More on Skirts

[Aquila]

Also he criticized the men's group because in one meeting the Spirit moved and it got real. Men were openly confessing sin and struggles with sobbing tears. We prayed for one another and ministered to the needs brought before us. He had no idea of some of the sins and struggles we were having. When it became clear that we weren't perfect he lost his mind. He interrupted the move, rebuked the men confessing, and said we will never be holy if we don't act holy and uphold the image of being holy. The men that didn't confess anything gave strong, Amens. Soon, anyone who disclosed their struggles were sat down. We were told we had to be perfect as He is perfect, no imperfection was to be tolerated. We lost two families over that one. And the men who came alive in that meeting felt blasted for being real. It was like the devil was using men's confessions to destroy them as others jockeyed for their positions. It was the one time we felt real, honest, transparent, willing to address our faults and hidden sin, and it was like the pastor felt it insulted his idea that we were perfect. It was really sad.

We learned to keep our imperfections and struggles a secret. Because if you got real and exposed any hidden sin, struggle, or imperfection, you were toast. The hint of imperfection would be used to destroy you. But we were encouraged to act perfect in all circumstances. In essence, we were taught to be hypocrites.

I know all churches aren't like this. I've been to several that aren't. But the sense of hiding imperfection was present to a lesser degree. I've experienced that the higher the standards, the less authentic the people tend to be.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I've experienced that the higher the standards, the less authentic the people tend to be.

I can say my experience has been the opposite.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I can say my experience has been the opposite.

Hey, bro, Aquila already let us know he was stabbing and slabbing is his starched long sleeve shirt.

The Lord Jesus have mercy on all of us, because it is looking really sad in American Churchanity Industrial Complex.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I can say my experience has been the opposite.

I'm glad. I know there are good churches out there. The church I was saved in was VERY strict. At first, the pastor left you hungering for the standards. After a while though, things changed. It became a loveless demand.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm glad. I know there are good churches out there. The church I was saved in was VERY strict. At first, the pastor left you hungering for the standards. After a while though, things changed. It became a loveless demand.

I might be all wrong on what I am about to say, and if so I'm sure someone will straighten me out .

The desire for holiness of spirit so that you can hunger and thirst for God and be used by him leads to people wanting to be separate from the world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life)

God leads and guides us into a closer walk with him and that includes coming out from the world and being separate from worldliness.

The problem with outward standards is that when you dictate standards that are not coming from a persons heart it breeds resentment and hypocrisy and you have defeated the purpose.

On the other hand if the church is consumed with the world there is a quenching and grieving and stifling of the Spirit.

So, along with the teaching of word must come prayer and fasting and a moving of the Holy Ghost that will give people a desire to cast off the world and serve God with all their hearts.

Sometimes you see it plainly for yourself and you follow out of obedience to the word, sometimes you follow your pastor because you trust him to be watching for your soul.

And sometimes you concede that some things like no beards or wearing red are just plain silly.

Sometimes it takes patience and bearing with each other in love.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Amanah

. . .

Sometimes it takes patience and bearing with each other in love.

or you can endlessly bite and devour each other for sport.

Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I might be all wrong on what I am about to say, and if so I'm sure someone will straighten me out .

The desire for holiness of spirit so that you can hunger and thirst for God and be used by him leads to people wanting to be separate from the world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life)

God leads and guides us into a closer walk with him and that includes coming out from the world and being separate from worldliness.

The problem with outward standards is that when you dictate standards that are not coming from a persons heart it breeds resentment and hypocrisy and you have defeated the purpose.

On the other hand if the church is consumed with the world there is a quenching and grieving and stifling of the Spirit.

So, along with the teaching of word must come prayer and fasting and a moving of the Holy Ghost that will give people a desire to cast off the world and serve God with all their hearts.

Sometimes you see it plainly for yourself and you follow out of obedience to the word, sometimes you follow your pastor because you trust him to be watching for your soul.

And sometimes you concede that some things like no beards or wearing red are just plain silly.

Sometimes it takes patience and bearing with each other in love.

You nailed it.

No Holy Ghost leading you through prayer? Then you are being led by a spirit who will beat the snot out of you and send you marching back into the house to get changed. Jesus told the pharisees that they looked beautiful on the outside but inside they were rotting corpses. This isn't even about standards, even when standards are flushed down the toilet. The cancer is still there, it just moves to another part of the religious mantra. The far right swings all the way to the far left. But they still take who they really are along with them. Demonic activity still hard at work, it just disguises itself as "we don't judge," we don't condemn," "we love unconditionally" But wait till you disagree with them on whatever pet peeve they adopted to replace their "standard" addiction. Hulk Smash!

Sister, only through the power of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives the utterance. Can a soul even begin to change. Anything else is just the devil dressed up in a three piece suit and his wife long sleeves and a bun. It might look like cookies and cream, but in reality it is Iron Man and War Machine.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm glad. I know there are good churches out there. The church I was saved in was VERY strict. At first, the pastor left you hungering for the standards. After a while though, things changed. It became a loveless demand.

This church is no longer around?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

This church is no longer around?

Yep. It's still there. I visited maybe 3 years ago when they hosted a drama. Same ol' faces, sitting on the same ol' pews. A bit grayer. Nothing had really changed. It felt really dead. It was really sad.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Yep. It's still there. I visited maybe 3 years ago when they hosted a drama. Same ol' faces, sitting on the same ol' pews. A bit grayer. Nothing had really changed. It felt really dead. It was really sad.

Why'd you go back?