Dear Marques,
As I read your display of knowledge, I stand in awe!!!
What a privilege to be in the company of such brilliant minds!!!!!
However, something is missing.
I wonder what the poor brother that you replied to understood?
How about if he has a job where he works maybe 12 hours a day to support his family,
and don't have time to do all that studying that you obviously do??
It will probably take me 2 whole days to even begin to digest what you listed above.
My dear brother, I endeavour to admonish you in the spirit of love.
And since you have so much knowledge, I am convinced that you know the following scriptures:
"Though I speak with the tongues of man and of angels, and have not
CHARITY, I am become as a sounding brass, or tinkling cymbal.
"And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, AND ALL KNOWLEDGE;
and though I have all faith, so I could remove mountains, and I have not
CHARITY, I am nothing.
"CHARITY suffers long, and is kind; CHARITY envies not; CHARITY VAUNTS NOT
ITSELF, is not PUFFED UP,"
But wait, where did I see this word PUFFED UP?
?
Where can it be?
Oh, here it is!
Silly me
"Now as touching things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.
KNOWLEDGE ------PUFFS UP,--------but charity edifies." 1Cor8:1
You remind me of a time when I thought that I arrived!!!
Yes I was there, and by the grace of God I made it out.
Oh, but wait, I found another scripture for you. [I love you, brother]
"In MEEKNESS instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."
[I'm sure that you nkow where this scripture is.]
So, if I or ScarletWren are opposing ourselves, you as an older brother that you clearly are,
show us the love of Christ, and the goodness that is in you in Christ.
I have an issue with your statements that you made earlier.
Namely:
"Try not to look at more than is in there... [Where are not looking for more than is in there, we are looking at WHAT IS IN THERE].
"...because you'll wrap your mind around countless speculations"[ questions are not speculations].
Wait, didn't you write this: "...the honor of the king is to search out a matter?
"...issues that which you'll eventually find out do not edify you in the lest" [ to labor to understand does not edify?
?]
"It's a road that leads to a dead end...."[I thought that we came to this site to learn, how is that a dead end?
?]
"...you may not completely understand yet......" [you assumed that we are babes]
"....to falling into carnal activity." Beloved brother, THAT is the very words that does not edify. Dangerous stuff to tell a brother!!!!
And since when, since we are so stupid in the things of God, and clearly babes by your standard, is wrong to ask questions???
Is that carnal???
"Personally, I would think [ I knew a wise man that said: Wait for thought, for you are not ready for thought] it would be
better to continue to seek understanding [ that was pricelees
WE ARE SEEKING UNDERSTANDING!!!] than to entertain speculative premises with no scriptural/spiritual connotation. [Thank God you put us in our place!!!!!!
]
And since we are so ignorant and dare to formulate, hmmmm, how did you call it? "rampart speculations", we better get to work and
read again Ray's writings.
In conclusion, dear brother you clearly opposing YOURSELF with your own words.
Furthermore, you remind me of a parrot that I had named Jenny. Before she flew away, she learned the sound
of the bark of my dogs!!!Isn't that something?
You repeatedly direct us to Ray's teaching?
What are you afraid of?
For the love of God [like my ten year old says ], do you think that the moderators of this forum
can't stand a challenge if one of us did not understand or question Ray's teachings???
If Ray is a man of God [I'm sure he is] and a wonderful teacher [clearly] and full of God's wisdom [nobody can convince me otherwise],
along with all the moderators [which have studied his work and the word for a long time] we [in our folly] are no surprise to them.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe we are only in the beginning, and we have been starved for a long time, and by coming here hungry for the truth, also bring our churchite baggage with us, we looking to you to [IN LOVE] [is it there another right way???] to direct us as little disciples???
Or, did you stop to think [between those blows with the bible over our heads], that maybe this brother that dare to , how did you say it?
"speculate", does not have all the time in the world to read as he would like to??
If you are here for a long time [which I see you are], did you ask yourself what image you portray to us that just got here looking for the love, direction, mercy, patience and the such??
If this people are all like you [which there are not] then I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!!!!!
Now, beloved brother, I lift you to the Lord, and I pray for you.
I've been where you are.
I've done the same thing!!!!
I thought that if I teach doctors the latest in emergency medicine, and they looked at me with a dropped jaw, for the knowledge that I possess, I have arrived!!!!
Let the one that thinks he is wise become a fool, that he might be wise.
God made a fool out of me!!!
BLESSED BE HIS HOLY NAME FOREVER!!!!
I beseech you to ponder on your ways!!!
I would conclude with this [for the last time, I promise].
I hope I did not offend you because "a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city"
I will admonish you to think on this proverb:
"Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you:
rebuke a WISE man and he will LOVE you." Prov.9:8
I love you
Ariel
P.S. I am studying the issue of spirit, soul and body. We will get to the bottom of this.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
The truth will stand no matter what we say or think.
Dare to be who you really are and these people in this forum [if they have God's love] they will still love you.
Love you more,
Ariel