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Post by ts on Mar 30, 2012 18:41:17 GMT -5
Thank you, findingtruth. I feel the same way you do. There is false doctrine in the meetings. The workers and friends claim they are not perfect but are in a perfect way. Yet, they will not acknowledge that they, as imperfect humans, could possibly have imperfect doctrine in their midst deceiving people. They will not discuss it. Therefore, the doctrine remains.
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mira
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Post by mira on Mar 30, 2012 23:08:35 GMT -5
Maybe it depends on which country/area you're from?? From where I sit, I am satisfied. I have many friends from many walks of life. Some go to meetings, some don't, some believe in God, some don't. Whether or not they go to meetings is not a qualifier for me. If people are deceived it is because they're following "the way" rather than following Jesus. That is what I meant. I believe God will be the judge of us all and I would never wish to assume that He will accept or deny anyone on any basis because He alone will be our judge.
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Post by ts on Mar 31, 2012 12:36:05 GMT -5
Maybe it depends on which country/area you're from?? From where I sit, I am satisfied. I have many friends from many walks of life. Some go to meetings, some don't, some believe in God, some don't. Whether or not they go to meetings is not a qualifier for me. If people are deceived it is because they're following "the way" rather than following Jesus. That is what I meant. I believe God will be the judge of us all and I would never wish to assume that He will accept or deny anyone on any basis because He alone will be our judge. That is great that you have come to that conclusion. If you are going to meeting, however, you are listening to workers who are preaching that the meeting way IS the way of Jesus to the exclusion of all others. In other words, they are saying that either they do not recognize or cannot recognize the Holy Spirit working in people in other groups and cannot have fellowship with them. They cannot encourage the friends to have fellowship with them, either. The point of worker preaching and gospel meetings is to bring people into the meeting fellowship and keep them there. Should they go to another fellowship, they are considered to have "lost out". That means they have lost their revelation of truth, despite the fact that they may well be following the leading of the Holy Spirit and doing God's work. Gemmy, you may not want to acknowledge that this is going on in your very own fellowship. It may not bother you. But it is false and confuses very sincere people. The workers could be instrumental in clearing up this confusion were they open to preaching a less exclusive doctrine.
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Post by ts on Mar 31, 2012 12:48:23 GMT -5
Gemmy, you may not agree that this is what the workers preach.
However, if there were a group who did believe that they were the only truth and way to the exclusion of all other groups, would you say that that doctrine was true doctrine or false doctrine? Would you be able to spiritually discern whether or not it were the truth? I am not talking about judging another person. I am talking about spiritual discernment that keeps us from deception.
If a worker or overseer were preaching what I say that they are preaching, would you say that they were God's true servants preaching truth or that they were liars and deceivers?
You do not have to say that any workers would do such a thing. Just saying "IF".
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Post by christiansburg on Jun 12, 2012 8:09:47 GMT -5
Maybe, but that is not primary to the true meaning of being a part of the ministry. It must be a true love for the fellowship and for perishing souls. God provides the strength to do this if the purpose is unselfish. Someday I may tell my story even though I am no longer in the work. I have a very deep appreciation for those who are still there.
I was there for eight years and enjoyed every year. My life was truly enriched because of that period of time in my life.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2012 21:25:31 GMT -5
Maybe, but that is not primary to the true meaning of being a part of the ministry. It must be a true love for the fellowship and for perishing souls. God provides the strength to do this if the purpose is unselfish. Someday I may tell my story even though I am no longer in the work. I have a very deep appreciation for those who are still there. I was there for eight years and enjoyed every year. My life was truly enriched because of that period of time in my life. Love to hear your story.
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Post by Alan Vandermyden on Jun 17, 2012 4:00:15 GMT -5
I was there for eight years and enjoyed every year. My life was truly enriched because of that period of time in my life. I would love to year your story, christiansburg. I spent 18 years in the work, and like you look back on those years with gratitude.
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Post by havejoy on Aug 8, 2018 11:35:28 GMT -5
Is the "Meetings" a church to join? The fiends and workers say that it isn't. If not, then what beliefs are required in order to take part in meeting? Can any Christian with a revelation that Jesus is the only way come and take part in meeting? The answer, of course, is "no". They must first come to gospel meeting and "profess". Even if they are already professing to be a Christian. So, tell me, "findingtruth", would your overseer be fine with me taking part in meeting in your state? If so, is he ok with the fact that another overseer would want me to go back to gospel and "reprofess" because I state openly that I do not believe that the friends and workers are the only true believers and the meetings are the only true fellowship? Seriously, I would like to talk to your overseer. What he SEEMS to be saying is contrary to the former overseer of Alabama, Dennis Kinnan. At the very least, your beliefs are in contrast to his beliefs and more in agreement with mine...and I am considered an "outsider." ts, first I'd like to make it clear that I no longer attend meetings and have NO desire to return. I attempted to make sensible conversation with our overseer as well as other workers prior to my exit. There was no sensible conversation to be found but instead a feeble attempt to rationalize the same line of shallow reasoning that has kept this fellowship intact for some 115 years or so. I had another fruitless conversation today with family members that refuse to believe the fellowship was started in the late 1800s. He spoke of the "perfect ministry". His belief is that Jesus' main purpose was to establish a perfect ministry that would continue unbroken until His return. He believes wholeheartedly that the 2x2 ministry(the workers) IS that ONE ministry spoken of in the New Testament and that NO other ministry is part of the TRUE family of Christ. He indicated that all other churches preach a false Christ quoting verses from Matthew 24. I am fully aware that there are many who twist scripture and present false doctrine but NOT ALL churches do such. There are many workers who also deviate from scriptures. He mentioned some examples where preachers who "appeared" to care about the flock (their congregation) would leave their church and move to another "higher calling" (I've heard him refer to a "higher calling" as more money in another location in an attempt to blast ALL other pastors). He stated that while others can appear to be righteous, do very good things, pray good prayers, give sermons that are scripturally based - they are still outside of the one family that God has chosen as His people because they are void of understanding. I asked him if the same could be true of those in the 2x2 fellowship. He was adamant that the scriptures paints tlhe perfect picture of the fellowship he loves so much. This IS, I believe, the general attitude of MANY, if not MOST in the fellowship. Those who do not accept this line of reasoning often feel uncomfortable with the group and will leave. They don't leave as a result of bitterness, unwillingness or rebellion. Instead, many leave because they can no longer condone a lie. You see, ts, I have no respect for workers who have covered important truths from unsuspecting friends in an attempt to convince others that they have the only acceptable church in the eyes of God. To me that is gross deception. Additionally, I cannot respect workers who KNOW that their fellowship was started in the late 1800s and to allow the lies to continue because they are afraid to challenge those at the top or their peers. I've all too often heard Ephesians 4 quoted about "one lord, one faith and one baptism" in an attempt to justify their "only one right fellowship" spirit. Any time I have attempted to express the fact that there is ONE family and that family is connected to Christ I have faced the scorn and judgement of those who simply felt I was rebelling from the ONE WAY Jesus established (the 2x2 fellowship). It is my wish for those who continue to attend meetings , especially on this board, to consider that fact that they may have been deceived. I seek ONLY truth and will continue to seek truth. Warm fuzzy feelings and security in a fellowship that pampers my ego or tends to justify my own viewpoint is NOT what I seek. When I see error I cannot sit by and accept status quo. I will continue to seek and pray, understanding that we are indeed pilgrims and strangers on this earth and our only source of true life is our connection to our Creator. Even after I left the fellowship I attempted to sugar coat the fellowship some because of my love for many inside. I can not longer, in all good conscience, do so. I don't condemn the people but I do condemn the deception. I know this post was way long time ago, but I have been reading through all the old post lately and I just cannot help but say THANK YOU and Amen to your post.
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Post by Dennis J on Aug 8, 2018 19:04:27 GMT -5
Thank you, HAVEjoy (I am sorry, must play the age card here!) thank you, your Bringing this thread current allowed me to read it for the first time.
If my perception is correct most know of my experience in the work, which ended after a broken back AND my disagreement that workers should accept goodly sized pensions while in that work. It was not so much the accepting of a pension as it was the hypocrisy of emphasizing all workers had no visable means of financial support, compiled with/by the assignment to an older companion unwanted by anyone else in Northern Europe.
Havingno money to buy a plane ticket back to the USA, I borrowed money 22222for it, and was forbidden to even talk about my worker experience. The years in that work had caused my profession (in flutter dynamics) to move years beyond my education and knowledge base. All that is not covered by this thread, wanting to know more of my call to that ministry.
While in the US Army, I had some rather unbelievable experiences for many while there. Some of which I should not have lived through. Why? Dunno. Less than a year before discharge sitting beside a young lady at convention (Post Falls) who I had taken to the convention with me along with 5 others wanting a ride. Willie Jamieson spoke of the wonderfull place a young married couple could have in “God‘s Kingdom.” I liked that.
But THEN he spoke of the need I had heard of for years, the need for young men in the work. After which he said, “and you young women, do you give these young men a chance to hear that call, or do you chase after them like doggies after a bone?”
On the way home to her parent’s house, my special friend asked me if I ever thought about the work. I lied and said, “no.” A couple of months later, riding home from Silverdale Convention, I confessed to her that I had lied to her. Her response? “I know that!” Sadly, I kissed her good bye, for the last time. Some years later she also went into that work, and I believe remains to this very day.
Then I went to my local worker (Everett Wilcox) and offered my miserable self for that work. Two years later they took me. That is the total experience of my “call.”
Sincerely, DAJ
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