Do we have something the world looks at us and wants, or is it the other way around?

Whether it is music, movies, possessions, glamorous lifestyles, etc…, why is it that the world has so many things we find inviting, but when the world looks at us, what do they find inviting about Christianity–
How do we spend our time ? With what and who do we spend our time?
How much time do you spend with God?
When God is first he will give us what we need to show him not us to the world....
 
Phew - now have you not opened a can of phatt wiggly worms here.
And would you not be right.
Too many times we want the things the world has, the fashion, the "hey, look at me" factor, image and even gadgets. So sad for us.
Here is why, if we spend our lives and energy chasing such things, the world look at us and say, "you know, these Christians are no different than us, but when we start having fun with the things we do - they come up and say, no, no, no - you cannot do that.
What bunch of hypocrites."
Where do we now stand - how can we say we have a place to administer to those who have fallen, who are needy?
Do we chase looking after the poor, destitute, weak, needy and poor with the same vigour as the luxuries of the world?
I have asked myself this question the last couple of weeks - why when I am home do I not rather find myself within a hospital praying for the sick there?
 
Good question. Sometimes I think the world looks at christians and wants our peace and joy but cant figure out why we have this.

Many think a christian will bend over backwards for them, and thus try and take advantage, by posing as poor and needy and try and steal our peace and joy.
Actually I think Gideon experienced this in the Bible.

Little do they know they can ask God, all they have to so is repent and believe, but they wont.
 
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The light.
People in darkness want to see.
Chrsitians shine that light.
We can only recieve that light from Gods reflected glory. It has not to do with us. Jesus is the light of the world.
 
Do we chase looking after the poor, destitute, weak, needy and poor with the same vigour as the luxuries of the world?

That is such a powerful question that really challenges my heart.

Lord, give us hearts with burning compassion for the lost, for those in need
Less self, more Jesus

Go home... and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee
Mark 5:19
 
why is it that the world has so many things we find inviting, but when the world looks at us, what do they find inviting about Christianity–
1Peter 2:11-12
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
(Here, Peter is implying that by our conduct and good works others will believe and be converted.)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1John 2:15-17
 
The deadliest part of this world chasing equation, is how people think their lives are okay because they are not committing what they see as big sins, but they are guilty of not putting God first, as worldly happiness is more important to them than honoring God or loving others–which is still a sin!
It isnt about quoting and reading and a name badge .. It..s about is God truly # 1 is he above our personal choice every day is his word upon our hearts does it truly affect our personal choices when it comes time to react to the world around us is his word only alive in our mouths but not in our actions , what we watch , what we wear, who we hang with or what we listen to he does not say in vain Come out from among this world and be separate touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you .. Yes we are in this world but not of it we are to abstain from and eschew every from of evil is our eyes truly focusing on the spiritual side this world is wrapping up is the Church the Bride of Christ truly pure as a virgin is she chaste and untouched or is she defiled with the world?
 
Philippians 3:17-20
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ
 
Whether it is music, movies, possessions, glamorous lifestyles, etc…, why is it that the world has so many things we find inviting, but when the world looks at us, what do they find inviting about Christianity–
How do we spend our time ? With what and who do we spend our time?
How much time do you spend with God?
When God is first he will give us what we need to show him not us to the world....

This is one of the toughest parts.
The short, crowd-pleasing answer is that we have truth. However, the world has so many distractions so many may never realize it. The world has a million distractions and fake happy pills that they can take to numb the reality of their sorry lives, and they take them by the truckload. They deal on a feelings level and are content to live there as long as they stand in the same place too long.

To make it clear, the world offers endless entertainment, whether it is something the culture finds to be moral or immoral, it's still offered. It could be sports, music, cooking, promiscuous sex, humanitarian volunteering, drugs, work, movies, parties, etc. etc. etc. But when a non-Christian either stops to consider beyond the material (whether he's shaken by something traumatic, or because he noticed the emptiness), that's when he may say "What is this all really worth?" I always use the example of Santa Claus and how we stopped believing at some point because, despite how happy it made us feel, we would rather look at truth than blissful falsehoods.

Christianity has a many amazing things to offer in the empirical realm, like art and music, but all of that can be found in the secular world. Some people are moved by these things, but it can be difficult to distinguish when the world offers it too, so many times it really takes the grace of God for someone to distinguish the difference and notice what is truth and what is empty.
 
I have noticed something in recent times, movies and series with vampires and werewolves has become such a fad.
And yet, Christian folk are running after these - I myself once upon a time - sadly.
Until the time that I learned those are actually demons - man what a wake up. The movie industry is changing the dark side into a fashionable and "cool to be part of" thing.
But in reality - you leave your gates wide open to their destructive force.
And the kids of this age - how do they have a chance to stand up with our order of the day ignorant parents.
Sorry, a small rant on my part.
 
Yes, i was once a fan of vampire books, like dracula and anne rice. I kept reading anne rice and she had written a whole heap, and they are fascinating, but very dark.

Then she started writing about Jesus, and then angels, and now shes back to vampires, I think her latest, about prince lestat. Now I remember enjoying her first one before I was born again. So I saw it at the library and thought, well, I will check it out since shes written a new one, (I dont really buy novels) and see if she takes this story further. So I requested it, and its on my bookshelf, but I dont know, I have no desire to read it anymore, or time. and I know God wants me to spend time reading his Word and edifying books rather than books about vampires. It has a very dark cover and, well, I think Ill just take it back to the library as im doing other stuff.

I dont like anything like twilight series or those other books, friends keep trying to get me into them, but I just find them boring and fall asleep when dragged to see them.
 
Ecclesiastes left a deep impression on me, so for me, the knowledge of the world is foolishness. For that reason, I have no interest of studying further or such. Things that make the world go ooh, make me go yawn. I enjoy the bible and everything that forms from it. Such as this site and people on it.
 
I think I only responded to half of the question.

Yes, sometimes we want what the world offers us, but only when we weaken in faith. Sometimes we fall into temptation. Even when we are sharing the Gospel, if we're motivated by looking wise, holy, and ahead of everyone else, then we're looking too much at what we gain from the world. It happens all the time, and I'm no exception.

I want to be able to share the Gospel and defend it while totally, 100% forgetting about myself altogether. Sometimes I do, but sometimes I can be motivated by pride...and when that happens, I'm thankful for when I realize it...embarrassed, but thankful.
 
Whether it is music, movies, possessions, glamorous lifestyles, etc…, why is it that the world has so many things we find inviting, but when the world looks at us, what do they find inviting about Christianity–
How do we spend our time ? With what and who do we spend our time?
How much time do you spend with God?
When God is first he will give us what we need to show him not us to the world....
Did not Jesus say, "if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me" May be we are not lifting Jesus up in our lives and his Word has not become flesh in us. If we are depending on bumper stickers and or clothing we are wearing to tell people who we are, and if they can not tell who we are by our lives, I think we are in deep trouble. No body is looking at these things, they want to see reality. We are the only face of God they will ever see. I guarantee, Jesus being made visible in us will draw those in this world to ask why and were do we get this freedom from. Be prepared to answer their every questions.
 
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