Woody Posted January 31, 2010 Posted January 31, 2010 Ahhh YES !!! The Trough. The only way to go. Glad to see another trough eater. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
scripturewisdom Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 i wasn't throwing any stones in any way. sorry if you took it that way. Originally Posted By: scripturewisdom get this; in the last business meeting, members from that group suggested that the "door greeters" should stop saying "Happy Sabbath" to people!!! no offence, but i dont know when they started doing that and i personally find it repulsive! i hate it when people say "happy sabbath" to me. it sounds so artificial and meaningless. but thats my opinion and til now i havent said so, as i wait for the stones to start flying my way. Quote: P.S. your post spoke of the clovis church in past tense. may i ask why?thx [/quote']i was there in 2006 before the operationglobalrain. Quote Pray Without Ceasing
teresaq Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 oh no! im sorry! you werent that im aware of. it was probably not the best time to share my feelings about that "happy sabbath" business. but perhaps there are other people who really dont like that "happy sabbath", either? i would like something more like, may the Lord bless us today, but maybe there are people who wouldnt be comfortable with that, so..... Quote facebook. /teresa.quintero.790
Moderators LynnDel Posted February 6, 2010 Moderators Posted February 6, 2010 You're not alone in your feelings on that phrase. I guess it just sounds a little too flip; we say Happy Halloween, Happy New Year, and Happy Sabbath. It doesn't fit. But it's not a big thing to me. I know I do and say things that annoy other people, so I am not going to let this become my hobby horse. When it comes to evangelism, we have for a long time done a hard sell to a society that has become very sales resistant when it comes to organized religion. We feel as if we are failures if we don't have baptisms and add to our tithe-paying numbers, and that is wrong. Our goal should be loving and sharing, planting the seeds of God's Word. We use the term "disinterested benevolence" when it comes to helping others - meaning we do it no matter what return we might get. We can have the same approach in sharing the gospel. We plant, the Holy Spirit harvests in His good time. Think of the whole seed-time to harvest sequence. We, in old-time evangelism, often jam those seeds in the ground as hard as we can, and then the next day or the next week we're out there looking for a full-blown harvest before we've done enough watering, cultivating, and caring. It doesn't make sense. LynnDel Quote LD
GreatLakesGramma Posted February 6, 2010 Author Posted February 6, 2010 LynnDel, I agree with you totally. In the same vein, our new pastor seems to be obsessed with the belief that every member should be out giving Bible studies. I agree that we should all be doing something to reach out to others, but God didn't give us all the same gifts or calling, and we must follow HIS leading in our outreach activities. We are not living in obedience to God if we are spending our time doing something our pastor or church leaders think everyone should be doing, so that we don't have the time or energy to do what God calls us personally to do. I hope I'm just getting the wrong impression of our pastor's feeling on this, because he is a good man, and I like him. But he's brought it up in every sermon he's preached since he's been our pastor (three of them). And I fell the same about "happy Sabbath." It's just another greeting that people are saying without really thinking about it or meaning it. Like "thank you for shopping at K Mart" that the cashiers are required to say, and some of them mumble through it so fast you can hardly make out the actual words they're saying. But you know what they're saying anyway, because you know they have to. Quote Catherine God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26. "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." -- C. S. Lewis
karl Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 LynnDel, I agree with you totally. In the same vein, our new pastor seems to be obsessed with the belief that every member should be out giving Bible studies. I agree that we should all be doing something to reach out to others, but God didn't give us all the same gifts or calling, and we must follow HIS leading in our outreach activities. I believe the most important thing any Christian can do is to be a friend to others. That, and little else, will lead to converts. Hit-and-run evangelism, although often hyped, rarely works unless those who come to the meetings connect with some local person(s) who love Jesus and love them. My two cents. We have done complete evangelistic series at our church repeatedly which created some mild and temporary interest, but the only thing that has resulted in long-term members has been friendship. Be willing to get out of your comfort zone a bit. Go to their church, too. Invite 'em over for breakfast on Sunday before church. We have connected with the community through our health classes (because we take a personal interest in the well-being of each person who attends,) and our Christian school (run by our local church, not the denomination.) People notice when you make personal sacrifices on their behalf. Quote
oldsailor29 Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 LynnDel, I agree with you totally. In the same vein, our new pastor seems to be obsessed with the belief that every member should be out giving Bible studies. That pastor does not understand the different members performing different functions concept. In the Lord's vineyard, so to speak, there are many many different jobs. Whatever the Lord gives us to do is our mission. Passing out literature is the job of the literature evangelist. And whatever the Lord gives us to do as our job, is just as sacred as literature evangelism or preaching. Most people do not understand the importance of the job the Lord has provided for them. And a lot of people probably will refuse to believe that their job is just as important and just as sacred as being a pastor or evangelist. Whatever the Lord gives us to do is sacred. Any pastor should know, or be given to know, that the Lord keeps us busy 6 days each week, and has designated the seventh day for us to rest, and not to volunteer to help him do his job. Having said that, I recognize that the Lord does open doors for us to become more directly involved in evangelism. When we are offered a high paying job passing out literature, that would be the Lord opening the door. I say that because the Lord provides for our survival and comfort. And we need to be careful not to run ahead of the Lord in the things that we do. All the efforts which yield few baptisms, are the results of running ahead of the Lord and doing that which He has not opened the door for us to do. We do that too much. We need to be more careful. We need do our jobs which the Lord has provided, and stop and wait for the Lord to open the door for us to do anything else. Quote Prs God, frm whm blssngs flw http://www.zoelifestyle.com/jmccall
GreatLakesGramma Posted February 6, 2010 Author Posted February 6, 2010 And we need to be careful not to run ahead of the Lord in the things that we do. All the efforts which yield few baptisms, are the results of running ahead of the Lord and doing that which He has not opened the door for us to do. We do that too much. We need to be more careful. We need do our jobs which the Lord has provided, and stop and wait for the Lord to open the door for us to do anything else. My feelings exactly. I'm thinking that maybe the pastor is just trying to get through to those people who make excuses to not do anything. Considering some of the other things he's said along with the idea we should all be giving Bible studies, it could be. Time will tell. Quote Catherine God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26. "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." -- C. S. Lewis
oldsailor29 Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 I'm thinking that maybe the pastor is just trying to get through to those people who make excuses to not do anything. Considering some of the other things he's said along with the idea we should all be giving Bible studies, it could be. Time will tell. These people who make excuses, do they have jobs? If they have jobs, then they are doing that which they are supposed to be doing, that which the Lord has given them to do. If they are retired, then they have already done their job. If they are disabled, then they are doing all they are able to do. If the pastor thinks all should be giving Bible studies, then he is woefully wrong. The Lord will provide the ways and means to all those He calls to give Bible studies. Quote Prs God, frm whm blssngs flw http://www.zoelifestyle.com/jmccall
GreatLakesGramma Posted February 6, 2010 Author Posted February 6, 2010 Today our pastor didn't mention giving Bible studies at all. Good sign. Quote Catherine God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26. "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." -- C. S. Lewis
karl Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 When it comes to evangelism, we have for a long time done a hard sell to a society that has become very sales resistant when it comes to organized religion. I agree. I think our evangelism is dry because it focuses on facts. Dragnet evangelism (Just the facts, Ma'am.) People are looking for other people to interact with who have a religion that works in their personal lives. Quote
karl Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 I'm thinking that maybe the pastor is just trying to get through to those people who make excuses to not do anything. Considering some of the other things he's said along with the idea we should all be giving Bible studies, it could be. Time will tell. The best Bible studies are when a friend mentions a topic that has spiritual implications and you both sit down an look up texts together. When you ask a person in some other setting, "Would you like Bible studies?" they are clueless as to what you mean, or they may have an idea which is completely foreign to what you mean. Quote
Daryl Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 As it was the title of the thread that drew me into the thread itself, the title is obviously deceiving in that it makes one think that terrorist cell groups had actually infiltrated some SDA churches, however, I am glad to see that it didn't actually happen, at least as far as we know. Quote In His Love, Mercy & Grace Daryl http://www.maritime-sda-online.com https://www.pugwashsdachurch.org/media?page=1&sort_by=Date&is_ascending=0&search=&tags=&presenter=
Woody Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Right Daryl. It was actually the Jesuits. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
karl Posted February 7, 2010 Posted February 7, 2010 Originally Posted By: Daryl As it was the title of the thread that drew me into the thread itself, the title is obviously deceiving in that it makes one think that terrorist cell groups had actually infiltrated some SDA churches, however, I am glad to see that it didn't actually happen, at least as far as we know._________________________ In His Love, Mercy & Grace Daryl Right Daryl. It was actually the Jesuits. They infiltrated the Jesuits? Now there's an accomplishment. Who are THEY, anyway? Quote
karl Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 Reverse infiltration! Tiusej natives from the Italian alps have infiltrated the infiltrators. Tiusej jesuiT Quote
Guest Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. Quote
karl Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 Originally Posted By: karl Reverse infiltration! Tiusej natives from the Italian alps have infiltrated the infiltrators. Tiusej jesuiT I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. It's also a method for purifying water at the Vatican - reverse infiltration. Quote
scripturewisdom Posted May 29, 2010 Posted May 29, 2010 >>> karl: "reverse infiltration" Quote Pray Without Ceasing
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