Why Such A Fuss Over Standards!!

[jaxfam6]

Originally Posted by Falla39

[/B]

RandyWayne,

I really do like you and am not picking on you at all.

Dear Brother, if things like "sleeve length" and some rule involving sports
are causing anyone to be bitter, something is wrong somewhere. With
divorce rates high and soaring high, kids on drugs, committing suicide, and
getting invoved in crime, etc. and we major on things you mentioned. The
enemy had MAGNIFIED the minors and de-valued the major. Now why would
the enemy do that. I'll tell you why! To bring confusion and God is not the
author of confusion.

If people would get on their knees and pray about things instead of getting
them inside and letting them fester and infect the whole body, which could
bring death, spiritual or otherwise, there would be more victory in homes and
churches. Seek the LORD about everything!! The HOLY GHOST is there to
lead and guide.

I do not depend on any person to give me the answers that
are important to me. I take my "case", whatever it may be to the, to the
highest court. TO THE FINAL AUTHORITY! I have never found a problem HE
could not solve or a question He could not answer! HE IS THE KING!!!

Blessings, Brother RandyWayne!

Falla39

I totally agree. The devil has worked very well at causing confusion. Doesn't the Bible tell us that in the last days things will be upside down? what's right is wrong and what's wrong is right. If ever there were a day when that seems to be the case it is this day and age.
If you go to God in prayer and seeking His guidence he will answer you. I have found that if there is confusion in something it is not of God but when I have peace and things all look RIGHT then I can be sure God is in it. That is the path I will take then. Been down to many roads that have been confusing. I will stick to the ones that I know for sure. No longer make changes in my life unless I am sure about it. That keeps peace of mind and peace in the family.
Bless you sister.

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by crakjak

Great post, Falla! We were very fortunate to have a father who was not motivated by money or position, rather he was motivated by what was good and right. Dad was truly a man of character and goodness, a man of his word.

Thanks for sharing some details that even I had not heard.

BTW: What was he going to do with the rings?

Yes, as far as earthly heroes, Dad was mine!

I can only imagine what he was going to do with the rings.
Bill was trying to show his love for me the best he could. Went
in debt to buy those for me. Very nice. But I still have them!
Daddy didn't raise ignorant kids.

Hugs,

Falla39

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Falla39

I can only imagine what he was going to do with the rings.
Bill was trying to show his love for me the best he could. Went
in debt to buy those for me. Very nice. But I still have them!
Daddy didn't raise ignorant kids.

Hugs,

Falla39

Were you able to keep them?

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

Were you able to keep them?

Originally Posted by Falla39
I can only imagine what he was going to do with the rings.
Bill was trying to show his love for me the best he could. Went
in debt to buy those for me. Very nice. But I still have them!
Daddy didn't raise ignorant kids.

Hugs,

Falla39

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Falla39

Originally Posted by Falla39
I can only imagine what he was going to do with the rings.
Bill was trying to show his love for me the best he could. Went
in debt to buy those for me. Very nice. But I still have them!
Daddy didn't raise ignorant kids.

Hugs,

Falla39

Sorry, I didn't see that part for some reason.

That's great! I'm so happy you got to keep them after all.

[Praxeas]

The subject of standards should revolve around the bible and whether or not they are biblical

While time might have a standard, clocks do not have a standard look and feel.

While Gold might have a standard, they come in many looks and feels.

If Parents dictate standards and we are to respect that, they we should also not reach out to children of parents that are not Oneness Apostolics...in short, parents can be wrong.

So rationalizing the topic of Holiness (standards) based on philosophical reasoning is of course not biblical, tends towards elevating a non-biblical "command" to the level of biblical, which as we all know Jesus taught against and forces values on certain people that they other wise would not have had. Beside the fact that if something is HIS word then we have a good foundation. If something is based on something other than His word, where do we stop? We can come up with all kinds of crazy doctrines.

They have standards in Communist china...red seems to be a standard. Military uniforms is a standard, Communism and suppression of religion is a standard...is that a good thing?

There is no law or rule that says you have to have a standard for everything. Thank God we don't have a standard for race or religion in our nation

Where as the UCs might think getting rid of standards is a lowering of standards, that can't be proven to be true. It's completely subjective.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Timmy

The more rules, the better?

that is how some think, but even the most conservative of us has a limit.

[Aquila]

God bless you Sis Falla, I hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts.

Originally Posted by Falla39

[/B]

RandyWayne,

I really do like you and am not picking on you at all.

Dear Brother, if things like "sleeve length" and some rule involving sports
are causing anyone to be bitter, something is wrong somewhere. With
divorce rates high and soaring high, kids on drugs, committing suicide, and
getting invoved in crime, etc. and we major on things you mentioned. The
enemy had MAGNIFIED the minors and de-valued the major. Now why would
the enemy do that. I'll tell you why! To bring confusion and God is not the
author of confusion.

The divorce rate is no lower in strict UC churches than mainstream America. Divorce and other social issues are simply "human issues". They have always been with us and always will. We do well as individuals to make our calling and election sure. We can't force a mold thinking that somehow it will insulate people from reality. Only they can make their calling and election sure.

As for sleeve length and sports... the issue is Scripture. I find it interesting how so many who focus on "standards" point to emotional pleas and leaps of logic and not the Scriptures. The Scriptures say nothing negative about sports. In fact, Paul uses references to various Greek sports in the Epistles. As for sleeve length etc.... again the issue is Scripture. I can see expecting a certain degree of length to maintain modesty. But what is frustrating is blanket standards that are forced on the congregation. For example, I know a church that requires all boys to wear long sleeves and long pants all the time. These are little boys playing outside during the summer heat and sun. I've personally seen them overheated. Why? It's not found in Scripture that little boys have to be attired like this. It's forced upon them, they are dangled over Hell with if they want to wear a short sleeved shirt or shorts while fishing. Have some mercy, it's not in Scripture. When I was a minister in the UC church we attended we lost over 85% of our youth to the world the moment they graduated high school. Why? Because we gave them a list to live by, standards to follow, and when they turned to the Word... they didn't find them. Also, somewhere along the way we failed to teach them Jesus.

Falla, I had a management and communication class last year. It illustrated how generations differ. Your generation was hard working and dedicated, however, your generation was also one who asked few questions and simply did as they were told. No generation after your has been like that. Since the boomers Americans want to know why they something is so. This bleeds into Christianity when they look for Scripture and can't find it. When we're told that we'll go to Hell for wearing shorts... we wonder, "Why? Where is that in the Bible?" If it's not there... it discredits you in our eyes. I mean... if women can wear skirts to mid shin... why can't men wear shorts to mid shin? If pants on a woman is immodest... then pants on a man are immodest also. I've scene women check out a man's package or bottom more than once. Women in the world even have a slang term for it, "khaki fever". That's when a man looks real appealing in his pants. Our generation wonders why. That's all. And so far... we're not getting logical answers or Scriptures for why.

If people would get on their knees and pray about things instead of getting them inside and letting them fester and infect the whole body, which could bring death, spiritual or otherwise, there would be more victory in homes and churches. Seek the LORD about everything!! The HOLY GHOST is there to lead and guide.

To a large degree I agree with you here. We need not allow bitterness to fester and prayer is the answer. However, at the same time we need not live to please men by living according to arbitrary man made rules that stifle the our spirits.

But in relation to "standards" I don't think prayer is sufficient. Here's why... I know a pastor who prayed on his knees and sincerely believes that the internet is sin and that women should wear head coverings. They are practically Amish. Why? If he's right Falla, you're going to Hell for posting here with the rest of us. Here's the deal Falla, when it comes to Christian living and "standards", we need to go to on source.... the Scriptures. Everyone is running on emotion and what they THINK God told them in some dark prayer closet. God has revealed His will in His Word. If it's not in the Word God obviously doesn't see it as an issue to dangle people over Hell with. To dangle people over Hell, declaring that something is sin (for example facial hair in my old church) when the Bible says no such thing is an abuse of Spiritual power and authority. A Pastor doesn't have a blank check to make up rules as he goes. A Pastor's authority begins and ends where the Word speaks. Beyond that, he does well to share his opinion, but it's abuse to dangle people over Hell for an opinion. For example, when my first pastor was a boy his pastor preached that women would go to Hell if they wore red dresses. That's spiritual abuse. The Bible says nothing about red dresses. If that dress covers her adequately she's not sinned. We complain about courts that disregard case law and statutes to legislate from the bench... but our preachers are doing the same thing. First, it discredits them as men of God. Second, it discredits the Gospel because people in the World often check their Bibles and find that what he's preaching isn't there.

I do not depend on any person to give me the answers that
are important to me. I take my "case", whatever it may be to the, to the
highest court. TO THE FINAL AUTHORITY! I have never found a problem HE
could not solve or a question He could not answer! HE IS THE KING!!!

Falla39

I think we do well to follow a different track. I think that if we have a question we need to pray. Not for the answer, but for our hearts to be open to God on the issue. Then we need to turn to the Scriptures. If we have a question about something like, "Is facial hair a sin?", we need to study the Scriptures and find what God's Word says. If there isn't a Biblical standard against facial hair... we need to be open enough to God's Word to drop the standard because it's unbiblical. But if the Bible clearly states that something is sin, we do well to be open enough to obey and renounce that sin.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Falla39

And we don't want to forget the first and greatest which is to love the LORD, our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Every man is responsible for his own house. You are responsible for what you teach your children. Not anyone else. You are responsible to GOD for what you have sown and birthed.

My dad took that responsibility more seriously than any man I have ever known. He never felt adequete to do it alone, always seeking the face of his MAKER, through the leading of the Holy Ghost he received at age 15 yrs. He learned to go to His God before he married, looked to God for a wife, and when their children (11) came along. He did the same when he was inducted into the U.S. Army and was sent overseas, leaving behind a young wife and four children under 7 yrs old. He learned to trust his God on the front lines of battle in WWII, not willing to carry a weapon, but chose to carry two medical bags instead, to treat the wounded and help carry the dead off the front lines of battle..!

He came home and raised eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, raising them in the fear and admonition of his GOD. Founded a church, put eleven children through high school and most have had some additional education, etc. Pastored while working a full time job, in order to support his
large family. Never shirked his responsibility in providing his family, with both physical and spiritual needs. He took his questions to God in prayer in a back bedroom where he would come out with red rimmed eyes where he knew he
could find answers for any situation in regard to his family or church. There is
SO much I could say about this man we called "Daddy". I probably should have started a "Fathers Day" thread instead of posting this here. But I didn't....!

Yes, the standards (measure of excellence) for everything we are today, started in our home. Dad didn't buy everything someone said. He found his answers elsewhere. I am my father's daughter. The only reason I am on this forum in just maybe,... I can help someone along life's way and my living will not have been in vain!

Hugs,

Falla39

Falla, I guess I just believe that the Bible alone is sufficient. If there isn't a short sleeve standard, a facial hair standard, a dress color standard, an open toe standard, a split standard, etc. in the Bible.... I'm not impressed with it because it's just a fleshly religious set of rules instituted by man. It's carnal and worldly. It's no more impressive to me than seeing the very conservative Muslims from the Middle East. It's all just flesh.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Falla39

Yes, as far as earthly heroes, Dad was mine!

I can only imagine what he was going to do with the rings.
Bill was trying to show his love for me the best he could. Went
in debt to buy those for me. Very nice. But I still have them!Daddy didn't raise ignorant kids.

Hugs,

Falla39

Don't let Bro. Epley hear that!