Be discerning with organised religion

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
13,813
7,788
113
#2
Gregoryp- Christ indwells us now if we are born again, we don't seek Him, he is in us.
I think you are jousting at windmills.
 
Jul 20, 2019
1,228
882
113
#3
Gregoryp- Christ indwells us now if we are born again, we don't seek Him, he is in us.
I think you are jousting at windmills.
The enemy uses organised religion to deceive and divide people. If it's not scriptural it's not of God. People are in danger of losing there eternal life.
 

shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
13,813
7,788
113
#4
lighten up, friend, His yoke is easy , His burden is light.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,526
2,608
113
#6
The enemy uses organised religion to deceive and divide people. If it's not scriptural it's not of God. People are in danger of losing there eternal life.

Organized Religion is from Satan?

Jesus was pretty organized: he had various groups of disciples with different levels of authority and training, and he had 12 disciples he taught very specific lessons before sending them out with specific instructions, and all under his authority.

The original apostles were pretty organized: They acted with authority, organizing and training people under them, and they had organized group meetings where they discussed doctrine, methodology, missions, staffing, logistics and much much more.

The first century church was pretty organized: There were church leaders who were put into positions of authority, in various cities, who took care of their flocks in organized ways according to scripture, and they even communicated with each other on matters of faith and practice.



Making Principles Up - not the best philosophy:

It's generally not the best philosophy to arrive at our spritual principles by just making them up.

It's usually best if we use scripture.

..
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,526
2,608
113
#7
Organized Religion:

Come to think of it, this FORUM is EXTREMELY organized, and it IS a Religious Christian Group...
maybe you should stay away from it since it's so organized.

1. It has an owner/director at the top, who is in top level authority.
2. It has administrators under him, who work on things like development, coding, and dealing with bans.
3. It has moderators under those people, who deal with various forum boards, and deal more directly with the community.
4. It has community members who contribute in various ways.
5. It has RULES and POLICIES, that everyone MUST FOLLOW.
6. The whole things is based on programming languages (mostly PHP and HTML 5) which are EXTREMELY ORGANIZED.

This Forum is a RELIGIOUS GROUP acting in EXTREMELY ORGANIZED WAYS.

Maybe this forum isn't safe for you.

I'm going to worry about you until you get far away from all organized religion.

Please be safe my brother... flee while you can.

.
 
Jun 10, 2019
4,304
1,659
113
#8
Organized Religion is from Satan?

Jesus was pretty organized: he had various groups of disciples with different levels of authority and training, and he had 12 disciples he taught very specific lessons before sending them out with specific instructions, and all under his authority.

The original apostles were pretty organized: They acted with authority, organizing and training people under them, and they had organized group meetings where they discussed doctrine, methodology, missions, staffing, logistics and much much more.

The first century church was pretty organized: There were church leaders who were put into positions of authority, in various cities, who took care of their flocks in organized ways according to scripture, and they even communicated with each other on matters of faith and practice.



Making Principles Up - not the best philosophy:

It's generally not the best philosophy to arrive at our spritual principles by just making them up.

It's usually best if we use scripture.

..
hmm didn’t the poster say use and not from?
 
Jul 20, 2019
1,228
882
113
#9
yes so the pope is God ordained? The bishops, cardinals, Vatican City with its vast wealth is God ordained? Hillsong etc with its false teachings and vast wealth is God ordained? Or the churches who support gay marriage to the extent they actually perform wedding ceremonies? No, I didn't think so either. And I did say be discerning, didn't say to stop fellowship. You can build a personal relationship with God at home whilst gardening or going on a road trip,, you don't need some pastor with a$1200 suit to tell you what to do
 

Waggles

Senior Member
Sep 21, 2017
3,338
1,262
113
South
adelaiderevival.com
#10
And I did say be discerning, didn't say to stop fellowship. You can build a personal relationship with God at home whilst gardening or going on a road trip,, you don't need some pastor with a$1200 suit to tell you what to do
OK then "organised religion" - is that mainstream religion made up of the most popular and largest organised denominations?
Yes we know that there is an anti-Christ system of worldly denominations, but what is the alternative?

You started off this OP with reference to Christians being deceived by faith healers.
So how does this connect with "organised religion"?
It certainly does not apply to the organised religion of the Jehovah Witnesses as they do not believe in nor practice any form of
faith healing.

As for myself I have a personal relationship with both Jesus and my Father through the indwelling Holy Spirit and therefore I
am able to lay hands on people and pray for them in tongues. Praying in the Holy Spirit.
Many many healings and miracles.
Does this make me a faith healer and part of organised religion?
 

Hazelelponi

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2019
609
397
63
USA
#11
yes so the pope is God ordained? The bishops, cardinals, Vatican City with its vast wealth is God ordained? Hillsong etc with its false teachings and vast wealth is God ordained? Or the churches who support gay marriage to the extent they actually perform wedding ceremonies? No, I didn't think so either. And I did say be discerning, didn't say to stop fellowship. You can build a personal relationship with God at home whilst gardening or going on a road trip,, you don't need some pastor with a$1200 suit to tell you what to do
I agree there are many denominations that don't teach in accordance with scripture, and many individual people who don't also. However, the denominations or churches you listed that you disagree with aren't the only churches in existence. You can indeed find a meeting house with a body of believers that are more to your liking.

There is a command in Scripture not to forsake the meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), and there are many things we need a physical assembling of God's people to do, such as Baptism, communion and more, so I disagree with the assumption in your post that we should stay home instead of seeking a church family.

Certainly we worship God at all times and all days, not just one day a week. Certainly prayer and studying the Bible is done daily. But these truths don't mean we can forsake the assembly we are commanded to..

As much as we need alone time with God, we need our church family. How wonderful is it to sit on the riverbank on a warm summer day and watch new Christians be baptised, to listen to an uplifting and encouraging sermon, to hug a fellow sister in Christ, to shake a brothers hand, to make and enjoy a meal with fellow believers and more..

We should continue seeking a church family until we find one who teaches according to Scripture, not stop and stay home..
 

Hazelelponi

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2019
609
397
63
USA
#13
Forgive me if I don't devote too much time on watching the video, I stopped at 1:23 as by then what the speaker on the video was saying already didn't match the Word of God.

We are blessed that God has preserved for us a Book that is Gods very word, which contains what we need to learn and grow as Christians, and according to that Book, doctrine is indeed very important.

1 Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

Jude 1:3, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”


2 John 1:7-11, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”


Galatians 1:6-9, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”


Matthew 24:11, “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many."



The Word of God is what emphasises doctrine, not men, as it is indeed very important to our Christian walk and witness.
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
113
#14
yes so the pope is God ordained? The bishops, cardinals, Vatican City with its vast wealth is God ordained? Hillsong etc with its false teachings and vast wealth is God ordained? Or the churches who support gay marriage to the extent they actually perform wedding ceremonies? No, I didn't think so either. And I did say be discerning, didn't say to stop fellowship. You can build a personal relationship with God at home whilst gardening or going on a road trip,, you don't need some pastor with a$1200 suit to tell you what to do
Yet we have a biblical injunction to assemble together.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Why do you harbor bitterness toward the assembly of Gods people on the Lords day?

Look toward the Lord and overlook the pastors suit. You must give account to Christ for what you do not for what the pastor wears.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
L

Locoponydirtman

Guest
#15
https://www.gotquestions.org/faith-healers.html Always seek Jesus from within, you don't need circus acts and fake christians to develop as a follower of Christ. All fall short of the glory of Christ. Be discerning
Your profile says that you are Christian, so I'll start with this presumption, that you are indeed what you say you are.
So you say seek Jesus from with in you, but Jesus said the heart of a man is desperately wicked. It it must be that we find Jesus in the place he told us to find him, and that is in his words, when he said stuff like those who love me hear what I say and then do what I say. So it is in his words that we find him. After all in his word in the Gospel according to John he says that Jesus and his words are the same.
So then we must have his word, and as a Christian we believe his word to be preserved in the Canon of scripture. If this is not his word then we don't have his word and we are lost.
Now if we believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the authorship of scripture, and that he then preserved his scripture and used his men to establish the Canon of scripture, and then the same Holy Spirit, lead men to translate those scriptures into all the languages. Why would we now throw out, and abandon the doctrine also established for us by those same Spirit guided men, for some form of modern mysticism?
 
Jul 20, 2019
1,228
882
113
#16
wow, cant believe you lack this understanding. All a person has to do is bow down and pray to God for forgiveness and salvation. They don't need some priest in a robe to do that for them, we don't need to see faith healers, we don't need to see a rock concert every Sunday, we don't need to see misquoted scripture. The organised church is being used by the enemy for his purposes, to divide, confuse and conquer. The church is the people , not a building or a corporate organisation. We can gather together at the local park, on the beach, at someones home. All the rest is useless . Sit at the local park and pray. See what happens
 

Waggles

Senior Member
Sep 21, 2017
3,338
1,262
113
South
adelaiderevival.com
#17
As for myself I have a personal relationship with both Jesus and my Father through the indwelling Holy Spirit and therefore I
am able to lay hands on people and pray for them in tongues. Praying in the Holy Spirit.
Many many healings and miracles.
Does this make me a faith healer and part of organised religion?
Would you care to reply to post #10
 

SoulWeaver

Senior Member
Oct 25, 2014
4,889
2,534
113
#18
That's why I don't do organized religion. Proud non-denominational. You don't need a licence from a clique of people to read the Bible or follow Jesus. A lot of really godly people like John the Baptist didn't have the "authorities" stamp of approval anyway. Not saying that there aren't some good and sound groups and that it isn't useful for the believers to gather.
 

Waggles

Senior Member
Sep 21, 2017
3,338
1,262
113
South
adelaiderevival.com
#19
PS: you cannot be a church of just one

You cannot love others nor share nor minister to others if you are a shag on a rock.
The church is family and fellowship.
Read your epistles.
Jesus appoints disciples to various positions of responsibility in his church - the Spirit-filled church ...
11 And he [Jesus] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:
 

SoulWeaver

Senior Member
Oct 25, 2014
4,889
2,534
113
#20
Oh I never said that.
I'm just saying you don't need people's approval.
The Bible teachings should always go above people.
I think a lot of people get group-coerced into things that they don't really feel are right.