When charting your route always keep eternity in mind...life has a lot of ups and downs...so it is good to know what we believe before we get on the roller coaster of life....
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Facebook Janice LaVaun Taylor Alvear
I was going to agree with Aquila because it really doesn't matter to me if they want to, but then D4T laid it out there like it really is and I have to say makes much more sense.
Living for God shouldn't be fearful or uncertain.
That's what it boils down to.
This Sunday I am preaching on the flip side of that coin as well. While the "I'd rather be safe" mode is certainly based on fear there is a side that is based on love. And love casts out all fear.
From libs to cons... we live the line. We live the fence. What can I do and not go to hell. Of course that comes from mindset. We label everything that we fear might send us to hell a sin (out of fear) and so what is there left to do since everything we shouldn't do is a sin.
Why not, rather than "I'd rather be safe", we try something like... "He likes this". He's my God... I love Him... and I feel like He likes it when I... help out a neighbor, reach out to someone who is an outcast, dress this way, give to bless a person or a ministry etc.
There is no fear in love but we leave no room for love because, out of fear, we label every possible wrong a sin.
But... the reason we do this is out of the preachers fear. They don't know either... and they feel responsible for our souls... and so they label every single thing that might possibly be wrong a sin and make it a heaven or hell issue. They probably want to teach about living out of love but they are afraid that you won't come to the same conclusions they did about what God likes and so it's just easier to make it a sin.
2000+ years later we are still dealing with law written in stone.
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Instead of studying to make sure what we believe is supported by Scripture, we MUST study the Scripture to see what IT TEACHES... then BELIEVE THAT!
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2.15 KJV
It would seem to denote uncertainty, lack of clarity and fear concerning what God desires to see in us and at what point he would revoke our salvation.
I equate it to how ministers baptize saying "...Father, Son, Holy Ghost in the Name of Jesus Christ"
Of the prayers I would love to see answered in my life... among the chiefest would be... That I may know what His grace is and understand it's depth and breadth and the peace it brings.
I understand more than I used to... but my upbringing holds on to my like a hungry tiger and I still can't see His grace clearly. But this will not stop my hunger to, one day, see it and understand it.
What's your opinion of "playing it safe, just incase" regarding standards?
Some who say that are probably not playing is safe enough! Hems ought to be dragging on the ground, just to be safe. Sleeves should be past the finger tips, just to be safe. Men should shave their heads. Women shouldn't brush their hair, in case some of it breaks off or pulls out with the brush.
Can't be too careful!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Some who say that are probably not playing is safe enough! Hems ought to be dragging on the ground, just to be safe. Sleeves should be past the finger tips, just to be safe. Men should shave their heads. Women shouldn't brush their hair, in case some of it breaks off or pulls out with the brush.
Can't be too careful!
Exactly!
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Instead of studying to make sure what we believe is supported by Scripture, we MUST study the Scripture to see what IT TEACHES... then BELIEVE THAT!
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2.15 KJV
Now, what if these conviction or standards come from leadership, and not from an individual basis?
I think it can be dangerous.
Here's why:
You basically have two types of people in this world - people who like to analyze things, question them, study things out for themselves..... and people who don't. People who don't feel capable of studying things out for themselves, or simply don't want to. The second type just says - tell me what to do so I can do it and get on with my life. They don't want to spend tons of time thinking it all out, they just want to line up and then move on to other things.
That doesn't sound too bad, but here's the problem with that..... the things that you tell them become set in stone in their minds. They embrace it, live it, believe it.
But what if you feel the need to change on something? What if you felt that it was 'safer' to not go to Six Flags, but later you change your mind? What if you felt it was 'safer' to watch absolutely no videos of any kind, but later realize that that might have been an unwise pronouncement. Or you thought long sleeves were 'safer', but come to feel that shorter sleeves aren't too horrible.
You can rock these people's worlds.
I've seen this happen SO many times! These changes can really upset them. "I thought this stuff was a sin, and now it's not?? What else was I told was a sin, but isn't? So what else is going to change??"
It can literally cause this type of person to stumble, and stumble hard.
That's why I think it's better to teach the GOSPEL. Not to add in a bunch of 'just to be safe' extras. Because the extras can change.
And also, as D4T said, it can breed fear and a lack of trust in God.
You basically have two types of people in this world - people who like to analyze things, question them, study things out for themselves..... and people who don't. People who don't feel capable of studying things out for themselves, or simply don't want to. The second type just says - tell me what to do so I can do it and get on with my life. They don't want to spend tons of time thinking it all out, they just want to line up and then move on to other things.
That doesn't sound too bad, but here's the problem with that..... the things that you tell them become set in stone in their minds. They embrace it, live it, believe it.
But what if you feel the need to change on something? What if you felt that it was 'safer' to not go to Six Flags, but later you change your mind? What if you felt it was 'safer' to watch absolutely no videos of any kind, but later realize that that might have been an unwise pronouncement. Or you thought long sleeves were 'safer', but come to feel that shorter sleeves aren't too horrible.
You can rock these people's worlds.
I've seen this happen SO many times! These changes can really upset them. "I thought this stuff was a sin, and now it's not?? What else was I told was a sin, but isn't? So what else is going to change??"
It can literally cause this type of person to stumble, and stumble hard.
That's why I think it's better to teach the GOSPEL. Not to add in a bunch of 'just to be safe' extras. Because the extras can change.
And also, as D4T said, it can breed fear and a lack of trust in God.
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