An Old "Friend" Seeking to Line Me Up

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

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!

I concur.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

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!

Well, it did sound like DB painted the guy as a religious legalistic neanderthal.

[Esaias]

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.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Esaias

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.

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

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Originalist

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

I don't have friends who suggest my other friends are up to no good.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I don't have friends who suggest my other friends are up to no good.

Let's say an old friend looks you up. You share with him briefly concerning your conviction about house church. He asks to meet with you. Then you get a call from a mutual friend saying that this same guy called him and bad mouthed you and said he planned to straighten you out for defying God's authority in your life by not having a "covering".

How would you handle that differently than the original poster?

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Originalist

Let's say an old friend looks you up. You share with him briefly concerning your conviction about house church. He asks to meet with you. Then you get a call from a mutual friend saying that this same guy called him and bad mouthed you and said he planned to straighten you out for defying God's authority in your life by not having a "covering".

How would you handle that differently than the original poster?

1. I seriously doubt I would be 'blind sided' by the 'old friend'. And if he did try to straighten me out, so called, I'd simply discuss with him the issues and we'd have a bible study and prayer together.

2. I doubt I'd be on the intardnets talking about him behind his back.

3. I would also have refused to just BELIEVE what was told me about the 'old friend'. I would instead hold judgment in reserve. The other guy may have misunderstood what the 'old friend' said. You know, 'charity hopeth all things' and those pesky old testament laws against taking up a reproafh against your neighbor or listening to tale-bearers. So I would instead decide that the one friend probably misunderstood what the 'old friend' was saying or doing, and would meet the old friend and keep an open mind and open heart.

IF the old friend was trying to straighten me out, I would cherish the fact I had a friend who was serious enough about God to at least be zealous for God and concerned about my spiritual well being. Who needs friends who could care less if you go to hell?

And if was trying to straighten me out on 'house church', either I'd convert him to the truth, or we'd at the least part amicably with our respective views in tact. And if he was gonna just be mean and nasty about it, then I would pray for him and move on with my life.

I hope I would NOT be on AFF posting about what I THOUGHT his motives were in the absence of anything but hearsay.

Hearsay is hearsay, regardless of who says it...

[MawMaw]

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.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by MawMaw

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.

Amen!

[CC1]

Deacon,

I am going to be in Memphis on a short business trip sometime in the next three weeks and I am hoping to meet you to rebuke you and straighten you out! I really enjoyed the last time a year or two ago (I lose track of time).