In Reply to: Re: chain letters posted by A Philosophy Doctor on December 30, 2009 at 21:01:12:
I am not intending to "take away/up the torch" from dear Pastor Don...yet I am intending to give you credit/agreement where it is due...IMUO (u=unimportant)...yet things should be discerned: P.D. describes the OT situation...having the "privilege" of a prophet/Nathan at that time...the judgement was handed out...David could though remain king (are we in our sins better than King David by the way?...who has broken the law in one...has it broken/all...is not perfect or able to be perfect by himself)...saying anything otherwise would mean to contradict the prophet and likewise God...
Now we are in NT-times...prophets seem to be missing IMUO...though I am not really a cessationist that much (but also in light of Eph.2:20)...now Christians should shun those who say/pretend to be Christians, but do all kinds of wicked things (though I am not thinking to be part of the "holiness-movement"...nor that I could easily attain to it...while on earth)...they're to be excluded in various degrees or warned before etc...it's all in the Gospel /letters...however we're not to judge those, who are without...rather to pray for them....Now here seem to be some problems in many churches...people who seem to be without...get heavily reprimanded/criticised..as if they were to be Christians...especially actors or politicians..people from all kind of walks of life.
Yet the people within...members... are ever so rarely criticised/corrected...becoming more and more like the world surrounding them.The reason is simple: the financial support...fear of loosing the stray sheep & their wool.That's why IMUO it is better if any church leader is financially not dependant on the flock except some surplus for projects etc. which could be collected at leisure...like further studies
etc....missions...welfare.