Keeping your focus on the true problem

Recently I watched a interesting DVD. A man stated a interesting analogy on the DVD.
He stated “Watch dogs and cats on how they react.
Toss a pebble at a cat and the cat goes after the pebble. Toss another pebble at a cat and it goes after that pebble etc..
Toss a pebble at a dog and he immediatly looks at the source of who threw the pebble.
Interesting analogy.
As we post articles and sort through comments we need to remember to keep our focus on the one throwing the pebbles (satan throwing pebbles such as Emergent church, open thesism etc..)
Keep your focus on the source of the problem.
I stopped allowing comments on all my websites and blogs for this reason.
Look at the original post and then look down through the comments.
It never fails to branch off into many bunny trails which have nothing to do with the original article.
This happen almost 95% of the time and thats a conservative view.
This is our enemy satans ploy to get us to fight all these (time consuming side battles).
It takes time away from your family and could possibly but relationship’s with family stressed and possibly destroyed.
It also takes the focus off what the original article stated.
The enemy will try to do this 100% of the time.
satan wants to destroy your family as well as keep you off balance answering silly questions.
On Manny Silva’s website “Reformed Nazarene” notice my debate with a person who said his name was Andy about what the RomanCatholic/Catholic church teaches.
Nothing personaal but this gentleman did not even know what the Catholic church teaches and or taught.
Many of his comments would have been viewed in error even by fellow Roman Catholic’s/Catholic’s.
And Im not going to rehash those comments anywhere else.
The discusion almost always ends up going in circle which end up no where and will sometimes confuse those who are viewing this debate.
Now Im not saying to never answer a honest question from someone who is truely sitting on the fence.
This can also be done by private email.
Sometimes we feel the need to keep it public so that those watching (fence sitters) can benefit from the discussion.
We also need to balance this with the fence sitters being deceived by the discussion.
I’ve always thought (after many side battle through the years with folks like Saddlback/Rick Warren apologist Richard Abanes) that its a best practice to just get the information out and then let the Holy Spirit convict and bring people back toward God’s Word.
Thats the real fight here-Gods Word.
Keeping in mind there is time to defend the faith.
But we are defending the faith when we post articles.
Dialog and conversation often take away from defending the faith.
We can see through scripture that Paul debated on Mars Hill (Acts 17).
So Im sure there is a time for this even though it may bear lttle fruit.
Most of the folks who disagree with our stance will not be convinced no matter what scripture we quote because they do not believe that Gods Holy Word is without error.
This presents us with a dilemma on what foundation are we starting our debate on?
If its not on solid ground everything is relative and up for grabs.
Thats why I for the most part I don’t debate anymore.
If we can’t even agree on a solid foundation to start with whats the point?
It should never start from the point of what we think but what Gods Word states.
Now our opposition would state that we look at Gods Word differently than they do.
They may quote you look at things through a Calvinist lense versus a Wesleyian lense etc..
No- we look at scripture through the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth not through denominational tradition.
We follow Jesus Christ and His Word not John Wesley, Martin Luther or John Calvin.
I’m sure any of the above mentioned men would be embarrassed and would sharply rebuke those who put so much emphasize on following man and or tradition instead of God and His Word.
The biggest problem in this battle is its a battle against Gods Word.
Our opposition is trying to tear down and destroy Gods Holy Word.
They have bought into the lie that our enemy satan has used since the start of time.
Gen 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The source of the evil thats going on will always be to put that seed of doubt in someone’s mind who is not rooted in Gods Holy Word in scripture.
No I dont worship my Bible.
But I do understand and agree that it speaks with authority and is without error as we are guided through it by the Holy Spirit.
So choose your battles wisely.
Keep in mind that this is not censorship blogs and websites are still free and available to the public.
People who disagree with us have the ability to speak out against us on their own websites and blogs.
No one stops them from doing this.
We still have free speech in our wonderful country and our opposition can exercise their rights to that.
I would encourage you to not let them distract from the truth on your own websites.
It is the enemies ploy to always distract and cause chaos.
Avoid playing into that at all cost.
Sincerely in Christ
Tim