Comments on: Four Possible Threats to Christ-Followers

By: Rahab Klingensmith

Rahab Klingensmith — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:23:12 +0000

Your very welcome Jim Martin~perhaps you can help get Scot Mcknight back on track with his personal issues of pain, guilt, and non-remoresenesses for some poor behaved things w/me….hiding behind his computer wall will not help him in the least…..or relying on me for a Soul person~who is not his wife of consistency. He needs inspiration from a friend~a man~but, to rather call him too account within the integrity and honesty levels in friendships, and of some small things , many done wrong–ask him. Although we love him much~Rahab

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:09:29 +0000

Rahab,Thanks for your comment for expressing some matters that are of very great concern to you. In particular I appreciate your passion and care for the church of the future.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:02:04 +0000

Michele,Thanks very much for your kind words.In regards to your question about my targeting pastors/ministers in the last post: When I am writing a post, I am basically communicating what is on my heart at the moment (or what I might be thinking about). Because I am in this "minister" role and because so many of them read this blog, I will often have an entire post or a line of a post that is pointed in that direction. (Quite often I am point this at me!)Of course you are right regarding other members of the body, etc. No argument here. Thanks again.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:55:44 +0000

Joyce,I really like this. You are so right. Another threat is "Qualifications for giving/receiving love." Very good.

By: Joyce

Joyce — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:15:42 +0000

Another threat is "Qualifications for giving/receiving love"This might include the following thought lines: "If I love you then you will do X" or "Before I love you, you must have done X" or "If you have done Y, then I don’t need to love you or you don’t deserve my love."They will know we are Christ followers by our love.

By: Michele

Michele — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:15:04 +0000

Great thoughts! And you are so correct. But I am curious why you targeted pastors/ministers in your blog without mentioning the lay leaders and pew warmers, too. Pastors and ministers are not the only ones who are subject to loss of heart and they are certainly not the only ones who are called to proclaim Jesus. We all are. Our pastors and ministers sacrifice much to follow and serve the Lord. We should be consistently lifting them up in prayer rather than singling them out. This is a blight on the Church as a whole. We should be praying for a reawakening within the Body. Thank you for your thoughts.

By: Rahab Klingensmith

Rahab Klingensmith — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:42:11 +0000

I would have to claim on a very serious level that some Christians today are falling away in disrepute do to the fact that several of our church Fathers are not even educated in the least, or even have fufilled the requirements of a ordained Pastoral Minister-yipes; and many as well needing pertient training of how to infactly win your peers through loving kindness & interpersonal relations that will provide consistency, groundedness of security, and a continual strive of a "Christ like forgiving and reconsiling Community". This, for me, is a serious future endeavor for the church to open its hands up towards–too many seekers, purgers, and runaways from the church episode–looking rather for more consistencies again…starting with the leaders and corresonding in a spiral downwards. A furturisic need for gathering those who left in disrepute ~ too regaining their confidences……listening to great men of full knowledge….The Pope Benedict for one ~ for starters….and his desperate reasonings for requesting reconsiliational ministries…and infactically "The Why" of their needs…..I’d rather call it a Not Self Pity Party…..but , an energency call to the churches left almost (some) empty…..and dwindling…. with the seen affects daily & repeatedly. A call to the churches for all….asking forgiveness for certainnesses of course, some small failures, some huge …amen "Rahab"

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:53:08 +0000

Gary–Thanks so much for your affirming and encouraging words regarding this blog. I also appreciate the way you express the reality of your own faith walk and ministry. (I identify very much with what you said, Gary.)

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:45:37 +0000

Marshall,Thanks for your comment. I am glad that this was fitting for where you are in your life right now. I appreciate you and really think that your future looks bright.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:44:20 +0000

Karin,Good thoughts. You are right, most of these can be filed under complacency. I like the way you link this idea with the hazards that you deal with due to your job. Very good. Something all of us ought to take more seriously.