I have got to tell you about an article I found reading digg. Apparently a group in UT of Austin @ San Antonio, TX is giving out free pron magazines in exchange for Bibles . Here is the link to the blog that taks about it:
smut for "smut"
notice in the second picture that the sign above the table is asking People to donate to the Salvation Army? Heh..... I just love how God will be present in the midst of a fallen world! But seriously...the first thing I did when I went to the pictures is I zoomed in as much as I could and I looked at the people working the booth. I immediately prayed for them...but then I thought....."How many Christians would get so mad that they would never have their wits about them to go up to them and ask if they could buy them lunch or go to their house for lunch?
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Matthew 5:43 "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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(Oh and just in case if you have forgotten make sure you do not create more of your "enemies" by not following the next few verses):
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6:1 "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do-- blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get."
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funny how when we are Christ followers that our enemies are not our own by God's. And yet God in some crazy grace filled way....loves and cares for and even dies for our enemies....and asks us to do the same.
Don't be mad at these people...or even crying sad..... just get up and go talk to them and give them the gift of grace, love, forgivness, food, drink, laughter, listening, listening, ad a little more listening!
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6 comments:
Oh, my town!!! The good news is that as long as these students have been doing this, they have only had 4 people turn in their bibles for porn. They interviewed the group's leader on the local news, and he is definitely in need of prayer! Thanks for showing the right perspective on this, Deeg. It's so easy to get disgusted or angry, but it's harder to do the right thing and pray for these folks.
CB
PS... Happy Birthday, Tiffo!!!!
Heya DG! Well, I read into that link you sent me. I usually keep up with Whedon-related news via http://whedonesque.com. Might prove to be a useful site for you. You're not the only man of God posting about it, either! There have been many podcasts and blogs linked on that site that you might find interesting! Anyway, the best way that we can help make sure a Serenity sequel ever happens is to buy the DVD when it comes out on December 20th! I wish Blu-ray DVD players were around! Cause Serenity in HD? Visual overload!
Hope you had a great weekend! Merry Christmas! -Eason
Those kids must really be filled with hate for anything if they will attack Bibles. God's goodness is the only answer for all the evil that presents itself in any alluring form. We are part of God's goodness, but it is really hard for most of us to approach and be kind to people who are so openly adamant about hating Christians. About the only way I could is just to pray to see if God would want me to. Thanks for thought.
Thanks Cody I told Tiffany and she was thankful and greatful...
Thanks Eason...yeah I can't wait for the movie to come out on DVD....I amso just bought the international poster of the movie for my Home Theater! Oh yeah it rocks...can't wait for that one to come int too, heh...
Thanks Momma.....All I could ever do is ask for people to pray and ask God for what He desires for us to do in confronting others...but I believe that Jesus walk right up to those that JEws of the time hated with a passion and he ate meals with them and stuck up for them..so the tought I offered is one that is following the very actions of Christ...beside he dies for them too... thank you so much for thinking about it as much as you have!
A very interesting situation. D.G., I think you are right on in your response of action. The Christian culture of the United States often responds to offenses like this defensively. We are offended or we feel our faith is offended or challenged or we feel like God needs to be defended. All of these things may be true (although, I doubt that God needs our defense), however, our judgment seems to get clouded by what our particular tastes are and what “sins” offend us more; i.e. would the outcry have been the same if they were handing out porn for “right wing” literature or if they were handing out information on “how companies can legally save on their bottom line and in turn cut cost for their major consumers in the US by oppressing the poor in third world countries” in exchange for religious material. (pause, let that sink in)
I think that too often we react to our own emotional reflex. Our emotional reflex is important, it tells us that something is “not right here” and this situation at UT is not right. But what we should do next is not react but pause and ask ourselves “what am I actually upset about?” The answer could be several layers down. In this case I may ask myself this question and the answer maybe that I am upset because porn is being given out. Under that initial response maybe that scripture is being interpreted as porn, or that my faith is being dismissed and equated with something vulgar and exploited. I then may find that I am upset with our culture and so on and so on.
Hopefully we will discover that the person who has offended is not our enemy but our mission. In order to accomplish the mission we must hear what it is that they are saying. We cannot hear while we condemn. “Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world”
Have we heard what these people are saying? They are not promoting porn but are saying that scripture is exploited. Can we say honestly that scriptures and other spiritual writings are not exploited? Instead of an attack can we see this as opportunity? In their article they said that they did this in part as a fund raiser to obtain spiritual works of different faiths. What if someone were to take them scripture and then offer to help teach them what it means or offer them literature that would help them understand what it is that they read? I think D.G. offers us a great question…which promotes the kingdom of God more; emotional reaction with defensive angry protest and threats of hell or non-defensive dialogue that engages the heart, educates the mind, and frees the soul? How do we lead someone to Christ; by showing them a map that only points to where Christ isn’t or do we show them a map and say follow me to where Christ is?
Thanks D.G.
Cory
Thanks Cory! wow...your comment is almost as long as my posts! Thanks for the pick-me-up, heh...and yeah Amen!
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