Apologies

[Cal]

Stepping away from the board for awhile has allowed me to think more clearly about what's important. It's easy to get contentious here and I wish to apologize for having being a bit too much at times.

More seriously, I want to apologize to several people publicly.

One is Indiana. I've lacked understanding for his heart to reconcile the community of saints he loves. I'm sorry, brother.

Another is OBW. We've knocked heads several times and I feel I need to say I was too much and in the wrong several times. Sorry to you too, brother.

I know because these two are serious, sincere Christians, they have already forgiven me. But I still felt to say something.

Lastly, I want to apologize to Bilbodog, wherever he may be. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you missed an entertaining show. Anyway, sorry to you too, bro. I hope you are out there and doing well.

Okay, that's all. Back to the discussions. Just try to remember... in the end, relationships are everything.

Igzy

[OBW]

Apologies were due all around between us. And I have always considered offenses to me less than it might have seemed at the time. And therein is the evidence that I have the same need to apologize to you. And I do. We all are blind about some aspects of our effects on others, and even our own motives. And too often I got done with posting a scathing reply of "righteous" indignation to something and then read it again just a few days later and had to ask myself "Who is the idiot that wrote that?"

And as Pogo once (or more than once) said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

[Cal]

Originally Posted by OBW

Apologies were due all around between us. And I have always considered offenses to me less than it might have seemed at the time. And therein is the evidence that I have the same need to apologize to you. And I do. We all are blind about some aspects of our effects on others, and even our own motives. And too often I got done with posting a scathing reply of "righteous" indignation to something and then read it again just a few days later and had to ask myself "Who is the idiot that wrote that?"

And as Pogo once (or more than once) said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

I know what you mean. Thanks.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by OBW

Apologies were due all around between us. And I have always considered offenses to me less than it might have seemed at the time. And therein is the evidence that I have the same need to apologize to you. And I do. We all are blind about some aspects of our effects on others, and even our own motives.

So true OBW. So easy to read words, but not the tone in which the words were meant to convey. Without knowing the tone, it would be to easy for many a poster and many a lurker to be offended by those posting on this forum.

[JJ]

It's so refreshing to see brothers talking through things (the way God intends), with apologies and forgiveness. Glory be to God.

The local church way of "never say anything" if you are bothered by something, is so lop-sided and misses much of what scripture teaches about working things out in the family of God in a spirit of love.

By the way, I never heard the phrase "iron sharpens iron" in the local churches. That's too bad. We all could have used some sharpening and true "blending" with the saints not meeting in TLC. It would have been a big help. Instead we sued anyone disagreeing with us, missed the opportunity, and got duller, weirder and weirder, and sicker and sicker.

Another rambling thought:

Towards the end of Witness Lee's ministry, he said many times "God's economy is the chicken, every thing Christianity has is just chicken feathers". The problem is, a plucked chicken is gross, and that's all "God's economy" became in TLC, a naked chicken. Toward the end, I had the thought, "please put some feathers on that chicken" a few times. Note, I love God's economy, but the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart (something the rest of Christianity gets). Love is not chicken feathers either.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by JJ

By the way, I never heard the phrase "iron sharpens iron" in the local churches. That's too bad. We all could have used some sharpening and true "blending" with the saints not meeting in TLC. It would have been a big help. Instead we sued anyone disagreeing with us, missed the opportunity, and got duller, weirder and weirder, and sicker and sicker.

Great digest of LC history. I nominate it for featured quote!

Originally Posted by JJ

By the way, I never heard the phrase "iron sharpens iron" in the local churches. That's too bad. We all could have used some sharpening and true "blending" with the saints not meeting in TLC. It would have been a big help.

Oh, you poor, poor Christians, don't you know that King Solomon wrote that proverb in his fallen nature? 'Iron sharpens iron' is a fallen, human, fleshly concept that has no correspondence with God's economy! Purrleease!

O' How long must we bear with you people?

[HERn]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Oh, you poor, poor Christians, don't you know that King Solomon wrote that proverb in his fallen nature? 'Iron sharpens iron' is a fallen, human, fleshly concept that has no correspondence with God's economy! Purrleease!

O' How long must we bear with you people?

Interesting concept you have there. I wonder where you picked it up?

I'm going with Paul on this one:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

2 Timothy 3:16 Living Bible

[Koinonia]

Originally Posted by HERn

Interesting concept you have there. I wonder where you picked it up?

I'm going with Paul on this one:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

2 Timothy 3:16 Living Bible

I think he was being sarcastic...

[HERn]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

I think he was being sarcastic...

OK. Sure fooled me.

[aron]

Originally Posted by HERn

OK. Sure fooled me.

He/she was being sarcastic.

To wit: Solomon wrote that ("iron sharpens iron") in his fallen nature, and the compilers, not knowing better, included it in the Holy Writ, and it was canonized in error, by people who didn't know the difference between "grace" and "law", and all this was not picked up on until God's New Testament Economy released us from fallen human concepts, and into the Good Land of masticating the processed Triune God.

So silly things like "remembering the poor", which Paul was temporarily distracted by in his writing in Galatians 2, could be ignored. Just enjoy the ministry.

And you don't actually have to love your neighbor; just pray-read the verses that say it.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by aron

To wit: Solomon wrote that ("iron sharpens iron") in his fallen nature, and the compilers, not knowing better, included it in the Holy Writ, and it was canonized in error, by people who didn't know the difference between "grace" and "law", and all this was not picked up on until God's New Testament Economy released us from fallen human concepts, and into the Good Land of masticating the processed Triune God.

Brilliant insight brother aron!

Explains everything!

Another nomination for featured post.

Originally Posted by Igzy

Stepping away from the board for awhile has allowed me to think more clearly about what's important. It's easy to get contentious here and I wish to apologize for having being a bit too much at times.

More seriously, I want to apologize to several people publicly.

Lastly, I want to apologize to Bilbodog, wherever he may be. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you missed an entertaining show. Anyway, sorry to you too, bro. I hope you are out there and doing well.

Okay, that's all. Back to the discussions. Just try to remember... in the end, relationships are everything.

Igzy

No problem brother Igzy. Appreciate the thoughtfulness. Doing well.

... and it was entertaining. ;-)

Grace to you.

Hope all are well.

Bilbodog

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Bilbodog

No problem brother Igzy. Appreciate the thoughtfulness. Doing well.

... and it was entertaining. ;-)

Grace to you.

Hope all are well.

Bilbodog

Whether we agree or disagree, it's good to see Bilbodog's posting.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by Bilbodog

No problem brother Igzy. Appreciate the thoughtfulness. Doing well.

... and it was entertaining. ;-)

Grace to you.

Hope all are well.

Bilbodog

Didn't see this till now. Same to you, bro.

[Indiana]

I had contacted Jane and John a few years ago but we couldn’t make good progress. Now I see the problem on my side better, and I understand the vehemence several had toward me. This is much different than receiving vague messages; John and Jane clearly state the case, because they actually have one. And, they win. I agree with their judgment.

http://www.makingstraightthewayofthe...ndJane2016.pdf

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by Indiana

I had contacted Jane and John a few years ago but we couldn’t make good progress. Now I see the problem on my side better, and I understand the vehemence several had toward me. This is much different than receiving vague messages; John and Jane clearly state the case, because they actually have one. And, they win. I agree with their judgment.

http://www.makingstraightthewayofthe...ndJane2016.pdf

Indiana -- how considerate of you! Hopefully this will help the Andersons feel better. Sadly I've learned that those who should apologize rarely do.

For some reason this made me think of 1 Cor 13: 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

[John]

A number of weeks ago, when I was trying to log in to the forum so that I could post on the “Good vs. Lee’s Trees” thread, after being away for years, the passwords I tried didn’t work. During the password reset process, I noticed a private message (PM) from Indiana dated in 2016 that was entitled, “Apology,” and it was not marked as having been read by me. In the PM, Indiana asked me a question. I am answering that question now in the attached PDF.