Letter to the Reply to My Last Words
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Dear Anthony;
Thanks so much for your forgiveness. You don't know how much it means to me (and yourself) that you forgave me fully and freely. It is good to know there are others who want to do what is right by believing in Jesus enough to obey His commandments. Never mind the dangers of forgiveness and how it may trigger the influence to your life negatively. We just want to do what is right, so thus you forgave me for disturbing your beloved sleep at the ungodly hour. You even forgave me as far as inviting me to continue in touch with you by fax, which wouldn't happen anymore.
Thanks also for sharing your thoughts, your interpretations of the Bible. I am glad that you felt free and open enough to share with me thus far.
Concerning your thoughts, you are right. It is not my place to judge you or condemn your interpretations. In fact, there are many other verses that Mennonites have used to support their reason to outlaw TV and radio ownership. Like for example, "redeeming the time for the days are evil."
As much as I wish, I cannot recall references to where in the Bible that says or support my thoughts. Even then, I assure you that you are very likely to be familiar to those same verses.
My favorite verse is John 10:10b: I am come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly. It is my pursuit for happiness and seeing what brings lasting happiness. I have tried everything, but never ignore the fact that the Bible is authentic. I never once wavered that the Bible is the Truth. After I return to States from Belize, I put my Christianity on the "back burner", because I want to know why non-Christians don't take fancy to Christian living. I also observed that if Jesus died once, why does my Christian life continue to fail? Why do I keep going from holy excitement to fleshly desires, or vice versa, at intervals?
I love reading, and am often thankful for the mentality I came up with in defiance to my dad's reasoning. My dad once said that deaf people know only 50% of what hearing people know. I hate to think that I don't know enough. His explanation is that you hear so many things and you do learn by hearing. I am now finding the truth in that statement, but that is not the point here. The point was, that very remark drives me to get my hands on everything and read anything regardless how boring it may be. I read some psychology and find them bit hard to understand.
Then after reading the book, Secret of Their Strength, I suddenly got aware of things that I had missed before. I wonder many times if most Plain People have missed the whole meaning of that book, simply because of flawed Hutterite theology. The way it ends sure make me think.
Let me run you through few quizzes. Consider the split between Amish and Mennonites. Try to think of any church problems you know of. I personally live with Eddie Slabaugh through the time when Pleasant Valley faced some difficulty, and when Ivan Shank moved elsewhere. There must be enough differences in Fellowship churches that inspire Aden Gingerich of Farmington to expound us at Messiah Bible School about looking at the perfect law of liberty.
Have you ever wonder why church problems appear? Is there a way we can avoid those problems? Is it possible when the interpretations of the Bible becomes the desired standard of the church? Why is so many people leaving church these days? We felt like we are living at the last days. I instinctively feel that we are, so I felt urge to help people see what was the problem.
Recently I had a debate with an atheist. I couldn't help but saw the problem in our own churches. His exact words: "But they also forgets that what the Bible says and what their interpretations of the Bible is not same thing. Oh goody. My point exactly. But if people misinterpret the work, it shows the incomptency of the Author. (especially an allpowerful one)"
That was his reply to my remarks as followed: "If you, Daniel, as a atheist, became atheist because of Christianity being inconsistent and disunited, I am curious if that is true to all other atheists in the world. And I wonder what would happened to them if all Christians suddenly decided to become united, recognizing that the basics of their beliefs are really all same.
I am a Christian and I often get pissed off when I hear about church splits or other unhappiness or negativity even in Christian world. No doubt, God feels the same. I agreed with you that is why so many people felt that Christianity isn't the answer, because of what is happening in the real world.
It boils to this that not everyone thinks the insides and the outs of everything. Too many Christians became legalistic and point out that the Bible say this and that, but forgets that the Jesus Himself did say that He is the cornerstone of the church, the author and the finisher of our faith, so to look elsewhere would be foolish. It is true that Christians would also believe that the Bible and Jesus are One, but they also forgets that what the Bible says and what their interpretations of the Bible is not same thing."
So, Anthony, how do you feel about the incompetency of the Author? You and I are taught differently than that. We believe in God and that He create the world. We believe in his Supremacy and Sovereignty, and that He never make mistakes. So what is happening to us? Why do that athiest felt that our religion is flawed?
Maybe you would like to consider the following thoughts from the Bible. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (things of this world). Much of the church problems come from applying the Bible to our everyday life, right? "They that gather not in My name shall be scattered board." Much of the church problems come from focusing on the Bible and what it may means in our every life, right? Is there any church problem concerning that the Jesus "is the Way, the Life, and the Truth; and no man shall go to Father but by" Him?
Maybe you want to know my favorite last words to that atheist. "So in the end, you felt that we Christians are flawed, because of evidence in disunity and because of evidence that you instinctively felt that being a Christian should be better than that! Wow, the power of truth! Wouldn't it be nice if you and I would go out and prove it that it can be done?"
Thanks so much for your forgiveness. You don't know how much it means to me (and yourself) that you forgave me fully and freely. It is good to know there are others who want to do what is right by believing in Jesus enough to obey His commandments. Never mind the dangers of forgiveness and how it may trigger the influence to your life negatively. We just want to do what is right, so thus you forgave me for disturbing your beloved sleep at the ungodly hour. You even forgave me as far as inviting me to continue in touch with you by fax, which wouldn't happen anymore.
Thanks also for sharing your thoughts, your interpretations of the Bible. I am glad that you felt free and open enough to share with me thus far.
Concerning your thoughts, you are right. It is not my place to judge you or condemn your interpretations. In fact, there are many other verses that Mennonites have used to support their reason to outlaw TV and radio ownership. Like for example, "redeeming the time for the days are evil."
As much as I wish, I cannot recall references to where in the Bible that says or support my thoughts. Even then, I assure you that you are very likely to be familiar to those same verses.
My favorite verse is John 10:10b: I am come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly. It is my pursuit for happiness and seeing what brings lasting happiness. I have tried everything, but never ignore the fact that the Bible is authentic. I never once wavered that the Bible is the Truth. After I return to States from Belize, I put my Christianity on the "back burner", because I want to know why non-Christians don't take fancy to Christian living. I also observed that if Jesus died once, why does my Christian life continue to fail? Why do I keep going from holy excitement to fleshly desires, or vice versa, at intervals?
I love reading, and am often thankful for the mentality I came up with in defiance to my dad's reasoning. My dad once said that deaf people know only 50% of what hearing people know. I hate to think that I don't know enough. His explanation is that you hear so many things and you do learn by hearing. I am now finding the truth in that statement, but that is not the point here. The point was, that very remark drives me to get my hands on everything and read anything regardless how boring it may be. I read some psychology and find them bit hard to understand.
Then after reading the book, Secret of Their Strength, I suddenly got aware of things that I had missed before. I wonder many times if most Plain People have missed the whole meaning of that book, simply because of flawed Hutterite theology. The way it ends sure make me think.
Let me run you through few quizzes. Consider the split between Amish and Mennonites. Try to think of any church problems you know of. I personally live with Eddie Slabaugh through the time when Pleasant Valley faced some difficulty, and when Ivan Shank moved elsewhere. There must be enough differences in Fellowship churches that inspire Aden Gingerich of Farmington to expound us at Messiah Bible School about looking at the perfect law of liberty.
Have you ever wonder why church problems appear? Is there a way we can avoid those problems? Is it possible when the interpretations of the Bible becomes the desired standard of the church? Why is so many people leaving church these days? We felt like we are living at the last days. I instinctively feel that we are, so I felt urge to help people see what was the problem.
Recently I had a debate with an atheist. I couldn't help but saw the problem in our own churches. His exact words: "But they also forgets that what the Bible says and what their interpretations of the Bible is not same thing. Oh goody. My point exactly. But if people misinterpret the work, it shows the incomptency of the Author. (especially an allpowerful one)"
That was his reply to my remarks as followed: "If you, Daniel, as a atheist, became atheist because of Christianity being inconsistent and disunited, I am curious if that is true to all other atheists in the world. And I wonder what would happened to them if all Christians suddenly decided to become united, recognizing that the basics of their beliefs are really all same.
I am a Christian and I often get pissed off when I hear about church splits or other unhappiness or negativity even in Christian world. No doubt, God feels the same. I agreed with you that is why so many people felt that Christianity isn't the answer, because of what is happening in the real world.
It boils to this that not everyone thinks the insides and the outs of everything. Too many Christians became legalistic and point out that the Bible say this and that, but forgets that the Jesus Himself did say that He is the cornerstone of the church, the author and the finisher of our faith, so to look elsewhere would be foolish. It is true that Christians would also believe that the Bible and Jesus are One, but they also forgets that what the Bible says and what their interpretations of the Bible is not same thing."
So, Anthony, how do you feel about the incompetency of the Author? You and I are taught differently than that. We believe in God and that He create the world. We believe in his Supremacy and Sovereignty, and that He never make mistakes. So what is happening to us? Why do that athiest felt that our religion is flawed?
Maybe you would like to consider the following thoughts from the Bible. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (things of this world). Much of the church problems come from applying the Bible to our everyday life, right? "They that gather not in My name shall be scattered board." Much of the church problems come from focusing on the Bible and what it may means in our every life, right? Is there any church problem concerning that the Jesus "is the Way, the Life, and the Truth; and no man shall go to Father but by" Him?
Maybe you want to know my favorite last words to that atheist. "So in the end, you felt that we Christians are flawed, because of evidence in disunity and because of evidence that you instinctively felt that being a Christian should be better than that! Wow, the power of truth! Wouldn't it be nice if you and I would go out and prove it that it can be done?"
