Homosexual Seekers: How Should The Church Respond? - All About GOD2024-03-29T09:03:38Zhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/homosexual-seekers-how-should-the-church-respond?commentId=1383940%3AComment%3A1509306&feed=yes&xn_auth=noLT, by the way you have a gre…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15097682013-10-12T23:45:39.646ZCarlahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CarlaButler777
<p>LT, by the way you have a great memory.. How many years ago was that? Like 3? impressive.</p>
<p>LT, by the way you have a great memory.. How many years ago was that? Like 3? impressive.</p> Colby.. Indeed.. and I would…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15096822013-10-12T22:41:06.503ZCarlahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CarlaButler777
<p>Colby.. Indeed.. and I would even go so far to say that at one point we were ALL unsaved. ;-)</p>
<p>Colby.. Indeed.. and I would even go so far to say that at one point we were ALL unsaved. ;-)</p> Amen LT... It is an importan…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15096812013-10-12T22:25:24.900ZCarlahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CarlaButler777
<p>Amen LT... It is an important point to make, and very true. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The new child of God can begin by telling all that the Lord has done for them... Share their testimony.. It's a great starting point. Also... if people ask questions (or should I say 'when' they ask questions), it's perfectly acceptable to say 'I don't know, but I'll get back to you.'</p>
<p>Blessings, Carla</p>
<p>Amen LT... It is an important point to make, and very true. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The new child of God can begin by telling all that the Lord has done for them... Share their testimony.. It's a great starting point. Also... if people ask questions (or should I say 'when' they ask questions), it's perfectly acceptable to say 'I don't know, but I'll get back to you.'</p>
<p>Blessings, Carla</p> Carla,
I hope you know me we…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15096802013-10-12T22:11:37.253ZLeonard Thttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/lrtraina
<p>Carla,</p>
<p></p>
<p>I hope you know me well enough to know I am all in on the concept of the church as a hospital, in fact I think that was included in the message I gave when you stopped in G'ville some time back. I have only one caution for those at-large reading this. In our upside down world where everything must be PC we must remember that in the hospital there are patients and there are doctors. The patients cannot become doctors until they are healed and follow a good mentoring…</p>
<p>Carla,</p>
<p></p>
<p>I hope you know me well enough to know I am all in on the concept of the church as a hospital, in fact I think that was included in the message I gave when you stopped in G'ville some time back. I have only one caution for those at-large reading this. In our upside down world where everything must be PC we must remember that in the hospital there are patients and there are doctors. The patients cannot become doctors until they are healed and follow a good mentoring process (called discipleship) before they start operating as doctors. This does not mean that the new child of God cannot serve until they get a PhD, but should only be given as much authority as their maturity level calls for. Part of the mess in some churches is that the doctors have been sidelined (or silenced) and patients are working on patients ... and both remain sick.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lord Bless,<br/>LT</p> Carla,
Nicely stated. It als…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15094852013-10-12T21:44:05.159ZColbyhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/ColbyChase
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-right: 25px;"><p>Carla,</p>
<p>Nicely stated. It also resonates with me that you refer to the unsaved as "all people who have not yet come to Christ." The two descriptors refer to the same people, but your wording acknowledges the very real possibility that this condition isn't necessarily permanent. Some of the unsaved (just as many of us were once unsaved) will come to faith in Jesus Christ, joining us as God's children.</p>
<p>Colby</p>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-right: 25px;"><p>Carla,</p>
<p>Nicely stated. It also resonates with me that you refer to the unsaved as "all people who have not yet come to Christ." The two descriptors refer to the same people, but your wording acknowledges the very real possibility that this condition isn't necessarily permanent. Some of the unsaved (just as many of us were once unsaved) will come to faith in Jesus Christ, joining us as God's children.</p>
<p>Colby</p>
</div> Amen. :-)
And, that we would…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15094812013-10-12T21:24:11.632ZCarlahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CarlaButler777
<p>Amen. :-)</p>
<p>And, that we would also remember we are sinners made righteous and therefore we might remain humble as God opposes the proud but gives favour to the humble.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keeping this in mind:</p>
<p><span class="text Rom-12-3" id="en-NLT-28210"><sup>".......</sup> Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.<sup class="footnote">[…</sup></span></p>
<p>Amen. :-)</p>
<p>And, that we would also remember we are sinners made righteous and therefore we might remain humble as God opposes the proud but gives favour to the humble.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keeping this in mind:</p>
<p><span class="text Rom-12-3" id="en-NLT-28210"><sup>".......</sup> Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.<sup class="footnote">[<a title="See footnote d" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012&version=NLT#fen-NLT-28210d">d</a>]</sup></span> <span class="text Rom-12-4" id="en-NLT-28211"><sup class="versenum">4 </sup>Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,</span> <span class="text Rom-12-5" id="en-NLT-28212"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="text Rom-12-5">We need each other... and all people who have not yet come to Christ are intended to be part of the body of Christ fulfilling their own part in God's Kingdom. I pray that the light of Christ will shine through us as more and more people repent and believe.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="text Rom-12-5">Blessings, Carla</span></p> Carla,
I can't think of a bet…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-12:1383940:Comment:15095752013-10-12T21:00:21.855ZColbyhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/ColbyChase
<div style="line-height: 150%;"><p>Carla,</p>
<p>I can't think of a better, more authoritative, source on which to base one's position. Morever, the message leaves no for misinterpretation. :-)</p>
<p>Colby</p>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;"><p>Carla,</p>
<p>I can't think of a better, more authoritative, source on which to base one's position. Morever, the message leaves no for misinterpretation. :-)</p>
<p>Colby</p>
</div> Colby,
Based on the words of…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-11:1383940:Comment:15096262013-10-11T21:03:31.591ZCarlahttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/CarlaButler777
<p>Colby, </p>
<p>Based on the words of our Lord...</p>
<p>Matthew 9:12-14</p>
<p><span class="text Matt-9-12" id="en-NIV-23392"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup>On hearing this, Jesus said, <span class="woj">“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-9-13" id="en-NIV-23393"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup>But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’<sup class="footnote">[…</sup></span></span></p>
<p>Colby, </p>
<p>Based on the words of our Lord...</p>
<p>Matthew 9:12-14</p>
<p><span class="text Matt-9-12" id="en-NIV-23392"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup>On hearing this, Jesus said, <span class="woj">“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-9-13" id="en-NIV-23393"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup>But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’<sup class="footnote">[<a title="See footnote a" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+9%3A11-13&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23393a">a</a>]</sup> For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”</span></span></p>
<p>I hope we see it as a hospital for sinners... </p>
<p></p>
<p>Blessings, Carla</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Carla,
Good point, and thank…tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-11:1383940:Comment:15094242013-10-11T04:56:57.710ZColbyhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/ColbyChase
<div style="line-height: 130%; margin-right: 25px;"><p>Carla,</p>
<p>Good point, and thank you very much for directly addressing the question posed and stating which choice(s) presented come closest to your point of view. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If we replace "homosexual seekers," substituting it with "those who struggle with and are tempted in some way to sin," this question about who should be welcome in the church can be applied to all of us. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Apostle Paul wrote:…</p>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 130%; margin-right: 25px;"><p>Carla,</p>
<p>Good point, and thank you very much for directly addressing the question posed and stating which choice(s) presented come closest to your point of view. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If we replace "homosexual seekers," substituting it with "those who struggle with and are tempted in some way to sin," this question about who should be welcome in the church can be applied to all of us. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Apostle Paul wrote:</p>
<div style="color: blue;"><ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 150%;">"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (</span><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%2010:12&version=NIV;ESV;NKJV;NASB;NLT" target="_blank" style="line-height: 150%;">2 Cor 10:12</a><span style="line-height: 150%;">, NIV).</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 150%;">"</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?" (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%204:7&version=NIV;ESV;NKJV;NASB;NLT" target="_blank">1 Cor 4:7</a>, NLT).</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
</div>
<p>How do we see the church: 1) as a sanctuary for the "frozen chosen" or a museum of saints undefiled by the presence of sinners; 2) a social club or service club; or 3) as a hospital for sinners?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Faith, hope and love,</p>
<p>Colby</p>
</div> I messaged you Grazer.... ..tag:www.allaboutgod.net,2013-10-10:1383940:Comment:15093722013-10-10T22:42:41.239Zribbonhttp://www.allaboutgod.net/profile/janie254
<p>I messaged you Grazer.... ..</p>
<p>I messaged you Grazer.... ..</p>