The Gospel Of Personal Responsibility (533 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: -0.46 on 25 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Quartermain (View user info) at 2006-02-08 12:21:35 EST
There comes a time for each and every one of us where we have to ask, like the Pharisees did "Who is this man, Jesus?" This question demands an answer from every one of us because..."As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:10, 23) When Christ was here on earth He constantly personalised His gospel and the need for acknowledgment of His divinity and laid it very much on each individual's shoulders.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Matthew 16:14-15 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
When I understood this, when I understood that the God of the Bible is THE God, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all Creation, when I cried out with John the Baptist, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world", it Changed. My. Life. Paul was a murderer, Mary Magdalene was a whore, John Newton was a pirate, and a slaver, and a witch doctor and yet the gospel threw them all into a 180 degree spin.
Revelation 21:5 "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." 'Behold!' In Greek, 'idou', i.e, Note well, look closely, examine carefully. Again, it is personalised. YOU note well, YOU look closely, YOU examine carefully.
When I grasped this, I no longer worried about whether or not I was going to offend people by telling them they're lost and dying and in need of a Saviour. I was no longer not be able to tell them. Jeremiah 20:9 "Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay."
This does not mean, however, I am not afflicted with doubt. Like the poor, doubt will always be with us. Matthew 11:2-3 "Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?"
John the Baptist. A man who had had the hand of God upon his life before he was even born, who experienced God's presence in his life in a way that few people ever have, a man whose entire life was geared towards proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah and even he gives into despair, and doubts, and he sends his disciples to Jesus asking if He was the Messiah. There will always be doubts. The trick is, like the poem says, to doubt, but not let doubt become your master. Instead, "...count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-4)
There will come a time very shortly, and in this country, where I will be able to put the aforementioned principle to the test. Not merely as an intellectual exercise but in a way that my job, my ability to move freely in society, my very life will depend on how I answer the question Jesus asked Peter "Who do you say that I am?" I will have to ask myself what I am prepared to lose for my faith.
Will I remember Christ's words when he says "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"( Matthew 16:25-26)
Will I be able to stand and say with Joshua "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"? (Joshua 24:15)
Unfortunately, many who profess to be Christians today, will end up being like the believers mentioned in Mt. 24. "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Mt. 24:9-12)
Or will I be the believer "...that endures unto the end, and the same shall be saved."
Will I be the lukewarm that are spewed out of His mouth for my lack of faith in the gospel? (Rev. 3:16)
Or will I be one of those believers who take unto themselves the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand? (Eph. 6:13)
There will come a time when humanity is face to face with God Almighty himself and we will all be stripped bare of all pretence and illusion and there will be only one question asked of each of us in turn and that will be whether or not you personally acknowledged the Eternal God of the Bible as Lord of your life. It won't matter what your friends did or thought, or what country you're from, or what your cultural background is or who your parents were, or what neighborhood you grew up in, or any of that bollocks. The only thing that will matter is ...who did you say that I am?'
Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made", thats us, humanity, the things that are made, "even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"
There will be no excuses accepted. We will not be able to beg off with any reason. Humanity will be without excuse. It is the ultimate Yes or No question. And if the answer to that question is 'No', then unfortunately, the consequences of that are also detailed "...And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev 20:15)
That was the stick, now here's the carrot: 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY should PERISH, but that ALL should come to REPENTANCE."
God does not want people to go to Hell. He is willing that none should perish. But he also knows that true love must be freely given and every time someone uses the other gift He has given us, that of free will, and chooses to reject Him and distance themselves from Him(for that is one of the most awful aspects of Hell, the complete absence of God's presence)it breaks His heart.
John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
While we were still lost and mired in our sins, God sacrificed His only son for us, knowing that still, even after that, some of the very same people He was sacrificing for would reject the gift, and yet He still did it, out of love for us.
Waste no time, my friends. Today is the day and now is the hour. 2 Corinthians 6:2 "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Believe in the Lord Jesus Chist, and in the God of the Bible, and be saved, and in the fullness of time, be made perfect, as He is perfect.
User Reviews
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2006-02-08 19:02:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
**Now put on your Nikes and drink your Koolaid, the spaceship will be here soon.**
I don't own Nikes, or wear tennis shoes in general for that matter, and Kool-Aid makes my heart skip. Jell-O is cool though.
**I would suppose every poster and lurker on Ubersite has heard the Gospel at one point in their life. Either they accepted it or rejected it, therefore imo no need to try and change any hearts.**
It comes back to personal responsibility again. I have a responsibility to put it out there. 'Go ye therefore in all the world and preach the Gospel for My name's sake. What people do with it once they've heard is their responsibility. They can listen or they can mock, but as long as I am fulfilling my responsibility, I'm doing what I'm supposed to and need not worry about reactions.
**But the insufferable arrogance to assume that everyone must follow the same path you are is as narrow minded as the people who are burning down Danish embassies because they don't like freedom of speech.**
It's not arrogance. I don't assume that everyone MUST believe the way I do. You've got free will, knock yourself out. Believe that God is a tree, or a rock, or the sun, or the planet if that tickles your fancy. But be not deceived, you will be called to account for your decisions and your beliefs. And like there are for every other decision, there will be consequences. My feeble attempt to put that point across is not the same as burning buildings and killing people because I don't like a cartoon in the paper.
**But I question your intent here, I'm guessing this was more of an attempt at heat than anything else. You say you've changed over the last year, I say you just did a post 2 months ago polling who the biggest asshole in sports is.**
If I was interested in 'heat' or ratings, or any of that foolishness, I'd
A) Post more than once every six weeks/couple of months
B) Post an inflammatory picture or incoherent rant rather than spend a couple of hours typing. This wasn't even written for Ubersite. This was actually written for a campus ministry I work with and is part of a longer piece. It was not posted in its entirety because I did not want to tax Ubersite's collective ADD.
As for the post about assholes in pro sports, yeah you caught me. I guess this is the part where your dogged investigative journalism forces me to admit I'm not perfect. Yes, I occasionally get irritated at the NFL and vaguely creeped out by John Madden's obsession with Bret Favre and use words like 'asshole.' You'd been around the other day, you could have seen me hit my thumb with a hammer, drop a heavy painting on my bare foot and use the phrase 'motherfucking son of a bitch.' Would Christ have handled it that way? More than likely, no.
My unfortunate choice of words, rather than invalidating the message of the Gospel, reinforces it. If I were perfect, and perfectly consistent in everything I said and did, there would be no need for a sacrifice, or redemption. Even as Christians, we are flawed and imperfect. This is not, however to be taken as a license to sin, "...But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound...What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
**Does your god think it's ok to label, does your god think it's ok to waste your time at work?**
He did tell Adam to name all the animals, and he changed people's names all the time, so I have to say yes, he does think its ok to label. Granted, He probably wouldn't use the word 'asshole.' And I'm not at work. Today is my day off, so the only person's time I'm wasting is mine.
**If it's a noun, proper or common and you can't touch it, see it, feel it, or taste it...it doesn't exist.**
I take it this means you don't believe in gravity, or light, or thought, or ideas, etc...
**Oh yeah, I would be surprised to ever meet anyone who read something like this and found Salvation in it. Just as much as I would be for anyone who found it at JackChick.com.**
To be perfectly honest, when I posted this I didn't expect Ubersite to read it and then fall on their collective knees. Despite Loki's rapidly bottoming opinion of me, I maintain a firm and two-handed grip on reality. But now it's out there, and it'll float around, and who knows, maybe it'll end up like God told Isaiah..."So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
**Honestly, this thing sounds more like you are trying to psyche yourself up to bomb an abortion clinic than anything else.**
You needn't worry about that. If nothing else, my enduring grudge match and incapacity with technology in general would preclude that.
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2006-02-08 16:45:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
"Jesus Christ was an only child
he went down to the river
and he drank and smiled
and his dad was oh-so-mad
should have insured that planet
before it crashed
working real hard to make internet cash
work your fingers to the bone sitting on your ass
I know now what I knew then
but I didn't know then what I know now
Penny found out while her hair was styled
you should hide you kids
when the dogs run wild
Jesus Christ was an only child
he went down to the river
and he drank and smiled
and his dad was oh-so-mad
should have insured that planet
before it crashed"
"As God as my judge, God is gay
As God as my judge
There was something strange about Lucifer
Something wrong with his hand
There was something strange about Jesus
He didn't follow Lucifer's commands
Lucifer said, "Jesus, be straight"
And Jesus said, "The gates would never open if this was true"
Oh, something about a vision in a park
Of Jesus holding hands with an angel named Lark McGee
Lucifer therefore lost his wings
And all the angels sing, all the angels sing
God is gay, God is gay"
you're an old timer, why do this to yourself?
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2006-02-08 16:39:44 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
wholly shit
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-02-08 16:29:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
God does not want people to go to Hell. He is willing that none should perish. But he also knows that true love must be freely given and every time someone uses the other gift He has given us, that of free will, and chooses to reject Him and distance themselves from Him(for that is one of the most awful aspects of Hell, the complete absence of God's presence)it breaks His heart.
-----------------------
NO, you are incorrect, the most awful aspect of Hell is that they don't get Fox News down there.
+1 for having the balls to post this stuff.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2006-02-08 15:43:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Got saved, did you? Good for you.
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2006-02-08 15:31:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm with Ramen.
While the consistently hostile reception anything remotely pro-Christian receives on Uber drives me nuts (face it, you people are fucking touchy, it goes both ways), as does the, "oh yeah, well you're a hypocrite!" line (that's KIND OF the whole point of Redemption, etc., meaning WE KNOW THAT ALREADY) . .. Ahem. Where was I?
Oh yeah, I would be surprised to ever meet anyone who read something like this and found Salvation in it. Just as much as I would be for anyone who found it at JackChick.com.
It's about a personal relationship, man. PERSONAL. Human. Real. Not rote memorization and recitation of obscure quotations. Call that blashpemy if you want, but that's how I see it.
Honestly, this thing sounds more like you are trying to psyche yourself up to bomb an abortion clinic than anything else.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-02-08 15:13:54 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
I hate religion.
Submitted by RamenNoodle (user info) at 2006-02-08 15:13:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
First off, as a Christian I can tell you most Christians do not wish to live under a Theocracy, not in the natural life of course. We realize the corrupt nature of man, and the complete inability for a man to do Gods will on Earth, so a Theocracy is the last thing Christians want.
As far as Christians trying to impose their ideas on society, well thats another arguement. The United States has every sort of citizen: Athiest, Communist, Socialist, Neocons, hippies, etc. Every one of these people have the right to support whichever politician and law that suits their personal preference. This is how the system works.
As far as Christians trying to shove their belief down peoples throats, well heres the deal. Christians believe that before Jesus left Earth he gave the apostles "The Great Commission". Which basically says to tell everyone My story. This is where I disagree with op, because the vast majority, if not every Uberuser has been exposed to the Gospel. Either yall dig it or dont, either way the Great Commission has been fufilled. Like you said, no person is going to change your mind, and I agree. Now if you were some native in a loin cloth in the middle of the Amazon, well thats a different story.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2006-02-08 15:09:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Thank you for the spelling lesson, as a christian I'm sure that you are infallible and thus do not make mistakes.
But I question your intent here, I'm guessing this was more of an attempt at heat than anything else. You say you've changed over the last year, I say you just did a post 2 months ago polling who the biggest asshole in sports is.
Does your god think it's ok to label, does your god think it's ok to waste your time at work?
Perhaps I was harsh in calling this bullshit, I have no problem with your individual beliefs that is your call and has no bearing on my life.
What is bullshit is the idea that I MUST believe the way that you do. If I had a dollar for every Christian that tried to convert me I'd have...well...like $12.50 but that's besides the point.
I've tried your path man, I've walked the steps you are walking. I did it within a strong group of supportive Christians and you know what...it left me with more questions than I had before.
If it's a noun, proper or common and you can't touch it, see it, feel it, or taste it...it doesn't exist.
But that's my opinion, I don't expect or desire you to feel or think the same way...you should afford me the same courtesy.
Submitted by ahumblefool (user info) at 2006-02-08 15:08:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Could I persuade you to convert to Shintoism. We stay out of everyone's way and tend to not preach what we think is right and wrong.
Seems to work. You allow me my beliefs, I allow you yours. Amazing the amount of peace we would find on this planet if that were possible.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-02-08 14:53:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
See the thing is, he doesn't get it. You don't convince someone that you have found the true path by screaming at them and arguing with them by quoting scriptures. The Bible is completely irrelevant to me, arguing about it will never make it relevant. Something like this is a completely incomprehensible pile of spewed taken out of context both textually and historically bile.
In short, big fucking deal.
Look, you found what works for you - great, lovely, enjoy the ride.
But the insufferable arrogance to assume that everyone must follow the same path you are is as narrow minded as the people who are burning down Danish embassies because they don't like freedom of speech.
Which, in a nutshell is why people like me resent the hell out of Christians. If they would live their lives their way, that would be great - but they don't. They are trying to turn the country into a theocracy because the lack the vision to realize that not everyone chooses to follow their chosen lifestyle.
Submitted by RamenNoodle (user info) at 2006-02-08 14:22:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I respect your post, and understand the reasoning behind it. However, keep this in mind. I would suppose every poster and lurker on Ubersite has heard the Gospel at one point in their life. Either they accepted it or rejected it, therefore imo no need to try and change any hearts. The best you can do is take the role of apologist when the appropriate situations arise. Some people are actually curious about what Christians believe and why. Most others however are more content to mock and couldnt care less.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2006-02-08 14:17:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I love you man, but, I don't know . . .
If you were in what Kierkegaard refers to as "Untruth," would a post like this help you change your mind? In ANY way?
Dude, e-mail me if you want.
Teephphah.at.gmail.com
Submitted by Ditka (user info) at 2006-02-08 14:02:23 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Not quite the best, pahdna
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2006-02-08 13:38:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
You're preaching to the choir, brother.
Everyone on ubersite already agrees with you. These negative ratings and abusive replys are simply a test of your resolve.
Now put on your Nikes and drink your Koolaid, the spaceship will be here soon.
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2006-02-08 13:36:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
**But then you post about boobies and titties, and imply that AJ may want to fuck sheep so I ask you, how will your God view your hipocrasy?**
A lot has changed in the past year/year and a half, and if I was still as active on Ubersite as I used to be, I would not post like that again. Also, 'hypocrisy' is spelled with two 'i's and no 'a's.
**Please peddle this bullshit elsewhere lest you be judged by the -2.**
Yeah, the threat of the -2 doesn't really do a good job of striking fear and terror into the heart. It's got a long way to go before it catches up with the Shadow. And it's not bullshit.
*Have you completely gone off the deep end then?**
Yes. Yes I have. I have to say, it's one of the best things I've ever done. I'm actually thinking of going to seminary.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:40:52 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Actually Blitzkreig in the King James version that passage is a lot less wordy than the movie.
"And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:36:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Have you completely gone off the deep end then?
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:35:00 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Jesus was way cool
Everybody liked Jesus
Everybody wanted to hang out with him
Anything he wanted to do, he did
He turned water into wine
And if he wanted to
He could have turned wheat into marijuana
Or sugar into cocaine
Or vitamin pills into amphetamines
He walked on the water
And swam on the land
He would tell these stories
And people would listen
He was really cool
If you were blind or lame
You just went to Jesus
And he would put his hands on you
And you would be healed
That's so cool
He could've played guitar better than Hendrix
He could've told the future
He could've baked the most delicious cake in the world
He could've scored more goals than Wayne Gretzky
He could've danced better than Barishnikov
Jesus could have been funnier than any comedian you can think of
Jesus was way cool
He told people to eat his body and drink his blood
That's so cool
Jesus was so cool
But then some people got jealous of how cool he was
So they killed him
But then he rose from the dead
He rose from the dead, danced around
Then went up to heaven
I mean, that's so cool
Jesus was way cool
No wonder there are so many Christians
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:34:49 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
I actually had to check your user info to see if you were joking here, apparently you are not because you've posted like this around Christmas one year.
But then you post about boobies and titties, and imply that AJ may want to fuck sheep so I ask you, how will your God view your hipocrasy?
Please peddle this bullshit elsewhere lest you be judged by the -2.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:34:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Ezekiel 25:17
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides
By the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.
Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will,
Shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness,
For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger
Those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.
And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
Submitted by ozzy (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:29:04 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
This is going to go down like a lead balloon.
Submitted by Agent_Smith (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:29:01 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH QUARTERMAIN
Submitted by HighVoltage900 (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:27:48 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
What the fuck?
If this is all something where I just missed the joke, I will rectify my rating. Otherwise....
What the fuck?
Submitted by Foonbo (user info) at 2006-02-08 12:26:15 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Talking about Jeebus makes the Baby Jeebus cry.