by silentdude_1
Posted on FactNet Monday, March 14, 2005 - 10:41 pm:
I like the idea of hearing from someone in RAG as to why they stay in that “group”…… It seems to me that those who stay in the group so that they can be around family are only enabling weaker family members to stay in the “group”.
I was thinking that a core reason why Christians stay in RAG is that many of them get a sense of significance and or approval from RAG or “the group” rather than allowing that need to be met by the Lord Jesus Christ. I think of it this way…..when I was at my furthest point from God (v8 KJ=were yet sinners) He sent Christ to die for me. I’ve been put right with God (V9 KJ=justified) and I’m God’s friend (v10&11 KJ=reconciled & atonement). How much more significant can one be beyond that ? In my opinion, to gather a sense of significance from RAG or the “group” is nothing short of a theft of glory that rightly belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Good News Bible:Rom 5:8 But God has shown us how much he loves us---it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!
Rom 5:9 By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger!
Rom 5:10 We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life!
Rom 5:11 But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God's friends.
The following excerpts from Jim’s posting fit in with what I’m saying perfectly:
Quote from the excerpt from Rick Ross:
"So even though people have this feeling about community and acceptance that, in and of itself, is often deceptive. It is not quite the way it seems. There is a certain sense of security and comfort that comes from the certainty that many of these groups offer. They have all the answers. There are no holy mysteries. There are no loose ends. People feel that the organization can answer every issue in their life.”
Quotes from the excerpt from Charles P. Schmit:
“Sects are usually identifiable by their sense of group ‘specialness.’ They are invariably ‘the movement of God’ in their time—a ‘breed apart’ from other Christians; they are the center of God’s purposes…and they are ‘on the cutting edge of what God is doing’ in their generation.”
Posted on FactNet Friday, March 25, 2005 - 12:14 pm:
Back to Silentdude_1 comments:
The following is a list of fears that my wife and I had to confront before we left the “group”:
1) The fear of being cut off from every “spiritual” contact we had.
2) The fear of loss of position within the group.
3) The fear that God would punish us for leaving.
4) The fear of being cut off from family.
5) The fear of being unable to find sound doctrinal (dispensational) teaching.
6) The fear of knowing our members of our family would need fellowship but not knowing where it would come from.
7) The fear of not knowing where our children would find Godly Christian spouses.
8) The fear of wondering how relatives inside the “group” would influence our children.
9) The fear of being wrong and coming back with my tail between my legs.
10) My list of fears can go on and on and on and on.
How does a Christian get past all these fears (as well as the other fears that have been expressed in the last few days) and leave the “group”?
Maybe others will want to share their answer….I’d like to hear them……but here is what I believe and what my family and I did when confronted with all these fears……..the walk of faith is rather simple when get right down to it. 1) We are called to get before the Lord and follow His leading to determine what the right course of action is…..2) Once we know that, do it…..3) trust the Him for the results. In our case, determining the right course of action was easy…….corrupt heavy handed ungodly leadership that put my immediate family at risk and a religious system based on conditional love that tended to penalized spiritual growth (especially for wives) adds up to a course of action equating to “leave now”.
We did leave and trusted the Lord for the results. He has since provided “exceedingly abundant above what we thought or asked” Eph 3:30. I share the following Psalm with those reading Factnet because it speaks to the deliverance that I believe my wife, my kids and I felt when we left the “group”:
Psa 34:1 <a > I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psa 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Psa 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Psa 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psa 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
Psa 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Psa 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Psa 34:11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psa 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Psa 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psa 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Psa 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.