Originally Posted by Sweet Pea (Post 1393511)

Deacon Blues, thank you for sharing your heart. I think that some who are ridiculing you for how you handled this are missing the whole point!!!! In response to some of the comments:

1) I don't think that the second friend gave you bad info. I think that your "heaping coals of fire" on your friend's head caused him to re-think what he was going to say to you.

2) I don't think you were "ridiculing" him on this forum. I think this was a testimony to loving people where they are in their journey. Your kindness to him obviously touched him and made him re-think what he wanted to say to you.

3) YES! It is a "victory." It is a victory that the two could meet and have some fellowship without one or the other trying to convert the other one to his way of thinking.

4) I don't see Deacon judging anyone!!! I see him willing to meet a friend who has a different viewpoint than his own and allowing God to lead and guide him in how to act.

Again, Deacon, thank you for sharing your heart! I will sometimes pop in to see what is going on. It was a treat to see your name and read your post. May God continue to lead and guide you. May He be very real and close to you in a special way today!

Originally Posted by MawMaw (Post 1393523)

Seems to me like your friend really was sincere. I'm glad you did take
the time out of your busy schedule to meet with him after all those years. :)

Originally Posted by Esaias (Post 1393513)

Did Deacon find out from the horse' mouth that his friend had wanted to meet him to express a concern for his soul? Or was that just hearsay from some tale-bearer?

Sounds to me that - based on what Deacon posted here - Deacon just ASSUMED his old friend was out to 'judge' him, and 'condemn' him, and rant and rave against all Deacon's backsliding worldliness blah blah blah.

Never mind the following facts:

1. Someone who expresses concern over another person's walk with God, enough to speak to them and talk to them and ask them questions and pray for them etc, is apparently a legalistic (backslidden? unsaved?) condemning Pharisee bogey-man type. YET,

2. Someone who feels another is backslidden and lost and does nothing but avoid them and say nothing is ALSO considered mean, unkind, unloving, judgmental, confused, twisted, wrong, spiritually abusive, blah blah blah. THEREFORE, it seems that -

3. The only people genuinely right with God are people who don't care about others' walk with the Lord, who never confront to the person what they believe is error, and who instead just talk about others' behind their backs (online) making sly judgments and insinuations about their spiritual health.

Unless it is a 'conservative type' doing those things, then of course it's just bad bad bad, because we all know that Christians who believe things like Hollywood entertainment and jewelry and makeup and women dressing like men and wearing makeup or dressing like ho's or men being effeminate or whatever it may be is wrong are just bad bad bad to begin with, no matter what they do, bless their little hearts.

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea (Post 1393511)

Deacon Blues, thank you for sharing your heart. I think that some who are ridiculing you for how you handled this are missing the whole point!!!! In response to some of the comments:

1) I don't think that the second friend gave you bad info. I think that your "heaping coals of fire" on your friend's head caused him to re-think what he was going to say to you.

2) I don't think you were "ridiculing" him on this forum. I think this was a testimony to loving people where they are in their journey. Your kindness to him obviously touched him and made him re-think what he wanted to say to you.

3) YES! It is a "victory." It is a victory that the two could meet and have some fellowship without one or the other trying to convert the other one to his way of thinking.

4) I don't see Deacon judging anyone!!! I see him willing to meet a friend who has a different viewpoint than his own and allowing God to lead and guide him in how to act.

Again, Deacon, thank you for sharing your heart! I will sometimes pop in to see what is going on. It was a treat to see your name and read your post. May God continue to lead and guide you. May He be very real and close to you in a special way today!

Originally Posted by deacon blues (Post 1393522)

My longtime friend is my best friend. He is still in the UPC. I trust him wholeheartedly. My best friend would not be making things up and leading me astray. We talk several times a week and have for the last 30 years. Originally the Bible school classmate was just going to show up without a phone call or forewarning. I'm thankful that the Lord gave me an opportunity to prepare my approach to this man. Otherwise it is very likely that I would have sinned and given him a piece of my mind.

I agree that the Bible school classmate was sincere yet ignorant. While I was working he stopped by the church to look at our building. A prayer group that meets weekly at our church happened to be there. He joined them in prayer and one of the ladies present said in his loud praying he made it very obvious that he thought I was in bad shape and that our church was in a bad place.

The Bible says he that wins souls is wise. Even if your doctrine is flawless if your methods are foolish, you won't win anyone.

Originally Posted by Originalist (Post 1393538)

If you had received that warning phone call from a trusted friend, would you have rebuked him for tale bearing?

Originally Posted by deacon blues (Post 1393522)

My longtime friend is my best friend. He is still in the UPC. I trust him wholeheartedly. My best friend would not be making things up and leading me astray. We talk several times a week and have for the last 30 years. Originally the Bible school classmate was just going to show up without a phone call or forewarning. I'm thankful that the Lord gave me an opportunity to prepare my approach to this man. Otherwise it is very likely that I would have sinned and given him a piece of my mind.

I agree that the Bible school classmate was sincere yet ignorant. While I was working he stopped by the church to look at our building. A prayer group that meets weekly at our church happened to be there. He joined them in prayer and one of the ladies present said in his loud praying he made it very obvious that he thought I was in bad shape and that our church was in a bad place.

The Bible says he that wins souls is wise. Even if your doctrine is flawless if your methods are foolish, you won't win anyone.

Originally Posted by esaias (Post 1393500)

aren't you judging this man for supposedly judging you?