We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Some Things to Ponder

A few years ago I heard Thabiti Anyabwile make an observation that has stuck with me: whenever societies classify people by race, they always to do it to take away rights, not to give them

The Stay-At-Home-Mom is NOT “Privileged” to do so.

That you may know you are saved.


The abuse of Matthew 18 against those who challenge false teachers.  And a commentary on that article.

Christians who don’t tip.  I’ve had the misfortune to dine with Christians who were very, very stingy with tipping, and who also treated the staff as personal servants and were very rude to them.  While we were all leaving, I made an excuse to head back to the table and “covered” their tiny tip, while also catching the waitress and apologized for the behavior of the other couple.  Christians really need to treat these people properly.  The Babylon Bee has a good satire about this topic.

Christians, it is time to “wake up and smell the coffee” — our country is being destroyed, and Christianity will soon be outlawed.

10 comments:

Neil said...

Good for you on the tipping! That really bugs me when Christians are cheap tippers, and even more so if they don't treat EVERYONE well. We should be unfailingly polite to anyone at any level. Even when I'm mad at a company I make it a point to politely (OK, and a little firmly) note that I realize it isn't his or her fault, but that I need their help as the representative of their company.

Re. Matthew 18 -- a "blogstalker" that we both know of (mis)used that passage against me and contacted a former pastor. I told the wolf that he was begging the question in assuming he was my brother in Christ. After all, my entire point was that he was a wolf!

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

As the article on tipping noted, most wait-persons are people who really need the money and are working hard at their job. Even if you get the occasional one who is grumpy or a bit of a slacker, one never knows what is happening in their lives at that particular time which might have them in grief, or depression, or worry, etc, and a kind word may lift their spirits.

My wife always writes a little note of encouragement, thanking them for their service to us, to put with the tip. Usually she uses the back of a little Christian gospel card.

You'd be surprised how many people have seen us on a later visit to the same place and tell us how much the note meant to them. (One young lady was keeping it in her pocket and showed it to us on our next visit.)

We know these people work hard, and are at the mercy of a system that forces them to rely on tips for a good pay, and so it isn't fair to punish them for how the system works.

That wolf you mention many time demanded I follow Matthew 18, no matter how many times I provided the context. Wolves don't care about facts.

Neil said...

I love your note-writing habit! Need to try that.

Anonymous said...

Christians need to wake up and smell the coffee about what is going on in their own churches! That's where the real battle has been lost. How many churches are promoting false teachers, following man-agendas (like the seeker/church growth junk), filling the saints with pablum for "sermons" and "worship music", allowing worldliness to run rampant, entertaining instead of expositing, confusing amusement with edification, etc, etc?

If the church isn't pure, she isn't effective!

Judgement begins where?

-Carolyn

Anonymous said...

I worked in the restaurant business for a time, and to be quite honest here, those who claimed to be Christians, lived their own 'entitlement program' quite effectively. These individuals/families were more rude, demanding, more likely to send their food back because they found some minor fault with it, were louder and more attention seeking, left little or no tips, did not like to wait for a table like the others had too on a busy evening exhibiting very little patience, and the words 'please' and 'thank-you' were very, very rare in their vocabularies.

I, personally, would rather dine with unbelievers for they generally treat the restaurant staff with more fruits of the Spirit than so called believers do. Like I stated, the 'Christian(?) entitlement programs.' And another note, we rarely receive Thank-you cards or notes from the high school graduates of the local Baptist and charismatic/Pentecostal churches in our area, those who boast of knowing a jesus better than the rest of us, however, we ALWAYS receive gracious Thank-you cards from the ELCA Lutheran graduates......always......guess the spiritual elites may want to read the Gospels again and teach them to their children.

The largest growing mission field lies right here in America, the land of religious entitlement. As a woman, I love giving my Bibles away while sharing the Gospel with unsaved drunkards, porn users, young couples who a living together/fornicating, adulterers, etc. And to date, I haven't been spit upon yet, thank-you LORD as you humble us in sharing your Gospel, in love. Oh, how we can delight in You!

Alec said...

Excellent collection here, Glenn.

In regard to the privilege of being a stay-at-home-mom, definitions are all important. "Privileged" may indicate someone is "rich", or "has rights others do not". The shapers of the brave new society have made the "norm" for men and women to both be "workers" for wages. Many Americans hate what they do, and for good reasons. They consider themselves "wage-slaves". In this context, women who believe they must work like men, forego having children, and/or give their children to others to raise through daycare, etc, feel real jealousy and hatred towards "privileged" women who are able to stay home.

Neil, loved your comment:
I told the wolf that he was begging the question in assuming he was my brother in Christ. After all, my entire point was that he was a wolf!
Perfect!

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Carolyn,

Most of the article on this blog are about waking up and smelling the coffee in the church. But the article on this post goes beyond that, demonstrating what is happening to the church from the outside. THIS is why we need to wake up IN the Church to get rid of the tares, so we can more effectively protect those INSIDE the church during the coming times of persecution.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous 5/11/ 8:13AM,

You are really making poor generalizations here. First, there is no way that you can know the beliefs of the majority of your customers, so to say that it is Christians who are the worst is unfair as well as being illogical from the lack of studies.

I'd really like to know exactly what are "Christian entitlement programs."

I also think you over-generalize about the students, in that I wonder how you can tell where they attend without them wearing some time of identification.

As for the ELCA, since that organization is apostate and often heretical in their teaching, it wouldn't surprise me if their students were behaving as described since they believe in the social gospel and that works save you.

And I'd really like to know how you consider America "the land of religious entitlement." I have never heard of any entitlements for religions, except that Islam gets all sorts of benefits and promotions that Christianity doesn't get, which would make THEM entitled in America.

Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn,

Maybe I wasn't clear on what I meant to say... nonetheless, I certainly understand that your blog is addressing the internal issues in the church.

-Carolyn

Philip said...

I'd like Carolyn to elaborate on the comment if the church isn't pure its not effective. I know my church isn't pure as I'm in it! I know we need discernment and sound teaching, and to listen to the call be holy as I am holy, but if we could have done that Jesus was not needed. Our call is faithfulness not effectiveness, in faith our effect will surely then come.
Are you claiming your church is pure - which one is it? (Dont worry I can't join knowing I am not pure!)
As an aside I really don't understand waking up and smelling the coffee. Surely drinking it would be the logical thing to do?????