LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A global schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion looked set to widen on Tuesday after its U.S. branch, the Episcopal Church, approved a resolution to ordain gay and lesbian clergy.
The ordaining of gay clergy and related issues have already prompted some conservative congregations to leave the Episcopal fold, while a few traditional Anglican churches in regions like Africa have broken ties with their more liberal U.S. brethren.
The resolution was passed by wide margins by both of the church's main decision-making bodies, the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, at its General Convention in Anaheim, California, south of Los Angeles.
The resolution affirmed that "God has called and may call such individuals (gay or lesbians), to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church."
It also recognized that "the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God."
Nancy Davidge, a spokeswoman for the Episcopal Church, said the resolution did not address the issue of same-sex marriage at all and its wording should not be interpreted as such.
Adoption of the measure marked the latest chapter in a long-running saga that has threatened splits in the Anglican Communion, whose roughly 80 million members belong to congregations that are offshoots of the Church of England.
Divisions between liberals and conservatives already had undermined Episcopal Church unity by 2003, when it consecrated Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the first bishop in Anglican history known to be in an openly gay relationship.
RIVAL DENOMINATION
Tuesday's resolution appears to have ended an effective three-year moratorium on the election of gay bishops that had been agreed to cool tensions. No openly gay or lesbian bishop has been elected since Robinson's consecration.
Last month, conservatives who left the U.S. Episcopal Church over issues like gay clergy finalized the formation of a rival denomination, the new Anglican Church in North America, claiming a membership of 100,000 followers.
All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of America's wider debate over sexual orientation issues, such as gay marriage, child adoption by same-sex parents and the status of homosexuals in the military.
Conservative Christians regard same-sex relations as sinful and proscribed by scripture.
Commentators have speculated that the Episcopalians may eventually leave the Anglican Communion and could still lose some conservative congregations.
"There is no desire from within the Episcopal Church to leave the Anglican fold," Ian Douglas, a member of the House of Deputies, told Reuters by telephone.
He said the resolution confirmed the church's "commitment to nondiscrimination" and "states what is on the books."
The U.S. Episcopal branch has about 2 million worshipers and faces many of the problems that other mainline Protestant churches in America confront -- declining membership, some of whom have left for fast-growing evangelical churches, and aging congregations.
(Writing and reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Steve Gorman and John O'Callaghan)
15.7.09
Devour
Many of these so called scholars, theologians, and pastors, taught their followers, that a Christian cannot be devoured by the devil! Is it true?
Do not say the roaring lion cannot devour a Christian! I am foolish to say this! St Peter said the devil is seeking whom he may devour, St Peter was mentioning this to the Christians, he was talking to us Christian may be devoured by the lions.
Do not be proud of your VPP, KJV perfect Bible, or whatever things like tongues speaking, spiritual gifts, .....if you do not read the Bible, and use it daily, you and me are in danger! Do not say we are perfectly unharmed, we are living in a harmless world.
1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Here we have the assurance to overcome the evil one, we have the Holy Spirit in us. We need the Bible, and we need to pray! Do not overlooked the lion! He is not a cub, not a kitten to us! Principalities in the sky over us!
But there are dangers, in which, we are getting hurts phisically, wounded spiritually, and depressed mentally, invaded, heart broken, down heart....hears and scared...like Elijah running away from a queen!
Even Jesus Christ tasted depression and agony on the cross He cried, "My God, My God, why has you forsaken me!"
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
You say we have a 100% perfect Bible, no hurt and harm living on earth, you are careless to say this! Look again here in the Bible. What does the Bible says about this devour again! These devour are taking task on Christian brotherhood.
Galatians 5:15
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Man, we some time, bite one another like biting Kentucky Fried Chicken, hot and spicy chicken meat! Man o Man, we some time, devour one another like eating chicken wings, man o man, we some time, consumed one another! Like consuming some rubbishes in backyard fire.
Still some of us, say the lion has no teeth, the lion just can roar at night, and it cannot devour a Christian! It cannot hurt us, we are saved! We better think twice, before we are so careless to say this! We better think again, before we begin to bite, to devour, to consume, within the churches circle because of theological differences!
And we put on a stage like this Verbal Plenary Preservation of the Bible, in order, we may create more unrest in churches! This is like a devour from the lion! Man we some time like that old lion! Sad to say this, I am also like a young lion.
May the Holy Spirit come and change us like a dove!
Look at that picture, you say the lions have no teeth! You say again!
In the Name of Jesus Christ, we have the victory!
In the Name of Jesus Christ! Amen!
Lord, please forgive me...
My Lord, please forgive me, you have given me so many shape of fine and good swords to defend myself, but I did not use them! I keep on pick and choose which is the best sword among them! Until the enemies came to devour and defeat me for a time! Then the sword will be unused!
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Lord, please give me a new heart.
Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
Not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Lord, please give me a new heart.
Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
Not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit.
stay cool do not sin....!
Hebrew 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
spur in fellowship...and encouragement....over VPP, KJV, NIV, ESV, CUV.....over our carnality?
Why then we have said this to one another, "I do not have a heart to love you!"
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
spur in fellowship...and encouragement....over VPP, KJV, NIV, ESV, CUV.....over our carnality?
Why then we have said this to one another, "I do not have a heart to love you!"
Carnal Christians.
When we take a look on every Bible, most of their cover has these wording, "The Holy Bible." So far I had not come across any Bible has "The Perfect Bible" printed on the cover page. I believe the Bible is inspired and sacred.
Some one wrote pages about "there is no carnal Christian." They do not believe a true Christian has any trace of carnality in them, so he wrote Christian are spiritually not fit to be called a carnal Christian. He does not believe in a carnal Christian. But they kept on making divisions among Christian, and fight over this and that....they do not see this is a kind of carnal Christian.
But Paul wrote in this way, he said "division" is a type of carnality in Christian.
1 Corinthians 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Corinthians 3:4
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Are you not carnal? You say there is no carnal Christian! But you continue in split, internal fighting, law suit, quarrels, strife, envying, divisions..... I put into another way, a carnal Christian like me is an unpolished and uncut diamond in a stone. I say this is about myself. Unpolished.
Is there so called carnal pastor? Think...when some of us say, I follow John Calvin, I follow Martin Luther, I follow John Wesley, I follow Cho Yong Gi, I follow the Bible, I follow Jesus Christ......and we strife over these Bible versions,
Are we following Jesus Christ?
Does John Calvin died for us on the cross to save us?
Some one wrote pages about "there is no carnal Christian." They do not believe a true Christian has any trace of carnality in them, so he wrote Christian are spiritually not fit to be called a carnal Christian. He does not believe in a carnal Christian. But they kept on making divisions among Christian, and fight over this and that....they do not see this is a kind of carnal Christian.
But Paul wrote in this way, he said "division" is a type of carnality in Christian.
1 Corinthians 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Corinthians 3:4
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Are you not carnal? You say there is no carnal Christian! But you continue in split, internal fighting, law suit, quarrels, strife, envying, divisions..... I put into another way, a carnal Christian like me is an unpolished and uncut diamond in a stone. I say this is about myself. Unpolished.
Is there so called carnal pastor? Think...when some of us say, I follow John Calvin, I follow Martin Luther, I follow John Wesley, I follow Cho Yong Gi, I follow the Bible, I follow Jesus Christ......and we strife over these Bible versions,
Are we following Jesus Christ?
Does John Calvin died for us on the cross to save us?
14.7.09
STAY COOL
A pastor once said this to his young followers, taught them to do extra work, going extra miles, making extra effort to serve mankind, he told the young, "Lets take up a part time job, selling wood stick and oil to make fire power."
The young men asked him, how to be successful in doing that?
The pastor told the young people, "You tell people like this, 'One wood stick one church, one stick one denomination, one stick brighten a whole world. Our one stick can burn better!' This is to let people know how to stay cool when the day is hot, do not use too many wood stick at the fire place, burn one stick at a time in the fire place can saved more money." And he continue to say, "With our home made oil, pour onto that one and only wood stick, we can burn the whole night, until the Lord return. Our oil even can make a fire power so bright, so great even the whole world can see our one stick...burning. Even Moses' burning bush also cannot compared with our home made brightness, one stick burning with our home made oil."
STAY COOL WITH ONE STICK BURNING! Keep on burning with our one stick, one stick one nation! My policy is self care policy, I do not care what other said about me, is the best policy.
What the Bible tells us about fellowship? The Bible does not want any one of us to stay cool in isolation! We are not to be alone, burning one stick at one time is not right, but we are called to keep on burning among other stick! More sticks keep on burning together at a place is better than one stick burning.
Hebrews 3:13
...but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrew 10: 25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
1 Thessalonians 5:19
Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
The Lord is our fire in the darkness of sin! He is the light onto mankind. How can a man keep on burning alone? And not getting cool!
The young men asked him, how to be successful in doing that?
The pastor told the young people, "You tell people like this, 'One wood stick one church, one stick one denomination, one stick brighten a whole world. Our one stick can burn better!' This is to let people know how to stay cool when the day is hot, do not use too many wood stick at the fire place, burn one stick at a time in the fire place can saved more money." And he continue to say, "With our home made oil, pour onto that one and only wood stick, we can burn the whole night, until the Lord return. Our oil even can make a fire power so bright, so great even the whole world can see our one stick...burning. Even Moses' burning bush also cannot compared with our home made brightness, one stick burning with our home made oil."
STAY COOL WITH ONE STICK BURNING! Keep on burning with our one stick, one stick one nation! My policy is self care policy, I do not care what other said about me, is the best policy.
What the Bible tells us about fellowship? The Bible does not want any one of us to stay cool in isolation! We are not to be alone, burning one stick at one time is not right, but we are called to keep on burning among other stick! More sticks keep on burning together at a place is better than one stick burning.
Hebrews 3:13
...but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrew 10: 25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
1 Thessalonians 5:19
Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
The Lord is our fire in the darkness of sin! He is the light onto mankind. How can a man keep on burning alone? And not getting cool!
13.7.09
The Church is a dangerous place!
The church is actually the people in Christianity, but there are some wolves in sheep clothings, they are not the sheep, they are the wolves! They are not the sheep which are following Christ, they are very gentle like that old pastor, you know who I meant, people said he was so good and so good, the most gentle men on earth they had ever met so far!
But I heard some things from his closest friend who knew him for more than 40 years, the pastor friend said this old pastor is actually an "old fox." He told me to be careful with him. So that is why I am writing this blog to refute those small foxes!
Later, I follow this old pastor's foot prints, to see if he is an "old fox" or not, and I saw some traces of the devil invasion in his life. He was once used by the Holy Spirit, but later he had fallen away from the fullness of the Holy Spirit, this can happened even to the greatest men in the history on earth, I am not excluded!
1. He asked his church to separate from other faithful churches, this is not biblical.
2. He stopped people from tongue speaking, sign and wonders, even exorcise, healing, this is another thing, and then he split the church because of these!
3. he had oppressed some young servants of Christ, in theological debates! He misled them into errors and endless fightings.
4. He is as gentle as a dove, but he is not a dove, he is not a wolf, but he had became a "old fox!" Many do not see this! Old fox!
There are many things I can write about this old fox, about his life and teachings, but better I don't waste my time in writing an old fox! This old fox has no tail! That is why people thought he is the good Shepherd.
You must be serious, yes, I am serious! I am also sometime misled by him, I also became a small little fox! Ruining the vineyard! May God change me! I do not want to be a little fox!
Fox, fox, fox, fox, fox, fox...one little fox!
Baa, baa, black fox, baa, baa, black fox, any any wool, any any wool...yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, one for the pastor, one for the dame, but none for the little boy cries down the drain!
That is why we need the sword! To defend the flocks from the foxes and the lions!
But I heard some things from his closest friend who knew him for more than 40 years, the pastor friend said this old pastor is actually an "old fox." He told me to be careful with him. So that is why I am writing this blog to refute those small foxes!
Later, I follow this old pastor's foot prints, to see if he is an "old fox" or not, and I saw some traces of the devil invasion in his life. He was once used by the Holy Spirit, but later he had fallen away from the fullness of the Holy Spirit, this can happened even to the greatest men in the history on earth, I am not excluded!
1. He asked his church to separate from other faithful churches, this is not biblical.
2. He stopped people from tongue speaking, sign and wonders, even exorcise, healing, this is another thing, and then he split the church because of these!
3. he had oppressed some young servants of Christ, in theological debates! He misled them into errors and endless fightings.
4. He is as gentle as a dove, but he is not a dove, he is not a wolf, but he had became a "old fox!" Many do not see this! Old fox!
There are many things I can write about this old fox, about his life and teachings, but better I don't waste my time in writing an old fox! This old fox has no tail! That is why people thought he is the good Shepherd.
You must be serious, yes, I am serious! I am also sometime misled by him, I also became a small little fox! Ruining the vineyard! May God change me! I do not want to be a little fox!
Fox, fox, fox, fox, fox, fox...one little fox!
Baa, baa, black fox, baa, baa, black fox, any any wool, any any wool...yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, one for the pastor, one for the dame, but none for the little boy cries down the drain!
That is why we need the sword! To defend the flocks from the foxes and the lions!
Split and divorce
Matthew 19:9
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
There is divorce for marital unfaithfulness, Jesus Christ allowed this, but He does not encourage this, why I said so, look at what Paul wrote later.
In 1 Corinthians 7:27
Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.
1.Do not seek a divorce.
2.Do not look for a wife.
Now a day people divorce their wife so easily...making the problem in our generation! We had carried our problem into next generation.
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
There is divorce for marital unfaithfulness, Jesus Christ allowed this, but He does not encourage this, why I said so, look at what Paul wrote later.
In 1 Corinthians 7:27
Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.
1.Do not seek a divorce.
2.Do not look for a wife.
Now a day people divorce their wife so easily...making the problem in our generation! We had carried our problem into next generation.
Brain Storming
This blog to me is my brain storming, is actually only exist on the paper, this is not a dogma, this is only my personal view! In searching the truth for the Verbal Plenary Preservation. I do not think what I wrote is right and perfect, I need time to correct my blog. I may write another blog to defeat this blog....this is to see the balancing point!
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