I agree Pax we need to speak love peace and authority. Jesus and Paul all demonstrated our need to be humble and gentle too.
All of us have this tendency to dominate/ bully on some level. The way the bully acts is his problem the way we react to the bully is ours. Running may be a good response in the physical but as believers we need to do better.
I was watching 20/20 about these short and tall people. And suddenly my outlook about David and Goliath changed. Despite my own training I did not take anything into account when I read this story in the scripture
Goliath was a big and bully but if he was was a pituitary Giant he had to be experiencing a lot of pain and rvrn though the stone killed him ...he definitely had a limited life and would have died prematurely anyway. The society that he lived in would have abandoned him in the end when he was weak....but god's people would have supported him when he was crippled (Like David did for the crippled son of Jonathan).
Back to the topic... after being deceived for so long...people are defensive and tired of dealing with half truths. We are commanded to study to show ourselves approved....sometimes posters do not do this. These so called bullies need to be here too...they need to learn patience. Some of us need to learn to accept undeserved criticism more graciously. (I say this because I have been there and done that ....as some oldies may remember when I posted ..... I offended my God and besmirched my own nametag )
Many of us want to Fellowship and sometimes there is a lot of milk mixed in what is posted but many of us our really hungry for meat. WE do not all have the ability to study together and chew on things and there are many topics that Ray has not written on.
This leads me to another point. (I aplogize for this long paste)
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Heb 5:12 CLV) For when also, because of the time, you ought to be teachers, you have need again of one to teach you what are the rudimentary elements of the oracles of God, and you have come to have need of milk, and not of solid nourishment."(Heb 5:13 CLV) For everyone who is partaking of milk is untried in the word of righteousness, for he is a minor."
(Heb 5:14 CLV) Now solid nourishment is for the mature, who, because of habit, have faculties exercised for discriminating between the ideal and the evil."
(Heb 6:1 CLV) Wherefore, leaving the word dealing with the rudiments of Christ, we should be brought on to maturity, (not again disrupting (weymouth continually re-laying a) foundation of .....repentance from dead (lifeless) works, and of faith on God,
(Heb 6:2 CLV) of the teaching of baptizings, besides the imposition of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and of judgment eonian)."
(Heb 6:3 CLV) And this will we be doing, that is, if God may be permitting."
(Heb 6:4 CLV) For it is impossible for those once enlightened, besides tasting the celestial gratuity and becoming partakers of holy spirit,
(Heb 6:5 CLV) and tasting the ideal declaration of God, besides the powerful deeds of the impending eon,
(Heb 6:6 CLV) and falling aside, to be renewing them again to repentance while crucifying for themselves the Son of God again and holding Him up to infamy."
(Heb 6:7 CLV) For land which is drinking the shower coming often on it, and bringing forth herbage fit for those because of whom it is being farmed also, is partaking of blessing from God;"
(Heb 6:8 CLV) yet, bringing forth thorns and star thistles, it is disqualified and near a curse, whose consummation is burning."
(Heb 6:9 CLV) Yet we are persuaded of better things concerning you, beloved, and those which have to do with salvation, even if we are speaking thus."
(Heb 6:10 CLV) For God is not unjust, to be forgetting your work and the love which you display for His name when you serve the saints, and are serving."(Heb 6:11 CLV) Now we are yearning for each one of you to be displaying the same diligence toward the assurance of the expectation until the consummation,
(Heb 6:12 CLV) that you may not be becoming dull. Now be imitators of those who through faith and patience are enjoying the allotment of the promises.(Heb 12:2 ALT) looking with undivided attention to the Originator and Perfecter of [our] faith-Jesus-who, because of the joy being set before Him, endured a cross, having disregarded [the] shame, and has sat down at [the] right hand of the throne of God.
(Heb 12:3 ALT) For consider carefully the One having endured such hostility by the sinners against Himself, lest you* become weary in your* souls, being discouraged.
(Heb 12:14 ALT) Be pursuing peace with all [people], and the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord,
(Heb 12:15 ALT) looking after [one another] lest anyone [be] falling short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness growing up shall be causing trouble, and through this many be defiled],[/u]
I am certainly not looking for a teaching position and I am not writing this as a challenge to any of Ray's teaching after all this forum is on his website. I am writing because I am concerned that some people have been here long enough now and may be yearning to be teachers. IF it is God's will they should find some place and a way to persue this.
Others are content to being spoonfed and some are here and are unwilling to let go of some of their Babylonian trappings. If your belief does not agree with those on BT ....then go elsewhere to debate......We here at BT will not be moved.
We all know
(Pro 25:2 KJVR) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
(2Ti 4:2 ALT) Preach the word! Be ready in season [and] out of season [fig., whether the time is favorable or not], convict, rebuke, [and] encourage, with all patience and teaching.
(2Ti 4:3 ALT) For there will be a time when they themselves will not put up with sound teaching, _but_ according to their own lusts they will heap up teachers to themselves, itching in the ear [fig., craving to hear what they want to hear],
(2Ti 4:4 ALT) and on the one hand they will turn away the ear from the truth, on the other hand they will be turned aside to myths.
(2Ti 4:5 ALT) But _you_, be sober [or, clear-headed] in all [things]; endure hardship; do the work of an evangelist; completely fulfill your ministry.Now the Newbies and some Juniors need to read the papers more before you post. Use the search button and look up the topic or word and read what has been posted already . IT is too bad that the topics are not categorized. Unfortunately there are some gems hidden deep in other topics.
Old timers re-read the papers. Be patient with the newbies and babies. Like Gena says........play nice Preview your post and see where you can be more loving.
This forum is a place of Fellowship.
If you are concerned about the poster's view ....USE your PM more to discuss the points of disagreement.
Being called out of Babylon means moving from babyhood to maturity. WE all need to overcome these petty character flaws.
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of GodBeloved