Attn. Christians. Can I get advice on...?

Question

My Dad was raised way out in the country. My grandmother said it wasn't a convenient thing, being so far out and poor, to go to church. As a result, my Dad doesn't know or understand about God. He's almost like a child. When my twins were dedicated, he came to watch them and attended several times afterwards. He was far from saved, but interested. Soon after, his father got sick with cancer and died a slow, horrible death. Also, the church, at the same time, had really done someone awful. (None are perfect.) He quit going and said, "If this is how God/church are, I don't need it." He's hurt and confused. I want to help w/out pushing him further away/nagging him. I read a story about a barber who told a customer God wasn't real cause of the sickness/death here. Right outside, was a stringy headed man. The customer said, "Barbers aren't real or he wouldn't look like that." Barber answered, "Yes I am. He just didn't come to me." That's a start, but not enough.Can U help?

Answer 1

I think you need to show Jesus to your dad. Let him understand that people are people forgiven or not and because they are people they will disappoint. Jesus doesn't disappoint. He always does what he said He will do. His promises are not up to a maybe, maybe if I am good enough, or maybe if He isn't too busy.. Jesus always comes through. Then sit down with him show him that we all sin, yes even him. He hasn't been perfect in the things he has tried to do either. Then show him the grace, goodness, and forgiveness we can have in Jesus. That Jesus excepts him just like he is all he must do is trust Jesus to keep Him promises.. Sounds like church isn't going to work for you dad any time soon. Can you step in and share some spiritual time with him once or twice a week? What is his name? I'll add him to my prayer list... Jim

Answer 2

Spend alot of time praying for your Father asking God to have His way with Him and God will have His way with Him. Just be patient for God doesn't work like we work.He is very patient with us because He loves. He gives people time to turn around and to see the light. It took alot of years for my father to come around.
He was an old country boy as well. He cussed like a Sailor and he was a Sailor in world war II. He was on Ewa Gima and He helped bury thousands of soldiers from both sides. But he came to know the Lord one day while up at the barn milking the cows.
Our pastor came down and said this is the day the Lord says for your Dad to be saved. Sure enough pastor lead my Dad to the Lord that morning in the cow lot where we were raised.
He came back down to the house with tears streaming down his face admitting he give his heart to the Lord. What a great Day!!

Answer 3

It is fair. I am a Christian, but it's EXACTLY attitudes like Fireball's - that "I'm going to do whatever I want" - that give Christianity a bad name. Jesus was all about respect, and His whole premise was that one person's "rights" end where another person's begin. On the other hand: "Odd, groundless beliefs" and "fanatical brainwashed weirdo" ALSO shows a lack of respect. There is more than enough evidence to, if not "prove", then certainly demonstrate that the existence of God is probable, if not definite. The Bible has NEVER BEEN disproved. All of the evidence that has been uncovered - chiefly by archaelogy - has complemented the Bible very nicely. There is nothing wrong with showing this to others. Telling someone he is going to hell is flat out wrong, but I find nothing wrong with any of the other things that you mention, either. Personally, I don't do any one of them - with the exception of pointing out what is sin and what is not. But even in that, I do not do it in a negative way - just in a "matter of fact" way, and I also offer non-Biblical evidence when I do that. For example: I don't have to use just the Ten Commandments to tell you that murder is a sin; the fact that we have strong penalties for it is "proof" enough of that. And I don't just have to resort to the Bible to "prove" that homosexuality is a sin; the facts that 1.) there has been no "gay gene" found, 2.) identical twins, who should both be gay 100% of the time if there were such a gene, have been found to be so LESS THAN HALF of the time, and 3.) among other things, homosexual people can expect a life expectancy that is HALF of the norm, all do the work for me very nicely. The point is: Sin is all about CONSEQUENCES; although if God were to be judgmental then going to hell might be one of them, sin has its consequences in this life, too. If what you do has - or CAN HAVE - negative consequences for you, it is a sin. But I don't need the Bible to tell me that.

Answer 4

Just because you choose to accept a delusion doesn't give you a right to force it on someone else. This is not a question of you being "educated" and your father being "ignorant", it's a case of you being misinformed and your father not being gullible enough to fall for the same misinformation that you willingly accepted, probably with very little thought as to whether it was based on reality. If you want to spend your time, energy, money, etc. chasing after make-believe supernatural powers that's your business but don't also deceive yourself into believing you are doing anyone a favor by dragging them into it.

Answer 5

Love him with the love of God each and every day. Prove to him that what man does in not necessarily what God approves of. To many people see corruption in the church and blame God. It is mans responsibility alone. And those who have led people astray by their actions will pay somewhere down the road.

And some more good advice is don't listen to Don H

Answer 6

I can tell you that I am in a like situation with my dad. I think the best thing is just to pray and wait for him to ask you questions, because he will do that if he sees you being committed to God. He will want to know why you do that, ask you things. Just wait on him, love him all the way, and pray. Pray a lot. Ask your church or close friends to pray.

Answer 7

Be gentle. Remember what Paul says about "spiritual food" and how there are different kinds for people at different levels of spiritual development. IF possible, try to have him read the Gospel of John, so that he may see that God is TRULY Love. It sounds as though your mom may have passed over? If so, encourage your dad that she IS with God and he can be too. PRAY FOR HIM. Pray for yourself that the Holy Spirit will guide you. YBIC

Answer 8

The truth is that not everyone will accept what Christ offers. And indeed (see source below), families will turn in different directions. You can live as an example of one born again in Jesus Christ as a witness to your father, but it is his free will that God gave him that will decide whether he choses to accept or reject Christ.

May God bless you for your love for your father on earth and your Father in heaven. It can feel like being torn in two, I know.

Answer 9

It's tough when our loved ones trip up over life's tragedies and Christians' shortcomings! If only they could see how much the Lord loves them and wants to walk with them through all the disappointments and losses in life! Keep praying for him and realize it's not your job to save your dad. Let the Lord do that. Keep loving him and praying that the Lord would open up his eyes to see the truth and that he would experience God's love.

Answer 10

You can be a perfectly good Christian without attending a church. Don't force anything on him, it will turn him off. Just be there for your dad, that's the best thing you can do. Comfort him, don't preach to him. He will ask when he's ready to hear the word.