And Now It Is My Time

Is this a sign that this forum is imploding because of imposed rules?
Like an IFB church.

Quote: "No freedom to post"

Lets see now. 2607 posts since 04/2012. That makes it average out at about 21 post a week from Blaine during this time if my maths is right. So hardly can you complain there is no freedom to post. In fact it could be said that Blaine has dominated the forum over the past 31 months.

As for "challenge and be challenged", that is what was happening in your recent posts. Can't have it both ways or is it you only want to do the challenging and not be challenged yourself?

Quote: "But now this community has given over to the spirit of religion."

So you who are the 'true' remnant will be persecuted by every other Christian!? Where have I heard this before? Ah yes, wasn't it the Church of Wells folk who were roundly condemned by everyone here recently for separating themselves from the rest and claimed to be more pure in their doctrine and church set up.

I'm not wanting to go anywhere, so with that being said, I will add that even though waltern hurt my feelings on more than one occasion, I miss those wild, wild west days on here!! And I miss LOINGIRDER and his responses that challenged everyone!!! lolol

There I said my peace!!!
God bless us all,
Lisa

Dear brother,not imploding, quite the opposite actually.

While some may have personal convictions for why they have left and others have made their convictions known this is not a discredit to the leadership of SI or its rules. Based on Scripture, the leadership is under the burden to alleviate fruitless quarreling and spiritual elitism that cause more discord than devotion and more frustration than fruit. While no principles or rules are perfect, the intention and motive behind the forum guidelines are very Biblical and saturated in a desire for unity and humility. God is grieved by those who sow discord among the brethren. While this is an online forum, it is a huge catalyst for fellowship in the body of Christ and offers a tremendous bridge to intra-denominational fellowship ”“ the very thing many of us have prayed for. The enemy is keen to volley arrows of discord, elitism and distorted thinking into our midst in order to break down the unity that we truly have in Christ the Lord. We must not allow this to be successful. Instead, we need to arm our minds with the mindset that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Those who have recently ceased posting are not our enemies. Satan is a master deceiver, and has caused friendly-fire that we would be prudent to identify, and resist. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.

I believe there are several telling indicators and attitudes that we must frequently be aware of lest the enemy continue to gain a foothold in our fellowship together.

-Is my post preeminently to build up the Body of Christ or cause a division through distinction and preference?

-Am I posting something in order to gain appreciation or respect or out of a heart to see authentic Christ-centered devotion

-Am I making every statement into a "them against me” confrontation ”“ beloved, love believes and hopes all things and thinks no evil.

-Am I more intent on expressing my "burden from the Lord” than to be submissive to others in humility and the fear of the Lord. A true burden of the Lord will not sacrifice unity on the altar of personal conviction through distinction.

-Are my posts insinuating fault or error in others before I have truly heard them out?

I believe this Word from Isaiah 58 speaks to our situation:

"If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

The pointing of the finger has never done anything but divide and grieve the Spirit. D.L. Moody said "I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided”. Brethren, we have so much more in common in Christ to rejoice in and lay hold of than our minute differences and preferences. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, and His Bride is glorious, diverse and mutli-faceted like a well cut diamond. God’s grace is manifold and His ways past finding out at times, and we must all endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord desires to repair breaches and restore streets to dwell in with our generation. He desires to raise up foundations and build old waste places that have been trodden down through sin and discord. May it be that we are found to be a generation of believers who have taken away the pointing of the finger, speaking love and grace to one another. I am not indicating that we sacrifice truth in order to have unity, but we must truly let love be preeminent in all we do ”“ so that the world may know that we are gloriously His.

In His bonds with you.

Individuals can have different reasons for leaving the forum. But rather than departing in peace and with grace for the brethren, why do some feel compelled to make a grand statement deriding the forum and its members before they leave?

Where is the love for one another?

I wondered the same thing yuehan. It may be that they are really tied to this forum as if it were their church but online and so they feel close to certain people. Then again it may be just a grand statement for attention as well.

When I post here I post for discussion. I want input and to bounce thoughts off everyone to see what they think. When I see attitudes I either ignore them or if they annoy me hard they I will confront their nonsense.

Everyone that has posted here on this forum brings a slightly different perspective on issues and even how we understand scripture. This does not mean the Holy Spirit does not lead us or inspire us, it simply means we are in a different stage in our growth and walk with the LORD. This causes problems at times because we take it as a personal rejection of who we are and what we believe in, especially if someone attacks you. I must say that in recent years the tone of this forum has become a lot more loving then it was when I first signed in. Much more - in fact I was scared to identify myself as a Mennonite for fear I will be trounced to death. The only reason I did ID myself was when one poster asked me point blank and I felt he deserved an answer. But I am not here to promote my church alliance but only here to lift Jesus up and encourage others in their walk with the LORD.

Blaine, I have appreciated your concern for the persecuted church and sharing this with us. You have a heart for these hurting people and sharing this with others has been your mission. When things go well, we tend to forget how vulnerable we are; that life may not always be smooth and easy. We will miss your posts if you decide to leave. Whatever you do be sure this is what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do.

(I totally agree with you - persecution will come from the hands of the religious that call themselves Christian. I do not doubt this and I do not doubt that the liberal segment of the Mennonite church will be involved. And...to me this is sickening.)

God bless.

Sandra

BTW Ginnyrose, I love the Mennonites. A local community of Mennonites is 20 minutes from home, and they are kind, serious people. They also run a bakery that people travel 75 miles to visit.

One of Peter's best spontaneous but profound questions.

In my book "Upstream Gold" still a work in progress, I devote a whole chapter to a dedication because there were some people who greatly influenced my life and faith. The common thread with each of them was their unwillingness to quit when the going got very rough. I play with that theme that they were swimming upstream.

There are people who watch me. They have heard my words, have seen me react under pressure, have seen me angry and some have heard me ask forgiveness. They may not even realize it, but they are asking and wondering if what I claim to have in Jesus Christ is real. Or is it just a passing muse, ready to be discarded for some other religious idea.

I take this responsibility very seriously. I want to hear in Glory from people who say "I'm here because I saw that He was real in you!"

Likewise, I dread that some might cry out from the sulfurous smoke of Hell that my life and hypocrisy helped them get there.

Because none of this is really about me, and I have no right to do things with pride or carelessness. I bear an image, that of the Holy One of God to whom I have professed eternal obedience.

Go where you will, but know that people are watching. If you are in Christ and His words are abiding in you you will see the fruit of that decision. But if the sneakiest of all spirits, Pride, has tricked you- may God gently guide you to a humble place of restored honor.

Reading through this thread, I come to a yet better understanding and appreciation why the Lord Jesus chose a Samaritan, a man of mixed doctrine, as an example of the good neighbor. Truly, no one knows our hearts better than the Lord.

I wish someone would point me to the thread where all this discord arose. I must have missed it or perhaps what was being discussed might not have interested me so I paid no attention.

Anyways, I would like to see what all the hubbub is about. Maybe I can learn how not to act.

The idea that there is "no freedom" to post here verges on ridiculous. I have posted on some topics that a lot of people view as semi-heretical; at one point I was asked by the moderators to not post on one of these topics and I complied, although I did have to grit my teeth.

Anyways Bear, I have enjoyed our banter on here and I have always thought you to be a reasonable person, which is why this all seems rather disappointing to me.

Brothers,

I know I have not frequented the boards much here in the last 4-5 years, unlike I did while I was in college, so maybe my voice will have little to contribute to these matters, but maybe you will find something of value in what I say anyway:

Let these who have gone go. Their leaving, whether through the choice of moderators or otherwise is simply a symptom of a greater spiritual problem.

The problem isn't simply of doctrine or any such thing. It's simply one of appetites. As I've distanced myself from this site over the years, I've wondered how much of what I was hungry for, when I came here regularly, was for a genuine move of God, and how much of what I hungered for was simply for something nostalgic, novel, or ideal.

While there was something of God in it, looking back more I think I obsessed with these things, not simply because God was stirring me, though He was, but because I was a bored and jaded 20-something kid in Bible college, who needed something "more" than I was getting in my Christian experience.

In filling my iPod full of sermons from many of the great men on this site, I didn't realize it at the time, but I was fundamentally no different than the revival junkie who drove from one part of the country to the next, looking for the next revival. I was something of a meteorological storm chaser... but I did it in a Jesus name.

Eventually, the things of life, and some deep trials and troubles, required I turn away from the frequency of my sermon listening habits and participation in Sermon Index. I had to grow up some. I graduated from college, had a hard time finding a job, had a relationship go sour, experienced financial woes, and experienced some medical issues.

When I looked for comfort and help, I found it in the midst of the rest of my brothers and sisters who were fellow pilgrims with me in my local church. They too were suffering, and together we all realized we were fellow pilgrims on the same journey. Our hope and strength was found in turning to one another and to Jesus.

My church was far from perfect. It was a mega church with thousands of people, programs, millions of dollars, big buildings, multiple campuses, staff, etc.. The very things I generally recognize as foreign to the Christianity of the Bible.

But in all of this, I still found my brethren. And in them I found Jesus, who was very much alive in them, at work in them, and through them, The Lord did mighty things in my life.

The Lord in recent years, has changed my appetite a bit. Honestly, I could care less about seeking revival. And while I'm still very concerned about church structure and what not, I find myself today at an even bigger church than the last one, with just as many if not more issues. They are definite areas of concern.

But my appetite is no longer after these "great things" of God. Rather, I hunger to simply love God in a thousand ordinary ways in my daily life, to love others, and whenever possible by whatever means possibly, I long to simply help others grow in their faith.

My appetites have changed, and I think, for the better.

I would suggest all on here could probably benefit from such too. I hope I can say this in the right way, lest I sound blasphemous.

Stop praying for revival. We aren't told to pray for it.

Stop trying to build or revive new/old religious systems and patterns.

Simply look to grow in your faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ, make your life about Him, and look to build up whoever you can along your way, so as to present them complete in Christ.

If that is in a house church, fantastic.

If it's in a mega church, that's great too.

But whatever you do, hunger for that which is real, and can make a difference in the lives of others in Christ.

If you have to make explosive demonstrations in order to do it, as some have done here... it's probably not of a God, and you are probably hungry after the wrong things.

There may be times for such demonstrations. But they aren't generally found in the ordinary everyday things of a God. The things of a God are found in the much more mundane, everyday stuff that life is made of.

Christian hearts, in love united,
Seek alone in Jesus rest;
Has He not your love excited?
Then let love inspire each breast;
Members on our head depending
Lights reflecting Him, our sun,
Brethren His commands attending,
We in Him, our Lord, are one.

Come, then, come, O flock of Jesus,
Covenant with Him anew;
Unto Him who conquered for us,
Pledge we love and service true;
And should our love’s union holy
Firmly linked no more remain,
Wait ye at His footstool lowly,
Till He draw it close again.

Grant, Lord, that with Thy direction,
Love each other, we comply,
Aiming with unfeigned affection
Thy love to exemplify;
Let our mutual love be glowing,
Thus will all men plainly see,
That we, as on one stem growing,
Living branches are in Thee.

O that such may be our union,
As Thine with the Father is,
And not one of our communion
E’er forsake the path of bliss;
May our light ’fore men with brightness,
From Thy light reflected, shine;
Thus the world will bear us witness,
That we, Lord, are truly Thine.

by Count Zinzendorf

deleted

Good post Jimmy. I can relate very well to it.

I always believe it is very important for one to leave a place without any complaining, it could be a Church you are leaving to an online forum like this. Devil when he fell from Heaven he took one third of Angels with him (Rev 12:4). It is the attitude of Devil to leave a place complaining and grumbling. But Godly one leave without any noise.

I am not referring anyone as Devil here. I am not saying anyone is right or wrong. Infact I have not even followed these threads that caused offense. I am only saying that it is better to leave without complaining against authority even if the authorities are wrong. Sister MJ did not have any complaint here when she left, I dont even know what caused her to leave. But it is better to just leave silently instead of joining the accuser of Brothern.

Imagine if you are leaving a company that you currently work because you got a better job that pays you well, then before leaving if you go spread the news to others who are still employed in that company that they are being payed peanuts, do you think your boss will like it? This wisdom that we apply in a worldly company, why is it not being applied in a Christian site where we need more deligence?