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I'll pass on this as I see daddy lurking nearby
with a verbal baseball bat. (Just a suggestion Christine, lose the _expression_ 'I
am reminded'.)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: March 03, 2006 18:08
Subject: [TruthTalk] Fear and
cowardice
I think it's the kind of fear that causes you to shrink back in
unbelief, or to behave selfishly with the intent of
self-preservation.
I am reminded of a passage in Luke 14 where Jesus
talks about what it means to follow Him:
Luke 14:26-33
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his
father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea,
and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For
which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth
the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and
is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able
to finish.
31 Or what king,
going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth
whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with
twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while
the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth
conditions of peace.
33 So
likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple.
This passage has always touched me deeply. Even when it appears
that I do not have enough funds to complete my building project, I am
commanded to build the tower anyway. That's faith. And it's fascinating to me
that Jesus specifically points out the pride and self-image involved in these
decisions. To submit to fear is to reject the call to discipleship.
I
am reminded of a quote by GK Chesterton that is popular among the college
crowd: "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found
wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." I think this is kind
of fear discussed in Rev. 21. It's also how people become lukewarm Christians:
they find certain parts of the gospel to be too risky or difficult, and so
they make compromises with God. Thus,
they are neither hot nor cold.
What I love about the Kingdom of God is
that you are absolutley lost without His Spirit. Some acts and feelings are
wrong only some of the time, and we must rely on the Spirit to walk according
to the will of God in our lives. For instance, sex is not always a sin for all
people. I think fear is another example of this. Fear, like sex, glorifies God
only some of the time, and we must submit to His Spirit and His word to know
what kind of fear we should practice.
Kevin Deegan
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Interesting
comment on FEAR. Thanks for pointing that out.
(pertaining to
Revelation 21)
What kind of FEAR do you suppose it is, in contrast to
the FEAR of the Lord which is the begining of
Knowledge?
Christine Miller
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I
doubt the writer of this article knows the Lord, Dean. I am not sure I
understand your question. I would put moderate Mulims and lukewarm
Christians in the same boat.
As I see it, their sin is being
fearful or cowardly. Rev. 21:8 gives a list of people who will have their
place in the lake of fire, listing the cowardly among muderers and
idolaters. What makes them lukewarm is their fear. They won't get out of
the boat and walk on the water when Jesus bids them come. Now, Jesus never
bid the Muslims to come and cause destruction, but I think their sin the
same if they will not take a stand against the atrocities of their
bretheren.
Did I understand your question correctly,
Dean?
Dean Moore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
-----
Original Message -----
Sent:
2/27/2006 6:01:21 PM
Subject:
[TruthTalk] An excellent Article on Islam Today
http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/index.php?artID=576
This will
be my 11th consecutive column, directly or indirectly on the Danish
cartoons issue. The cartoons themselves were a red herring from the
start -- a fake issue, trumped up by fanatical Muslims seeking
grievances to abet a confrontation, and thereby extract concessions
from the West.
. . .
And from a mixture of fear of, and sympathy
for, large, recent, Muslim immigrant communities in the West, we
confuse domestic and foreign issues. I do not doubt the great majority
of Muslims, in Canada and around the world, are decent, moderate
people, who want no part in a clash of civilizations. But it has
become obvious they can do nothing to stop the triumph of Islamism
internationally, or oppose the fanatics proselytizing in their own
communities.
cd: Christine what is the
difference between a lukewarm Christian and a moderate
Moslem?Overlooking the the salvation
issue.
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