Charity

I don't think I said I was freaking out about JCNG and I hope I wasn't acting freaked out but I do think I need to clarify a few things and correct a mistake. My mistake is using Deut 5:7 to explain what people are doing when they believe Jesus is God. I understand now what this verse is saying, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" with the word "before" meaning above or over. This verse would fit the definition of an idolater (please correct me if I'm wrong). So I'm saying now that Christians who believe in the trinity are not "idolaters" because they do not exalt Jesus over God. They believe that as God the son, Jesus is equal to God. I don't remember who wrote to me to say that Jesus cannot be exalted over God because the scriptures say it was God who highly exalted Jesus and made him to sit on his right hand. If this person was referring to my earlier post, I didn't make the connection until I read yours. Just to clarify, the doctrine of JCNG did negatively affect my relationship with Jesus. I was looking for a way to correct this and that's how reading John 5:23 helped to clear things up for me. "That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Knowing this can now improve my relationship with Jesus. Also, I never want to go back to judging, shunning or demeaning Christians who didn't believe in what the way taught. Nor do I want to do it now if others don't believe what I do (which is how I probably sounded in my previous posts). I think it was on this forum that people were sharing that the household of God includes all Christians and the Word says we are to do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Finally, I was not or am not shocked by what you shared. I look forward to reading all your posts. Thank you for your prayer. Peace to you too.

I wrote a reply to your post about an hour ago but I don't see it now. I must have done something wrong. I'll post it again in a little bit. Question though: when I clicked on "quote" under your post, it allowed me to edit it so I could isolate the sentences that I was going to refer to in my post. This editing that I did wasn't the reason my post didn't go through, was it? Then again, maybe it did go through so if you find it, let me know. Thanks

"Connection with my Lord" is such a personal and beautiful statement. It's bringing tears to my eyes (happy ones this time). I so much want to be able to say those words from my heart - I know I'm getting there. Regarding the topic of SIT, I'm sure there must be a forum on this which I'll check out at a later date but while reading the book of John this morning, this verse came up: "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." John 4:23 We were taught this meant SIT. Without going into detail since I'll be checking for a forum, do you still believe this teaching is accurate?

Thanks OldSkool. "Give them to God in prayer" and "Ask the Lord for guidance" (that would be my big daddy and my cool brother). After lurking on GSC for a couple of weeks, I found this thread and began posting because I was inspired by it. It's like finding the family of God again and it's been a blessing.

I forgot the website: https://www.google.com/search?q=dummer+boy+christian+group&client=firefox-b-d&ei=0seIY9u9D7KpptQP4uGD6Ao&ved=0ahUKEwjb7p_Y3dj7AhWylIkEHeLwAK0Q4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=dummer+boy+christian+group&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIICAAQCBAeEA06CggAEEcQ1gQQsAM6BAgAEEM6BggAEAcQHjoFCAAQkQI6CAgAEAcQHhAKOggIABAIEAcQHjoICAAQBRAHEB46BggAEAgQHjoICAAQCBAeEA86BQgAEKIESgQIQRgASgUIQBIBMUoECEYYAFD8BVjuGmDxH2gBcAF4AIABXogB_waSAQIxMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:e890b01d,vid:5l1CS0Jhk90 I don't know if the above will work. If it doesn't you can google the title and group - it's the live from Phoenix video.

I have this song as well of You Say, How Can it Be, Love Like This and Hold On to Me on my ipod. I also really like the groups "for King and Country" and "Third Day." Since 'tis the season, check out this version of Little Drummer Boy by for King and Country.

Thank you Nathan_Jr.

Chockfull wrote: The Lord Jesus Christ is with you this moment. A personal relationship involves emotions, not going over your SIT chart for the past month to determine if you are good enough to operate other “manifestations”. Was there really such a thing as a SIT chart that you had to keep to see if you were good enough to operate the other “manifestations?” How does one even keep such a chart? Were you expected to record every time you SIT throughout the day and how long each time lasted? Mind-blowing – not in an impressive way but in a dynamite-exploding way. I don’t know if anyone can relate to this but one of the strong emotions I had when I first began to read the posts about Jesus on the “absent Christ” thread was fear. It was like a “Danger! Danger!” alarm going off in my head so I just shut down. I think building a trust in Jesus will quiet the fear so I can freely accept his love. I love listening to Christian songs especially one by Lauren Daigle called “Peace be Still.” She is referring to what Jesus said to the sea after he arose and rebuked the wind but in the song, she is singing about Jesus quieting our fears. Some of the lyrics are: I don't want to be afraid Every time I face the waves I don't want to be afraid I don't want to be afraid I don't want to fear the storm Just because I hear it roar I don't want to fear the storm I don't want to fear the storm Peace be still Say the word and I will Set my feet upon the sea Till I'm dancing in the deep (I like this line because I love to dance) Peace be still You are here so it is well Even when my eyes can't see I will trust the voice that speaks Good night and God bless

As suggested on this website, I started to read the gospel of John this evening in order to get to know Jesus and how he lived. John 5:23 really stood out because it related to my earlier post of today about Christians I knew in the past who worshiped both Jesus and God equally because of their belief in the trinity, and how I instead began to exalt God much, much higher than Jesus because of my belief that Jesus was not God and my desire not to be an "idolater" like them. John 8:31,32 says, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, then you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 5:23 speaks the truth on this matter. In it Jesus says, “so that all will honor the son just as (even as) they honor the father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” God the father and Jesus the son (not God the son) are both to be equally honored (respected, esteemed, admired). What peace this brings to anyone who wants to build a relationship with Jesus such as moi! (that’s “me” in French). I'm Canadian by the way.

OldSkool wrote: For me, my entire perspective changed on everything in life when I realized that Christ wasn't absent and that he can be a very interactive Lord with each individual in his body, depending on relationship. Recently, when my heart's perspective does begin to shift from an absent Christ to a present Christ, I find I become very emotional. It’s like something inside me wants me to experience these truths (not just think of them) but the strong reaction I feel is so intense that I shut down. The reason for this is most likely past childhood trauma which led to a lifetime of self-loathing and feelings of unworthiness. I have tried (and failed) many times to deal with these through counseling, self-help books and my involvement in the way. I feel now however that it is something Jesus is going to have do for me. So this is where I’m at right now – talking to him.

WordWolf wrote: vpw was unable to teach us about a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus The first time I went to a fellowship at the Vineyard church in my city, their worship team of musicians and singers sang “Holy and Anointed One.” Most of the people there sang along with their eyes closed, their hands lifted up and their faces showing their love for Jesus. I found myself not even being able to mouth the words without crying my eyes out. Never had I sang a song “to” Jesus before – only about him. I knew the tears were coming from a deep (but buried) longing to experience his love. I have tried to copy and paste the website for this song but it doesn’t come up when you click on it. If, however, you want to google “holy and anointed song” and pick the shortest version, you can hear it. If you do, can you imagine vp doing the same as the believers did in that fellowship (eyes closed, hands lifted up, face showing a love for Jesus)? Impossible. He would never humble himself enough to do so.

T-Bone wrote: “God NEVER intended for Jesus to be worshipped as an idol.” chapter and verse please... T-Bone wrote: “God NEVER intended for Jesus to be worshipped as an idol.” chapter and verse please... For me, the teaching that Jesus Christ is not God tied in with how Christ eventually became absent in my life. In the past, I had observed how trinity-believing Christians used each name (Jesus and God) interchangeably in their teachings and prayers (often within the same sentence). They gave God and Jesus the same amount of recognition and adoration. When I stopped believing in the deity of Christ while in the way, these believers became “idolaters” who were breaking God’s commandment of having no other gods before Him (Deut 5:7). Since I didn’t want to be an idolater like them (no way, no how), I began to prioritize God above Jesus in my spiritual life. Over time, this exalting of God and demoting of Jesus led to having the absent Christ. After that, when I would read verses like Col 2:6,7 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7having been firmly rooted and now are being built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with thankfulness,” I gave mental assent to them only – yeah, yeah, yeah. It's apparent to me now how insidiously the adversary worked within the way ministry to negate verses like these which clearly declare the importance of Jesus in our lives right now.

I've only read the first page of this thread and I'll probably share more later but the phrase that still "haunts" me is "The Word, the Word and nothing but the Word." Maybe this has already been mentioned previously - I don't know. It's not just the words in the phrase I remember but also how emphatically VP would say them, often with him holding the Bible up in the air. As a result, I spent hundreds of hours studying the Word, reading what was said about the Word, listening to tapes about the Word... during my time in the ministry (1974-1986) BUT I had spent next to no time in a relationship with Jesus. Even after leaving the ministry, I continued on this "intellectual" journey but an emptiness was always there. I've spent a couple of weeks on various GS forums, but the mention of Jesus on this first page was emotional for me to read. Thank you for sharing on this topic.