A double minded man is unstable in all his ways is the scripture that comes to my mind. My son (Willian Price) we all owe a debt to a group of women that were the first testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and who gave it! And that while the (more spiritual?) men sat around in disbelief! Furthermore, let us not forget who commanded her to go and preach, not just the foretelling of future events, but of the past and actual resurrection of our Lord! Go and tell has always been the nearest thing to the heart of our Lord.
Son, be careful about this today I believe this tomorrow I believe that for if you were to really get a revelation from the Lord it would be like the little boy who cried wolf so many times when it was the real thing no one believed him.
I really believe you are sincere but you are unstable how could a woman look up to you as a man that is supposed to lead with all that coming and going you do? I have no problem with male leadership. My husband is a wonderful man of God and a wonderful leader but he is solid like a rock. I trust him when he says that God told him to do something. Ten years ago I moved over 1500 miles from our blood son and some of our other children to the far northeast of Brazil and never one time did I even question him. When he said God said...I started packing.
If I would have had any doubts today they would all be proven that he was right. For right here in the poorest state of Brazil where killing and robbery is the "norm" God has helped us raise up a big headquarters church, lots of daughter works and right now a little after six in the morning here, a group of our brothers are leaving headed to another little close by area where we are building yet another church by faith.
Son, the things you don't understand wait on the Lord. You do not have to jump on the bandwagon to be popular. If you really deep in your heart do not believe in women preachers or whatever you can still be kind to those that differ. It is popular today not to believe in women preachers in a few years it will be something else. Just work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
It is like Christmas some that did not believe in it today celebrate it...some have been on every little thing that comes sweeping the churches...No wonder so many people in the world laugh at Pentecostal people. I have been around quite a few years...I watched some jump for David Terrell, follow after Branham, ladies hair up hair down, just anything to be different.
It is like when a couple of my boys told me, "Mother, we have decided everyone that does not believe in women preachers are going to hell..." I asked them when God had hired them to judge????????????
Don't be swayed by the crowd on any opinion. Pray about things. Be slow to form an opinion leave room for God to show you more light.
I have lived long enough to wish I had not said some rash opinions and ideas...and we usually have to eat our words when we are rash in our decisions.
Well, this is just a mothers advice...I wish you well.
What an outpouring of gracious words, seasoned with wisdom and bathed in kindness.
Something about her posts makes my eyes get misty and my throat tighten up...
Two things to remember about truth. Truth is universal. Truth is absolute. Dress Code equals salvation supporters fall short in the definition of truth because not only is a dress code not be universal, and no one can agree on one absolute code. You can't even get people to agree with everything in the upci manual, how can one make a man-made dress code a barometer of salvation?
That is my understanding of the issue also. If something is heaven or hell then it must be a universal (and eternal) command of God.
No Christian would want to give offense to others in his culture by flaunting that culture and doing things outside the norm for shock value. Although some may do that based on immaturity which God will judge. Some may also want to, as Paul had done, take time and make a serious effort to fit in with a culture so that those people would accept him and listen to what he had to say regarding Christ and the Gospel.
But basing one's salvation one an interpretation of a command of God is at the least contraversial.
Saints can accept and follow a certain dress standard that is taught if they wish but if they do not wish to it should be their decision and they should not be penalized for it since they are not disobeying a command of God. By being penalized I mean not being allowed to participate fully as a member of the body -- hold leadership or any other place in ministering -- or in some cases being disfellowhipped all together.
Is the teaching of a standard of dress (including beards on me) as either salvational or as necessary to participate in the community of God (or the loacl body) teaching division amoung the saints? Is it putting a stumbling block in someone's way? Is the command of God of peace and unity with the body and prefering your brother before yourself and loving your brother being made ineffective because of these traditions?
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------------- It's ALL good!!!
James 2
12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. 13 For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.
That is my understanding of the issue also. If something is heaven or hell then it must be a universal (and eternal) command of God.
No Christian would want to give offense to others in his culture by flaunting that culture and doing things outside the norm for shock value. Although some may do that based on immaturity which God will judge. Some may also want to, as Paul had done, take time and make a serious effort to fit in with a culture so that those people would accept him and listen to what he had to say regarding Christ and the Gospel.
But basing one's salvation one an interpretation of a command of God is at the least contraversial.
Saints can accept and follow a certain dress standard that is taught if they wish but if they do not wish to it should be their decision and they should not be penalized for it since they are not disobeying a command of God. By being penalized I mean not being allowed to participate fully as a member of the body -- hold leadership or any other place in ministering -- or in some cases being disfellowhipped all together.
Is the teaching of a standard of dress (including beards on me) as either salvational or as necessary to participate in the community of God (or the loacl body) teaching division amoung the saints? Is it putting a stumbling block in someone's way? Is the command of God of peace and unity with the body and prefering your brother before yourself and loving your brother being made ineffective because of these traditions?
Okay, okay, I can't help it. Why don't we all live our own way, go down our own road, and even though the roads are different, they will all eventually lead to the same place; HEAVEN!!!!! YAY!!!!!! Does anyone one know how stupid this sounds. Anyone who believes in holiness, knows that there are some on a different plataue than others, but there is only one way into heaven, and at some point we must all travel the same road whether I am 50 miles ahead of you or not. We will all grow at some point, and this includes what everyone here calls STANDARDS! I'mm not sending anyone to hell, but there is only one road that leads to heaven, and it is a straight and narrow one at that.