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Re: Bulletin Board [message #7923 is a reply to message #7920]

Wed, 08 June 2011 21:10

james
Messages: 2137
Registered: April 2008
Location: Birmingham, AL

Senior Member

[quote title=moulder wrote on Wed, 08 June 2011 15:12]

Quote:

True, but I don't think anyone is suggesting that we are a 'church' here. We are a fellowship of believers with a common body of experience though. And we ought to be motivated to minister in the sphere of influence that we've been given.

Right, William, I wasn't suggesting that we were an 'online church'. And if The Holy Spirit dwells within us(and I do know that He is in me) I KNOW He can and does use this medium, of this I am sure.

The Holy Spirit is not limited to 'eyeball to eyeball' contact. There is abundant ministry that takes place online, much more than most of us can imagine.

True, it isn't the local body of Christ functioning in the local setting, complete with a group of elders or pastor, but it is Brother James, with his gift of exhortation, and Gillyann with her special gifts, you with yours, and others that have been gifted with various gifts of the Spirit. To say that these gifts are only effective in a local setting would be taking it a bit far, imo. I personally have been edified by each one of you.

This is the point I'm trying to make.

I still believe that this isn't what we have been preparing for all of our lives. It falls way short of what we thought the Lord would be doing in and through us but it is an exercise of the individual gifts that the Lord has given to us and while that may be 'a small beginning', it is a start!

Well I do believe He has been preparing us for ministry (how else are we going to be used, experience has to start somewhere)

In some sort of ironic way, when we had a body of believers that were in hot pursuit of Jesus Christ, we beat each other up over things that really were small issues (I know that there were some that never did this--I'm making a general observation here!) that could have resulted in edification of the whole body if it were handled differently and now that we don't have a 'body' we still act as standoffish as we did when we had each other.

I'm just saying...

Instead of treating each other as little bits of leaven (that may at any time leaven the whole lump) why don't we treat each other as members of Jesus' Body?

I know for a fact that all of you regulars are TRUE followers of Jesus Christ. You are seeking the same thing I'm seeking--God's Kingdom on this earth. With those facts we ought to be able to give ourselves fully to one another without fear of 'saying something wrong' or 'being misunderstood', etc., and if we do say something or we are misunderstood, then we ought to never fear that our love for each other is going to be withdrawn or with held. We have bible examples that speak to this. We shall be known for our love, one toward another.

I used to allow what others thought or said to cause me to withold what God had given me to share, but I've learned, by His Grace, if I am seeking to edify, encourage, exhort, with the right motive, then the criticism is taken as a grain of salt. Though I do remember Bro. Freeman once saying that when he was criticized he would ask himself if there was any truth to it and learn from it.(paraphrasing)

I also know for certain that this forum has been used by The Lord in touching lives...mine is one, and there are others. I am not going to dictate to God how to use me nor limit the way He choses...Good confession, now to walk it out... Smile

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,”

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