Be discerning with organised religion
- Thread starter Gregoryp
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*Organized religion* is a slogan used by those who reject Christianity and Christ. Christians look deeper into the issues.
There is no doubt that Christendom and denominations have generally become representative of False Christianity. There is also no doubt that many mega-churches promote a circus atmosphere in order to attract visitors.
But that does not mean that there are no sound Gospel-preaching churches around. Christians need to seek out like-minded believers and worship and fellowship with them.
There is no doubt that Christendom and denominations have generally become representative of False Christianity. There is also no doubt that many mega-churches promote a circus atmosphere in order to attract visitors.
But that does not mean that there are no sound Gospel-preaching churches around. Christians need to seek out like-minded believers and worship and fellowship with them.
I was thinking a lot about this last night, I didn't sleep. I was thinking more about what I said earlier. When I've become Christian, I was so scared of denominations. I was praying to God to take me out of the "wrong" churches and take me to the "right" church so I don't "miss the mark". I had obsession about getting the "correct" set of beliefs down from the Bible. But I've been realizing over the years, that I gradually started observing the believers themselves, rather than analyzing every jot and title in their belief systems. I am from a predominantly Christian Orthodox country. I am not Orthodox. But out there are some wonderful Orthodox Christians and I'd sometimes visit their church. As much as I dislike what denominations and organized religion are doing to God's cause, I also believe that God highly supersedes and works with it all. And after a while it dawned on me that defining yourself as a non denominational is still, in ways, declaring a denomination. Because you still set belief system as your frame of reference. I said I was a proud non denominational, and it felt like it was a kneejerk thing, because right after I said it, it didn't feel right, and I ended up sitting on this and I realized I was saying something I don't actually believe in anymore. My faith is in Jesus, that it where it began. It's Jesus that I entrusted with my life. I didn't entrust a belief system with my life. A belief system might come from God, but it is still not God. I will not declare myself as a non denominational again. I am just a follower of Jesus. Among all the fights about "doctrine", seminaries, heresies, and scholarly debates, the simplicity was lost.
Yay, someone who gets it! I have spent most of my life in a spiritual frame of mind. I did try many different denominations but I couldnt feel gods glory in any. Very few people where of the spirit either. I am a follower of Christ, the past few months I have been home isolated reading scriptures, praying and connecting with Jesus on a personal level. It has profoundly changed my outlook on life. To top that off, I decided to spend my days single, he sends me a soulmate here totally unexpected.
There are true followers scattered around throughout denominations. They are like rare beautiful jewels. But they are there. I've met some wonderful Orthodox, Adventists, and so on. It restores hope when you run into them. Well that's wonderful that you've met your soulmate here! Husband and I also met online about the time when the big spiritual movement started while YouTube community was strong and kicking, like, 10 years ago. It was amazing and real and about the issues of everyday walk with God, it was like Holy Spirit raining down. I feel like there is another such season incoming and right now. As much as I love the Bible, I think the people globally got tired of just focusing on dogma and who's got it right and who's got it wrong. The people want JESUS!
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I did tell people to be discerning. I was amused at how defensive they were of there denominations. Shows where there focus is. I didn't say to stop seeking a Jesus focused church if that's what they need. Oh the soulmate. My housemate and I are keen sewers. We sell items online. The young lady who I met was a random person who came here to buy some baby bibs etc. A long story but as soon as eye contact was made we both knew
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I think all people are our neighbours in the sense that we are commanded by Christ to love our neighbour as ourself and I believe that means that any "good" we can do with or for others whether they are believers or not, we should do. We are told in God's Word to not fellowship with unbelievers and I believe that means that we are still to love them and to help them in any "good" ways that we can but we are not to associate with them otherwise as they do not believe as we do and unless they show signs of wanting to find God, all they will do is try to confuse us and draw us away from our beliefs. They don't believe and we do so we are at opposite ways.
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I am a non-denominational Bible believing Christian. I realise most denominations have good things going but many, if not most, have a lot of "self-serving" and "man-pleasing" things going on - man's will usurping God's Will when it suits man. I want no part of that. For example, the Anglican Church of Canada is allowing gay marriages and when I phoned a top official in Ontario, he laughed nervously through our entire chat. He said it was to prevent promiscuity and I said that the issue was sodomy and all the Anglican Church had done was to open the door to such. Gays married in the Anglican Church could have sex as all married couples can have with each other but such would have to be sodomy and God finds that an abomination. I believe the Anglican Church of Canada does not really care about gays but, rather, about welcoming them and increasing their numbers and, thus, their financial profits. I say profits deliberately as I think this is all about the Church's prosperity, not about the fulfillment of needs of gays. Other denominations are doing things to suit their man-pleasing man-loving needs, too.
God's Holy Word is Holy Spirit inspired and, therefore, it is totally trustworthy despite any attempts man has made to distort, corrupt, destroy such as no one can possibly destroy God's Word. As for believing what God says and means, one needs to not go by man's languages which are becoming more and more the new Tower of Babble as languages are mere babble now. God's Word being Holy Spirit inspired rises above man's languages - man's words and man's meanings. One can know via enlightenment of the Holy Spirit what God says and what God means and if God does not specifically say something, "true" Christians DO know and understand what God would have said and would have meant.
So, bottom line IS I go with God, not with man.
God's Holy Word is Holy Spirit inspired and, therefore, it is totally trustworthy despite any attempts man has made to distort, corrupt, destroy such as no one can possibly destroy God's Word. As for believing what God says and means, one needs to not go by man's languages which are becoming more and more the new Tower of Babble as languages are mere babble now. God's Word being Holy Spirit inspired rises above man's languages - man's words and man's meanings. One can know via enlightenment of the Holy Spirit what God says and what God means and if God does not specifically say something, "true" Christians DO know and understand what God would have said and would have meant.
So, bottom line IS I go with God, not with man.
are you talking about organized 'inquisition and pedophilia???
Paul, and many of Jesus' disciples WALKED by THEMSELVES on so many lonely roads,
albeit some times with other brethren, but most often 'alone' into unknown territories...
why wouldn't they? they were walking in The Spirit of Grace...
HEB. 11:37-
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38.
(Of whom the world was not worthy
they wandered in deserts, and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.
(Benny-Joel-Joyce-Paula, ETC., orgs.) may God have mercy...begging for $$$!!!
Paul, and many of Jesus' disciples WALKED by THEMSELVES on so many lonely roads,
albeit some times with other brethren, but most often 'alone' into unknown territories...
why wouldn't they? they were walking in The Spirit of Grace...
HEB. 11:37-
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38.
(Of whom the world was not worthy
they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
(Benny-Joel-Joyce-Paula, ETC., orgs.) may God have mercy...begging for $$$!!!
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are you talking about organized 'inquisition and pedophilia???
Paul, and many of Jesus' disciples WALKED by THEMSELVES on so many lonely roads,
albeit some times with other brethren, but most often 'alone' into unknown territories...
why wouldn't they? they were walking in The Spirit of Grace...
HEB. 11:37-
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38.
(Of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts, and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.
(Benny-Joel-Joyce-Paula, ETC., orgs.) may God have mercy...begging for $$$!!!
Paul, and many of Jesus' disciples WALKED by THEMSELVES on so many lonely roads,
albeit some times with other brethren, but most often 'alone' into unknown territories...
why wouldn't they? they were walking in The Spirit of Grace...
HEB. 11:37-
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38.
(Of whom the world was not worthy
they wandered in deserts, and in mountains,and in dens and caves of the earth.
(Benny-Joel-Joyce-Paula, ETC., orgs.) may God have mercy...begging for $$$!!!
are you talking about organized 'inquisition and pedophilia???
Paul, and many of Jesus' disciples WALKED by THEMSELVES on so many lonely roads,
albeit some times with other brethren, but most often 'alone' into unknown territories...
why wouldn't they? they were walking in The Spirit of Grace...
HEB. 11:37-
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38.
(Of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts, and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.
(Benny-Joel-Joyce-Paula, ETC., orgs.) may God have mercy...begging for $$$!!!
Paul, and many of Jesus' disciples WALKED by THEMSELVES on so many lonely roads,
albeit some times with other brethren, but most often 'alone' into unknown territories...
why wouldn't they? they were walking in The Spirit of Grace...
HEB. 11:37-
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38.
(Of whom the world was not worthy
they wandered in deserts, and in mountains,and in dens and caves of the earth.
(Benny-Joel-Joyce-Paula, ETC., orgs.) may God have mercy...begging for $$$!!!
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I agree, but ultimately there's another thing in play for many believers, that I didn't really explain well when I posted earlier, but is what I had in mind. It's a certain lack of accountability. People go to "priests" to get rid in ways, of their own accountability before God. So the priest tells them what's right or wrong, the priest "forgives" them as so forth. Instead of facing God in serious awe with awareness that they must give account to Him who made us, for every word and deed. This is a tough thing to do, but it is the only way. When I die, what's between me and God matters. The clergy doesn't come into play at all.
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We are to fellowship with other believers and be there for each other and I do try to do that but I back off when said believers start accepting things contrary to God's Word and God's Will. If they wish to continue on their path, I shall not go with them. Whether or not we belong to a denomination, we must each, also, build and ever improve our own personal intimate relationship with God - Father, Son, Holy Spirit - and that is best done through God's Word and Will.
Yes, in the final judgement, it will be between God and each of us and the only true and valuable Intercessor will be Jesus Christ. In our day to day life, we need to confess to God and to express sincere and genuine sorrow and repentance and then and only then will God forgive us and forget our sinfulness and not punish us as He paid the punishment for all on the cross. Any who sin and do not ask forgiveness and repent are not forgiven and they will die in their sins and be punished in the lake of fire. That will be their choosing, not God's. When we confess our sins to God, we are not only forgiven, our sins forgotten, and we are not punished but we are strengthened so that we are better able to overcome our sinfulness.
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Amen,
it is so 'clear in Scripture' that 'Jesus Christ is our only Advocate', and (none other) -
He is our 'ONLY HIGH PRIEST'!!!
the (BODY) of True Believers confess to Him their sins, and then, they are not only 'forgiven',
but they are given the blessing/power of (over-coming) and thus Growing in Spiritual Maturity,
blessed to 'Walk in The Light',
which will be their out-ward 'WITNESS'...
1JOHN 1:9.
If we confess our 'sins', He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our 'sins', and to cleanse us from 'all unrighteousness'.
it is so 'clear in Scripture' that 'Jesus Christ is our only Advocate', and (none other) -
He is our 'ONLY HIGH PRIEST'!!!
the (BODY) of True Believers confess to Him their sins, and then, they are not only 'forgiven',
but they are given the blessing/power of (over-coming) and thus Growing in Spiritual Maturity,
blessed to 'Walk in The Light',
which will be their out-ward 'WITNESS'...
1JOHN 1:9.
If we confess our 'sins', He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our 'sins', and to cleanse us from 'all unrighteousness'.
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