Thank you Sandra for your reply to my inquiry about your concern for the discussions that go on here at 5 doves.  I don't have time to read many posts, I pick authors I am familiar with and topics I am interested in.  So to have you state which discussions you were most concerned over helped me to understand where you were going in your posting.

 

Posting is great, but there is a lot of things you have to do without that would be in a verbal exchange.  I have found that it is easy to miss the emphasis of a post when there is no voice inflection or subtle body movements that would help one interpret what is so important to the other person.  Being mindful of that, I would wish to systematically address those things that concerned you about my post to you, things  I missed.

 

First:

Laurie, I have read some of your previous posts as well as this post and respect and appreciate your concern. However that was not my post and never did I quote in any of my posts "judge not lest you be judged." The original poster was absolutely correct in warning doves to be aware of deception...to be "wise as serpents and as innocent as doves." And that is why I asked John to recycle what I felt to be an important admonition.

 

You're right, I picked up on your paragraph about not judging the heart of an individual but judging their actions. and thought it sounded a lot like "judge not lest you be judged" and so went from that premise. I apologize for putting words in your post.  Then I failed again because I did not write the rest of the passage and maybe that would help explain why I quoted that verse. 

 

 Here it is in it's entirety Matt. 7:1-3 

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye.....

 

By the same standard you judge, it is human nature that with that standard, you will also be judged.  I think that God also uses that standard to "judge" us and so since I wish for Him to use a gentle hand toward me, I strive to do the same toward others.

 

 

I read your observation of how misinformation can be propagated through the "tag team" approach at 5 doves - incidentally I think almost all communication at 5 doves is done that way- Someone writes in to agree with what was posted or someone writes in to disagree.  Most of us are so sure of our "footing" that it is easy to get on the band wagon and wish to persuade someone into seeing the "truth".. :) This back and forth posting has happened almost every time I have posted something here at 5 doves, so without you referencing to whom/what you were informing us about, everyone was suspect.

 

I felt I needed to respond after reading this paragraph from your original post.  Mind you, I had no idea who you were grouping in this analysis.

 

Further, this defense commonly ends with something to the effect that "we are so happy that you wrote attempting to criticize us, because now, (from us) you have learned what God wanted you to learn that you were ignorant of ..." Not only is this a very arrogant spirit, but could indicate a cultish/Gnostic mindset ("we have the hidden knowledge; we know the deep things of God"). I am not saying that these contributors (Doves A and C) are not Christians, as God has told us not to judge the heart. However, we are allowed to judge how their theology aligns with the written Word. In fact, we are mandated to judge their fruit! If we do not, the Church suffers, the individual Christian suffers, and the representation of Christ that we present to the world suffers

 

So I was hit by the punch of the the beginning of your paragraph and my thought was, how can we be challenged to grow if we don't admit somewhere along the way that we might be ignorant of certain areas of growth that the Lord has for us.   It is because I find myself ignorant and with so little time that I enjoy the trip through the posts here at 5 doves.  I just don't have enough time in the day to read or ponder about much that is here, but the ones I choose to read, I think about and then form a decision based on what I have learned to be true through this study.  Is there hidden knowledge or deeper things of God.? Of course there is, Paul wrote about it.  And so my confusion continued.

 

But I see where your heart is:

 

To those mature believers on this site who do know much more about the whole counsel of God, I encourage you to take the time and effort to biblically correct, in love, in which I also write, those who promote as "God's truth," things which are not contained in God's Word...for the sake of the Body of Christ, for the sake of the lost, and for Christ Himself.

Ah, Sandra, that God had given us all the same job, there would be no discontent.  He has given you a heart for the right of a matter as you see it.  But to expect and feel at a loss because others are not on your same tract... we would all have to be Sandra's to do that.  God has given us all a heart for different matters and it all involves different areas of Gods truth.  That reminds me of a passage in scripture, Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you.  Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

 

God has given to each of us a job and with it a measure of faith and grace.  The faith that comes with the conviction of the job God has given you forms the drive necessary to accomplish the job.  The grace gives you the means by which to accomplish it.

 

  I have found that to read all the postings here makes me "batty".  I don't have the heart for the political and am not up on the vision stuff.  I get excited about scripture studies though and wish to encourage others to sink themselves into the Word.  We're different watchmen, different mindsets, both going about doing the business we feel the Lord has led us to.

 

And now the question you posed for me:

 

MY QUESTION TO YOU: Why did you feel it necessary to respond to me and not respond to the posts which are unbiblical? Reincarnation is not biblical, homosexuality is not biblical, Kaballah is not biblical. Doesn't the Bible, the Word of God, say to "earnestly contend for the faith"? Once again, by remaining silent, we are accomplices to the enemy's plan...which is to kill, steal, and destroy.  

 

Why did I not respond to those posts?  Main reason would be because I didn't read any of those discussions.  Why did I respond to yours? Because I read yours.  I thought that if it was important enough to be reposted, maybe I should read it.   You addressed a style of communication here that is common to almost all postings.  Without clarifying who you were addressing, that put all postings under the suspicious category.  Without knowing who you were addressing I felt just as censured because of the style of communication used in my postings was the same as the style you were discussing.  Maybe the issue is with me as well as the others you listed?  If so, please say so.

 

On that thought, I close.  Hope you made it through this letter.  Long posts are difficult to read and sometimes,.... I just jump to the end to get the punch line :)  May God continue to bless you as you seek to do His work.