Tell the truth at all times. The Bible is truth!

For the LAST time...no one is saying don't tell the truth or don't spread the gospel. You aren't grasping that I am talking about the delivery! I noticed you didn't address the scripture I posted

Thank you for those that understand what I am saying whether you agree or not

I was born and raised Christian and that is the path I chose as an adult and raised my son in the church. I have seen the fire and brimestone preachers and would walk out of a sermon like that to this day. My minister preaches the gospel with love. He talks about sins and how it is wrong, but he doesn't sit in judgement. He does it with love and wants others to love God. No one should be bullied into Christianity. They should come willingly

For those that think the bullying fire and brimestone approach is right....wow. If I was a non believer I would run the other way

I observed that if one isn't accessing the kingdom of heaven, he or she'd be accessing the kingdom of hell.

When I minister to people, I always pray for the grace which the LORD released upon me to also come upon them even in abundant and greater than that which came upon me.
But as I study through the Bible daily, I came to understand that the grace which Everyman or man needs is available to all who would sincerely come in contact with CHRIST.

Secondly, the gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST according to the book of John chapter 3 verse number 19. It says:
"And this is the condemnationn, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

I also observed that without preaching the consequences that's ahead of them that do not the Will Of God, the gospel isn't complete because the Master (JESUS) preached it even in the midst of people that rejected the Word.

In Matthew 23:13 KJV

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Matthew 23:14-16,23,25,27,29 KJV

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!"

Was Jesus cursing them?
HE came to verse number 33 of Matthew 23 and hit these words to them without oiling it.
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

HE loved them, and HE rebuked them. And HE was preaching the truth to them even they sort to elimination Him, HE did what the FATHER sent Him to do.

And the generation of today is doing the worst yet expecting the preacher to paint the Word to please them and they remain in their sin.

When the prophet of God declares the Word of God, it is left for the people to do something immediately if they have to. The Word of God is not to be enforced in anybody.

Deuteronomy 30:15,19 KJV

15. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

19. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

The LORD urged us to choose life. And the manner of preaching the gospel should be based on the divine love of God which He demonstrated by giving us His only begotten Son JESUS. And the love isn't there when you cannot cry for the soul that hears you to come to know the Truth (JESUS CHRIST).

God is the judge like I replied.
And the Facts of
Sin,
Forgiveness,
Repentance,
New birth,
Judgement,
Heaven,
Hellfire,
Rapture, must be preached, mentioned because it is very serious. And we must abstain from all evil and deliver ourselves and them that hears us by doing that.
May God help us to understand the mysteries more and more.
The most importantly is Love. Love is the greatest. Without love we are not complete.

Ok again...a lot of scripture. But use your own words. Yes ot no on bullying

I agree with preaching and teaching thw whole truth. I am saying there is a way to do it.

But you understand the love part. That is what I am saying. Preach the truth with love in your heart

I have a preference for love , but a healthy respect for both being done in balance

Im suspect of a preacher that is all about how God loves you and everything is fine just as much as the preacher who is always talking about who is going to hell

everything is not fine if you are willfully and unrepentently sinning and there are times when that message needs to be received too,,

even Jesus flipped over tables,,,sometimes its necessary to show the seriousness and harshness as well as the love,,

love and firmness are my preference,,,,candace burke( I think its her name)
is someone I think would be a wonderful example,, of being loving but also being firm about sin,,,

I agree with love and firmness. I don't equate that to bashing people over the head with the Bible either

I will never say (which some tend to ignore) preaching the gospel and being honest is wrong. I think we should do that as commanded. I take issue with the way it's done at times. Screaming someone going to hell because of a sin (face it, we all sin) doesn't help someone repent and come to GOD. To me it is bullyibg and God wants us to go willingly and not because of bullying. It is like torture to get a confession. We all (I hope) know that doesn't work

Show me where I have said different. Otherwise it is bearing false witness ehic is equal to a lie (sin)

I have the utmost respect for you Mr Toks

You know why, because you never get involved with any controversy, you simply post your scripts etc for people to read and let them make their own minds up.

You are my idea of a proper Christian.

All the best to you Friend

Exactly what I like. Toks posts with love but with the truth as well

many churches believe in teaching the love ( gospel) before teaching the law ( old testament)..especially to children or to those who may be brand new and contemplating their faith

I agree. I have no issue with teaching God's word and law. My issue is with the way it's done. I am not talking about sugar coating. I am saying don't bully and beat people over the head with the Bible into submission. They need to want to come willingly

While I believe they mean well, the approach would make me run away too. Scaring people to convert to Christianity is aweful. They live in fear instead of knowing the true love

All these religious threads remind me of when I used to be an altar boy

Well that's true actually, sometimes I was terrified of the priests, we all were, religion was scary sometimes and it shouldn't be that way.

The best priest I ever saw, who is now a Bishop by the way, was a guy called Father Tom.

His mass's were so entertaining, he would talk about football and poke friendly fun at people, he was hilarious.
It wasn't even like being in Mass, in fact it was something to look forward to.

But he got his message across all the same

Thank you! My minister related to the congregation and talked as one of us. Not holier than thou

Speaking of personal stories...let me tell you mine so maybe you understand how I feel.

My dad died while active duty in the AF. He was a different denomination than my mom...but still Christian. Afyer he died, and we moved back to family, my mom was searching for comfort from the gospel and the church. We were met with different denominations telling is my dad is going to hell because he wasn't their denomination. Wow...I was 7. After we went to a church that preached fear and intimidation. My older sister and I were scared to go to church and would have nightmares. We thought everyone that wasn't perfect would burn in hell. No one is perfect. My mom figured out we were terrified and pulled us out of that church. She found one that preached the truth but from love. If she had kept us in that other church, I probably wouldn't be Christian now. That preacher scared me more than Freddie Krueger. Growing up I knew if that is what being a Christian was, I didn't want ro be one. Thank God I was shown different

This applies to most things in life, there's a nice way to approach people and get your point across, and then there's the autocratic way, I know which I prefer.

God bless your father

Glad you get what I am trying to say.

I am on a support group for abuse, addicts, you name it. It wouldn't do people any good to berate and condemn them. Coming at them from love and compassion, while being honest, will help people more

There might be other reasons people sin (childhood abuse, etc) and bullying just chases them away. Better to have compassion and teach