Billy Graham has died

[EccentricM]

14 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

Since no one can see God's face and live, I took your comment to be the opposite of your intention. 

 

Same! Lol.

[nanceebgd46]

Yes, uncomfortable....that's a good word...right about now!

[Stavro]

Just a thought, maybe we could leave out jokes and easily misunderstood comments from publicly visible threads about ones who have died?

 

Regardless of our personal opinions, many people are mourning his death. So when they eventually see our comments, will they see that we are offering the same message of hope and comfort that we offer at the door? Or will they get the impression that the door-to-door presentation is just a show and doesn't reflect our real feelings? 

 

The hope that Jehovah has, which I would like to believe we all sincerely share, is that "he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance". (2 Peter 3:9) For those who have not yet had a chance to repent, they will be given that chance in the new world, by means of resurrection.

[Old]

2 hours ago, Stavro said:

Just a thought, maybe we could leave out jokes and easily misunderstood comments from publicly visible threads about ones who have died?

 

Regardless of our personal opinions, many people are mourning his death. So when they eventually see our comments, will they see that we are offering the same message of hope and comfort that we offer at the door? Or will they get the impression that the door-to-door presentation is just a show and doesn't reflect our real feelings? 

 

 

 

I heartily agree. We should think of our conversation as if we are on someone's porch, we need to be careful of what we say less we hear "You Are On Candid Camera!".

What sometimes happens, we come in through the back door of 'Unread Comments" not cognizant of the fact that we are in public arena. Mea culpa. 

[Awakened]

On 2/21/2018 at 3:38 PM, carlos said:

It seems that even Solomon, who became apostate, will be resurrected, so that means that Jehovah saw something good in his heart despite his deeds.

 

Well maybe he wasn’t classified as an apostate after all. To engage in an act or acts of apostasy I would think wouldn’t necessarily make a person an “apostate”. Many spiritually weak or disfellowshipped ones may eventually find themselves engaging in pagan and other unscriptural activities due to peer pressure, loneliness, etc. Does that make them an apostate? 

[Awakened]

On 2/24/2018 at 12:43 PM, Stavro said:

Just a thought, maybe we could leave out jokes and easily misunderstood comments from publicly visible threads about ones who have died?

 

Goodness, if it’s that serious, in my opinion it would just be easier to make these threads private. 

[carlos]

2 hours ago, Awakened said:

Well maybe he wasn’t classified as an apostate after all. To engage in an act or acts of apostasy I would think wouldn’t necessarily make a person an “apostate”. Many spiritually weak or disfellowshipped ones may eventually find themselves engaging in pagan and other unscriptural activities due to peer pressure, loneliness, etc. Does that make them an apostate? 

 

Thank you for this comment. It made me think how tags are ultimately irrelevant.

 

Someone can join a pagan activity without actually being an apostate, just out of weakness or pressure. And someone who is a real apostate can repent and be accepted by Jehovah. We like to put tags on things but Jesus judges individually. He reads our heart and decides if there's something worth saving there or not, no matter the tag we carry.

[Qapla]

1 hour ago, carlos said:

Someone can join a pagan activity without actually being an apostate, just out of weakness or pressure

 

Yes, they can - in fact there was a large group of people camped at the bottom of a mountain shortly after being miraculously delivered from captivity in a foreign land. While their leader, the man who was used by Jehovah to bring them to this place, up in the mountain getting further direction - this group of people decided to make a golden calf to worship. They even pressured some very spiritual minded people to assist - even a high priest

 

And yet, I do not think Aaron was ever considered an apostate

[carlos]

15 hours ago, Qapla said:

Yes, they can - in fact there was a large group of people camped at the bottom of a mountain shortly after being miraculously delivered from captivity in a foreign land. While their leader, the man who was used by Jehovah to bring them to this place, up in the mountain getting further direction - this group of people decided to make a golden calf to worship. They even pressured some very spiritual minded people to assist - even a high priest

 

This brings to mind another story that always puzzled me. Jehu prepares a trap to exterminate all Baal worshippers from Israel. He organizes "a solemn assembly for Baal", which will include "a great sacrifice". Then, when all those apostates were assembled there, Jehu says: “Search carefully and see that there are no worshippers of Jehovah here, only worshippers of Baʹal” (2 Kings 10:23).

 

What I find surprising is that, if any worshipper of Jehovah was there, I would say he was as guilty as the pagan worshipper, and as deserving of execution as them. Yet Jehu did not reason that way. Maybe some worshipper of Jehovah was there due to strong pressure or fear. Even if that was a serious sin, Jehovah did not wish to have those killed together with the apostates.

 

That makes you think about Jehovah's understanding and mercy.

 

[minister159]

22 hours ago, Awakened said:   Well maybe he wasn’t classified as an apostate after all. To engage in an act or acts of apostasy I would think wouldn’t necessarily make a person an “apostate”. Many spiritually weak or disfellowshipped ones may eventually find themselves engaging in pagan and other unscriptural activities due to peer pressure, loneliness, etc. Does that make them an apostate?    The definition of apostasy has to do with one's attitude and is a deliberate conscious decision to turn away from or abandon true worship. It is a way of life and not a single act:   "Apostasy. This term in Greek (a·po·sta·siʹa) comes from a verb literally meaning “to stand away from.” The noun has the sense of “desertion, abandonment, or rebellion.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures, “apostasy” is used primarily with regard to those who defect from true worship.—Pr 11:9; Ac 21:21; 2Th 2:3."   I especially like the definition of the verb form of "defect": To abandon allegiance to a cause or party, especially when this also involves supporting something previously opposed.   "21 It would have been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than after knowing it to turn away from the holy commandment they had received. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the sow that was bathed to rolling in the mire.”" --- 2Peter 2:21, 22

Edited February 26, 2018 by minister159

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

Matthew 18:6-9 might apply.

The Rock will be the final judge..

Older
{still waiting for the 'Wiser'}