Twinky

Thought you'd enjoy this inventive dog playing. Apparently its favourite game is playing with balls etc and tossing them around. Its owners were nearby and claim that this dog will do things like this for long periods of time.

This started as "sanctification" and seems now to be "salvation." Not the same thing. If we're thinking about "salvation," let's think about it. Salvation ... linked with English "salve" (not save) ... something to soothe, to heal, to make soft. Lip salve. Salve for dry skin or burns. I think of "salvation" as being the soothing of the soul. Don't need to quest around, wonder what life's all about, be restless for the next new thing... One is soothed, softened, and made whole. (Puts a slightly different complexion on demonstrating one's salvation, too.) One definition: salve1salv/nounnoun: salve; plural noun: salves 1. an ointment used to promote healing of the skin or as protection."the wound should be washed with water and then a salve applied"synonyms:ointment, cream, balm, unction, unguent, balsam, pomade, rub, embrocation, emollient, liniment More"lip salve" something that is soothing or consoling for wounded feelings or an uneasy conscience."the idea provided him with a salve for his guilt" verbverb: salve; 3rd person present: salves; past tense: salved; past participle: salved; gerund or present participle: salving 1. soothe (wounded pride or one's conscience)."charity salves our conscience"synonyms:soothe, lighten, alleviate, assuage, comfort, ease, allay, dull, mollify, mitigate, palliate More"she promised him lunch to salve her conscience" 2. archaicapply salve to."the salved my cuts and stopped the bleeding" (And I guess we're "salvage" too, in that we have been rescued)

Roy, what is it, you need a pee? Hmm...

I wholeheartedly agree that we impact the culture in which we live - by praying for our communities, the people we are involved in, the businesses in which we work, other activities that we know about. We impact that culture by bringing God into whatever's going on - bringing his blessing into it. Where I'd disagree is that it is TWI impacting culture. It's not. It's Christianity impacting whatever's going on. That some of us may first have gained some knowledge of God, of Christ, of Christianity, whilst in TWI, is neither here nor there. It is not TWI that is to be given any glory; it's in spite of TWI. All praise to God and the Lord Jesus Christ for what they do, and for allowing us the joy of serving them.

:offtopic:/> Is where I learned to swear so badly. Foul language by LCM in a Sunday night teaching was fairly normal; it was completely, completely, completely, normal in a Corps teaching. Don't know about "the Word," or application of scripture - but I surely learned a lot of offensive words. ... but I was too deeply in, by then.... :( Shudda gone when they were so legalistic when putting on my first PFAL class!

Matthew 5:45 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth spit on the just and on the unjust. :redface:/>

newlife, what you say seems to be ringed in red flags! This preacher fellow seems to have a lot of "look at me!" and not a lot of "look at God!" or "look at Jesus Christ!" You have a bible; read that and do the best you know to do. Ask the Lord to show you better ways to do what is required. Ask him to show you where you can work on reckoning your "old man nature" dead. Stay humble to God and he will show you. Seek the loving support of those you can see live a Christian lifestyle and avoid those who want to berate or belittle you. Avoid like the plague anyone who tells you you are not "meek to the Word" or who is angry or self-opinionated. Go to a church, or better yet two, if that's helpful. If you keep hearing the same thing in both it's quite likely right. If you hear something that sounds off the wall in one, you can ask at that church or in the other church. Look at the people in your workplace, in your community, and see if any of them are leading a Christian lifestyle, and ask them about it. "I've noticed you always seem so peaceful/ that you always have a smile on your face/ that you're gentle with.../ you're so encouraging with your children..." Ask yourself if the way you treat other people is the way you'd like God to treat you. If it's not, do your best to treat others as you would expect a loving God to treat you. As you would expect Jesus, if he were right beside you, to treat you - or the other person. If you try to match your behavior to that ideal, you'll be living out your sanctification in grand style. Don't beat yourself up when you fall short of the standard...we all do.

Sanctification is the process whereby we learn to live sanctified, holy, is it not? Which we do by living the best we can today (tomorrow might be better or worse) according to God's commands. Spiritually, sanctification is a completed work. Practically, it's an ongoing process. Spiritually we are many things as well as sanctified - including being seated in heaven; being more than conquerors, having all things necessary to live. But we aren't yet, physically, are we? And you only have to look at Christian churches overseas to see that many Christians are still being persecuted for their beliefs, including to the point of being murdered. Others live in great poverty with barely enough food to eat each day. But it's available to everyone to live joyfully and giving thanks in (not for) all things. And we know that one day we will see the reality of the things that are promised. Living sanctified is in my view living looking forward to the future physical reality of the promised things, and doing our best to live each day as if they were a present physical reality. Living with integrity in the ways God would have us live. Living sanctified is part "active" living = doing what we know God would have us do; and partly abstention living = refraining from some types of behavior. Some of those behaviors are specified in the Bible; others are cultural norms. Living sanctified is doing our best with what we know, understand, hold in our hearts. And not beating ourselves up about what we don't know, don't understand, or don't yet have deeply within our hearts.

Good one Chocky. How can it not be edifying, to have falsehoods exposed for what they are? Even if they are not deliberate? Even more so, when they are deliberate falsehoods, designed to deceive, enslave, draw away from what is true? Exposing falsehoods for what they are gives the person misled the opportunity to find a new basis, new premise, new way of thinking. The opportunity to examine everything built upon the falsehood. It might be a horrible shock at first, to realise what you believe/d is untrue. It might leave you feeling bereft, confused, or angry. Fine. Now get out there and find out what is true. Perhaps you were told by your parents that Santa Claus clambered down the chimney and left presents. Many children are told that. Does that mean they believe it all their lives? Unlikely. At some stage the truth will come out. So the deceived kids might be disappointed or angry for a while (even angry at their parents for lying to them) but in time most learn that it's a pleasure to make or choose something to give to another person. Isn't that edifying? Anybody who hits adulthood still believing in Santa Claus is likely to be regarded adversely by those around him. So it is when we learn the truth behind the lies at TWI. Especially when we do then learn the real truth of God's love for us.

So WW, have you used Daily Devotionals whether in booklet form or over the internet, on a regular basis? And if so, have they met your spiritual needs, either at the time of reading or at some later date when such a daily reading has come to mind?

Interesting articlein Wikipedia about lions and their lifestyles and their hunting techniques; here's an extract: Lion hunting techniques Mostly lionesses hunt, for their pride and cubs. It's a group activity. Solitary males who have lost their prides (been driven out by stronger males) are the ones who roam about alone and do individual hunting. Interesting, that - the male who has been driven out. Just like Satan was driven out from the presence of God in the "Fall" when he was an unsuccessful challenger. The solitary male only gets a pride back if he can attack a weaker male and take over that pride. A strong male (the Lion of Judah, as you put it, Kit) will defend his pride (sometimes resulting in life-threatening injuries). Lots of ideas to unpick when you start looking a little more closely. I am not sure, in Biblical times, whether a lion like the African lion is meant, or some other feline more like a cougar (mountain lion). Whatever, it wasn't a desirable meet for a human being.

Luke used the Septuagint? Luke? Used? Or, the compiler(s) of the (oral gospel of) "Luke" used the OT (Hebraic Torah?) and the translators of "Luke" used the Septuagint? Wouldn't "Luke" have been in Aramaic?

No doubt this has closed now. Wonder if they got what they were asking?

JJ, those flashbacks can take you by surprise. Some oh 15 years after I'd been kicked out and 5 years after I'd started to heal, I went to a carol service with my Mum at the Salvation Army. All was well until the MC said, "And now the Corps will sing..." My hair stood on end, shivers went up my spine, I froze in my seat, my eyes widened in fear... of course, not the Way Corps!! Other random odd comments or phrases caught me badly off guard too, at that time. Practising a response in your mind will definitely prepare you for any future meeting with any Wayfers. Hey, you could ask some really good questions and share the answers with us all here at GSC. Think of yourself as an undercover reporter for the Cafe! :biglaugh:/>

Heh, I think I might have been tempted to string them along and ask difficult questions. How many signs, miracles, healings have they seen - today? This week? How closely do they work with churches in their area in "churches together" type of events? What sort of help is their "church" giving to disaster relief funds for those left devastated by the Philippines typhoon? Or agreed with them, and invited them to my church, where they could enjoy these things. And then hit 'em with the whammie that I knew them of old and how had things changed? Did you ask them what had changed? Like a living wage with proper benefits and fair time off, for the staff? Like not being interrogated for every moment not spent in TWI activities? Like proper reporting and safeguarding procedures? Do they still rape young women? I doubt much has changed - changed for the better, anyway. Might have changed for the worse. Changed into even more boring and repetitive stuff. Gunnison is a "family camp" now, isn't it? Hmph, is it still mandatory attendance at all age-appropriate activities? I liked my time at Gunnison. More free than at HQ. Which is to say there were fewer eyes to constantly spy.

Now there's a possibility, Chocky. Has anyone found daily devotional readings helpful? Met their needs? Or failed to meet their needs? Does anyone follow such readings as a regular or semi-regular thing?

Was it in PFAL that it was stated that those scripture booklets that people read on a daily basis, section of scripture followed by someone’s exposition of that section – usually one person does a week or so in a series, then maybe someone else does another week – anyway, was it PFAL that put those down? Said people read them but “they’ll never meet your need. They’ll always let you down right when you need them” [=need the Word of God to be reach into some situation you’re suffering]. The real reason wasn’t that the daily devotionals would “let you down” – it was that readers might get a different perspective. Might have something that competed with the Word of God as taught by TWI. Might present a wider view, a different meaning – or (gasp!) something that contradicted what TWI said. Might allow some wiggle room, or even the strength to escape the clutches of TWI. And who is to say that “today’s” teaching from TWI is just what every single follower of the Way needs to hear today? Life’s situations are so very varied. It’s not “one size fits all, all day, every day” – God cares for us moment by moment and knows we’re not clones, machines or cardboard cut-outs. I don’t think that anything that induces genuine study of the Bible, thoughtful exposition of it, and an opportunity to investigate parts that wouldn’t otherwise come to one’s attention, can be bad, or “let one down.” Such study gives more to draw upon in times of adversity. And in times of joy. A daily devotional might not meet the need in full. But then again, it might. And at least it’s not force-fed and required to be regurgitated throughout the day, week or whatever. A daily devotional may indeed allow far more scope for God to work in one’s life by bringing other passages to mind (and heart) that are just what’s right to meet the need. And what of that broken reed, TWI, and its teachings? Boy, did they ever let one down! TWI used the scriptures as a weapon. A weapon of control. A weapon to keep followers down, in subjection, in condemnation. Dual meanings – head knowledge but no heart knowledge. Just manipulation. Give me the freedom to choose what to read each day! Give me the freedom to decide what “works” for me! Give God the opportunity to show new insights, understandings. Accept that God can work through humble writers of daily devotionals to keep His Word fresh and appropriate. Yay!

Good, Ham. Now take a bit of time for a breather. You've worked hard for what you're doing. How soon till you get the result?

The point about the scapegoat is that all the sins were notionally put on its head - but then it was released. It was cast out, but it wasn't vilified, stoned, publicly or ritually slaughtered or in any other way killed. It was released and left to find its own life in the desert, where it either thrived or died. Being a goat, it probably thrived until some wild animal, lion or whatever, decided the goat was breakfast. The scapegoat was symbolic that way. In contrast, you'll note that most of those who opposed or were blamed by VPW and his henchmen were not only cast out but prior to that were publicly humiliated, with their own "sins" and imaginary sins of everyone and for everything heaped upon them. Such human victims were humiliated, ritually slaughtered in front of the whole congregation or at least in front of the whole Way Corps, and then cast out. They were also told (and believed) that the roaring lion was out there looking for them in particular, so they lived in fear (not just watchfulness) constantly. Nobody was released without being terrorised beforehand. So not quite scapegoats, not in the Biblical sense.

Ain't that the truth!! He knew much better. He knew what was Godly behavior and what wasn't He knew what was appropriate and what definitely wasn't. And where he didn't know - he wasn't circumspect, and erred on the side of caution. No, he just erred ... and erred ... and erred. A deliberate slap on the face of God. And God will reward him appropriately :eusa_clap:/> :mad2:/>

Subjunctive, actually. (Bold phrases in what follows are mine.) In this case - guess what! - VPW appears for once actually to have been correct grammatically. Which is pretty much a first for him. PFAL is littered with his misunderstandings of English grammar. Infuriated me during the class. Infuriates me to hear VPW-worshippers trot out the same errors now. (Don't ask me anything about the other irrealis moods mentioned. Heck!)

I woke up the other day with this mad idea, I suppose based on some dream I didn't remember... I planned to write a letter to TWI telling them how good life is now, away from them... ...which led me to thinking how the "sins" I committed were that I was not "meek to the Word" and I would be given a facemelting by someone or other and relegated to some "punishment" duty (dishroom, doing snow clearance at 5AM, etc) intended to ... to what, exactly? Reflect on what I'd missed out on - but never anything substantive. There was never anything substantive that I did wrong. Once I got reproved for being joyful and excited that an Advanced Class was about to happen! (I skipped down the corridor, Corps Coord told me it was "undignified"!) Plenty of "doctrine" - even more of "reproof" - but of "correction"? Real, honest, correction, given meekly? Very little - none from the facemelters. Though generally kindness and proper teaching from those I worked with. Veiled accusations, so that I could apologise for something they weren't aware of, thus accusing myself. Self-denunciation. Self-condemnation. . .. ... .... ..... ...... I didn't write any letter! WELL, I'M FINE, THANKS FOR ASKING. LIFE'S NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED, BUT IT'S PRETTY GOOD AND THERE'S PLENTY TO BE THANKFUL FOR. GOD IS EXCEPTIONALLY KIND AND EVER WILLING TO SHOW THAT HE CARES. CAN YOU HEAR ME, TWI??? It wouldn't matter if you nailed 95, or 95 million, theses to the OSC or the Auditorium or the pregnant guppy. Some folks never get it. Or rather, they got it already (stashed in the bank) and they just plain don't care about anyone else's opinion.

Snopes gives CryptoLocker a green (=true) indicator.

This guy Atwill probably sees gas pumps and snowstorms too, or some equivalent.

I argued about that with the person who witnessed to me and persuaded me to take the class. - If I have to pay this money, then it's not a donation, it's payment for the class and/or the materials. - No it's not, it's just a contribution towards the cost of the books. - Well what if I don't want the books? - Can't take the class, then. - So it's payment, not a donation! And so on. But he ... I liked him. He was apprentice Corps doing his WoW year and the family was struggling to get a class together, under some pressure from interim Corps, and I wanted him to succeed ... Little did I know what I was letting myself in for. You could say I walked right into their double-speak with my eyes wide open.