There Has Been A Change

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by SISTER Murphy

Too bad for the apostle Paul, he never did have his status 'healed' by the gospel; indeed, his circumstances were a result of believing and preaching the gospel.

I Corinthians 4:8-14
Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

II Corinthians 11:27
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

And, Jesus Himself said He didn't even have a place to lay his head (see Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58)

And the writer of Hebrews, in listing those unnamed heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, described them this way:

They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
(Of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Paul was not poor. He submitted all he had to fulfill his purpose, which meant he learned, "how to abound and how to be abased". Further it is a mistake to superimpose the culture and times of the NT on our context. These wanderers were being pursued by the Jewish and Roman authorities, we are not in the same context. We are in a context in which we should be more in the "abound" that Paul presented. There is a challenge and discipline required in abundance as much as in the "abased" context. A common misunderstanding of Christians is to look at everything thru a biblical cultural context and miss what God is doing in our current context.

We are called to work out our Christian lives in the context in which we live, not tailoring our lives by the cultural and historical context of the Apostles.

[Brother Price]

Originally Posted by crakjak

Paul was not poor. He submitted all he had to fulfill his purpose, which meant he learned, "how to abound and how to be abased". Further it is a mistake to superimpose the culture and times of the NT on our context. These wanderers were being pursued by the Jewish and Roman authorities, we are not in the same context. We are in a context in which we should be more in the "abound" that Paul presented. There is a challenge and discipline required in abundance as much as in the "abased" context. A common misunderstanding of Christians is to look at everything thru a biblical cultural context and miss what God is doing in our current context.

We are called to work out our Christian lives in the context in which we live, not tailoring our lives by the cultural and historical context of the Apostles.

We ARE called to tailor our lives after the historical context of the scriptures, for the words therein are not limited to the times in which they were written. We ARE called to follow those precepts of scripture, regardless if it is AD100 or AD 2028. Truth is not relative to culture.

The Bible culture has not changed in 2000 years. It is still the same culture as it always has been. The world's culture has changed, but not truth.

What you call the Bible culture was just the world culture 2000 years ago... and the culture now is the culture now...

[Brother Price]

Wow! I did not know that truth was relative to culture? This is what I am saying. The Bible culture is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Only those who want to change truth use culture as an excuse not to obey the scriptures.

Well, do you believe in slavery? Do you believe in stoning entire families because one person in the family did something wrong? If you believe in Bible culture, this is what you believe in.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Rico - I think that is awesome... there is nothing wrong with being realistic. I find that I imagine the worst possible scenario/outcome for everything and it just makes me prepared for it... I'm actually doing quite well, and I believe that the fact that I anticipate things going wrong well in advance means that I end up having a plan in place if/when they do, and that has made me more successful financially. I'm not rich by any means, but I do make more than I ever possibly imagined. Growing up in the church in the South, the only people who made decent money were loggers or people who otherwise owned their own business.

I realize that this is different in different areas but I am continually amazed at the amount of Pentecostals who have jobs which require education and training... because that was NOT my experience growing up in OK, TX and KS in the church. So in a way, these forums have helped me to start breaking a stereotype which I have always held (just by hearing about Pentecostals being lawyers and having 5000 square foot houses, etc.)

I was told by another pastor's kid that I would still be driving my dad's beat up '77 Chevy van when I was 30. I've devoted my life into proving him wrong.

Plan for the worst, expect the best.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by Trouvere

Yes it can be read but you do have to join.What I am getting at is that Brother Strange is among friends here.He can voice his opinion without being condemned can he not? Or is it that talebearers run and flame up trouble
because they don't like what someone is going through or feeling over something? I am sure MB can take it.It just may make him think abit.
If everyone always extols your virtues do you really know where you stand?
I think not.The best friends are those who make you pray and make you
think not the ones who always agree with you.




Pro 13:18 Poverty and shame [shall be to] him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.




Pro 27:5 Open rebuke [is] better than secret love.




Ecc 7:5 [It is] better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Sister, he came on here saying another preacher was under demonic influence. That sort of thing is not going to happen without some sort of response. I agree with the brother who said Bro Strange would have been better off going directly to this prophet, instead of coming to an internet forum to share his "discernment."

[tamor]

Originally Posted by Rico

Sister, he came on here saying another preacher was under demonic influence. That sort of thing is not going to happen without some sort of response. I agree with the brother who said Bro Strange would have been better off going directly to this prophet, instead of coming to an internet forum to share his "discernment."

Very true, Rico. He may have just been sharing what was on his heart but if you put it in print, it's not going away. It can be read over and over and over and ......well, you get the picture. People will respond.

[Sacerdotal]

I haven't read the entire thread but a few things seem to be overlooked.

I didn't see Bro. Strange call anybody's name. Just expressed a voice of concern.

I've seen even preachers do things that troubled me and recognized leanings towards the wrong direction. I thought as a member of the forum he has a right to that opinion.

Replies are to be expected but many of the replies look like attacks.

The weird part is that I didn't see Bro. Strange remotely say the person's name. I haven't read the whole thread though.

[Brother Price]

Originally Posted by Sacerdotal

I haven't read the entire thread but a few things seem to be overlooked.

I didn't see Bro. Strange call anybody's name. Just expressed a voice of concern.

I've seen even preachers do things that troubled me and recognized leanings towards the wrong direction. I thought as a member of the forum he has a right to that opinion.

Replies are to be expected but many of the replies look like attacks.

The weird part is that I didn't see Bro. Strange remotely say the person's name. I haven't read the whole thread though.

That is true. He did not. But, from what he said, those who were there knew exactly whom he was speaking about. That shoqed me something right there.