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HEART * MINISTRY * MISCELLANIES *

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Wanna be thought provoking and helpful to me friends?

I have a co-worker that I have witnessed to umteen times and even gave him a bible last year for Christmas (and the book Jesus among other gods)

He has heard hours of gospel.....but I sort of stepped back because he developed feelings for me and such. Wellp.....praise God the situation is calmed down. He is dating a girl now. (yes, he admits that they are sleeping together) And I am dating a great guy that I talk highly about all the time at work.....about his kindness and leadership.
(to reaffirm that there is no way that we would ever be more than friends)

Anyhow.......the crux is that he has opened the door to talk more about the gospel and such.....and he's sort of antagonistic. Though I know that I've gotten through a few times, since he was almost in tears a couple times with gratitude and said to me "you're the only one who doesn't give up on me"

So, he asked me to find verses that explain more what is meant by "sexual immorality" in the scriptures. He seems to think that it means merely homosexuality or sex with animals or something......but not pre-marital immorality.

I have a few that come to mind......but would like you friends to chime in with what comes to your minds too.

In Christ Jesus ~
Jen2

5 Comments:

At 10/19/2006 5:06 PM, Blogger Frank Martens said...

Romans 1... and 2.... and 3! But most noteably the last half of Romans 1 and the first half of Romans 2.

1 Corinthians 5-6

Ephesians 5 (Especially Ephesians 5:5)

1 Timothy 1

 
At 10/20/2006 8:24 AM, Blogger Jen2 said...

Thanks Frank !
I'll be looking them up and forwarding them to him....as the Lord leads. (he's going to see his girlfriend this weekend and said to me today "well, if it (immorality) didn't bother me, I wouldn't be talking about it would I?"
That was encouraging...~

I literally just got done "talking" (debating) with him. It's a hard conversation to have - always...especially because he's seen my failures
(here at work)
And then he accuses me of being judgemental when I say that there is a difference in the way a believer views sin and a non-believer.
Believers hate sin so much they cannot continue in it.
But unbelievers shrug their shoulders and keep going (given over to their sin Rom 1)
Thinking that God will just overlook it.
He continues to throw my failures in my face and say to me "how are YOU so different?" And I just try to keep my cool and say that I'm not different, I'm still a sinner, and that's why I need Christ."

But that doesn't settle it with him......

It seems there is a much more immense need for the sake of our testimonies to fall down on our knees and beg God for the capacity to be upright in all things.
I hate that he can bring my failures to me but thankful for it too, since I cannot deny that I am a wretch. I've gotten frustrated, I've talked about how I desire to lose weight and have grumbled about a pimple or about a task that I didn't want to do - ALL of these things he brought up with me very insightly and it was almost as if he had gone to our church for awhile when he said "YOU care too much about things that don't matter to God"

Owie.....I hate that Christ is not shown to be more precious to me than a clear complexion or the ideal weight...and that I have grumbled about small tasks that I don't feel like I should have to do. Think I need to go cry in the bathroom.

Lately the verse "Stay away from complaining and arguing so that no one can speak a word of blame against you" has been heavy on me....and it's colliding with this conversation. It's a good reminder of how far I fall short.

Being reminded of all of my failures has a way of rustling up so much more gratefulness for what God did in Christ Jesus.


Sorrowful, yet rejoicing.
Jen2

 
At 10/20/2006 9:22 AM, Blogger Frank Martens said...

"YOU care too much about things that don't matter to God"

Sounds a little bit like balaams donkey.

And... this is also why Paul says these wrong doings of immorality or certain failures shouldn't even be named among us (uhmm 1 corinthians somewhere).

Anyway... "Believers hate sin so much they cannot continue in it. " I don't know if I'd say this because this only happens with certain sins as the process of sanctification happens, not ALL sin. We are not made perfect instantly.

Or maybe if you do say this, what also needs to be included is that we aren't made perfect and that there's a process of sanctification.

Looks like the guy is just looking for excuses to live in his sin. I give you props for continuing to talk with him. I think at some point I'd just give it up to God and stop persuing him and let the guy come to me. Just because people like that tend to just become, as you said, antagonistic and not really seeking truth but just trying to provoke. The guy that lives in the house that I'm house sitting is like that. It's kind of like the woman who followed Paul and Silas around in Acts to just aggitate them.

I'm sure this guy isn't to that extreme, but there comes a point where ya gotta move on :) If the guy comes back, then sure answer the questions, but I think he might also need to be presented with the statement "are ya here to just antagonise or do you really want to know?" :)

But it is interesting that he said that he wouldn't be asking about immorality if he wasn't bothered by it.

 
At 10/20/2006 1:47 PM, Blogger Jen2 said...

I'm with you Frank Dawg....

And actually the last 3 times we've discussed spiritual things, he has been the one pursuing the conversation. I need to qualify every statement that I make to him because he will fire some half truth back at me as his interpretation of what I just said. It's more exhausting than trying to explain how God is "everywhere present" to a 3 year old.

I'll be text messaging those verses you mentioned to him tonight. He'll be in Iowa, so I won't be around to see his reaction to what he reads...but perhaps he'll think about it.
Please please pray for him......it would be an amazing thing to see him fall to his knees and say "God forgive me a sinner"

I can't see that when I talk to him, but I imagine it when I pray for him.

In Christ Jesus with you ~
Jen2

 
At 10/23/2006 6:51 AM, Blogger Frank Martens said...

It's more exhausting than trying to explain how God is "everywhere present" to a 3 year old.

That's because to a 3yr old, anything is possible!

 

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