[Vision2020] Children involvement

[J Ford]

Doug says in his blog regarding children being involved in the communion 
service:

"When was the last time you heard about outsiders caring what was done 
inside a worship service like this? The whole affair should be greatly 
encouraging. God has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies, 
and as we sit down to eat and drink, we may know by faith that God is moving 
in our community in wonderful ways.

We have assumed the center, and we now see our adversaries beginning to 
recognize that it is what is being done in faithful Christian worship that 
will determine the future of our town, our state, our nation, and our world. 
It is here we are formidable—and nowhere else."

This brings many things to mind:

The table is not to be prepared for YOU, but for GOD.  Your statement of "We 
have assumed the center..." is very telling - YOU have assumed the center - 
it has not been given to you by Him.

When Jesus was faced with arrest by the government of the time, the last 
thing he did was resist.  In fact when a soldier's ear was taken off by one 
of Jesus' followers, it was Jesus who admonished the follower and healed the 
soldier.  You resisting moving your service out of a government supported 
building into a proper church setting is telling of YOUR character.  You 
have "doug" your heels in and are refusing to see just how wrong you are 
being against God.

When Jesus was in fact put in front of the head of the different factors of 
government, He never resisted or protested His innocence - he said simply 
"IF I have done wrong, then you must do to me what you feel you must."  In 
other words, IF He had broken any of their legal rules, He should rightfully 
be punished and He would accept that punishment without fuss or protest.  
You, on the other hand, do whatever whenever you can to cry "poor me" or 
"foul!" when called to task.

Jesus NEVER held services or the last supper in a public place or in front 
of a public forum or even advertised that He was going to do what He did at 
that meal.  Yes, He does say we should follow His example in remembrance of 
Him - which means not in defiance of the public place or people, but to 
Glorify Him/God and do so privately - as HE did.

Children were NOT at the last supper!  They were brought to Jesus in a 
public places, seated on His lap and told stories by Him in PUBLIC, but 
there were never "displayed" at a communion service.  Fact is, the Bible 
never speaks of children being involved in the worship service throughout 
the entire text.  "Suffer the little children unto me" does NOT mean "allow 
them to take part in a public display of worship to prove a point."

Daniel is another example, which leads to Christ, where we are told to pray 
in private and not make a spectacle of ourselves for our benefit.  While we 
are not to take to hiding our faith, we are not to place it forcefully in 
the face of others so as to cause a rift between them and God and them and 
ourselves or become a stumbling block to them in their faith and worship of 
GOD.  Which is exactly what you are doing when you refuse to recognize just 
how wrong your actions and reactions are to points presented to you 
regarding "the church" and your followers.  Your followers have long ago 
ceased to be followers of God - they are YOUR followers and are doing what 
YOU say they will do.

What YOU are doing is by no means a determining factor for this town, state, 
nation or world.  It is a determinate issue for your followers only.  To the 
best of my knowledge, YOU are not the be-all and end-all that will change 
anything beyond the reach of your hand.

Jesus and others of GOD's church leaders from the beginning were never, 
never held up for a "look-see" as you, Doug, are now doing with your 
children and more so with yourself.  The important thing with you is not God 
anymore, it is what YOU can do to prove YOU are right and "righteous".  The 
Bible has always said "Righteousness is His."  I don't see DOUG anywhere in 
that sentence, though I am sure you do.

J  ;)

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