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Old 07-01-2007, 04:16 AM
 
Location: South Carolina
401 posts, read 684,572 times
Reputation: 383

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Quote:
Originally Posted by dreameyes View Post
So are you saying I should go out and do some big sinning so I can better come to a realization of what I have? (I'm not being sarcastic this is an honest question that I've thought a lot about)
No I would never suggest that you go out and sin, I don't know the answer to your question I was just making an observation, one that I know personally to be true. Maybe you should make friends with someone who had a really rough life before they became a Christian.

Paul, called himself among the chief of sinners, but after his repentance he wrote most of the New Testament.

The man who wrote Amazing Grace was a real wretch before he became a Christian. History is full of examples of HORRIBLE people who repented, who went on to inspire great goodness in others.

But the sin that it took to get these people to those spots came at a huge Earthly price. Be glad that you never had to experience life that low.
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Old 07-01-2007, 07:12 AM
 
4,139 posts, read 11,463,767 times
Reputation: 1959
Sorry, I completely disagree.

I grew up as a missionary kid in East Africa. I didn't need to live in a hut to realize how much I had been given and how much I was required to give.

I went to Christian school, Christian colleges, etc....

You know what? God still called me to work in the inner-city working with high schoolers who were in gangs (I have attended several of my student's funerals), many pregnant at 15 or 16, poor, etc.....

God has been able to use even me, without having to have lived in their shoes.

Dawn

Quote:
Originally Posted by wzippler View Post
Those who have been forgiven of much love much.
Those that have been Christian most of their lives don't realize all that that have been delievered from.
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Old 07-01-2007, 08:00 AM
 
Location: South Carolina
401 posts, read 684,572 times
Reputation: 383
Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnW View Post
Sorry, I completely disagree.

I grew up as a missionary kid in East Africa. I didn't need to live in a hut to realize how much I had been given and how much I was required to give.

I went to Christian school, Christian colleges, etc....

You know what? God still called me to work in the inner-city working with high schoolers who were in gangs (I have attended several of my student's funerals), many pregnant at 15 or 16, poor, etc.....

God has been able to use even me, without having to have lived in their shoes.

Dawn
I congradulate you for living such a dedicated life, you have the gift of learning from other people's experiences.

Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
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Old 07-01-2007, 08:41 AM
 
Location: Mississippi
6,712 posts, read 13,439,515 times
Reputation: 4317
Quote:
Originally Posted by kawgpz550 View Post
Has anyone else ever noticed the fact that a person that used to be VERY worldly (drinking, drugs, major sexual immorality, gangbanger etc) is such a MUCH stronger testimony for Christ than most of the ones that have been good ole Christians all of their life; You know the ones that were born into a Christian family, followed daddy's footsteps in being a pastor etc...
I usually see it as similar to why people tend to follow a firetruck, but not a wedding group.

Believe me, it is SO AWESOME to see what God has done in these people's lives. I have heard some of the most grusome stories of past backgrounds of people that have completely changed their lives around, once they found Jesus. Such awesome testimonies for Christ and they tend to REALLY have an amazing impact on others!
But then you have the ones that have grown up being Christian all of their lives, and sometimes they seem so boring (sorry, I hope everyone understands where I am coming from and don't think I am being callous here ) and so hum drum and have almost NO effect on people as far as evangelizing.

What are your thoughts on this? Is this just me?
I think there's a very simple explanation for that. If it were anything else in this world other than the person's religion it would be attributed to money, glory, fame, power, etc... but now we are talking about going from one extreme to the other. I.e. drug using, alcoholics who have found God. Well, I think that whatever helped them recover from their addiction is going to be a very strong positive influence in their life. I don't doubt the fact that church can help a person recover from an addiction. I have already stated on here that it is the reliability of an unseen God who always believes in you that compells one to believe that this being will never turn it's back on you. This can give someone the power to feel as if they can overcome the addiction because at a time when friends, family, and other loved ones have turned their back on you; this God will be there. And when someone does recover because of their faith and positive will they attribute it solely to God. What most people don't realize is that it was the power of positive thinking that helped them through the situation and not God.

Look, if I checked myself into an AA meeting because I was a full blown alcoholic, I had nothing left, and my entire family disowned me, and I made a full recovery, who/what would I feel the desire to thank? Well, let's say that it was a non-denomination meeting. Let's say prayer was not involved. Who would I say saved my life? Well, me as an atheist, would have to attribute my life being saved from the AA organization. The counselor's involved, and the people who helped save me while I was in there. I wouldn't attribute it to God because I did everything by myself with the help and guidance from these people however it was my own fruition which finally gave me the ability to quit.

The church gives people the same type of feeling. That is where the belief in God is strengthened. People are attributing their recoveries to God. Well, God, did help. But, not in the way people think. He didn't point a finger and say "YOU'RE NOT A USER ANYMORE JOHN, THANKS FOR PRAYING!". No, merely, the simple imagination of the human mind and their belief in God, forced them to believe that there was something out there believing in them and knowing they could quit and this simply gave them the motivation to do so. After their recovery they fully attribute everything to God. That's fine, but they're selling their own selves short by doing so. People don't realize the power of the human mind and attribute any sort of thing seen hard to do to be the work of God.
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Old 02-17-2008, 01:09 PM
 
Location: on a green & blue ball called earth
265 posts, read 614,558 times
Reputation: 148
quote:
"Has anyone else ever noticed the fact that a person that used to be VERY worldly (drinking, drugs, major sexual immorality, gangbanger etc) is such a MUCH stronger testimony for Christ than most of the ones that have been good ole Christians all of their life;"


actually Jesus says so right here in the bible:

Luke 7:47 - Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.


so what you noticed is correct.
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