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People stink

L

Luke2427

Active Member
I was watching Braveheart again the other day. Wallace was tortured to death for a bunch of people who abandoned him on the battlefield and were just really rotten folks.

And I asked myself, "Why give your life for people? People REALLY stink. Most of them are cowards, liars, self-centered and low down rotten, sorry individuals. Why die for such people?"

Then the Holy Spirit reminded me what the Bible teaches. Humans bear, very imperfectly, the image of God- just as Mount Rushmore bears very imperfect likenesses of 4 renowned American Presidents. To deface, disrespect or even neglect those images is an act of tremendous disrespect for the persons after whose likeness the images were made.

This is exactly why God calls for capital punishment in Genesis 9 for those who murder humans (image bearers). God takes it personally.

This is also why Jesus said, "When you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me."

But here's the thing. If you do ministry because you love people for people's sake... you've got your head in the sand!

But if you do ministry to honor the God whose image really sorry people bear- then their sorriness is no deterrent for you.

I cannot die for human beings. I do not like them. I do not like myself because I am one of them. But I can give my life for the perfect God whose image they (we) bear.
 
E

exscentric

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Just thinking.
Christ died for us because?
Christ loves us because?
Christ is our example is He not?
 
K

ktn4eg

New Member
Luke2427:

While you may believe that people stink, apparently God does NOT think so!

If you would take some time to read and meditate on God's Word, you would soon find out that it was for PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME that OUR SAVIOR HUMBLED HIMSELF TO SHED HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD!!

From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden our Bible clearly shows that IT WAS GOD WHO SOUGHT OUT ADAM AND EVE, AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!

All throughout both the Old and New Testaments God's Word shows us that, in spite of our sinful and depraved natures, God sought to bring us sinners back into loving fellowship with Him through His matchless grace that He alone provided through our repentance and trust in the Only Savior God ever provided for us--Jesus Christ!!

When I look at the countless ways that God has blessed not only me, but also all of us here on planet Earth, I'm quite humbled when I realize that none of us here deserve nothing from Him but His righteous and eternal judgment!!

Yet, in spite of this, He chose to love us to the extent that those of us who've received Christ as Savior will not only spend eternity with Him in heaven, but also will rule and reign with Christ throughout all eternity!!

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving a sinner such as I am!!
 
Earth Wind and Fire

Earth Wind and Fire

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Luke2427 said:
But here's the thing. If you do ministry because you love people for people's sake... you've got your head in the sand!

But if you do ministry to honor the God whose image really sorry people bear- then their sorriness is no deterrent for you.

I cannot die for human beings. I do not like them. I do not like myself because I am one of them. But I can give my life for the perfect God whose image they (we) bear.
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Ohhhh come on now, LOL, isnt a true Christian Church the place where people lay down their lives for one another???? Arent you a educated SBC Pastor, by your profession, your passion, your training? Isnt part of being of a church about making a "Love" commitment to your brothers & sisters......isnt it about where you see unity, to trust it? So therefore, and here is the trick & so follow along with this reasoning....... Where you see disunity, lay down your life until there is unity. Where else would the cross be? What else will redeem the broken world?
 
L

Luke2427

Active Member
ktn4eg said:
Luke2427:

While you may believe that people stink, apparently God does NOT think so!

If you would take some time to read and meditate on God's Word, you would soon find out that it was for PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME that OUR SAVIOR HUMBLED HIMSELF TO SHED HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD!!

From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden our Bible clearly shows that IT WAS GOD WHO SOUGHT OUT ADAM AND EVE, AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!

All throughout both the Old and New Testaments God's Word shows us that, in spite of our sinful and depraved natures, God sought to bring us sinners back into loving fellowship with Him through His matchless grace that He alone provided through our repentance and trust in the Only Savior God ever provided for us--Jesus Christ!!

When I look at the countless ways that God has blessed not only me, but also all of us here on planet Earth, I'm quite humbled when I realize that none of us here deserve nothing from Him but His righteous and eternal judgment!!

Yet, in spite of this, He chose to love us to the extent that those of us who've received Christ as Savior will not only spend eternity with Him in heaven, but also will rule and reign with Christ throughout all eternity!!

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving a sinner such as I am!!
Click to expand...

God DOES think so. If you would take some time to read and meditate upon God's word you'd see that to Him even the most righteous of our deeds are as filthy rags in his sight.

Christ did not die for you for your sake. He died for you for God's sake because you bear the image of God.

God does not love you for your sake. God loves you for his sake because you bear his image.
 
Earth Wind and Fire

Earth Wind and Fire

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Luke2427 said:
God DOES think so. If you would take some time to read and meditate upon God's word you'd see that to Him even the most righteous of our deeds are as filthy rags in his sight.

Christ did not die for you for your sake. He died for you for God's sake because you bear the image of God.

God does not love you for your sake. God loves you for his sake because you bear his image.
Click to expand...

So what......don't you see the image of God in other people? Isn't that why I said we should be touching the flesh & going out to people instead of just sitting in some box church foundation worshiping our navels?
 
W

Winman

Active Member
Luke2427 said:
God DOES think so. If you would take some time to read and meditate upon God's word you'd see that to Him even the most righteous of our deeds are as filthy rags in his sight.

Christ did not die for you for your sake. He died for you for God's sake because you bear the image of God.

God does not love you for your sake. God loves you for his sake because you bear his image.
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So, in your view God is just this incredibly self-centered and narcissistic person who only loves us because we are made in his image?

Dude, you are seriously messed up. It is Satan who is self-centered and wants all glory for himself, not God.
 
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Earth Wind and Fire

Earth Wind and Fire

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aaron said:
Because of who He is, not because there is anything remotely loveable about stinking bags of worms.
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But but but.....you are God's people.....isn't that why ya supposed ta loves each utter? Ah ha ha ha ha. Thats why we got all these here loving conversations on da board right! A real love fest:1_grouphug:

True Christians always love one another:love2:
 
Earth Wind and Fire

Earth Wind and Fire

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Winman said:
So, in your view God is just this incredibly self-centered and narcissistic person who only loves us because we are made in his image?

Dude, you are seriously messed up. It is Satan who is self-centered and wants all glory for himself, not God.
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Guess Godhas a navel. Ohmmmmmmmm. :laugh:
 
W

Winman

Active Member
Earth said:
Thats a great immitation (sic) of Rippon...lol. Now tell me how Calvin was an esteemed theologian and nice guy. :laugh:
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Calvinists seem to have problems with punctuation. Yeshua1 thinks every sentence should end with an exclamation mark, you seem to think questions end with a period.

Of course, Calvinists are also famous for having completely different definitions for words than the rest of society, so I guess the different punctuation makes sense, in a strange sort of way. :rolleyes:
 
K

ktn4eg

New Member
Earth said:
So what......don't you see the image of God in other people? Isn't that why I said we should be touching the flesh & going out to people instead of just sitting in some box church foundation worshiping our navels?
Click to expand...

Earth, Wind & Fire:

I'm not entirely certain as to what your own particular experience(s) may (or may not) have been with regard to your own local church's situation(s).

In my own personal case, I've never found it to be that way [".... just sitting in some box church foundation worshipping our navels {Whatever that means!} in the church of which I'm a member--Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Antioch [SE Nashville area], TN -- [ www.lighthouseministries.org ].

Quite to the contrary, LCF has, from its very founding, always been a local body of Bible-believing (and, I might add, practicing!) whose principal goal(s) has been to [as you put it] "....to touching the flesh & going out to people...."

In LCF's corporate worship services you'll find people who've come from in practically every continent here on Earth--many of whom still have folks in their immediate family(-ies) living in their own country(-ies) of origin.

These people bring with them their own particular customs and backgrounds, and, as such, add a richness to LCF's corporate worship services that your own particular local church(-es) experience(-ies) may lack.

Lighthouse Christian Fellowship has, from its very inception (some 40 or so years ago) been blessed by God to have been situated in an area of Middle TN that has become the abode of quite a few refugee family groups from all over the world--especially from various Islamic- and/or communist-controlled countries in both the Near- and Far-Eastern parts of the Orient.

Over the years, LCF has sought out such people groups as these to not only reach them with the Gospel of Christ .

Many of these refugee groups have never even heard of Jesus Christ at all or (at least, in any sort of "positive, relevant" way), much less of our Savior's matchless, saving love and grace for them.

Over the year's, LCF has not only reached out to these many "ethnic people-groups" [Statistics reveal that there are as many as 150-200 different kinds of these groups in the "Greater Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, TN.], but, with God's help, has been instrumental in not only "birthing" what's now its own autonomous, independent Laotian/Thai/Burmese local church "just up the road [Blue Hole Road, to be exact]" from its own campus.

Then, too, a few years ago LCF joined hands with a few other "Baptistic, Evangelical international outreach ministries" to organize what is known as "The City Church of Woodbine" [Woodbine is an area of south Nashville that's located about 8-10 miles west of Antioch, TN.]-- ( www.citychurchwoodbine.org ).

Both of our congregations (NOTE: Many of the CCW's current members were originally LCF members, including its lead pastor [David Kaufmann]) seek to reach out to these people in many various ways such as:

(1) providing for a food pantry [Most of these people {As we say down in the South, "dirt-poor."} do not even know very basic English, much less how to communicate in "our language."; and,

(2) How to relate in a very meaningful way to those of us around them who call the United States "our homeland.

In addition to all of these "outreach functions," LCF has not only been instrumental in encouraging other missionary outreaches such as Lighthouse Christian Camp in Smithville, TN ( lighthousechristiancamp.com ). LCC is located some 40-50 miles to the east of "Music City, USA" in DeKalb County, TN, along the scenic shores of the TVA's Center Hill Lake.

LCC's primary mission is to reach the extremely poor underprivileged and neglected youth in the Middle TN areas with not only the Bible's "Plan of Salvation," but also to show these "forgotten children" that there are people here to love them and want to see them live out their young lives in a Christ-honoring way.

Moreover, LCF, not only supports other Bible-based missionary-sending organizations, but also from within its own congregation sent out missionary individuals and/or entire families to help serve in both short-term and long-term (Some of which have turned into "life-time!) missionary!) outreaches.

So, again, Luke2427, I don't know what your particular local church(-es) may (or may not) have been, but, I'm both honored and humbled to call LCF "my church home."

It's my hope and prayer that our God will, some day--and, I might add, soon--lead you to a local church assembly that seeks to realize and fulfill what are our churches' "marching orders for this day and age," as the Holy Spirit so aptly put it in the latter part of Acts 1:8-- "....[To reach out] to the uttermost part of the earth."
 
V

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Is this the gospel? I love Jesus because He loves people who stink. I do not love people who stink, but just God who loves people who stink.

I think we need to back track and look for the point where we left the rails. :)
 
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