Wha.. what??? What the hell did I say this time? What was it about my reply that shook your beans?? The "Grr" part? I was directing that "Grr" at myself, for forgetting what I learned a few years back!! It wasn't aimmed at you!!
What was the best lesson your father gave people when he was a pastor? <---- This was just a question to break the ice????????
My best and only friend in 5th grade was a Lutheran. He didn't tell me much about what he believed in, though. he just told me that Lutherans believe pretty much the same things as Catholics, but with minor differences.<----- THIS also was to break the ice!!!!
And for God's sake, I never heard of 'Jack Chick'! I never read his work, I didn't even know he exists!
Well, God bless you, man! For spreading the faith and word...
Huh??? No, you're certainly not getting an "amen" from me, at least not for now. I think we are in a situation of miscommunication and misunderstanding!
I'm a catholic! I already believe in the divine Trinity! How could I possibly not know my own church's beliefs?? You don't have to prove to me the existence of the holy Trinity, for I already know it exists!!!!
WOW,
I am sorry, I totally misunderstood. And I also apologize for the "
I know, frequently they are doing a poor job of teaching those things to their congregations," comment. That is purely a personal opinion based on Catholics I have talked to, who act like they know a great deal about Mary, while knowing very little about the Catechism. I should not have said that, forgive me.
It sounded like to me like you were putting down Catholics (MY MISTAKE NOT YOURS), and yes I do react to that kind of christian brother on brother bigotry. When I grew up, my Mom thought ONLY Lutherans were going to heaven. So when I started going to non-denominational Bible teaching Churches to get more teaching of HIS WORD, I even got the lecture, "So you're going to desert the CHURCH." She mellowed more, and understood more in her old age, many because of a new Pastor that was a better Bible Teacher.
Now I had better explain Jack Chick. He was a Pentecostal (if I remember right). Anyhow he published a huge series of Tracts that looked like mini-comic books so that they would appeal to younger people. MANY of his cartoon characterizations of Priests or the Pope, would have evil looking faces and his story line claimed that the Catholic Church was the Anti-Christ religion. AND that one day a Pope would become the Anti-Christ. Jack Chick also taught that we were not Saved by Grace alone, but we had to add to that GRACE of GOD's, which also made him a false prophet.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
[SUP]
8 [/SUP] For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-
[SUP]
9 [/SUP]
not by works, so that no one can boast.
Now that I know you are Catholic, I can explain some more about the Lutheran and the Catholics and their similarity during my teenage years. Back in the mid-west, Nebraska to be exact, the Catholics and the Lutherans were in the BAD HABIT of putting each other down. I grew up hearing how wrong the Catholics were, and the very first time that I went to Church with a Catholic friend, the entire sermon was about how wrong Martin Luther was. That denominational bigotry that I was seeing among the adults in my small town community was what was really wrong. What shocked me is when I went to the Catholic Church with my friend Bill, because while the sermon was anti-Lutheran, the Order of Service back then was IDENTICAL word for word THE SAME as the Lutheran Churches Order of Service. I was even a Lutheran Alter Boy, only we called those in that position Acolytes, while the adult Catholics and Lutherans back then were frequently bickering and accusing each other of being false teachers.
When I truly surrendered control my of life to JESUS as LORD (which means Master), I was 29 years old. Prior to that I must admit, I was just a Church goer that took up space on a pew and daydreamed through the sermons; mainly because of the denominational bigotry that I was seeing. Now after I surrendered control of my life to Jesus as LORD, I became VERY hungry for the teaching of HIS WORD for the very first time. Prior to that I thought it was just boring. I soon found Dr. John MacArthur starting a new series on his radio program Grace to You, explaining the Book of Revelation. It was a series that lasted 72 nights and I taped it and relistened to it three more times. I was hooked on one hour sermons for life.
Where we go to Church now is a non-denominational community Bible teaching Church, that has approximately 20 minutes of praise music, 10 minutes of Prayer, and one hour sermons that are purely expositing the Bible verse by verse. They also teach and believe just like Dr. John MacArthur that Christ recognizes Seven types of Churches that belong to HIM, all of which teach and believe in the Holy Trinity.
If you look at the Letter to the Seven Churches in the first three Chapters of Revelation you will find that YES, the Seven Churches were REAL Churches, with different Characteristics, YET Christ recognized ALL SEVEN. Looking deeper at their individual characteristics we find that they represent not only types of Trinity Believing Christians, but also Types of Churches that would be the dominant type of Congregations throughout a specific time period in the Church AGE. Church History validates that each type did dominate it the EXACT consecutive order that CHRIST named them. That places us smack dab in the middle of, if not near the end, of the Laodicean AGE when the majority of those claiming to be Christian have a lukewarm love for Christ.
Revelation 3:14-22 (NIV)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
[SUP]15 [/SUP] I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
[SUP]16 [/SUP] So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
[SUP]17 [/SUP] You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
[SUP]18 [/SUP] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
[SUP]20 [/SUP] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
[SUP]21 [/SUP] To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
[SUP]22 [/SUP] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
This truly is an age when the majority that call themselves Christians are LUKEWARM about their Love for Christ.
They claim to be spiritually rich, but do not know that they are spiritually bankrupt, and many do not even have
the Holy Spirit in them. They still manage to lead a few to the LORD, only because of the WORD being preached.
Isaiah 55:11 (NASB)
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11 [/SUP] So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding
in the matter for which I sent it.
The Laodicean Age is the final Church Age prior to Christ returning to CALL us to meet HIM in the air. Are the majority at the end of that Age going to hear that CALL? My guess, is probably not, because of their Lukewarmness for Christ. They have three dollars worth of God in a brown paper bag, stuffed deep in their pocket where NO ONE can see it, telling those who are red hot on fire with the Love for Christ, "Leave me alone, I have enough of GOD." Why is it better to be Cold than Lukewarm? Because a Christian who's Love for Christ has grown cold, knows he is not right with the LORD, AND THEREFORE HE IS TEACHABLE, where those who are Lukewarm refuse to listen.
You cannot brand me with a Denomational title. I have been affiliated for many years with non-denominational Community Bible Teaching Churches. If I must pick a descriptive title, I would have to use Conservative Evangelical; because I certainly am not a Liberal.
