Why do some posts have nothing but preaching-at?

[BradC]

You've thrice mentioned, "call". What, specifically, does that mean to you? What does it look like on a Tuesday morning of any particular week, say?

Good question. The following scriptures have always been a great help to me.

2 Tim 1:7-10

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

1 Thes 4:7

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Rom 9:23,24

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Just from these few verses our calling is to live clean daily, being vessels of mercy and walk according to His purpose and grace given unto us in Christ. This is part of making our calling and election sure according to (2 Peter 1:1-10). If God calls us in the church or local assembly to go into the highways and byways of this present world and preach the gospel to every creature then we have to be available and ready to go and prepared unto every good work, being meet for the master's use (2 Tim 2:21). If someone you love calls you on the phone and asks you to come get them because it is urgent, you would go immediately and never question their call no matter what unexpected difficulties you may face in doing so. You go because of love and never count the cost.

 

[WebersHome]

No

Yes.

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[atwhatcost]

Well, does not the word preach mean to proclaim?......anytime one quotes scripture and or discusses their view in scripture they are in essence proclaiming (preaching).......I suppose almost everyone on this site is here preaching something in one form or another......do you mean the long rambling pointed posts?

Ha! I am a long rambler, so I take no offense to long ramblings. lol

No, actually, the ones I'm thinking of often have bullet list, outlines, and Q & As (much like homework cheat sheets or lesson plans.) I won't finger point, but I will give an example off the top of my head.

Living the Word
I. Abraham
A. Followed God.
B. Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah.
C. Issac's birth.

II. David
A. Shepherd.
B. Conflict with Saul.
C. Jerusalem.

III. Our part
A. Church.
B. Marriage.
C. Work.

And that's an oversimplification of what I'm seeing, but do you understand what the question is if someone posted this under the title "Living the Word"? And, if you click a post titled "Living the Word" is this what you're expecting as the details?

It probably does mean something to the poster, but I don't get why it is posted. And I really don't get what any of us are supposed to do with this information other than to ask, "What's this have to do with God or me? (Thus, "know your audience.")

I went to college to become a teacher. (High School English teacher, not a Bible teacher.) I failed. In that failure, I learned some aspects of teaching, but I'm really not a teacher. I think "I'm really not a teacher" was a good lesson to learn.

After watching post go by on here for a few weeks, it kind of reminds me of a couple of statistics on cell phone use in cars.
80% of people who use their cell phone while driving are dangerously distracted.
80% of people who use their cell phone while driving believe they are the 20% who aren't dangerously distracted.

I often think, "I'm glad to know I'm not the only one not cut out to teach." I still think I might be missing the purpose of what these posters want from me/us. After all, even in that 80% who think talking on their cell phones while driving doesn't distract them -- some are right.

 

[oldthennew]

there are so many different strokes in-between WH's 'two-catagories'.

every one has their own measure of zeal, knowledge, etc. - the Spiritual Gifts are varied
and from experience we know that we all go through so many valleys and peaks -
we know for sure that we are in a learning position when this is going on -
hence our being drawn and pulled starts us on many varied paths as we grow.

to discern a matter before you have heard the whole of it, is very unwise.

the depths of ones journey is such a personal matter - when we see another
exhibiting uncomely behavior we must ask ourselves why and can we somehow
help to lead them to a better place??

it's all about the heart and it being led to be right with our Saviour.

 

[crossnote]

My hunch, and it is only a hunch, is that Hitler targeted the JW's because in their name contained the name 'Jehovah'...too OT, too Jewish sounding for his antisemetic ears. He probably didn't know up from down when it came to their false doctrine.

 

[atwhatcost]

sometimes, it is just insights that people want to share.

Then a prologue would be helpful -- some hint of that. I'd like to know how they got that insight. But, yeah, that makes sense.

 

[atwhatcost]

I've found that many people honestly don't know how to live a sermon. What you see may be all they can manage... and they want to feel they are doing God's work.

Why do you think those "tracts" thrive?...... You know, the ones most people just throw away without even reading. It's a mentality similar to that of the JW's. (Ever had one of them take the time to get to know you, even a little bit? No, you're just a number to them.)

A friend of hubby's (before hubby and I ever met) had a couple of JWs come to her door one day. She struck a deal with them. "I will listen to all you have to say for one hour, if you will listen to what I have to say for one hour after that."

They agree. She did, and when they were done, they got up to leave. She locked the door and blocked it, until they remembered their promise. She showed them verse by verse where they were wrong for the next hour. And then they bolted out the door. That was the last time she had JWs come to her door, so I can only imagine it did something. lol

Oh, she became a good friend of hubby's for something similar. Her hubby and my future-hubby were co-workers. At that time, hubby was a defiant God-hater, whose idea of a good time was destroying the faith of people who claimed to be Christians. He learned the verses that would catch many babes/ethnical Christians unaware and debate them, until they admitted they had no idea who God is.

He was a curious man, (still is lol), so he searched out all the religions of the word, picked out the fun stuff and kept them, and dismissed the crap. (He admitted, even then that most of it was crap.) By the time his co-worker (best friend) took him home for dinner, hubby showed them how he could make a rash disappear from his skin through "the power of the mind." (To this day, we're not exactly sure if the rash disappeared from some power in his mind, demons, or it was just time for the rash to disappear.) He also debated her from the word, but she knew the word. Every time he hit some verse that usually trapped others, she'd pull out her Bible and show him where he was wrong. It infuriated him. He'd go home, get rearmed with other verses and return to prove her wrong.

Little did he know, she had a group of woman who were also firm in God, who prayed together that his rash wouldn't disappear. His rash reappeared, and got worse.

The debates between them lasted for a couple of weeks, and every time he went home he was angrier and itchier. lol

He had trouble sleeping that last night, he was so enraged. He'd show her!!!

The next morning, he woke up born-again and rashless.

There's something to be said for understanding the word.

 

[atwhatcost]

Preaching the gospel in season or out of season is going to catch people off their guard. God is going to hit them with a message they are no prepared for. This is how the Holy Spirit brings conviction into the heart of the hearer. This is why it is important that we exercise faith and preach as we have been called to do. Just imagine how you may have responded to God if he called you to preach in a certain far away town and told you that no one would respond and they would actually curse you for bringing that message to their people (kinda like Jonah and the whale and his call to Nineveh). Would you leave your family, your job and your friends or would you stay right where you are at because God is good?

Okay? But what did that have to do with my question or other responses? Again, "know your audience." This isn't a foreign town. This is a site where Christians and/or semi-respectful people come.

 

[tribesman]

I keep seeing posts that look like someone is asking a question, but when I click on it, it's really someone preaching at me. (Not "to," "at.") I'm a writer. I also used to do marketing and communications, so I'm big into "know your audience." The audience on this forum is "people willing to debate biblical concepts." The preach-ats often don't have Bible in them, just churchy stuff, something kind of like a sermon, and some like lesson plans with cheat sheets. I'm not that audience. More so since I don't fit into most of the parameters of whatever is being preached-at.

Can someone explain the logic of preaching at people who are most likely not the audience? I'm new, thus confused (again. lol) I suspect there is logic, but I'm just not getting it.

I believe we have some frustrated souls here at CC who has no other audience to preach to than here.

 

[atwhatcost]

I like the Jehovah Witnesses though I don't know much about them or their doctrine.

The reason why I like them is that Hitler persecuted them.

Street preaching is the bravest kind in my book and the Jehovah Witnesses go door to door carrying their message.

The Jehovahs only answer to God and Hitler knew that he couldn't control them from possibly preaching ideas that would go against him so he threw them in prison.

And I think the Apostles went door to door though the New Testament makes it seem like city to city but that is like door to door.

Christ is the Door.

Hitler exterminated 13 million. We all know 6 million were Jews. We don't know how many were what, but they included Christians, the intellectuals, the philosophers, the free-thinkers, and the homosexuals.

Do you think that makes them something in God's sight too?

 

[posthuman]

I believe we have some frustrated souls here at CC who has no other audience to preach to than here.

sometimes, if you copy a section of posts like this, and paste them into a search engine, you find that people are posting exactly the same diatribes on many sites, and on their own blogs and webpages too.

it's like, well, they have a message they feel like they need to get out to as many places as they can, i guess (i dunno; i don't do this).

it's an easy trap for me to be judgmental and think they are just looking for kudos and being pretentious. i know if i take that attitude i'm making myself a teacher instead of a student, and i'm not going to gain anything from reading what they say that way.

there are many members here who are preachers themselves. maybe they are just sharing their sermon outlines; it's what is natural for them because this is the way they preach every week. maybe too, there are people who feel called to preach but don't have a congregation. some too just 'love to have the preeminence' and are just doing what think will make them appear scholarly and wise. i dunno how to tell the difference by appearance; i've got to read for myself and figure out what they have to say.
sometimes the format or writing style gives me prejudice; i hope i can overcome that, and 'judge rightly' instead of by appearance.

 

[atwhatcost]

I think what AWC is getting at is this forum is actually turning into a country club, where only certain people[teachers] are allowed to discuss anything and then if you disagree the teacher pets call you a troll or worse and then set out to assassinate you. They then protect the [teachers] with rep points. The teacher pets are then protected by the [Teachers] and can say anything to anyone without any check.

This used to be a good place to come to , but now it just is shouting match over the same topics that have been hashed and rehashed and do not need to even be discussed anymore.

Nah! That wasn't it, but that's interesting. I'm too new to know if there is a country-club vibe on here yet. I'm not so new that I'm not catching a vibe. I just haven't figure out what the vibe is. (Country-club seems like it's quite possibly that, so not saying you're wrong. Just saying I'm not there yet.) I also sense a few are worth learning from and aren't contentious.

By nature, I am contentious. I'm still working at God rising me above that through his supernature.

Interesting point. Something to think about (and I have already started thinking about it), but that wasn't my point.

I'm not exactly sure what my point is. I know I have a question, I suspect the question I asked was close, but not quite there. I figured if I asked, someone could give me either part or whole of the answer to the question I really wanted to know. Many have, including you, but this wasn't my intent on original question.

 

[atwhatcost]

Hmmm!

Is someone preaching?

What? You didn't get the memo?

LOL

 

[atwhatcost]

-
I've participated on better than 30 religious internet forums since 1997 and
noticed almost right away that there are basically two categories of folk
hanging out on them. The first category is easily the largest. It consists of
gossips, critics, and chit-chatters. The second category is quite a bit smaller
than the first. It consists of serious Bible students.

"Many are called; but few are chosen." (Matt 22:14)

The reason that few are chosen is because so few are worth the trouble.

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Wow! 30 forums, and you haven't noticed the other groups? How about the chit-chat serious Bible students? The gossips who don't yet know they're gossips, but are serious Bible Students? The critics who are critics because they are serious Bible students? And people like me, who are serious about the Bible, but not yet up to student level? (I'm a very slow learning when it comes to God. He's so different from what I've experienced most of my life.) And, holy cow! There are even real teachers who are quite good and well worth listening to.

Ever consider, had you paid attention more you'd find out all are worth the trouble? Just because I can't deal with some, doesn't make them worthless. It means I'm not worthy for them.

One thing I don't like about this site. So much self-righteousness. Most other sites I've gone to that's a given, because, hey, being a Christian wasn't a requirement to join. It really does boggle my mind that there is so much They vs. Me/Us on this site. It's as if "they" simply explains why I'm so much better.

I'm not better. I simply wanted to understand why some post stuff as if it was meant for us, but it's not always.

Now, I'm seeing why, even when an answerer didn't worry about answering my question.

 

[atwhatcost]

No, few are chosen because they refuse to count the cost or get ahead of God and find out ministry is not about them

Ack! Show off! That's what comes from knowing how to say a lot in far fewer words than I used. (I agree, but I'm a little jealous you could say that much quicker. lol)

 

[atwhatcost]

My hunch, and it is only a hunch, is that Hitler targeted the JW's because in their name contained the name 'Jehovah'...too OT, too Jewish sounding for his antisemetic ears. He probably didn't know up from down when it came to their false doctrine.

He targeted anyone he perceived as a believer. He hated God. Not much different than Nero.

 

[Cloud9]

You've thrice mentioned, "call". What, specifically, does that mean to you? What does it look like on a Tuesday morning of any particular week, say?

I have attended their meetings (JW) and, whenever I was there, no place for saying the things my mind thought, but what their magazines said so, just for me, there is no room for freedom.

Their people look fine. I had some of those friends, but I can chew a thing to make it the way another person wanted.

I know exactly what you mean. It could be they are brainwashed because the Watchtower dictates everything to them.

See their fearlessness fooled me...I almost forgot about the tracts.

Doctrine is really important.

 

[atwhatcost]

I believe we have some frustrated souls here at CC who has no other audience to preach to than here.

That makes sense, too. Thanks.

 

[secularhermit]

-
I've participated on better than 30 religious internet forums since 1997 and
noticed almost right away that there are basically two categories of folk
hanging out on them. The first category is easily the largest. It consists of
gossips, critics, and chit-chatters. The second category is quite a bit smaller
than the first. It consists of serious Bible students.

"Many are called; but few are chosen." (Matt 22:14)

The reason that few are chosen is because so few are worth the trouble.

=======================================

No doubt it seems to be right but, for me, what He would say about me or you, it´s what really matters.


Mat 25:37 "Then the godly people will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear?
Mat 25:39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?'
Mat 25:40 "Then the king will answer, 'The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.'

Mat 25:21 "The master answered, 'You did right. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with that small amount of money. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.'

 

[secularhermit]

I know exactly what you mean. It could be they are brainwashed because the Watchtower dictates everything to them.

See their fearlessness fooled me...I almost forgot about the tracts.

Doctrine is really important.

But, those I know, have made it the way they live life out. Those folks I have seen are serious on what they believed.