Acknowledgement

"...will you forgive me for think, ya know, for my part, any wrong..."    - Kelly Dykstra

Forgiveness was offered.  Oh, the joy of knowing that you forgave, as GOD has forgiven you!! You also came so close to admitting that you may have done something wrong. So close!!

I feel that members of Crossing Church may, however, have been a little bit misled into thinking the "people who were INTENT on hurting" the church were not doing it with a purpose. Perhaps that you (as a church and it's leadership) were being targeted for no apparent reason, that the actions and deeds of the leadership had nothing to do with this. The accountability is sadly missing.  I am glad you are all so "guilt free" in all of this.  I hope it allows for pleasant dreams at night.

I can't speak for others, but I know what I desire as the ultimate outcome.  I want to see Jesus preached every weekend, large chunks of the Bible quoted and used as intended, not twisted to suit your "vision" from GOD. I don't want to see, or hear, of any more people leaving wounded, unhealthy or uncertain in their faith, afraid to go to any other church, broken in more ways than one. You do not need to have a mega church to reach people and lead them to Christ. Let go of that goal and focus on what you have. Be true to the people that are there now and more will come to hear the true word of GOD.

I was not trying to hurt, but to open the eyes of the offenders and to prevent others from being hurt. My intent was, I would hope, noble in thought, if not always executed eloquently. My apologies, if I offended, but I am quite certain GOD has already forgiven me.

Jen

Kelly, perhaps you should practice what you preach. Actions speak louder than words.

"Humble yourself before GOD, he will lift you up."  - Kelly Dykstra

Word Power!?!?

"Jesus spoke, people were healed, demons fled, and storms were calmed." - Eric Dykstra

The main point of your own statement, Mr. Dykstra, is "Jesus spoke".  Jesus has those powers.  From listening to your words, if I were to believe them, I would have to be a God myself.  Wouldn't that mean that I am believing in myself as a false idol?  Weird.  Almost as weird as blessing and cursing rice. 

I can pray, I can ask for things, but ultimately it is not my words that make it so. No blessing that is spoken over me is going to mean as much as the grace earned by simply believing. No curse by any man on this earth has the power to damn me, unless Jesus himself returns and speaks it over me himself.

Ephesians 2

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Notice there is nothing in there that says I have to bring people to church, tithe, get to work, or pour blessings out in order to get them?  I also don't see anything saying that my "words have supernatural power".  Sad that you take Biblical words and twist them for your own psychological manipulation.

Jeremiah 23
15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets: “I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” 16 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’  18 But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? 19 See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.  20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come    you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22  But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds. 23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? 24  Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. 25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.
33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the Lord.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ I will punish them and their household. 35 This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

Do you think the false prophets of today are any different?  Do you think God will say, "Ah, you know, I am glad you kept it relevant to the times"? 

If God doesn't change, I am pretty sure He still feels that same.

Jen