Comments on: Shepherding and the Second Coming of Christ http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/ "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you...” Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:54:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Jazzy Cat http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-887 Jazzy Cat Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:06:52 +0000 http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-887 Nathan, Sound teaching. Do you go to a reformed Baptist Church? Wayne Nathan,
Sound teaching. Do you go to a reformed Baptist Church?
Wayne

]]> By: Tiffany http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-890 Tiffany Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:23:36 +0000 http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-890 I love that verse at the end...very good. Really drives home the point. I love that verse at the end…very good. Really drives home the point.

]]> By: Nathan White http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-891 Nathan White Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:50:36 +0000 http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-891 Wayne, I do; I attend Berean Baptist in Powder Springs, GA. It's 1689 confessional, as I am as well. Wayne,
I do; I attend Berean Baptist in Powder Springs, GA. It’s 1689 confessional, as I am as well.

]]> By: dirk http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-901 dirk Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:36:31 +0000 http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/09/21/shepherding-and-the-second-coming-of-christ/#comment-901 Grace and peace to you Nathan, “For he that is not against us is for us”. Mark 9:40 (ASV) You wrote: · “We are talking about our future hope, eternity, and the Word of God concerning such things. These things cannot be written off as a ‘issue of hermeneutics’, or ‘I just take things literally’, or even ‘I’ll all work out in the end’. No, please, don’t stoop to these sort of cop-outs.” I guess by “these things” you mean different eschatological positions in church history, correct? (Classic or Historic Premillennialism, Amillennialism, Postmillennialism and Dispensational Premillennialism) I think you are right, these things cannot be written off, but neither you nor anybody else will publicly solve the eschatological problem with the kind of a spirit that you present on your side (1.Cor.13: 4-7; Gal.5: 19-23). Nathan, are you a pastor of a local church? If yes, you have every biblical right to teach the biblical truth and defend your flock from heresy (Acts 20:28-30). Do you have your own God given family? Yes, then you have all the biblical rights to protect your family from false teaching as well (Eph.5: 25-27). Teach and preach the Word with great patience (2.Tim. 2:24,25: 4:2). Defend your biblical convictions (1.Pet.3: 15) against those who ask you to give an account. Do it with a gentle spirit and with reverence for other Christians who hold to different eschatological positions (Phil.2: 3). But please stop picking (talking down) on other true Christians (remember, we are one body in Christ) as if they were too lazy or even too dense to study the Scriptures by themselves. Remember also that if we are to love and bless (attitude of human kindness) our enemies, how much more love (1.Cor.16: 14; Eph.4: 15; 1.Tim.4: 12b; 1.Pet.4: 8a etc.) and respect should we be showing to one another as the bride of Christ. You remind me of Joshua, in Numbers 11:27-29 (ASV). “And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? Would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them”! Or see the Apostle John, in Mark 9:38 (ASV). “John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us”. Nathan, there are a few spiritual hills to die on (Gal.1: 8 etc.), but sometimes it’s wiser to lean back and let the Holy Spirit do His work. “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one [do it] of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel; but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice”. Phil. 1:15-18 (ASV) But if you are still convinced that the eschatological controversy is your Spirit given hill to die on, then please brother; die at least with a loving spirit (Eph. 4:15) for your fellow believers in Christ Jesus. I would like to close with two short quotations: “True saving Christianity is not the mere believing a certain Set of opinions, and holding a certain Set of notions. It’s essence is knowing, trusting and loving a certain living Person who died for us (His elect), even Christ the Lord”! J.C. Ryle (1816 – 1900) “To reform the Church of God we should always begin with self-reform. Schisms and divisions will increase so long as we begin with reforming others. Wisdom is only with the lowly”. Robert Chapmann (1803 – 1902) Your servant in Christ Jesus, dirk Grace and peace to you Nathan,

“For he that is not against us is for us”. Mark 9:40 (ASV)

You wrote:

· “We are talking about our future hope, eternity, and the Word of God concerning such things. These things cannot be written off as a ‘issue of hermeneutics’, or ‘I just take things literally’, or even ‘I’ll all work out in the end’. No, please, don’t stoop to these sort of cop-outs.”

I guess by “these things” you mean different eschatological positions in church history, correct? (Classic or Historic Premillennialism, Amillennialism, Postmillennialism and Dispensational Premillennialism) I think you are right, these things cannot be written off, but neither you nor anybody else will publicly solve the eschatological problem with the kind of a spirit that you present on your side (1.Cor.13: 4-7; Gal.5: 19-23). Nathan, are you a pastor of a local church? If yes, you have every biblical right to teach the biblical truth and defend your flock from heresy (Acts 20:28-30). Do you have your own God given family? Yes, then you have all the biblical rights to protect your family from false teaching as well (Eph.5: 25-27). Teach and preach the Word with great patience (2.Tim. 2:24,25: 4:2). Defend your biblical convictions (1.Pet.3: 15) against those who ask you to give an account. Do it with a gentle spirit and with reverence for other Christians who hold to different eschatological positions (Phil.2: 3). But please stop picking (talking down) on other true Christians (remember, we are one body in Christ) as if they were too lazy or even too dense to study the Scriptures by themselves. Remember also that if we are to love and bless (attitude of human kindness) our enemies, how much more love (1.Cor.16: 14; Eph.4: 15; 1.Tim.4: 12b; 1.Pet.4: 8a etc.) and respect should we be showing to one another as the bride of Christ.

You remind me of Joshua, in Numbers 11:27-29 (ASV).

“And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? Would that all Jehovah’s people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them”!

Or see the Apostle John, in Mark 9:38 (ASV).

“John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us”.

Nathan, there are a few spiritual hills to die on (Gal.1: 8 etc.), but sometimes it’s wiser to lean back and let the Holy Spirit do His work.

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one [do it] of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel; but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice”. Phil. 1:15-18 (ASV)

But if you are still convinced that the eschatological controversy is your Spirit given hill to die on, then please brother; die at least with a loving spirit (Eph. 4:15) for your fellow believers in Christ Jesus.

I would like to close with two short quotations:

“True saving Christianity is not the mere believing a certain Set of opinions, and holding a certain Set of notions. It’s essence is knowing, trusting and loving a certain living Person who died for us (His elect), even Christ the Lord”! J.C. Ryle (1816 – 1900)

“To reform the Church of God we should always begin with self-reform. Schisms and divisions will increase so long as we begin with reforming others. Wisdom is only with the lowly”. Robert Chapmann (1803 – 1902)

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

dirk

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