ChristiansUnite Forums

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

I wanted to make a very general comment, certainly not directed at anyone. This is something I am struggling with, so if the thoughts are directed at anyone, let it be me. How do we discuss differences with other Brothers and Sisters in Christ? Do we let those differences divide us and alienate ourselves from each other, or can we discuss differences in love, knowing that our personal beliefs are a very strong, sensitive, and personal issue.

I have failed many times with this and have asked God for forgiveness and guidance. I'm convicted to say there should be a first question in mind when discussing controversial issues. For me, it is "am I discussing a controversial issue with a Brother or Sister in Christ?" If I answer this question "Yes", I feel directed and convicted to discuss or reply with a primary interest that I am talking with another child of God.

I think that we can all learn a lot in our differences if we are able to do so in love. I point first at myself and suggest this should be a matter of prayer for all of us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

I have found that I have been in error so many times in my life that it is foolish to think I am always right now. Pride is mans greatest enemy when it comes to the gospel.
The biggest change in my life came when I let the scripture be a reproof of my doctrine; instead of letting my doctrine be a reproof of scripture.
A sense of humor and a thick skin are the best defense when discussing religion, politics, or sports, in a forum like this.
We are anonymous here. Some are ignoramus here. :) This makes some behave in a way they would not if they talked to you face to face.
If you search through the garbage sometimes you can find a treasure.
It would be nice if people did not use personal attacks, but they will.
What gets to me is the number of people that feel they know everything the bible has to say.
I am amazed at the tremendous depth of Gods word. If I could study 10 hours a day 7 days a week I don’t feel I would scratch the surface in my life time.
Often I will hear something that does not add up, I welcome it because it causes me to turn to the word to check out where they are coming from.
I have loved ones that believe different things, some believe as I hear in the forums and this gives me an understanding of how to deal with them.
It is frustrating sometimes when someone understands so much and yet they cannot seem to grasp a truth that I understand, I hope that the same is not true of me.
I know that if it is Gods will He will give us the understanding we need.
I have read verses of scripture time and time again suddenly the light bulb goes on; God has allowed me to understand.
Perhaps God will let that person on the other side of the internet understand what you believe, perhaps He will let you understand what they believe.
If you see the obvious; praise God.
Personal attacks generally show a weakness in the attacker. I’ll go toe to toe with someone but it seems like a waste of time.

I think Tom is saying....

"We're gonna Love each other, and Like it!!!"  lol

Just teasing ya Tom.   :D

All wonderful verses about love that should be applied to our lives and posts.  



Grace and Peace....AND LOVE!

To speak more about the new command that Christ gave us, as well the scripture that has been posted by Tom....

As christians, what is the best way to disagree and still show Love towards one another, especially when posting in the forum?

I know I have difficulty with this at times.  This could be a good excercise for us all.

Any suggestions?

Grace and Peace!

Oklahoma Howdy to 2nd Timothy,

Brother, this is exactly what I've been thinking about and praying about for weeks. The Scriptures seem to speak for themselves. I'm not sure that I'm ready to put things in my own words yet. I think it would be very interesting to see many opinions on this.

I will start with a beginning thought that I don't believe anyone will have any problems with.

First, what is the primary purpose of Christians Unite? This is and should be a place where Christians of various denominations can have fellowship, build each other up in God's Word, encourage each other to walk in the Spirit, share our times of joy or trial, pray for each other, and please God in our Christian fellowship with each other. This is the easy part. The hard part is how each one of us works together in achieving this. I think the ultimate answer must have Christian Love as the core.

Things are obviously more difficult in a situation where written words are the form of communication. The smilies might help to convey emotion, but they fall far short. Maybe one easy answer might be the old and tried "How would I wish to be treated?" Another might be the simple and true Scripture, "A soft answer turneth away wrath."

I'd really like to see the ideas of others.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Perhaps this idea should be started in its own thread Tom.  I guess I did sort of hi-jack Petro's thread although that was not my intention.  Sorry Petro.   :P   :)

-hi-jack continued- :D
I too would like to hear others comments about this.  I really think we could all learn from it...I know I could.

I agree with Tom, that trying to communicate via typed words leaves a lot of details out of the conversation.  It can sometimes be very impersonable.  Perhaps that alone makes it easy to say things we would not normally say.  We have a screen to hide behind, and do not see how we are possibly hurting others with our words.   I think also many times we misundertand a posters intention, and throw wood on our own fire of assumption, which leads to a heated retort (yours truly, guilty as charged).  Since others only know us by our posted words, there is a feeling of, "I must defend my wordy image, or others might think I am somehow wrong and a less knowledgable christian", since others don't know anything about me on a personal level, or see my behaviours.  All there is to go on, is the typed words and conveyed messages.  While communicating via this wonderful technology, we must learn to cope with its inadequacies as well our own.   Viewing it this way, I would say we are doing an OK job (for on-line), but there is deffinately much room for improvment.   Bringing Christian Love into our posts (as well as everyday life) is necessary for us to learn if we are to obey Jesus' command to love each other as he loved us.

Tom, I suggest starting a new thread in an appropriate forum so we can explore these issues further, in hopes of helping and learning from each other.  I'm sure many may not have even looked in this thread.

What do you think?

-end hi-jack here-  lol   ;)

Grace and Peace!

Yup!   ;D  At the heart of most or our disagreements is pride.  Not always, but often.  I do want to note that there is a difference in defending the faith and being proud.  But the line is often times rather fine, and more times than not, crossed.  I think that if each of us puts others first we will go alot farther.  That is, we must consider not only the other person's perspective, but we must perceive their spiritual maturity.  They may not be as mature as we are - or they may be more mature.  We must be discerning with love.

Great point guys!   :)

Well said  guys! :)


 
That silly coffee cup just makes me giggle  :P

I liked it myself Reba!  It doesn't quite fit so well with me now...may have to find another... :D

Very good point.  Its easy to say "put others first", but how do you do it on a message forum?   We are expected to post our thoughts on various points, or it appears sometimes we are not listening...another disadvantage of the virtual world.   Everthing goes smooth until a disagreement on some point comes up.  This is where much of the time baby discernment goes out the window with the bath water.  Or perhaps some of us just arent that good at discernment?  A person may need to be pointed to scripture showing truth on the matter.   But of course, anyone being told they are wrong will not have a positive reaction many times.  This is true in any situation.  Here I think is where Love starts to show all its attributes (that is, if we apply it).

Of course on the other hand, sometimes we think we are right when we are not.

Its complex.  Pauls description of love...
1Co 13:4  Charity has patience, is kind; charity is not envious, is not vain, is not puffed up;
1Co 13:5  does not behave indecently, does not seek her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.
1Co 13:6  Charity does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth,
1Co 13:7  quietly covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Co 13:8  Charity never fails.[...]

We fail in many areas described here.  But, with Christ in our lives, and in our posts, the above is not out of reach...perhaps only with christ are they attainable.

I've endured the man swimming in coffee for while now Allinall!  One aspect of charity I am willing to share with you at this point.

(http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/lachen/laughing-smiley-017.gif)

Just kidding.   ;)  I will miss him if you change it.

Amen-this is a great topic. And there's also the issue of pet pieves. That enters into the pic. I think it's true, also, that misinterpretation enters the picture a lot.

Oklahoma Howdy to Allinall,

Brother, I always thought the guy in your coffee cup was Bill Clinton doing a back-stroke.   :D

Would you like me to help you find a replacement?  :D

Just kidding. I appreciate fine art.   :D

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Allinall,


Brother, I think you hit the nail square on the head. There is a lot to think about in your post. In fact, there is a lot to pray about in your post. Who really knows who we are posting to on the other end. Could it be a young person trying their spiritual wings so to speak? If so, encouragement or discouragement would probably be fairly easy. The same could be true of an older person who just became a Christian. In either case, I would not wish to discourage them. Your point is excellent, "we must be discerning with love."

In fact, "discerning with love" is probably the ultimate answer for all of our posts. You already made the point there is a time to defend the faith, but "discerning with love" may still be a key element. A lot depends on the circumstances and what you may wish to accomplish with your reply. If you are trying to help a lost person, a blatant attack will be ignored. One must also remember there is a Biblical time for rebuke. There is simply much to pray about in this area, and I think it is a worthy topic of prayer for all of us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to 2nd Timothy,


Brother, thanks for the reminder we were hi-jacking another thread with this topic.   ;D

I like the way you put it in your second paragraph. Yes, Christian love is an absolute necessity in everything we do "if we are to obey Jesus' command to love each other as he loved us." I honestly believe the more we try and the more we succeed, the greater our fellowship will be with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This means peace and joy, precious gifts. Everyone probably knows an absolute sweetheart of a Christian who seems to succeed with Christian Love on a regular basis. Yes, I know some. Have you ever noticed how happy they are? They are exercising Christian Love, and everyone benefits, including themselves. This is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

Love In Christ,
Tom
 

Oklahoma Howdy to 2nd Timothy,


Brother, thanks for this beautiful portion of Scripture. There is great beauty and truth in this passage. This is one of many cases where man's words can't compare to the Scriptures. Maybe we could all paste this portion of Scripture near our computer monitor, and read it several times per day. We should also remember these words with our face to face contacts with friends, family, and all who we talk to every day. Now I'm thinking of the little Sunday School song that I love so much, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine." Isn't the light powered by love and charity, in and through our precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ? I realize this is a very simple example, but I like it.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Whitehorse,

WOW! - I think that you hit two more nails square on the head. In fact, I had to check my wooden head to see if it was still attached.   :D  I will gladly take my punishment, but only if it is still a severe lashing with wet noodles.   :D

How many times have you looked at a thread that appears to be a fairly heated debate and wondered what the debate was about.   :D  UM??, then I might see my handle on a post and wonder what side I'm on, if any. You read on for several pages and really can't decide what the difference is that's being beaten to death. For some of them, you have to look pretty hard. Some of them involve word usage or semantics, and it turns out that all parties are saying the same thing in different ways. However, that's where pride kicks in and keeps it going. If it goes on long enough, someone gets mad and escalates the discussion to new heights of combat. Everyone simply gets beat up, and the actual cause is never known.   :D  

I didn't forget your comment about pet peeves. Yes, that is important. I'm one of those old guys who can never remember, and I stick my foot in my mouth fairly often. There may be many cases where kidding might or might not be involved, but I guess that really depends on the receiver of the message and how they feel about it. Kidding can hurt if it is not taken as kidding. If it involves a pet peeve, I doubt it would be taken as kidding. However, the end result is always the same, we are all people with feelings, and those feelings can be hurt.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

Here's a few beautiful portions of Scripture about "peace". There is no secret that Grace, Mercy, Charity, Love, Joy and Peace are closely associated and interwoven throughout the Holy Bible. They are also some of the attributes of our precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Love appears to be a common denominator with all of these attributes. As an example, is Grace a Love GIFT? Is Love many times the result of Peace? Are Mercy and Charity GIFTS in Love? Is Joy many times the end result of Love? Love was freely given to us by the Grace of God, and we are commanded to freely give love to others.

Isn't it all still about Love?
______________________________

Mark 9:34  But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Mark 9:50  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Luke 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 10:5  And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Romans 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Romans 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 10:15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Romans 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Romans 14:19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Romans 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 7:15  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

2 Corinthians  13:11  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Galatians 1:3  Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Ephesians 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Ephesians 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 6:23  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Colossians 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:16  Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

2 Timothy 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Hebrews 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Hebrews 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

James 3:18  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

1 Peter 3:11  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

1 Peter 5:14  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Peter 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

2 Peter 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Jude 1:2  Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.


Love In Christ,
Tom

Amen!

Wonderful verses Tom.  Reading through them thinking of how I could apply some of these to my posts, a lot comes to mind.  But I will just mention two of them.

Mark 9:50  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

This verse speaks of losing saltiness.  But I had an idea about this.  As we all know, salt adds flavor to our food if proportioned properly.  But if you get too much salt, the taste becomes unbearable, making the food too strong to eat.  We are the salt of the world.  Just a dash here and there, making it just right.  When we get carried away pressing our points, it seems possible to become overbearing, thus adding too much salt to be palletable.  I know it sounds bizzare, but just another way of looking at it.  We can get our points across without forcing the issue, and maybe, leaving more impact than we think by saying less, rather than pooring on the salt till it becomes bitter and impossible to swallow.  Just some food for thought  (pun intended)  ;)

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

How beautiful is this?  Says so much in just a few words.  Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith.  What a guide for making positive comments to one another on CU.  Bearing fruit of the spirit!

Good stuff indeed!

Grace and Peace!

How indeed!  I think we tend to take the teacher role to the point of perfecter.  We tend to forget that the ultimate work is God's, and that He takes us through many turns to get us each to the point of Christlikeness He so desires in our lives.  How many times does He allow us to ignorantly rant our theology before He shows us the truth?  And do we willingly allow others such errors?  No!  We rant, rave, and take personally what we have no right to take personally.  Love.  That's the key, like Tom's been saying.  How?  By taking time to teach, and more time to "speak the truth in love."  :)

heheheee!   :D

Amen Tom!  I think we often try to prove our point as opposed to revealing God's.  Teaching truth takes God's approach, not mine.   :)

I have to agree with Tom here Tim.  Great portion of scripture for this topic brother!  And you've brought something else to mind that I'd like to comment about from the same chapter.  The chapter begins...


Paul points out that regardless of our intelligience, discernment, gifts, or any other spiritual quality, if we do not use these talents and gifts in love and in the lives of other, then the result is always the same.  NOTHING[/b].  My speech could be eloquent, but it will only be noise that gives nothing.  I could know, and understand everything in the Bible, and have the faith so as to perform miracles galore and still be nothing.  I could give my time, my insight, my body, my very life, and still have nothing to show for it.  All this, if I do all of this out of selfish ambition rather than love.  It is love that makes the difference in the excersising of the gifts and talents God has blessed each of us with.  We come here with diverse blessings to use in each others lives.  But when we lose track of the love with which we are to minister them...we, our testimony, our effect, our benefit amounts to absolutely nothing.

Makes ya think about Tom's concept of it all being about love doesn't it?   :)

And there's also the issue of pet pieves


Don't get me started.    :-[

Amen Brother!  I don't think it could be said any better than this.  Talk about application!

Beautiful!

Grace and Peace!

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

I must apologize for being mainly absent yesterday, and I may be absent part of today taking care of some pressing family business.

WOW! - Great posts from all of you. I had planned to already have some companion and reference type material posted. I hope that I'm able to get that done today. I also want to take some time studying your posts. I am really enjoying this topic, and I keep finding more Scripture references that tie in together with what we are talking about.

I think that I'm seeing more and more that Christian fellowship is definitely possible on the Internet. It's just another time of enjoying the company of God's children. I also think that we have been fortunate in being given many opportunities to witness. I'm positive there is a lot of witnessing in private mail after our members have gotten to know something about a person searching for Christ. WOW! - what a great feeling it is sharing Christ with someone in need.

I just received some great news that I wanted to share. My youngest niece will be married in May, and the new couple will be missionaries somewhere in South America. I wish you could meet them. I would really appreciate a little prayer for them from time to time. I have another set of very young family members serving as missionaries in Chile. Their little son just turned 1, and their ministry is being blessed.

Love In Christ,
Tom  

Wow~ I missed this one! What a great read!  :D

I've noticed that I tend to get frustrated when a few are picked apart because of ageism. That's the mother in me, I s'pose.  :-\

I have learned to take a break when things start to get to me! I left a forum where a mod got kicked off and then wanted to go behind the scenes and try to turn me against the admin who had done nothing to me! Aargh!  >:( God and I are still working on that one!  :-X

It seems to me that so many times problems arise because of personality differences. And I've found that if I pray for the ones that most irritate me, then I tend to start seeing sides of them that I had overlooked. Sometimes, my prayer is as simple as asking God to let me see someone as He does.  :-X

But I'm thankful that He is patient with me. Remember the old saying, "Please be patient with me, God isn't finished with me, yet!"?

Oklahoma Howdy to 2nd Timothy,


Brother, I like to think of Christians Unite as a place of fellowship, retreat from the world, encouragement, prayer, and love. Much of Christians Unite IS JUST THIS. Brother, thanks for your contributions to the love here. You and many others post uplifting thoughts and precious truths from God's Word.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Allinall,


Brother, I think that a self-critical look at ourselves must be the beginning of Christian Love. I think that we can all see a little bit of ourselves in the description above, and I give thanks that you gave us more to think about. I would like to tell you that I've learned much from your posts, and I've not seen you in the mode your described. I've seen myself in that mode.

I will tell you that I love coming to Christians Unite to learn more about God's Word and enjoy Christian fellowship with sweet Christians like you and many others here. Some rarely lose their cool and nearly always have something positive to say that either points the lost to Christ or builds up the saved in Christ. Thank you Brother, you are one of those sweet Christians.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to SincereHeart,


 :D  Are you talking about the folks who take advantage of the elderly and senile like me?

UM?? - I bet you are talking about those who take advantage of the immature or youth in Christ instead of encouraging and nurturing them. Am I getting closer? If I missed it entirely, remember I'm senile and have mercy.   :D

I certainly give thanks for the Godly mothers who have such a dramatic impact on the entire lives of their children. I feel specially blessed to have a Godly mother who still encourages me and helps me choose paths that would be most pleasing to God. I also give thanks that God gave me enough common sense to always carefully listen to my Godly mother.

SincereHeart, thanks for encouraging our young ones. If someone complains about you bringing some of the young ones under the protection of your wings, we will simply have to give them to Whitehorse for jailing.   :D

Love In Christ,
Tom

Am I getting closer?

You are sooooo there!  ;)

Brother, I like to think of Christians Unite as a place of fellowship, retreat from the world, encouragement, prayer, and love. Much of Christians Unite IS JUST THIS.

We all need a safe haven! For me, it helps me 'fire up' to go back out. :D
Most of the time.....  ::)

Are we lookin' at the same believer Brother?   ;D  Seriously, if it's not seen...it's by the grace of God.  I wrote that speaking of myself.  But I am glad that others see the same in themselves.   :)


Thanks Tom.   :)  I hope I remember this the next time I'm tempted to speak the truth in blinding anger rather than in love.  

THis is such a wonderful idea for a thread. Thanks, Tom! :)

Oklahoma Howdy to Whitehorse,

You are most welcome. This subject is something I have been thinking about and praying about for weeks. I was not surprised at all to find large numbers of Scriptures that deal with Christian conduct and how we interact with others. I want to improve in these areas and be a better witness for Christ.

I have other posts planned, but it's taking more time than I thought it would. Maybe I'm just getting slower.   :D

In Christ,
Tom

This sparked another great truth Tom.  How bout this factor?


 :)

There are many wonderful posts here (haven't had time to read 'em all!)

I try to make a practice of praying for peace and wisdom before I enter the forum. If I am spiritually "watchful" to do nothing out of personal pride, and to restrain anything unnecessarily "disagreeable", I am far less likely to offend someone with my words. Also, it helps to envision other members as living, loving Christians, as I know most of them are; corrupted by flesh just like me, but members of the same body, and the same family. It is hard sometimes to talk to a dead screen, and much of the frustration is overcome by the realization that "people" are on the other end of the glass, people who can be hurt and angered and encouraged and strengthened.



"Live and Let Live"  ;D

Well said willowbirch.

Grace and Peace!

Me too! I'm working on it as well. I'm looking forward to your posts. :)

Well you guys have taught me why we have denominations.  It is so that we can worship without being in constant strife.  Unfortunately even there people sneak in crabwise and try to change things.  In this world the strongest will survive and impose their will on others but in the next life it will be the weak that will be heard.

God bless

 Ps 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

 1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Forgive me if I am wrong but there should be no differences. Love does no wrong to its neighbor as the scripture states. Simply stated, do not do to others that you yourself would not want done to you. To do this you must, ask first yourself this question. Am what I am about to do to another is what I would want to be done to me. If not, then you have your answer. All we have is conscience and guidance by the Holy Spirit of God our teacher. If your conscience says no, after careful examination and patience and pray, then your answer is obvious. do not injure your brother or sister if you think for one moment that they would be harmed by your opinon or answer. Love is patient, Love is kind, be gentle to those who perhaps are younger then you in the faith of our Lord. Be still, be quiet, and rest in the fact that the Lord is the Father of us all and is able to cause the growth according to his time frame not ours. There is to much meddeling in the affairs of our Father. He and He, alone knows the heart, please do not ever forget this. It is the one thing which causes us all to become patient in our dealing with the rest of our family in Christ. Be quick to hear, slow to speak. Cry with those who are hurting and sincerely want to learn the truth about love. Be patient with those who are less instructed then you are, for that is the way to those who are of a understanding nature, and who are truly growing in the ways of Love. Do not ever think yourself above another, for even in your revelation and wisdom, and in your understanding of scripture, please remember that the ways of the Lord, and the Heart of the Lord are one of Mercy and Compassion for those who do not yet know, the ways into the kingdom of God. For Truth is not that which is necessaryily true, but rather truth is a person, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said I am the way, the truth, and the life. Truth is the Lord Jesus and He is able to make all of His truth come to those who ears are open. In His time it will occur. So do not be concerned the Lord knows those who are His.

Very good solo 10000.  Very good theory.  Unfortunately practice is somewhat different.  Churches in general accept anybody who will walk through their doors and I have no problem with that.  What I do have a problem with is their willingness to "promote" anybody who shows the slightest zeal.  There is no examination of their beliefs or way of life.  Sometimes the person might be living in open sin and nothing is said because that would be "unfriendly and hurtful" and the person who said it would be branded as being, at best , unhelpful and at worst, downright uncharitable.  These unsaved "whirlwinds" wreak havoc in a church.  They think more about improving the building or mowing the churchyard grass than improving their relationship with God.

That is reality solo 10000 and for a saved person to follow them is tantamount to abandoning God.

God bless

Oklahoma Howdy to Solo1000,

First, I don't think that I've had an opportunity to welcome you to Christians Unite. I sincerely hope you enjoy it here.


Second, I enjoyed your post. Your post agrees with the study I'm doing right now. I find all of the Biblical teaching to be greatly superior to any of man's teaching, and the requirements much greater than any man can achieve. Your post was very timely. Read my next post and you'll see what I mean.

In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

Jesus Christ took the form of a meek and lowly man, yet HE was the Lord of Hosts. Many saw HIS goodness and received HIS mercy. He taught others to show goodness and mercy, and HIS Word continues to teach HIS children to show goodness and mercy to others. We are not worthy of HIS goodness and mercy, nor of HIS compassion and love. We are to be like Jesus and treat others the way Jesus treats us. It is a reasonable service to give to others when we have received so much.

Matthew 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Matthew 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 23:23  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Luke 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Romans 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Romans 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Romans 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Romans 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Romans 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
2 Corinthians 4:1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Ephesians 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Ephesians 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
1 Timothy 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
James 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
1 Peter 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

As a result, the old "golden rule" isn't good enough. The standard is how Jesus treats us. I am positive there are fruits in the Spirit when we really try. This is part of the joy and peace available to a Christian trying to be a vessel filled with HIS compassion, love, mercy, and goodness.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Allinall,

You made several excellent points, again they are things that I've been thinking about and praying about. Should a Christian be obviously different than a lost person?  YES  If a child of God has yielded to Christ, should others see a difference in disposition, actions, compassion, love, care, etc.?  YES  Is there something a lost person should see in a Christian that might cause them to want whatever it is that the Christian has?  YES  A Christian yielded to Christ will have a peace, joy, happiness, outlook, and life that is vastly different than a lost person. The "yoke is easy", not bondage. A yielded Christian should be one of the happiest people on earth.

This study also leads to testimony in everything that a child of God does and says. Obviously, this testimony should be pleasing to Christ. The more pleasing the testimony is to Christ, the more abundant will be the joy and happiness of the Christian. Witnessing is much more than talking with someone about becoming saved. Witnessing is a living testimony in everything we do and say. Who is a lost person most likely to listen to, someone who is obviously different or just another person walking in darkness or partial darkness? We both know the answer to this one.

This also leads to another series of thoughts and questions. Could one stereotype a Christian who is most likely to be happy and fulfilled in Christ?  YES  Would it be a Christian yielded to the will and purpose of God or a Christian needing correction and chastisement?  We both know the answer to this question.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Willowbirch,

You made some excellent points, and you practice what you preach. You and many others here obviously realize there is a real person on the other end reading the messages. I give thanks that we have many sweet Christians here who do care about that person on the other end they've never met. They could be lost, hurting, ill, in grief, or any number of other human conditions that we've all been in at one time or another. It could be a person with a drug or alcohol problem, one thinking about suicide, one with a broken marriage, one in crisis of some sort, and who really knows. Hopefully, when there is someone in great need, there is always someone to give kindness, care, and prayer.

Willowbirch, thanks for being one of those sweet Christians who love and care. I'm thinking about a fairly large list of folks here who love and care about others. I think that most of us have days that we need to be on the receiving end of Christian love and prayer. Then, we hopefully are there for others with Christian love and prayer when they have their days of need. This is one of the beautiful things about Christian fellowship.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Lance,

Reasonable discussion of differences is good, as that makes us all think, study our Bibles, and seek the truth. Some discussions go too far, and that is one of the topics of this thread. How far is far enough, and how far is too far? Some folks enjoy a good debate and others don't. It is my opinion that all can benefit in a good discussion if it is done in Christian love. Finding a friendly balance where everyone can benefit is the real objective.

I understand your point about denominations, but I think the problem is people, not denominations. If both of us have the same Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we should be able to treat each other as brothers, and we are commanded to do so. If we can't, it would be the fault of one or both of us, not the church we attend and certainly not God. If we are talking about one lost person and one saved person, the saved person is commanded to treat the lost person like Christ would.

In Christ,
Tom

Hi BEP,
I read your reply.  Ever since I became a Christian I have stoutly defended the position of Jesus Christ as saviour.  All Christians have him at the head.  However some Christians like to put a point of view and expect to get no replies opposing that view and they complain bitterly if they do.  Well in our country we have a "right of reply."  That means a right to put an opposite view.  My point is that if one joins a denomination that broadly accepts one's own beliefs then there will be minimal need to oppose anything.

Simple as that.

LOVE!!!

The Crusader

I can see now why they had the crusades.   :D

Sometimes.  :-[

Oklahoma Howdy to Willowbirch,

I see Christian love and encouragement in your posts. That's one reason why I enjoy reading your posts. Your posts are also positive with Christian joy. I would simply say that I give thanks for your positive Christian influence and efforts here.

In Christ,
Tom

I agree with Tom Willo.  I enjoy your posts too.  I understand how you feel though.  I think no matter how hard we try, we are still going to say things we regret from time to time.  The old nature will resist as long as we are in this flesh.   But as christians we know the importance of asking forgivness and forgiving others, and in fact, is a huge part of Love we can show in our posts, even if we mess up   :)

Grace and Peace!

Hi all,
I don't regret anything I have said about our "Roman Catholic friends."  I was warned even as young as seven what to expect from them.  Of course at that tender age I had no idea what it all meant since I had no idea what a Roman Catholic was.  Indeed I actually wanted to make friends with them since I have a natural tendency to side with the "underdog."  However, over the years the truth has slowly dawned.  Apart from listening to EWTN (a Catholic radio station), I have never heard it firsthand before.  I am deeply grateful to michael_legna for giving it to me straight from the hip.  I will continue to try to be a good citizen to Catholics but I can say with honesty that I hate their dogma and I am as unlikely to accept it as I am to stand at the North pole.