I am not sure why... but this entire thread has truly concerned me. How concerned should we be with unity and love? It is troublesome to me when I hear Christians worry about being tolerant and offensive? The word of God and the cross is an offense to those who dont believe.
Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”[p]
Over the past year I have truly enjoyed and benefited greatly from the CF. It has served as a sharpening tool for me personally and I appreciate it. I have been convicted and challanged in my walk with The Lord - the ladies here have a tremendous amout of wisdom to share here and I would shutter at the thought of it becoming some type of mealy-mouth, weak, afraid to share the truth of the gospel without worrying about offense forum.
I have prayed about this and asked God to search my heart, and reveal to me where I am wrong on this.
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I Cor. 13
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long
and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether
there are prophecies, they will fail; whether
there are tongues, they will cease; whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
i think that non-Christians should be able to feel comfortable asking questions of the knowledgeable ladies in the CF without fear of being judged or shot down. i think that people curious about our faith should meet with Jesus and all of the love, wisdom, and knowledge that his life and death passed on to us. from some of the blogs and posts i'd been reading at the time of the original post, there were examples of this not happening.
but, in any case, i think that prayer for the CF and LHCF as a whole is always in order, and a request for prayer should in no way be cause for concern.