Christianity looked at like it’s a conspiracy?

[Clermont1029]

Hi all,
This is my first post and I have read these forums for sometime now. Just thought I would share a little about my background. As a young child growing up until my teenage years I was going to church and prayed often but as I got older I drifted away from my faith. Two years ago my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he never lost his faith. As I witnessed his faith all the way through to his death, I started to feel like my faith was coming back. I wish I had the Holy Spirit I carry with me now at that time. This isn’t the point of my post but a kind of building block or start to where I am now.
Over the last year and half I started to see Satan in TV, Media, Politics, really everywhere I looked. It’s hard to admit but, seeing this is what made me convinced that Jesus exists. I now have read many chapters in the bible, listened to countless hours of bible study, Sunday services and just Christian videos on YouTube. I’m no where near being what I can become with my knowledge of Christianity but what I have already learnt is that I want to bring people to Jesus.
My life has changed so dramatically and I feel so close and comforted by the Holy Spirit and things that never worked out for me suddenly turn out okay or even good. I have changed my music taste and almost strictly listen to gospel music and these changes have brought so much comfort in these horrible times.
Every time I approach a family member, friend or someone I care about with Jesus or Christianity they look at me like I’m crazy or spreading conspiracy. They often use the ‘Jesus forgives so when I die he will just forgive me excuse’.
Maybe, it’s how I’m approaching this? Am I too new to spread the great news? I really just want to ask if any of you have had success with helping people find Christ and how you approached it?

 

[Magenta]

So sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved earthly father. There is a saying your question
reminds me of: Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words

Welcome!

 

[Gideon300]

Hi all,
This is my first post and I have read these forums for sometime now. Just thought I would share a little about my background. As a young child growing up until my teenage years I was going to church and prayed often but as I got older I drifted away from my faith. Two years ago my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he never lost his faith. As I witnessed his faith all the way through to his death, I started to feel like my faith was coming back. I wish I had the Holy Spirit I carry with me now at that time. This isn’t the point of my post but a kind of building block or start to where I am now.
Over the last year and half I started to see Satan in TV, Media, Politics, really everywhere I looked. It’s hard to admit but, seeing this is what made me convinced that Jesus exists. I now have read many chapters in the bible, listened to countless hours of bible study, Sunday services and just Christian videos on YouTube. I’m no where near being what I can become with my knowledge of Christianity but what I have already learnt is that I want to bring people to Jesus.
My life has changed so dramatically and I feel so close and comforted by the Holy Spirit and things that never worked out for me suddenly turn out okay or even good. I have changed my music taste and almost strictly listen to gospel music and these changes have brought so much comfort in these horrible times.
Every time I approach a family member, friend or someone I care about with Jesus or Christianity they look at me like I’m crazy or spreading conspiracy. They often use the ‘Jesus forgives so when I die he will just forgive me excuse’.
Maybe, it’s how I’m approaching this? Am I too new to spread the great news? I really just want to ask if any of you have had success with helping people find Christ and how you approached it?

You need to ask them why Jesus would forgive them when they have rejected Him in this life. It's like a cancer sufferer rejecting help until it's too late. There comes a time when cancer is terminal. So it is with the sickness of sin. Once the person dies, it's too late.

The hardest people to witness to are family members and people who know us well. The Lord used me to witness to my sister, but she was saved about a year later. My two brothers never accepted Christ. They were both bitter atheists. Sometimes we need to witness once and let our lives be the evidence for the truth of the gospel.

 

[Lafftur]

I absolutely praise God for you!!! Your post has given me hope that people are coming to the knowledge of God and His salvation!

Jesus Christ was rejected by His brothers and sisters…how much more shall our unbelieving family reject us?!!!

However, His brother James became a believer….it’s God that chooses us FIRST then, we have to choose Him.

Salvation is a personal decision…between God and the individual.

 

[Runningman]

Hi all,
This is my first post and I have read these forums for sometime now. Just thought I would share a little about my background. As a young child growing up until my teenage years I was going to church and prayed often but as I got older I drifted away from my faith. Two years ago my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he never lost his faith. As I witnessed his faith all the way through to his death, I started to feel like my faith was coming back. I wish I had the Holy Spirit I carry with me now at that time. This isn’t the point of my post but a kind of building block or start to where I am now.
Over the last year and half I started to see Satan in TV, Media, Politics, really everywhere I looked. It’s hard to admit but, seeing this is what made me convinced that Jesus exists. I now have read many chapters in the bible, listened to countless hours of bible study, Sunday services and just Christian videos on YouTube. I’m no where near being what I can become with my knowledge of Christianity but what I have already learnt is that I want to bring people to Jesus.
My life has changed so dramatically and I feel so close and comforted by the Holy Spirit and things that never worked out for me suddenly turn out okay or even good. I have changed my music taste and almost strictly listen to gospel music and these changes have brought so much comfort in these horrible times.
Every time I approach a family member, friend or someone I care about with Jesus or Christianity they look at me like I’m crazy or spreading conspiracy. They often use the ‘Jesus forgives so when I die he will just forgive me excuse’.
Maybe, it’s how I’m approaching this? Am I too new to spread the great news? I really just want to ask if any of you have had success with helping people find Christ and how you approached it?

Glad your eyes have been opened to the evils of the world. To the praise and glory of His name, we have been given victory over evil and everything else through Christ.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the people you have been in contact with do not even know what the gospel of Christ is. There is a grain of truth in what they said, but this is not the gospel that saves: "Jesus forgives so when I die he will just forgive me."

While it may seem minor, it actually isn't. There is more to the gospel of Jesus than just that. You can try sharing with them scriptures that will help them such as John 3:16, Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and many more.

Best way to reach people, in my experience is through love. Really take time to go the extra mile with people, being patient, for months or years if necessary. There often is no quick one-shot solution to helping people find Christ because people have to want to seek God with all of their heart and we cannot do that for them.

I am not trying to minimize just sharing verses and other short term things because those acts are helpful to plant seeds for other laborers for Christ. The main idea, though, is to make disciples as Jesus commanded. Try to find one or two people to really work with and teach, praying with them, studying with them, for as long as possible.

Do people wrongly conflate Christianity with "conspiracy theories?" Sometimes, yes. That is because the media has often made efforts to conflate conspiracy theorists as mentally unstable and then associate conspiracy theorists with Christians thereby creating a neurolinguistic association with something negative. It's just propaganda and after watching so much TV, media, and politics you know this.

 

[Subhumanoidal]

Hi all,
This is my first post and I have read these forums for sometime now. Just thought I would share a little about my background. As a young child growing up until my teenage years I was going to church and prayed often but as I got older I drifted away from my faith. Two years ago my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he never lost his faith. As I witnessed his faith all the way through to his death, I started to feel like my faith was coming back. I wish I had the Holy Spirit I carry with me now at that time. This isn’t the point of my post but a kind of building block or start to where I am now.
Over the last year and half I started to see Satan in TV, Media, Politics, really everywhere I looked. It’s hard to admit but, seeing this is what made me convinced that Jesus exists. I now have read many chapters in the bible, listened to countless hours of bible study, Sunday services and just Christian videos on YouTube. I’m no where near being what I can become with my knowledge of Christianity but what I have already learnt is that I want to bring people to Jesus.
My life has changed so dramatically and I feel so close and comforted by the Holy Spirit and things that never worked out for me suddenly turn out okay or even good. I have changed my music taste and almost strictly listen to gospel music and these changes have brought so much comfort in these horrible times.
Every time I approach a family member, friend or someone I care about with Jesus or Christianity they look at me like I’m crazy or spreading conspiracy. They often use the ‘Jesus forgives so when I die he will just forgive me excuse’.
Maybe, it’s how I’m approaching this? Am I too new to spread the great news? I really just want to ask if any of you have had success with helping people find Christ and how you approached it?

This is not a new concept, even outside of Christianity. It's like when someone that everyone knows gets promoted at a job. Suddenly this person is in charge, and thus people have a hard time respecting this person because they remember them from before.

Most witnessing is sowing or watering, not harvesting. You can't expect to just go up to people and share a few things and believe they'll just magically get it and want to change. It takes time, and sometimes not even that works. Or you may do tons of sowing and watering and someone else may be the one to harvest. And that may be years later. There is no promise or time frame for if or when people will respond. It's simply your job to tell them, what they decide falls on them, so don't push it.

 

[PaulNew]

Just imagine you're the Karate Kid, and go out there and practice your Kung Fu in front of them.

Personally, when i was born again, i spent waaaaaay tooooo looooong trying to explain it all to worldly people, instead of just getting out there and standing on that post and practicing that special kick.

practice denying yourself and then loving your neighbor as that denied self that you are now trying to be.

Top Tips...
Quiet time first thing each morning with God.
read one chapter of a gospel each day. (John and Matthew are best)
the rest will fall into place.

 

[Lanolin]

planting seeds is only part of it
Its preparing the ground thats just as important, and then sowing those seeds in the right season, so that they will grow best.

And sometimes it can take a few years to prepare the ground, especially if its hard clay!