ok…so it seems everyone is on the same page when it comes to this type of evangelism…

so here’s what we did that night it happened…

nothing

we did nothing…(even though when it happened thoughts like that of my “Russian” friend ran through my head) although we felt we had a good case to go up to them and say…”look man…that was bold what you said…but do you really think that is the best approach?” (which I guess he would say yes otherwise he wouldn’t have done it).

we felt it would have just caused more problems if we were to say something…I mean think about it…obviously this person feels strongly about this otherwise he wouldn’t have got up in the middle of the restaurant and said what he said…so if we were to say something…he would have probably been real defensive…and it would have been met with too much negativu (funkier negativity)

and I do agree with anonymous (whoever that is) in that we are not to judge…but I also think that we are called to correct a brother at times too…especially if it involves wrong theology…(which this was probably not wrong theology…but maybe wrong methodology)

then again…maybe it does work for people…maybe I’m just being snobby in thinking my way is the best way…

“continue to mold us lord…”

im headed to the usc / arkansas game…wish us (Arkansas) luck…(we need it)

yes…i’ll admit…i went to the circus this weekend…

it really wasn’t too bad…(with the exception of the humping mannequins on the horses…(ok maybe that was my favorite part…but don’t tell anyone))

there were eight of us that went…and we were having a blast…until we got to IHOP…

after we were there around 20 minutes or so…a church group (maybe 6 people) came and set down near us…

normally this isn’t a big deal but when they started playing christian music and singing pretty loud at their table…heads started to turn… then it happened…

one of the guys got up and said, “can I have everyone’s attention please!…everyone!…i just want you to know that i love jesus christ…” he then went on to say how if you don’t you’ll go to hell and that everyone needs to make sure they know jesus christ before they go to sleep…

ok…so i know exactly how I feel about this type of “evangelism”…or whatever you call it…but I want to know what you guys think about that…

do you agree? disagree?

what are some pro’s and con’s?

would you have said something him?

after some feedback i’ll post again about it…

(that means you have to comment)

oh and i kind of think the title of this post is kind of funny….(maybe it’s just me)

I’ve been thinking long and hard on whether to post about this topic for quite some time…the reason?…my knowledge on this topic is limited and room for disagreement is huge…

Why should that matter?…well I’ve never really liked people criticizing anything I do…(I try to stay out of conflict I guess)…but I feel this is an important thing that Christians need to dialog about…correct views and understanding are vital…so here goes nothing…

What brought this up?…well I was at work last week and someone came up to me (a fellow Christian) and said…”my pastor’s message was really good yesterday…he was talking about Israel and how we need to back them up at all times…cause if we don’t bad things are going to happen to us because they’re God’s chosen people”…

…my response…

…”I don’t believe that”…

…after they gave me a confused look……I told this person why…

I’m really going to try to keep this post as short and to the point as possible…otherwise a 10 page paper may come out…so I’m going to stick with the statement this person said to me…(in other words this is by no mean exhaustive)…

(a lot of my research was guided by a book by Gary Burge, “Whose Land? Whose Promise?,…so I may be just a little partial to his point a view)

I’m going to look at three things…first, supporting Israel…second, God chosen people…and then I’ll finish with the issue of the land everyone seems to be fighting over…

On the issue of supporting Israel…

I’ve found that most Christians who say “we must support Israel at all times” use Genesis 12:2-3 as their foundation…

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”

Instead of interpreting this as “back Israel or die”, perhaps it should be interpreted, “because of Israel’s greatness and goodness, God will use them to bless others”…

it’s hard for me to believe that this passage gives Israel the right to do whatever they want and if anyone goes against them, curses will be upon them…

In fact in Leviticus 18 and 20, and in Deuteronomy 4 and 8, explains how the covenant that was with the Jews was conditional on them living by God’s standards… So “supporting Israel no matter what” seems like a silly thing to say…

On the issue of God’s chosen people…

I tend to lean toward the side that when Jesus came he began a new Israel and a new covenant; “he has made the first one obsolete” (Heb. 8:13)…

now Romans 11 says that “unbelieving Israel still holds a place of honor”…but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are still apart of Abraham’s promises…(Burge, 188)

Paul, in Galatians 3, makes it pretty clear that when God made a promise to Abraham’s seed it was to one person…Christ…it did not say “seeds” but “seed”…

“Hence, Christ is the true recipient of Abraham’s blessings, and if we are “in Christ,” we are heirs both of Christ and of Abraham simultaneously.” (Burge 183)

So I kind of hold to the view that “God’s chosen people” are now those who follow Jesus Christ…

On the issue of the Land…

Now some would go so far to say that because of this, (Christians being God’s chosen people) the promise that was made to Abraham now goes to those who follow Christ…(mainly talking about land)…so really…Christians are the ones that should get the land…

I’m not sure I really agree with that…it seems that in the Gospels, Christ spends a lot of his time making people think differently about traditional Jewish holy places…”Sacred sites now fade in comparison with Jesus, who offers what the site only suggests”…

Everyone thought Christ was going to bring a literal kingdom…(land, royalty, freedom from the Romans)….the kingdom was not an actual earthly kingdom…but a spiritual kingdom…the focus was away from these earthly things…and on him…

So with the exception of the tremendous amount of history in that part of the world…after Christ came…I view that land…as just land…

(now I’m not sure how Jewish Christians view the land but I’m sure it is not just land to them…and I apologize for not knowing where they stand)

If you want to support Israel because you believe they are a good allie…ok…I can be cool with that…(although it’s hard for me to support Israel if it means persecuting Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ)…but if you bring in religious reasons and you’re a Christian…I ask you take some time to try to see the other side of this issue…read the book I mentioned…spend some time studying scripture…you may think differently afterward…