Whistleblower

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Steel

"...marginalized and expelled..." from what?

Every born again believer in Christ is... Well... IN... CHRIST... Eternally.

And corporately... The entire church is... IN... Christ.

And Christ doesn't marginalize or expell any believer.

So, again... Marginalized and expelled from what?

I believe the points Ohio was trying to make to Steel is that whistleblowing tends to result in a person and their family in being shunned and expelled. The fallout from being shunned is the issues at hand become marginalized.

Given Christ doesn't marginalize or expel any believer, but receiving everyone is not practiced in the local churches. Ones who may have been shunned or marginalized may become unwelcome for fellowship and may even be escorted out when attempting to meet with a given locality.
The alternative of saying go meet with another assembly is easy to say, but not easy to do for ones whose Christian fellowship has been primarily among the local churches.

[Steel]

Originally Posted by Terry

I believe the points Ohio was trying to make to Steel is that whistleblowing tends to result in a person and their family in being shunned and expelled. The fallout from being shunned is the issues at hand become marginalized.

I was clear on that.

But my response was focused on "...being shunned and expelled..." from what?

A particular meeting of believers in the local church (local church being all believers in an area)?

Whose problem would that be if before the Lord those who were "...being shunned and expelled..." were actually standing in the Lord... And those doing the shunning and expelling were not doing so in the Lord?

Not mine if it were related to me.

I'd simply say "Amen, Lord... You open doors and You close doors... Lord, I'll wait on You to open another door... And do so praising You and rejoicing in You."

People have problems with being shunned and expelled because they are holding to their vanity and not Christ.

Matthew 5:10... "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens."

Matthew 5:11... "Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me."

Originally Posted by Terry

Given Christ doesn't marginalize or expel any believer, but receiving everyone is not practiced in the local churches.

Well... Welcome to the way of the fallen man that corrupts us all... Us all being all of us born again believers in Christ.

Originally Posted by Terry

Ones who may have been shunned or marginalized may become unwelcome for fellowship and may even be escorted out when attempting to meet with a given locality.

Oh boohoo.

Suck it up, take the way of the cross... Be brought into resurrection life... And rejoice all the way through the next door that the Lord opens for you.

Originally Posted by Terry

The alternative of saying go meet with another assembly is easy to say, but not easy to do for ones whose Christian fellowship has been primarily among the local churches.

And why?

Because they have been following their own natural preference/affinity... And not the Lord.

Which is why the Lord comes in and removes believers from their familiar, comfortable, preferred environments.

Shoot...

If I could I'd just rent the building next door to the building I was just escorted from and carry on with the Lord without loosing a step... Make it easy for anyone else who suffers the same... Same ministry speaking... Same recovered way... With the hope that the Lord would in His mercy and grace save myself and any I meet with from becoming religious also.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Steel

I'd simply say "Amen, Lord... You open doors and You close doors... Lord, I'll wait on You to open another door... And do so praising You and rejoicing in You."

And why?

Because they have been following their own natural preference/affinity... And not the Lord.

Which is why the Lord comes in and removes believers from their familiar, comfortable, preferred environments.

Amen! One door closes and another door opens.

You ask and why? Loved ones I know. Parents, family friends etc who have been in the fellowship of local churches for 40-50 years. That's where the bulk of their Christian experience lies. Realize or not, the ground of locality teaching does have it's hold. The question would be asked, "where would I go?".
Yes, I'm aware of the "familiar, comfortable, preferred environments." That's one of the traits I seem to notice about denominations. Whether one is raised as a Lutheran, a Baptist, or in the Local Churches, there is willingness to meet apart from those places of fellowship.

[Steel]

Originally Posted by Terry

...Loved ones I know. Parents, family friends etc who have been in the fellowship of local churches for 40-50 years. That's where the bulk of their Christian experience lies.

That's behind them... The Lord is in front of them... What is there about Philippians 3:13... "...Forgetting the things which are abehind and stretching forward to the things which are before,... pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called..." that isn't clear... Or should be ignored?

Originally Posted by Terry

...Realize or not, the ground of locality teaching does have it's hold.

Because people allow themselves to be imprisoned by their own preferences towards things... "...teaching..." has no way to "...hold..." anyone... Unfortunately... When we stop holding to Christ we become confused about this.

Originally Posted by Terry

...The question would be asked, "where would I go?".
Yes, I'm aware of the "familiar, comfortable, preferred environments." That's one of the traits I seem to notice about denominations. Whether one is raised as a Lutheran, a Baptist, or in the Local Churches, there is willingness to meet apart from those places of fellowship.

On the road I presently live on, and have lived on for a few years, there are three meeting halls related to three different non-denomination denominations (who knows what to call this organizations these days)... And to my knowledge there is no fellowship between any of them... And the same goes for yet another group just half a mile away on another road... A group that has no problem breaking the law by placing folded plastic signs out on the highway that we're close to (not sure what that says about what they teach regarding the things of God).

Terry... I've personally witnessed/experienced the divisiveness that goes on in Christianity... And know that, although oftened denied, it is completely acceptable to have a disposition of divisiveness within Christianity.