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Old 01-15-2009, 04:07 AM
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stephanos stephanos is offline
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Wenatchee WA
Posts: 885
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I cannot imagine the struggles you and your faithful wife go through on a day to day basis. But I can imagine the gratitude you feel towards her, and the glory you give to the Lord for blessing you with a wife who has stuck with you through thick and thin.

I have been blessed immensely by your write-ups Forrest, and I will be praying for you and your family. I also will be praying that the church you attend steps up to do what they can, to help your family bear any burdens that you shouldn't have to bear alone. One thing I love about my Mennonite brethren is that they never leave eachother to deal with the kind of difficulties you are in.

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 KJV)

Concerning Judgement:

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Corinthians 2:15 KJV)

Which I believes is saying that the man who has been reborn of the Spirit will constantly be judging all things (much to the chagrin of liberal "Christ followers" all across America who are anti-everything judgement) or "discerning all things" and who cannot in word or conversation be righteously judged by unregenerate men or "natural/earthy" men.

Yet it is important to add that we still suffer the constant barrage of fleshy temptations which often lead us to seek self glorification. Unfortunately one such expression of this fact is when we cast judgement in a non-righteous way to elevate ourselves above those who struggle with sins we don't struggle with or with those who appear to be in error and are not. This sort of judgement is destructive and does not edify the Church nor does it glorify God. The Bible is clear on how we should approach a brother or sister in Christ:

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1 KJV) (notice the phrase "ye wich are spiritual" which ties in nicely with 1 Corinthians 2:15)

So as Forrest wrote, we should not judge without knowing that we have all the facts, and we should only resort to rebuking, admonishing, exhortation when we have the well being of our brother in mind. So it's important to remember that everything we do is meant to express our love one for another and to edify one another.

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (Romans 14:19 KJV)

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV)

Let all your things be done with charity. (1 Corinthians 16:14 KJV)

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. (Romans 15:2 KJV)


Much Love in Christ Jesus,
Stephen