Originally Posted by Jason Badejo
(Note, the "you" in this post is a generalization in most uses)
Oh the "bitter" pill, how unpredictable. Listen T2W may be bitter I don't know, but I think it is sickening and manifests hearts of hirelings who do not really love people, the way that some OP preachers live lives of hypocrisy as she detailed in her post above, and everyone else is expected to just "line up". And when the hypocricy is exposed the saints are told "he's just a man", but when the same man is pontificating about standards and damning everyone who doesn't see it his way to hell, then he's anointed and the mouthpiece of God. The people are to submit to his authority on their lives. Some (not all) will not even lay a finger on the heavy burdens they lay on others, but that is generally the way man made religion works.
You guys talk about standards and tongues and baptosm, but not grace, love, mercy. You are the classic example of neglecting the weightier matters of the law as the pharisees did. You are filled with love, but only love for those who see it like you do. What do you guys do differently from the world? Your love towards others is conditional based on their religious profession, outward appearence, or at best prospects of becoming a proselyte to your church. Once you know one got away, love turns to hatred, and its attack mode, not healing or reconciliation. There are OP preachers who are nothing but hirelings. They don't really care for the sheep, they care for themselves. When the sheep stray (in their eyes) the don't find them and throw them over their shoulders, they beat them, and wound them. I know you guys know about religion, but I wonder if you know Jesus. You claim to be the only ones who are saved and have His Spirit living inside, yet manifest the exact opposite attititude of the one who loved all of us while we were yet sinners, who wills for none to perish, but all to come to repentance, who weeps for the lost, who looks for a reason to save people, not searches for a reason or technicality to ........ them. There is a lot of talk about Christlikeness, but talk is cheap, where is the walk, that's why the world is put out with churches.
But you guys can't understand this. You don't understand that not everyone who leaves is bitter. Some see through the hypocrisy, some simply don't believe the doctrine or the standards. Just because someone leave doesn't make them bitter.
Personally I left because I am convinced of justification by faith as being the point of salvation. That doesn't mean I don't think the repentant sinner doesn't need to be baptized. If the repntant sinner who is justified by his faith doesn't want to be baptized, that is a good indication he may not have sincerely repented and thus may not be justified. Ultimately only God knows the sincerity and genuinenss of the heart, and so the knowledge of salvation rests with Him. I left because of that, the unbiblical initial evidence doctrine, the standards being preached as legalism, the mindset that the devil is around every corner trying to take you down, the abusive doctrine of tithing, and seeing the way that others who left were treated. To name a few reasons.
Despite those things, most people (not all) were decent to me in real life, except for a few preachers). Most of the hatred and real ugliness came from preachers on the internet, especially APF (apostolic preachers forum). But I'm not bitter about a bunch of guys who don't know me, pffft the internet is what it is. It showed their true colors and the way they talk in closed forums when the saints aren't around, but despite that I know there are plenty of good OP preachers who don't have that hatred. And despite all that if something doesn't work out where I am now I haven't completely closed the door on the OP church. But one thing is for sure, if I ever go back it wil be to a moderate church, with a pastor who loves people.
I'll never go back into the kind of environment T2W described. And to her point I can see why she can make the connection between some posters in this thread and those old memories and mentality. Personally I'm not bitter, just glad I didn't continue on like that. Because I was just as dogmatic, judmental, and mean as anyone on this thread has been. I knew I was saved, and I knew who wasn't, and would proclaim it. One example was once I was asked about Joyce Meyer, I said "that's easy she's going to hell" (or something to that effect, maybe not quite as blunt). The shocked person asked "why?" I said because she has short hair and wears earrings". Yes that was enough to burn in hell forever. Yes I was holier than thou. Like Paul said, a pharisee of 5he pharisees. I was probably more zealous for the standards and kept them more to the letter than these posters. I lined up on everything. I was the posterboy for pentecost, until my eyes were open to who Christ really was. Oh sure I knew Christ, he had saved me. I knew He was the manifestation of the one God. But I failed to understand how he loved, how he lived, and what being like Christ really meant. I still desire to know Him more, but despite the insults, despite being called bitter, and heritic, and so much worse, I keep walking with my Lord. He is not the accuser of the bretheren, He bid me to follow Him, and no man will get in my way.
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