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Originally Posted by Evangelical
The bible, ministry, meetings, are not helpful in counselling?
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The Bible — Yes. But it often requires more than self-help. It needs people who understand the issues for which the counseling is required and how to apply the Bible. In other words, we often need help.
As for "the ministry" and meetings, not so much.
And in too many cases, even if you argue that all of them can help, it takes more than just immersing yourself into those to be brought back to health. It takes action by someone(s) other than just yourself. Otherwise there would not be the case of God sending anyone to anyone else. Or a writer needing to write something to anyone concerning anything. (I am referring to the things recorded in the Bible, not just anyone or any writer.)
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Originally Posted by Evangelical
Depends what kind of counselling you are talking about. You think if someone needs a hospital we are going to try fix it ourselves with the Bible? We are not JW's.
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Maybe not. But maybe you are (in that sense). The rhetoric is that the Bible, meetings, the ministry (meaning Lee's books) will fix anything without anyone else stepping in to help. Just do it.
Somehow this seems like works of the wrong kind taught by a group that despises works of the right kind.
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Originally Posted by Evangelical
It's the main command, that's what it's called the great commission, not the "one of many other commissions" and as far as I can tell, was the main ministry of the church in the book of Acts and the apostle Paul's main calling.
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(I will not respond to your ignorance concerning my status as evangelical.)
There is no "great commission" that stands above the "great commandment. That label is the addition of man years after the fact. Jesus commanded many things, and very specifically stated that the greatest commandment was actually two — Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. You can rightly state that it is loving to help anyone come to know and believe in Christ. But even the example and context of the command did not involve anything that remotely resembled preaching the gospel. So I would assume that all the other things that Christ commanded are just as great as any other.
You are correct that Jesus did take the 11 disciples aside and commanded them to go and disciple the earth. And within that command was the charge to teach the new disciples to obey all that Christ commanded, not just that one command.
And when it comes to following that command, it is generally important that the message be clear and not muddied by other problems. Problems like failure to obey they multitude of commands that Jesus gave. Like the guy I used to work with that ordered a radar detector every year with a 30-day money-back guarantee to arrive within a week of leaving on a cross-country trip to take his family to visit his wife's family on Long Island. They stayed for 2 months while he flew back home and worked, then flew back to drive them back home. Of course, with a newly-ordered radar detector arriving just before leaving Long Island. So he used two radar detectors (to help him break the law) every year without ever paying for them.
But he was the most vocal Christian around.
Not much testimony. Didn't convince anyone at work that they should believe.
This is the problem with your version of the "calling" of a church (assembly). It is primarily the time in which the body of Christ meets together to repent, pray, worship, and be further reminded or taught about what Christ commanded. Not just to have enjoyment (like today's quote from Lee about the meaning of grace). Or to evangelize the earth.
There are people specifically called to that ministry. People like Billy Graham. And others, both locally in our assemblies and who go to mission fields and other evangelistic efforts. And we all get involved in some ways at some times, but not all the time — other than the preaching of the gospel that occurs through our living. And for most of us, this is our primary "preaching." And it takes more than knowing the right words for that preaching. It takes evidence of lives that are righteous. That don't just snub the traffic laws (and especially not brag about it). That are kind toward those we might otherwise think of as sinners. Even the "worst kind" like gays, or the woman living with her boy friend. And this really hits home when we work with them. Do we think that we have gained any ground to "preach" verbally when we are semi-hostile the rest of the time? I wouldn't want to know the god that made people that way.
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Originally Posted by Evangelical
What "command of Christ" are you talking about?
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First, my comment that you posted that reply to was not about any command. It was on the focus of the LRC meetings and "spirituality."
But if you can't come up with more than he one command besides the so-called "great commission" then it is evident that they teachings of the LRC are not very much according to Christ.