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Doug Addison: "How to Love People and Not Compromise"


Doug Addison
May 26, 2017


May 26, 2017

"How to Love People and Not Compromise"
by Doug Addison, Los Angeles, CA

From the Desk of Steve Shultz:

Steve ShultzThis latest word by Doug Addison is GREAT. I know a lot of times...myself included...it's hard for fellow Believers to know how to navigate loving people without compromising our values as Christians.

Doug Addison does a great job addressing some of these issues by stating:

"Our goal is not to separate ourselves from those who need the Lord, but to love them. Jesus demonstrated this as He hung out with people who were considered sinners. He was even accused of being a glutton and drunkard. Yes, Jesus was accused of compromising His faith, but He gave us an example that He wants us to follow."

Doug Addison also offers great practical ideas for how to reach people. Take the time to read this one and be sure to pass it on! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List go here.)

Please forward this word to your friends! Encourage them to subscribe to the Elijah List right here: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe.

Enjoy!

Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
http://www.elijahlist.com

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"How to Love People and Not Compromise"
by Doug Addison, Los Angeles, CA


Two common questions that I often get asked are:

• "How can I love and be around people who are not Christians without compromising my own faith?" and
• "How can I interact with people who have lifestyles I do not agree with, without them thinking I support their behaviors?"

What is Compromising?

To compromise means to make concessions or accommodations to someone who does not agree with your beliefs or standards. I was taught for years that I needed to stay away from people who are in the world (not a Christian or in a church). I was told the Bible was clear about this, but when I began to study it for myself, I was surprised at what I found.

Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commands" (John 14:15 NIV). But did He command us to stay away from people who need His love? On the contrary, Jesus said, "The two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:30–31). Jesus also modeled for us being around people who were not part of the religious groups of that time.

Be Wise

We need to use wisdom and be safe, so if you struggle with things that are not good for you, then take time to remove yourself from those temptations.
When I gave my life to Jesus and got off drugs and alcohol, I still struggled with it for years. So I needed to stay away from those temptations—which included people and places—until God worked these things out of my life. But this does not mean we should stay away from everybody that does not agree with us.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV)

When I became a new Christian, I was afraid to hang out or eat lunch with people at work who were not Believers. But God began to instruct me that this is okay to do and it is His heart to love people. So how can we do this without feeling we are compromising our faith?

Love and Not Judge

I used to sit in the lunchroom at work reading my Bible by myself. Although this is a good thing to do, I was isolating myself from the people around me and they were viewing me as some sort of religious fanatic. Our goal is not to separate ourselves from those who need the Lord, but to love them. Jesus demonstrated this as He hung out with people who were considered sinners. He was even accused of being a glutton and drunkard. Yes, Jesus was accused of compromising His faith, but He gave us an example that He wants us to follow.

I recommend you find ways to connect with people and not worry about what they believe. Going to coffee, lunch or watching a sports game are great starters if you do not do this already. You might be surprised at how much people want to be around you, especially when they realize you do not judge them.

Tips for Getting Started

My wife and I started our first church in a New Age, hippie college town in the Midwest. God instructed me that if we wanted to reach that city we would have to love and not judge them. Our worship team began going to the New Age coffeehouse open mic night and our love took that town by storm. We did not preach the Gospel, hand out tracks or isolate people by making them feel uncomfortable around us.

I was invited to speak at events and would start by saying, "I am not here to judge you." Within one year, we began to reach people for Jesus without doing altar calls. We demonstrated God's love by doing kindness outreaches, serving the poor and having God parties. We were known as the "fun church." As seekers began to hang out with us, they got their questions answered and were being discipled on the spot, before they even gave their lives to Jesus. This is how Jesus did it. We had fun without compromising and people gave their lives to the Lord after they experienced His love! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List go here.)

Blessings,

Doug Addison
InLight Connection
Email: respond@dougaddison.com
Website: www.DougAddison.com

Doug Addison is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is known for his Daily Prophetic Words, Spirit Connection webcast, podcast and blog. Doug's message of love, hope and having fun reaches people around the world! His powerful, positively funny teaching style and coaching helps open people to discover their destiny and experience God's supernatural love and power. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where he is impacting the arts, entertainment and media industries.

Doug Addison's Itinerary:

June 7, 2017 (6pm-7pm)
Spirit Connection Webcast

June 24, 2017 (10am-12pm)
Live Interactive Online Webinar

July 5, 2017 96pm-7pm)
Spirit Connection Webcast
(for more information about events click here)

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