[CS-FSLUG] RFC: Change of Statement of Faith

[Chris Brault]

Interesting,

>The Gifts are GIFTS. Not something to be debated, not
something to be 
>begged for. God gave GIFTS to us to empower us to be
the World 
>overcoming saints that we are meant to be. We are to
be as Jesus said, and I 
>emphisise JESUS SAID (NOT JUST ANOTHER HUMAN BEING).
Jesus said "You 
>shall recieve power after the Holy Spirit is come
upon you.
>
Indeed. I agree with the spirit of this response.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>This is not to be treated as something to be played
with as if it is 
>some religeous game. This is the manifested Love of
Love Himself giving 
>us the authority to live in this everyday world with
Him in us, on us 
>and through us. The Gifts of God should not be taken
lightly, because 
>they are Gifts that GOD not man gives.
>
I also agree with this.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Jesus said that the Believer would always operate in
these gifts. From 
>Healing to speaking in other Languages. If you claim
to Believe Jesus 
>why do you not believe everything He said and recieve
all that He gives? 
>
I'd like a quote on this one. Not that I disagree, but
I would like a 
quote besides, "I am with you, even unto the
end of the age." I think the problem is the abuse of
the gifts and the 
resulting negative reaction by conservatives.
That said, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I've
yet to see the 
gifts produce a better Christian. They do,
however, tend to build a more cohesive church that is
closer to God. But 
then again, consistant prayer will do that
all by itself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Why do you live like a begger when He has called to
to live in Him as a 
>king and priest unto our God. It takes consecration
of spirit, soul and 
>body to live in this. It takes more than that of
religeous fear filled 
>practices. It means a death to self and a laying down
of human theology 
>that deny The Love of God and resist His empowering
by way of 
>traditions of men. 
>
This make several assumptions:
- First, this line of reasoning assumes that
individual gifts are being 
rejected by intended receivers.
Perhaps some people don't receive gifts. Not even in
Corinth where 
things got out of hand did everyone
have gifts. Many did, or supposedly did (the elders
needed to weed out 
the fakes), but not all.
(referring to: I Cor 12: 7-11, 29-31 and I Cor
14:29-33)

- Secondly, this assumes that not having a great gift
is somehow living 
like a beggar. I'd like to thank Benny
Hinn for that thought. And you send you love offering
in now God will 
.... sorry ... got side tracked on buying
the grace of God.

- Third, this assumes that the list in Corinthians
(aside from the 
showman ship of televangelists) is the only list
of spiritual gifts. Au contraire, mon frere ... et ma
soeur aussi. There 
is another list in the well known Romans
chapter 12, verses 6-8.

"We all have different gifts, according to the grace
given us. If a 
man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in
proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him
serve; if it is 
teaching, let him teach; if encouraging, let him
encourage;
if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him
give generously; 
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it
is showing mercy, let him do so cheerfully."

Imagine the service if suddenly everyone gained the
gift of teaching. 
What a beautiful day it would be if everyone
lost the gift of tongues and gained the gift of
showing mercy ... amen 
to that!

- Fourth, this assumes that it is tradition that is
stifiling the gifts. 
Indeed, the showy, disruptive gifts are shunned
by tradition, even when they are real. That's a shame.
However, perhaps 
other gifts are at work in those
more traditional congregations. Maybe they "need"
different gifts than 
other assemblies do.

When I was in the pentacostal assembly in San Antonio,
pastor Rune 
Brannstrom managed to collect the
disjointed south side church's into a team. They
collectively held 
outreaches, events and gave out food,
something that none of the church's could do
individually. The church's 
with alot of leaders got ahold of
the mercy showers and combined them with the givers
and the teachers 
and, when all theses gifts were
present, the body funtioned. No fanfare, prophesy or
tongues were 
needed; only love and the power of
God.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Dont throw off the gifts because tradition did. Dont
insult Father that 
>way. He loves you and wants you to recieve. Not out
of force but out of  
>His pure desire to see you live in Faith which works
by LOVE.
>
As I have shown, not all gifts are reject by
conservative congregations, 
just some of the more showy ones. If
not having those gifts in a congregation is always
bad, then Billy Grahm 
is in alot of trouble, as is his son Franklin.
Luther was blind, Tyndale was a beggar and Calvan
never really knew God. 
All the great men of faith since
Biblical times, the missionaries who gave their lives
and the great 
speakers, all did so without showy gifts. So we
ask, how did they survive while, and I quote,
"deny(ing) the Love of God 
and resist(ing) His empowering by way
of  traditions of men" ? Take a second to digest this.
For almost 2000 
years great men and women of Christ did
just fine without the showy gifts. Why are they so
necessary now?

Luther prayed for healing and received it. Perhaps we
should consider 
prayer. But of course, what do I know? Once
again, I obviously don't know what I'm talking about.


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com