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No accusations here, just a simple question for anyone who cares to give their feedback:
Coming back from visiting my 94 year old mother who is in excellent health, thank the Lord, I usually catch Raul Ries' radio program. He's not at the top of my list of favorite radio pastors, but I have no choice.
On this particular day he was talking about how when you become a Christian you will make enemies of your family members. As best as I can remember it:
Quote:
Let me tell you....when you turn to Christ your family will turn against you. I guarantee it. Remember what Jesus said, 'You will be hated of all nations'. And nobody turns against you quicker than your family. Didn't Jesus say, 'I have come to turn brother against brother and son against his father and mother against her daughter'? Well Jesus wasn't kidding. Let me tell you, Jesus never kidded about such matters. But you know something? The power of God is there for all to see. God answers prayers. I didn't berate my family; I didn't curse them; I didn't desert them; if anything, they deserted me. You know what I did? I prayed for my family. And do you know how God responded to my prayers? My mother and my father accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. My sister and two brothers, then my cousins...all gave their hearts to Jesus (applause). I am telling you the power of God's love is so strong he can call even the most hardened hearts to Him.
Now I'm all for happy endings...I'm a pushover for a good love story where the geek gets the beautiful girl in the end, no matter how improbable that is.
But why is it every time I hear a pastor talking about his family it's always "My entire family, including my parents, my brothers and sisters, my 14 aunts and 16 uncles and 55 cousins and my St. Bernard all gave their hearts to Jesus."
Doesn't this strike the reader as just a tad disingenuous?
No accusations here, just a simple question for anyone who cares to give their feedback:
Coming back from visiting my 94 year old mother who is in excellent health, thank the Lord, I usually catch Raul Ries' radio program. He's not at the top of my list of favorite radio pastors, but I have no choice.
On this particular day he was talking about how when you become a Christian you will make enemies of your family members. As best as I can remember it:
Now I'm all for happy endings...I'm a pushover for a good love story where the geek gets the beautiful girl in the end, no matter how improbable that is.
But why is it every time I hear a pastor talking about his family it's always "My entire family, including my parents, my brothers and sisters, my 14 aunts and 16 uncles and 55 cousins and my St. Bernard all gave their hearts to Jesus."
Doesn't this strike the reader as just a tad disingenuous?
Indeed it does. God calls whom in will in this present earth age, usually for some particular purpose during their own lifetimes.
The key is the claim all these family member for the kingdom of heaven , and take up the authority and forgive and pray forgiveness for each and everyone .............. See the natural evil thing to do is say ``all my family will never be saved as my uncle believes in liberal ideas and he will never believe the truth` , and God will give you what you say is hopeless ............ or believe in the promise and see the Uncles saved knowing Jesus , and the faith and expectation in Jesus faith is set ..............Some members of the family could take years to get them out of the blaspheme stage and into the accepting Christ , but if you are persistent Jesus will give His children the desires of their heart , if in the will of God, which salvation is in the will of God ........... Jesus will revel himself for a gift of faith
Some salesmen will tell you anything you want to hear, as long as you keep chucking money their way...it's called tickling your ear. I like to listen to the ones who scream Hell Fire, and Brimstone. The not only crack me up, they crack the speakers in my side doors. At the end of their frenzy they lower their voice, and a hand comes right out of my radio, and grabs the steering wheel. "Praise the Lord brothers, and sister. God has chosen you to join his army of saints marching across the earth spreading his word...$100 will save one soul. $500 will save a family...Join the Saint Hood friends...$1,000 will guarantee your spot on the right side of God, and it's tax deductible."
Well, I don't know. I shouldn't say Ries isn't telling the truth. But I observe people who pray for their family members for years and the members die outside the faith. But with these pastors it isn't, "I'm praying for my parents and I know God is working on them"; it's "Everybody in my family got saved. Hallelujah!"
Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing. I do that often.
No accusations here, just a simple question for anyone who cares to give their feedback:
Coming back from visiting my 94 year old mother who is in excellent health, thank the Lord, I usually catch Raul Ries' radio program. He's not at the top of my list of favorite radio pastors, but I have no choice.
On this particular day he was talking about how when you become a Christian you will make enemies of your family members. As best as I can remember it:
Now I'm all for happy endings...I'm a pushover for a good love story where the geek gets the beautiful girl in the end, no matter how improbable that is.
But why is it every time I hear a pastor talking about his family it's always "My entire family, including my parents, my brothers and sisters, my 14 aunts and 16 uncles and 55 cousins and my St. Bernard all gave their hearts to Jesus."
Doesn't this strike the reader as just a tad disingenuous?
The gospel message brings one into the spiritual realm of God. The Spirit and the Flesh are at war with each other continuously.
If all the family members are Christians, than praise the Lord there is something special going on in that household. The reality is; however, most families will be a mix of believers and nonbelievers. The gospel message in of itself of one having to come to Jesus Christ for Salvation brings division among Men.
The gospel message in of itself of one having to come to Jesus Christ for Salvation brings division among Men.
That's pretty evident if you've hung around here for any appreciable amount of time.
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