look at me. too messed up to be a Christian

[drag3049]

look at me. too messed up to be a Christian. aspergers has done it.

 

[Sabertooth]

Your God is too small.

 

[drag3049]

Ok, what's your point?

 

[flowerforever7]

Having Aspergers or not has nothing to do with God's love for you.

 

[drag3049]

It can sure make it a pain in a s s to be a Christian, and behave like one. i have good reason to fear for my own salvation. I better not take this lightly.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

look at me. too messed up to be a Christian. aspergers has done it.

Paul was a murderer and persecutor of Christians. Thats pretty messed up and yet look where God brought him.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

I am not Catholic but I do enjoy reading the life of Francis of Assisi. Its who I was named after. (Moe Szyslak is the bartender from the Simpsons.)

At one point, Franics asks of God, "why me? why did you choose the most vile sinner to perform your works." To which God reveals to him, "it so the world can see how mericful I am. If I (God) only choose to work through righteous people, then they could argue I am not merciful. But since I choose to work through the most messed-up of people, then the world will truly know I am merciful." (paraphrased)

 

[drag3049]

When the opportunity came for me to share Christ, i pretty much acted like i didn't want to have anything to do with it. How do i know if im saved if i don't act like a Christian or produce fruit.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

I frequently have trouble sharing Christ with others. My problem is I don't think others have the same needs as me, so why I follow Christ is probably not applicable to them. For many years my main reason for following Christ was to keep the barrel of the gun out of my mouth. I don't think that is applicable to many people. In fact, I am guessing it would actually scare people away.

They have needs and reasons why they should follow Christ. I just don't think my experience matches their needs/reasons. But there are Christians who do.

Evangelism isn't my strong point, but I like to believe that if God put someone in my life who could relate, that I would share. We're not all the same and we're not all called to perform the same functions. My current lack of evangelism doesn't bother me, because I do not believe it is my calling. If God does put someone in my life that I am supposed to minister to, I pray I would do it.


Thinking about it, I guess my sharing ministry happens in the autistic group I go to. It's a group of parents who have children on the spectrum. There are many christians in the group and I do try to share my faith as a person with aspergers to them becuase many of them have concerns about faith and their children. Maybe that is my calling to share my faith with that community. I do relate to that community and my experience probably does relate to their needs.

You have to find your niche.

 

[drag3049]

Its one thing to struggle with evangelism. Its another thing to act like being a Christian sucks act like you don't want to have anything to do with Jesus

 

[Letter Never Sent]

act like you don't want to have anything to do with Jesus

You care enough about the state of your faith to share this here, that's a good start!

If you didn't care at all, you would it wouldn't bother you.

 

[drag3049]

Ok, so i do care, yet i feel that if i quite caring, then i would feel at peace, but then i would lose my salvation if i quit caring.

 

[Letter Never Sent]

Personally I don't believe that a person can lose their salvation. The Lamb's Book of Life was written before the foundations of the earth. Sorry if this sounds like I'm being a smarta**, but I find it hard to believe that God is saying "Look, Joe just accepted salvation! Write his name in the Book of Life. No wait, he doesn't care. Erase it. Wait, he recommitted his life, write it back in!" Either it's there or it isn't.

In regards to caring - that isn't part of the gospel. Three words you need to know "REPENT - AND - BELIEVE" Salvation doesn't hinge on your "caring"

If you have repented AND you believe that Christ died for your sins you are saved my friend!

If you haven't you can!

And I'm certain that apart from God you wouldn't find "peace"

 

[Sabertooth]

...

In regards to caring - that isn't part of the gospel. Three words you need to know "REPENT - AND - BELIEVE" Salvation doesn't hinge on your "caring"

If you have repented AND you believe that Christ died for your sins you are saved my friend!

If you haven't you can!

And I'm certain that apart from God you wouldn't find "peace"

That was the point of my initial response.

I don't know if you have been born-again or not, but, if you have, you will first experience a paradigm shift (Aspie or not). There is even more of one at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Truth be told, the sanctification process is a constant and gradual paradigm shift until we see Jesus face-to-face (1John 3:2b).

The world says we should try to behave more in/conform to an NT standard, which is okay for social purposes. But God's agenda is to conform us into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). We can't get there if we are in the driver's seat. We are His workmanship... (Eph. 2:8-10). He is the Author and Finisher of our faith...! (Heb. 12:2)


He does not expect from you what He expects from others. In the parable of The Talents (Matt. 25:14-28), Jesus said:

• v. 15, To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents and to another one talent, each according to his ability.
• v. 27, ...you should have (at least) put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

I am not very good at cold evangelism, either, but I find there are minimums that I can do. My hobby is playscale miniaturism. As it crosses many different genres (military, sci-fi, pulp adventure, etc.), I have web pages devoted to each of them. On each of those pages, I have a Gospel tract that best matches the theme of the page. It isn't much, but it is, at least, a minimum effort. Anyone can hand out a tract.

Secondly, I find that, as I avail myself AND with prayer beforehand, the Holy Spirit can [invade?] me on the spot to speak to hearts, like Jesus did. It is really a rush. That kind of experience occurs after the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 

[drag3049]

Technically he is not drivers seat, cuz if he were, something would happen. There is no point in relinquishing control if i have to make an effort on my part. Its like "all you have to do is let him have the wheel!". "wow really? there a catch?". "well, um here in the fine print it says that you have to take action first". Im sorry, but w t f.

 

[Sabertooth]

Technically he is not drivers seat, cuz if he were, something would happen. There is no point in relinquishing control if i have to make an effort on my part. Its like "all you have to do is let him have the wheel!". "wow really? there a catch?". "well, um here in the fine print it says that you have to take action first"...

The "catch" is (after getting saved) you need to do whatever He has made clear that He wants you to do, or, at least, take a run at it. If He isn't Lord of all, He isn't Lord at all. Yes, you will fail at times. Yes, the contents of your heart will be exposed, but that is all part of the process. He intends to expose the unclean parts of your heart so that you will bring them to Him that He might clean it.

Though the yuck part never stops being yucky, knowing what God will do with it (once placed in His hands) is another rush!!!

Note: The following will only make sense after you have been born-again, if you haven't been already.

1KI 18:21 ..., "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if [another master] is God, follow him."

MT 6:24 [Jesus said,] "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

JAS 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

LK 6:46 [Jesus said,] "Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."


RO 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.


ISA 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool."

1JN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

JAS 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

 

[drag3049]

The "catch" is (after getting saved) you need to do whatever He has made clear that He wants you to do.

And how do i meet these difficult expectations?

 

[Sabertooth]

And how do i meet these difficult expectations?

You only need to meet one expectation: surrender.

If you try to do everything else, never having surrendered, it will not count (see Matt. 7:21-23).

Once you surrender, He blesses every effort to follow Him, including the ability to see where you need to be.

An example of a prayer of surrender is seen at page 10 of The Four Spiritual Laws

If you pray that and mean it, it is considered an act of surrender and you will be "born again." Forsaking that surrender afterwards will not disqualify you from Heaven, if you acknowledge where you "dropped the ball" and re-surrender as soon as possible, when you recognize it. That is the promise of 1John 1:9. Falling down is not a big problem; staying down is.

PR 24:16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

 

[Philothei]

You only need to meet one expectation: surrender.

If you try to do everything else, never having surrendered, it will not count (see Matt. 7:21-23).

Once you surrender, He blesses every effort to follow Him, including the ability to see where you need to be.

An example of a prayer of surrender is seen at page 10 of The Four Spiritual Laws

If you pray that and mean it, it is considered an act of surrender and you will be "born again." Forsaking that surrender afterwards will not disqualify you from Heaven, if you acknowledge where you "dropped the ball" and re-surrender as soon as possible, when you recognize it. That is the promise of 1John 1:9. Falling down is not a big problem; staying down is.

PR 24:16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

I like the idea of surrendering to God. All worries all burdens... he came to take our burden on His shoulders. He is the one who offers us the 'water" so that we will never thirst. But we do need to trust Him. He is our physician our healer of our all our concerns, doubts, illness and cares. We fall down at times we get up and keep going (well said ) that is what we do as Chrsitians and Christ meet us always halfway to 'carry' us through. Our problems will not go away for sure though they become 'lighter' when we share them with Him.