tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post1287953250654351246..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: A Story Full of SurprisesPhil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-64308181240452095552007-08-13T20:25:00.000-07:002007-08-13T20:25:00.000-07:00lin--ditto.lin--ditto.Kristinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09208753353162363484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-88283611907584960892007-08-13T17:59:00.000-07:002007-08-13T17:59:00.000-07:00I will never read this scripture the same way agai...I will never read this scripture the same way again. Thanks.Linhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-74884695265540913402007-08-13T17:49:00.000-07:002007-08-13T17:49:00.000-07:00Cent:Thank you. I look forward to the response.Whe...Cent:<BR/><BR/>Thank you. I look forward to the response.<BR/><BR/>When I was a nascent evanjellyfish, sharing the Gospel would have been easy: believe and let believe.<BR/><BR/>Now that I'm a God-fearing, free-offer five-pointer, I know I can't treat the Gospel call lightly.<BR/><BR/>(The metamorphosis was not your guys' fault, by the way. It was the sovereign hand of God, but also John Piper's fault for coming to speak at our church. The nerve of that guy!)<BR/><BR/>I can also see the concern that some non-believers may have, that Christians are just "using" the prospect of eternal perdition to "coerce" folks into believing...which is probably shamefully true in some cases.<BR/><BR/>I will be grateful for any and all guidance you (Cent), Phil, or Dan can provide on this, because if anyone can tackle it, I know you all can.Stefan Ewinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05530690016594029847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-69218898707565261302007-08-13T17:43:00.000-07:002007-08-13T17:43:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stefan Ewinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05530690016594029847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-74620916894635050552007-08-13T16:57:00.000-07:002007-08-13T16:57:00.000-07:00sewing -stay tuned.sewing -<BR/><BR/>stay tuned.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-77723217665589041462007-08-13T12:34:00.000-07:002007-08-13T12:34:00.000-07:00Would it be reasonable to speculate that this one ...Would it be reasonable to speculate that this one reason why some of us shy away from telling others the Gospel?<BR/><BR/>We know that based on the doctrines of grace, we must preach the whole Gospel—which means that before getting to the good stuff (the Good News), we must first make clear the plight that we sinners are in. We may fear a reaction like this: "Are you judging me? How dare you use your God to threaten punishment—I thought he's a God of love!"<BR/><BR/>As a new Christian, I'm struggling with this. I know that I cannot simply say "God has a plan for your life" or "Jesus can make you a better person" (which have elements of deep truth in them, but not in the way the world understands them). I know I have to preach the whole Gospel, and preach on our sinful condition that God cannot abide, before moving on to the remedy He has provided out of his grace, mercy, and love. But I'm not yet ready for the negative reaction that the first part of the Gospel may provoke: "How dare you call me a sinner! How dare you say that your God of love allows people to sin, and that he will judge me!"<BR/><BR/>This is made all the more complicated since raising the widow's son (as God is about to do through Elijah) is probably not an option available to us. (<B><I>Probably</B></I> not, but with God all things are possible....)Stefan Ewinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05530690016594029847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-20633980835759435002007-08-13T08:50:00.000-07:002007-08-13T08:50:00.000-07:00"It is mostly in times of adversity that we duly c..."It is mostly in times of adversity that we duly consider our moral state; outward afflictions often bring deep searchings of heart." -- Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 17:18.<BR/><BR/>Yet that sense of moral responsibility is lacking today, even in churches. We rightly point out that not all suffering is a result of personal sin. Yet we're not very good at helping people go through that process of reflection. Are we too afraid of guilt? In the past many churches oversold the guilt thing. Now, has the pendulum swung too far the other way?James Scott Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641370124346172648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-43158953362744929582007-08-13T06:45:00.000-07:002007-08-13T06:45:00.000-07:00Exceellent insight.Thanks.Excrutiating pain does b...Exceellent insight.<BR/><BR/>Thanks.<BR/><BR/>Excrutiating pain does bring up the depths of our hearts more than anything else.<BR/>How could we carry on without God loving us with such a perfect and immense love?donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-76680312638606786732007-08-13T05:51:00.000-07:002007-08-13T05:51:00.000-07:00Libbie --But then, what of all the duckies and bun...Libbie --<BR/><BR/>But then, what of all the duckies and bunnies? Who will care for them?<BR/><BR/>>snfl<FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-31266138242829066772007-08-13T05:24:00.000-07:002007-08-13T05:24:00.000-07:00Frank, you should try sarcasm, you know. I bet you...Frank, you should try sarcasm, you know. I bet you'd be really good at it.Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14873728356115837593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-89963561492131007562007-08-13T03:39:00.000-07:002007-08-13T03:39:00.000-07:00I think the widow was too God-centered. For her t...I think the widow was too God-centered. For her to even think about whether she was a sinner at a time when she should have been thinking about what caused her son to died, and whether she is keeping the house clean enough so that nobody else gets sick, is a little egg-headed.<BR/><BR/>And I resent you bringing it up, Phil. Because I believe in the WCF.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-28261916993033544272007-08-12T22:49:00.000-07:002007-08-12T22:49:00.000-07:00I continue to find this series very interesting. T...I continue to find this series very interesting. Thanks for the work.candyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06088593538648596769noreply@blogger.com