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Making men MEN again. The David Alliance will help you slay your giants.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 12, 2021
Tuesday Jan 12, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
It is the New Year and many of my friends, neighbors, associates and the like are aaaaallll in when it comes to their NY resolutions and fitness.
Like my one friend Archie who is going to lose 75 pounds and quit eating junk food and go to the gym every day.
Well he said he is going to try to lose 75, but he would settle for 50, and actually 25 wouldn’t be to bad. and he will still eat some junk food or have a couple cheat days a week, but he will try to eat a little better BUT- HE IS GOING TO THE GYM… every day, unless it is super cold out, or he needs some sleep, or he is sore from the day before, or he just isn’t feeling it… but he is set! He is doing it. he is going to change his life forever, most likely, probably, hopefully… Hey don’t hold your breath.
I have seen to many teenagers as a youth pastor storm the alter at a camp or retreat and give their lives to Christ, and cry and pray and snot all over their face… and later that night I pull them out of the bushes with their pants down with one of the girls…
But to be fair, I have met plenty of people with the same teeter totter experience. They give their lives to Christ and they still live like someone who is lost. Now before we talk about grace and forgiveness and no one is perfect… lets look at 1 John 5
1 John 5:1-21
(just the first 5 verses… read the rest on your own)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
I guess my heart for those of you listening today is not to be perfect but to be grieved…
What do I mean by that? Well when you are truly walking with God, you sin less and less as you get older in Christ… but even more than that you grieve harder and harder when you do sin.
Look I am not going to lie, when I was younger I could mess up, say things, look at things, do things that were just plain sin. And I knew they were sin, and It would bother me over time and I would confess and repent and move forward…
Thats just not the way it is anymore for me. When I sin now I grieve… I feel wounded inside and even worse I feel the pain of being the one who wounded God which in turn makes me feel the pain as well.
I used to play hockey as a very young kid, I would play once in a while as I grew up and when my boys got older I would go out and skate with them once and a while. Now when I was young, I loved knocking people over, a good hip check was like a high… yeah after a few minutes or if the person got hurt it would not feel as good and I would at some point say “sorry”… and kind of mean it. Now if I am out on the ice and just accidentally knock into someone and hurt them (especially if it is a young kid) I feel devastated. I can’t say I am sorry enough or I myself can’t hurt for them enough.
if you are serious about really giving your life to Christ I would say you should be feeling the grief of sinning more and more and it should also be less and less…. or maybe… hold on…maybe you really didn’t give your life to Christ. Maybe you gave your life to the idea of being a Christian, but not actually dying to self. There is the rub… Jesus said pick up your cross daily and follow me.
Imagine if you will a cross in your bedroom… you get up tomorrow morning and you see it there. Now carrying a cross to work is pretty humbling for most of us… but you get to choose wether or not you pick it up. Lets be honest we can carry it to the small group bible study, we can carry it to church and even once and a while in the car… but EVERY DAY???
And there in lies the cost, its not the picking it up… its the picking it up every day.
You know 1 John 5 gives us a hint of how to do this pick up our cross thing. John says “it is easy for those who love God”.
Why not ask God to help you fall deeply in love with him and to experience his love like for the first time. Its not a burden if you are in love with him.
My second date with my wife we were in a movie theatre and she forgot her purse in my car. I said I will go get it, no problem! I parked 300 cars away and it was raining… strike that… it was pouring… strike that… I had to swim out to my car. I came back into the movie and I was freezing cold… but was it a burden? NOPE, I was in love. There were times in our marriage it was a burden… but I kept loving her, I kept serving her and now more than ever I am farther in love with her than ever before.
Ask God for the same journey… he will in fact help you fall in love with him.
Monday Jan 11, 2021
Monday Jan 11, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
We are in a pandemic… which leads me to wonder hmmmm… what is the worst pandemic ever? What was the one that just ravaged and killed with a vengeance? Actually pretty easy… I don’t know what the name of it was, but I am sure it was the one that killed the dinosaurs.
Skipping the last 2 lies… I don’t like them, they bore me. So lets move on!
New York city had a tough time between 1804 and 1918. They had the following epidemics run amok and cause serious damage:
Yellow Fever, 3 outbreaks - 445 deaths
Typhoid fever, 1 outbreak - 200 deaths
Influenza, 1 outbreak -12,562 deaths
Smallpox, 2 outbreaks - 7,044 deaths
Cholera, 6 outbreaks - 13,210 deaths
What is an outbreak?
An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. As COVID-19 began spreading in Wuhan, China, it became an epidemic. Because the disease then spread across several countries and affected a large number of people, it was classified as a pandemic.
There was an OUTBREAK that caused an epidemic if you might call it that in Scripture.
1 Samuel 17
David kills Goliath and the Israeli army joins in the fight. What do we see here? We see one mans actions breaking out into courage for many other men… they in turn take action and take on the enemy?
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[f] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.
But you say… yeah but this was David. Wait just a second, lets not forget that at this point David is a nobody. Don’t believe me? Lets look a few verses down
…55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”
Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”
A nobody kid facing a giant. Starts a pandemic of courage amongst the other men.
He was unknown, unprepared except with a sling (his weapon of choice) but he was willing to take a stand and run headlong into the danger zone.
What is your weapon of choice?
Maybe its a skill, a natural gift, money, time, joy… whatever God has equipped you with how about running into danger with it.
What if you - the unknown guy becomes his own pandemic. Starts and outbreak simply by taking a stand a chance a risk.
you know the real problem with most people? They are waiting to ride the coattails of other people. They are waiting for a David to step up and win the big one so they can run along with him. But we need Davids NOW! We need all men everywhere to start an outbreak.
Maybe its like this. You start going to work early… about 30 minutes. You walk around your office building and just simply pray for your co-workers. If someone asks what you are doing - you…. wait for it… you tell them! Maybe they laugh at you… maybe they join you. But you start your own outbreak. In all you do seek to step out for God.
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Friday Jan 08, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
It can always get worse… so relax and trust that exposing todays lie will actually help you navigate 2021.
Lie #5
'There is no single truth. Everyone needs to explore and find
a truth that works for them.'
When people nonchalantly throw out the statement “well I believe there are many religions that are good”
OR THIS ONE
If their religion works for them then thats great.
OR THIS ONE
All religions are basically the same.
OR THIS ONE
Truth is truth if it works for you.
OR THIS ONE
You have your truth and I have mine
Here is the actual truth regarding these statements…
ridiculous! Absurd and just shy of being so naive that your middle name should be ignorance. Can I be any more clear?
Here is the problem. In the world of Christianity we get a bad rap saying that we are stubborn and pig headed and arrogant believing that our way is the only way.
But again - ready for that word - the truth is that every religion believes they are the only way.
So here is the flaming statement from captain obvious,
Its impossible for all religions to be true… ready for the really hard truth… its impossible for even 2 of the world religions to be true at the same time.
There can only be 1 truth when it comes to eternity… because the concept of eternity first and foremost screams allegiance to the idea that there is only 1 eternity, created by one God and there is only one way to get to that eternity if in fact there is one.
The fact is truth is exclusive. It belongs to its own club and there are no other members. You cannot have truth with multiple answers and or multiple outcomes. If you believe these statements to be wrong Then it is not truth you are talking about but rather randomness.
So if we do have the truth in Christianity - it does not give us the right to bully or yell or belittle anyone. Rather it gives us the courage and peace to share our faith. As C.S. Lewis said “you don’t need to defend a lion, you just need to let him out of his cage”.
The truth will defend itself and is swallowed much easier when given in bite size portions covered in love.
and let me add that even those who claim that Christianity is the truth they believe… do they really believe? How many people who call themselves Christians have actually read the bible, actually live up to its truths and actually profess their faith by trying to share the gospel with others (and that honestly is a huge part of really actually, truth be told, no holds barred belief in Christianity) If it is the truth than you should be living it, sharing it daily because that is truth in action.
And finally… if there is only one truth… Christianity calls that truth Jesus. So start there. Get to know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
Sat through almost 16 months of chemo… and you know what I learned… women are way tougher than men. Hands down.
Lie #4
Women are spiritually inferior and must bow to the
authority of men.
In the days of Christ… women were inferior… what I mean by that is no matter how talented, smart or gifted they were, they were still looked upon as inferior… actually they were property. Just a possession that you could dispose of at will for really any reason.
A woman testimony would not be used in court because they were inferior, not smart enough to know what really happened, what really went on.
Luke 10:39
Jesus let Mary sit at his feet while he taught. This was a huge taboo in Christ time. The fact that Jesus would allow a women to sit at his feet and be taught was the same as drafting a 10 year old to play in the NFL. It was unheard of, not practiced, not smart and would be gossiped about around town… and yet Jesus must have thought she could handle it…. hmmm a woman as a disciple. Strange in deed.
But the real hard evidence is this when we are talking about how god viewed women. If you were to just make up the resurrection story and you wanted it to be believable you would not have had it written up where women find an empty tomb and talk to Jesus. Right there most would say… this is unbelievable. “YOU SAY… Yeah I don’t believe it”… well when the women ran back to the disciples and told him the Messiah had risen… did they believe them? NOPE. Why… probably more because they were women… they are emotional, hyper sensitive and untrustworthy… or so the culture believed. And yet God saw to it that women would make the great discovery first.
All through out scripture God uses women in amazing ways. they are prophetess’s, disciples, leaders and most importantly Jesus inner circle friends.
so let me steer this 2 different ways today. yes women can be spiritual leaders, but they must still be under the authority of their husbands. This is a delicate balance. Many women have strong personalities and they can run over their husbands. They become the leader because they feel like their husband isn’t up to the task. Careful ladies… this is not biblical.
Secondly, many women have sat in my office and told me their husbands are not spiritual leaders when in fact they actually mean one of 2 things: My husband isn’t perfect so I can’t trust him AND OR (this will sound arrogant but let me finish) my husband isn’t a leader… meaning he is not like you. Loud, demonstrative in his faith, healing, witnessing, preaching etc…
Here is my advice to women. Step out and be a disciple. With that, tell your husband you trust that he will seek God and lead your family… then let him do it. Kindly reminding him every now and then what you need leadership in as a family and as a marriage. Give him time, let him fail, love him and don’t get frustrated and take over…. Not only are you not God, you are not the leader of the household.
Wednesday Jan 06, 2021
Wednesday Jan 06, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
A good old southern boy Wally Lump lump was running for office. He was asked in an interview what the greatest invention was of the past 100 years. He said “it’s got to be the thermos”. The interviewer a little bewildered asked why do you think the thermos. Well it keeps hot things hot and cold things cold. The interviewer still puzzled asked and what is so amazing about that? Wally without hesitation said “well how does it know which is which?
7
So what is the greatest invention EVER.
Pizza? Gyros? Sliced bread? automobile, computer, FMRI, or maybe its the upside down ketchup bottle…
It is truly the printing press. That turned the world upside down.
HOW SO?
Well until that time only the upper crest most elite of the elite had a copy of the bible. And in case you didn’t know it was like having the inside scoop on car sales and what they are really worth.
Once the printing press was created -it’s first book to print was the bible. Uh oh… cats out of the bag. The church had a very cool monopoly on religion and manipulation of its members… but not anymore. Once people could read it on their own and see what the true story of the gospel was and what scripture really said… the church lost their power. Now don’t get me wrong, I still meet lots of Christians who are catholic who tell me without hesitation or embarrassment that they do not read the bible because it is really up to the priest to read and interpret. But none the less, scripture is clear that we should continue to meet together, read and study scripture and in fact 2 Tim. 2:18 says to study it, and be prepared to know and apply it to all areas of life without embarrassment.
Let’s face it, everyone has opinions on Jesus, Christianity and numerous themes in the bible… but very few can back it up with scripture they have read, know or understand beyond basic repetition.
So before you launch into a “this is what I think and paint it Christian”… make sure you have read the bible and can back it up.
So what is the challenge today? Simple, crack open your bible, read Ephesians, John or Luke and realize that in just a few minutes you will have a much greater insight into christianity - how and why? Because you can understand it for yourself. You don’t need a pastor, a book or a website for you to get the basic ideas behind it. You in fact will have to learn to quit making excuses as to why you don’t live it… because you do actually understand it.
For the record, I like reading the Message bible for a few chapters, then read the same in the NLT version and many times the same thing in the NIV.
You are in fact smart enough, and bright enough to know the bible for yourself. And if that is not enough how about this scripture….
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Or
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
You know the old saying…
Its on a need to know basis and you don’t need to know.
Well scripture is on a read to know basis and you need to read to know.
Tuesday Jan 05, 2021
Tuesday Jan 05, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
Bears lose, packers win… God is still on the throne… and no Aaron Rodgers you are not God. Thats all I got.
Lie #2 God is huge and unapproachable,
2000 years ago, they wouldn't even dare say the word
'God.'
They took out the vowels so that they only had YHWH… we now pronounce it yahweh - but the point was that the religious thought God was distant, remote, secretive, Ominous and out of touch.
In todays world we might simply come to the honest conclusion that its not that he is unapproachable, but rather we are not good enough or we are to sinful for him to really give us any attention. He only really listens to the Super Holy, the saints if you will.
So it is extremely interesting when the disciples… the least likely, least holy and less than perfect specimens of Christ followers ask him how to pray. And what does he do? he blows their minds.
Lets pretend for a second that you ask none other than Mother Theresa or Billy Graham how to pray. Its just you and them. Billy Graham smiles and says when you pray… pray like this.
Dear Mother F#ck*r
you would lose your mind. You would not only be shocked you would question Billy and how much communion wine he had. But that was the shock the disciples had when Jesus basically said “you know God the father, the one who is so Holy you can’t even say his name?… Pray like this Dear Daddy.
It had to have blown their minds.
And with that the religious still condemn Jesus for hanging out with the worst of the worst… and what does he do? He tells the story of the prodigals son. Basically a son wants his Dad dead so he can have his inheritance. And then he wants back into the family… yes as a slave but still he has the gaul to come back. And even more insane… the Dad willingly, even enthusiastically wants his relationship back with him.
So does God really want to seem unapproachable? How about when he was in the temple in Luke 4
Luke tells the story in like this:
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling
it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
If Jesus ever had an opportunity to impress the religious it was at this moment… but yet he chooses to read from Isaiah.
He reads the exact scriptures that stand against the testimony of the Pharisees… yes the religious.
The Pharisees manipulated the poor, despised criminals, had disdain for the sick, and outwardly shunned the oppressed. To the Pharisees these were the people that did not have a chance to ever connect with God.
Jesus drops a bomb!
Look, Jesus is waiting to hang with you, talk to you, be with you, live inside you if you don’t know him. you do not have to perform for him. Not only is God approachable he is your Daddy.
Monday Jan 04, 2021
Monday Jan 04, 2021
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
If I try hard and fail I can deal with that. If I study hard, and do it wrong and fail I can live with that. But if you tell me the right way to do it and its wrong… I can even swallow that. But if you purposefully tell me false information and I fail… I feel gullible, and I am outraged.
And that - I can’t live with… unfortunately many do every day.
Hey thanks for all who reached out to me during my break. Lindsay, Jeff, Pete, Austin, Lance, Erik, Eric, Tony… and so many more.
It is suicide season. January - April.
The Seven Great Lies of Organized Religion
Lie #1:
'If you live a moral life, deny yourself pleasure,
follow the prescribed rituals and give us enough money,
you'll have a decent shot at being accepted by God.'
When I first started playing guitar I would ask some people how they wrote songs and learned how to do it etc… A few of the people I really respected would give me these big long answers about it is an innate ability and skill understanding music theory, having a well trained ear and even some would say perfect pitch. it made it seem like I had tons of work ahead of me and maybe just wouldn’t be able to pull it off.
Wow, when I found out the truth and how easy it was… I was mad at those who gave me such foolish advice.
NOW I MAKE IT A POINT TO CUT TO THE CHASE WHEN I GIVE GUITAR LESSONS AND EXPLAIN IT AS SIMPLY AS POSSIBLE.
In the same way I cut to the chase when sharing Christ. it has nothing to do with how good you are, what you do, how much you give to the church, the poor or any other cause. it is not enough to just love everybody… etc…
This reminds me of an old Hagar the Horrible comic strip. It shows him climbing up a huge mountain (through the snow and cold) to find a monk, cross legged and meditating. He wakes him from his deep meditation and says please tell me the way to happiness. The monk ponders and leans in and says “fasting, prayer and self sacrifice”. Hagar, looks a little puzzled and says… uh is there anybody else up here I can talk to”?
it's no accident that Jesus' own biggest enemies 2000
years ago were precisely these types of self-righteous hypocrites.
They had everyone thinking that pleasing God was a never-ending
performance marathon.
Well Jesus painted a totally different picture. He told this
story:
Luke 18:
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
V. 9 to some who were confident in their own righteousness…
2 problems arise from this:
Here is the first problem with that statement: They are so confident they are teaching people and telling others this is the way to do it.
Just be good, do better and work harder…
It seems to work for me..
Secondly: Self righteous people attract needy people and they in turn (the needy people) try to live up to what the confident person is doing - even though it is wrong.
You know the problem in most gyms? Everyone sees the super strong guy and they do what he is doing… the problem is - he is just naturally strong and it won’t work for you.
You simply doing what the self righteous person is doing isn’t enough - it won’t work for you.
OR WORSE YET… YOU ARE COPYING SOMEONE WHO IS ON FIRE FOR GOD AND IT’S REAL. But all you do is the outward of what they do. You pray the same prayer, speak the same lingo, go to the same church, listen to the same audio books etc… but it is not based on a relationship, it’s based on rules and religion.
Beware of the proud holy man who hangs a bunch of rules
around your neck… because you will hang by that which is around your neck.
Jesus is a relationship. Not rules.
Don’t let religion TELL you or SELL you otherwise!
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
No podcasts for the next 11 days… or January 4th… thats a Monday. Going to read up, study, and get prepped for a better than ever year.
Its not that hard.
QUIET TIME
So much time to read the bible
How much time does it take to read from Genesis to Revelation? If you would read the Bible at standard pulpit sped (slow enough to be heard and understood), the reading time would be seventy-one hours. If you would break that down into minutes and divdide it into 365 days you could read the entire Bible, cover to cover in only 12 minutes a day. Is this really to much time to spend reading about God? The almanac of the Christian World, 1991-1992 p. 225
When starting a quiet time with God its not the length of time nor how much you read or memorize or pray… it’s all bout the habit.
Better to have 3 minutes reading the OT, 3 minutes reading the NT and 4 minutes praying everyday than hit and miss. once the habit is built, it is much easier to grow it.
The truth is that if satan can’t trap us in sin or disbelief he will trap us in the bondage of living a life separated from God. You know the routine… get up, focused on the morning ritual, pack lunch, look at phone, check calendar, get coffee, get gas etc…. come home, eat and crash in front of the TV or some other hobby. Never really instituting the habit of communion with God. Sin doesn’t always keep us from God… many times it is just an undisciplined life.
Habits are so easily built and so hard to break. Have you ever been driving in the car and slowly realized you shifted, signaled, and even drove a few miles without even thinking of it. How can this be? Habit. You never got in the car and said to that 15 year old boy hoping to get his license… “ok Garth, you know you have arrived at being a great driver when you don’t even have to think about it”. The truth is, i have driven for years and now it is just habit.
In the same way I have read my bible for years and it has become a Godly habit, a spiritual discipline… but even the word discipline is overly used… when discipline becomes habit life can become incredibly rewarding.
Have you ever seen someone do something and you remark to another person… well that is there second nature. They are just giving, loving, forgiving etc… it’s their second nature. Well our second nature is actually just the habits we have allowed to manifest beyond thought and into mannerism.
They will know we are his disciples by our fruit…
Well let’s get to the point.. fruit is only as good as the habits that produce it. So maybe, just maybe the world will truly recognize us by our habits. Let’s make sure they stand out for God.
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
How to Make a Woman Happy
It's not difficult to Make a woman happy.
A man only needs to be:
1. A friend
2. A companion
3. A lover
4. A brother
5. A father
6. A master
7. A chef
8. An electrician
9. A carpenter
10. A plumber
11. A mechanic
12. A decorator
13. A stylist
14. A sexologist
15. A gynecologist
16. A psychologist
17. A pest exterminator
18. A psychiatrist
19. A healer
20. A good listener
21. An organizer
22. A good father
!
23. Very clean
24. Sympathetic
25. Athletic
26. Warm
27. Attentive
28. Gallant
29. Intelligent
30. Funny
31. Creative
32. Tender
33. Strong
34. Understanding
35. Tolerant
36. Prudent
37. Ambitious
38. Capable
39. Courageous
40. Determined
41. True
42. Dependable
43. Passionate
44. Compassionate
WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:
45. Give her compliments regularly
46. Love shopping
47. Be honest
48. Be very rich
49. Not stress her out
50. Not look at other girls
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:
51. Give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
52. Give her lots of time, especially time for herself
53. Give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:
54. Never to forget:
* birthdays
* anniversaries
- arrangements she makes
- Here new hair style or color
- Her new outfit
- weight loss
- how you met
HOW TO! MAKE A MAN HAPPY
1. Show up naked
2. Bring food
Marriage is comprised up of 3 key ingredients, Intimacy, Passion and commitment.
You must have all three (like a triangle) to have a marriage that stands. These three all develop at different rates. They must be constantly growing for your relationship to be healthy. If you have one of these missing, you have a very adolescent relationship…i.e. adolescents usually only want 2 of the three things in a relationship. If so then you are in a retarded relationship.
Intimacy - communication, but beyond that she wants you to not just hear her words but feel her words. Listen, repeat, ask her questions and then tell her a time when you felt the same way.
Passion - Simply put, be passionate about what she is passionate about and she in turn will be passionate about you.
Commitment - Trust. My wife can check my email, phone, all social media outlets, etc… I have no off limits with my wife. To build trust is to show just how committed you are to this relationship. Show me someone who is not willing to go the extra mile to build trust and i will show you someone who is not fully committed.
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
Who might you think is the hardest to convert to Christianity? The drug addict? The religious person? The really really good person? The satanist? The gang banger? The wealthy? The person in the cult?
My money is on the Muslims. Why? Well first off they intimidate many Christians. The world and the media have done a good job at that. right? They are all out to tear down america and destroy our fine country etc… look I don’t know if you have any muslims in your community but they have just as many issues trying to follow their religion as anyone?
It’s also hard to answer their questions. They think Jesus is a prophet and I am uncertain when they challenge me.
So why do Muslims come to Christ? Because if we can figure that out it will help us dramatically reach the less challenging.
5 Reasons Muslims Convert
A survey of 750 Muslims who converted to Christianity shows five predominant reasons they chose to follow Christ.
- The lifestyle of Christians. Former Muslims cited the love that Christians exhibited in their relationships with non-Christians and their treatment of women as equals.
- The power of God in answered prayers and healing. Experiences of God's supernatural work—especially important to folk Muslims who have a characteristic concern for power and blessings—increased after their conversions, according to the survey. Often dreams about Jesus were reported.
- Dissatisfaction with the type of Islam they had experienced. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the Qur'an, emphasizing God's punishment over his love. Others cited Islamic militancy and the failure of Islamic law to transform society.
- The spiritual truth in the Bible. Muslims are generally taught that the Torah, Psalms, and the Gospels are from God, but that they became corrupted. These Christian converts said, however, that the truth of God found in Scripture became compelling for them and key to their understanding of God's character.
- Biblical teachings about the love of God. In the Qur'an, God's love is conditional, but God's love for all people was especially eye-opening for Muslims. These converts were moved by the love expressed through the life and teachings of Jesus. The next step for many Muslims was to become part of a fellowship of loving Christians.
The respondents were from 30 countries and 50 ethnic groups. The survey was prepared at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Intercultural Studies, and reported in Christianity Today.
Muslims are now 21 percent of the world population, increasing from 12 percent in the past 100 years. And the growth rate of Islam is higher than that of Christianity (1.81% per year, compared to 1.23%). Christians still outnumber Muslims, with one-third of the world population naming Christianity as their faith.
In some parts of the world, significant pockets of Muslims are turning to Christ, including North Africa, South Asia, and Indonesia.
—info from J. Dudley Woodbury, Russell G. Shubin, and G. Marks at ChristianityToday.com.
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
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Winter 2008, Vol. XXIX, No. 1, Page 13