Speechless

Would Jesus have ever said "Please, No JW's or Mormon's?" I don't think so. If we close our door to them, we may as well close it to everyone? When they come to your door, you have a captive audience. Recently, two young men from the mormon church came to our door, on a sunday afternoon. i was napping on the couch, and woke up when i heard the doorbell. I heard my husband speaking to them outside when if I finally got up and joined the conversation. We spoke to them for quite a while. They finally said they would like to get together with us and 'study' sometime. So, I invited them back to my house the following Sunday to our cell group. Our pastor came that same night. They were really drawn into the contemporary worship. I havent seen them since that night, but our pastor sees them frequently and is building a relationship with them. Anyway, I'll stop rambling, but why would we close a door that God has opened by rejecting them before they even get to the door?

I dont agree with denominations. IMHO, it separates the body of Christ. There were NO denominations in the early church. Jesus didnt set up denominations. I read a book by Rick Godwin recently, and he made an excelent comment on denominations, here it is... How true is that?

I have a Scofield study bible. I didnt buy it because it is 'scofield' for the same reason i dont buy any other study bible. the notes are only 'his opinions'. i bought it because it has an excellent concordance in it. which is something i look for in any bible. i dont care about the notes, but a good concordance, etc in the back.

For those who do condone reading Harry Potter books, would you also read Lady Chatterly's diaries, or watch the movies based on the books? Or do you read playboy or hustler magazines? Or watch Playboy channel, or spice channel? Afterall, they're only magazines.... Its only a tv show

Try Nicole Nordeman and Nicole C. Mullens

Harry Potter isnt a book about good vs. evil. It is a book about evil vs. more evil. I dont know what breaks my heart more, to see kids reading this book, because they just dont know, or parents who let them, or encourage them to read them.

I clicked on Pentecostal, only because the church I am a member of is pentecostal. But more importantly, I am a Christian!! Too many people put too much emphasis on 'titles' or denominations. There were no denominations in the early church. I have attended many different churches, non-denominational, church of christ, baptist, catholic, methodist, etc etc. I dont care about the 'name' on the side of the building, but what is being taught... is it biblical, or man-made doctrine?

Well, IMHO, 'works' is something that a person does to kind of 'help' their salvation. "If I 'do' this, I will get..." If we are truly saved, good works comes naturally, something we want to do 'in obedience to scripture' as shiloh said. However, if we dont have true faith, works dont mean a thing.

Should the church give to the poor, who dont give to the church? If that is how this church made you feel, then dont you think there is obviously a problem with that church?? Perhaps you should be part of the solution, not part of the problem, dont stoop to their level!

Thank you for posting this WhySoBlind, I just got home from workand was catching up on the posts, so i could respond, but you did already!

dwinkjr, you are forgetting another 'type' of tongues. a person's prayerlanguage. i know many people who pray in tongues. in which case, there is no need for an interpreter, because what is spoken is between that person, and God

Unfortunately, it is not only pentecostal churches that practice rituals and beliefs that are not bible based. I've seen it in several 'denominations'. In fact, i'd go so far as to say that most churches have 'broken off' in just accepting denomination names, there were no denominations in the early church. I've been to churches that have said that you cant take communion if you're not baptized, how about baptizing infants, or baptizing people for those who have already passed away unsaved, etc etc etc. we could go on forever. Bottom line is, the bible does not teach that someone is not saved if they're not 'filled with the spirit/speaking in tongues'. anyone who insinuates that, is wrong, not that anyone here has... yet. and a person isnt any more or less saved because they do or do not speak in tongues. I do believe that it was not meant here that someoen who doenst speak in tongues is not a Christian. But that you KNOW if someone has 'received the Holy Spirit' if they speak in tongues. Again not implying that if you dont speak in tongues you're not 'spirit filled'

It kind of bothers me when some believe that tithing 'money' isnt scriptural. IMHO, of course people in the o/t gave their tithes in their crops/livestock. They didnt have money like we do now. They didnt have utilities, car payments, daycare, credit card bills, insurance, etc etc etc. Much of what they lived on they raised themselves. I dont give 10% of my gross pay to my church. I actually give 15%, because I want to, not because no one told me to! I dont make that much money, and my husband and I have never had much, and lived paycheck to paycheck. The very least I can do, is to give Him the first part of what I do have. I havent always tithed. I was once of the opinion, "I cant afford to tithe, but I give a lot of time to the church". :-\ Well, time doesnt pay the bills, it doesnt pay the staff, or the utilities, etc etc. Unfortunately, the old addage 10% of the people do 90% of the work, also applies to tithing, although I'd like to believe that more than 10% of people in the church tithe. Imagine, how our churches, and ministries would thrive if everyone tithed. Churches wouldnt be closing their doors, as unfortunately is the case sometimes, such as the church/school mentioned in a previous church.

I tithe off the gross. I honor Him by giving to Him first! He gets the first part of what I have, not my left-overs. We should give cheerfully, from the heart. Remember the story of the widow with two mights, she gave all that she had, and the priests turned their nose up at her offering. God knows the heart! A lot of people will say that tithing, which means tenth, (if we give 10% of what's left over, then God's really not getting 10% is He??) is Old Testament Law, and we're not under the law anymore, but we're under grace. Amen!! PTL we are! The old testament teaches that the first ten percent is His. Remember the parable of the rich young ruler?? He wanted to follow Jesus, and Jesus told him to go and sell everything that he has and give it all to the poor, then follow Him. The rich young ruler was upset at that. You see, really, it all belongs to Him, not just 10%, we're just made stewards of it.