Worthy Experiment!

[KPaulG]

On 10/2/2004 at 11:37 AM, George said:

Hello my brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Most people don't realize the radical experiment we are doing here! I want you to imagine yourself -- hundreds of years ago -- when all the different denominations were starting! While everyone was insisting their beliefs were the "only" correct way to worship God -- they were creating more and more splits and divisions!

What we are trying to do at Worthy Boards is unheard of when you think about it! We are trying to unify the body -- while at the same time protect those fundamental truths that we can all agree with -- the need for salvation through Jesus -- the source of truth for living the Christian life found within the Bible. Read our Statement of faith! This experiment hasn't happened before when you really consider it!

Of course, there's the ecumenical movement -- unity for the sake of doctrinal compromises! I'm sorry, but the fundamental doctrines of the faith can't be compromised.

So often though when you have so many different denominations, you have many different avenues of thought that have never been explored by other denominations. Just because a teaching is "different" than one you are used to hearing, doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong -- it may be just different!

But differences of opinion is actually a good thing whether you realize it or not! For God didn't create us to be the SAME body part -- but created us all different so that we could join together to form the body of Christ to complement each other!

Oftentimes I learn by realizing other avenues of thinking presented by various believers. By allowing various avenues of thoughts we expand our horizons and allow the Spirit of God to realign our thoughts with the mind of Christ and continue our growth in the maturity of the Lord.

So before you run out and cry "heretic" or "false teacher", be sure to carefully listen, and observe what someone is saying. I honestly believe that things "heard through the grapevine" have a way of being twisted -- but if you go to the source then you can carefully examine the fruit -- test the fruit -- and then make a judgment -- often times you may find that the red grape you were expecting to find was just a white grape -- it was just a different color, but when you examined the fruit -- you find out its still good fruit!

We need to recognize that every word spoken, we will be judged for. And everyone that is hindered from hearing the gospel because someone feels the need to scream - heretic, false prophet, or demeaning someone in some fashion -- let's just say I wouldn't want to be that person sitting before the Lord at the Bema Seat!

This is a problem that I do have and I want to voice my concerns now and I hope you carefully heed these words. When someone comes into the boards, who is not necessarily a Christian -- the first thing you should do is NOT castigate them.

The first thing you should do before you even post -- what would Jesus do? Did Jesus say -- get away from me you prostitute? or get away from me you heathen? or say give me the first stone because I am without sin?

Jesus didn't go closing doors, He went forth OPENING the DOOR so ALL could enter in!

This was the Lord's prayer to the Father before He was crucified! That we may all be ONE! My wife and I don't agree on everything -- but when we disagree -- we agree to disagree! Sometimes it's best to say -- I agree to disagree!

Love breaks down walls of division and covers a multitude of sins! So may the Love of God be abundant in your hearts so that the world can be radically changed through you!

May the love of God be shown in all of your posts!

Your brother in Christ with much agape love,

George

Amen! If we Christians are fighting all the time, many people will feel safer as an unbeliever...on their road to eternal torment. And we will be held responsible.

Edited May 29, 2023 by KPaulG

[backontrack]

On 10/2/2004 at 10:37 AM, George said:

Hello my brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Most people don't realize the radical experiment we are doing here! I want you to imagine yourself -- hundreds of years ago -- when all the different denominations were starting! While everyone was insisting their beliefs were the "only" correct way to worship God -- they were creating more and more splits and divisions!

What we are trying to do at Worthy Boards is unheard of when you think about it! We are trying to unify the body -- while at the same time protect those fundamental truths that we can all agree with -- the need for salvation through Jesus -- the source of truth for living the Christian life found within the Bible. Read our Statement of faith! This experiment hasn't happened before when you really consider it!

Of course, there's the ecumenical movement -- unity for the sake of doctrinal compromises! I'm sorry, but the fundamental doctrines of the faith can't be compromised.

So often though when you have so many different denominations, you have many different avenues of thought that have never been explored by other denominations. Just because a teaching is "different" than one you are used to hearing, doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong -- it may be just different!

But differences of opinion is actually a good thing whether you realize it or not! For God didn't create us to be the SAME body part -- but created us all different so that we could join together to form the body of Christ to complement each other!

Oftentimes I learn by realizing other avenues of thinking presented by various believers. By allowing various avenues of thoughts we expand our horizons and allow the Spirit of God to realign our thoughts with the mind of Christ and continue our growth in the maturity of the Lord.

So before you run out and cry "heretic" or "false teacher", be sure to carefully listen, and observe what someone is saying. I honestly believe that things "heard through the grapevine" have a way of being twisted -- but if you go to the source then you can carefully examine the fruit -- test the fruit -- and then make a judgment -- often times you may find that the red grape you were expecting to find was just a white grape -- it was just a different color, but when you examined the fruit -- you find out its still good fruit!

We need to recognize that every word spoken, we will be judged for. And everyone that is hindered from hearing the gospel because someone feels the need to scream - heretic, false prophet, or demeaning someone in some fashion -- let's just say I wouldn't want to be that person sitting before the Lord at the Bema Seat!

This is a problem that I do have and I want to voice my concerns now and I hope you carefully heed these words. When someone comes into the boards, who is not necessarily a Christian -- the first thing you should do is NOT castigate them.

The first thing you should do before you even post -- what would Jesus do? Did Jesus say -- get away from me you prostitute? or get away from me you heathen? or say give me the first stone because I am without sin?

Jesus didn't go closing doors, He went forth OPENING the DOOR so ALL could enter in!

This was the Lord's prayer to the Father before He was crucified! That we may all be ONE! My wife and I don't agree on everything -- but when we disagree -- we agree to disagree! Sometimes it's best to say -- I agree to disagree!

Love breaks down walls of division and covers a multitude of sins! So may the Love of God be abundant in your hearts so that the world can be radically changed through you!

May the love of God be shown in all of your posts!

Your brother in Christ with much agape love,

George

We have only had one thing in common (Jesus) nothing has changed except man, Jesus never did and I praise him for that. We are all who-so-evers. 

[Anne2]

On 11/12/2008 at 11:39 AM, Iryssa said:

I just wanted to clarify that Martin Luther did not intend these divisions...what he wanted to see was reform within the current church*, not the separation of a whole bunch of different churches.

Certainly true. 

Here is a little spoken of fact........Rome of course was not the only "catholic" Church. The reformers had dealings with them.....

 A quote from Christianity Today.

"Luther was generally positive toward the Eastern Orthodox church, especially because it rejected many of the things he most disliked about the Roman Catholic church: clerical celibacy, papal supremacy, purgatory, indulgences, and Communion by bread alone. He frequently referred to the beliefs and practices of the "Greek church," as he called it, as evidence that Catholics had deviated from principles upon which Christians formerly agreed."

And another

"The Lutherans were convinced that they, rather than Rome, were the true apostolic and catholic church, and thus to establish contact with the venerable Greek church, to enlist its support against the papacy, and perhaps even to enter into communion with this apostolic church would have been a sensational victory. Thus in 1575 they sent the Augustana Graeca to Patriarch Jeremias II (d. 1595),asking his opinion. There ensued over the next six years a friendly but candid exchange of extensive doctrinal correspondence (three letters from both sides totaling over four hundred printed pages)."

This IMO, is an attempt at healthy Ecumenism in the reformers. It is more than interesting the result of opinions that came from this.

[Vine Abider]

On 10/2/2004 at 8:37 AM, George said:

Hello my brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Most people don't realize the radical experiment we are doing here! I want you to imagine yourself -- hundreds of years ago -- when all the different denominations were starting! While everyone was insisting their beliefs were the "only" correct way to worship God -- they were creating more and more splits and divisions!

What we are trying to do at Worthy Boards is unheard of when you think about it! We are trying to unify the body -- while at the same time protect those fundamental truths that we can all agree with -- the need for salvation through Jesus -- the source of truth for living the Christian life found within the Bible. Read our Statement of faith! This experiment hasn't happened before when you really consider it!

Of course, there's the ecumenical movement -- unity for the sake of doctrinal compromises! I'm sorry, but the fundamental doctrines of the faith can't be compromised.

So often though when you have so many different denominations, you have many different avenues of thought that have never been explored by other denominations. Just because a teaching is "different" than one you are used to hearing, doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong -- it may be just different!

But differences of opinion is actually a good thing whether you realize it or not! For God didn't create us to be the SAME body part -- but created us all different so that we could join together to form the body of Christ to complement each other!

Oftentimes I learn by realizing other avenues of thinking presented by various believers. By allowing various avenues of thoughts we expand our horizons and allow the Spirit of God to realign our thoughts with the mind of Christ and continue our growth in the maturity of the Lord.

So before you run out and cry "heretic" or "false teacher", be sure to carefully listen, and observe what someone is saying. I honestly believe that things "heard through the grapevine" have a way of being twisted -- but if you go to the source then you can carefully examine the fruit -- test the fruit -- and then make a judgment -- often times you may find that the red grape you were expecting to find was just a white grape -- it was just a different color, but when you examined the fruit -- you find out its still good fruit!

We need to recognize that every word spoken, we will be judged for. And everyone that is hindered from hearing the gospel because someone feels the need to scream - heretic, false prophet, or demeaning someone in some fashion -- let's just say I wouldn't want to be that person sitting before the Lord at the Bema Seat!

This is a problem that I do have and I want to voice my concerns now and I hope you carefully heed these words. When someone comes into the boards, who is not necessarily a Christian -- the first thing you should do is NOT castigate them.

The first thing you should do before you even post -- what would Jesus do? Did Jesus say -- get away from me you prostitute? or get away from me you heathen? or say give me the first stone because I am without sin?

Jesus didn't go closing doors, He went forth OPENING the DOOR so ALL could enter in!

This was the Lord's prayer to the Father before He was crucified! That we may all be ONE! My wife and I don't agree on everything -- but when we disagree -- we agree to disagree! Sometimes it's best to say -- I agree to disagree!

Love breaks down walls of division and covers a multitude of sins! So may the Love of God be abundant in your hearts so that the world can be radically changed through you!

May the love of God be shown in all of your posts!

Your brother in Christ with much agape love,

George

You know, after rereading the OP here, my question is - is this forum really that unique?  I don't know much about other Christian forums as this is only the 2nd one I've participated in much.  (The other was very specific to a group many of us had previously been in, but found several things problematic and left . . .)

So is this forum really that unique among other Christian forums?  I certainly enjoy the open dialog here and things are usually kept quite civil, with a good amount of brotherly love exhibited between posters - is it not like that elsewhere?

[debrakay]

On 6/6/2023 at 11:04 AM, Vine Abider said:

So is this forum really that unique among other Christian forums?  I certainly enjoy the open dialog here and things are usually kept quite civil, with a good amount of brotherly love exhibited between posters - is it not like that elsewhere?

You asked these questions a couple of weeks ago and no one responded so I thought I would.  Given the fact this forum has been going for almost 20 years it's a good indication it is received well.  Throughout the years I have spent on the internet, starting around 1995 I think it was, I have been to a half a dozen forums and I keep returning to this one.  I have managed to find several I would not hesitate to call my friends and others I have enjoyed reading their thoughts and advice.  Only a couple of times have I run into those few who cannot seem to type out their words in an edifying, non-confrontational way.  I can only imagine what it would be like to have a face to face with these.  Most of us are here to find some answers, ask for prayer, offer prayer, learn a few things of interest to us, and laugh a little.  There are some who come every day,  some who pop in weekly, some monthly, and some rare drop-in's.  It seems to be a well rounded group if you put yourself out there in a real way and choose your words wisely.  I found Worthy after a looking into a few others when I retired in February 2021.  Before that I had a full time job and spent my weekend's playing catch-up at home and spending time with my husband who has now passed away.  Now I enjoy popping in here as regularly as I can if I am home and not traveling to see my kids and grandkids or if the sun is shining and I'm out mowing the lawn and doing outside activities.  It's raining today so here I am looking for friends to converse with.  I like Worthy so this is it for me for forums.  I don't need to look elsewhere.  I hope you settle in here too Vine! 

P.S. I was in Scottsdale in February and had a very nice lunch downtown with my granddaughter and her family who live in Lichfield Park.  It was Super Bowl weekend so what was I thinking?!  Scottsdale is beautiful!

[farouk]

5 minutes ago, debrakay said:

You asked these questions a couple of weeks ago and no one responded so I thought I would.  Given the fact this forum has been going for almost 20 years it's a good indication it is received well.  Throughout the years I have spent on the internet, starting around 1995 I think it was, I have been to a half a dozen forums and I keep returning to this one.  I have managed to find several I would not hesitate to call my friends and others I have enjoyed reading their thoughts and advice.  Only a couple of times have I run into those few who cannot seem to type out their words in an edifying, non-confrontational way.  I can only imagine what it would be like to have a face to face with these.  Most of us are here to find some answers, ask for prayer, offer prayer, learn a few things of interest to us, and laugh a little.  There are some who come every day,  some who pop in weekly, some monthly, and some rare drop-in's.  It seems to be a well rounded group if you put yourself out there in a real way and choose your words wisely.  I found Worthy after a looking into a few others when I retired in February 2021.  Before that I had a full time job and spent my weekend's playing catch-up at home and spending time with my husband who has now passed away.  Now I enjoy popping in here as regularly as I can if I am home and not traveling to see my kids and grandkids or if the sun is shining and I'm out mowing the lawn and doing outside activities.  It's raining today so here I am looking for friends to converse with.  I like Worthy so this is it for me for forums.  I don't need to look elsewhere.  I hope you settle in here too Vine! 

P.S. I was in Scottsdale in February and had a very nice lunch downtown with my granddaughter and her family who live in Lichfield Park.  It was Super Bowl weekend so what was I thinking?!  Scottsdale is beautiful!

@debrakay Some of these threads are very long and old, indeed.............

I have never been to Arizona but my wife and I were talking about the possibility of going to Nevada; while there we might also visit the Grand Canyon........maybe.....we'll see..............

[debrakay]

11 minutes ago, farouk said:

@debrakay Some of these threads are very long and old, indeed.............

I have never been to Arizona but my wife and I were talking about the possibility of going to Nevada; while there we might also visit the Grand Canyon........maybe.....we'll see..............

I have learned to scroll on the long ones but some of the old ones are really good and have some great insight.  I've been reading and studying on the Holy Spirit lately as He is moving more and more today than He has for the 4 plus decades I have been listening and learning.  I wish the churches taught more about Him.  Pastors tend to focus on the Father and the Son and then tiptoe around the Holy Spirit who of course is living with us and in us! 

Heaven forbid He should set hearts and souls on fire!

[Walter and Deborah]

6-20-23

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Love, Walter and Debbie

[farouk]

2 minutes ago, debrakay said:

I have learned to scroll on the long ones but some of the old ones are really good and have some great insight.  I've been reading and studying on the Holy Spirit lately as He is moving more and more today than He has for the 4 plus decades I have been listening and learning.  I wish the churches taught more about Him.  Pastors tend to focus on the Father and the Son and then tiptoe around the Holy Spirit who of course is living with us and in us! 

Heaven forbid He should set hearts and souls on fire!

@debrakay I am reminded of John 16.13-14: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

[Vine Abider]

17 minutes ago, debrakay said:

You asked these questions a couple of weeks ago and no one responded so I thought I would.  Given the fact this forum has been going for almost 20 years it's a good indication it is received well.  Throughout the years I have spent on the internet, starting around 1995 I think it was, I have been to a half a dozen forums and I keep returning to this one.  I have managed to find several I would not hesitate to call my friends and others I have enjoyed reading their thoughts and advice.  Only a couple of times have I run into those few who cannot seem to type out their words in an edifying, non-confrontational way.  I can only imagine what it would be like to have a face to face with these.  Most of us are here to find some answers, ask for prayer, offer prayer, learn a few things of interest to us, and laugh a little.  There are some who come every day,  some who pop in weekly, some monthly, and some rare drop-in's.  It seems to be a well rounded group if you put yourself out there in a real way and choose your words wisely.  I found Worthy after a looking into a few others when I retired in February 2021.  Before that I had a full time job and spent my weekend's playing catch-up at home and spending time with my husband who has now passed away.  Now I enjoy popping in here as regularly as I can if I am home and not traveling to see my kids and grandkids or if the sun is shining and I'm out mowing the lawn and doing outside activities.  It's raining today so here I am looking for friends to converse with.  I like Worthy so this is it for me for forums.  I don't need to look elsewhere.  I hope you settle in here too Vine! 

P.S. I was in Scottsdale in February and had a very nice lunch downtown with my granddaughter and her family who live in Lichfield Park.  It was Super Bowl weekend so what was I thinking?!  Scottsdale is beautiful!

Thanks for the response! Well I think I can say that I've found Worthy to be a good "internet church" home, as the folks on here have been great! And I think there is truly a significant amount of building up going on between us, as we share Christ with one another.

Sorry about your husband . . . I seems most on here are of a more "advanced" age (although I like to say that it's not really the age that get's us, it's the decay!  LOL) Caring and praying for others' physical needs, of course, gets more & more paramount. We see that weekly in my local fellowship, of which the average is really getting up there! But we can rejoice because, "He will be our guide, even unto death!" (Psalm 48:14) and we can't say that about anyone else, can we?!

February is a great time to be here.  Now we're planning our get-aways as the mercury has hot the century mark for a while.