I have been informed that our elders have called a meeting tomorrow night, with all the deacons of our congregation. We have been having some problems, mostly concerning church discipline, and that is what the meeting will be about. I've served the congregation in this capacity for about3 years now. I want to ask you to pray for me as I'm afraid I will be the only one to point out some mistakes that have been made.I don't expect this to be popular with the rest of my brothers. I can't tell you how much it pains me to have to do, what I'm afraid I'll have to do. I've always done whatever my elders have asked me to do and have supported them to my best ability. For most of my time as a member, this hasn't been a hard thing to do.
However, with some recent developments, I feel I have to point out some mistakes and hopefully help find the solution to them. Please pray for me that I will have the strength and conviction to point out these errors and that I won't be the only one to stand for the truth, that I can do this in a loving and humble manner and that my brothers will hear me. I can't tell you how much this is weighing on me.
GH
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I love animals.......they' re delicious!
You have my prayers." Open rebuke is BETTER than secret love"
Just do it as you would have it done unto you. If it was me, I would fast all day long to make sure my own carnality didn't get in the
way. I liked what you said in the post...not only the admonition / rebuke but a " Solution " as well.
I may be a little late, but I am praying for you. Hope everything works out. No matter what, God will use it to bring about good. I have been where you are, and still am to some extent, but I will pray for you and the church there.
Trae
Unfortunately things didn't go as I had hoped they would. The problem I'm faced with now is one of a decision. How do I decide whether i should search for another congregation with which to work? My wife ends up crying almost once or twice a week it seems, over something our leadership says or does and if she had her way we'd be looking for another place already. I'm just not that way. I feel they have made some really unwise decisions and some of them have been questionable in a scriptural sense as well, but they have the task of making those decisions, not me.
I'm also having a sort of new perspective on things. I have been happy and content for several years here and have been maturing in the Word as well. I hope to be able to be the type of christian who could serve as an elder one day, yet all of my experience as a christian has been at this one congregation. I wonder if these present troubles aren't a sort of shake up for me personally. (Please don't think I mean God would visit the strife we've been plagued with for about a year now on this congregation simply because I needed shaking up, I simply mean that for me it may be a wake up call.) I wonder if mycontentment might be hindering me from gaining valuable experience elsewhere. Kind of like the church right after it was established. They were so content with all the good things happening for them in Jerusalem, that they were neglecting to take the gospel to all the world as they should have been. The persecution they endureda short time later, actually strengthened the church because they were forced toscatter and they preached the gospel as they went. I just don't know.
Please keep praying for my family and I, that we'll gain some clarity over the next few weeks.
In Him,
GH
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I love animals.......they' re delicious!
Grasshopper, I'm praying for you and the decision you have to make that God will grant you the wisdom to make the right choice. In the meantime, it probably wopuldn't be a bad idea to at least visit some other congregations to see what's out there that may be a better fit for you and your family. Since all of your christian esperience has been at this one church, it can't hurt to look around to see if there's a better one.
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Today' s small bucks are tomorrow' s trophies.
[image]http://www.whitetails.com/deer8.html[image]
No True Believer can remain in a local congregation, or religous denomination, for all of these groups are now under the headship of Satan. The Bible teaches that the True believer will either flee the local congregation, or be thrown out of it. Read Ez 34, Jer 23, and Matt 24, and with hope you will see that your Pastor is under the headship of Satan, and your onlt refuge is to flee into the mountains {metaphoricly speaking} until the Good Pastor comes for you.
No True Believer can remain in a local congregation, or religous denomination, for all of these groups are now under the headship of Satan. The Bible teaches that the True believer will either flee the local congregation, or be thrown out of it. Read Ez 34, Jer 23, and Matt 24, and with hope you will see that your Pastor is under the headship of Satan, and your onlt refuge is to flee into the mountains {metaphoricly speaking} until the Good Pastor comes for you.
O.K. now I see where you are comming from. I would ask that you be careful not to offend with the way you write your posts. We all have a pretty friendly way of discussing things here. Telling someone they are under the leadership of Satan, could be offensive. We are all good God fearing men hear, mostly Christian, but we do have some differences of opinion or beliefs sometimes. That doesn't give any of us the right to condemn the other. Even if I am right!
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While you rest, someone, somewhere, is training. When you meet, you will lose.
Please remember me in your prayers
