder. I agree.

I try not to listen to it. It is a pointless habit to get into to demean another's character by what you say. It does nothing to increase one's stature.

Blessings...

Rita

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Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on March 17, 2012 at 9:48am

Rita

 

Excellent point.  We can hardly be ' too careful 'with conversations that we participate in .  I have heard the expression that people try to disguise their gossip by calling it " sharing in love " . 

 

  In a seminar at the church I once attended the teacher had us all sit in a row.  He then shared a few comments with the first one in line.  He then told them to whisper what he had whispered to them to the next in line and then they would pass it on down the line of people.  By the time it got to the end of the line what he had originally said was so distorted that we could hardly believe what the original message was compared to the message the last person in the line shared.

 

His point was that a rumor , which is what gossip is , can be turned from something almost innocent into something very detrimental and harmful by the time it spreads very far at all .  We never know what stage we are at in the 'gossip process '  so we cannot know how much of the ' truth ' we actually have anyhow. 

 

In light of this I totally agree that the best way to stop it is to not spread it or even question the person passing the 'word' as to how they actually know if it's true or not.  Also , as you have so well stated , we don't realize how much damage we can be doing . 

 

 I like the words of a song I heard long ago . The name of the song was ' Go tell Jsus on me " . The point of the song was that , if we have a problem with someone that we should take it to Jesus and seek His guidance in it.  Then we will be more equipped for how to deal  with it ( or even if we need to do anything).

 

God bless you

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