Sean Steckbeck's Page

Sean, I really appreciated your post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns. I also admire Alan and have gained from some of his insights,but I too struggle with some of the same things you mentioned. Neil, is a friend that I know does not agree with the "Emergent" stuff you mentioned. Any alliance he has with Emergent folk is for sowing organic/missional principles.

We have many of the leaders of the Emergent movement here in my city (Minneapolis/St.Paul) and they are not impacting much to be honest. People who go to their meetings find them not very different from a traditional meeting in many aspects. It seems like those who are interested are people in mainline denominations that want some kind of "change" but not where they may lose their status or pay as professional clergy.

I noticed you are in the Lk10 group here on Simple Church - but you have not registered on the site itself to join in the discussions and community there. I think you'd like this site. Check it out.

Again, thanks for your post.

Katie

Shalom Sean,

Help me out a little with your question about Beit Mikdash Me'at. My Hebrew is not what it should be. lol Beit Mikdash Me'at. Home/House Sanctury/Temple (Me'at)? I don't recall what Me'at means?

Sean,

I think I can understand some of your feeling on some of them. There are many different flows that seem to not agree within my Spirit. But we are all learning as we walk on our journey. I know I have changed over the years. Some concepts I use to accept, I don't now and some I did not accept of understand then, I now do. Yet, often many of them do have something to offer and learn from either positive or negative. I attempt to take hold of the good and discard the bad.

Joseph

Hi Sean,
I'm Edgar from the Philippines. I'd like to invite you to read my article at www.bibleone.net/TheMillennium.htm. The millennium doctrine is vital for Christians to understand. It has to do with the word of the kingdom and the salvation of the soul, not spirit (Matt. 13:19; 1 Pet. 1:9; James 1:21; Heb. 10:39; Matt. 16:24-28). I'd appreciate a comment, but you are not obligated.
Thanks,
Edgar Meneses

Hi Sean, I was reading the discussion on Jerome conspiracy and your comment on Universalism. Apparently there is a stream of something flowing in the house church movement too. As you know Tim and I are here in Portal, GA at the headquarters of Open Church Ministries which was founded by James Rutz, author of Open Church and Megashift. He has also written another book, The Meaning of Life, in which he describes his opinion of no hell and some other very questionable stuff. Because of these stances we do not promote this book. Apparently this is cropping up in the house church community.

I really don't know about others in HC promoting this stuff. I was really shocked when I read it in Jim's 3rd book. Here at the office we decided not to send it out. So we have not.
The school we had here is closed. Tim and I are developing our ministry of deliverance and inner healing through Bear Creek Ranch. See more at www.bearcreekportal.com. We are still promoting HC and SC and through our ministry contacts at our deliverance retreats many are going home and starting small groups in their homes.

I left a comment on the Jerome conspiracy. Most people still commenting there seem to believe in universal salvation and I really would like to hear what you have to say about my questions. I wasn't sure if you were still watching this forum and wanted to ask you to read it. Thanks
Peggy

I just wanted to say thanks for your post in TD's Universalism discussion. You really laid out a functioning plan for discipleship. I bless you and Ayellat in your work in Israel.

Tim and I have been trying to bring the voice of maturity into simplechurch.com. I wanted to bring an element or source of healing to individuals on this forum. I am amazed that there are few elder voices participating in the discussions. Lately, I am feeling less and less inclined to participate. so mostly I just respond directly to the individual on their my page.

Again, Blessings to you.
Katie

Sean my brother. I feel your pain and your sincerity. I do agree with you on the issues you have raised, but just wanted to pass along to you some wisdom the Lord gave me a few years ago. If God gives you a message, then you become a messenger, not a salesman. Once you realize the difference between the two it will bring you peace. Just deliver the message, only God can change a person's heart, whether it is an unbeliever or a deceived brother or sister. Don't worry about selling the "product", just deliver the message. Once you have done that, you have succeeded. God bless you in your work.

Hi Sean,

I have to ask you why you are so 100% sure that Universalism is heresy?

I've done a LOT of study of this, and I have rejected it because I find too many problems with it. But the reality is what Tony said - this has been an open question in Christianity for nearly 2000 years. Granted it's been less of an open question in recent history, but that is not because everyone has agreed - it's really the result of a time of excommunicating and even killing those who rejected the doctrine of "The Church".

Again, I agree with you that Universalism is not true, but when I look at how this has been viewed by good solid Bible believing Christians for centuries, I have a hard time stamping it as hearsay. I also look at the very real logical and biblical problems with the current "accepted theology" of "turn or burn", and wonder how we can so blindly call another troubled understanding wrong when we can't really deal with all the problems with what we say we believe.

Please understand I am all about being right with God and dealing with those who are teaching things that are false - but as I have grown in wisdom of the years I have found that I am not nearly as smart as I thought. My list of what I am sure about has changed, and what I feel confident enough to call "fact not opinion" has gotten smaller. I have realised that I am responsible for what I teach, and held accountable by God for anything incorrect that I share.

In all of this I have developed a two level approach to "truth". There is what I am so sure of I will teach it as absolute truth, and there is what I find true but not beyond any shadow of a doubt. Pride often causes me to want to put something in the "absolute" category, wisdom often causes me to hesitate.

Some day we will all stand naked in front of God, and all our wisdom will be destroyed. The things that we did out of pride, fear, or desire for power will be exposed. All the lies we taught in the name of God will be evident, and all the errors we embraced as absolute truth will be shown. I pray that I will not be found to have taught untruth as truth.

Blessings in His name,
Paul