Hilarious you would bring that up. One of the people in our political group is a die-hard Catholic and knows that I used to be Catholic. He said, "You know once a Catholic, always a Catholic. Catholics always come home." He's thinks that after I have received the Holy Ghost that I could come back to "the church" and do some good there.
I do realize that Bro. Epley is not UPC, but his attitude/spirit is very typical of the conservative element of the UPC (spiritual elistist/judge everyone else who they consider more liberal). This reminds me how some of the preachers (who are the most judgmental) treat those they don't agree with. SE is ok here on AFF, he just thinks I'm a lost liberal charismatic, which I can deal with here on AFF, but I don't want to fellowship with people who can't accept me. I don't demand they see every issue as I do, but neither will I see every issue the way they do.
What is also bothersome to me is that SE absolutely cannot defend his views with solid scriptural exegesis BUT there are still posters left and right shouting amen. (Lacey, Randy, Ferd). It just dampens my enthusiasm and optimism and reminds me, I don't want to be in a church lke that, and I do know that alot of UPCs are like that.
So I can better understand what your trying to say is that you want to want to keep first things first and that is Jesus Christ everything else falls in line after Him.
You want to be part of the large Church and the Bride of Christ and not some exclusive religious club that flicks its nose at the rest of the bride. You know those are stoning words........
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Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
Scripture is its own interpreter. Nothing can cut a diamond but a diamond. Nothing can interpret Scripture but Scripture" Thomas Watson.
Haven't kept up with the 37 pages of this thread. Jason, what have you decided? Are you still considering the UPC again? I still don't know why you would.
Haven't kept up with the 37 pages of this thread. Jason, what have you decided? Are you still considering the UPC again? I still don't know why you would.
Nope. Elder Epley who is not UPCI but is conservative is not treated with disrespect by non-conservitives who are UPCI like me therefore Jason does not want to fellowship people who are not judgemental toward ultra cons.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Jason, why don't you give one of the Assemblies of God churches a try?
Because amongst the biggest reasons I'd reconsider returning to the UPC is that I absolutely believe in the oneness of God and baptism in Jesus name. If I were to leave the Bible church, I'd highly prefer to be in a oneness church. And if a oneness church, I'm likely to go where I've already got friends. I'm not saying never, but I can't see going to an AG church at this point anytime in the foreseeable future.
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"Resolved: That all men should live to the glory of God. Resolved, secondly: That whether or not anyone else does, I will." ~Jonathan Edwards
"The only man who has the right to say he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ." ~Dietrich Bonheoffer, The Cost of Discipleship
"Preachers who should be fishing for men are now too often fishing for compliments from men." ~Leonard Ravenhill
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