[Reminder: this list is for Christians. If you're dead in trespasses and sins, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Ephesians 5:14] Dear Christian Friends: Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. The internet has proven a most compelling place for ministry for me. When I first uploaded those 3 or 4 little articles I had no idea anyone would ever read them. Then I remember the day that five people visited the website in one day. My heart was beating so hard, I could not believe it. Then I remember wondering if 100 people would ever visit in one day. Then I remember wondering if anybody could get saved via an internet witness. As I look back at it, it seems those were ridiculous questions. God answered them all in the affirmative and gave me much more than I bargained for. His ways are past finding out. His ways... Miraculous. Incredible. Perfect. Holy. Righteous. Merciful. Gracious. Incomparable. The following is a short interchange which does not normally occur for me. I rarely ever answer wicked people always keeping in mind Proverbs 26:4-5 "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." In this case, I felt the need to answer a fool lest he be wise in his own conceit. I'm sending this out because it may help someone. I hear from Christian folks who are easily shaken by what unregenerates have to say. "They hurt my fee-lings!" This ought not to be. The key for the Christian is to know the scriptures AND call on them when answering. Sometimes your answer will be no answer. When a person derides your God, the ONLY true God, you know that they are obviously wrong. Think about what the scriptures say about their comments. When I write something, I think to myself, "What scripture will support this statement?" If I can't think of one, then that comment has to be deleted. Forget about the "I think" syndrome. That's what'll get you in trouble everytime. Stick with the scriptures and NO ONE will be able to overcome what you say. The scriptures are powerful and they will cut to the chase of any discussion. Here's the interchange.[UPDATE: In the interchange, notice how the writer resorts to name calling and basically desiring the government to arrest me. He said that he is not concerned with Christian beliefs, but his ill-will is quite obvious. People are not always honest. A few definitions from strategems4.htm--
There are many hard speeches being uttered at this time. Here are some other old time words that are good to know--
BULLY, n. A noisy, blustering overbearing fellow, more distinguished for insolence and empty menaces, than for courage, and disposed to provoke quarrels.
BULLY, v. To insult and overbear with noise and blustering menaces.
Americans are now hearing unprecedented invective against Christians from the highest of levels.
INVECTIVE, n. A railing speech or expression; something uttered or written, intended to cast opprobrium, censure or reproach on another; a harsh or reproachful accusation. It differs from reproof, as the latter may come from a friend and be intended for the good of the person reproved; but invective proceeds from an enemy, and is intended to give pain or to injure. VIRULENT, adj. Extremely active in doing injury; very bitter in enmity; malignant; and bitter in severity.RAIL, v. To utter reproaches; to scoff; to use insolent and reproachful language; to reproach or censure in opprobrious terms.
(supporting words)REPROACH, v. To censure in terms of opprobrium or contempt. 2. To charge with fault in severe language. 4. To treat with scorn or contempt.
REPROACH, n. Censure mingled with contempt or derision; contumelious or opprobrious language towards any person; abusive reflections.
INSOLENT a. Proud and haughty, with CONTEMPT of others; OVERBEARING; DOMINEERING IN POWER. 2. Proceeding from insolence haughty and contemptuous; as insolent words or behavior.
CONTEMPT, n. The act of despising; the act of viewing or considering and treating as mean vile and worthless; disdain; hatred of what is mean or vile.
CENSURE v. The act of blaming or finding fault and condemning as wrong.
OPPROBRIOUS a. Reproachful and contemptuous; scurrilous.
SCURRILOUS, a. 2. Containing low indecency or abuse; mean; foul; vile.
Wise sayings recently heard--
"Anger is not an argument."
"Emotions have no intelligence."
**THE WRITER** First of all, I must commend someone on this website. It definitely is one of the most well done sites I've visited. Some help is needed on grammar throughout the text. I have a tendency to go ballistic on sites such as this one, but I seek only to make a few comments. My wife is a wiccan(formerly Catholic) and I am a militant Atheist. She had performed a search for witchcraft and from the results selected your link out of curiosity and mentioned it to me. I nor my wife can condemn anyone for their beliefs (religious or otherwise). Therefore, I could not be less interested about your cause(s), except that you have forced your opinions and beliefs into an area where you do not belong. Therefore, I must express my distaste in the way you have gone about "sending your message". I would never express or force my beliefs upon you and would appreciate that you extend to me and everyone else the same courtesy. I am unable to imagine how so many people can be brainwashed about your beliefs, but then I think back to men like Adolf Hitler, David Koresh, Charles Manson. They definitely convinced large numbers of unsuspecting people into believing their every word. In my opinion, your message? can only be considered in the same manner as the afore mentioned people. Continue as you have and I'm certain that some government agent will show up at your doorstep early one morning with a message of his own. According to your beliefs, my wife and myself will definitely be going to hell and you(most likely) will be taken to heaven. Assuming this actually happens, I am elated in the fact that I won't be around you or any of your followers. Good day to you. **MY RESPONSE** Dear Friend: Greetings and thanks for writing. Sorry if the grammar offends you. It is how I express myself sometimes [UPDATE: BAD GRAMMAR ***IS NOT GOOD*** IT IS EVIL AND IS THE BREAKING THE GRAMMAR LAWS. I REPENT OF THIS EVIL PRACTICE.]. It is an irritation to some while it speaks to others. I am not forcing my beliefs on you. What you do with your life in no way affects me or my walk with the Lord. I am not begging [you] and I am not asking any one...to read anything...on the...website. I worship the God of the Bible. He has certain requirements of man and those requirements are [found in the Bible]. Biblically illiterate people are quite taken aback when confronted with the truth. They've conjured up in their own feeble brains what constitutes right and wrong. [Then] when God's requirements are set forth, they are called intolerant. The truth is indeed intolerant. 2+2 is always 4. That is unbending. Your argument is not with me--it is with the God of the Bible. Concerning a government agency on my doorstep, what is that to me? Jesus said the world would hate me, and perhaps even kill me. So what? Like Abel, my blood will still cry from the ground. I won't be the first or the last to die or be imprisoned. In your rebellion, you compare worship of the God of the Bible to Koresh, Hitler, and Manson--all unregenerate reprobates. All sickos that kill, plunder and destroy. I'm sorry to hear your blasphemy and hope that your conscience has not been seared [past feeling]. You've come to the site... the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. Most folks take the Thomas Jefferson approach to Jesus. Jefferson was a deist that even compiled his own "Bible". He took the gospels and deleted all references to the supernatural leaving him with the moral sayings of Jesus. Like Jefferson, most conjure up a soft, effeminate Jesus that bears no likeness to the Son of God. They can do what they want, I'm only here as a voice in the midst of a lawless, disobedient, rebellious, crooked and perverse generation. Why would a law abiding Christian make you so mad? 'Cause the words of the Bible describe your very thoughts and intents, that's why. You kick against the pricks and I STINK to you whereas to truth seekers I smell lovely. 2 Cor. 2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? I smell like death and hell to you and that is rightful. Your email only confirms that you are a child of hell. Not that it is too late for you, it isn't [UPDATE: at this point, I don't know if it was too late for that man or not.]. You'll either continue in rebellion or you'll be broken and give God the glory. If you do the latter, I'd love to hear from you. If [you do] not, I have no reason to ever hear from you again. My only responsibility is to tell the truth. What you do with it has no bearing on me or my soul. for Jesus' sake, Tracy -- http://www.Jesus-is-Lord.com ...I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:4, 6This email illicited this response from one of our readers.