7 Wonders of the World

[Brother Shuler]

I hope this is the correct place to post this. It's not necessarily evangelistic but I guess it is in a sense. Anyway, everyone seems to enjoy it a great deal. I can't endorse the site itself, I don't have a clue what's on it besides this video.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/124250..._of_the_world/

[Columcille]

Originally Posted by Brother Shuler

I hope this is the correct place to post this. It's not necessarily evangelistic but I guess it is in a sense. Anyway, everyone seems to enjoy it a great deal. I can't endorse the site itself, I don't have a clue what's on it besides this video.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/124250..._of_the_world/

What kind of evangelism is it when it is preaching to the choir?

Getting out of our comfort zone, thinking outside the box (being creative), rebuilding our own sense of iden***y in Christ (inner healing), connecting with our loved ones, connecting with our neighbors and coworkers, connecting with those who dislike us and our values, and finally, connecting with strangers. God is necessary in all these aspects. God helps build heathy relationships, because he is, by the Trinitarian relationship, eternal love.

The Lorica is a very powerful prayer. St. Patrick was a true evangelist.

[alanmolstad]

think of Christians as being like leaky buckets that always need filling with the Holy Spirit....always need topping-off...

This is the reason we go to church.

[Columcille]

When you say "we go to church," I was under the impression based on your far eastern spirituality that you were not a professed mainstream Christian. Your ****ogy of a leaky bucket suggests you are an***hetical to Christianity. In fact, it is written Psalms 23. 5, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." In Christian circles, it is understood that the filling of the Holy Spirit is something that flows out into good works. The reason we go to church is because the book of Hebrews declares not to forsake the ***embly of the saints; going to church is an act of community and fellowship as we seek the Lord through the reading of the Sacred Scripture and for us Catholic/Orthodox the reception of the sacred mystery in the Eucharist by God's grace not of our own doing. Some rugged individualists in Protestant circles may think of going to church as an act of of renewal, but even they understand the book of Hebrew's instruction. To me, motivation to seek after the filling of the Holy Spirit is no different than Simon in Acts 8.

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

People who are constantly seeking for a thrill are certainly not going to find the filling of the Holy Spirit, because their motivation is not consistent with God's will.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Columcille

Your ****ogy of a leaky bucket suggests you are an***hetical to Christianity.

I got the "Leaky bucket" quote from Walter Martin, it was a common answer he gave on the value of going to church...

[Columcille]

I don't recall the reference, I listened to him all the time growing up. The value of going to church for the sake of just going to church would be like a leaky bucket because one cannot be filled to overflowing if the attempt of salvation is based on going to church. Walter Martin talked about works oriented salvation as being an error, and I agree with him as a Catholic that salvation comes from God alone; works only demonstrates an interior life changed by God and so as a Catholic I would go further to understand Paul's statement to work out one's salvation to be of a different scriptural p***age context that does not contradict with many of the Reformer's ideas.

[alanmolstad]

It was a common answer Walter gave on the value of going to church.
The caller would question the need to go to church when they already have a bible at home they can read...

Walter would answer that the Christian is like a leaky bucket that the Holy Spirit fills, but we leak....

Going to church is not about learning,,,we can learn at home...
its not about reading, we can read at home.
its not about hearing, we can play tapes at home.


I quoted it in the same, correct context I heard it within.

[Columcille]

Sometimes the problem with ****ogies is that if one tried to make further ****ysis breakdown that the ****ogy falls apart.
In Walter Martin discussing hermeneutics, he points out the error of literalism when it comes to the Mormon's use of interpreting the Psalms to support the idea that God has a corporal body. The use of ****ogy in the Psalms is meant to give the listener a grasp of one specific quality of God, but not to suggest God has a body. The God who created the ear, can he not hear? To me, the ****ogy of a leaky bucket is a weak and imperfect ****ogy. If anything, I would say that a bucket becomes empty based on the use of the bucket and not the bucket's container being filled with cracks and imperfections. While we are imperfect, it is the Spirit's indwelling that attempts to make us more into the image of Christ. I would agree with the sentiment that there is a need to daily pick up our crosses, to be a community because love can only be expressed when we love one another... doing it on one's own denies the ability to express God's love since the two greatest commandments go hand in hand that is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul and the second to love your neighbor as yourself. There are times where I disagree with Walter Martin because I am Catholic, but generally I find him to be fairly consistent as an Evangelical. I suppose this might be one of those cases, but without actually listening to the full context of your reference... I am not about to ridicule Martin. I've seen this happen on Television where the Media will take correct words from Gov. Christie and Sen. Rand Paul and make much ado about nothing in hopes to send a rift in the GOP electorate. Whether you quoted him accurate or not, I still find your principles to be contrary to Christian teaching. And if Walter Martin was alive, I am sure he would say the same regarding your positions much more than Catholicism.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Columcille

I still find your principles to be contrary to Christian teaching. .....

where?

I always ask people that if they have an issue with something I have written to let me know where?....I will be more than happy to have a look at what I have written to see if perhaps I made use of poor wordings, or that I wrote in a context you knew not?....


so where are my words not in 100% agreement with the word of God?

[Columcille]

There are several places where in the different forum topics I take issue with your spirituality as contrary to Scripture, especially in your "vagueness" dealing with meditation. However, the topic of this thread is not about that. I take issue with your appearance to sound like a Christian but in substance being against the core doctrines.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Columcille

There are several places where in the different forum topics I take issue with your spirituality as contrary to Scripture, especially in your "vagueness" dealing with meditation. However, the topic of this thread is not about that. I take issue with your appearance to sound like a Christian but in substance being against the core doctrines.

Hmmmm?


Speaking of "vagueness" ...LOL

It's hard for me to drop back and deal with "several places" when I dont have a clue what issue of any of these un-named places you have a problem with?

If you could narrow it down a bit more it might help me understand what it is you are looking at that gave you this slanted view.

I got like tons and tons of posted comments on all kinds of issues on this forum.
One would think that for you to suggest that my words are not in agreement with the Bible in several places that it should not be that hard to list for me an example or two?

[Columcille]

Ok, here is one issue I have within this particular thread. The video posted about the 7 wonders of the world is an Evangelical attempt to sentimentalize the human experience and then finish it with a message of God's sending his only Son to die for us. While agree with the sentiment, I disagree with the method used to manipulate the emotions. You just posted something that was just unrelated. I have been a member her since 2008, and actually I have been here even longer than under a different name when I was a Protestant back in 2003. I rarely post because I want to have something to say, but you have been a member here posting just below 4 thousand posts. You really have not said much of substance. I am not a Sola Scriptura person because I believe that interpretation is not a private matter, but rather is in the hands of the Church as a community. We are different in that you seem to talk as though you are just fully Scripture, but your videos and pictures show Eastern influence over Christian influence. You prefer the katana and meditation practices of the Far East. Psalm 1 states clearly:

Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the impious, and has not remained in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the chair of pestilence. But his will is with the law of the Lord, and he will meditate on his law, day and night.

You do not meditate on such things, the Law in the Psalms is the Scriptures of King David in the form of the Torah. The Scriptures as a collection of sacred literature to the Christian embodies the Old and New Testament. Hence, the instruction of the Psalms on the method of meditation is to reflect on the Scriptures and not just being alone and quieting one's self. Your methodology does not do that and runs against Scripture.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Columcille

Ok, here is one issue I have within this particular thread. The video posted about the 7 wonders of the world is an Evangelical attempt to sentimentalize the human experience and then finish it with a message of God's sending his only Son to die for us. While agree with the sentiment, I disagree with the method used to manipulate the emotions. You just posted something that was just unrelated. ........

Umm.....so are you asking me to go have a look at my first post on this topic because you think my words are not in agreement with the bible?

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Columcille

What kind of evangelism is it when it is preaching to the choir?

First something you posted caught my eye and sparked a memory of a Bible Answer Man program , where a caller asked Walter why Christians would still "need" to go to church to hear the same stuff all the time, when he had a bible to read at home?
The phrase the caller used was this "preaching to the choir" and the caller felt that it was useless to be so concerned with this when there are so many other things that could be worked on.

I remember Walter's answer...and so I more or less quote Walter with my answer.

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

think of Christians as being like leaky buckets that always need filling with the Holy Spirit....always need topping-off...
This is the reason we go to church.

So I am responding to what you wrote, and Im sharing something that I remember Walter Martin said.
It's none of my concern that you think my comment was in-step or not with your comment...
I dont care about that in the slightest way.

You comment sparked a thing I remembered and so I posted.
I fully expect that my comment may well spark someone else to post their own comment, and I expect I will be surprised at the direction the conversation goes in.

Thats the fun part of free-flowing conversations.

This is not a forum of speeches

But it is a conversation....

two or more people each sharing their own personal views.
There is no rule that says only one view, only one direction is allowed.
If that was the case, then this would stop being a "conversation" and would be just a bunch of people listening to one guy give a speech.....




BUT...as for what i wrote?
COMPLETELY in agreement with the Bible!

If you think my post was not in-line with the bible?....you will fail.
|I quoted Walter in context....

[Columcille]

I am telling you that you are nuts. Plain and simple, what kind of person just posts on a forum topic about something completely unrelated? You just like to see yourself interject everywhere. I think you love hearing yourself talk, or in this case type. Perhaps you should get yourself a mirror, you obviously love what you see in it; I certainly am not impressed. The fact I let you pull my strings, perhaps this gives you a rise, is something I should not be proud about.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Columcille

I am telling you that you are nuts. Plain and simple, what kind of person just posts on a forum topic about something completely unrelated? You just like to see yourself interject everywhere. I think you love hearing yourself talk, or in this case type. Perhaps you should get yourself a mirror, you obviously love what you see in it; I certainly am not impressed. The fact I let you pull my strings, perhaps this gives you a rise, is something I should not be proud about.

again with the personal stuff?

If you have a post you would like me to address?...then list it.



Now I have said that although my first post was in response to something you wrote, I was also responding to the video that was linked in the OP >

It was (and still is) my view that it is good to have videos like this always around to remind Christians of the important things in life.

the core of both mine and Walter's views on the matter is that it is good to be "preaching to the choir" because the church is filled with people that are always being drawn away from the "important things' and being sucked into pointless concerns.



If you disagree with this?..then say so.

But if you simply dont like my style of posting?.....then I cant help you with that....

I try not to defend myself.
I dont return insult for insult, name for name.

So I again ask you to do a search for any post that you think is in disagreement with the scriptures....and then list it.
if you cant find one, you can go ahead and ask our Mormon guests for their help in this...

But if I see no post listed?...then Im going to consider the claim that I have posted something against the Bible as a "groundless" statement...made in a hurry.

[alanmolstad]

So......as I was saying...


There is a very real merit in posting videos like this on Christian websites, as well as posting the link to our christian friends.

Why?....because we forget.

We tend to forget what is truly lasting, truly important
The reason is that we are Leakey vessels.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, but yet always in constant need of Him to fill us.

This is why we not only find value in these types of messages, but also in the great benefit in the attendance at church.
the church is a good place to be once again filled with the Lord's spirit.