The worker's ministry is the only true ministry

[Cal Venters]

Teenager, why are the F&W's in Ireland called "Fenions ?" Is it because they pronounce "convention" as "con"fen"tion ? due to their dialect ? Also I've heard them called "Billy Boys," presumably after the founder "William Irvine !"

[billy bloy]

oh where have you gone billy boy , billy boy, oh where have you gone charming billy? anyone else remember that song?

[Gene]

billy said:

oh where have you gone billy boy , billy boy, oh where have you gone charming billy? anyone else remember that song?

"I have gone to seek a wife, she's the joy of my life, but she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother."

[billy thing]

yeah---it must be an Iowa thing!

[as i c it]

I think it's probably more of a generation thing.

[Miss]

Getting back to the ministry thing, the workers thinking they are the only right ministry because of Matthew 10, which they don't follow at all except to go out and preach in pairs, did anyone else ever hear this preached:

The religious world quotes John 3:16 all the time, but "believe" is an action word. They aren't really believing because they aren't really living the life of Christ. We are saved by grace but we have works, living the way we live, to prove our faith. We are living like Jesus, which the religious world doesn't really do. They say, but they don't do.

So, basically, the 2x2's think they are the only ones truly believing in Jesus. It sounds just like the Pharisees thinking they were the only ones following the law by their outward appearance of keeping the law. They would say, "Everyone else thinks they are following the law, but we are really the only people truly following the law because we have the life to prove it. They aren't living the way we live." The Pharisees actually called people that were believing in Jesus "cursed" because they didn't know the law. The Pharisees felt that if those people knew the law then they sure wouldn't be following Jesus. What the Pharisees centered their whole life around stumbled them up so that they couldn't see who Jesus was!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." I am so thankful that, as the old hymn says, "'Whosoever' meaneth me"!

I have one question for the 2x2's, though. What are the works that the men do? How do they show that they believe in Jesus? How do they show that they are separated from the world? I was recently at a funeral of a 2x2 man that died and I really couldn't figure out what his works were. The best I could tell his works were getting to the meetings and giving his testimony at meetings. I heard about his faithfulness, but his faithfulness to what? To God and what God wanted for his life or to how a group of people thought he should live?

[as i c it]

Miss,
His faithfulness to God. And the only "work" that I think counts, is the "work" done by the Holy Spirit in one's life. (Now, from there, should flow "good works" too...and love for others...etc). But...they might not always be seen.

Consider this: Sickness (mental: physical: spiritual) can make it "impossilble" for us "to do"..anything...but...we can (usually) still "be"...right in spirit..toward God...and others... (or try to be...depending on what we're going through--and the stage that we're at).

If our "righteousness" depended on the physical works we do--some would have "the advantage" over others. (Some have more time,talent,money, energy, brain-power etc).

But faithfulness to God: even in not turning away from Him...during the hard times...and no matter what kind of emotional/physical/spiritual kind of state we're in...can (usually) be done.

So faithfulness to God doesn't always show up as "physical/seenable" works. It shows up in us staying faithful to God (and in our faith toward/or of/ Him): and our obedience (to what we know is His will--and what is "right" with Him)

The (usually) is coming in because I'm thinking of a woman who was conscious (for many, many years!!!) while everyone else thought she was simply 'a vegetable". The only thing the lady could move was her eyes...Then, one day, an attendant discovered the lady was conscious--and could communicate--with her eyes. So if the lady was a Christian, she could very well have been a very faithful one...in spite of being able to do absolutely nothing--in works...

Bottom line: God sees the "unseeable"--even when we don't.
So this gentleman could have, indeed, been very faithful--and full of good works that others would never have seen.

(Also: who knows what battles he fought--inside himself: and which battles he won)

[Miss]

I'm talking about the 2x2 standard of works which is: Our faithfulness to God and separation from the world on the inside will be evident on the outside by a "physical/seenable" appearance and lifestyle. We all know what this means for women. What is "physical/seenable" about 2x2 men that would prove their faithfulness to God and their separation from the world?

You would never mistake an Amish man for an unAmish man. It's kind they don't let their women endure the stares and multiplied attention alone! More than we can say about 2x2 men, huh?

All my love,
Missy

[as i c it]

Hi Miss,
If you go to the "Sunday" thread we're talking about "dress" over there. I've rended my opinion already, but hope that others will contribute their opinions as well. And maybe they can include the answer to your questions as well.

Meanwhile: for men, I think it's the difference seen by appearances (clean-cut, usually: but: not always: some have grown beards etc): and mostly--probably--from what they don't do, activity-wise, that makes them different: and their language. In fact: the same thing you'd find with Christian men --who are truly Christian men--in other churches.