This is a quite the thread for we are touching on the Crown Jewel of this site. Even if any were to find a nugget of error, the person finding it is looked upon as wrong than the person who delivered the sermon. Lets tread carefully.

hi Alive to God,
Yes thats what seems to have happened to Paris Reidhead when he went to Africa God used this time to give him a fresh more complete theology.
My point I suppose is that he seems to disown his previous understanding as useless even in relation to salvation.In so much as he seems to doubt that anyone is really born again unless he believes his fresh more complete theology.
If I were to follow his logic it would mean that he was not born again before he went to Africa,
I hope I am not been too confusing but I think its a subtle but important point when it comes to evangelism,staff

hi snufalapagus,
I seriously pondered about it for a while because of the importance of the sermon before I posted and am threading carefully.Their may or may not be a nugget of error in Paris Reidheads Sermon.I think that all sermons should be open scrutiny and any errors corrected or highlighted and I think Paris Reidhead and the moderators of this site would aggree with that.Once it is done in the right spirit.
Staff

Thank you for reminding brother.

Well, this is not actually about Paris Reidhead, or about discrediting him. He fought his fight well and had been used mightily in the kingdom.

His footsteps is very hard to follow, his ministry can easily dwaft and shame us.

I tremble as I post in this thread, but there were statements made at some point of his ministry, and very popular as they were, that some of us think can be a stumbling block to weak souls.

And these statements were being used by some in their preaching and doctrine about repentance and salvation.

The ways of the Lord is so mysterious and mighty and He will not fail to save nor lose any of the elect in spite
of the imperfections of his servants.

The Lord bless you all. Thank you for bearing with us.

Most people come to God because they are convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit and see their need to be saved.

Howevever, much of the church is given messages on God wanting to meet their needs, and never do see God's purpose for them in getting saved, which is to conform them to the imgae and likeness of Christ. It is absoultely essential that we see God's purpose in salvation.

Mike

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Mike

Hi Abideinhim,
Again I am in agreement,in fact he achieved this brilliantly in his sermon.I think however to those not in Christ the Law and Judgement need to be preached and people need to know their destination without Christ.So for the church yes and for the unsaved I am not sure.

(Howevever, much of the church is given messages on God wanting to meet their needs, and never do see God's purpose for them in getting saved, which is to conform them to the imgae and likeness of Christ. It is absoultely essential that we see God's purpose in salvation. )

Hi Staff,

I've gotten this understanding and hopefully its the right one.

Reidhead was sharing his burden.

Imagine you are so full of enthusiasm in sharing Christ with them and you believe that you will bring people to Christ--after all wasn't it God that called you there.

But instead everytime you share with people, the response goes something like this--well, if you can assure me that I will be saved, then I will accept him. If not, I have a lot of things to do, maybe later I will reconsider it. (doesn't this sound a bit like Luke 14 where a man gave a great banquet).

Imagine hearing this over and over again for who knows how long. One thing is that you will develop at least a grief and in that grief, you will realize that only those that are willing to serve God for who He is will really be saved.

These people that he was witnessing to wasn't really interested in 'really being saved'. They were looking for their well-being (getting as much things including salvation for themselves without giving anything up that might cost them dearly. Oh, they may be willing to give a few trinkets here and there but something valuable, something that they have to persist and persevere in--no way)--something that Reidhead wasn't aware of at that time but God already knew. In his sadness and realization, I guess he may have penned this sermon or at least develop this thinking. It may not be exactly 'right to the letter' but that was not God's point. God's point was to get us to understand the gist of it.

And the gist of it is at least 3 things which I can see so far (usually there's more reasons from what I've learned in my walk with God) ie :

1) that ultimately we serve God because of who he is.

2) it will cause people to consider more before 'commiting' to Him. Both in reducing the 'false conversions' and also for the true believers that will be to 'count the cost'. (counting the cost is also in the bible)

3) for Reidhead and for us to understand God better. God does want us to understand Him--that's 1 reason for the bible. When we are apt to think that its God's fault or God don't care enough/doesn't give any chances for certain people, God shows us that its not because He doesn't care/didn't give them a chance--He gave, but they rejected Him.

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geraldine

The thing is one needs to understand the 'heart of the message', not the 'letter of the law'. The pharisees understood the 'letter of the law' but the fail to understand the spirit/general/gist/purpose of it. That's why they did not accept Jesus.

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geraldine