You Can Fake It All

[ILG]

So "in" and "out"......
In the Westboro Baptist church, you must picket with a God Hates Fags sign to be "in".
In the quiverful movement you must not use birth control to be "in".
In the prosperity movement, you must believe that it is God's will for everyone to prosper financially to be "in" and you must be willing to "speak it".
In the New Thought Movement, you must believe in the metaphysical interpretation of the Bible to be "in".

Here are a few churches that use a yardstick that they believe is the "right" yardstick to measure whether people are in or out. I find there are two types of yardsticks and one is used to measure whether you are a first rate or second rate Christian and another is to measure whether you are in or out of salvation.
Both of these measurements can be quite scary and give a basic "hierarchy" to religious movements.
I have heard a movement justify the wearing of certain clothing to state you are "in" if you wear them and even restaurants have a uniform. But the restaurants only use the uniform for employment. The church is not using the uniform to determine whether a person attends that church but whether they are going to heaven or hell.

The thing is, all of these "in" or "out" criteria can be done by anyone anytime anywhere. They don't determine anything except whether a person is doing the rule.

Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22Which all are to perish with the using; after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by jediwill83

Ok ok....Im gonna do my part at the expense of my thumbs.Instead of saying...well...whatever organization I was a part of I will just simply say *Organization To Which I Used To Belong But Will Not Be Named* lol

Yes, I like that!

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by MawMaw

Are you just trying to be funny or did your wife admit she really faked speaking in tongues?

Good question! The only thing I know is, we were married the next week!

The one thing I do know is, there is no way to confirm if tongues are real or fake. This is another fallacy of Religion and the requirements that are an idea, rather than what is necessary to please G-d.

[votivesoul]

I was considering reading through every post, but got to the end of the 8th page, and just decided to jump in.

We are warned constantly in the Scriptures of false brethren. It is one of the risks of being a Christian.

But there is a day coming, a terrible day, a day of darkness and not light, when the children of God will be revealed and the children of the devil as well.

Revelation 22:11,

11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Those pigs who want to wallow in their mire? Let them be unjust still. Those men and women of God who have made their calling and election sure? Let them be holy still.

And in the meantime, let's all just examine our own selves to see whether or not WE are in the faith of the Son of God. Worrying about everyone else is exhausting and unfruitful.

I have met fakers and false brethren. I expect to meet many more as the Day approaches. They have their reward.

Psalm 37:11-12,

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

So let's just pray for them that despitefully use us, and when we stand praying, forgive, that we also may be forgiven.

What else is there but to take our pain to an early, eternal grave?

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by ILG

Sometimes I think UPC'ers on this forum troll threads and find anything negative about the UPC that is being said and then turn the thread into a DO NOT BASH THE UPC thread so the topic can never be addressed. That way, their sensitive spot can never be touched.

lol...see? You Bashed UPCers and claim you don't do that all in one breath.

The topic would be addressed...if you stopped making it about "UPC baaaaad" all the time. This isn't the only topic or post from you on the UPC in that way.

We've brought this up before in the past ILG...so you already know. If you really want your topics to get attention, stop making it about the UPC.

Yes we all sit around hunting down those elusive anti-UPC threads and posts...the fact is we don't have to. I started to read the opening post without any notion that it would be another round of "the UPC". I doubt anyone does.

See? you don't get it. We want to be apart of this forum too...is that ok? I would love to read posts and threads around here..that would be so nice...don't you agree? Or do you want this place to be for non-UPCers only?

Hey, if you don't like it, you can complain, leave or just stop making references to the UPC so often.

That's your choice. Free forum (sort of)

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by ILG

In hindsight that is probably true since some are so hyper-sensitive about it.

Yeah...oh you really don't get it. See it's not a problem for you. You're like the unwanted mother in law over for 2 weeks criticizing everything. To you there's no problem, your not the one being criticized over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over...only, instead of 2 weeks, this has gone on for years from various persons. It's OLD. I can only see it not being old to someone that either get's off on that stuff or just does not come here often

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by n david

Why is it so important to you. You left the UPC. So leave already.

Why do you feel such a pressing need to address something in an organization you're not even part of anymore.

I have some good friends that left the UPC. They are on my facebook list along with a lot of other members of my church. She never ever EVER mentions the UPC

When we talk as friends, never brings it up. She could Im sure, but honestly she probably never even thinks about the UPC. She's moved on, but even if she hadn't she would not constantly harp on it to an audience of UPCers..and people who are or otherwise would love to be her friends.

Makes it really hard to do. Like a smoker blowing smoke in a nonsmokers face

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Reader

The point isn't so much that things can be faked as it is that people may be proclaiming them to be "in" or "out" by using a checklist.....

Every church has a check list. Some are longer than others. Going to church is pretty standard for most.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Reader

I can agree with you, n david. However, Paul's letters never included a checklist to use in a manner where people would go down the list, having faith in the list, and proclaiming themselves or another to be "in" or "out" based upon outward compliance of any rules.

Isn't that what happened with the Old Testament law? People could check off the list.....BUT.

Jesus himself showed them that their hearts could be far from God, even though the list had been completed.

Jesus showed that they could refrain from physically committing adultery, but that they were in sin if they lusted after someone else but didn't do the act.

Jesus showed that the tares would grow with the wheat.

The New Testament explains that no one was changed by keeping the points of the law. How? Because year after year there was yet the necessity of sacrifices for sin.

That all depends on what you mean by outward

Read James. Read Matthew. Read Galatians. Fruits. Works

Not that having works proves someone is saved, but it is evidence. Lack of certain works can be evidence too of a lack of faith

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

The reason the UPC was used as a jumping point for this post, is because that is the personal experience ILG had.

There's a LOT of that on Apostolic Friends Forum too..

IT'S OLD