Tuesday, April 07, 2009

If we truly love them, they will come?


RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM the VUE's website...

THURSDAY!!!

MAKING AN IMPACT ON YOUR CAMPUS - meet at the VUE at 1:15 or at the BCM at 1:30.

Sometimes its (sic) easier to share what we believe with people in other cities and other countries, however God put you exactly where you are to share with those people around you. If we truly love people, God will change their hearts.
We will meet up with students at the BCM and together go out onto campus and share with students. Let God change your life & increase your faith by joining with us!



Is this what they're teaching the youth at Bellevue now?

19 comments:

Barnabas said...

So now you are mocking an effort to share Christ with college students since the announcement was not phrased perfectly.

Your actions grieve my spirit.

Please stop attacking the bride of Christ.

New BBC Open Forum said...

No, I was not mocking their efforts at all. It was the sentence in the middle that I'm talking about. Do you think if we "truly love people, God will change their hearts"? I consider this much more than "not being phrased perfectly." I had a chemistry prof in college who when grading tests would write "WWMIS" next to wrong answers. The same applies here -- wishing won't make it so!

Contrary to your ridiculous assumptions, I applaud their efforts to go out and share Christ.

"Please stop attacking the bride of Christ."

I guess you're assuming (1) I'm attacking myself or (2) I'm not part of the bride of Christ. I would guess #2.

Barnabas said...

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
~
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
~
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
~

I have no way of knowing if you are saved or not, and would not conjecture about it either way. But your propensity to attack the Bride of Christ is heartbreaking.

Your constant criticism of believers with whom you disagree, your sarcasm, your use of vulgar language to make your points, and above all the unwillingness you have to forgive those with whom you disagree is worrisome.

There is no way for me to know if you are saved or not, but your actions are clearly contrary to scripture.

New BBC Open Forum said...

My "use of vulgar language"? Think what you will, Mr. Righteous. Considering your previous comments here and the company you've kept in the past, your "rebuke" doesn't hold any weight with me. For someone who admonishes others to "judge not," you certainly are judging me. Why do you bother continuing to drop in if you find my writing so distasteful?

Barnabas said...

Why do I bother? Because I love you, and I love Christ, and I love his bride.

But please, do not put any stock in my words. You undoubtably can and will find fault in them.

However, please do take heed to the faultless word of God.

~
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
~

With that in mind, meditate on the other scriptures I shared with you. Allow the word of God to discern the thoughts and intents of your heart.

Keep in mind we need the Lord to do this as we can't even know our own hearts.

~
The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
~

You obviously think you are doing God's work with this site. I obviously think you are not. All I ask is that you prayerfully seek the Lord's face about it, and allow Him to speak to you through his word.

oc said...

First of all, your first comment seems hyper-defensive, when indeed the attack you allege was never waged. Further, your comment was obviously written under the pretense that you were hurt because the writer doesn't want people to witness of Jesus. Nonsense, and quite a manipulation tactic.

Then even after the point was explained to you, you go on with a second comment, which is very ironic. After throwing around love and forgiveness scriptures and accusing the writer of being critical, you then criticize...

"Your constant criticism of believers with whom you disagree, your sarcasm, your use of vulgar language to make your points, and above all the unwillingness you have to forgive those with whom you disagree is worrisome."

Can't you see the irony in that?
Not to mention the untruth?

And a big PS. The veiled questioning of someone's salvation is quite telling, heartbreaking, and more than worrisome. And throwing around love scriptures doesn't make you a lover.
oc.

Barnabas said...

I am not aware of any untruth in my post.

But even if there were, please heed the advice in my most recent post. Instead of focusing on my words which will have fault, focus on the Word of God which has no fault.

oc said...

Well frankly, your third comment is insulting; insinuating that the writer hasn't prayed and consulted the Word of God, while inferring that you most certainly have done so. It really seems quite arrogant actually.

Do you think you can find a way to relate your opinion that doesn't condemn or condescend or insult? You seem to promote what you despise.


Oh, and you need to explain who would be "attacking the bride of Christ". It would only be Satan or his minions. To accuse the writer of such was uncalled for. Then you turn around and tell us about love. And that is what demands explanation. Explain it,or apologize.
oc.

New BBC Open Forum said...

It's okay, oc. I'm not feeling the love either. Just let him have the last word.

Barnabas said...

I am sorry that you were offended by a suggestion to pray and to search the God's word.

Again, please feel free to ignore all words that are mine, but at the same time, please do not ignore the Word of God.

Junkster said...

NASS has used "vulgar language"? Really? I musta missed that. I can't think of anyone less likely to use vilgar language, 'cept maybe Gmommy.

:)

New BBC Open Forum said...

Oh, I know. That "gmommy" needs to have her hands washed with soap. {rolls eyes}

New BBC Open Forum said...

You're done, Barney. Bye bye!

ezekiel said...

Barnabus,

You refer to the bride of Christ and talk as if that is BBC or the local church. I wrote a post on that over at my blog, it may explain how I see what you say as being misguided.

In fact, if you want to really look at it, I suggest you go over to EZ 16 and look at what THE REDEEMER did to his first wives. The ones that turned to idolatry and sold her wares on the street.
The one that even paid her lovers.

The resemblance to what we see happening today is frightening. Look up Isaiah 43 and see the last verse. It applies to Israel. HE makes it clear there what He is going to do to Israel and history tells us that He did it.

Now here is the thing, the real bother. We are told that the church is to obey the Gospel and the consequences of not doing so are revealed here:

2Th 1:8 To deal out retribution (chastisement and vengeance) upon those who do not know or perceive or become acquainted with God, and [upon those] who ignore and refuse to obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 4:17 For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God?

1Jn 2:4 Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him.

Today, we are Israel. Take a real close look at Ephesians 2:13-19. The question all of us need to be asking ourselves is are we really Jews? Do we have circumcised hearts (Romans 2:28-29)? Or do you think you can find a lot of folk there that are calling themselves Jews and are not.(Rev 3:9)

Take a look at Rev 2:21-22 and see if the church there and the threat/promise you find there sound a lot like EZ 16 or Is 43.

So before we get all teary eyed about folks pointing criticism at the "bride of Christ" we may want to look at history and look to Revelations and ask ourselves exactly what part of Israel we belong to. The stubborn, hardhearted, stiff necked ones bent on continued bondage to sin and idolatry or the ones redeemed by the blood of Christ. I think you will find both in church every Sunday morning.

Amk47 said...

I challenge you all to come with us on Thursdays as we share our faith, so that you can make an informed decision as to the biblical validity to our actions.

In a past post about The Vue around the time it opened i informed all about an open house, and said i would be there to personally give you a tour, and answer any questions you had about The Vue. This invitation is still open.

I'm serious, if you want to line item criticize something from behind the shroud of anonymity, then at least do it fully informed. I will be glad you show you around. Just respond on here and tell me when you wish to come by. I won't even ask for your name, just tell me you saw my post.

- Aaron King

Law to the proud, Grace to the humble

New BBC Open Forum said...

Aaron,

No one (to my knowledge) is criticizing the VUE or the work you're doing. I said I applaud the fact that y'all are witnessing in your community. Did you not see the second comment in this thread? I simply asked about one sentence that jumped out at me, namely this one...

"If we truly love people, God will change their hearts."

This seems like more than just a poorly-worded sentence. So let me ask you, Aaron. Do you believe that? Do you believe that if we really, really, really, really love someone enough, God will change his heart? It's a serious yes-or-no question (my identity is irrelevant) that I'd like to hear someone answer rather than go on the attack as some before you have.

Thank you for the invitation!

John Doe said...

Personally, I think that this is a poorly worded sentence that has been overstretched for meaning.

What you are implying has been in no way taught at The Vue or at Bellevue (to my knowledge). I think that if someone walks by this and reads it that they will get what the writer meant (unless they were looking for something to be wrong with it).

They were trying to say what barnabas was saying (By this all men will know that you are my disciples...), not that we can wish someone into being saved by loving them enough.

Come to the Vue. I'll beat you in ping pong.

-Rex Gorman

New BBC Open Forum said...

Thank you for your interpretation, John Doe... errr... Rex. I wasn't "looking" for anything when I read it. I was reading it in context, and that's not what I get out of it.

"Come to the Vue. I'll beat you in ping pong."

That wouldn't be difficult. I hate ping pong. :-)

Amk47 said...

To answer your question, No, i don't. God will not force Himself on anyone, regardless of how much we love them. But it is our great privilege and responsibility to love our neighbor, so that they may know that we are His disciples, so that they may believe on His name, and He may change their hearts. How will all men know we are His disciples? it is not by our doctrine that Jesus said they would know, not by our knowledge of theology, not by our big buildings, but by our Love for one another.

Loving people where they are at,(while not condoning sin) doesn't compromise our faith, But not loving like Christ, does compromise the gospel in the worst way possible.

So again, No. i don't believe that, and i personally don't know anyone at Bellevue who does. I'm not defending that statement. i'm simply saying that when you post this criticism, it hurts my heart, because you intentionally paint it in a different light. And i know that if this same message were written on Faith Baptist's or Ellendale Baptist's websites, you would not post about it.

And i would beg to differ that your identity is irrelevant, but thats a longer story, and i've already ranted enough.

-Aaron King