Here's another thought that goes on top of the video blog.
If God wants me to do a Handout, He will protect me. I am surprised how many friends and family seem to have great trouble with the concept. I am called to go to Acres Homes.
If I am called, and sent, I will be in God's will. Nothing will happen to me outside of God's will.
People seem to think the "bad area" will overwhelm God's protection and I will end up raped, beaten, and murdered in the gutter. Whatever happened to "My God is mighty to save"? (Isaiah 63:1-3 , Zephaniah 3:16-18)
Even assuming it was God's will for me to meet a bad end on a Handout, I'd be fine with that. I'd prefer the Bibles got distributed first, but if it got the Word out I'd sign up. He might reach more people if something horrific did happen to me.
Life is not everything. Death is not the end. God has great plans for me and has used me amazingly. I'm going to go, and do, whatever He directs me to do.
God has not given me a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:6-8), so I refuse to accept it. I'm not taking my pepper spray, a pocket knife, or any of that.
I'm not even taking Ron "It's too cold" he says "I'm not going". Can a blind man in a wheelchair protect me? No. I see him as a companion, only.
It'll be me, my handcart, and probably a whole army of angels. I told Mom - one day God will show me just how much protection I had on the Bible Handouts. I would love to do a painting, a little stick figure me with a free Bibles sign, surrounded by angels with swords drawn. I am certain it looks just like this.
I'm called. I'm going. I'll be fine.
Even if I'm not, people will get reached and that's what I want anyway.
5 comments:
Reading the Bible does not change people's behavior. I have known many who are Bible literate yet in their personal lives they continue to do things that are in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches.
Please tell me what is the point in giving people and Bible and having them read it if they do not follow it.
Please do not give me a trite stock answer to this. I am being serious. There are so many who claim to be Christian yet their lives are just like those of the unsaved. Even Ron who claims to be Christian does not follow it.
If once you are saved you are supposed to become a new creature and filled with the holy spirit how come so many are still just a sin driven and soul sick as when they make their proclamation?
This has been troubling me a lot lately.
Thank you.
Well, to quote my pastor "We're all bags of sin". Human nature can be very ugly - and that comes out in everyone, including me.
My nature, of course, can be improved with medication but at the end of the day I still gossip, I still judge, I am an imperfect person. Even at my best I am constantly repenting and asking God to fill me up with His thoughts, His love, His mercy for others.
Reading the Bible shows me God wants to use me, He wants me to turn from my sin, look at Him, and ask Him to guide me. That's what I get from the Bible. I also "get" the creator of the universe loves me and cares for me on a deeply personal level - when I cry, He cries with me. He understands me like no one else. He guides me, He provides (I don't have enough blog to talk about all the ways God has done that!), He protects, He is my everything.
Does that mean I am a "good person"? No. Absolutely not. I am a person, full of sin, trying to please God. However, I'm not saved by "being good" - I'm saved by belief in Him alone. No one is good enough for Heaven.
Ron turned from a VERY immoral lifestyle and atheism after reading the Bible - the Word itself did what no human could. When I was a kid, an introduction to the Bible wrought lifelong changes in me and created my faith in Him, so I'm a big fan of the Bible.
Much as I'd like it - most people drive right past me when I do a handout. They don't want what I offer. I still pray for them.
Only a small percentage actually stop and accept a Bible, but it's enough to get me out there. Then I pray for them.
Worst case, they throw out the Bible or it gathers dust on a shelf. Best case, I have new friends in Heaven.
So what your saying is the difference between a Christian and someone who is not a Christian is that you are going to heaven and they are going to hell?
This just does not make any sense to me.
If getting saved does not change human behavior than what does?
If we are still sinful and full of evil as is the nature of how God made us than what is the point?
Does God cry with us? Honestly I do not know. Does he cry with the child being beaten, molested, called horrible names. Maybe. But we cannot hear Gods cries nor does it lessen the pain of abuse for that child.
Where is God's mercy when we die unsaved? To suffer eternity in a lake of fire. That to me is a contradiction on his love for us
If he loves us so much why does he let us do things that can hurt us or others?
How is that mercy? God knows that it is in our very nature. The nature he created to be drawn and attracted to sin. Some people's sins are small, others are great.
I really just want to understand.
Reading the Bible changes nothing in many. There are many that read the Bible and still beat their wives, their children.
I guess I just wonder what is the point? People can choose to do good things or bad things. God it seems just sits back and watches.
It is almost a running joke with people that I know who all say if someone says they run a Christian business to watch your back because your chances of getting screwed over triple when people make this proclamation.
I really want to believe in God and Jesus. I thought I did at one point but now I find myself struggling and questioning exactly what it is I believe. Especially because of the person I am and the behavior of family.
People fear what they do not know, I have lived, loved and worked most of my career in what were considered dangerous places
Knowledge is power,
I fear disasters, mass murders terrorists far more than human beings living under tough conditions
I am not in it for the reasons you are
But both of us want a greater good for our neighbors
So good lock, be careful
I hoe you feel you hit your goals
Well, I'm not a theologian.
Yes, I believe unsaved people go to hell. I also believe that anyone can get saved up to the point of death, no matter what they have done. Personally, I wouldn't cut it too close, though.
If getting saved doesn't change human behavior... well, the thing is we are supposed to repent of the bad things we do (turn from it). A lot of times saved people don't do that. They don't ask God how He wants them to live their life, what changes we need to make in our thoughts and actions, etc. Getting saved "ought" to change human behavior but many are just content to have the bare minimum without remodeling their lives.
I believe God absolutely cries with the abused - I know it makes Him very angry to see his children abused. I believe those responsible will be held to account.
God's mercy extends up to the point of death - after that, the free pass expires. We have to accept His mercy, his ticket to Heaven, while living. Otherwise everyone would take one look at hell and go "Nevermind Lord, I want to be with you".
Why does He let people hurt each other? Look at me, while doing work for Him I have suffered horrible emotional abuse from my own husband - but that goes to FREE WILL. Remember that scene in the Devil's Advocate? Where the guy says "Free Will"? No matter what God, or the Devil, want us to do, we ultimately make our own choices. Even if it means people getting hurt - we still have free will. Otherwise we would just be mindless puppets.
The Devil loves to encourage Christians to act horribly. That's one of the few things that really makes me angry, these days. It's like "If you are with God, you need to act like it". Many people on the paratransit service get into fights with each other, the minute they leave church. It is a running joke "Watch out for the church ladies". AGH.
Some people don't want to change their lives - they claim religion but they still serve their own evil nature. Others do change and want to serve God. It's not for me to say who's who.
I'm just distributing, and praying. That's all I do. I don't have any glamour or excitement. It is hard work, emotionally and physically, but I feel it is what God wants me to do.
At the end of the day, I want people to have the comfort and hope my faith has brought me. I know there are a lot of people out there, right now, suffering horribly - who could be brought peace and hope with the gift of a Bible. So I do.
Sometimes a recipient will tell me "You have no idea how much I need this." Well, God did. That's why He sent me out.
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