Apostolic Friends Forum - An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

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Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

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.

Bless his heart.

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

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.

nvm!

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

The ark of the covenant was where God's glory rested. David retrieved it from the Philistines and used the ox cart method the Philistines used to carry it back. It faltered, Uzzah reached out to steady it, and was smitten dead. It was later learned they were supposed to carry it on their shoulders with staves.

We can have the right message BUT CARRY IT THE WRONG WAY, AND IT CAUSES DEATH!

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

oooooooh that'll preach

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1393788)

. I challenge you to find anything in His Word which condones and justifies the OP. It's simply not there.

How dare you attack Oneness People!!!!:icecream

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

Originally Posted by kclee4jc (Post 1393926)

^im confused. I thought you said you met at a restaurant and that is where he prayed for you?

Sheesh.

He called me on a Sunday said he was coming, "lets get together Monday night." He called Monday "I got a late start won't be there until late lets meet for breakfast Tuesday morning." He got a hotel room. I told him the only thing keeping me from meeting him Tuesday would be if my company scheduled appointments for me. The next day my company sent me two hours out of town to two appointments. So I called him to tell him the bad news. At this point I had no idea what his motive was for meeting me. I typically think the best of people. So we talked about an hour, I kind of brought him up to speed on my life. I was very honest about failures and shortcomings. I was also honest about not being in the UPC (which he already knew) and that I didn't believe in the standards and rules about cinemas and ball games, etc. I shared about my personal life and some tragedy and heartbreaks. Shared with him the good things God has done for me and how gracious He has been. I drove through a bad reception area and he said he wanted to go because I kept breaking up. We agreed there might be a small window to meet as I was headed back home driving through a certain city he would be traveling through. He asked was there a way he could go by the church and take a little tour of the place. I told him about our prayer group meeting later that morning. So he went there and toured the place and joined them for prayer. He called my best friend and unloaded all of the anger he had about my backsliding and told him what he was going to say to me, questioning what had happened to me (I never was a big standards guy when I was at Bible school or as a minister---I always went to ball games, grew up in a church that didn't preach against TVs, grew up in a more progressive district). As I was driving from my last appointment my best friend called me and said---DO NOT GO TO MEET HIM. After the call, I decided to go ahead and meet him. Then later that day we had our short little meeting at the restaurant in the other city and there he prayed as well.

Got it? Anything else you are entitled to?

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

Originally Posted by deacon blues (Post 1394308)

Sheesh.

He called me on a Sunday said he was coming, "lets get together Monday night." He called Monday "I got a late start won't be there until late lets meet for breakfast Tuesday morning." He got a hotel room. I told him the only thing keeping me from meeting him Tuesday would be if my company scheduled appointments for me. The next day my company sent me two hours out of town to two appointments. So I called him to tell him the bad news. At this point I had no idea what his motive was for meeting me. I typically think the best of people. So we talked about an hour, I kind of brought him up to speed on my life. I was very honest about failures and shortcomings. I was also honest about not being in the UPC (which he already knew) and that I didn't believe in the standards and rules about cinemas and ball games, etc. I shared about my personal life and some tragedy and heartbreaks. Shared with him the good things God has done for me and how gracious He has been. I drove through a bad reception area and he said he wanted to go because I kept breaking up. We agreed there might be a small window to meet as I was headed back home driving through a certain city he would be traveling through. He asked was there a way he could go by the church and take a little tour of the place. I told him about our prayer group meeting later that morning. So he went there and toured the place and joined them for prayer. Then later that day we had our short little meeting at the restaurant in the other city and there he prayed as well.

Got it? Anything else you are entitled to?

Are you still pastoring?

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

Originally Posted by seguidordejesus (Post 1394311)

Are you still pastoring?

I'm a bi-vocational pastor.

Re: An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1393788)

I challenge you to find anything in His Word which condones and justifies the OP. It's simply not there.

Oh like Bivocational ministry? :heeheehee