How do you battle the "Christian" protestors?

[yeshuaslavejeff]

... I say that type of sign is hateful.

So you said.
But that's apparently based on emotion/ feelings, and NOT on GOD'S WORD.

 

[EmmaCat]

When the Westboro Baptist Church happiness wagon somehow picked us up on their radar a few years ago, we were getting ready for a huge funeral in town honoring our last fallen Korean War veteran. Heart problems took him from us, and he had spent his retirement years in town, volunteering wherever he could.

We were told the WBC was coming, so all we did was call on a biker's group made up of vets who made sure his funeral went according to plan. WBC didn't show up. The bikers prayed they'd stay home, and so I guess the WBC got the message.

I was accosted by a street preacher's wife or concubine (couldn't tell which, there were so many of them) and she grabbed me by the shoulders and yelled, "Have you found Jesus?"

I replied quietly, "What, y'all lost Him again?"

She let go ... fast.

All good things
Emmy

 

[The Hammer of Witches]

I think men that have certain female like gestures or tones of voice. One of the list sinners in need of repentance was "cowards". They didn't define what their definition of that was clearly but it was brought up when the protestor was arguing with one of the people there on the topic feministic.


They weren't like the WBC that had the sign "god hates ...." they had huge signs saying "repent or hell", a bible verse that i can't remember, "Jesus is God", and they would each have a moment to speak -categorizing Homosexuals, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, etc as part of those sinners they are talking about. They gave Q and A's and were really prepared to answered.

Nothing wrong with pointing out that Homosexuals, Jews, Muslims, etc. are in sin, but they must have the full message, that everyone falls short of Gods glory.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Nothing wrong with pointing out that Homosexuals, Jews, Muslims, etc. are in sin, but they must have the full message, that everyone falls short of Gods glory.

Why not just tell them "Go and be warm" ?

Realizing that VERY SOON, they're GOING TO BE !!!

And also consider the message sent by God , all the time, all through Scripture, through His witnesses (messengers/ apostles / prophets/ disciples) .... the message INTENDED by God to save whoever is willing ..... and too bad for the majority of others....

Revelation 11:3-6J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
God’s two witnesses

3 “And I will give authority to my two witnesses to proclaim the message, clothed in sackcloth for twelve hundred and sixty days.”

4-6 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire issues from their mouths and consumes their enemies. Indeed, if anyone should try to hurt them, this is the way in which he will certainly meet his death. These witnesses have power to shut up the sky and stop any rain from falling during the time of their preaching. Moreover, they have power to turn the waters into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague as often as they wish.

 

[Vicomte13]

Having read all the posts in this thread I think that there must be wide support for this group. I would have thought they would have zero support but I think I'm wrong.

You understand why. In the end, it's just not worth the lost energy trying to build a bridge across a fault line. The fault will always eventually bring down the bridge. There's nothing you can do.

 

[Vicomte13]

I think they really believed what they were doing was for Christ.

Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin and Saul of Tarsus were absolutely certain when they were condemning Christ and killing Christians that they were doing it in the service of God, and they had Scripture to prove it.

In the end, you have to walk away.

 

[miknik5]

There is nothing wrong with spreading the message that unrepentant sin leads to hell. That is what we are commanded to do. What were they saying that was racial? That is the only fault I can find from your post, maybe they were going about spreading the message of truth the wrong way but we can't water down or change the truth because the world does not like it. We are either of God or of the world. Not both, you can't be a friend to God and a friend to the world.

We are only allowed to add one man made element to the preaching of the Gospel and that is love
Love of God and love of the souls of men

If we already have in our own hearts and minds a preconceived and Illl notion of another we are no longer a good witness to the Truth My opinion is that this already taints the one who is trying to be a witness to the Truth


We are told to be innocent as doves and wise as serpents

I am not sure that we can , after the fact, claim ourselves to be innocent when God already knows and sees and will lay bare the hidden agenda/motives of the hearts and the minds of all men


I am just not sure of the sincere motive is for the love of the souls of men in this supposed preaching of the Gospel


It actually almost appears that the men feeling they are in service to God and think they are somehow defending His honor feel that they can justify their unrighteous actions before Him?

How?

What will they say?

How does one who claims to have heard the heart rending knee buckling revelation of the truth of the fathers love and grace upon all of his disobedient children , represent to those who have not yet heard and have not yet believed actually going above the ministry of reconciliation and are more so representing Gods wrath unless one repents!

when Christs present ministry is for the purpose of reconciling back to the father what is separated from God
And we are told not to go above the doctrine of Christ the student/Slave is not above his Teacher and Master

many who will come to the father in by and through the son how? By threatening them to repent ?
How does this show Gods grace?

We did not learn of Gods ".Grace" in this manner
Did we?
Did anyone here come to the truth of the Gospel by someone hitting them over the head ?

 

[miknik5]

Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin and Saul of Tarsus were absolutely certain when they were condemning Christ and killing Christians that they were doing it in the service of God, and they had Scripture to prove it.

In the end, you have to walk away.

in the end it will be made manifest who knew their God and His Spirit from those who simply did outward lip service to His Name but by their actions....misrepresented Him

And misrepresenting Him is a more milder word

 

[miknik5]

Pray for these men that they may wake up and come to their senses
I really think that is all we can do

 

[John Davidson]

They wearing shirts and yelling on the top of their lungs on how homosexuals, Catholics, jews, and random sinners are in need of repentance or they are going to hell.

I'm actually fine with it. If they want to do this I say more power to them.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Pray for these men that they may wake up and come to their senses
I really think that is all we can do

Which men ?
The repentant sinners ?
Or the UNrepentant still dead in their sin sinners ?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

in the end it will be made manifest who knew their God and His Spirit from those who simply did outward lip service to His Name but by their actions....misrepresented Him

And misrepresenting Him is a more milder word

You realize this is still judgment based on hearsay, right ?
- there's nothing yet presented(or was it?) as a true witness that anyone misrepresented Him,
except by someone (so far) whose tag indicates a world wide group that misrepresents Him every day for the last 2000 years (remember - protestants and catholics both claim the other misrepresent Him).

 

[miknik5]

Which men ?
The repentant sinners ?
Or the UNrepentant still dead in their sin sinners ?

Both

 

[miknik5]

You realize this is still judgment based on hearsay, right ?
- there's nothing yet presented(or was it?) as a true witness that anyone misrepresented Him,
except by someone (so far) whose tag indicates a world wide group that misrepresents Him every day for the last 2000 years (remember - protestants and catholics both claim the other misrepresent Him).

Well the instruction to men who misrepresent Him applies to all who misrepresent Him. They will have to judge themselves if they are speaking according to the Truth of Christ.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Well the instruction to men who misrepresent Him applies to all who misrepresent Him. They will have to judge themselves if they are speaking according to the Truth of Christ.

There's no evidence yet that anyone misrepresented Him.

 

[Starcrystal]

I was accosted by a street preacher's wife or concubine (couldn't tell which, there were so many of them) and she grabbed me by the shoulders and yelled, "Have you found Jesus?"

I replied quietly, "What, y'all lost Him again?"

She let go ... fast.

All good things
Emmy

LOL! Awesome... "Y'all lost Him again?"

I must remember that one, though I do not recall last time someone asked me have I found Him..plus need to discern if they are sincere or weird....

Another good answer would be "Sure, I found Him, do you need Him back? How long has it been since you lost Him?"

 

[miknik5]

There's no evidence yet that anyone misrepresented Him.

There will be those who will...

 

[miknik5]

LOL! Awesome... "Y'all lost Him again?"

I must remember that one, though I do not recall last time someone asked me have I found Him..plus need to discern if they are sincere or weird....

Another good answer would be "Sure, I found Him, do you need Him back? How long has it been since you lost Him?"

Or...may HE never be lost...

 

[chandraclaws]

What is defined as a feminine side? Remember Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.
This is more than a part of the law, it is an abomination unto the Lord. Showing emotion is not considered feminine though, even though people might say "manly men don't cry" or something like that , remember John 11:35 Jesus wept.

I see both a masculine and a feminine side of God's attributes.
I think this requires a combination of both concrete and abstract thought.
If the male side of God’s character was expressed by Jesus’ strong declarations of truth and pronouncements on morality, the female side of God was clear in His gentle sense of wonder while enjoying what [some would perhaps dismiss as] the simple things of life. - See more at: http://www.redletterchristians.org/embracing-the-feminine-side-of-god/#sthash.WqADXUM2.dpuf

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Maybe...
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)"

Do the messengers from God love anyone ?

Revelation 11:3-6J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
God’s two witnesses

3 “And I will give authority to my two witnesses to proclaim the message, clothed in sackcloth for twelve hundred and sixty days.”

4-6 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire issues from their mouths and consumes their enemies. Indeed, if anyone should try to hurt them, this is the way in which he will certainly meet his death. These witnesses have power to shut up the sky and stop any rain from falling during the time of their preaching. Moreover, they have power to turn the waters into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague as often as they wish.