Exo 17:3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
Exo 14:11-12 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
Exo 32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show MY PEOPLE their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isa. 58:1).
There has been a lot of murmuring and complaining on this forum lately in the same fashion as the stubborn children of Israel in the wilderness. While some choose to voice like a trumpet to these members who look wistfully back to Egypt, others choose to help them polish these idols of the heart and tell them how wonderful they are. This is wrong. Why do we continue to stroke their egos when instead helping them understand the correction that has been presented to them?
Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Matt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matt 13:18-22 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matt 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
John 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Listen, those who keep idols of the heart will always be the ones who are 'easily offended'. It has nothing to do with the 'way the message was said' but rather the message of truth itself is what these members have a problem with. They wish to worship the Father 'their way' not in spirit and in truth.
Though they apologize profusely again and again, there acts of repentance are a sham as they continue to worship their idols of their hearts and tell you 'don't judge me!'
2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Lev 20:24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
What fellowship does light have with darkness? Or believers with nonbelievers? These conflicts are of Satan as Joe pointed out previously and the means are believers being yoked together with unbelievers. And because of this, which Paul admonishes us NOT to do, we have ongoing conflicts. It's not a matter of one stating 'Well, I am not as learned as you'. That has nothing to do with it and I am tired of hearing that lame excuse. It is a matter of being humble, being teachable, and giving up these idols of the heart.
Matt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
Isa 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
So there is no confusion: If you DO NOT want to give up these idols of YOUR HEART after multiple members continue to point them out, you have no business here! Your presence will only cause strife and chaos. If you DO want to give up these idols of the heart, stop putting it back together after the Word of God smashes it into a thousand pieces. This has gone on long enough but we all need to put our foot down. Otherwise, this forum will be the redundant, unfruitful, chaotic mess where it is headed.
Thanks,
Marques