These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and HE THAT SOWETH DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN.
I know that this forum can become a roughhouse at times when we are defending our beliefs or discussing certain thoughts or questions, but NEVER should it become a point of contention among us. I can see why this is an abomination to the Lord. As Christians, we are His body. One body in Christ. You start browbeating a person in here, you are beating the body of Christ. He was already beaten for our sinful, selfish selves. Why do you want to continue beating His body by beating down others in here? So what if you don't agree with someones view. A lot of us don't. If you can't discuss it rationally, if you can't discuss it without sowing discord or without resorting to personal attacks, if you can't discuss it humbly and with respect toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless your view, you have no business discussing it at all.
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: [and] he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding. - Proverbs 17:28
People might leave a discussion group for many reasons.
They might not be able to afford internet service if they lose their job.
They might have decided to join OTHER discussion groups, and found them more interesting and profitable.
They might have been warned repeatedly by moderators to stop calling others "Liar", and telling others that they are "teaching doctrines of demons" every time someone disagreed with them.
There are lots of reasons to leave a discussion group.
And on a related note, "see how these Christians love one another"
Jesus never chased after anyone, He never debated on what He taught, He simply said what He heard from the Father and left it at that, leaving it up to the listeners to accept or reject it.
I'm afraid some of us (heck, all of us at some time or other) get too hung up on being 'right' rather than being right. If God insisted on being right then we'd all be doomed to hell as we surely deserve, but it was because of His grace and love that "whilst we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us" (my emphasis).
Can we show enough grace to our brothers and sisters to do the same???
The moneychangers in the Temple? He chased them with a weapon He made Himself.
He never debated on what He taught, He simply said what He heard from the Father and left it at that, leaving it up to the listeners to accept or reject it.
James replies:
He did debate with the Pharisees. He also warned us of false prophets and teachers. Paul dealt with these and we have PLENTY of scripture that shows us this.
I'm afraid some of us (heck, all of us at some time or other) get too hung up on being 'right' rather than being right. If God insisted on being right then we'd all be doomed to hell as we surely deserve, but it was because of His grace and love that "whilst we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us" (my emphasis).
James replies:
I agree with what you say here. And this STILL does not mean that no one should say anything that someone else would disagree with, or debate anything in Scripture.
Can we show enough grace to our brothers and sisters to do the same???
James replies:
Scripture tells us to EXAMINE what we believe. I happen to believe that Modern America Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep.
Christians are ignorant of church history, and not only ignorant of it, consider it unimportant because they have convinced themselves the Holy Spirit makes their private interpretation infallible. That in itself contradicts Scripture, and is arrogant and wrong.
Look two people are no longer on this discussion board.
Two VERY different people, and who knows what their reasons were?
I am GLAD one of them left! When a person has horrible theology, and makes no sense at all half the time, and posts constantly, can't ever say he just disagrees with someone, he instead starts entire threads calling someone a "demon", and then that person leaves, well...... GOOD!
I bet the Moderators encouraged him to leave!
People quit discussion groups for all kinds of reasons, and you should not take it personally when someone does.
Chevy, and my many other friends I did read strange stuff.
I also made that apology because sometimes we may by accident offend someone. I was just clearing uo any unresolved matters. I have been here for two years and have offended people. It happens.Dennis
I doubt the moderators encouraged anyone to leave. If they were doing that, they would already have encouraged you to do so. When you do leave, I wonder how many people will say, I'm GLAD he's gone.? We don't have to hear his false teaching anymore. Two will be back; so don't get too smug. Lol @ Dennis, You really are an excellent example of a man who follows Christ.
The world is a mess, people are dying by the minute, children are being kidnapped and made into sex slaves, storms are ripping through cities and wiping out homes and families, animals are being abused, whole cities are fleeing their homes due to Muslim oppression and murder of familes, old people are starving everywhere that have barely enough SS money, children in hospitals with cancer, soldiers fighting to protect us and losing their limbs at young ages, babies being aborted by the thousands daily, Christians are discouraged and losing faith, pastors are falling, divorce is at 70%, people losing jobs and home being foreclosed on...a toddler child is crying somewhere right now locked in his or her bedroom while the crack parent smokes up a white cloud and lets the child starve!.......
And we have time to debate asinine subjects that will never be agreed on?
There is too much to be praying about, to be debating all this foolish stuff that only illuminates pride. Behind every argument is someone's pride.
I would rather be very busy praying and being the hands and feet of Jesus when He comes, than debating a subject for the next two stinking years in the same forums. What a merry-go-round!
Jesus made statements and did not debate the SAME subject for 6 months. There is no scripture to prove that at all. He said "I must be about my Father's business" and that is what He did. We can state our opinion here, disagree and walk away. When it keeps going? You got too much time on your hands and are using it unwisely.
The days are evil and darkness is closing in~JESUS IS COMING.
If anything Jesus would take His whip to this thread and drive everyone to the prayer thread, which should be the busiest one here.
I love ya all and pray that the Holy Spirit works us all over real good for being such carnal "gotta be right all the time" saints? Hmmmm....
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. " Matt. 5:9
I want to be working like a good soldier when He comes instead of being all tangled up in this messy forum. Maybe this scripture could include "forums?"
2 Timothy 2:4~ No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life (forums) so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
Wise words indeed and we'd do well to remember where our focus should be!:angel:
I agree with some of James' reply (it'd be better with more detail from both of us than we can afford here), not all of it. However if he believes differently to me then that's fine - I'm not God and He's the one we're ultimately answerable to. Further debate can be done by PM if desired, however I frankly have better things to do with my time.:zzzz:
I *will* however re-iterate the point I made: are we so hung up on being 'right' that we miss the bigger picture? When being right trumps grace, we're in trouble 'cos the pharisees were experts at the law yet totally missed the point of it.
