If you have to wear make-up to be accepted....

[ILG]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Sis, you can't use only verse 1 of Matthew 7. Because if you do you do harm to the true intent of what Jesus' is trying to say with the verse first.

Well, EB. Sorry but you speak to me as if I hadn't been in OP for 19 years, like I never heard this before! LOL!

One thing in Churchanity that really gets things jacked up is that people take verses and abbreviate them to only use the portion which suits their doctrine or argument. By doing this they loose the whole meaning of what the writer was trying to convey to his audience. If the church couldn't make a judgement the apostle couldn't of ever made a judgement concerning the man who was sleeping with his father's wife, that the man be put out of the church. Oh, there is another rule! In the church you couldn't sleep with your father's wife.

In OPism verses are elongated instead.

I think I mentioned the Pew report? They don't gather their statistics from One God Apostolic movement, they gather their research from the mainstream of Christendom. Yet, I believe I mentioned that you have rotten examples in every denomination. Why still focus on zits when you have good content within the person?

When a church constantly brags about how much better it is than other churches and then has no better and sometimes worse stats and then complains that they are only human when those stats are pointed out, there is a problem somewhere, brother!!

The best examples shows how the religion should be practiced if one is a true devotee. If someone is researching Islam, you want to find those who best portray the the model of the follower of Islam. So, may I ask you, have you ever seen the best example of the conservative Apostolic movement?

Yes. There are some wonderful people out there, but I could not stay because I was subjected firsthand to the confusion and fear that was placed in me when principles were made into man-made "salvational" standards. This causes a skewed view and and unjust balance. If those who held such standards had them as personal convictions only and did not make them salvational, that would be different. But somehow one seems impossible without the other.

To say the rules aren't making Pentecost better is like walking into the kitchen while the family is having breakfast seeing milk spilled on the floor and blaming everyone sitting at the table for the spillage. There are people who are seated quietly eating who don't have a clue as to what your talking about because they don't spill milk, especially the milk you are speaking about.

Yet someone spilled the milk and everyone at the table is not only saying they didn't do it, but denying that there is in fact spilled milk on the floor when I just slipped on it and cracked my head. Some are clueless and some are lying.

I know people, and you have to know people who are conservative standard adhering Apostolic One God Pennycostals who are the best examples of Christians you have ever seen.

Yes but they also unwittingly put people in fear and weight things unjustly, not on purpose but because the system teaches them this.

Therefore since these people do exist we can't say they aren't being helped by their religion. Obviously they are being helped, and even generations of them.

Yes and that is fine. But they should not look over to their brethren and cast stones.

Sorry, but while the leaves may have fallen, the tree still stands.

As does mine but in a different way.

You can't babysit adults! I'm a minister, not the school principle. I don't make people kneel on books while holding out pencils and reciting the tower of Babel isn't a rocket, the tower of Babel isn't a rocket, the tower of Babel isn't a rocket. The rules come from the principles, the principles are the basis (or should be) of the rules. It is like this, people have to have their own convictions based on an understanding of the scriptures. They must be led by the power of God, and not the power of emotion, coercion, fear of the madding crowd. When someone has a real experience with the living God and His word they will be led into all truth, not just some.

If you wan to make rules and people want to follow them that is their and your prerogative. Just don't tell 14 year old Sally (or anyone else) she is in danger of hellfire for not following your rules that are not Bible, just your rules based on Bible principles.