Misunderstood

[unclefester]

Thats all im saying..i wish somebody would have taken the concern to tell me when I was slipping into error..i did not have that even when I sought accountability with many pleas and tears.
..i couldn't find it even when i literally begged for accountability..now years later, i found christians that are available,and bold enough to address what needs to be addressed.

Can't help but wonder what you mean by saying ... "when I was slipping into error" and "sought accountability with many pleas and tears" ? I won't presume anything Raul. But I am curious.

 

[psychomom]

I believe Ellie it would be the Lord's will for you to encourage others in the Local church to live for God,and if your brother or sister is in error, especially if you have built a relationship with them, why not tell them!? Thats all im saying..i wish somebody would have taken the concern to tell me when I was slipping into error..i did not have that even when I sought accountability with many pleas and tears. And those same ones i asked made excuses as to why they were silent and irresponsible brethren(my assumption is they were hoping id join their church and then and only then would they be accountable to me) or worse off, remained silent and looked the other way.
But having said that, this is merely an encouragement to not look the other way..if this provoked a temptation for you to respond in the flesh, i pray that you see what i say is not a jab at you or anyone, but merely an admonition out of a conviction and out of personal experience..wishing I myself had this in my life in the past..i couldn't find it even when i literally begged for accountability..now years later, i found christians that are available,and bold enough to address what needs to be addressed. That is all neighbor.

Raul, everyone needs accountability, and some of us need it more than others.
For example, I do, but God very wisely gave me a husband who is extremely self-disciplined in all areas of life. The only book he reads is the Bible (want of time, there) and our kiddos call him 'the walking concordance'.
Mark is especially good at living the life of the believer, but He knows that discipline comes from the Lord (as 'disciple' means 'teach', yeah? )

And all good gifts come from the Father, but among the lovely women friends He's given me, I specially asked for a lady who wouldn't consider my feelings, but hold me to His standard (Jesus and His Righteousness) and He gave me my buddy Suze. I knew she was the one for me when, 26 years ago, we were just chatting and she pulled me up short and said I was beginning to stray into gossip. ♥
She still is one of my closest friends, which speaks more to her patience and love than anything else.
How great is our God?

However---we are accountable to one another for our actions.
Never are we to examine someone else's heart, do you see the difference?
Only God can see our motives, and we must understand that a person can be 'doing' everything right with a wicked heart motive. And sometimes that person doesn't even know it themselves! (sorry for the mixed pronouns)
That's what I meant when I said we are not to be trying to peek into another person's heart...that territory is strictly the purview of the Holy Spirit. If a believer is out of line, the Holy Spirit will convict that one, either through their own guilt or through another, but personally, I always pray before speaking to a fellow believer about their sin to be sure I'm the right person for the job, and that I have my own house in order, first.
That may be wrong..I'll ask Mark.

I see we disagree on the eternal security issue, so let's leave that one since neither of us is likely to convince the other.
I've never been taught reformed theology, ever. I can see why you would think I have, though. Imagine my own surprise when I looked into the acronym TULIP and found that just by reading the Bible I believe all but one point.
(will God show me the last point is true, too? idk yet. )
And that discovery didn't take place till I came here...this was the first place I'd ever heard theological terms, and then I did a little research into it. I still have a lot to learn about reformed theology, but what I've had the time to read so far pleases me because it's Biblical.

When I said I didn't want to respond in the flesh, I didn't mean I was angry, or even disgruntled.
I just mean that I felt the words I type out should be giuded by God, for His own glory.
(being married 33 years and raising six children tends to help teach one to curb their temper, anyway...lol!)
I felt that this response was important, to both of us, and to the onlookers, too.
I felt I had a responsibility to not just say whatever popped into my head, but to be thoughtful about it. Hope that makes sense.

The one point of your first note to me that I'd like to address is that you called the first post in this thread a 'rant'.
Raul, I think that was unfair of you...I read it twice again yesterday, and I just don't see any ranting. So, in the spirit of the believers helping one another, I ask you to re-read it yourself and ask if you think that may have been unjust of you. And I thank you, too. ♥

My final thought is a story. Many years ago, we attended a home church that was slightly charismatic. It began really well, and ended badly.
The grace it began with did become licentiousness in the ppl in charge, and then the trickle down thing took place in some. There were a few men who tried to stem the tide in brotherly love, but those families (including ours) wound up leaving the fellowship.
Now, it would be throwing out the baby with the bathwater for me to extrapolate from that experience that absolutely ALL people who believe the sign gifts are still active are grace abusing, licentious sinners, wouldn't it?
Especially when with the evidence of my own eyes, this is not so. There's a guy here on these boards I'm thinking of at the moment...a man who does believe the sign gifts are in effect, who shows the fruit of the Holy Spirit in all his posts--no, wait--there are two!
I feel confident there are more as well, just because God is so faithful in the hearts of His people. ♥

I love you, brother.
Thanks for your reply,
ellie

 

[psychomom]

Oh! In the spirit of honesty and fairness, I must add that there are ladies in the prayer forum who are not cessationists who are quite lovely.
I can see from their posts that the Lord is alive and well in them, too.

Just a shout out to my beloved sisters, the prayer warriors, with my deep gratitude. ♥