Comments on: 114312391081514008 http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/ Serving The Purpose of God In This Generation Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:30:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Keith Davis http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/#comment-1559 Keith Davis Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:14:00 +0000 http://www.randywray.com/?p=260#comment-1559 The way things were. How true that is. Why do we do that? Is it nostalgia or just the fact that we like things that way, or do we really believe that the old ways are the best? I just don't know. I hear you though with the "system" talk. We can't see the forest for the trees on this issue. I am confortale with a system. God just keeps on stirring up my system with love and grace. I'me beginning to like that more!! The way things were. How true that is. Why do we do that? Is it nostalgia or just the fact that we like things that way, or do we really believe that the old ways are the best? I just don’t know.

I hear you though with the “system” talk. We can’t see the forest for the trees on this issue. I am confortale with a system. God just keeps on stirring up my system with love and grace. I’me beginning to like that more!!

]]> By: Thurman8er http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/#comment-1558 Thurman8er Thu, 23 Mar 2006 23:09:00 +0000 http://www.randywray.com/?p=260#comment-1558 I find myself apologizing a great deal at times for the mistakes of the CofC. I also find myself occasionally catching flak for it. I can't stop calling it like I see it, but I try to do it with sensitivity and an eye towards mentioning some good with the bad. Still, I'm amazed at how many people still want to "go back to the way things were." I find myself apologizing a great deal at times for the mistakes of the CofC. I also find myself occasionally catching flak for it. I can’t stop calling it like I see it, but I try to do it with sensitivity and an eye towards mentioning some good with the bad. Still, I’m amazed at how many people still want to “go back to the way things were.”

]]> By: BeOneTraveler http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/#comment-1557 BeOneTraveler Thu, 23 Mar 2006 19:44:00 +0000 http://www.randywray.com/?p=260#comment-1557 Hey, I like that: being faithful to the organization or "system" is not necessarily the same as being just plain faithful. It's difficult though. For better or worse, a chruch of Christ is not available. As a result, I'm doing church with fellow believers who are decidedly Calvinist. I think they err on some issues and vice versa. Is this still unity? Is my interest in pressing my perspective "getting in the way"? Is this Our Lord's way of getting me to see what matters? Don't mean to hog the blog or turn you into my therapist. Hey, I like that: being faithful to the organization or “system” is not necessarily the same as being just plain faithful.

It’s difficult though. For better or worse, a chruch of Christ is not available. As a result, I’m doing church with fellow believers who are decidedly Calvinist. I think they err on some issues and vice versa. Is this still unity? Is my interest in pressing my perspective “getting in the way”? Is this Our Lord’s way of getting me to see what matters? Don’t mean to hog the blog or turn you into my therapist.

]]> By: Stoogelover http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/#comment-1556 Stoogelover Thu, 23 Mar 2006 19:25:00 +0000 http://www.randywray.com/?p=260#comment-1556 There was probably more in BLJ that caused a dissonance in my spirit that the stuff that energized me. I think most of us have come down that road of protecting a system and failing to see the people involved as those Jesus loves and saves by grace. There was probably more in BLJ that caused a dissonance in my spirit that the stuff that energized me. I think most of us have come down that road of protecting a system and failing to see the people involved as those Jesus loves and saves by grace.

]]> By: cwinwc http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/#comment-1555 cwinwc Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:58:00 +0000 http://www.randywray.com/?p=260#comment-1555 Your post stirred up one of the few “bad memories” I have from over 20 years of directing Bible Camp. A couple of summers after Greg left for SoCal; we had a baptism at camp. Teenage girl’s head didn’t go all the way under the water as she had a fear of water and struggled a little as she was baptized into Christ. I was confronted by one of our campers, an 18 year old. He told me that the girl needed to be re-baptized because she didn’t go all the way under the water. In the gentlest spirit I could muster I tried to explain to him that as far as I was concerned, the young lady was in the Kingdom. Her status with the Lord didn’t depend on the skill of the person immersing her. We looked at I Peter 3:21 – 22. (And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.) I’ll never forget his comment to my gentle prodding that he might be wrong about his convictions. He said, “But aren’t we the ones that have all the right answers about the Bible.” Postscript – Several years later I ran into the same young man. He had come to the conclusion that the answer to his question years ago was “No” and even more importantly, he knew that despite that he was still in the Kingdom. There’s hope Randy but for some it takes years. Your post stirred up one of the few “bad memories” I have from over 20 years of directing Bible Camp.

A couple of summers after Greg left for SoCal; we had a baptism at camp. Teenage girl’s head didn’t go all the way under the water as she had a fear of water and struggled a little as she was baptized into Christ.

I was confronted by one of our campers, an 18 year old. He told me that the girl needed to be re-baptized because she didn’t go all the way under the water. In the gentlest spirit I could muster I tried to explain to him that as far as I was concerned, the young lady was in the Kingdom. Her status with the Lord didn’t depend on the skill of the person immersing her. We looked at I Peter 3:21 – 22. (And corresponding to that, baptism now saves youРnot the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscienceРthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.)

I’ll never forget his comment to my gentle prodding that he might be wrong about his convictions. He said, “But aren’t we the ones that have all the right answers about the Bible.”

Postscript – Several years later I ran into the same young man. He had come to the conclusion that the answer to his question years ago was “No” and even more importantly, he knew that despite that he was still in the Kingdom.

There’s hope Randy but for some it takes years.

]]> By: meowmix http://randywray.com/2006/03/23/114312391081514008/#comment-1554 meowmix Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:43:00 +0000 http://www.randywray.com/?p=260#comment-1554 Good thoughts. Isn't it so human-like to not want to give an inch, even on the tiniest, most insignificant matters. Sadly, sometimes that does get in Jesus' way. Good thoughts. Isn’t it so human-like to not want to give an inch, even on the tiniest, most insignificant matters. Sadly, sometimes that does get in Jesus’ way.

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