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Brian Fulthorp | PentecostalTheology.com
Why Christians should not talk about demonstrating Jesus’ love to others: http://timgombis.com/2015/12/06/the-church-refugees-jesus-love/ via @FaithImprovised
John Kissinger [12/06/2015 2:53 PM]
The article had not even a single sentence in it about Refugees. Why was that word even in the title? What are we missing here? http://cupandcross.com/toward-a-pentecostal-solution-to-the-refugee-crises-in-the-european-union/
Varnel Watson
The Church, Refugees & Jesus’ Love. Christians often speak of “showing others Jesus’ love,” or perhaps “demonstrating the love of Jesus to others.” We may speak this way with reference to the poor, those in need or others whom we are serving. When we take the initiative to do good to those in need, we are extending Jesus’ love to them. I say this because to talk this way is to imagine that we are the possessors of Jesus’ love. We have it and it is up to us to dispense it to others. Welcoming and providing hospitality and care for the needy, and in this case refugees, is not an option for the church. We should imagine this situation from both a hopeful perspective and a severe one. Hope, because serving others contains the promise that we will experience more of the life-giving presence of Jesus. Severity, because if we are presumptuous of our possession of God’s love and complacent regarding service to others, we risk having no connection to Jesus.
Rather than speaking of showing God’s love to others, we should talk about opportunities to encounter God’s presence and enjoy Jesus’ love. This happens when we put ourselves into uncomfortable situations and serve the needy. When we do this, we are the ones being blessed because in those acts of service we encounter Jesus and his life-sustaining presence.
Scotty Searan
Troy Day How did Jesus say the world would know we are His disciples?
Walter Polasik
Scotty Satan: “If ye LOVE one another”. Yes, Scotty, here I agree with you entirely. ?
Walter Polasik
Scotty Satan: Oh, and Auto-correct must be controlled by SATAN. Sorry for that completely unintended butchering bro. Searan.
Walter Polasik
OMG!!!!! Auto-correct IS controlled by SATAN!
Walter Polasik
Scotty S E A R A N. . . .THERE!
Walter Polasik
[SMH!]
Walter Polasik
John 13:35. (Let’s hope Auto-Correct doesn’t butcher THAT).
Scotty Searan
Did John add another commandment or was this what Jesus was saying in John !3:35
1 John 4:20-21
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Scotty Searan
Also in the book of Acts you will see that the Saints took care of the Saints first, before giving out to sinners.
Walter Polasik
Walter Polasik
Hmm, interesting. Yes, that certainly ought to be remembered.
Joseph D. Absher
Mr Scotty Searan
I think you already know the answer. But maybe a note of a personal nature will help, as we desire only the Love of God for all people’s.
“Went to a prayer meeting last night. It’s funny, sometimes, when I visit somewhere the elders or the pastor will say you have a good spirit, or you have a sweet spirit but to the people that know me, I’m a dog. lol
In a Bible study the other night, a guy I’ve known for years, pulled a fast one on the Bible teacher a pastor. He said all you gotta do to be saved is believe. Its all about love. Of course everyone agreed with him. I said there has to be conviction of sin. They all ignored me. But he’s been living with a woman not his wife for over ten years. What could I do. Bow wow”
Walter Polasik
Troy Day: More than the other posts you put up there (William Branham’s visions, Sumrall on demon-possession) this issue is the one where Christians across the board are lacking most. God’s people, in the house of God talk about being missionaries and going off to some far-flung country to “show the love of Jesus” when, in church, they find it hard to stop by and talk to you for 10 minutes or be in any way concerned with what’s going on in your life. I’ve experienced this and observed this. By now I’ve seen enough of this kind of thing (social “cliques”, getting the same kind of treatment from believers that one gets from the world, etc.) to be thoroughly disgusted with it. As well, for me as a single guy I find, somehow, that it’s so difficult for these “holy” women to take time to get to know me. It must be because I’m not flush with cash. But how much cash does it take to go out to dinner and a movie? To go down town after church on Sunday? And you’ll always hear them sighing that they want “a man of God”. That’s the biggest crock of brown I’ve ever heard in my life! Not are they themselves displaying attitudes that would show Christian charitability, heck, even CONSIDERATION before glibly writing you off. So, yeah, I agree. Let’s scale back the rhetoric from “world missions” and begin by showing basic love in our own backyard.
Joseph D. Absher
Did you talk to your pastor about it?
Varnel Watson
Walter Polasik wouldnt love be not putting other posts down to exalt this one in particular 🙂
Walter Polasik
Har-de-har-har! And FYI, I didn’t “put them down” brother. Demonic activity is real and alive and well. God does show things concerning the last days to his true prophets. But didn’t Paul himself say, “Though I understand all mysteries yet have not love . . .I am nothing”? I know you agree there, brotha Troy, even if slip on theological banana-peels elsewhere! ?
Walter Polasik
*even if you slip . . .
Joseph D. Absher
Mr Walter Polasik I’m interested to know who you consider “his true prophets”
Joseph D. Absher
Jesus loves the little children. It’s the adults he has a problem with.
Walter Polasik
Joseph D. Absher: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world! Red and yellow, black and white, they don’t strut and grudge and fight . . .?
Joseph D. Absher
Walter Polasik
Hey, I thought you AGREED with that sentiment?
Joseph D. Absher
lol a little light hearted fun. Maybe God bless you with beautiful innocent children my were robbing the cookie jar, complete with code words, gymnast, look out and front man 2,3,4 years old. We’ll leave the little sinners out of this one. Let’s just focus on the sin at hand. The lack of genuine love with judgment.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;”
– Philippians 1:9
Joseph D. Absher
I remember praying for you. Last year or so about a worship ministry. How did it go. Did you find a worship team? One that doesn’t smoke.
Walter Polasik
Joseph D, Asher: I’m not sure that it was me looking for a non-smoking worship team. I mean, if they DID smoke, what would they call themselves? “Holy Smoke”? Or, “The Buttheads”? . . .
Joseph D. Absher
Try to keep it clean
Walter Polasik
Joseph D. Asher: As to the meme, that’s a good one for both what TBN usually puts out (and the New Apostolic Movement as well) and equally applicable to the tenets of Cessationism.
Joseph D. Absher
Try not to muddy the waters dear friend
Walter Polasik
Joseph D. Asher: That’s cigarette butts there buddy. I do know my vocabulary.
Joseph D. Absher
Clearly
Joseph D. Absher
I was serious, did you find a worship team. I could be mistaken. I thought you were looking for a worship team… God bless.
Walter Polasik
It’s kind of hard NOT to muddy the waters if the puddle forms on a bed of dirt. ?
Walter Polasik
If I’m looking for ANYTHING these days . . .it’s a WIFE. ?
Joseph D. Absher
They say if you want a princess you gotta be prince. I would start with deleting your previous post about being ignored in church. Very unmanly
Walter Polasik
Joseph D. Asher: Well, in the case of that post, it might seem “unmanly” to some, but it has the saving merit of being . . .TRUE. If those holy hypocrites can’t face up to the truth about how they treat some people, they can go suck a lemon. ?
Joseph D. Absher
Defiant to the end?
Walter Polasik
Stalwarts tend to be like that. ?
Joseph D. Absher
Maybe you’ll find love one day. I pray you do…
Varnel Watson
yall two are so big on the small talk 🙂
Joseph D. Absher
It ain’t all about the Greek
Joseph D. Absher
It ain’t all about the Greek and sentence structure and the thee’s and the thou’s. Our brother felt slighted in the house of God. That’s awful. All I can say is as long as God don’t ignore you. That’s what matters. If I need a amen I talk to Jesus. He’s got ’em and they mean something.
Varnel Watson
Walter Polasik so on one hand we have God’s full love in Bart which seem to extend to full universalism and on the other we have Calvin and hyper election where God just created some to send to hell. Which aspect of love should we be showing?
Walter Polasik
Troy Day: I never was and never shall be, a Calvinist. It’s with the Calvinist conclusions that the world has trouble. Baldly stated, there’s the fore-ordained Elect, and damn the rest! (They have no choice in the matter either). That doesn’t sound like Revelation 22:17 to ME. ?
Varnel Watson
Well of course Walter Polasik very few in this group are Calvinists or even hyper Calvinists. And after visiting with us they either repent or remain just hyper, but not Calvinist any-longer. The question however stands : Calvinist type of love or all inclusive Barthian love of God? Where’s the balance for which we should stand and show?
Joseph D. Absher
I don’t think it’s wrong to pray for love. Especially with the warnings of Jesus saying the hearts of men will grow cold. That’s dangerous. It ought no to be so. So a good honest prayer Lord I do need more love for people. It’s good to pray along those lines. It’s a good thermometer for our walk with Jesus Christ. Genuine love from a sincere heart not neglecting the truth of the Gospel that can only be a good thing…
Scotty Searan
Amen
Varnel Watson
Pray love. Show love. Live love
Scotty Searan
Amen
Walter Polasik
Troy Day: You ought to come to Philly and do a video in Love Park (with that great view of the Art Museum in the background).
Varnel Watson
Last time in Philly I said next time in Philly I am doing the Rocky run 🙂