Promise Keepers: Is there any harm in this program?
In 1994, I was going to two Bible studies. One group had several of the men testifying that they had gone to a Promise Keeper Covention and were praising the event. They said it was about making promises to each other to help one another be acountable in their walk with Christ. I never been to a convention, but I testified that I had read it was about making promises to God and man to which they testified that they knew better than to make promises to God. Ironically enough, when I went to another Bible study group within the same week, there were several men that had gone to the Promise Keeper Convention also as they testified that it was about making promises to God. I tried to tell them it was about both, but they said that they knew better than to put confidence in man because they cannot always be there for you to help you be accountable in your walk with Christ.
Looking back, I had wished I had gotten the two Bible study group together to see if God would reveal the irony between the two groups of men that had obviously had gone to the same convention.
In any event, I had never been to a Promise Keeper convention, but one does not need to go to an Islamic Temple to know what Islam is about. One can read.
Another thing I have read about the program is that for those failing, they are told that God will give grace, and they are encouraged to keep trying.
Thus I pose the question: Anyone out there suffering under the yoke of the Promise Keepers' program? Do not be afraid to share your frustrations nor your miseries because I am against it. Proof?
I had been living under the religious yoke of keeping my commitment to follow Christ and failing. Twice I had quit the deacon because I felt like a fraud. I wanted God to know that I knew He is not interested on what is on the outside as religious bondages are seen on the outside testifying of man in the eyes of the people, but what goes on in the inside as what is seen by God. Still, I was living a double-minded christian walk with the Lord in doing the best I can and hoping He would do the rest. I remember lying in my bed, crying in tears in thanking the Lord for saving me but I was miserable for not being able to live as His.
In 1994 I had picked up a christian pamphlet that convicted me of the words of my mouth because I had picked up the habit of cussing to let off some steam when no one was around out at the warehouse where I had used to work. On the back of the pamphlet, I was led to make a covenant with my mouth and so I applied it to not cuss ever again.
The next day I was worse than I ever was before. I was louder than I ever was before! Then as I realized what I was doing, the devil was there putting thoughts in my head,"You are not His. If you were His, He would have helped you keep your covenant." I'd stopped listening to the devil, but as I was at my wits'end, I prayed to God, "Lord. You know I do not want to do this. Why aren't you helping me?"
Then a small still voice answered; not audible, but from within: "You made the covenant. You said you were going to do it. I made The Covenant and I said I am going to do it. All I ask from you is to believe on Me."
I have to say... I was humbled.
When I was going to those two Bble studies and trying to warn them when they were hyping up the Promise Kepers' program, one member, a catholic mason, spoke up in defense: "Isn't a commitment to follow christ like a promise?" He asked it as I sat there speechless and then he answered,"Sure it is." That was then I realized the source of my double-mindedness in my walk with the Lord for I was doing the best I can living the christian life by trying to keep my commitment to follow Him. I began at that moment testifying that no more will I speak of my commitment to follow Christ as did not have confidence in man's ability to do that, but to follow Him by faith that He will enable us to live the christian life.
Of course, masons believed that men needs to be ruled over so my sudden freedom in Christ Jesus fell on deaf ears.
So from that miraculous intervetion of God through Jesus Christ, He provided the scriptures for me to confirm the word given unto me.
Matthew 5:33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Jesus was speaking on how people of old performed their oathes to the Lord as required by law: Numbers 30:2 & Ecclesiates 5:1-7 Then He went to all the swearing that people did by to signify the seriousness of their vowing. Then He explained why we should not make promises that are His to keep in verse 36 above. If anyone doubts this, read below.
John 6:28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
The fact that Matthew 5:37 declares that it is of evil to do so only because it places the believer under a yoke of bondage that he or she must finish and not leave it undone. Such general open promises such as the Promise Keepers' 7 promises can never be said to have finished as anyone should see that God has to do His work and finish it.
Galatians 3:1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
So if by faith in the Son of God that I live by, what need is there for me to make a commitment to follow Him or to add to that heavy yoke, the 7 promises of the Promise Keepers' program?
2 Corinthians 3:4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2 Corinthians 4:5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
John 1: 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Philippians 3:8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings
Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:...9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. 11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Anybody breaking under that yoke? Ask Jesus to deliver you from it and take His so you can est in Him and all His promises to you.
Matthew 11:28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
How important is this? Our faith is more than Jesus having saved us, but also in Him enabling us to live as His and minister as His. Dare we be identified by works that deny that faith in Him as being able by tacking on the filthy rags of righteousness?
Hebrews 4:1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.... 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
May any who suffer call on the Lord to be set free to rest in Him.
1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 John 3:3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Jude 1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
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In 1994, I was going to two Bible studies. One group had several of the men testifying that they had gone to a Promise Keeper Covention and were praising the event. They said it was about making promises to each other to help one another be acountable in their walk with Christ. I never been to a convention, but I testified that I had read it was about making promises to God and man to which they testified that they knew better than to make promises to God. Ironically enough, when I went to another Bible study group within the same week, there were several men that had gone to the Promise Keeper Convention also as they testified that it was about making promises to God. I tried to tell them it was about both, but they said that they knew better than to put confidence in man because they cannot always be there for you to help you be accountable in your walk with Christ.
Looking back, I had wished I had gotten the two Bible study group together to see if God would reveal the irony between the two groups of men that had obviously had gone to the same convention.
In any event, I had never been to a Promise Keeper convention, but one does not need to go to an Islamic Temple to know what Islam is about. One can read.
Another thing I have read about the program is that for those failing, they are told that God will give grace, and they are encouraged to keep trying.
Thus I pose the question: Anyone out there suffering under the yoke of the Promise Keepers' program? Do not be afraid to share your frustrations nor your miseries because I am against it. Proof?
I had been living under the religious yoke of keeping my commitment to follow Christ and failing. Twice I had quit the deacon because I felt like a fraud. I wanted God to know that I knew He is not interested on what is on the outside as religious bondages are seen on the outside testifying of man in the eyes of the people, but what goes on in the inside as what is seen by God. Still, I was living a double-minded christian walk with the Lord in doing the best I can and hoping He would do the rest. I remember lying in my bed, crying in tears in thanking the Lord for saving me but I was miserable for not being able to live as His.
In 1994 I had picked up a christian pamphlet that convicted me of the words of my mouth because I had picked up the habit of cussing to let off some steam when no one was around out at the warehouse where I had used to work. On the back of the pamphlet, I was led to make a covenant with my mouth and so I applied it to not cuss ever again.
The next day I was worse than I ever was before. I was louder than I ever was before! Then as I realized what I was doing, the devil was there putting thoughts in my head,"You are not His. If you were His, He would have helped you keep your covenant." I'd stopped listening to the devil, but as I was at my wits'end, I prayed to God, "Lord. You know I do not want to do this. Why aren't you helping me?"
Then a small still voice answered; not audible, but from within: "You made the covenant. You said you were going to do it. I made The Covenant and I said I am going to do it. All I ask from you is to believe on Me."
I have to say... I was humbled.
When I was going to those two Bble studies and trying to warn them when they were hyping up the Promise Kepers' program, one member, a catholic mason, spoke up in defense: "Isn't a commitment to follow christ like a promise?" He asked it as I sat there speechless and then he answered,"Sure it is." That was then I realized the source of my double-mindedness in my walk with the Lord for I was doing the best I can living the christian life by trying to keep my commitment to follow Him. I began at that moment testifying that no more will I speak of my commitment to follow Christ as did not have confidence in man's ability to do that, but to follow Him by faith that He will enable us to live the christian life.
Of course, masons believed that men needs to be ruled over so my sudden freedom in Christ Jesus fell on deaf ears.
So from that miraculous intervetion of God through Jesus Christ, He provided the scriptures for me to confirm the word given unto me.
Matthew 5:33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Jesus was speaking on how people of old performed their oathes to the Lord as required by law: Numbers 30:2 & Ecclesiates 5:1-7 Then He went to all the swearing that people did by to signify the seriousness of their vowing. Then He explained why we should not make promises that are His to keep in verse 36 above. If anyone doubts this, read below.
John 6:28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
The fact that Matthew 5:37 declares that it is of evil to do so only because it places the believer under a yoke of bondage that he or she must finish and not leave it undone. Such general open promises such as the Promise Keepers' 7 promises can never be said to have finished as anyone should see that God has to do His work and finish it.
Galatians 3:1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
So if by faith in the Son of God that I live by, what need is there for me to make a commitment to follow Him or to add to that heavy yoke, the 7 promises of the Promise Keepers' program?
2 Corinthians 3:4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2 Corinthians 4:5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
John 1: 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Philippians 3:8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings
Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:...9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. 11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Anybody breaking under that yoke? Ask Jesus to deliver you from it and take His so you can est in Him and all His promises to you.
Matthew 11:28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
How important is this? Our faith is more than Jesus having saved us, but also in Him enabling us to live as His and minister as His. Dare we be identified by works that deny that faith in Him as being able by tacking on the filthy rags of righteousness?
Hebrews 4:1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.... 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
May any who suffer call on the Lord to be set free to rest in Him.
1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 John 3:3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Jude 1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
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