Dropped By & Somewhat Dismayed But Not Surprised

[Ron]

Hi All,
How is everyone? I was on the net & checking bookmarks & dropped by as I thought I heard some men of God might be here such as Old Paths, & Bro Epley.
What to my dismay did I see as the first thread:
Prominent Memphis Area Resigns.
I had an inkling of who it may be but not how you might think I may be aware of it.
I was starting to read the thread & saw accusations of a certain nature against a man of God & I wept, wept because there were accusations & I was thinking,
what if this isn't true? I then said, if this is true, how is this thread going to help the Church in question & the Minister being accused?
You see, this coming March 27th will be the thirtieth anniversary that I first walked through the doors of Maranatha Tabernacle in Vancouver.

The Minister in question was my first Pastor, he Baptised me on April 4th (Easter Monday & the Annual Business Meeting) & prayed for me to receive the Holy Ghost on April 17th & I got it!
He was a great Pastor & i have wonderful memories from that time.

I read where some questioned his Bio somewhere but I can vouch for the fact that the highest we got attendence was 238 we had 12 baptised that day & we joked it was all a Biblical number.
I owe a great debt to him as I came to the Lord under his Ministry & am in the Church today in large part due to him.
It was an international Church with natives, blacks, Hispanics & even a few white Canadians to boot. In fact I am a heinz 57 with a big mixture in myself so charges of possible racism are a little hard to fathom.

Which leaves the question, how did I potentially think that this thread was about who I thought it was about?
We had Revival services with an evangilist the first weekend in January & my former Pastor who Pastors nearby was invited by my present Pastor to join us & I went up to him & hug his neck & he said, "I heard that a Bro_____ resigned his Church & is evangilizing again, have you heard anything?"
I answered, "No, I haven't"
We then started the service.

Some have wondered why I left this site a few years ago & I have stated that I was dismayed at the way Apostolic Ministers are drug through the mud, drawn & quartered, & generally held in such high contempt that I was more than a little shocked.
I have heard it say, "it is a catharsis, a venting, a letting go of the past by dragging figures in the present through the mud & wringer.

I was taught better. I was taught to respect the man of God. I was taught that dragging ministers through an open forum on the internet was "plain old gossip & that those who did such things were a tale bearer.
I am sorry but I do not beleive in Calvinism & that you can never lose your salvation.
There are a great many that need to repent.

CC1, What was your purpose in starting that thread anyways? Was it so that he may find repentence & restoration? I doubt it.
Whatever happened to Mathew 18: 15-17?
I think this matter belongs only to the people involved & the Church where it took place.
IT IS NO ONE ELSES BUSINESS!

I could tell stories of Ministers I know if have dropped the ball--but I won't, because they need to find a way back to God as well.
Some have come back to God & some I still weep over & keep looking & hoping they will find their way back.
Threads such as the one I am referencing serve only to burn bridges & muddy the waters, not to mention causing people to meddle in affairs that are not our own.

Some have questioned why the delay God? Perhaps God is being merciful, for don't Ministers need mercy too?
Anyway you slice it people are hurt but this is not how you handle these situations.

I dissapeared a few years back after going to prayer & weaping before God at the casual way people (including fellow ministers) were so quick to call down, sully, & generally rail against the Man of God & while I was weaping God spoke to me in that still small voice & indicated that he was not happy either & that "he would deal with it!"

I am sorry if I come across harsh & you can all dismiss me if you like but I am telling you--I heard from God.
You can play with fire if you so desire, but it is eternal fire you are messing with.

Thank you for allowing me my say & it is up to you to respond, deny, make fun of & even delete this thread & post.


Ron