So Major1.....Very bold words.....brother? You claim to be a brother in the faith? then show it by encouraging the church.
Do you know what a cult is? A cult is by Christian definition a group of people with false beliefs who are not saved. This is more severe than a sect. A sect would be a Christian group who is saved but have unorthodox views and usually but not always believe they are the true church often the only true church.
So you are declaring that your 800 million brothers in the faith in the Pentecostal Charismatic movement are not Christians.
Very bold indeed. Very bold indeed. I am at a complete loss as to where to begin. I've been reading up and down these 44 pages and most of what you say seems to hang on 1 verse in Corinthians. You seem to be prepared to toss out the entire Bible just to hang on to your dogmatic unbelief in tongues. You seem to have an answer to Peter's words and to the rest of Corinthians encouraging the gifts not just for the 11 or 12 if you talk about Paul. You deny God answers the prayers of his children as I quoted above. You deny the work of the Holy Spirit. You attack God's Temple at every turn.
1Co_3:17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Be cautious in what you declare and who you attack. The lord is not willing that anyone would perish but that all would come to repentance. Not saying that you are perishing but that you need to repent.
Tit 3:8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
Tit 3:10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.
Tit 3:11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
I am giving you your first warning Brother. This warning is in love but a warning none the less. I am sure you mean well and want to warn your brothers against these "ungodly gifts". These "works of Satan" but pray long and hard about it first.
I can admit I too have at times been divisive. It is so easy to talk in our heads and intellectually about all these things and not realize that in our hearts perhaps we do not really love our brothers. Maybe we are more concerned with winning the argument than really trying to help them. Do we really actually care what happens to them or have our hearts grown cold.
I don't know exactly how you have been hurt or offended by those who use the gifts of God for false profit or embellish things to look good or other wrong motives. I am so deeply offended by the things you are saying I need to check my own heart to be sure what I am saying is for your best. I know this may seem harsh and your first thought is probably who does this guy think he is. Yes, I'm calling you out individually and that's a bold thing to do....but as you said "reasons to be forceful in challenging their actions" I am also being forceful in dealing with you Brother and yes I know you are my brother. We will spend eternity together in heaven with the lord and will be great friends.
Your brother in the faith and in love.
Craig
That post was not sent to YOU. It was a response to someone with whom I have a long history with on another web forum site. We had several discussions which led to many unfortunate confrontations.
I noticed that you did not post the original comment from him to me which was a very personal attack which I felt needed to be responded to and that came from a debate at that other forum. I encourage you read that post my friend.
The word "cult" was a poor choice of words and I apologize for using it.
You are welcome to "call me out" as you put it any time you wish to do so. I would however say to you that the best way to deal with me is the same way you would with anyone else you have a disagreement with. You are welcome to disagree with me as well but I would have discussed the Bible teachings associated with that disagreement before I "Called you out" and warned you.
I am sure that you thought about what you would say and I am also sure that you believe it to be true to you. However if you will read and you said you had, you must have observed that there are several other people who have said a lot more than me and some have even been very personal and confrontational. Why do you feel as if you do not need to "Warn" them?
Not only that but in these entire 44 pages of debate, not one single moderator has said one single word to me concerning the things you said. Do you believe that you are that much more spiritual than all of the other people here???? Just a thought.
What I have been saying is that every thing we do and think as a Christian must be rooted in the Word of God so as to produce sound doctrine. The bottom line truth is always that doctrine does cause division, if the division is due to a disagreement over an important biblical teaching, division is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, and this is one of them, when people are confronted with the truth of the Scriptures and it conflicts with what they WANT to do, they become hostile and argumentative.
Paul declares in 2 Timothy 4:3............
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear”.
Now my friend, what I am saying along with all the others is that the speaking in tongues we see today is not Bible doctrine but is instead being done because those that do it, do it because that want to and not because it is sound Bible doctrine..
Titus 1:9–2:1 proclaims..........
“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it…But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”
You said............
"You deny God answers the prayers of his children as I quoted above. You deny the work of the Holy Spirit. You attack God's Temple at every turn."
All of those comments are FALSE! I never said God does not answer prayer.
I never said that the Holy Spirit is not at work today in the lives of believers.
I have never attacked God's Temple.
You have given me your opinion and I will now give you mine. Do not place words into my mouth and say things that are not said.