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Post by You hide They seek on Jul 24, 2006 12:59:48 GMT -5
There is no sense in hiding anything. The workers and friends who visit your home look through all of your things anyway, and dont you dare think that they dont. I have set my drawers and cupboards up just to see if what I was told of them doing this is true, and it was. I have heard this from many others in our state so I believe you just can't "hide" anything...even if you wanted to!
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chip
New Member
Read the Secret Sect book by Doug and Helen Parker
Posts: 12
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Post by chip on Jul 24, 2006 13:20:33 GMT -5
i hid it from the workers once, but they eventually found out they always do
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Post by Greg Lee unplugged on Jul 24, 2006 13:37:18 GMT -5
I think there's a more serious aspect of hiding things from workers. How many have discovered something they don't like - either lies being told, or doctrines being twisted etc, and then failed to tell those workers. Do you assume they know? If YOU fail to raise such a subject, what right have you to mention it here? There are some who have mentioned things they do not agree with, and have been made to suffer as a result. Thats not right, but nor is hiding it. If every problem raised on this board was raised with workers first, then some action might result instead of bleating here about stuff. And that action might be to put you on the watch, silence, or ax list.
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 24, 2006 13:53:23 GMT -5
I believe that some people have raised the subject with workers... and received various answers.
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Post by selah on Jul 24, 2006 14:02:45 GMT -5
troubled 2x2... Actually, eating meat was a scriptural issue at that time.Only for those who rejected the new law (Jesus). I disagree. It was also an issue for those who were in the process of accepting the new law of love in Christ. Those who had been diligent adherents to Judaism would have had so much to sort through...learning to depend on a Spirit-led conscience rather than written rules was a fairly new thing. True, but since he had been a well educated Pharisee, he was well aware of the difficuty people would have in understanding liberty in Christ. I agree with what jxr said: I think that Paul was sensitive to whatever situation he was in at the time. He even said that he would adapt to situations for the sake of the gospel. For example, if I had some f&w over for supper, I would likely not insist on watching T.V. afterward. While I'm free to watch T.V., I don't need to offend those who don't feel free to do so. Another example, I know that I'm free to take the bread and wine, since I'm a child of God, but when visiting the f&w meetings, I recognize my partaking would offend them...so I don't. Being an "outsider", if I were to deliberately disrespect their rules in their meeting, I don't see how that would advance the cause of the gospel. Blessings, Linda
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Post by Better Boy on Jul 24, 2006 15:14:44 GMT -5
I can tell you something about hiding something from the workers!
Try hiding the fact that you no longer see them the way you used to. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to hide from them. I just want to tell them off but I have to put on the new person that is Christ and treat the ones that have despitefully used me like Jesus would treat them!
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 24, 2006 15:40:36 GMT -5
I can understand what you mean, Better Boy. There are a lot of things I disagree with that the workers in this area preach in the meetings. It's okay to let them know you disagree with certain points.
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Post by selah on Jul 24, 2006 15:50:50 GMT -5
Hi Better Boy! Nice to see you on the board again. I heard a term recently that I quite appreciate. It's "emotional integrity". I'm still learning how to practice emotional integrity, but I'm finding it's not as hard as I thought it was. I think it's important to speak truthfully about how we feel, but it needs to be balanced with the understanding that the shortcomings of others are really not that different from our own. Also, timing is a huge factor in how you manage your emotions. Sometimes a little space and time is a good thing. When I come undone over something/someone, I will often write about it or to that person. The first draft usually needs a LOT of editing! But, it's helpful to just be honest about how I feel...even if it's only in private. The next draft is usually much better, and maybe even worthy of sending. Often by the third draft, (usually a period of time has passed) the Lord has helped me work through the issues, and I'm much more able to honestly and appropriately speak about how I feel. Sometimes I never send the letter at all, because I've come to a place where I can speak in person about it. Or, sometimes the issue no longer seems worthy of even addressing. Anyway, I'm just glad to see you here, Better Boy. Take care. Blessings, Linda P.S. Withopeneyes says - Life may choose the situation, but you choose your reaction. That's so true...and if you prepare with prayer in advance, you will handle those situations more wisely.
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Post by to the hero on Jul 24, 2006 20:28:39 GMT -5
"Who got what twisted up? Where does "correction" draw the line? Have you ever bought gas on Sunday? Have you ever bought anything from a store on Sunday? Did you ever wear jeans on Sunday? Do you get dressed before you read and pray and eat your breakfast? Do you always wear a white shirt and tie on Sunday? Did you ever wear open toed shoes? If you're a woman did you ever leave the house without pantyhose? Have you ever been seen in a sleeveless blouse? Have you ever been later than ten minutes before a meeting? Have you ever owned or ridden in a red car? Have you ever listened to a radio? Watched a TV? Gone swimming with the opposite sex? It seemed to me that some people loved to be offended. Loved to tell the offender that they WERE offended. These things may sound silly to you, and you may say I've never heard anything like that, but I did, WITH MY OWN EARS, TO MY OWN FACE. Now, thankfully, I'm not offending anyone. And I only wear pantyhose in the winter when my tan goes away. My advice to people in general is TRY NOT TO BE OFFENDED. When you become offended you make someone else the offender. Anyway I'm not dealing with people so easily offended any longer. ;D "Spidy, I would have thought you tougher than that to begin with. Why would you let such frivolous stupid stuff get to you anyway. I don't know who would have said such, but I have heard that from my grandma and she was just voicing what she grew up with in the Baptist church. I know for a fact that a lot of people in a lot of churches hung on to those silly beliefs far to long. I can remember when they lifted the law to allow a lot of businesses be open on Sunday. It was the blue laws they called them. They left some of them still, but can't remember what they left. Anyway, you sound way to weak if you let that kind of thing effect you even back as far as you go. Tell me it ain't so.
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Post by say it aint so on Jul 26, 2006 22:12:18 GMT -5
You mean Spiderman.......that some would be offended at my pale pink nail polish (toes and fingers), my stylish flip flops, sans pantyhose, my short pony tail, dyed hair, ankle bracelet, sleeveless blouse to gospel meeting.....PLUS the four very nice rings on my hand? Hmmmmm....I come from yer neck of the woods and I have heard nary a word about my attire....neither have the workers mentioned the obvious television set in my living room or the wine cabinet in the dining room.......not that it would matter anyway. What I do in my life is between God and me. He sees what I do and it's "not unto men I labor" I did have one person laugh at me and say something about "blondie"......I had to laugh and call him "baldie".....guess it's in what offends you.....or how the "offended offender" offends us.....if that makes any sense.
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Post by Honeymooner on Jul 26, 2006 22:39:19 GMT -5
You mean Spiderman.......that some would be offended at my pale pink nail polish (toes and fingers), my stylish flip flops, sans pantyhose, my short pony tail, dyed hair, ankle bracelet, sleeveless blouse to gospel meeting.....PLUS the four very nice rings on my hand? Hmmmmm....I come from yer neck of the woods and I have heard nary a word about my attire....neither have the workers mentioned the obvious television set in my living room or the wine cabinet in the dining room.......not that it would matter anyway. What I do in my life is between God and me. He sees what I do and it's "not unto men I labor" I did have one person laugh at me and say something about "blondie"......I had to laugh and call him "baldie".....guess it's in what offends you.....or how the "offended offender" offends us.....if that makes any sense. You're still on your "honeymoon" You think they don't talk behind your back? Give 'em time and they'll say it to your face.
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Post by a believer on Jul 26, 2006 22:59:27 GMT -5
I think there's a more serious aspect of hiding things from workers. How many have discovered something they don't like - either lies being told, or doctrines being twisted etc, and then failed to tell those workers. Do you assume they know? If YOU fail to raise such a subject, what right have you to mention it here? There are some who have mentioned things they do not agree with, and have been made to suffer as a result. Thats not right, but nor is hiding it. If every problem raised on this board was raised with workers first, then some action might result instead of bleating here about stuff. Howard, I for one, and I know of others who have raised things with workers only to be told that we are lacking in faith and the many other excused they make in defense of themselves.
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Post by Zorro on Jul 26, 2006 23:43:09 GMT -5
Spidy, I would have thought you tougher than that to begin with. Why would you let such frivolous stupid stuff get to you anyway. What makes you think it "got to him"?. He didn't say all that crapola offended him - he just said it happened. You mean Spiderman.......that some would be offended at my pale pink nail polish (toes and fingers), my stylish flip flops, sans pantyhose, my short pony tail, dyed hair, ankle bracelet, sleeveless blouse to gospel meeting.....PLUS the four very nice rings on my hand? Hmmmmm....I come from yer neck of the woods and I have heard nary a word about my attire....neither have the workers mentioned the obvious television set in my living room or the wine cabinet in the dining room.......not that it would matter anyway. What I do in my life is between God and me. He sees what I do and it's "not unto men I labor" I did have one person laugh at me and say something about "blondie"......I had to laugh and call him "baldie".....guess it's in what offends you.....or how the "offended offender" offends us.....if that makes any sense.Cornsilk, Glad to hear things are going OK for you. Maybe folks are getting a bit more tolerant of individual "expression" in your neighborhood Say hi to the hubby for us.
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Post by cornsilk on Jul 27, 2006 23:32:25 GMT -5
Oh great Zorro........what gave me away? *chuckles* May I be bold here and mention that you and Spidy seem to have become "interchangable"? I've even forgotten which is whom now..... Anyhoo, Mr. cornsilk is doing well, eating habenaro doritoes and reading over my shoulder As for my post without a name....I was on a public 'puter and didn't want my stuff left on it. I should have posted my name, but I figured anyone with half a brain would know me... Life is good......fixin' to move outa dodge soonly--our big house is going up for sale next week. Hope you and yours are keeping cool in this heat. When will we get to do that rain check thingy? Please hug Marvelous for me!! Ask her if she knows who calls her marvelous! ;D
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Post by Ghost writer on Jul 28, 2006 2:15:34 GMT -5
say it isnt so...
what neck of the woods do you come from? it amazes me how much mens standards change from place to place... tho I would be inclined to agree it may be the honey moon stage.
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Post by cornsilk on Jul 28, 2006 14:53:21 GMT -5
Hi Ghost.... I'm from the midwest, the same area as many of my fellow posters......as for man's standards, or women's, for that matter, don't we tend to place our OWN selves into the bondage of what others think is right for us? I will admit that I probably stand out like the proverbial sore thumb here, but this is MY decision, MY hair, MY dress, MY home....and MY relationship with GOD. As for the honeymoon period......well, I hate to say this, but I've been around a LONG time. Cheers!
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Post by to cornsilk on Jul 28, 2006 15:50:36 GMT -5
They tolerate the weak saints hoping they will see the truth and conform.
Weren't you an outsider and professed, went out and then re professed recently, and you have been in and out of a few other groups as well?
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 28, 2006 17:41:12 GMT -5
Say It Isn't So, Man, I felt like you were describing me (without the 4 rings, I only have 2). We had workers spend the night.... we didn't hide the television, it stayed in the livingroom.... on top of our wine cabinet.
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Post by cornsilk on Jul 28, 2006 23:03:36 GMT -5
Withopeneyes, And do you consider yourself being tolerated and a "weak saint" by the workers and friends? Maybe we should start weight lifting together or something! ;D It amuses me that anyone would assume to know just how weak and worthless I am in the eyes of the friends. It's also amazing that anyone would want to keep track of how many churches I've attended. I wonder if they could give me the dates and years as well........ Reminds me of what was spoken in gospel meeting tonight about the prodigal.......he left with his inheritance, failed, CRAVED to be fed what the swine were feeding on, his life so low.....ended up coming back home, I suppose, thinking how unworthy he was to even enter his father's home. His father saw him coming, ran to him, robed him and gave him his ring and had a big party! THEN....the second son had a hissy fit over his brother and the treatment he was receiving from dad......I wonder which brother Mr. Guest is emulating........ ANYway, withopeneyes, I just want to say, "you go, girl!"
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Post by firstborn on Jul 29, 2006 9:56:47 GMT -5
Spidy, I would have thought you tougher than that to begin with. Why would you let such frivolous stupid stuff get to you anyway. What makes you think it "got to him"?. He didn't say all that crapola offended him - he just said it happened. You mean Spiderman.......that some would be offended at my pale pink nail polish (toes and fingers), my stylish flip flops, sans pantyhose, my short pony tail, dyed hair, ankle bracelet, sleeveless blouse to gospel meeting.....PLUS the four very nice rings on my hand? Hmmmmm....I come from yer neck of the woods and I have heard nary a word about my attire....neither have the workers mentioned the obvious television set in my living room or the wine cabinet in the dining room.......not that it would matter anyway. What I do in my life is between God and me. He sees what I do and it's "not unto men I labor" I did have one person laugh at me and say something about "blondie"......I had to laugh and call him "baldie".....guess it's in what offends you.....or how the "offended offender" offends us.....if that makes any sense.Cornsilk, Glad to hear things are going OK for you. Maybe folks are getting a bit more tolerant of individual "expression" in your neighborhood Say hi to the hubby for us. Best of luck to you and the family Cornsilk, I believe you when you say the workers and friends haven't said a word to you about your personal choices. Being from your neck of the woods,and have had participated in this fellowship for 10 years, you know we kind of did are own thing. We never bought in to the dress code, no sports, no t.v, etc. Not one worker talked to us about these choices,but we did hear about these thing in the occasional conventions, or gospel meeting that we attended. Having said that, I'm sure that there were a few conversations about how we just hadn't got it yet. yes? Anyway we keep trodding along as open eyes, happy and others are doing,until as you know, I could not listen to another false church testimony or buy into the belief that other Christian churches are lost anymore. For me, there is so much peace in a nonjudge mental attitude toward other Christians. Again best of luck.
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chris
Junior Member
Posts: 90
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Post by chris on Jul 29, 2006 15:17:38 GMT -5
Simple, You sure said a mouthful. "Not being offended is a great place to be. We have to be so small to get there" I love it!!!!!!!
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Post by closet space on Jul 29, 2006 15:27:20 GMT -5
My parents hid alcohol, not so much from the workers (some of the workers knew and sanctioned the imbibing of moderate doses) but from the Friends. We used to ask why was the wine bagged up and put in the toilet paper cabinet, and we were told it was because so-and-so would be offended and they didn't want to give offence.
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 29, 2006 18:02:07 GMT -5
That's amusing. Imagine someone looking for tp and finding a jolly good wine! Cornsilk, I've actually heard (through the grapevine), that the workers are excited about us (my husband and I) being here (we just moved) because we "seem to be a lovely couple with an open home". This came as a shock to me because, well, the first time I met the workers here I was wearing pants, heavy eyeliner (one of those days) and my hair was just a bit below my shoulders. I think I was wearing a tank top too! But, obviously, the workers saw past that (at least, I hope so). My husband and I do have an open home... and not just to the workers.
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Post by cornsilk undone on Jul 30, 2006 9:23:16 GMT -5
Withopeneyes, Thank you for the "goosebump" moment! I believe that your Christlike spirit must shine! Again, I say, "you go girl!"
Firstborn, I TOTALLY understand your "issues" with meeting. Since I know you and yours personally, I witnessed your struggles and secretly admired your courage. I'm sorry to say that those words were never spoken to you from me at the time we shared meetings. I will say as well, that my heart was always touched when you gave your testimony, and the Mrs. as well. You and she will always be in my heart as very spiritual, well meaning, God like people. You do know where I WAS at the time of your attendance, I hope. I listened to my personal "mentors" if you will, about debasing myself and becoming a dowdy bunhead. Yes, I heard in convention about not wearing shorts, and looked down at my toddler who had a rather sharp light yellow pair on while I listened! I'm not sure, firstborn, if you left first, or if I did. The point is, my leaving had EVERYTHING to do with my not offending others because of my attire, looks and changes within the home. I am now at the point in my life where I really don't care what others think, if you will. It's THEIR problem, isn't it? I can't read anyone's mind to know if they like me or not. And I honestly don't give a flying fig if they do or not. My walk with God, is HIS hand in mine, not John Smith's hand in mine or his thoughts on how and why I should worship. You know, too, that I sat next to you in your current church one Sunday morning recently and loved it. You also know that it was shortly afterward that I came back to meetings. I didn't reprofess, as others would think.......honestly I don't think I ever stopped. God has always been with me in every event or every church I've attended. I listen to God. His voice is almost audible. At the time that I left, I feel He wanted me simply to wait which I did. And the wait was worth it ....for ME. Back to your church......I am SO touched by the fellowship there, with mom having her surgery last week. Jack came and prayed with us before surgery and he was there afterward. Several members of the church are bringing meals to her home way into next week now that she is home. I saw tears of gratitude in her eyes at the love she feels there. At the same token, I feel those things where I am, if that makes sense to you. My thoughts about where you have chosen to worship have absolutely NO bearing on your salvation, and I won't even go there. My heart knows that you are right and in your place. God knows YOUR heart and the man that you are, the woman that your wife is and HE alone is your judge. HE alone is my judge as well. OK....enough of this "hallmark" moment. Hope you and yours are well and happy. We need to get out for pizza and a beer one of these nights! Please give "Mrs. born" my love!
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Post by seekingtruth on Jul 30, 2006 12:43:16 GMT -5
I once heard that taking offense is just as bad as giving offense. I wonder if it isn't worse? If you take offense you're judging? Giving offense is often done totally unknowingly. Just a thought - any comments?
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Post by cornsilk on Jul 30, 2006 17:17:21 GMT -5
I believe that as well, seekingtruth, and I guess in my small way was trying to convey that very thought. From my own observations, I've found that most of the people I know who are judgemental are like gossip mongers, taking every little negative detail of what they hear and spreading the word. These people are not generally what one could consider happy, and they are usually the ones who are easily offended. On the other hand, I know many extrodinary people who love to hear of others' victories and triumphs. They tend to be totally on the other end of the spectrum, full of love, beauty and joy, feeding on, and feeding others on good things. These particular people, it seems, look for the goodness in others, thus showing forth their own goodness. I would tend to say that offences taken in the latter group would be rare. I had to chuckle to myself in Sunday morning meeting this morning. Two men were wearing tassled shoes--VERY stylin'.......another man had on sandles with his toes out, blue jeans, no tie, and his shirt wasn't tucked in. I also saw a VERY classy tie clasp thingy that had some kind of chain.......mmmmm.....the guy looked sharp! Now, to those who CHOOSE to think that anyone would be offended by this attire or to ANYONE who would take offence......... did you HEAR the testimony of these people? Or were you too busy thinking that what they wore was wrong.......beware of the levening of the scribes and pharisees.
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Post by Greg Lee unplugged on Jul 30, 2006 19:43:49 GMT -5
I once heard that taking offense is just as bad as giving offense. I wonder if it isn't worse? If you take offense you're judging? Giving offense is often done totally unknowingly. Just a thought - any comments? Making fault of being offended is just a control tool.
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Post by seekingtruth on Jul 30, 2006 19:51:03 GMT -5
I suppose it is if you're given to taking offense. I guess you can be offended by just about anything and those around you should learn to be wary.
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