Chaff

The American church is falling. Our enemy has made abundant use of distractions so that we cannot detect his attacks, and most of his attacks are already hard to see coming. Many times he even acts in a frugal fashion and reuses the same distractions repeatedly.
If you’re wondering what distractions in the church look like, they are really not that hard to see. They usually stand out or grab our attention by stirring up our emotions. That’s what makes them so incredibly effective.
When something takes our attention away from Jesus and our service to Him it is a distraction and when we see distractions we know that our enemy is trying to hide something that directly affects God’s people.
Some examples of distractions in the church are:
  • Endless doctrinal arguments on things that do not affect a person following Jesus here and now…
  • Entertaining shows and sermons rather than teaching that draws us closer to Jesus than we have ever been before…
  • Music that manipulates us through our feelings rather than just letting us make thought out decisions based on the truth of the gospel and God’s word…
  • Argument over styles of music or the décor of a building…
  • Political fights and movements that become our focus…
  • More concern over how we feel about ourselves than over telling us what God says about us and what we are (or aren’t) doing…
  • Etc, etc, etc…

There are undoubtedly many more types of distractions to be had in and around the church and our lives. There are more types than we can possibly learn in detail, but the simple fact is that we do not need to learn all about them. We need to learn about Jesus.
Through prayer, study of scripture, and fellowship we learn to focus on Jesus above and beyond ALL ELSE. When we do that we will begin to see the distractions when they appears, and when we do we need to be ruthless in our determination to ignore and/or remove them.
 
This is nothing new. Jesus mentioned the issue several times. People tend to get "caught up in the world" if they are not careful.
That's the main reason that many choose the Monastic life.
 
The American church is falling. Our enemy has made abundant use of distractions so that we cannot detect his attacks, and most of his attacks are already hard to see coming. Many times he even acts in a frugal fashion and reuses the same distractions repeatedly.
If you’re wondering what distractions in the church look like, they are really not that hard to see. They usually stand out or grab our attention by stirring up our emotions. That’s what makes them so incredibly effective.
When something takes our attention away from Jesus and our service to Him it is a distraction and when we see distractions we know that our enemy is trying to hide something that directly affects God’s people.
Some examples of distractions in the church are:
  • Endless doctrinal arguments on things that do not affect a person following Jesus here and now…
  • Entertaining shows and sermons rather than teaching that draws us closer to Jesus than we have ever been before…
  • Music that manipulates us through our feelings rather than just letting us make thought out decisions based on the truth of the gospel and God’s word…
  • Argument over styles of music or the décor of a building…
  • Political fights and movements that become our focus…
  • More concern over how we feel about ourselves than over telling us what God says about us and what we are (or aren’t) doing…
  • Etc, etc, etc…

There are undoubtedly many more types of distractions to be had in and around the church and our lives. There are more types than we can possibly learn in detail, but the simple fact is that we do not need to learn all about them. We need to learn about Jesus.
Through prayer, study of scripture, and fellowship we learn to focus on Jesus above and beyond ALL ELSE. When we do that we will begin to see the distractions when they appears, and when we do we need to be ruthless in our determination to ignore and/or remove them.

Agreed!

2 Tim. 4:2-4.........
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
 
You really have NO IDEA what you are talking about. They actually DO what God has said, rather than endlessly talk about it.

Not really. Those who physically set themselves apart from the world are not fulfilling the command of Jesus who tells us to go out into all the world and preach the good news of Jesus Christ, and we need to consider for ourselves the attitude of Paul, who made a point of being all things to all people, in order to love them and win them to Christ.
 
Not really. Those who physically set themselves apart from the world are not fulfilling the command of Jesus who tells us to go out into all the world and preach the good news of Jesus Christ, and we need to consider for ourselves the attitude of Paul, who made a point of being all things to all people, in order to love them and win them to Christ.
Again, you have no idea what they do, or do not do. You speak from ignorance.
 
You really have NO IDEA what you are talking about. They actually DO what God has said, rather than endlessly talk about it.
It would appear that those who choose a monastic lifestyle haven't been through the exercises of Romans. Monasticism is just another attempt at cultivation of the flesh. We get is succinctly in Colossians:

"If ye have died with Christ from the elements of the world, why as if alive in the world do ye subject yourselves to ordinances? Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, (things which are all for destruction in the using of them: ) according to the injunctions and teachings of men, (which have indeed an appearance of wisdom in voluntary worship, and humility, and harsh treatment of the body, not in a certain honour,) to the satisfaction of the flesh." - Colossians 2:20-23.
 
Moderator Notice
I urge members to review the following rules:

Rule 3.0 Disruptions to the friendly environment at CFS by anyone will not be tolerated.

Rule 3.2 Members may not post inflammatory remarks simply for the purpose of evoking reaction or starting fights with other Members, or promote a spirit of divisiveness in the community. Such posts will be deleted and the Member warned or banned. If you are responded to in an angry manner, do not respond in-kind. Alert staff to the situation by utilizing the report button.
 
It would appear that those who choose a monastic lifestyle haven't been through the exercises of Romans. Monasticism is just another attempt at cultivation of the flesh. We get is succinctly in Colossians:

"If ye have died with Christ from the elements of the world, why as if alive in the world do ye subject yourselves to ordinances? Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, (things which are all for destruction in the using of them: ) according to the injunctions and teachings of men, (which have indeed an appearance of wisdom in voluntary worship, and humility, and harsh treatment of the body, not in a certain honour,) to the satisfaction of the flesh." - Colossians 2:20-23.
Again, you also have no idea what you are talking about. You are completely ignorant to what monastic life is all about. You are clueless.
The scripture you quote has NOTHING to do with their life or purpose. They serve God day in and day out to the best of their ability.
Monasticism is the denial of the flesh, how can you get this SO WRONG?
 
Last chance - this thread it to calm down immediately.
Any further comments as above will be ignoring a staff order.

Rule 5.1 All Members are required to immediately comply with any Moderator or Helper request.
 
This is an excellent example of chaff at work.

There are sound biblical reasons for a monastic lifestyle and sound reasons against (Matthew 5:29-30 and Mark 16:15 among many others...).

The problem, in such cases, comes when...
...we insist that our understanding is the only way it can be...
...we insist that our specific strengths and weakness are shared by everyone...
...we insist that others who do not have our understanding are wrong, while ignoring possible misunderstanding or lack of knowledge on our own part.

For some the only way to resist a problem is to avoid it or run from it with haste. Some can stand still without buckling or even flinching.
That is true in all stages of our growth in Jesus.

Arguing over things that are generally individual specific distracts from Jesus. It is something that should be discussed, but not a draw the line issue.

So how do we remove this chaff and get back to exhortation and sharing the gospel?

...just something to think about, folks.
 
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Again, you also have no idea what you are talking about. You are completely ignorant to what monastic life is all about. You are clueless.
The scripture you quote has NOTHING to do with their life or purpose. They serve God day in and day out to the best of their ability.
Monasticism is the denial of the flesh, how can you get this SO WRONG?

I guess I better get my comment in quickly before this opportunity goes away.

Glomung, I find that Euphemia is correct. You may not agree with her or me for that matter but I feel compelled to say that the Bible never suggests that a Christian should purposely seek out discomfort or pain. On the contrary, God has richly blessed us “with everything for our enjoyment” as is found in 1 Timothy 6:17.

The Bible goes on to warn us of those who “forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods” in 1 Timothy 4:3; thus, it is erroneous to believe that celibates who abstain from certain foods or actions are “more holy” than other people. We are under grace, not under the law according to Romans 6:14.

Therefore, the Christian does not live by a set of rules but by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Christ has set us free as seen in John 8:36. In many cases, the Monasticism practices self-denial in order to earn God’s favor or somehow purge himself from sin. This shows a misunderstanding of grace because no amount of austerity can earn salvation or merit God’s love and that is told to us in Ephesians 2:8-9.

IMHO, and you are absolutely free to disagree with me, Monasticism is not biblical in that it ignores our responsibility to go into all the world and preach the gospel Matthew 28:19 and that is exactly what Euphemia based her comment on.. While we are not part of the world, we are in it, and the church was never intended to be isolated from people in need of Christ as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10.
 
Moderator Notice
I urge members to review the following rules:

Rule 3.0 Disruptions to the friendly environment at CFS by anyone will not be tolerated.

Rule 3.2 Members may not post inflammatory remarks simply for the purpose of evoking reaction or starting fights with other Members, or promote a spirit of divisiveness in the community. Such posts will be deleted and the Member warned or banned. If you are responded to in an angry manner, do not respond in-kind. Alert staff to the situation by utilizing the report button.
John the Baptist spoke the truth and people were offended in his time.
 
I think it's good that some members include scripture references as they write about a topic. Then everybody can go read their bibles and see if the topic is in line with the scripture they are referring to. Now if anyone is offended then they will have to do some soul searching and explain honestly why are they offended by that scripture. Right....
 
I guess I better get my comment in quickly before this opportunity goes away.

Glomung, I find that Euphemia is correct. You may not agree with her or me for that matter but I feel compelled to say that the Bible never suggests that a Christian should purposely seek out discomfort or pain. On the contrary, God has richly blessed us “with everything for our enjoyment” as is found in 1 Timothy 6:17.

The Bible goes on to warn us of those who “forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods” in 1 Timothy 4:3; thus, it is erroneous to believe that celibates who abstain from certain foods or actions are “more holy” than other people. We are under grace, not under the law according to Romans 6:14.

Therefore, the Christian does not live by a set of rules but by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Christ has set us free as seen in John 8:36. In many cases, the Monasticism practices self-denial in order to earn God’s favor or somehow purge himself from sin. This shows a misunderstanding of grace because no amount of austerity can earn salvation or merit God’s love and that is told to us in Ephesians 2:8-9.

IMHO, and you are absolutely free to disagree with me, Monasticism is not biblical in that it ignores our responsibility to go into all the world and preach the gospel Matthew 28:19 and that is exactly what Euphemia based her comment on.. While we are not part of the world, we are in it, and the church was never intended to be isolated from people in need of Christ as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10.
Exactly...it's just human works of the flesh... a way to work their way into heaven which won't work. Salvation is a gift and cannot be earned.
 
@tomeka.ridley, my comment was based on the way the thread deteriated.
Regular members will know that I am a stickler regarding the rules - this thread got the point where rules where being broken and action has been taken against offending members.
There's nothing wrong with misunderstandings in scripture etc, however if it turns into a debate or potential debate topic, it will be eased in some fashion by the staff.

I hope this helps.
 
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