So often those who name the name of JESUS, find themselves as HUMAN TARGETS. A target of insults, a target for put downs, the butt of sitcom jokes.
WHY???
Why do we find ourselves receiving this type of attention?
What is your opinion on the matter???
Also, have you found that you've been the guy or gal who's FOOT is in the SHOE?
32 comments:
Fear, people are afraid to expose the real them if people knew that walking closer to God meant more than we verses them then the world would go alot smoother. people are afraid of something that they cant see, smell or touch but know it is there. people like to live in the dark there afraids of the light because it exposes the real them.
i believe christians are easy targets for two major reasons:
ONE- WE have fallen into this trap where we believe we must be soft, gentle, passive, and otherwise weak.
TWO- WE say one thing, then turn a corner and do the opposite. we are HYPOCRITE Graduates with honors too.
bottom line, people feel we won't fight back and we have no leg to stand on anyway.
samwise you are right when you say we are hypocrite graduates with honors... I think that has a lot to do with how people view Christians and why it makes us such easy targets.
also I think the lack of thirst for knowledge amoung us is one. We go to church, we hear what's there, but do most of us want more? Do we leave with a hunger, a desire to learn more?
When we are bombarded with questions from a non-believer and we do not know the answers it adds fuel to their fire. So your a Christian and you don't know about Christ... you don't know what happened in Bible History... I am a baby learner, I just began learning. But guaranteed I carry it with me. Because I have been asked.
and yes, people do think that we must be weak, soft... I've had people at work tell me I am too "mean" to be a Christian because I make sure they do their jobs. Well, that's my job.
I agree with you girlintheroom. People do think we are soft, and a pansy. Because we should love everybody and show the LOVE JESUS showed everybody else. Well I hate to tell everybody else this most great Christians are mean when they have to be. Like me, I do not like to be mean, but I WILL when I have to. First it is apart of my job, but also I will only put up with so much before I will put my foot down and stop letting people run all over me.
Frodo here, So if we are viewed this way how do you change it. are you prepared to defend your faith do you have the knowledge to back up what you say I learned monday night that if you donot have the knowledge you cannot back it up. reading and studying the word. is the only offense we as belivers have.being brave about your faith is fine but you better have the fruit to back it up.its easy to sling words and scripture at people and boast of your faith peter did it right before he denied Christ. living the walk is always better than talking the talk. i think thats where we get viewed like we do because we look and live just like every body else. how is the world supposed to tell us apart if we are just like them. step up or step back.
you are right Frodo, we have to step up. We have to start having back up. Start living the Word, not just simply saying we believe.
IF WE ARE GONNA CHANGE THE PORTRAIT OF CHRISTIAN AMERICA -
WE are gonna need a BIG SHOVEL.
and WE are gonna need a Current photograph of the REAL JESUS.
a shovel because we need to DIG into the scriptures.
a photograph that's current because if we go off memory or an old picture of what we "thought " Jesus looked like, well we may be short changing the incredible SAVIOR we represent.
SO UPDATE YOUR FILES AND THE PHOTO ATTACHED TO IT.
do you really think you guys have a sign on your back? maybe you should think more about being nice, rather than trying to tell others that they are doing wrong.
you guys get put down in sitcoms cuz christians are never gonna say a thing, why?
you're not allowed i think.
-hb
Frodo here< you absolutley right hb christians wont say anything. but as far as not being able to we still have the same rights as nonbelievers. frwwdom of speech and all that. truly the church as a whole is took a backseat to rules of engagment. apostles took the message to the street to the people and were persecuted for mainly death in one form or the other. we are a generation that is afraid to step on peoples toes. That has got to stop. But alot of Christ followers are very shallow when it comes to their faith. they just want the get out of hell free card and the can you do this for me God. Todays church is a poor excuse for following Crist. we at Tribalinc are working towards giving men the strenght it takes to lead their families and themselves into a new genaration that fears the lord with the awesomeness He disevers.
The answer is pretty clear. I'm surprised you haven't already posted this...
YOU CHRISTIANS TELL US YOU'RE DIFFERNT THAN US, BUT YOU DON'T ACT ANY DIFFERENT.
YOU CHRISTIANS SAY YOU'VE BEEN CHANGED, BUT YOU ACTUALLY BEHAVE WORSE THAN US. duh???
bob
Bravo, bravo, bob. I MUST admit you got it. I totally agree with you. These christians talk, talk, talk, and crawl, crawl, crawl. They don't know how to walk the talk.
And what exactly is a kick, anyways? What , somebody cracks a joke about you? Is that really a kick, or a cutdown? Try hanging out in the city. You'll discover what it feels to be beat down, kicked down, and put down.
Frodo here, bob and tanner you both right though you forgot one thing. the only difference between you and us is Jesus.
I THINK THIS HAPPENS SO MUCH BECAUSE THEIR IS THIS IDEA THAT WE WILL TURN THE CHEEK. KINDA MESSED UP IF YOU ASK ME.
rachel
Kick me seems a little strong for your title. Most of the time, I love your titles.
Furthermore, I don't think christians should let comments bother us so. What do we expect?? People to treat us royally?? Come on, just walk straight, and love people no matter what they say, or do.
you are right Julie...
and just because we live right doesn't mean it will stop. I used to let it bother me, hang on every bad thing. But it tore me up. For what? For nothing! That's what! To make myself misserable. I'd rather just love all people and be happy. Life is too short.
Okay, let's add a small twist - have you ever been ridiculed/ made fun of/ or been "kicked" because you are a christian. For me, it happens when I find myself on the minority end of the stick. Let me break it down- when an issue of controversary comes up, I tend to disagree with Most(majority) -- this typically leads to name calling.
yes, I have, a LOT. But I don't feel angry with these people, I feel sad because they don't know, It makes me want to tell them about God...some will listen, some will not. But there is an opportunity to plant. I feel like an outsider most at work... there I have so much opportunity. Almost every day I DO get to teach something. I am sure, and I know I do, get called many names, get kicked a lot. But I have more joy there than I ever have before.
I have gotten kicked around most of my life. Being a Christian is not any different. We have to learn that there are many people in this world that are too consumed with themselves and their stuff (possessions, cars, jobs, etc). They are blinded by the world and will listen to nothing or no one. These people need to open their eyes and ears and see the world for what it really is. Nothing without Jesus.
Now as far as most Christians go, yes we are hypocrites. Yes we go to church, talk to people about how people "should" act, say etc. Do most Christians give 100%+ to GOD and Jesus by showing other people LOVE. No we do not. Example: We leave church, go 2 miles down the road, someone cuts us off. What do we do? Flip them off and honk our horn. What's up with that? That is not love. (Unless you live in NYC or ROME)
I believe that a lot of people view showing love as a weakness. Those who show love all the time are weak in our eyes compared to the tough guy that crews cowhide and has a big truck with horns on it. Why is this? The devil views love as weakness. With so many people giving up on GOD and giving up on Jesus they are flirting with SATAN. SATAN is filling their hearts and blind them to love. This is why I believe the world is going to crap. Truly going to crap. We have to all let GOD enter our lives if we are truly going to make this place worth living. I personally have a lot of work to do. After all I am human... and a Christian.
john, that was most eloquent.
wow. you really know how to break it down. kick down the wall, so to speak.
i love the illustration about leaving church and then 2 miles later...
superb, bruther.
also you hit a grand slam with your final paragraph. please comment more often, you certainly have keen insight.
p.s. john, thanks for holding back.
i know you and keeping it real and RATED PG is most appreciated.
Well my tune has changed a little. Funny how that happens, right? Yesterday, a pastor was totally rude to me and my friend. He made her feel so small. All because of her tattoos. Come on, I mean where does he get off doing that? He deserves to be kicked. Now my friend has a rotten taste for "christians"
Julie it's sad that your encounter is a perfect reason for this blog. We end up kicking ourselves, or get kicked by one of our own. Prime example of being like the world judging someone for an outward appearence. its sad that it would be a spiritual leader. But do not let this discourage you or your friends. Thats why Jesus hung out with people like us not the religious folk. Some are more interestd in the buisness of church than the people in it.
Yeah julie, i would have to concur with frodo. You got to find a way NOT to be discouraged.
Discouragement may be all it takes to derail you from your path.
I believe you have a big dream. A GOD sized dream. If you allow this leader's words, or anyone for that matter, if you allow this to sidetrack you, well then i'm afraid, over time you may find yourself further than you've ever dreamed you would be... some call this spiritual drift.
tie yourself to the master, allow HIM to bind you. Allow HIM to see you thru this BEAT DOWN.
guard your heart
Come on you guys. Really think about this. Why shouldn't people kick you ... you guys kick each other. What's the big deal?
Frodo, how do I not let this discourage me. It still burns me up. I wanna dump crap on his front door! He totally crushed her. I am just so angry.
I Go to church every once in a while. Not real religious though. I have friends who are... I've seen them be made fun of. They get labeled pretty bad sometimes. They for the most part, just shrug it off.
It's not right.
-hb
Julie,It's hard not to get mad and angry but when you stoop to that level Satan wins. he's already got the preacher in his back pocket don't add yourself. My wife went through a similar experience with my family and it was very hard for her to forgive. after alot of prayer and trying to leave it in God's hands she finally was able to let it go. Forgiveness is what it is all about. Back in the day i would have gotten a big'ol tattoo of a cross or something on my forearm just for spite but as i grow in my walk I come to realize that I would be no better than him. we talk about being called hypocrites. for you not to forgive him is being just that. let God take care of it. pray for him that he may come to realize his mistake and ask your friend to do the same. Don't slander his name or character. show your friend just what a christ follower looks like. You have a perfect oppurtunity to show her Christ in how you handle this.. I tell my boys in this case be the bigger man. in your case be the bigger girl. I know it's hard but you have the living God inside you to carry you through this hurdle. good luck let me know how it goes.
Hey frodo, what makes you think you even know this preacher... I mean you claim that satan has him in his back pocket, why I oughta hope somebody kicks you for thinking you know him... maybe this is one more reason christians get "kicked"
Tanner, if you are following this blog just to poke at us for being believers, why bother you said yourself we deserve it. You prove our point because you dont know him you poke fun at him for lack of understanding. But if you want to know the answer to why,it is simple.If a man of God{preacher)judges someone for their outward appeareance, then he is going against everything Jesus taught. Jesus taught what comes out of the mouth is what is in the heart. judging this women for having tatoos is a prejudice statement(sin) therefore he probably unknowing is working against God(working for the devil).To take a statement out of context like you did and use to blast me for it makes me want to know why you hang around on this blog. If you enjoy harassing then this will be my last comment back to you. If you are interested in learn about him then Great. But please keep your comments tasteful and tactful. All we are trying to do is learn to be like our Savior Who by the way Was the one who created everything and everyone>
Nice rebuttle, frodo.
I sense you explained your purpose very clearly.
So tanner, what do you say?
Ya interested in becoming or growing as a follower of the ONE?
please don't read anything into this, i'M sure it came across as if you don't know Jesus.
THIS CERTAINLY IS BEYOND ME. so please accept my invitation, our invitation to grow.
You can teach us too i am sure, of what, well we'll leave that up to you.
YOU WANT TASTEFUL AND TACTFUL, fine.
Tell me how some round about excuse for why this preacher judges someone makes you qualified to offer a rebuttle?
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS---
HE IS WORTH BEING KICKED ON, AND SPIT ON, AND VOMITED ON TOO---
HE ASKED HIS DISCIPLES ONE SIMPLE THING, IN FACT IT WAS A CALL TO ADVENTURE---
HE TOLD EM, FOLLOW ME
MAYBE IF WE'D FOLLOW CLOSER, MAYBE WE WOULD GET LEGITIMATE ATTACKS BECAUSE WE LOOK LIKE JESUS, NOT JUST BECASUE WE ARE WEARING ONE OF HIS SHIRTS
---DAVIS
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