16 comments

• 

  ChaplainChas.

  11 months ago

  What a well thought-out, thorough answer. This is like book material, here, Randy! I especially liked the part about others blaming one for not being transparent when they really just want to set the terms, or fight.
  
  Praying for you and the FL gang,
  Blessings!
  ChaplainChas.
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @ChaplainChas. -
  That is a very nice thing to say Chas. Thank you for your prayers.
  reply
• 

  Greg P.

  11 months ago

  Brother, all I can say is wow ! :) I'm so enamored by your talent for eloquent articulated writing [answers to the Q&A...].
  reply
• 

  ChaplainChas.

  11 months ago

  What a well thought-out, thorough answer. This is like book material, here, Randy! I especially liked the part about others blaming one for not being transparent when they really just want to set the terms, or fight.
  Praying for you and the FL gang,
  Blessings!
  ChaplainChas.
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @ChaplainChas. -
  That is a very nice thing to say Chas. Thank you for your prayers.
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @Greg P. - Well thank you. It didn't occur to me that this would be a post that would "wow" people. I am humbled :).
  reply
• 

  Greg P.

  11 months ago

  Brother, all I can say is wow ! :) I'm so enamored by your talent for eloquent articulated writing [answers to the Q&A...].
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @Greg P. - Well thank you. It didn't occur to me that this would be a post that would "wow" people. I am humbled :).
  reply
• 

  Cheryl

  11 months ago

  Great post, Randy. I have observed that many people have speculated Paul's thorn to be the same as their own personal struggles. Migraine sufferers have thought Paul's thorn was migraines; depression sufferers are convinced Paul's thorn was depression. I wonder if the word of the Lord to Paul would be as well received and applied by a sufferer of depression if Paul's thorn had been named and it was something other than depression.
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @Cheryl - Thanks Cheryl. Your point is a good illustration of what I was trying to articulate. It's the lesson learned that's important to this example.
  reply
• 

  Cheryl

  11 months ago

  Great post, Randy. I have observed that many people have speculated Paul's thorn to be the same as their own personal struggles. Migraine sufferers have thought Paul's thorn was migraines; depression sufferers are convinced Paul's thorn was depression. I wonder if the word of the Lord to Paul would be as well received and applied by a sufferer of depression if Paul's thorn had been named and it was something other than depression.
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @Cheryl - Thanks Cheryl. Your point is a good illustration of what I was trying to articulate. It's the lesson learned that's important to this example.
  reply
• 

  Janey

  11 months ago

  Hi there,
  
  Paul's thorn....hmm much debate but the word of the Lord does mention a spirit to torment him....how that happens is not something I think is the point. The point is that he's got a thorn. The question needed to ask here is that either he goes on to explain what that thorn is or he's got both a thorn and a spirit tormenting him....possibly the spirit tormenting him is actually the thorn.
  
  And if one does a deeper study of the word thorn it will be linked to "spirit" thus giving a little more credit to the idea of the thorn being a tormenting spirit. Either way, it's not fun, it brings much hardship Paul's way and it serves to teach us one major lesson....
  
  Is that hardship isn't something we should run away from as Christian's. In fact hardship has the potential of creating intimate worship with our Lord.
  
  I like what Andrew Comisky says in his book Strength in Weakness...
  
  As the deepest end of a dry valley drinks in the rain most deeply so the cavities of Paul's soul received the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit...
  
  ok, so the quote might not be word for word acurate but that's the jist of what Andrew wrote.
  
  We can allow for our weaknesses and struggles to get us off track from what God desires for us or we can in our greatest weaknesses and most challenging struggles--the weakness found within our humanity, to allow for us to encounter God's incredible grace. His mighty power at work in our lives!
  
  I was just watching on Youtube the botched interview that Alan Chambers had on the Montel Williams show. You know, it would have been nice for Montel Williams to give as much space to Alan Chambers as he did with the others on his show.
  
  I mention this one episode because I'm amazed with how Exodus handles the criticism the ministry faces both outside the church and within the church.
  
  I've seen in baptism services people talk freely about the Lord's grace in their lives helping them to walk free from a life of crime and addiction but when I got baptised I didn't have the same freedom to say I used to be gay but the Lord's given me the grace I need to walk free from homosexuality. The Lord Jesus Christ truly is our liberator, bringing freedom and liberation where we need Him most in our lives!
  
  It's not Exodus, It's not LWO...it's Jesus! And what people like yourself and those involved with LWO is basicaly introduce people to Jesus the only one who can transform our lives.
  
  Consider this, that this transcendant God drew near in the person of Jesus Christ, becoming acquainted with our suffering, and by the Spirit of God raised again. And this is what I was saying to consider, that the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit in us and at work in us.
  
  Eph 3:14-20 ....I think if we have within us resurrection power this Jesus can truly change lives and sometimes we make the mistake of limiting what God can actually do in our lives because we stop believing or question what God can do.
  
  Anyways, venting, and getting stirred up just a bit...
  
  I am amazed with how Exodus responds to criticism and I would agree with you Randy that when people do get defensive there can be a mixture of pride and fear.
  
  Lord knows this is true in my own life and I keep asking for the Lord to give me the grace I need to not allow for pride and fear to get in the way of what the God is doing.
  
  If anyone has any authority to speak on how to respond to criticism as Christians I say hats off to folks at Exodus--I'm just floored! I really think the way Exodus responds is actually a rarity to find. Most people do end up reacting instead of responding and seriously, I really believe that Exodus shines best in the face of criticism.
  
  Regardless of the reason's behind what people say and do, whether the criticism comes with good intensions or bad, or simply people reacting out of their own legitimate pain, Exodus really does shine!
  reply
• 

  Sarah

  11 months ago

  Hi there,
  Paul's thorn....hmm much debate but the word of the Lord does mention a spirit to torment him....how that happens is not something I think is the point. The point is that he's got a thorn. The question needed to ask here is that either he goes on to explain what that thorn is or he's got both a thorn and a spirit tormenting him....possibly the spirit tormenting him is actually the thorn.
  And if one does a deeper study of the word thorn it will be linked to "spirit" thus giving a little more credit to the idea of the thorn being a tormenting spirit. Either way, it's not fun, it brings much hardship Paul's way and it serves to teach us one major lesson....
  Is that hardship isn't something we should run away from as Christian's. In fact hardship has the potential of creating intimate worship with our Lord.
  I like what Andrew Comisky says in his book Strength in Weakness...
  As the deepest end of a dry valley drinks in the rain most deeply so the cavities of Paul's soul received the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit...
  ok, so the quote might not be word for word acurate but that's the jist of what Andrew wrote.
  We can allow for our weaknesses and struggles to get us off track from what God desires for us or we can in our greatest weaknesses and most challenging struggles--the weakness found within our humanity, to allow for us to encounter God's incredible grace. His mighty power at work in our lives!
  I was just watching on Youtube the botched interview that Alan Chambers had on the Montel Williams show. You know, it would have been nice for Montel Williams to give as much space to Alan Chambers as he did with the others on his show.
  I mention this one episode because I'm amazed with how Exodus handles the criticism the ministry faces both outside the church and within the church.
  I've seen in baptism services people talk freely about the Lord's grace in their lives helping them to walk free from a life of crime and addiction but when I got baptised I didn't have the same freedom to say I used to be gay but the Lord's given me the grace I need to walk free from homosexuality. The Lord Jesus Christ truly is our liberator, bringing freedom and liberation where we need Him most in our lives!
  It's not Exodus, It's not LWO...it's Jesus! And what people like yourself and those involved with LWO is basicaly introduce people to Jesus the only one who can transform our lives.
  Consider this, that this transcendant God drew near in the person of Jesus Christ, becoming acquainted with our suffering, and by the Spirit of God raised again. And this is what I was saying to consider, that the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit in us and at work in us.
  Eph 3:14-20 ....I think if we have within us resurrection power this Jesus can truly change lives and sometimes we make the mistake of limiting what God can actually do in our lives because we stop believing or question what God can do.
  Anyways, venting, and getting stirred up just a bit...
  I am amazed with how Exodus responds to criticism and I would agree with you Randy that when people do get defensive there can be a mixture of pride and fear.
  Lord knows this is true in my own life and I keep asking for the Lord to give me the grace I need to not allow for pride and fear to get in the way of what the God is doing.
  If anyone has any authority to speak on how to respond to criticism as Christians I say hats off to folks at Exodus--I'm just floored! I really think the way Exodus responds is actually a rarity to find. Most people do end up reacting instead of responding and seriously, I really believe that Exodus shines best in the face of criticism.
  Regardless of the reason's behind what people say and do, whether the criticism comes with good intensions or bad, or simply people reacting out of their own legitimate pain, Exodus really does shine!
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @Sarah -
  Thank you for the empathy, encouragement and opinions Sarah. I appreciate them very much.
  reply
• 

  Randy

  11 months ago

  @Sarah -
  Thank you for the empathy, encouragement and opinions Sarah. I appreciate them very much.
  reply