Holiness

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Praise the Lord:

This topic has become quite interesting.

I in no stretch of the imagination am a bible scholar.  Just someone 
who is saved by Grace and baptized in the precious Name of Jesus and 
filled with the precious Gift of the Holy Ghost.  

I thank the Lord that he is continually teaching us.  In my class at 
school we are discussing many of these issues.  I attend a Catholic 
University and much of the teaching in this religion class have a 
Catholic slant to them.  I find so much of what my prof says 
interesting yet I feel that he has gotten too much information and 
does not have a clue as to the truth.  He and many like him believe 
that the Bible is a literature book and not to be taken as a science 
book.  He believes that most of the bible is metaphorical.  He 
doesn't believe that the Red sea was parted or that Jonah was in the 
Mouth of the whale.  What he says is that what is important is that 
God was a deliverer to the Jews in Egypt.

It appears from what I am learning that pentecostals would come under 
the realm of fundamentalists.  Wherein we take the bible literally 
and we say that if someone doesn't believe like we believe that they 
are wrong.  I have never believed that.  I am not God.  I cannot make 
that determination on another human.

Actually, I don't want to be considered a fundamentalist.

I believe and have always believed that the Word of God is true.  I 
feel that if you are going to believe then believe the whole book or 
leave it alone.  I believe that if God can create the universe and 
make a complex creature called man, then he can make sure that his 
Word is put down the way he intended for it to be said.

What I do have a problem with is man's intrepetation of God's word.  
I am convinced now that I would love to take a hebrew and greek 
language course.  I think it is imporatant to understand what the 
words meant in the language that they were written.  Last night the 
prof told us about the greek and hebrew words for repent.  Well in 
one (sorry I don't have my notes right here) it means "turn around".  
And in the other it means "change your mind." Yet when we speak of 
repent, it has such negative connotations.  We sometimes tell the 
people how evil they are before repentance, make them feel guilty.  
Yet in the original language, I don't get that impression at all.

To me, I think it is such a shame to such a waste of time and energy 
arguing over whether to cut hair or wear a beard.  There is a book 
called the Trivialization of God.  I haven't read it yet, just the 
summary.  But it sounds good to me.  I don't envision my Jesus as 
some little hitler standing over me telling me I'm going to hell 
because I cut my hair.  Jesus wants us to show love to a dying world. 
 He wants us to show compassion to the disenfranchised.  He wants us 
to be holy.  But by whose standards?  God's or mans?  Certainly, I 
doubt that God wants a woman to be bald.  Otherwise, why bother to 
give her hair.  But does he care if she cuts the split ends or gives 
herself bangs?  I'm sorry I don't think so.

And you know when you read the gospels, Jesus was never even 
concerned with those things.  There is nothing written wherein Jesus 
talked about the little nick picky things that man does today.  That 
is why people won't come to Jesus because they see how we act.  We 
can't get it together over baptism, or jewelry.  Some say even a 
wedding band is wrong.  Come on.  What is evil or sinful about 
wearing a wedding band?

There are so many of these little silly things that we spend our time 
arguing over when  we could be praying for someone or visiting 
someone or even evangelizing on IRC.  But no, we want to argue over 
earrings or makeup none of which have anything to do with salvation.

I was so happy last year when I found this list.  To find other folks 
baptized in Jesus name.  And yet since I have been on this list, all 
I ever see is a lot of strife and contention.  Yet, what is funny is 
that on some of the other lists, you know the lists where we would 
say the folks aren't even "saved" they are praising God.  I had to 
get off of one list because the volume was so heavy.  They were 
praising God and testifying, it was unbelievable.  Here only a select 
few testify.  Many seem only to want to be known as if they are some 
bible scholars and they are the only ones who can "rightly" divide 
the Word of God.

Sorry if I offend.  Just reading this list sometimes makes me wonder 
about apostolics/pentecostals.  I don't even tell people I am 
pentestocal/apostolic anymore.  Idon't want to be identified with the 
strife.  I just say I am a Christian who loves Jesus.  If they ask 
for more, I will tell them what I believe.

K

_________________________________
K. L. Cabell
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
kay@pobox.com
cabellk1@alpha.lasalle.edu
http://www.emanon.net/~kcabell/

"Given the odds, we weren't supposed to stop being slaves.  Given the
opposition, we weren't supposed to have an education.  Given the history, we
weren't supposed to have families.  Given the blues, we weren't supposed to
have spirit.  Given the power of the enemy, we weren't supposed to fight back. 
Not only have we achieved victories, we have--despite the powers against
us--become our own victories."

Camille Cosby