Ah, the memories....

And the posts....

To mark the anniversary, I believe I will start the INFORMAL version of the Musical Instrument/Accapella DEBATE....

I am awaiting the two "FORMAL" debate participants...

Teresa and I attended an accapella Church of Christ this Sunday...

Were pleased with the service and challenged by the sermon...

One note: During the Sunday School lesson, based on Abraham offering up Isaac, the preacher/teacher commented: "And so Abraham did exactly as God told him..."

"No he didn't," I thought to myself, "He took two servants with him. He went beyond God's commandments."

I did not raise my hand to mention it, though. After all, it was our first visit.

Happy anniversary to all of you....

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

Answers

Nelta...

I for one want to go on record as saying...I accept your apology...and the past is the past.

However, I want something made abundantly clear: I have never disliked you as a person. Some of your views come extremely close (even if they are not) to a "neo-orthodox" view of the Bible. That view, for those who have not studied it, is an extemely dangerous view of religion. If you have not studied the subject Nelta...I would suggest that you do so. I think you would then find out that, at the least, you need to reword some of your thoughts in order not to be misinterpreted.

As to your "satirical stories"......they would be good if they were situation pointed.....rather than person pointed. Many of the situations you described have been things we as preachers have spent many years in the church trying to change mindsets about. You are correct....many traditions have developed not from a biblical viewpoint....but an institutional viewpoint. But we as preachers can't change things over night.

For instance, I'm in a church that just celebrated it's 170th birthday. It was in existence when Campbell was still alive!! I measure progress here in YEARS.....not months or weeks!! As a matter of fact, I often refer to myself here as "just a small ripple in a big pond."

On many of your thoughts about "buildings"....I agree. Way to much money and emphasis is spent on the physical building that could be spent on outreach. (From personal experience.....buildings have been the very thing that destroyed the church.)

But your stories go astray when they attack the motives of the preachers of this forum (many of whom I know personally). None are interested in "keeping their job" for the sake of employment. Most could leave today and be making a lot more money doing something else tomorrow. Therefore, they are not interested in perserving the institution. As I said earlier, many take risks trying to change the institution. They are in the minstry because as Paul said...they are "under compulsion." Their love for Christ and His people drives them. At least that's been my experience....maybe not yours.

I don't agree with the way many preachers do things as they don't agree with me about most of what I do. Fine! It takes all kinds to reach all kinds. I seem to appeal mostly to the "rednecks."

But....I do appreciate any man that gets up every morning, puts his hands to the plow....and gives it another day. It takes courage on most days.

I still think some of your positons are based on personal bad experiences. I understand. Been there...done that. But I have learned that it is unfair to judge the rest of the world by my bad experiences.

A little bit of respect and understanding....goes a long ways....both ways.

God bless!

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

What is your favorite memory of this Forum?

Mine would have to be reading the posts in the thread entitled, "Humor: let's try to remember it sometime"

Loved the one about the preacher swimming in the baptistry.

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

Duane, you have done a good job of running this forum. I have an apology to make to you and to the forum. Even though I sent the skits in good humor, I know they offended some in the forum. When I first came on Danny and I didn't hit it off. I said some things to and about him, again all in fun, but fun can be taken too far.

So a good memory I have of the forum is when I realized I had offended and I wanted to make it right. I am trying to make it right now with an apology. You all please forgive me. There will be no more skits and no more offending postings

I will end this with a little preacher's story:

Once a man *went up* to be baptized. He was somewhat nervous and the preacher told him not to be nervous...that he was right there with it and he would hold on well to him. The fellow said, "Oh, I'm not afraid of that. How will it feel when I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?" The preacher not having enough time to explain told him not to expect anything special to happen and he would expect it later.

Well, he lowered him into the water and all of a sudden the man stiffened out. The preacher said he felt jealous because he hadn't felt the H.S. when he received the gift. As he brought the man out of the water he was holding his head.

Seems as the preacher lowered the man into the water he rammed his head into the cement steps that go down into the water.

Thanks to you all!

Nelta

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

Praise God! ~ and give Nelta and Danny some credit, also.

I would like to apologise for any bad attitudes I have had, and pray that you can forgive me, also.

In our Blessed, Loving Savior,

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

Forgive me father for I have sinned...

...it's been 3 years since my last confession.

I'm GUILTY!!!

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

Nate:

We're ALL guilty! Now if we'll all repent and confess, maybe we'll be forgiven. ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

I didn't want to start a new question, and the following isn't humorous anyway:

Too Busy?

This is meant to be thought provoking and encouraging rather than discouraging! Are You too BUSY?

Does this one hit home????

Satan called a worldwide convention.

In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church.

We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and

knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from

forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience

in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus,

our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining

hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection

throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" shouted his angels."Keep them busy in the non

essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their

minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow,

borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and

the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they

can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time

with their children. As their family fragments, soon,

their home will offer no escape from the pressures of

work! "Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear

that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio

or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV,

VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it

that every store and restaurant in the

world plays non-biblical music constantly. This willjam their minds

and break that union with Christ.

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.

Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving

moments with billboards. Flood their

mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,

sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and

promotional offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep

skinny, beautiful models on the magazines

so the husbands will believe that external beauty is

what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives.

Ha! That will fragment those families quickly! "Even in their

recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their

recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week.

Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send

them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies

instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual

fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave

with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.

"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but

crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek

power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength,

sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It

will work! It will work!"It was quite a convention. The evil angels

went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to

get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. *******************************************************

I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme?

You be the judge!

Does "busy" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Pass this on ... or are you too BUSY?! !!! Jesus loves you !!!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2000

Shades of Screwtape!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2000

You're right, John.

I came back to explain my first sentence in my last post, because it really doesn't make sense.

Before putting it here, I considered putting it on the 'humor' thread, or starting a new thread. It's not humorous ( but then, the one titled 'If you're REALLY depressed...' isn't humorous, either, so I wonder how it got on the 'humor' thread. Perhaps I mislabeled it.

ANYWAY, the long above post is something we can all reflect about. (I hope).

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2000