New CF - finally...

[gee]

The message to them is repent. Only God can grant repentance. Our role is a clear message.

Jim, I have read hundreds of Erwin's posts in staff forums. I am saying I am seeing a dramatic change. Things that were set in stone are up for WIKI. Compromise all around.

I trust DrS / VFP on this.

A post in the other thread said about how things in people's lives or things that happen to loved ones - who may not be saved etc, can cause people to question, or alter their beliefs.

Maybe, as that post said... Maybe, that has happened to Erwin.

It doesn't change the truth.

 

[Vote_For_Pedro]

BTW, I'm a Deist, I picked the wrong damn icon.

You can change your own now. I was a Mormon for a day, but I got Better.

 

[gee]

I was a Mormon for a day,

I noticed that . I thought

but I got Better.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Not at all but you know Jim, it's not all about the Holy Spirit. I hope you haven't taken that wrong to start with.

It's about our part too. We work in co-operation.

If it was all Holy Spirit, why would anyone ever bother witness? Why? Because unless they go, who will hear the message? How beautiful are the feet of those.

If a non-believer went into a church (which this forum isn't) and heard a message from it's pastor and the people there, and then went to get some literature on what that church believed - and that literature said "you are a Christian if you think you are", don't you think that person (who may never come back) will leave confused at least. They could leave thinking they are a Christian as they are. And be lost.

Which is why I am happy with the change. The BEST Evangelist is the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ and as I talk, the Holy Spirit will work in a person's heart to be convicted. When we go out witnessing the world in Christ's commandment of the "Great Commission", we are to love. In summary, I am saying that the Holy Spirit gave me assurance of my faith and doctrines I follow. No Church (physical), No Denomination (flesh lead), No pastors or anyone can do this for me. Holy Spirit (as part of the spiritual Church) is the only person who can do this through the Word of God.

We are here to serve God.

The ministerial work must be carried on purely for God and the salvation of souls, not for any private ends of our own...Hard studies, much knowledge, and excellent preaching, if the ends be not right is but more glorious hypocritical sinning. Richard Baxter

 

[ScottBot]

I don't know, but in the new CF, at least there will not be anymore witch hunts!

Lisa

Speaking as a member of the team in which the propensity of the theological contention takes place, I have to say in all honesty that I have no idea what you are talking about. I have served the Theology Forums community for almost a year now, and have never seen evidence of a "witch hunt". Now, there have been cases where someone has been petulant and pervasive in violating the rules, and in 99% of the cases, we were loathe to take some of the more extrordinary and severe steps allowed to us by the staff, such as forum bans, icon changes, or outright permanent bannings. Indeed, the majority of those cases in which the violator was banished forever was primarily due to temperment and incivility rather than bad theology. However, since we, the staff, no longer have to determine such profound and imprecise devises as "Theology" anymore, I am actually pretty happy with the new rule changes. My sleepless nights will come to a close, as I don't have to self-flagellate when I recommend that we conduct a "Creed check" on a member who refers to God as "She", or promotes the Devine Flying Spaghetti Monster, or endorses any of the multitude of Christological errors that have plagued Christianity for 2 millenia. I am glad that monkey is off my back. I can now just sit back with my stuffed sock and thwap people on the head who misbehave and say, "Homey don't play that."

 

[ChaliceThunder]

Perhaps she was not referring to you or your area.

There certainly DID seem to be witch hunts in a few areas, in my experience.

 

[gee]

Which is why I am happy with the change. The BEST Evangelist is the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ and as I talk, the Holy Spirit will work in a person's heart to be convicted. When we go out witnessing the world in Christ's commandment of the "Great Commission", we are to love. In summary, I am saying that the Holy Spirit gave me assurance of my faith and doctrines I follow. No Church (physical), No Denomination (flesh lead), No pastors or anyone can do this for me. Holy Spirit (as part of the spiritual Church) is the only person who can do this through the Word of God.

We are here to serve God.

Jim, you could say all your Spirit led words to that person, then they could "walk out" as it were, read that a Christian is just whoever they want to be - and never come back. They leave thinking they are already a Christian.

If it was all Holy Spirit (which in a way, it is!) then why do you bother when the Holy Spirit can just touch that person without even having "met" you?

Should there be that confusion?

 

[gee]

Good night all.

God bless everyone

 

[JimfromOhio]

I trust DrS / VFP on this.

A post in the other thread said about how things in people's lives or things that happen to loved ones - who may not be saved etc, can cause people to question, or alter their beliefs.

Maybe, as that post said... Maybe, that has happened to Erwin.

It doesn't change the truth.

What if Christians are guilty of circular reasoning? Using knowledge without facts can easily lead us to a clearly false conclusion. Conclusions drawn in this manner are usually overgeneralizations. Christians filled with the Holy Spirit do not make assumption and will not act like Job's friends, making bad assumption based on what someone is facing when they don't know all of the facts.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Jim, you could say all your Spirit led words to that person, then they could "walk out" as it were, read that a Christian is just whoever they want to be - and never come back. They leave thinking they are already a Christian.

If it was all Holy Spirit (which in a way, it is!) then why do you bother when the Holy Spirit can just touch that person without even having "met" you?

Should there be that confusion?

Can't be confused with the "Great Commission" and Jesus said "Go and make disciples". The gift of evangelism applies to almost anyone. However, an evangelist is one who possesses a special ability in communicating the gospel of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. The Great Commission declares it. But it does mean that some are especially gifted in this area.

 

[JimfromOhio]

The message to them is repent. Only God can grant repentance. Our role is a clear message.

Jim, I have read hundreds of Erwin's posts in staff forums. I am saying I am seeing a dramatic change. Things that were set in stone are up for WIKI. Compromise all around.

I agree. Jesus cannot do our repenting for us. He died for our sins, now it is up to us to pick up the cross and repent. Who convicts us to repent?

 

[JimfromOhio]

I am going to bed. Will be back tomorrow night.

Night

 

[gee]

What if Christians are guilty of circular reasoning? Using knowledge without facts can easily lead us to a clearly false conclusion. Conclusions drawn in this manner are usually overgeneralizations. Christians filled with the Holy Spirit do not make assumption and will not act like Job's friends, making bad assumption based on what someone is facing when they don't know all of the facts.

Jim... did you notice the word "Maybe" (twice) in there? That's not calling it fact. That's calling it a maybe

Actually, I've seen it too. I've almost known it in my own life - changing the Word because it fits better with how I wish things were. But thankfully I've come back to the Word which is the only truth.

 

[gee]

Can't be confused with the "Great Commission" and Jesus said "Go and make disciples". The gift of evangelism applies to almost anyone. However, an evangelist is one who possesses a special ability in communicating the gospel of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. The Great Commission declares it. But it does mean that some are especially gifted in this area.

Does that mean you're going to win everyone? No!

Does that mean that confusion is ok?

 

[gee]

I am going to bed. Will be back tomorrow night.

Night

Night

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

Lovin' the changes so far Erwin

 

[joaddi3]

i just wanted to say that i am a relatively new member and was very excited about finding cf. i had alot of bad experiences in other chat rooms that are filled with people looking for "worldly" things. i know that you cant trust everyone just because they are under the cf site, but i have meet and fellowshipped with some amazing people who as far as i could tell have the same beliefs. now i am concerned that this "sanctuary" of sorts will become just like any other chat room and that makes me really very sad. i dont think that makes me a fundamentalist or a judgemental person. i dont go to church expecting a non believer to standup and take over the service either. i go to church to fellowship with other christians and i thought that i had found that here also. i feel good being here and would be open to helping someone else come to Christ anytime. i just hope that the site doesnt change too much...GB

 

[timein]

another good question. I had a couple friends banned for speaking their minds..SHOOT, that is ok now! SO UNBAN them! COME on..be fair.

That would be nice.

 

[MelzluvsJesus]

That would be nice.

twood be...but I ain't holdin' my breath.

 

[GreenMunchkin]

Heh.

It's amazing how pervasive tribalism is.

Them and us.

It's funny.

I always thought that the message of Christianity was also that we are all in the same boat, all worthy of fellowship and compassion, especially those we would count as enemies.

I always thought that the message of Christianity was that nobody's that much better than anyone else; that we're all flawed creatures doing the best we can.

I always thought that the message of Christianity was that extending the hand of friendship and a welcome in your home to tax-collectors, prostitutes and the like was the right thing to do; that this gratuitous fellowship and refusal to exclude people was the whole point.

I always thought the message of Christianity was that altruism was more powerful than evil, that it simply worked better; that love was the universal solvent.

And so, get a bunch of particularly devout Christians together in a place like this, and look what happens.

They build fences to forcibly separate 'them' from 'us'. They worry that they will be contaminated or dragged down by walking among those outside their group. They hoard their friendship and welcome among themselves, refusing to waste it on others, as though they might somehow run out of the stuff. And they simply do not trust that their way works better, shielding themselves from the 'wolves' of other beliefs and hostility, lest it overpower love.

And people wonder why I'm a cynic.

Do you understand this degratory view of non-Christians is exactly what leads people like M4P to believe what they believe about us?

Don't you understand its that kind of thinking that puts me on guard when someone tells me they're Christian?

Don't you see that such stupid, and downright wrong views about us lead us to think the very same things about you?

These two posts succinctly highlight the problem.

Nothing said was stupid, or wrong. It was Biblical.

So people who don't *want* to hear the Truth can now accuse Bible-believing Christians of "driving them away from Jesus", which you well know is the last thing any Christian wants to do.

While it's probably not intended manipulatively, it *is* manipulative. And the paradigm of the site allows, encourages, you do do just that.

That, for a "Christian" forum, is a mistake.