Weird Time for Christians

[DefenderAO]

Remember that time when Defender had weeks and dozens worth of empassioned, active and heartfelt condemnations of the progressive agenda and how its moral decay (as evidenced by the occasional drag show and trans child and sexually-topical books in libraries) was leading to the ruin of America?

Then remember that time when confronted with the evidence of a morally reupgnant and rotten core at the center of the largest Christian organization in the country, and all he had to offer was a single post playing defense using the Bible to say that those people aren't real Christians?

Tell me about forms of moral bankruptcy better than another.  

People can call themselves anything (familiar?).   It does not make them so.  Many take the wide road.  Others believe they're good through their works.  

Individual change comes through Jesus alone.  

Ephesians

[SIZE=2.4rem]2 And you were [/SIZE]dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

 

[Scarlet]

Individual change comes through Jesus alone.  

This is false.  

 

[DefenderAO]

This is false.  

Change, in this thread, (about Christians) = death to life.  Heart of stone to heart of flesh.  Enemy of God to His son or daughter.

It's Jesus alone.  He declares this without hesitancy.  He's either lying, a loon, or legitimate.  You get to choose what you take Him for.

 

[Scarlet]

Change, in this thread, (about Christians) = death to life.  Heart of stone to heart of flesh.  Enemy of God to His son or daughter.

It's Jesus alone.  He declares this without hesitancy.  He's either lying, a loon, or legitimate.  You get to choose what you take Him for.

False.  There were sages who walked the earth long before Jesus who exemplified more moral purity than any modern Christian including Jesus himself.   I'd say he was either lying or loon.  

 

[DefenderAO]

False.  There were sages who walked the earth long before Jesus who exemplified more moral purity than any modern Christian including Jesus himself.   I'd say he was either lying or loon.  

I did too.

The Case for Christ and the Case for Faith by Lee Strobel are good books on the matter.  Lee set out to affirm his contempt and animus towards Christianity and was saved through it.  I'm curious, if you read one (or both), if it would affirm your current position or maybe change it...

And yes, Jesus models Christianity perfectly (it exists because of Him), and His followers fall short daily (raises hand high), but there is now no condemnation for those in Him.  

The faithful Israelites of old awaited His coming.  Other prophets acknowledge His goodness and value.  

He said He was God.  I believe it.  

 

[funhusker]

I did too.

The Case for Christ and the Case for Faith by Lee Strobel are good books on the matter.  Lee set out to affirm his contempt and animus towards Christianity and was saved through it.  I'm curious, if you read one (or both), if it would affirm your current position or maybe change it...

And yes, Jesus models Christianity perfectly (it exists because of Him), and His followers fall short daily (raises hand high), but there is now no condemnation for those in Him.  

The faithful Israelites of old awaited His coming.  Other prophets acknowledge His goodness and value.  

He said He was God.  I believe it.  

Lee Stroble’s books are pathetic attempts at evangelism.
 

You should read Becoming Christ by Bart Ehrman (see edit below) or Zealot by Reza Aslan if you are interested in multiple viewpoints.  Jesus was very likely a great man with excellent intentions that doesn’t deserve the mockery he many times get.

but the character Christian have turned him into, specifically American Christians is laughable.

edit: “How did Jesus Become God?” Is the book by Ehrman.  “From Jesus to Christ” is a documentary I believe done by PBS that can be found on YouTube.

 

[DefenderAO]

Lee Stroble’s books are pathetic attempts at evangelism.
 

You should read Becoming Christ by Bart Ehrman (see edit below) or Zealot by Reza Aslan if you are interested in multiple viewpoints.  Jesus was very likely a great man with excellent intentions that doesn’t deserve the mockery he many times get.

but the character Christian have turned him into, specifically American Christians is laughable.

edit: “How did Jesus Become God?” Is the book by Ehrman.  “From Jesus to Christ” is a documentary I believe done by PBS that can be found on YouTube.

Jesus never became God.  He has always been God.

The Bible tells you His character.  The Old Testament looks forward to Him and the New Testament looks at His life, death, resurrection, and redemption of believers.  

When on Earth He was fully God and man.  Lived a perfect life (not one person in history can claim this outside of Jesus), died a thief's death, and rose from the grave now at the right hand of the Father.  

All things were made by Him and through Him.  

Liar, loon, or legitimate.  We have the free agency to choose.   

Edit:  p. 69 of this thread.  Got it.

 

[knapplc]

These fringe "Christian" nutters are the same kind of people who told us we were all going to become Satan-worshipers if we listened to Ozzy or played D&D.

These are the people who, if there is a Heaven, are going to find out what Jesus was saying in Matthew when he tells people trying to get into Heaven, (paraphrasing) "You people who claim to be my people, get away. I never knew you."

 

[JJ Husker]

These fringe "Christian" nutters are the same kind of people who told us we were all going to become Satan-worshipers if we listened to Ozzy or played D&D.

These are the people who, if there is a Heaven, are going to find out what Jesus was saying in Matthew when he tells people trying to get into Heaven, (paraphrasing) "You people who claim to be my people, get away. I never knew you."

But wait a minute. DefenderAO has been saying roughly the same things. Not specifically listening to Ozzy or playing D&D but the whole progressive agenda moral decay thing.
 

It’s almost as if some folks pick and choose which parts of the Bible to focus on (the parts that allow them to criticize and judge others where they can feel superior) and which parts to ignore or twist the meaning of (the ones that would spell trouble for the home team). But I’m sure nobody here on good ole HB would ever do that. Nah. Inconceivable.

 

[ZRod]

But wait a minute. DefenderAO has been saying roughly the same things. Not specifically listening to Ozzy or playing D&D but the whole progressive agenda moral decay thing.
 

It’s almost as if some folks pick and choose which parts of the Bible to focus on (the parts that allow them to criticize and judge others where they can feel superior) and which parts to ignore or twist the meaning of (the ones that would spell trouble for the home team). But I’m sure nobody here on good ole HB would ever do that. Nah. Inconceivable.

 

[DefenderAO]

These fringe "Christian" nutters are the same kind of people who told us we were all going to become Satan-worshipers if we listened to Ozzy or played D&D.

These are the people who, if there is a Heaven, are going to find out what Jesus was saying in Matthew when he tells people trying to get into Heaven, (paraphrasing) "You people who claim to be my people, get away. I never knew you."

Christians are nutters?  Christians, ones transformed by Jesus through faith, are the ones God will claim He never knew?

 

[DefenderAO]

But wait a minute. DefenderAO has been saying roughly the same things. Not specifically listening to Ozzy or playing D&D but the whole progressive agenda moral decay thing.
 

It’s almost as if some folks pick and choose which parts of the Bible to focus on (the parts that allow them to criticize and judge others where they can feel superior) and which parts to ignore or twist the meaning of (the ones that would spell trouble for the home team). But I’m sure nobody here on good ole HB would ever do that. Nah. Inconceivable.

Known by their fruit.

Reprehensible filth should be called out.  Abortion (unwanted kids - God says otherwise), sexual deviants and deviancy in schooling systems...defended.  With contempt to oppress and with passion.  

The "do not judge" is both succeeded and given context by the entirety of Matthew 7.  

Paul had much to say of wickedness.  As does the Scripture.  There's one path to eternal redemption.

Romans 1 

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

 

[funhusker]

Jesus never became God.  He has always been God.

The Bible tells you His character.  The Old Testament looks forward to Him and the New Testament looks at His life, death, resurrection, and redemption of believers.  

When on Earth He was fully God and man.  Lived a perfect life (not one person in history can claim this outside of Jesus), died a thief's death, and rose from the grave now at the right hand of the Father.  

All things were made by Him and through Him.  

Liar, loon, or legitimate.  We have the free agency to choose.   

Edit:  p. 69 of this thread.  Got it.

American Christianity…. :facepalm:

 

[DefenderAO]

American Christianity…. :facepalm:

Global Christianity.  Acts 1:6.  From the One who created the universe.  Col 1:16

16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

You stated Jesus was very likely a great man undeserving of ridicule.  He said He was God.  Liars or loons don't usually make great historical men.

  This man was one of the best authors and teachers of our time.

In the spring of 1920, when Nee was 17, Dora Yu was invited to hold ten days of revival meetings[10] in the Church of Heavenly Peace in Fuzhou.[11] After Nee's mother attended these meetings, she was moved to apologize to her son for a previous incident of unjust punishment. Her action impressed Nee so much that he determined to attend the next day's evangelistic meetings to see what was taking place there. After returning from the meeting, according to Nee's own account:


On the evening of 28th April, 1920, I was alone in my room, struggling to decide whether or not to believe in the Lord. At first I was reluctant but as I tried to pray I saw the magnitude of my sins and the reality and efficacy of Jesus as the Savior. As I visualized the Lord's hands stretched out on the cross, they seemed to be welcoming me, and the Lord was saying, "I am waiting here to receive you." Realizing the effectiveness of Christ's blood in cleansing my sins and being overwhelmed by such love, I accepted him there. Previously I had laughed at people who had accepted Jesus, but that evening the experience became real for me and I wept and confessed my sins, seeking the Lord's forgiveness. As I made my first prayer I knew joy and peace such as I had never known before. Light seemed to flood the room and I said to the Lord, "Oh, Lord, you have indeed been gracious to me."

— Watchman Nee, Watchman Nee's Testimony.​

 

[funhusker]

Global Christianity.  Acts 1:6.  From the One who created the universe.  Col 1:16

16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

You stated Jesus was very likely a great man undeserving of ridicule.  He said He was God.  Liars or loons don't usually make great historical men.

  This man was one of the best authors and teachers of our time.

In the spring of 1920, when Nee was 17, Dora Yu was invited to hold ten days of revival meetings[10] in the Church of Heavenly Peace in Fuzhou.[11] After Nee's mother attended these meetings, she was moved to apologize to her son for a previous incident of unjust punishment. Her action impressed Nee so much that he determined to attend the next day's evangelistic meetings to see what was taking place there. After returning from the meeting, according to Nee's own account:


On the evening of 28th April, 1920, I was alone in my room, struggling to decide whether or not to believe in the Lord. At first I was reluctant but as I tried to pray I saw the magnitude of my sins and the reality and efficacy of Jesus as the Savior. As I visualized the Lord's hands stretched out on the cross, they seemed to be welcoming me, and the Lord was saying, "I am waiting here to receive you." Realizing the effectiveness of Christ's blood in cleansing my sins and being overwhelmed by such love, I accepted him there. Previously I had laughed at people who had accepted Jesus, but that evening the experience became real for me and I wept and confessed my sins, seeking the Lord's forgiveness. As I made my first prayer I knew joy and peace such as I had never known before. Light seemed to flood the room and I said to the Lord, "Oh, Lord, you have indeed been gracious to me."

— Watchman Nee, Watchman Nee's Testimony.​

​

Ridiculing a group of Christians for lack of critical thought is not at all ridiculing Jesus.