Mega Churches - Opinions?

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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#101
#101
There is just one mega church that Jesus supports, and that’s the one referred to as the church of God, the church of Jesus Christ, and other references, in the Bible. That’s the church that everyone born again is automatically added to at the time of their spiritual rebirth, and is segregated through geographical locations, and called simply as the church in those locations. All other so-called mega churches and naming conventions are most likely man derived, and must confuse those on the outside as to what or who they really represent.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#102
Jul 18, 2017
24,420
12,905
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#102
ChristianTonyB said:
There is just one mega church that Jesus supports, and that’s the one referred to as the church of God, the church of Jesus Christ...
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Interestingly enough the Bible never says "the church of Jesus Christ". It is always "the church of God" or "the church of the living God". This Church can be seen only by God, not by man.
 
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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#103
#103
Nehemiah6 said:
Interestingly enough the Bible never says "the church of Jesus Christ". It is always "the church of God" or "the church of the living God". This Church can be seen only by God, not by man.
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Thanks for picking that up, I should have quoted "churches of Christ", my mistake. My inference otherwise remains.
 
Combanitorics

Combanitorics

Banned
#104
Oct 29, 2021
217
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#104
Even though it's specifically agreed by most people (certainly by all Christians) that Jesus was/is God, I see him in history primarily as an educated Israeli of the line of kings who felt himself responsible for his country, nation and race, including and perhaps especially religiously. I believe that he felt it his duty to instruct, materially aid, and save, including spiritually, his people. As for the Roman thing, no one wants to live in an occupied territory, that's undesirable. You don't have to be God or a Hebrew to want to be free. I have some sympathy for Rome, and I'd defend it by saying that in my mind, much of the crucifixion is the fault of Roman chaos (their leader Julius Ceasar had been murdered). But Jesus Christ is still just a bloodline King for Jews, he's only for them. You don't have to be Israeli to follow Him or believe in Him, because there's physical reality in this life and you live in it, so did He.
 
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Oblio

Guest
#105
#105
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." - Revelation 22:13
If He's not God, then what's He doing living in me? Lol!
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#106
Jul 18, 2017
24,420
12,905
113
#106
Combanitorics said:
I believe that he felt it his duty to instruct, materially aid, and save, including spiritually, his people
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Christ could not save anyone unless He was (and is) God. So there goes your theory.

Getting back to mega churches, they have generally departed from the New Testament pattern and do not preach the true Gospel either.
 
Combanitorics

Combanitorics

Banned
#107
Oct 29, 2021
217
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#107
Nehemiah6 said:
Christ could not save anyone unless He was (and is) God. So there goes your theory.

Getting back to mega churches, they have generally departed from the New Testament pattern and do not preach the true Gospel either.
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Pretty much no one is saved in this life. If they are, it's just a case of "yaehhhhh! We live to fight another day!!!!" Salvation is a concept related to the presumed next life, and you haven't been there, so you don't know anything about it anyway. If you think you do, that's on you, and if you're so sure of your beliefs that you are willing to die for them, you just go right ahead and do that. Feel free.
 
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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#108
#108
Combanitorics said:
Pretty much no one is saved in this life. If they are, it's just a case of "yaehhhhh! We live to fight another day!!!!" Salvation is a concept related to the presumed next life, and you haven't been there, so you don't know anything about it anyway. If you think you do, that's on you, and if you're so sure of your beliefs that you are willing to die for them, you just go right ahead and do that. Feel free.
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So Jesus was a fool then. He suffered and died for all mankind, you included, and you would dare insult that. Your's is a satanic perspective.

I can't believe you have been able to become a paid member of this service, let alone remain here. That's hypocrisy personified, and a distinct contradiction to what this internet site is called. I would be refunding your money, and give you leave with a 'don't call back until you have a change of heart and mind' salutation.
 
Combanitorics

Combanitorics

Banned
#109
Oct 29, 2021
217
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#109
ChristianTonyB said:
So Jesus was a fool then. He suffered and died for all mankind, you included, and you would dare insult that. Your's is a satanic perspective.

I can't believe you have been able to become a paid member of this service, let alone remain here. That's hypocrisy personified, and a distinct contradiction to what this internet site is called. I would be refunding your money, and give you leave with a 'don't call back until you have a change of heart and mind' salutation.
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Jesus was the king of Israel, a descendent of the line of David. He dies for his country, including its Hebraic religion.
 
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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#110
#110
Combanitorics said:
Jesus was the king of Israel, a descendent of the line of David. He dies for his country, including its Hebraic religion.
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Yes, and for the gentiles too. You seem to have a twisted faith, it has not come from God. It seems you have intellectualised your own concepts into a type of faith that you believe to be Christian. The gift of faith to believe in Jesus as the Christ, Emmanuel, can only come from God. You can't make it up yourself, nor can any other human being do that for you, or impart it to you. What you have said contradicts the utterances made in scripture by and through the workings of the Holy Spirit. My sincere wish for you, and for your wellbeing, is that you forget what you have conjured up in your mind, pray to God for insights into His ways, and listen to what He says in the still and quiet hours. Your spiritual life, and the continued existence of your soul, will depend on that.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#111
Dec 16, 2016
13,626
7,654
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#111
Amen! He indwells the believer, C-ban holds to an outward for denying His sacrifice.
Not good, not good at all.
 
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Oblio

Guest
#112
#112
Combanitorics said:
Pretty much no one is saved in this life. If they are, it's just a case of "yaehhhhh! We live to fight another day!!!!" Salvation is a concept related to the presumed next life, and you haven't been there, so you don't know anything about it anyway. If you think you do, that's on you, and if you're so sure of your beliefs that you are willing to die for them, you just go right ahead and do that. Feel free.
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I once died at the hospital. I saw Jesus in the New Jerusalem. He started my heart and I came back here. It's beautiful there!
 
CS1

CS1

Well-known member
#113
May 23, 2012
12,330
4,052
113
#113
BeckytheDogeLover said:
I've been seeing more and more of these mega-churches pop up that have become super-capitalized with stores and restaurants inside them. The pastors are multi-millionaires and often live lives of extreme luxury. What do you all think about this? I have mixed feelings. Didn't Jesus go into the Temple and throw over the tables of all the merchants and people who were selling things inside the Temple? And what about "it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven"?

On the other hand, if these churches are bringing more people to Christ, maybe its a good thing. What do you think?
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I'm in mega-church we have 265 members
 
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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#114
#114
CS1 said:
I'm in mega-church we have 265 members
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By the grace of God, I and others have been given membership to His church (also known as the body of Christ). Our number would be far greater than any man-made religion and church.... it's size?... only God would know! Thank you, Lord.
 
Marilyn

Marilyn

Active member
#115
Jul 27, 2021
998
200
43
#115
BeckytheDogeLover said:
I've been seeing more and more of these mega-churches pop up that have become super-capitalized with stores and restaurants inside them. The pastors are multi-millionaires and often live lives of extreme luxury. What do you all think about this? I have mixed feelings. Didn't Jesus go into the Temple and throw over the tables of all the merchants and people who were selling things inside the Temple? And what about "it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven"?

On the other hand, if these churches are bringing more people to Christ, maybe its a good thing. What do you think?
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That is NOT the Lord`s way -

`You therefore, my (Paul) son, (Timothy) be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.` (2 Tim. 2: 1 & 2)

Paul - among many witnesses
Timothy -learnt from Paul.
Faithful men - learnt from Timothy.
Others - who learnt from faithful men.

There we see the net work of the Lord`s discipling, personal and ever expanding.

Gathering together in small numbers, or even 2`s and 3`s, takes the burden & focus off running an organisation and orchestrating a weekly presentation.
 
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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#116
#116
It could be argued that the early church was their modern day mega church, because thousands were being brought to salvation, added to church, at that time.

We can see from Biblical recordings that they mainly met in homes. This makes a lot of sense, as overseeing and caring for new 'adoptees' requires ongoing personal interaction, instruction, and care.

Whatever wealth they had was distributed amongst all, so that no one lacked. They had their faith, and concerns for each others welfare, all in common.

The concept of gathering everyone under the one roof would have meant putting that wealth, which would be better used for the direct benefit of those in need, into leasing or buying buildings. How I would like to grab the idiots of our ancestors that thought this idea up, and give them a good shaking. That, and their breaking up into disparate groups with their own peculiar theological bias, has rendered the Church impotent and impeded the furtherance of the pure and true Christianity.
 
K

KrisWampler

Guest
#117
#117
They are almost always lacking in sound doctrine. Given the risk and temptation to worldly watering down and compromise, it seems the better practice would be to avoid them altogether.

Check out this guy. He’s in charge of a mega church fairly close to me.
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
#118
Apr 21, 2021
7,570
3,161
113
#118
BeckytheDogeLover said:
I've been seeing more and more of these mega-churches pop up that have become super-capitalized with stores and restaurants inside them. The pastors are multi-millionaires and often live lives of extreme luxury. What do you all think about this? I have mixed feelings. Didn't Jesus go into the Temple and throw over the tables of all the merchants and people who were selling things inside the Temple? And what about "it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven"?

On the other hand, if these churches are bringing more people to Christ, maybe its a good thing. What do you think?
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Megachurches got to be megachurches by indoctrinating the flock into the false teaching of tithing; and I agree, they're in the business of big business.

The problem is they don't bring more people to Christ; and if they do appear to do so, they lead them so far astray with false teaching it takes a miracle to get them on the right track.

In sum, the whole thing stinks, in my opinion.
 
R

RichMan

Guest
#119
#119
JohnDB said:
Mega Churches are what they are. Usually they aren't much different than a regular church except that the pastor and Choir are better at creating a show than the smaller churches are.

And this can be from a number of variants that create the difference.

However, church pastors do NOT preach on difficult subjects because of the outrage that would come from it's membership.
Pastors have a political job...

The congregation doesn't want to hear about their corporate guilt anymore than the pastor wants to tell them the truth about giving.

They don't want to explore prophecy of the Old Testament... because uncomfortable truths come out.

They don't want to expose sin on a personal level...EVER. The congregation doesn't want to hear about how they are so extremely wealthy and can live on so much less or how they regularly live wasteful and luxurious lifestyles.

Pastors talk about whatever it is that the congregation wants to hear... nothing else. But I don't know many prostitutes that attend church on a regular basis. (Except in Vegas where the pastor married a showgirl)

So...it's an endemic situation. Most churches have severe issues lately. This pandemic has made it painfully obvious to anyone who knows the truth about attitudes.

The Bride of Christ is currently playing the Harlot like Hosea's wife Gomer. I don't think that God is pleased. We have become like Sampson just before that final haircut. I expect it to be on its way at any moment.
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And we are to believe you because you have been in every church and know every pastor.
 
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ChristianTonyB

Guest
#120
#120
RichMan said:
And we are to believe you because you have been in every church and know every pastor.
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Many of us have come to the conclusion that it's highly unlikely Jesus would have set apart men to act as pastors in a sect, this would go against His own want and prayer. Whereas some individuals in said groups may have been called and chosen of God, and He may have left them there for a while to wise them up, He won't leave them there forever. Those pastors are a product of their denominational system, not of God. "Therefore come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord," and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you."
 
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