tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post2129324926472265426..comments2023-10-22T03:33:03.309-07:00Comments on My Experience as Youth Pastor: Who is a fool?Nick the Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-20358151009157443822009-04-16T05:48:00.000-07:002009-04-16T05:48:00.000-07:00Chris,
Unless things have changed drastically in ...Chris,<br /><br />Unless things have changed drastically in the past 10 years Bartlesville wouldn't last the first quarter against JHS or MHS, but thanks for playing. I really wish I had been able to get down to the city before I left Springfield. Better stop now before I get all nostalgic about missing the last ever Moore War and all my old friends.Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-3201828157967466262009-04-16T05:10:00.000-07:002009-04-16T05:10:00.000-07:00Bartlesville all the way, baby!Bartlesville all the way, baby!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273307757381135560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-78808773877479025812009-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:002009-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:00See I knew it would be one of those two regions. ...See I knew it would be one of those two regions. My wife graduated Jenks and I graduated Moore (Just south of OKC)Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-62839123714757928552009-04-15T11:30:00.000-07:002009-04-15T11:30:00.000-07:00I am just a little north of Tulsa. In a "name it,...I am just a little north of Tulsa. In a "name it, claim it" church.<br /><br />Just kidding.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273307757381135560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-79273262638574269882009-04-14T19:08:00.000-07:002009-04-14T19:08:00.000-07:00Annie K,
I agree 100%. Prosperity doctrine is a ...Annie K,<br /><br />I agree 100%. Prosperity doctrine is a real cut and paste doctrine. Of course the danger is in feeling pretty proud about our own doctrines when we may well be in the same boat. I think, if anything, we should take what we do and believe to the Bible more often just to be safe.<br /><br />Also you are right that it is silly to think that we can do teh bare minimum that God asks and expect Him to pour out his blessings. Doesn't that sound like a doctrine that comes from the same culture that says we should give everyone good grades if they show up to school so they don't feel bad about themselves and give all the kids trophies for playing? Good job getting out of bed today and coming to work. Have a bonus check. Who is God AIG?<br /><br />Finally, you know glosse is Greek for tongue. I'm just saying.Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-11819340693502512352009-04-14T17:15:00.000-07:002009-04-14T17:15:00.000-07:00Nick, I think prosperity gospel is a 'pick and cho...Nick, I think prosperity gospel is a 'pick and choose' religion. They are picking the stuff out of the bible that makes them feel good and 'blessed' and preaching on that and choosing not to preach the stuff that's not so great (like the last part of that verse.). God and His Word are all or nothing. <br /><br />I don't think we can give 10% with our right hand and be holding out our left expecting something in return for doing our 'good deed'. That's having a motive for tithing and wrong.<br /><br />And your post was very well written by the way. <br /><br />wv: glosse<br /><br />I was especially blessed because my black Louis Vuitton purse was extra glosse.Annie Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07774350914255922163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-28164193580906214662009-04-14T14:55:00.000-07:002009-04-14T14:55:00.000-07:00Helen,
I believe strongly in being healed by faith...Helen,<br />I believe strongly in being healed by faith, but I also believe that some things are not healed regardless of our faith. Paul was preaching one night and a guy falls out the window and dies. Paul goes down and prays and the guy is healed then Paul goes back to preaching. Another time they throw him in jail and God opens the doors and releases the shackles. Another time Paul asks God 3 times about a "thorn in his flesh" but God answers that he must endure it. Anyone questioning Paul's faith? What about the end of his life when God doesn't free him from jail, is that Paul's failing faith? Of course not, and so it is impossible to say what faith we have because of our status. I know many who are strengthened in faith because of what they endure. That is much more powerful if you ask me.<br /><br />Beth,<br />Yes he really did get punched in the face. At least one time that I saw plus 2 other times if my memory serves. Of course the guy that did it was a real jerk. He almost punched me once. I disagreed with him on a theological point and he got really mad.Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-62132186499833890562009-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:002009-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:00Wow, he really DID get punched!?Wow, he really DID get punched!?Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573016840618175525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-38737369619818205442009-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:00Being healed by faith links with these. I do beli...Being healed by faith links with these. I do believe that God can heal the afflicted. I also believe that He can bring glory to Himself and bless others through the afflicted. He knows why He does what He does. I know He has the power to heal my mom. I also know that she has continues to be a blessing even though she is now disabled, and in some ways, a more urgent blessing than ever. Do you know what I mean? People who would have once smiled and said "that's nice for you" when she talks about God actually take her seriously now.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18070555200892952455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-36359436111720236832009-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:002009-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:00Beth,
Someone got kicked out for punching him. A...Beth,<br /><br />Someone got kicked out for punching him. Actually I think it was the third time that the guy finally got the boot. I will say that last time I saw him he was a very different man. There was a crisis of faith that brought him to a place of clarity. Pain can do that.<br /><br />My MIL is really into this and she blames God for their massive debt which only gets bigger. She is one of the people I don't want to intentionally offend. I really reigned in the sarcasm for this post. Could you tell?Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-26230859317335021372009-04-14T07:50:00.000-07:002009-04-14T07:50:00.000-07:00I think a lot of this comes from people who rely o...I think a lot of this comes from people who rely on things other than their Bible to teach them about Christianity. If you don't know truth, it's really easy to swallow lies.<br /><br />In all seriousness, my MIL has swallowed a lot of this stuff and I worry about her. Her faith is what brought my husband to Jesus...in so many ways I admire her, but I don't know whether or not I should put my two cents in on this stuff with her. Probably more my husband's role...or I'm using that as a cop out because I hate confrontation. Ug. <br /><br />And by the way...I think I'd be punching that Haggee guy. I'm about the least violent person out there, but that is about the most repulsive thing I've heard. I've met some very giving and caring people on welfare. More giving and caring than a lot of Christians in fact. But I don't need to tell you that.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573016840618175525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-26501353144547041332009-04-14T06:28:00.000-07:002009-04-14T06:28:00.000-07:00Chris,
I see you are in OK. OKC area or Tulsa a...Chris, <br /><br />I see you are in OK. OKC area or Tulsa area? I know there is more to OK than that but I don't want to ask what city straight up and I'm guessing one of those two regions over the rest of the state because that is where most of the population lives.<br /><br />While speaking of OKC and prosperity if anyone wants to pay for me to come out and speak in OKC I'm totally down with that. I didn't make it to the city before leaving Springfield and I regret not seeing some of my friends. I'm sure that is God's best for me because it benefits me.Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-58183643411469269662009-04-14T06:24:00.000-07:002009-04-14T06:24:00.000-07:00Chris,
I lived in OKC and Springfield, MO so trus...Chris,<br /><br />I lived in OKC and Springfield, MO so trust me when I get the Buckle of the Bible belt mindset. I thank God that He does bless me, but I also look at Job and the things He endured which were God's best for him. Sure He was financially blessed at the end of it, but I'd rather be relatively poor in America than to endure those things to receive the kind of blessing Job did. I wonder if people that teach Prosperity ever endured suffering so they would better understand why God blesses them, which is to share the blessing.Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-54567699913337095322009-04-14T06:09:00.000-07:002009-04-14T06:09:00.000-07:00I live in the "buckle" of the Bible belt, which al...I live in the "buckle" of the Bible belt, which also happens to be the buckle of the prosperity movement (Billy Jo Daughtery, Kenneth Hagin), so the movement is very prevalent around me. I work at a ministry that assists persecuted Christians and even working here, seeing what we see every day there are so many that believe in this twisted version of prosperity. How can they see these precious people being persecuted for His name every day, in abject poverty, and believe that posperity is "God's best" for them? They really believe that these people wouldn't have to go through that if they just had more faith. <br /><br />It almost makes me sick.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273307757381135560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-42164256246599007722009-04-14T05:58:00.000-07:002009-04-14T05:58:00.000-07:00One lady that ended up leaving the church recently...One lady that ended up leaving the church recently watched almost every Prosperity televangelist out there. She left not long after I did a sermon about trusting God with our finances. The problem is that many preachers stop short and say things like "if you give your tithe God will bless you." This is not strictly a Biblical concept.<br /><br />God wants us to compeltely trust Him and giving the Tithe is the beginning, but there are a lot of other things we need to do like avoid debt, work hard, invest shrewdly, and take care of the poor. If we give God out 10% and assume that is enough we won't receive His blessing because the blessing flows from righteousness. Go ahead, give God your 10% and make that up by spending the money on your credit cards. In a short time you will be in debt beyond what you can handle and blame God.<br /><br />That was the essence of the sermon but she didn't like it because that isn't what her TV preachers told her. I blasted them and she didn't care for that either.Nick the Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494956043889392219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476902858280070450.post-68977301656455716262009-04-14T03:22:00.000-07:002009-04-14T03:22:00.000-07:00That was good on many levels. I love the definiti...That was good on many levels. I love the definition of a fool. I am ignorant about many things, and even foolish at times. But you're dead on about people being too self-absorbed to care about the Truth.<br /><br />One of the things that is so heartbreaking about this doctrine is that it is spreading like wildfire in some of the poorest parts of the world. True hope is replaced by false doctrine. Desperate people are being taken advantage of. I know an elderly lady that found out several years ago that she would have to have her leg amputated at the knee. She watched Benny Hinn, sent in money, and prayed that she would be healed of the condition that caused the need for the removal of her leg. Fortunately, she also began coming back to church on a regular basis around the same time. She ended up having the surgery, and now reflects back on that time and tells everyone what a blessing it was to have her leg removed. It forced her to rely on God in ways she never did before and she is grateful for it. She also had caregivers at church whom she now considers her good friends. She has been a blessing to that body of believers in so many ways. She doesn't write checks to Benny Hinn anymore, and she is an awesome witness for God.katdishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09210738418270395622noreply@blogger.com