Gold dust and oily hands...

[Amy.G]

X, you are assuming a lot about people that you don't even know. I for one was not raised in any church. I had no Christian influence in my home. So my belief does not come from parents or preachers beating it into my head. I had to go to the Bible. You don't seem to be willing to do that. You have been given very good advice and have rejected all of it. If you are saved then you are still a spiritual babe and you need to study the Word and pray, get in church and get out in the world and do good things for others. You are not going to grow otherwise. As for all the charasmatic stuff, it's just for show. It has absolutely nothing to do with you growing as a Christian. And not all churches are dead and boring just because people aren't falling out in the isles. My church is very spirit filled. You can't go there and not be changed. And it's a Baptist church! You need to concern yourself with what pleases God and not what pleases you.
Get in the Word and learn!

 

[SBCPreacher]

X, you are assuming a lot about people that you don't even know. I for one was not raised in any church. I had no Christian influence in my home. So my belief does not come from parents or preachers beating it into my head. I had to go to the Bible. You don't seem to be willing to do that. You have been given very good advice and have rejected all of it. If you are saved then you are still a spiritual babe and you need to study the Word and pray, get in church and get out in the world and do good things for others. You are not going to grow otherwise. As for all the charasmatic stuff, it's just for show. It has absolutely nothing to do with you growing as a Christian. And not all churches are dead and boring just because people aren't falling out in the isles. My church is very spirit filled. You can't go there and not be changed. And it's a Baptist church! You need to concern yourself with what pleases God and not what pleases you.
Get in the Word and learn!

Amy.G,
Your efforts have been great. Your advice (and most everyone else's) was great. But still, XDX throws up yet another smoke screen. If he's interested in the truth, he'll find it in God's Word. If not, he'll continue to look everywhere else. Seems to me that he's not interested in truth, only smoke screens. I'm not sure it's worth your efforts. Just my opinion.

XDX,
Truth is available to you. It is only found in God's Word.

 

[Amy.G]

Amy.G,
Your efforts have been great. Your advice (and most everyone else's) was great. But still, XDX throws up yet another smoke screen. If he's interested in the truth, he'll find it in God's Word. If not, he'll continue to look everywhere else. Seems to me that he's not interested in truth, only smoke screens. I'm not sure it's worth your efforts. Just my opinion.

XDX,
Truth is available to you. It is only found in God's Word.

Thank you. And I think you're right. There is really nothing left to say is there? The truth is there if he wants to know it. I pray God gives him a teachable heart.

 

[Not_hard_to_find]

Amy.G,
Your efforts have been great. Your advice (and most everyone else's) was great. But still, XDX throws up yet another smoke screen. If he's interested in the truth, he'll find it in God's Word. If not, he'll continue to look everywhere else. Seems to me that he's not interested in truth, only smoke screens. I'm not sure it's worth your efforts. Just my opinion.

It's not only the smoke screens. It was so telling when he described starting a thread then leaving it alone while the arguments on the controversial subject grew.

Guess my prayers shall also need to be for Christians to show love for one another and accept Christ's love for their fellow believers. This is His commandment.

 

[xdisciplex]

It was so telling when he described starting a thread then leaving it alone while the arguments on the controversial subject grew.

You understood it totally wrong. I did not say I start a thread and then leave it alone only to come back later and rejoice over all the replies and the arguing which often comes up in those threads.
I simply have so many questions and when I have a question I just have to ask it and then I ask it and am not even able to keep up with all the threads. Do you think this is fun? You have no idea how exhausting it is to have so many questions. Often my head is just smoking. :tear:

@ Amy & SBC

If it only was so easy. Do you not think I tried to read the bible? I tried it. I also prayed before reading it. And inspite of this I didn't understand anything. The bible wasn't alive to me at all. It was like a really tough,scary,intimidating book which is simply above my head. When I used to read the bible I never had any insight. I read a chapter and after reading it I wasn't smarter than before. Sometimes I read a chapter 2 or 3 times waiting to discover something but there was nothing. Maybe this is simply a personal problem. Maybe I'm simply not smart enough to understand the bible, I don't know. I don't like reading, reading is exhausting. I like stories which contain a lot of action where not every sentence is important and has a deeper meaning. Such things are easy to read but books like romans are just terrible. They remind me of law books. You cannot simply read them. They are so packed with information and every sentence is important. What do I do when I read romans and simply don't understand it? What do I do then? Simply read on and pretend that everything is fine? But it's not fine. When I read books like romans I don't gain understanding I only get tons of questions and then I stop reading because I get too many questions. I have tried to read the bible and I became frustrated so often and now I'm simply scared of the bible and don't dare to open it anymore because I'm scared of this situation, of sitting in front of the bible and trying to understand it and being totally strained but I simply don't understand it. And I don't have a teacher sitting next to me who explains me everything. Either I understand it or I don't. Reading the bible alone is totally difficult. But others understand it. I don't know why I don't understand it. I always have to go to others when I have questions because I never find answers to my questions. I think nobody will stick to something without a sense of achievement. I didn't get any sense of achievement. This way I also cannot be motivated. If reading the bible was totally rewarding then it would be a different situation but for me it's only frustrating this is why I gave up on it. Is it better to try it every day and become frustrated? I don't think so. I don't know what to do I guess it's a pretty messed up situation. I simply don't dare giving it another try because of all the negative memories which I have, it's almost like a trauma.
The only situations where I use the bible is when I look up verses with e-sword. Using e-sword is also different than trying to read a real bible. A real bible is much more intimidating that a computer bible.

 

[Eric B]

Eric,

For your issues . . . I regret that your father is choosing to reject the Word of God . . . however, it reads like you are reacting to XX based upon a fear that you or I can change his heart.

Only the God that I (and you) fear can change a heart. As long as XX refuses to be changed, he won't be changed.

And since he is playing with fire, he will get burned.

I am a servant of God Almighty. If I was a fireman and did not tell you to not go into the burning house and you died, your family would sue me for not doing my 'j.o.b.'.

I serve God - when I warn someone of the coming judgment and they choose to ignore the warning God says that I have save myself from judgment . . . I FEAR GOD. (Ezekiel 3 & 33).

He needs navigators or even charismatic (conservative) discipleship. He does not need more ouiji board maneuvering.

No, we can't change a person's heart, but some try to scare or tough-talk people into changing their hearts, which might as well be us thinking we can change it.

Eric,

Do you want to see me frustrated?

Frustrated? When I ran up to the car and the woman had glass in her eyes and no blood in them . . . death on impact and there was nothing that I could do for her or the boy that was cunvulsing . . . That frustrates me.

What frustrates you? Some child rejecting the Word of God and getting ready to condemn himself to the dark night of the soul because he is playing with demonism? He should be disipled . . . and if you think that 'electronic' works - prove he has grown in his faith at all, even a little bit.

Well, electronic may be all he has for now. On the other hand, the way many Christians are, he can have a mentor in person, and the person still be just as cold and dismissve as people are being here. You want some overnight "proof" of growth? Like for him to just stop asking questions all of a sudden. But that is unfair to demand of anybody.
Again, all the condemnatory language is unjustified.

 

[xdisciplex]

If I suddenly stopped asking questions then this could also simply mean that I'm fed up.

 

[tragic_pizza]

If I suddenly stopped asking questions then this could also simply mean that I'm fed up.

Personally, I enjoy the questions.

Some Christians are afraid to think for themselves, it seems. Daring to challenge their presuppositions is, to them, dangerous.

Me, I like it when you ask questions everyone else dismisses as "obvious." Keep it up.

 

[xdisciplex]

Personally, I enjoy the questions.

Some Christians are afraid to think for themselves, it seems. Daring to challenge their presuppositions is, to them, dangerous.

Me, I like it when you ask questions everyone else dismisses as "obvious." Keep it up.

:love2: Thanks.

I have the same impression. Some people simply seem to be against everything which goes against their theology. Everything which doesn't fit to their theology is simply nonsense and this also doesn't really allow discussions. It doesn't help me when I'm simply told "this is nonsense and this is a fake and that is also nonsense". This isn't satisfying because it still leaves many questions unanswered.

 

[rbell]

:love2: Thanks.

I have the same impression. Some people simply seem to be against everything which goes against their theology. Everything which doesn't fit to their theology is simply nonsense and this also doesn't really allow discussions. It doesn't help me when I'm simply told "this is nonsense and this is a fake and that is also nonsense". This isn't satisfying because it still leaves many questions unanswered.

Nonsense.

 

[tragic_pizza]

Nonsense.

*kaboing!*

 

[Amy.G]

:love2: Thanks.

I have the same impression. Some people simply seem to be against everything which goes against their theology. Everything which doesn't fit to their theology is simply nonsense and this also doesn't really allow discussions. It doesn't help me when I'm simply told "this is nonsense and this is a fake and that is also nonsense". This isn't satisfying because it still leaves many questions unanswered.

Actually, you've been quoted SCRIPTURE many times which answers your questions.

You also said:

A real bible is much more intimidating that a computer bible.

God's word is God's word whether it's in electronic form or paper.

 

[El_Guero]

Or, it could mean that you finally did what you said you were going to do a year ago - look for discipleship.

Instead for the last year, you have played games . . .

A year of spiritual growth wasted.

And you call yourself xdisciplex . . . a disciple would not 'waste' time to grow, but a baby in the faith would.

If I suddenly stopped asking questions then this could also simply mean that I'm fed up.

 

[Link]

It's good to keep an open mind about these things. I don't get excited about gold dust. Honestly, I don't know why the Lord would do such a thing. On the other hand, I realize the Lord doesn't need my understanding or aproval to do something. God did plenty of strange things in the Bible. He made mana fall from heaven to feed people, made an axehead float, turned a stick into a snake, and a number of other things.

I heard about the gold dust thing about 7 or 8 years ago going on in kind of like Vineyard or prophetic movement circles. I'm not sure exactly where. I heard of gold fillings to.

My brother's former pastor's wife, whom he knew quite well, said she got a gold filling. I didn't get to see it the last time I was in the US. I met a woman here in Jakarta who does missionary social work type ministry who said she got a filling in answer to prayer. She showed it to me, but I couldn't tell the difference between that and a regular filling.

One thing I noticed was that I didn't hear about the gold dust in the name it and claim it circles. The circles I heard about this going on in weren't into that kind of thinking. I can just imagine people bringing brooms and dust pans to chuch to sweep up the blessings.

 

[Link]

Btw, a Baptist form might not be the best place to ask questions like this.

 

[Link]

x

Don't give up on reading the book of Romans. I like Romans. I get a lot out of it. Back in my teenage years, I was in a teen Bible quiz program and memorized the book of Romans.

But I know there was stuff, pretty important stuff, that I didn't see until my 20's, that hit me like a big revelation.

You can read the action, stuff, too. II & II Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles are good for that, as are Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges. So are the gospels. But keep at the doctrinal stuff.

Once you get a basic foundation of understanding, you start seeing more and more the more you read. You can also seek the Lord for understanding. Read, and trust him to open it up to you.

Btw, have you been baptized?

Maybe you can find someone on an Internet live chat forum to discuss passages of scripture or something through net meeting. Are you near an American military base? If so, there might be some navigators there willing to meet with you.

Link

 

[xdisciplex]

@ Link

Yes, I was baptized at a charismatic church. But does this even count in the eyes of baptists when I was baptized by a charismatic pastor?

 

[tragic_pizza]

@ Link

Yes, I was baptized at a charismatic church. But does this even count in the eyes of baptists when I was baptized by a charismatic pastor?

I think if you were fully immersed, they're just giddy about it.

If you get sprinkled, then to a Baptist you're as good as in Hell already.