GeorgeStGeorge

For some reason, I can't reply to this thread, but hopefully this "quick reply" will work.

My mother-in-law's condition was downgraded from "stable" to "fair" this morning. Hospice was considered. We prayed for her at fellowship, and by the time fellowship was over, Mrs. Brooks was not only stable but quite active. She was moved out of intensive care and into a regular hospital room. Her speech is still garbled when she says any sentence more than about three words, but she recognizes us and can say some basic things clearly. She also fed herself this evening. Thank you all for your continued prayerful support.

George

Praying..

George

Vickles,

I know exactly how you feel. (See my thread in this section.) Don't give up. God is good.

George

Fear not. Your sister will do fine. I'll look for the good news Monday afternoon!

George

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Originally posted by Raf:

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As to God giving His revelation exactly, I see no reason to consider that "untenable." That the scriptures have become only slightly corrupted over centuries of transcription is, in my opinion, evidence of His hand in guarding His Word.

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Really? The same can be said for The Odyssey.

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Raf,

You have me there. I guess any writings that people consider very valuable will be transcribed with caution. ;)-->

I was one of the minority who were recruited by strangers "cold witnessing" (not witnessing to friends, family, or co-workers). A couple of college students sat near me at the student union cafeteria and started talking to me about their Bible fellowship. They used some cheesy line to start the conversation, but after that it was pretty up-and-up. I said that I might be interested, so they gave me the address and phone number of the fellowship location. They offered to give me a ride, but I said that I would rather get there on my own. On the night of fellowship, I was planning to watch a Reds game on Monday Night Baseball. When I turned the game on, though, it was a White Sox game, so I decided to go to "that Bible thing."

I showed up a little late, and I think they were surprised to see me at all. Fellowship was certainly different from RC Mass, but I found it interesting. The speaking in tongues was certainly new. I enjoyed it enough to begin attending regularly.

Soon afterwards, there was a "public explanation" of the class after a fellowship. There was not a lot of pressure; they simply played an audio recording of the first hour of PFAL. It sounded good to me, so I signed up. (The class cost $100 at that time.)

As is probaly clear from some of my other posts, I found the class and fellowship to be worthwhile. That's why I witnessed to others.

George

Goey,

Of course, ALL surgery has associated risks, but bypasses are fairly commonplace these days. If you have a good surgeon, you should be fine. (In deference to Ex10, a barbecue might not be the best way to celebrate when the problem is blocked arteries, but I'm sure a celebration will be forthcoming.)

You're in my prayers, as well.

George

Count me in. Cancer IS survivable, and God can make him whole.

George

My mother-in-law suffered a stroke this morning. Though there was no paralysis, her speech has been jumbled greatly. There is some bleeding still going on in her brain that the doctors can't operate on, but hope that it will clear up when her blood pressure has stabilized. She's 84, but could still have many fruitful years. She just needs healing.

Thanks for your prayers. George

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Originally posted by lindyhopper:

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I still choose to believe this. If it's not true, then anybody's opinion about anything is as good as anybody else's, and the Bible is just literature.

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and wouldn't that just be the end of the world.

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Not the end of the world, no. Just like Judges 21:19.

Refiner,

It might be apparent to you by now that a lot of Wierwille's writings were derivative of E.W. Bullinger's. If you have the time, I strongly recommend Bullinger's How to Enjoy the Bible. Another of his books, Figures of Speech in the Bible, is an exhaustive (and exhausting :)-->) work, but full of little doctrinal gems.

Considering Goey and Trefor's comments, I admit I have no way to defend the present canon, per se. I've read the Old Testament apochryphal (or "deuterocanonical") books, and found little to conflict with the canonical books. I'm sure the inconsistencies I did find could be "worked." The New Testament apochrypha that I've read were just bizarre.

As to God giving His revelation exactly, I see no reason to consider that "untenable." That the scriptures have become only slightly corrupted over centuries of transcription is, in my opinion, evidence of His hand in guarding His Word.

My question is still, if you don't believe all of it, why do you believe what you do?

What impressed me most was the basic fundamentalist principle, which I first heard in PFAL: If the Bible IS the Word of God, given by revelation, then in its original form, it must be inerrant. There can be no internal inconsistencies. I still choose to believe this. If it's not true, then anybody's opinion about anything is as good as anybody else's, and the Bible is just literature.

Of course, there are apparent inconsistencies, and so these must be explained. (To whom was a scripture addressed? What were the circumstances? Do different texts have variant readings? All these things must be considered.)

Though not a Hebrew scholar, I learned to read Greek in high school (something of value from my Roman Catholic upbringing); and in almost every case, I found VPW's analyses of New Testament Greek to be correct. (There are a couple of verses in 1 Cor. that seem wrong, but nothing that invalidates the premise of the manifestations of holy spirit being available to every Christian.)

So, unlike the other George, I don't feel that I blindly accepted dogma. I agree that VPW, shall we say, insufficiently footnoted his work; but if he plagiarized correct biblical interpretation principles, that doesn't invalidate the principles.

Refiner, draw your own conclusions about the work. Being "undersheperded" by gainsayers is no less intimidating than by believers.

George St. George

To follow up one of Ex10's comments, I also think that when times were sweet in fellowship, we enjoyed the music more. Of course, when the music all became "This Week's Lesson -- AGAIN" fellowship wasn't as much fun. (It's a chicken/egg thing.) ;)-->

Interesting analogy, M3C, though I think there's a difference in heart between witnessers and spammers. At least the witnessers have the guts (and take the time) to meet you face to face.

George

I don't know if this actually fits in this thread, but it is a memory of being witnessed to. I was a TC, just beginning a fellowship in which I had planned to teach on the redemptive names of God. I started by playing Kenneth Copeland's recording of "He Is Jehovah." (Back then, I could get away with that.) Anyway, who should come to the door at that moment but two JW's! We had a brief conversation about the name Jehovah; they handed me a Watchtower and went on their way. I'm sure that was God's sense of humor. :D--> :D--> :D-->

George

I enjoyed a lot of the music. I liked the Victors' first tape, and Bob Stanley's 50's rock songs were a lot of fun. But I think my two favorites were "The Resurrection Song" by Good Seed and "We Shall All Be Changed" by the choir.

George

Hooner,

As opposed to WayferNot, who likens her separation from TWI to her divorce, to me it was more like the deaths of my parents. There is a great deal of remorse initially, but later you remember the good things and let the bad go.

If you learned a great deal of good things from TWI, hold onto them. Don't "throw out the baby with the bath," as the other George is wont to do. (Of course, "Resident Curmudgeon" is a tough job!)

George St. George

Trefor:

I've read them. And I've read Romans 1, too.

George

From a senses perspective, the problems facing your cousins sound immense; but, of course, to God they're no more challenging than zits! (Well, now that I remember puberty, that may not have been a good example. :D-->) Anyway, you've got my prayers, as well.

George

I suppose that if you believe that Trinitarianism, homosexuality, and other forms of idolatry are fine, then I can see why you might object to Tom Burke's songs. (God had no problem with ridiculing idolatry -- take a look at 1 Kings 18.) Of course, maybe it's those doctrines that drove some of you out of TWI, anyway.

What annoyed me the most were songs whose lyrics were changed to be more "accurate," in the process ruining the rhyme and/or meter. And often the "corrected" versions were no more Biblically correct than the original.

I was "T-boned" about six years ago. It made a real mess out of my '67 Chevelle, but I and my wife escaped with minor contusions. I'd say that God was watching over me; but you might (wrongly) infer that He wasn't watching over you. Your story does make me more thankful, though. I pray that your recovery will be swift and complete.

George

I'm praying, too. Please keep us updated.

George

Hi, Ex10!

I was wondering why I haven't seen you in these pages lately. I guess it's too late to pray for you to get the job, but it's not too late to give God thanks! :D--> :D--> :D-->

George

Heck, I'd go back if TWI ever became the way I remember it. (Of course, the way I remember it is not the way it actually WAS...)

George

I remember listening to a SNS tape (1997 or so) in which LCM mentioned that after a Corps night teaching, someone in the Corps called him to point out an error. LCM then admitted that he made an error! As I recall, it was something rather trivial. What bothered me most was that only ONE Corps person mentioned it to him. I guess all the others were a.) spiritually asleep; b.) afraid of LCM; c.) trying to make the new "revelation" fit; or d.) all of the above.