Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiana
However you slice it, there is no escaping this fact -- some brothers have left us and started another, separate group. Some on our side are against your side. Some on your side are against our side. This is division. There is no other word for it. No matter how many good, solid, correct and utterly righteous reasons there may have been for it, some have formed a division. Above EVERY other sin, division is the worst! This you already know to be true. And we both have allowed our leaders to commit division. We cannot stand with them in this matter.
As I stated above, very little of what you are sending me is news. Speaking only for myself, I readily recognize, admit and concede that there were evils -- both gross and subtile -- committed among us that were not properly and swiftly dealt with as they should have been, to the detriment and stumbling of many dear saints. And some who committed these evils are still among us. It is a grief and a shame.
The divisions must stop. And it first must stop with you and with me. Of two things, I am sure. For the divisions to cease will come from the small saints, not from the leading ones. And it will not come from facts, but through love and forgiveness. Without Love and Forgiveness, then I fear we are BOTH in sects, and can join the Brethren in the history books.
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I agree with some of the content here the brother wrote to Steve as I have those portions in bold. Definitely without love and forgiveness. Honestly, the love that exists is not the love of God, but the love of man; a natural love. A kind of love Jesus speaks of in Luke 6:32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." How can there be forgiveness if there's no willingness to even acknowedge those that offended. The brother writing the email brought up Max's name. What about Max. What if he repented? What if I said Max went to Francis Ball's memorial a few years ago?
Divisions must stop and it must stop with you and me. Amen! Simultaneously would ones meeting in the local churches raise an objection next time a blended brother makes references to rebellions? I can understand why brothers in places like Toronto, Detroit, etc may feel it's not profitable to bring up past matters. Many of come in to the local churches since 1990.
It's this same matter that has bothered me when I did meet with the local churches. Elders/co-workerds have been unimpeded in their speaking or in print in running down brothers and even localities that separated from LSM fellowship. Is this normal in other Christian circles? In other words instead of running down brothers, is there grace given. In Acts 15:39 Paul and Barnabas separated over Mark. In Paul's letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote if Mark came they were to receive him.