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brolga
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1# |
Rank:Poster Grande III
Score:14470
Registered:
01/03/2007
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RE:RF pastor appointed city Councillor
(Date Posted:16/09/2008 00:15:47)
Perhaps it part of their upgrade to win over new souls. Considering what is happening with the pollies using the pentes' to get their votes. See what's happening in America, with John McCain's chosen colleague (forgot her name at moment), she is using the AoG to gain popularity etc. The AoG scenes that are being shown on television do nothing to promote Christianity at all. brolga
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Who said it could not be done? And tell me what great victories does he have to his credit which qualifies him to judge others accurately?
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Sea Urchin
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2# |
Rank:Poster Venti I
Score:6930
Registered:
15/02/2007
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RE:RF pastor appointed city Councillor
(Date Posted:16/09/2008 02:43:03)
I remember a talk from Paul N at Woodcroft a couple months before I left RF. He spoke at great length (whole of Sunday communion talk) about how 'we are not part of the community and we are to remain separate from it, it is the world and we are not of the world' etc etc. I tuned out after about 5-10 minutes & began looking around at some of the people (oversight) that I knew extremely well, who were most definitely part of their small town communities. I remember thinking that some of these pastors are so far from reality it's ridiculous and yet here they are presuming to 'teach' us about how we should live/who we should associate with etc.
So it is with amazement that an rf pastor can now be a councillor - gosh I'd hate to be in THAT council area! Can you imagine the legalism that he'd be sure to want to introduce? Having said that, a Christian friend of mine and member of the local (not rf) church is also a councillor who believes in bringing Christian values & morals to every situation he is involved with.
Urch
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Episkopeo
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3# |
Rank:Regular Member
Score:3830
Registered:
30/08/2007
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RE:RF pastor appointed city Councillor
(Date Posted:16/09/2008 12:35:12)
Hi Ian, Brolga and Urch,
Yes, it just could be part of an upgrade to win new souls Brolga, and they are doing their darnedest to create a good public persona, realising that complete separation doesn't work.
I find this quite amusing as I remember when attending P & F meetings and being on the school board was severely frowned upon. They were uneasy about children attending private denominational schools and some were taken out - we being part of this.
I think there have been changes afoot in RF for quite some time, although there will never be the big announcement to that effect. They will just subtly creep in as though it were always that way. Stealthy ways indeed, and they have never been backward in pointing the finger at other churches slyly changing things to suit themselves.
I live close to some "well informed" RFers (we're on good terms when we meet) and very occasionally in conversation something will be said and I am not beyond asking a few questions.
It seems that the fornication rule where defaulting parties, having been put out and required to marry before re-admittance, or if they choose not to marry only one is allowed back, is now not the hard and fast rule it once was. They can now both return in their single state. This applies to divorced couples also, although my thoughts are, that it would probably be preferable for both to have remarried. I'm sure it would have to be at the pastor's discretion and some cases would be discussed fully at the officers meetings - just to keep everyone informed of course.
Is RF developing an ability to evolve?
Epi
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Didaktikon
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4# |
Rank:Posterior Maximus I
Score:17390
Registered:
29/08/2007
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Reply To Episkopeo
(Date Posted:16/09/2008 19:14:13)
Good morning, Epi.
Yes, it just could be part of an upgrade to win new souls Brolga, and they are doing their darnedest to create a good public persona, realising that complete separation doesn't work.
Personally I think the latter suggestion is far more likely to be the motivating factor than would be the former suggestion. However, I've no doubts either, that Rob would really like the Albury RF to eventually hit "double figures", and his new status might go some way to assisting with this outcome 
I think there have been changes afoot in RF for quite some time, although there will never be the big announcement to that effect. They will just subtly creep in as though it were always that way. Stealthy ways indeed, and they have never been backward in pointing the finger at other churches slyly changing things to suit themselves.
Indeed. The confessing to error and ownership of the outcomes has never been a defining characteristic of the various Revivalists groups. On those altogether rare occasions when admissions have been made, they've invariably resulted from imminent exposure from an outside source. The RCI's retraction of "Bible Numerics" in 1999 is a very good case in point. (Pastor) Geoff Beggs became aware of information that would completely scuttle the validity of this long-held-to "proof" of the divine nature of Scripture. Consequently he moved very quickly to engineer an internal PR campaign that would (1) convince other RCI pastors of the error that "BI" was, and (2) convince other RCI pastors that retaining "BI" as doctrine would cause undue harm to the reputation of the fellowship. He then drafted a letter to Simon Longfield that outlined his concerns, two versions of which existed. The public version was quite circumspect and positive, the private one slightly less so,with more of an emphasis towards gaining the "upper-hand" over the fellowship's detractors, notable among them being the relatively "new" RF 
Is RF developing an ability to evolve?
I suppose we'll have to wait and see, but I'm certainly hoping so!
For those who are interested, I'm looking at the byline in yesterday's The Border Mail on page 4. The header states, "Angus promises secular approach". The entire article is rather bland, but it's probably available at the newspaper's website by now, for those who are interested.
Blessings,
Ian
(Message edited by Didaktikon On 17/09/2008 00:11:38)
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Vivos voco, mortuos plango
website: www.pleaseconsider.info email: didaktikon@gmail.com
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Talmid
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5# |
Rank:Rookier III
Score:2160
Registered:
21/04/2008
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RE:RF pastor appointed city Councillor
(Date Posted:16/09/2008 19:21:29)
Hi Epi
Yes, it just could be part of an upgrade to win new souls Brolga, and they are doing their darnedest to create a good public persona, realising that complete separation doesn't work.
If the bloody-minded social dysfunction that apparently characterises some (much?) of RF leadership does fade, it will become *very* important for believers here to highlight RF's false doctrine. It's generally easier to recognise and avoid a thug than a conman ('though RF leaders believe their teaching). It's made even more difficult in Aussie culture where it's generally unacceptable to be a thug, but it is OK or even desirable to see truth (especially spiritual - let alone Spiritual - ones) as relative.
Can believers here 'evolve'? My experience as someone with little experience of RF thuggery would say, "With God nothing is impossible", but it does require wise teachers.
(Message edited by Talmid On 16/09/2008 19:27:04)
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There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
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It would appear that the longstanding Revivalist trait of 