We are accountable for every word we speak, and every word we don't speak

[ZNP]

I will respectfully ask that anyone who shares on this thread share a personal experience that meant a whole lot to you.

I will share an experience that happened to me in 1979, it has been a touchstone experience for me ever since that has convicted and admonished me.

I had just gotten saved and baptized and was new to the church, maybe at most 1 year but likely less than that. Then the elders in the church announced that this brother who was an elder and speaker at conferences and trainings had been excommunicated. I had never actually met him, he was scheduled to come and speak at the church when they cancelled and announced this. He was working out of a church in California while I was meeting at a church under the same ministry in Houston, Texas. They explained to us that this was done according to Matthew 18. Someone had an issue with this brother, they reported it to the elders, he refused to listen and so now they were telling the church. Since many people in the church in Houston knew people in California they were advised not to talk to them or have anything to do with this brother.

Like I said, I was new, didn't know him, this was a minor deal for me. But then I went to the East coast and visited seven churches from NY to Boston that were also under this ministry and this excommunication was a very big deal, they all knew this brother. Everyone was shocked, but everyone went along with what they had been told.

But over the next few years more brothers and sisters were excommunicated including the leading brother in Europe. Some elders resigned in the church in California. Then it came out, the real crime was very ugly and was not committed by this brother, it was committed by those running the ministry that all these churches were under. They had attacked this brother when he found out so that if he said anything it would sound like sour grapes. I felt sick knowing I had unwittingly gone along with a number of these excommunications.

That is when I realized I had misunderstood Matthew 18. Yes, the final step is to "tell it to the church" and to "let him be as a publican or sinner". But "tell it" doesn't mean tell us he has been excommunicated, it means tell us why. Matthew 18 starts with an offense. It is serious enough that a person feels it needs to be addressed and can't simply be "forgive and forget". You go to the person one on one and talk to them about it. If they won't listen you bring two or three witnesses to confirm that your concern is a serious offense that must be dealt with. If he won't listen to them then you tell it to the church. By "tell it to the church" you have to tell us the offense. We don't need the gory details, but we do need to know what the offense is. They never told that to us, instead they said he was "rebellious". It was at least twenty years after this event that I learned this, I felt ashamed that I had simply taken someone's word for it.

To me, keeping silent in a situation like this is something everyone in that church and all the churches that got this word will have to give an account for. Since then I have repented for my indifference and have taken a stand since.

 

[ZNP]

This experience below is another touchstone for me.

Context: I was baptized during the spring of my freshman year in college. During my sophomore year two more brothers were saved, and two graduate students who had been in the church graduated. We then had three brothers plus a brother from the church burdened for the gospel on that campus and during my Junior and Senior years we turned the campus upside down. The April fools issue of the school paper my senior year mocked and ridiculed us in every single article, that is how big an impact we were making.

Experience: Sometime in early Spring the professor who was the head of my residential college (I lived off campus but was still part of this residential college) told my parents I had wasted their money. I had only met this man once, during Freshman week. This was extremely hurtful to me. I took this to the Lord and at first He walked me through things I could have done better. (I did much better in my classes after being saved than before them, but I could have done better). He then walked me through the impact our gospel ministry had. Everywhere I would walk on campus He would point out someone in the distance who had just spotted me and then looked down. He would say "you see that person? Last year you shared the gospel with him and every time he sees you he is convicted." This concluded with me eating lunch at this one college (there are 12 residential colleges on campus and I would go to different ones for lunch). At this college the tables sat ten people and this day it was packed out. I was sitting at a table in the center of the room, I could see two people sharing one seat at the table next to mine, that is how packed it was. I saw people standing by the windows using the window sill for their plates, I saw people taking their plates straight to the elevator to go eat in their rooms. Meanwhile the other nine seats at my table were empty. After this I had an appointment to go see that professor, but before my appointment I was sitting in Spanish class, we had about 12 students in the class, we were all sitting around one large table, the professor wasn't their yet and they were talking about a party the night before where the wife of this professor I was going to go see was under the table making out with some student at the school. I then went to see the professor at his residence in the college and his wife and daughter were there as well. The atmosphere was like ice, it was clear to me that this professor was going to be divorced from his wife, the daughters life was going to be hurt from this, and now that he was the laughing stock of the entire school it was hard to see how he could remain as a professor here. He left after that semester. Seeing all this was horrifying to me, but the Lord was clear. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay". That is what I learned. I would never have done anything nearly that serious. There is a warning in the Bible to not touch the Lord's anointed. When you do that it is not simply an insult to this person, it is an insult to the Lord. At first I tried to tell the Lord He had been too severe, but I was silenced immediately. The Lord is omniscient, He knows much more than we do.

This event was a touchstone for me because over the next 45 years I have never wanted to take vengeance. My main reason is that the Lord is far better at it than I am and anything I would do would be pathetic compared to Him. The second thing I learned is that the Lord allows these attacks because there are things He wants to say, use it for a learning experience. The third thing I learned is that people lash out at those who are preaching the truth because it convicts them of sin. They need to repent, but if they don't their whole life will be shipwrecked.

 

[Dino246]

I will respectfully ask that anyone who shares on this thread share a personal experience that meant a whole lot to you.

I will share an experience that happened to me in 1979, it has been a touchstone experience for me ever since that has convicted and admonished me.

I had just gotten saved and baptized and was new to the church, maybe at most 1 year but likely less than that. Then the elders in the church announced that this brother who was an elder and speaker at conferences and trainings had been excommunicated. I had never actually met him, he was scheduled to come and speak at the church when they cancelled and announced this. He was working out of a church in California while I was meeting at a church under the same ministry in Houston, Texas. They explained to us that this was done according to Matthew 18. Someone had an issue with this brother, they reported it to the elders, he refused to listen and so now they were telling the church. Since many people in the church in Houston knew people in California they were advised not to talk to them or have anything to do with this brother.

Like I said, I was new, didn't know him, this was a minor deal for me. But then I went to the East coast and visited seven churches from NY to Boston that were also under this ministry and this excommunication was a very big deal, they all knew this brother. Everyone was shocked, but everyone went along with what they had been told.

But over the next few years more brothers and sisters were excommunicated including the leading brother in Europe. Some elders resigned in the church in California. Then it came out, the real crime was very ugly and was not committed by this brother, it was committed by those running the ministry that all these churches were under. They had attacked this brother when he found out so that if he said anything it would sound like sour grapes. I felt sick knowing I had unwittingly gone along with a number of these excommunications.

That is when I realized I had misunderstood Matthew 18. Yes, the final step is to "tell it to the church" and to "let him be as a publican or sinner". But "tell it" doesn't mean tell us he has been excommunicated, it means tell us why. Matthew 18 starts with an offense. It is serious enough that a person feels it needs to be addressed and can't simply be "forgive and forget". You go to the person one on one and talk to them about it. If they won't listen you bring two or three witnesses to confirm that your concern is a serious offense that must be dealt with. If he won't listen to them then you tell it to the church. By "tell it to the church" you have to tell us the offense. We don't need the gory details, but we do need to know what the offense is. They never told that to us, instead they said he was "rebellious". It was at least twenty years after this event that I learned this, I felt ashamed that I had simply taken someone's word for it.

To me, keeping silent in a situation like this is something everyone in that church and all the churches that got this word will have to give an account for. Since then I have repented for my indifference and have taken a stand since.

I don't see the direct connection with the thread title, but I have plenty of experience with problems in church leadership.

In one case, a local church had a group of people surrounding the leader (who weren't elders) who would effectively insulate him from criticism. They treated every complaint like something that just needed to be "prayed into" (privately, of course), instead of heard and investigated appropriately. Some complaints were petty or misdirected, but many were legitimate. When the poop hit the fan, the self-appointed guardians refused to listen, and about 40% of the congregation left. Within three years that local church was closed.

There were several contributing causes such as people not applying sound judgement with regard to complaints, and the leader had inadvertently made himself a one-man show (so nobody else could deal with anything). However, I think the core issue was that this protective group gave itself far too much authority as intermediaries.

As for "then tell it to the church", there are often two problems (from my experience). The first is as you noted, that the actual sin/crime/offense is not identified clearly. The second is that the "telling" turns into gossip instead of being handled discreetly until public notice is the only step left. Of course, the result is rarely repentance and restoration. Usually it is several people leaving with "hurt" that gets carried, unresolved, to their next congregation where it festers like cancer. So, I have concluded that in general, Christians stink at handling this principle properly.

 

[ZNP]

I don't see the direct connection with the thread title, but I have plenty of experience with problems in church leadership.

In one case, a local church had a group of people surrounding the leader (who weren't elders) who would effectively insulate him from criticism. They treated every complaint like something that just needed to be "prayed into" (privately, of course), instead of heard and investigated appropriately. Some complaints were petty or misdirected, but many were legitimate. When the poop hit the fan, the self-appointed guardians refused to listen, and about 40% of the congregation left. Within three years that local church was closed.

There were several contributing causes such as people not applying sound judgement with regard to complaints, and the leader had inadvertently made himself a one-man show (so nobody else could deal with anything). However, I think the core issue was that this protective group gave itself far too much authority as intermediaries.

As for "then tell it to the church", there are often two problems (from my experience). The first is as you noted, that the actual sin/crime/offense is not identified clearly. The second is that the "telling" turns into gossip instead of being handled discreetly until public notice is the only step left. Of course, the result is rarely repentance and restoration. Usually it is several people leaving with "hurt" that gets carried, unresolved, to their next congregation where it festers like cancer. So, I have concluded that in general, Christians stink at handling this principle properly.

thank you. This identifies a shortcoming in the first post/title. We are also accountable for the things we hear.

7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

I am reminded of Ananias who said to Paul "receive thy sight". That was the Lord speaking through him and he is by all accounts a very small and seemingly insignificant brother that we never hear from again. The point to me is that when any brother or sister, regardless of who they are brings an issue to you then you are accountable for how you hear, and that applies to those elders insulating the leader.

Matthew 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

I think that is a major theme in Paul's ministry, every single believer is part of the Body of Christ. Those elders were not receiving the complaints as coming from the Lord and they will be held accountable for that.

So that was buried in the first post. I heard them condemn this brother and excommunicate him. What I didn't hear was the case against him, why he was being condemned. I didn't hear him give his defense. I was held accountable for what I heard, I confessed my failure and have since repented.

Luke 8:18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, what they think they have will be taken from them.

 

[ZNP]

Being accountable for what we hear.

• Zechariah 7:11: They refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears so they would not hear.

• Jeremiah 6:10: To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the Lord. They don’t want to listen at all.

• Proverbs 28:9: One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

• Matthew 13:15: For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears

• James 1:22: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

When I was a freshman in college I did not want to hear the Lord's word. One week before classes started I met this Christian group on campus and they began to visit me in my dorm room regularly and invite me to the church meetings. I didn't want to have anything to do with them. It was clear that they were people everyone else on campus shunned. As soon as they left the dorm room I would be surrounded by seven "friends" who were roomates and suite mates telling me to have nothing to do with them. I was desperately looking for a reason I could conclude they were not sent by the Lord, on the other hand I was terrified of rejecting them if they were sent by the Lord. So I prayed back and forth with the Lord. I told him I needed more than one witness. No sooner did I pray that but I immediately saw two more witnesses. Ultimately I prayed that the Lord would have mercy on me, I did not want to have anything to do with them, but if this were the Lord's will, then don't give up on me. It went like this for six months before I got baptized. During that time my world went from me being on top of the world to realizing I was on the edge of a cliff, barely hanging on for dear life, and looking over the edge of the abyss.

Then when they shared with me about being baptized I was concerned because I had been Christened as a baby. They showed me the Bible, I realized this is what the Lord says to do, it seemed pointless to me, but I thought if the Lord says to do it, amen. So I got baptized. I felt like a concrete shell popped off me in the water and fell to the bottom of the pool and I felt like I was walking straight out of the water as though I had passed through a wall of water. That same night my grandmother died. I had lived with her when I had just been born because my parents were going through a rough patch. I believe she had been praying for me to be saved and for the Lord to not take her until I was saved. That offended me because I thought I had been saved right about my 13th birthday when I had prayed to the Lord. Anyway, I had to fly to her funeral. I am standing around in the waiting room with my brothers and sister. There were probably 100 people in this room, they were all up by the door wanting to be the first ones let in so we stood at the back of the room with our backs against the wall to avoid the pushing and shoving. Then the wall opened up, and a man took either my hand or my sister's hand, and led us down to the front of the chapel and seated us directly in front of the coffin, in this church with a very high ceiling. All of a sudden I had a vision that I was at the bottom of that baptismal pool I had walked out of on Friday and this coffin was that concrete shell that had fallen to the bottom of the pool.

 

[Blade]

Hi.. I agree "We are accountable for every word we speak" But where did you get "and every word we don't speak"

I know "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” but there is nothing for what we do not speak.

 

[ZNP]

Hi.. I agree "We are accountable for every word we speak" But where did you get "and every word we don't speak"

I know "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” but there is nothing for what we do not speak.

Ezekiel 3:18 In My saying to the wicked: Thou dost surely die; and thou hast not warned him, nor hast spoken to warn the wicked from his wicked way, so that he doth live; he -- the wicked -- in his iniquity dieth, and his blood from thy hand I require.

God warns Ezekiel that his job is to warn people that he sees sin. If he does then what they do with that warning will be between them and God. But if he doesn't and they die in their wicked ways then Ezekiel will be accountable for not warning them.

Matthew 18:15 And if thy brother may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain thy brother;

If you have been offended by a person you have two options. You can forgive and forget. Or you can go and tell them their fault. You do not have the right to not tell them their fault but remain bitter against them for their sin. If you are still holding some wrong in your heart that someone did to you, then you will be held accountable for that. Yes, the person may have wronged you. But the price that the Lord paid for us to be redeemed was a far greater wrong than anyone ever wronged you with. Because He forgave you, then you should forgive the one who wronged you. It is perfectly OK to go and tell them their wrong and if they don't listen to you then you take two or three witnesses with you. These people may decide that this is really a misunderstanding. But if you have two or three elders who agree that this is a serious offense that needs to be dealt with and they go and confirm this to the person that offended you that is your first test. But the offense must be serious enough that if the person does not listen to you the church will excommunicate them. So when you combine this with Ezekiel 3 it is clear, we are not simply warning people who are unbelievers living in sin, we are talking about people who are in the church sinning against you personally. There are many Christians who won't actually voice their offense to the person who did it. But they might gossip about that person, they might do things to harm that person, they might lie about them or they might allow a root of bitterness to grow in their heart. They will be held accountable for that because the Lord is very clear, we are not allowed to do any of those things.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man also may be overtaken in any trespass, ye who [are] spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering thyself -- lest thou also may be tempted;

Once again, we will be accountable for this. If you see someone overtaken in a trespass and you don't restore them in a spirit of meekness you will have to answer for it.

Luke 17:3 `Take heed to yourselves, and, if thy brother may sin in regard to thee, rebuke him, and if he may reform, forgive him,

Very few people do this. Recently I had an issue with a poster on this forum calling me a liar. I asked them to tell me the post in which I had lied and what the lie was. They didn't do that, they ignored me and continued to call me a liar who is willfully sinning. I rebuked this behavior. However, several people on this forum said it would have been better to ignore them. But that is not what the Lord says. The Lord says we are to rebuke them. We do not have the right to do what is right in our own eyes. The truth is many Christians won't rebuke the person because they are cowards. The book of Revelation tells us that no cowards get into heaven.

Revelation 21:7 he who is overcoming shall inherit all things, and I will be to him -- a God, and he shall be to me -- the son, 8 and to fearful, and unstedfast, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the liars, their part [is] in the lake that is burning with fire and brimstone, which is a second death.'

You will be held accountable if you are fearful and refuse to obey the Lord's word to rebuke a brother or sister who sins regarding you.

 

[Suze]

I had to leave my denomination because I fell in love with someone who wasn't a member .
While I was there , I heard rumours , one about one of the married ladies who's husband wasn't a member , he apparently wasn't very nice and hated our congregation . Another member , a man , had a daughter who was pure evil and despised our congregation !
Eventually , I found out that , the man and the woman who were members , had had a long running full blown sexual affair behind their spouses backs , that's why their husband and daughter hated us ! Most members of that congregation still to this day don't know about that affair , so they still judge that husband and daughter very harshly . The man and woman r still members even though they committed adultery . I left that congregation the moment I knew that I wanted a relationship with my non member husband .

 

[ZNP]

This is the way it is supposed to be.

Luke 7:2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Each one of us is supposed to be serving the Lord and when He speaks and sends us we are to do it. Last night I heard a report from a brother about the Gideon's ministry and I was hearing about all these people who are doing so much to get the word out and how much the ministry is doing. I went home and thought "wow, those brothers are doing so much". But then I was reminded of that Bill Belecheck quote "just do your job".

When I was a kid I was on a really good Pee Wee football team. Every week we watched the game film. We were undefeated so we were watching film from games we had won and you would never have known. The coach would highlight every person who was out of position, even if they made the tackle. You didn't get commended for making the play if you weren't doing your job, instead you got blasted. My fear every game is that I would be seen on the film "not doing my job". I realized it will be the same thing when we get raptured. The Lord is the captain, He has thousands, millions of soldiers, each one has an assignment. Everyone else is depending on you "just doing your job".

This is another example of being accountable for the things we hear.

 

[Lanolin]

Once you have heard the gospel, because God doesn't send out his Words empty, it behooves you to do something about it.

As the old Christmas hymn/carol goes, Go Tell it on the mountain, over the hills and Everywhere!

People with ears will hear, and those that are touched by the gospel, will forever be transformed. God will prepare the hearts of those who are willing to receive it.

We just need to sow the seed.
And we shall reap what we sow.

 

[Lanolin]

Personal experience

Ok we know that not everyone is a believer/christian, and sometimes churches aren't the best at evangelism, and some are just way over the top push people into believing. I mean there are some churches that will literally shove people to the ground.

But what really got me was how the Christian believers celebrated Christmas and Easter. Not like the pagans, it really had spiritual significance to them. wasn't, I suppose a true believer as a child, I mean, I didn't really know what to believe, but I had some inkling about who 'Santa' was, and who Jesus was, and why He was born.

There is a love and goodwill at Christmas time that no other people have.
And at Easter, solemnity of the terrible cruxifiction really hits home on Good Friday. Plus all the rituals and observances associated with it. There is a reason why people fast before Easter Sunday. There is a reason why there is Pancake day. There is a reason why we eat certain foods. (not just chocolate eggs)

 

[ZNP]

This story by Tom Brady reminds me of my own experience in this church when I was in college and it puts a whole different perspective on this thread. We are held accountable for every word we speak, which is another way of saying that is all we are held accountable for. You don't have to worry about this brother or that brother. I am reminded of Peter at the end of the gospel of John asking the Lord "what about this brother" referring to John and Jesus said "what is that to you?"

So here was my experience, I was in a church that had a thirty minute period of testimonies after every message, and the Lord's table meeting was dedicated 100% to testimonies. Usually you were to keep them short, 1-2 minutes, five minutes was a maximum. I shared regularly and because I was so active in preaching the gospel and spending time in the word I had a testimony to share in two or three meetings a week.

At the same time they were training college brothers to share messages. There were four brothers in particular they would have share messages to the church. Two of these four was brought into the church the same time I was. I was not asked to share messages and that bothered saints (I'll explain why at the end of this). I even saw other members of the church complain and question the elders about this. But I had already gotten a very clear word from the Lord on this and it was just like what Brady got. I understood it was much harder to give a two minute testimony than a 45 minute message based on a chapter in a Watchman Nee book (which is what those brothers were doing). My burden was to have personal experiences of the Lord, not to parrot other brother's teachings. I also realized that in many meetings a 2 minute testimony could have a much bigger impact than the 45 minute message. So by the time saints were complaining I was fine, I had no interest in being told to regurgitate someone else's message.

For example, we had a gospel message and one of those four was giving it. In my opinion it was a disaster. If you are familiar with the 1980 winter Olympics you know that our Hockey team won the gold medal, it was called "miracle on ice". Well prior to the Olympics the US team played Russia in an exhibition game and got blown out with Russia scoring ten goals. The message was like that. I could sense we were getting blown out. But then I realized, this is only half the story, we will have a chance to share testimonies. As soon as he was finished the meeting room was completely dead but I jumped up, shared, another brother followed right after me, and the testimonies completely turned the situation around. I liken that meeting to the "miracle on ice" because the next morning I am sitting in a van to go on a geology field trip and the radio is replaying the game the night before, which was that game between the US and Russia. To me it sounded like the heavenly host watching last nights gospel message and the testimonies.

[Anyway the goal of the elders in that church was to promote one particular ministry. You had to demonstrate your fealty by quoting that ministry in your testimonies. Those four brothers would use testimony time to quote the ministry. It was like an ad campaign to promote and sell the ministry. I didn't do that. I had no interest in that. I wanted my own experiences of the Lord. They tried to squash me, that didn't work, they tried to mock and ridicule me to get me to submit, that didn't work. So they shut me out of sharing the messages, something I didn't care about, and so that also did not work.]

 

[Lanolin]

I think testimonies can be sometimes long winded and you can never be sure what to answer when someone asks 'what is your testimony'? It's like asking your entire life story and how God or Jesus brought you to where you are today.

Sometimes I don't feel like going into every detail with the intimate things God has done in my life seeing as He has been close to me all the while without my even knowing it.

 

[ZNP]

I think testimonies can be sometimes long winded and you can never be sure what to answer when someone asks 'what is your testimony'? It's like asking your entire life story and how God or Jesus brought you to where you are today.

Sometimes I don't feel like going into every detail with the intimate things God has done in my life seeing as He has been close to me all the while without my even knowing it.

Instead of asking what is your testimony how about asking "what did you enjoy of the Lord this week"?

Let me share a little experience. They asked ten college kids to prepare a portion of this message on prayer from Watchman Nee. I was one of the ten. So I go home, open this portion before the Lord and pray over it that the Lord would make this portion real to me by giving me an experience. I prayed up and down, I made it very clear, I needed an experience that would be relevant to this portion I needed to share with the young people's meeting. When I was done, I said Amen, and went about my business. Saturday night I open this portion up again and realize, hold on, I never got an experience. So I went to the Lord and I said "Why didn't you answer that prayer?" He said "I did". I was like where? when? I started thinking about the whole week, there was one little tiny experience that I kept coming back to but I couldn't see how it related. So I prayed about it, got the light, and then shared that experience to illuminate the portion I was sharing. My problem was I despised the day of small things. I learned after that that an experience of the Lord can be tiny, in fact I think that was better because it made the portion I was sharing that much more accessible to everyone.

Bottom line we were told that each week we need to bring our top 10% of our experience of the Lord. So it was a weekly thing, not some big experience from 20 years ago.

 

[Lanolin]

Well...this week I enjoyed my time on CC of course and discussing scripture with you folks. But I do that nearly every day.

My not online life, well in the last week, I was helping out in school as one of the ladies was away, and we were doing the story of Ruth in the Bible. And I was sort of the answer to prayer for the lady as she couldn't drive so I picked her up in my car.

Also I have joined a choir, and were wondering what song we can do as we need two to perform in church (not in a service, we are just using as a venue) so we have two in mind, one is Losing My Religion and the other I suggested Livin' on a Prayer.

Our choir director (this is a band and choir combined) need one that everyone can sing, play and have parts. She was keen on Anarchy in the UK, but I wasn't that keen on that one and thankfully we may not be singing/performing that one. But everyone loves Livin' on a Prayer.

The other they suggested was Last Kiss by Pearl Jam but that is too tragic and sad I reckon.

 

[ZNP]

Well...this week I enjoyed my time on CC of course and discussing scripture with you folks. But I do that nearly every day.

My not online life, well in the last week, I was helping out in school as one of the ladies was away, and we were doing the story of Ruth in the Bible. And I was sort of the answer to prayer for the lady as she couldn't drive so I picked her up in my car.

Also I have joined a choir, and were wondering what song we can do as we need two to perform in church (not in a service, we are just using as a venue) so we have two in mind, one is Losing My Religion and the other I suggested Livin' on a Prayer.

Our choir director (this is a band and choir combined) need one that everyone can sing, play and have parts. She was keen on Anarchy in the UK, but I wasn't that keen on that one and thankfully we may not be singing/performing that one. But everyone loves Livin' on a Prayer.

The other they suggested was Last Kiss by Pearl Jam but that is too tragic and sad I reckon.

Take something from the book of Ruth and pray specifically to the Lord to have an experience that will help you understand. For example, ask for an experience that explains the guy taking his shoe off. Ask the Lord for something over the next week that will help you to understand that, be specific, be thorough and then trust the Lord will do it.

 

[Lanolin]

Take something from the book of Ruth and pray specifically to the Lord to have an experience that will help you understand. For example, ask for an experience that explains the guy taking his shoe off. Ask the Lord for something over the next week that will help you to understand that, be specific, be thorough and then trust the Lord will do it.

But I read the Bible and know why he took his shoe off. I already understand that. It was a custom in the olden days.

?
We weren't doing that part though. We were telling the part about Ruth going with Naomi because she would follow her and her God.
And how good she was and that Boaz saw her virtue and wanted to marry her. The children giggle at this.

They also learned what 'gleaning' was.

I've done gleaning lol. Nobody wanted to marry me though.

 

[ZNP]

But I read the Bible and know why he took his shoe off. I already understand that. It was a custom in the olden days.

?
We weren't doing that part though. We were telling the part about Ruth going with Naomi because she would follow her and her God.
And how good she was and that Boaz saw her virtue and wanted to marry her. The children giggle at this.

They also learned what 'gleaning' was.

I've done gleaning lol. Nobody wanted to marry me though.

OK, but how about you, have you had that experience? Do you want to know something because you read it in a book or do you want to know something because it is your personal experience?

Nobody wanted to marry Ruth either. That is the point of the story. The near relative refused his inheritance because he thought marrying Ruth would mar what he already had. The fact that nobody wanted to marry her was a protection, it repelled everyone but Boaz.

 

[Churchgoer]

OK, but how about you, have you had that experience? Do you want to know something because you read it in a book or do you want to know something because it is your personal experience?

Nobody wanted to marry Ruth either. That is the point of the story. The near relative refused his inheritance because he thought marrying Ruth would mar what he already had. The fact that nobody wanted to marry her was a protection, it repelled everyone but Boaz.

Absolutely agree

Hidden blessings. When God close all paths, it is a blessing for us.
Wait for the Lord. Trust in Him. Be still.

 

[Suze]

I have to b honest , I'm not very good at talking to non believers about my faith . By nature , I'm a deeply private person , only happy to give out information about myself when I feel like it and that's not very often . I'm quite open on here because , it's not in person , it's just in text . I'm also a person who has very deep emotions , which I hate to share and , my faith is a very emotional subject to me .
I can't preach to some one , anyone , without becoming emotional and I hate becoming emotional in front of other people , all except my husband . I wish I could b cool and calm and remember the exact Bible verse I need etc when I talk to people about the Truth , but I can't . When I have tried to talk about it , I feel as if I'm exposing my very soul to a complete stranger and it just overwhelms me emotionally .
My usual response , if and when some one asks me about my faith is , to offer to help them read through the Bible , that's where I point people , to the Bible , probably because that's where I started on my journey . I never asked a person about their faith or about God or Jesus , I just went straight to the Bible . I don't trust anyone's word for anything , but I trust the Bible because that's God's Word . Maybe that's why I'm no good talking about it , me and my faith . I can talk about the Bible but not what my faith means to me or , how and why I believe , nothing like that . It's just so deeply personal to me that I find it extremely difficult to articulate without becoming emotional and , I hate people seeing me b emotional .
So , if u want to talk about the Bible , I'm happy for that but if u want to know about my faith on a personal level , I just find it to b very personal and too emotional to b able to articulate in any way that would b at all helpful to anyone else .