When is it OK to share?

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preacherman

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Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
04/2016
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US
State
IA
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Thornburg
This is an issue which seems to guide my life and my decisions, yet one I have so little real strength to really do anything about.

To the masses who are without any real solid knowledge of God, those who share the Word are considered to be a complete nuisance.
People do not want to be bothered and are offended that there are those who seemingly want to 'force' their beliefs upon others.

I can most certainly understand these feelings; however there is another whole side to this story:
On the one hand, what right does anyone have to attempt to force their beliefs on others... particularly those who find the whole idea offensive.
I could agree with this, but what about the other side?

For me, based on what The Bible says, I believe that everyone in this world has sinned and comes short of the glory of God; that there is no one on this earth who is completely righteous; no one who, based on their own merits, are worthy of the kingdom of God.
Further, The Bible says that there is no redemption (forgiveness of these sins) without the shedding of blood.

With this in mind, it is my belief that we are all rolling down this road and there is a giant hole which we are all bound to fall into and be consumed.

The Bible goes on to say, however, that God loved the world (everyone in this world) so much that He delivered His Son to us to be crucified on the cross to be the blood sacrifice that will cleans and redeem all of those who are willing to accept this sacrifice and to call on His (Jesus') name.

So then, if this is my firm belief... that everyone is going to fall into this giant hole and be killed and I know about this hole, and I know to warn people about this hole and how to direct them away from it, isn't it my responsibility to warn them?
What kind of a person would I be to just sit by and watch all these people going by and going about their business, knowing full well (or at least believing in my heart) that they are heading for this hole?
How much more so when I see that they are coming ever closer to the hole.

Then I think... well, but I just don't want to 'offend' anyone, so I will just go about my own business and leave them alone. They will probably just get angry at me anyway and not care about what I have to say.
I will probably just get into trouble or be mocked or made a fool of... and it is soooo embarrassing.

I cannot think of anything in this world that is more 'offensive' than just to allow all of the people that we see going to just fall into the hole and perish.
I can't think of anything more 'embarrassing' than to finally see the One who created this world, face to face, and stand there before Him trying to explained why I did nothing to warn any of those people about this hole.
 
I never never needed Jesus more than I do right now. I know he's at my side and the side of my PALS. We certainly don't know why He's chosen this course for us but, we have to believe He'll deliver us. Our faith is strong,

Louise
 
There places for sharing your beliefs to the point of preaching and warning non-believers. This is not one of them. We come here looking for help with ALS, not spiritual guidance.
 
Like everyone else here, I'm just sharing what's in my heart.

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

Louise
 
The religion subforum ( where you posted) is here for this reason. People may certainly share as they wish here. It is here for those who want to read and post.

I am unclear as to whether you are speaking of this forum or your "real" life. For this forum this content, as I said, is fine on this subforum but we ask it remain here.
 
There places for sharing your beliefs to the point of preaching and warning non-believers. This is not one of them. We come here looking for help with ALS, not spiritual guidance.
.

Greetings;

I certainly do not wish to intrude on the lives of those who do not want to be bothered.
As such, I posted in the 'religion' sub-forum.

As you stated, 'people are coming here looking for help with a terminal disease'.

When it comes down to it, everyone is 'terminal'.
Those dealing with ALS are just more certain that their days are numbered.
Part of dealing with a terminal disease is putting our affairs in order.
I cannot think of any more important 'affairs' than those dealing with the place that they are going to spend eternity, or, if one does not believe in that, the next step or the next stage of life... whatever that may be.

While I am not here to intrude, we know that 'non-believers' are probably not looking for spiritual guidance... this does not mean that they would not welcome guidance in whatever form that they can get it.
Or that, if there really is a giant hole that they are going to fall into, they do not at least deserve a warning about it so that they can make an informed decision about what to do.

Like if someone is out for a drive to the coast.
All they want to do is to drive out to the coast.
There is a huge hole in the road that is going to make them have to take a different route.
Someone warns them about the huge hole, but they do not want to take a different route.
They get angry at whoever warns them about this huge hole. They want to go the way they are going so they keep going.

Should the person who warned them about the hole have just minded their own business and not even mentioned the hole, because it was going to make the traveler angry?
Or because the traveler was not looking for advice about the route they were on?

Even if there was really no huge hole and the person warning them just thought that they saw a huge hole, weren't they still morally responsible for telling the traveler that they thought that it was there?
 
Louise;

This scripture comes to mind.... sorry it is long winded but I felt that the whole statement was important:

What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, then who can be against us?
So then with God, whom did not even spare His own Son, but delivered him up to sinful men to be crucified for us all, How could we believe that He would not, with the sacrifice of His Son, also freely give us all things?

So who shall lay any thing to the charge of those who believe in God? It is God that justifies His own.

So who is he that condemns us? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us so that we are not condemned.

So who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
But no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who dared to witness to me when I didn't understand God's grace and mercy. I pray they receive a crown for what they did for me.

Having worked in higher education as a professor for nearly 30 years, I briefly went into administration. I had the pleasure of hiring a world religion teacher. He happened to be a Baptist minister. All the students loved him. I was drawn to him but I didn't understand why. One day he explained grace to me. Years passed before what he said led me to someone else, then to a church, then to watching Charles Stanley on TV. It took a long time but I found out. God did a work in me.

Jesus said we would be persecuted for Him. I've been ridiculed, called a religions fanatic (I'm really not religious at all, just a born-again Christian.) I lean toward the left politically and that caused some strife with some of my evangelical friends.

All I know is that my faith is the only thing that makes sense in this world full of hate, prejudice and disease. I will never shove my belief down someone's throat. But I will present the Gospel and they can take it or leave it. After all, saving them is up to God and they have to want God.

It isn't easy because the Bible does not answer many of our questions. For me, it does answer the only one that matters in John 3:16.

I'm overwhelmed with humility when I think about the gift I've been given.
 
Kim,
It is extraordinary how God will reach out even when we do not want to be touched.

I have an uncle whom we (siblings, cousins, etc) always laughed at and made jokes about... religious fanatic, etc...
That was all good and lots of fun since nobody believed anything he ever said and he was just so convinced of it... it just made us all laugh.

I lived my life and did what I wanted. 'Religion' was definitely never a part of it.

Fats forward twenty years:
I had gotten married, been in the military, seen the world.... One day orders came down and I was being sent to a new duty station; Ft Lewis, WA.
Well how bout that... my 'Uncle' lives in Seattle, just a short drive from Ft Lewis.
I thought that was kind of nice because, though I always laughed at him and thought he was weird, I always liked him.
Guess I'll be seeing him.

I never thought of myself as a 'bad' person... though I suppose I never really thought much about it at all.
I certainly was not a 'good' person; I never cared much about the next person, never cared who was hurt or affected by anything I did. Had no problems taking what was not mine... you know, not like a thief, just like pilfering...etc.

After we were settled in at the new post, we decided to take a trip up to Seattle and check in on 'Uncle'. I hadn't seem him in 20 years or so; this should be fun.

By the time the visit was over, I was certainly ready to go... like please get me away from this man...
He was telling me stuff like 'All have sinned'... 'We believe we are 'good' but the truth is that 'there is NONE righteous'. We have no hope in and of ourselves. We are all on the way to an eternity in Hell.
Our ONE hope is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Well that was it.
I was never going back there again.

His words stung me deep inside.
It was no longer 'fun'.
I was no longer 'laughing'.
But what if he was right?
And though I knew in my heart that he was, I could not believe it.

So then we finally meet our new neighbors.
Nice people, so we got together a few times, then one day they invited us to their church.... Oh great, now we can't get away from this garbage.

My wife wanted to go socialize and my thought was that I could just go and sit through it to make her happy.
I had gone to church when I was little and hated it. Guess I can go and nap though.

The music was over and the preacher started his message.
Words like 'all have sinned' 'Our only hope is Jesus Christ' ... I started to get hot all over, then I felt enraged that this was following me everywhere...
Then this rage left me and I felt His presence. I knew in my heart that it was all true but I just could not accept it and go forward.
I had to get out of there and just go home.

At home that night, laying in bed, it all came back rushing through my mind like a wind... I called out, begging for forgiveness.... then peace.
 
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And may that peace which is so far above our understanding overshadow all the pain and suffering that this disease brings.

I loved reading your testimony. Can I share it with a friend?
 
Thank you Kim.

And yes, I would be pleased if you shared it.
 
Throughout the challenge of this, the steady, relentless and merciless loss of my body to this disease that has no known cause or cure, prayer has been a great blessing. I pray frequently each day, praising the Lord for the gifts of my wife, my Savior, my wonderful children, and precious grandchildren. For the Savior’s healing of my sins, even though my body is not healed. For the love I bask in from God, family and friends. During dark times, I pray for deliverance from bitterness and anger. I pray that I be helped to partake of this bitter cup, without becoming bitter. Mercifully, these players are answered, blessing me with feeling comforted, thankful and joyful.
 
Thank you for sharing with us, Bruce. I'm printing your post out as a reminder for myself.
 
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