All this confessing before others reminds me of a story I read in the 60's.
It took place in Africa.  It concerned this woman who worked for a European.
She joined this church wherein there was a lot of this open confession.
She, under the pretense of wanting to cleanse her soul confessed to all
these affairs she had been having with the men in her village.  Her husband
immediately hanged himself.  When her employer was told of this he was told
by the other Dutchman that the African lady when she saw her husband hanging
there in her hysterics pulled at his feet trying to get him down from the
tree upon which he was hanging.  Shortly thereafter he went to the village
from which these Africans came.  There he saw something slaughtered for his
dinner.  He saw the boy who was doing the hanging of the animal pulling at
the feet of the animal the same way his friend said his maid pulled at the
feet of her husband.  He questioned his host about this practice.  His host
said, rather testily, "how else can you determine whether they are dead".
Apparently her husband knew about her infidelities all along and stayed with
his wife because he loved his wife.  His culture frowned on cuckoldry.  She
made them all aware of his cuckoldry.   when it realized he was a cuckold he
couldn't cope so he hanged himself.  She had used this open confession to
shame him, thus engineering his death.  I would never openly confess because
this practice can too often be misused.
----- Original Message -----
From: Kathy Du Bois <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: Scripture ponderment


> Well Brad,
> I'm      not necessarily talking about you here, but I know that too
> often, the expectation is that the pastor is supposed to visit, have
> a little chat, perhaps share a little scripture, pray a sweet little
> blessing and then leave.  The person is happy that the pastor has
> given them attention and they just go back to their misery.  If there
> should be confessing, we don't want to push the person because that
> could appear judgmental.  The problem is even complicated more by
> those people who visit the sick saying, "You must have done something
> to bring this on!" So we just let all those nice unspokens hang out
> there.   Then there are the elders, or deacons or whatever your
> church calls it who either think that visiting the sick is the
> pastors job or, think that visiting the sick is something that they
> might get around too if they can work it into their schedule.  I'll
> admit it.  I absolutely hate the prayer sessions at our church
> because they are just all a bunch of foniness.  Everybody stays
> dignified and controlled.  The confessions are done, "silently,"
> mostly because you never know who the gossip is.  Or maybe better
> yet, you do know and that's why its better to keep those things
> quiet!  Anyway, I just think that all of that form really blocks what
> God can do.
>          I'm not saying that the holy rollers have it right either
> because to them, you aren't filled with the spirit unless you do
> become undignified and start jumping around and let all ability to
> think fly out of your head.  We can think and we can feel and we
> should be able to get real without fear of being judged.  I think
> that if more of that were going on:  more really hart felt prayer,
> including confession, God could do more because we would be more
> pliable in Him.  I mean, just consider for a moment, while you can
> think of lots of ways that God could be glorified by your healing,
> can you also think of ways that your healing could be abused by
> others?     Just think about that!
> Kathy
>
>
> At 10:41 AM 1/24/2006, you wrote:
> >Kathy,
> >
> >That was my thoughts regarding prison. If they did wrong, then Christian
or
> >heathen, the reaping of what they sowed is still in order. That is only
> >just. But what of sickness? James talks about not elders going to the
sick,
> >but rather the sick going to the elders, bust out the bottle of oil and
> >glug gluggluglug pray over them with all having sincere hearts. Been
there,
> >done that, both with actual oil and the virtual kind . And I will say
too.
> >That I know God heals because he in fact did a partial healing in me
which
> >I recited here a time or two. It wasn't a change in abilities for me, but
> >demonstrative to me he does heel. This is why I had difficulty
> >understanding. Oh and the partial healing was not among the elders, prior
> >to any prayer from anyone in that regard or venue, but simply standing in
> >prayer, talking to God about this all, in the midst of a church full of
> >people in corporate prayer about whatever and having a silent moment with
> >God. Actually it was quite long, but that is the venue. Perhaps I need to
> >look back at that time more and see what I can learn from it.
> >
> >Brad
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >At 09:15 AM 1/24/2006 -0500, you wrote:
> > >Brad,
> > >          Just a thought, off the top of my head, of course.  Could it
> > >be that, as for not being freed from prison, the person deserved to
> > >be there, but while there, was still in need of God's love?  Prison
> > >Fellowship doesn't free people physically, but, hopefully, they free
> > >a lot of people spiritually.  Many Christian's however, aren't even
> > >willing to do that.  Yet, Christ died for the prisoners too and
> > >that's why they should still be visited.  Maybe Jesus is asking,
> > >"when I was in prison, why didn't you bring me hope?
> > >
> > >Then, as far as the sick:  James tells us what to do while we are
> > >visiting the sick.
> > >
> > >"Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.
> > >Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.
> > >Is any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to
> > >pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
> > >For the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the
> > >Lord will raise him up.
> > >If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
> > >Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so
> > >that you may be healed."
> > >James 5:13-16
> > >
> > >How many of our visits to the sick look like that?  Of course, then
> > >how many of us consider death as the answer to our prayers by saying,
> > >"well, he is in heaven now where he is perfectly healed and freed
> > >from suffering?"
> > >Kathy
> > >
> > >At 01:11 AM 1/24/2006, you wrote:
> > > >I read the below scripture, when you are done I have a question
> > to present.
> > > >
> > > >Matthew 25:34-40
> > > >
> > > >34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are
> > > >blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
> > > >foundation of the world.
> > > >35 "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was
thirsty, and
> > > >you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me
in;
> > > >36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was
in
> > > >prison, and you came to Me.'
> > > >37 "Then the righteous will answer Him,"Lord, when did we see You
hungry,
> > > >and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
> > > >38 "And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked,
and
> > > >clothe You?
> > > >39 "When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
> > > >40 "The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the
> > > >extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the
least of
> > > >them, you did it to Me.
> > > >
> > > >OK here is an outline of my thoughts...
> > > >
> > > >1. I'm hungry. You fed me. You fixed the situation makes sense.
> > > >2. I'm thirsty. You gave me drink. Again fixed it sensibly.
> > > >3. I'm a stranger. You invited me in. Again fixed the situation.
> > > >4. I'm naked. You clothed me, yep makes sense.
> > > >5. I was sick. You visited me. Visited me? Visited!! Just
> > visited?  Why not
> > > >heal?
> > > >6. I was imprisoned. You came to me . Came to me? Why not free me?
> > > >
> > > >All the prior instances were directly fixed with the curative. I
> > wonder why
> > > >the tone changed with sickness and imprisonment? Curious minds
> > want to know.
> > > >
> > > >Brad
> >
> >Brad
> >
> >    There is a difference between having a problem, and being a problem