Fallen and Flawed

Demian,
It is an honor for me to co-labor with you.
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And I share your grief. It’s much like that of Jesus himself who, when he approached Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, wept and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
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All we can do is point to the truth. Only God can open their eyes.
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I look forward to continuing our practice of spiritual optometry as God leads.

Oh my…oh, my dear brothers…oh, how I know how you all feel! My parents are spiritually blind and thoroughly deaf to His direction, and I am painfully and wonderfully reminded that only God Himself has the capacity to turn their stone hearts to flesh. The situation pierces my heart but also gave the spirit more room in my heart. It’s caused me to submit even more fully to my Lord’s will, so that He may help me become more effective at spreading the Good News not only to my family, but to all I meet.

I know your pain and humility, I’m feeling it in myself as well and please know my hand is on your shoulder as much as yours is on mine. We’re all treading that Narrow Path and are constantly reminded just how high the cliff on one side is, and how deep the chasm on the other side…but oh, how sweet the end of that journey will be…

–Denita

Thank you Richard and Denita! Your encouragement and support is priceless.

Well, if physical disabilities are good metaphors for non-belief then I guess you could say that all of you guys have been “blinded” to Allah, and “deaf” to his calling too.

I may reject people’s arguments but I’d never reject a person, and I certainly hope that what I say doesn’t come across as ridicule.

Having said all that I do fully understand the evangelical mindset, having been there myself.

D, I am humbled beyond expression to read my name included among yours and the others’. (And yet, weak foolish human that I am, I try to say the inexpressible in explaining my feelings. *Sigh*)
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How crushing it is to look at another and say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I,” while that other, should he hear me, might think I boast of spiritual prowess or think myself more deserving than he of God’s benevolence. Crushing because I know myself to be the least worthy of all God’s creatures to find favor in His eyes. But the unbeliever, in all his denial of God’s claims and pleas, in all his complaint about God’s servants, declares himself a fool; with whom God agrees, adding, “Hearing you do not hear, and seeing you do not see, and you do not know that you are blind and deaf and dead.” And, being all of these, the blind, deaf, dead fool hears and sees nothing except us weeping on his behalf, which he misconstrues as as an act of pretense and mockery, causing us to weep the more. Oh, Friend, we are but image-bearers of God and His Redeemers, who were once like you until His Word penetrated our vain defenses and illuminated us within to see and hear Him. If you could but know HIS tears for you, the intensity of His suffering in what could be your place, that you might be delivered from that suffering.
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But I said WE weep. Yes, WE believers suffer with our Lord, but not as an unbeliever must suffer, for we have been delivered from such suffering as finds no relief; from the suffering of those who deserve and bear God’s wrath. OUR present suffering is a glorious sharing of the suffering of our LORD, and is for but a short time, while YOURS, unless you repent of your rebelliousness toward God and receive to yourself His Gospel of salvation through His Son Christ Jesus, must go on forever. So we weep for you, wishing that our tears could save you, which they can not. But His can. Yes, Jesus wept for you, and bled for you, and bore indescribable pain for you, and died for you, to sve you from yourself and the consequences of your deadness, blindness, and deafness, and EVEN NOW, if you will hear His voice, you may be saved, for inclining your heart and mind toward Him will declare the moment to be YOUR acceptible time! Call upon Him while He is near!
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I join Demian in thanking you, Denita and Richard, for the encouragement from your rich words of faith, hope and trust in our Lord Christ.
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James, I’m not sure whether I’m answering your comment in saying that when one’s eyes have been opened to the One true God, his eyes are also opened to see the falsehood of every other god; when one has heard the pristine voice of the Redeemer, the voices of all other claimants to diety sound like mouths full of sewage and broken glass, and smell as fetid. If that sounds silly to you, it is just the fulfillment of the Apostle Paul’s words, “The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…”
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But don’t take MY word for it. Read it for yourself. And don’t tell ME what you think of God’s words (because I can’t make them sound any clearer than He has done already), but discuss His words directly with Him. And do so at length; tell Him exactly what you think of Him and His message, in great detail!

Demain -

Thanks for proclaiming Christ. I have been deeply effected by your blog. It has spurred me on to see what I say and write more in light of the Gospel and Jesus.

Lets hang out in Heaven.

- Nathan

Thanks Demian.
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“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
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The power is God’s; not ours. May the Lord continue to bless you and your family in your life and ministry.
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Ever in Christ…

Demian, I sincerely thank you. I am with Nathan – God has used your blog already, in a couple short months of reading, to bring challenges and growth. Keep running the race with endurance as you write.

James, no, I completely understand where you’re coming from, and it doesn’t come across as ridicule…and in a completely different way your contribution and interaction is priceless, too…and I hope I come across as embracing you but not always your arguments. I have to admit, writing posts like this isn’t always easy cause it tends to clear out subscribers. Take care.

Thanks, Al!
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I appreciate your boldness, clarity and constancy.
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It is truly an honor to co-labor with you as well.
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James, no one said we reject the person. Quite the contrary, actually. And as Al said, Christ is as close as a whisper.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

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He (God in the context of this verse) hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. John 12:40

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The question is … Who is God deceiving? Maybe modern christians are the ones being deiceived? How would you know?

I think there’s a much simpler explaination. The reason I don’t believe is because the doctrine did not stand up to my scrutiny. IOW, I have been given no real evidence. The best argument I have been given was, “We believe this way and so should you.”
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You need to do better than that.

Demian: that’s a relief, as it’s hard to argue politely when all you have is text. Sometimes i re-read what I just posted and think “whoops”.
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I love a provocative post, and I also enjoy my worldview being challenged. The only reason I’ll unsubscribe is if you turn off your brain and start mindlessly just posting bible quotes with no actual thought going into the post and no followup discussion.

Hello Robert. You asked,

[1]The question is … Who is God deceiving? [2]Maybe modern christians are the ones being deiceived? [3]How would you know?

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[1]According to the psalmist (Psalm 145:16) and Paul the apostle (Romans 1:18-22), God gives to those who refuse to acknowledge or know Him their hearts’ desire; i.e. self-deception, even generously helping them to achieve it. [2]Without doubt, many who consider themselves to be true believers in Christ Jesus are included among the self-deceived (Matthew 25:31-46). [3]One may know the Truth presently (John 8:31-32) if one has been born again, otherwise one cannot know (John 3:3) until the judgment of Matt.25 (above).
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I think there’s a much simpler explaination. The reason I don’t believe is because the doctrine did not stand up to my scrutiny. IOW, I have been given no real evidence. (emphases mine)

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Your explanation is simplistic: In requiring that evidence be presented to you, which must stand up to your scrutiny, you place yourself above God. I.e., if you cannot understand and approve God, you will not accept Him. But any god who would subject itself to such demand would be beneath you and unworthy of the name or title. Having read you both here and at your own blog, I am persuaded that you know and understand that this is so– you would not recognize as a god, nor accept (much less worship) any entity which you could define or which would submit to your demands.
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The best argument I have been given was, “We believe this way and so should you.”

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I hope this is no longer the case.
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You need to do better than that.

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Who needs to do better at what? Genuine Christians are not trying to convince you of anything. There is no reason to do so. Our commission is merely to tell you the truth, which we have done and will continue to do as long as we may. But only God’s Holy Spirit can convince you, and that only if you are willing to forego the fantasy of independent human wisdom and be taught by Him as would a little child. It is not man’s intellect, but his pride that denies his need of God.
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I’m glad you’re still reading here, Robert.

James, I hope the above isn’t too mindless for you!

Al, not at all! although your Bible quotes carry as much weight as Qur’an quotes would to you, I otherwise consider your reply to be a real rebuttal with some interesting points!
I’m looking forward to Robert’s reply.

Robert, you said:

I think there’s a much simpler explaination. The reason I don’t believe is because the doctrine did not stand up to my scrutiny.

…which is a legitimate response. It reminds me of people’s response to Jesus’ message in John 6…a message he didn’t make easy to accept. In fact, he made it harder. And harder. Quite unlike the easy-believism that gets tossed around today. John MacArthur addresses this issue in a book called Hard to Believe. Email me and I’ll send you a copy. It’s worth a read.