Acts 17:22\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus\u00a0and said: \u201cPeople of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.\u00a023\u00a0For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:\u00a0to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship\u2014and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.<\/i><\/p>\n
On FB, some questioned what I wrote yesterday.\u00a0 They were not mean, but sincere and well-intentioned and I am grateful for the opportunity to respond.\u00a0 Also let me say that I believe those who questioned me also love me, and I love them.\u00a0 I felt obliged to response and below is my verbose response.\u00a0 Blessings to all!<\/p>\n
Those who questioned what I wrote, thank you so much for doing so.\u00a0 It gives me a chance to respond, which I am ready to do.\u00a0 I know those who questioned, I know that you care for me, and you know I love you.\u00a0 So truly, thank you for the opportunity to respond!<\/p>\n
I\u2019m surprised that people who know me would think that what I was writing about was not sharing the Word.\u00a0 In fact, I mentioned nothing about not sharing the Gospel.\u00a0 I love to share the word with believers and nonbelievers.\u00a0 I don\u2019t get as much opportunity to \u201cwitness\u201d now-a-days and when I get the opportunity, I relish it!\u00a0 With this fellow I talked with him for over an hour and shared the Word.\u00a0 I was not berating the co-worker, as I had mentioned, at the end of the conversation he felt very positive about our conversation.\u00a0 I was very loving and kind throughout our conversation.\u00a0 Again I love talking about the Gospel with believers and non-believers.<\/p>\n
When he told me that he respected my beliefs and then told me that he was sure that I respected his beliefs he was expecting an obligatory response of \u201cyes I do.\u201d\u00a0 I could not do that for the previously stated reasons.\u00a0 Also, someone who was not there can second-guess what I said, if that is what they do, but they were not there.\u00a0 I was absolutely doing what I thought the Lord would have me do\u2026tell the truth.\u00a0 This man I was speaking to was an intelligent man who felt strongly about his position.\u00a0 The worse thing I could have told him was that I respected his position and gave false validity to his position.\u00a0 In fact, being circumspect, it would have been the worst thing that I could have done.\u00a0 After conversing with him for over an hour, sharing that Jesus and the Apostles taught that there is only one way to heaven (John 14:6, Acts 4:12<\/b>) would I now tell him that his beliefs were okay.\u00a0 No!\u00a0 I would have undone what I had shared.\u00a0 I believed that I helped him by saying what I said to him.\u00a0 For those of you who know me, I\u2019m amazed that you would think I was harsh or unkind with this man.\u00a0 Besides, he was no milquetoast.\u00a0 He was shocked by what I said but he was intelligent enough to understand why I said what I said.\u00a0 We still amicably parted.<\/p>\n
Was my answer biblical?\u00a0 Absolutely!\u00a0 For those who would challenge that, look to the Bible.\u00a0 Yes, it was something that may seem like something John the Baptist would have said, but that is great company since Jesus said \u201cTruly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist…<\/i>\u201d (Matthew 11:11<\/b>)\u00a0 Jesus called Pharisee\u2019s \u201csnakes\u201d (Matthew 23:33<\/b>) and \u201chypocrites\u201d and \u201cwhitewashed tombs\u201d (Matthew 23:25-27<\/b>).\u00a0 I suppose some would criticize Jesus for being harsh or unloving and that would be the furthest from the truth.\u00a0 Stephen gave a righteous and truthful testimony that described the wickedness of his audience, calling them \u201cstiff-necked people and killers\u201d\u00a0<\/i>and then they, proving him right, murdered Stephen by stoning.\u00a0 Included among those who there at stoning of \u00a0Stephen, who heard his testimony, was the Saul who became the great Apostle Paul.\u00a0 The Apostle Paul could be tender and also very strong in opposition to false doctrine and teaching.\u00a0 In\u00a0Galatians 1:6-10<\/b>\u00a0he said that wrong ideas about the Gospel, different gospels, are actually no Gospel at all.\u00a0 He said that these errors were throwing people into confusion and he said that people who spread these errors are cursed and then the Apostle Paul concluded by saying \u201cAm I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 In\u00a0Galatians 5:1-12<\/b>\u00a0the Apostle Paul, speaking of the freedom of Christ and those who would preach circumcision and thereby oppose the freedom of the saints, said of them \u201cAs for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0 Very strong words.\u00a0 You can judge the greatest Apostle if you would like, but I will not.<\/p>\n
Family and friends, there were people listening to us talk, so what I said was not only for that co-workers benefit, but for those who were listening.\u00a0 As\u00a0Ecclesiastes 3:1<\/b>\u00a0famously states \u201cThere is a time for everything<\/i>\u201d and that includes a time of weeping with people, of tender empathizing, and there are times of standing strong, as the Spirit leads.\u00a0 I stand for the Word of God and speak it in love as I can, but I will never compromise my loyalty to God and love for Him to make someone else feel good.\u00a0 I was led by the Spirit of God to say what I said.\u00a0 I remember the moment before I said what I said and how the thought came to me.\u00a0 Then and now I believe it was what that man needed to hear and that it was the Spirit who gave me the words.\u00a0\u00a0 Sometimes, we need to be told the harsh truth.\u00a0 Telling the harsh truth is much more difficult than compromising and saying something that is not true so that we think we are sparing their feeling.\u00a0 No, I would rather give them a jolt to save their life then flatter them and let them go on their way to hell.\u00a0 Read\u00a0Ezekiel 3<\/b>, especially\u00a0Ezekiel 3:18<\/b>.\u00a0 Family and friends, I care little for the thoughts that all mankind thinks when I have direction from God from His Word.<\/p>\n
Also, please remember, though sometimes what I write is long, I always keep in mind to try to keep it short.\u00a0 That means that I cannot always, in fact rarely, write all that I would like to write.\u00a0 People have advised me to keep it brief, and I think it is good advice, as I can.\u00a0 People on FB don\u2019t want to read a novel, which is why I always post a link to the full message.<\/p>\n
So, how can I be judged of those who were not there?\u00a0 I believed then, and I believe now, that I was led by God.\u00a0 As far as sharing the Truth, that is what I was doing.\u00a0 As far as being loving and giving my time, I was and I did.<\/p>\n
Finally, I have responded.\u00a0 If someone would like to contend with what I have said please send me a private message.\u00a0 I won\u2019t distastefully argue in public.\u00a0 But I will converse in private, which I think is appropriate.\u00a0 Public arguments are a show I won\u2019t be involved in and I will delete or block as necessary.<\/p>\n
Please do remember that I thank you for questioning.\u00a0 They were valid questions and I\u2019m sure they were ones that others may have had.\u00a0 I could go on, but I have written way too much.\u00a0 Happy to continue the conversation in private.\u00a0 God bless you all!<\/p>\n
Below is what I sent out yesterday.<\/p>\n
\u201cPaul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus\u00a0and said: \u201cPeople of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 What is interpreted as very religious could mean that they acknowledge the existence of God and are seeking Him.\u00a0 Or it could mean that he was saying that they are superstitious and so they endeavor to \u201ccover their bases.\u201d We also see that in our times, we see those who want to \u201ccover their bases.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 People who dabble in the varied beliefs of the world.\u00a0 They don\u2019t want to offend any belief lest that is a real one.\u00a0 Not knowing a sure truth, they give respect to all beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0 Once, about 1980 or so, being rather new in the Lord, there was a co-worker who spoke with me about my beliefs and he shared his beliefs.\u00a0 The conversation remained open and calm although many of his points were what he believed and not based on the Bible, which he did not fully embrace.\u00a0 \u00a0At the conclusion of our conversation the man said to me, in a very positive way that he had formerly not thought about what was presented to him that day, but that he still had his own beliefs.\u00a0 He told me that he had enjoyed the conversation and he was glad that at the end of the conversation \u201cwe respect each other\u2019s opinions.\u201d\u00a0 I replied \u201cIt is true that I respect your right to have your own opinion, however I do not respect your opinion.\u201d\u00a0 A shocked expression came over his face.\u00a0 I continued \u201cYou see it would be against what I believe to respect what it is that you believe.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think that what you said has any merit in truth but is a commonly held error.\u00a0 What you believe opposes what I believe, therefore to respect what you believe is to disrespect the absolute truth of what I believe.\u00a0 So I respect your right to hold your belief, but to respect what you believe is to disrespect what I believe.\u201d\u00a0 The man left me somewhat shaken by what I said.\u00a0 Know that I still cared about this man, but I would not deceive him by compromising the fact that the Gospel is the only truth that leads to peace with God (John 14:6, Acts 4:12<\/b>).\u00a0 First is my loyalty to God and my love for Him, and from that comes my love for others.\u00a0 To tell someone that I respect the error they believe is not to love that person.\u00a0 It is giving them a confidence in what they believe.\u00a0 Furthermore, it would be an elevating of myself to be in a person\u2019s favor and a usurping of the love, glory and acceptance of the glory that belongs solely to God.\u00a0 Family, this is no light consideration.\u00a0 I will not decrease the importance of God\u2019s Word solely so people like me.\u00a0 Too many in our day do this now so as to not to offend the sensibilities of the lost or immature in Christ.\u00a0 It is self-idolatry and a travesty against God.\u00a0 God forbid.\u00a0\u00a0 Let us not be as these Athenians who religiously and superstitiously cover their spiritual bases, but let us be confident and loyal to the Truth, the Son of God. To Jesus, the one and only Way to favor with God, be all glory and praise!\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n
Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Acts 17:22\u00a0–\u00a0Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus\u00a0and said: \u201cPeople of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.\u00a023\u00a0For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:\u00a0to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,89,705,1969,100,101,94,1874,17],"class_list":["post-1885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-ecclesiastes","tag-ezekiel","tag-galatians","tag-john","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1886,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885\/revisions\/1886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}