I don't know about the banhammer...but, I have to wonder what nonbelievers think when they read a thread like this where Christian brethren are at each other's throats...it's no wonder so many are turned off by the idea of church.
hi drew
mainstream believers like me who simply BELIEVE what God has said, repent of our sins and look to the Blessed hope are more often ridiculed and our salvation called into question because we don't "speak in tongues" etc.
that makes me wonder what unbelievers would think.
the activity such as the "Toronto Blessing", "Pensecola", etc also makes me worry about what unbelievers think of Christianity. many from voodoo cultures, or with occult backgrounds have testified they see exactly what they came from.
i guess there is testimony from all sides.
~ aside from all that....
Drew, having read passages such as the following, do you not think it's fair and reasonable for us to test all things?
2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
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.
Jeremiah 23:26
How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?
2 Peter 1:19 (NLT) - [Peter speaking about Jesus Christ....notice he speaks of the prophets of OLD...of what they said and wrote (past tense)...always about Jesus.]
Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place--until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV)
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
~ i'm not using these passages in direct relation to our discussion, but rather to remind you that we are commanded to be very careful.
just those few examples causes me to really use caution, and to test the spirits, and not trust any men.
~ child.