Posted on 03/14/2005 10:28:37 AM PST by blue-duncan
For all of you Rick Warren fans out there, did you happen to catch the interview with the Brian Nichols, ex-hostage Ashley Smith? She was reading "Purpose Driven Life" as part of her devotions and read part of chapter 33 to him and then asked him what he thought his purpose in life was. This was part of the discussion that convinced Nichols to give himself up. We should all have her boldness in the face of trials.
thats a stretch - but hey - If it gives you an alpha position mindset, have at it - I'll continue to praise God
I can appreciate different styles of preaching and delivering the message to the unsaved - but the thing to watch out for is that the message doesn't get SO softenend to the point where it's diluted and watered-down. That's what causes "sin-and-conviction-free" Unitarians and the like.
There's a danger that the message can be corrupted - on both ends of the spectrum. As long as the Truth is being told, then the conscience is clear.
I try to remember that I'm accountable for bringing the Good News to people - but I'm not accountable for how they'll take it. We can only deliver the seed, we can't grow it.
As I mentioned earlier - sometimes its a good thing to be offended and made uncomfortable. Being too comfortable can lead to complacency, and nothing good can ever come from that (Amos 6:1-7)
I would have to agree that the hostage showed all of the fruits of the spirit. She was amazing. Do you think that reading Warren's book along with the Bible helped her to develop those fruits? Do you think that perhaps God used her and Warren's book as tools to diffuse the situation?
Oops. You mentioned the "C" word.
Suzy - I said nothing wrong in my 125 - I identified the Institutes and identified the "T" in the tulip - I then indicated the bad guy would respond negatively
How that dovetails with your insinuation is interesting -
Sure - I disagree with the doctrine of man - thats obvious to anyone who knows me - but lets keep the slings and arrow, quivered for now eh - before you bold them as "heresies"
I think that the Holy Spirit develops fruit in a believer.
Do you think that perhaps God used her and Warren's book as tools to diffuse the situation?
Yes.
IOTN: But the true testimony will be if there was an honest conversion that took place because of the reading - a conversion that will bear fruit..
ROFL
So are you suggesting that you don't need to read the Bible, or Bible commentaries or Bible devotionals?
IOTN: But the true testimony will be if there was an honest conversion that took place because of the reading - a conversion that will bear fruit..
Has anyone suggested that the guy was converted? I didn't see that. He just surrended to the cops and didn't kill the hostage. It would be nice if he were converted or if God changed his life, but that was not discussed.
BTW Suzy, why did you emphasize "hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissension, heresies, envy" in your previous post? Were you trying to make a point?
One amplification, you said that somtimes it is a good thing to make one feel uncomfortable. And too a point that's true if it causes one to become under the conviction of the Spirit. And also to your point of being complacent, I agree. But the people deliverying the message needs to take into account the audience they are deliverying to, the time, the place and whether the real desire is to win one for Christ or simply be able to say at the end of the day I got in 30 peoples faces for the word.
We suffer too many extremes, the anything goes crowd and those whose day isn't complete unless they've tried to cram the gospel down everyone's throat they've come in contact with.
No, of course not. God uses means, but it is He who brings the results.
In this case when a killer has a gun pointed at your head and you have a infant daughter at home with a dead father and you'd really like to see that she is not orphaned, which approach would you say would work best in that situation:
A) "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." or
B) "You are totally depraved."
I suspect everyone of us would choose "A" in that situation.
Did anyone here suggest that He didn't?
>>Now I think we are on the same page.<<
We're close! :-)
>>whether the real desire is to win one for Christ<<
But see - my point is, I can't personally "win" anyone for Christ, only He can call them and convict them into His grace. I can't make, debate, or argue anyone into belief, so all the "cramming" in the world is useless.
Not to mention that the "cramming down the throat" is a subjective phrase. What one unbeliever may see as cramming, another may see as needed discipline. I personally believe that people respond better (not always initially, but in the long-run) if you tell them the flat-out truth, and don't sugar-coat it.
Proverbs 28:23 - "Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue."
All I can do, and all I'm accountable for, is bringing the Word to those who don't have it. How they respond, and how they'll use the information beyond that point of delivery is not up to me.
Bump.
I was just answering your question! - Love suffers long and is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4)
So what were all those emphasized words suppose to mean?
I think your comments were RIGHT on the mark. I think Ashley hasn't been 100% up front on her story. What say you?
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