| Author | Message | ||
| Denisegilmore |
Recently a friend dropped by to visit. He is sda and attends Church weekly. A few nights back he came to tell me that there have been meetings in regards to me. Who am I? According to my friend, there is quite a fuss going on and infact he has been instructed to not engage in Bible study with me. There is a new pastor at the Church and the news is that he plans to come to my home. I haven't been in Church for almost 6 months. Nor did I ever cause a fuss in Church, other than innocently asking a real honest question with regards to the Investigative Judgement Doctrine. A little while back, my friend had gone to another city to attend Church. I guess while there he had asked the pastor why meat eating was forbidden. So the pastor was giving him the usuall reasons but just prior to this my friend had come to my home to ask me if the Bible forbids meat eating. I said no. He asked me to show him with Scripture. I did. I had no clue that in this other city where he attended Church, there became quite a battle that day. My friend and the pastor were debating the meat eating thing and a gathering of about 30 were spectators. Then apparently the spectators were agreeing with my friend. This caused the pastor to be somewhat unsettled and upset at my friend. Now this same friend is telling me of all the meetings held in regards to me and the plans they have for me. Who am I? I sit here in my apartment most all of the time, minding my own business (with an exception to this forum) and there are meetings held about me? Has anyone ever had this happen to them? If so, please share as I find this whole thing surprising. I'm not fearful in any way. Infact, I'm seeing another 'study' coming. My friend tells me that I have more power in disrupting a Church than I realize. I will maintain here on this forum, that my intent has never been to disrupt ANY Church. However, yes, I did ask questions and eventually left as I could see that the questions were not being answered and that the teaching was not condusive to my belief nor the Bible more importantly. So, about the only thing I do is conduct or I should say attend (I don't know which phrase to use as both are appropriate, it's just a matter of what study I'm referring to) studies and two of them happen to be with sdas. Course one is an offshoot as I have shared and the other is with the people I knew when I did attend the sda Church. At first I thought my friend was joking and making this all up or exagerating it a bit. But he assures me that there is quite a fuss going on at the local Church. Amazing. Still, I can't believe this, it's ridiculous! Well, I'll see by and by. Now that I've posted this, maybe there is a local Church member that is reading and will report. I hope so as this might give them a clue that I'm not interested in coming back nor will I stop preaching or teaching or whatever term fits what I'm doing. This has been your loco (and I mean loco!) news update. God Bless, Denise | ||
| Max |
Amazing, Denise! Paul went to synagogues all over the southern Mediterranean coast preaching that Christ was the messiah and that ALL anyone had to do to be saved was to believe that from the heart. Luther nailed 95 propositions for debate to the door of a church. Denise started questioning the SDA investigative judgment teaching. Amazing! | ||
| Denisegilmore |
Well Max, I wouldn't go so far as to put me in the same category with Paul and Luther. Infact, I wouldn't dare to consider me anything. One thing I know is this, the Gospel is most powerful! It's like an explosive Power and some are or I should say, many are, offended by it. This is amazing. As a side note: I had teased with someone when they asked me what I intended to do with all of this data I have. I stated that my intentions are to nail them (all 96, not 95 lol) to the door of the sda churchs. He asked me, 'are you serious?!', of course I said no but really in my heart the thought had occured to me..Have I gone MAD? Oh brother, what thoughts I have. They get ahead of me indeed. So, I'll just wait until the Lord directs me further. Oh and another thing that happened yesterday. I was handed a note written out by one of the local sdas. The note told me not to pay attention to the gossip and keep a low profile essentially. Also that when this pastor comes over to address him as pastor and to listen to him. hmmm, with that I simply stated I have no problems with formal titles as I have one myself, it is 'saint', 'priestess', 'predestined by God', 'saved', 'ambassador' and so on. This wasn't taken very well by the recipient. I was trying to lighten up the conversation and also state some truth in there. I was instructed to call the pastor, pastor and not by his first name. I don't know Max, I'm not all that formal and it isn't me. I feel that I'm equal to the pastor and that if he can call me by my first name, then with all due respect, I should be able to call him by his first name. But, if we are to go into titles, I do have a few of my own. The reason I fight against this mindset is because I used to be in the medical field and people would call me by my 'professional title' and I would ask them to call me by first name as I did them. Equall footing is a good way to start any conversation in all my experience. I simply cannot go along with a mindset that the 'pastor' is somehow higher than myself. I certainly wouldn't ask the pastor to call me 'miss gilmore', everytime he addressed me. Denise will be sufficient. Am I just obstinate? Rebellious? Supposing I am and I am saying, 'I understand pastor but,,,' and he comes back with 'well denise, you don't understand as you can see, my title tells you so'. I know, I know, this sounds crazy but the implication is a reality and so is the mindset. I'm a natural rebel. Do I need to work on this? Is this a problem I should worry over and try to correct 'my mindset'? Just wonderin' God Bless you Max, Saint :)) | ||
| Max |
Denise, No, you haven't gone mad; you've gone sane. Your Judaizing bretheren are trying to play you like a musical instrument. By insisting that you call him "Pastor" while he calls you "Denise" they put you in a one-down position relative to him. But in Christ all believers are one. You may want to quote this text to him: NIV Matthew 23:8-12 "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you ahve only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whosever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." I would suggest that at the outset you call him, "Mister Smith [or whatever his last name is]." If he calls you, "Denise," say, "Please call me Ms. Gilmore, thank you." And say that every time he calls you Denise. He'll soon realize that he gets nowhere with you unless he treats you with the respect God has already given you as his child on an equal footing with all other believers. Or you can say, "May I call you George [or whatever his first name is]." If he says, "Call me George," then allow him to call you Denise. In other words, keep the conversation on an equal footing. Don't play into their hands: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." NIV Galatians 5:1. May God make is face to shine upon you, Max of the Cross | ||
| Denisegilmore |
Yes another pastor from another city sends me a message. The friend mentioned above that brought the news of the local church happenings and also shared with me the debate over meat eating in the other city, has come back to get the new covenant out of the Scripture. He says that the pastor of this other city would like me to tell him where it's at and also my friend went over again with the Scripture on meat eating to take back to the pastor. This same friend, two nights back, left me a phone message stating that I'm obsessed with the Gospel and he feels sorry for me. He later came by that very night, sat down in my living room telling me how obsessed I am then did a turn around. He asked me why I haven't told him the Gospel? He said that I tell everyone else but not my friend. I stated to him that I have shared the Gospel many times with him and that he simply wouldn't listen. So he come right out and asked me to tell him the Gospel. I'm laughing as I type this because my life is a regular circus act or something. One moment, I'm under attack and the next moment, I have people at my door asking questions about our Lord. This is something. Infact, most of the time anymore, I don't know what to post as it can really get confusing with all the different people involved. All I can say is...amazing. So much for my personal 'private' little life, just being inside my apartment. I don't seem to have to go anyplace to make enemies or have these very same enemies come to my door to talk about our Lord. Amazing.. God Bless, Denise P.S. If I'm out of line by posting these things, please someone, let me know. I do not want to offend anyone. Although I have to say, Our Lord is Wonderful and Powerful! P.P.S.S. This same friend would like to come to our Friday night FAF meeting. | ||
| Cindy |
Denise, Your faith and open-eyed approach to seeing God working in your daily circumstances is an inspiration to me! We don't have to wait for, or long for, some grand event to have God's Presence. Just doing our simple daily routine, humbly and gratefully, is enough for God to be with us. And in doing this, grand events in the spiritual world continue to happen! (as you so often post...) Grace always, Cindy | ||
| Valm |
Obsessed? I can not think of a better than to be obsessed over than our lives and how we are connected to God. Your "obsession" is a shining light and a blessing to all who you touch. PLEASE keep sharing. I for one need to KEEP HEARING. Valerie | ||
| Colleentinker |
Denise, you are an inspiration and a blessing! Thank you for your insights and for sharing your experiences! Colleen |
