Forum Notice ~ Please Read

Community RulesEnoughThere is some rather unhealthy conversation being bandied about here of late and it needs to be addressed. First off, my own shortcomings. I have failed. I need to repent and ask for forgiveness for some of my own wrong attitude and assumptions. As much as I might pray otherwise, I too can get caught up in these things and often am not more contemplative of putting forth an opinion that is off, wrong headed or poorly expressed.The thread on "Torture" being an example. I made an accusation against Neilgen1 that was not necessary, it was the very thing that I am going to attempt to outline in a moment. I have spoken to him privately and want to make that acknowledgment here.There is quite a bit of history being formed here and for those who are newer and even those who have been around, please read the community rules above as a refresher. To the newer members. It needs to be said that there is a difference here and without going into a contrasting, I believe that it is because the subject is serious and taken seriously. It is not a place where anything goes though there is a great deal of patience and liberty to discuss many a item. The difference is in attempting to dig down deeper still into what the life of a Christian is and where these old saints, having been preserved and freely spoken to life again, have taught us all much. The contrast where the Church as a structure in our day has taken it's turn and where many of us are trying to just reclaim the old path's, the apostolic way, best we can.I love this site and have given my all to it for I sense it's profundity in so many ways. It is not exclusive nor denominational and it contains a rich and vast inheritance of past Christian thought surprisingly cutting across those often very distinct lines, the one's that by force or by argument or by misunderstanding and opinion have somehow become blurred. Look at the ministry statement on the main page, it states; "The mission of SermonIndex is the preservation and propagation of classic vintage preaching and the promotion of genuine biblical revival to this generation."It seems that this is not what is predominant here and when the train starts running off the track it needs to be considered.InsinuationBefore opening that up further, a verse that needs a similar consideration;Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Sure we have all heard various, maybe even somewhat predictable messages on just this verse alone and would rather really try and get just this point across;Do we believe this? Do we really grasp the ramifications of this if it is true. If right now we are gathered together under and in His mighty Name, He is here. Please, pause for a moment and think about this.In fact, will go a bit further. There is still much that needs to be said and not wanting to mince words or hurry through this, will curtail it for the moment. Briefly, in light of this pausing, consider how our words and our hearts are before the Lord as He is present and as we discuss and share here. There has been a lot of very grievous things done in His Name, while He is in our midst. Slanderings and back-bitting, character assassination, presumptions and assumptions. Judging men by wrong judgment. Name calling, glib words and flippant statements, at each other and at others, personal attacks.Does He not see? Does He not know all this? Consider your reply's as if they were to Jesus Himself.Consider.Will continue later. Pray about this saints.

Insinuationin·sin·u·a·tion (ĭn-sĭn'yū-ā'shən) n.1. The act, process, or practice of insinuating.2. Something insinuated, especially an artfully indirect, often derogatory suggestion.An artful, indirect, often derogatory hint: innuendo. See suggest.in·nu·en·do (ĭn'yū-ĕn'dō) n., pl. -does.1.An indirect or subtle, usually derogatory implication in expression; an insinuation.2.Law. a. A plaintiff's interpretation in a libel suit of allegedly libelous or slanderous material. b. A parenthetic explanation of a word or charge in a legal document.Idiom"put ideas into someone's head"'Also, put an idea in someone's head. Suggest something to someone, as in No, we're not moving—what put that idea in your head? [Mid-1800s]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Far too much of this practice goes on, jumping to conclusions, in fact the idiom above might be said to "Climb into someones head" by the way some are using a rather improper judgment. "I know what you are thinking". "I know your 'type'." "I suspect (know) that you are really saying ______"This is a horrible practice amongst the saints and it needs to be looked at individually. A part of the problem here in attempting to keep the discussions from delving in to so much useless verbiage and curb that which is causing more harm than help is that we, of all people ought to be above this. More so, the difficulty is at once a matter of conduct as it is spiritual. We are not compartmentalized beings and when the conduct goes amiss the questioning to our minds, our hearts and our tongues must be looked at. And might they be looked at on our own, each to him\\herself before looking to the plank in others eye's.LeapingThink it has been rightly pointed out and this will likely ruffle the same feathers wrong, that often when one does not have a good answer to a question the tendency is to leap to another question and\\or to then go at an individual on a personal level. Then the assumptions and insinuations come, questionings of motive, a far too easy indictment of one of the Lords own."From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?" Jam 4:1-12

Good posts. We all need the reminder.

Thanks Mike,I know there have been times when my posts have not been prayerfully submitted and that is sin. I'm not speaking about others but am speaking about my own heart, about why I am here on SI.May we prayerfully consider how we treat one another as well. Galatians 5:13-15 (For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.)I remember a song I used to sing when I was young "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love They will know weare Christians by our love."I pray that we love one another. That doesn't mean we would or should always agree with one another but it's the spirit in which we converse with one another.May the Lord of Jesus be the only reason we're here and may His name be lifted up.

Seems necessary in light of continuing developments to put this back up again.

I want to thank you for your consideration and your taking seriously the duties of your shepherding of this site. It takes much responsibilty to accurately divide the word of truth, especially as it applies to our own hearts. We all, as a community thrive on the Word of God, and not on our supposed wisdom, is not the wisdom of man God's foolishness? I appreciate and need this site to maintain it's committment to revival, which does begin in our own hearts first and that's what I look for in the whole of this site, whether it's the posts or archives. I must confess myself to being overly impressed with my facility to write which means nothing if my heart is not consumed with the Lord and broken for those on the path of Hell. Revival begins with prayer and brokeness, not my clever words so I apologize for thinking otherwiseRich