Must see video on abortion rights vs. life rights
October 12, 2011
This important new video, offered for free, is a must see. Street preacher/ evangelist Ray Comfort produced this powerful 33 minute video with real life reactions to real life questions. One of the nicest things about this work is the not just the underlying message, but the fact that all participants are random people- not actors. This is real life at its most crucial.
CLICK HERE and watch for FREE: http://180movie.com/
Consider this article from WND.com:
The new movie “180,” with its “power of truth” is turning out to be an abortionist’s worst nightmare.
The intensely stunning new production from author, evangelist and street preacher Ray Comfort has drawn more than 600,000 views in just a few days, and hundreds more are purchasing a copy for their home.
And the reactions have been flooding in.
“I watched this today – three times,” wrote Sonya Shirk. “Each time I was overwhelmed with the power of truth. I have shared this everywhere I can think of. I can’t begin to tell you how this video has changed my perspective.”
Added another poignantly, and to the point: “Your film just led a 17-year-old girl away from abortion.”
“I am very thankful for the Internet,” Comfort told WND. “It is so often used for evil, but in this case it is being used for good. In just 10 days 180Movie.com has had over 600,000 views.
“Keep in mind that this isn’t a one-minute humorous clip that doesn’t bite into your day. This is a commitment of 33 minutes of intense film, giving the viewer a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” he said.
For those quick with math, that’s more than 12,500 days that have been dedicated to watching “180.” Or more than 34 years.
“In an age where there’s more chance of flossing the back teeth of hungry lions at the LA Zoo at feeding time than getting ‘180’ on secular television, millions are going to see it uncensored via the Internet … and many will change their minds about abortion,” he said.
Wrote one viewer, “It’s so powerful. And although I have thought about abortion and Hitler on a passing note, this really made me think and did change my mind about abortion. I am not Christian or even know if God exists but this really does make you think. Thank you, it could be life-changing.”
Another: “The day after wearing a 180movie T-shirt to school, my daughter found out fellow classmates had seen the shirt and went to the site. Several commented they had never really thought about the issue of abortion but now know it’s wrong.”
Of course, Comfort noted, there’s another perspective. He cited this comment, “You rude anti-choice pig! Pro-choice doesn’t mean pro-death; Pro-choice just means freedom for women to choose! If you don’t want abortion, don’t get one! Oh, and no one cares about that stupid 180 *$@!*! Grow up, you zombified, conservatarded hypocrite!”
“These emails make me smile, because when a person has no justification for the killing of a child in the womb, they will resort to personal abuse, something called ‘ad hominem,'” Comfort said.
Comfort initially thought he would produce a video to go with an upcoming book called “Hitler, God, and the Bible” to be published by WND Books and soon to be available at the WND Superstore.
Join the discussion about “180,” at WND’s Forums.
That book is soaring on Amazon even though it’s not scheduled to come out until February.
It exposes Hitler’s theology and abuse of religion as a means to seize political power and ultimately instigate World War II and genocide. It mines the depths of Hitler’s beliefs and convincingly argues that without Hitler’s misuse of Christianity, the Third Reich would not have had its terrible rise, resulting in the deaths of millions.
“‘180’ wasn’t the video I meant to produce,” Comfort told WND.
Comfort explained his idea: “I decided to go out to the streets with a camera and find out what people believed about Hitler.
“I ended up with 14 people – mainly university students – who had no idea who Adolf Hitler was. This really bothered me, because I believe that when we forget our history we are more apt to repeat it,” he said.
In fact, recent media reports highlighted a sports day at a school in Thailand where students proudly paraded in Nazi costumes, including one student dressed as Hitler, to celebrate.
According to the London Daily Mail, the students and teachers were oblivious to “what all the fuss was about.”
It’s about life and death, Comfort explained, and not just during World War II
Comfort said his research for the book turned up a recurring theme regarding the Holocaust and the deaths of an estimated 11 million people, including some 6 million Jews: Moral apathy.
“I realized that the same kind of moral apathy that permitted such an incident to take place is still present today when it comes to the matter of abortion,” he said.
“While making the video I was amazed at how quickly people did a complete 180 after this connection was pointed out to them in a particularly effective way. They changed from being adamantly pro-abortion to being pro-life in a matter of seconds.”
The name “180” came from just that observation.
“As we watched ‘Steve’ – a proud, Jew-hating, foul-mouthed, anti-black, ‘I hate America’ neo-Nazi atheist with a 14-inch blue Mohawk – do a complete 180 and almost become likeable, it suddenly dawned on us that the same thing happened to most of the people on the video. They were all doing a 180 … their worldviews radically changed,” Comfort said.
The video follows Comfort’s winning formula of colorful, fast paced street interviews popular in the award-winning “Way of the Master” television series.
The series, in its fifth season, is co-hosted by Kirk Cameron and is viewed in 70 countries on 42 networks.
Comfort told WND that “180” is already considered “transforming.”
Message after message that reach his desk say things such as:
“I confess, I have committed 7 murders! GOD forgive me, I will never NEVER AGAIN trivialize abortion. NEVER again will I agree with the lie.”
And:
“This video has been popping up all over Facebook. I finally clicked on the link. I am a history buff with a passion for WW2. My attention was immediately grabbed. As soon as the switch to abortion began I wanted to stop watching, but I couldn’t. Part of me needed to keep watching. I don’t know what to do with this information, but I think it is changing the way I view these things. I might need to watch it again. That’s something I never thought I’d say.”
And
“I had always thought I was an ‘open-minded person’ when it came to abortion. But after viewing this movie, my stance has changed.”
Not everyone is thrilled with the powerful message of “180,” though. One Internet forum for atheists featured a number of bloggers scheming on how to ruin the video release or even hack into the video for an “atheist version.”
One post said this:
“There are many ways to spoil his release …
“For one, link up to every group of interest and offer a download. This will really hurt the b——. A lot of money went into this video production and an atheist-controlled version which he cannot profit from would hurt his finances.”
Comfort said the project has nothing to do with profit and everything to do with transforming lives.
“We will also distribute 200,000 free copies of the ‘180’ DVD in 100 of the top U.S. universities (in one day) sometime in 2011, and we will invite pro-life organizations, churches, and individuals to join us by having additional giveaways in their own area,” the movie website says.
In a WND interview, Comfort said about the atheists that attack him: “We have a love/hate relationship. They hate me. I love them.”
He said the issue today is that there is a generation “that has been hardened.”
“I was horrified that youth I spoke to lacked compassion for other human beings.”
“180” tells how many of the people of Germany also lacked compassion while Hitler murdered 11 million people, 6 million of them Jews.
By comparison, “This country [the USA] has killed over 50 million babies,” Comfort said.
Comfort believes that “180” has the ability to change peoples view on abortion and maybe the way they vote for candidates who favor abortion.
“In ‘180’ we have a nation changer,” says Comfort.
Viewers of the movie have been deeply moved. Living Waters recently checked into the possibility of billboard advertising for “180” in California.
“When we looked into billboard advertising, a woman representative asked us what ‘180’ was about, so we invited her to come to the ministry for a special screening,” Comfort said. “She did, and afterwards she sat there biting her pencil. She said that it made her rethink her stance on abortion, and she wanted her teenage daughter to see it.
“We ended up praying with the woman for salvation.”
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abM0synF
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLu7Zbn
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLpYSjY
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLdSBUy
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLJxAqQThe new movie “180,” with its “power of truth” is turning out to be an abortionist’s worst nightmare.
The intensely stunning new production from author, evangelist and street preacher Ray Comfort has drawn more than 600,000 views in just a few days, and hundreds more are purchasing a copy for their home.
And the reactions have been flooding in.
“I watched this today – three times,” wrote Sonya Shirk. “Each time I was overwhelmed with the power of truth. I have shared this everywhere I can think of. I can’t begin to tell you how this video has changed my perspective.”
Added another poignantly, and to the point: “Your film just led a 17-year-old girl away from abortion.”
“I am very thankful for the Internet,” Comfort told WND. “It is so often used for evil, but in this case it is being used for good. In just 10 days 180Movie.com has had over 600,000 views.
“Keep in mind that this isn’t a one-minute humorous clip that doesn’t bite into your day. This is a commitment of 33 minutes of intense film, giving the viewer a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” he said.
For those quick with math, that’s more than 12,500 days that have been dedicated to watching “180.” Or more than 34 years.
“In an age where there’s more chance of flossing the back teeth of hungry lions at the LA Zoo at feeding time than getting ‘180’ on secular television, millions are going to see it uncensored via the Internet … and many will change their minds about abortion,” he said.
Wrote one viewer, “It’s so powerful. And although I have thought about abortion and Hitler on a passing note, this really made me think and did change my mind about abortion. I am not Christian or even know if God exists but this really does make you think. Thank you, it could be life-changing.”
Another: “The day after wearing a 180movie T-shirt to school, my daughter found out fellow classmates had seen the shirt and went to the site. Several commented they had never really thought about the issue of abortion but now know it’s wrong.”
Of course, Comfort noted, there’s another perspective. He cited this comment, “You rude anti-choice pig! Pro-choice doesn’t mean pro-death; Pro-choice just means freedom for women to choose! If you don’t want abortion, don’t get one! Oh, and no one cares about that stupid 180 *$@!*! Grow up, you zombified, conservatarded hypocrite!”
“These emails make me smile, because when a person has no justification for the killing of a child in the womb, they will resort to personal abuse, something called ‘ad hominem,'” Comfort said
Skeptics may say that no one could possibly change their mind so quickly. Comfort would have shared that thought had he not seen the extraordinary changes before his own eyes.
A viewer had this to say on the “180” Facebook page: “When I first saw the link [to the video], I knew it wasn’t the best time for me to view it, so I clicked on it to watch the first five minutes. Needless to say, I did not stop viewing it to the very end.”
Many big names in Christian circles have wholeheartedly endorsed “180.”
- “Brilliant and powerful,” says Joseph Farah, CEO of WND.com
- “Riveting,” says Joni Eareckson Tada of Joni & Friends
- “You don’t view this video. You experience it!” declares Gary T Ansdell, pastor of Hosanna Christian Fellowship
Mark Hall, the lead singer for Casting Crowns, said the video rocked his world: “I dare you to watch ‘180.’”
There even have been endorsements from the unexpected.
“I’m not a fan of Ray Comfort, but I have to hand it to him, he did a great job putting this video together. As a prolife atheist, I was afraid this video was going to be arguing against abortion using Christian rhetoric once again … good job Ray, and as a pro-life atheist – I support this video!” wrote one person.
“I am a witch but am prolife and have always been. I have no desire to share the Gospel part of this but some of it seemed pretty interesting,” added another.
Evident throughout the “180” video is Comfort’s passion for exposing the abortion lie. He told WND why he has such passion for the issue.
“The taking of the life of an unborn child is murder, and for that we should all be more than concerned. We should be horrified,” he says.
He tells of a time in the 1980s when he learned about a new Christian named “Fran” who was scheduled for an abortion.
“When I found that she had already checked into a hospital, I jumped into my car, sped into the city and ran to the second floor and into her room. She was sitting on a bed and had already been given the pre-operation medication. I pleaded, ‘Please don’t do this!’
“She smiled and said, ‘It’s okay. I’m not going to have an abortion. I just prayed, God, if you don’t want me to have an abortion, make Ray Comfort come and see me.’ I didn’t have to say a thing.”
Two years later, Comfort had the privilege of seeing Fran’s child at a picnic.
“Then it dawned on me that I had been used in a small way to help save a human life,” he said.
On abortion, Comfort said, “We should all be horrified. I think that there are many people out there that want to do something to stop this horror, but they don’t know what to do.
“If they stand outside an abortion clinic and protest, the media paints them as doctor-killing, narrow-minded, hate-mongering religious bigots,” he said.
But he believes “180” has the potential to change many lives.
“It already has,” he said.
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abMPAwse
by: Justin Lessard
Recently, America and the world were shocked by a brutal shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Seemingly, only moments after the attack which left a security guard dead, the media began to label the shooter, suspect James von Brunn, as a “right-wing extremist” and terrorist. Suddenly the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) brought to attention the hand that was sent to every law enforcement agency in the country, before it’s recall was demanded. In the document, DHS warned law enforcement officials to be on the lookout for potential terrorists which include pro-lifers, returning war veterans, anyone who supports traditional marriage as between one man and one woman, and anyone who believes in Bible prophecy. That document available here: http://wnd.com/images/dhs-rightwing-extremism.pdf DHS has since agreed to rewrite some of the offensive and prejudice language in the letter, but as of this point, I have seen no such thing. In fact, they are referencing the retracted copies, stating that such motives prompted the shooting in question, as well as the recent assassination of abortionist George Tiller and several other isolated acts of violence throughout the nation.
What is less than ironic, and quite predictable is that the U.S. Government has once again jumped the gun and spoken without evidence. It took very little journalistic research for conservative media to determine that von Brunn is not a “right-winger”, but in fact is quite the opposite. He is not a Bible believer, stating quite clearly and publically that he finds it to be a “hoax.” Von Brunn is also a follower of Darwinism and the teachings of Adolf Hitler, citing those as his reason for his anti-Semitism. Typical of our current presidential administration, they are fast to blame the right side conservatives, painting a picture of violence where there is none, and blaming violence by their own left wingers on the other side. The following article from World Net Daily explores this further.
To visit WND, click here: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100882
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Darwin-loving museum shooter hates Bible, Christians
Suspect in death of security guard defies easy stereotyping
Posted: June 11, 2009; 11:45 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
James von Brunn, the man who allegedly shot and killed a guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., was a Darwin-lover who hated the Bible and Christians, and defies media efforts to classify him as a stereotypical “right-winger,” according to reports.
The Moonbattery blog revealed von Brunn advocated the socialist policies espoused by Adolf Hitler and used Darwinian theory to support his anti-Semitism.
And in statements that later were stripped from an anti-religion website, he wrote, “The Big Lie technique, employed by Paul to create the CHRISTIAN RELIGION, also was used to create the HOLOCAUST RELIGION … CHRISTIANITY AND THE HOLOCAUST are HOAXES.”
The blog had an answer to how to classify von Brunn, who remains hospitalized after being shot while attacking and shooting a guard at the museum: “If it barks like a moonbat, it’s a moonbat.”
Von Brunn’s diatribe on religion, according to the website, included:
“The New Testament was written in Greek. Paul – who believed the World was flat, that Joshua made the sun stand still, and Jehovah spoke from a burning bush – wrote one-third of it, perhaps more. The events described in the 24 Books are often contradictory, fail the time-line, defy both archaeology’s and nature’s immutable laws, and are suicidal if practiced. Nevertheless, the shamans bought it, taught it, and the illiterate public was coerced, brainwashed, threatened, tortured, murdered, and enthralled. … The Gospels profess that only Christians may enter Yahweh’s Kingdom of Heaven. To qualify, among other demands, Christians must LOVE THEIR ENEMIES (Jews); give away their personal belongings; eschew knowledge; judge not, despise nature, abandon earthly pleasures, acknowledge that all YHWH’s children are equal; and above all else worship YHWH, the jealous, wrathful, vengeful, unforgiving, genocidal, anthropomorphic tribal god (Jesus’ father) created by Hebrews in their image and likeness. Omnipotent, omniscient YHWH promises Hebrews that they alone shall inherit the earth, that it is commendable to steal from Gentiles, better yet — kill them. Whereas Gentiles, if they fail to worship YHWH, are transported straight to Hell. And it is written, ‘A little child shall lead them.’ These dangerous, imbecilic, concepts, tenets, and teachings, often treasonous, DESTROYED the Roman Empire and drenched the soil of Europe with Aryan blood for almost 2000 years!”
According to writer Kathy Shaidle at Examiner.com, von Brunn left a trail of “unhinged” writings.
“The anti-Semitism of von Brunn is the first thing one notices when visiting these bizarre websites. However, like those of most ‘white supremacists,’ many of von Brunn’s political views track ‘Left’ rather than ‘Right.’ Clearly, a re-evaluation of these obsolete definitions is long overdue,” she wrote.
Von Brunn, for example, hated both President George H.W. Bush as well as George W. Bush, and the writer confirmed his posting “reveals a hatred of, say, big corporations that is virtually indistinguishable from that of anti-globalization activists.”
“None of this will surprise readers of Jonah Goldberg’s bestseller ‘Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Change,’ which clearly demonstrates that ‘fascism’ of the kind advocated by the British National Party (BNP) and the likes of James W. von Brunn is just as likely to reflect ‘leftwing’ views as ‘rightwing’ ones,” Shaidle wrote.
She noted anti-Semitism, in fact, is something the “New Left” and the “Far Right” have had in common since the 1980s.
“That this shooting occurred shortly after President Obama’s former mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, blamed ‘the Jews’ for his lack of access to his former parishioner is a troubling confluence of events as well,” she wrote.
She wrote that von Brunn clearly was “deeply confused,” but isn’t the “mainstream conservative and/or rightwinger currently being depicted on leftwing blogs and by liberal commentators.”
“In short, von Brunn’s connection with conservative thought and action today – be it talk radio or ‘tea parties’ – is tenuous. Those trying to puff up such ‘connections’ are acting in bad faith, out of blind partisanship – of the sort which is as corrosive to the health of the body politic as von Brunn’s own b[l]atherings,” Shaidle wrote.
On the Examiner forum page, the assessments on von Brunn ran along similar paths:
- The man is a lunatic irrespective of ideology.
- This loon is now responsible for the same number of dead as Teddy Kennedy is!
- The guy is a nut, as was the abortion [doctor] killer, and the Army recruiter killer. There is extremism across the political spectrum. Have you ever heard that stereotyping people can be unhealthy and even dangerous, and something I hope we discourage in this liberal society.
Author Jame Glazov, whose book “United in Hate: The Left’s Romance With Tyranny and Terror,” is a rising star, also has examined the links between the left and tyranny.
Glazov, who is managing editor of Frontpagemag, wrote, “As history shows, leftist beliefs have spawned mass carnage and misery. Put into practice, they have caused the deaths of millions. Until now, it has been extremely difficult for rational people who value personal freedom to understand the motivations of those who live in comfort and yet embrace monstrous dictators, ideologies, and policies that leave only death and destruction in their wake.”
Glazov in his book “presents startling new insights into the toxic beliefs and torturously contorted thought processes of the leftists who lust to destroy the very freedoms that allow them to exist.”
Glazov, a refugee from the Soviet Union, contends there is an unholy alliance between jihadists and people such as Michael Moore, Sean Penn, Ted Turner and Noam Chomsky. At the heart of the mutual admiration, he says, is a willingness to accept massive numbers of deaths to achieve their objectives.
What’s bound to be most infuriating to those Americans and many other westerners mentioned in the book is the way Glazov uses their own words to make the point.
“Not only do I think it’s possible [a Muslim-leftist alliance] but I think it is vitally necessary and I think it is happening already,” explains leftist British lawmaker George Galloway. “It is possible because the progressive movement around the world and the Muslims have the same enemies. Their enemies are the Zionist occupation, American occupation, British occupation of poor countries, mainly Muslim countries.”
The Cost of Being Christian
June 10, 2009
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)
“Persecuted.” “…people insult you…” “…evil against you…”
Upon Jesus’ saying this, the outlook of being a follower of Jesus changes greatly. Prior to this, all of the “Blessed are…” verses contain instruction on being humble, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. Then the whammy: You will be hated, pursued, bullied and harassed because of Jesus. You may die for Jesus.
To many, this is a shock to the system. Churches and evangelists often paint the picture of coming to Christ and having a peaceful, wonderful life without worry or fear. Many falsely believe that they will become a Christian and no longer have financial burden, family struggles, relationship issues, or disrespect.
Unfortunately, saying, “I’m a Christian,” is not a magical phrase that makes all needs and problems go away. Jesus never said, “I’ll make your life easy.” In fact, those last verses point to life being anything but easy. Jesus let us know that you may die for His cause, being persecuted for being righteous, by Jesus’ Godly standard. Yet, the reward is heaven. Jesus let us know that they will revile, mistreat and abuse us, and even persecute us because we belong to Jesus. Of course, the ultimate persecutions are torture and even death. And let us not forget the prophesied end-times in which all believers will be hated, sought and killed based entirely on their faith.
This is not to say that there are no benefits to being Christian. First of all, there’s heaven. We also do have immeasurable amounts of mercy upon us, peace that surpasses understanding, Spiritual gifts, such as tongues, prophecy, wisdom, etc. We are allotted blessing upon blessing for both the present life and our eternal life, all according to the Holy Spirit. The rewards always outweigh the concerns of being Christian.
What many do not understand is that being persecuted is not all bad. Surely, it is terrible for the moment. It is horrific to undergo the suffering that some brothers and sisters in Christ endure, even to this day. Yet in the end the reward is amazing. We live eternally in the presence of God; we get to look on the face of Jesus the Christ.
Jesus also said, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) He will give in return an eternal reward. A blessing that lasts not for a day, but forever. The joy is forever. The peace is unending. The harmony is eternal. The presence of the Almighty, Creator God, the Christ who died in our place, such a presence you will be in ceaselessly. These will never, ever go away. Should you suffer for Christ for your entire life of 70, 80, even 100 years, yet in ten-thousand-million years your joyous reward will have only begun.
Love Vs. Sex- A brief story of encouragement
March 5, 2009
She ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone. She wasn’t afraid because it was a small town and she lived only a few blocks away.
As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger.
When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house, she decided to take it.
However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her.
She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God’s protection.
Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.
When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.
The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there.
Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.
Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station.
She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story.
The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him.
She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before.
When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.
The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her.
She asked if they would ask the man one question.
Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.
When the policeman asked him, he answered, “Because she wasn’t alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her.”
Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you’re never alone. Did you know that 98% of teenagers will not stand up for God?
PS: God is always there in your heart and loves you no matter what…..and if you stand up for Jesus, He will stand for you.
“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. “ –Matthew 10:32-33
“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” -1 Timothy 1:5
Growth- A Spiritual Look at Our Standing (or Running)
February 4, 2009
GROWTH
One of the biggest, if not the biggest problem that Christians face is a lack of growth. So many just, kind of stop. Wherever they happen to be in life, they cease going to Bible studies, and prayer meetings, and the worship thing that all your friends were going to at that other church, and… You get the idea.
I’m not saying its your fault or their fault, I’m just pointing it out. Maybe the church put the men’s group on hold for the holidays and just never picked it up again. Maybe the prayer meetings were canceled for the summer when the leader was out of town and they haven’t restarted. Maybe the worship thing is too far away, or maybe, whatever it is, just fell off your radar. That happens. Unfortunately, though, life goes on. The world continues.
The thing we need to do, is find another place to plug into. What group, activity, fellowship, etc. could-
a.) benefit from your presence;
b.) be a blessing to you;
c.) act as a continuance of your worship and/or exaltation of the Lord
The first thing to do in order to find the right fit is to find what’s missing. While you’ve been “doing your thing”, the planet has been spinning. That means that there have been multitudes of people answering God’s call without you. Thousands around the world, even millions, have been praying, fasting, worshiping, studying; all to keep up the work of the Lord. For you to plug back into that, think back. Think of the time when you feel that you were doing the most for God. Meditate on that time and remember what it was that you were active in. Was it High School? College? When you joined a new congregation? When was growth at its peak; when did you shine the brightest?
Take that time and hold it in your mind. Now, from then to today, divide that in half. For example, if my high point was 3 years ago, then my half way point is 1 ½ years ago. Measure your growth as a Christian from beginning to halfway, and from halfway to now. Which has the bigger growth? If you said the first half, then you are behind schedule. What stopped? What took place to move you from that place of substantial Spiritual growth to a stunted growth? That is what you must rectify. If you cannot return to the same group, for whatever reason, find another one that is both available and Biblical.
In some cases, it isn’t the group that had problems; it might’ve been you. Perhaps you weren’t ready to go to the next level at the time when everything else seemed to be doing just that. Perhaps the growth is in an area that you are now able to achieve. Here is a list of things that every believer should strive for. Not only to do, but to do better.
1. Forgive others freely
2. Worship God wholeheartedly
3. Be readily available and willing to witness your faith to others
4. Serve God unselfishly in any capacity
5. Give cheerfully, not just monetarily, not just materialistically, not just emotionally, but entirely
6. Generously offer encouragement
7. Be a Scriptural leader (maybe that means you lead the new Bible study)
8. Receive correction humbly
9. Accept thanks respectfully
10. Pray over others in any circumstance (even if you have to find one to pray about)
11. Discern spiritual traps, don’t give the devil an inch
12. Overcome addictions and pleasures of the world
13. Control the tongue
If you constantly work at these, you will become increasingly better equipped to serve God, your church, and others. You will notice a distinct difference in your life and the lives of people you encounter. You will be able to look back and see that the last half has had an increasingly improved Spiritual growth, and that it will continue to grow even more. The beauty of growing with God is that we never quite arrive; we just keep improving in ways that we may never have thought possible for us. Remember what Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Don’t hesitate. Now that you know what you need, and where you need it, go to God with it. Whether you are at home or sitting in a coffee shop or online with your phone, humble yourself before God in prayer right now (or as soon as possible). Shut the door and turn your phone off for a few minutes and just talk to God. He will always welcome you back and He always has more for you. In closing, carefully read this selection of Scripture and meditate on it as you consider God’s faithfulness to His prodigal, even when that prodigal is you.
From Luke 15:
11And He said, “A man had two sons.
12“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me ‘ So he divided his wealth between them.
13“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
14“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
15“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
17“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
18‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;
19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘
20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.
27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
28“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
29“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’
(Luke 15:11-32)