Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | animals and the flood | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170562 | ||
Ocelot: But so frequently "sensitivity" is a bed-fellow of compromise, and "tolerance" of duplicity. ..... How much of this do you see going on in the typical modern church?: "Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2). ..... And how much of THIS is going on?: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3,4). ...... We don't need to be particularly sensitive or tolerant, in the modern wilted-down senses of these words: that is not what Christians are commanded to do. "Preach the word" is what we are to do, and in large measure it is not what is being done. Churches have tried every appeal under the sun to draw people -- every appeal, that is, except the one that will draw people: the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (see 1 Corinthians 1:23-25). How many times have modern church leaders promulgated the idea that the gospel of Christ must be specially packaged for our modern times? The theological word for that idea, when translated from the Greek, is "baloney." ...... Just this week I read a newspaper article about the steady decline in membership of what were once known as the main-line churches in America -- a decline that has been going on steadily and continuously for over a quarter century. Is it mere coincidence that the decline in membership matches up chronologically with the decline of gospel preaching from the pulpits of these churches? And add to that, for it is an inevitable corollary, their abject failure to reject the infiltration of false doctrines while at the same time failing to stand firm for Christian morals -- God's immutable moral laws against, for example, murder and sexual immorality. And in this newsapaper article, a certain preacher in one of these liberal main-line churches whined, "I don't understand why we are losing members. We're doing all we know how to attract and keep them." Perhaps so. Perhaps they've indeed forgotten how to preach the gospel of Christ. How sad. How sad when about all that's left of many erstwhile churches to distinguish them from the world is the spire atop the church building. --Hank | ||||||
2 | animals and the flood | Gen 6:9 | jlhetrick | 170566 | ||
Hi Hank, greetings to you brother. I would like to respond to your post here as well as the previous one that you made to John Hobbs. first of all, in general, I agree with everything you have said. I say in general becaus in the first post to John I do take up one issue. Though my position is similar to Ocelot's, I'm not sure our reasons are the same. I'll just state it clearly here. I think that one of the problems (unavoidable to some degree) is that the forum doesn't allow for face to face interaction by which we can know the age, social maturity, background, and true conviction by which many questions are asked (personal profiles help of course). My point. Some of these "why" questions people ask are very sincere. These questions sometimes come from a spirit of division, however, sometimes the questioner really doesn't understand why. That is, he/she doesn't fully comprehend the sovereignty of God, and/or hasn't reached a place where they have truly connected God's sovereignty with His choices and actions. I believe that the faith of many has been made strong by asking these questions sincerely and having them answered by the understanding of Scripture. "Why does God allow babies to die?" A very legitimate question if asked with a sincere desire to understand it. You and I know that God has taken the time to reveal this understanding. Not all have reached that place. Finally, you quote 2 Timothy 4:2 which suppports your position sufficiently. Still, it is often easy for us to focus on the words reprove, rebuke, exhort, and doctrine while quickly reading over "long suffering. Here, this verse commands our patience with those who are less knowledgeable and in need of teaching. Last but not least, let us not forget that reverence for God is something that is learned not something we have automatically once saved. Deut 31:12-13 12 Assemble the people — men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns — so they can LISTEN AND LEARN TO FEAR THE LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who do not know this law, MUST HEAR IT AND LEARN TO FEAR the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." NIV (caps. added) Your brother in Christ, Jeff |
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3 | animals and the flood | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170571 | ||
Jeff, thank you deeply for your felicitious comments and, as has come to be your trademark, your thoughtful and Christ-centered manner of handling yourself on SBF. No quarrel from me, Jeff. In my posts to the thread I merely set up the unpolished stone; you, Ocelot and others have performed adroitly to make the rough edges smoother and perhaps clear out some of the debris I left behind. "Iron sharpens iron" and I'm ever grateful for that. Keep up the good work. --Hank | ||||||
4 | animals and the flood | Gen 6:9 | jlhetrick | 170572 | ||
WOW! Hank, You made me have to go the the dictionary. felicitious? Adroitly? I can't pronounce them so I'll probably not be able to remember them. Seriously though, thanks for your kindness. I never stop learning from you. I'm not referring to the word choices, but your very sincere interaction with others. bless you brother, Jeff |
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