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roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: Smokey

Quote:
i'm not talking about 'rebellion' in the sense of violence, division, screaming, protesting, sedition
.....i'm speaking of learning how to zig, when the sons of darkness expect you to zag...the Early Church knew how to operate like this; when the zealots, those violent rebels started to act up, most every follower of Jesus was OUT of Jerusalem, that was not a 'party' God told told them to attend, coz the end of that was the destruction of Jerusalem by the dread romans.



No one would question the foolishness of those Jews who fought against the Romans. But it wasn't their "violence, division, screaming, protesting, sedition..." that was the issue: It was their inability to distinguish God's kingdom from earthly kingdoms. Many Christians today are just as deceived about the kingdom of God - even if they do speak politely to government officials. The sin problem is their beliefs, not merely their behavior. They end up fighting for the wrong kingdom with the weapons of the flesh instead of the armor of God.

It's possible to march for the wrong Jesus - the same Jesus that many people wanted even in his day: A king with political clout, who would defend an earthy kingdom - and liberate his followers from oppressive occupation.


I do not question the possibility of persecution in the future. But I suspect that our persecutors will be those who are zealous to defend an earthly kind of Christianity. Some day, if I don't join their band wagon - I will be the infidel - the enemy of God. As has happened throughout history, it will be zealous professing Christians who stand against God's kingdom people. That's why Jesus was crucified.

If Jesus marchers (or any Christian group) do not take a serious look at this pervasive pattern in church history- and examine it in light of scriptures teaching on God's kingdom, they may some day find themselves marching down the very road they tried to avoid. They may even give cause for the government to crack down further and further on religious expression, thus putting God's own people at risk. It's happened over and over and over again. And it's already happening in our nations.



Diane


_________________
Diane

 2011/12/27 20:20Profile
Smokey
Member



Joined: 2005/2/21
Posts: 417
Edmonton Alberta Cda.

 Re: Smokey

HazWelling
Are you a Jew who follows Jesus, or are you a Christian that happens to be of Jewish heritage. Do you continue to honor Jewish traditions and observe all the holidays and festivals with a little Jesus on the side. Or have you committed your life to Jesus as your savior, with no need to try and please God with strict observence of Jewish traditions.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Blessings Greg


_________________
Greg

 2011/12/27 22:27Profile
Oracio
Member



Joined: 2007/6/26
Posts: 2094
Whittier CA USA

 Re: Christian Group arrested while spreading Christmas cheer at Calgary City Hall

Brothers, this is my two cents. I really feel a mild rebuke in love is in place here. For those of us who are critizing this group, I am not hearing anyone share how God has led them to evangelize the lost in a better way.

If we don't agree with the way they reach out to this lost and dying world with the message of Christ crucified and resurrected, can we share how God has led us to reach out to the lost, or is it all just theory?

We can critize these fellow believers all day and accuse them of being in the flesh in their methods. But the question remains, what are we doing to get the gospel out to people headed for hell?

Too many times I run into "Christians" on the streets who come up to us and tell us that we shouldn't be evangelizing or preaching to the lost the way we do. And when I ask them how they do it they say they don't, that they mostly let their life and actions speak for themselves. But that's not what my Bible tells me. My Bible says "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature", it tells me "cry aloud and spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgression".

With regard to submitting to authority, I agree there is a time and place for that. But there is also a time to disobey. What did Peter say to the authorities when they told him not to preach Christ? He said he will obey God rather than men. And did he not go to the same location after he had been kicked out of it?

Bottom line is, if this group is preaching the true gospel, which it appears they are, let's not come against them but rather pray for them. Amen?


_________________
Oracio

 2011/12/28 1:26Profile









 "Smokey" Greg

my brother,
as i write in the blessed silence of the morning, 4 AM up here in the wildwoods. (i got blessed by God, i live very far away from the maddening crowd, it pleased the LORD to remove me from the cities, the purpose of which i still seek)....forgive that aside, anyway, i was thinking of you, what i wrote to you, and in no way, did i mean to seem contentious, venomous, etc.....you feel my heart on this? i pray you do.

this thought of you, unseen you are in the flesh by me, but neverthe less remembered this morning about 4 AM. i awoke for the day at 2AM. (yes i know, but sometimes it pleases God, and i find it pleasing, to awake at such an hour, rested, have coffee, and then get into, eat of Holy Scripture, usually every morning. its almost an 'ordinance'.....you see, i have that 'luxury'....to be alone with not only the Word, but with God the Holy Ghost, when the world is quiet.)

i've done this for a quite a few years now, again, if it seems boasting...oh my brother, its boasting in the LORD, coz a hunger to eat of the Word CAN ONLY COME FROM GOD.

that said, what He does is lead me thru the Word. sometimes i go from Genesis to Revelations, might take 6 months....or sometimes, He's led me to read the Gospel Accounts and Acts, and do this "Circle" four times in a row, this might take 8 months. This summer, He was pleased to have me read thru the Prophets, 'major and minor", twice thru. (i'm testifying to you right now, which is really just opening my heart)

So, this morning, i was in the 40's chapters of Genesis, which is joy to me as i love Joseph, so much. (i wont unpack what i feel in Jesus about that good God fearing man Joseph, thats a WHOLE nother thread) but one of the 'things' that struck me was that Mannasseh and Ephraim, Joseph's children, were of Egyptian parentage, their mother, and i began to think and ponder those who today claim Jewish parentage, even those who are secular Jews.

the physical bloodline is just a mish mash, of EVERYTHING, all of the middle east, all of the diaspora of Europe, and you know this, but when somebody says, "I'm Jewish", it might just be a sociological thing, as they barely darken the door of a synagogue, except of course, maybe on Rosh a Shannah, or Yom Kippur, where they put in an appearance...and maybe NOT even that.

but i, who's father was gentile, was sent to the synagogue at 7, twice a week, learn Torah one day, and then Hebrew the next, until the day of my appearance, the "Bar Mitzvah", when a 13 year old is tasked to read, in front of the congregation, out of the Torah...in Hebrew. now the Torah scroll, i read from, was a scroll that had been pulled out of a European mineshaft, or well, where the nazi's had thrown it down, and my dear rabbi, still alive today at 93, survived the death camps of the demon nazi's. (i only know this, because i went to live with him for a week, and one evening, we were both sitting in his study, each silently reading, and i noticed his shirt sleeve up and saw the tattooed numbers they had put on his wrist, made quiet inquiry and was briefly told of his season in hell...i never forgot that moment. i love that man, he's a good God fearing rabbi, he knows 'where i live' in God and Messiah, yet he still loves his Natan, me, my Hebrew name)

and in those days of my youth, much unlike those poor kids dragged into the institution of romanism, you didnt have to drag me to synagogue...it was not a "roll of the eye" , and being forced....God was and is REAL to me, then and now. Messiah Jesus was near to me, then AND now, but then, i was but a child. Those days, being raised up in the synagogue God was VERY real to me, and i knew in my child spirit, what His Name IS.......fast forward.

at 42, it was God's pleasure to break me, and His Son was revealed to me and in me...and i never looked back. now, dear one, let me answer your questions:

Quote:
Are you a Jew who follows Jesus



yes, without reservation, nor hesitation.

Quote:
or are you a Christian that happens to be of Jewish heritage.



no. let me explain, for me, the word, "Christian" has its root in a roman prejorative, "chrestus"....it was a latin insult word, and sadly when the devil got up into the roman emperor constantine, then we were off to the races, with the misuse of the term, "Christian". i beg you, please understand what i'm trying to write. i have no truck whatsoever with any dear brother or sister, who says "i'm Christian"...i rejoice, but here's the 'thing'...even today, sadly, you have so many people saying, "i'm Christian", when in fact, A. they might have been born to "Christian" parents, and no nothing of the fellowship of Jesus' sufferings, know nothing of the Blood that cleanses all sin, know nothing of Jesus and Him Crucified, or of Messiahs Glorious Resurection...or B. they say, "i'm a Christian", but are trapped in the roman institution, or one of 'orthodox institutions', greek, or russian....OR trapped into the jehovahs witness's, or joe smith's thing, mormonism. In fact, Greg, you know what just blows my soul away, how MANY different denominations there are, and seemingly, very very divided....or different "-ism's" that fly right in the Face of the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17.

mistake me not, i'm not talking about the dread word, 'ecumenicalism'....no, no no, i'm just speaking of the various 'fences' that men put up, and the religious institutions they create....just witness the various vociferous arguments dear saints have about Calvin, or Finney, or Arminias...which i stay VERY FAR away from.

sorry to be so long, i just got to testify.

you further asked :
Quote:
Do you continue to honor Jewish traditions and observe all the holidays and festivals with a little Jesus on the side.



no. laugh with me now, i have a freezer full of pork AND beef, praise God for provision, and what i realized IN Jesus, is that EVERYDAY is now Yom Kippur, which as you know is the one day, Jews believe they can righteously atone for sins. EVERY DAY, now, IN Jesus is Passover, because the Last Passover Lamb, Jesus, has shed the Blood, and one can plead it, yesterday, today, forever, for the cleansing of ALL sin.

YOU AND I .....BOTH, share nourishment from the Same Vine, meaning.....Messiah is never "on the side", He is Center and Foremost, nor do i ever deign to claim some Yahwistic 'superiority' by writing and testifying, 'i'm a Jew who follows Jesus"...banish that thought, fore i'm the least of you all, its just that, may God deal with me ever so severely should i ever fail to testify from where i came, much like Pauls anguished writings in Romans 9, aching and bleeding for the tribe of his flesh, the Jews.

i ache and i bleed much like Paul did, they're all so close to Messiah, and yet so far. i hope you have some idea, the Godly sorrow i feel...in the days of my youth, after naval service, i was fully intent on immigrating to Israel, thats how strongly i felt, but God stayed my feet. there's so much more i could say, but i'm burning up both your patience and Greg's bandwidth. so let me conclude by answering your final questions:
Quote:
Or have you committed your life to Jesus as your savior, with no need to try and please God with strict observence of Jewish traditions.



yes.....but i urge you, much the same as there is Jewish "traditions"....oh my, there are many Christian "traditions"...man made, lensed thru the flesh, there is a "vocabulary" as well, a 'code language' man uses, to underline to other's, their 'religiousity'....we must guard our hearts and be very wary of the traditions of man, fore they are meaningless to God, no profit in them....and yes, i have had Galatians 3:28 hurled at me many a time. i dont say that in offense, just fact.

What i believe in God the Holy Ghost regarding that Verse, is that Paul realized the same thing that Peter did up on the roof top of Simon's house, with the vision of the sheet, raised and lowered three times, which is call nothing 'unclean' that God has made Clean....and then led by God, Peter went off to Cornelius and kin, and testified of the Glorious Mercies of Messiah Jesus to willing hearts.

so i pray you get where i'm 'at'...its just i read all that groups stuff, it makes me very sad...and was further saddened by what you wrote of other "Christians" on this forum....only God can peer into a heart, and even sometimes, and i've witnessed this...on this forum, when we ALL come to some breakthru's, the adversary, the accuser, the liar who is known as satan, will send unclean spirits, (not you, or anyone i see on this forum, but i seen it before here)...to cause rancor and utter hellish confusion.

this is wartime, and the enemy is afoot, but thru Jesus, we are not unaware of his schemes.

anyway, for me, this has been joy just writing my heart to you, its almost like we are face to face, reasoning in love, neil

ps...why they call you Smokey? (smiling) is it the mountains, or a nickname?








 2011/12/28 6:44









 Re:

Oracio, you make good points, you reason well, i cannot dispute what you say.

i have only this to say, dear brother, the need is the Call.

and sometimes what happens is that New Covenant "Uzziah's" reach out their hands to 'steady the Ark'...i guess, in my impoverished way, thats what i was trying to say.

as well meaning as Uzziah was, you read of what happened to him, and as God is the same yesterday, today and forever, we must be very certain in Jesus, before reaching that arm up, otherwise..........

 2011/12/28 6:53









 roadsign Diane

oh that was a Good Word! the whole post you made.

Quote:
But I suspect that our persecutors will be those who are zealous to defend an earthly kind of Christianity.



yes, count on it. but doesnt that just break your heart?

does mine. May God bless your day, neil

 2011/12/28 6:59









 Re:

There is a vast difference between obeying the Holy Ghost and doing your own will.

When law of the land goes against the God of heaven, that is when it's not obeyed, and God would hold us guiltless as long as our motive and intent are pure before Him.

For example, yes, it's illegal to smuggle bibles in countries that ban it, but if the Holy Spirit is saying to send them, it's better to obey God than man.

That law is stupid anyway, it's a ban against life and not a true law of the land.

Another stupid law in those countries is not being able to assemble in your own home, yet the scriptures teach that we should. It's better to obey God than man.

There is a vast difference between what is going on there then here. Those people in Calgary were told to get a permit, they had a whole year to obtain it and they would have gotten it. Canada is not oppose to such events during this year, they failed to get it and they went against the law.

In China, they can't even get a permit to even do what those people are eligible to do. China has certain churches that are established by the state and any unlawful assembly outside of that is forbidden. And we know that God requires that we come together because there He is in midst of us when we gather together in His name.

It's discouraged that we don't lie, but we do when it comes to protecting people from the state. Look at Correy Ten Boom, she lied to Germany saying that there are no Jews here, and she had a closet full of them.

You have to love God with all your heart to be able to do things that go against even God's law itself, but more against the law of the land. But lets do it out of a pure heart, not out of self righteousness which is by the way, sickening.

 2011/12/28 8:51









 Re:

"We can criticize these fellow believers all day and accuse them of being in the flesh in their methods. But the question remains, what are we doing to get the gospel out to people headed for hell?"

I personally am not trying to highlight this particular group, but rather discussing, tweaking, sharping iron with iron and learning from all of you how we should conduct ourselves.

This group is a good example to use as to how we are to conduct ourselves.

Yes the lost are out there, but it's God who moves us to win them. I mean think about it. When God stopped speaking to Israel for 400 years between the testaments where were the saviours to keep the light burning?

There was none!

When Paul would have gone into Asia, the Holy Spirit forbade him to go. Those that were living there were sinners too just like the rest of the places he went, but those people died without a saviour because the Holy Ghost forbade him to go there. It's God's business who will be saved, "such as should be saved"?

There are way too many Martha's running to and fro the globe trying to prepare the ministry, preparing sermons notes books, exhausting themselves to death, trying to get the table prepared and yet there is lowely Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus having found the "best" part of the ministry. Martha was left to work and slave, but the best thing for her to do was to listen to instruction. Yes, the table must be prepared, things need to be done, but done by whose hand? God or man?

Martha was sweating, trying to work at the ministry, trying to save souls, trying to feed the hungry, trying to raise money, sweating sweating and more sweating. But Mary fell in love with Jesus and that is the whole purpose of man is to have a love relationship with God.

We were not put on earth to save men, we were put on earth to have fellowship with God, that is our sole function and purpose. And that is the message of the Gospel, reconciliation. Reconciling sinners to God so they too can have a relationship with Him.

Did you know we don't tell people that?

They hear about Jesus, they repent, and then they are put in the school of Martha.

What started out so simple is now become difficult. We don't tell them to continue loving Jesus with all their heart. No, we tell them "how to" and read "how to books".

Saving the lost you say? We need to first start with us and get our priorities straight and sit down and forget the lost (for now) forget Martha's running around sweating and be a Mary and receive instruction and love God.


 2011/12/28 9:12
Smokey
Member



Joined: 2005/2/21
Posts: 417
Edmonton Alberta Cda.

 Re: "Smokey" Greg

HazWelling
Brother: There is certainly no time like the early early morning to come into the presence of the LORD. Please know that I was not questioning your faith, I just felt a need for clarification of you statement about being a Jew who follows Jesus. I would hope to cause some concern myself if I called myself a Scottish Irish Canadian who followed Jesus.
We live in a world today where being a "Christian" has become something like a buffet of beliefs, where you can pick and choose some template that is the latest religious fad and it becomes a part of the service. The following scripture clearly tells us what we need to be about as the day draws closer.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
I have been wandering in a desert of indiffrence(?) and neglect to the needful things for a couple of years. In the past I have been part of a street mission, and a street evangelization team for years, but in the last couple of years I have let that all fall to the side as I had been involved in renovating some property I had purchased 300 miles away in another province. Not a bad thing in itself, however it required travelling back and forth on the weekend and slowly loosing contact with my church and growing reckless with my choices.
I share this with you all because it happens slowly, and one day you just come to the point that you do not even recognize yourself any more. I have no right to challenge anyone elses faith, however it is important for me to clarify where someone else is coming from with all the falsehood that has flooded our churches today.
Several years ago my wife and I lived in a little lake village called Alberta Beach. One day I was wondering about a distinctive name for internet forums. It just so happened that there was a huge forest fire burning near the small town of Flatbush where I had grown up, and the air was full of wood smoke, thus the name Smokey was born. Blessings to all. Greg


_________________
Greg

 2011/12/28 11:07Profile









 "Approved"

Quote:
We were not put on earth to save men, we were put on earth to have fellowship with God, that is our sole function and purpose. And that is the message of the Gospel, reconciliation. Reconciling sinners to God so they too can have a relationship with Him.

Did you know we don't tell people that?




yes, i do know that, to my shame i write. i recieved the Word God gave you, amen.

 2011/12/28 11:37





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