End this website?

[psalm51]

That's what they told you!  I have been given revelation on this subject!  

Garth, I'm just trying to believe the best and keep the unity, but IF I did anything to offend you, please forgive me.  

[freebird]

And it wasn't over when they bombed Pearl Habor either!  

Exactly my point!  

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

[editor]

Dear Poster Garth

It is good to see you poster, where have you been?

Editor.....etc.

[freebird]

I have taken a few days off from posting to replenish my supply of anger and vitriole.  Even the most angry, caustic, sarcastic-types need some time off.  I may even bring back Mr. T.  But I might scare some folks away.  What do ya say?

BTW, am I still preaching at the Midwest Seminar?

[editor]

Dear Poster Garth

Lead us in another glorious post!  What do you say!

Brent

[Ken Fuller]

Pat --

you were too soft on Garth -- you asked him "please forgive me"

I thought we were supposed to DEMAND forgiveness of our victims, after all, isn't that a convenient way of putting the burden of our sins on them?

[editor]

Good point Ken:

Once we demand (ask) forgiveness, we are off the hook.  It is now encumbant on the person we wronged to forgive us!  I usually allow 12-24 hours max, and then I entreat them about bitterness.  

I have really found this to be an inroad into others' lives.
 
brent

That's my daily sarcasm, no more

[freebird]

HEY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Did we forgive the Germans when they bombed Pearl Harbor?

 >:(History is important!  

[Ken Fuller]

I always thought it was the Japanese that bombed Pearl Harbor!!!!!

Oh, the things they teach us in school -- YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE THESE DAYS, CAN YOU??

[Scott McCumber]

All right, just to end the confusion for the folks who don't get it:

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pear Harbor?!"
Bill Murray in Stripes

"Lighten up, Frances!"
Same movie.

[freebird]

Dude,

That was John Belushi from Animal House (I do NOT recommend this movie by the way!)!

Did Bill Murray say that also?

[H]

Well, what of it?  How would YOU counsel this hypothetical brother?  

Anyone brave enough to answer?

Well, Brent, if you insist, here's how I would counsel this hypothetical brother:

1. I would start by inviting him over to my home for dinner so he could get to know me a little, and I could get to know him. I would try and demonstrate the love of Christ in a warm, tangible way, and make him feel comfortable, relaxed, accepted, and loved.

2. I would ask him to describe his concerns, and tell me what he thinks he should do about it. I would listen carefully to what he had to say.

3. If I got the impression that he was genuinely open to re-examining his beliefs and involvement with this group in the light of the Bible, then I would recommend that he stop going to their meetings and start looking for a good place to fellowship. If he lived near Greg and Kimberley Tobin, I would recommend that he go to their church. If he lived somewhere else, I would recommend that he try and find a similar church in his area (he could try talking to the pastor of Greg and Kimberley Tobin's church and asking him if he knows of a good church in his area).

4. Before he left, I would give him a copy of A Price for a People by Tom Wells and encourage him to read it. And I would pray for him, that the Lord would lead him "in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Ps. 23:3)

H

[jesusfreak]

All right, just to end the confusion for the folks who don't get it:

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pear Harbor?!"
Bill Murray in Stripes

"Lighten up, Frances!"
Same movie.

Funny movie

Do the words, "act of war," mean anything to you? Huh?
I have a plan.
Great, Custer had a plan, too

When I was a kid, my father told me, "never hit anyone in anger, unless you're absolutely sure you can get away with it.

There's something wrong with us! Something very, very wrong with us! Something seriously wrong with us!

[editor]

Thanks H,

That's good advice.

Brent

[Arthur]

Hello Everyone

The website is not ending.  It will change of course.
Much of the posting right now will change, and we will all once again return to a more sane frame of mind.  The sad thing is that very many excellent posts get buried in flames.  It'll all work out.

In the mean time, what think you of this?

Dear Friends:

I would like to ask all of you to take 10 steps back from this whole thing, in your mind's eye.  Remove yourself from it, and pretend that a broken confused Christian, who is experiencing all of the events at the Assembly, but at another church, has come to you for counsel.  You can see that this person is sincere, but also confused and hurt.  As a strong, mature believer, who has advanced insight into the truth of God's word, you want this person to break free from any sort of bondage, and have joy and liberty in Christ.

This broken, confused brother has told you:

• The leader of his group is an adulterer and an immoral man
• All of the money is kept secret and is handled only by the immoral leader
• The leader's son is a wife beater and has his own, very dysfunctional life
• The leadership was all handpicked by the immoral, money loving leader
• Hundreds of former members of the group have identical stories about abuse and control
• 2 best-selling books and numerous articles by a Christian author called the group "Abusive"
• Every other Evangelical church in town counsels people to stay away from the group
• A national cult expert, and several leading Christian Cult awareness groups have called the group a cult, and former members have actually been de-programmed.
• There is a website about this dear confused brother's group, that has thousands of pages of testimonies that all point to the fact that something is seriously wrong

How would you counsel this person?

Ok, I'll bite.  The answer is simple and obvious.

Dear confused brother, you need to leave that group immediately.  It probably had left lasting marks on your spiritual and mental outlook on life.  Take some time off and get some rest.  Think about your life and seek help.  Let's get together and talk about it.  I'll be here for you to help you whenever you need it.  I am praying for you.

Of course, more details may come out (other than what is in the list that you gave) that indicate that the place wasn't 100% evil, and there were some good parts to it.  That being the case, I may say that perhaps there is something that you can salvage from it, let's take the good and leave the bad.  

If this person turned out to be you, would you take your own counsel?

To some extent, I have.  It would be nice to have someone who understood my problem and in whom I could really confide.  I'm glad for people, like you Brent, that I can bounce ideas off of and talk about things.  And I think also I need people from outside the group to do the same so that I can get an outside perspective from a "normal" Christian.