Wannabefree said:
I don't study to strengthen my own faith, it just comes as a direct result of my studies. Could you go to India and witness for the Lord? Could you go to Mexico? Iraq? UTAH? and witness to people for Jesus Christ? If you don't know where others stand, there is no way to find them. If you can't comfortably defend your own beliefs in opposition to someone else's, first having to be familiar with theirs in order to form a rebuttal against theirs, you can't witness to others for Christ. This is where God leads me. This is where God is strengthening me, personally.
How is He strengthening you? Should I then tell you that you shouldn't allow the Lord to guide you where He will? I think not.
Who is wrangling and challenging?
Nobody that I see.
Do you imagine that, down through the ages, all the missionaries that traveled to those lands were well versed in all those different religions to the degree that they could not lead people to the Lord by the use of the knowledge they learned from their study of the Bible? I don't recall Jesus instructing his disciples in all the various pagan religions in the lands in which they were sent to preach....He merely instructed them in the truth and sent them out in pairs.
They led thousands to the Lord without any mention of them reading or studying those many other paganistic beliefs. Their whole instruction time was around 3 years with Christ...these disciples were not learned men in religious instruction...they were fishermen, tax collectors, tent makers, etc.
Not once do I read how Jesus prepared these men for their ministry by giving them instruction in other religions so they can "find" those of pagan believers or where they stand....it was clear to them exactly where these other people stood. They stood against the teachings or knowledge of Christ and the job was to inform them of the truth. Merely that. They didn't need to defend their beliefs, merely tell others about them and show God's glory in the works they performed. Jesus gave them only intense instruction on His words and the will of the Father....nothing more.
No one even questioned your need or curiosity or what strengthens you, WBF...I was making a statement of why
I am
not curious. It had nothing to do with why YOU are curious....I could care less why or how curious you are. That's your business.
That would be the same as you saying you plant X type of corn and me replying that I don't plant X type of corn and why. It doesn't mean that I feel you don't have the right to plant any corn you please, merely adding to the discussion as to why I do not use that kind. It also doesn't mean that you should NOT plant whatever corn you darn well please, just means that I don't feel the need to plant that particular kind of corn.
How is He strengthening me? Every day and every moment He is strengthening me from His word and as I follow His commands and words. I don't feel the need to explore outside those things for strength....I'm very sure of the source of my strength, so I don't feel the need to look outside of it for further strength or proof.
Everyone else is free to look all they wish!
