While reading your e-mail I was reminded of something I was taught many years ago in a Sunday School class. The class was a men's bible study class that I wanted to attend even though I was just a teen. The teacher was very old and seemed very wise to me at the time and I was all questions. Unfortunately my questions were about " The late great planet earth" and other so called prophesy books. He told me to study the real thing and not someone else's writings. He continued with the analogy of a government agent whose job it is to find counterfeit money. He would be forever studying the counterfeits and missing most of them. Instead he should only study the real thing until he knows its in's and out's and every nuances. Only by completely and fully knowing the real thing allows you to see the false every time.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Timberjack Tim Thompson
Timberjack @ bigfoot.com
ar cook wrote:
Imagine this �.In your spare time (and what commander has spare time?), you have wandered
into a book store. Like many bookstores, this one not only sells books � it
also sells framed prints that are designed to motivate and inspire you. As
you browse the wall, you see many of the �old standards� � �Footprints in
the Sand�, �The Nail-scarred Hands�, �Serentity Prayer�, etc. In the midst
of these, you see the following framed picture:******************************************************************
* CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
*
*
*
* - "Foot to foot": To go to help your brother.
*
*
*
* - "Knee to knee": Pray for your brother.
*
*
*
* - "Breast to breast": Keep the secrets.
*
*
*
* - "Hand to back": Assist your fallen brother, and vindicate his
character *
* behind his back, as well as before his face.
*
*
*
* - "Mouth to ear": Whisper good council.
*
*
*
*******************************************************************The title �CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP� catches your eye.
As you start reading it, it sounds pretty good.
�To help your brother� ---- It is scriptural to help your brother in need.
�Pray for your brother� ---- Great! A reminder to pray for my brothers.(At
this point, some of us would probably be checking the price tag.)�Keep the secrets� ---- What secrets? Maybe it is talking about matters of
prayer that were told in confidence. Still, something about that line does
not feel right. You feel something in your spirit that makes you
uncomfortable.�Assist your fallen brother� --- Good, we should help each other.
�Vindicate his character� --- A quick trip to the Cambridge International
Dictionary on the next aisle gives the definition of vindicate as : �to show
to have been right or true or to show to be free from guilt or blame �.
Another feeling of discomfort.�Whisper good council� --- Whisper? Secrets? Vindicate?
Now that you have quickly read the plaque and analyzed it in your mind and
spirit, it is decision time. Is there anything wrong with buying this and
hanging it in your study (or your Ranger classroom)? Were you able to
rationalize away the doubts that came into your mind as you looked at it?
�.OR�.. Are you going to classify it as false doctrine and walk away?In actuality what you have just read are the �5 Points of Fellowship� as
taught by the Free Masons. When you least expected it (browsing Christian
plaques), YOU WERE TEMPTED.This is not about teaching and studying other religions and cults
(Comparative Religion and Cult Studies were very interesting classes in
college). It is not about learning how to witness against their beliefs.IT IS about knowing what you believe!
IT IS about knowing why you believe it!
IT IS about being able to back it up with Scripture!
IT IS about always watching out for an attack of the enemy � SATAN!
IT IS about being ALERT!
IT IS about �praying with ceasing�!
If this plaque really existed and if you actually bought it, it does not
mean that you will spend eternity in hell. But, it could hurt your witness
if the �right� person saw it. Once you found the source of it, it could
lead you to a deeper study of the Masons. It could �. (you decide)This may seem like a minor thing, but how many minor things are you willing
to overlook?Bottom line ---
Temptation is all around us. Satan is always looking for ways to compromise
us. We need to constantly seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
It is only through time in prayer and Bible study - communing with God -
that we can stand firm against Satan.********
Second take on this....
We serve a God that is alive! This is what we celebrate at this Easter
season. Why don't we act like it?A few weeks ago as I was driving home, I noticed some guys in orange sheets
(Hare Krishner's) on the curb dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.
They were out telling people what they believe in. The point --- it was
cold and pouring down rain!If we were scheduled to go out for street witnessing and the weather turned
bad ..... how many of us would stay home?Even though these people were preaching false teachings, I had to admire
their dedication and enthusiasm.Our God is alive - their's is dead. Yet, how often do they (and members of
some other cults) show more dedication to their beliefs than us?****
In His Service,
Allen R. Cook - Cookie
Royal Rangers Senior Commander
Belton A/G -- Belton, Missourie-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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