Sorry haven't been on here in a while, I've been engulfed with numerous nominal things..

In response to the Persecuted Church:
And yes I agree, it's so hard for us comfortable folk to even grasp at an understanding of persecution/suffering..I believe that Satan uses the media to show what is happening abroad (wars, famine, torture, executions, prison) and gives us the opportunity to just give money and then we feel comfortable and good..

Now of course it is great giving money to these reputable organisations, because they do a lot more than we could, but it's the fact that when we feel good after giving the money, we are still no closer to experiencing what they go through..
The web has helped dramatically us to gain more of an insight, and even when people come to do talks at church and bible studies, we get stirred but do we do anything about it.. Are we too scared to get out of our comfort zone? and are instead happy to just brass the organisations palms with silver for them to do work, fair enough..

But if we want to truly understand! the verses quoted in both josh and james' posts, then we have to go out there. Speak to them, befriend them, and learn from them. What can we bring for them? Nothing I would imagine, they in a sense have it all..

Over the past few weeks I have been thinking a lot about things and how this year when I get a chance I would love to go out with my camera and just find these people and just hear their stories first hand, I think then and only then would I even begin to attempt at understanding the verses..

.....

With regards to Josh's post on parties
As I read through the post, I was initially thinking, 'Well I guess you can go and be the light in the darkness, you don't have to drink, have sex, swear, etc..' and to some degree if you are strong enough then who am I to say that you can't go, that would be a great witness to those there. But from another point of view, imagine that you come out of the party, it's a party that is renowned for sexual impurity, drugs, drink, etc... And you leave to come home having not drunk, slept with anyone, taken drugs, but someone is driving past in the car perhaps someone who is searching for God and you are the bible to them! They try and read you everyday and see that you're different but they see you coming out of this party which they know is a den of impurity, even though you have been fine, they will be like 'oh right, bit odd that they choose to go to that sort of thing'...

So there is two aspects of the same thing if you see where I'm coming from.. Also for example I would say it is a much greater witness to say no from the outset. Now I find it hard with lots of things but it is much easier to say no from the beginning and people are like 'why?' and I can say 'well, I don't believe in halloween' or 'Not the kind of atmosphere I think I should be in'..

Now it is inevitable that there will be parties like this that you are invited to, and it is up to you to discern what to do...

Josh