Posted on 01/05/2015 10:47:26 AM PST by Gamecock
(Sigh) lula, there is nothing new under the sun. There is only a new crop of younger, more gullible, more malleable people that are searching for someone to tell them that they and anything they do is “okay” with The Almighty. Every decade or so, there arises a new “movement” with new and more charismatic “leaders” to tell the herdlike masses just that. The damage done is lifelong on this present earth and most likely eternal in the next.
If you aren’t yet completely immersed with this evil, you might want to spend some time reading about the rise and fall of The Way International, led by Victor Paul Werwielle and Craig Martindale in the 70s and 80s. There was and perhaps still is a website called Greasespot Café, where the hundreds of damaged, and abused cult members finally overcame their mind control enough to compare notes. The results were astounding. Nevertheless, there is still a small number of die hard “Wayfers” who call themselves “remnant” who believe that they will obtain immense favor with the Almighty for their faithfulness. A few hours of reading on the subject and the experiences of the people actually involved might be beneficial in that you might recognize some familiar scenarios to the things you’re embracing right now.
Experience is the best teacher, but listening to someone who has had it is second. Just sayin’.
The Truth of Christ never changes. To sit and judge people about how they came to know him is ridiculous. It is what people do after that, that is important. I have been a believer since I was 7, I grew up in the 60's and 70's so I'm no spring chicken. There is no more "evil" in our church than in any other. I grew up in a church who refused to give communion to my mother simply because she had divorced an abusive husband and remarried. When it came time to baptize my children, I was refused because I had married "outside" the church and accused of living in sin. (condemnation does not grow churches well) So I became a Protestant, and what I saw in church was the bickering, "fellow-shipping" or gossiping, backstabbing and all kinds of evil all while under the guise of being a good Christian.......no thank you! I saw this in many denominations. I understand there are those leaders who seem charismatic and attract numerous followers, without teaching the true gospel or repentance (feel good preachers). Many churches have spring up without sustenance and have fallen. People remain committed to the truth and not the speaker. Perry is NOT one of them...but if anyone insists that he is, it is their prerogative and anything I say in his defense cannot change your opinions. There are those who hate him, no different than those who hated Christ. (No, I am not comparing Perry to Christ) I am simply amazed at how "Christian" brothers and sisters treat eachother. God does not favor one over another for we all sin in his eyes. He does not care how we came to know Him, He cares that we did. I prefer to go to a church where I see the youth flocking to, where I feel His presence, where I see people Worshiping Him, where I feel the Holy Spirit move me. Why on earth would this be called evil? NewSpring is that church for me. Perhaps I should have taken the high road and let you all think and believe what you will. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink....Some things never change.
Oh snap! Here we go with the “hate” thing! It’s a favorite phrase today for anything and everything that opposes a “point of view” or states an opinion that is contrary. It’s a really convenient catch phrase for anyone who dares oppose all the idiocy that’s going on in these last days.
I don’t “hate” Perry, you, your ideas or any of the other things that are prevalent in these last days. Rather, I mourn for you and pray for your enlightenment. Common sense and discernment aren’t hate! The sheer numbers of people that are flocking to your world friendly churches ought to be a tip off for you if you read Scripture at all. And, oh yes. The “sit in judgement” thing is done to death too! If I couldn’t “judge” or “discern” right from wrong I’d be lost.
BFL
I jumped on this thread in defense of my Pastor and my Church (NewSpring), attempting to offer my perspective since I actually attend there. What I encountered was not good discussion, but pity. Wondering how one can pass judgement or descern truth from one sided attack blogs and snippets of sermons. Evidently it was a feeble attempt on my part, since opinions were already well rooted.
I thank you for your concern, and for your comments of feeling “sorry” for or “mourning” for me. As Christians we are to show love and compassion, instead I felt pity and condescension....(sigh)....Way to go!
I know in my heart where I’m going when I die. I love my Lord Jesus!
I ask you this...shouldn’t you instead pray for, feel sorry for, and mourn for those who have yet to know Christ, who have yet to be saved into his Kingdom?
I will leave this thread with one final thought...What was it that Christ said to the Pharisees?
Probably because they are making it up as they go.
If God is really promoting this idea, the message will be heard by the listeners because the Holy Spirit will prepare them to receive the truth.
A couple of updates.
The preacher is backpedaling a bit
https://perrynoble.com/blog/a-letter-to-the-church-i-love
And the state convention is not too happy with him.
“Therefore, we as South Carolina Baptists must publicly state and remove ourselves from these positions and problematic statements and call for NewSpring to correct these positions if it chooses to say that it affiliates with South Carolina Baptist churches.”
http://baptistcourier.com/2015/01/open-letter-scbc-president-tommy-kelly/
Sorry...I had stated I would not post again on this thread, however there are new developments.
https://perrynoble.com/blog/a-letter-to-the-church-i-love
It take a big man to apologize. I too apologize for my outbursts and I still love my church.
NewSpring Church isn’t the only church going down this road to nowhere. Many churches of all denominations are taking the route of being friendly to the world in order to survive financially. They seem not to realize that keeping a church building or organization afloat isn’t the purpose for which they were called. They broadcast the message that H-ll is going to be empty and that isn’t what the true and infallible word of G-d tells us. It tickles worldly ears and fills up church pews but it’s only a variation of the same lie Satan has told since he told it to Eve in the Garden. “Thou shalt not surely die! God wouldn’t do that! Eat of the fruit!”
To receive the gift of forgiveness through Christ, one must truly be sorry and repent of one’s sins and make every effort to stop practicing them. That becomes impossible if Satan can convince masses of people that they’re not so bad, everyone else the is doing it and it will all be okay in the end. The way to salvation is not nearly so broad as the world friendly message would have us believe.
Dr. Rogers was anything but a Calvinist. Go on youtube, and search for Adrian Rogers and Calvinism, and he gives a solid, cogent statement as to why Calvinists are misguided.
Oh I know that really well and I know he was dead wrong. I actually used notes from his sermons to argue against Calvinism for a long time. One day, after finding myself in a debate with a friend, it occurred to me that everything I knew about Calvinism came from anti-Calvinists. I decided to do two things: let Calvinists speak for themselves and study the Scriptures all over again. I decided I didn’t care what anyone had taught me, I would stand on God’s Word wherever it took me. Understanding the sovereignty of God radically changed my life. It gave me confidence for evangelism and great assurance of my salvation and much much more.
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