Worldy Separation

[Jim]

I know we have covered some of these subjects but this one will be a little different.

I want to start a topic on worldly separation.

In what way(s) have you noticed yourself being separate from the world? Has anything happened to you in your speech/actions by or from other people that evidence this?

Share your thoughts/experiences on how you have been made fun of/persecuted in your life in Jesus Christ. And not only that, but things people have even said to you that seem strange to a christian that they would not understand if you explained it to them.

Open up.....

[maryks]

Wow. Well, here you go... I get a lot of questions but don't feel that I could share much in the honor of "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name" Acts 5:41

On separation:
Just going to church more than once a week, for more than an hour a week is more than some people can understand...

I don't go to movies and don't own a television. I really enjoy the response I get when people discover this... a man was selling cable door-to-door. Told me he noticed I didn't have cable. "Right, b/c I don't have a TV. "Not in the living room, you mean?" "No, not at all." At which point he stuck his head in my house, craned his neck around, bug-eyed, looking for what wasn't there... Poor man!

People often look at my long hair and dresses and the lack of makeup and jewelry and ask if I'm Amish. The students I teach have sometimes teased me about how I dress, but I know that many respect me for the way I live. One of the ruffer men I was teaching backed another up against a wall for trying to treat me like less than a lady; I went on into the school and have not had trouble from the men here since (about 30% of our school population has been on probation/parole, I'd estimate).

And I'm thankful for the times I have begun to enroll a student and turned to them to find them crying under the convicting power of the Holy Ghost. That's not me, but its wonderful to see God moving on a person like that. Talk about the love and mercy of God!

[Guest]

I think that separation from the world is very important. My husband and I were making 58,000 dollars annually between us. The Lord told us He wanted us full time so we sold our house and quit our jobs to start a ministry preparatory school at our church. We have now been living on the church grounds in a 30 ft. trailer for almost three years. We only made 33.00 a week to start with and now only 100 per week. The Lord provides all our needs, but you talk about strange looks from people when we tell them this. Even familymembers and other "Christians" think we are crazy. We have seen many children saved and we see the Lord really working in the lives of our students. Praise the Lord for what He is doing We live our lives according to God's Word. I wear only dresses, skirts, and cullottets. I wear very little make-up and we do not go to movies, etc.. As the Word ofGod says in II Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them and beye separate, saith the Lord...

[Jim]

Amen!

[Aughavey]

Is it wrong to watch TV and go to the movies?
It is something that has been going around my head since I was truly saved 6 weeks ago. I can feel the seperation although I think I am still seeking assurance but the discipleship meeting on tuesday addressed assurance so that helped.
Certainly there are some good programs and gospelvideos and such that are worth watching. But I also respect the above posters for their stance. It is something I must ponder but I don`t watch alot of TV anyhow.

[Jim]

[Jim]

[Jim]

[Jim]

[Jim]

[Jim]

Is it wrong?

Not in and of itself:

Romans 14:14
"I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

HOWEVER it goes on to say:

14:15
"But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died."

First, would yo ureally want to go to a theater today? Surrounded by unbelievers:"2 Corinthians 6:14,17"(I did not post the words to the verses because it keeps going into debug mode anytime you try to post 2 Corinth 6:14 on this site, will work with Ray on this)

Also, with the filthy poster advertisements hanging everywhere and the filthy previews of other movies on every movie you actually go to see, why would you want to?

Now for television. I have a tv, vcr, and dvd. I use them solely for the movies I choose to purchase (via mail order) for myself and my kids. I also will use it for Bob Jones University HomeSat courses for my kids. I do not have any cable/satellite(other than BJU) or even an antenna(which I am considering for maybe news, but with our news here in the U.S., that probably is not worth it).

But why take the bad with the good?

Love in Christ,

Jim

[NCUNIT33]

It is not a request from God that we be a separate people, but a command
One day very soon he will separate the Sheep from the goats, the Wheat from the tares.....Praise the Lord... Even so come Lord Jesus

I hope the following verses help
II Corinthians 6:14-17
Romans 12:2
II Peter 2:19-21
I Peter 2:9
Leviticus 10:10

Jim Norman
Northside Baptist Church
Eden, North Carolina

[Aughavey]

What about other activites like playing football(soccer), sport or in my case I am in an Ulster Scots Association that deals with Ulster Scots history and culture?

[sailorjerry]

Boy oh boy...this thread is probably going to get a little cantankerous. But, here goes.

Personally, I don't have any convictions about going to the theater, I don't go because my pastor has asked that anybody that is a leader in our church not frequent the theater, and as a Sunday School teacher and director of our churches Reformers Unanimous chapter, I respect his wishes and don't go, it's not big deal to me.

I don't see any difference in going to the theater and supporting them to bring in bad movies or going bowling and supporting the bowling alley to buy booze for the bar in the back.

If a grocery store sells alcohol, cigarettes and/or bad magazines, do we not shop there? Most of us would starve to death.

We are in the world, but we are not to be of the world. For the young Christians out there, conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, not from man. There are certain practices the Bible makes very clear we ARE NOT to participate in, if we do the Holy Spirit will convict us that it is wrong. There are certain practices the Bible makes very clear we ARE to participate in, if we do not, the Holy Spirit will convict us that that is wrong.

Now, there are certain practices that the Bible is not clear on, wheather those are wrong depends on if the Holy Spirit convicts us or not.

Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

If you are doing something and the Holy Spirit convicts you about that, you need to stop. Even though there is nothing wrong in what you were doing, if you are convicted over it, then it is not good for you, it may not be bad for somebody else, they may not feel conviction about it, but if you do, then it is wrong for you.

Here is where a lot of young and baby Christians...(I seperate young Christians and baby Christians because the young ones are expected to behave as they do because they are not taught in the Scriptures yet, but the baby Christians have been in the Lord for some time but have never grown spiritually), get offended and fall away because instead of focusing on Gods will and plan for their lives, they focus on the things they can't do that other Christians can do. Find Gods will for your life and you will find out there are a lot more things you can do than than there are things you can't do.

[Jim]

Sailor,

I agree with you in concept, but we can't forget this verse and command from God:

1 Thessalonians 5:22
"Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Does the theater not appear evil? Can you name anything in a theater that isgood?

I just don't think I can attend a theater without surrounding myself with smut, demon-worship, and filth.

Can we in good conscience attend a location that attracts people with the specific intention of catering to the flesh? We must answer to God for these things and give an account. Ask yourself one thing before doing anything: "Is what I am going to do, going to glorify God?" Next, "Can, what I am going to do, glorify God?" If you answer no to either or both of these questions, it is a sin.

Also, ask yourself this: "How will I feel if I see a brother in Christ see me standing in line waiting to see a movie(regardless of what movie it is, he probably doesn't know)?" Will I lose my testimony? Will I feel guilty?

So why risk it?

When considering what about this, what about that(referring to Aughavey's question), you must ask yourself those questions. Also looking at it in a different way, what is the intention of the event? Will it cause you to sin? If so, stay away.

Just my thoughts,

Jim