Another angle to discuss on the topic of fear; we had a visiting preacher (that I love and respect) yesterday and he preached one of those "get in the ark, the end is coming" messages. It has been a long time since I have heard a message like that, and it confirmed my feeling about them, I thoroughly dislike them. Very little scripture and a whole lot of hype. I have never seen any permanent results out of fear tactics, and it is disturbing to me. He also made several comments about not questioning your pastor, he is the one watching for your soul... that gave me cold chills, I KNOW there is no scripture for that one!
Yes, you can look back on this type chaos and see many of those that responded out of that fear were hardened to the urging of the Spirit. So the short term gain is a long term (very damaging) lose.
__________________ For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. (Romans 14:11- NASB)
I didn't even realize this the alter splitting incident was that recent. I don't suppose there are any photos of the aftermath of this? Or audio recording of it as it happened?
Hmm....
I dont know. I suspect you could contact RH's church and see if there is a tape/CD or video.
it would be interesting.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I wonder if I am being too hard on those 70’s preachers who scarred us and scared us.
Remember the 70’s was really a scary time. America lost a war, we were getting out clocks cleaned internationally by the USSR.
The economy was in shambles and Israel had just won the 7 days war only a few years before.
I remember doing the drop and hide under your desk thing in 2 grade. Like hiding from the A-bomb would help.
Culturally we were still coming thru an earth shaking revolution that really changed everything about how we looked at the world. Kids were being killed on College Campuses (Kent State) or at least had been just a few years before.
The sexual revolution was in full swing, which challenged all the traditional values held by the grownups.
If anyone ever read Future Shock, you would also know that from a technology stand point, we were experiencing a kind of “culture shock” related to way technology was changing our lives.
It is a wonder all preachers weren’t scaring us more as they are just as subject to the pulls of the culture as anyone else.
The 1970’s was scary for everyone alive. I suppose in some ways the church just reflected that?
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I am SO thankful that my children haven't been instilled with a fear of the Tribulation like I was. I was literally terrified. My younger brother couldn't even sleep some nights for fear of it.
I understand, I had nightmares, it was extremely tramatic!!
It was Youth Camps and special services were I heard these things, my father was pastor, fortunately he was not a fearmonger.
__________________ For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. (Romans 14:11- NASB)
This actually could be considered "child abuse", because that is exactly what it was! Thankful God looks out for us, so that these scars don't have to be forever!!!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
I wonder if I am being too hard on those 70’s preachers who scarred us and scared us.
Remember the 70’s was really a scary time. America lost a war, we were getting out clocks cleaned internationally by the USSR.
The economy was in shambles and Israel had just won the 7 days war only a few years before.
I remember doing the drop and hide under your desk thing in 2 grade. Like hiding from the A-bomb would help.
Culturally we were still coming thru an earth shaking revolution that really changed everything about how we looked at the world. Kids were being killed on College Campuses (Kent State) or at least had been just a few years before.
The sexual revolution was in full swing, which challenged all the traditional values held by the grownups.
If anyone ever read Future Shock, you would also know that from a technology stand point, we were experiencing a kind of “culture shock” related to way technology was changing our lives.
It is a wonder all preachers weren’t scaring us more as they are just as subject to the pulls of the culture as anyone else.
The 1970’s was scary for everyone alive. I suppose in some ways the church just reflected that?
No doubt about it the world was scary both in the church and out! Unfortunately the church chose "death" instead of "life".
The church should be mature and help its children "cope" with the dangers of the world rather that use the dangers as a weapon to corral its children.
This is the mode of the Roman church, using "Dante's Inferno" against the massess.
__________________ For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. (Romans 14:11- NASB)
No doubt about it the world was scary both in the church and out! Unfortunately the church chose "death" instead of "life".
The church should be mature and help its children "cope" with the dangers of the world rather that use the dangers as a weapon to corral its children.
This is the mode of the Roman church, using "Dante's Inferno" against the massess.
I am right there with you. I know in my home church, the generation that came of age at that time, there are vertuall none that still part of the UPCI. they have gone in every direction the wind can blow.
if you read my earlier posts, i am still not sure I dont want to punch some of those guys in the nose for what happened.
If anything this needs to be a lesson for those of us in ministry to not let the fears of this world creep into our ministry and the church in general.
and for saints, it is a lesson to hold ministry accountable and not give in to fear preaching.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I am right there with you. I know in my home church, the generation that came of age at that time, there are vertuall none that still part of the UPCI. they have gone in every direction the wind can blow.
if you read my earlier posts, i am still not sure I dont want to punch some of those guys in the nose for what happened.
If anything this needs to be a lesson for those of us in ministry to not let the fears of this world creep into our ministry and the church in general.
and for saints, it is a lesson to hold ministry accountable and not give in to fear preaching.
You are exactly right! Very few of the teens I grew up with in my home church are anywhere remotely in ANY church now.
__________________
Master of Science in Applied Disgruntled Religious Theorist Wrangling
PhD in Petulant Tantrum Quelling
Dean of the School of Hard Knocks
You are exactly right! Very few of the teens I grew up with in my home church are anywhere remotely in ANY church now.
You can count me in that number as well. I'm also 40 and spent my early teen years in the height of end time and rapture hysteria.
I think I went to church a couple of dozen times during my entire 20's. (I felt FREE when I wasn't there..... I have never quite gotten over it and still consider someone saying they had "good church" as a bit of an oxymoron.)
Oh my lord - - those revivals were horrendous!!!! He was in a 6-8 revival while I was in Bible school and you were expected to go to every service AND keep up with school. It was awful!
And...you were scared to miss because a train would hit you on the way home from work.
Ok, see if you remember this 'scene'...
Richard Heard preached his message, then kneels to pray while the home pastor did an altar call or whatever. Some came, some didn't, but within a few minutes, Heard comes to the pulpit with a message he just received from God.
Tears streaming down his face, he sorrowfully tells about a vision he just had. He doesn't know the time or place, but there is a van...full of young people *sob* and there is devastation around the corner *wails*. A train....is coming *sob* and there is tragedy (this was met by a loud outcrying from the congregation). Multiple deaths and injuries....bodies strewn about *wails*...so tragic...
Well, I was about 14-16 when I heard that message, and let me tell ya, while it didn't scare me to the altar (I was saved already, after all, I wore skirts and didn't cut my hair), I never again rode the van for youth events. And yes, we went every night for 6 weeks.
To this day, there has been no accident, not even a fender bender. Go figure. He must have been thinking about another church.
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