Battling on Two Fronts

17 CommentsBits 'n Preaches

My most popular post to date at this blog (measured in how many Christians have commented), was my conversation with a “Radical Sign Guy” named Ruben Israel (in pic below). We don’t see eye to eye on the best way to share our faith so I’m sure you will enjoy Ruben’s no-holds-barred responses to my comments. Judge for yourself who’s “style” is best by clicking here to read the post, “Perspectives: Inside the Mind of a “Radical Sign Guy.”

Heck, even an atheist defended my position, sort of. (Click here for the original FACEBOOK conversation that is still ongoing, including a few others who have piped in.)

On another front, in the same post, are the atheists who just can’t understand why we share our faith at all, since, of course, there is no real evidence or proof of God. I answered them very succinctly though, in this post: Damning Proof.

Don’t be afraid to join in the fray! Leave a comment!

Comments (17)

  1. Garrett

    Reply

    Answered with old, debunked evidence and little else. I guess it was succinct, however?

    Oh, and I don’t know how good it is having a atheist defend you, Steve. Ray posted a joke once about a cop doing something wrong if criminals approved of his methods.

    Just something to mull over!

  2. Nohm

    Reply

    Steve wrote: “On another front, in the same post, are the atheists who just can’t understand why we share our faith at all”

    Steve, that’s not correct at all.

    We understand why you share your faith. You share it because you don’t want us to go to Hell.

    This idea that we “just can’t understand” that is all in your imagination, and exists nowhere in reality.

    Our point is this: why should we believe what your faith claims when you don’t support your claims in any kind of way that would be persuasive to us?

    I’ve said it before. Please pay attention to what we actually write, and not what you think we should write. You could of course prove me wrong by pointing out two or more atheists in that thread who stated that they just couldn’t understand why you share your faith at all *due to * lack of evidence.

    And AGAIN, yeeesh, “proof” only exists in math and alcohol. Will you PLEASE stop with that straw-man already??

  5. dede

    Reply

    um, brother steve…azou didn’t disappear. garrett, at the top of this thread, IS azou.

    Garrett says:
    August 17, 2010 at 6:03 pm
    No, Wee, this is Azou from SMRT. I didn’t want to upset Steve with my anonymity.

  6. Jdiver

    Reply

    Reubens boys spend a lot of time in my area. Most annoying. They love nothing more than to invite themselves to places they are not wanted and play party poopers.

    Why doesn’t Christians get the clue? We know where the place to think about the invisible man in the sky is and how to get there. Preach there. Not where you ruin fun and disturb the peace and quiet.

  8. perdita

    Reply

    Steve – Again, I don’t know if you’re joking or not. In case you’re not, please check these comments:

    Anne Rice, August 11 9:52 pm
    Atheist Tuesday, Damning Proof August 17, 2010 6:03 pm

  9. Eternal Critic

    Reply

    I believe Azou is Garrett. I thought he wrote something to that effect some time ago.

  11. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Okay, got it. Somehow I the comments on this blog that explained that Azou was Garrett.

    In the heat of battle (the spiritual kind), it’s easy to miss the bluebirds.

    Anyway, thanks for the clarifications all!

    And Garrett, I love having you here. You indeed give us food for thought.

  13. Thomas Moore

    Reply

    I didn’t get a chance to comment on the original post on this debate. Of course I side with Pastor Steve when it comes to preaching the biblical gospel. What is awesome is even someone like this Ruben Israel (and others that fall into his category of style of preaching i.e. Jesse Morelle, Kerrigan Skelly, Jed Smote, and possibly even Fred Phelps) can still be used by God to further His Kingdom. Now this does not legitimize what Ruben (and the others like him) do, it just proves that God is sovereign and that He does not operate in a box. He can use anything and anyone to bring people to faith in Christ (for example many Muslims have come to faith in Jesus just from reading the Qur’an because the Qur’an has a lot to say about the biblical Jesus). Of course as followers of Jesus Christ we want to be as biblical as possible in our pursuit of those who are lost. Because one day we will stand before God and give an account for how we handled the gospel of eternal life. Keep up the good work Pastor Steve and all those who are with you!

    God bless,

    Thomas

  15. Tony Y

    Reply

    Anyone who wishes to share the Gospel should approach this endeavor with a degree of trepidation and introspection to be sure that he is representing God faithfully. Because, anyone who open-air preaches, passes out tracts, witnesses one-to-one, etc. represents God. It is a fearful thing to misrepresent God. Remember when Moses struck the rock twice and scolded the Israelites?

    While God does not expect us to perfectly expound on every area of doctrine, I think He does expect us to approach this duty of sharing our faith with the right heart. This was Moses’ mistake. He misrepresented God’s heart to His people. We need to be careful not to make the same mistake.

    Scripture gives us a good guideline for how we should represent Him and His Heart in 2 Timothy.

    2 Timothy 2:23-26

    But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

    These few verses are so packed with teaching that it’s good to look at the main points:

    1. avoid foolish and ignorant disputes
    2. they generate strife
    3. must not quarrel
    4. be gentle to all
    5. able to teach
    6. patient
    7. humility
    8. correcting those who are in opposition
    9. God perhaps will grant them repentance
    10. that they may know the truth
    11. they may come to their senses
    12. escape the snare of the devil
    13. having been taken captive by him to do his will

    God bless you all,
    Tony

  16. Mark

    Reply

    If WOTM had not come along would you (Steve) even be in the streets? Probably not. Do you think every single person that uses sign boards are hateful? I think that most all WOTM cookie cutters are taught to stereo type sign boarders. Why because Ray and Kirk mock them in their training videos. I use both the principle of Law to the proud and grace to the humble, tracts and sign boards. Sign boards are biblical, research it, banner,standard, flags were used all through the OT. http://openairbanners.blogspot.com/
    Banners work to bring people to hear the Gospel, WOTM guys would not no this because they have never used them. The Word written or spoken is the living Word of God that brings faith. Oh NO! you would not want to put a scripture verse on a banner and lift up for the world to see! How evil! You know who really hates sign boards? the devil! Why because they remind everyone that see’s them there is a God they are accountable too. People get saved with the use of boards! You could say Christ was a sign boarder, though not, when he hung on the cross, they hung a sign over him, he bore witness to the two thieves on either side, one was repentant, converted and was saved the other damned. Christians are suppose to be on the same side. My experiance is that most all WOTM clonies come out of the gate condemning sign boards because it’s not in their little box of evangelism. That stance is wicked, they come off like they are better then others because they have the only “real way” to evangelize. And WOTM guys are the first to throw stones at sign board guys. I have heard WOTM guys preach with out the right spirit also. Just because some one has a board does not mean they are off. Like you seem to want all who read your site to think. You are causing division in the body which the Lord condemns. We are to take the Gospel to the streets, with compassion, care, gentleness, respecting all men to a point, being they are made in the image of God. Yet we are not to compromise the Word for anyone. The truth is the unregenerate hate God in Jesus and confrontations are inevidable. Yet we press on toward the high calling in Christ, for the sake of souls to be one to the Kingdom. None are better than the other, we are all unprofitable servants merly doing thet which we ought. Their are legitamitt points to each side. I have heard WOTM guys condemn and condemn the use of boards and those that use them. Even here on this site, yet they have never used them themselves. Both are profitable for outreach and used together are even more profitable, but when you got guys that say they want to stay away from sign boarders they make division and stereo type as hateful which is a lie. Not all people are the same not all situations are the same. May we become all things to all men that by all mean we might win some. That is without compromise.

  17. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    There is a difference between the sign guy I was conversing with and you. I’m not against all sign guys, just those who preach condemnation and judgment w/o grace and tact. And grace must be preached as well.

    Thanks for allowing me to clarify! 🙂

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