OLD fashioned preacher

I may have posted this in the past - but due to the number of people willing to consider socialism: How taxes work - 10 Men Go To Dinner. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner and the bill for all comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: 10 MEN GO TO DINNER. The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing like they do now with the present income tax structure. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59 of the bill. So that is what the ten men decide to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you all are such good customers I am going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20". Dinner for the 10 men now costs just $80... The group still wanted to pay the bill the same way that they paid their taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six men -- the Paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everybody would get his "Fair Share"? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth and sixth man would each end up being paid to eat their meal... So, the restaurant owner suggested it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill roughly the same amount; and proceeded to work out the amounts each man would pay. The fifth, like the first four now paid nothing (100% savings). The sixth man now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings) The seventh man now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings) The eight man now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings) The ninth man now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings) The tenth man now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings) Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings... "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man "but he got $10"... "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than me!?" "That's true", shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth man and beat him up... The next night the Tenth man did not show up for dinner, so the Nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half the bill! And that Boys & Girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just might not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier? With the above scenario, determined to still go out it would have to be adjusted similar to this: Determined not to do without their freebies and causing the other 5 to feel guilty for entertaining the idea that life is not free the 4 still pay $0 for a $10 meal. #5 pays $2.44 instead of $1 $6 pays $7.31 instead of $3 #7 pays $17.07 instead of $7 #8 pays $29.27 instead of $12 $9 pays $43.91 instead of $18 Total $100 just as before -- but wait! #10 left, he didn't consume a $10 meal, we have extra money -- should we divide it amongst those who paid extra for their meal? No, that is just greed on the part of the 5, give each of the 4 who got free meals $2.50 each and don't make them buss tables and earn it -- now THAT'S fair!

It can be attractive without being seductive, immodest, revealing, or alluring. Most today, however, are not.

Will pray

I don't know what his current work schedule is but, due to the nature of his job, he often works(ed) 12 hrs a day / 7 days a week for up to a month and a half or 2 months at a time with a week or two home between jobs.

Remember my location: "Under a Rock but Crawl Out Occasionally", or in other words: I've always been too busy with the ministry the Lord had me in to get out much. So, I had heard somewhere about an Eric Capaci and got the impression he was somewhat known with Independent Baptists????? Anyway, I was calling for meetings in Arkansas and left a message on his voice mail at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Hot Springs. I read something this week saying that he was dabbling around SBC ministries and events. FWIW, if anyone is wondering if there's any truth to that - I just got off the phone with him (I must give him credit for returning my call, over 3/4 of pastors DO NOT!!!!!!! I know several missionaries who can concur to that. As a pastor I made it a point of being courteous enough to return those calls because it's the right thing to do!) Back on track - he told me "we are Southern Baptist and though we do support some missionaries who are not SBC most of our missions work is through the Convention." So, there's no question, he is upfront about their current status as an SBC church and College.

Yep: 2Ki 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. The chariot and horses separated Elijah from Elisha, the whirlwind carried up Elijah.

Actually, he's not stating that a certain # of times in reading will mysteriously .... The emphasis here is to inundate yourself with enough Scripture to know the context and flow of the given book instead of just a verse or two which may or may not be lifted partially or totally out of context. I was once told in 1981 by an old Bible College professor (Rufus Bryant - he was saved around 1915 or so) "If you are studying a book of the Bible, read it through at least 15 times before picking up your pencil to write any notes." The idea here is to get to know the passage well before seeking to comment, teach, or analyze said passage. You can't get enough of God's Word. As Lester Roloff once said concerning hiding God's Word in our hearts, "it's time we QUIT having our children memorize verses, they need to be memorizing CHAPTERS". He believed that about the adults, too. People who have seen their sincere beliefs were Biblically wrong generally see it from Bible, not commentary.

Again, what do the bylaws state and what does the secular law within that state stipulate. There is also the fact that something can be legal and not ethical. Also, is this money now used for the preacher's home or set aside for a future church location?

The problem (if I am reading your posts correctly) is that you are looking for a majority teaching from IB. This may be to either: A) Use such teaching as your means to "give an answer to every man", or B) use the results as a means to later determine whether you can (or should) stay with or withdraw from IB as a whole as opposed to an individual IBC. I would contend that you should (and perhaps this is your intent, though it is not the impression I get from your posts) study out the subject in the Word of God. Should you go ahead and look at the various angles, explanations, logic, verses, and refutations espoused by all "camps"? Sure, but don't look at any of them on the basis of a "majority rules" decision. Only then can you be "ready to give an answer to every man" and be "fully persuaded" in your own mind.

Due to the nature of the churches being independent in their autonomy, a percentage of what is believed, practiced or condemned by Independent Baptists (or Independent Fundamental Baptists, or Bible Believing Baptists, or Independent Bible Believing Baptists, or Unaffiliated Baptists, or Unaffiliated Independent Baptists - just to include some of the independently chosen monikers I've seen, get the idea yet? i - n - d - e - p -e - n - d - e - n - t) is not calculable (and can only be assumed) because there is not even a source that list ALL of the IBCs in the USA, much less outside of the US.

So, since the church I was saved in no longer exist then, according to those folks, I don't have to give anything to anybody (does this include my electric bill?)

Curious. Are they talking about the church in which you got saved (for me that's 46 years back and is an SBC church. Plus, it no longer exists. Would that move it to the 2nd church I was a member of - also SBC. Or perhaps the first IBC I was a member of?). Or is it a deal where you are out of town for a year (military short term overseas duty assignment) if you don't change church membership. Or if you went to Canada as a missionary but have since taken a "permanent" pastorate of a Canadian church do you send it to what once was your sending church?

I "knew it" I just hadn't noticed it...….. if that makes sense...…? Yep, makes sense ( been there ) Exo 24:9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: Exo 24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. Exo 24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. (emphasis mine) Though they did not see a similitude (Deut 4:12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. ), they saw "something". Was it an outline but no facial features or other distinction? Don't know but they saw something while not seeing something.

Old Order Amish teach this as do a few Mennonite groups.

It going (and going and going). 15months in - our target departure date is approaching quickly (before the end of 2020) and our support level is rising at the speed of growing stalagmites. But the Lord has been wonderful.