Hi,
>> You CANNOT, I repeat CANNOT read this book or condone the reading
>> thereof and still be in God's will, according to the Word.
So where does the Word say that?
>> It says to flee the very appearance of evil.
Yes, it does. But this verse is torn out of its context:
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance
of evil."
These verses are talking about spirits. The Holy Spirit who causes people to
prophesize and other spirits causing us to despise prophesyings or causing
people to prophesize what is not true. Then Paul tells us to prove whether
things (here prophesyings) are good or evil and to hold fast the good and
abstain from the evil.
So did you prove these books to be evil? No, you did not. Because you can't.
What you know about them is only what you heard or read about them. This is
not a proof. No judge in this world (nor the heavenly judge) would accept a
proof by hearsay.
I do NOT want to say these books are good. Nor do I say they are evil,
because I too cannot judge them.
>> That goes double for the dunce on here who said this is a good read.
The 'dunce' who said this is a good read was Viktor Zalakos. If you look at
how God is blessing his work in Australia you should probably think twice if
he is to spend even more time with his Maker (even if every christian
does...)
>> Jesus was tougher on sin than anyone, yet never judged anyone.
Did I in my first e-mail judge anyone? I tried to show you that there is
another way to deal with this issue. But nowhere did I tell anyone it was
bad to NOT read these books (actually you know I did not read them myself).
>> The world is not a misunderstood friend, it is your ENEMY. It HATES you.
>> Why on earth you people defend it so much I'll never understand.
I agree with you on this one. But the Bible also tells us that we are not OF
this world but still IN it. In medieval times christian tried to compensate
this fact by establishing cloisters. The aim was to live far away from every
evil that is in the world. Today the picture of christians (at least here in
Germany) is that they are far beyond reality. They have too many rules (such
as forbidden books, forbidden places, forbidden music, forbidden
clothing...). This is what keeps people away from us.
I don't want us to conform to the world but - as our 2nd National Commander
would say - to do what makes sense. Yes we should still have rules, the
rules the Bible gives us. But we should get rid of all those man made rules
(which sometimes are really deep in the christian's minds here in Southern
Germany: prescribed clothes, prescribed hairstyles, no cinema, no modern
music etc.) trying to set us apart from this world.
People around us are not just IN it but still OF it. Does any soul get saved
by man made rules?
> I guess that means we should be reading the Koran, Playboy, Penthouse and
> smoking, drinking, and cussing. I mean, how else will we know if those
> things are what we've been taught?
>
> Please note - dripping sarcasm intended.
Considering the rules of the Bible you probably shouldn't try these (at
least the latter 5) and never did I (nor the brother I was quoting from)
intend to tell you anything other.
As for reading the Koran I made an exception because if I were a missionary
to an islamic country I would probably like to know what they really believe
in and what their 'holy book' does really say.
Always prepared for Jesus.
--------------------------------------------
Stefan Fischer (Fani)
Pioneer-Commander, OP #78 Moetzingen/Germany
http://www.royal-ranger.com
--------------------------------------------
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