Swatting Trolls v. Encouraging Saints—Who Wins When Threads Go Sideways?

[bob121]

Which shouldn't be a problem, right? I feel we should debate secular society with our Christian ethics and morality. It might not influence the secular person who posted the trolling topic but it gives the third parties reading the posts something to think about. Possibly they may find that Christians and Christianity's ethics and morality (which come from God) have alot to offer the world. I follow alot of your posts and I feel God is influencing me through some of those posts. I appreciate that alot (don't mind the word "alot" being misspelled, it's one of those Mandela effects - I swear it was spelled that way in another parallel universe ).

I’m with you—polite, public debate is worth it, not to win the troll but to leave bread-crumbs for the silent third-parties who later DM, “I never knew Christians thought like that.”
If grace stays on the keyboard, the Spirit can use even our push-backs to chip away at someone’s never-considered-that wall.
Keep planting those breadcrumbs—you never know which lurker will pick one up and hunger for more.

And hey, I reckon NZ is that parallel universe—down there we glue our vowels together like “alot,” “sweet-as,” and “yeah-nah.”
So if ‘alot’ ever looked right to you, it’s just the Kiwi-spell-checker you may have come across once. Keeps things real for sure.

 

[stevevw]

Steve, thank you for laying out that graceful-exit roadmap. My own Tokyo witness has never hinged on clever rhetoric: I simply raise Jesus’ name, share the freedom He offers, and leave the growth to God. Online, my blogs try to encourage deeper thought, but the depth always points back to the One who deserves all praise, life, and love. It’s a daily struggle for us all—yet plant, witness, and bow we shall. Grace and peace to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I remember when I was younger and just reflecting on how the gospel was preached it was simple. There wasn't all the counter and alternative ideas and rationalisations for not believing in God.

It was a case of 'oh well if thats what you believe in, good for your'. People were more open to at least hearing the gospel and it was often framed as one of the ways people could find what they were looking for compared to other ways.

So if a person is lost and had no hope they were open to at least hearing the hope and life Christ offered. This was how I came to God.

But now the culture is full of all these voices proclaiming a better way. Along with the fact that the church was exposed for abuses and coupled with the fall away from God in the public square its become a mindfield of counter ideas and skepticism against religion and especially Christianity.

Thats why I think the simple gospel is more important than ever and not engage in the semantics and arguements over its truth. It is a truth and we are speaking and living that truth exactly as it was taught.

Today I think churches want to water this down to try and accommodate the world because the same gospel and teachings that had previously saved many was not as appealing today due to all these counter arguements and modern norms encroaching on the church.

But really its the very thing that has always saved. It may seem more outdated or in conflict today but the message is still the same. It still works the same way. People thirst for the truth even if it may seem too hard to believe or outdated to todays ears.

So telling that truth just like it is is exactly how we should preach the gospel and not be afraid of embarrassed about it. If people reject it that is up to them. But to then try and water it down to appease others is selling the gospel short.

 

[johansen]

Moderators always win.

feels good doesn't it.

 

[bob121]

I remember when I was younger and just reflecting on how the gospel was preached it was simple. There wasn't all the counter and alternative ideas and rationalisations for not believing in God.

It was a case of 'oh well if thats what you believe in, good for your'. People were more open to at least hearing the gospel and it was often framed as one of the ways people could find what they were looking for compared to other ways.

So if a person is lost and had no hope they were open to at least hearing the hope and life Christ offered. This was how I came to God.

But now the culture is full of all these voices proclaiming a better way. Along with the fact that the church was exposed for abuses and coupled with the fall away from God in the public square its become a mindfield of counter ideas and skepticism against religion and especially Christianity.

Thats why I think the simple gospel is more important than ever and not engage in the semantics and arguements over its truth. It is a truth and we are speaking and living that truth exactly as it was taught.

Today I think churches want to water this down to try and accommodate the world because the same gospel and teachings that had previously saved many was not as appealing today due to all these counter arguements and modern norms encroaching on the church.

But really its the very thing that has always saved. It may seem more outdated or in conflict today but the message is still the same. It still works the same way. People thirst for the truth even if it may seem too hard to believe or outdated to todays ears.

So telling that truth just like it is is exactly how we should preach the gospel and not be afraid of embarrassed about it. If people reject it that is up to them. But to then try and water it down to appease others is selling the gospel short.

Steve, I’ve seen the same injection of cultural relevance from NZ to Japan—lights, smoke, slogans—yet the house can feel full while God’s throne room stays empty.
The simple Gospel is still scandal + simplicity: “We preach Christ crucified… not with plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor 1-2).
Scandal produces decision; simplicity leaves no wiggle-room.
Our job is one clear witness; the Spirit’s job is conviction; the listener’s job is accept or reject.
Keep telling it straight, mate—thirsty souls still drink when the water’s not watered down. May the Lord bless your day—and thanks for staying around to chat; it’s a rare gift in these hit-and-run times.