NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

7 Thoughts Explaining Repentance

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The first step of repentance leads to salvation. Every other step leads to right thinking.

If Your Mind Doesn’t Change
Your Life Never Will

At one point in the early stages of American history, repentance was a word often heard in sermons, usually accompanied with lengthy arguments but also offered threateningly or with a demanding tone.

The arguments were essential. If sound, the threats weren’t always needed. But, as you can imagine, if you can’t make a sound argument and no one seems to listen, demands make it possible to get results.

That isn’t a well respected approach but it is true, threats can be effective in a pinch.

Tent revivals of the past, also called brush arbor or camp meetings, were known for this. There were many in the early stages of US history. George Whitefield and John Wesley were remarkable for their ability to preach in open air settings to thousands, and be heard clearly by all.

There was a great deal of emotion in Whitefield’s preaching but his sermons also included arguments woven together convincingly.

I’m not saying that you would agree with Whitefield on every point but his arguments, right or wrong, were clearly articulated and he did what Calvinists of his time were loathe to do; he ended his sermons with an invitation to get saved.

His inaccuracies can be forgiven. Only God is known to be without error (and Christians are known more for what they disagree on) but his ability to project and to make sensible arguments, if not always absolutely correct, were well known and respected by everyone during his time and ever since.

People were known to go far out of their way just to witness Whitefield’s speaking ability. There’s no surprise there. Whitefield studied and performed in theatre at a time in history when vocal projection was a must. It was in itself an attraction.

Attending one of his services in the 1700’s was like going to the movies today. It just so happened that his extraordinary abilities, that drew people in, were also used to preach the Gospel and repentance featured dominantly.

Whitefield understood that repentance is essential to any person’s coming to faith.

What Is Repentance

Repentance is nothing more and nothing less than a change of mind. A real, life effecting, lasting change of mind. Once this change occurs, it can’t be undone. There may be doubts, fears, and questions but there’s no going back. [Read more…] about 7 Thoughts Explaining Repentance

Fundmentalism’s Biggest Flaw – Negativity

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Codifying beliefs is the equivalent of religious control.

It’s Only An Insecure Person
That Requires Everyone
To Believe The Same Things

Gallop Poll does a survey at the end of each year (End of Year Survey) to measure optimism about the coming year. They ask respondents if they think things will be better, worse or the same.

Compared to the past ten years expectations are low at the moment. According to Gallop, 29% believe 2025 will be more prosperous, 35% believe it will be economically difficult and 31% say it will be the same as the last 12 months.

That last category, the Same, is revealing because at present, confidence levels are at some of the lowest degrees of all time. Not the GOAT but the WOAT.

Expecting things to be the same is the equivalent of expecting things to be as dismal in the future as they’ve been in the recent past. What that means is a total of 66% of those responding had a bleak outlook. Things aren’t looking too good. Hope is generally not up.

And, of course, the question is why is that so? What’s contributing to the negative perception?

One answer would be the government (aka the President).

Nine years ago Obama was finishing his final term as President and things looked very good. There were naysayers and antagonists for sure, but public perception in general was at an all time high.

That period of positivity was followed by Trump and that’s when public perceptions (along with the economic realities we live with at the moment) began to slide. The slide continued until we are hovering at close to all time lows and according to Trump’s own words it will get even worse before it gets better.

In other words, the thing Biden worked really hard to avoid and did a fair job at curbing, Trump is not just embracing but provoking.

But Presidents aside, religion is to some degree guilty too. If you go to church regularly, you’re getting a consistent diet of philosophical negativity. Since fundamentalism is very much in league with the Trump movement, it is fair for us to look a little deeper. We need to understand the what and why of fundamentalism’s negative effects.

I know about this negativity because I played that roll for many years, decades even. [Read more…] about Fundmentalism’s Biggest Flaw – Negativity

One-Worldism From A Different Perspective

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One-Worldism isn't the problem, the world controlled by one person is.

The Outcome Of Loving Your Neighbors
Especially The Ones Who Are Enemies
Is One World

The topic of One-Worldism among evangelical Christians is considered anathema. Rather than an interesting topic for discussion, it’s an evil to be avoided at all cost.

On the odd occasion when the topic is broached, it’s spoken of from one side only and is associated with behind-the-scenes manipulation by Satan and endless conspiracy theories. Anyone tagged as a one-worlder loses all standing among Christian folks.

Pat Robertson’s book, The New World Order (which abounds with conspiracies and gives far more credit to Satan than he deserves), is a good example of how this concept is treated among evangelicals. Robertson’s approach is common and is the reason Christians are loathe to approach this topic in any other way than arms-length.

But is there a way to see a positive side to the issue?

I would suggest that social/political ideas are neither good nor bad and should be discussed openly and often if we’re to gain a useful perspective. The Devil is no more involved with one idea than another, is very willing to distort issues at the cost of humanity and he will gladly use evangelicals to advance his goals whenever he can.

If anything, the Devil loves to breed insecurity and provokes us to think emotionally, which is really just non-thinking. Pat Robertson’s book fuels that outcome. [Read more…] about One-Worldism From A Different Perspective

The Difference Between Clever and Smart

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Clever is inborn. Smart is the result of hard work.

Clever Becomes Smart
When It Develops Character

We’ve all come across people who impress us with their cleverness.

These people never lack for words and often sound quite sophisticated.

They read quickly and have instant recall.

They can be a whiz when it comes to math.

They always have an answer. Not just a response, but an intelligent sounding answer to open questions and they say what they think with confidence.

They are so good at this that they walk into every room mouth first. This may well be the motivation behind so many podcasts.

These are the people who easily made high grades in school and this apparent brilliance gave them a confidence, and occasional charm, that others find appealing.

This person is both easy not to like and difficult to resist at the same time. [Read more…] about The Difference Between Clever and Smart

Reasons To Believe Jesus Cares More About People Than Issues

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Instead of obeying those in authority, Christians would rather become those in autority.

Jesus Exemplified
A People-First Approach
To Ministry

There is no question that Jesus cares. He endured great difficulties during His short life and that alone gives us a measure of His interest.

Just being born exposed Him to humiliation, inconvenience and threat, and then later He was buffeted by insult, doubt, rejection and finally crucifixion.

And none of that was a surprise. He knew this would happen but it didn’t deter Him.

All of that is to say He’s invested. He cares but the question is what exactly does He care about?

He had to have a good reason to willingly subject Himself to these abuses and we need to ask what that was. [Read more…] about Reasons To Believe Jesus Cares More About People Than Issues