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Daniel of Doulogos Name:Daniel
Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
About Me: I used to believe that evolution was reasonable, that homosexuality was genetic, and that people became Christians because they couldn't deal with the 'reality' that this life was all there was. I used to believe, that if there was a heaven - I could get there by being good - and I used to think I was more or less a good person. I was wrong on all counts. One day I finally had my eyes opened and I saw that I was not going to go to heaven, but that I was certainly going to suffer the wrath of God for all my sin. I saw myself as a treasonous rebel at heart - I hated God for creating me just to send me to Hell - and I was wretched beyond my own comprehension. Into this spiritual vacuum Jesus Christ came and he opened my understanding - delivering me from God's wrath into God's grace. I was "saved" as an adult, and now my life is hid in Christ. I am by no means sinless, but by God's grace I am a repenting believer - a born again Christian.
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Daniel's posts are almost always pastoral and God centered. I appreciate and am challenged by them frequently. He has a great sense of humor as well.
- Marc Heinrich

His posts are either funny or challenging. He is very friendly and nice.
- Rose Cole

[He has] good posts, both the serious like this one, and the humorous like yesterday. [He is] the reason that I have restrained myself from making Canadian jokes in my posts.
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This post contains nothing that is of any use to me. What were you thinking? Anyway, it's probably the best I've read all day.
- David Kjos

Daniel, nicely done and much more original than Frank the Turk.
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There are some people who are smart, deep, or funny. There are not very many people that are all 3. Daniel is one of those people. His opinion, insight and humor have kept me coming back to his blog since I first visited earlier this year.
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Monday, February 27, 2006
Ski Bunnies.

No, I am not really talking about large, albino rodents. I am talking about the people who come to ski resorts but never ski.

You know the kind - these people go every weekend, they buy all the ski clothes, hats, mitts, the more trendy and visible the better. They hang out in the resort's club and talk about skiing and snowboarding, and they are well read. They know all the right gear (they even have it), they read all the right magazines, and if you want to discuss which wax to use, they can talk for hours.

They love talking about skiing, and snowboarding, and winter sports in general, and after some time they become real experts - disdaining those who do not have as much knowledge as they themselves have. They have their heroes, and they have their own fans, but they never get out on the slopes themselves. They are in love with the skiing/snow boarding culture, and not with skiing or snowboarding itself.

There are "Christians" who are just like that. They come to church, read all the materials, and hang around with the people who actually go out and live Christian lives - yet they themselves have only an external religion. Christianity is a "form" to them, and they imagine that being a Christian means to wear a label, and if you are gung-ho enough, to even press yourself into that same form.

No profound thoughts today - just that illustration. Have a good day today people, and by good I mean get out on the slopes.

posted by Daniel @ 7:06 AM  
6 Comments:
  • At 9:17 AM, February 27, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I was thinking about this recently as well, but in terms of the 'testimonies' of some of the 'Christian' authors and speakers.
    In more than one case I read how they explored many religions at one time and then 'decided' Christianity was the one that made the most sense. They went to seminary or university, and are now 'leaders', but no where in their 'story' did I read about conviction of their sins and repentance. Just a change of mind.
    They live the Christian lifestyle, they know the words to use, they even can quote scripture, and they are widely read.
    No one can judge another's heart - I sure can't, but it is a niggling thought in my brain whenever I hear that person quoted or promoted within the Evangelical community.
    Just my 2 cents worth.
    Eunice

     
  • At 9:50 AM, February 27, 2006, Blogger Daniel said…

    Eunice, I think that is called "healthy caution" ;-)

     
  • At 12:13 PM, February 27, 2006, Blogger Rose~ said…

    We have a framed poster in our house.
    It says,
    "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are made for."
    Your post reminded me of that poster.
    Great thoughts!
    (I am sure most Canadians do a lot of skiing?)

     
  • At 9:03 PM, February 27, 2006, Blogger Jim said…

    Daniel,

    Did you ever see the "Evangelism Explosion's" video on the swimmers club? It is a similar analogy to this one.

    I know however many pastors are much more comfortable converting the flock than getting out of the streets where the real action is.

    God bless,
    Jim

     
  • At 10:51 AM, February 28, 2006, Blogger Daniel said…

    Rose - I knew I had seen that graphic before somewhere!

    Jim, I have noticed that in some churches there is an expectation that the pastor should be a red hot evangelist. I don't deny that an elder ought to do the work of an evangelist, yet some congregations are quick to place an imbalanced emphasis on this particular role.

    I believe that the Lord, "sends" people into the harvest, that is, He empowers those whom He sends by making them willing in the day of He empowers them.

    Notwithstanding, wherever there is a genuine article, we find an human effort facsimile or counterfeit.

    In some cases people are impatient with God's timing, or perhaps ignorant, and in the strength of that folly they expect their pastor to "make up the difference" - that is, they begin to *expect* their pastor fill the pews. This is (IMO) an injustice to the pastor, and is promotes a carnal, guilt-driven sort of evangelism, whereby the Pastor performing like a monkey for some vociferous minority in the church.

    By that I only hope to point out that it isn't the special job of the shepherd to produce the sheep, rather the flock - that is the sheep themselves ought to be begetting more sheep.

    It --is-- the special job of the shepherd however to diagnose illnesses in his flock and to deal with them. When a flock isn't "producing," a good shepherd deals with --that-- problem, and I would hope that he would deal with it before starting some "grow the church" program. It is wise and prudent to have an infrastructure of mature believers in place before one brings in a batch of new and impressionable believers.

    It is certainly telling that in some congregations no one seems to want to share their faith. I see this as a great problem that would have to be dealt with - in fact, I think evangelism programs are entirely human effort. A good healthy Christian (and by extension, church) shares his (their) faith without having to be coerced into doing so.

    I guess my concern is that expecting the pastor hits the "streets" with the gospel usually indicates a human-effort approach to evangelism. If the pastor isn't sharing his faith regularly, he has spiritual problem - he isn't living filled with God's Spirit. Demanding that he goes out and witnesses doesn't deal with that problem, it just makes the vociferous, pragmatic minority happy.

    Truly, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. The same rule applies therefore to those in the congregation. Every believer ought to be sharing their faith, and when they are not they demonstrate spiritual immaturity - and it is the duty of those who are mature in the church to identify, and treat that immaturity - encouraging others unto godliness.

    If the storehouse is in disrepair so that the grain it stores is rotting - it behooves us to set aside the gathering of grain until we have addressed the rot in the storehouse.

    My point is that there are many reasons why a pastor may not be out in the streets selling the gospel along side the Jehovah's Witnesses.

    I know you weren't suggesting otherwise Jim, - I am just jumping off that idea to make the point.

    Thanks for your thoughts

    Dan

     
  • At 11:31 AM, February 28, 2006, Blogger Jim said…

    Dan, once again I see I should have qualified my remarks. I agree with your consensus here. My point was that some preachers think they are "preaching the gospel" by trying to convert the converted. Rather they should be focusing on discipling these baby believers and helping them grow in grace and the knowledge of God's word.

    I wholeheartedly believe every christian should be actively witnessing for Christ. To my shame I myself am weak in this area.

    God bless,
    Jim

     
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