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Why Christians Don't Understand Non-Christians
ArGee | 1/3/01 | ArGee

Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee

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To: Joelius
Who do you think you are, telling parables like Jesus himself? As if you know any more than the rest of us schmucks.
As you've noticed on this thread, not EVERYONE 'gets' the parable, and some are even upset that there IS a parable!

Jesus had the same problem....

Mark 4
 33.  With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.
 34.  He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
 
Mark 4
  9.  Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
 10.  When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
 11.  He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
 12.  so that, "`they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "
 13.  Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
Matthew 13
 34.  Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
 35.  So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."
 36.  Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
 
Matthew 15
 15.  Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
 16.  "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.
 
Matthew 21:45
 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them.
 
Mark 4:30
 Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
 
Luke 8:9
 His disciples asked him what this parable meant.
 
Luke 12:41
 Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
 
Luke 19:11
 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 

441 posted on 01/04/2002 3:37:46 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Hagrid
Those people that leave and never come back could very well be the entree.
442 posted on 01/04/2002 3:55:02 AM PST by stuartcr
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To: WonderBob
Does it make sense that his wife was turned into salt? It's a very old story.
443 posted on 01/04/2002 3:57:03 AM PST by stuartcr
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To: wai-ming
So you think that general loved his troops, or just wanted to win at any cost?
444 posted on 01/04/2002 3:59:11 AM PST by stuartcr
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To: Matchett-PI
Thats not possible, unless you think you can prove otherwise by using Scripture and.....
 
(I'll try)

Galatians 3
 
 1.  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
 
 
Galatians 3:26-27
 26.  You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
 27.  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

 
Galatians 5:1-4
 1.  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 
  2.  Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 
 3.  Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
 4.  You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
 
 
Colossians 1:21-23
21.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of  your evil behavior.
 22.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--
 23.  if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
 
 
Colossians 2:6-8
 6.  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
 7.  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
 8.  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
 
 
1 Timothy 4:16
 16.  Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
 
 
1 Timothy 6:3-5
 3.  If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
 4.  he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 
 5.  and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
 
 
2 Timothy 2:12
 12.  if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
 
 
Hebrews 2:1-3
 1.  We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
 2.  For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
 3.  how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
 
 
Hebrews 3:6
 6.  But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
 
 
Hebrews 3:14
 14.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
 
 
Hebrews 6:4-6
 4.  It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
 5.  who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,
 6.  if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because  to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
 
 
Hebrews 10:38-39
 38.  But my righteous one  will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
 39.  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
 
 
James 5:19-20
 19.  My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
 20.  remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
 
 
2 Peter 1:10-11
 10.  Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
 11.  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
 
2 Peter 2:20
 20.  If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
 
 
 
1 John 2:24
 24.  See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
 
 
Revelation 2:5
 5.  Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

445 posted on 01/04/2002 4:06:32 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
SHMUCK?
1 Peter 4:11
  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

446 posted on 01/04/2002 4:09:59 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Celtjew Libertarian
But He is: And the Lord God said: "Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for eve." (Genesis: 3:22)
Hey!  We know it should be 'ever', but you've pointed out OTHER verses!
 
  Revelation 22
 
 1.  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
 2.  down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
 3.  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

447 posted on 01/04/2002 4:22:51 AM PST by Elsie
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To: lexcorp
Belief in and worship of something unproven is dangerous.
Since you can't PROVE this statement, you have to believe it. Therefore it's DANGEROUS??? I don't think so.

Belief in and worship of something proven is knowledge, not belief.


People worship all kinds of things. Show how this is dangerous.
448 posted on 01/04/2002 4:26:47 AM PST by Elsie
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To: LuvItOrLeaveIt
The problem is that you've never demonstrated that heaven or "that place" even exist. You must first establish the existance of one or both before any intelligent conversation about the nature of such places can begin.

The One who has been to both has told us they both exist. What more do you need?

Shalom.

449 posted on 01/04/2002 4:46:41 AM PST by ArGee
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To: stuartcr
What makes you think that non-Christians don't go to heaven? Was it something you read, or is this a first-hand experience?

In this case, it was a quote from the One who built Heaven.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Shalom.

450 posted on 01/04/2002 4:49:02 AM PST by ArGee
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To: RnMomof7
What if the dinner is only for invited guests..like most weddings are ?

Hi, Mom. Are you asserting that it is?

Shalom.

451 posted on 01/04/2002 4:49:57 AM PST by ArGee
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To: gdani
My point - you can't even get Christians of the same and/or different denominations to agree on what it means to be a Christian. No wonder you can't even begin to understand those who are not...

Christians argue on some interesting, and I will agree, trivial details. But they agree on the basics. And, while they are actually sitting at the banquet, they seem to be uninterested in those arguments because the food is so good.

Don't let their silly arguments impact you. Come to the table.

Shalom.

452 posted on 01/04/2002 4:52:34 AM PST by ArGee
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To: Jeff Gordon
I get it. Christianity is the Club 54 of religions.

I don't get it. What's Club 54.

Shalom.

453 posted on 01/04/2002 4:53:53 AM PST by ArGee
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To: Psycho_Bunny
What Christians don't understand about non-Christians is that we don't presume to 'know' what's on God's Infinite Mind, nor, based on how you've led your life, what your ultimate destination is going to be.

Well, you don't know what's on my mind unless I tell you.

I've got a Dr. appointment and have to leave in a few minutes. I'm concerned about the need to reach everyone on this thread with an open heart but not miss my appointment. I'm thinking about how this thread got up to 450 replies while I slept and how will I possibly keep up. I'm praying to G-d to take it over.

There, now I've told you and you can claim to know what's on my mind.

Now, go read a Bible.

Shalom.

454 posted on 01/04/2002 4:56:46 AM PST by ArGee
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To: LuvItOrLeaveIt
Yep. I knocked. Nobody answered.

I am really surprised. I can think of a few possibilities. Either you didn't look in the right place, or you looked hoping not to find, or you intentionally looked in the wrong place, or you were looking for the wrong person to answer and didn't see who was at the door.

In the first place, G-d knocks. You don't knock. But you can seek. You may need a guide, but if you open your heart to His knock then He will guide you.

I don't know you so I can't know your experience. In my experience everyone who answers as you do intentionally knocked on the wrong door so they could claim it was G-d's fault. He really isn't that hard to find. After all, I found Him and I'm not at all special.

Shalom.

455 posted on 01/04/2002 4:59:22 AM PST by ArGee
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To: discostu
Where-in we ask why the important part is which building we entered once a week and what name we invoked when asking the devine for guidance and assistance (or whether we even did that).

Maybe you were looking for the door for the wrong reason. Maybe you were looking for a restroom and didn't see a restroom clearly marked so you figured there was no restroom.

Christianity doesn't merely offer "fire insurance" to keep you from Hell. Christianity offers you a relationship with G-d. The relationship is so intimate and personal that the only example of it in our world is the relationship of a loving husband and wife. It's not about getting to Heaven after you die. It's about being with G-d forever, starting now. It's about loving G-d and being loved by G-d and becoming all that you were created to be.

As far as I know, Jesus is the only one who has made that possible. Is that something you would want?

Shalom.

456 posted on 01/04/2002 5:03:50 AM PST by ArGee
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To: ArGee
I was looking for something more substantial than a bible quote.
457 posted on 01/04/2002 5:14:15 AM PST by stuartcr
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To: ArGee
If God takes over the thread, and someone writes something, will it be as valid as the bible?
458 posted on 01/04/2002 5:16:34 AM PST by stuartcr
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To: Dynamo
It is here where a Christian crosses the line between "witnessing" and "casting pearls before swine."

Ah... yes.

Calling those who wish to discuss the issue in good faith "swine".

Suggesting that they are infected with a malaise.

That'll help bring 'em closer to god.

459 posted on 01/04/2002 5:28:35 AM PST by OWK
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To: the_doc
"Today's most popular evangelists represent conversion as being as easy as walking down an aisle and confessing Christ. But they forget that Jesus never represented conversion that way."

This was the popular approach in many evangelical churches for decades. A denial of the really important aspects of Biblical salvation (after all, repentance has never been popular!) in a quest for numbers. Preachers attending conferences and boasting of how many decisions and how many baptisms they had in their churches the past week, month, year.

However, those of us who come of late onto the scene find that none of those they got to decide and few of those they baptized are anywhere to be found today. Church rolls full of the names of those who haven't darkened the door of any church for decades. As a Baptist, I am chagrined whenever we receive a request for a "letter of recommendation" from a sister church for someone I don't even know (and I have pastored the same church for over 12 years!). I take these requests to business meeting, and ask if anyone, anyone at all, knows who this person is. I have yet to have anyone come up with something more concrete than a maybe. As a result, I send a letter to the requesting church telling them that we are glad they are ministering to this person now, and that we will be removing them from our roll (if we can find them at all). A Letter of Recommendation? How do you grant a "recommendation" in cases like this?

460 posted on 01/04/2002 5:36:36 AM PST by Jerry_M
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