Friends church droppped "standards"

[trialedbyfire]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

Well...I'm sorry you find that offensive. I did not have it in mind to be offensive.

However, I just say what I feel and that is how I feel.

If people have to have these standards to be 'disciplined' with their prayer life and fasting then so be it for them.

Again I will repeat, because I am tired of my comments being purposely misconstrued by some. I never said that people have to have these standards to be disciplined. I said that many churches I have seen that have lost their "standards" also lost their disciplines, even suggested that the loss of discipline probably came first and that THAT is what attributed to their loss of power.

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

I truly am glad that you have had this experience with standards and fasting and prayer.

I have seen people who are disciplined in their dress and hair standards and were the meanest backstabbing bunch of folk I've ever had the displeasure to be around. Some of them would step on you to higher ground to be noticed. I've seen some of them make fun of their sisters in the Lord. Even the men would say unkind things about other men.

It doesn't say much when people outside of church have more compassion for sickness or financial burdens than those you attend church with.

I've never had this experience in Pentecost at all. I remember once I testified at my old church about my financial issues and after service had saints left and right offer me money. I've been put in charge of collecting offerings for people about to lose their homes. I've never seen anyone mocked for being sick. My home church used to send floods of saints to the hospitals when one of us fell sick. I remember the saints used to joke around and say all 1,500 of us were "on call" at all times. Hospitals in the area knew us because we'd send dozens of people to the hospital at a time. Are there gossipers in the church? Sure. But there were snakes, tigers, bears, and lions on the ark noah built. Doesn't mean I would've jumped ship back then and I don't plan on jumping ship on God now because of a few backbiters.