COGOP Biblical Doctrine and Polity Committee

[dawgs10]

The Presence and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

In a world that has become increasingly attracted to the cults, the media, and techno gadgets, the Holy Spirit’s presence is one key ingredient in our churches that can attract and fill the needs of people hungry for something beyond their daily life of drudgery.

Wow.. are people's daily life drudgery? Is the Holy Spirit opposite side of or verses Techno gadgets / glitzy media productions? Is the Holy Spirit a trick used? This just stuck out.

one thing we must understand is the document says the Holy Spirit's presence is one key ingredient. not the only ingredient. in other words it is not asking to do away with powerpoint or your iphone.

[TW]

Dawgs10, I hate to burst your bubble, but the only person that you can be 100% sure of (with respect to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) is you. That makes your judgment of everybody else subjective.


TW

[dolfan]

How can you do a statistical study, on a subject that from an observers view is purely subjective, and arrive at a definitive number?


TW

subjectivity has nothing to do with the fact that you are either baptized in the Holy Ghost w/ signs following or not my friend. 47 % of ministers in the SBA say they support the understanding of a private prayer language. and yet the SBA refuses to accept a private prayer language to be real.

Subjectivity DOES have something to do with your own honest understanding and study of Scriptures, though. What I am reading here from some pastors who, like yourself dawgs10, honestly want to do and be the real deal is that there are some differences among them as to how that all unfolds where they are and with whom they lead, serve, worship, etc. It is impossible to do an accurate statistical study of how many are filled with the Spirit and who is not. (That's not even to approach the question of why you'd need to know that stat, but we'll save that for another day.)

Believers can't even really agree on exactly what it means to be one who is filled!! For example, I believe that you are filled with the Spirit when you are saved and that there is no subsequent, separate 'baptism of the Holy Ghost with tongues as the initial evidence...."; you --- I think --- would say I'm wrong and that having the Spirit with you and in you is not the same as being filled with the Spirit, and you'd probably say that being filled means being baptized in the Spirit with tongues, etc. I don't mind that you think that this whole thing means something different than I think it means, and it doesn't change my view of you as a son of God, but it does make it impossible to do any statistical analysis of what percentage of you and me is Spirit-filled.

[MacUser]

We need pastors and members that have a close relationship with God.

Great.. share with us the rules of getting a close relationship to God.

we can have a relationless religion if we want i suppose.

Curious.. What is your definition of "real relationship religion" ?

[darylscook]

a pastor trying to get things back into Biblical order could find himself confronted with a copy of this Assembly ruling as a mandate for anything-goes.

Which brings a very interesting questions? What exactly is an informational report. It is not an Assembly Ruling because it is not for Decision, Its informational only? What are these things they are bringing up.

Am I the only person put off by these "For Affirmation; not for Decision" Reports?

God Bless You
Pastor Daryl

[rjjunior]

Am I the only person put off by these "For Affirmation; not for Decision" Reports?

God Bless You
Pastor Daryl

Nope. I've been trying to figure out exactly what it means. To me, it's mildly annoying. Are we being asked to affirm it? If so, that's a decision we need to make. If not, I guess we can just add them to the advice to members.

[Paully_44]

Are we being asked to affirm it? If so, that's a decision we need to make. If not, I guess we can just add them to the advice to members.