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trueblue
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Joined: 2009/9/1
Posts: 63


 Is this site a platform for executioners

So often we judge the behavior of a persons life and assume that he/she is " not saved " because they don't measure up to the mark.I often think how many on this site would attribute that same statement to King David at the time of his heinous crimes.The church at Corinth were engaging in absolute abhorrent behavior and yet they were still Pauls offspring in the gospel.I think so many of us need to consider ourselves lest we fall, as a again a man after Gods own heart stooped into the lowest place of depravity.I do not endorse any cheap grace,license to sin, on the contrary " Be ye Holy ".God delights in the humility of His people and not in the haughtiness of His people..my friends be slow to speak and swift to help the fallen.Never forget that there's a little bit of Judas in everyone one of us.

 2012/6/19 1:56Profile
sermonindex
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 Re: Is this site a platform for executioners

Saints,

I believe this is a good point to consider. We must not follow the same error of the Corinthians in judging others, and being sectarian without the Spirit's leading. It would do us all good to review the community guidelines again:

--

We are excited for your participation in this online community focused on walking with the Lord in authentic discipleship and in the spirit filled life. The word revival is used much on the site and though it speaks of a larger work of God's Spirit in the earth which we pray and covet for it also conveys the simple surrendering of our lives to Jesus Christ fully and allowing Him to have His way through us. Such personal revival is something we can walk in because its biblical discipleship and the call of God for us. "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:6). This is not something we do in our strength but as we are more and more dependent on our Heavenly Father he works this change in us (Galatians 2:20).

Here are some clear guiding principles for us all to agree with and have unity on as we endeavour to keep the unity of the faith in this discussion forum. "...striving together as one for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27).

1. JESUS CHRIST THE HEAD - There are many over-arching themes discussed on the forums but we would put one above them all and that is the focusing on the person of Jesus Christ. If we all could just keep our Lord in the centre of our thoughts, actions, re-actions and endeavours then we would surely glorify His Name by our participation in the forums. He should be spoken of much for all things are from Him and relate to Him (Romans 11:36). And He is the head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2).

2. BEING TEACHABLE - Being teachable is another guiding principle that we ask would be something we would all desire to cultivate. To have this humility with the apostle paul who in a humble attitude was seeking for maturity in the Christian walk yet would not judge his brothers for other opinions and teachings (Philippians 3:15). We can learn from even the weakest amongst us for each one of us has some truth, some practice that they understand or have a better revelation then we do. Therefore we must continually humble ourselves to learn from even the babes in Christ. This glorifies God and brings unity to the body (1 Corinthians 12:21-23).

3. HAVING A PERSONAL AGENDA - We look down on people who come with personal agenda's or are trying to justify themselves on a particular doctrine or emphasis. We believe it is not healthy to try and impose a truth that you have on many other brothers or sisters. This type of believer feels that a truth they have is more important then the rest and feels a godliness for holding to that truth. Such a godliness is false and will not bring about the fruits of the Spirit in the life of that believer (Galatians 5:22-23).

4. SERVANTHOOD - Another guiding principle is to come to the forums as a servant of all. This is following the example of our Lord who came to serve and not be served. Paul the Apostle furthers this teaching by extending it to all men that we should prefer others before ourselves (Philippians 2:1-7). This teaching is important to grasp and practice especially in our speech and writing on a public venue such as these forums. God will give us opportunities everyday to walk in these truths to serve others and not ourselves with such attitudes and a lifestyle God is glorified.

5. SPEAKING WITH GENTLENESS - Having mercy, gentleness, and meekness in our posts on the forums is not only good it is needful. Especially when there is not a face to face conversation one cannot understand a person's tone well so be extra careful to show forth your tone to people in the posts and try to ensure you are not accusing, or speaking angrily against another but adding positive affirmations and kindness into your posts. This will help to not give the devil any opportunity to bring division (Ephesians 4:27). For division, backbiting and sectarianism is carnality and we are not walking in the Spirit when doing so (Jude 1:19).

6. SELF-PROMOTION - Self-Promoting your own teachings or articles, sermons and videos is not encouraged in the forums. We have hand-selected over 50,000 audio, video and text resources on sermon index and we ask that the majority of the discussions centre around those materials provided. You can post another article or sermon from another source also long as its not contrary to the tenor of the materials on SermonIndex. But we ask that you do not promote your own audio sermon materials. 'Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth' (Proverbs 27:2).

7. SLANDERING OTHERS - We have a zero tolerance on slander, evil-speaking and speaking against a person's character without warrant. 'Slander no one.' / 'to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.' NASB (Titus 3:2). This is a very important biblical principle and we ask that you would especially respect the biblical method of approaching a brother privately (Matthew 18:15). Also there are hundreds of websites in the internet that exclusively post wrong teachings, errors and question the character of Christians, we do not want SermonIndex to be seen as such a ministry and ask that all forum members do not participate in posting in what is wrong. We believe simply that truth dispels errors and to focus on the truth will shine a light into all the darkness.

8. DIVISIONS AND QUARRELLING - Having a healthy discussion on a topic, doctrine or important issue is allowed on SermonIndex. But if the subject discussion becomes heated and there is quarrelling it would be better to agree with your brother publicly in what you can and and hold to what you believe against him privately. This calls for great maturity and wisdom in speaking in humility. It is better to agree with a brother that you are Christians and not divide over non-essentials. Let us go forward with meekness towards each other and having in mind the larger picture of the entire body of Christ. "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1 Corinthians 1:10).

9. RESPECTING AUTHORITY - Another guiding principle is submission to authority in the body of Christ. God has and continues to anoint men over areas of the church and ministries in the kingdom of God (Hebrews 13:17 ). Christian freedom is not being free from submission but rather freedom is experienced when we submit. We ask the forum users to submit to the servant leaders (moderators) on the forum here. We ask for prayers for these moderators also that they can make wise decisions as we endeavour to keep the unity of the saints. The great bible teacher Watchman Nee himself said in the local church he always sought to find someone to submit to. Therefore even leaders in the body of Christ need to submit to others. We advocate servant-leadership and those who lead the body of Christ with humility and brokenness (1 Peter 5:1-14). A recommend book resource: Touching Godliness Through Submission by K.P. Yohannan - https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=22831

10. POSTING AND EDITING - The issue is one of order rather than control. We allow as much patience as possible for corrections and apologies. Please make your corrections with a follow up reply, rather than by use of the edit function. There has been a misuse of this in the past where whole sections have been removed from an ongoing thread, making it now disconnected, like removing pages from a book. Please use the edit function for spelling corrections and if needed within the body of a post, please add a footnote to that which has been changed and why.

11. PRAYING BEFORE YOU POST - Please, pray. Pray before you post. Pray as you write in response. Pray, and ask the question of the Lord; "Should I?" Listen, give yourself a minute. Pray one last time and pause before you submit. Try and think of the ramifications of your thoughts and comments. Some things need not to be said. Some things can wait. Some things just as well do need to be addressed, but the manner may add more of a problem than be a help towards correction. The site moderators ask you before you post that you consider praying and ask the Lord if you have the right spirit to serve others in the body of Christ before posting and pressing the submit button. Please also look at these scriptures: Matthew 12:36, James 1:26, Colossians 4:6.

12. CONFESSION - Yes! We welcome it and desire it. It is not embarrassment to admit when we have faulted or sinned, caused a disturbance, been mean-spirited, proud, but an extreme blessing to the community and before the Lord. No one will be shamed into anything here nor manipulated, but forgiven without equivocation upon repentance. Our sins against others are also against the Lord and we must confess to both, but sometimes a public fault is good to be confessed publicly.

We will add to these principle as time goes on. Thank you for your continued prayers for this ministry and the moderators this is greatly needed. Our desire for almost the last 10 years is that this website forum would be different then others in the internet and would be 'salt and light' (Matthew 5:16).

This set of rules will be added to and changed from time to time and this thread is locked from comments. (last edit april 28, 2012).


from: https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=44556&forum=13


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2012/6/19 2:03Profile
docs
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Joined: 2006/9/16
Posts: 2753


 Thank you moderator

I appreciate your thoughts in sharing this and the spirit and attitude in which you share it. I wanted to say so in the recent thread that was closed. I apologize if I contributed in any negative way in that thread. I made a quick reply to what I read and likely should have paused and waited for my emtions to subside a bit which is always a good thing to do in any discussion. But I appreciate you posting what you have and I appreciate the standard in posting that sermonindex strives to maintain.

Thank you.


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David Winter

 2012/6/20 16:45Profile
MrBillPro
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 3422
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 Re: Is this site a platform for executioners

Quote:
trueblue.....So often we judge the behavior of a persons life and assume that he/she is " not saved " because they don't measure up to the mark.I often think how many on this site would attribute that same statement to King David at the time of his heinous crimes.




God is faithful and He continually surrounds us with His loving kindness and tender mercies. He extends His love and compassion towards us even though we do not deserve it. He knows our shortcomings and there is no sin so great that He will not forgive except that of total blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Whenever and whatever we confess, He promises to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is the good news of the gospel because our lives are marred with sin every day. Even the Apostle Paul was engaged in the battle for righteousness. Although he had been converted, he declared that he couldn't make himself do right. He wanted to do good, but he just couldn't. When he tried to do good, he didn't. And when he tried not to do wrong, he did it anyway (Romans 7:19). He counted himself as a total failure as far as his sinful nature was concerned, yet he knew that God's grace was sufficient for him.

We may think that the forgiveness and redemption of our sins and the sins of those about us is hopeless. Yet our sins will never be greater than the blood of Jesus, for His blood is able to wash away every stain and make us whiter than snow. We can look through the scriptures and find forgiveness on every level. After Peter declared the awesome revelation that Jesus was the Messiah, he cursed and even denied that he knew Jesus, but Jesus forgave him and caused him to be a great apostle. The woman at the well was living with a man that she was not married to, but when she encountered the forgiveness of Jesus, she became a witness to the entire city. Another woman was caught in the act of adultery, yet instead of condemning her, Jesus forgave her and rescued her from her accusers. King David found forgiveness not only for his sin of passion and adultery with Bathsheba but also for the premeditated murder of her husband, Uriah. The Apostle Paul did many things contrary to the Name of Jesus, and without mercy he persecuted the church. Yet Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, forgave him, changed his life, and called him to the ministry. Even in Jesus' most difficult hour, He extended forgiveness not only to the thief who hung on the cross beside Him, but also to the multitudes who had crucified Him without cause.

This is the wonderful Savior that we serve. Jesus looks beyond our sins and who we are and continues to be who He is. He is faithful and forgiving and doesn't turn us away when we fail. He looks at us through His eyes of love and remembers that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He paid a great price for our forgiveness. He is our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, and He always forgives all of our sins.


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Bill

 2012/6/20 16:56Profile
DEADn
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Joined: 2011/1/12
Posts: 1395
Lakeland FL

 Re: Is this site a platform for executioners

Trueblue

Your post reminds me so much of my deep thoughts before I had died inside. I was very passionate in my faith. Because of that I looked for other passionate people. I was a bit black and white and not a whole lot of gray. I don't know if that is good or bad but when it came to the church I found 2 kinds of people. I found those who really didn't care that much and made excuses for their 'sins'. It is because they didn't take their belief seriously. I also found others who were more passionate about their faith but then they just got 'wierd' with it. Yet I didn't find a whole lot of those people along the way.

One thing we have to guard ourselves on, something which I did not, is that many in the church really don't take their faith seriously. It doesn't matter how much you hear them say 'Praise the Lord' 'Glory to God' 'Hallelujah' and so on. Passionate produces maturity and character and really this is what I sought out in christians. I really did have a desperate feeling in me to seek out the mature in God and during a year's time I became disillusioned with it because it seem these people just did not exist, at least to my reality that is.

Your post brings up these memories and causes me to reflect upon my own heart. I use a crutch these days, figuratively speaking with my faith. I battle for faith anymore and when I create my own posts on here it is a reflection of where my heart is and where it is searching. I have a couple deep ones in the pipe coming very soon. Just meditating on how to them effectively.


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John

 2012/6/20 18:01Profile









 Re: Is this site a platform for executioners

Jesus proved this point and drove it home repeatedly during His time on Earth.

"But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;

.. but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

Those souls born in Sidon and Syria were considered pigs and dogs in the eyes of the religious Jew. They literally were not considered people at all. The Pharisee's judged them unworthy. I believe that we will meet these two in Heaven, and we can talk to them about it all, and probably, those who rose against Jesus to murder him when He spoke this fact to them, we will not meet.


"So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.

" Mercy triumphs over judgment."

It is a big thing in the eyes of God that we do not condemn, or wonder of the grace of God as to believe that we possess the hammer of judgment; However there is such a thing , like Jesus and the Apostles, to declare the Truth, and the sword of Truth will divide and condemn.

In the end, It is God who wields this sword, not man, and we should be careful and fear. Remember Ananias and Sapphira. It was God's sword that struck them dead carried by Peter. This is a fearful thing to claim to possess, but some are graced with this authority.

As for as a discussion board and opinions; it seems that there is yet hope for us all...........and you are right trueblue....there is a little bit of Judas in us all. I awake with him staring outside every day...as I lead him to his very own crucifixion.

" I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Some days though, he slips into the crowd and runs away before I can get hold of him; Slippery rascal!



 2012/6/21 8:39
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Is this site a platform for executioners

Many people use David's fall into sin to quiet those who will speak out against it. But what does the record tell us?

2Samuel 12: NASB
1Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

2“The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

3“But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb
Which he bought and nourished;
And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,
And was like a daughter to him.

4“Now a traveler came to the rich man,
And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,
To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

5Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.

6“He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

7Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!

9‘Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

10‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

11“Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.

12‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’”

13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.

14“However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” 15So Nathan went to his house.

The problem with moderns is that when confronted with their sin they will work to justify it by finding fault with the 'prophet' - his method is too brash, harsh, you name it, it just was done done properly so they think they are off the hook. But they never consider Nathan's method in the way he talked to David. He was very blunt, to the point and did not mince words! Imagine how moderns would accept a challenge like Nathan gave to David!

What earned David the distinction as a man after God's own heart was his readiness to agree with God even when shown how he had sinned. He agreed with God! And so repented. But the consequences were still operative until he died.

When I am shown that I have sinned, how do I react? Defensively, or agree and repent? A challenge for all since we all have pride to deal with.


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Sandra Miller

 2012/6/21 10:18Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re:

2Samuel 12:14:
14“However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme,

I think we do not give much heed to this principle: the effect of our sin on the general public. What was true back then is just as true today. If you want to know all you have to do is check out the comments that follow the reports on CNN for any misconduct engaged in by a famous pastor... I cringe when I read those comments.

Seems to me this should be of great concern to us, don't you think?


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Sandra Miller

 2012/6/21 10:27Profile
murrcolr
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Joined: 2007/4/25
Posts: 1839
Scotland, UK

 Re:

Deadn Quote: Your post reminds me so much of my deep thoughts before I had died inside.

Please explain what you mean?


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Colin Murray

 2012/6/21 11:51Profile
RobertW
Member



Joined: 2004/2/12
Posts: 4636
St. Joseph, Missouri

 Re:

Quote:
So often we judge the behavior of a persons life and assume that he/she is " not saved "



I'm challenged by Paul's words to the Galatians, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1)

I'm keyed in on the phrase, "...ye which are spiritual." I think we often think the spiritual folks are the ones walking around as if they never have an issue, but here we have the spiritual being defined as the ones restoring the fallen. This is not an excuse to sin, but when we love with God's love our focus is different. When we think like the world we see spirituality as a status to be attained in order to exalt over my neighbor. It is a worldly mindset. The spirit of meekness understands that we are all vulnerable and have no authority to cast the first stone. I think in the judgment we will face our criticism of others so we need to be very careful and treat each other as we would want to be treated. A faithful spirit seeks to cover (conceal) a matter. He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. (Proverbs 17:9 NIV)


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Robert Wurtz II

 2012/6/21 12:15Profile





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