Radically Peculiar

[IainH]

We are indeed a most peculiar people. I have scoured the web, books, YouTube and everywhere I can look, I find no other group doing anything remotely close to what happens here.
 From the moment I was gifted with Faith that brought me into Grace, my hearts deepest desire has been to know the heart of my Redeemer Jesus as a person. I was told back in those early days that I had accepted Christ as my personal savior, that was a lie although at the time I believed what I was told but, I was green. He chose me, He saved me, He gave me the gift of Salvation and it was ALL HIM. No person can make that choice. We don't even possess the capacity to recognize our depravity. We can be persuaded by a stirring of our emotions along with a reasoned presentation to make a human decision and convince ourselves that we are saved. That is the number one reason why churches that preach Arminian theology are full of carnality and wallow in sin in between their weekly dose of "mother's milk" that provides no nourishment for dead hearts. Their rotten harvest is obvious to anyone with a quickened spirit. They sully the name of God and that's why so many are turned off of Christianity.
  We are different and we are few "as it was in the days of Noah". Our witness is not blatant or Kirk Cameron in your face. It happens at a level undetectable except by those God brings to us. Our Faith cannot be evangelized on the old model. The old path has been corrupted entirely over the centuries by bringing in alien elements that existed since Alexander conquered the Persian Empire. Hellenism, with it's placing of human reason as the ultimate authority hooked the Babylonian Rabbis like bubble gum to a little kid, they abandoned their roots. All the wisdom of the ANE was crushed, surviving in caches of cuneiform tablets forgotten. The new thinking spread to Palestine/Judea. Pharisees, Sadducees and Priests all latched onto the new legalism and enslaved those they were supposed to nurture. Jesus came along at the last moment, a last chance at repentance. He left us with all we needed to return to God. Twelve men, all but one martyred. As the Jews before us, most of the brides lamps have gone out for a lack of oil.
  I'm making my radical departure from the apostate church. I reject all the western heresies. I refuse to use there language, I refuse to debate on their terms. I trust in Christ alone to be master, teacher and guide. I'm a wretched sinner like everyone else, I'm better than no one. I have a savior, an advocate before the throne. I pick up my cross and follow wherever He says go, I speak when He says speak, I will be silent when he says hush. I seek the flaming sword and if I must die for His names sake, bring it on.  I stand because I must, I can do no other.
Peace out. Y'all.

[forrealone]

We are indeed a most peculiar people. I have scoured the web, books, YouTube and everywhere I can look, I find no other group doing anything remotely close to what happens here.
 From the moment I was gifted with Faith that brought me into Grace, my hearts deepest desire has been to know the heart of my Redeemer Jesus as a person. I was told back in those early days that I had accepted Christ as my personal savior, that was a lie although at the time I believed what I was told but, I was green. He chose me, He saved me, He gave me the gift of Salvation and it was ALL HIM. No person can make that choice. We don't even possess the capacity to recognize our depravity. We can be persuaded by a stirring of our emotions along with a reasoned presentation to make a human decision and convince ourselves that we are saved. That is the number one reason why churches that preach Arminian theology are full of carnality and wallow in sin in between their weekly dose of "mother's milk" that provides no nourishment for dead hearts. Their rotten harvest is obvious to anyone with a quickened spirit. They sully the name of God and that's why so many are turned off of Christianity.
  We are different and we are few "as it was in the days of Noah". Our witness is not blatant or Kirk Cameron in your face. It happens at a level undetectable except by those God brings to us. Our Faith cannot be evangelized on the old model. The old path has been corrupted entirely over the centuries by bringing in alien elements that existed since Alexander conquered the Persian Empire. Hellenism, with it's placing of human reason as the ultimate authority hooked the Babylonian Rabbis like bubble gum to a little kid, they abandoned their roots. All the wisdom of the ANE was crushed, surviving in caches of cuneiform tablets forgotten. The new thinking spread to Palestine/Judea. Pharisees, Sadducees and Priests all latched onto the new legalism and enslaved those they were supposed to nurture. Jesus came along at the last moment, a last chance at repentance. He left us with all we needed to return to God. Twelve men, all but one martyred. As the Jews before us, most of the brides lamps have gone out for a lack of oil.
  I'm making my radical departure from the apostate church. I reject all the western heresies. I refuse to use there language, I refuse to debate on their terms. I trust in Christ alone to be master, teacher and guide. I'm a wretched sinner like everyone else, I'm better than no one. I have a savior, an advocate before the throne. I pick up my cross and follow wherever He says go, I speak when He says speak, I will be silent when he says hush. I seek the flaming sword and if I must die for His names sake, bring it on.  I stand because I must, I can do no other.
Peace out. Y'all.

Wow!  ONLY through His Grace we can follow Him.  With His direction, we can speak the Truth.  With His Love, we can reach out.  Because of His Patience and Forgiveness, we can be saved.  From the world.  From the Lies.  He blessed you with these words and you done good in sharing them with us......

[Ed Hurst]

Good testimony, Bro.

[jaybreak]

Nice testimonial, Iain. Glad to have you still with us; you'll always have a home here.

Did something happen to inspire all of this?

[IainH]

Nice testimonial, Iain. Glad to have you still with us; you'll always have a home here.

Did something happen to inspire all of this?

Yeah.

[IainH]

Nice testimonial, Iain. Glad to have you still with us; you'll always have a home here.

Did something happen to inspire all of this?

Yeah.

Ok I can answer sorta.
I can't put into words. I will try to paint using words. 
Jesus to Eden Angel " take that flaming sword and thrust it into head of that guy"
I'm "that guy" and it wasn't pretty, nice or uplifting. It fried all the circuits placed by millennia of western civilization.
It burn out what remained of my mind. I say and I really don't expect or care what anyone thinks; the "mind" is a western philosophical construct, that does not in fact exist but it is the foundation stone of WC. I cannot find it in the Hebrew bible. It's in the English translation but, to an ancient Hebrew, thought originated in the heart. Solomon in Ecclesiastes did not set his mind to anything. He set his "Levab" in biblical Hebrew even western lexicons agree it means the thing that beats in your chest. The deeper meaning is not accessible using western rational methodology, it requires the intervention of the Spirit into a living heart, Faith and Grace. Because of our western heritage it is of necessity a painful process.
That'll hafta do.

[jaybreak]

Nice testimonial, Iain. Glad to have you still with us; you'll always have a home here.

Did something happen to inspire all of this?

Yeah.

Ok I can answer sorta.
I can't put into words. I will try to paint using words. 
Jesus to Eden Angel " take that flaming sword and thrust it into head of that guy"
I'm "that guy" and it wasn't pretty, nice or uplifting. It fried all the circuits placed by millennia of western civilization.
It burn out what remained of my mind. I say and I really don't expect or care what anyone thinks; the "mind" is a western philosophical construct, that does not in fact exist but it is the foundation stone of WC. I cannot find it in the Hebrew bible. It's in the English translation but, to an ancient Hebrew, thought originated in the heart. Solomon in Ecclesiastes did not set his mind to anything. He set his "Levab" in biblical Hebrew even western lexicons agree it means the thing that beats in your chest. The deeper meaning is not accessible using western rational methodology, it requires the intervention of the Spirit into a living heart, Faith and Grace. Because of our western heritage it is of necessity a painful process.
That'll hafta do.

I get you. Thanks for the clarification. Not sure what to make of your idea, but I at least know the idea of a heart vs mind antagonism most likely is a product of Western duality. I dont think the ancient Hebrews even bothered to separate sentiment and thought as it wouldn't even be a concern for them. They'd be more likely to position divinely-placed conviction against the pull of fallen desires since keeping their end of the covenant was their goal.

[IainH]

Nice testimonial, Iain. Glad to have you still with us; you'll always have a home here.

Did something happen to inspire all of this?

Yeah.

Ok I can answer sorta.
I can't put into words. I will try to paint using words. 
Jesus to Eden Angel " take that flaming sword and thrust it into head of that guy"
I'm "that guy" and it wasn't pretty, nice or uplifting. It fried all the circuits placed by millennia of western civilization.
It burn out what remained of my mind. I say and I really don't expect or care what anyone thinks; the "mind" is a western philosophical construct, that does not in fact exist but it is the foundation stone of WC. I cannot find it in the Hebrew bible. It's in the English translation but, to an ancient Hebrew, thought originated in the heart. Solomon in Ecclesiastes did not set his mind to anything. He set his "Levab" in biblical Hebrew even western lexicons agree it means the thing that beats in your chest. The deeper meaning is not accessible using western rational methodology, it requires the intervention of the Spirit into a living heart, Faith and Grace. Because of our western heritage it is of necessity a painful process.
That'll hafta do.

I get you. Thanks for the clarification. Not sure what to make of your idea, but I at least know the idea of a heart vs mind antagonism most likely is a product of Western duality. I dont think the ancient Hebrews even bothered to separate sentiment and thought as it wouldn't even be a concern for them. They'd be more likely to position divinely-placed conviction against the pull of fallen desires since keeping their end of the covenant was their goal.

Well you condensed it nicely. That's the benefit of higher education; other got it's downside too, while it claims to open horizons of critical thought, it actually deepens the indoctrination begun in pre school nowadays. It was first grade in my day as kindergarten was optional.

[Ed Hurst]

Let me suggest that "mind" is less a construct solely of Western Civ and more the cornerstone of the Fall. It's a lie, indeed, and one WC promotes vigorously, but it's the lie from eating the Forbidden Fruit.

[IainH]

Let me suggest that "mind" is less a construct solely of Western Civ and more the cornerstone of the Fall. It's a lie, indeed, and one WC promotes vigorously, but it's the lie from eating the Forbidden Fruit.

That's good sensei, I got something from God and explained it as good as I could and y'all turned it into something that maybe someone outside the tribe might find attractive enough to pursue further. Truth is WC is what we're drawing people out of.  It is God's doing, He chooses who He wants to be part of His "restoration" (does that work?). We work with what we're given; mud, add straw and fire or desert sun and make bricks. Ok that's not the best analogy but, my purpose is to show this thing works on even hillbilly biker trash. Yeehah! Freebirrrrrd!