Ah, don't make me start remembering the good stuff too. I love the people.
Of course the good stuff. That perfect choir song that would insure no preaching. The Preacher that made sure we didnt leave till there was a "move of God". THE GOOD STUFF!!!! Surely you remember?!?!
I wonder if the Early Church and The Apostles themselves would pass the standards. FWIW I had fairly long hair(I'm a musician and private guitar teacher) and a goatee when I was baptized in Jesus name and tarried and filled with the Holy Ghost.
I still think ultimately Jesus is much more interested in where our hearts are.
So, in essence you ARE sending people to hell... (or telling them they are on their way)
The apostle Paul did a little bit of hell-sending in his epistles:
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
As did the apostle John:
Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Telling folks that continuing in sin will send them to hell is not judgemental but truly is warning them and giving them a chance to repent. The problem lies when men make things sin that are not sin and condemn others for doing them.
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
Ah, don't make me start remembering the good stuff too. I love the people.
You're going to find hypocrites in EVERY church. Don't throw everything you learned while in the UPC away. You may be throwing away some truth if you do.
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
Luke, many of us have had bad experiences. Speaking about them isn't broadbrushing, but just speaking of our personal experiences. We know it doesn't happen everywhere, but we didn't attend church everywhere.
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I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
The apostle Paul did a little bit of hell-sending in his epistles:
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
As did the apostle John:
Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Telling folks that continuing in sin will send them to hell is not judgemental but truly is warning them and giving them a chance to repent. The problem lies when men make things sin that are not sin and condemn others for doing them.
Funny I don't see anything about the clothes people were or were not wearing in those verses, or any of the so called standards.
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"Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow." ~Aesop
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, I am no longer entrapped by your inflated heritage and prophecies that revival is just around the corner. Preachers that say this is my last night to come to the altar and followed by a story of some sad soul who didn't go to the altar and was gunned down at the 7-eleven. I mean what does it take to be saved around here.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, I will no longer have to contend with hate and anger from five generations of backslide children and grandchildren who knew the truth about all the sin swept out of sight yet still look as holy as ever and are involved in everything from music ministry to Sunday school.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, I hope I never see another sincere convert come down to the altar only to be told, "you almost got it" come back again all the while those that shout and speak in tongues the most were the worst sinners.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, maybe now I can actually invite friends and family to church without them being abused spiritually and if they happen to get to the altar, physically.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, it took me a long time but I actually found out that most trinitarians don't believe in three Gods. In fact, they use the same scriptures to talk about God as we oneness do and almost the same terminology.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, you filled my mind with fear and propaganda that if I ever questioned anything I was headed down the slippery slope and we all knew that it lead to a life of six packs and cigarettes followed by a slow death by lung cancer or some other dreadful lifestyle. But what, I actually found out that there were good Christian folks who loved God with all their heart that had left our movement. And guess what, these folks actually had the fruits of the spirit demonstrated in their lives.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, you preached another gospel to me. A gospel of fear and anxiety. A gospel made up of only Baptism and tongues. I was never taught Christ and him crucified. I was never taught the love of God and how he sent his only son so that I might be saved. Only Acts 2:38 and how everybody else was wrong and going to hell.
Bye Bye Old Time Pentecost, one year away from you has changed my life forever.
Excellent post! (but if you have only been out a year, I hope it doesn't come back to bite you due to the pendulum effect!)
Yes, we all know that all denominations have problems and everything wasn't bad. But when I think of Old Time Pentecost I posted exactly what comes to mind. I didn't edit or think I just posted on an emotional level.
Also, just because I have left doesn't mean that I don't search for truth. The Bible is still the infallible word of God and sin is sin. I search the word daily and love what God is doing my life.
Excellent post! (but if you have only been out a year, I hope it doesn't come back to bite you due to the pendulum effect!)
Been there, done that! Good words of advice.
__________________ "Many people view their relationship with God like a "color by number" picture. It's easier to let someone else define the boundaries, tell them which blanks to fill in, and what color to use than it is for them to take a blank canvas and seek inspiration from the Source in order to paint their own masterpiece"
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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