I'm 47.
Was wondering your age because your responses come off as.......'youthful'.
Youthful??? What's your point there brother? What's this bigotry you have against the young people? Are you actually saying they are all incapable of being understanding of the Holy Spirit or God's word?
I'm far from young, I'm 40. Therefore, your
assumption is not only lacking in reasoning, its obviously a bit bigoted towards the young. What if someone told you that your responses came off as 'geriatric'?
Perhaps it would be wise for you to refer to the Golden Rule before making such bigoted assumptions....don't you think?
As I said , I appreciate your zeal and fire but you have a lot to learn. I never said to 'give up' on your family and I wasn't calling them swine. The Bible clearly states about sowing seeds on stony ground and to not cast our pearls before the swine. Your getting frustrated and angry and in fact its hurting your witness before them. All that is simple telling us is that there are some folk that are just so hard that if the Holy Spirit can't brake there will then neither are you. Look at the Pharaoh with Moses just to mention one. He didn't give into Moses, he caved in under the mighty hand of God. Through your witness God will soften the hearts of your loved ones......in His time.
You gotta realize something, your kin are just as determined as you. There is more than enough Scripture evidence to prove your point to them, as I'm sure you've provided, they choose not to believe. Some people believe in aliens , not because its been proven , but because they choose to.
Firstly, there are FAR MORE verses about sharing God's word, the benefit of knowing God's word, than about 'not sharing' God's word.
Apparently you forget, the BEST people to share God's word with is the non-believers, for, what good does it do to just only share his word with other believers? When it comes to sharing the news of salvation is there any more of a waste of time than only preaching to the choir?
Have you forgotten what it is to be a warrior for God...for Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior? Its possible you're in need of a good old fashioned revival brother. Have you forgotten that 'HIS time' is also our time as well? 'Right now' IS HIS time, just as tomorrow would be. :wink:
What would be my crime if I DID want to share the word of God with my relative? You make it sound as if its somehow wrong or against God, simply because she is a non-believer. Show me bible verses where it would be clearly wrong for me to do that, and I will show you two that supports sharing God's word for each one you could possibly post. Care to take that challenge brother?
"People don't light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to
everyone." - Matthew 5:15-16.
“So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” - Romans 10:17.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." - Matthew 23:19-20
You also need to pay attention to context in this thread. I've already stated she is receptive, and actually WANTS to talk about these things. And yet you say I should just not bother? And yes, by obvious insinuation, you DID quite clearly make a statement that I should just give up on her, because apparently...in YOUR OPINION....she is 'stony ground' and a swine? If she was not receptive or wanting to talk, then a case could be made of stony ground, but that's OBVIOUSLY NOT the case, if you would simply pay attention.
What if someone said your mother was swine because she differed in opinion in what scripture said? What if you knew she was simply not educated on what the bible actually says, and that was the reason for her opinion? Would she be swine, or simply ignorant?
It could just as easily be said those who refuse to spread God's word to someone who is WANTING to discuss it, would be the real swine. It could be said if there was ever a case for 'swine' it would be people who refuse to set the record straight about God's word when they have someone receptive and wanting to talk delivered right to their doorstep.
Let me ask you, did Jesus get in the trenches for his lost sheep, or just chose to stay in a glorious, Vatican style palace to shout at the crowd? Personally, I think he should be our example, not fear or cowardice of some 'stony ground' or a differing opinion.
So you say "I" have much to learn?? Who are you to judge? Maybe it is you who needs to learn...ever think about that brother? Perhaps you need to learn not to say bigoted statements. Perhaps you need to weigh the possibility that when you post scripture in attempt to back your OPINION, that there might be MORE scripture that would say otherwise. Perhaps it would be prudent to weigh your words more closely because, first you make bigoted assumptions about young people, and now you compare non-believers to people who believe in aliens?? Could you be any more contradictory in opinion to the bible?
So what's your point about aliens? Are you actually saying you DON'T believe in extra-terrestrials?? And/or that it's somehow wrong to believe in extra-terrestrials?? I ask because according to scripture, that's not a very Christian perspective to not believe in extra-terrestrials.
I pray, in Jesus's name, that your heart is opened and that one day you will understand the true importance of sharing God's word with the lost sheep.
