Re: [TruthTalk] Assuming the best / walking in love?

[Knpraise]

In a message dated 11/26/2004 9:09:51 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

I am trying to deal with spiritual principles; not personalities. What if thinking evil of another brings evil upon you? Is that possible? Izzy

Well, there certainly are consequences to be dealt with as a result of our actions.   This includes our manner of speech.   Christ showed little patience with some of the religious leaders of his day while extending a great deal of patience to those who were the closest to him.  Christ was a kind and gentle man with a backbone.   I will think the best of another unless and until he actually tells me otherwise.   Words are intended to express meaning.   Sometimes they do not but to disregard the words of others because of that sometime failure is to allow a degree of chaos to dominate the conversation.

When that is applied to those who would be teachers  --   the rules of communication become extremely important.   It is a teachers job to communicate accurately his views.   If he cannot do this, he is not a teacher.   If one is told over and over again that his/her words are offensive only to ignore those complaints, that person is not a teacher.  Such complaints give the "teacher" the kind of impute she needs to rid her speech of such detractions and become a more effective minister of the word , for example.   

In the Great Commission of Matt 28,  Christ assumes successful gospel presentation when he instructs his disciples to " ... make disciples by teaching and baptizing..."
We make disciples of those who have already come to the Lord.    If this is a correct understanding of that text, the inference is overwhelming to the teacher-preacher.   Christ assumes success in the preaching of the gospel.    If, then, I am not being successful in that presentation, my first thought should be a concern for what I am doing wrong in that presentation or what I could be doing different to enhance the effectiveness of the presentation.   "Gospel meetings"  used to work rather well, years ago.    And in some cultural settings, this is true today  -- but there are whole communities of individuals who will not be motivated to attend a "gospel revival."   Leadership, in this case, has a choice.  They can sit around their little box (called a church building) bemoaning the nation that the evil wicked world is  closed to the Message presentation, or they can begin a search for more effective presentations  -- believing in the Grand Assumption of the Lord which is this:  the faithfulness of the Lord includes His belief in the lives of the created to rise to a higher calling, to WANT life abundantly, to desire meaningful relationship with the Creator.   "Build it and they will come"  was a thought first in the mind of God.  He died for us while we yet enemies, if you will.    Man will respond to that kind of love.   And when he does not, the first thought should be one corrective presentation.   Of course, there are times when the spoken Choice has been preached to those who have already made their choice  --  "pearls before swine" as they say. 



John