|
Post by lisa on Nov 8, 2010 14:54:10 GMT -5
Bro. Ben and Sister Darlene, I am sorry for not letting you know but I have been praying for you all since you first started this thread. I know the Lord has a purpose in allowing things to turn out the way they did although I am sorry for you all to have to go through this. Praying for you all. Love and blessings Lisa
|
|
|
Post by Brother John on Nov 8, 2010 23:21:25 GMT -5
See how blessedly this fine practical principle was carried out by Moses, the man of God — a principle as true in the day of the golden calf, as amid the appalling ruins of Christendom. "And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went unto the tabernacle of the congregation which was without the camp."
Here we have what we may call a bold and magnificent piece of acting. Moses felt that Jehovah and a golden calf could not be together, and hence if a calf was in the camp, Jehovah must be outside. Such was the simple reasoning of faith; faith always reasons aright. When the public body is all wrong, the path of individual faith is outside. "Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ, depart from iniquity." It never can be right, and, thanks be to God, it is never necessary, to go on with iniquity. No, no, "depart" is the watch-word for the faithful soul, when iniquity is set up in that which assumes to be the witness for God on the earth. Cost what it may, we are to depart. It may look like exclusiveness, and a setting ourselves up to be holier and better and wiser than our neighbors. But no matter what it looks like, or what people may call it, we must "depart from iniquity." "Every one which sought the Lord" had to go outside of the defiled place to find Him, and yet that very place was none other than the camp of Israel where Jehovah had taken up His abode.
Thus we see that Moses on this occasion was preeminently a man for the crisis. He acted for God, and he was the honoured instrument of opening up a path for God's people whereby they might escape from a scene of hopeless pollution, and enjoy the rich and rare privilege of communion with God in an evil day. And as for himself, we learn what he gained by this marvellous transaction from the following record, "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend."
Am I wrong, dearest A., in adducing Moses in proof of my thesis, "That no matter what may be the actual condition of the people of God as a whole, it is the privilege of the individual believer to tread as lofty a path and enjoy as high communion as was ever known in the brightest and palmiest days?" I think you will say, No.
|
|
|
Post by preacherchris on Nov 9, 2010 8:01:25 GMT -5
still praying
|
|
|
Post by Brother Ben on Nov 9, 2010 16:52:35 GMT -5
Oh yea, our oldest daughter reminded us this from a portion of scritpure we once memorized as a family:
Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
It really hit home! Amen. A good word from one of our (grown,) children. That's the rubber hitting the road!
|
|
|
Post by benshelpmeet on Nov 12, 2010 11:36:35 GMT -5
This has been very upsetting to our whole family. You can't church with and minister to people for 8 1/2 months and not love the people. We miss each and every face. The angry malcontents that showed up to cause us grief were not regular attenders, but we love them and care for their soul too. Oh how we desired to be used of the Lord there at that precious little church to minister to and teach the people to know, and love God, and how to walk with Him.
Just another chapter in our life, as we seek to follow the Lord and serve Him.
Now were back to churching at home, and visiting churches. Home church was exciting when we thought the Lord might send like minded believers our way, but with the economy, and folks not wanting to leave family, friends, homes, and jobs. I get weary hoping for the best.
As for visiting churches that is all we can do,we know that Amish churches around here think they are saved, but they are skeptical about outsiders salvation, the Mennonites in our area are one of two things liberal ( in dress, music, dating) and the other Mennonites in our area are very strict in there ideals, (I was once asked if I feared loosing my salvation and going to hell, I can not understand their reasoning, they take scripture out of context...it's sad. The security of the believer, and the evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within , and bringing chastening when needed is a constant comfort, and conformation of salvation to me. Thank You Lord for Salvation Full and Free. Sealed until the day of redemption.Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. In another thread sister Nancy said it well....quote: ''I agree with the need for fellowship with like minded Christians, I also agree that Mennonite etc are not like minded. I have felt empty after being in their services for a time. I wanted to "belong" to a group, any group that shared my lifestyle. But, the emptiness for me was a sign that we only shared part of the lifestyle. I missed the Holy Spirit who is so much a part of my life and my lifestyle. '' Read more: coveredbaptists.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=3576#ixzz154xrl79wThat's it! The Holy Spirit is missing. (I believe He is quenched and in some cases is not there at all) I have been disappointed for so long with these groups. They seem like our people because they practice right things, but they are dead, they seem to love each other, but not outsiders (other christians who come among them.) At first when outsiders come among them they act sweet and friendly, they give freely and invite you to eat meals with them, and spend long lengths of time with them, even spend the night or a few nights. It is a big difference from the ordinary churches people are involved in, actually it is very sweet and impressive, but they are only observing you they will either receive or reject you...if you conform to their doctrinal beliefs they receive you, but if you hold to the bible teaching of eternal life then they label you Calvinist and you do not fit in, even if you honor God with your life and walk and would love to be apart of their fellowship.
I'm sure there are saved people in these groups, but they quench the Spirit just like the liberal, carnal living saved Baptist. Pharisees and Sadducee's. We can't church with the liberals because they quench the Spirit and ours with their carnal worldly living (we can't raise a family for the Lord there), and we can't church with the Pharisees because they quench the Spirit and ours too, because they are so focused on Religion, Tradition, and themselves and scrutinizing others that they can't see their own need, and the need of others.The lost world around them have no hope, unless they receive Christ and convert to Mennonites.
The Baptist and other liberal, carnal/worldly churches are focused on Religion too, they are caught up and busy with their church programs, busy selfish lifestyles, and the lost are encouraged to come to church and receive Christ and join the worldly church race, the more the merrier. But there is no room for serious minded christians. A christian who is trying to deny worldliness in their life is ridiculed and does not really fit in there either.A quote from a preacher from India in the 1900's " In nature we learn when a bird is caught by a man and lives among man and learns their ways; if he is released and returned to his own they will often kill him, because he has taken upon himself the nature of those who owned him. '' Sundar Singh And so those who are learning the image of Christ cannot be welcomed by those who are still bound to this earth ( the natural man and religion.)
May the Lord raise up godly preachers who will by faith go to towns and start a work for the Lord, a church where christians who want to live vibrant christian lives for the Lord can go. Churches who will reach out to the lost world around them.
We must be in the end times. So many precious christians separating their lives unto God across America are without a church. They try fellowshipping with the Amish and Mennonites and they find they do not fit in, they never really feel apart of the group ( like real brethren) even if they stay among them for years...this is very sad, we get calls and e-mails from brethren like this all the time, it's heart breaking. We have heard of churches in Russia that have both Calvinist and Arminian. brethren and they church together in peace because their common bond is Christ and these churches practice modesty and the covering. For the record we are neither Calvinist nor Arminian.. We are a balance between the two Basic Bible Believers.
In Christian love, ~ sister Darlene ~
|
|
|
Post by benshelpmeet on Nov 15, 2010 10:04:15 GMT -5
:'(We miss our little church and all the folks there, we loved all the people there even the naughty ones, they all need the Lord. We all need the the Lord. Bro Ben really knows how to feed the flock and he's so patient, and the Lord was guiding in a special way, people were beginning to come and want God to change their lives. That made the Evil ONE fighting mad. He has struck a blow to us all, the whole church. We went by Sunday morning to deliver a letter and not a soul was there. We delivered the letter to the main members house and found out that the 4 people left are all very sick. There is bad sickness going around here.
Were back to home churching and visiting. We had a wonderful service here at home yesterday. We can sing as long as we like. We love to sing hymns and scripture. The message was really good. Ben has been studying about the Word of God and how and why it is Pure and Preserved. It was interesting here what skeptics arguments are. We took lot's of notes. After church we sat around talking about the end times. We prepare our children so they will know whats happening, and not be shocked or devastated, actually our children seem pretty informed and confident in God.
Well the Lord is abundantly good to His precious children, He guides our path, comforts our hearts, and blesses our life. The trials are but to teach and strengthen us for His Kingdom. We must suffer to be made stronger.
I just feel bad for those families out of church now 5 adults, 4 youth, and 3 little children. These are people that were back in church and growing in the Lord. May their hearts not be discouraged, and may the Lord lead them to a good church. May they continue to desire to go to church, and seek after the Lord. Please pray for them and for our family to be encouraged in the Lord.
Love, ~ sister Darlene ~
|
|
|
Post by SisterNancy on Nov 19, 2010 23:36:43 GMT -5
May the Lord bring them to your home!
HUGS, SISTER Nancy
|
|