Wheww, I have read this entire thread and my head hurts! It seems to me that there is a patten in religious pratices that closely resembles the pattern that most successful companies use..SALES. Everything revolves around sales, everyone is selling something or some idea - and as it usually goes..my product is better then my competitions..LOL.
Seriously, the issue with subjects like this (as well as the plethora of other threads about "standards") is that it seems that there is a great deal of respect and tolerance that those of a more "Liberal" stance have towards the more conservative folks (Of course not everyone, there have been some rude mods and libs!)
On the other hand it seems quite unbalanced the other way around. What i find is that exerpts like this one by Chalfant aqre usually used as a springboard to try and persuade the more liberal that there thinking is wrong and needs to change to this more "biblical" way of holiness, and any argument made in the contrary is met with alot of comments that alude to the fact that the liberal person is compromising, reading into the Bible what they want etc., and these comments come from the fact that the liberal person is just not buying what the more conservative person is selling.. so the tantrum begins.
Nothing wrong with critically examining, questioning, and reasoning together, the problem always comes down to mutual respect for each others convictions, not matter how strict they are. It amazes me the folks that I still know who will say they respect a brother or sister who holds a less strict stance on something like rings, but if that person with the ring was asked to preach they would dismiss alot of what He/She said soley on the basis that the person wears a ring so they must be missing God somehow..good grief!
The Lemon, threads about anything to do with outward always get more attention since man looks on the outward, but God looks on the heart. God simply has a tremendous time trying to get us to emphasize that which is unseen which is eternal. Man is too outwardly oriented, and that is proved true here even in the church. Talk about something spiritual, and you will hardly get a peep.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
I don't understand. Why would Christ intentionally use something evil, something forbidden, something paganistic, to teach the beautiful story of the prodigal son?
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
Historians have reviewed the economic conditions of the 1990's and determined that Bill Clinton was a brilliant president.
conversely Historians have reviewed the economic conditions of the 1990's and determined that the technology bubble was an abberation and Bill Clinton was really not a very good president.
History has been shaped to say many things. Most of which it never said.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I love bling. I love jewelry, however I can't wear my wedding set anymore.
__________________
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
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