What I mean is, when do we know to quit wasting our time on those who ACT interested in knowing Jesus and hearing about OUR personal relationship with Him ONLY to turn around and mock us and ridicule our beliefs either right away or behind our backs or the following week when they bounce a check and want to blame that on God too....and who we try to continue to share Christianity and the joy we know as Christians following the word of God, walking the path He chose for us, having such comfort in our destiny and our salvation.
The Bible tells us to share the word of God and it also tells us not to "throw our pearls to swine", when do YOU know the difference?
I sometimes have a hard time with this one.
2006-10-19 07:40:22 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If you are being true to the faith...and sharing your faith, you will be persecuted...even as Jesus was persecuted. Do not let that discourage you, but rather encourage you. When you share the Word of God with others, you are planting seeds, and it is God who gives the growth. At first, the person may react very negatively...but what you say sticks in their brain. Perhaps even years later, what you said to them starts to grow...and God saves them. You may never see this, until you meet that person in heaven.
As for "throwing pearls to swine", this is a very difficult verse.
Paul went all around preaching the good news to people...and what did he endure?
See 2 Corinthians 11:24-27:
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
Paul, receiving all of this in response to his preaching was NOT "throwing pearls to swine"!
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So what is, you ask?
It is a good question...and the discernment you seek can only be found through heartfelt prayer to God, as revealed to you by the Holy Spirit. If your fundamental motivation is not love and for the good of your hearer, you can be sure you are not being moved by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will close your mouth and other times the Holy Spirit will open your mouth (see the end of chapter 3 of Ezekiel). But only God knows.
Do NOT be condemned by other well-meaning Christians who accuse you of "throwing pearls to swine". Instead, ask them if Paul did this...when he received such abuse. Better yet, ask them if Jesus did...when He received such abuse and was crucified.
In the end, it is not their place to condemn you, for there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8). And neither should you condemn yourself!
The Holy Spirit may work in you a much more powerful and striking message than others, who shy away in fear. And they, to justify their 'silence', accuse you by using this verse.
I say: consider what they say and pray to God for an answer. Rebuke them, if necessary. And walk boldly in freedom to share the Gospel...and take such 'mocks and ridicules' as a badge of honor and as a blessing from the Lord.
This verse is used more by Satan to stifle Christians (especially amongst each other) than many others...and I abhor the abominable way it holds Christians in fear. Your God is the LORD and creator of the universe! If He is for you, who could be against you? His perfect love casts out ALL fear...so that even if you were killed sharing the Gospel to others...all that would do is dispatch you to paradise.
Bring 'em on, I say!
For me to live is Christ, and to die is GAIN!
Press on, beloved Christian...and fear nothing.
GREAT is your reward in Heaven.
And know and understand this:
You can't kill that which is already dead!
Grace and peace in Christ!
2006-10-19 07:49:53 · answer #1 · answered by yachadhoo 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You would really have to be able to see the future to know wouldn't you? And don't you agree that in personal evangelism the message can't be separated from the messenger? When do you know it's not the audience being swine so much as the way you deliver the pearls? When do you know it's the message being rejected and not the messenger? Also, when do you know what the effect is on everyone within earshot, or who hears the person you approached describe the encounter to someone else?
Obviously everyone's time is limited, and you want to put your recruiting efforts toward successes, if you could predict success. Well, you can't, but you can profile potential converts. Evangelists have been doing it for centuries.
Blessed are the meek -i.e. "teachable", "open to influence." "suggestible" "vulnerable"
Blessed are the poor in spirit - "the troubled", the lonely", "the elderly", "the sick", "the desperate", "the drowning."
So, if what you are asking is how you can make maximum converts, it's all very systematic, with manuals, "how to" books and videos, training conferences and church workshops. If you're asking when do you get to write someone off as "swine" and quit putting your time into them, the answer is this very minute, because if it's crossing your mind that they're swine, it's crossing their mind that you see them that way, and they will reject the message because the messenger is rejecting them.
2006-10-19 08:07:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It got me to where I am now. Plus, though I may be condemned by various pagans for saying this, Catholicism actually prepared me for some of the ideas of Wicca. Many of the ideas do not mesh, but I find that the ideas that don't mesh are ones that I questioned, and answered with Wicca. But some, overly simplified ideas, such as a holy mother, and the trinity, etc actually made the transition interesting and not at all difficult. Plus fresco-style Catholic art is pretty cool. I have some decorating my house. I can't help it, I'm an artist, I loove art.
2016-05-22 02:37:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I realize that after my first week in this forum and that's been months ago. They are not here for the right reasons but only to spread hate and immorality. One seed planted is enough but some are like the rocks or like the fig tree that Jesus cursed because it didn't bear fruit. These people show fruits of ungodliness not love,patience,kindness, temperance etc...You have to have spiritual discernment to know who is really truly searching and weed out the demonic filth. May God help us to tell the difference.
God bless.
2006-10-19 07:51:24 · answer #4 · answered by Pashur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think anyone that has ever tried to witness to certain people have cast pearls before swine. this is a sad fact. but at least you have tried , which is more than a lot of people have done. i think you know the difference when you finally realize that it is a hopeless pursuit. even that is hard to decide in a lot of cases since we hate to give up . but God said, "My Spirit will not always strive with you". Good luck. God bless you.
blackmule.
2006-10-19 07:48:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know when your wasting your time when no madder what you say they dont want to hear it. That scripure says not to cast your pearls among swine. Because swine will eat anything with no worrys. If they arnt listning then you have to walk away, but give them time to get it. The bible also says as much grace is given the same shall be shown to you, so as many chances as you give thats how many you will be given.
2006-10-19 07:45:16 · answer #6 · answered by kissedwithpeace 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, first of all you can look at who's asking the questions. The non-believers let you know who they are, just like the Christians. You can tell by some of their questions. It's like some of them ask, to try to show us that we're foolish for what we believe. Some of the questions are just utterly ridiculous, so I just don't even dignify with a response. They don't understand that we don't mind being fools for Christ and just because they don't believe, it doesn't make God any less real to us. They just don't understand the concept of faith. There are some non-believers who really want to understand or trying to find their way. You just have to choose who you want to respond to.
2006-10-19 07:48:05 · answer #7 · answered by Gail R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some times I feel that, but then I get an email from someone and they say thanks,
"I never looked at that scripture that way, and now it makes more sense."
I've found that a lot of the people who write the questions don't really want "the answer" they want "to preach"
2006-10-19 07:49:32 · answer #8 · answered by TeeM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those people who feign interest and then mock are certainly the swine you are referring to.
The best way to realize it is to just answer openly and honestly when asked and to realize that people will make their own choices.
2006-10-19 07:45:04 · answer #9 · answered by Bran McMuffin 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This doesn't exactly answer your question, but...
I have always found the use of that phrase very interesting in this case. Pearls are basically debris, junk really, with a pretty coating.
Hmmm...
2006-10-19 07:46:09 · answer #10 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋