Any Christians out there like me?

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LouiseC

Guest
#1
#1
I'm looking to see if there are any Christians who have the same faith as me...because looking through these threads I haven't found anyone.
So here goes:
I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and I believe we are all born into sin, and totally corrupted and a slave to it, unless we reach out to Christ and are saved by grace, not works.

I don't go to church. I totally believe almost all churches, unless they are like small home gatherings, have been corrupted and taken over by pretenders who enjoy the power of leading a group and being able to manipulate these people. I don't believe any true christian goes to church or continues to go to one. They are devoid of Grace. Either you eventually leave, or you lose your faith in order to continue. The early churches were formed as small house gatherings, to read letters from those chosen to write gods word (such as the apostles and Paul etc). In those days there was not a printing press, so it wasn't possible to read gods word on your own. Now it is, so we don't need to go to a church building to be lectured as if we can't read or buy a bible. I also believe the most toxic person is a fake Christian, and we need to avoid them like the plague. Everyone else, other non-christians are find to be friends with on a light level. True Christians are a breath of fresh air.

I never read 'Christian books', those self help style ones devoid of grace that attempt to explain the bible and how it helps us in modern times, as if we don't even have the spirit of God to translate his word for us. They are actually a good indication of a fake Christian, those who read them a lot or continue to read them.

I love reading the bible, at least once per day, and these days as I am going through a trial I read it multiple times. The word is alive to me, it breathes, almost dances on the page it's incredible, so full of grace. And even when I don't read anything specific to my situations, I still feel more peace afterwards and can do more in my day than I could have without it.

When I read the bible, it confirms what I have found in Christ....it doesn't teach me in the way most books teach rules and things to do. It confirms the grace I have received. I never read the bible before I knew god, I don't believe people really find God through reading it specifically, I think they first have to find God, and then the bible confirms in their hearts what they have received. I also don't think people find god through proving his existence, you have to actually want to do his will, and give up your own. You also have to be willing to see you are a sinner, and need saving.

Because the lgbt thing is so big right now, and it is seen as such a loving thing to embrace it (and now is the in thing for fake christians to use as a way to make them look like nice people), I should clarify I do believe that the sexual acts between two men or two women, are sin, and as we are all born into sin I believe gays are born with that tendency, just as we are all born with different sinful tendencies. I certainly don't discriminate against these people though, we should treat them as we do any other person. They are no worse than anyone else or me in fact.

I have never met anyone outside my family who have become Christians. I have met plenty of fakes, and had several guys pretend to become one to try and get me to marry them. It is a lonely world for a Christian, we a re few and far between, but I am truly blessed both my parents and two sisters now (not my brother, yet) actually know god and have the spirit. I am truly blessed they aren't fake christians who would attack my faith.

Anyway, there is more I am sure, but if you can relate to what I have said above, let me know! I'd love to hear from you and perhaps you want to hear from me.
 
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Tintin

Guest
#2
#2
You sound incredibly judgemental, in saying that Christians who attend church aren't true Christians and that Christian books are really written by non-Christians. Might want to work on growing in the fruit of the Spirit. Because right now, you strike me as a Pharisee.
 
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Galatea

Guest
#3
#3
Two things: The Bible says to forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. I have not been a member of a church in a long while, and feel it sorely. I have found a church I may like to attend, and hope it is a good fit for me.

Second, we do not find God first, then read and understand the Bible. We hear the word first "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

I don't know, but I think most Christians have an ache to be a part of a church family. It is a way to fellowship and learn from each other. You won't agree 100% with any pastor, but if you agree with the major doctrines taught in the church, that is what is important.

There is the psalm "It is good to come into the house of God."
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#4
#4
So I am a pharisee for calling out the pharisees. Jesus hung with the prostitutes, and stood against the religious teachers of that time. What does church actually give you? Do you not know how viciously Paul in the bible speaks out against fake believers? They are the most toxic people to be around, according to the Word of god himself. If your church even has just a few non believers in it, this is proof your pastor cannot detect them, and therefore he has let his pride of running a church with too many people to keep an eye on, take over his dedication to Christ. And therefore you are being taught by a non-believer pretending to be a Christian, the very person Paul warns us about so emphatically to be the worst kind of person to associate with, the ones who lead believers astray. If you go to a church with fewer than 15-20 people then you can be pretty sure the leader isn't doing it for pride, and is able to keep an eye on infiltrators who introduce destructive messages...Obviously there are true Christians in churches, but if they follow god, he will lead them out. Don't you realize the hype in these places? And those who write Christian books, why? What for? What can they ad to Gods word? And how arrogant to think they can guide people in matters of the spirit, who they don't even know. Do they get so little from the bible that they have to resort to hype filled 'christian' religious books to fill the gap? The books are like bread leavened with yeast, full of hot air and no real substance or food for the spirit. If the bible bores you, it's because you have nothing in you that it is feeding. Sorry to be blunt but I don't believe in flowery talk. I have not accused you of being judgmental, as you just did with me.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#5
#5
Thank you for your opinion, it is good to find those who agree and those who disagree with my faith. I am looking for someone who agrees with me.
 
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Tintin

Guest
#6
#6
LouiseC said:
So I am a pharisee for calling out the pharisees. Jesus hung with the prostitutes, and stood against the religious teachers of that time. What does church actually give you? Do you not know how viciously Paul in the bible speaks out against fake believers? They are the most toxic people to be around, according to the Word of god himself. If your church even has just a few non believers in it, this is proof your pastor cannot detect them, and therefore he has let his pride of running a church with too many people to keep an eye on, take over his dedication to Christ. And therefore you are being taught by a non-believer pretending to be a Christian, the very person Paul warns us about so emphatically to be the worst kind of person to associate with, the ones who lead believers astray. If you go to a church with fewer than 15-20 people then you can be pretty sure the leader isn't doing it for pride, and is able to keep an eye on infiltrators who introduce destructive messages...Obviously there are true Christians in churches, but if they follow god, he will lead them out. Don't you realize the hype in these places? And those who write Christian books, why? What for? What can they ad to Gods word? And how arrogant to think they can guide people in matters of the spirit, who they don't even know. Do they get so little from the bible that they have to resort to hype filled 'christian' religious books to fill the gap? The books are like bread leavened with yeast, full of hot air and no real substance or food for the spirit. If the bible bores you, it's because you have nothing in you that it is feeding. Sorry to be blunt but I don't believe in flowery talk. I have not accused you of being judgmental, as you just did with me.
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Oh, grow up. Your other threads are about you pining over some non-Christian guy. And here you say that Christians who go to church aren't true Christians and that God will lead them out of the church. Well, I hate to break this to you, mate, but smaller assemblies of believers are just as likely to be popularity cults or tickling ear conventions. It's not the size of the group that's the problem. The problem is with the human heart. Meeting together with other Christians is a vital part of a Christian's life. We're to worship on our own and with other believers. Finally, Christian books exist to extrapolate on themes or whatever within God's Word. They don't add to the revelation of Holy Spirit or anything like that, but they can help Christians grow in Christ. That's not to say they're all valid, many of them are nonsense. But whether it's church or Christian books, you shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater just because it crapped itself.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#7
#7
Just about that second note.....there are millions of people who find god and are filled with his spirit, and have never heard the message or read the bible. When I found god, the only thing I knew was what my parents told me, if I want to know god, ask for forgiveness. And that was all i needed to know. A few years later I reached out and he revealed himself to me by his spirit because I asked him, not a book. And the bible confirmed in my what I had already found. The bible constantly talks about growing in 'Knowledge' of the spirit, and working out what you have already been given. After all, do you receive the spirit from the bible or from God himself? Is god so weak that he can't give you his spirit if you call out to him to save you from what he has revealed to be your sin? So perhaps I am living proof you don't need to read the bible first, and you don't need to hear the full message either. what you mean by 'we' I guess I am not a part of.
 
maxwel

maxwel

Senior Member
#8
Apr 18, 2013
9,526
2,608
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#8
LouiseC said:
I have never met anyone outside my family who have become Christians.
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That's because you're the ONLY ONES.

All the rest of us are fake.

You are the ONLY ONES LEFT.

Don't even bother looking.

DON'T EVEN LEAVE YOUR HOUSE... IT'S NOT SAFE!!!!
 
A

Adstar

Senior Member
#9
Jul 24, 2016
7,581
3,616
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#9
Hi Louise i agreed with all in your post except this part..

I never read the bible before I knew god, I don't believe people really find God through reading it specifically, I think they first have to find God, and then the bible confirms in their hearts what they have received.
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I was in a fake religion until i actually read the Bible and discovered how many false doctrines i had been fed.. I only came to know the true grace of God by reading the Bible and having the Way of Salvation revealed to me.. I agreed with the way and loved it and embraced it with open arms.. So i discovered the real Jesus through reading the Bible and it was that act that revealed to me that i had been following another jesus,,, not the real LORD Jesus Christ..

I also don't think people find god through proving his existence, you have to actually want to do his will, and give up your own. You also have to be willing to see you are a sinner, and need saving.
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I would say the need is to agree with His will that it is good, to believe Him.. But to acknowledge His will as being good and right does not mean that ones own carnal will shall be overcome and we shall actually do His will... The desire is there but because of our carnal sin state of being the ability is not there to do it consistently.. I have never really met anyone who has really given up their will 100% to the will of God..

Anyway i do appreciate your feelings of being almost alone in this world.. I also have the same feeling.. Real Christians are very very hard to find and i have the feeling that i may be able to count the number i have met with the fingers on one hand..
 
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Tintin

Guest
#10
#10
LouiseC said:
Just about that second note.....there are millions of people who find god and are filled with his spirit, and have never heard the message or read the bible. When I found god, the only thing I knew was what my parents told me, if I want to know god, ask for forgiveness. And that was all i needed to know. A few years later I reached out and he revealed himself to me by his spirit because I asked him, not a book. And the bible confirmed in my what I had already found. The bible constantly talks about growing in 'Knowledge' of the spirit, and working out what you have already been given. After all, do you receive the spirit from the bible or from God himself? Is god so weak that he can't give you his spirit if you call out to him to save you from what he has revealed to be your sin? So perhaps I am living proof you don't need to read the bible first, and you don't need to hear the full message either. what you mean by 'we' I guess I am not a part of.
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Yes, you're different from every other Christian. You don't need to fellowship with other believers. Do you hear yourself? I really hope you don't find anyone here who believes exactly as you do because it's not biblical.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#11
#11
Wow, you are incredibly aggressive I have to say. Those other threads are called honest struggles, Christians go through struggles because we are growing in faith. I guess you don't experience those in your life, lucky you.
Are you seriously suggesting, that a smaller group of like 15 friends like whos way of life you know, are just as hard to detect non christians inside as a group of like 200? do I need to even state the obvious? My gosh. have a good day.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#12
#12
I have fellowship with my two sisters and my parents.
 
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Tintin

Guest
#13
#13
I've absolutely had struggles in my life. I've been struggling hard for two years now. I don't take kindly to holier than thou types. I know what I'm talking about, mate. I was part of a weekly Christian fellowship group of 15 or so people (depending on the week). It was a home church. I and many others thought it was great and that we were worshipping in spirit and truth. We were all good friends but as close as family. But then the group imploded due to marital infidelity on part of the leaders (married people sleeping with married people, an unmarried person sleeping with a married person and the grooming of some young women).

This was a complete surprise to us. I'm well-versed in the Bible, but it escaped all of our notice. There was something like cloud of delusion/deception over the group that hid these things from us. I know for a fact that smaller groups can be just as evil. When my Christian friendship group (I thought I knew them all well) blew up in our faces, that damaged me big time. I lost so many friends and this was only a few months after my girlfriend had dumped me for no reason.
 
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Tintin

Guest
#14
#14
LouiseC said:
I have fellowship with my two sisters and my parents.
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That's good, but it's not enough. You need to fellowship with others outside of your biological family.
 
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17Bees

Senior Member
#15
Oct 14, 2016
1,380
813
113
#15
I thought it was interesting you used the "manipulation" concerning a church's dogmas. I believe you're probably right; some church's manipulation is very evident while other's can be almost imperceptible. As a Catholic, I've been told many many things by several different Christians - here and elsewhere - while another flood of information flows from my church. So I think it's incumbent upon the searching soul to essentially do what you're doing - search. As I am. For instance, I have some very serious questions about my own faith, like the Marion doctrine that I think is a kind of church ordered overreach. Not much different, one could say, than a church's complete rejection of the LGBT community (i.e. people) as opposed to a complete rejection of the sin as you pointed to.

I think that "finding a church" requires a certain maturity in faith. It requires a surety in a basic doctrine coupled with a never ending curiosity of the Mind of God. In short, I think you're probably ripe for a church experience which will help you mold a more concrete wholeness to your faith. I believe your're right when you say that we are saved by Grace, but I also believe our works are not worthless. They are a consequence of that Grace, not a prerequisite.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#16
#16
Hi Adstar.

I was definitely a bit extreme in those points you disagree with. Definitely not the best at explaining myself all the time. If you have been in a religion then i can definitely see why reading the bible to find the true message as you seek god will have lead you to finding him. You probably had a lot to debunk in your head from where you came from. I am just extremely blessed my parents are true christians and new the damage that religious practices do to young seekers, so they never forced us to read the bible or pray etc, they knew unless we had the spirit or were at a point of seeking him earnestly, praying and reading the bible wouldn't resonate with an empty shell without the spirit or without seeking him.

I am trying to understand your second point. I would say, there is a definite point when we receive the spirit and salvation, this enables us to to do his will IF and WHEN we have the faith to do it. We are taken through trials which cause us to make choices between the spirit or our sinful nature. We always fail in some way, to a big or small degree dependent on current faith, at least I do, and this is what causes me to reach out to god and he saves me, through humbling myself in the trials, I become weaker, and in turn he is able to act in me as I give the situation to him to sort out. I hope I explained it, Paul does so much better. Anyway, if we were able to do gods will 100% then Christ died for nothing. It is because we cannot do his will, even just 1%, that we need his salvation.

I am very blessed I know 4 other Christians, they are my parents and 2 sisters. My brother I believe will find god eventually, but I know it is Gods job. I am yet to meet anyone outside my family. But I do live in a town of 4000 people, and I run my own business from home, so I don't get out a lot. But nonetheless, when the time is right I will meet others. I don't mean to infer you aren't one, I have to get to know you more before I can decide, and so you with me. As you will know I presume, mixing with false believers can be dangerous, lucky we have the spirit to reveal them :) haha that was such a sour note to end on XD
 
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Tintin

Guest
#17
#17
LouiseC said:
Hi Adstar.

I was definitely a bit extreme in those points you disagree with. Definitely not the best at explaining myself all the time. If you have been in a religion then i can definitely see why reading the bible to find the true message as you seek god will have lead you to finding him. You probably had a lot to debunk in your head from where you came from. I am just extremely blessed my parents are true christians and new the damage that religious practices do to young seekers, so they never forced us to read the bible or pray etc, they knew unless we had the spirit or were at a point of seeking him earnestly, praying and reading the bible wouldn't resonate with an empty shell without the spirit or without seeking him.

I am trying to understand your second point. I would say, there is a definite point when we receive the spirit and salvation, this enables us to to do his will IF and WHEN we have the faith to do it. We are taken through trials which cause us to make choices between the spirit or our sinful nature. We always fail in some way, to a big or small degree dependent on current faith, at least I do, and this is what causes me to reach out to god and he saves me, through humbling myself in the trials, I become weaker, and in turn he is able to act in me as I give the situation to him to sort out. I hope I explained it, Paul does so much better. Anyway, if we were able to do gods will 100% then Christ died for nothing. It is because we cannot do his will, even just 1%, that we need his salvation.

I am very blessed I know 4 other Christians, they are my parents and 2 sisters. My brother I believe will find god eventually, but I know it is Gods job. I am yet to meet anyone outside my family. But I do live in a town of 4000 people, and I run my own business from home, so I don't get out a lot. But nonetheless, when the time is right I will meet others. I don't mean to infer you aren't one, I have to get to know you more before I can decide, and so you with me. As you will know I presume, mixing with false believers can be dangerous, lucky we have the spirit to reveal them :) haha that was such a sour note to end on XD
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I can tell. You need to get out more. No good can come from just interacting with Yes men and women (your family). You need No men and women in your life too.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#18
#18
That's all very interesting......something that struck me, you are Catholic but you believe we are saved by grace and not saved even in part by works? Yes obviously the result of faith is the fruit of works. To me this is a protestant belief. I have been to a couple of churches, I can't stand them, even the smallish ones. I feel they lack the grace of god. I do believe if you are to dip your toe into mixing with people concerning something so precious as your faith, you would have to know that everyone in the room was a true believer, so that when people start talking and giving advice, that advice is not poison to your spirit. To know your whole church are believers is something I think you can only have within a small home church of no more than 15 or 20 people...otherwise how can the lord expect you to know that all 200 people in a church are believers....or even that your pastor is a true believer, when you don't even know him on a personal bases. Or he is so full of pride in leading a huge group of people, that he is amazingly good at coming across so humble and happy and at peace and doing everything right in his life, supposedly.
 
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LouiseC

Guest
#19
#19
what position are you in to know my parents are yes men? You would have not one clue. Why should I base my faith on relationships with people? I put the lord first, works for me. If you looked at my life and what I have done, the struggles I have talked about on here are a drop in the sea of grace the lord has showered on my life. I could talk about my accomplishments in the lord, but I came on here for opinions on my struggles which is why I have only talked about them.
 
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HisHolly

Guest
#20
#20
Don't pay attention to tintin.. He likes to put women down and argue like an unsaved girl.. loves to point out flaws yet claim to hate the Holier type..
 
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